Free Downsizing Seminar

So many of us want to simplify our lives, but don't know where to start. You do not have to make a move to downsize your home and simplify your life.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann, founder of Simply Organized Life and a NAPO Golden Circle Member, will present the following seminar at the Dexter District Library in Dexter, Michigan on Friday, August 26, 2011 from 10 to 11 a.m:

"Downsizing Your Life: What to Keep - What to Toss"
No matter what stage of life you are at, it is difficult to downsize, especially in our "super-sized" culture. Making do with less does not have to be a struggle. In fact, life can be more peaceful without the excess clutter.

In this seminar, Carolyn will provide simple tips to guide participants through the process of downsizing your home. Whatever your age or situation, this workshop will give you some helpful direction to set goals and time-lines when deciding what to keep and what to toss.

There is no charge for this seminar, open to the general public.
Sign up at the Dexter District Library.

Organizational Seminars

This summer, Carolyn will be presenting two great seminars through the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed on organizational strategies. These seminars are excellent opportunities to get organized this summer at a fraction of the cost of one-on-one consulting.

"5 Habits for an Organized Office" will be offered June 28th from 6 to 8 pm, and is perfect for anyone with an office, either home or corporate. This seminar offers advice on how to maximize your efficiency while minimizing office clutter.

"Tame the Paper Monster" will be offered July 15th from 10 am to 12 noon, and is a hands-on seminar that offers guidance in sorting through your own household and personal paperwork, helping you to reduce clutter and manage your documents.

For more information on both of these great opportunities, check out page 24 of the Rec & Ed Summer Catalog and the seminars page of the Simply Organized Life website.

*Photo from the Ann Arbor Rec & Ed website: http://reced.aaps.k12.mi.us/reced.home

Other Container Options

The sistema container sets mentioned in April's post are a great way to containerize and manage food storage. While the system mentioned can be found at Sur la Table, Macy's also carries a similar line of storage containers by Martha Stewart that are a great way to organize your kitchen and pantry. Additionally, don't overlook Gladware containers for reusable food storage!

You can use any of these options to containerize - that is, to stick to a few stackable sizes of storage containers. Pick a couple sizes that you'll get the most use out of; ones that can fit a variety of sandwiches or leftovers. Stack lids and containers together, and you'll have a clutter-free way to store and save a wide variety of foods.

When searching storage options online, don't forget that customer reviews can be especially helpful in finding the right type of containers for you!

New Blog

I am pleased to announce that I am now also blogging for Dexter Patch. Click on the Dexter Patch link to read my introductory blog on Being Organized. This is another outlet for tips and tricks from a professional organizer. I will continue to contribute to this blog, the Simply Organized Life Facebook page and my monthly newsletter Your Simply Organized Life.

Organizing Medicine

Here's a great little tip for organizing medicine. I came up with this while packing for our March trip to Atlanta and ever since have been asking myself why I didn't think of this sooner.

My favorite organizing product, has to be zipper bags like the quart size one shown at right. I only buy two sizes: quart and gallon, thus eliminating baggie clutter.

The bag in the photo was put together as a travel kit and went in our carry on. I have since kept it together at home. This basic kit of pain/fever reducers contains:

• A note card with my children's names, weight and dosage on each side.



• Ibuprofen and acetaminophen for my children.



• Marked syringes to measure and administer the children's medicine.



• An ear thermometer.



• Ibuprofen for myself and my husband.

The note card has been really helpful in not confusing the kids' dosages in a moment of worry over a sick child. In addition, I have everything I need in one place when I need it.

For more organizing tips, sign up for my monthly e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" and "Like" Simply Organized Life on Facebook.

Food Storage

February and March 2011 were busy months for Simply Organized Life. I have been helping lots of clients get organized in their kitchens, home offices, kids' rooms and storage areas.

In March I got away with the family for a few days, joining my husband on a business trip to Atlanta and staying with family in the area. We visited Stone Mountain, the Georgia Aquarium, and one of the area's many malls where I discovered these sistema containers (photo at left) in Sur La Table.

While I do not need any new food storage containers, the sistema containers are BPA free and the lids snap on tight. Currently I use Glad containers with interlocking lids for food storage and Japanese bento boxes for my kids' lunches. The bento boxes have two tiers and a locking lid similar to the sistema containers.

Saline Mom to Mom Sale

As a parent of young children, I occasionally enjoy the Mom to Mom sale format that is popular here in Southeast Michigan. Recently I have noticed a new concept in Mom to Mom sales that can benefit both sellers and buyers. The consignment or department store format allows sellers to drop off items beforehand for resale and buyers have the benefit of presorted items.

Theresa Ferenczy sent me this listing for an upcoming consignment sale in Saline, Michigan:

"Mark you calendar for Saline's first Mom2Mom Consignment Sale on March 12, 2011 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be held at Liberty School in Saline (7265 N. Ann Arbor Saline Road). This is a great way for parents to clear out closets and make some extra cash. No more sitting at a table all day and selling---you price your items, drop them off on Friday, March 11, 2011 and we sell them for you on Saturday, March 12, 2011. For shoppers everything is in one room and sorted by gender and size. There is a $1 admission fee."

Filing Car Paperwork

When it comes to paperwork, knowing what to keep can be tricky. When it comes to vehicle documents, knowing where to keep it throws an additional wrench into even the most well-organized plans. FreedomFiler, a document-organizing system, offers these tips as to how to save and file* vehicle documents:

• Your current proof of registration, proof of auto insurance, and any emergency contact information belongs in the car (the glove compartment is a great place for this!)
• Paid registration renewal notices can be organized with your other tax documents.
• The title for your vehicle should be kept in a safe spot, and organized in a file with other long-term documents.

*Always check with your CPA or attorney for advice on what paperwork to keep and for how long.

Donate in Dexter

Looking for another reason to let go of some clutter? The Dexter, Michigan Knights of Columbus will be accepting donations for their annual rummage sale on the following dates and times:
Thursday, January 27, 2011, 1~6 p.m.
Friday, January 28, 2011, 1~6 p.m.
Saturday, January 29, 2011, 10:30 a.m.~4 p.m.
Sunday, January 30, 2011, 10:30 a.m.~4 p.m.
The Knights of Columbus will not accept furniture, computers or large exercise equipment.

Labels for Kids

After scoffing at the need for professional labels for my kids' belonging, I broke down this morning and purchased a "Party Pack" of Name Bubbles for each of my kids. Hopefully, these labels will live up to my expectations, as they are quite expensive.

Up until now, a Sharpie Laundry Pen or my Brother P-touch labels have been sufficient. However, labeling shoes and clothes without tags gets tricky. I also hate to deface items that can be passed on. I am hoping these labels, particularly the laundry labels, will stay put for my kids and be able to be removed when the time comes for the items to leave our home. Besides, they are a lot more stylish than my handwriting or a P-touch label.

New Year's Resolutions

Whether your New Year's resolution is to visit the gym more often, or perhaps to organize your home, now is the time of year to start thinking about it. The Wall Street Journal recently had an article about keeping resolutions, which you can find here. The article emphasizes the fact the willpower alone is not enough to accomplish resolutions; you must reshape your daily habits.

Additionally, it helps to take many small steps toward your goal, as opposed to larger, more difficult leaps, and to visualize your desired end result. That way, you can be well on your way to a more productive, and hopefully, organized, New Year!

What are your New Year's Resolutions?

Ann Arbor Seminars

For several years now, I have been conducting seminars with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. It is a wonderful way to meet members of the community and share organizing tips with a wider clientele.

Beginning with the Winter 2011 catalog, Ann Arbor Rec & Ed will no longer be charging a higher fee for nonresidents registering for classes. At the same time, the Rec & Ed catalog will be distributed to more surrounding communities.

Look for my new class on Coping with Electronic Clutter in the Winter 2011 catalog. Looking forward to meeting you in Ann Arbor!

Donate Gently Used Coats

Thanks to the generosity of our community, Reinhart Realtors in Ann Arbor, Michigan has provided thousands of winter coats to local agencies. Please join Reinhart in this effort through your donation of a coat in good repair. Through the month of November, please bring your coats to any Reinhart sales office or Reinhart Sunday Open House. All coats will be professionally cleaned and distributed locally.

Press Release

Press Release
For Immediate Release


Saturday, October 30, 2010

January is Get Organized Month:
Simply Organized Life to Provide Two Free Seminars on January 21, 2011

January 2011 will mark the National Association of Professional Organizers’ (NAPO) 7th annual Get Organized Month (http://www.napo.net/news/go_month.aspx).

Getting organized is consistently one of the top 10 New Year’s resolutions and household paperwork is where many struggle the most. Carolyn Anderson-Fermann, founder of Simply Organized Life and a NAPO Golden Circle Member, will present the following free seminars in Dexter, Michigan on Friday, January 21, 2011.

“Tame the Paper Monster”, Dexter District Library, January 21, 2011, 10 to 11 a.m.
Do you have stacks of household paperwork lying around your home? Are you overwhelmed by the thought of sorting through these papers, but know there are important documents buried in the piles? In this seminar, Carolyn will provide simple tips to guide participants through the process of sorting, decision-making and purging the backlog of household paperwork.
There is no charge for this seminar, open to the general public.
Sign up at the Dexter District Library. For more information about the Dexter District Library go to: http://www.dexter.lib.mi.us/

“Drowning in Paper?”, Dexter Senior Center, January 21, 2011, 1 to 2 p.m.
If you do not know where to begin looking for important papers in your home, this seminar is for you. With the average American consuming about 24 reams of paper per year, it can be a struggle to keep up with household paperwork. In this workshop, Carolyn will provide easy steps to gain control of and maintain paper organization.
This free seminar is open to all ages.
Sign up at the Dexter Senior Center. For more information about the Dexter Senior Center go to: http://www.hvcn.org/info/dexterseniors/

Free Shredding on October 2, 2010

De-clutter with Recycle Ann Arbor this Saturday

Citizens and businesses are invited to bring up to 100 pounds (three banker boxes) of papers per vehicle to shred at no charge at the Recycle Ann Arbor Drop Off Station, 2950 E. Ellsworth Road on Saturday, October 2nd, between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.

All papers will be recycled. Consumers are encouraged to bring their sensitive information to be shredded, including confidential documents, check stubs, bank statements, credit card offers, and old tax records.

The event is hosted by Washtenaw County and made possible by the generous donation of staffing and mobile shredding trucks from Allshred, a Toledo-based recycling company.

There will be a $3 charge for additional boxes of papers; however large quantities of papers will not be able to be handled at this public event. For more information, read the press release on Recycle Ann Arbor's website.

To learn about recycling and shredding events in your community, click on Earth911.

Children's Resale Shops

Resale shops not only are great places to look for a bargain, but they also offer a way to make some extra cash while simultaneously cleaning out your closets! Children outgrow clothes so fast that it's easy to end up with bags of things that no longer fit, as well as toys and books that are no longer used. Instead of letting these unused items accumulate, why not try taking them to a local resale shop? Some of the items in highest demand, according to the resale chain Once Upon A Child, are clothing, specifically things like outerwear, costumes, and sleepwear, all kinds of electronic and activity toys, puzzles, furniture and bedroom equipment like changing tables, and other products like strollers and swings. Gather up your excess and outgrown children's items and clean out your home by visiting one of several Ann Arbor area resale shops:

-Once Upon A Child; with locations at 4559 Washtenaw Ave. in Ann Arbor and 5804 N. Sheldon Drive in Clinton. This chain specializes in the resale of brand-name products, all of which are screened for safety and quality before resale. Visit their website at http://www.onceuponachild.com/ for store hours and more information.


-Children's Orchard; located in the Colonnade shopping center on 887 West Eisenhower Pkwy., in Ann Arbor. Children's Orchard offers a "M.O.M.S Club," where you can sign up to receive promotions, coupons, and other discounts for buying and selling items at their store. They also have an online store on their website at http://www.childorchstore.com/default.asp


- Grow With Me; a local Ann Arbor "resale boutique" at 2521 Jackson Ave. (in the Westgate shopping plaza). This shop offers three different options for selling items (outright cash payment, store credit at 30% more than the outright cash value, or consignment payment of 40-50% of the selling price) on the days they buy goods (Tuesday - Saturday, 11 am to 4 pm). More information can be found on their website at http://www.growwithme123.com/index.html.

Be sure to check out each shop's specific guidelines for resale online before rounding up your items!

Free Shredding Event

In an effort to help protect members from identity fraud, the University of Michigan Credit Union is hosting a free shredding day on Saturday, July 24, 2010, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Not only is this a great opportunity to ensure that personal information is recycled safely and securely, but it also affords you with an excellent excuse to de-clutter your filing cabinets or home office.

The event will be held at the credit union branch at 4440 Jackson Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Members are allowed up to six bags of papers to be shredded on site. For more information please visit the UM Credit Union's website.

Submitted by Ms. Emily Everard, UM Student

Radical Idea for Clutter

I received a thank you note from a recent seminar attendee with a blog post from zenhabits attached. The blog talks about packaging away your clutter to create a clean slate. It sounds like a great idea in theory, the only trouble is that most folks probably never get to the boxes full of clutter that they packed away.

In fact, the seminar attendee noted that they essentially packed up the clutter when they moved 7 years ago and the boxes still sit in their basement "hidden by new clutter". In my opinion the zenhabits approach just delays the decision making process. Call it clutter procrastination.

Dexter Donations

Once again, St. Joseph Church in Dexter, Michigan will be holding their annual flea market July 8~10, 2010. This is a great opportunity to donate your unloved treasures. You can drop off items at the Village Parish Center until July 3, 2010 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

To learn more about what types of items the church is looking for contact Ms. Carol Klutchko at 734-663-0864.

Specials for Facebook Fans

I am now offering specials on last minute appointments through the Simply Organized Life Facebook page. Check out this week's special and become a fan by clicking on "like" in Facebook.