Donation Stations Control Clutter in NYC Homes

Posted on May 7, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Donation We all need to control clutter in our NYC homes and need to address those items we no longer need or use. Clothing and shoes that no longer fit, household items that have been replaced with updated versions, books we’ve finished reading, toys the kids no longer play with and take up precious storage space in our homes. Strategically placing a few “donation stations” in your NYC home is great way to control clutter as you collect items to be passed on, and make it easier to either transport everything or get it ready for pick-up when the bags or bins are full.

A reusable shopping bag or small bin in a kitchen or hall closet can be a good way to collect household items to donate, such as excess serving dishes, books and magazines, toys and other items from your living areas.  Keep a larger bin or basket in your bedroom closet to gather clothing and shoes to be donated. Be sure to check children’s closets and drawers at least once or twice each season as they outgrow items quickly and sharing in-season clothing is particularly helpful for those in need.

The garage or basement storage area is a good spot for a donation bin to store larger household items, such as appliances, tools and electronics. If you’re taking on a home renovation project, consider donating items you’re replacing, such as light fixtures, cabinets, counter tops and more. Keep reading for suggestions on donating these items.

The best way to control clutter in your NYC home is to schedule regular times to donate items, such as monthly, quarterly or more frequently best based on how quickly your Donation Stations fill up. There are a number of organizations in the New York metro area that accept donated items:

Salvation Army – find your nearest drop-off location
Accepts clothing, household items, books, toys, jewelry, shoes, furniture and more. Donated items are sold through Salvation Army Thrift Stores, which fund adult rehabilitation centers.

Goodwill – find your nearest drop-off location
Accepts clothing, household items, books, toys, jewelry, shoes, furniture and more. Donated items are sold through Goodwill Thrift Stores, which fund programs for youth, adults, individuals with physical and developmental disabilities and more.

Housing Works – find your nearest drop-off location or call 1-888-493-6628to schedule a furniture pick-up.
Accepts clothing, household items, books, toys, jewelry, shoes, furniture and more. Housing Works’ mission is to end the dual crises of homelessness and AIDS through advocacy and services.

Build It Green! NYC – find your nearest location
This non-profit’s mission is to offer materials that would otherwise be placed in the landfill for sale at extremely discounted prices.  Donated materials are sold at their two NYC retail outlets and include everything from plumbing fixtures to doors, wood, flooring, much more.

Habitat for Humanity ReStore – find your nearest location
ReStore accepts surplus and reusable building materials, furniture and appliances. Proceeds from sales of these items benefit Habitat for Humanity house construction. Though most ReStores are located in suburban areas, you may still want to consider this option if your home is undergoing a renovation or construction project. Ask your contractor if they can help with transporting donations!

The New York Public Library – drop off at Mid-Manhattan Library
Accepts donations of books, CDs, DVDs and VHS tapes in good condition.


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NYC Professional Office Organizer Does Home Office Makeover

Posted on April 29, 2012 by theorganizingzone

One of my clients runs her Public Relations firm from a small home office located in her apartment. While there is adequate space to do to do what she needs to do, the office was cluttered and disorganized, negatively impacting her productivity. She enlisted the help of The Organizing Zone, a NYC professional office organizing company, to identify ways to more efficiently use the space in her office and to create systems for managing tasks and paperwork.

Before

  • Shelves (bookcase and storage shelf) were cluttered and disorganized
  • White board was frequently utilized but there was no method for how information was arranged on it
  • Client didn’t have a good system for tracking business expenses
  • Business cards were collecting on the desk and not being added to the already established binder
  • Files were set up but there wasn’t a clear cut designation for the categories assigned to each file cabinet drawer
  • Email inbox was overflowing with new and read messages

After

  • Shelves were decluttered and areas designated for specific items, such as client samples
  • White board was divided into sections for current projects, follow-up items, and other tasks that need to be addressed; the board is now her resource for tracking to-do’s and priorities
  • Created a system for tracking business expenses and receipt
  • Business cards were organized into binder and a process developed for filing new cards as they are collected
    Identified the major filing categories and assigned them to specific drawers
  • Cleared out and organized email inbox; created a system to flag email messages to distinguish between tasks to be done and those tasks that are in process

Client Reaction:

“As my business began to grow, my old methods of organization weren’t enough to keep pace.  I was falling into overwhelm nearly every day.  Stephanie Shalofsky of The Organizing Zone showed up in my life at the perfect time.  I needed to let go of a lot of physical and digital clutter, and having a coach who left me with homework assignments to be completed by our next meeting stepped up the urgency and added momentum to the process.

Stephanie was the perfect coach throughout the process…very focused and non-judgmental.  I am certain that on my own I would never have been able to weed through the clutter and find new ways to prioritize and organize what was left.  Stephanie’s help was essential.  I’m now able to work with much greater ease and flow.  My mind is clear and focused.  Phew!”


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Products for Organizing NYC Homes & Offices

Posted on April 23, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Last month I joined 70 of my fellow NY Professional Organizers at the annual NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) Conference in Baltimore. In addition to the motivating keynotes and educational workshops, all NY Professional Organizers looked forward to visiting the product expo. This year’s expo didn’t disappoint and included some innovative products that will facilitate organizing your NYC home and office. I have chosen a few of my favorites to spotlight.

Divide It Up Folder:  This is a standard letter size folder which contains three slots so that the contents can be divided by sub-category for quick and easy retrieval. This is a great tool for organizing paperwork in both NYC homes and offices.

NeatReceipts:  This portable scanner and digital filing system helps to manage both personal and business paperwork on your computer. The scanner extracts key information from receipts, business cards and documents, thus eliminating the need to keep all the paperwork thus making organizing your NYC office a much easier task. The data can be searched by keyword and exported to Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks or TurboTax.

Post-it Full Adhesive Notes:  These new and improved Post-it Notes have adhesive on the entire 3 x 3” sheet so that your notes will stay affixed.  They also have rounded edges so that the Post-it Notes can be easily removed and affixed to a new surface.

Arc Customizable Notebooks:  These notebooks are the perfect choice for those who prefer a paper solution and need to have a notebook handy throughout their hectic day. The user can completely customize the notebook by selecting the appropriate size and layout and by adding, removing and re-arranging pages and dividers as needed.

Shelf Genie:  These Glide-Out shelves are customized to fit in your cabinets so that they address your specific storage and organizational needs. They help to maximize your available storage space, give you easier access to the items in the cabinets and keep you better organized.

My Perfect Party:  This service can make planning a party or gathering a lot less stressful and time consuming. My Perfect Party can handle all the details, will gather all of the tableware, party favors and decorations, and deliver your party in a box before the big event. They can help you plan every kind of gathering from a birthday party for your child to a Hawaiian Luau.

If you have tried any of these products, please share your comments.


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What to Keep–NYC Professional Organizer Tips for Managing Paperwork

Posted on April 17, 2012 by theorganizingzone

File CabinetProfessional organizers in NYC are frequently called in by clients who need help with managing paperwork. In addition to developing and implementing a system for tracking and filing paperwork as it flows through your home or business, managing paperwork also includes archiving your files and knowing what you don’t need to hold on to.

As tax season wraps up, this is a great time to get a jump on managing paperwork by cleaning out your files, storing away those papers you need to keep and getting rid of those you don’t.  Archived files should be stored in a safe place where they can be accessed as needed and protected from moisture. If you don’t have room in your home or office, consider an off-site storage facility that will catalog and safely store your file boxes, retrieve boxes when needed, and can destroy your records once they have outlived their usefulness.  Be sure to follow procedures recommended by professional organizers in NYC and clearly label/date the boxes and maintain a master inventory list of all archived file boxes.

You may not need to keep as much as you think. Keep in mind, however, that the list below includes general professional organizer guidelines and you should always check with your accountant or attorney for their specific directions regarding the length of time managing this paperwork.

RECORDS TO KEEP

Tax returns – keep forever
Tax return documentation – 7 years
Contracts – keep forever
Real estate records – keep forever
Last pay stub of a job if you leave that job
Last pay stub of the year for your current job until you reconcile it with your W-2
All mortgage payment checks and statements – until mortgage is paid off
All student loan payments – until loan is paid off
Car loan payment stubs –until the car is paid off
Cancelled checks – Keep those related to your taxes, business expenses, home improvements and mortgage payments; shred those that have no long-term importance
Bank deposit slips – until you reconcile with your bank statements
Bank statements – for a calendar year; store with tax returns if they will be used to prove deductions
Home improvement records – ownership period plus 7 years
Investment records – shred monthly and quarterly statements as new ones arrive; hold on to annual statements until you sell the investments
Bills for purchases – keep until you confirmation a bill has been paid, then shred; however, bills for big purchases (jewelry, rugs, appliances, antiques, cars, collectibles, furniture, computers, etc.) should be kept in an insurance file for proof of their value in the event of loss or damage.

WHAT YOU CAN TOSS

Credit card statements – anything more than 3 years old
Past insurance statements
Old utility bills, except the most recent one from your old address if you’ve moved
Recently paid bills (statements), once you have confirmation they’ve been paid

All documents that contain personal information should be shredded before discarding them. Small in-home shredders are inexpensive and easy way to dispose of personal paperwork. If you have a large amount of paper to be shredded, you can arrange with a commercial document management company to do the work.  Shred Fest is an annual New York City event that’s scheduled for May 20 this year. Industrial shredders will be set up at locations throughout the five boroughs to shred documents for free! For more information, click here.

Source: www.clarkhoward.com; www.bankrate.com


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NAPO Professional Organizers Change Lives

Posted on April 9, 2012 by theorganizingzone

Stephanie collects shoes for Soles4SoulsOver the past several months, I’ve shared information about the partnership forged between NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) and Soles4Souls. The NAPO Challenge urged NAPO professional organizers like me to encourage clients to clean out their closets and donate brand new and gently worn footwear as well as single shoes to Soles4Souls. NAPO professional organizers and NAPO chapters across the country collected the footwear throughout the second half of 2011 and at last month’s annual NAPO Conference, the organization’s leadership shared some incredible stats:

  • Nationally, NAPO members collected over 170,000 pairs of shoes!
  • The local New York chapter collected 14,257 pairs, ranking it third place nationally in collections.

My clients, friends and family cleaned out their closets and donated more than 200 pairs of shoes between July and December 2011 and I am so proud to have been part of this effort. Soles4Souls provides shoes to men, women and children around the globe who desperately need them. Footwear is a critical first step in helping people in impoverished areas live healthy, productive lives. Footwear can help eliminate the spread of disease through the foot, as well as help children obtain an education as many schools have footwear requirements to attend.

Though The NAPO Challenge campaign has come to an end, you can still donate to Soles4Souls at several locations in the New York area – find a list of donation sites here.  As you clean out your closet this spring, consider donating shoes that no longer fit or that you no longer wear. Soles4Souls accepts all types of shoes: athletic, running, dress, sandals, pumps, heels, work boots, cleats, dance, flip flops, just as long as they are new or gently worn. Pairs should be tied together by laces or with rubber bands. They even accept individual shoes and will work to match them up to make a pair! Donations are tax deductible, with receipts available at drop-off locations.

For more information about Soles4Souls, visit their website.


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