Ellen Gets It Done

When we moved to our new house nine years ago, my seven-year-old daughter was delighted to find a small loft off her bedroom. She called it her "office", and we furnished it with bookshelves, a desk and a cozy chair. Over the years, she accumulated a collection of broken crayons, dried up markers, half-finished craft projects and Hello Kitty accessories. And we kept buying more baskets and bins to corral all her stuff. When she entered high school, I knew I had to deal with her "office". She needed a simple study space without distractions (facebook, texting and skype are enough of a hazard). The idea of clearing out nine years of her childhood paralyzed me and upset her. To avoid the mega battle, I hired Ellen. They disappeared upstairs. Occasionally, I'd hear a burst of laughter. Twelve bags of trash (!), piles of recycling and several donation boxes later, I couldn't wait to have a look. And there sat my daughter, in her sparkling office, completely organized and ready for a fresh start. Unbelievably, a year later, she keeps it (almost) the same way. Her closet, of course, is another story. That's the next Ellen project. My advice? Hire Ellen. She'll tackle your endless to-do list and more: transfer your CD's to your iPod, edit your photos and archive your family memorabilia, happily and painlessly. She even hauls the cast-offs to recycling, the library or where ever else they need to go.

ellengetsitdone.com



Lisa Lelas

Spring Cleaning in 5 Easy Steps

Last year I wrote about Lisa Lelas' genius coffee klatch, Clutter Cutters. Hoarding issues? No problem, Lisa will inspire your streamlining journey with cheery encouragement and a lack of judgement. She got me going on a simple home filing system that I've managed to keep up. (Click here to read last year's article). This spring, she's offering some titillating topics on Tuesday mornings at 9 am at Bel Amici Restaurant in Guilford:  Clutter Challenges and Solutions, Feng Shui for Organizing and Garage/Basement/Attic Organizing.  She was a natural to hit up for Spring Cleaning in 5 Easy Steps. Click here to read them.

www.lifestylingwithlisa.com



The Organized Lifestyle Store

Guilford and Online

Collections are troubling. I have an entire box of miniature ceramic vases that I've paid movers to haul from one basement to another--TWICE! Yet, the box has remained unopened for 12 years. I simply can't get rid of them. My current collecting is limited to black pants, books and magazines (the latter two, fast becoming extinct, may actually be worth something one day! I still bemoan all the Gourmet and Domino mags I blithely tossed. Not gonna happen with my stacks of Elle Decor. Myriad bookshelves solve the paper problem, but this slim hanger is the answer to my problem with pants. It's a genius invention--half the size of a regular hanger, you can stuff your closet with twice as much and the felted coating keeps sweaters and camisoles from sliding to the floor. I turned to Kristen Mastromarino, owner of the Organized Lifestyle Store, for her Five Favorite Organizational Helpers and this was one of them. Read her list here, and save 10% if you purchase her suggestions, when you spend $10 or more on items on her website. Enter code BUYELIST at checkout. 

www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com.



Get a Jump on Spring Cleaning in 5 Easy Steps

A guest post by Lisa Lelas, professional organizer and author of Simple Steps: 10 Weeks to Getting Control of Your Life.

It may not completely ‘feel’ like Spring just yet, but there are plenty of things you can already be doing to get a jump on clearing out and cleaning up your home…so that when nicer weather arrives, you’ll have more time to get out and enjoy it!

Step #1: Place new door mats at all entrances to your home! When was the last time you changed your old, dusty door mat? If it’s been more than a couple of years, chances are, it is filled to capacity with dirt and dust and no longer doing the job it’s supposed to do. Consider this: 80% of all dirt tracked into your home can be blocked instantly with new door mats!

Step #2: Sprinkle baking soda on carpets the night before you plan to clean. Baking soda has long been cherished for its odor absorbing property. By the time you are ready to start cleaning and vacuuming the next day, the room will already be free of any lingering odors.

Step #3: Put together a basic spring cleaning plan. Plan your spring cleaning according to the time you have and the space you are cleaning. If you work outside of the home all week, plan a few spring cleaning projects every Saturday over the course of a few weeks. If you can block out a few days in a row to start and finish your spring cleaning, make a list of all the tasks you want to accomplish. When cleaning, always work top to bottom (ceiling fans & wall shelves to appliances/tables and finally to floors) because dust falls downward, and work left to right around the room (so you’ll know where you left off in case of interruptions).

Step #4: Wash windows horizontally on the inside and vertically on the outside. If you notice any streaks you will know which side to re-do! Best recipe for window washing: 1 cup white vinegar, 1 cup ammonia, 2 tablespoons corn starch, mixed into 1 gallon of warm water. When washing, always use a cheap, bargain brand roll of paper towels (they have less lint).

Step #5: Clear the Clutter! Spring cleaning is also about spring clearing! We simply cannot thoroughly clean our homes if we are cleaning around piles of clutter. With each room you clean, find 10 things within that space you can toss out. Start applying the ‘one in/one out’ golden rule of organizing. For every item you purchase and bring into the home, a similar item has to leave the home…such as when you buy a new pair of sneakers, an old pair of sneakers has to get tossed! If you haven’t realized it yet, there is a major connection between clutter and stress. So, de-clutter to start de-stressing your life!

LISA LELAS is a professional organizer from Guilford. Lisa is a well known columnist and bestselling author featured on such shows as Oprah Winfrey and the Today Show. She is the organizing segment reporter for both Channel 8 and Channel 30, as well as the host of “Simply Organized” on community cable TV. Join Lisa for her popular Clutter Cutter Coffee Chat meetings offered Tuesday mornings at Bell Amici Restaurant in Guilford and various evenings at IKEA in New Haven. www.LifeStylingwithLisa.com 

The Organized Lifestyle Store

I asked Kristin Mastromarino, owner of the Organized Lifestyle Store in Guilford, for her favorite organizational products to help with Spring Cleaning. All of the items are available on her website (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com) or in store. Take 10% off using code BUYELIST through April 30th, 2011.

 1. Non-Slip Hangers:  If you are spending the time cleaning out your clothing closet, there is nothing more visually gratifying than putting all your clothes back on the same type of hangers.  These hangers are slim, won't make dents in your clothes and can hold everything from pants to a thin strappy camisole without any slipping off the hangers.  They come in suit, pants, and shirt sized versions.

2.  Drawer Organizers:  Any junk, sock, kitchen or bathroom drawer can be tamed with a simple drawer organizer. If you sort and designate an area to store items such as batteries in a drawer, you have a much better chance at recalling where the item is and finding it quickl

3.  Caldrea Cleaning Products:  I love this whole line of dishwashing liquid, all purpose cleaner and detergents because they are environmentally friendly, non-toxic in your home and make any room have the light scent of perfume.  Once you start using these products regular more mainstream products such as Windex or Fantastic will smell harsh and toxic to your nose.

 4.  Desktop File:  If paper has been overtaking your home, creating a quick tickler file system with labels like Bills to Pay, Tasks, or To Read, can be a great way to sort and store the papers cluttering your counters.  Place it in your kitchen, on a shelf in the finding room or in your office (ideally the place where you work on yourpaperwork) to have a neat and compact system to hold your paperwork.

5. Canvas Under The Bed Chests:  These can be a great way to store your extra clothes and shoes as you make your seasonal transition in your closet.  It is important to only keep currently wearable items in your closet if you find yourself expanding beyond your alloted storage area.  These chests can store seasonal blankets and sheets as well in a closet, attic or basement.

Kristin Mastromarino is a Professional Organizer and the owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing (www.livablesolutions.com) and The Organized Lifestyle online store (www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com).  You can e-mail her your questions at kristin@livablesolutions.com.

Vitamma

Old Saybrook

Brothers Zack and Dave Adams are emblematic of entrepreneurial twenty-somethings, who are dreaming up companies that combine a mission to do well AND do good. Zack's company, Vitamma.com, launched last month. Inspired by an article in the New York Times about vitamin deficiency in the developing world, he hatched this simple idea: sell multi-vitamins online, and for every bottle sold, three kids receive a year's dose of vitamin A. Here are the facts: Vitamin A deficiency causes  a half million cases of blindness in children worldwide, and 25% of these kids die. The children aren't starving, but their diet of mainly rice or starch, is nutritionally bereft. Zack teamed up with Vitamin Angels to distribute vitamin A to kids. Many global issues seem overwhelming, but this one is solvable! It takes only two drops, two times a year to cut down child mortality 25% in developing countries. Vitamin Angels delivered 24 million doses last year. Let's fix this. Buy some vitamins! Women's, men's, kids or prenatal multivitamins are $14.99 per bottle. You and the world will be better off.

www.vitamma.com



Amiji Twins

Old Saybrook

 A college service trip to Ghana inspired Dave Adams' relentless wanderlust. After graduating, he, like brother Zach, sought to develop a business model that was socially conscious, online and perhaps indulged his travel bug. Dave's concept is timely: if kids got to know one another better today, would they be better neighbors tomorrow? He's hoping the launch of his new company, Amiji Twins, will help spread the word. Each adorable, boiled wool doll (handmade in Nepal) has a twin. You buy two: your doll arrives in the mail, and its twin is distributed (free) through schools in a foreign country. A code on the hangtag accesses the Amiji World website. Kids log on to hear from one another for the first time, and learn across borders, cultures and languages. A daily question on the website keeps it lively, and Google automatically translates the children's responses. Lori Warner Gallery in Chester has sample twins to view and will sell Amijis in the near future. Currently, twins can be purchased online or you can pick out your own by dropping by Amiji headquarters in Old Saybrook. For the first six Amiji buyers, Dave will personally deliver your twin (from Branford to Stonington) and tell you all about the program. Use code: elist.  

www.amijitwins.com

amijiworld.com

P.S. Know a teacher or administrator in a school overseas that would be interested in this free educational program? Click here to learn more: amijiwins.com/ambassadors.htm



H2ope

The World's Kindest Water

The global clean water supply is stressed due to over-population, climate change and pollution. A local Madison mom, Ruthanna Terreri, hopes to do something about it. Her non-profit, h2ope, is a socially-concious company with one product (so far): a recycled and (thanks to new technological developments) biodegradable bottle of spring water that donates 100% of profits from its sales to charities that provide clean water to communities that need it. There are 153 million bottled water drinkers in the US, who spend $20 billion dollars a year on bottled water. Ruthanna's hope is to capture a piece of that market and turn their reliance on bottled water into a good deed everytime they reach for a bottle. Look for h2ope water online and in local stores at the end of this month. This grassroots startup needs all the help it can get. Donate or volunteer and spread the h2ope by clicking the link below.

www.worldskindestwater.org