Order in your closet can lead to order in your life

One of the hardest things to do is to put order in your life. For many , placing their life in priorities is the key. Our day often starts in the closet, selecting what to wear for that business meeting, luncheon or event. Most of us are not organized when it comes to where and how we place our clothing and accessories, so we spend far more time being able to get ourselves in order. We all see movies with closets that will knock your sox off. In fact, in some, they are like a room filled with drawers and color-coordinated racks for shoes, but in reality, most of us do not have that type of space to play with. We see ads and commercials for the “closet” companies that can “do it all”, but, let’s face it, having the space and dollars to create a special closet is only for the wealthy.

Over the years, Jane and I have been lucky to have great closet space. Our Lincoln Park townhouse had a walk-in that had been customized by one of those companies and it was a luxury that we adored. When we moved back to the burbs, our first apartment offered a walk-in, but with limited shelving. Of course, when you own a property , you can make the investment, but if renting, not so easy! Our last apartment had limited closet space, but thanks to one of the newer closet firms, we were able to increase the space, but had to leave it behind. A lesson learned!

When we moved to our current apartment, with two walk-in closets, we thought we would be fine. Guess what? Even having two hang heights ( upper and lower) the space was a mess and Jane was sure we would never be able to  live this way. What could we do?

A theater friend of mine,  Ms Terri Albert, an organizer of homes, garages and city dwellings ( her business is The Chicago Organizer   www.Chicago-Organizer.com) told me that there are members of her organization NAPO, in the burbs as well and referred me to Ms. Jackie Mendelsohn. I sent her some photos of the two closets in our new place that seemed to be large enough, but for some reason, were a mess. She looked at the photos and said, let’s get to it!

Enter Jackie Mendelsohn. Jackie is truly professional organizer! Yes, there are people who do this for a living. Her slogan “Outer order, inner calm” is one that makes sense. She can look at the space and talk with you and from that comes up with a plan that will change your life. I know what you are thinking..this is going to cost! Like everything that is good in life, there is a cost, BUT, unlike the fancy closet companies, Jackie will work her miracles with a minimum investment.

Most of her suggestions were simple things like hangers. Yes, having all your hangers the same ( very inexpensive thru Amazon) makes your space look neater and allows for better space management. Adding tie and belt racks also makes one’s life easier. No more searching- they are right where they are supposed to be! In working on our master, Jackie did some color co-ordinating so that both Jane and I could find things easier, thus also saving time. This also reduces stress, which we do not need!

Everyone knows that you can buy all types of closet remodeling, but the cost is often out of reach for the average homeowner ( even renters can do the things Jackie does), so when you feel organized closets are “out of reach”, I can safely say, you are wrong! Our two closets, in materials cost us less than $100 each ( Jackie even did the shopping to save us dollars) and her total labor was less than 5 hours. So every time you reach for a shirt, a tie or a belt, or cannot find the black slacks you really wanted to wear tonight, know that there is a way to make your closets a pleasure to enter or reach into. Call Jackie at 847-217-7501, or send her photos info@omyourhomeorganizing.com. Results are just amazing. http://www.omyourhomeorganizing.com. As I said, there is an organization of organizers, so she will refer you if not an area she works . Come out of your closet and feel good about it!

Jackie is a pleasure to work with and will tell you the cost before she starts the job. No surprises! Just satisfaction!