Tag: tips for getting organized

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Getting Ready for Winter: Wardrobe Organizing Tips for Cold Weather

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

When it’s time to get organized for the changing season…

scarves_declutter_decluttering_organize_bella
Roll scarves and place them in a hanging bin, basket, or drawer for easy access.

If you’re like most of us and have limited closet space, you may need to store seasonal clothing. In preparation for cold weather, you might consider storing away the summery things and bringing out what you’ll need to stay warm and comfortable. It’s also a good time to purge.

Purging Tips

Say “goodbye” to clothing, shoes, and accessories when:

  • You have worn or used it to the point of fading, pilling, stains, stretching, or tearing
  • You have not worn or used it for an entire year or two
  • It is no longer your color, size, or style

 How to store off-season items.

  • Use containers with lids or large storage bags; cover to protect from dust, dirt, fluctuating temperatures, and little critters.
  • Treat them well. Clean, de-wrinkle, and fold or nicely hang before storing. Cared for clothing lasts longer, takes up less space, and can be worn immediately when it’s time.
  • Store items in a temperature-controlled environment, particularly natural materials such as leather, wool, and silk. Never store clothing in damp places that tend to breed mold or mildew, nor in extreme hot or cold temperatures.
  • Label bins or bags with a description of contents and store under the bed, high on a top shelf, in the guest room closet, on a garage shelf, or on a covered rolling rack.

Keep sweaters, jackets, scarves, warm hats & socks, cozy boots, gloves, and an umbrella within reach.

  • Sweaters keep their shape best when folded and stacked in dresser drawers or on reachable shelves. Lightweight sweaters do well hung as long as you wear often enough to retain their shape.
  • Roll winter scarves and place in a slim hanging canvas organizer  in the entry closet (which I also like for small purses, hats & beanies, gloves, compact umbrellas, and other accessories,) or stack them in a dresser drawer or bin on a shelf.
  • Keep gloves close to scarves or within coat pockets. I buy several sets of $1 gloves at CVS or Target and store a pair in the pocket of each jacket. They’re always there when I need them.
  • Keep long socks, thermal underwear, and cold-weather leggings together. More tips to organize tights, leggings, and long socks here.

Take the time to organize your closet and wardrobe for the changing season, and you’ll have what you need in a cold-weather flash.

____

Ready for more? Call (510) 229-7321 today to schedule a complimentary estimate for your wardrobe and closet organizing goals. Gift certificates are available.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Apple Galette Recipe

Apple Galette

ɡəˈlet/
noun  – a flat round cake of pastry or bread.

ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons ice water (or more as needed)
  • 1 1/2 pounds Granny Smith, McIntosh, Macoun, or Empire apples
  • 4 tablespoons granulated or raw demerara sugar
  • 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
  • 1/4 cup apricot preserves
  • 1 egg or  3 tablespoons whole milk

preparation

Pie crust: You can use a food processor, or make it by hand; I make pie crust using a KitchenAid mixer on the lowest setting. Below is the recipe for using a food processor.

Blend flour and salt in processor. Add butter and blend, using on/off turns, until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 tablespoons ice water and blend just until dough begins to clump together, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gently gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap in plastic and chill 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep dough chilled (I’m told the secret to great pie crust is keeping the ingredients cold.) Soften slightly at room temperature before rolling out.

Roll out dough between sheets of parchment paper to 1/8-inch-thick round, 14 inches in diameter (it doesn’t have to look perfectly round.) Remove top sheet of parchment. Using bottom sheet as aid, transfer dough on parchment to large unrimmed baking sheet. Chill 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450°F. Combine apple slices, 2 tablespoons sugar, and lemon peel in medium bowl; toss to blend. Spread preserves over crust, leaving 1 1/2-inch plain border. Arrange apple slices in concentric circles atop preserves, overlapping slightly. Using parchment as aid, fold plain crust border up over apples, pinching any cracks in crust. Brush crust with lightly beated egg or milk. Sprinkle crust edges and apples with remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.

Bake galette 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until crust is golden, about 30 minutes longer. Keep an eye on the crust. If at any time it starts to darken too much, simply place a sheet of foil over the entire pie in the oven. When baking time is complete, remove pie from oven. Slide long thin knife between parchment and galette. Let stand at least 10 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

 

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 between the San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, and Monterey Peninsula to get people organized… including kitchens and pantries! Join Bella Organizing on Facebook. Gift certificates are available.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Things To Keep In Mind When Donating

Most donation drop-off centers accept items year around, and the busiest time is the final six days of the year. At this time, twice as many people take donations to a tax-deductible charity organization to get a last-minute tax receipt. Why? Items donated to this kind of charity before January 1 is usually deductible on that years’ tax return.

Things to keep in mind when donating to a tax-deductible charity organization any time of year:

  • Donors who want to claim a tax deduction should request a receipt from the attendant when dropping off donations. The IRS allows a deduction for each item, but it is up to the donor to estimate each item’s value.
  • Have an inventory of your items ready before you drop them off.
  • Remove all hangers from clothing before donating.
  • If you have a single donation worth more than $500, you will need to complete IRS Form 8283.
  • If you have a single donation worth more than $5,000, you will need a qualified written appraisal.
  • Take a glance at Goodwill’s Donation Valuation Guide

rocking-horseFind out what organizations such as Goodwill DO and DO NOT accept at http://www.goodwill.org/get-involved/donate/donation-acceptance-guidelines/

READ MORE BELLA ORGANIZING TIPS, IDEAS & TRAVELS HERE.

Bella Organizing is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO). We serve the greater SF Bay Area: San Francisco, East Bay, South Bay, Marin County, Silicon Valley, Santa Cruz, and Monterey Peninsula. Join Bella Organizing on Facebook.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

My Resale Therapy

I cannot deny I like to shop for clothes. I want to look stylish and feel good, not raggedy and unpleasant. But instead of retail therapy, I prefer resale therapy. Rarely do I buy something new when there are so many hidden treasures out there to be discovered. Like animal instinct, for me it’s not the kill, but the thrill of the chase.

There are plenty of good deals to be found at thrift stores and consignment shops, yard and estate sales. It makes for fun and guilt-less shopping. No remorse here when I only paid a few bucks for my latest find. I am being green and doing something that feels good when giving my money to a non-profit with a cause, family, or small business owner.

I also get a brand-new-to-me wardrobe selection of unique contemporary and vintage treasures. The scary part is I have to let go of clothing in my closet to make room for my finds. Eek! How do I decide what to let go of?

I let go of a piece of clothing when:

  1. I have worn it to the point that it is fading, pilling, stained, stretching, or tearing
  2. I have not worn it for an entire year
  3. It is no longer my color, size, or style

Having just done a quarterly purge that I dropped off at Goodwill, I have empty hangers that I am allowing myself to refill with some new-to-me clothing. I want YOU to decide what works on me, and what does not.

Is it a FIT, or is it For Someone Else?

Bella_thrift_store_finds_01
Green plaid zip vest by Cabi                  Dreamy blue sweater by Hillard & Hanson         Sassy grey tank blouse by Talbots

Please leave your feedback in the comments section below. Thanks for participating!

____

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.

Categories
Professional-Organizer

Fabulous Thrift Store Finds

Welcome to my new Thrift Store Finds page!

You can always find me dropping and shopping at thrift stores. Rarely do I buy new clothes at full price…there are too many good deals to be found at second hand, resale, consignment shops, yard and estate sales. It makes for fun and guilt-less retail therapy! No shopping remorse here when I only paid a few bucks for my latest find. I’m being green, and find unique things all the time.

During one of my recent donation drop-offs for a client, I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25! Here I am wearing my thrift store find on our road trip to Big Basin this weekend.

I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25!
I scored this size medium Kenneth Cole skirt at Goodwill for only $3.25!

 

Love this design!
Love this retro design.

 

Just my size!
Just my size. It’s made of 100% polyester but looks and feels like suede. No need for dry cleaning; it goes right into the washer on the cold gentle cycle and hangs to dry.

I will post my finds here regularly, so check back now and again to be inspired to shop green with me. Read about some of my favorite consignment shops in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond HERE.

____

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.