For garden enthusiasts, garden tool storage is very exciting. Whether an enthusiast or not, keeping your garden tool storage neat and organized allows you to more easily get the curb appeal you want.  Your yard and garden areas are a great asset to the overall look of your home. Even apartment dwellers can grow a flower garden or vegetable garden by planting a window box or patio box.

As an organizing expert, I was recently invited back by KSL TV to help their viewers understand how to organize their garden tools by introducing my garden tool storage formula and favorite garden tool storage containers. I used my 4M organizing formula to move viewers through the process of organizing their garden tool storage spaces and products. A brief synopsis of that formula is listed here:

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Welcome. My name is Vicki Winterton. I have worked as a professional organizer specializing in home organization here in Utah for 10 years. I work in the homes and work-at-home offices of people located in the Salt Lake Valley, Park City, and Utah County areas. I created this blog so that I could share my experiences and help people everywhere learn how to downsize, simplify, and then organize their home spaces.

***If you saw me on TV and are here to purchase one of my truly amazing printable packets, click here and you will be taken to the page that has a listing of all 13 of my absolute best organizing solutions™ kits containing full detail for bringing order and simplicity to specific areas of your home, your household papers, and/or your schedule. (These kits are so good that they have been optioned up and are now sold through a high end online organizing store but you can buy them at a reduced rate right here.)

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The key to spring cleaning is to declutter first, organize what you decide to keep, AND THEN begin your spring cleaning projects.

Listed here are the steps to success as you start the spring cleaning process:

1. Divide the Clearing Out and the Cleaning Up into two entirely different projects as you begin.

To begin the spring cleaning process round up a pen and notebook. Walk through your home and make a list of 3 spaces that need your attention as you begin the spring cleaning. Of those 3, begin in the room where you

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Do you know what to do in the early spring to prepare your spring landscape for the upcoming seasons?

This week I invited my hubby Gary to be a guest expert on my online organizing show. He taught  about preparing your trees, lawn and planting beds in relation to spring landscaping plans. I invited Gary because he is a self taught spring landscape groomer and does such a good job with our yard that I knew he had some great information  to share with my listeners. Below I have posted some photos and links of the spring landscape and general yard care products he mentioned. I also included some spring landscape or yard-care tools he uses but didn’t have time to mention on the show. I will post his spring landscape top yard-care tools and tips under the 3 categories he suggested.

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How do you handle your important conversations? Do you plan and organize your difficult conversations BEFORE they take place?

I am a reader. I have always enjoyed reading books to help me better understand myself, those I care about, and the world around me. The last two books I read, ‘Crucial Conversations’ by leadership consultants Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler AND ‘Without Offense – The Art of Giving and Receiving Criticism’ by Dr. John Lund both taught me how to better handle important discussions in a way that is not offensive and can strengthen relationships.

Patterson and group defined difficult conversations as a discussion between two or more people where: (1) the stakes are high, (2) opinions vary, and (3) emotions run strong.

I learned from Patterson’s group that “when participants hold back (because they are afraid of the consequences, want to spare someone’s feelings or don’t want to escalate a conflict) a true dialogue CAN NOT take place.” When you organize the difficult conversations, both participants should be open and remain emotion free.

One of THE most important things I learned in reading Crucial Conversations was to STAY FOCUSED. When you organize your difficult conversations you should be sure you clearly understand WHAT I WANT, WHAT I WANT FOR THE OTHER PERSON and WHAT I WANT FOR THE RELATIONSHIP. I need to also understand before beginning what I DON’T WANT the outcome of the conversation to be.

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