So what are some tricks for getting your kids involved with the organizing process? Here are just some of the methods I have found to be successful . . .

Recently, hoarding has emerged from the shadows of secrecy thanks in part to the popularity of the shows “Hoarders” and “Hoarding: Buried Alive.” Today I’m pleased to introduce to you my Professional Organizing colleague and friend Geralin Thomas, who has appeared on several episodes of “Hoarders.”

I have a confession to make. I really hate to admit it, being a Professional Organizer and all, but plenty of you have admitted your dirty little organizational and productivity secrets to me, so here goes . . .

Planning a baby nursery is a big job. But organizing the nursery can be an even bigger one! While it is tempting to focus all your attention on the colors, theme, and decoration of the room, don’t forget to focus on functional organization.

It’s amazing how much stuff we have. And how much clutter we really need to cut our way through.
Between paperwork, toys, clothing and gadgets, our homes are fuller than ever, and we have less time to maintain it than ever before. So how do you say bye-bye to the clutter before company comes and (gasp!) looks in the closet?
Schedule a time.
De-cluttering is best done when you set aside a specific time to do it. So pick a time and commit to only focusing on cleaning clutter; don’t get distracted with …

It’s tempting to just close the closet doors or hide things in the back of the basement. But our minds don’t let us forget about these less than orderly spaces in our home.

A book to teach kids about organizing without them even knowing it? Maybe . . .

For moms with little ones, toy organization and storage can be a daily struggle. Recently, Cali, a new Virtually Organized reader, contacted me to ask for tips on dealing with toys in a small space with kids of different ages . . .

For the most part, the women who write me these “Help, my house is a mess!” notes have simply been so busy being busy that they haven’t had time to better organize their homes. Once we get together to develop and implement some easy-to-maintain systems, household organization is reclaimed. They can then get back to their busy lives, but with a better sense of order, control, and calm.

Occasionally, however, the issues go deeper and the root of the problem is actually chronic disorganization.

Wouldn’t it be great if I could just spew a few organizing rules, you implement them, and from here until eternity your home is “perfectly” organized?
That’s the frustrating thing about organizing, though. It is NOT an exact science.
The other day, I was helping a client organize her kitchen cabinets. Our goals were to increase work flow, maximize cabinet space, and purge or relocate all the unnecessary or unrelated items we discovered. Things were going well until it came to the putting-it-all-back stage.
“Where does this need to go,” she kept asking …