Posts

It’s All About the Labels (not the label makers)

By Hazel Thornton | June 22, 2016 |

I was sorting clothing with a client. Rather, she was sorting and I was managing the rapidly growing piles. We used white kitchen trash bags to contain categories, clearly labeled by me with a black Sharpie, such as: Keep; Donate; Repair; Try On; Wash. We talked about how, in this case, the labeled bags doubled…

Thornton Family History Lost & Found

By Hazel Thornton | June 17, 2016 |

Have you ever lost part of your family history and found it again? Do you still have unsolved mysteries that intrigue you? In Puzzling Out Your Family History I talked about the joys and challenges of doing one’s own genealogy research. In The Gift of an Organized Family Tree I describe one of the several…

10 Silly Things Organizers Argue About

By Hazel Thornton | June 10, 2016 |

When professional organizers argue, it’s often just a matter of semantics. And when I say argue….well, that’s just semantics too. Disagree and misunderstand might be more accurate terms. We are, mostly, a congenial and supportive bunch! Sometimes we don’t even truly disagree, but we’re playing devil’s advocate; or exploring a new twist on an old…

Which Task Management Tool is the Best?

By Hazel Thornton | May 20, 2016 |

Some of my clients agonize over which time and task management tools they should use. Paper or electronic? PC or Mac? Synched up to their existing calendars or not? They try one thing, and then another, and often they end up not using any of them. They are intent on finding the BEST one before…

The Chinese Menu Time Management Technique

By Hazel Thornton | May 15, 2016 |

              . Are you familiar with the Happy Family Chinese-American restaurant meal? Choose one item from menu Column A, one from Column B… and with six you get egg roll…? Well, that’s how I manage my time. Allow me to explain… The first thing I do in a Time…

Organizing a Creative Mess

By Hazel Thornton | April 23, 2016 |

Do you have a creative mess? Do you feel inspired by it…or overwhelmed? I have helped clients organize their quilting and sewing rooms; scrapbooking, jewelry making, painting, and glass art studios; and elementary school art classrooms. Their respective supplies and equipment all had different storage requirements, but the clients all had these things in common:

Spring Cleaning…Outdoors!

By Hazel Thornton | April 16, 2016 |

I was just pondering why I don’t write spring cleaning tips. And I came up with 3 reasons: 1) I’m an organizer, not a housecleaner. 2) I don’t really believe in spring cleaning. Gasp! What? Well, with only a few exceptions, such as drapes and ceiling fans, there is nothing in my house that I…

Organizing to De-Stress a Move

By Hazel Thornton | April 7, 2016 |

Congratulations! You’re moving! Whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, moving for a change of scenery, a change in family, or a change in career, this is an exciting, scary, fun, stressful time! The more organized you are, the less stressful it will be. Here are some ways to be more organized during a move:

Wanna see my kitchen pantry?

By Hazel Thornton | March 29, 2016 |

Have you ever wanted to peek inside the kitchen pantry of a professional organizer? How about eight of them? I am a founding member of PONM (Professional Organizers of New Mexico — click here to read our story). This post is my contribution to our latest FREE tips ebook: Get Organized! Kitchen Pantry Tips for…

Things That Don’t Spark Joy, But You’d Better Keep Anyway

By Hazel Thornton | March 19, 2016 |

                  What do a toilet plunger and old tax returns have in common? They’re both things that don’t exactly spark joy, but you’d better keep anyway. If you’ve heard of Marie Kondo, the Japanese bestselling author, you will probably recall her #1 criterion for keeping things: Does…