Organized By Choice

04/23/2024

Fresno residents--got junk? Free dump event coming up May 4-5 and June 1-2. Check it out:

06/12/2023

How to handle sneaky clutter

I’m at the age when it helps having magnification while applying makeup. The other day I noticed I was squatting ever so slightly to align my face with my pull-out adjustable mirror. See the problem? I was adjusting instead of having my adjustable mirror do the work.  Sometimes we do that

06/12/2023

I love hearing my client say this at the end of a session!

04/17/2023

Does that mean I'm lazy?

Last week I had the opportunity to do a day of substitute teaching for my daughter who homeschools her girls. Fortunately, for me, their math doesn’t include long division yet. Yep, sadly that’s when math began to get hard for me. This eliminated careers that weigh heavy on math skills. Fine wit...

03/15/2023

Hide Your Clutter

When multiple stimuli appear simultaneously in the visual field, they are not processed independently, but rather interact in a mutually suppressive way, suggesting that they compete for neural representation in visual cortex.  -Diane M. Beck, Department of Psychology and the Center for the

01/31/2023

Sorry Derrel, it's nothing personal.

Sorry Derrel, it’s nothing personal. Part of my disappointment in seeing your “Here we grow again!” sign in our community was that they aren’t replanting an orchard where the orange trees once grew. You’re “growing” a mini storage facility instead.  According to Neighbor.com , sel...

12/12/2022

Feeling the Christmas rush?

“Peace on earth.” How’s that going for you this holiday season? According to Webster, peace is a “a state of concord or tranquility.” Concord isn’t a word we use every day. One definition is “a simultaneous occurrence of two or more musical tones that produces an impression of agreeabl...

11/21/2022

To grandmother's house we go

The other day I had a group of long-time friends over. As we sat down for a meal one said, “This feels like home.” I loved hearing that. Yes, my house is organized, but the best compliment I get is when people feel at home here. One of the reasons she said that is because of the familiarity of o...

11/10/2022

Good intentions to priceless results

This morning I got word that my husband’s last uncle passed away. Two days ago, we attended the Celebration of Life service for a 59-year-old man we did ministry with. Last month a good friend’s father died. Ecclesiastes 7:2 says, “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a hous...

11/10/2022

Boundaries--problem or protection

We’ve all heard that blondes have more fun, but do organized people have more fun? Think about this: what’s more fun, spending $75/month on renting storage space or going out to dinner once a week? What’s more fun, spending a ½ an hour looking for your keys or purse, or reading a good book? W...

08/03/2022

Tips on getting your bathroom in shape.

Men don’t know how easy that have it. While curling my hair, this message appeared on my Apple watch, “Looks like you’re working out. Record workout?” Unfortunately, “Curling Hair” isn’t on the list with Walking, Swimming, Running, etc. But thank you Apple for acknowledging the effort....

06/20/2022

Shopping therapy costs and benefits.

“Happiness inside.” Yesterday I saw this slogan printed on the side of an Amazon truck. As a Prime member, I order my share of “happiness.” Most times though, I pick up the box from the porch struggling to remember what I ordered. Among those boxes there’s a small percentage of things that...

05/16/2022

For those who are facing the challenge of hoarding in your home or the home of someone you love.

Devastate (Merriam-Webster): To bring to ruin or desolation by violent action To reduce to chaos, disorder, helplessness Hurricanes and hoarding devastate in those terms, in that respective order.  Similarities: Neither is respective of socio-economic status, education, rac

03/21/2022

Here are some organizing tips from an unlikely source.

I admit I was skeptical when I first heard about them. Vacuums that roam around the house on their own? But, when our son upgraded and offered us his original Roomba, I didn’t say no. My husband set it up in my home office, scheduled it on his phone, and voila! I came home to a house freshly vacuu...

03/21/2022

Is your teen's room a toxic zone? Here's a plan to remedy that.

If you have a teen who's keeping a tidy room, you have a rare find. Yes, there are some born with the clean gene, but even my neatnik son had a messy room in high school. Kids have a lot on their plates these days, and making time to find their bedroom floor isn't high on the list. A messy room ca

03/21/2022

Need a trusted system to remember stuff? Here it is!

One of my most embarrassing moments centers around forgetting something. Years ago, I contacted Clovis Adult School about offering a class on organizing. I scheduled an appointment to present my syllabus. I still have no idea how it happened, but I totally missed the appointment. It wasn’t until t...

01/18/2022

May be a little late for your recent holiday decor, but here are some tips I shared for the McCaffrey Homes blog to keep in mind for next Christmas.

January often involves creating resolutions for the months ahead, getting back into routines after seasonal festivities, and of course, putting away holiday decorations.  We’ve asked local organization expert Brenda McElroy for her helpful tips on storing your holiday home decor. - McCaffrey ...

11/17/2021

Grateful for 15 years of organizing--looking forward to many more. Here are a few of my thoughts and experiences.

As I was contemplating a Gratitude theme this month, I was thinking about how grateful I am for 15 years in the organizing business . I recall talking to a seasoned organizer prior to starting my business. She said, “It’s the greatest job—you get to do what you love doing. When you’re done, ...