Get to Know Your Organizer: Aundrea
What interests you about professional organizing?
No two organizing jobs are alike. The variety offered in meeting new people and helping them to achieve their organizational vision makes professional organizing such a rewarding choice. I love the feeling of success and satisfaction a well organized space can provide for everyone involved. The outward transformation of a space can often bring inward transformations; it is an honor to help guide others through that process.
How did you get into professional organizing?
I find people are curious about this. I can only say that I believe it was something I was born doing. At a very young age I was the girl that would go to my friends’ houses and suggest we clean their room. For fun. I was probably a popular guest among my friends’ parents. Professional organizing seems to be such a natural fit for me. I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t organizing something in my life, in one way or another. I’m a mom of two and I’ve observed that my youngest seems to be very interested in arranging his environment. From the time he was about 7mos old he began to arrange his toys into similar groups. I realize from observing him that some of my organizational skills can really be contributed to instinct. I think it’s just how my brain works. I tend to approach organization like a puzzle; all the pieces are in front of me and it’s my challenge to arrange them in a way that makes sense.
Ultimately, it was knowing that I had the instinct and drive to organize that I knew pursuing professional organizing would benefit myself and others.
What’s the best part about helping clients get more organized?
I love working with people. I enjoy seeing how others live—from traditions to daily life. I also love simplifying the day-to-day aspects of life so that we are free to enjoy the things that matter most to us. It’s something different for everyone, but when we really challenge ourselves with honesty, I think it’s people, connections, and experiences that enrich our lives the most. When we reduce and manage the clutter our priorities and goals are free to flourish without the burden of that extra energy spent on containing our stuff. That kind of freedom is something we should all enjoy, and I love helping others achieve that.
What’s the biggest challenge in helping clients get more organized?
The biggest challenge in helping others get more organized is helping someone let go of what won’t fit into a limited space. I know how items can hold memories and value for us, and knowing when to hold on and when to let go of an item can be a challenge. It has to be the client’s choice to let go of something and helping others down the path of discerning can be a journey.
What’s a typical session with you like?
In a typical organizing session, we’ll first review how you use each area of your house. Then we start in on whatever is presenting the biggest challenge to you. I’m there to help you solve whatever feels most perplexing. I’ll ask questions about how you use the space and how you’d like it to function. We’ll sort, arrange and together we can make sense of the best way to use your space.
What’s your favorite organizing tool?
I love using labels. It could be in the form of a label maker, printed labels, or tags. There’s endless options for labeling items and their use is indispensable in the clarity it provides for a space.
What do you spend time doing when you aren’t organizing?
Exploring my interests and spending time with my friends and family helps me stay centered. I enjoy anything from good conversations to taking my kids to the park or theatre, a festival, traveling, or finding something new to experience. I spend a lot of time with my two young kids, whom I homeschool. I do a lot of regular and necessary mom things like laundry, cooking and cleaning. I try to involve my kids in as much of the daily tasks as I can while I slow down and savor the moments when one or both of them wants to help me around the house.
I also enjoy my own time to read, reflect, garden, cook, craft, write, play the piano, listen to music, and dance. The top things that make me feel like ME are expressing myself through dancing, music, creativity, self reflection, and connecting with others. I often take way too many pictures. I love a good story. I like to laugh but have a very serious side too. I have to make sure I feed my own soul so that I’m recharged which means sometimes I need and cherish quiet time to myself. Professionally, I also enjoy photography and accessories design. A few of my close friends are small business owners. I especially delight in seeing others succeed at their own dreams and ambitions, which is why I take time to support and connect with local businesses and artists as well. I rarely if ever experience a dull moment; I am equally content with and continually balancing between my own time to myself and connecting in some way with friends and family.
What’s your favorite household appliance?
Besides the big ones like the stove, vacuum cleaner, and washer / dryer, I really like my stick immersion blender. I use it to blend large pots of soup, or make smoothies directly in the cup I’m using. It’s so much easier to clean than a large blender and gets the job done quickly. It does the job of multiple kitchen appliances, and since it’s on the smaller side it takes up little space to store!
What are three words that best describe your personality?
Perceptive, compassionate, determined
And finally…What are a couple of your favorite online resources for organizing?
I love using Pinterest to gather fresh ideas for organizing. I used to clip magazines way before the digital age, but I like that I can eliminate the paper clutter. Pinterest can organize anything from recipe ideas to crafts, home decor ideas, and any other thing imaginable.