So Squared Away

Marlene was great! She was very easy to get along with, funny and non-judgmental. She really helped me stay on task and push through and complete things that I would have otherwise gotten overwhelmed about and given up on. She took 10-15 garbage bags full of clothes and items to a thrift store to donate for us, which was very helpful. I would definitely hire her again!

Marlene is OUTSTANDING!!!  I want her to help me organize and clear my entire home - and then my mother's home, and then every person I've ever met's home.  She is professional, friendly, understanding, sympathetic and empathetic, ingenious, creative - I honestly cannot say enough good things about her and the end results you have once you've hired her.  If I could give her a higher grade than an A, I would.

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We went from an overfilled laundry room and finished "play/work" area to an area with lots of SPACE, a section for toys, a section for files/work, and a section for book.  I wish I had taken pictures because the difference before and after was amazing.
She helped me organize a bunch of items for donation (and scheduled a pickup) and gave me next steps on other areas to follow.
She used the materials available to organize and didn't try to sell or suggest purchasing more things.  Marlene followed my lead on what to donate, throw away and keep; however, she wasn't afraid to challenge / ask why.
I feel motivated to follow-up and keep this clean; if I need help with other areas of the house, Marlene would be who I call.

Marlene (the Magnificent!!!) removed ALL of my old clothes and completely re-vamped my closet, hung up and organized new stuff and made my closet friendly again.  I told her that i was feeling like a hoarder and needed help.  She came in to see the mess and then, the next morning, went to work.  IT WAS AMAZING!  I can find things!  I can see everything in the closet! 
Many thanks Marlene!

Marlene was terrific! We spent the first part of the 3-hour session troubleshooting some of the problem areas of our home - basically the kids' drop zones, the basement storage areas, and our dining room which is also our makeshift home office. She gave me a lot of great insights about how to streamline these areas and maximize how they were functioning in our small space. Then we tackled a closet I have in the dining room which was crammed with everything from overflow kitchen supplies, to office materials, recyclables, rarely used serveware and some long-forgotten wedding gifts (we've been married 15 years). Marlene helped me pull everything out and sort, helping streamline that process by giving me permission to let go of things I wasn't using (including taking them away to a thrift shop she uses). She helped me make efficient decisions on where the rest of it should go. The closet was put back together within about 2 hours and is a great, functional space now. Turns out that closet had been causing me (and my spouse) a lot of anger and resentment, and to have it all organized and dispensed with has been a gift. Marlene is so upbeat and personable, it was like having a girlfriend over for coffee - but better, because I got so much done. I would definitely hire Marlene again!

I contacted Marlene to discuss scope of work and to set a date to meet. I explained my situation and she was warm, understanding and helpful without being judgmental. She arrived on time and eager to help me organize my basement. We spent three hours sorting through never ending categories of things from dishes, paintings, furniture and a wine making machine. She advised on which items to keep, to donate, or to trash. Marlene also arranged to have a charity pick-up my donated items. She was great at helping me get unstuck and motivating me make final decisions on a great number or items.

Marlene helped me deal with my crazy attic, helping me brainstorm on what do to and then helped me re-arrange 2 attic rooms into a studio and a guest room, and to re-arrange those rooms to work. She also helped me get more organization to the attic hall - clothes-related stuff and cooking stuff on one side, and dog stuff, extra furniture and some other things on the other. She cautioned me that now that I had a specific area for specific kind of things, I should stick to it and she is right!
She had great ideas for how to get rid of my extra stuff and was very kind in answering my questions about other things (such as some paint and other potentially hazardous things) in another area of the house that I wanted to dispose of safely. At the end of our session she helped me break down boxes for recycling (I admit I am kind of a box hoarder) and even helped me create a list of homework steps that I should take to keep the momentum going.
Marlene is Tony-the-Tiger GREAAAAAAT! It was like having my sister or good friend help me - she is very personable and kind and tolerant of my attachment to things, but also gently encouraged me to let go of stuff that didn't serve me.  Before she came on the scene, whenever I went up into the attic I became overwhelmed  - but she helped me get things organized enough that now I have momentum to move forward. Thanks Marlene! :)

On moving day, I was at the truck telling to movers whether the stuff needed to go upstairs to our apartment or garage, while Marlene was in the apartment ensuring that furniture and boxes went where I wanted -- she had come over earlier and so had a general idea of what I needed done. Not a task I would trust even my husband with, but Marlene did fabulous. Everything was exactly where I needed it to be. She also volunteered to post stuff I needed to get rid of on an online site for me while the delivery was occurring and sold a few, big items that very day -- she really went beyond anything we had discussed and I was so grateful to see those things go so soon without having to lift a finger!  Marlene has also been a wonderful resource for me in terms of handymen, charities, online groups, etc.,  She is a very calm and friendly person -- very pleasant to be around. If I weren't an organized person myself, I'd pay her to organize our apartment as well. She was worth every single penny we paid! I highly recommend her.

She is a professional organizer. She works a lot with down side. She really gets everything organized. She helps and takes an active involvement, these kinds of things we went through. She responded and was very good at accomplishing what she could do and could not do. She was excellent, easy to work with, prompt, showed up, and has fair price.

Marlene was very responsive, punctual, and professional from our first correspondence to her arrival at my home. She was easy to work with; very diligent and thoughtful throughout her time with me. We spent the bulk of her three hours working on the third bedroom. She quickly assessed what was stored in the room and created categories. We got to work right away, putting things into categories and storing them where they belong. I thought I'd have to get rid of a lot of stuff, but no that didn't happen. When everything has a home... then, voila! We have a room that we can use again! From there we went to the bathroom, again categorized things, and placed them back in the shelf, keeping in mind what we use most often to least. This way, we're not constantly searching for things. Again, she made more space when this was done. Next was the attic. We have a small attic space and some the stuff we didn't have time to tackle. So Marlene helped me clear a path for walking and moved clothes closer to the stairs for easy access. Then she helped me create a plan on how to use the attic space and next steps. She also gave recommendations on which room makes sense for the baby and which room for the office. In the end, we have more space and are better organized. Exactly what we needed! Marlene is very nice and personable, efficient, thoughtful and thorough. I would work with her again and highly recommend her to others.

I used Marlene for several sessions and still have an ongoing relationship with her.  She was like my personal trainer for home organization.  She guided me to the best ways and held me accountable while we were working together.  She is wonderful!  I highly recommend!

It went extremely well! This is the third time I have worked with Marlene and she has been an incredible help to me in getting things organized around my home. She is easy to work with, offering suggestions but allowing me to make the final decisions based on my preference. I love that she takes away items to be donated which means one less thing for me to have to take care of. I couldn't be happier with the systems Marlene helped me to put in place! Best decision I made was to contact Marlene!

Marlene is friendly, energetic, and punctual. She's expeditious and strong…constantly in beast mode! I couldn't have been happier with the work we did together. She's a blessing and worth every penny spent. I highly recommend her for ANY of your needs. Marlene knows a lot about A LOT of stuff! She's extremely helpful from programming the thermostat to putting together IKEA furniture. With her background in Engineering and a decorator for a mother, Marlene has so very much to offer her clients. I feel "saved" by Marlene after having lived out of boxes for 4 years. It's a relief and joy LIVING in a place now instead of just existing! Her enthusiasm is infectious. She loves what she does, it shows and she's a MASTER at her craft. My thanks to and hat off to Marlene. She's a dream in this reality. I am 100% satisfied with her performance.

Marlene helped me organize my apt. last summer.  Working with her was painless and even fun!  Setting up an appointment for Marlene to come to my apartment was easy, and she explained over the phone what the process would involve, about how much time it would take, and at what cost.  I find her prices very fair, and we ended up taking less time than expected. 
I like to live in a clean and organized place, but since my apartment is so small, the clutter often gets out of hand and I get overwhelmed thinking about how to deal with all of it. So then I procrastinate until I can't stand it anymore.  Thank goodness for Marlene!  She quickly stopped me from feeling guilty about not staying organized by myself, and just dove right in helping me find a place for everything.
We tackled my clothing situation (it was well past the time where I should have packed my winter clothes away and hung up my summer outfits) and organized my bedroom closet at the same time. Then we tackled my living room/office. Marlene helped me find the proper storage solutions for all sorts of stuff that I had jumbled together. It's now much easier for me to find things when I need them, instead of going through every drawer and cupboard!  We spent some time in the kitchen, where Marlene helped me move things around so that the items I use most are easy to reach, and she sorted out my tupperware for me while I was working on another project (yay!).  We then spent some time sorting bathroom and beauty items and finding a better space for products I use, while getting rid of (tons) that I don't.
That was one of the most valuable services Marlene provided: holding me accountable for what I was keeping (not letting me keep everything, which was good!), and making sure everything else went into the right piles for trash, recycling, and donation. She even took away the donation items for me. :)  All told, I found it extremely helpful and would definitely recommend Marlene and use her again myself.

Marlene is amazing! Best decision I ever made was to work with so squared away. It literally changed my life in such a positive way. Marlene is such a wonderful person. She has great ideas and made my condo what I always wanted and wished it would be. She is patient and kind and I will be forever grateful. I can't say enough good things about the services she provided!!!!

The first day we cleaned out the office, which was mainly the closet. Marlene also gave me some ideas to clean out the living room somewhat, since its FILLED with my son's toys! The next meeting we reorganized my kitchen & pantry. I have a fairly small kitchen with limited counter space so I really wanted to clear the counters. We were able to reorganize the pantry and with that make room for appliances that were previously stored on the kitchen counters. The basement was the big project, in my opinion. It was filled front to back. We were able to get outgrown baby toys/gear put in one section, my husband's things in one section, etc. The basement looks so much better now that I actually enjoy going down there when I need to. One thing that I really appreciate is that she will take things that you want to donate so you don't have to do it.

Having never used the services of a professional organizer before, I honestly didn't know what to expect, but I knew I needed help. I was pretty "stuck" with this room; I hadn't used it since my husband passed away 6 years ago, and it had sort of morphed over time from his office into a great big closet. Filled with boxes of papers, pictures, clothes, toys, it completely overwhelmed me.
Marlene came in, put me right at ease, and seriously she worked miracles. She knew just what to do, and how to do it (including keeping me focused and on task). And even though we had so much that needed to be sorted through, and so much that needed to be tossed out or donated, she was still respectful of any sentimental attachment I may have had to certain items. It was a lot of work to be sure, but man you should see that room now. It's a perfectly functional sewing room and I am loving it. The beauty of it is that the room is not only cleared out and re-arranged appropriately for it's new function, but there truly is a "place for everything". It's so easy to keep it in order.
I can't say enough about Marlene's expertise, professionalism, and easy personality. I would recommend her services to anyone.

Beautifully.  She's not just a workhorse, she's kind and thoughtful and absolutely masterful.  I was nervous and not a little embarrassed by the mess.  But within hours, we accomplished what I had been unable to do by myself all year.  I now have two highly organized and highly functional rooms.  One is the kids play space and the other is my crafts studio.  In both cases there were several intances of teeny tiny miscellaneous thingies that needed homes.  She helped not only get it all put away such that I can easily lay hands on everything I need, but she also custom labeled everything for us.  Now, both rooms can still get messy, but the clean up is a snap.

Marlene was an absolute godsend. We would not have been able to put our house on the market as quickly as we did - nor would it have looked picture perfect. We had an offer less than a week after it went on the market! If anyone needs to tidy/organize/stage for a move, I highly recommend calling Marlene at So Squared Away!

Marlene is fantastic.  She sets a course of action and motivates me through the process.  When I used her another time, and talked about how helpful I found her, she analogized herself to a personal trainer.  It is a very apt description of the role that she plays for me.  She asks what I want to accomplish, checks in throughout the process to see if we're on course, etc.  She is a fabulous coach!
Marlene gets a great deal accomplished in a specified period of time.  She doesn't waste time on the most mundane things but spends the time helping me sort through things that I avoid.
In addition to the great work, Marlene is a great person.  She has very positive energy, she's bright, relational, and just a pleasure to have around.  Somehow, she has a way of making things that I hate doing most less painful.  I will use her again and again!

We sorted about 60 boxes of stuff in my basement, listing contents and organizing them into a closet in the basement where the stuff is to be kept while tenants rent my place. We cleaned out all my closets and drawers in preparation for a move, sorting all of those contents as well. The process went very well. I was just a little wiped out each day! After several hours of her help, I felt like I had a handle on the effort. I completed the more miscellaneous tasks on my own.