Blog
In addition to actually doing the organizing, another of Angie’s passions is writing about organizing.
She has been writing a monthly blog on organizing since 2016. Most of the blog posts were also published as monthly newspaper articles in the Kingsport Times-News and Johnson City Press.
To access the blog, you can either:
Click on a category below to see all the blog entries from that category; OR
Scroll the feed of blog entries below
- Apps
- Bathroom
- Business
- Children
- Christmas
- Computer
- Decluttering
- Digital organizing
- Estate planning
- General Organization
- Getting Records Together
- Goals
- Health
- Home Organization
- Kitchen
- Media
- Medical
- Mental clutter
- Minimalism
- Moving
- New Year
- Office
- Organizing Principles
- Paper organizing
- Phone
- Photo Organizing
- Photo organizing
- Preparing for Death
- Purse
- Residential organizing
- Resolutions
- School
- Technology
- Television
- Time Management and Productivity
- Travel
- Working from Home
Organizing: Nature or Nurture?
Nature or nurture—it’s a question as old as time. At its most basic, the question centers on whether we are the way we are because of the genetic material handed down from our parents or because of the environments to which we’re exposed.
Many people are gifted with some inherent organizing ability, while others find the task of putting items in order not only distasteful, but also overwhelming.
The answer is complicated. And it’s best answered with a story or two. Read on to find out the real answer to this age old question.
Lose the Photo Clutter, Save the Memories
Organizing printed photos is a task that often gets procrastinated. In this article, Angie shares her experience in helping her father organize his unholy mess of family photos. She shares resources to help readers make and execute a plan to get their own photos in order. Those who are willing to invest the time will find priceless rewards!
Organizing that Could Save Your Life
Having quick access to vital information can make all the difference in an emergency. In fact, it could save your life! The good news is that setting up our cell phone to make this information available is simple.
100 Things You Can Declutter Now
I’ve long been a believer in the principle that you can live a more meaningful life with less. Years of working in this industry have only solidified that truth in my mind. Our clutter is detrimental to living a happy, healthy, and productive life. The more we can let go of unnecessary stuff, the more we can focus on what really matters.
Now, in honor of my 100th article and my focus on decluttering, here are 100 things you can declutter now!
Give Sentimental Items a New Life
When decluttering, sentimental items present the biggest challenge. Letting go of an item with associated memories can be especially difficult.
My friend Brenda Tringali, a fellow Certified Professional Organizer® and owner of At Your Fingertips Organizing, tells a powerful story of working through her emotions to give her mother’s purse a second life. You’ll find inspiration as you make tough decisions about special belongings!
My Top Tech Tools for Organizing
Love it or hate it, technology is an integral part of our lives. If we embrace it wisely, it can greatly enhance our lives, making tasks more efficient and less time-consuming. I can’t imagine my life without the help of tech tools. The older I get, the more I realize how precious my time is, which makes me more willing to use helpful technologies. I also realize that I can’t depend on my memory for much of anything, so any application that can relieve the stress of trying to remember things is welcome.
*Note: this article is an update of a similar article in February, 2018.
A Solution for Cluttered Bookshelves
Do you admit that you’ve got too many books, but you struggle let them go? Do you long for beautiful styled bookshelves that aren’t stuffed to overflowing with clutter? This article is just what you need to solve your problem!
Tired of New Year's Resolutions? Try a One Word Theme Instead
Are you tired of making New Year’s resolutions you can’t keep? Or are you ready to just try something different? Try a one word theme!
Stop Giving (Meaningless) Gifts
If you don’t want your gift recipients to react like this when they open your gifts, read this article!
Simplify the Season & Save Your Sanity
Even if you agree with the song that says “it’s the most wonderful time of the year,” the holiday season can be stressful! This article can help you make this year’s holiday season a more peaceful one.
Organizing Your Spices
I’m often asked, “What’s the best way to organize ____?” There is rarely one solution that works perfectly for everyone. Nowhere do I find this to be more true than when organizing spices. Whether for myself or my clients, I’ve arranged spices at least ten different ways! There’s no such thing as “one size fits all”.
When deciding the best way to organize spices, there are two main decisions you need to make. Those two decisions will lead you to very different organizing solutions. Check out the options in this article.
What’s in your On-Deck Circle?
Everyone needs a space for items that are in transition from your home to someplace else. Examples of items that might be included include a book to return to the library, a store purchase needing to be exchanged, or an umbrella usually kept in the car. What’s the best place to put things like these? And what should you call this space?
Drowning in Email? Three Tips to Tame your Inbox
If your response to seeing your email inbox looks anything remotely close to this, you need to read this article! Three practical tips with nautical names can help you get it in control and keep it that way!
A Sentimental Journey: What to Do If It’s Special
Sentimental items are especially difficult to deal with because of the associated memories. Since they can often be an emotional landmine, I recommend using tips like the ones in this article to help you make the best decisions.
Five Organizing Lessons I Learned from Mom
Our mothers or other parental figures are often responsible for teaching us basic organizing principles that serve us well throughout our lives. In this article that published just before Mother’s Day 2022, I share five of the most important organizing lessons I learned from my Mom.
Phone Addiction: A Hard Habit to Break
I’m a bit of a tech lover, so of course I love my iPhone. But it’s been a HUGE source of attention clutter for me. In this article, I share my journey and practical tips for breaking the addiction to my phone.
Don’t Let Your Crafts Become Clutter
Those of us who love crafting know that it requires LOTS of supplies. Without careful planning, crafts can be a source of clutter! My latest newspaper article gives practical tips for preventing craft clutter.
One of my best opening lines ever may whet your appetite to read this one—"In a moment of temporary insanity in 2017, I purchased a stack of wooden crates filled with vintage 1986 Tennessee Homecoming Centennial Coke bottles."
Chaotic Closet No More
The winner of the Chaotic Closet Contest received a fantastic prize—a custom closet renovation by A Place for Everything Closets and free decluttering and organizing. Take a look at this transformation!
Ten Myths about Professional Organizers, Busted! (Part 2)
Whenever I introduce myself as a professional organizer, there are several common responses. The most common response is a blank stare and the reply, “What’s that?” Many of the other common responses are included in this list of myths below, along with a myth-busting explanation for each. This is the second of a two part article. Read on to test your knowledge and to determine whether you might benefit from hiring an organizer.
Ten Myths about Professional Organizers, Busted
Whenever I introduce myself as a professional organizer, there are several common responses. The most common response is a blank stare and the reply, “What’s that?” Many of the other common responses are included in this list of myths below, along with a myth-busting explanation for each. This is a two part article, with five myths included in each. Read on to test your knowledge of professional organizing and to determine whether an organizer might be helpful for you.