Pam Powers - Organizing & Decluttering

10/05/2025

This page is getting too many nonsense messages so I'm ignoring it. If you'd like to reach me, please find my personal page here on FB and DM me. Thanks!

01/29/2025

How to tell if you are "cluttered" or "messy"... Messy is temporary. You've spread some books and papers out for a project, or you've left the newspaper and your coffee cup on the table and gone on to do something else. Cluttered is a lifestyle. There are papers from the past week (or more) on the table, and you're drinking your coffee out of your kid's sippy cup because all the mugs are dispersed through your house and car -- half-filled. Call me if you're cluttered :D You can fix your own messy!

(Pictures created with AI; no clients have been shamed 😊)

08/19/2024

I'm excited that the signs on my car are attracting interest! In CA I worked almost exclusively via word-of-mouth. That's still the best way to get new business (love those referrals!) but in a new area I've had to reach out. Today I met a very nice young man (well, younger than me) while getting gas and now have a consult with him this week.

He was happy to hear that my consult is free! It's my way of advertising myself plus I get to see my client's space and get an idea of their goals. I'm currently working with a very lovely lady who is turning a building on her property into a guest room and crafting area. We are sifting through years of stored "stuff" that now needs to find a new home. Never a dull moment!

08/03/2024

A new season is on the horizon and I've been investigating my closet to see what will transition well into fall. I'm a big believer in light jackets, cardigans, and other "toppers" to extend the wear of lightweight shirts and blouses, so have many in a variety of colors and styles. Any solid shirt can instantly be perked up with a patterned jacket or even a solid one + a statement necklace.

The key is to have enough storage for all that mixing and matching. Many closets (especially in older homes) have one rod across and that's it. Investing in a new rod or two to double up the hanging space is key to being able to have more things without having them become wrinkled by being crammed into place.

I found this picture online that shows my favorite way to set up a closet. Two rods for shirts/jackets and pants, then a smaller area for long-hang items, like dresses and coats. I always favor a dresser for things like socks/underwear/pajamas, etc. instead of using shelves or drawers in a closet simply because drawers in a closet structure are expensive! You can get an inexpensive dresser anywhere to hold "the smalls". I have used baskets to hold those things on shelves in closets that came with an excess of shelves, but I always feel that hanging room is more important.

My husband and I have separate closets. His is very small and quirky and doesn't hold much so I built him an additional closet unit that sits against a bedroom wall that has several hanging areas as well as baskets and shelves. We hang all his clothing as he is a visual storer and needs to see everything he owns. I bought that unit on Amazon, but other companies have them as well.

Special shelves for shoes are a personal choice. I prefer stand-alone shoe racks that sit on the floor in order to have more hanging room, but nicer shoes are better off stored in boxes or shoe bags. Same with handbags; if they came with a storage bag, use it! It will keep the leather nicer.

Keep in mind the things you need to use the most so that you can use your space more efficiently. I saw a closet online recently that had a shelf filled with expensive designer sunglasses. They were important to the owner and she wanted to see them. Personally I would store each in its own case to reduce dust and scratches, but I understand the feeling of opening a closet door to see everything you own stored really well. It really is a wonderful feeling!

If new rods aren't in the cards, sort your clothing from light to dark by type of clothing so that it's really easy to find things. I go from white to black with all the colors in between. Finding a top is a snap!

Have fun with your closet and make it your own. Forget trying to make it look like something in a magazine; real people have a lot of stuff! Magazine pictures show about 20 items total which is so unrealistic. Definitely declutter; definitely donate some pieces; definitely buy a few new things to jazz up the seasonal wardrobe! Shopping is fun but organization is awesome, LOL!

05/26/2024

It's a warm quiet day here today. After a short outing to the park with Poochie ( ) I decided to clean out the freezer of leftovers and turn them into brand new food.

First up: Quiche. Julia Child's recipe for onion tart is my go-to, and I have a bag of onions that aren't getting any younger, so browning onions is my first task. Usually while that's going on I make the crust(s), but today I am cheating and using pre-made deep-dish pie crusts I bought at the grocery store. I'll also include leftover ham, shredded cheese, and some garlic. Once they're cooked I'll cut and freeze in quarter-sized portions to pull out a bit at a time.

Next: Chicken. I have thighs in the crockpot with two peeled and chopped sweet potatoes that were just starting to sprout (whoops). After everything cooks I'll have cooked chicken to freeze and use later for tacos, enchiladas, salads, etc. The potatoes I'll mash and serve tonight with some sauteed shrimp, which is Hubby's favorite.

Next: Vegetable Soup. I was at a party where someone brought a veggie platter and didn't want to take home the leftovers. I took them home and froze them. Today I broke them out and chopped up the carrots which I'll add to the chicken broth I've already got in the freezer, chicken (see above), a couple of cans of corn I got on sale, and a can of beans.

Next: Pasta Topping. That same veggie platter had small tomatoes, which I saved in the refrigerator. I'll halve them, saute in olive oil and garlic, add the shrimp, and add some chopped green onion that I've been saving. That will be most of the dinner tonight.

Why do this? For me it's fun: it's like a puzzle (or an episode of "Chopped") to see how much I can use and not waste. We don't like eating a lot of leftovers, so changing the food makes it appear different.

Also, I am very motivated to improve my gut biome by eating at least 20 different plants each week based on an article I read in AARP. Nuts count, so instead of a handful of cashews we'll have mixed nuts. I bought large see-through containers at Big Lots for the new snack mixes I'll be making with dried fruit, nuts, and small crackers/pretzels.

If I eat just a portion of each food I've listed above this week, I'll be at 8 plants right off the bat, and that's just dinners (I'm counting garlic as a plant). Adding at least one fruit to breakfast and two vegetables at lunch (lettuce and tomato on a sandwich, or raw veggies dipped in dressing), will boost me 20 more plants, well over my target goal.

The harder part, for me, is varying the diet so that I'm not just eating the same thing over and over. Tonight I'll add roasted Brussels Sprouts to my meal and I'll be choosing more vegetable-oriented salads at the grocery store tomorrow instead of pasta-based.

To help me, I downloaded an "Eat the Rainbow" worksheet from a vendor on Etsy. I'll be able to check off which items I've eaten each day to keep myself accountable. I printed off sheets for my husband and my cousins, too, as they are all on different food journeys.

Best of all, I'm decluttering our snack area, the freezer, and the refrigerator AND saving money. Win-win!

04/23/2024

I heard through the grapevine that someone local would be moving soon, so I saved all the boxes, paper, and bubble wrap from my cross-country move and stored them in my cousin's garage. It was all very neat; I folded the paper and the bubble wrap (and resisted popping any of the bubbles), but it is still taking up space. And... now we've discovered that the person is no longer moving. Of course!

Would anyone in the area local to Decatur, Alabama like a whole bunch of very nice Home Depot moving boxes? They are primarily "smalls" with some "mediums" thrown in for good measure. I also have several heavy-duty cardboard boxes which we used to pack our artwork and televisions. They sell for about $35/each, but I am willing to give them for FREE to anyone who will come pick up all this stuff and get it out of the way. No cherry picking! Take it all. Please. DM me.

(The lady featured in the picture exemplifies my potential joy when all the boxes are gone.)

04/21/2024

Shelf extenders are the very best organizational tools EVER! I love, love, love them. They solve the problem of Too Much Stacking. If you have to move one or two (or more) things to get to the item you need, you'll quickly grow weary.

Make life a little easier for yourself. Set your adjustable shelves as high as they'll go then add extenders to use that vertical space.

Shelf extenders can be found at Target, Walmart, Amazon...and my favorite, estate and garage sales! New or used...they work the same.

04/15/2024

Last year was a long year for our family filled with decisions for new adventures and some hard good-byes. In January, my husband and I set out for Decatur, Alabama to start our golden years of retirement. However, as anyone who knows me can attest, it is difficult for me to sit still for very long. Thus, I've decided to see what good I can do for the fine people of northern Alabama with regard to decluttering and organizing their spaces. Consultations are FREE! Call me at 714-728-3660 to get started. I'm great for folks who need to "right" size their homes or get ready for a move to a smaller place.

Pam has been organizing professionally for the past 14 years. No job is too unusual; many times people have specific needs that just don't fit a particular category. I offer a free consultation, so call me and let's talk about it.

11/05/2023

When packing items for a move, making sure they arrive in one piece is very important! For items with lots of pieces, or things that are fragile, I use a resealable bag. Place the item inside, then blow a little air in the bag and seal it quickly. This will create a cushion of air and prevent the item from hitting things. I prefer to wrap the item in paper or bubble wrap first so that it doesn't hit the sides of the bag. This hand-crafted doll is a great example. The raffia gown is fragile and I don't want it to bend or wrinkle. Problem solved!

10/27/2023