8 Tips for Utilizing a Concierge

Ever wonder how you can best utilize the services of a concierge? As most of you that have been reading for a while here know that I am a concierge in Houston, TX/ These are tips to best utilize a concierge services in Houston or other areas.  Let me know if you have any tips that you want to add. 

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Under the Sink Bathroom Organization Tips

Under the sink organization can be done in so many different ways. Being a professional organizer, I have organized under the sink in bathrooms and kitchens in so many different ways. From stackable shoe boxes to bins like these with shelf risers. I also love pull out drawers like these under the sink. 

Here are some tips:

• Purge what you don't need.
• Find a storage solution that works for you. 
• Use stackable solutions.
• Go vertical if you can. 
• Only have necessary items under the sink.
• Use over the door hooks and caddies. 
• Use tension rods to maximize storage. 
• Use lazy susans. 
• Put your most frequently used items towards the front.

Also check out links for storage solution ideas from The Container Store, Amazon, and Bed, Bath & Beyond. 

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Made in the USA + Eco: Siam Seas Toner

I got this Siam Seas toner in a Beauty Heroes box several months ago. As always, I love that it is eco and made in the USA. I just started using toners more in the past year and really like how my face feels using them. Do you use toners?

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The Importance of Celebrating the Small Things

We often celebrate the big things, but it is just as important to celebrate the small things in life. If you have big goals, the small things that lead to those big goals are just as important. We often get caught up trying to only celebrate big life moments, goals, projects, etc. Lately, I have been trying to celebrate the small wins and things in life because those are SO important and necessary. 

Benefits of celebrating the small things:

• You are less stressed. 
• You are happier at work and at home. 
• People around you notice the changes. 
• You are more productive. 
• It helps you achieve life / work balance in a different way. 
• Motivates you to keep on going.
• You have fun!

Photo by Thomas AE on Unsplash

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How to Organize Your Nuts 😂

Surprisingly, I have organized a variety of nuts for clients throughout the years. Usually I use glass jars similar to these and these and label them in a variety of ways. From printing labels to writing directly on the jars. If they are still in the bag and you keep them in a cabinet or pantry I often use bins like this or similar ones. How do you organize your nuts?

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Made in the USA + Eco Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Blueing

I recently saw this Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Blueing product at the store and decided to try it. It really does help your whites become whiter. I love that it is made in the USA, bio-degradable and non-toxic. What are some of your favorite laundry products?

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10 Things that Make Me Happy - May 2018

May was a super busy month.  Here are 10 things that made me happy this past month.

1. Seeing Hamilton with my mother-in-law and having fun after.
2. Speaking about paperwork at South Regional Library in The Woodlands.
3. Working on several moving jobs. I did a lot of moves in May.
4. Spending some quiet & down time with my husband.
5. Seeing the new Carlos Cruz-Diez installation at the Buffalo Bayou Cistern. 
6. Having the help of several other professional organizers on various projects.
7. Going to Lynrd Skynrd with my dad, brother, Bryan and friends.
8. Going to Kenny Chesney with my aunts and friends.
9. 2 completely free weekends since January with no work either day of the weekend. 
10. Being inducted onto 2 boards. I am the Membership Director for NAPO Houston & Director of Philanthropy for the National Concierge Association of Greater Houston. 

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Client Bad Ass Mama: Pantry Organization Before + After

If you have been following along you can see other before and afters of this particular client organizing project I was working on here in Houston here, here, here, and here. As a professional organizer, you often have to go based on what your clients wants. With this particular project we didn't buy any new product, we purged, made a list of everything we purged, then organized and put everything back into the pantry. There is still a LOT in the pantry, but we got rid of SO many bags of expired / bad food. 

Here are some pantry products used in this pantry that the client already had.

Stackable bins

Clear shoeboxes

Before: 

After:

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Made in the USA: Osea Products

This Osea Ocean Cleanser and Body Polish came in my Beauty Heroes box last month.  I was so excited to try it. I love that it is made in the USA and has so many eco ingredients. Have you tried this product? 

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Eco Vinyl Tablecloth

I was browsing the aisles of the grocery store and came across this eco vinyl tablecloth. We use vinyl tablecloths for our outdoor table and I decided to give it a go. I like that it does not leach out the same phthalates as pvc or release as many toxins. It is 100% PEVA with a flannel backing and 100% recyclable packaging. Here is a similar tablecloth by the same brand. I am always searching Houston for eco products for my personal assistant and concierge clients.

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A HOUSTON PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZER'S Organizing Books Pt. 1

Here are some favorite and popular organizing books that I or my clients have loved through the years. I also wrote a post about it almost 2 years ago. Do you have a favorite? Since recording this video, I have picked up a few new organizing books as well, which I will have to share in a future video.

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Power of Less by Leo Babauta

New Order by Fay Wolf

Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain by Lee Silber 

10 Simple Solutions to Adult ADD by Stephanie Sarkis

Never Too Busy to Cure Clutter by Erin Doland

Good Things for Organizing by Martha Stewart

Remodelista by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson

Get it Together by Melanie Cullen

Organizing Plain and Simple by Donna Smallin

The Complete Book of Home Organization by Toni Hammersley

The Little Book of Tidying by Beth Penn (not on the video)

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Made in the USA: Grandma's Spot Cleaner

I was browsing at the store and came across this Grandma's Secret Spot Remover and thought I would give it a go.  I feel like I am constantly trying to remove stains from clothes. I loved that this product was made in the USA. So far, it works pretty well. 

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Work / Life Balance: What are your values?

During the NAPO 2018 conference the topic in one of the sessions about work / life balance was to dig deep into what your values really are. You would write down what you value then tell a partner a story about when you last felt great and they would tell you what they thought you valued. I think about what I value often, but this exercise really got me thinking as to what I really value.

Here are my top five that we concluded at the end of the exercise.

• Collaboration
• Giving Back
• Connection
• Community
• Kindness

Granted, there are many other values I feel that I have as well, but is was a fun to talk through it nonetheless and see what we came up with.

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

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