Click2Daily: Home organization can help to de-stress

SUGAR LAND, Texas – Statistics say the more organized you are, the less stressed you will feel.

Doesn’t your day get off to a bad start if you spend 20 minutes looking for your keys or your cellphone?

I’m letting you all in on a little secret: I can be messy.

I keep a clean house, but certain areas seem to easily get out of control. One area in particular is the “toy closet.”

My kids keep all of their dolls, cars and trucks tucked away in there, and I work hard to keep it clean and orderly.

But all of my hard work usually only lasts a week or two.

Moms, I know you can relate.

After Christmas, we had even more stuff to fit into the closet, and then my daughter had a birthday two weeks later.

Dads, I’m sure you can relate, too. My husband and I have spent many weekends organizing that space.

“We try, we try very hard to keep it organized,” my husband Mike explained. “We’ve organized it by size of the doll, brand of the doll, but no matter what we do, it always reverts back to a mess after a week or two.”

[PHOTOS: Katy Home Organizer takes on Jen Bauer's toy closet]

Yup. Exactly.

So, on Friday, we brought in the professionals for some help.

Maureen Guzman owns Katy Home Organizer, and she helps people not only organize their homes, but also their lives.

“I really like it,” she said. “It’s natural to me and it’s so much fun.”

Maureen brought along her friend Ginny Phillips, and together, they tackled the Tonka trucks, packed away the princesses and sorted stuffed animals. It took them three hours to transform the small space, but in the end, it looked spectacular.

Maureen says that if you want to get organized at home, start by buying clear storage bins.

“Cause if you don’t see it, you don’t know you have it,” she explained.

Maureen also suggests buying only square- and rectangular-shaped storage bins to maximize your space and make stacking easier.

“The straighter the sides, the more you can get into a space,” she said.

Lastly, Maureen, who is a mom and former elementary school teacher, says to teach your kids how to clean up. It’s a learned skill, she says, and will allow all your hard work to last longer than a week.

“Give them a target,” she said. “Aim for all of the clothes first, then tell them to pick up all of the books, then tell them to concentrate on the Legos. One thing at time is key.”

If you would like to get in touch with Maureen Guzman, you can reach her at 832-978-1482 or log on to her website for more information.

I hope you’ll join us! And if you have any tips on how YOU stay organized please pass them along - I’d love to hear from you. Email me at jbauer@click2houston.com and follow me on Facebook and Twitter.