Isabella Guajardo -also known as Girl With A Truck™- has been creatively organizing homes since 2007. Today, her home organizing company Bella Organizing in collaboration with Girl With A Truck™ residential move management company is the San Francisco Bay Area's favorite "get it done" duo. Isabella and her team enjoys working directly with clients to make their space comfortable, functional, and stylish.
Bella Organizing collaborated with Redfin Realty and other cleaning and organizing experts to bring you Spring cleaning tips.
As the days grow longer and the weather begins to warm, we start to see the first signs of spring in the air. If you live in New York, Portland, or anywhere in between, the signs of spring are the same – the flowers begin to bloom and the birds are chirping again. After all, spring is the season of new beginnings, so why not refresh your home with spring cleaning? Declutter and deep clean the interior and exterior of your home before spring has sprung with these expert tips. Read more…
Imagine having a wardrobe closet, kitchen cabinets, or a garage so un-stuffed that it’s as if you walked into a department store window display to live.
A small handful of clients out of thousands I’ve worked with actually live that kind of minimalist lifestyle. Case in point: many people have too much clothing and not enough closet space to use wooden hangers as they do in magazines and advertisements. Wooden hangers take up lots of space. Lack of closet space is why slim hangers are so popular now.
Minimalism: A dream only obtainable through curated lifestyle magazines and Instagram posts?
The photo in this post depicts minimalism, but it hasn’t been curated to obscure reality. It is how the closet I organized truly looks. There really is that much space between clothes, and it’s because this person chooses to own very little. It reflects the simple lifestyle of a client I recently worked with for the second time. She’s called on me twice for help when moving homes. She’s done all the decluttering herself.
How can someone live so simply? Here are a few excellent ways to start:
Restrain yourself – we don’t need to buy a ton of organizing supplies to get organized. Most people I work with need very few or nothing at all.
Say “so long!” to magazines – they are primarily ads for things to buy and these ads work on the subconscious more than we realize.
Go offline – cut down on personal time spent on social media and the web (including Amazon). Facebook and Instagram exist today only because corporations are making big money through this new form of marketing. And “free shipping” is a drug to start weening yourself off. Take a few months hiatus a couple times a year. You won’t miss anything important, trust me.
Take action TODAY:
Declutter, Declutter, Declutter – Set up a donation bag or box that lives year around in your home and toss into it anything your heart, mind, and soul tells you. Place it somewhere you see it every day. Over time, this box will fill and refill, and you and your home will begin to feel lighter and free.
Do you want to live the minimalist lifestyle you see in magazines and on Instagram? It’s possible!
The Pareto Principle
Research shows that people use 20% of what they own 80% of the time. The rest takes up space, mostly untouched. Consider the things in your home, the clothes on your body, and even what you take in your luggage on vacation. This is an example of the Pareto Principle, also known as ‘the law of the vital few’ and the 80/20 rule. In life, it means that 80% of all effects result from 20% of all possible causes. Does the 80/20 rule apply to you and your stuff?
Imagine the money you’ll save, how easy it will be to clean, and how quickly you’ll find what you need living a life of minimalism. What would you do with the free time and space created by owning only what you truly love and use?
If it’s a minimalist lifestyle you want to live, you can do it. YOU can make it happen. Start TODAY.
San Francisco Bay Area Professional Organizer Isabella Guajardo works with clients to downsize, minimalize, and organize their wardrobe closets, offices, paperwork, kitchens, garages, and any challenging area of the home. Call her today at (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary 20-minute conversation about downsizing and minimalism.
If someone you know is going through a serious collecting or hoarding challenge, they simply may not be ready to let go, as they will usually have a very different perspective than you about what’s too much. If their clutter is causing fire, falling, or other hazards and you feel the need to help them immediately, it’s still extremely important to be patient and not pushy. If this person in not responsive to you, pick up books from the library on the topic and learn about the many options for professional help. If you attempt to tackle things on your own, consider these important tips:
Avoid trying to persuade them to get rid of things. It often leads to arguments, the person closing up to the possibility of you helping at all, and can damage your relationship with him/her.
Use encouraging verbal and body language. Be supportive and communicate with positive and genuine words and actions when discussing the situation. Be careful and aware of your tone of voice.
Highlight strengths. If you begin working with someone to downsize, see the whole person and don’t be concerned with problems in the home, but rather the effort to change.
Treat this person how you want to be treated. With love, kindness, respect, and encouragement, you can be of assistance in many ways. You may one day hold the honorable title of being the trusted friend or family member there when they are ready to let go, or who guides them to seek professional help when the time is right. But first, they must be ready and willing to help themselves.
A variety of helpful information, research, and resource information on the topic of hoarding can be found in The Hoarding Handbook available online and through your public library.
I’m having so much fun watching this show! It’s exciting to see people diving into clothing, shoes, books, and piles of stuff large and small, being honest with themselves about what’s taking up space and not fueling the spirit. It’s also important to learn limits as to how much you can realistically tackle at a time, and to understand and accept with a passionate heart and determined mind that the process of decluttering the complete home takes commitment and consistency. Are you up for the challenge? It’s worth it, I promise!
Since the show premiered my organizer friends everywhere are receiving calls. I suddenly have 25% more inquiries in my inbox each day, which brings me great joy! I am excited that people are ready and willing to take control of their lives and their stuff. A common question asked with these new inquiries is:
” Are you a coach or do you actually help me do it?”
We help you do it! We can even do it for you when you’re not at home, so that you come back to a beautifully organized space without lifting a finger. And when you need to be home because there’s stuff to make decisions on or because you love being part of the process, my team and I are on the front lines with you sorting and lifting, containing and labeling.
A complete organizer should provide you 1) organizational design ideas, 2) energy & motivation, and 3) implementation. It’s magical! Help with all three areas makes things move forward faster, and inspires you to keep going when you see how much can be accomplished in a matter of hours when we do it together. Teamwork makes the dream work when the goal is to declutter and organize your space asap so you can focus on and be productive with the people and things that matter most.
San Francisco Bay Area Professional Organizer Isabella Guajardo works with clients to downsize, minimalize, and organize their wardrobe closets, offices, paperwork, kitchens, garages, and any challenging area of the home. Call her today at (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary 20-minute conversation about downsizing and minimalism.
You’re entitled to one free copy of your credit report every 12 months from each of the three nationwide reporting companies. Order online from annualcreditreport.com, the only authorized website for free reports, or call 1-877-322-8228. You will need to provide your name, address, social security number, and date of birth to verify your identity.
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires each of the nationwide companies — Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — to provide you with a free copy of your report, at your request, once every 12 months. The FCRA promotes the accuracy and privacy of information in the files of the nation’s credit reporting companies. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the FCRA with respect to reporting companies.
A credit report includes information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you’ve been sued or have filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.
Here are the details about your rights under the FCRA, which established the free annual credit report program.
Q: How do I order my free report?
The three nationwide reporting companies have set up a central website, a toll-free telephone number, and a mailing address through which you can order your free annual report.
To order, visit annualcreditreport.com, call 1-877-322-8228. Or complete the Annual Credit Report Request Form available on the website. Do not contact the three nationwide reporting companies individually. They provide free annual reports only through annualcreditreport.com, 1-877-322-8228 or mailing to Annual Credit Report Request Service.
You may order your reports from each of the three nationwide reporting companies at the same time, or you can order your report from each of the companies one at a time. The law allows you to order one free copy of your report from each of the nationwide reporting companies every 12 months.
The information on this page is provided directly from the Federal Trade Commission website.
Isabella Guajardo is a San Francisco Bay Area professional organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels to work with clients throughout the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. Call (510) 229-7321 for a complimentary consultation on how we can get your home or office moved and/or organized. Gift cards are available.
