Give to the needy, receive the gift of an organized home

Jill Brackett-Coppler

(Updated: Thursday, November 27, 2008, 12:00 AM)

"It's the perfect time of the year to de-clutter," said Brenda McElroy, owner of Organized By Choice, to the group of moms assembled at YLP Community Church for their monthly MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) meeting. McElroy is a personal home organizer whose business seeks to help people clear the debris out of their lives and homes.

McElroy, who started her business two years ago, has been a contributing writer for Fresno Magazine and was named Fresno's Best by the magazine in 2007.

"Serving others with my organizational skills is not just a job, it's my passion," she said.

Spanning from the Mountain Area to Clovis and Fresno, the Madera Ranchos resident offers relocation services in addition to home organizing. As a certified relocation specialist, she assists clients with both moving and downsizing -- a growing need in a difficult economy.

She touched on the economic climate during her visit to YLP. "With many charities to donate to," McElroy emphasized at the November MOPS meeting, "pre-holidays is a great time to teach kids about giving as many organizations can put donated items to good use."

McElroy's business name has a sub`title that reads, "because things don't always fall into place." She said that's especially true for young moms trying to manage their households and demanding young ones. But McElroy, mother of three herself, has been there and had plenty of tips to share.

Homes within your home

The first place to start is to find a "home" for every item, she told the group. She used the example of her husband's pile of pocket contents that he would dump on the counter when he came home from work. She simply got a small basket that held everything and put that in a drawer, which cleared counter space, and he would always know where to find it come the next day.

Other examples she showed included bins for specific toys or categories. Magnetic clips to display one piece of a child's artwork at a time, rather than having to "wallpaper your refrigerator," she said. McElroy also showed the women her "family binder" which contained sheets of information such as emergency contact numbers, house rules and several other categories -- a tip many moms scribbled in notebooks. Piles to files

An important reason to stay organized, she told the moms, is to be able to stay on top of important tasks such as paying bills. She suggested folders for categories of information such as one for event flyers or invitations that need to be kept for contact information or directions. McElroy also showed the moms a color-coded system for filing tax-related information by year. Q & A

A question-and-answer time at the end gave the moms a chance to ask specific advice.

"My kids are great with putting things away, it's my husband that is the worst. He is the wrecking ball of the family," said Natalie Cooks. Her question elicited knowing laughs from the others. "How do I encourage him?"

McElroy's response was to keep in mind that others may not see organization as a high priority and to focus on the effort being about teaching kids by positive example.

A second mom had the opposite problem.

"I have a home for everything, but my 15-month-old is always pulling everything out," said Karen Weaver. "What kind of container can I put her in?" she added jokingly. Once again, the knowing laughs of other moms told her she wasn't alone in her plight.

McElroy suggested allowing the toddler to have only one or two cabinets to explore, and enforcing a "no-go" zone for the rest. Discipline

"The best advice I can give you," McElroy said, "is that if a task takes two minutes or less, do it now." McElroy told the group that once they've got everything sorted and into its "home," discipline comes next and that can be the hardest part.

"It's a matter of making it routine," she said, adding once again that focusing on being a positive example for children might help.