Angie Hyche 6/5/22 Angie Hyche 6/5/22

A Sentimental Journey: What to Do If It’s Special

Sentimental items are especially difficult to deal with because of the associated memories. Since they can often be an emotional landmine, I recommend using tips like the ones in this article to help you make the best decisions.

Angie Hyche 5/1/22 Angie Hyche 5/1/22

Five Organizing Lessons I Learned from Mom

Our mothers or other parental figures are often responsible for teaching us basic organizing principles that serve us well throughout our lives. In this article that published just before Mother’s Day 2022, I share five of the most important organizing lessons I learned from my Mom.

Angie Hyche 4/3/22 Angie Hyche 4/3/22

Phone Addiction: A Hard Habit to Break

I’m a bit of a tech lover, so of course I love my iPhone. But it’s been a HUGE source of attention clutter for me. In this article, I share my journey and practical tips for breaking the addiction to my phone.

Angie Hyche 3/6/22 Angie Hyche 3/6/22

Don’t Let Your Crafts Become Clutter

Those of us who love crafting know that it requires LOTS of supplies. Without careful planning, crafts can be a source of clutter! My latest newspaper article gives practical tips for preventing craft clutter.

One of my best opening lines ever may whet your appetite to read this one—"In a moment of temporary insanity in 2017, I purchased a stack of wooden crates filled with vintage 1986 Tennessee Homecoming Centennial Coke bottles."

Angie Hyche 2/6/22 Angie Hyche 2/6/22

Chaotic Closet No More

The winner of the Chaotic Closet Contest received a fantastic prize—a custom closet renovation by A Place for Everything Closets and free decluttering and organizing. Take a look at this transformation!

Angie Hyche 1/2/22 Angie Hyche 1/2/22

Ten Myths about Professional Organizers, Busted! (Part 2)

Whenever I introduce myself as a professional organizer, there are several common responses. The most common response is a blank stare and the reply, “What’s that?” Many of the other common responses are included in this list of myths below, along with a myth-busting explanation for each. This is the second of a two part article. Read on to test your knowledge and to determine whether you might benefit from hiring an organizer.

Angie Hyche 12/5/21 Angie Hyche 12/5/21

Ten Myths about Professional Organizers, Busted

Whenever I introduce myself as a professional organizer, there are several common responses. The most common response is a blank stare and the reply, “What’s that?” Many of the other common responses are included in this list of myths below, along with a myth-busting explanation for each. This is a two part article, with five myths included in each. Read on to test your knowledge of professional organizing and to determine whether an organizer might be helpful for you.

Angie Hyche 11/7/21 Angie Hyche 11/7/21

Three Wise Tips for an Organized Holiday Season

It’s early November, and I don’t know about you, but I start getting a little anxious about this time every year just thinking about the upcoming holiday season. With warnings of supply chain issues, some retailers are starting extra early with holiday promotions. Although some people say the holidays are “the most wonderful time of the year,” they can also be a stressful time. In this article, I’ll share three wise tips to help you be more organized and less stressed this holiday season.

Angie Hyche 10/3/21 Angie Hyche 10/3/21

Clutter Conflict: What If My Partner Won’t Declutter?

One of the questions I am asked most often is, “How can I make my spouse/roommate/child/etc. declutter?” It’s a common dilemma, and unfortunately, the answer isn’t an easy one. My purpose in this article is to help you understand how clutter can sometimes lead to conflict and what you can do to solve the conflict.

Angie Hyche 9/5/21 Angie Hyche 9/5/21

Shipshape Turns Five: Reflections on Five Years as a Business Owner

The month of August, 2021 was the fifth anniversary of my professional organizing business. While every anniversary is significant, this one represents a monumental landmark. Read on to find out why #5 is extra special and for significant events in the timeline of my business.

Angie Hyche 8/1/21 Angie Hyche 8/1/21

Cleaning, Organizing, & Decluttering: What's the Difference?

Many times since launching Shipshape Solutions in 2016, people have confused cleaning with organizing or decluttering. In fact, I often hear all three of these terms used synonymously. Although the terms are related, they're definitely not the same thing. This article explains each of these terms and how they are related using the example of a cluttered kitchen counter.

Angie Hyche 7/4/21 Angie Hyche 7/4/21

Got a Chaotic Closet? This Free Contest Could Solve Your Problem!

In this article, we announce the partnership with A Place for Everything Closets for the Chaotic Closet Contest. You’ll also find plenty of organizing tips for your bedroom closet.

Angie Hyche 6/6/21 Angie Hyche 6/6/21

Organizing is Hard. Chaos is Hard. Choose Your Hard.

Ultimately, we can choose the hard of organizing or the hard of disorganization’s consequences. It’s our choice. After five years of helping clients organize, I can tell you with surety that time spent organizing is worth it. The hard of organizing causes less suffering than the hard of chaos.

Angie Hyche 5/2/21 Angie Hyche 5/2/21

The Beauty of Minimalism is Finding the More of Less

What do you think of when you hear the word minimalism? Before reading this book, the word minimalism brought to mind bare white walls, tiny houses, and young tree huggers. I sure had a lot to learn. Minimalism, according to Joshua Becker, is “the intentional promotion of the things we value and the removal of anything that distracts us from them”. Only when we get rid of what is distracting us can we really focus on what is most important. This is a message that is desperately needed in our society, where we are increasingly encouraged to own more and to do more. Our homes are filled with stuff, our calendars are filled with activities, and none of it makes us happy.

Angie Hyche 4/4/21 Angie Hyche 4/4/21

Cool Organizing Tips for Your Refrigerator

Most of us would probably agree that the kitchen is the heart of the home. We find ourselves in the kitchen not just around mealtimes, but also when we want a quick snack or beverage. It’s also the space where people naturally gather. If the kitchen is the heart of the home, the refrigerator is the heart of the kitchen. Whether we’re gathering ingredients to make dinner or just perusing the contents for a snack, we’re all looking for a positive experience when we open that refrigerator door.

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 2/10/21 Angie Hyche 2/10/21

Love Your Family? Get it Together!

One of the most loving things you can do for your family is to get all of your records together so that your loved ones are prepared if anything happens to you. This article will give you the inspiration and tools you need to give what may be the best gift you’ll ever give to your children and grandchildren.

Angie Hyche 1/4/21 Angie Hyche 1/4/21

Clutter: It Goes Much Deeper than Just Our Stuff

We live in a culture of abundance. Many of us are able to buy every possession we need and more. We have a full selection of activities available to us. We own devices that can help us find information, stay entertained, updated, and connected to friends and family at all times. But our abundance comes at a serious price. We’ve filled our homes and our lives to overflowing but have neglected to see the damage it can do to us.

Have you ever wondered what our clutter does to us? Wonder no more–read on.

Angie Hyche 12/6/20 Angie Hyche 12/6/20

Like With Like

Perhaps the most universal of all organizing principles is the practice of grouping like items together. Finding what you’re looking for is so much easier if similar items are kept in the same area. It seems quite logical and basic for many people. But often I have found that although people may understand the principle, they sometimes don’t know how to put it into practice in certain areas of their home.

Angie Hyche 11/6/20 Angie Hyche 11/6/20

A Home for Everything

Out of all the principles used in organizing, this one is the most important by far! Not only is it essential to the process of organization, it is also extremely versatile. It can be used to order anything from dishes to shoes to time to ideas. I dare say that without employing this fundamental rule, any attempt to establish or maintain order will fail. What is this vital practice, and how can you use it to organize your home?

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