We were thrilled to receive a call from the producers of Jon & Kate Plus 8 when they were in need of an Organizing Expert to help Kate and the kids get the basement organized in their suburban Philadelphia home. With limited time to organize and the cumulative belongings of 10, I knew this wasn’t going to be a simple matter. But is it ever? Who has the time to organize and how many people out there have accumulated so much it looks like a family of 10.

Knowing that Kate had a limited amount of time to work on this project, I asked one of my fabulous associates from All Bright Ideas, Professional Organizer Paula Davis, to assist with this project. Like me, she was elated to be part of this unique and exciting experience but knew that with the excitement comes great challenge.

Will Kate be receptive to a Professional Organizer’s ideas? Can we “wow” Kate with any of our tricks or tips? Will the twins and sextuplets give Kate the free time she needs to organize? Will there be memories and keepsakes too difficult to deal with?

Be sure to watch “Time to Organize” on Jon & Kate Plus 8, Monday evening October 5, 2009 at 9:00 PM and then again at midnight. If you can’t see it then, check the schedule for re-airings of Season 5, Episode #16. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Let me know what you think. Be sure to post your comments below.

Electronics – corral all your loose cables, cords, charges, and telephones. Label each cable or cord and wrap a rubber around it or if you prefer, place it in a Ziploc™ bag and label the bag. Do the same for cellular phone charges. Toss in extra phones. Every time you need a cord, cable, charger or phone, you’ll know where to “shop” for one or better yet, you’ll know where to toss one.

Give Away – keep an ongoing give away box or bin to toss in things you don’t want, don’t where or don’t like. This will eliminate clutter from collecting and closets from bulging. You’ll never have to have a major purging day again. When the box is full giveaway the items to family, friends or a charity.

Spare Parts & Unknown Pieces – not sure what to do with the extra belt that comes with a vacuum cleaner or the vinyl repair kit that comes with inflatable items? Toss them into this box. Have you ever found a part of piece that you are not sure what it goes to, but are hesitant to throw it out? This category allows for a safe keeping of unknown parts until you can determine if they are needed.

Sock with Missing Mates – hopefully a small shoe-size box will due for socks with missing mates. Keep this box near your dryer.

Returns – select a decorative basket or fabric box with lid and place near the door you typically exit. The basket will act as a temporary holding bin for purchases you need to return to stores, movie rentals, library books, or other borrowed items. On the way out the door, take a peek to see if you will be passing by any of the locations of where items need to be returned.

Go ahead now, print out the labels and get started. Let us know of your results!

Diane