Super Secondhand Shopping

The weather quickly got cooler this week in the beautiful pacific NW! Time to switch my closet from summer to fall. I did pull out a few items but also realized that my fall/winter wardrobe was lacking. So instead of racing to the mall, I visited one of my favorite consignments stores. In about 30 minutes and 0$ later, I had plenty of new items to keep me warm, comfortable and hopefully in style (the young girls who work for me assured me I had done well:)

Here is what I found…1 shirt dress, 1 sweater dress, 2 sweaters and 1 long sleeve tunic top. All but 1 of the items I found were half price and my total receipt came to $29.34 including tax. I had store credit so my total was $0.00! Using other items that I already own like boots, jeans, leggings, jewelry etc. here is a sampling of my new outfits…

2014.10 Julies Outfit1

This is a great casual dress for cool fall days.

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This can be dressed up or dressed down with boots or flats. What a find!

2014.10 JuliesOutfit3

 

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I love this top with jeans and my navy boots.

2014.10 JuliesOutfit2

Coral has to be one of my favorite colors. It’s perfect with this scarf!

2014.10 JuliesOutfit5

I love this cozy cowl neck sweater. It’s a great staple to have in any wardrobe!

2014.10 JuliesOutfit6

And the best part? Seeing the total on my receipt!

2014.10 JuliesReceipt

I love consignment shopping so much. There is no guilt in spending no $ (or very little $ if you don’t have any credit to use), there is almost no packaging to deal with, and when I get tired of my purchases I re-consign them :-). Although I can afford to purchase new, I really get so much more joy from shopping used. Most of all, I love knowing that with all the $ I save on second hand purchases my husband and I are able to travel and share experiences that are far more rewarding and valuable than a new designer outfit. The team at Organized at Last is happy to help you find a new wardrobe, or create a beautiful new space using amazing second hand finds!

What do you love most about consignment shopping?

Looking Ahead

Siimplicity Quote

Summer is almost over and for those of you who still have school age kids, the fall craziness is just beginning…that is, if you let it.

My kids are grown now, so as far as I’m concerned as long as the sun is shining it’s still summer.  In fact, every weekend I keep saying this might be our last sunny weekend for awhile so we better take advantage of it!

Today, I have been reflecting a bit on my crazy summer and thinking about the fact that while our kids are growing, we often say we don’t have time for things like planning nutritious meals, organizing our homes, caring for ourselves, or even having fun. My hope is to spend some time blogging this fall about a few of these topics and I would love feedback from some of you.  Especially those of you who I know read my blog but never say a word.  What information would you find most helpful?

Lately my life has been full of health challenges, moves of family members, renovations, learning to eat even more healthy than I have been for the past 35 years, and continuing my life’s passion and work as a professional organizer.

A few blog ideas I’m thinking about include simple meal ideas and consignment shopping. I want to share why I think consignment/second hand shopping is so incredible. I also want show my room makeover pictures as well as many of the outfits I wear that are created with my consignment purchases.

I also hope to share with you some of my favorite new organizing ideas. The older I get the more passionate I become about organizing.  I spend time in the homes of so many different people and I’m still convinced that systems that work can really save families hundreds of hours. Organizing does require a commitment and follow through, but I know first-hand that the benefits are lifelong and life changing!

If you have some thoughts, I’d love to hear them.  If you are ready to begin this fall in a new direction then consider joining me in my home for The Simply Organized Home class and Photo Organizing class. We currently have only one spot left in the Organized Home Class, but we’re working on adding another date in October. If you would like to join me for a private class please call or email me anytime.  I’m excited to hear from some of you!

The secret of happiness you see, is not found in seeking more, but in developing the capacity to enjoy less.”          -Don Millman

Back to School Tips

Back to School

“The best way to get something done is to begin.”   -unknown

Summer is quickly winding down and kids will be headed back to school very soon.  My own kids are grown now, but as I reflect back on those super fun, busy years I am always reminded of how so many simple organizing tools helped us as we managed, work, school, food and play.

  1. Post a family calendar or use an app on your phone (such as COZI) to manage all of your family activities.
  2. Include your children in regular home maintenance tasks and chores.  Teach them to do dishes, laundry, yard care, cleaning etc.  Post check lists for how tasks should be completed …or just model it for them.
  3. Prepare clothing and lunches the night before.
  4. Use bins in kids closet’s to organize their clothing and simplify laundry.  For my boys I had a bin for socks, underwear,  sleepwear etc.  I hung their t-shirts and folded jeans.  Everything else went unfolded into a bin!☺
  5. Consider going back to school clothes shopping at consignment stores such as Flip Kids and Maternity and consign your clothes there after your kids grow out of them. Check out our Resources page for more information!
  6. Include children in meal planning and preparation.  Allow your children to suggest meals and then help prepare the meals they choose.

Remember that organization is learned behavior, so start early!  If your family struggles with organization then consider joining me for The Simply Organized Home Class on Saturday September 27th 9:00am – 3:00pm. Class fee is $95 and includes breakfast, lunch, snacks, handouts and door prizes!

If all of your summer photographs have you feeling overwhelmed, or if you have a lifetime of photos sitting in boxes or piling up on your computer then Organizing your Photos on October 9th, 7:00pm – 9:00pm, might be just the motivation you need to get them organized. Class fee is only $45 and includes drinks, snacks and handouts!

The Essential Thirty-One Bag

ThirtyOneJulySpecialPage1

I was recently at a clients house and she had a really cute tote bag. When I asked about it she told me about Thirty-One Bags. I decided to check out their website and since they were offering a special discount I decided to order one. My tote bag arrived and it’s even better than I thought it would be!

They work so well for a variety of organizational uses:

  • Groceries
  • Farmers Market
  • Travel
  • Beach/Seasonal
  • Library books
  • Kids stuff

Here’s an idea: Inside each tote keep zipper pouches or makeup bags for smaller supplies and essentials!

ThirtyOneJulySpecialPage2To Order, Contact:

Kelly Hartman
Ind. Senior Director
mythirtyone.com/kellyhartman
http://www.facebook.com/groups/KellysToteallyAwesomeCustomers/

Empty Your Storage Unit

storageunit

“Organization isn’t about perfection, it’s about efficiency, reducing stress and clutter, saving time and money, and improving your overall quality of life.” – Christina Scalise

Do you have a storage unit? Do you know what’s in it? Do you know what it’s costing you?

According to the Self Storage Association,

  • The asking rent for a 10’x10′ unit in the U.S. (Q3-2013) was: non-climate controlled $115/month; climate-controlled $146/month.
  • About 13% of all self storage renters say they will rent for less than 3 months; 18% for 3-6 months; 18% for 7-12 months; 22% for 1-2 years; and 30% for more than 2 years
  • Some 65% of all self storage renters have a garage but still rent a unit; 47% have an attic in their home; and 33% have a basement
  • Some 47% of all self storage renters have an annual household income of less than $50,000 per year; 63% have an annual household income of less than $75,000 per year

You could buy all the stuff that’s in most storage units for the price of the annual rental fee or much less—and that doesn’t include the cost of the moving truck! Think about what you could be spending that money on right now – paying off debt, a vacation, down payments, etc. Plus, the longer your stuff sits in a storage unit:

  • The more value you lose on items
  • Risk of damage increases from precariously stacked boxes
  • Bugs or rodents can infest cardboard boxes

Storage units are meant to be transitional: places to keep belongings while moving, marrying, divorcing or dealing with a death in the family. However, many who have them are now simply using them as a place to store extra stuff, even though the home sizes continue to grow.

Our OAL team would be happy to help clear out your storage unit. We will guide you in selling some of your valuable items and donate the rest to great local causes. Currently we are supporting Relay for Life and Habitat for Humanity. Which would you rather have, an expensive storage full of unused and unwanted items, or a full heart as you help support great causes in our community?

Summertime is the perfect season for lightening your load!

How can we help you?

Formula For a Home

JuliesGrandfather

Recently our family spent some time sorting through a few very old scrapbooks and we came across a newspaper article (probably from the early 1920’s)  in my maternal grandfather’s belongings.  He passed away when my mom was a very young child so I never knew him, but I found this article profound.

“But if it’s a place where, more than anywhere in the world, we would rather live, where, more than anywhere in the world, we feel that we can be ourselves and be understood – if for us it is the nearest thing to heaven on earth – it has found the formula for being a home. Yes, young lady, a home can be both clean and comfortable, both efficient and friendly, both disciplined and endearing. And when you grow up, all this please remember – for if you make and manage such a home, when comes your time to do so, you will be performing your highest mission in life. And neither the young nor the old would wander so much or stray so far, if there were more such homes.”

I’m certain that when my grandfather saved this article he was not even married yet. He did however take his role as a future husband and father very seriously based on the message in this article (and from some other items that we discovered).

Little did he know that his youngest granddaughter would take these words to heart as well. Not only in my own home, but in many of the homes I work in.  I believe a home should be a haven and a resting place – “where, more than anywhere in the world, we feel we can be ourselves, be understood – if for us it is the nearest thing to heaven on earth – it has found the formula for being a home”.

I am also fully aware that “home” is a painful place for many, but I trust that this article from so many years ago will be a reminder of what home can and should be.