
A CLEAN DESK EQUALS A CLEAR MIND
When it comes to our personal surroundings, each of us has a distinct comfort level and sensitivity as to what makes us feel relaxed and at ease. Not surprisingly, as an inherently organized person, I’m most comfortable AND productive in a clutter-free, carefully...

CREATING A SAFE HOME FOR THE ELDERLY
Be it a smaller apartment, house, retirement or assisted living facility or nursing home, when it comes to organizing spaces for older people, common sense is of the upmost importance. It’s essential the new home be set-up in an ergonomic manner, taking into account...

BE PREPARED AND PLAN NOW
No matter how it hits – fast and furious like an earthquake or painstakingly slow like a hurricane – the death of a spouse, partner, child or parent is an earth-shattering experience. It's imperative you be prepared and plan now, die later. As a professional...
DOWNSIZING MADE EASY: YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU
The simple act of paring down and taking control of the stuff in your life before it takes control of you will make the task of downsizing so much easier.

EXPERIENCES, NOT STUFF, MAKE THE BEST GIFTS
The reality is pretty simple; the more stuff you acquire, the less room you’ll have; the less room you have, the more clutter you’ll have and the more clutter you have, the more disorganized you will be.
PLAN NOW, OR ELSE
As a professional organizer, I work closely with widows, widowers and their children and know all too well the realities of what happens when you’re not organized and don’t plan in advance for the inevitable. The time to plan for the future is now, not later.

JUNK AS ART – – RECYCLE YOUR TRASH
Call me crazy, but when it comes to the environment, I have zero tolerance for litterbugs. In fact, I’ve been known to pick-up other people’s carelessly dropped candy wrappers, soda cans and water bottles and drop them in the recycle or trash...

TRAVEL LIGHT, TRAVEL RIGHT: HOW TO ORGANIZE YOUR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS
As a professional organizer, not only is my life (both personal and professional) über “organized,” but, as you can imagine, so are my get-away-from-it-all-what-mountain-to-climb-next adventure vacations. This being said, it probably won’t come as a surprise when I...

GET ORGANIZED: PACKING TIPS FOR A WEEK, WEEKEND OR MONTH
When trudging through an airport, do you enviously stare at those seemingly “perfectly organized” people who can pack for a trip, no matter how long or short, and no matter what the season, in just one carry-on bag? Packing for a week, weekend or month in a...
BE ORGANIZED, BE PREPARED AND WRITE A CONCISE PASSWORD & USER NAME LIST
One of the #1 secrets to being organized is being able to write things down in a concise manner. The fine art of “list writing” can range from writing a daily “to-do” list to writing travel, password, home maintenance and hurricane checklists, to name a few....
THE ULTIMATE
HURRICANE CHECKLIST
June 2022 | MARLA OTTENSTEIN
MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR HOME OFFICE
July 2020 | GULFSHORE BUSINESS
In Case of Emergency
June 2022 | MARLA OTTENSTEIN
THE ORGANIZERS CLOSET
January 2020 | FLORIDA WEEKLY
GET ORGANIZED
March 2019 | USA TODAY NETWORK
TRAVEL ESSENTIALS
July 2018 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
BEST OF 2018
May 2018 | FLORIDA WEEKLY
AN ORGANIZED OFFICE
April 2018 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
ON THE GO
MS. ADVENTURE
March 2018 | GULFSHORE LIFE
PRODUCTIVITY
BEGINS AT HOME
March 2018 | GULFSHORE BUSINESS
DOWNSIZING MADE EASY
February 2018 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
CREATING SPACE
September 2017 | GULFSHORE LIFE
ORDER UP
March 2017 | NAPLES ILLUSTRATED
IT’S A PICNIC
June 2015 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
THE RIGHT WAY TO RECYCLE
Oct 2015 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
WHAT’S A SINGLE
WOMAN TO DO?
June 2015 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
READIED FOR THE STORM
May 2014 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
THE ORGANIZER CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE
July 2014 | GULFSHORE LIFE
5Q SERVICE/BIZ PROFILE
June 2015 | NAPLES DAILY NEWS
BALANCE/CLOSET LIBERATION
June 2013 | NAPLES ILLUSTRATED
BEST OF 2012
May 2012 | FLORIDA WEEKLY
THE A-LIST
September 2010 | NAPLES ILLUSTRATED

TRAVEL LIGHT/LOOK FAB
April 2012 | NAPLES ILLUSTRATED

CLOSET CASE
September 2010 | NAPLES ILLUSTRATED
RESOURCEFUL SOUTHWEST FLORIDIANS
September 2009 | FLORIDA WEEKLY
ABOUT MARLA
Marla is a popular columnist, motivational speaker & teacher. She is highly respected in the field of professional organizing.
For more great organizing ideas,
please visit Marla’s News/Blog page.
To schedule an appointment, click here.
Licensed & Insured | Member:
National Association of Productivity
& Organizing Professionals