Organize Your Home

How to Organize Your Kitchen for Health and Weight Loss Success

By Hazel Thornton | November 7, 2012 |

We all know how to lose weight. Eat less and move more…right? And we all know that fresh produce and whole grains are healthier than fried foods and sugary desserts…right? I’m not here to tell you what to eat. But I do want to share some tips for organizing your fridge and pantry to set…

Are Your Bookshelves Full of Friends? Or Strangers and Houseguests?

By Hazel Thornton | September 8, 2012 |

“Friends, Acquaintances and Strangers” is a popular method of de-cluttering, introduced by Judith Kolberg in her book Conquering Chronic Disorganization. This game can be played with any category of clutter, but I most often use it with clients whose bookshelves are overflowing. (Not to mention their floors and other surfaces.) Readers are loath to part…

Occupied Staging and De-Cluttering for Home Sellers

By Hazel Thornton | May 31, 2012 |

This is the companion article to The Occupied Staging Clutter Flow Chart. It answers these questions: What is “Occupied Staging Clutter”? Why can’t I part with my clutter? What should I do with my clutter? What if, despite my best intentions, I am still living with clutter?

Who’s Afraid of Their Storage Unit?

By Hazel Thornton | May 19, 2012 |

Have you seen A&E’s Storage Wars? This cable TV show features abandoned storage units being auctioned off to the highest bidder. The bidders are essentially gambling on whether or not the contents will be worth more than they paid for them. Usually they’re full of crap. Sometimes there is a treasure inside. Either way, I…

Home Staging to Stay, Not to Sell

By Hazel Thornton | October 26, 2011 |

Why wait until you are moving to stage your home? When a house is on the market, the seller usually goes to great lengths to make it as attractive and as comfortable as possible…for the next owner, that is.

How to Create More S.P.A.C.E. in Your Life

By Hazel Thornton | October 13, 2011 |

S.P.A.C.E. is the system I use to organize anything and everything — a room, a closet, a junk drawer, a calendar — you name it! This acronym was coined by Julie Morgenstern, whose book Organizing From The Inside Out is such an industry classic that I often find copies of it in my clients’ homes!…

Mystery Piles & Action Files

By Hazel Thornton | October 8, 2011 |

Have you ever heard the organizing rule, “Touch each piece of paper only once”? (a.k.a. OHIO — Only Handle it Once) Well, it’s a myth. But the kernel of truth inside the myth is this: If you sift through a pile of mail, or other type of papers, and if you don’t decide the first…

Is it Clutter?

By Hazel Thornton | September 29, 2011 |

This is the companion article to The Original Clutter Flow Chart. It answers these questions: What is Clutter? Why can’t I part with my clutter? What should I do with my clutter? What if, despite my best intentions, I am still living with clutter?