professional organizer houston

Charming Spaces Gives Back: The Beacon

The Beacon Houston

At Charming Spaces, one of our core values is giving back to the Houston community we love. This month, our team had the privilege of volunteering at The Beacon, a nonprofit that provides essential services to Houston’s homeless population.

We were especially fortunate to have one of our team members—who also works at The Beacon two days a week—help coordinate this effort. The staff welcomed us with warmth, gave us a tour of their facility, and shared more about their mission. Their passion and dedication were inspiring, and it made us even more eager to roll up our sleeves and get to work.


The Beacon is more than a meal. It’s a way out of homelessness.

Our organization meets the daily needs of hundreds of homeless men and women while also empowering them with housing case management, appropriate program referrals, and civil legal aid.
— https://www.beaconhomeless.org/

Here’s a look at the spaces we worked on:

Tackling the Tech Mess

One office had become a drop zone for technology—cords, equipment, and devices awaiting the IT team’s weekly visits. While functional, it was an eyesore for those working in the space.

  • We relocated all tech items to a back office.

  • Stored everything neatly inside cabinets instead of leaving it in plain view.

This small change created a more peaceful professional workspace while still keeping the tech accessible.

Houston Beacon

Admin Kitchen

This kitchen was underutilized and cluttered with event supplies, office items, and cleaning products. The fridge sat right by the door, creating a barrier both visually and functionally.

  • We decluttered and brought in scattered office supplies from other areas.

  • Created clear “zones” for office use vs. kitchen use.

  • Moved the fridge to the opposite side of the room, opening up the entryway.

  • Relocated the coffee pot from a staff member’s office into the kitchen, making it the true coffee hub.

The staff was thrilled with the transformation and couldn’t wait to start using their new space!

Houston Beacon

Admin Office Cabinets

These cabinets, located right next to the printer, had become a catch-all for miscellaneous items.

  • We cleared out everything except paper, which made sense to keep by the printer.

  • We moved in volunteer appreciation supplies since the staff member who uses these supplies sits near this space.

  • All other office supplies were moved into the adjacent kitchen—the designated common area for shared storage.

houston beacon

Storage Closet

This closet housed a little bit of everything—party supplies, staff photos, day center materials, housing and client items.

  • We didn’t have time to fully organize, but we made huge progress!

  • Cleared out six bags of trash.

  • Sent out at least six wagons full of donations.

The transformation was dramatic, and staff now have a clearer, more functional space to build on. Plus we left them some totes to complete the organizing with our shared team member next week!

The Beacon Houston

The Beacon team truly rocked this project! They were so ready to declutter and refresh their spaces, and we were all impressed with their energy and efforts.

If you feel passionate about this cause, The Beacon’s current high needs are:

  • Scrubs

  • Towels

  • Sheets

  • Underwear

  • Socks

  • Shower supplies (full sizes preferred)

👉 You can donate directly to The Beacon here: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/TheBeacon/Donate.html

And if you know of a Houston-area nonprofit that could benefit from organizing support, we’d love to help.

Please reach out to us at Naomi@Charming-spaces.com.


Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!






A Professional Organzier's Guide to Back To School

It’s that time again. Are you celebrating or crying? Either way, we don’t judge.

Whether you’re buying tissues or wine, or both, we know this time of year can be stressful and we’re here to give you a roadmap! I have had kids in school for the last 13 years and this is what I do, every year, to keep it all together.

1. Calendars and Schedules

When I feel overwhelmed, I need to organize my brain first. That’s why calendars are number one on this list.

  • Print the calendars for each of your kids’ schools and put them somewhere visible (for me, its the fridge).

  • Screenshot them on your phone and save them to an album titled “Reference”. This is also a great place to store insurance cards.

  • Send the calendar to your husband and any other family members, nanny, etc who may need them.

  • Add all school holidays and first and last day of school to your personal calendar.

  • Figure out when the back to school events are and add those to your calendar.

  • Get the sports, practice, and performance schedules. Follow all the steps above for those schedules.

  • Make sure the rest of the family is filled in.

2. Transportation + Childcare

How is your child getting to school? If it’s the bus, check the bus routes, get the bus number, confirm the times and bus stops. Download the transportation app if there is one. If your child is a car rider, make sure you know when car rider lines begin and end, and start discussing car pool. If your child needs before or after school care, get that lined up now. Make sure the rest of the family is filled in.

3. School Supplies

I am so thankful that my school offers pre-packaged supplies. Everything you need for the school year in one bundle, delivered their classroom. Amazing. Please remember that these school supplies are typically used by the whole class, not just your child. If you want your child to have cute personal supplies, purchase those seperately. Don’t forget backpacks, lunch boxes, and personal hygiene items.

4. Breakfast + Lunch

I do not have the mental capacity to decide every meal for every person in my house every single day. Just typing that was exhausting. So, every year I sit down with my kids and we brainstorm. 10 ideas for breakfast. 10 ideas for lunches. Then each week I ask them to pick a couple from the list for me to purchase with groceries. For the most part, they are responsible for making their own lunches, and we make them breakfast each morning. Don’t forget to add cash to the lunch account!

5. Clothing + Personal Items

School shopping is an annual tradition for us and we look forward to it every year! This is when we get all the fun new outfits and shoes, but we’re also replacing bras, undies, socks, bathroom products, and anything else they need.

Before you shop, and I cannot stress this enough, declutter and take inventory. Before you shop. Are you hearing me? Before.

Clear out the closet of the old clothes that don’t fit them, are no longer “cool”, have stains, etc.
Clear out the old shoes, socks, undies, everything that is no longer usable.
Clear out the bathroom of all the old products or products that are no longer serving their purpose.

Then take inventory.
How many jeans do they have? How many do they actually need? Socks? Shoes? Shirts? Hoodies?

Use this inventory to make your shopping list.

DO NOT SHOP before you do this. That is how you end up with FAR more clutter than you bargained for. Trust me. Follow the plan.

I like to take the kids shopping individually. Its special mom and me time and we have so much fun! We always grab lunch and maybe a boba or starbucks. Once we return home we do a fashion show for the rest of the family and then clothes are washed and put away, immediately.

6. Get Ready

In the week leading up to school starting, do the following:

  • Laundry (wash, dry, and put away)

  • Prep backpacks

  • Check calendars and schedules again

  • Discuss the morning routine with the kids

  • Plan breakfast and lunches (and shop for the ingredients)

You are ready! Have an amazing school year!

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!






Simplify Summer: Quick Organizing Projects You Can Do in 30 Minutes or Less

It’s July!

Is your July chaotic like mine?

Kids are home. This is wonderful! We get to spend all this time with them and go on amazing adventures!
It also comes with chaos, unpredictable schedules, and constant requests. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. When I am overwhelmed, I like to get rid of stuff. Seriously, try it! If I can clear out one shelf, one drawer, one cabinet, I feel so much better. It’s like therapy.

So, here are 5 organizing projects you can do in just 30 minutes.


Grab your favorite drink, turn on some music, and let’s do this!



  1. Purse, Diaper Bag, or pool bag reset

It’s crazy how quickly these can get out of hand. Take 10 minutes here, that’s all you need. Toss the old receipts and trash. Use pouches to group like items together. Stock up on the esssentials.

2. Junk Drawer Clean Out

Listen just throw it all away. Okay maybe not, but it’s tempting right?
What you can do is take everything out, toss duplicates, random screws, old batteries, restaurant menus, expired coupons, gross old chapstick, and anything else that doesn’t belong there. Vacuum and wipe the drawer out and put the necessities back in. Preferably with drawer organizers.

3. Entryway Tidy

This may be the entryway at the front of your house, or by your garage door. Wherever you enter from, that’s where I want you to focus. Put away all the shoes. ALL OF THEM. Toss the old mail too. Stategize where your keys should actually go. Do you need a basket for returns? Order those things and delegate installation to your spouse. Done.

4. Pantry Floor Pick-Up

The pantry floor becomes another drop zone of grocery items. Bulk purchases that we never put away, jugs of oil or vinegar that we don’t know what to do with, cases of water, old bags. Don’t worry about the rest of the pantry right now. Just focus on the floor. Toss anything expired, you clearly aren’t using it, and anything old and gross. Take the remaining items out and vacuum, sweep, and mop. Go ahead and wipe those baseboards too. As you put things back in, group them like with like. If you have a million tote bags, take the biggest one and store all the other bags in it for a quick win.

5. Car Clean out

The dreaded car…grab a trash bag and let’s get to work.
Toss the obvious trash, take items in the house or garage that don’t belong in the car, give it a quick wipe down and order yourself a car trash can. Bonus if you can do this at a car wash with a vacuum.
Check out our blog on keeping your car organized here.

It doesn’t take much to give your brain a boost. Try it!

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!






How to Organize Your Vehicle

If you’re a busy mom or a business owner, you are familiar with your car being like a second home. Shuffling kids to activiites, running errands, pulling over for client calls, driving to consultations - we spend a ton of time in our vehicles! The sheer amount of papers, empty chip bags, and gum wrappers, are enough to drive anyone crazy. With a few strategic organizing solutions, we can create a clean and functional space for on the go.

Here is a step-by-step guide to organizing your car, complete with must-have items like a trash can, organizers for your consule, and emergency supplies.

Start with a Clean Slate

Before diving into organizing, we have got to clean out that hot mess car! Listen, there is no judgement. Here’s a secret, organizers have the messiest cars of anyone I’ve ever met. Don’t ask me why. It’s a thing.

So empty it out. Yes, completely. The glove box, the console, the trunk, all of it. Toss the trash and take anything inside that doesn’t belong in your car. Give it a good wipe down and vacuum, and maybe add a smelly good.

Check out this car vacuum on Amazon. Great reviews, and it has a blower option too!

Organize the center console

At this point, you’re looking at an empty clean car and a pile of items that need to come back into the car. Decide what items you need easy access to in the center console. This is prime real estate, so choose wisely.
This is what I keep in mine:

  • Tampons

  • Backup Sunglasses

  • Pens

  • Extra business cards

  • An envelope for business receipts

  • Charger

  • Hand Sanitizer

  • Chapstick

I use these home edit organizers to keep things neat and tidy in the console. These are a game changer!

Organize the glove box

Truly, there isn’t much organizing that needs to be done here. The only thing I recommend keeping here is your vehicle manual, insurance card, and napkins or wipes as these often don’t fit well in the center console.

Organize the Trunk

There is very little that should be kept back here, if you can help it. The reality is, when hauling kids around, sometimes you need to keep some basics in the car. Plus you need some emergency supplies. Here’s what I keep in my trunk.

  • Jumper cables

  • First-Aid Kit

  • Basic Tool Kit (for work)

  • Trash Bags (for work)

  • Kids’ necessities (extra change of clothes, minimal amount of toys)

  • Car cleaning items (wipes and small vacuum)

If you have some hidden storage cubbies in your car, utilize those. If not, I like these trunk bags that keep things stored nicely.

Add a trash can

Car trash with kids is a major problem. Solution: add a trash can and empty it every time you get gas. I really don’t care which trash can you get, just get one that works for you and place it where you can actually reach it. Here are a few trash cans I like:

 

Maintain your organized car

Now that your car is nice and clean and organized, let’s keep it that way! Easier said than done, right? It’s all about building new habits and creating a routine. My suggestion is to pick a day of the week that works best for you, and complete the tasks listed below. This may be Sunday afternoon when you’re already working outside in the garden, or maybe its Friday after the kids get home from school, or maybe its after soccer on Saturday. Whatever feels the most natural for you.

  • Empty the trash

  • Bring items inside that belong inside

  • Wipe + Vacuum

  • Restock supplies

Enjoy Your Organized Ride

Pat yourself on the back and enjoy!

 

Hi, I’m Naomi!

Founder of Charming Spaces, professional organizer, wife, mom of three and passionate advocate for women.

I hope this blog is everything you’re looking for, but feel free to shoot us a message and follow us on Instagram!