Author: Bella Organizing

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.

Professional-Organizer

A Day at the San Francisco Green Festival

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date November 12, 2013

Jon and I drove out to the 12th Annual SF Green Festival at the Concourse Pavilion in San Francisco, a 2-day event featuring guest speakers, workshops, and green businesses offering eco-friendly and sustainable products and services from around the San Francisco Bay Area and country. Here’s a small sample of what I found out of HUNDREDS of vendor booths to explore…

Have you seen this green box?

I’ve seen them everywhere around the Bay Area, and always wondered what they were randomly doing in the middle of neighborhoods. It reads it’s a Clothes and Shoes collection box, but do people actually drop things off in it? Where do the donations go?

At the SF Green Festival I got the opportunity to meet Sophia Duus (right), manager of the Richmond, Ca. based Campus California, the company responsible for them. Campus California is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that serves hundreds of locations from the SF Bay Area to Salinas with their 24/7 donation boxes.

Founded in 2000, Campus California’s mission is to support sustainability projects and work toward California’s solid waste reduction goals through the collection and sale of donated items. They work in cooperation with communities most affected by global climate change and those living in poverty locally – including Bay Area schools, libraries, and community groups – and globally. For more information about Campus California, donation box locations near you, or to take part in their program by hosting a box at your school or business location, visit www.Campus-California.org

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Beware of the hangers in your closet!

An estimated 8 billion plastic, wire and wood hangers go into landfills every year. Why?

Companies ship clothing to stores on plastic hangers. Each hanger has just one use and is thrown into a dumpster after the sale.
Recycling centers don’t take hangers because they tangle in recycling machinery and break apart, making identification of the material impossible. 85% of all hangers end up in landfills, including wood and bamboo.
Plastic hangers take an estimated 1,000 years to break down in a landfill. Clear polystyrene hangers leach benzene (a carcinogen) into ground water. Polycarbonate hangers leach bisphenol A (BPA, a hormone disruptor).

It all sounds scary, right? At the SF Green Festival I discovered Ditto Hangers, makers of the 100% non-toxic and heavy-duty Ecological Hanger.

Engineered from super strong “Proterra” paper fiberboard, the Ditto Hangers are made with soy-based inks and starch-based adhesives. They are 100% recyclable, compostable, and biodegradable. They are so good, the Monterey Bay Aquarium uses them in their gift shop. If only all the world used Ditto Hangers…

For more information, visit www.dittohangers.com

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Looking for a good house cleaner? Who isn’t?!

I met the ladies of Natural Home Cleaning, an eco-friendly, worker-owned housecleaning cooperative based out of the East Bay that serves the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Natural Home Cleaning uses natural ingredients – such as vinegar and baking soda – and brand products that are tested for effectiveness and safety. They offer regular cleaning, deep cleaning, move in/move out cleaning, spring cleaning, and special project cleaning such as stoves and refrigerators. For more information, visit the cooperative in your SF Bay Area location:

Berkeley/Oakland http://naturalhomecleaning.com/

Contra Costa County – http://greencleaningcontracosta.com/

San Francisco – http://homegreenhomesf.com/

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I am wonderfully made.

The Concourse Pavillion is a big place, and walking around visiting hundreds of booths can get these wonderfully made legs tired… but nothing that a little stretching and relaxation won’t fix. Let’s lay down and get comfy on a fun and eco-friendly Affirmat…

Look How Awesome they Are!

Apparently very popular, this was the first time I’ve seen these yoga mats made of Jute and ecoPVC. Non-toxic, non-slip, with affirmations written on them such as:

i am free
i am love
look how awesome you are
i am healthy, i am wealthy, i am love
i am wonderfully made
breath in love

I had to pick one up for myself! For more information about the Affirmat, visit www.affirmats.com

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Oh Baby!

After a little downward facing dog, I took another stroll and soon met Catherine Andrews, owner of Fellini Baby, a Humboldt County-based baby clothing company that uses 100% organically grown cotton of the highest quality sourced with Oxfarm fair trade suppliers. Made with nickel-free snaps and non-toxic reactive dyes, Fellini Baby is known for it’s European styling and handcrafted custom design with a careful finish for long-lasting wear and bold, beautiful colors.

There’s also a meaning behind their signature tree logo. To find out more, stop by their adorable baby pop-up website at http://www.fellinibaby.com/

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Urban Farming

After fueling up on TONS of free organic, vegan, sustainable, and gluten-free food and drink samples, I came upon the guys of The Urban Farmer Store. Based out of Richmond, CA. they serve the East Bay, San Francisco, and Marin County with efficient irrigation and lighting for the landscape, including graywater irrigation installation. They show you how to put together complete projects or improve and update an existing system. Just take them a sketch of your yard and they’ll help you design a water-efficient system. They also help with ponds, fountains, waterfalls, and outdoor lighting projects, and offer free classes on drip and sprinkler installation. For more information, visit urbanfarmerstore.com

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Repurpose & Upcycle

After putting your dream vegetable garden together, you’re bound to grown an abundance of food. That means you’ll be needing an awesome CUTTING BOARD! How about one of these beauties?

I met Josie McHale, owner of San Bruno-based Mac Cutting Boards. Their products are crafted by repurposing and up-cycling scrap hardwoods.

They also make creative and functional coat racks using door stops, water hose faucets, and more! For additional information including their retail locations, visit www.maccuttingboards.com

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What a great day! All the walking around, eating, meeting and talking to fascinating people and discovering new eco-products and services made me tired. Just when I was ready to find Jon and go home, perhaps lay on the sofa and watch some tube, I stumbled across this…

Is my couch a KILLER?!

Is it one of MANY couches covered with flame retardant chemicals? The folks at the Center for Environmental Health (CEH) informed me that it just might be, and they are working hard to ensure that furniture makers produce flame retardant-free products by 2014.

It’s the shocking story that the nightly news fails to tell: every day we are exposed to chemicals that can make us sick. These chemicals hide in our furniture, our food, and our personal care products. The Oakland and New York-based Center for Environmental Health works to eliminate toxic chemicals in our homes, schools, the workplace, and the products we use daily. Get educated and stay informed at http://www.ceh.org/

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It was time to head back to the Monterey Bay Aquarium exhibit booth, where Jon was hanging out visiting his co-workers. I was immediately greeted by bright and bubbly Andrea at the Seafood Watch table.

What is Seafood Watch?

The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program helps consumers and businesses make choices for healthy oceans. Their recommendations indicate which seafood items are “Best Choices,” “Good Alternatives,” and which ones you should “Avoid.”

Seafood Watch raises consumer awareness through our pocket guides, website, mobile applications and outreach efforts. They encourage restaurants, distributors and seafood purveyors to purchase from sustainable sources. To find out more, go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch website.

A beautiful, sunny day in San Francisco, and a tasty, education-filled day at the SF Green Festival. Time to head home and fall asleep on my eco-friendly Affirmat.

For more information about this weekend’s event and SF Green Festival 2014 which will take place at Fort Mason Center, visit http://greenfestivals.org/sf I suggest setting aside a full day to take in all this annual event has to offer.

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). Living in Oakland and Monterey, she travels in her truck to work with clients throughout the SF Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

Tags affirmat, campus california, center for environmental health, ditto hangers, environmental festival, fellini baby, green businesses, green festivals, home green home, mac cutting boards, san francisco green festival, seafood watch, urban farmer store

Professional-Organizer

How to Organize and Pack For A Trip

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date August 27, 2013

I often help my busy clients prepare for their vacations and business travels. This includes creating packing lists, organizing and packing suitcases and carry-on luggage. Here are packing tips for easier traveling:

Pack clothing tightly but without over stuffing the suitcase. Tight packing means no loss of space and fewer wrinkles. There are two basic ways to pack efficiently:

The Rolling Method – Roll clothing including t-shirts, pajamas, sweaters, and slacks. Use a rubber band to keep items from unrolling. Tightly rolled clothing take up less space and are less likely to get wrinkles from fold creases.
The Bundling Method – Bundle like-garments. This keeps items together and accessible. If you pack three t-shirts, neatly fold or roll them together. To reduce wrinkles, place each bundle in an airtight zip-lock bag.

More tips:

Make a packing list of things you need to take on the trip days or weeks in advance.
Know the airlines updated baggage policy and Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) rules. Changes happen all the time; read up on the airlines latest fees, policies and rules before you start your packing list.
Prevent wrinkling by layering clothes with tissue paper saved from holiday gifts.
Make use of empty space by rolling underwear, socks, ties, scarves, etc., and placing into small zip-lock baggies, removing as much air as possible while zipping. Gently stuff the baggies into shoes.
Use sample-size toiletries (contact lens cleaner, shaving cream, toothpaste, etc.) or fill your own small, reusable bottles.
Store valuables (jewelry, medicine, cell phone charger, important paperwork) and pack a change of socks and underwear in your carry-on.
Minimize wrinkles by unpacking garments right away. Lay tissue paper inside hotel room drawers prior to placing your items and hang whatever clothing you can upon arrival.
If traveling with a passport, photocopy the page with your photo and bring an extra picture. If you lose your passport, this will make it easier to replace.

See how a flight attendant from Los Angeles demonstrates how to pack for a 10-day trip in a single standard carry-on using the rolling method.

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

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Professional-Organizer

Basement Declutter and A Mohawk

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date July 23, 2013

This Oakland, CA client initially planned for us to tackle her basement exactly one year ago this month, right after we finished organizing her garage. I didn’t hear back from her, and thought that perhaps she was unhappy with my services! It turned out (as it usually does) that personal life stuff happened and so she didn’t get a chance to move forward until now. I think I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that people sometimes have more important things to do than organize their homes.

When we first looked at the basement a year ago, it looked more like an extended storage closet. Things were too piled high to walk through and around the back to where more stuff was…things my client had long forgotten. What she did know was that all her precious Christmas ornaments were scattered, she wanted to find and organize them, and that there might be something dead back there…

This client lives on a hillside, with the garage at street level, the main floor of the house down a long set of stairs a level below, and the lower part of the house and basement a level below that. There was a lot of things to remove from the basement, all of which needed to be thoroughly sorted and assessed as to whether it stays or goes. Some needed to be stored in the street level garage, other things carried up to my truck and hauled away to be donated, the rest placed into the recycle bin on the street. Lots of stuff and lots of stairs meant lots of exercise today!

While digging through boxes and pulling things out, I had in the back of my mind to keep an eye out for critters, live or dead. I came across boxes of poison that had been there a while, the pellets eaten away and cardboard containers obviously attacked by rodents. Then I came across droppings…I was sure I’d find a furry skeleton soon! But there was no foul smell so I thought whatever was here must be long gone…until I saw this on the floor and squealed…

A mouse with a purple mohawk and studded collar. Obviously a toy belonging to the cat of the house. An incredible adrenaline rush, a burst of laughter, and I was pumped to keep moving with this basement closet project. Luckily I didn’t have any more surprises.

What I did find was lots of holiday ornaments, clothing, boxes of salvaged childhood memorabilia, and house rebuilding papers documenting the Oakland Hills Firestorm of 1991, a fire that killed 25 people and injured 150 others. The fire destroyed 1,520 acres in the Oakland hills and southeastern Berkeley, including 3,354 single-family dwellings and 437 apartment and condominium units. ^[1]My clients house was one of them.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oakland_firestorm_of_1991

We sorted through and dusted off everything in the basement, removed cobwebs, swept the floor, properly packed and labeled treasured ornaments, placing those she uses more often close to the front of the stack.

During the consolidation and repacking process we got rid of several empty containers that took up space. After a few boxes to be stored in the garage and items for haul-away sorted out, we ended up with a clean and clear basement. And the cat had her toy back.

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

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Professional-Organizer

Interview with Betty A. Sproule, co-author of The Stuff Cure

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date June 25, 2013

I am interviewing Betty A. Sproule, co-author of The Stuff Cure: How we lost 8,000 pounds of stuff for fun, profit, virtue, and a better world.

What a catchy title, Betty, who should read your book?

Our book is for anyone who feels that they have more stuff in their home and garage than they really need. When stuff becomes a burden, rather than a joy, it’s time to slim down. Often people need to unstuff when they are planning to move, a child leaves home, or when they need to downsize. Sometimes people need to move stuff along so they can clear enough space to park their car in the garage.

What about the fun, profit, virtue, and a better world? How can getting rid of stuff help in all those areas?

We know that buying stuff can be fun. We believe that getting rid of stuff can also be fun, if you have the right approach. You can sell your unneeded stuff for cash or you can take a deduction on your taxes. Donating to worthwhile agencies, such as Goodwill, St Vincent DePaul, and Hope, does a lot of good for our community. Reusing and recycling help us to be better stewards of our environmental resources.

When you talk about getting rid of stuff, how do you know what to keep?

We have three criteria to define a keeper. When it’s

Currently functional,
Really valuable, or
Outrageously sentimental

If something doesn’t qualify under one of these three headings, then it’s a candidate for unstuffing.

Once you decide to get rid of something, how do you make it work?

We use the principles of gift, shift, and thrift to find our stuff a better home. We discuss the seven morphs of leading an unstuffed life: Refraining, Restraining, Returning, Reusing, Renting, Recycling, and Rendering into trash. We include a discussion of our Stuff Cure Method and the 7 rules of the game. We share a proven recipe for success in getting rid of excess stuff without regret or guilt. We give a lot of specific suggestions for how to responsibly move your stuff along before resorting to just throwing it in the trash.

When do you need a professional organizer in your unstuffing process?

We recommend using a professional organizer to help you achieve your goals even faster. If you get rid of some of the stuff that you don’t need, it helps you to get more value from the time with your professional organizer and you’ll be more pleased with the result.

Mike and Betty Sproule, co-authors of "The Stuff Cure" — Mike and Betty Sproule, co-authors of “The Stuff Cure”

If you’d like to read the book, you can order it on Amazon, in either paperback or Kindle form.

Read more about The Stuff Cure on the website: http://www.stuffcure.com/

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Isabella Guajardo, also known as Girl With A Truck™, is a professional home organizer and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). She travels to work with clients throughout the great San Francisco Bay Area, East Bay, South Bay, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz and Monterey Peninsula. She shares simple and creative ways to stay organized and stylish while reducing, recycling and re-purposing.

Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your home organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Keep up with Bella Organizing on Facebook and Instagram.

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Professional-Organizer

How to declutter magazine collections, have fun and get things done!

Post author By Bella Organizing
Post date June 14, 2013

You can hold onto your favorite magazine collections by simply cutting out the pictures, articles, recipes you want and recycling the rest. Imagine letting go of over 50% of those piles without getting rid of what matters most to you. Here's what I do when I get my monthly subscription of Sunset Magazine:

Are you like many… a collector of magazines? Are they piled high in your living room, office, bedroom, or bathroom? Do you keep them near out of fear of throwing away a perfectly good article? If so, this organizing tip is for you.

You can hold onto your favorite magazines and beat the clutter by following these simple steps each time a new one arrives in the mail.

sunset mag 1 paperwork organizing — Here’s what I do when I get my monthly subscription of Sunset Magazine: I cut out the articles and recipes that I want and recycle the rest immediately. It’s as simple as that! Imagine letting go of over 50% of those piles without getting rid of what matters most to you. In the process you have glanced at the entire magazine and cut out what you REALLY want to get to later when you have more time.
Tip: Before tossing the leftovers, cut off the name & address label. Always shred or cut up your personal information before sending it to the recycle bin.

file folders paper organizing — Next, I grab a few file folders for my cut outs. This color blue makes me happy, so I use these instead of boring beige. There are so many colors and designs to choose from out there…use what you like!

file folder paper organizing — I created my own favorite categories: “Thing to Do,” “Things to Eat & Drink,” and “Things to Read & Feel Good About.” Customize file folders to your liking and lifestyle…”Places to Visit,” “Things to Buy,” “Business Tips,” and “Reference Photos” are examples. Be careful! Only make a few folders, you don’t want to end up with a file cabinet full of magazine cut outs. Keep it SIMPLE.

magazine paper organizing — This is my set-up: labeled file folders, stapler, scissors, and magazine. I tear out pages and neatly trim, or cut out pieces of a page I want to keep. I staple together multiple pages of an article to keep them together.

3 topics paper organizing — My three categories: “Things to Do” (left), “Things to Eat & Drink” (center), and “Things to Read & Feel Good About” (right). Out of a 58-page magazine, I am keeping 18 pages. I am cutting my magazine paper clutter down by 69%!

desktop file paper organizing — Next, I bring my desktop file holder into the picture. This is where I neatly store my magazine file folders. I keep it all here and nowhere else, and can place it on my desk, the kitchen counter or out in the open anywhere else in the house without it being an eyesore. When I act on something, I remove the page and recycle it.

If it’s a recipe I make and love, I move it to my recipe binder in the kitchen. If it’s a Thing to Do and I do it, I yell out “I’m so adventurous (or) creative!” and recycle the page, making room for new adventures and creations. If I successfully read it, the information is absorbed and bye-bye the paper goes. If I want to share something I absolutely love from the magazine, I mail it to a friend and in an enclosed note briefly write about my experience. It’s been too long since we’ve mailed REAL letters.

adventures — Isabella having fun in Death Valley, CA. 2011 – The Racetrack

More ways to prevent magazine collection & paper pile-up, have fun, and get things done:

Use shredded magazine leftovers as shipping material.
Use magazines to create fun collages with the kids or a vision board for yourself.
Download this Stop Junk Mail Kit created by the Bay Area Recycling Outreach Coalition for numbers to call and websites to visit to be removed from Catalogs you no longer want to receive, Direct Marketing lists, Credit Card offer lists, Sweepstakes, Shopping Flyers, Junk Faxes, and more.
Read more Paperwork Organizing Tips

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READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Call (510) 229-7321 to schedule a complimentary telephone consultation.

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