Client Use What You Have: Bar Organization

This bar organization project has been sitting in my draft folder for years and I thought I would finally share. It is nothing special, but shows that you do not need to have fancy organizing supplies in order get organized. This client said she had been wanting to organize this space for a long time, but just hadn't. Here is what I did:

• Took everything out
• Wipe down the surface
• Consolidate all of the alcohol and bar related items together
• Put back into the cabinet and grouping like alcohols together and trying to put back in by size if possible

This was a quick, simple and easy thing to do, but it can look overwhelming, which makes you want to not tackle it. I get it. Set a timer for 15 minutes and see how much you can get done with an organizing project in that 15 minutes. 

ecomodernconcierge.com

Client Busy Woodlands Mama: Toy Closet Organization Before & After

Anyone still working from home and running out of things to organize? I thought I would share this toy closet that I helped this client in The Woodlands, TX organize last year and there was no extra money spent here. This family has actually since moved from this house. Here is what I did:

• We pulled the things that were right in the doorway out. 
• The client went there are get rid of everything she no longer needed, which wasn't a ton, but definitely helps. 
• Then we sorted like items together like games, lego, household items, decorations, etc. 
• Then we grouped those sorted items onto the shelves to give it a more cohesive look.
• We put items like the vacuum back in after. 

What you don't see in the after pictures below is that the left side there is a shelf where things like batteries, bulbs, and household items like that went. The organization process is so different for so many people. Do what you can, when you can. 

Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Day! Remembering the ones who have served and continue to serve our country.

Photo by Jim Stapleton on Unsplash

5 Productivity Tips + Hacks That Helped me During Quarantine

Being productive can be very hard for many people. During quarantine I heard a lot of people say "I wanted to be productive, but couldn't get motivated", this was even coming from some of my professional organizing friends. As a professional it is my job to help others be productive. Surprisingly, I was very productive the last 2 months, but mainly because I did a couple of things that helped me not get so overwhelmed. Here are a few things that I did.

I made a huge master list of EVERYTHING that came to mind that I wanted / needed to do. This included business and personal tasks. Then I set a goal of getting at 3 things done each day. It could be a simple tasks or hard task.

I broke up big tasks into smaller manageable tasks. This helped me not get completely overwhelmed with the big daunting tasks. Some of the big tasks included going through photos on a hard drive, updating my website's shop page and writing letters that I had been meaning to send.

I made a chore chart of the smaller tasks that I wanted to work on daily. This chore chart help me stay motivated in accomplishing my daily goals.

I tackled many hard tasks first that I knew would help me function better and not feel as stressed. There were several things work wise that I knew needed to be done that would help me feel better in the future like updating the holiday card mailing list, finishing the process of getting my trademark done and finally connecting with lawyers, etc.

Staying on top of things. Because I didn't feel too overwhelmed with my to do list once I started doing these things, it became routine and I was able to stay on top of things pretty well. That doesn't mean I never skipped a day of doing one of my daily tasks or ever felt non-motivated. All in all because I did try to make it a habit it was easier to achieve overall.

What are tasks that you got accomplished during quarantine?

ecomodernconcierge.com

Photo by Minh Pham on Unsplash

Client Awesome Writer: Closet Organization Before & After

I am still trying to catch up on blogging organization projects we worked on from years ago and this is one of them. This client was located in the Boulevard Oaks / Southampton area of Houston. She is a writer and her husband is a pilot. We spent many hours organizing and she went through every single item in her closet. Here is what we did:

1. Take everything out
2. Declutter
3. Put into keep and donate piles
4. Put everything back in the closet
5. Put like items together like shirts, pants, dresses
6. Arrange by color
7. Rearrange the shelves and get rid of a lot of things on the shelves and put items from the shelves into drawers

We went through the racks, shelves and drawers and the client was really able to clear a ton of clutter. 

ecomodernconcierge.com

Made in the USA: "Y" Weave Basket

This week I am featuring a made in the USA product, the "Y" weave basket, that I use a lot on organizing projects with clients. I didn't know it was made in the USA until one day we were on a project and I flipped it over. We often see these baskets and bins in clients homes because you can get them at Target. They come in all different shapes and sizes and can be very versatile for various spaces from kitchens to closets to offices. We use the white color most often on projects. 

ecomodernconcierge.com

10 Things that Make Me Happy: April 2020

April was a weird month because of social distancing and quarantining, but there were still many things that made me happy.

1. More time with my husband.
2. Bacon. My father in law made us a big bag of bacon.
3. One of my clients sending me a classic rock playlist.
4. Seeing my grandpa, dad and brother on Easter from afar. 
5. Social distance walking with my organizing friends Mary Jo and Stephanie, then getting friend chicken from Killen's.
6. Lots of walks, bike rides and time outside.
7. Talking to friends on the phone.
8. The governor sayin some small businesses could go back to work starting May 1st! That is me. YAY!!!
9. Essential workers.
10. Being super productive during down time and accomplishing a lot. 

ecomodernconcierge.com

Playroom Organization Before & After + Playroom Organizing Tips

This blog post about playroom organization has been sitting in my drafts for folder for YEARS! I am not sure why I never posted this, but here you go. I helped organize this client's house on several occasions. We went through almost every space in their house. This playroom was fun to organize because it is so colorful. Every product that was used the client already had. The playroom was basically separated into various zones like art, kitchen, reading, etc.

Here are some basic playroom organizing tips:

Edit - get rid of toys that are broken, no longer work or that your child has outgrown, etc.

Sort - sort like toys together. 

Toss - get rid of any trash or toys with missing pieces. 

Contain - contain the toys in some type of system, whether that is bins, shelves, drawers, etc.

Enjoy!

Popular playroom products:

• Storage wall system
• Bookshelf
• Cute playroom baskets
• Art cart
• Toy storage system
• Coloring table
• Rainbow drawer storage unit
• Craft Cabinet
• Cubby system with plastic bins
• Puzzle rack

ecomodernconcierge.com

Intentional Focus to Help With Productivity

I started this blog post last year, but never posted it. I am not sure where I heard about intentional focus, but it really got me thinking how important it is. I talk to organizing and concierge clients about this all the time, but without usually calling it intentional focus. What is intentional focus? To me, it means being purposeful in your daily actions, really understanding the process of what we do and why we are doing it and focusing on one thing at a time. Don't try to do all the things all at one time and constantly multitask. I am very guilty of this, but I am trying to be better. Be intentional and focus on what you really need to do and what really matters.

Here are some benefits and tips of intentional focus:

Have daily goals or intentions. Don't try to do all the things everyday. Set 3-5 daily goals or intentions in order to accomplish and achieve what you want.

Helps with productivity. Intentional focus helps us be more productive overall because we are giving our full intention to each tasks instead of stopping and focusing on various other tasks all at the same time.

More creative. We are able to be more creative and when we intentionally focus on things because it can opens us to new ideas since we are really relishing in the process of tasks. New ways of doing things often come to mind when things are more clear in our head. Hence why I get so many ideas while I am working out or driving.

More likely to accomplish your to do list. Intentional focus really helps us get through our to do list because we are not constantly stopping and starting.

Be grateful for everyday things. Start and end your day with gratitude, it really shifts your attitude for the day. Intentional focus reminds us to be grateful for so much. Certain tasks take a lot of time and when we are understanding the full process we are able to have gratitude for so much. For example, I have to call into the alarm company and dread being on hold with customer service, but I am grateful to have an alarm to protect my family, I am grateful for the customer service agent who was able to help and save me money, etc.

Less stress. We are often times less stressed because we are accomplishing the things that we want to rather than having a to do lists with only few things fully accomplished here and there. I am ok knowing I will not get to everything on my to-do list and that is ok.

More happiness. Overall, when you focus intentionally you are happier overall. It makes you appreciate the small things in life.

ecomodernconcierge.com

Photo by Andrijana Bozic on Unsplash

10 Things That Make Me Happy: March 2020

What a wild and crazy month this has been with Corona Virus. WOW. From working full steam to all of sudden halting so many things work wise and in life. There is so much that happened that stills makes me happy.

1. Finishing several move projects. 
2. Being able to finish out my rodeo shifts.
3. Going to see Midland and Willie Nelson at the rodeo and seeing many family and friends there too.
4. Taking time to sloooooow down. 
5. Going on a ton of bike rides.
6. Going on a ton of walks with our dog and seeing so many neighbors out in their yards and being active.
7. My grandpa calling me just to chat. LOVED this.
8. Supporting lots of local businesses. 
9. Renewing my Women Owned Business certification, working on my Trademark information and getting my Female Founders information submitted.
10. Being able to help clients virtually. 

ecomodernconcierge.com

Eco Modern Concierge featured on Heavy.com // 21 Mother's Day Gift Ideas for Moms Stuck at Home

Are you stuck on what to get mom for Mother's Day since she may be stuck out home? I contributed to this article on the Heavy.com along with fellow organizers on ideas of what to get mom who is stuck at home.

What gift ideas do you have?

ecomodernconcierge.com

Made in the USA: Thrive Mascara

I have tried I don't know how many different mascaras through the years and there are some that I like, but so many I don't like. I am definitely not a beauty blogger, but after seeing this Thrive mascara from an actual beauty blogger I decided to try it. I like that it is made in the USA, it's vegan and cruelty-free. It really does lengthen lashes a lot, it's easy to come off with make-up remover and it doesn't smear. So far I really like it. Have you tried it? Do you like it?

ecomodernconcierge.com

Eco Modern Concierge COVID 19 Update

Hope you are staying safe & healthy! I wanted give you an update on the status of Eco Modern Concierge. 
 

Eco Modern Concierge is fully back in operation starting tomorrow May 1, 2020 per the governor's statement earlier this week.  We are very excited and eager to help you get organized and with certain concierge services!! We are taking all of the proper precautions like wearing gloves, masks, shoe covers, constantly wash / sanitize our hands, etc. If you need to make an appointment or amend an existing appointment please don't hesitate to reach out. Some common things are getting asked to help with at this time:

• Move management from hiring movers to decluttering before the move to getting organized after the move

• Home and corporate office organization

• Garage & storage unit organization 

• Ordering, packaging and delivering graduation gifts

• Home inventories

• Vacation home management yes we will travel

• The list goes on and on. Don't hesitate to reach out and see if we can help you with your projects.

As always, thank you, thank you, thank you for your support over the last 15 years. I am beyond appreciative and grateful!!

I can't wait to see you again soon!
Amy Vance