Kick your clutter, 'anxiety' to the curb GET ORGANIZED
Sue Marie Bowling, a local home organizer, shows a Spotsylvania County mom how to control her laundry room clutter
Date published: 2/24/2008
By KIM BAER
The laundry closet had become the bugaboo.
But first, let's be clear: Anita Roberson likes neat.
She likes clean and organized, too. She loves the shows on HGTV, especially the ones where crews swoop in and transform "befores" into "afters."
She wants her suburban Spotsylvania County home to be in HGTV "after" shape.
But Roberson also has a full-time job in Washington, where she's a very efficient administrative officer. She cares for her elderly mother and volunteers at her church. She has a husband and a 22-year-old son at home.
She keeps her house clean. But organization had taken a back seat.
And the laundry closet was a glaring example of the lapse.
"It gives me all sort of anxiety when I open that door," she said.
This year, Roberson was ready to change that.
Last month, she entered a contest for a free in-home consultation with a certified organizer.
She entered a contest sponsored by the Richmond chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers.
She didn't win. Someone from the Richmond area did. But Stafford County home organizer Sue Marie Bowling saw her entry and decided to take her on for a free initial visit.
Roberson had listed the laundry space as a No. 1 priority on her entry form. That's what Bowling decided they'd tackle.
Bowling arrived a few minutes early to their 9 a.m. consultation. She parked her red Toyota 4Runner (license plate: I ORGNYZ) in the driveway.
She walked up to Roberson's cream-colored, two-story home in Lee's Hill subdivision.
Bowling is a tall, thin woman with bright blue eyes. She's introverted by nature, the kind of person who prefers to have her radio off while driving so she can enjoy the silence.
But when working with clients, she makes sure to be upbeat and energetic.
She exchanged friendly greetings with Anita Roberson; her mother, Ruth; and her son, Julian. Then it was time to get to work.
Bowling sat down with Roberson at her kitchen table and talked with her briefly about her organizing concerns and goals.
"The root of all organizat-ional weakness is " Bowling asked.
"For me, it's multitasking," Roberson replied.
Close, but not quite.
"Planning?" Roberson tried.
"Indecision," Bowling filled in. The laundry closet, she explained, had become a bunker of indecision.
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You're not alone.
Getting organized is one of the top five resolutions people make, according to a press release from the National Association of Professional Organizers.
NAPO has tips for getting organized, and a listing of home organizers, on napo.net.
Contact Sue Marie Bowling through her Web site, rx4order .com or at 540/659-3067.
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Date published: 2/24/2008
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