How to Contain Email Clutter

Email can control you if you let it. For me, the more messages I have in my inbox the more stressed out I get. As a professional organizer I get calls in and out of Houston asking to help contain email clutter. Here are some of my tips:

Archive. The quickest and easiest way to get rid of things out of your inbox is to archive the emails you don't need. Then go through it later. I try to advise clients to take the time to do the things that they need to do immediately.

Search and delete. If you know your inbox is full of emails from certain businesses or people that you know you don't need. Search the name in the inbox and then select all and delete. For example do you really need all of those old William Sonoma emails? No, probably not.

Create folders. The more folders you have, the more overwhelming it can get especially for people with ADHD and creative folks. Creating some folders is helpful most of the time.

Set limits. Know how many unread emails you want to have and try to stick to that amount.  Stick to an amount of time where you check email maybe 3x a day for 30 minutes each time.

Unsubscribe from all unnecessary emails. We all receive emails from companies that we don't need. Use unroll.me or hit unsubscribe at the bottom email or ask to be taken off of their list.

Check email at certain times of the day. If you set specific times that you check your email it will not feel so overwhelming where you are constantly taking time to check it.

Create filters / rules. You can create certain filters and rules where certain emails go to specific folders, flag emails, etc.

Pick up the phone. If you know you will keep going back and forth with someone about something that is not important and doesn't need an email trail, just pick up the phone and call them.

Color code. Color code emails to make it visually appealing and be able to locate certain emails quicker.

Quick responses. Be concise and to the point. You can set days and times that are actionable when responding or just say "no response needed or no reply needed". That way you cut down on the back and forth.

Use autoresponder. Use the autoresponder to let people know when you will be replying back or checking email. That way they don't expect an immediate response back.

Choose when emails appear. There are services like Boomerang where you can draft an email and they will send it on a certain day and time. Or you can set it to reappear in your inbox at a later time, so it is not just lingering in your inbox.

Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash

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Made in the USA: Milk Anti-Frizz Leave in Treatment

I have had a terrible time trying to control my hair frizz in the Houston humidity. I have tried just about everything under the sun. Usually items leave my hair really greasy, but not this product, Reverie Milk Anti-Frizz. I really like it. I have thick, wavy hair and it works great. I use when my hair is wet and when it is dry. It is a little pricy, but I don't mind because I really like it. Plus, I need to look decent when meeting with clients. Another awesome thing is it is made in the USA and it is in a glass bottle. I always prefer glass over plastic. It is pretty eco with no sulfates, phthalates, and parabens.

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A CONCIERGE IN HOUSTON: ECO MODERN CONCIERGE

I thought I would do another day in the life series. I always forget to document what I am doing, but on this day I remembered to. It was a relatively "light" day and I did forget to document the part where I dropped off donations to The Women's Home.

I had a consultation in Timbergrove Manor about an organizing project.

I had a client who was wanting a new orchid for her kitchen, so I stopped off at Whole Foods in Montrose and picked one up. She really likes the orchids from here. 

I had a meeting at Magpies and Peacocks to see their place and to go over doing some volunteering for them. 

I stopped off at Four Seasons for lunch because I was in the area. I don't go here often, but do love their food. It is super fresh.

When I was out of town Mariana at Hibiscus Linens was having a sale that I couldn't make, so she was kind of enough to put a shirt on hold for me. So I stopped by to pick it up. 

I unloaded a ton of items my client bought from the Nordstrom anniversary sale.

Workout gear closet organization for a client in Montrose.

Dry cleaning run for a client. Technically, I had already dropped off the clothes that were in these bags, but of course forgot to take a picture.

After work I met up with some NAPO Houston professional organizers at Cadillac Bar. 

Super fun! This isn't even everyone that was in attendance.

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How to Organize Post-It Notes

Any other post-it note lovers? I use them ALL the time for work, in my planner, with clients, etc. I think they are great to help get and stayed organized. Here are some way that I organize post-it notes for clients, 

In shoeboxes - clear ones are what I use most, but I also just repurpose regular shoeboxes as well. 

Acyclic drawer dividers - I use these most often in offices and junk drawers. 

Desk organizers - these are usually tiered organizers and great if you have several different sizes. 

Stackable memo holders - these are great if you are using them in a particular area and you don't have a lot.

Letter sorters - I love using letter sorters for so many different things and they are great for post-it notes as well. 

How do you you like to organize your post-it notes?

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How to Remember to Water Plants

Waterbug Plant Care Guide App - If you are one of those people who always forgets to water plants, guilty!, then you need this app. You enter your plant info and it will tell you when you need to water it. Once the plants have been watered, you hit the drop icon and it countdowns to when it needs to be watered again.

Calendar: electronic and paper - another great thing is to utilize just a regular calendar to keep track of when you need to water your plants and then set calendar alerts.

Old sponges - I saw this on Danny Seo's site and he demonstrated putting fertilizer in a pot, cutting old sponges into squares and placing them on top of the soil, adding more fertilizer, add the plant, add a little more fertilizer and finally water the plant. The sponges will retain water, so the soil will not get as dry as quickly.

Do you have any tips on how to remember to water your plants?

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5 Things to Organize This Weekend

Wallet. Most of us, men & women, have unnecessary things in our wallet. From unused cards to receipts to expired coupons. Time to purge all the things that doesn't belong in there.

Gift wrap. If you are anything like me you have a ton of gift wrapping supplies. Get rid of anything that you would not use on gifts, bags with tears, etc.

Books. Do you have books that you have been wanting to get rid of? Now is the time. Take them to resale, pass along to a friend, donate to a library, put inside of a Little Free Library, etc.

Video Games. Do you have old video games / accessories that you have no intention of ever using? Time to pass them along to others or donate to charity.

Cups. If you are anything like most people you have an unnecessary amount of cups that you have bought or gotten free. Sift through them and only keep the ones you use most often.

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Eco Modern Concierge Was Voted One of the Best Home Organizers in Houston 2017

I am happy to say that Eco Modern Concierge was voted One of the Best Home Organizers in Houston 2017 by Expertise.com. We are amongst some good company. What is one thing you need to get organized right now?

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Eco Modern Concierge Interview in VoyageHouston

I know I already mentioned this on social media, but go check out my interview with VoyageHouston that was published in June. What are some other things you would like to know about the business?

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Eco Spa: Shoji Spa in Asheville, NC

On my way to the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) 2017 Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, I stopped off in Asheville, NC to see a friend and her little one. The day I got in she had booked me a hot tub treatment at Shoji Spa to help me relax and wind down from all the driving I did. It was such a thoughtful thing for her to do and it was SOOOOO relaxing. It is an eco spa and they use a lot of green products, along with being super clean. The hot tubs are located outside on the side of the mountain in the middle of the woods. It is extremely peaceful just to sit there unwind and read a book. When I got there it was daylight still, but quickly faded into night. I highly recommend you visit this spa if you ever find yourself in Asheville. Here are some photos from my visit there.

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Dorm Room Organization Tips

Organizing your dorm room can you be a little tricky because you have such limited space. In another post last week I outlined Dorm Room Organization Products. Here are some tips to help you get started.

Research. Before heading off to college take the time to research Pinterest, The Container Store, Bed, Bath & Beyond, etc. to find out what you really will need to bring. Each college is different in what they provide in the rooms, so it is worth it to know what you need before you leave for college. Create a checklist and get to packing :).

Go vertical. If you can stack things up than do it whether that is starting from the floor or on your desk. This is huge space saver. There are many different bins / crates out there that are stackable.

Use over the door racks. There are SO many different over the door racks out there. There are ones for shoes, hooks, pantry alternative, etc.

Utilize storage under the bed. In dorms there is usually an ample about of storage under the bed to use. If not, you can always buy bed risers to raise the bed up more and create storage. Under bed storage bins work great.

Command hooks. They are your friend and will help you in many different ways from hanging clothes to hanging keys. Always keep extra around.

Tension rods. Tension rods help create more space whether this is in the closet, bathroom or wherever. They are relatively inexpensive.

Use wall space. If you can then change hooks, shelves, message boards, etc. on your ways. This will create more space for you to use.

What are some of your dorm room organization tips?

Photo credit: Bed, Bath and Beyond

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Made in the USA + Eco: Beauty Products

These are some of my current favorite eco beauty products:

Davids Toothpaste: I am not always a fan of the natural toothpastes because I don't always get that fresh clean feeling that I like, but I like this one more than others. Do you have a favorite natural toothpaste that you use?

Moon Valley Organics Lotion Bar: This is a very interesting concept, but this lotion bar works great and smells great.

Jane Iredale Lip Balm: I really like this lip balm. It goes on smooth, gives you a little bit of color in your lips and smells great.

What are some of your current favorite eco beauty products?

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Out and About in Houston: Season's Harvest

If you are out in about in the suburbs of Cypress, TX I recommend you stopping by Season's Harvest. My husband and I went here one Saturday morning and had a great breakfast. I am not a coffee drinker, but the iced coffee here was SO good. They are a farm-to-table restaurant. The food they use in local and in season. Go check them out.

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Dorm Room Organization Products

Off to college and sharing a dorm room with VERY little space can be super challenging. I have rounded up some products to help you maximize your and get you organized in your dorm room. What are some of your products that I maybe didn't mention?

Adjustable Closet Rod Expander: Perfect for when you have a lot of clothes and need more space in those small closets.

Surge Protector: It seems like most small spaces NEVER have enough plugs. This surge protector will protect your electronics and is long enough to reach in many areas of your dorm room.

Acyclic Divided Lazy Susan: I love using these in my organization projects and think they are especially handy in dorm rooms because they can be used for bath products, school supplies, etc.

Command Hooks: You can never have enough command hooks laying around. They are perfect to hang just about anything from purses to clothes.

Over the Door Shoe Bag: These are great because you can not only use them for your shoes, you can store cleaning supplies, food items, accessories, etc.

Rolling Laundry Basket: This laundry basket on wheels is perfect when you let your laundry pile up before washing. You won't hurt yourself trying to drag around a heavy laundry bag. Just wheel your laundry around with ease.

Over the Door Hook Rack: Various over the door racks are awesome for maximizing your space and hanging items whether it is towels or clothing.

Under Bed Storage: One of the best ways to add more storage in your dorm room is to use under bed storage. You can keep anything in there from personal items to school supplies.

Message Board: This is great to keep track of important dates, reminders, schedules, note sharing with roommates, etc.

Stackable Drawers: A great way to save space is by going vertical and these stackable drawers are perfect to getting the most out of your space.

Beauty Supply Holder: Once again, an over the door product that will help you save space. If you use hair products than this an awesome way to keep track of them and not have them taking up drawer or cabinet space.

Wall and Door Rack: The great thing about this product is that it will not only save space, but is perfect for storing food items. A great alternative to a pantry.

All photos are linked above and are from The Container Store and Bed, Bath and Beyonds websites.

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