Spring Cleaning and Organizing Tips from Life Simply Organized

How to declutter and create more peace of mind at home

By Monique Seleen

ARE YOU TIRED of feeling like your house is one big disorganized mess?

Maybe your pantry is overflowing with old and expired food that’s shoved so far in the back that you don’t even bother to get to it. Or maybe your garage is stuffed full of boxes and bins making it so you can’t even park your cars in there.

Perhaps you like an orderly house where everything has its place but you just don’t know how to get it that way. Meet the mother and daughter professional home organizers who can help.

Beverly Gamblin and Katie Flores started Life Simply Organized as a way to help people declutter, restructure, and tidy up their homes and spaces.

“We want to give people back their time and peace of mind,” said Beverly. “When you have a lot of stuff, you have to clean it, use it, fix it—everything requires your attention. We want to teach people how they can be intentional with their home.”

The idea to start Life Simply Organized was born after Beverly retired from her 30 year career in the grocery store industry and found some extra time on her hands.

“I was thinking long and hard about what I love to do,” said Beverly. “I realized that was organizing. I started watching lifestyle people on YouTube who organize and learned from them and decided I wanted to try it.”

She began the business in January 2020 and said things actually picked up once the pandemic hit. “People were working from home, looking at their houses, and realizing what they didn’t like about it,” she recalled.

Eventually, Katie left her job in fitness and joined forces with her mom.

“I always enjoyed organizing, was decent at it, and wanted to help mom grow the business,” said Katie.

Now, the two work together on a variety of projects but said the most requested spaces to help organize are garages, pantries, and master closets.

Beverly and Katie will assess the space either through pictures or an in-person consultation and then bring in their own inventory of containers and bins to get it all organized.

In addition, they’ll take everything out and clean the space they’re organizing, and then will help set up an organizational flow.

“We strive to create personalized systems. We want it to work for you,” said Beverly.

If you’re in need of some quick ways to spring clean and declutter, here are some of Beverly and Katie’s best organizing tips:

• Always have a giveaway bin and add to it frequently.

• Every new season, go through your clothes and decide what you didn’t wear or what didn’t fit that past season and let it go.

• Clean out your pantry about once a month or so when you do a big grocery trip. This helps rotate out old food before you put new food in there.

• Have an organizing system that you can maintain. Use bins— they’re a tool to keep things organized. People often make the mistake of not buying enough storage containers.

• Labeling is the key so everyone knows where things go. Label containers and shelves if it will be helpful.

• Get kids involved. Maybe they get to see what snacks they choose at the store and then teach them to put them away.

• Give kids the option to toss their clothes into separate bins or fold them neatly into spaces. Either way it will be organized.

• For kids’ toys, have big baskets for big things and a cube system that’s broadly labeled for smaller toys. Label with pictures and words to help kids learn where things go.

• Keep toys to a minimum. Once a quarter, before or after the holidays, teach kids how to “edit” or purge their toys.

• Find a good organization to give things away to can make it fun. Some good local organizations include Sunshine Acres and House of Refuge. Involve kids in where you’re going to give it away to— whether they realize it or not you’re building a really good habit for them for the future.

And if you still feel like your own organizing isn’t enough, that’s where Life Simply Organized can come in. While it might be intimidating to invite someone into your chaotic mess, Beverly said they welcome the challenge and want people to feel at ease asking for their help.

“There’s no judgment,” she said. “We know that some people are hesitant to call us because they’re embarrassed about their space, but that’s what we’re here for. Our houses get out of whack too. Life happens, but when you have a system, it just takes you a little bit of time to tidy up because you know where things go.”

Life Simply Organized currently serves homes in the East Valley and sometimes Scottsdale, visit lifesimplyorganizedaz.com