Last week I had the privlege of working with a new client who asked me to help her organize her Sun Room.  It is a room in her home that her husband has not been able to enjoy for several years due to the clutter that had been building up on the furniture and floor in the room.  It was intended to be a quiet get away from the hustle and bustle of every day life.  That was not the case.  It only created anxiety and frustration due to the amount of clutter it contained.

My client wanted to get this room organized for her husband as a birthday present for him.  I gladly took on the assignment.

The clutter in the home had gotten to the point of it being so bad that it was affecting the couple's marriage.  The marriage was on the verge of ending if the clutter that had been accumulating for many years was not cleaned up.  My client was stuck.  She was overwhelmed and did not know where to even begin.

This is a situation that, unfortunately, I am all to familiar with.  Clutter can, in fact, cause permanent damage to a marriage if it gets out of control and cannot be remedied by the spouse who created it.    

Needless to say, my client recognized that she needed help in order to get the house back in order and begin to work on saving her marriage.  She hoped that the Sun Room would be the first of several projects we would work on together.    

My client had asked her husband, unbeknownst to him that it was going to be a present for him, if he had a choice, which room in the home he would like to see organized.  He said the Sun Room.  He expressed to her that he was extremely doubtful that this room could ever return to its normal condition, let alone in one session, but was willing to have me come into the home and work with his wife.

And so, the project began.  For four hours, my client and I went through the contents that had piled up in the room and either relocated it to the proper room elsewhere in the home, organized it within the room, or threw it away.  With some interior redesign, I created the clutter free and spaceous room that he desired.  

My client was so thrilled with the outcome by the end of the session that she cried and hugged me, thanking me profusely for creating A Better Space for her husband to enjoy.  She was hopeful that when he came home, he would be as excited as she was and would ask me to come back to do further work with his wife in their home.

Before I could even get back to my office following this session, I received a phone message from my client advising that her husband did, in fact, walk through the door and was "blown away" by what had been accomplished and, following their vacation, intends to have me return to do other projects in the home.

I was thrilled that I was able to bring such joy to both of my clients and get such a great reaction from the husband.

In a lot of instances, my clients are not able to visualize how such a cluttered space can become A Better Space, but, fortunately, I can.  

Unlike my clients who cannot see past the clutter, as a professional organizer, I am able to see the potential of any given space and, with that, can bring their dream of a clutter free and organized room to fruition.

If you want to be "blown away", contact A Better Space so we can discuss your particular situation and how I can make this happen in your home!  

As you probably already know, I focus my professional organizing business on residential organizing and helping busy moms and women with home-based businesses.  

I not only physically declutter their homes but, often times, work with them to organize their paperwork.  As a rule, I always ask them questions about various aspects of paper management, including financials.  Usually we are creating a new filing system that reflects their specific needs, which requires me to ask about various aspects of their financial picture.  

Quite often I meet with women who are unable to answer some of my questions when it comes to the household finances. Some do not know what bank accounts exist, if they have a life insurance policy, if they have an investment portfolio or what company holds their mortgage.  I met with someone recently who could not even tell me if their house had been paid off.

Often I meet women who never get involved with their own marital financial assets. They don't pay the bills, ask about retirement, look at credit card statements, inquire about investments or bank accounts, and they let their spouses handle all financial matters.

It is hard for me to imagine that women are so trusting of their spouses that they simply let them handle everything without knowing what is going on.  I find it frightening.  

When I was 36 years old, my husband passed away, leaving me to raise my 6-1/2 year old son.  I was immediately able to jump in and handle all of the finances and was able to quickly transfer utilities, investments, bank accounts, the deed to our home and other financial aspects to myself.  Why?  Because I knew where everything was located and what we had.  

Ladies, as someone who has had personal, first hand experience with the sudden loss of a spouse, I ask you to please be informed. Whether because of death or divorce or even incapacity of your spouse, you need to always know what is going on.  There is no problem with your spouse handling it all, but there is a problem with you not being informed!  

Take time to look at bank statements, credit card bills, mortgage statements, meet with your financial advisor, ask questions and sit down with your spouse so that you can talk about all aspects of your financial picture.  Be sure you know what your credit score is. Establish your own credit by opening a major credit card in your name only, if you have not done so already.  

Continue the conversation from time to time with your spouse so you are always aware of your particular situation.  

I cannot stress enough how passionate I am about making sure that we, as women, are knowledgeable about these matters. We cannot solely depend upon our spouses to handle it all and keep ourselves in the dark.  Don't let another day go by without having the conversation.  You have a right to know, so take the steps necessary.  Knowledge is so empowering!

You might not realize that you are living among clutter because you see it every day. Sometimes we cannot see what is right in front of us because we have become accustomed to it being there.  

It is possible that you might need to pay closer attention to the signs of clutter in your home. Here are some of the signs:

1.  Your guest bedroom requires that you move junk around so your guests have a place to stay. More often than not, because your guest room is used infrequently, it becomes a dumping ground for items that do not have a home elsewhere. The day comes when guests are planning on arriving and you need to provide space for them to stay. All of a sudden, it's a race to get the room in order for their arrival.  Learn to put things where they belong and not just throw them into this room.

2.  You know you have an extra set of car keys, but you can never find them.  If you have trouble finding that extra set of keys or any other everyday item, it's a sign that its time to get organized. Your small items might not have a place of their own. Locate a place in your home where the item is used frequently and dedicate that spot to the item. Be sure to teach the other members of your household to put the item back into this spot after they have used it.  

3.  You find that you are having to constantly return home when trying to get out the door in the morning.  You walk out the door to get the kids to school or you are running out the door to get to work and you have to run back inside for your cell phone or the kids' homework. This is a sign of disorganization. Plan what you need the night before and set up a station by the front door where school bags, purses, keys and anything else you need can be placed. Use a sticky note on the front door to remind you of those last minute things you need, such as school lunches, etc.

4.  You are paying late fees and interest charges every month.  Think about what it is costing you each year that you are paying those annoying late fees and interest charges because you do not have a system in place to pay your bills on time. Simply set up a bill paying schedule and designate a place for your mail. Create a consistent time to sit down and pay your bills each week or every two weeks to avoid this situation.  

5.  You never seem to have time for yourself.  It is vital, no matter how busy your life is, to create some "me time". You get up early and go to bed late. You are exhausted. Take a breath. It is okay to schedule blocks of time for yourself on your calendar.  It is a great time management tool. You need to create some time to do the things you enjoy doing, whether it's reading a book, taking a yoga class or even getting together with some friends for a few hours. Life is about balance; it's not all about work and getting things done. "Me Time" can be so empowering.

Take a look around. Pay attention to the signs of clutter in your home and in your life.  

If you are having difficulty with any aspect of getting organized, feel free to contact me. I am here for you! I can show you how to eliminate the clutter in your home and in your life.