Use 'em if you got 'em!

In our previous blog entry, we talked about ending your addiction to paper. Now that you are getting rid of all that paper, you will need to shred documents with sensitive information on them and what happens if you don’t have a shredder?? Do you sit around all day with a pair of scissors, painstakingly cutting paper into tiny squares?

NO. Use the washing machine!

Tip for the day: Repurpose your things in imaginative ways to help achieve your goals


1. Use your washing machine as your "shredder!"

That’s right, stick your most sensitive papers into one of your most delicate items (a stocking) and throw it in the washing machine. You can’t substitute anything for a stocking and I know two legs don’t necessarily hold a whale of amount of paper, but if you are diligent, every time you get a run, stuff both legs with your “delicate docs” and put them through a cycle. Then pluck out the stuffed “Leggs” and toss them confidently in the trash.

You contain the mess and at the same time make all paper illegible.


2. Use a lazy susan under your bathroom sink!

It’s dark down there. Who knows how many half empty bottles of self-tanning lotion or kitschy body wash flavors you have under there? While putting a stick-up light up is possible, it would be best to make that stuff more accessible. This product merry-go-round will help you realize what your new scent of the month might be as well as see what’s expired and what you might need to refill.




3. Use a picture frame hanger to hang your hair dryer!

Get your styling equipment up off the sink, floor and/or counter top. Most models of hair styling equipment come with a hook or loop at the back end for this very reason. This will also prevent the gnarled cords that tend to miraculously appear over time. Put up a picture frame hook in your bathroom or vanity area and hang your stuff up for easy access and to greatly reduce clutter.


Don’t forget, come see us live for a FREE workshop:
Wed Nov 4th 7pm @ Solas Bar in NYC

We are hosting the NYC Declutter and Get Organized Meet Up

Nicole & Julia

LETS GET DIGITAL, DIGITAL

This is the first day of the rest of your life and your addiction to paper stops here.

Tip of the day: Stop using paper and start getting digital.

We are always amazed at the lure paper has over our clients. Sometimes asking someone to throw away their papers can be like asking them to burn money. Hate to say it people, but the future is coming and you are going to be left behind to drown in your cozy-comfy paper world.

FIRST STEP: Buy a scanner.

What kind of scanner you ask?

We highly recommend a receipt scanner called “Neat”.



It is very easy to use and works on everything, not just receipts. It allows you to convert receipts into an excel spreadsheet for taxes or whatever. It allows you to convert business cards into Outlook. It is slim and sleek and can fit anywhere and can scan almost anything.


SECOND STEP: Get rid of your Post It notes.

You have a computer AND a hand held computer and I bet you 5 bucks you are under using them. No need to write things on little scraps of paper. You have in both or all of your electronic devices a “Note” application. Use it and save a tree and your mind!

THIRD STEP: Scan all non-essentials.

You know you have some paper stacked up somewhere that you think you need to keep but you don’t really know why, like for instance…the gas bill. Well, if you aren’t sure…scan it and then recycle that bill and then go online and ask the company for an e-bill which will eliminate a bill coming in paper form and you having to scan it.

FOURTH STEP: Educate yourself.

If you don’t know what to keep and what not to keep, talk to the important people, like your accountant or your lawyer. Research which documents you will be required to keep in hard copy form.

FIFTH STEP: Stop bringing paper into the house.

We encourage clients with P.A.D. (Paper Addiction Disorder) to think before they bring paper into the home. If a client jots down a phone number on a cocktail napkin, that number should get transferred into their phone immediately OR better yet, reach for the phone first before the pen!

Get all of your bills delivered in e-bill format. Doing this alone will make a tremendous difference in your life.

Also, our government can help you with your mail!

The Direct Marketing Association’s (DMA) Mail Preference Service lets you opt out of receiving unsolicited commercial mail from many national companies for five years. When you register with this service (for a $1 fee), your name will be put on a “delete” file and made available to direct-mail marketers. However, your registration will not stop mailings from organizations that do not use the DMA’s Mail Preference Service. To register with DMA’s Mail Preference Service, go to www.dmachoice.org.

To recap…if you are deeply affected with P.A.D. and are scared of even performing step one, at the very least…please try to implement step five.

OR you can always hire us to come to your house and scan and trash that paper for you (SUPER WINK!).

Julia & Nicole

Energize your base

Today’s tip: Enlist your family/spouse/roommate in a grass roots campaign to win over the Organization district: your home.

By asking your people to contribute to creating the systems in your home, you are upping your percentages that they will also participate in the good fight to maintain order.

YES YOU CAN do it by yourself but why would you want to?

Let us begin with LABELS. Don’t be scared. Some disorganized people I know get extraordinarily angry at the mention of labels as if it puts them in a Stepford Wife category of organization. Not so.

Kill two birds with one stone and get your kids involved in an activity of creating their own labels for Toys, Clothes, Pots and Pans, Blankets, Magazines, Shoes. They get to be creative, practice their spelling and unknowingly learn where things in their house “live”.

For a spouse or a roommate, crayons and sticky paper won’t do the trick. You have to do some polling and figure out what things are more important to them. For instance, if your spouse is the one responsible for filing insurance papers, you may want to ask their opinion on how the files should be labeled.

“Well, I think “Insurance” is too general. I would file the medical as “Aetna” and the car as “All State”.

TA-DA! You just got other people involved. It is that easy! Let go of some of the control in order for other people to participate.

If you think labeling your kitchen cabinets or even the fridge is too uptight, think again. Putting away groceries and dishes has never been easier and now you can put an end to the excuses…“But I don’t know where any of that stuff goes!”










If you want 4 MORE YEARS of organization, put the people in your party to work.

Julia & Nicole

Ti-i-i-ime is on your side....yes it is!

"I just don't have time" is a popular answer to the question "Why are you so disorganized?". Now I'm sure, no one ever asks you that question but you feel it in your bones every time you purchase a paint roller and then three weeks down the road you unearth 2 of the same deep in your closet or garage.

Today's tip: Clock Yourself

You can use time to your advantage. We at G.O. are super big into using a TIMER. Using a timer can change the way you live your life and especially the way you take care of your space. Looking at a project that you know will take hours is daunting but giving yourself 20 minutes a day on a timer is a breeze.

Here's a challenge...list the 3 most disorganized spaces in your house. Let's get your mojo going by starting with the last on the list and work our way up to the "big mess". Grab your kitchen timer and set it for 20 minutes. Focus on doing one thing for that sliver of time. For instance, if it's your home office, pick up only paper. Put that paper in 3 piles. Toss, Keep, Review. At first glance if you aren't sure, put the paper in the Review file. This will keep you focused on beating the clock vs getting emotionally invested in the paper itself.

You aren't big on the timer, huh, well a built in quick timer is the way too long commercial break. Often we encourage people to do one small task during each commercial break. You'd be surprised how much you can get done.

You can do it, we know you can. Don't be shy, write us and let's talk about tackling your biggest disorganized space. Use the timer method, invite a friend over to help...let us know how it worked.

Julia & Nicole

The Elephant in the Room

New York City is tight. We live in tiny spaces so we have to get creative about where we put stuff. The first apartment I ever saw when I moved here was shaped like a "C" and the bathroom door when opened scraped the edge of the toilet. Oh yeah, and there was no sink. I was terrified that I was forever destined to brush my teeth in the shower or over the kitchen sink. Luckily I found a different apartment.

Even if you don't live in NYC, sometimes easy camouflage options and tight spaces are overlooked. Much like that big purse you put in your lap when you sit down, a couch can hide something large and unsightly too.

Today's tip: Big Furniture hides Big Things

Yesterday we put two large folded clothes drying racks behind a client's headboard. You cannot see them at all, but you can reach in from either side of the bed and pull one out. We also often hide items behind the back of the couch, under the bed, and under the couch. People are always hunting for more storage in their homes but only think of it as closets and cabinets. Extra space, even tight space, behind and under the furniture, should not be overlooked.

See the armoire.
See the hidden boxes behind the armoire.
Although the trays aren't hidden completely they are out of the way and are easily accessible.



Ok so what have we learned?

1. Shop around when it comes to apartments.
2. Hide your flat stuff.
3. Do sit ups.







Come see us in the flesh!!

Wed Nov 4th 7pm @ Solas Bar
We are hosting the NYC Declutter and Get Organized Meet Up

Sat Nov 14th 10am @ The Park Slope Food Co-Op
Nicole is speaking with her personal trainer in regards to overall wellness.

Stay tuned for more tips and tricks to making your home/office a better place!

Nicole & Julia

Welcome to the blog

We at Genius Organizing want to get the word out about our company and at the same time create a fun blog for people to learn cool and interesting ways to organize their home or business.

We will use this forum to announce public events you can attend to hear some of our Genius ideas as well as write us with quandaries on your cluttered office or home.

We are here to encourage and entertain!

Coming soon in November:

Check out our ad in the upcoming "L" Magazine Services Directory

Read all about us in our "Hire This" spread in Time Out Magazine

See Nicole live at the Park Slope Food Co-Op preaching the commandments of organization

And so it begins.

Thanks,

Julia & Nicole