REAL SIMPLE

Organizing Tools:

What you need to get organized

“Constantly edit your closet, office, recipes. If things stop moving, they become clutter.”

Linda Rothschild, Professional Organizer, New York City

My favorite words are “I’ve been looking for that.” It makes me smile when my clients say that. I like to give people something they thought they had lost. A lot of my clients make organizing a low priority, without realizing that disorganization is such a major source of stress. Organizing puts you in control of your things instead of the other way around. As a professional organizer, I never know what I’m going to come up against. Sometimes I’m sorting paper; sometimes I’m uncovering a bag of Grandma’s ashes. My job is to solve problems, so I never go to a client’s home or office unprepared. Here’s what I keep in my workbag:

IN THE BAG

1. Post-it notes for everything
2. Screwdriver, hammer, pocket knife, tape measures
3. Ziploc bags, for sorting
4. Polaroid camera, crucial for moves so you can re-create an area
5. Paper clips, pens, pencils, tape, scissors, rubber bands, clipboard, calculator
6. Emergency items: sugar packets, nail glue, hand cream, protein bar, water bottle, stain remover

THE BAG: Garden Tote Carry-All, available in nylon, Brookstone.