Blog

Moving house is not exciting for everyone. In fact, as a professional organiser at A Hand to Help I see the stress of moving house firsthand. Yet, I was so excited about the whole process when I moved house recently (to be fair I had lots of warning about this move,...

“How to write a To Do list?” you ask. Should be easy right? Isn’t it just a list of all the things you need / want to do. No. A list of all the things you want to do is called a wish list. A wish list can have a few tasks on it or it can fill a book. Wish lists are...

When we help clients edit, declutter and organise, it’s not uncommon to hear “I don’t want it to do to landfill”. This is a legitimate concern. Caring for our environment and being careful what goes to landfill is important. But I wonder if we should be asking the...

We want to share with you the power of a body double and how it can help you organise. While working with Danielle recently she said “What is it about you? I can’t do it without you!”  I joked “It’s the apron,” but we both knew my apron was not a magical cape....

There is a way you can stay organised. At A Hand to Help, we call it finishing the loop. Finishing the loop is about maintaining your organising and your home. Finishing the loop helps us stay on track. There are 3 things we need to share about finishing the loop....

When it comes to organising one size does not fit all!The pretty, tidy organised spaces we see on social media cannot and will not work for everyone. And that is okay. Organising will look different because we are all different.Some people are comfortable with more...

Many people tell us they find it difficult to stay organised. You may have had an edit / declutter and clean up in your home and you now feel organised. That is until life happens; the washing needs to be put away, shopping is dropped on the floor, toys have piled up...

A Hand to Help's Professional Organiser Kate, writes about the pressure to have an Instagram pantry. Have you noticed the latest Instagram trend of people’s immaculate pantries? You know the ones with the beautiful brand-new containers and the personalised vinyl...

Death cleaning may sound morbid and sad to our western ears but Karen, Professional Organiser at A Hand to Help found the opposite to be true.  This book review of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning are Karens thoughts on how a nation and community manages...

Can organising have unexpected organising tools? Yes! We want to share these unexpected tools because they are foundational in helping you be and stay organised. When you think organising a picture of tubs, a trip shopping for something pretty or labels might come to...

What is clutter? This maybe an easy question for some to answer and a harder question for others. Clutter comes in many forms. Physical, mental, financial and digital clutter and you may be able to add more to the list. Several years ago, I came across Anxiety...

What is “how to stop Groundhog Day Organising” you ask? It is A Hand to Help’s take on the movie “Groundhog Day” where every morning is the same. Groundhog Day Organising is when you start organising an area and start again and start again… The starting process...

After such a difficult year, giving the gift of time this Christmas is special. Thinking of friends and family and being with them over the Christmas season brings a smile to my face. If spending money on gifts is not be an option for you now, then do-it-yourself...

Do you have an exit strategy for items leaving your home? Or you might be asking “what is an exit strategy?” An exit strategy is the way your belongings leave your home. As an organiser I often come across items that are not wanted but have not left a home. They may...

I’m hooked on hooks! They can be used for so much more than just hanging up a coat or a bag. Here’s three reasons why I love hooks. Great way to use vertical space Vertical space is space waiting to be used for organising. So many options! I love Crafty Hack’s...

When I’m working in client’s homes, I encourage them to shop at home first and see what can be reused before considering purchasing new organising products. We usually find something that was purchased before or we repurpose an item already in the home. This is a...

With the arrival of spring, this may percolate thoughts of spring cleaning and tiding up. But a tidy home doesn’t mean an organised home. Can items be easily found when needed? Have the cupboards been used to keep things out of sight? As a Professional Organiser, my...

We all like to have choice and control. Some people fear engaging the service of a Professional Organiser because they think they will be told what to discard or part with. This is not how it should work! Choice and control are important when making decisions about...

During my adult years I’ve embraced learning. Often asking myself “What’s the learning from this experience?” Especially when something went wrong and didn’t work out as I had expected. In 2018 I joined the Manningham Business Network because of their ethos of...

Happy New Year! With every new year comes discussions of what we are going to change and do. You might be planning a trip, study, to work on your health or be more organised. It’s not uncommon for me to hear “I need to be more organised!” This is often said as the...

I often find disorganisation and clutter arises when the next step has not been completed. It could be the laundry hasn’t been put away, dishes are not washed or rubbish is not placed in the bin. Why does this happen? Common reasons why a task is not completed...

I’m a simple creature. I often joke that I’m a two-step cook. If it has three steps, I won’t be making it; I’ll never produce a lemon meringue pie. Being organised is all about having a way of doing something. As an Organiser, I call this a system. We see systems in...

In a digital era, it may surprise you that paper is still a common problem in many homes. Paper seems to hark back to its tree days and manifests itself as a forest of paper piles in the home. The key to keeping on top of paper is having a paper action station with a...

We are taking more photos now than ever in history, yet we are looking at them less. Since 1827 when the first photo was taken, photography has grown in popularity. Technology has improved and cost has decreased dramatically. And now, with the use of smart phones,...

Digital clutter is your “pile” unseen. If it can’t be seen, do you need to give it any consideration? Is it even affecting your life? Yes and yes! With lives so connected to digital devices and digital applications, it is crucial digital spaces are de-cluttered. This...

I recently watched the channel 9 serious Eat Well. For Less?. I couldn’t help but watch it through the eyes of a Professional Organiser. Food. It takes up a huge amount of our time. Shopping, preparing, cooking, eating and cleaning-up afterwards. Even buying takeaway...

I’m often asked “How did you get into that?” or “Why Professional Organising?” So I thought I’d share with you my organising story. I’m a recovering perfectionist. I use the word recovering because I’m not a perfectionist any more with the day to day stuff, but in...

Recently I was feeling a little low over a weekend after a very busy week. I didn’t feel like doing anything! No washing, no cooking and definitely no cleaning. I wanted to hibernate under the covers with my book. This got me thinking. How do we stay organised during...

When we think of downsizing, we think of moving into something smaller. But can you downsize and not move? Most Definitely! Downsizing our possessions; having less in the home has great “upsizing” benefits. Read more about this in my post Less is More. Downsizing at...

An exit strategy is having a designated area where items are put so they can easily leave the home. Their end destination may be the op shop, a friend or a local fair. Why have an exit strategy? We often bring items into our homes without considering how items leave....

Many of you may have seen American Tiny Home programs broadcasted on TV. The Tiny Home movement exploded in the U.S due to the impact of the GFC (Global Financial Crisis). I recently had the pleasure of meeting Indi Hangan from Tiny Homes Australia. Yes, tiny has come...

Spring has finally sprung here in Melbourne and the warmer weather has me reaching for my sunscreen. first of all it has to be found, somewhere among the bathroom cupboard bottles and tubs. Then questions are asked “how old is it”? and “is it safe to use”? Sound...

Most of us wear some type of clothing 24hrs a day, 7days a week. So this makes our wardrobe home to some of our most commonly used household items. Spring and autumn is the perfect time of the year to declutter, organise and refresh your wardrobe. Then you will be...

Clutter. It conjures up a picture of a pile of something or too many possessions in one space. Some may shiver at the mental picture and some will feel comfortable. I believe clutter and life go hand in hand. Everyone will have a different tolerance of clutter and...

When we think decluttering, we usually think about throwing things out. It can be very hard to decide what to part with. So hard in fact, that the process may never start.  I find, to get the process started my secret to decluttering is not to say “What will I...

Winter is the perfect time to clear the cupboards.  It becomes colder and is a time of the year when we tend to hibernate. This hibernation period is the perfect time to look inwards and clean out a cupboard! Cupboards are the perfect place to start when it comes...

#banthebag has come to our attention recently through the ABC program War on Waste. As a Professional Organiser, I come across many different types of bags: eco shopping bags, plastic shopping bags in many different sizes, paper bags, gift bags and fancy upmarket...

Memories are powerful and precious. Many of the items we keep evoke memories of events, people or special times. These items may consist of photos, mementoes, books, jewellery, furniture and clothing. Treasured clothing that is special may include baby and children’s...

  As a Professional Organiser, I walk through many home entrances and shoe storage is a common problem I encounter.  I consider the entrance to be the launching and landing pad of the home. It’s a very busy, small and critical space where a lot happens....

What is clutter? I’ve made the dictionary my first stop and I’m excited about its meaning! Clutter: to make a confused noise, irrelevant echoes on a radar screen from sources other than the target, bustle, confusion and a mess. I’m fascinated that the meaning of the...

I’ve been contemplating the difference between being tidy and being organised and I’m convinced there is a difference. Just because a home looks tidy, is it organised? What happens when the cupboards are open? Have the cupboards been used to keep things out of sight?...

When I first heard “Less is more” as a child I couldn’t understand the concept. How can having less be more? Some years ago, I set off travelling with all my favourite belongings in one backpack for a year overseas. All my worldly passions were there on my back. I...