The event, hosted by the Fairfield Convention and Visitors Bureau, will feature speakers and exhibitors from a wealth of different backgrounds focusing on both traditional and alternative forms of health and wellness. Workshops and demonstrations will cover various areas of interest including fitness, nutrition, exercise, finance, beauty and healthy household practices.

The event hopes to introduce attendees to the resources available to make healthy lifestyle choices for them and their families. For more information visit Fairfield Iowa Convention and Visitors Bureau Wellness Expo Website or call (641) 472-2828. We look forward to seeing you there!

Driving Directions from Iowa City to Fairfield-Google Map

First and foremost, laundry. Everything else fell into the “If we have time category…”

The massive amounts of laundry had begun to pile up for JoAnn several weeks before our first visit. On top of multiplying laundry, the Rader’s washing machine had stopped working, forcing JoAnn to lug laundry from the basement to the laundry mat.  Very little was getting done and more was piling up daily. The following pictures document the clean-up.

The laundry room…

The set up of the laundry room was actually pretty efficient for the family. The problems came when the girls’ threw clean clothes and multiple outfits each day down the laundry chute, leaving JoAnn to decide what items were clean and what items were dirty.

Having a separate area for Jeremy’s nice clothes worked well, but was really the only part of the basement laundry room that was functioning properly. Jeremy, diligent in the upkeep of his “nice” clothing, preferred to have an area to himself.  Understanding this need, we kept this area as part of the new laundry room routine.

The view of the clothes from the entry into the laundry room. We had our work cut out for us. We separated the laundry, threw some of the old/moldy items away, designated a pile for consignment and donation and bagged the rest.

The newly cleaned laundry room.  JoAnn and the girls were astounded to see the floor again. They could not remember the last time they had seen it this clean and each vowed to help keep it that way!

Another view of the clean floor. Thankful to not have to step on/over piles of laundry each day, JoAnn felt less intimidated by the room and planned to keep it manageable.

The Rader’s dining room. We decided in an effort to get all the laundry completed and give JoAnn a clean slate we would need to visit the laundry mat.

We had approximately 20 contractor bags of laundry.

The laundry mat..otherwise known as the Burg Cleaning Village. Knowing we had an afternoon worth of laundry to complete we brought another organizer, Sasha, to focus specifically on the task at hand.

We came armed with a large box of laundry detergent, a box of dryer sheets, $60 in quarters and all the laundry. Luckily, it was a slow day at the Burg Cleaning Village, with only one other patron there we filled up all but two washers!

We left Sasha with mountains of dirty laundry and returned several hours later to find…table upon table of clean laundry! She had organized the clothing by size-for the girls, and type for Jeremy and JoAnn. We were amazed to say the least!

As the clothes continued to dry, we helped Sasha, now known as the laundry fairy, place them in baskets and totes. Our goal, to organize the baskets by room, so we could unload them quickly and efficiently.

Sasha, laundry goddess, hard at work!

Meanwhile, back at the house, we worked on organizing the upstairs. First on the agenda, the bathroom… In the process of remodeling, the upstairs bathroom had become disheveled. Showers had to be taken in the basement, which meant towels, toiletries and other bathing essentials were lost in the mix.

The first thing to go.. the ironing board. Taking up a lot of space and not getting used regularly, the board was taken down and moved out of the way.

Next up, cutting the clutter next to the sink and inside the mirror. Like items were placed together with more often used things up front.

The girls individual toothbrushes, toothpaste, cups and other items were designated by color to avoid confusion. The same was done with their towels and wash cloths.

The entrance to the bathroom. Cupboards and shelving allowed for the storage of towels and extra toiletries.

Next we moved to the master bedroom…

Beginning with the closet, we worked on going through items to keep, donate and sell consignment. Baskets were purchased for the shelves inside the closet. They were specified to hold ties, belts and hats. Once again the less frequently used items went up on higher shelves and more often used stayed within arms reach or eye view.

All items found on the floor, dressers, or night stands, were placed on the bed to be sorted.

We found things to be returned to the girls’ rooms, the guest bedroom, the bathroom, the basement and the kitchen. The master bedroom had become a catch-all area, so one of our main focuses was  to end the disorganization by beginning new routines.

After three full days of organization and SEVERAL hours of laundry, we left the Rader’s house in much better shape than when we arrived. We also left two relieved parents and four happy girls with a clean and organized house. Thankful for their help and for letting us into their home, we were sad to leave the Rader family! We let them know we’d be available anytime for a tune-up and look forward to visiting them again in the future!

]]> http://simpleorganizingstrategies.wordpress.com/2010/08/21/rader-family-day-3/feed/ 0 tierneyhein DSCN0621 DSCN0620 DSCN0619 DSCN0618 DSCN0641 DSCN0642 DSCN0636 DSCN0635 DSCN0654 DSCN0653 DSCN0652 DSCN0650 DSCN0651 DSCN0649 DSCN0648 DSCN0647 DSCN0646 DSCN0645 DSCN0644 DSCN0643 http://simpleorganizingstrategies.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/rader-family-day-2/ http://simpleorganizingstrategies.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/rader-family-day-2/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 00:23:30 +0000 tierneyhein http://simpleorganizingstrategies.wordpress.com/?p=242 Continue reading →]]> Day 2 came, and with it, changes for the main level of the Rader home. The kitchen, dining room, living room and office area were next on the transformation train.

Setting routines, managing simple day-to-day clutter and practicing preventative cleaning were all topics we discussed at great length with JoAnn. The kitchen was mostly her area, but unfortunately, became cluttered as the main entrance to the home. We discussed ways to re-route traffic, create new strategies for cleaning and delegating tasks to the girls in the form of chores. On the JoAnn’s agenda, creating chore charts, purchasing potential prizes and explained the concept to the girls.

In the living room, we rearranged all items that were staying put and removed the items that were not. Once again we designated space for the girls to keep a few toys that they could switch out over time. Large round tubs with handles were purchased from the dollar store to house these items. They were easy for JoAnn to pick up and move, yet large enough to store quite a few toys. The girl’s baskets, totes and containers were color-coated to prevent any confusion

The desk area was a common place for concern. As part of the living room, it was easily accessible to the kids. Jeremy and JoAnn’s office supplies, paper work and computer were often items of interest for the young girls resulting in misuse and misplacement. To combat the problem, we moved the less used items to higher shelves and put valuable things out of reach. Containers were designated for office supplies and were hidden from the girls sight. We explained to the girl’s that the desk was an “adult area” only and from this point on they would receive punishments for playing in the space.

The next area we tackled was the storage space in the basement. JoAnn said she would like to have it function as storage for holiday decorations and provide space for a table for sorting laundry.

Lastly, we organized the entry way for the family. A place for coats, shoes, outer-wear, umbrellas and gardening tools, it was going to have to function as a multiply purpose area. We prepared it to easily transition depending on the season and explained to Jeremy and the girls how things would work and where they could be found.

In preparation for Day 3, we began to bag the endless laundry that had piled up in the Rader’s laundry room. We had our work cut out for us. Stay tuned for the pictures detailing the mountainous laundry, our trip to the cleaners and the final, astounding reveal.

Contacted by Jeremy’s mother, our team of SOS organizers came for a consultation. What we found was an overwhelmed mother with housework that had begun to bury her. We assembled a plan of attack. Put together a team, set some dates and prepared for an organizing overhaul.

The pictures detail what followed:

We began in the basement. Designated as the girl’s toy room, the basement needed some renovation. Past flooding had destroyed the carpet, but overall the large, open space was optimal for creating a play room.

We began by putting in some utility shelving, found at a local home improvement store. We then sorted toys by type and designated “homes” for them in plastic containers. Able to help, some of the older girls had fun grouping the toys together, discarding broken ones and separating some for donation.

Projects for the near future included deciding on carpeting, cleaning the overall space and moving all extra toys on the main level and upstairs down to the basement.Getting rid of toys that were no longer age appropriate for the kids allowed us to make space and contain clutter. Seeing the floor for the first time, JoAnn and girls were excited and eager to do more.

The ledge already built-in to the basement allowed for great sorting space along with easily accessible shelving. The height of the ledge also made it kid friendly and easy to use.

With spaces reserved for certain items and routines put into place we were ready to move upstairs. The basement, while not completely finished, had been clutter-controlled.

Bedroom #1. We began by removing all excess toys from the first bedroom and taking them downstairs. We decided that instead of having a ton of toys in the bedrooms, the girls would be able to choose a select few and keep them in their allocated space. After a while, they could swap out old toys for new toys, but would have to keep the amount contained.

Storage containers including baskets, tubs and shelves were organized according to what toys the girls chose to begin with.

One of JoAnn’s biggest concerns was the girl’s clothing. It posed several problems…

• Since all the girls were close in age, sizes were easily confused and misplaced.
• In an effort to curb spending and be economical, the older girl’s clothing was handed down to her younger sister. When the items no longer fit one child, but were not yet appropriate for the next child in line, they tended to cause clutter issues.
• Seasonal clothes took up too much space and JoAnn didn’t feel she had the time or discipline to organize them in containers.
• The girls’ often liked to change their clothes, regardless of whether they were dirty or clean, leading to a major laundry issue.
• Any containers that had been organized, often got shuffled through when the girls played dress-up.

We then began sorting… and sorting, and sorting. Able to make quick decisions, JoAnn was a master at choosing what went where and what was to keep and what was to go. In no time, we had the girl’s clothes organized to their specific rooms and had prepared seasonal and extra sized clothing for storage.

We labeled the containers and into the closet they went. Out of sight, JoAnn hoped the girls would stay out of the containers.  To make sure that the tubs got left alone, we decided to make the girl’s dress up items easily accessible. We separated costumes, put them with the seasonal items downstairs and kept out the plethora of princess dresses, dance leotards, glass slippers, costume jewelry, tutu’s and crowns.

With a specific area in the closet, JoAnn hoped the girls would notice the dress up clothes more often and leave their regular clothes alone. Besides, who needs shorts and a t-shirt when you can wear a tutu and carry a wand?

Next, we moved into the guest bedroom which was in serious disarray..

We began by picking up any excess toys and placing them in their designated spots in the basement. We then found places for the non-toy items, clothing and accessories. What we began to find was a repetition of certain types of items. Once we had created “homes” for these things, returning them to their place was an easy task; one kids and adults could do very quickly with little effort.

JoAnn and Jeremy wanted the guest room to function less as a play room and more as an actual bedroom. A beautiful room with tons of windows, it provided a great space for guest quarters. Almost every item on the floor was removed from the room completely to make things more orderly. The girls were given strict orders to stay out of the room unless instructed otherwise.

After just a little bit of time and effort the room sparkled.

The organization transformed the room from chaos to calm.

JoAnn said she would no longer be ashamed to take people to the guest room and looked forward to entertaining in the near future!

After several hours of tedious work, JoAnn and the SOS organizers completed their work for the day. Leaving instructions for JoAnn to pick-up more containers and shelving units, we thanked her for all of her hard work. We took away several bags of clothing for donation and consignment and loaded up to head back to Iowa City.  We would return the next morning for Day 2.

Becky’s retirement has allowed her to focus more fully on her wealth of talents and hobbies. She enjoys spending time playing her piano and yukalaylees, as well as making the most exquisite beading for jewelry. To say Becky is cultured would not do her justice. Early into her golden years, Becky has accomplished many great things in her lifetime. She was an activist in the civil rights movement, lived on a commune in the South and as a career, provided respiratory therapy for hundreds of children.

Becky’s passion for education is apparent. She has studied medicine, religion and philosophy. Her interests are numerous and her knowledge unmatched. She speaks of the moments in her past with a passion so raw you can see the story play out in her eyes.

Becky also crusaded against a debilitating disease that ravaged her family. Huntington’s disease took the lives of many of her family members and for years Becky feared her fate would be the same. Thankfully, it was not and she has gone on to live a life of great purpose. The accomplishments of her lifetime are things many of us only dream of achieving.

Her attic, located on the third floor of the home, serves as a type of home library. The walls are lined with shelves allowing for hundreds of books to be displayed. Becky realized the need to scale down her collection, but found the process rather difficult. Many of the books held sentimental value, some having been in her possession since childhood, making them nearly impossible to give up. Many of the books also included college texts and travel books detailing the many places Becky and her husband had visited.

While she had ample shelving possibilities, the need was still apparent to group the books by topic, sort through them and discard the unwanted. The seemingly large project overwhelmed both Becky and Sandy. They knew what had to be done, yet were unsure where to begin…

So one bright Summer morning, I joined Sandy on the trip out to Becky’s house. Having been a devout reader since about age 7 or 8, Sandy knew my appreciation for books would calm Becky’s apprehensions and allow us to proceed with the project. What follows are photos detailing our progress:

Our work area: the main part of the attic we designated for book sorting.

Another view from a few steps back. Our plan was to sort books by topic, let Becky decide between the “Keep” and “Go” piles and depending on her choice, return them to the shelves or bag them.

We separated the books by type, finding that the general majority of books included: religion, history, philosophy or self-help.

View of the back half of the attic. Many of the shelves were cluttered with several different types of books, with no rhyme or reason for their placement. See if you can find Mugsy, one of Becky’s dogs, who snuck into the picture!

As we began to take the discarded books from Becky’s home we found many of  the options we had considered for selling them fruitless. We had hoped that used bookstores and antique shops would be interested in Becky’s books, but found many of them fell between too-outdated and not old enough. Discouraged, but not entirely dissuaded we found a local consignment store willing to take the majority of the books. The rest, per Becky’s request, were donated to Goodwill and the Iowa City Public Library. Happy to be creating some space, Sandy and I continued to take bags and bags of books from Becky’s attic. Sometimes visiting two times a week, we would have successful days, followed by not so successful days.

Still in the process, we continue to attempt to persuade Becky towards the “Less is more” mantra and work to find the best possible option for selling Becky’s books. More pictures to come. Stay tuned.

Sandy suggested using them under the bed, as well as in closets, storage cabinets, benches or ottomans. These bags are designed keep the items you want to store dry, clean and ready for their next use.

The extra-large bag Sandy is holding in the picture above works great for storing seasonal items or extra sizes of clothing. And the best part, boxes of two or three of the bags (depending on size) are available for $1! You can’t beat that price! So go out, get yourself some bags and start storing! Thanks Sandy for the great tip!

General upkeep of a home usually takes only a few hours when done on a weekly or bi-monthly basis. We look forward to visiting with these clients, becoming familiar with their home and lifestyle, and being someone they entrust with the cleanliness of their home.

Clients Sam and Julie enlisted our help with their home in Coralville. With Julie traveling overseas to visit their daughter for an extended time, SOS organizers were scheduled to help Sam with the general maintenance of the house. This included cleaning, laundry and general preservation of their home. Pictures below detail some of the work done on a regular basis.

Cleaning of the hardwood floors proved to be more difficult than we had anticipated. Several of the homeowners in Sam and Julie’s neighborhood were unhappy with the flooring when it came to keeping them clean. They found that standard cleaning supplies left an unsightly film over the flooring. After a little research and some testing we came to find an exceptional product.

Unlike any other is Bona’s Hardwood Floor Mop and Cleaner. This great product is extremely easy to use, leaves a light, clean scent and makes the hardwood floor shine. Most importantly, it leaves no filmy residue. For more information on Bona products visit Bona’s Website. And prepare to be amazed!

Vacuuming area rugs and carpets involves moving furniture, carrying heavy equipment and tedious labor many of our clients are unable to do on their own.

We also assist with bathroom and kitchen cleaning, dusting, laundry, bed making, guest preparations, recycling, general organization and other everyday household chores.

If someone you know could benefit from our services please contact us today to schedule a free consultation. We would love to talk to you about how we can be of service to make your life easier!

On a recently trip to Milwaukee, my hobby took center stage. Following my cousin’s high school graduation party, we returned to my aunt and uncle’s home to put away the remains of the party’s food and decoration. In the process of picking up, I asked my aunt if it would be okay if I organized her pantry. Truth be told, it had bothered me, the disorganization of it all. What struck me was how ineffective it was for their family. The kid friendly items were up on high shelves where they couldn’t reach, the things that were within their view weren’t foods they were interested in and it was dirty.

It took me two and half hours, but as everyone sat around the kitchen table snacking, visiting, and enjoying each other’s company, I began to work my magic. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves.

The Before…

The After..

My aunt commented that for the first time ever, she was encouraging people to look in her cupboards.. Look out! Nobody’s messy kitchen is safe when a professional organizer is around!

Basements, as much as they resemble dungeons, make great space for long-term storage, laundry, toy rooms and even alternative gathering spaces. Recently, we tackled client’s Steve and Julie’s basement, which included a spare bedroom, playroom, storage area, and family room.

With an abundance of extra stuff, Steve and Julie utilized our SOS Takeaway Policy. We offered to take all of their unwanted and unused items to consignment stores and donation drop-off locations in the area. With so much stuff to move, we brought in the big guns–the boys. They took a day off from Robb Concrete Construction and did our heavy lifting and we were thankful to have them, for more reason than one. Follow the progress below:

The trailer, beginning of the loading process

It’s all gotta go..

No need for it anymore? We’ll take it with us!

Our much-needed help..

Cleared space…YAY!

A work in progress

Time to repurpose the space

Not only were the guys there for heavy lifting…they also saved us from the wild animals slithering around outside!!

Yikes, a snake!!

Haha, check out Bo’s face.. Mind you, the rest of us were cowering behind the sliding glass door

Once we calmed down after the snake sighting we got serious–back to work, closet space must be utilized

Making the most of all storage options, if your room has height…use it!

Convenient ways to store luggage, make sure they are easily accessible if you are a frequent traveler..

Moving upstairs, we started the next bedroom. Grouping like items and getting rid of unused things began to free up space

Clutter busting..

More donation, consignment items

Garage storage options

The trailer’s filling up!

And we’re off!

The founder of The Occasional Wife tells how her business got started

At SOS, one of our professional organizers would love to be your “Occasional Wife.” And we clean! Now all you have to do is get in touch with us.

Call us. E-mail us. Visit us on Facebook.