Happy Valentine's Day - Happy One Year Blog Anniversary...

Today marks my one year anniversary of this blog!

Since my Visual Girl word for 2010 is LOCAL, I am going to start adding more items that my fellow Vancouverites and Canadians can pop over to their local shops to get.

So for all you Canadians wanting to organize your closets, London Drugs has these beauties on sale for $6.99 Cdn. These flocked suit or shirt hangers keep your garments from sliding or misshaping, and also create more room in your closet. Personally I prefer a chunky wood hanger, but that's just me.

So if you are glued to the 2010 Olympic coverage, grab a stack of clothes, and go through them as you watch. Back to your closet during the commercial breaks, and before you know it, voila! - your closet is a thing of beauty and function!

respect. reclaim. revitalize. your space. - Visual Girl

Good Enough...

I was just watching an innocent game of horseshoes, and was struck by the uniqueness of the game in it's close-enough-is-good-enough ideology.

Perhaps surprising to some, many people who struggle with clutter issues are perfectionists. And finding their own reality so far from their idea of perfection, they become overwhelmed and paralysed to do anything, widening the gap even further. As a professional organizer, I find that time and time again, the most important role I play is bridging that gap, or eliminating it all together - paradise!

While I wholly disagree with the "just for now" mentality, which to me is just another way of saying "this is not how this should be", "this is not where it should go", or simply "this is wrong", I do believe in cutting yourself a little slack, and getting it good enough. You will be surprised where it will take you - maybe even win you a game of horse shoes!

reclaim. respect. revitalize.

Visual Girl

Prudy's Problem and How She Solved It...

On the topic of "teach your children well", I came across this cute little book about a little girl who really really really loves to collect things. (Sound familiar?) The things she collects are good for a laugh, or at least a good "eeewwww!" Or, the story could read a little too close to home, depending on your child's situation. I would like to say that with the help of her friendly neighbourhood Professional Organizer, all her problems disappeared. But...I can say that her solution did involve some out-of-the-box thinking, which many Trained Professional Organizers do have.

Give a read. I'd love to hear what you (and your children) think of it.

All the best,

Kerith Paterson

Visual Girl