Blog

In addition to actually doing the organizing, another of Angie’s passions is writing about organizing.

She has been writing a blog on organizing ever since Shipshape Solutions launched in 2016. Most of the blog posts were also published as monthly newspaper articles in the Kingsport Times-News and Johnson City Press.

To access the Shipshape Solutions Blog, you can either:

Click on a category below to see all the blog entries from that category; OR
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Angie Hyche 11/2/24 Angie Hyche 11/2/24

Empower Your Kids: Teach Them to Be Organized

Do your child's belongings seem to multiply overnight? Are you constantly tripping over toys or searching for lost items? If so, it’s time to introduce them to decluttering and organizing. These important skills can help children develop a sense of order, responsibility, and self-sufficiency, all of which will serve them well throughout their lives.

While it might be tempting to assume they’ll learn to declutter and organize at school, these disciplines are best learned at home. As a parent, you’re in the perfect position to teach them how to be responsible for their belongings and their spaces. In this article, you’ll learn key concepts and specific techniques for teaching your children how to declutter and organize.

Angie Hyche 3/7/21 Angie Hyche 3/7/21

Help! The Toys are Taking Over!

Each time I help families with young children organize, I notice many similarities. Although most families attempt to limit the amount of toys their children receive, the sheer number mysteriously multiplies. And, despite the family’s best efforts to limit the rooms in which toys are allowed, the toys manage to travel to other rooms anyway. Before you know it, toys are everywhere, and they’re a major contributor to clutter. It’s a constant struggle to stay on top of the situation. In this article, I share some common practices that have proved particularly helpful to tame the toy takeover.

Angie Hyche 8/7/18 Angie Hyche 8/7/18

Better Organizing=Better Grades

For many students and parents alike, grades are the biggest worry throughout the school year. This worry starts early and continues throughout all grade levels, even into the college years. It can often seem like so much is riding on these scores. So many factors can influence grades, and volumes of research have been done to find the magic formula to produce top marks. When I think back over my school years and those of my children, I am convinced that the most important factor in achieving good grades was simply being organized. While intellect, creativity, and study methods definitely played a part, basic organizing skills were pivotal in achieving good results.

Angie Hyche 7/12/18 Angie Hyche 7/12/18

How to Pack Bags for Frequent Activities

Now that we’re in the heart (and heat) of the summer, most of us are really on the move! Not only are we traveling more, but we are likely also headed to the pool, summer camp, rehearsal, sports practice, hiking or biking, and the gym, among others. Most of these activities require you to bring along supplies of some sort. Don’t you hate remembering at the last minute that you need to bring something but you can’t find it? How about arriving for an activity only to find out that you’ve forgotten something essential? Moments like this sure can turn a relaxing summer day into a stressful one quickly. How can you be assured that you will always arrive to these activities on time with everything you need? By planning ahead and organizing, of course! Here are my top suggestions for packing bags for frequent activities: