Little Set Backs

The best laid plans..........I had my next blog post ready to go, just needed to take the photos and sickness hits our home. First priority, sick children. It's a nice set back to be home with sick kids, you have their undivided attention! Ha! Children are well, but I caught the icky bug, another set back. In a few days we are leaving on our Spring break vacation to sunnier climates.

I thought I'd hurry and add a great website for your Spring break packing ...

Onebag.com

Also, last week while I was sick in bed watching Oprah and Peter Walsh, Oprah mentioned that she had a coupon on her website for 25% off entire purchase at the Container Store. It's good until the 13th of April and if you don't have a store near you, you can shop online. Go to Oprah's website to print out the coupon.

Happy Spring!

I'm Baaack!

I'm back from Ireland and it was a beautiful, miraculously sunny vacation. I returned with my jury duty responsibilities lingering in the following week. I'm glad jury duty is over and I'm ready to fulfill the wishes of my blog readers....see how the "Professional Organizer Lives" or should I say "Behind Closed Doors of a P.O.". I wish I could link in some dramatic music or a drum roll...or not, it's not that exciting!

I'll start with the laundry room. Laundry rooms always seem to be the catch all for whatever no one wants to deal with, especially if it's located on the main floor and as an exit to the garage. Fortunately, my laundry room is upstairs, so it dodges many forms of clutter.

It's always nice to have some place to hang your wet clothes or items you can hang dry. I like this shelf because it is off the floor. It's placed high so it doesn't impede standing in the laundry room.

I purchased this bucket at Target years ago. It was cute and I dreamed of filling it with ice and soda at an outdoor picnic. But it ended up being used as a cute basket to put the every day little laundry items in i.e., dish towels, hand towels, dog towels, etc... This was a necessity when my laundry room was on the ground floor, entrance from the garage and a hallway to the bonus room. It's nice to "hide" the laundry when you need to.

I keep all of my bathroom and general cleaning items under the laundry room sink. I put the cleaning items in a caddy so it's easy for my kids to grab and go clean the bathrooms. I also have a bin to hold the larger "rag" towels used for the dog and big clean ups.


I saw these cute clear paint can containers at Ben Franklin's the other day. I like them because they're clear, lightweight and handy to pick up and go. I purchased some letter stickers and labeled the containers. The containers come in gallon size and quart size. They'd be great for a gift bag too. (Home Depot sells them in aluminum, to put extra paint in or you can be creative!)



If you are able to install cabinets or shelves in your laundry room it helps to add extra storage over your washer and dryer. I have additional supplies in these cupboards. (Love the Restoration Hardware Vacuum BB's. It makes your vacuuming experience yummy!)




I use the laundry room cabinets to store extra paper goods, small cleaning rags, my poor old fish bowl that may be used in the future. (I know, some of you are shocked to think I saved something for the "future". I lost my 5 year old blue beta "Steve" a few months ago and I'd like to buy another little guy to greet me at my work desk, so I have plans for the bowl.)



The cabinet with all the fun, goopy stuff in it like the laundry soap. I usually have the laundry soap and softener turned with the spout down, however, I'm using them in my weight training program, lifting them out to the laundry soap dispenser. Ha! I've containerized items that my children and my husband are always asking about, "Batteries", "Candles", that's in case we have a power outage, and other items that we use frequently. I've stored extra dish towels and bath rugs up on the top shelf. Use the top shelves for infrequent storage. (Side note: Bin labeled "felt" is the small felt pads for furniture legs, etc.... thanks, Julie, crafty friend, who I'm sure has a huge bin of felt)

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Good time to bring up labeling.........

When you label an item, it's best to use the first word that comes to your mind, or the name that it's known by those who use that item. As in the "felt" label. When I mention "felt" in my house, me not being a real crafty person, my kids and husband know it's the felt with the sticky bottom to place on the furniture that sits on the wood floors. Labels are what they are, labels, to tell you what is in the container for easy locating. So make it easy on yourself, don't worry about using fancy verbage like Martha Steward does.

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You may be wondering where all the dirty laundry is. Each of our bedrooms have laundry baskets and that helps avoid the "laundry pile up". The children have an assigned day to sort their laundry and bring it to the laundry room for their laundress to take care of. (that laundress would be me!)

On Vacation....

Hello Everyone!
I'm currently in Ireland....will have some great posts when I return...that is, on organizing, not of my tour in Ireland, that will be posted on my family blog.

Cheers!

How Do You Get Your Kids To Use These Skills?

Since I have posted my list of age appropriate skills, I've had many people ask me how I got my kids to use these skills for the benefit of those who live in my household.

Well.......A BIG STICK....no, seriously, I started when my children were young toddlers. Now I am reaping the benefits of having my children help carry the load of maintaining a clean, organized home. When my youngest daughter was almost two years old I attending a church class and the topic was, "Confessions of An Organized Housewife", by Deniece Schofield. (Don't hold me to this, I couldn't read my notes very well) The theme of this class was organizing your house chores so that you did your Spring cleaning all year round. This process has stayed with me all my 24 years of having my own home and family.

The idea behind this is a card catalogue system with each card having a chore written on it. Then the cards are organized by daily, weekly, monthly chores. As I used this system I was able to delegate these chores to meet the skills my child had at the time.
I have since abandoned the index card system and it's become incorporated in my daily chores for myself and my children. (My husband fills in the gaps or plays the role as the task master, Ha!)

Some of the benefits I've gained from this system are:
** My laundry is all done by Wednesday afternoon. My teenage children know the day that their laundry gets done and if they miss it, well, guess what they're doing Saturday? One daughter missed her day so often that she put as a number one item on her Christmas list, "an ample supply of socks". Uh mm, I wonder why she didn't list underwear too. Ha! She's getting better at getting her laundry sorted on time.
** I'm not knocking myself out every April doing my Spring cleaning.
** I never forget to do the things that aren't common, like defrosting my freezer. (Shouldn't the freezer have an ample supply of ice to keep things frozen?! I'll never get that one!)

My list could go on and on, but I know I've made my life much easier in the long run. It's never too late to start.

At What Age Can My Kids Help At Home?

Here is a chart that I have found helpful when helping moms

get their kids' chores organized.

The numbers in "( )"'s are the ages.... I'm sure some digress, especially when they become husbands. HA, HA!

Clothing Care Skills Basic

Spot removal--blood, oil, coffee, tea, soda, etc. (12-18)

Operate electric clothes dryer (9-16)

Polish shoes (8-18)

Clean own closet (6-16)

Put away clean clothes (5-9)

Clean own drawers (6-16)

Shop for clothing (11-18)

Empty hamper, put dirty clothes in wash area (4-8)

Simple mending--buttons and holes (12-17)

Fold clothes neatly, without wrinkles (8-16)

Simple sewing (12-18)

Fold, separate clean laundry (8-16)

Sort clothes by color, dirt, fabric content (8-18)

Hand-wash lingerie or woolens (12-18)

Wash clothes in machine (9-16)

Hang clothes for sun drying (8-16)

Iron clothing (12-18)

Personal Care Skills

Arrange for own haircut (10-16)

Pick up toys (2-6)

Brush teeth (2-5)

Purchase own grooming supplies (11-18)

Clean, trim nails (5-10)

Put pajamas away (2-4)

Comb hair (2-5)Tidy up bedroom (2-8)

Dress self (3-6)

Undress self (2-4)

Leave bathroom neat after use (6-10)

Wash and dry own hair (7-10)

Make own bed (3-7)

Wash face, hands (2-5)

Cooking Skills

Bake a cake from a mix (10-14)

Make a sandwich (6-12)

Bake bread (12-17)

Make casserole (14-18)

Bake cookies (10-16)

Make fruit salad (13-15)

Bake muffins, biscuits (11-17)

Make gelatin (7-12)

Boil eggs (7-13)

Make hot beverages (12-16)

Broil a steak (12-16)

Make punch (6-9)

Make tossed salad (11-15)

Clean frost-free refrigerator (12-18)

Measure properly (7-14)

Clean oven and stove (15-18)

Mix pancakes (10-17)

Pack a cold lunch (7-12)

Cook canned soup (7-12)

Plan and shop for groceries for a week (15-18)

Cook frozen, canned vegetables (10-13)

Plan balanced meal (10-15)

Defrost refrigerator or freezer (15-18)

Put groceries away (6-16)

Distinguish between good and spoiled foods (10-18)

Read a recipe (7-12)

Read ingredient labels wisely (10-15)

Scramble eggs (9-13)

Know basic food groups and nutrition (5-14)

Select and prepare fresh fruits and vegetables (10-18)

Household Skills

Change bed linens (10-13)

Replace faucet washer (15-18)

Change vacuum belt and bag (12-15)

Replace light bulbs, understand wattage (10-15)

Clean bathroom tile (14-18)

Scour sink and tub (5-12)

Clean bathroom total (6-12)

Scrub down walls (14-18)

Clean combs and brushes (4-8)

Scrub or mop floor (6-13)

Clean fireplace (10-15)

Set table (3-7)

Clean pet cages and bowls (7-13)

Shake area rugs (4-8)

Clean toilet (5-8)

Spot-clean walls (4-12)

Clean TV screen and mirrors (4-8)

Sweep porches, patios, walks (4-10)

Clear off own place at table (2-5)

Take written telephone messages (7-12)

Clear table (3-13)

Trim trees, shrubs (12-18)

Dust furniture (3-12)

Unstop a drain with chemicals or plunger (13-18)

Empty dishwasher and put dishes away (4-1 2)

Use broom, dust-pan (8-12)

Empty wastebaskets (4-10)

Use vacuum cleaner (7-12)

Feed pets (5-10)

Fold blankets neatly (8-14)

Vacuum upholstery and drapes (8-14)

Wash and dry dishes by hand (6-12)

Know differences and uses of various household cleaners (4-14)

Wash car (8-16)

Wash windows (13-18)

Load and turn on dishwasher (6-12)

Water grass (8-14)

Mow lawn (12-16)

Water house plants (8-14)

Oil squeaky door (12-18)

Pick up trash in yard (4-10)

Weed garden (9-13) )

Wipe off chairs (6-11)

Wipe off door frames (4-12)

Wipe up a spill (3-10)

Polish wood furniture (14-18)

Mi Casa Es Su Casa........

While I was working with a client she asked if I lived as organized as I was making her...ha! I don't expect anyone to live as organized as I do, they'd have to be crazy! I'm just lucky that I get to use my obsession as a business, like a person that loves to cook, being a chef.

Many people have asked me to post my personal organizing systems from my home, on my blog. I guess that would encourage more people visiting my blog and maybe a few creepy blog stalkers, but hey I'm willing to share as long as I don't have a blog stalker knocking at my front door.
So my next post will be.........uhm, I'll leave that as a surprise!

C L U T T E R.......the dirty word!

Clutter is the nemesis to organization!

Clutter can be stopped. De-cluttering is prioritizing what matters most to you and what makes you happy to look at, to use, and to maintain.

I have an old friend who would place in front of me a drawer from her kitchen when I would go to her home to visit. As we visited, I would organize the drawer. After I would sort through the drawer, she'd call her five children to the room and I gave them each a pile of miscellaneous things to deliver to the place where they belonged. She would impart her wisdom and I would organize her drawers, it was a wonderful friendship!

It didn't take much time to do one drawer and over time her whole kitchen was organized. (And I was wiser too!)

Follow these little steps and you'll be able to get organized one step at a time......


The first step to getting organized is to start removing clutter. Choose just one space (a closet, drawer, toy chest, etc....) to go through the items in that space and determine:
1) Do I need this?
2) Does it belong in this space? Remember the Sesame Street song, "One of these things don't look like the others...." Okay, get my point?
3) How many of these items do I really need?

After doing this, you'll have the keeper pile, the garbage/donate pile and the doesn't belong pile.

Group the like items to see how much room you need for the items you're going to keep in that space.

Next take the "doesn't belong pile" and place those items where you think they belong.
Don't get distracted, remember the story, "If You Give A Mouse A Cookie", don't stop and wipe your milk mustache and trim your whiskers, just put the items away. Don't worry if the new place isn't organized, you'll soon get there.

Return to your decluttered space and give yourself a "high five" and take in the view. You'll be renewed and proud of what you have accomplished. Life is made up of these little moments, take it in!
Look around your home for usable storage containers or make a list of containers to purchase. (January is a great time for great buys on organizing bins)
That will be the icing on the cake when everything is in it's place and labeled. You'll think you died and gone to heaven.....at least that's what I think every time I organize a place, that's heaven to me...peaceful, orderly, ahhhhhhhhhh!

The New Year's Goal....Get More Organized!

Happy New Year!

It's that time again to set new year's resolutions and "get more organized" is bound to be on every one's list this year. Except mine...he, he,he, I couldn't resist!

Just remember when you set that new year's resolution to be more organized, take it easy on yourself. Define what being organized means to you. Keep it simple.

Many times when working with clients I've found that they have made that resolution to be more organized and they buy some new product that is going to make them more organized, like a new filing system, plastic bins, a fun new calendar or computer program, etc... It never fails, once they get through the "set up" process, they're too tired to continue it.

A good example of this is organizing your files. I have seen many people set up "micro managed" files only to not be a "micro" organizer. The typed labels and color codes were very thrilling to start, but the work to keep everything up was overwhelming. Start with a basic filing system that is easy to keep up, for instance, instead of having a file for each credit card, have one file that's titled "Credit Card Statements". When you find success in that system over time, then you may feel the need to subcategorize the file to "VISA", "Mastercard", "Nordstrom", etc.... .

Remember "KISS" (keep it super simple) ........over time you will find more success!

Decorating for the holidays

This holiday season I unpacked my decorations realizing that I had purged some decorations last year and purchased new decorations. (For some of you wondering about the purge, I did save all the toilet roll and felt Santa's and the salt dough ornaments that my kids have made over the years.) I stood in front of my boxes of decorations wondering how I had decorated the previous year. (This may be a sign of getting older, ha!)
I had to think of a solution, just in case I'm more senile next year. As I decorated, I took photographs of the areas I decorated. I printed out the photos and put a number on the back of the photo that coordinates with the decorated area. When I pack up my decorations at the end of the year, I can place a number on the box that contain those decorations. Voila! Christmas 2009 will be a lot easier to decorate, unless I move in 2009.
Happy Holidays!

Last But Not Least, 7th Thing Organizers Do...

Seventh...They only keep what they use and/or they enjoy. They can't stand anything taking up space that doesn't have a useful or pleasurable purpose in their lives. They're big believers in simplicity. They breathe easier knowing they've lightened their loads and can move easily without having to climb over boxes and piles of clutter.

This would be simplicity at it's best. The more you own, the more you have to maintain and manage. Think of how much time you would have not having to manage so many things!

Henry David Thoreau borrowed a cabin from his friend, Ralph Waldo Emerson, on Walden Pond. He spent two years of his life "living simple". "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberatley, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." He discovered in that time there were only 4 things a person really needed to survive, food, shelter, clothing and fuel. (I would add to that family and friends.)

Ask yourself, what do I really need and enjoy?

The basics of organizing is to reduce the clutter you have. Gather, sort, choose what you need, take what you haven't used in 6-12 months and donate the items, or find some one that would like them.

There are many people at this time of year that could use your donated items, so find your favorite charity and simplify your life with less clutter!

P & S New Look

Thanks for Lee Lou's wonderful talents, I have a new blog design. Feel free to add my link to your blog, it would be greatly appreciated. :-)

Story behind the family in organized bins....

One evening we were entertaining two couples for dinner. One couple, knew me quite well and the other couple accepted our invite to get better acquainted with my husband and I. As I was in the kitchen preparing dinner, I over heard my good friend's husband tell the newbies, "Don't sit too long in one place in Jenn's home or you'll find yourself in a bin with your name labeled on the front."
It's totally not true....unless you stay longer than a month and don't make yourself useful! HA!

Thanks for visiting my organizing blog!

7 Things Organized People Do....the 6th

Sixth... They set GOALS and assign deadlines. They know if they want to get things done, they need to know exactly what they want the end result to be and by what date. They review these goals often and set aside time each day to work on achieving them. They review what they've accomplished and never forget to reap the rewards.

I think this explains itself. The key to success is to not set too many goals. Soon we will be into 2009, the new year when we set new goals. Start to think about the goals you'd like to set now and use these next few months as a review. Share your goals with others, rally up support!

Happy Halloween.......how to organize your candy...

Dump candy from bag...put like candy with like candy... label Ziploc bags, place candy in Ziploc bag and throw into freezer! (The freezer keeps it fresh and it's more difficult to eat fast, hence, less calories.) Enjoy!

Organized People Don't Procrastinate

Fifth......organized people don't procrastinate. I'm not sure if this is entirely true. It all depends on what organized people love to do and don't like to do, just like everyone else. Now cleaning the toilet, yes I procrasinate, until I can have my husband or a child do it. Ha! I don't procrasinate when I have to practice my piano, make doctor's appointments, help a friend or family member, things I enjoy doing.

If there is something that has to be done and I don't want to do it, I reward myself for doing it.
There are ways to get things done.
1) Write the "to-do's" on a list and see what you can put into baby steps to accomplish each task.

Example:

Making Appointments

1. Write down the appointments you need to make.
2. Prioritize the appointments.
3. Take a slip of paper and list them in priority order, along with the information you need to have to make that appointment and a few dates that you would be able to schedule the appointment.

Start with the #1 appointment. Some time during the day make the appointment. I like to make appointments while sitting in the car waiting for my child during a lesson. You can be creative in using the small increments of time that you do have during the day.

Give it a try and see how many you appointments you can schedule in one day's time! Remember to reward yourself.

Cleaning Projects

I like to do my little cleaning projects, wiping out my cupboards, cleaning a drawer, etc... while I'm on the phone talking to friends or family. I'll open a drawer that needs to be fine tuned (I can't say organized, because I think all of my drawers in my home are organized) and work on it while talking. I also like to sort through files or little projects while watching my favorite television shows. Find a time when it doesn't take too much concentration to multi task to get little projects done.

If you have to schedule a 10 minute time slot a few days a week, that you don't plan anything and just do one thing on your "to-do" list. You'll find more success by accomplishing your tasks in little steps.

Fourth Thing Organized People Do..........

Fourth...They don't allow papers to pile up. Papers to file are filed each day, not left to grow into mountains. Mail is opened over the recycle container so papers not needed don't even have a chance to multiply. Kids permission slips are signed right away and sent back to school with the kids. Bills are tucked into a bill paying system until bill paying day, and paid bill statements are filed away that day. Magazines are read within a week or two and then recycled or donated.

It may sound difficult, but if you start now with the incoming mail, it'll become a habit over time.

There are helpful things you can do to stop unwanted mail from arriving to your mailbox. I have listed links to websites on the right of my blog to help you stop unwanted mail, i.e, catalogues, credit card offers, advertisements, etc.... . It is a good idea to stop the credit card offers from coming to your mailbox to help prevent identity theft. If you want a new credit card you can always go online and request one through your favorite bank.

After I have thrown all the recyclable papers in the recycle bin, I have two piles to bring into the house, 1) To Be Shredded 2) To Be Filed.

I shred the papers and put the "to be filed" in a drawer that I have designated as a holding place before filing. You don't always have time to file right then and there. My holding place is above the drawer that I have my files in. This holding place keeps the clutter down and out of sight. Every few days I go through the paper pile and file the papers, add bills to my automatic bill payer, and file my receipts from the week.

Another source of paper clutter is your children's school papers, handouts that you've collected, fliers, etc... If I have a paper that needs to be filled out and signed for my child, I fill it out and sign it. If I don't have time right then, I keep a clip board on my kitchen counter to place papers that I need to get to and then I can pick up that clip board and take it with me. This allows me to have a hard surface to write on when I'm sitting at an appointment or soccer practice and I try to clear off the clipboard before evenings' end. It's also handy if you're watching tv, to place on your lap to fill out the paperwork.

After I have filled out important papers, I file them. I keep a filing box with a file folder for each family member, in a handy place above my phone in the kitchen cabinet. If I receive a notice of a field trip that is coming up in the following month, I sign it, send it back to school and write the date on my calendar or Outlook and file it in the corresponding child's file. Later when I have a question about the field trip, I can pull the paper out of my file and get the information I need. Also, as I go through the file, while talking on the phone, a good use of time for little projects like this, I can recycle that out of date field trip paper.

My time is precious to me and so the magazines I read are very limited. I think I subscribe to one magazine that I love to get monthly, "Real Simple". I read the magazine and if there is an item that I find interesting or a recipe, I dog ear the page. When I have finished the magazine, I go back to the dog eared page and tear that portion out. I usually do this later, after a week or so has passed, then I can have another try at the importance of the item I'm wanting to save. For example, if it's a website to look at, I put that website address on my clipboard and next time I'm at the computer I can look up the website. If the website has too much information to take a quick look, I usually tag it under "my favorites" under a category "To Be Read" and save it for later. If I save a recipe, I put it on my clipboard and try to incorporate it into my weekly meal planning. If I haven't used the recipe in a few weeks, I convince myself that I may never use it and if I need to I can find it on the web.

I keep a 1" binder near with 8" x 11 1/2" page protectors divided into different categories, i.e. home improvement ideas, decorating ideas, kids activities, etc... I take the dog eared page and slip it into the proper category's page protector. Every few months when I have a spare minute I go through the binder and do a clean out. I usually date the page so I know how long I've had it sitting in my binder. That is a big help when deciding if you really need to keep it any longer.
I fI receive a catalogue and I see an item that I think I may want to order, I tear that page out and put it on my clipboard. It usually stays on the clipboard for a few days so I can decide if I really need that item, or if I was just thinking I would look like the model in the catalogue if I purchased that item. Or if I'm near the store I can take the photo and show the saleslady and she can lead me to it. I try it on and it usually ends up looking better on the model than on me. Ha! Money saved!

So take a deep breath and just think of one thing you can change in your routine to help clear the paper clutter. Remember, I've been doing this for a long time and it does take time and practice. But there's no better time than now to make one little change.

Good luck, I know you can do it!

Write It Down....

Third... They write things down. Organized people make lists and notes, and keep these in one consistent place such as a planner, notebook or calendar. They don't try to remember things in their heads. They let the pen and paper (or the computer) work for them. They reference their lists and notes on a daily basis.

In this day and age there is really no excuse to not write or type things down. We have PDA's, cell phones, Outlook calendar, and not to mention notepads, post it notes, and calendars in all shapes and sizes.

You need to evaluate the best way for you to keep track of appointments, events and the "to-do's".

PDA/Cell phones are a very helpful tool. We almost all have cell phones. If you don't know how to use the calendaring tool, call yourself and leave a message with an important date or item you need to take care of. You could also text yourself a note. When doing this you are able to listen to the message when you have time to write it down. You can also text the person that needs to take care of the "to-do" and let them know to jot it down and that they'll be responsible for that item. I do this to my teenage children all the time. I text and then forget about it, someone else is responsible. The options are numerous using today's technology.

Outlook calendar is a tool that I use consistently. I'm able to sync my PDA/Cell phone to my computer and add new items to my computer and visa verse. When I receive an email with information on an event, appointment, etc... I immediately add it to my outlook calendar. I sync up my computer and cell phone and have all the information at my fingertips. You are also able to send an email appointment to another person letting them know of a calendaring item. In return they can accept that item or email you back with their reply. Endless opportunities!

Now there are some that like the feel of paper and crossing off items on the list. That's just fine! Whatever works best for you, DO IT! Our goal is to write things down and whatever the system is that works...it works! (Even if you live in Microsoft land like I do, I still print out a weekly paper calendar to have on the counter for my kids to look at what is on my weekly agenda. I can also make notes onthis calendar for my to-do's, grocery items I need, etc...)

Purse size calendars or notebooks are great, as long as you don't loose them. I find this is a big excuse for some of my organizing clients. One of them even tied a cute ribbon on the spiral notebook and tied the other end to her purse. Whatever works!

Post it notes can be posted and then removed when that event or to-do is accomplished. Just keep a central place for the post-it's. You could use different color or sizes of post it's for different items. The small post-it's are great to hurry and write something down and then stick it in your calendar.

No matter what form you use the secret to success is consistency and daily review.

Putting things back......

Second... They put things back. Whenever an item has been removed from its assigned home, it is used for whatever reason and then immediately returned to its home when no longer in use. There are no temporary holding places. It's just put back where it belongs, right away."

Easier said than done, right?! As suggested in item #1, start putting the things back that you have organized a place for. I'm sure many of you have places that are established for certain items that you can start training yourself and others to put things back. There's a fun little thing you can do....in the most used place, like the drawer where the scissors or tape or pencils are, hide a little treat in that place. When you see a family member using that item, you can secretly say, "I bet when you put that back where it goes, you'll find a little treat." It's amazing what success you will have. You can even leave yourself a little treat...like chocolate. Great things for kids, if you're not into a sugary reward, nickels, dimes, coupon for a walk with mom or dad, etc....

I use to think that the "staircase basket" was a ingenious idea....well, after 19 years of having kids in my house, I've finally realized that the "staircase basket" has a built in feature. The minute you place an item in the basket to be taken upstairs , it turns invisible to the passer by. Yep, invisible, and the only one that can see it is you. And you end up putting everything away upstairs. Unless your basket is always invisible and you don't take it upstairs either. That is called temporary storage that ends up becoming permanent.

Start now by putting back the items you know where they go. It takes 22 days to make a habit. Surely you have 22 things to put back in those 22 days. I know I do! Good luck!

Image courtesy of Google Images....

A Place for EVERTHING...........

A designated place for everything is the key to having order in your home or office. It also cuts down on the questions, "Where is the...?" or "Where does this go?". It takes some simple steps to start finding a place for everything.



First, observe where it is that you use those items.

Second, start to establish a place for those items. Clear out the space and only put what you want in that place. You may place a container or box in that place for storing those items. Start with a temporary container, you always find more than you thought that you had for that place. As an organizer, I see too many of my clients purchasing organizing containers before they really have established what it is they will be containerizing and where it will go once containerized. Just think how much time and money you will save when going to Target, or the Container Store to purchase the containers that you need after you've established what it is that you will need!

Third, and the most difficult, gather those items that you're starting a "home" for. Ask yourself if you need 5 of those vegetable peelers, 8 of those pink erasers. etc.... get the idea? The hardest part of getting organized is to eliminate the clutter in the areas where you want to have a specific place for specific items.

Fourth, label the container. If it's a temporary box, label the box with a marker, if it’s a plastic container, put a piece of painter's tape on the box and write on the tape. (Painter’s tape works great for temporary labels. It peels off safely leaving no residue)

Fifth, introduce your family members or those using those items to the labeled “home”. Encourage them to return the items to that established place. It may take a while, but they will soon realize that in the future they’ll be able to find what they’re looking for.

Sixth, re-evaluate, time is the test, it may not happen overnight. If it takes more time, then perhaps you need to re-evaluate the place, if you have placed a lid on the container, it may be time consuming for the returnee to put the items away, the location height may not fit all the users. Re-evaluate. Remember the more steps it takes to put something away, the less successful it will be, especially when children are involved, or husbands.

Last but not least….a successful place! Measure the area and size you need and purchase a permanent container for those items. Be creative and make it fun and easy to dust or clean at a later time.

Examples:

As soon as my family enters our home from the garage, there is the coat rack/cubby shelf. This is a great place to hang keys, place library books that need to be returned, outgoing mail, coats and a camera. Shoes are left in the garage, in case you were wondering. In the winter, hats and mittens are placed in some of the cubbies.

The piano room can be a place for chaos, music books left on the floor, on top of the piano, papers falling behind the piano. I placed a decorative file basket with each child's name on a hanging file folder for them to place their music books and papers in. After a few times of loosing books or sheet music, they have learned not to leave their music lying around.

The pantry is a place that can get quite chaotic when the family members are making lunches before school, grabbing a quick snack, etc... Easy labeled containerizing is the key. It also helps the beginning cook to distinguish the baking soda from the powdered sugar.

You can find cute labels at studio JK.

The room where everyone hangs out...usually where the television or the gaming center is, right?! In this room you can find DVD's, old VHS tapes, video game discs, and if you are lucky, the remotes. I've found it helpful to have a place, such as a drawer to store the video games. When the drawer is opened, the video games are in plain view. I have old VHS tapes, the ones the kids still like to watch and reminisce about their childhood, and I have placed those in a basket nook where it isn't used as often and not in the way.

And believe it or not, we can usually find the remotes in this room, in the prized box that one of my children made in a woodworking class. It's not my first choice, but when I said in my "out loud" voice, "Hum, I wonder what we can put the remotes in?". My daughter, proudly brought the box from her room and said, "This will work great, Mom!". Perhaps the ownership makes this a successful place for the remotes, because we know how difficult it is to find the remotes when needed.

There are many ideas and what may work for Martha Stewart, may not work for you. We're lucky that in this day and age,organizing containers come in so many shapes, materials, styles, and colors to make organizing your home fun. Be creative and put your personality into the organized home!

Okay, that's great for Organized People....

My next posts will be how to start thinking like an organized person, giving ideas for each rule....if you are an organized person reading my blog, I invite you to also add your ideas on how you accomplish being an "organized person".
Every journey starts with a single step..... Baby Steps Bob! ("What About Bob?" movie starring Bill Murray)

The 7 Habits of Very Organized People

Have you ever wondered how some people could be so very organized, when you're struggling on a daily basis just to get your home looking halfway presentable and to get at least a few items checked off of your To Do list?

Most organized people follow a few simple rules. Here are the 7 habits of very organized people.

1. They have a place for everything. Every item they have has a consistent, assigned home. The home for books is on the book shelf. The home for toys is in the toy room on the toy shelves. The home for blank greeting cards is in the greeting card organizer in the office.

2. They put things back. Whenever an item has been removed from its assigned home, it is used for whatever reason and then immediately returned to its home when no longer in use. There are no temporary holding places. It's just put back where it belongs, right away.

3. They write things down. Organized people make lists and notes, and keep these in one consistent place such as a planner, notebook or calendar. They don't try to remember things in their heads. They let the pen and paper (or the computer) work for them. They reference their lists and notes on a daily basis. Many use the Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer as a tool:http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html

4. They don't allow papers to pile up. Papers to file are filed each day, not left to grow into mountains. Mail is opened over the recycle container so papers not needed don't even have a chance to multiply. Kids permission slips are signed right away and sent back to school with the kids. Bills are tucked into a bill paying system until bill paying day, and paid bill statements are filed away that day. Magazines are read within a week or two and then recycled or donated.

5. They don't procrastinate. When something has to be done, organized people schedule time to do it and then they keep that scheduled appointment. They know that the more they delay, the more likely deadlines will be missed or opportunities will pass.

6. They set goals and assign deadlines. They know if they want to get things done, they need to know exactly what they want the end result to be and by what date. They review these goals often and set aside time each day to work on achieving them. They review what they've accomplished and never forget to reap the rewards.

7. They only keep what they use and/or they enjoy. They can't stand anything taking up space that doesn't have a useful or pleasurable purpose in their lives. They're big believers in simplicity. They breathe easier knowing they've lightened their loads and can move easily without having to climb over boxes and piles of clutter.

Credit to: Maria Garcia with Get Organized Now!