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Watch the video above to learn the 5 pantry organizing mistakes to avoid from a professional organizer. You will also see pictures of pantries Sage Organizing Co. in Charlotte, NC has organized-- that's right, real photos of real pantries! Check out a recent testimonial from a happy client who now has an organized, glowing pantry. Candi's work on my pantry is a MAJOR improvement and it will be SO much easier for me now. Sage Organizing Co. really did an amazing JOB! I wish we had hired Candi earlier. -Maggie J. Home Organizing Client Need some more help getting your pantry organized? Click here to learn more about our home organizing services. Related Articles: How to Organize your Spices 8 Things Making Your Home Look Cluttered Home Office Organization Tips Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
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 That's right, the holidays are HERE! 2020 be an unusual year, but one thing we can always count on is some holiday cheer. With coronavirus still being a concern, many of us are spending most of this holiday season cooped up at home. More time at home means more time for holiday decorating and even time to ORGANIZE your decorations. Have you ever felt dreadful of decorating because you know it's going to take you forever to sort through all your decor? Have you ever limited your decorating solely because digging through all those decorations is frustrating? Has your holiday cheer ever turned into holiday gloom because decorating made you feel overwhelmed? If you answered YES to any of the above or you just want holiday decorating to go smoother for you, then you have got to follow my three tips to organizing your holiday decorations: 1. Purge as you go Decluttering of course is one of the most fundamental steps of organization. However, when it comes to holiday decorations, I recommend decluttering not just once every couple years but instead, every time you put up the decorations AND when you take them down. This is a great way to keep up with your decoration inventory and also make room for any new decorations you purchased while your current decorations are on display. PLUS, you’ll notice if there are decorations you aren’t putting out (<<hint: donate!) 2. Separate long-term, sentimental items out While doing your first round of decoration purging this holiday season, separate your sentimental items out. These may include the ornaments your children made, maybe decorations you inherited or were given as gifts. Whatever your “for-sure-keeping” decorations are, separate them in bins of their own. This will make it easier in the future when you are doing Step 1 because you KNOW you don’t have to declutter/purge the sentimental decoration bins. 3. Label your bins I may sound like a broken record by now, but I can’t stress this step enough. Please, please, please, label your bins! Labeling your bins streamlines Step 1 and makes it far easier to know where your holiday decorations are so you aren’t accidentally dragging down bins of old papers or whatever else you have in storage. Labeling eliminates the hassle of pulling out the wrong storage bins or checking inside every bin in your attic for the right ones! Which holiday decoration organizing tip is your favorite? Comment below!  Need more help with organizing your holiday decor? Check out our newest service- Holiday Decor Pack-Away. Book a call to get your Holiday decor taken care of. Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
Related Articles: Packing Hacks from a Professional Organizer Organize Holiday Greeting Cards with these 6 Tips Post-Holiday Organizing: detox + declutter your home after the holidays  Thanksgiving is right around the corner which means a lot of us will be traveling to see family. If you're going to spend Thanksgiving at a family member's house, you may not be as concerned about the tidiness of your own home, but you should be thinking about how you are going to pack up your household to get on the road. Packing can really be a drag especially when you are struggling to fit everything in and zipper your bag. I know- it's SO frustrating. I'm sharing some of my favorite packing hacks that will help save space in your luggage. Follow these tricks to get the most out of your suitcase. 1. Roll, Roll, Roll Tops, bottoms, skirts, dresses- roll it all! Lay your clothing out, fold it in three, then roll tightly. Line the bottom of your suitcase with your rolled clothes. You'll be shocked how much more you can fit! IMPORTANT: Do not roll bulky items like sweaters and jackets. Rolling bulky items takes up more space in your suitcase. Fold those and place on top of the rolled clothes. 2. Shower caps for your Shoes Shoes can be tricky in a suitcase. You can't go without them (Ha!) but nobody wants their clothes getting dirty from the bottom of their shoes (Yuck!) Cover the bottom of your shoes with a shower cap. This is an easy way to keep your clothes clean and you'll be able to squeeze your shoes in wayyy more places without the concern of dirt spreading. 3. Small items in a glasses case Your hard glasses/sunglasses case can be used for more than just eyewear! Pack your jewelry, earbuds, pillbox, hair bands. . .etc. in your hard glasses case to keep the small items from falling in nooks and crannies of your suitcase. 4. Pack socks in shoes This is an easy one and it just makes sense! Fold your socks so they are in pairs, then stuff them in your shoes. Now your socks will be with your shoes (no searching!) when you unpack at your destination. 5. Turn worn clothes inside-out This is my favorite packing hack! While out of town, fold the clothing you wear inside-out. Leave the clothes you don't wear right-side-out. You'll be so happy you did this when you're home and unpacking. You won't have to question if something needs to go in the wash or not! Which packing hack is your favorite? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. onPinterest!
Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.  We all know the struggle of jumbled spices. However, we NEED our spices to give our delicious home meals extra flair, so what do we do? Well, your favorite professional organizer is here to help! Having an organization system for spices not only makes your cabinets/drawers look better, it also helps you cook more efficiently!
Ready to stop digging through your drawers and cabinets to find that one spice your dish needs? Follow these 6 easy steps to organize your spices. Step 1: Gather all of your spices into one pile and clean the drawers and cabinets they were in. Step 2: Throw out any spices that are expired, no longer have any scent, and/or hardened. Step 3: Decide if you want to go the extra mile when it comes to spice containers. Are you happy with the different containers your spices are in? If they aren't working for you or your space, consider buying a set of matching spice containers like this one from Amazon which comes with handy labels as well. Step 4: Measure your drawer or cabinet and line it. This isn't absolutely necessary, but it helps keep your space clean and prevents your storage solutions from shifting. Step 5: Choose your organizer. Which organizing solution you choose will depend on the type and size of your space: -in drawer racks -slide-out cabinet shelves -cabinet lazy susan -three tier spice rack holder -cabinet door organizer Step 6: Place those babies in your new organizing solution! Some people prefer organizing their spices by alphabetical order and others prefer keeping the most commonly used spices at the front. Choose what works best for you! And just like that, your spices are beautifully organized and easily accessible! Need help getting the rest of your home organized? Contact me and let's chat more about how Sage Organizing Co. can help you! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area. Related Articles: 4 Easy Hacks to Organize your Pantry How I created a weekly routine that works for our family 4 Kitchen Organizing Secrets That Will Blow Your Mind  Decluttered, donated, deep cleaned-- You've done it all, but your home still does not look as streamlined and "put together" as you would like it to. Even after all of your hard work and diligence following my other home organization blog posts, your home looks messier than you had envisioned. Sometimes, the most common areas we focus our decluttering skills on isn't enough. Part of the reason your home may still not look the way you want is because certain kinds of clutter turn into "home decor." We see our homes everyday and get used to decor and items being in certain places which can make it hard to pinpoint the things that are throwing off the "vibe." Check out these 8 things making your home look cluttered and see if your home is guilty of any. 1. A busy refrigerator door It doesn't matter how clean and organized your kitchen is-- a refrigerator door covered in countless magnets and papers is going to make your kitchen look messy. Consider taking photos on your phone of papers you still want to remember and remove them from the refrigerator. If you must keep some papers on the refrigerator door, do your best to keep them minimal and not overlapping. 2. Toys everywhere Whether we are talking kids toys or dog toys, scattered toys across the home make it look cluttered. Keep the toy collection from growing out of control by donating/discarding a toy for every new toy brought into the home. Grab large (and pretty!) baskets to store the toys in and keep the baskets in one or two rooms max. The goal is to get the toys off the floor and the furniture and into a pretty basket as quickly and easily as possible. 3. Dark rooms Bringing light into your home will make it feel much more fresh and spacious. Dark rooms often feel confined and closed in- making the home feel cluttered and gloomy. If you can't get natural sunlight, no worries! Consider sconces, pendant lights, or lamps. 4. Mismatched storage solutions This one really hurts my heart. Storage solutions are wonderful and it is awesome to see people utilize bins, baskets, and shelves to organize their home. However, if you're looking for a more refined look, matching storage solutions is a MUST! It is amazing the difference matching bins and baskets look compared to those with an array of colors, sizes, and materials. Matching (and pretty) storage solutions is one of the easiest ways to mesh functional organization with home aesthetics. 5. Too many table photo frames Photo frames on tables make a room look busy (not to mention, WAY harder to dust.) Consider creating a photo wall with matching frames. This will allow you to display your photos in a stylish way without taking up space on tables. 6. Items on nightstands This is one of the most common culprits to bedrooms looking cluttered. A nightstand covered in items takes away from the rest of the organized bedroom sanctuary. Consider utilizing nightstands with built in drawers so you can easily tuck your things away instead of leaving them out. Even if you have to have certain items readily available to you while you are going to bed/sleeping, make it part of your routine to store the items away before you go about your day. As for decor, keep it minimal! Even just a lamp is PLENTY for decor purposes- I promise your nightstands won't look awkwardly empty. 7. Too many throw pillows Too many throw pillows?! Say it isn't so! It is so easy to grab another pretty throw pillow while browsing Target or HomeGoods. It's just one pillow, right? Wrong. Throw pillows are a commitment. If you decide you have to have your throw pillows, keep in mind they require regular straightening, positioning, and fluffing to look good and not messy. 8. Shoes at the doorway If you have a shoe-free home and ask that everybody takes their shoes off at the door, you NEED a way to keep this area organized or it WILL look cluttered. Look into bins, baskets, cubes, shelves, racks-- you will have to decide what works best for your space and your family. Make sure to invest in a solution with enough space for the whole family. I hope you enjoyed reading about 8 things making your home look cluttered. Which sneaky clutter items are killing your home's vibe? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest!
Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area. Related Articles: Your Guilt-Free Decluttering List A Guide to Organize your Junk Drawer 3 Things Professional Organizers WISH their Clients Knew  Today, we are going to talk about one of my favorite products to use during organization projects-- BASKETS! Not only are baskets functional, but they are also visually appealing. Sometimes, we don't have enough space to organize all of our things in hidden spots like cabinets, closets, and drawers. Baskets are one of the absolute best ways to keep your stuff sorted and look like you've got your life all together. Another great part about baskets is that you can spend as little or as much as you want on them! You can find inexpensive (and pretty!) baskets at HomeGoods, Hobby Lobby, Michael's, Walmart, and Amazon. If you are wanting your baskets to double as home decor and are willing to spend more money, Pottery Barn, West Elm, and Crate and Barrel have beautiful, high-end baskets. Alright, now onto the good stuff! Baskets can be utilized in a variety of ways in different rooms in your home. If you are planning to accomplish some organization or maybe you want a prettier organization system, you'll definitely want to check out these 6 different ways you can use baskets to organize around your home! 1. Control Center Basket Use a divided basket to store and separate your tv remote, FireStick remote, earbuds, pens and anything else you use in your living room. A woven basket is easy to keep on a coffee or side table for easy access and so you won't spend time searching for the remote again! 2. Grocery Baskets Plastic baskets are the perfect way to organize your fruits, veggies, meats, cheeses and everything else in your refrigerator. Baskets help you see what you're running low on and they keep your refrigerator clean! Just pop the baskets in the dishwasher whenever they start to get dirty- Done! 3. Stair Baskets If you live in a two (or three) story home, you know the clutter that can accumulate on the stairs when items are in transition from one floor to another. Placing a basket on 1-3 stairs is a great system to keep things in order in a pretty way. 4. Laundry Baskets Laundry rooms hold many items like detergent, dryer sheets, towels and of course, laundry! Matching baskets are a great way to organize your laundry room. I guarantee utilizing a few woven baskets will make your laundry room look SO much better. Pro tip: Tie tags to each of the baskets to label what goes where. 5. Linen Baskets How many times have you folded a stack of pillowcases and they fall over on the shelf in the linen closet? Baskets are your solution to keeping your linens separated and nicely folded. I particularly love the look of cloth lined baskets for linens. Make sure to measure your shelves before purchasing your linen baskets! 6. Bathroom Wall Baskets Many people struggle with organization in bathrooms due to the lack of space. Wall baskets are a cute way to create more space in your bathroom and organize items like toilet paper, tissues, and more. You don't need special baskets to use on the wall, a few woven baskets can be hung with nails. Easy and effective! How do you use baskets to organize your home? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
 Home offices are doing some heavy lifting this year compared to years past. With an increasing number of individuals working solely from home due to the coronavirus pandemic, home offices give people their own designated space to take calls, attend zoom meetings, and accomplish their responsibilities. It is ESSENTIAL to have your home office organized during a time like now so that you can be as (or more!) productive as you would be in your traditional office building. Not to mention, an organized home office may make you feel a little bit better about starting off the work day- BONUS! If you know you're office could be more organized (and honestly, who's office couldn't be!?) but you're intimidated by the papers, sticky notes, and whatever else is stuffed in the back of your file cabinet, worry no longer- Your favorite professional organizer is here to help you get your home office organized for good! Read on to find out 7 tricks to organize your home office! 1. Start with your filing cabinet Most people automatically start with their desk when organizing their home office. However, I'm here to tell you WAIT! Start with your filing cabinet. If you have an orderly system for your paper filing, it will be much easier to sort your desk and file away loose papers left out. Go through your filing cabinet and declutter. Make sure to throw out papers you don't need anymore and LABEL, LABEL, LABEL those filing folders. 2. Scan documents into your computer This trick goes along with the first home office organizing tip. Now, it may not be reasonable or functional for you to scan ALL documents into your computer, but commit to scanning at least a portion of documents from your filing cabinet. Most importantly, be sure to recycle the papers you do end up scanning! There is no point to keep the paper document once you have it scanned in your computer (remember, you can always print it out if need be!) 3. Utilize Wall Space Use your wall space and use it well! I LOVE using bulletin boards and whiteboards in offices so that you can keep reminders and cheat sheets off of your desk and on a board. Be careful not to clutter up your bulletin board! My rule for organizing bulletin boards is NO STACKING notes and paper on top of each other. If there isn't room on the board, create a digital note or file the paper in an appropriate folder. 4. Two words- Drawer Dividers Folders and labels are perfect for filing cabinets, but make sure not to overlook your desk drawers! You can find inexpensive drawer organizers/inserts at Staples, Target, Walmart, and Amazon. Make sure to measure your drawer before you go shopping and make a list of categories you need enough compartments for (pens, push pins, staples, tape. . .etc.) If you really want to go the extra mile and be next-level organized, add labels to the compartments on your drawer divider. Labels help keep you accountable and encourage you to stick to your organization system. 5. Decide on Receipt Management Receipts, receipts everywhere! Receipts can truly be a pain to corral. A lot of people use shoe boxes or small bins to throw their receipts in, but this system often lends to receipts spilling out everywhere. Instead of open bins, grab a mason jar with a lid for receipts so you can be sure they stay in their designated spot. An even better way to organize receipts is to do so digitally! There are plenty of apps that make it easy to store your receipts. One I love is Wave Financial which lets you take a photo of a receipt and save it in the app for free. Be sure to trash the receipts after you save them digitally! 6. Use Transparent Bins Transparent bins are perfect for storing printer paper, envelopes, and other office supplies. Make sure to add labels for the same reason mentioned in tip 4! Transparent bins are a great way to see if you are running low on any office supplies and prevent from getting caught in a bind. 7. Sort through those wires There's nothing in an office that can look quite as messy as a bunch of wires. Computer cables, laptop chargers, phone chargers, power cords- there are a ton of wires to organize in your home office. First, make sure to throw out any cords not in use. Next, zip tie cords together or use a neoprene sleeve to bundle the wires together so they don't get caught on anything. For cords you can't commit to bundling (like laptop chargers potentially,) designate a transparent bin or desk drawer to keep your chargers in when not in use. Whenever your office starts to feel a bit chaotic, come back to this list! You want to get ahead of the clutter and messiness before it gets too overwhelming. Follow these 7 home office organization tips and you'll look forward to sitting down at your desk in the morning! What is your favorite home office organization trick? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
 School (or rather homeschool) is out and summer is here! It's time to tackle some easy organizing projects to get this show on the road. Summer is usually spent relaxing and going on vacation, but a little bit of organizing helps those beach trips and pool days go a little smoother. Check out five EASY summer organizing projects for you to tackle this week: 1. Sort through your swimwear AND cover-ups This is a great organizing project for the whole family. Take out all of your swimsuits and cover-ups and place them in a pile. Go through each piece one-by-one and ditch any that are faded or no longer fit. Yes, even the swimsuits you just love to keep around but haven't worn in years. How many of us have 10 bathing suits in our drawer but actually only feel comfortable wearing two of them to the pool? Be honest with yourself. Let go of the swimwear you know in your heart you won't wear again. 2. Get rid of old beach towels This one you can do on your own. Find those ratty beach towels and either throw them away or cut them up into small cloths for cleaning. This is a great way to declutter your beach towel collection and reduce the number of paper towels you reach for when cleaning-- win-win. Once you've narrowed it down to the beach towels that are still in good condition, go ahead and write your name on the label while you're at it so that there is no mix-up at the community pool this summer. 3. Clean out and prepare your pool bag Now, the key to this organizing project is not waiting until you're about to walk out the door with your kiddos to get your bag ready. Cleaning out and preparing your pool bag is a great add-on project to one or both of the first two projects I listed. When organizing your pool bag, make sure to throw out expired sunscreen and any wrappers or other trash that may have found its way in there. Follow the checklist below to make sure you have all the pool bag essentials:
4. Create a self-service station for kids at home I don't know about you all, but quarantine has put us moms on edge more often than usual. Am I right?! Set up a self-serve station in your refrigerator or kitchen with accessible cups, drinks, and snacks so your kids have one less thing to ask you about. Every bit counts! Plus, the little ones will feel especially accomplished. 5. Get your garage ready for ANYTHING Now, before you skip over this one thinking, "Organizing a garage is NOT easy, Candi," just hold your horses for a minute and let me explain. The goal of this project is to make it easy for you and the family to get out from behind screens and do fun, memorable activities. Designate a shelf or cabinet in your garage for activities and stock it with things like sparklers, jars for lightning bugs, kites, water guns, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk. Knock out these 5 easy organizing projects and I'm sure your summer will be off to a great start! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
 You are not alone if the clutter in your home is too overwhelming for you to handle on your own. According to the National Association of Productivity & Organizing Professional (which your favorite professional organizer happens to be a member of *toots own horn*) 54 percent of America is overwhelmed by the amount of clutter they have, but 78 percent do not know to do with all of that stuff or find it too complicated to deal with it (2015). Hiring a professional organizer is an effective and efficient way to not only minimize your clutter, but also create a functional organization system in your home that can be maintained by you and your family. Professional organizers often go into "the biz" because they have a talent and eye for all things organization-- and yes, it's true, we really find satisfaction in organizing! Those beautiful "after" photos we create truly make our hearts soar and it's even better knowing we helped solve a problem for others. There are a few things all Professional Organizers want our clients to know before the organizing process begins. As an experienced Certified Professional Organizer® myself, I want to give you all a peek on the other side and help you prepare to work with a professional organizer, so I'm sharing with you 3 things Professional Organizers wish their clients knew. 1. If you're not willing to get rid of things, you're wasting your money. Before hiring a professional organizer, you need to be mentally prepared to donate and discard. Decluttering is an ESSENTIAL step in the organizing process. It may not be easy but you will have to relinquish a smidge of control and trust your professional organizer when they say "You really should part with *this.*" You are paying and hiring them for a reason! Your professional organizer will know how much needs to be given away/discarded and help you decide what you truly need. If you're not ready to reduce the number of items in your space, then your professional organizer will simply be rearranging rather than implementing an ideal organization system. 2. We are NOT judging the state of your home-- Honestly. Easily the most common hesitation people have about hiring a professional organizer is worrying they will judge your space. Professional organizers are the most organized people- right?! So they won't believe their eyes when they see such a chaotic home- right?! WRONG!! Professional organizers have seen it all, trust me, and even we have a disorderly spot in our homes. Nothing shocks us and we truly just want to help you. You may see a chaotic, cluttered, shameful closet-- we see an opportunity to use our skills, express our organizing creativity and make a client happy! 3. Doing the job right takes time Quality organizing work takes longer than you may think. The cluttered room did not happen in two hours, so it is not going to be fixed in two hours either. A good professional organizer will need ample time to get your space in tip-top shape. Pressuring an organizer to rush or requiring them to finish in an unreasonable amount of time will only result in either an unfinished job or half-assed work. Make sure to use the consultation (which most professional organizers require) to get a full understanding of the estimated time and cost necessary to achieve the results you're looking for. Budget and allow for the time to let us do our job and give you a high quality end result. I hope you enjoyed reading about the 3 things all professional organizers wish our clients knew! What questions do you have about the process of working with a professional organizer? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. on Pinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
 Hiya fellow Quarantine Queens! I've been seeing a lot of posts swirling around the internet about banana bread, Tik Tok dances, and other activities to keep us busy at home. Many of my friends have texting me asking, "Alright Candi, I finally have some time to get my life together. I want to get an organizing project done but not sure what to tackle?" I don't know about you all, but being in quarantine has not only freed up some time for me, it has also made me think about organizing some of the essential "crisis" paperwork. Now, you may be wondering, "Candi, my favorite professional organizer, what in the world is 'crisis' paperwork!?" Well, I am so glad you asked! I'm about to fill you in. Crisis paperwork is paperwork that is important and and helpful during . . . you guessed it. . . a crisis- I'm here all night ladies and gentleman, well, and morning and afternoon, actually right now I'm here at home everyday all day. Okay okay, back to paperwork organization. Crisis paperwork, you may find, is what many consider death or doom + gloom paperwork. However, I have found: Using the phrase "Death Papers:" -Major bummer -Feelings of sadness -Denial settles in Using the phrase "Crisis Papers:" -Confident -Feelings of preparedness -Ready to take on the world As an estate clearing professional, I have seen the tremendous confusion and concerns that have arisen when a crisis occurs and necessary paperwork/important documents are either uncompleted and/or can't be located. During a crisis, emotions are already running high and stress is inevitable. Make it easier for you and/or your loved ones by identifying and completing your crisis paperwork NOW and organizing it in a designated space away from other miscellaneous paper. Here are the three categories of paperwork to organize your life for a crisis: 1. Healthcare Forms Healthcare forms that are essential to have finished and organized before a crisis include Healthcare Power of Attorney AND a Living Will. These two documents often go hand-in-hand and help protect your wishes as far as health and medical care while you are still alive. There are many situations and crises that would involve you being alive but unable to communicate what kind of medical treatment you want. Now, let me tell you why it's important to have BOTH of these documents. A Living Will lists out your desire or refusal of medical treatment if you are either permanently unconscious or terminally ill. This is an important document to organize before a crisis like the above to reduce emotional stress on loved ones as best as possible and to ensure you are being cared for the way YOU want. However, a Living Will is only used if the patient is deemed permanently unconscious. If you are temporarily incapacitated and are expected to recover, a Living Will does not take effect, therefore; the only person who could make medical decisions on your behalf (even if you're in a freakin' coma) would be a pre-designated Health Care Power of Attorney-- this is why it is ESSENTIAL to have both of these forms completed. I have conveniently included a link to your Health Care Power of Attorney and Living Will combined form ONLINE here. Take the time now in quarantine to go online and complete these essential documents to protect yourself and reduce the strain on family members. PRO TIP: Once you're done completing the forms, make sure your Health Care Power of Attorney has the original copy deeming his or her authority, you have a copy, and your healthcare providers also have a copy to put in your medical records. 2. Vital Life Documents This category of documents includes:
I HIGHLY recommend ordering an accordion file folder like this one on Amazon to keep all of your vital life documents together. Take advantage of the labels and use the bullets I listed above to create labels for each pocket. One step further, add a large label to the outside of the folder that says "Vital Life Docs." You don't need a fancy label maker, paper and tape work great! If you have a home office, store the accordion file there. If not, find another easy to access place. 3. Legacy Documents Legacy documents you should organize in case of a crisis are Last Will + Testament, records of all banking accounts, and list of all insurance policies. A Last Will and Testament is defined by LegalZoom.com as "A legal document that lets you, the testator (the person making the will), designate individuals or charities to receive your property and possessions when you pass away. . . A last will also allows you to name a guardian to care for minor children. The main purpose of a will is to ensure that the testator's wishes, and not the default laws of the state, will be followed upon the testator's death." This form is pretty self explanatory on why it is extremely important to have completed and organized before a crisis. You can easily create your Last Will and Testament online with Legal Zoom here. You'll also need to create a list of bank, investment, retirement/pension account numbers to ensure that all accounts are protected and resolved in case of a serious crisis. Lastly, compile all of your insurance policies-- most importantly your life insurance policy! Again, I highly recommend grabbing a second accordion file for this category of paperwork and following the instructions in step two for these documents. Phew, and that's all I got for you today folks! I GUARANTEE if you take the time to complete and organize the above documents, you will feel like you have your life together and more importantly you will be PREPARED in case of a crisis. Quarantine time really puts things into perspective and reminds us how fragile and valuable life is. Take care of yourself and make things easier on trusted family and friends by organizing the above "Crisis Paperwork." Have questions on any of the listed forms or documents? Comment below! If you're looking for more organization ideas and tips, follow Sage Organizing Co. onPinterest! Need more help with organizing your home or estate clearing? Contact us and book a consultation to start your organized life today! Professional Disclaimer: The ideas, recommendations, and opinions on this website, blog, and made in person are for educational and entertainment purposes only, and should not be considered legal, financial, or medical advice. I am not an attorney, doctor, or licensed financial professional. Sage Organizing Co., LLC is not liable for any losses or damages related to actions or failure to act related to the content of this website, blog, or in-person discussions. If you need specific legal, financial, or medical advice, consult a professional in your area.
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