This Organized Life

A special thanks to our good friends at Organized Living for sponsoring this episode of This ORGANIZED Life! For sponsorship inquiries and collaborations click here. Hi Friends! As the New Year gets underway, I am always looking for ways to stay motivated. Sometimes that means learning something new, but other times it means pulling out some tried and true strategies. On today’s episode, Erika and I talk about several simple decluttering tips; some you may have heard of, and others might be brand new to you. The one thing they have in common is that they work! Perhaps not all of them for you, but there is enough variety on this list you are sure to find something that gets you motivated. You’ll want to listen to the full episode to hear our take on each of these, but for all my readers, here you go!    Give yourself 5 solid minutes to declutter something everyday. It can be as simple as cleaning a drawer, putting away laundry or purging old papers.  Give away one item each day.  Fill one trash bag per da

A special thanks to our good friends at Organized Living for sponsoring this episode of This ORGANIZED Life! For sponsorship inquiries click here. Hi Friends! Today we are joined by my friend, Rose Lounsbury. Some of you may remember Rose from episode 92 where she shared her journey to Minimalism. Since then, a lot has happened…Rose has become a bestselling author, a TEDx Speaker and has been featured all over print and tv including USA Today and NPR. Rose has been on a new minimalism quest: financial freedom from debt, and I asked if she would come on our show and share her personal story with all of you. YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST PEOPLE! Rose has never discussed her financial journey publically, and I am so grateful that she choose TOL as the place to share her story. Some of the topics we discuss include: How the evolution began to live debt free What her process looked like How it impacted her day-to-day life The conversation with her kids about their new lifestyle Rose has some great suggest

Hi Friends! Happy 2020!  I can’t think of a better way to kick off the New Year (and decade) than to invite my friend Theresa Finnigan to share some organizing tips with all of you. Theresa is the director of marketing for Organized Living, and no stranger to This ORGANIZED Life. She was a guest on episode 38 and 102.   Today we focus on 2 specific areas: Pantries & Closets. Theresa’s practical and on-trend solutions have made her the expert trend spotter and problem solver she is today. Her organizing tips have been shared nationwide in television shows and in national publications. She is chock full of ideas to springboard you into action!  I can’t wait for you to LISTEN, LIKE and SHARE with your peeps! Make sure to check out our helpful links below. Happy Organizing! Laurie P.S. A special thanks to our good friends at Organized Living for sponsoring this episode of This ORGANIZED Life! For sponsorship inquiries click here Organized Living are giving 20% off all freedom rail systems during the e

Hi Friends! Today we are wrapping up part 3 of my conversation with Enneagram teacher, and fellow 8, Joey Schewee. If you haven’t already listened to parts 1 & 2 of our conversation, I encourage you to hit the pause button and go check them out.  In our earlier conversations Joey walked us through the characteristics of each of the 9 numbers in the enneagram, including where each struggles and shines. Today we begin to look at the link between each number and their unique relationship to clutter. I pose the question “do certain numbers on the enneagram have a tendency to struggle more with Physical Clutter, Emotional Clutter or Calendar Clutter?” And if so, why? Unlocking this question could be a huge game changer in how we approach the process of decluttering and living a more organized life. I can’t think of a better guest to help me close out 2019! I look forward to diving deeper into this topic as we embark on a new decade. I hope this series has challenged you to look deeper into your motivations and

Hi Friends! Today we are back with part 2 of my conversation with Enneagram teacher, and fellow 8, Joey Schewee. If you haven’t already listened to last week’s episode, I encourage you to hit the pause button and go check it out. Joey Schewee has been a student of the Enneagram for more than twenty years, studying under her mother, Suzanne Stabile, otherwise known as the Godmother of the Enneagram– author of The Road Back to You and The Path Between Us. Last week we spoke about the aggressive numbers, focusing quite a bit on  3’s, 8’s (since Joey & I are both 8’s and Josh is a 3). We also talked about how easy it can be to mistype numbers by looking at BEHAVIOR vs MOTIVATION. Our conversation picks up with the 7’s and then moves into the dependent (1, 2, 6) and withdrawing (4, 5, 9) stances. I hope you enjoy part 2 of my conversation with Joey as much as I did. P.S. If you are a student of the enneagram, I’d love for you to participate in my study between clutter and your enneagram number CLICK HERE to le

Hi Friends! This is the moment you have all been waiting for…well, maybe it’s the moment that I’ve been waiting to share with you;  my 3-part conversation with Enneagram teacher,  and fellow 8, Joey Schewee. Joey Schewee has been a student of the Enneagram for more than twenty years, studying under her mother, Suzanne Stabile, otherwise known as the Godmother of the Enneagram– author of The Road Back to You and The Path Between Us. As Joey shares on the show “I have known the enneagram longer than I haven’t.”  This perspective and insight flows through all aspects of life including dating, marriage, motherhood, managing employees and navigating the corporate and educational realms. If you are not familiar with the enneagram, this is a great introduction to understanding things like What is the enneagram? What do each of the 9 numbers represent? How do find out my number? If already know your number, Joey dives deeper into Triads, Stances, and Orientation to Time. There’s so much rich content that we couldn’

Hi Friends! Today I am joined by SBO Partner, Martha-Carol Stewart, founder of Chaos Organizing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  You might remember Martha Carol from episode 91, where she talked all about Back to School Organizing Strategies (it’s a great episode if you want to go back and check it out!) Today we are talking about holiday decorating and storage ideas. Martha shares her simple strategies of what she calls “ZONE DECORATING,” and answers questions like: When do you recommend people start decorating? How long do you keep decorations up? What is your process for purging holiday décor? How do you store outdoor & oversized decorations? How do you store lights to keep them from getting tangled? How do you organize wrapping supplies? If you love the finished look of beautifully decorated Christmas house, but dread the process of getting it all together–this is the episode for you! xo- Laurie Please support us! SUBSCRIBE to TOL to have new episodes downloaded each week! REVIEW.  Social infl

Hi Friends! Today you are in for a treat, it our annual Thanksgiving Episode, where Erika and I share who and what we are grateful for. This year I decided to put a spin on things by asking our podcast community what they are grateful for this holiday season.  In the second half of the episode I interviewed 100 5th graders and their answers were introspective & thoughtful with a touch of humor. You’re going to have to listen to the entire episode to hear the responses (no spoiler alerts here!)  One thing I will share is that I was pleasantly surprised that only a few answers had to do with material items, which not only warmed my heart, but reinforced our true priorities. Before I leave you to listen, eat turkey, or hide from your family, I want to let you know how thankful I am for YOU. Thank you for listening each week, for being part of my This ORGANIZED Life community, and for joining me on my journey of living simply. From my family to yours,  Happy Thanksgiving! xo- Laurie Please support

Hi Friends! Each year around the holidays, Erika and I highlight companies who have a product or service that give back. As much as we preach about experiences over gifts, there is something to be said about unwrapping a surprise treat, or better yet, giving one! We have compiled a list of 10 different companies with one thing in common: SUPPORTING THOSE IN NEED. Our diverse list include companies who help bring people out of poverty through job creation and rehabilitation, to companies donating products or profits to help fund environmental issue- one thing is certain: these companies are worth supporting this holiday season. I encourage you to listen to HOW and WHY we chose each one, LEARN about each of their stories, and SUPPORT them during this holiday season. Whether your budget is $5 or $500 there is there is something on our list for everyone! If we are going to shop, the least we can do is shop with a cause! ***Please note that this is purely our editorial opinions and we have not been compensated in

Hi Friends! On today’s episode we are joined by SBO Partner, Kim Diamond. Kim is a Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization (CPO-CD®). She has her Trained Professional Organizer certificate, and her Level 2 certificate of study in Chronic Disorganization, and Hoarding- so she definitely knows a thing or two about people who struggle with Chronic Disorganization! We talk about the differences between a “hoarder” from someone who struggles with chronic disorganization, how she tailors her approach to each, and how she found herself working in this niche. It’s a truly fascinating conversation, and one that we have never done before on TOL. I encourage you to listen to the episode and let us know what you think! If you, or someone you know suffers from either Chronic Disorganization or Hoarding Disorder, feel free to contact Kim and she would be happy to connect you with someone who can help.   xo- Laurie   Please support us! SUBSCRIBE to TOL to have new episodes downloaded

Hi Friends! Joining me today is Carina Romano, contributing photographer for Apartment Therapy and co-owner of Love Me Do Photography in Philadelphia. Carina has not only photographed countless Apartments, but has resided in quite a few of her own!  Her most recent venture was rehabbing a home in the Catskill Mountains called Black Bear Ridge. I invited Carina to come on the show today to talk about apartment living, how to make the most of small spaces,  and what trends she sees through her work at Apartment Therapy. After you are done listening to the episode, I encourage you to check out the photos of Black Bear Ridge, it looks like an amazing weekend retreat! xo- Laurie Please support us! SUBSCRIBE to TOL to have new episodes downloaded each week! REVIEW.  Social influence is the most impactful way to help others find our show! Struggling with Clutter?  Click HERE to take our FREE clutter quiz! Stop feeling like a Hot Mess! HOT MESS: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized is my wit

Hi Friends! Joining us today is Cailen Ascher. She is a mom of 2, a Business Coach with a 3-day workweek, and the creator of Six-Figures Made Simple™, a revolutionary framework that transforms under-earning entrepreneurs into abundant business owners with flexible, feel-good hours. After having her first daughter, Cailen developed her 3-day workweek framework, and hasn’t looked back! She has been featured in Business Insider and Huffington Post, and has been interviewed for Entrepreneur on Fire and ‘She Means Business” Podcast among many others. Her coaching and teachings have helped 1000s of women upgrade their lives and businesses with her Success Made Simple™ strategies for working less, making more and living better. I invited Cailen to come on TOL to talk about how she defines work/life integration, how her priorities changed after becoming a mom, and what practical advice she can share with all of you. I hope you find value in our conversation! We’d love for you to hop on over to our facebook group and

Hi Friends! With me today is SBO Partner, Anne Ahmann, a Des Moines-based personal organization consultant and Pinterest craft guru.  The married mother of two teenage girls came later to the personal organization business – for profit at least. Her company, happy.healthy.home., is a passion project, built on 30 years of organizing for fun and catharsis. Anne worked in healthcare for 20 years before starting her business, but she says it was actually a natural transition – helping and healing people is second nature to her and happy.healthy.home. is her way of combining organization and aid. While labeled boxes and bins can be a solution, they are just the start. Anne’s organization philosophy is all about long-term, personalized problem solving. If out-of-the-box organizing solutions are your jam, you’re going to LOVE Anne! From DIY wood slat walls to a rehabbed pink vanity, she has never met a Pinterest challenge she didn’t like! I loved our conversation and I think you will too! xo-  Laurie

Hi Friends! During the first half of today’s episode, Erika and I give you the 4-1-1 on our AMAZING Partner Retreat that we held earlier this month in beautiful Nashville, TN. We talk about how the retreat came to be, who was there, what we did, and what we have planned for the future.  Check out our IG page at @simplyborganized for highlights of our trip. Then, we dive into my real life saga of Logan’s misplaced envelope of all her important papers, including her birth certificate, passport and social security card! So I pose the question, “where do you store your important documents?”  Join our facebook group, leave us a review, share our show with your friends-We’d love to hear from you!  xo- Laurie Please support us! SUBSCRIBE to TOL to have new episodes downloaded each week! REVIEW.  Social influence is the most impactful way to help others find our show! Struggling with Clutter?  Click HERE to take our FREE clutter quiz! Stop feeling like a Hot Mess! HOT MESS: A Practical Guide t

Hi Friends! Today we are joined by Morgan Tyree, founder of Morganize with Me and author of the new book Take Back Your Time (available at Amazon, Target, or where ever you buy books!) I invited Morgan to join me today to talk about her seasonal organizing challenges that she offers on her website, that help to give you that extra jump-start with the areas that you might feel overwhelmed. Our conversation also crosses over into things like parenting, entrepreneurship and a joint mission to helping empower others live simply and work smarter. If you like this episode please share it with your friends!  xo- Laurie Please support us! SUBSCRIBE to TOL to have new episodes downloaded each week! REVIEW.  Social influence is the most impactful way to help others find our show! Struggling with Clutter?  Click HERE to take our FREE clutter quiz! Stop feeling like a Hot Mess! HOT MESS: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized is my witty little survival guide that helps you get to the root of your

Hi Friends! People are always asking us to feature our favorite products, so today we are doing an episode on products we love! However, instead of focusing on big brands, I wanted to focus in on smaller companies who are making a big impact. Although you may not know our guests by name, there’s a good chance you’ve seen their items in The Container Store, on PopSugar, Buzzfeed, or this little list called “Oprah’s Favorite Things.” My guests today are the founders of Three By Three Seattle, Anita Nadelson and Gwen Weinberg. Anita and Gwen are no strangers to the organizing product world. They started Three by Three Seattle 25 years ago-and like any partnership, their business and lives have evolved together over the years. As women and moms, I love how they reference their personal lives when designing new products. With a simple, yet powerful mission of making busy lives beautifully efficient, they repeatedly deliver on that promise with well crafted, functional, and stylish products designed to solving orga

Hi Friends! Today I am joined by fellow mom and entrepreneur, Viktoria Harrison.  Vik was 25 when she started building the charity: water brand alongside her husband Scott. Twelve years later, the organization has raised $300 million, helped 8 million people get clean drinking water, while inspiring non-profits and businesses around the world through creative storytelling and design. (You may have heard me talk about charity: water in past episodes about clutter free gift ideas) Now, Vik is helping purpose-driven entrepreneurs find their unique stories and build soulful, authentic and successful brands that deeply reflect who they are, through her  company, The Branded Startup. Vik is also the mom to two adorable kids, and is in the weeds of pre-school, kindergarten and small space living in NYC. Our conversation dives into her experience of birthing one of the most influential and social conscious non-profits, to making the decision to stay at home with her little ones, to now integrating life as a wife, mom

Hi Friends! My guest on today’s episode of TOL is Cameron Cegala.  Cameron is the co-founder of AdKaddy, a mobile app created to help users keep their personal inboxes simple and free of brand clutter. (can I get an amen?!)  Prior to developing AdKaddy, Cameron spent several years in the CPG industry, working in sales and marketing which gave her a unique insight into the brand-customer relationship.  Seeking a better way for brands to interact with customers without feeling “interrupted” is what fueled Cameron’s passion to develop AdKaddy. We talk a lot about digital clutter, especially when it comes to email. In the past we have discussed an “all or nothing” approach: either unsubscribe or have a cluttered inbox.   But AdKaddy is different. The reality is that sometimes you want or need to keep emails, but don’t necessarily want 1000 of them in your inbox. AdKaddy is a simple and streamlined email platform that is designed to categorize all of your online shopping in one place. Easy Sorting + Easy Retr

Hi Friends! My guest on today’s episode of TOL is Cameron Cegala.  Cameron is the co-founder of AdKaddy, a mobile app created to help users keep their personal inboxes simple and free of brand clutter. (can I get an amen?!)  Prior to developing AdKaddy, Cameron spent several years in the CPG industry, working in sales and marketing which gave her a unique insight into the brand-customer relationship.  Seeking a better way for brands to interact with customers without feeling “interrupted” is what fueled Cameron’s passion to develop AdKaddy. We talk a lot about digital clutter, especially when it comes to email. In the past we have discussed an “all or nothing” approach: either unsubscribe or have a cluttered inbox.   But AdKaddy is different. The reality is that sometimes you want or need to keep emails, but don’t necessarily want 1000 of them in your inbox. AdKaddy is a simple and streamlined email platform that is designed to categorize all of your online shopping in one place. Easy Sorting + Easy Retrieval

Hi Friends! Today we are kicking off September with the help of my IRL friend and interior designer, Danielle Datz. I figured what better way to mourn the end of summer, than with one of my girlfriends by my side! Fun Fact: Danielle was a guest back on episode 111 which happens to be one of our most downloaded episodes, so be sure to check it out! With summer now in our rearview mirror, it’s time to re-activate our routines that may have fallen by the wayside.   Did you know that September/Back to school is the 2nd most popular RESET time (next to New Years)  Where some people make resolutions, start new habits, or re-establish old ones. Danielle and I unpack some of the most popular re-set areas, and provide strategies to help you navigate the muddy waters that accompany each of the following:  o   Meal Planning/Eating right o   Bedtime and Homework o   Exercise o   Cutting back on Alcohol (seriously?! is this a typo?) o   New job/School If you need some gentle nudging to help get you back in the game,