We all organize things differently, believe it or not! I will tell you right now that there are thousands of blogs, articles, books, etc that will classify people into different types of organizers. Humor me, however, and read my take on it.  

1) Ornamentals. People that might entertain others in their homes. Have you ever watched the show on Netflix, The Home Edit? Those ladies really annoy me, just their personalities, but I digress. On the show, their main theme is rainbows. They organize books, especially, but also food, so that it corresponds with ROYGBIV. Questions I have about that: A) Is the average person going to be able to keep that up? B) Does that improve functionality/accessibility in any way? The answer to both of those questions is a big fat “NO”. It looks nice, however. Ornamental, if you will.  

Ornamental folks are the kind of people that enjoy a good visual aesthetic. I think we all do, to some degree, but these folks prioritize it above all else. My husband organizes his closet by same colors, and that annoys me to death. Long sleeves, short sleeves, wife beaters, fancy clothes, all mixed together with their same-color brethren. But that’s what he likes. He is an Ornamental.  

Sometimes Ornamentals want things to look outwardly neat, but don’t actually have a system in place to organize what the content is. Some things might not look good no matter what. Kids’ art for example. If you’re a momma or papa, you might treasure the artwork your child or children have made over the years, but there isn’t always a great way to store that which “looks pretty”.  

Ornamentals enjoy symmetry, continuity in style/fonts/colors, and things to fit well into containers. There’s nothing wrong with these things, but I sometimes question whether this is always an attainable goal for some of us that tend to be more sentimental with our stuff.  

2) Minimalists. Those who only keep things that they need or use often. People on-the-go. I struggle with the idea of minimalism, mainly I guess, because I like stuff. I like having stuff in case I need stuff. Right? Well, when it comes to organization, I call Minimalist folks cheaters. It is easy to organize things when you don’t have a lot of things. One of my cleaning clients is this way. Everything has a spot, nothing is in excess, and there is a bunch of spare space. The guy doesn’t even own a toilet bowl scrubber, because he has a housekeeper. That is the kind of Minimalist I am referring to.  

3) Hufflepuffs. I’m not talking shit on Hufflepuffs, because I would be sorted into this house if I had ever received my invitation letter, but this is oddly enough not the organizational style I fit into. Hufflepuffs are the sentimental types. The “everything has meaning” types. There is something romantic about a Hufflepuff organizer, but it can be hard to get them to let go of things that they might not really need or use, plus these folks might have a lot of things that kind of get thrown wherever. Things might get lost or damaged easily due to forgetting where they are placed. That’s okay. These are the people I like to work with most when I organize professionally because you can always see the difference my help makes and sometimes creates peace where there wasn’t any before. I find that the majority of Hufflepuff organizers just need someone there to keep them focused and help them utilize their space to the highest of its potential.  

4) Type A’s. Here I am. These are the “put-the-shit-back-where-it-belongs” folks. There is a home for everything and these people are all about making their lives easier. I have a bunch of shit, but I know where everything is because everything has a home. The home that is chosen is based off of where I will use the item, what it is used for, etc. I have had to adapt a little bit, as we all do, when I got married and adopted a bunch of mischievous pets. Pens don’t hang out in a pen cup any more, they have to be hidden away in my desk for fear of being destroyed. My husband’s crap is usually strewn about, and I oftentimes put it where it actually belongs or I ask him to do so. These people truly need organization to be able to function. I sometimes have an anxiety-like attack when things get too messy or disorganized. I am sure that is a symptom of some or many various mental illnesses, but oh well! 

Those are the four types of organizers, according to me. Whichever way you best organize, sometimes life gets busy or stressful and you simply don’t have the energy to deal with it. Auntie Liz, LLC is here to help.  

Hi everyone. I just tried Seventh Generation multipurpose, disinfecting cleaner (Lemongrass Citrus scent) for the first time the other day. I wanted to give you my thoughts, as a cleaning professional, for those that are interested.

I would give it 3 out of 5 stars. I wasn’t impressed. I am thankful for this product as a “green” option for those that are eco-friendly and want to support more environmentally-sustainable companies. I also think they do a good job with bottling— it is durable and I had no problem with the sprayer, the design is also visually appealing. It isn’t horribly expensive, either. One star for being “green”, , one star for design, one star for being relatively affordable. Let’s get into why I didn’t give it more stars.

It didn’t smell great. It had a very subtle scent, which I can appreciate as someone with a discerning nose, but it really barely smelled lemongrass citrus-y. I tend to prefer cleaning agents that leave the air and surfaces smelling good, at least directly after being cleaned. I also love citrus scents for cleaners, so was disappointed when I could hardly identify any lingering citrus smell. It kind of reminded me of DIY cleaning recipes I have tried in the past. Minus one star.

It didn’t blow me away with effectiveness. I wasn’t wowed by how easy-to-use it was. I had to put some effort in to get what I was wiping up clean (it was pet waste, if you are curious). As someone that cleans for a living, I don’t want to have to put in extra physical effort if I don’t have to.

You may think, 3/5 stars, so you recommend it? No, I have worked with much better cleaning products that I prefer over Seventh Generation.

You’re supporting your community.

I care about your business. It isn’t the mindset of “Oh well, we’ll get another client”. Every single client is important to me. I don’t spend a dime on advertising (other than like business cards and t-shirts) because all of my business has been through word of mouth referrals.

Your revenue doesn’t go toward paying some high-up executive that sits in a chair and munches on Fritos throughout the day. I work hard. Your revenue goes to me (mostly my bills), my family, non-profit organizations I support weekly, and I only eat Fritos at night.

I am fully insured and licensed through the state, which provides you the same protection against liability. I am not bonded, but if that is communicated as important to my clientele, then I will look into it later on down the road.

The following are my suggestions as someone who has had A LOT of jobs, and from someone who has closely observed the practices of successful people, and earned a MBA.

Set a time limit for yourself. If you work hard at your current position and have received positive employee evaluation reviews, set a time limit for promotion. Give yourself X# of years to dedicate to the company. If you get promoted or achieve higher salary/responsibilities, then you have met your goal. If you do not get promoted, get a substantial raise, or an increase in responsibilities, then move on. Don’t spend your whole life in a position or with a company that doesn’t have any room to grow. Growth is important for you as a person, but for your career as well. Don’t stay stagnant.

Make your desires known. I own Auntie Liz, LLC but I also work full-time remotely for a start-up company based out of California. I told my manager in my interview that I had over ten years of experience, a Masters degree, and will prove to be a hardworking employee, but I expect growth opportunities within the company or else I will eventually find a position that offers me these options. I set expectations early. I have taken on additional responsibilities on initiative, as well as asked for them. I have made my desires clear to my manager (not just in an employee evaluation), so that there can be no room for misinterpretation.

Continue your education. You don’t have to be over-educated with a graduate degree, like me. When you continue your education, this can be a variety of job-specific things. My husband, who is one of the smartest people I know, is in IT. He got tired of being passed up for promotion after promotion and doing the same menial labor after he had obtained specific certifications in his field, earned his Bachelor degree, and took on leadership roles within his company. He actively asked for chances to shadow some of the senior IT professionals, but oftentimes those requests got denied. When it became apparent to him that he would not have opportunities to grow and learn, he recently found a position at a company where he earns literally twice the salary as he did previously. They appreciated his knowledge and desire for growth, as it should be.

Try to be patient. This is hard for me. I am waaaaaay overqualified for my full-time job, but I enjoy the work greatly. I have only been with the company for 6 months, and admittedly unreasonably, I feel like I should be further along than I am. Give your managers time to recognize your talent, establish your commitment to the company, and prove your worth. This isn’t instantaneous, like I wish it were sometimes.

Know your worth. This is another area that I actively work on. Research salaries in your field or for the positions that take on the tasks that you do. Ask for more. Realize how often your manager depends on you. Take note of additional tasks you complete that are outside of your job description. Take your education into account. Find discrepancies in other employees’ pay with your own, if you have access or have been informed of that information. Glassdoor is an excellent site for this kind of research–also BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics). Request to make more money and you will. Be confident, you deserve this.

I have spent many of the most energetic years of my life with companies that didn’t allow me to grow. I loved the work I did, so I settled. Don’t settle. You can be valued and successful if you set yourself up for it correctly. Follow these tips. I give them out freely, but this is experience, education, and observation that I have accumulated over several years of my life. Work isn’t family, but work takes up so much of our lives that it worth investing in to avoid being miserable.

My husband and I grew up with families in two very different tax brackets. He rarely had to do many chores around the house–in all fairness, he was very involved in school/sports/band, etc. I had chores starting when I was a kid and was able to earn an allowance, although mostly, doing chores was just to help out around the house. I could be pretty biased, but I think having kids do chores helps develop necessary skills, as well as teach responsibility.

Well, as a result of not having to do many chores as a kid, in addition to never really asking his parents to teach him things, my husband ended up as an adult that didn’t know how to do basic life skills. Or as some people call it, a man child. When I met him, his mom would drive all the way up to his dorm, pick up his dirty laundry, go back to her house, do his laundry, then bring it back and PUT IT AWAY for him. At the time, my husband and I were just best friends, so he received a crock of shit from me about that.

There is nothing wrong with parents making things easier for their kids. This world sucks and good parents (like my husband’s) make it better in all the ways they possibly can. I get it…but, back to the man child.

I had to teach my husband a large variety of life skills when we started dating and eventually moved in with one another. I wasn’t planning on doing all of the housework by myself, and no one should. Oftentimes, I would get this response: “Well, I don’t know how”. To his credit, most of the time, he truly did not know how to complete an everyday task like mowing the lawn or changing a tire, etc. by himself. There were times, however, where I knew for a fact that he knew how to do something because I had either seen him do it before or taught him how to myself. I feel that this is a common problem that (mostly women) face with their significant others or roommates.

“Learned Helplessness” as therapy folks call it. Those who are used to having others do things for them or show them how to do things, folks that are afraid of stepping out to try doing something themselves, dependent folks, and those whose mental illnesses are horribly debilitating show the symptoms of learned helplessness the most frequently. This isn’t a bash on my husband or his parents at all. This behavior can be annoying, but it helps to know the reasons behind it.

People often ask me why I find cleaning and organizing so rewarding as to start my own business in this field. I like to help people. Cleaning and organizing, for a multitude of individual reasons, helps people. Teaching others life skills, helps people. Sometimes people either don’t know how, don’t have the time, or display some mental barriers, including learned helplessness, in keeping up with their homes, and I am here to help with that, without judgment.

My dad worked at his company for forty years. He hated the last ten or so. Being a high school graduate (as well as a veteran) with a family, he told me he didn’t feel like he had a choice–he felt he had to stay where he was or we would suffer for it. My dad drug his ass to work five days a week for the last ten years. I admire that dedication to family, that patience, although I don’t share it.

We have a history of heart disease from my dad’s side. That being said, I feel like the unhappiness and anxiety related to his job probably contributed a little to dad’s congestive heart failure, heart attack, etc., which has left him with a pacemaker and on boatloads of medications. His heart condition also, although an oddly positive result, led to his being let go of the company he had dedicated his life to (he could no longer perform the very physical aspects that his job entailed).

Don’t die unhappy. After forty years, some companies will let you go if you no longer serve the distinct purpose you were hired on for. A good company, however, will grow with you, work with you, and value you regardless of when life hits. Most of us will grow older, slower, etc. Don’t end up doing something you hate, for whatever reason you might have, for the rest of your life. It isn’t worth it. I don’t care how much they pay you. I’ve been given a lot of shit for jumping around in jobs before, as with a lot of other millennials. I am highly educated, a hard worker, a fiercely compassionate person, and I will NOT be treated with anything other than total trust and respect from my employer. You shouldn’t either. I started my own business, but you don’t have to be an entrepreneur to demand to be treated fairly. If your company doesn’t appreciate you, no matter what anyone says, LEAVE. Some other company will.

P.S. If you can swing it, take retirement when you become eligible for it. Don’t continue to work out of some misplaced loyalty. I don’t care how great the company is, your family, your non-working years, are yours and you’ve earned the time to rest. Rest.

An uncomfortable subject for many, but believe it or not, totally applicable to what I do as a housekeeper. Not talking about it, ignoring it, will only make things worse. Trust me, I know. I have dealt with my depression/anxiety/panic disorder since I was a teenager (at least). Let me talk to you about how it manifests, at least for me.

When I am depressed, I eat more. I sleep more. I feel pain, usually dull aches, physically. I zone out. Sometimes, when it is really a bad bout of it, I feel numb and apathetic. I get stuck in the glue trap of negativity.

My anxiety and panic is unpredictable, and I hate that. It can cause me nausea, stomach pain, headaches, sweatiness, fast heartbeat, and make me feel hot. Sometimes, even upsets my stomach. I cancel on people a lot when I am anxious, which makes me more anxious. I take criticism, even if it is good-natured and constructive, to heart, because I want perfection.

Everyone’s experience with mental illness is different. I share my experience because: 1) you are not alone, 2) this is why I am the way I am, 3) I want you to know that I understand and will NOT judge you. When you feel like crap, you don’t want to clean your house, and that is a fact. If your home is messy and/or dirty, trust me when I say that I have seen it all and I don’t care. Just let me get to work.

You don’t have to explain yourself to me. Stuff happens–life, physical or developmental disability, age, kids, pets, mental illness, or just being plain busy. I care about YOU, but I don’t have to know the reason for a messy/dirty house, because it doesn’t matter. I have worked with so many wonderful clients, some of which have told me that they suffer from mental illnesses as I do. I tell them all the same thing: the dirtiest/messiest house that I have ever cleaned is and will always be MY OWN home. Just because I clean houses for a living, doesn’t mean my house wouldn’t make the average warthog a happy camper.

The point of this post is that it is ok to not be ok, just let me take one thing off of your plate and your mind. Sending love, Liz.

-Backsplashes. You would think they’d be designed to be easily cleanable since they are specifically made to catch oil/dirt/food particles, but no. Even magic erasers have a hard time with these guys.

-Caulked areas. These pose a problem for me because if I scrub too hard or use too hard of a cleaner, some of the caulk comes out. It is a horrible, delicate balance. I usually warn my clients about the possible side effect before I clean these areas.

-Behind the toilet. Sometimes my mop won’t reach or won’t fit behind the toilet, but the bathroom truly isn’t clean until that area has been touched. So, if you see me doing yoga in your bathroom with a hand towel, that’s (most likely) why.

-Vaulted ceilings. If there are cobwebs, skylights, etc. located up in a vaulted ceiling, I will try my best with a ladder to reach it, but no promises for bigger homes. I don’t like heights as much as the next person.

-Siding. Sometimes green moldiness comes off your house’s siding with simple Dawn dish soapy water on a broom and good water pressure from your hose, but sometimes a power washer is needed–especially if that has been on there for a while. We are fighting with our new home and this issue.

-Dishes. I have clients that ask me to help out with their dishes, which is totally fine and I am up for it. It is my least favorite chore, however, and my husband does it in our home.

-Fans in kitchens. The oils from cooking usually make their way to the ceiling fans in the kitchen, effectively forming a glue to the dust that is also present. If I am to clean them, I usually ask the clients if I can have the blades unscrewed so I can soak them for a while before attempting to clean them off.

-Kids’ rooms. Don’t act like you didn’t notice. Glue. Stickers. Glitter. Etc. A horrible amount of sticky, hard-to-clean items (usually in weird places).

-For the love of God, put your pet on HEARTWORM PREVENTION and keep them up to date. We see heartworm disease daily. It’s expensive, painful, deadly, and 100% preventable.

-We know shit about stuff, we went to school too.

-We don’t make the prices and we don’t care that you think it’s expensive.

-We don’t play with puppies and kittens all day.

-Tell us if your animal is nervous/bites/scratches/etc. No judgment, we just want everyone to be safe.

-We don’t care that your animal got into your weed, we just want to know so we can treat them for it.

-Use the words “penis”, “vagina”, “vulva”, etc. We prefer it and need to know specifically what parts to examine. Ditch the silly names.

-You know your pet best. Even if you feel silly asking, ask. Be detailed. We love owners that ask questions, pay attention, and genuinely care.

-If we recommend taking your pet to the emergency clinic, take your pet to the emergency clinic.

-Waiting is a good thing. In emergency veterinary medicine, if you are waiting, your pet is stable and does not require immediate medical attention. There are other pets that do. Please wait patiently.

-Your vet and your vet’s staff care. Deeply. Although we might not outwardly show it all the time, we do. It takes its toll. Be kind.

-Some guy on Google does not know what is wrong with your pet. Make an appointment.

-Yearly bloodwork, especially for older pets, is a great way to catch things early and gives us a better chance of fixing them.

-Respect the boundaries of your veterinary professional friends. A simple question isn’t likely to bother a vet tech, but keep in mind that we have lives too and don’t always want to be the go-to person for all your veterinary needs. Make an appointment.

-Try to keep track of your pet’s toys. Notice if one is missing, especially if your pet hasn’t been acting right.

-There are several zoonotic (transmitted to humans) diseases that can affect the average house pet. Ask your vet about them and if they recommend your pet get the vaccinations for them.

-Ask your vet about emergency symptoms, when to go to the emergency clinic, and signs of vaccine reactions. Write this information down and pin it on your fridge. This is good information for every pet owner to know.

-Fat pets are admittedly adorable, but there are loads of health issues that accompany obesity in pets. If you love your pet and want them to be around as long as they can be, talk to your vet about how to start the weight loss journey for your pet.

-Euthanasia. Sensitive topic for a lot of people. If it is time to say “goodbye for now”, just know that the process is painless. An IV catheter is placed in your pet’s leg, the vet will administer a drug (usually Propofol) which makes your pet sleepy, and the drug administered after that simply tells the body to put itself at eternal rest. In my opinion, this is an ideal way for a life to end. We all prefer that owners stay with their pet to say goodbye, gain closure, and be the last face seen by your pet, but we completely understand if this is too much. Pets are family. It’s hard. We get it. Just know that a compassionate vet tech will be there for your pet through it all.

-I’d like to end this post on a philosophical note. I am not religious by any means. Many people are, or are spiritual in one way or another. I believe we’ve proven that energy can neither be created nor destroyed. We all definitely harness energy within us. I believe pets hold probably the purest, most loving of energies. When they pass on, that energy can’t be destroyed. I believe they stay with us, in our world, their energies processed into something else. I don’t have the key to what happens after we all die, but these are my beliefs. Surely, the energies of beings so wonderfully pure are not simply extinguished. If you believe in heaven, I find no other beings more fit to be there than our beloved pets. ❤

Things that are a pain in the ass to clean, plus “organizational hacks” that are wack.

1) Brickwork indoors. You’ll need a hose, a well-placed drain, and a dehumidifier for cleaning that.

2) Piles. I see a lot of clients with piles of things that they consider organized. True, they are easily accessible and all in one place, but it’s an eyesore and you can do better. I make piles during my organization visits and then either deliver them to a final home or discard the items.

3) Stainless steel appliances. Okay, long-lasting, no stains, and beautiful. Also, you’ll see every fingerprint and speck of food that touches it. Just beware of this and plan to clean accordingly.

4) White. When you see white, you think pure, clean, bright, airy. You won’t think clean for long. Life is messy, especially if you have fur friends like I do. Do yourself a favor and pick ANY OTHER COLOR. Especially regarding carpet.

5) Medicine cabinets. I don’t think it’s great to keep medicine in here. Controversial, I know. I think the hall closet is better suited for storage because it is less likely to come into contact with moisture, is centrally located, and won’t become cluttered as easily. Keep oral hygiene, hair ties, and items used daily in medicine cabinets.

6) Plastic bags. I know you have Walmart bags. I know they live under your kitchen sink and I know they are multiplying rapidly. I know because mine are and I’ve finally done something about it. There are cloth bags that are cylindrical in shape that hold and dispense plastic bags so you can reuse them for trash or whatever. Once that tube of bags is full, the rest can be recycled at most Walmart locations.

7) Litter boxes. Put a litter box inside of a tote and cut a hole in the side of the tote. You’re welcome. Litter will be less likely to cover your entire household. Just make sure the tote isn’t too big and bulky so that you still utilize your space most efficiently.

8) Books. Yikes. This is a problem area for me, not going to lie. Marie Kondo can shove it–talking about only owning less than 20 books. Insulting. Cutting down or going electronic is necessary, however. Unless the book holds my sentiment, will be read by me (for sure) in the future, is a favorite, or is instructional, donate to a local library or rehome. It hurts, but totally worth the extra space.

9) Pillows. My mother-in-law, who is beyond generous, gifted my husband and I with blankets and pillows galore. We kept a couple for decorative purposes, a couple for functionality, and donated the rest. We could’ve crafted Rapunzel an escape option from her tower ten times over.

10) See it to use it. Our youngest cat, Percy, gets into literally everything we own. We’ve had to start putting snack items in two of our kitchen drawers out of necessity. Well, we can’t see the snacks readily anymore and therefore a lot of our snacks have gone bad without being consumed. We can’t see it, so we don’t use it. Worried about something like this? Utilize clear containers or put them in the front and center of your space.