Paper Wranglers

Lauren is a terrific organizer, but that is by no means the whole story. She is amazingly competent, energetic, intuitive and wise. She has a noteworthy number of skills. She has helped me make minor home repairs; she is savvy with cameras and computers; she helped me set up a new printer and sync my phone to computer. She is above all intuitive and wise. As we worked together, Lauren helped me realize that in order to have the calm simplicity I crave in my home, I might need to let go of past professional materials (I am retired), and shed some of the weighty «shoulds» — those endless self-​improvement projects and intentions. Now my focus has shifted to surrounding myself with what promotes playfulness, pleasure and peacefulness. Regarding the heavy-​duty reading material in my bedroom, Lauren wrote on a sticky note: «If it’s not uplifting, ditch it.» This is now my new mantra.
So, yes, Lauren wrangles paper. But she also wrangles psyche and spirit. I always enjoy my time with Lauren and I feel more focused on what’s important to me and what belongs to the past, the future, or the Salvation Army.

I had a time sensitive project that seemed overwhelming to achieve on my own, think massive space clearing, integrating two homes with a lot of stuff, and creating a new filing system for home, work and school. I’d never used an organizer before so I called several to get an idea of what my options were. Turns out there are several different philosophies and approaches. Lauren was easily the most professional and easy to work with. She made what seemed like an insurmountable task into something simple and manageable. She used a logical approach to clearing clutter and set up systems to keep things simple, accessible and organized. She created a filing system that can expand or contract, depending on my needs and added a portable component for daily use. What a time saver! Also, I have to add what a pleasure it is to work with her. My only fear is that I might be addicted! I cannot thank her enough for all of her hard work to make my life more organized.

Organizing has always been a huge challenge for me. My piles and clutter had gotten to the point that I didn’t even know where to begin. Everything seemed to be a priority, so nothing actually got done.
Overwhelmed and under-​motivated, I called Lauren Zahner. Within our first meeting, I felt less anxious and more optimistic about the chaos that had taken over my home. Lauren’s gentle, intuitive and intelligent approach helped me create systems and storage for everything important in my family’s life.
Thanks to Lauren, I now have a simple, logical system for every piece of paper that comes in as well as my digital data. I can put my fingers on any document in 10 seconds or less. I know exactly where all my tax returns and other old data are, thanks to the archival storage system Lauren and I set up. All of my current files are within reach, but not in the way. Even my husband can find what he needs!
During our time together, Lauren has given me not just a sense of peace and control, she’s also given me time and money. Once we began to plow through the paperwork, I discovered several expenses that were eligible to be reimbursed through my health insurance, for example. Lauren’s suggestions and guidance always help me gain more time, money and freedom from worry. I can’t think of any other investment that can deliver that.

Lauren is very good at what she does and fun to work with. She helped me organize a wreck of a garage and shed. What I needed most was help getting rid of stuff, and Lauren was able to help me do that without being too pushy. Garage looks great now. Highly recommended!

After my divorce, the 2^nd bedroom in my apartment became a de facto closet. One day it became clear that there was too much junk in my closet. I went to Lauren for help. She was great.
Lauren started the organizing process by helping me figure out what I wanted out of that room. She asked concrete questions about what I wanted to get rid of (donate, throw away, recycle). She also asked introspective questions about what activities the room would support and what feelings I wanted to associate with it. I never would have thought to ask those questions, but looking back they guided us to the exact room I was looking for.
Then we emptied the room out. I loved Lauren’s system of labeling our «staging» area.
Then we cleaned the now-​empty room.
Then we started putting stuff back in. This is when the questions asked at the beginning proved valuable. Whenever it was unclear where or if something was to be placed back in the room, Lauren and I would go back to the goals I had set and decided accordingly. More than once a place was found somewhere else in the apartment for an item that didn’t belong.
Once we took out the garbage and loaded donations we were done. The 2^nd bedroom/​closet had transformed into my solarium/​studio space. The room I hadn’t used for a month had become my favorite room in the apartment. Thanks Lauren.