Media Releases 2011

Make the right move for love the second time around

Professional Organizers in Canada offers advice for couples combining households

September 27, 2011. For couples in love the second time around there’s a point where the time is right to combine households – and that’s when the unforeseen headaches can start.

“Merging two homes into one takes planning, compromise, and conversation,” said Kristie Demke, President of Professional Organizers in Canada. “Even if the new home is bigger, you’re not going to need all that stuff, so making decisions before the stress of moving sets in is prudent.”

Cohabitating for second-time-around-couples is an established trend. The Vanier Institute of the Family reported last year that following divorce or separation, the majority of Canadians find another partner. It found some 26 percent of women and 37 percent of men are in a new conjugal relationship three years after a marriage break-up. Five years after separating, 36 percent of women and 51 percent of men are living with new partners. After 20 years, 69 percent of women and 82 percent of men are in new unions, the Vanier Institute reports.

Unlike first time newlyweds, second-timers often come with a household full of furniture, bedding, dishes, pots and pans, and more.

“When both partners have had previously established lives and homes, they usually retain many of the possessions from their past life,” said Demke. “It seems simple enough to sort what they should keep, but often people form emotional attachments to their belongings, especially if it’s a piece of family history or a gift from a loved one. If kids are involved, ensuring everyone is treated equally can be more challenging.”

Part of the issue stems from the established lifestyle. In some cases, partners might have commandeered a second-bedroom closet to expand their wardrobe and shoe collection. “Suddenly downsizing to a single closet can be a shock,” cautions Demke.

Instead of looking at what they’re gaining in the relationship, people can start fretting over what they have to give up and that’s not healthy. The good news is with planning and organization any couple can work out the details before they add stress to this wonderful milestone in their relationship.

Couples planning to move in together, whether into one partner's existing home or a new home, will find these top five tips from Professional Organizers in Canada helpful:

1. Start with a Plan: Room-by-room, decide how you want to use each space. Then person-by-person, list furniture and personal item must haves and where these items will fit. Put undecided items on a separate list for further discussion. And if you just can't reach a decision through old-fashioned compromise, rock, paper, scissors is a great way to determine who gets the last word. Remember to include all members of the combined household in the planning process – life will run much smoother!

2. Clear the Clutter: The fact that movers charge by the pound is one good reason to think about what comes with you to the new home. Take advantage of this rare opportunity to create a new and improved lifestyle which includes being surrounded only by useful, beautiful, or meaningful possessions. Concentrate more on the future than on the past as you sort and purge.

3. Get Cooking in the Kitchen: Sort through duplicate items (Two espresso makers? Eight assorted frying pans?) and determine which dishes, cutlery, pots, pans, utensils, and appliances are in the best shape, and which ones can be earmarked for a friend, family member, or favourite charity. While you're at it, add the garlic baker that has never seen the light of day and the fondue pot that hasn't been used since the 70s to the "giveaway" or even a yard sale pile.

4. One Bathroom, Two People: Unless you have the luxury of his and hers bathrooms, this will be an exercise in compromise. You don't necessarily have to divide every shelf and drawer 50/50; rather, look to see whose items and which type of items fit best in each available area. Make the most of the space with trays and dividers for the drawers, containers or turntables for the shelves, and slide-out drawers for that awkward space under the sink. Add free-standing or wall-mounted cabinets if you have the room, and think vertical to make the most of the space.

5. Clothes Call: Start with the assumption there will never be enough closet space for clothes and shoes. Will you each have your own closet and keep it how you like? Will you share the main closet for your everyday wardrobe with out-of-season and special occasion clothing stored elsewhere? Can you agree to fold t-shirts and keep them on open shelves? Figure out your clothing-storage philosophy and then maximize the space with double-hung rods, hooks, shoe racks, and your imagination. Use the closet only for items being worn currently, not for someday clothes you hope will come back in style.

“Planning ahead, open discussion, and compromise will smooth the transition,” said Demke, adding, “Contracting a professional organizer as an independent resource will help couples in making the big move.”

To find a Professional Organizer in your area, visit the POC website's online directory.

Learn more about Professional Organizers in Canada.

Download a printable version of Make the right move for love the second time around

Moving AND renovating headaches? You are not alone.

Professional Organizers in Canada provides feedback on how to keep your life in order and your stress levels down during the move-in and renovation process

June 15, 2011. As the weather heats up, so does the real estate market and Canadians spend time juggling their move-in schedule while renovating their “newly” purchased home. Moving has always been ranked as one of the most stressful experiences – a process that can only be more difficult if renovations are in progress as well! .

"Stressful events and significant life changes can precipitate depressive and or anxiety symptoms in people who have a predisposition to those types of disorders. Prolonged, challenging renovations can certainly lead to exacerbation and one’s mental health should be monitored." Dr. Nik Grujich, Psychiatrist

Even when stress levels are up, there are ways to keep organized and your stress levels down.

Kristie Demke, President of Professional Organizers in Canada, addresses some of the most common questions new home owners face when renovating during moving time. These ones are from Mark Dodaro, a new home owner himself.

Question: We are currently renovating a new house but have sold our old one and have to be moved out within three months. Is there a trick to making sure everything is packed and organized in time for a smooth move?

It’s not unusual for a renovation to take longer than estimated, so building-in wiggle room is the optimum scenario. For major renovations, be prepared to work around design changes, material shipping delays, or trade worker delays. When moving dates are firm, there are ways to help prepare in advance, as you’ll see.
To pack and organize, start by doing a sweep of the house and get rid of as much as you can. Look through clothes, toys, furniture, decor, and recreational items that your family has outgrown, no longer uses, have broken, or won’t fit in the new house. The fewer things you take – the smoother your move. And why pay movers for items you’ll never use again?
After you have "edited" your space, start packing as soon as you know the move date. Pack occasionally-used items well in advance as well as seasonal items. Pack by the room, keeping similar items together.
Label every box on its side – not the top – or you won’t see the labels when they’re stacked. Pack everything you can including clothes, lamp shades, bedding, and tools, rather than hauling armloads of stuff to the moving van.

Question: We're discovering although we had a budget for emergencies, unforeseen costs keep coming up. Is there a way we could have prepared for this?

To plan for unexpected costs, experts recommend a "cushion" of 15 to 20 percent of the total budget.
From an organizing perspective, if you have thoroughly reviewed the drawings and the contract before the project begins and have made any changes, then the budget should be easier to stick with. Making changes on paper is much cheaper than moving a wall that has already been built!
Think about having a professional organizer review your drawings in the planning stage to ensure you have appropriate storage in each room or area, and to recommend how to make the most of specific spaces such as the kitchen or a craft room.

Question: What happens if we move into our new home and the renovations are not finalized? Is there a comfortable way to live in a home that's being renovated?

If you do opt to live in a home under renovation, set up simple areas to substitute for the spaces that are unusable. If the kitchen is under construction, set up a "camp kitchen" somewhere with a microwave, toaster, slow cooker, and electric frying pan, which will get you through most meals.
Stock your temporary kitchen, or any other space, with only the bare necessities, just as you would if you were going camping.
If you have to move out of your bedroom, pack up most of your clothes and toiletries and keep the basics close at hand so you can stick to a simplified daily routine. Adjust your expectations a little bit and know it will only be for a short while!

Question: Would you recommend transferring items from our current house into the new place even though it's not fully renovated yet? We were thinking that this might save us time and costs in the long run for move-in day.

I wouldn't recommend moving items into the new place while it is under renovation. You may impede the progress of the renovations in the new house, and the items you transfer will be covered with construction dust and debris.
Whenever possible, the best way to come out ahead on time and money is in delaying the move until the new space is completely renovated and a post-construction cleaning has been done.

Moving while renovating can be extremely overwhelming. But don’t worry; we’re here to help. If you feel frustrated and over-stressed, contact a member of Professional Organizers in Canada to help you with the moving process.

To find a Professional Organizer in your area, visit the POC website's online directory.

Learn more about Professional Organizers in Canada.

Download a printable version of Moving AND renovating headaches? You are not alone.

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You're never too young to get organized!

Professional Organizers in Canada show you how to teach your children responsibility for organizing their things.

March 9, 2011. Parents often find themselves frustrated and annoyed at the mess in their home because of their child’s disorganization. Perhaps it’s time to encourage your child to join-in with the clean-up routine. Carolyn Caldwell, Toronto, Director on the National board of Professional Organizers in Canada, explains it’s never too early to instill organizational skills in your child and it can begin at a very young age.

Keep the clothes off the floor

Start with the basics and encourage your children to keep their clothes off the floor! “If a child can put their clothes on themselves, they can learn to pick them up or better, not to leave them there,” says Caldwell, “They don’t have to be perfectly folded. Children can put clothes in a laundry hamper or on a hook.”

Below are some tips from Caldwell on how to make this process easier for your kids:

For younger children, ensure you have a laundry hamper that’s safe and age appropriate. Remove the lid and help each child understand this is where the dirty clothes go. You can also create a handy hook for them to hang up clothes up they’ll wear again.
For older children, wire baskets work well in addition to hooks. Teach them that clean clothes go back in the clean clothes compartment and soiled clothes go into the dirty clothes compartment.

Put Away Your Toys

Train your children that putting away their toys is all part of play time. Caldwell offers ideas on how to help children keep their toys in order and out of the way!

Although deep toy containers and trunks are a great idea for keeping all the toys together, it's not practical for kids. They'll find shallow containers easier to locate their toys quickly without pulling all the top layers onto the floor first!
With small children, remove the lids from the containers. If you can, draw a picture or take a photograph of the contents and stick it to the outside of the container so your child will know what's inside and where to put the toys away.
After play time comes tidy time! For each period of play reserve time to tidy up afterwards. This teaches children that one always follows the other - a lesson that can be translated later into the work environment or while doing homework.

Keep the bedroom clean and tidy

The bedroom is where your child begins and ends each day, so it's important to keep it clean and tidy. This doesn't mean the responsibility is fully on you! Caldwell suggests a few ways to help your children keep their room organized each day.

Ask them to make the bed! "Many kids think that making the bed each day, only to sleep in it at night, is a waste of time," says Caldwell. "But it's an important step in keeping the bedroom organized." A bed that's made creates a large visual impact of calm on the room and emphasizes other areas of the room that might not be as well organized. They'll see everything should be in its place, even the bed sheets!
Just as we teach our children to spend time brushing their teeth and combing their hair, we should reserve time for tidying the bedroom. Even a short ten minutes, becomes routine after a while. Caldwell recommends choosing the end of the day so children wake up to an organized environment rather than a chaotic room. Find the best tidy-up time for your family's schedule, and stick to it.
Keep the food and drinks out of the bedroom! For teenagers especially this is a fundamental lesson. If children insist on eating in their bedroom then it's important that they learn to bring everything back to the kitchen at one point during the day - especially the food. If the child is allowed to take in a snack, follow-up to make sure the dishes are returned. Start this rule early on so that once they are teenagers it simply becomes routine.
Set a timer. Help children understand that routine tidy-up is not meant to be a big, clean-up job. Try 10 or 15 minutes depending upon the children's age. Stop when the timer goes off and celebrate or reward your child for their efforts. Rewards might include time reading with you, curled up on the couch, or playing 15 minutes of their favourite game. Remember to reward yourself. Children will associate the organizing with positive reinforcement, which will stand them in good stead as they become adults.

Teach them to let go

Throughout our lives, we learn that not everything lasts forever. Whether it’s a pet, a toy, or a friend, sometimes things go away. You can teach your child the concept of letting go at an early age so they are familiar with the lesson as they grow.

Here are a few tips from Caldwell on teaching your children how to let go.

Every six months to a year, go through the toys with your child and point out the ones they don’t play with any longer. Suggest they donate them to another child or take them to a yard sale. Make sure your child is part the process and makes the decision to let go by themselves with your support.
The same thing can be done with clothes. If your child is young and you are clearing out clothes, include them in the process once you’ve made the selection. Show them a pile of clothes that don’t fit any more, confirm they are ready to let go of the clothes, and ask them to come with you to Goodwill to donate them. By including your children, they’ll learn when it’s time to let go of certain things and be able to make those decisions. This decision making skill is an important step in organization.
The same can be done with artwork. Parents often have a place on the refrigerator for artwork. Once a month, go through the pieces with your children and ask them to choose which ones they’re ready to recycle. Have them put the artwork into the recycling bin themselves. Children will learn to pick out their treasures through this process and learn that some things are no longer valuable to them. These life skills will translate into organizational skills for the future. If the child is struggling with the letting go, offer to take a picture of the artwork.

“Letting go of clothes or toys doesn’t have to be a tedious task,” adds Caldwell. “You can make it a family affair. At the end of the school year, parents can make popcorn, put out a favourite treat and go through their child’s artwork with them. Older kids could be encouraged to choose a favourite essay to keep while the rest is recycled.”

Many people struggle to instil organizational behaviours in their children, but don’t worry, it’s never too late and we’re here to help. Contact us if you`re feeling frustrated and overwhelmed and we can help get your children and your family in order!

To find a Professional Organizer in your area, visit the POC website's online directory.

Learn more about Professional Organizers in Canada.

Download a printable version of You're never too young to get organized!

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