Ever feel like you’re drowning in a sea of stuff and have no idea how to fix it or where to start? You’re not alone. Laura Bostrom‘s Everyday Order makes “new year, new you” easier than ever. (Sure, it’s February, but is it really ever too late to start whipping your home into tip-top shape?) From chaotic closets to tiny toys, Laura will declutter and transform your space with style and function through a bit of professional organizing wizardry – so that you can rest easy. NJMOM got the scoop from Laura about how her moving five times in the last 10 years sharpened her skills for streamlining and that aha-moment when she let go of her wedding dress. Read on for more about getting your everyday life in order with Laura, plus her family’s favorites in Upper Montclair including Java Love Coffee Roasters and Uptown596.
Founder of Everyday Order & NJMOMpreneur:
Laura Bostrom
NJMOM: What do you offer to your clients and how is it different than other professionals in your field?
Laura: Everyday Order is a service that helps busy families streamline and simplify their lives through organization. Everyday Order specializes in organizing, decluttering, and styling every area of the home: from the junk drawer to the master suite – I do it all. I strive to make each room I organize not only functional but beautiful, which is why I like to think of myself as an interior designer for hidden spaces. I want to make your pantry, closets, and storage areas as beautiful as your curated living room.
NJMOM: What inspired you to get into your line of work?
Laura: When my maternity leave began at my previous career, my husband encouraged me to take action on a dream that I had been talking about for four years. He suggested I leave my job as a dental hygienist and start the dream business that became Everyday Order. My husband has always believed in me and gave me the encouragement I needed to succeed in this venture.
NJMOM: What is your favorite part about your business?
Laura: Most days we are just too darn busy to carve out the time needed to get our homes squared away. Then when we do free up time, most of us don’t want to spend it indoors organizing. Because I enjoy the process of streamlining and bringing order to busy families’ homes, I get excited about giving moms (and their families) one less area of their lives to worry about.
NJMOM: What is your background in your business expertise?
Laura: I bring lifelong experience and intuition to my organizing business, Everyday Order. I grew up in a home where everything had a home – its own assigned location – and from an early age I valued the efficiency and calm that kind of order can bring. I enthusiastically applied those concepts in my prior career as a dental hygienist, as well as in my husband’s business, and in our homes.
My husband’s career has taken us to five new locations – and homes – in the last ten years. With each new move, I have honed my skills at streamlining and organizing. I keep only what is beautiful, useful, and well-loved. Before one move, for example, I picked up the box holding my wedding dress which lived in the back of my closet. I sure wasn’t going to use it again, and I never looked at it. Since it was no longer useful, and since I didn’t value it as I once had, I donated it so that someone else could enjoy it.
NJMOM: What are you most proud of in your career?
Laura:
I am happy that I took a leap of faith and started this business while raising a young family.
This profession’s flexibility has given me the opportunity to spend more time with our son than my prior job would have allowed while doing something I enjoy immensely and have dreamed about for years.
NJMOM: What is something few people know about you?
Laura: I secretly (or not so secretly) love jigsaw puzzles! It wasn’t until I started Everyday Order that I realized why; each client’s home is one big puzzle where I give each item its own distinct “home.”
NJMOM: What can we expect from you in 2018?
Laura: Personally, I’m excited that my family is making one more move, this time to a house we’ll be buying locally. Once again, I can reevaluate everything we own and purge anything we don’t use, need, or love. Professionally, I am looking forward to reaching a wider clientele by offering a virtual organizing service. This new option will allow people to access my services even if they don’t live in or around New Jersey. Clients using the virtual service can look forward to a video chat, a detailed plan of action, and a shopping list for getting their spaces organized.
NJMOM: Who is your role model?
Laura: Every NJMOMpreneur who manages to run a household and also successfully grow her business inspires me. It’s no easy task to manage one, let alone both!
NJMOM: What is the best piece of advice someone ever gave to you?
Laura: By his example, my dad taught me that everything I own should have a distinct “home” where it lives when I’m not using it. By following this advice, I always know where everything is, from my passport to my gym bag, and if something is misplaced, I can usually find it in under two minutes. This practice has served me well in maintaining my home and is the first piece of advice I give my clients at Everyday Order.
NJMOM: Do you have a favorite quote you live by?
Laura: I have benefited a lot from Vincent Cassel’s quote, “The only person standing in your way is you.” Most of the time I just need to get out of my own way in order to embrace the life that’s waiting in front of me.
NJMOM: What are your favorite things to do in New Jersey with your family?
Laura: I enjoy heading to Montclair’s Java Love in the mornings with my family, where we pause and enjoy time together before we head off to conquer the day. And, of course, we fuel up with strong coffee and a pastry!
NJMOM: What is the best part about being a mom for you?
Laura: I love the joy I experience when spending time with my son. Being a mom has tapped a strength within me I never knew I possessed; this strength empowers me to be a better wife, mom, and NJMOMpreneur.
NJMOM: What are your favorite businesses in New Jersey?
Laura: My Upper Montclair favorites include Apple Village children’s boutique, Java Love Coffee Roasters, Uptown596 for breakfast and lunch, and DeNovo for drinks and dinner.
NJMOM: Where do you reside in New Jersey?
Laura: I live in Upper Montclair, where I can run all my errands on foot and walk to great shops and restaurants. As soon as I became a mom, I met so many fun and creative people who not only have kept me sane as I navigate motherhood but who also inspire and collaborate with me as I grow my business.
NJMOM: What advice might you have for a fellow NJMOMpreneur who is just starting out?
Laura: Just start! I’m a perfectionist by nature; I was waiting to launch my business until I had all the answers and everything was perfect.
News flash! Circumstances will never be perfect!
Done is better than perfect, and in my case, making the decision to start was the best choice I could have made. It’s making me a better business owner, mom, and person along the way.
NJMOM: Anything else you’d like to tell moms in New Jersey?
Laura: You are doing the best you can and you are the best mom your kids could have. And if you need a little extra help streamlining your home, I’ve got your back.
To learn more about Everyday Order, follow along on Instagram and Facebook.
