Category: Professional Organizing Products

How To Organize Your Entryway

How To Organize Your Entryway

Posted on by jillmoore

Do your mornings often feel rushed and chaotic? We’ve all been there. It’s time (okay maybe past time) to head out the door and you can’t find the thing. Maybe it’s the car keys, that left shoe your kid is frantic about or that signed school note you know you took care of the evening before. This is a stressful way to start your day, both for adults and kids. If you find that you or your kids are often struggling to get it all together in the mornings, your home may be missing a simple, yet crucial organizing strategy. Cue an organized entryway! Creating a designated space for your daily essentials will reduce your morning stress and improve the flow of your morning routine. As we transition to back to school season, this is a great time to create a functional space that helps you streamline your routine to start and end your day stress free!

how to organize your entryway, professional home organizer tips, Organized Jill, Winston Salem, NC

Plan Your Space

The first step is choosing the space that will serve as a dedicated home for your entryway. Consider the primary way you enter and leave your home. If you always use your kitchen door, you wouldn’t want this space to be by the front door of your home. Also, think about how you need the area to function for you. The two primary questions you need to answer are who will use the space and what items need to be stored there. It’s important to remember you don’t need a large, elaborate space to make this work. Whether it’s a grand foyer or a small hallway closet, the goal is to establish a home for each item.

Choosing Your Organizing Products

Now that you have chosen the location and have a good idea of the types of items you will be storing here, it’s time to choose the products you need to make the space work. Hooks work well for coats, bags and keys. Baskets and bins are great for sunglasses, wallets, earbuds and other small items. Of course there’s always shoes to consider. You can use racks, baskets or even a shelf to store these. If you are working with limited space, think vertical! Maximize your wall space with floating shelves, pegboards and over the door organizers.

Pro-tip ~ Measure, measure, measure before you buy! Take a few moments to make sure the product will fit and work the way you need it too.

how to organize your entryway, professional home organizer tips, Organized Jill, Winston Salem, NC

Level Up With Labels

You can take this space from organized to really organized with the help of labels. If you have bins or baskets designated for small items, add a label for each family member. Apply the same concept to your hooks. This is super helpful if you have children. They have their own spot for all their things and should be able to easily grab and go AND put things back in the evenings.

Keeping it Maintained

As with all things organizing, you do have to put in a little work to maintain the magic. Set aside some time once a week to reset the space. Toss random items or anything no longer needed, remove any “junk” that’s found its way into your space and do a quick wipe down to keep the space clean. This quick reset will help keep your entryway organized and functional all year long!

how to organize your entryway, professional home organizer tips, Organized Jill, Winston Salem, NC

If you need a hand decluttering and organizing your home, we’re here to help! 
Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina & surrounding areas?
Contact Organized Jill for a complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation
Guest Blog~Organizer + Designer Collaboration

Guest Blog~Organizer + Designer Collaboration

Posted on by jillmoore

Sometimes a space needs a little makeover before we work our home organization magic. I recently had the opportunity to collaborate with the fabulous Kendall Sharpe Designs on a home renovation project. The only thing better than organizing a kitchen and pantry is getting to do it in a freshly renovated space. I had the best time helping this client organize their belongings back into a pantry with new shelving and freshly painted cabinets. They have so much more storage with pullout base cabinet shelving, hidden corner pullout shelving and the addition of new cabinets. Kendall and Kaylan do it right!

home home organization, organize kitchen, organize pantry, Organized Jill, Winston-Salem, NC
home home organization, organize kitchen, organize pantry, Organized Jill, Winston-Salem, NC
home home organization, organize kitchen, organize pantry, Organized Jill, Winston-Salem, NC

Read Kendall’s take on this fun collaboration below and get her top tips for your kitchen!

Pretty Isn’t Enough: 5 Kitchen Organization Tips to Make Your Space Work Harder
Kendall Sharpe with Kendall Sharpe Designs

Design a Kitchen That Looks Beautiful—and Functions Even Better

When remodeling a kitchen, it’s easy to get swept up in finishes, tile selections, and paint colors. But no matter how stunning your space looks, if it doesn’t support your everyday routine, it’s going to cause frustration.

At Kendall Sharpe Designs, we believe that a well-designed kitchen should be just as functional as it is beautiful. That’s why we always incorporate professional organization into our kitchen remodels. With guidance from Jill Moore of Organized Jill, we help homeowners set up systems that make their kitchens easy to use, maintain, and enjoy long after the remodel is finished.

Here are five smart tips we used in a recent project that can help you transform your kitchen into a practical, peaceful, and organized space:

1.Design Storage Around How You Live
The first step in creating a functional kitchen is planning around your daily routine. Rather than designing storage based on trends or aesthetics alone, think about how you actually use your kitchen.

Tip: Break your kitchen into zones—such as prep, cooking, cleaning, and serving. Then organize each zone so items are stored right where you use them. For example, keep utensils in drawers beside the stove, place dishwashing supplies under the sink, and set up your coffee station near an outlet and mugs.

2.Use Interior Organizers to Maximize Space
Cabinets and drawers can hold a lot, but if you can’t see what you have, things get lost—and cluttered—fast.

What We Do: We use clear bins, drawer dividers, pull-out trays, and lazy Susans to make items easy to find and keep organized.

Tip: Use containers to group similar items together (snacks, baking supplies, spices) and label them. Opt for clear materials so nothing gets hidden in the back of the cabinet.

3.Make Daily Items the Most Accessible
You shouldn’t have to dig for the things you use every day. Organizing by frequency of use keeps your kitchen intuitive and efficient.

Tip: Place your most-used items—like silverware, cutting boards, and mixing bowls—at waist or eye level. Store special occasion items and seasonal serveware higher up or in a different storage area altogether.

4.Plan a Place for Everyday Clutter
Even the most organized kitchen needs a spot to collect life’s little messes. Instead of letting clutter take over your countertops, plan for it.

What We Recommend: Add a drawer or cabinet specifically for mail, keys, chargers, or school papers. Use bins or drawer inserts to keep it contained but still accessible.

Tip: Think of it like a “junk drawer—but intentional.” Giving clutter a home keeps the rest of your kitchen looking clean and feeling peaceful.

5.Organize as You Unpack—Not After
One mistake homeowners make after a remodel is throwing everything back into the new cabinets without a plan. Taking a few extra steps during the move-in process can make a big difference in how the space functions.

Tip: Organize as you unpack. Don’t just place items wherever they fit—create systems that support your lifestyle. If the process feels overwhelming, a professional organizer can guide you through setup and help you maintain it over time.

A Kitchen That Works for You
A well-organized kitchen doesn’t just look good—it saves time, reduces stress, and helps your whole household run more smoothly.

At Kendall Sharpe Designs, we always incorporate functional planning and professional organization into our kitchen remodels. Because a kitchen should support your life—not slow it down.

home home organization, organize kitchen, organize pantry, Organized Jill, Winston-Salem, NC

If you need a hand decluttering and organizing your home, we’re here to help!
 
Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina & surrounding areas?

Contact Organized Jill for a complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation
home home organization, organize kitchen, organize pantry, Organized Jill, Winston-Salem, NC
Simplify Organization With Eco-Friendly Living

Simplify Organization With Eco-Friendly Living

Posted on by jillmoore

Sustainability and organization are two practices that go hand in hand. When you begin to incorporate eco-friendly habits into your life and routine, you will find that your physical spaces become clearer and more functional. It can feel challenging to adapt to a lifestyle of less- is- more and embrace an eco-friendly approach. The good news is small, intentional changes will create big results over time for you, your home, and the environment. It all begins with developing a mindful approach to your purchasing habits.

How To: Simplify & Organize

Mindful Decluttering

All good organizing projects begin with decluttering. Simply put, it’s easier to work with what you have when you have removed what you don’t need or want. The key is reducing the waste you produce when decluttering. Once you have your “let go of” items ready, donate or sell anything that is in good condition and potentially usable for someone else. You can recycle broken electronics, plastics, cardboard, and more at your local recycling center. Mindful decluttering is ensuring the items leave your home with a minimal impact on the environment.

eco-friendly home organization, professional home organizer, Organized Jill Winston-Salem NC

Quality Over Quantity

The less we buy, the less potential we have for producing waste. When considering a purchase, determine if it’s something you actually need and will use in your daily routine. If the answer is yes, make sure you are spending  your hard earned money on items that are durable and high quality. Investing in durable products that will last reduces the need to buy replacements. This will both save you money and help you create a home filled with purposeful possessions. No more unnecessary clutter!

Sustainable Materials

When you are working to declutter and organize your space, you will need storage options for your items. Start with what you have. You can repurpose many items in your home into solutions to sort and organize your items. Shopping at your local thrift store can offer affordable and unique options as well. When purchasing new items, choose items that are made from natural materials like bamboo or wicker. Opt for recycled materials over plastic. These shopping habits will help you find solutions that have a positive impact on the environment and your home’s harmony.

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Eco-friendly Systems

An organized home will allow you to create systems that support sustainable living. You can create dedicated areas in your home for recycling and composting stations. Set up clear, labeled bins to simplify the sorting process. Organize your reusable bags, containers and water bottles for easy access and to reduce the likelihood of choosing disposables. Meal planning is a great way to save money with grocery shopping and reduce waste. Check out our Guide to Reduce Food Waste for all the details.

Getting Started

Lifestyle changes don’t happen all at once. It’s about building habits that will last. Start with one area to focus on. It can be decluttering one room, setting up your recycling station, selecting earth-friendly products, or simply reducing your purchases of new items. Small sustainability steps will lead to creating an organized and functional home that works better for you and makes a meaningful impact on our environment.

eco-friendly home organization, professional home organizer, Organized Jill Winston-Salem NC

If you need a hand decluttering and organizing your home, we’re here to help! Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and surrounding areas? Contact Organized Jill for a complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation
Think Big for Small Spaces

Think Big for Small Spaces

Posted on by jillmoore

Living in a small space can feel a little…well tight. If you feel like you are in a constant state of “Where did I put that?”, you may be feeling frustrated with your space. When you have limited square footage to work with, it can be easy for clutter to creep in. Just because your space is cozy doesn’t mean it has to be cramped. Whether you are needing to maximize your closet space, find a way to store items or simply want a little more wiggle room, we’ve got you covered! Let’s dive into some space saving organizing strategies you can implement in your space.

storage and organizing solutions for small spaces, professional organizer, Organized Jill Winston Salem, NC

Think Vertical

When it comes to organizing a small space, you have to think past the floor space. Look up and use that wall space to creatively store your items. This goes a long way in helping to keep the floors clear and your surfaces clutter free.

  • Shelves can be installed above doors or above furniture that sits against the wall
  • Hooks are perfect for hanging bags, utensils or towels
  • Tall bookcases can work well to both display and store items

Double Duty Furniture

Furniture with built in storage gives you space to store with style! If you are working with less space, opt for multifunctional pieces that both serve its intended purpose and provide a secret spot to tuck things away. 

  • Storage ottomans for blankets, books and toys
  • Beds with built-in drawers for stowing away seasonal clothing or extra bedding
  • Coffee tables with compartments for magazines, remotes and other living room essentials
storage and organizing solutions for small spaces, professional organizer, Organized Jill Winston Salem, NC

Hello Corners

Don’t let that valuable corner space sit empty. Let your corners shine and help you make the most of every inch of space. Corners are prime spots to help organize your small space.

  • Corner shelves for displaying and storing your items
  • Corner baskets for toys, blankets and other random items
  • Corner desk can work great to maximize your workspace

Creative Storage

Some of the  best storage solutions just need a little imagination. Think of spaces that, with the right storage solutions, can really help you take advantage of the otherwise unused space.  

  • Backs of doors using organizers or hooks for a variety of items
  • Under the bed for linens, luggage or anything you need a little extra space for
  • Decorative storage boxes can add to your decor while storing your stuff

A small space doesn’t mean you have to have clutter. All you need is a plan with a side of creativity to optimize your storage and create an organized space you will love to hang out in! Don’t forget to declutter regularly and only keep what you need and use to keep the amount of things you have to store and organize under control.

If you need a hand organizing your small space, we’re here to help! 
Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and surrounding areas?
Contact Organized Jill for a complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation
Pantry Happiness

Pantry Happiness

Posted on by jillmoore

Sweet sunshine and pantry happiness! This week was such a fun week- I got to break out my drill, TWICE, to install new pantries for two awesome families! Pantries come in all shapes, styles, and sizes; but some things are similar- including my favorite pantry storage enhancements. 

Pantry storage containers are all the rage on social media platforms like TikTok and Pinterest. You can often see perfectly organized pantries full of aesthetically pleasing canisters holding dry goods. Have you been wondering how to imitate the look in your own home while staying on a budget? If so, you’re in the perfect place because I’ve done the research for you!

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My Top 5 Favorite & Inexpensive Storage Containers to Achieve Pantry Happiness

Product #1: OXO POP Containers

OXOs have been a favorite in my home long before I became a Professional Home Organizer (I used to do boring office work before I became a certified organizer). Not only are they on trend, but they’re also airtight. An airtight seal is an important feature for keeping all your dry-goods fresh over time. Another great feature: they’re easily stackable! Being able to stack them makes this set perfect for apartments and homes with smaller kitchens.

Product #2: Water Hyacinth Baskets

It’s very likely that you have items in your pantry that aren’t dry goods or not designed to fill a container like the previous set. These baskets are perfect for miscellaneous snacks, chips, baked goods, fruits, and vegetables. Most basket options also come with handles and are deep enough to hold all your various odds and ends, as well as backstock items. 

Product #3: Can Risers

Storing canned goods is always a hassle. They can take up a whole shelf in your pantry even when double stacked. A can riser is a great solution! These risers can hold cans of various sizes and you can organize your cans by the purpose and their contents. 

Product #4: Adjustable Door Racks

One way to increase your pantry space is by hanging the rack to the inside of your pantry door or by mounting it to a wall within a walk-in pantry space. These racks can hold anything from bottles of wine to baking supplies. They’re one of the only ways to truly increase your space!

Product #5: Stackable Plastic Bins

What’s great about stackable bins is their versatility. You can store an array of items in these bins such as individually wrapped snacks and like items. Also these bins are available in deep sizes as well, which can help you keep miscellaneous pantry items up off the floor. 

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It’s not always easy to maximize the space you have in your kitchen pantry. Luckily, the right storage products can assist you in doing just that while also allowing you to organize all your pantry items. If you need help getting your pantry organized, we would be happy to work with you! Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and surrounding areas? Contact Organized Jill to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation
Back To School Organization

Back To School Organization

Posted on by jillmoore

It sometimes can seem that as soon as that last bell rings in June, it’s already time for back to school organization. Before you know it, you will be bombarded with all the new supply lists from teachers, and faced with the tasks of preparing your children’s rooms for the back to school shuffle. Summer just seems to go by more quickly each year. The back to school shuffle can throw anyone’s schedule and sense of normality into a tizzy. While creating morning routines and schedules – and easing into them a week or so before school – are great ways to prepare, they tend to be highly personalized to each family and household needs. But fear not! Here are some ideas and tips that can help make your back to school organization before the new school year a bit more seamless.

10 Organizing Tips for Back to School

1. Curate Your Entryway

Establishing a spot in your entryway for everything your kids need to get out the door is a great way to get organized. Not only does it keep everything in one spot to grab as you head out, it helps keep down clutter at the end of the day. Ideally you will want to create a spot to hang backpacks, coats, and lunchboxes. If space allows, using a bench and having a spot for shoes can really help cut down on clutter and the time (and effort) it takes to get the kids out the door each morning.

2. Create a Shared School Calendar

We are 100% in the digital age and many of us rely on our technology to schedule our weeks. Once your schools have published their academic calendar, look over it and put any notable dates in your phone’s calendar app. It often helps to create a new calendar and color-code it so you can see exactly what you need at a quick glance. Don’t forget to share the calendar with anyone else that helps you or your kids during the school year.

Pro Tip: Schedule notifications for the Sunday before the dates of picture days, early dismissals, and no-school days to keep you prepared.

3. Inventory Clothing

Without a doubt, your kid(s) have outgrown some of their clothing this summer. They’ve likely stained and worn out a few items as well. Before you go out and buy new items for the school year, sort through their closets and drawers to pull out what’s no longer useful. This will help make space for new items and allow you to take inventory of items that are needed.

4. Use Pantry Organizers in the Fridge 

Plastic organizers are a massive help in the pantry, but you can also put them to great use inside your fridge. It’s a great way to organize the various items you’ll put with daily lunches – cheese sticks, yogurts, etc.. This is also an easy way to separate these items to create a “don’t touch” area to help minimize those times when you try to pack a lunch and have magically run out of something. 

5. After School Routine Clock

The time after school can be a vacuum where plans seem to vanish and order turns to a chaotic free-for-all. Look over your after-school activities and evaluate how your family best operates in the afternoons. You’ll need to use a mechanical clock that you can take apart and replace the face. Once you have your clock apart, create a color coded face with each color representing a segmented time for a specific activity. If homework is something that is routinely assigned, make a segment of time just for that. If there’s no homework, keep the routine by making it a reading time. Other segments to consider are free time, dinner prep, prepping for the following day, and bedtime.

6. Homework Stations

If your home does not have the space to create a permanent desk for your kid(s) to do their homework at, then consider making a modular solution that can be setup anywhere – but creating a go-to spot would also be preferred to create a consistent environment. Most of the time you’ll just need the basics like a flat surface for writing and a container for utensils. Gather the supplies your child will commonly need, then organize those things in something like a desk organizer. Keeping everything organized in containers will help your family setup and remove the work station with ease.

7. Meal Prep to Save Time

Use the weekend to your advantage and meal prep on Sundays. Having everything (or mostly everything) ready will help make the evenings a breeze. Additionally, having most of the meals prepped can make asking for help and adding dinner prep to a chore chart a lot less daunting for your family. You can apply this for school lunches as well.

8. Create a Supply Stash

What should you do with all the extra supplies that don’t need to go to school? Don’t put them in your kids’ craft area. You’ll likely need these supplies at some point in the school year and having them on-hand will save unplanned trips to the store for the random glue stick. Use an organization system that separates the supplies by type or by child and store them in a place that is out of the way.

9. Get Ready for First Day Photos

We all love first day photos. They’re a great way to commemorate a new stage of your child’s journey. Now is the perfect time to start scouring Pinterest for inspiration and start preparing any signs, props, hair styles, or anything else you would like to feature. 

10. Organize Lunch Boxes

Have you ever made your child’s lunch only to realize the lid for a very specific container has gone missing? I think we’ve all been there to some extent. Create an organization system that is specifically designed for lunch boxes and containers. Yes, it’s taking away some of your pantry or cabinet space, but having everything separated (that is, not with all the other reusable containers) will make those “off” mornings a lot easier.

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If you need help getting your home (and family) ready for the school year, we’re here to help! If you need help with your decluttering journey, we’re here to help! Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and surrounding areas? Contact Organized Jill to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation

How to Declutter your Home in 30 Days

Posted on by jillmoore
professional home organizing, professional decluttering, how to declutter, home organization tips, organized jill professional home organizer winston salem north carolina

I am going to share with you the one thing that I know you’ve all been waiting for,
direct from your favorite Home Organizer: How to Declutter your Home in 30 Days

Before You Start

Decluttering an entire house can easily feel overwhelming, but with a few considerations you can combat overwhelm and set yourself up for success. I happen to be a decluttering expert, so you are in the right place for tips!

Set Realistic Expectations

It’s important to have realistic expectations. Each room is a mini-project and comes with its own set of challenges, which becomes a bit easier to manage when you go systematically room-by-room. If you have kids or other people living with you, then you might feel like you can never keep up, but progress is always progress and each room you declutter will continue to become easier to reset.

Items Without Homes

There’s a simple rule in the world of decluttering, “If something doesn’t have a home, it’s clutter and needs to be removed so cleaning can happen.” This can be a hard rule to live by and the decisions this forces us into can be quite rough. One method to make this a bit easier is to use bins to help sort through your homeless items. Once you’ve gone through a room, revisit this bin and see if there are enough useful items that you could make a home for, but be careful not to simply create more clutter by keeping items you don’t really need. 

One takeaway in this section is to be ready to make hard decisions as you declutter.

Sorting Items

As mentioned above, it can be very useful to designate bins to categorize your items. Having these bins at the ready can help keep you in the flow of decluttering. Instead of taking that rogue toy to the playroom, just toss it in a designated bin and take those items to their home when you’re done decluttering the prioritized room.

Some good categories for your bins could be:

  • Keep – for items you’d like to keep, but can’t find the best home for just yet.
  • Move – for items that have a home, but need to be moved to another room.
  • Donate/Sell – for items that are still in good condition, but you haven’t used enough to justify keeping.
  • Trash or Recycle – any remaining items

Keep Momentum

Practice keeping your momentum by breaking each room into smaller segments. This can help you feel the progress you’re making and avoid discouragement when you don’t have time to complete a full room. As we all battle for time, set yourself up for easy wins by starting simple with a table top, a small cabinet, or a category (like shoes) that can be completed in a short amount of time. If you don’t have time to continue, then you still made some progress. If you have time to continue, then use the momentum you generated to keep going.

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If you need help with your decluttering journey, we’re here to help! Are you local to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and surrounding areas? Contact Organized Jill to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Schedule a Consultation