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http://simplyorganizedsolutions.biz/

Simply Organized Solutions, Maryland, Jessup, MD (2025)

06/23/2025

Back To Basics

Do you ask yourself, why can’t I find anything around the house? Why is every room cluttered? Life is busy with work, kids and life’s routine. Do you want to step off the Merry Go Round and take a breath?

Stop and take a breath. Think about your greatest frustration; just one. How will you change that frustration into ‘problem solved’? Overwhelmed with it all? If we think about everything that is wrong, we cannot focus on any one thing. Start with an easier problem, it may gives you energy to tackle more. Baby steps.

A key to success is to create a new habit. Chose one.

Example: Process Mail
Is mail on every available surface? You have no set pattern for getting the mail and processing until completion?

Try these steps:
Pick up mail at least once weekly
Process: Processing tools would include a container for trash, a small bin for recycle and a shredder*. Open the mail and immediately put all unneeded paper in recycle bin or shred bag. the remaining mail is the action pile. Save time later, add a note to mail that needs attention. Action items could be ‘to be paid’, needs a phone call or conversation with partner, or simply needs to be filed.

No shredder? Check out free shred events in your county or drop of at your local Staples or UPS store; they will shred for a fee.

Shred it yourself? Use a paper bag to collect your shredding, staple it closed and add to your recycle bin.

Creating a habit, one at a time with practice.

05/27/2025

Find Your Happy Place

Work is necessary, but the daily grind can get to anyone. Sometimes it is hard to step outside the daily routine. Everyone needs a Happy Place. Your Happy Place maybe a safe space to explore, or a relaxing space or place.

A Happy Place can be an exotic vacation spot, a favorite restaurant, a special place to take a walk, or a state of mind. Chose your budget. What is realistic? Any of the ‘lofty places’ will take planning and organizing.

You can have several levels of your Happy Place. Some will take more time and money. Make it attainable. Visualize what your Happy Place (s) are. Your Happy Place should rejuvenate you, bring you peace and joy because life is more than work, chores and routine. Routines ground us, but we are surrounded by a wonderous world that begs to be explored.
You can have several ‘Happy Places’. You might have to save the exotic vacation for every 5 years or once in a lifetime. Pick a place, and set a goal, stash the money in a vacation account.

Your Happy Place could be simple-
Reading a good book in your favorite room in the house
Taking a walk at your favorite local park
Eating at a waterside restaurant
Make a favorite meal with friends

Closing your eyes and visualizing your Happy Place. If you are a thrill seeker none of the above may appeal to you. Your Happy Place may be jumping out of a plane, hiking to a mountain top, or surfing in Bali.

Whatever your Happy Place may be, visualize it, plan it and go for it!

04/29/2025

Emergency Plan! Do You Have Yours?

All sorts of emergencies have been in the news: Fire, Record breaking tornados, Earthquakes, Job Loss, State of the economy.
Any of these catastrophic events can cause us to pack our bags and leave our homes for a safer more stable environment. Some events are temporary, some could be permanent.

Do you have an action plan for you and your family? How would you ‘operate’ your lives and businesses if you had to leave home? Does it make sense to take all everyday items with you so there is no ‘out of pocket’ expense, or just replace them later. Do you have room in you car(s) for all these items? The answers may not be apparent. Create a list of must haves within an action plan. The action plan broadly would be who is going? Where would you go to set up house either permanently or temporarily. You may want to pack your bags and essentials to see what fits. Do you need to rent another vehicle or a trailer?

Start by having everyone in your family make a list of their ‘must haves’. This will be a tougher for kids. Help them pair down once they complete the list. Let’s not lie, its tough for adults to.
An easier way to make a list is to go thru your day. What are the clothing, snack and tools you use every day. This can include items needed for your business. What are the important items you should take you cannot do without.

Here are a few obvious items:
Clothing and toiletries
Safety items such as flashlights and first aid kit
Airbnb: sheets, blankets, towels
Electronics: Laptops, phones, flash drives, cords, chargers
Important papers, passports, credit cards, check books, pen and paper.

Some paperwork you may need with you. Err on the side of caution, scan and put all paperwork in the cloud even if need to have a copy with you.

Your list can be overwhelming, but if you have a framework you can make the harder decisions later. Planning can help alleviate stress in an uncertain world.

03/23/2025

Stolen Passwords in the News: Be Aware

Cyber security is more important than ever. Take the time to read these articles and upgrade your digital protection.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/daveywinder/2025/02/24/hackers-share-39-billion-stolen-passwords-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-personal-data-removal-services

If you have Windows, updates have critical security patches but sometimes they are flawed and cause problems for some users. You can also learn how to move back to a previous update to mitigate this issue.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/fix-problems-that-block-programs-from-being-installed-or-removed-cca7d1b6-65a9-3d98-426b-e9f927e1eb4d

Phishing: Hackers have a work around for 2 step authentication. Protect yourself by adding important email addresses and phone numbers to your contact list. If in doubt, do not respond to email requests or phone calls.

Public Wi-Fi: If you use your laptop in a public space, use your phone as a hot spot. Make sure you are connecting to the right network. Bad actors may create networks that look harmless but are in fact directing you to connect with a network set-up to see your internet surfing. This means if you enter login credentials or passwords into websites, the hacker will be able to steal your information.

To combat online hackers, Google and MS are moving away from SMS text and on to passkey and QR codes.

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/account-billing/signing-in-with-a-passkey-09a49a86-ca47-406c-8acc-ed0e3c852c6d

https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/1066447?hl=en&co=GENIE.Platform%3DAndroid

Did you know you can also lock your Social Security Number?

https://www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10220.pdf

Having a good antivirus and VPN should be standard protection for your computer and phone. PC Magazine is a good source for applications and product recommendations. Stay informed and vigilant. It seems now it’s a full-time job.

02/24/2025

Home Renovation

If you are looking to boost your home value or you want to update a room, use a cost vs value report. With high interest rates, trends are keeping people in their homes and they are choosing to renovate. What to choose? How to prepare?

This US News Article is a good guide for current trends.

https://realestate.usnews.com/real-estate/articles/11-popular-home-updates-that-are-worth-the-money

Key Points:
Critical Systems in good repair: HVAC, roofing, plumbing
Curb appeal: New Garage Door, landscaping
Mid-range materials instead of ‘high end’

Once you choose your project and schedule companies to give you bids then the difficult part begins.
How do you reorganize your home to remove items for the renovation?
Sort/purge items in that area that you may not need or want.
Find temporary homes for the items that will remain.

I have renovated my kitchen and bathrooms. Timing is key. No entertaining happened during these renovations.
The process of storing all your kitchen items is daunting. The boxes from the kitchen lived in my son’s room; he was away at school.

A professional organizer can help you through the process of sorting, purging, and packing up items, and reorienting your items post-renovation. As a professional organizer, I love helping clients through this process. The end result is great.

Living through a renovation is a major inconvenience and may seem like your life is on hold, but focus on the goal and visualize the outcome.

01/21/2025

Happy New Year!

In 2025, the new year, we think of New Year’s Resolutions. They do not have to be complicated.

Identifying and safely disposing of Hazardous Waste is probably not on most people’s list.

Old chemicals, paint, and cleaning supplies do degrade and then leak. I address this topic a lot in my work. It can be a hazard to you and your home. The leaking chemicals can make a mess and cause unhealthy fumes and even a fire. Transport these old chemicals in a leak proof tray or container.

Your county landfill can either take these items or suggest a company that will. My landfill takes hazardous waste every Saturday from April to Nov. They have also started taking them in the ‘off season’ periodically. Do you know where and when your community takes old chemicals?

Keep your home safe and healthy. Dispose of chemicals, cleaning products and paint responsibly. Store chemicals in a plastic or metal tray in case there is a leak.

Bonus! Free up valuable space in your home and garage.
Have a Happy and Safe New Year!

11/25/2024

Give Thanks

It’s Autumn, a time to reflect and give thanks.

We easily complain about work, family, and the things we want and do not have. If life were different we could......fill in the blank. We make choices every day; some seem inconsequential some daunting. We have regrets.

The intentional changes and decisions we make every day can set our path in life. Sometimes life sends us hardship we would rather not face. It’s how we handle those hardships that can help us later. We can be resilient.

If we give thanks for all our blessings, some mundane some spectacular, we can then appreciate that we have a lot to be thankful for.

I am grateful I live in a country, though very flawed, I can speak freely. I have a home that is sound. I can go to the grocery store and I have so many choices that I take for granted. I can make my own choices about many things. I am healthy and can walk, bike and explore for hours. I can get in my car and go where I want, when I want.

There are many people do to financial circumstances, political circumstances, or disaster that cannot do any of the things I mentioned.

If we count our blessings every day instead of once a year it could make a difference in our attitudes towards others, our outlook on life and daily living.

10/27/2024

Reorganize Your Health & Beauty Products

It has come to my attention, for many clients, health and beauty products can overload the bathroom and eventually your home.
Do you have too many of every type of product imaginable? These products can expire, or be ineffective.

Do you have product on auto ship from Amazon? If so, it may be time to deactivate auto ship.
If you shop at Costco, one trip can last you a very long time with large quantities in each bottle, sold in multiples. Every household is different. Six months’ worth is a good guideline.
Rethink off storage; if it is too inconvenient to check before you order. Before you shop take a pic of your storage area to remind you what you have on hand.

Sort and remove old product, or product you do not use anymore. ‘Containerize’ each type of item, make product easily accessible. Use an appropriate size basket that has no lid and is shallow enough to grab what you need, that easily fits in a designated space. Smaller items, smaller basket. One basket for each type of item. Lids help you forget what is in the container so you buy more than you can use in a reasonable period.
Be able to view items and have them easily accessible. If the box is already open, take them out of the box.

Donate excess product to a food bank or homeless shelter.

Recycle Old Product:
http://www.terracycle.com/en-US

Happy sorting!

08/25/2024

Update Your Digital World, Changing an Email Address

Do you need to open a new email account? Too much spam? Has your email address been compromised?
Creating a new email address especially for security reasons is important. Your email address and your phone are the gateway to your digital life. It is not a quick or easy task to accomplish but doable.
Here are a few tips to make the process more tolerable:
Be patient with yourself and the process.
Using your pc or laptop for this process; it will be easier than using your phone. You will have to verify your accounts with 2 step authentication if you have it set up.
Have a list of priority accounts; work on those first.
If you have a password manager, use it as your check list. Notate any changes to the account as you go. You may need to change your password. You may have email notifications for an account that is not used for logging in. For example, a utility company that uses one email for logging in, and another to send payment due notifications.
Use your credit card statement for recurring charges.
Check these accounts for email changes
Review your current email account folders for clubs and associations and other important communication.
Change reminders to new email address.

You should not close the original email account for a while to make sure you capture everything that is important to you. Diverting all the highly sensitive information 1st will limit vulnerability. If you have important email folders, those can be downloaded to your computer and sent in an email to your new email address.
I know from personal experience this is not a pleasant process, but with patience and determination you will feel better when it’s done.

07/21/2024

Moving Season

May thru September is ‘Peak Season’ in the moving business.
31 million people move in the US every year. California and New York share the top spot for residents moving to other states.

JK Moving Services is a trusted NAPO WDC (National Association of Productivity and Organizers of DC) business partner, vetted by our association. Check out their Moving Service 8-week checklist.

JK Moving is one of our ‘go to’ business partners. Chuck Kuhn started JK Moving in 1982 and is a well-known, A+ rated mover. Chuck and his team strive to give a great customer experience and has been recognized by the Washington Business Journal.

As a Professional Organizer, I have my own set of tasks that can be done on a continual basis to get you prepared for the 8-week countdown.
Purge and donate all clothing and furniture you longer want or need before the 8-week checklist count down. It is more economical to replace any heavy furniture that you no longer like or need instead of paying to move it.

Utility Cancellations
You can call and schedule your utility cancellations ahead of time.

Rental Notice
If you rent your home or apartment, make sure to give no less than 30 days’ notice.
Also check if your building requires a parking permit or notice to reserve a specific elevator

Change of Address
If you have access to your new home before your move, you may want to change your address earlier to allow mail delivery.
You will also want to stop auto-ship from Amazon and other delivery services.

Set aside one room for items you will personally take during your move:
• Add all paperwork pertaining to your move including your checklist
• Add all pet cages and supplies
• Add all medication for your family needed on a regular basis
• Add any important kids stuffed animals and books
• Add all luggage, clothing, and toiletries

Moving is a very stressful endeavor, but with careful prior planning, clear communication with your mover and family members, and scheduled fun breaks, it can be manageable.

04/23/2024

Rainy Day Organizing

April showers...bring opportunities to stay home and tackle a project.
Set yourself up for success.

Plan: What materials do you need to complete your project?
Have boxes or bags on hand for donations or trash.
Measure your space for any organizing products you may need.
Add an incentive or reward to your project. It’s a motivator.

Ask a good friend for help.
Set a Time Limit: You will be more likely to complete another project if you work in small chunks, not all day. Try a project that only takes about an hour. Work your way up to a project with a 4-hour maximum.

Use a Timer to Add Breaks: Add a 5-minute break for 30 minutes of work.
Thoughtful planning and a good mindset will help you to stay motivated to get your project completed. Your project may take more than one session; that is okay. Estimate your time to completion.

With practice, you will be able to schedule your sessions more accurately.

03/25/2024

Tax Time

If you have not visited the IRS website lately, there have been many improvements.

Check out the many resources available.
Find out how, when, and where to file your taxes, and if you are eligible for tax credits.
https://www.irs.gov/how-to-fi le-your-taxes-step-by-step

Know your
Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Access all tax forms.

If you usually wait until March or April to think about getting things together for tax time, there is a better way.

Think about the documents and tax forms you receive each year. Do you file your taxes or pay a tax professional? Gather documents in a designated file folder all year long.

Create a checklist of items needed to prepare your taxes. Create your list as items come in, and add items that need to be printed. The list will save you time each tax season.

Do you scan documents and save them to your computer or do you usually print them out?

A tax software program like TurboTax will guide you through tax preparation with tips and updated tax requirements.

If you have had a death in the family, taxes can be tricky. Get the help of a certified tax preparer to help you through a difficult time. The IRS also has search options for
Free Tax Prep.

Find out if you qualify.
https://www.irs.gov/tax-professionals/understanding-tax-return-preparer-credentials-and-qualifications

https://www.irs.gov/individuals/fi nd-a-location-for-free-tax-prep

A little preparation all year long will reduce your stress at tax time. Use the IRS resources to get tax prep help when needed.

Simply Organized Solutions, Maryland

06/23/2025

05/27/2025

04/29/2025

03/23/2025

02/24/2025

01/21/2025

11/25/2024

10/27/2024

08/25/2024

07/21/2024

04/23/2024

03/25/2024

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