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.

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!”

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.

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

• 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.

One organizing solution for your home is to create a temporary storage location for recyclable items in your home so that they aren’t cluttering your countertops or taking up valuable floor space. The Hidden Recycler from Rubbermaid attaches to the inside of a cabinet door (a great spot is under the kitchen sink). The bag has handle so you can easily lift it out and carry the contents to your building or community recycling collection area.

Another option is a 2-bin container that has compartments for both trash and recyclables but takes up no more floor space than a typical kitchen trash can. There are lots of products available, including this 2-Bin Recycler from The Container Store. This 2-Bin Pull-Out Recycler provides space to collect trash and recyclables using cabinet space.

Think that city living means you can’t compost food waste? Think again! This odor-free countertop compost container holds vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, eggshells, greens and other food scraps that can be used to make compost for potted plants and outdoor gardens.

Though reusable grocery bags are widely available and in greater use than ever, we still inevitably end up with plastic bags now and then. These bags aren’t typically recyclable except through in-store collection bins, but they’re easily re-usable for lining small trash cans and cleaning up after pets. The question is how to store them so they don’t pile up on the floor of your pantry. Grocery bag holders, such as this stainless steel one, are a great organizing solution to keep bags contained and out of the way until you need them.

In addition to the household waste we produce on a daily basis, products such as home electronics, automotive products, cleaners, and solvents pose a particular recycling challenge. NYC SAFE Disposal Events are scheduled this April and May (a schedule of dates, locations and times is available here). Grow NYC offers a number of recycling events this spring, focusing on electronics and textiles recycling. Take advantage of these opportunities as you undertake your spring cleaning.

While home recycling in NYC can pose challenges, with some creativity, good home organizing solutions and the right products, you take big steps toward a more “green” lifestyle.

Drawers were somewhat haphazardly filled with tools and maintenance items. This client enjoys entertaining and has a large collection of wine glasses, but wasn’t able to store all of them because shelf space was not used efficiently. Our objective was to apply some professional organizing strategies to declutter and organize this NYC kitchen so that items could be found when needed and counter space was available for food preparation and entertaining.

Before

• Counter was cluttered with small kitchen appliances and supplies as well as toiletry items such as medicines, vitamins and skin care products
• Pantry closet was overflowing with health and pharmacy items
• Tools and other household maintenance items were scattered throughout the room
• New wine glasses were sitting on the counter because there wasn’t sufficient space for them in the glass cabinet

After

• Counter was completely cleared of extraneous items, leaving just a few essentials, such as the coffee maker and knife set
• Designated a couple of shelves in an under the counter cabinet for coffee supplies
• Established an area for shoe polishing supplies in one cabinet
• Sorted the contents of the pantry eliminating expired personal products and medications
• Grouped items by category in the pantry and placed most-frequently-used items at eye level, with others stored above and below
• Identified one drawer for tools and home maintenance items (hand tools, measuring tape, nails)
• Reorganized the glass cabinet making room on the shelves to incorporate the new glasses

Client Reaction
“I love my new and improved kitchen!  I’m still finishing up the last little bits of kitchen organizing and am amazed that we got so much accomplished in 3 hours.  Stephanie was really helpful in getting me on the right track. I’m hoping to have her come back soon to help me tackle one or two of my closets.”

Storage containers, items to maximize shelf space and tools to organize the hanging rods in your closet can make finding the items you need each much easier. Here are some professional organizer favorites for eliminating clutter:

Storage Boxes come in a variety of sizes and are perfect for storing shoes and boots, handbags, and out-of-season items such as sweaters, scarves, and hats. Clear or drop-front boxes make it easy to identify the items inside and decorative designs can enhance the overall appearance of your closet space. If closet space is tight, consider underbed storage boxes for items you don’t need on a regular basis.

Overdoor Storage makes use of often-overlooked vertical space in your closet. Using shoe bags and racks can clear floor space and can even provide a career boost – according to retailer IKEA, women with shoe racks are seven times more likely to be on time for work than women without them.

Closet Rod Organizers help keep items together in the way that works best for you. Use them to sort clothing by item type (jackets, dresses, slacks), season or category (work clothes, weekend clothes, etc.). These are great for kids’ closets too and help them to learn important organization skills.

Shelf Dividers help keep folded clothes tidy and are great for organizing handbags, towels or even books and magazines.

Open Bins are useful for storing large items, handbags, sweaters – even laundry. The variety of sizes, styles and colors available means you can find just the size and shape for just about anything.

Having your accessories organized in one place is a big help when you’re rushing out the door in the morning. Hangers and hooks provide storage for belts, handbags, hats and lots of other items in very little space. Specialty hangers for ties and scarves keep these items wrinkle-free and easy to find.

These are just a few of the many products available and even the best products won’t help if you don’t make a commitment to using them. If you need help eliminating the clutter or establishing a system for organizing your NYC closet, contact a professional organizer in your area.

Toodledo – Highly-rated among users, this app for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch is a powerful tool to help manage your to-do-list and notes. Toodledo works as a stand-alone app or synchronizes with Toodledo.com, one of the most popular online task managers.

Features include:

• Ability to assign tasks to a folder or goal
• Audible popup alarms
• Start and stop timers to keep track of time spent on projects (a key component of time management)
• Assign locations to your tasks and view them on a map so that you can see what you can do nearby. Get proximity alerts when you are near a location where you have things to do.
• Apply filters to tasks to sort by importance
• Even Tweet your accomplishments with built-in Twitter support

Evernote, named a New York Times ‘Must-Have App,’ is easy to use and provides synchronization capability across all of your devices and is a favorite of many professional organizers in NYC. Features include:

• Create and edit text notes, to-dos and task lists
• Save, sync and share files
• Record voice and audio notes
• Search for text inside images
• Organize notes by notebooks and tags
• Email notes and save tweets to your Evernote account
• Connect Evernote to other apps and products you use

Gtdagenda offers an online tool as well as an app for iPod and Android and can be used to manage your goals, projects and tasks, as well as set next actions and contexts. The tool includes checklists and a calendar and syncs with Evernote and Google Calendar. Gtdagenda integrates with your email, allowing you to send/receive emails and convert them into projects or tasks.

Lemon scans, stores and organizes receipts, giving you IRS-compliant paperless records of your spending. With the Family and Business premium plans, you can share receipts with others, such as your accountant. You can also create real-time charts and graphs to see where your money goes, with month-to-month and year-to-year comparison capability.

eWallet securely stores passwords, account information, card numbers, PINs and more. Just think of the number of passwords and PINs you use every day – and how frustrating it is when you can’t remember one. The software uses strong 256-bit AES encryption to keep your data safe and is available for iPhone, Android, PC and Mac.

As we are all more dependent on our mobile devices than ever before, it is essential that we identify the best combination of apps to help us get and stay organized.

Start by establishing one location to organize throughout the year the paperwork you’ll need at tax time. As any professional organizer in NY would suggest, the type of tools used to manage the paperwork depends on how complex your tax preparation process is. For personal taxes, a simple two-pocket folder may be sufficient, with income documentation filed on one side and deductions and expenses on the other.

Organizing tax paperwork for your business can be a more complex, with more income sources, expenses, receipts and other papers to keep track of. A set of file folders or a binder with pockets can be labeled for each category. You may want to consider a portable file box, which can make it easy to transport all of your documentation to your accountant.

Keeping track of expenses and receipts is key to maximizing your deductions come tax time. Tools such as Quicken, QuickBooks and the NeatReceipts receipt scanner can help with organizing your tax paperwork and financial records into electronic files that are easy to store and sort as needed.

Before you begin to prepare your taxes (or turn everything over to your tax preparer), use a checklist to ensure that you have everything you need. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Social Security Number and business Tax ID Number
• W-2s, 1099s, 1098s and related documents
• Brokerage statements
• Records of other taxes paid throughout the year
• Documentation of interest paid on mortgage and student loans
• Charitable donation receipts
• Documentation of retirement account contributions
• Childcare and education cost documentation
• Receipts for medical costs
• Other paperwork for tax-related income and expenses

Professional organizers in NY and across the country recommend utilizing simple systems year-round to organize your tax paperwork as it can make filing your returns a snap each Spring!