It's Time to Declutter Your Bathroom

Decluttering - room by room...

When was the last time that you declcuttered your bathroom? 

How old is that makeup?

How many creams and lotions do you really need?

A place that is seldom decluttered and organized is the bathroom. And it usually has a lot of "stuff" crammed into the drawers and cabinets.

Makeup and lotions expire - beleive it or not! It is a good idea to put a date on your makeup and lotions so that you know how long you have had them. 

Start with one drawer at a time and take everything out. Wipe out the drawer - it usually will have a lot of make-up dust in it. If you have dividers in the drawer - wipe those out also. Then take out each item and ask yourself when you actually used it last. Is it empty? Is it almost empty? Do you really like the item?

A lot of people buy makeup in a variety of colors - and then decide they really don't like the shade - but it never leaves the drawer! If you don't like it or are not using it - get rid of it!

If it's old - get rid of it. You don't want to take a chance of getting an infection by using make up that is old or has been contaminated.

If you don't have drawer dividers in your drawers - get some! They are really helpful in separating your makeup, lotions, brushes, hair clips....  It's much easier to find things when they are all together in one group. Also - you will probably use the items more if you can actually find them in the drawer - instead of  having to dig through a pile of "stuff".

Medicines expire - check all of the medicines - including such things as cough and cold  medicines, antacids,  pain relievers, sun screen, antibiotic ointment, antiseptic cream, laxatives.....  and anything else in your medicine cabinet - for expiration dates. If it's expired - throw it out! 

Make it a habit to declutter your bathroom at least a couple of times a year. It's much easier to maintain a space then to constantly have to take everything out and start from the beginning.

Happy Decluttering!

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

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Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

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Decluttering Mistakes That Clients Make

Decluttering is hard! If it was easy - everyone would be doing it - all the time! It takes being in the right mindset and setting aside enough time to actually get anything done.

People make the mistake of thinking that it will be easy and will only take an hour. Even if you are in the right frame of mind - or think you are - you will come across something that has a "story" - something that you will be emotionally attached to. And then time stands still. And you start going down memory lane.

Before you start your decluttering project - have a list of questions that you can ask yourself - about what you will and won't get rid of. That way, when you run across an object that you might have a question about - you already have the answer.

So what are some mistakes that clients make when it comes to decluttering?

1) Hiding the clutter. You know who you are! You are having company come over any minute and you haven't finished cleaning up - so you just shove everything into a closet. And then you forget about it and it never comes out and gets put away.

2) Decluttering other peoples stuff. Don't! It's a big mistake. Only declutter stuff that is actually yours - or ask the other person (whose stuff it is...) if they are willing to get rid of it. Never throw out someone else's stuff. World War III could erupt!

3) Decluttering - but the stuff never leaves the house! I encourage my clients to keep a continuous "donate" box in their home - if they are able to leave the stuff in the box and when it's full, actually take it out of the house and drop it off at the donation site. But - if you leave the box by the door and you (and other family members) go through the box and take things back out - then it hasn't served any purpose. Once the box is full (or even before if you can't stop yourself from taking things back) - put it in your car - and immediately drive it to the donation site.

4) Second guessing yourself. This is where making a list of questions to ask yourself comes in handy. For some people - when they touch an item - even though they have not used the item in years - all of a sudden they "need it" or "want it" or "can use it". "Be strong!".  You haven't used the item in a while and maybe you didn't even realize you still had it - so let it go. If you really do "need" the item later down the road - you can probably buy it again. But really, what is the chance of that?

5) Not having a regular decluttering routine. Decluttering is not a "once and done" process. As your life changes (age or interests change....) - the things that you used to use (or wear or do...) just don't fit into your "current" life. And that's the key word "current". Having a set decluttering routine - whether it's once a season or once a year - is crucial in maintaing a clutter free and stress free home.

6) But it's worth money! Really? To whom? Probably only to you. Let's get serious. We all think that our "stuff" is valuable. It's probably not. Sorry! And once you have bought the item - you are not going to recoup your cost. So holding on to an item that you don't use isn't saving money or stopping you from losing money - you already spent the money. And thinking that you are going to sell it and make a lot of money - isn't realistic. Think about the time you have to spend taking pictures and posting it online - or setting up and having a garage sale. How valuable is your time - versus making $20 or $50 - if you have to sit at a garage sale for the entire day? Donate the item and you are usually much better off.

Decluttering is an ongoing process - that will keep your home clutter free - so that you can live the life you have now!

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....   

Old Habits Are Hard to Break - Accountability Is Key to Beating Procrastination

Beating procrastination can be hard. We do well for a few days, but then old habits set back in, or we get frustrated with our lack of apparent progress. Nothing goes fast enough. If you face a small setback at this point, it may be enough to stop working on what you wanted to accomplish in the first place. Thankfully, there’s something you can do to greatly improve your chances of success. Accountability. 

 

Track Your Progress 

Start by tracking what you do. You can do this via a simple habit tracker or by just using pencil and paper. Use a box for each day of the week, fill in what you want to accomplish each day, Check it off or fill it in when you do the task. Keep tracking it until it becomes a habit or until the project is completed.

For larger projects that you may or may not work on daily, it helps to write down your goal and then break it into milestones. Record your progress and how much closer you’re inching to each of your goals. 

 

Make Daily To-Do Lists 

Write out a list of everything you want to get done for the day. It’s helpful to do this the day before. Play around with how many items you put on that list. You don’t want it to overwhelm you, but you do want to challenge yourself to get more done. The list holds you accountable because you can see in black and white if you procrastinated or not. 

 

Tell Someone About Your Plans 

If there’s something you’ve been struggling to get done, tell someone else about your plans to finally tackle it. Call a friend, tell your spouse, or announce it on social media. Encourage the people you’re sharing with to check back with you on how you did. It may be the little extra push you need to stop procrastinating. 

 

Find An Accountability Buddy 

Last but not least, find someone else who’s procrastinating and start holding each other accountable. This could be as simple as checking in once in the morning to declare what you each want to get done, and then again at the end of the day to see what happened. Knowing someone else is right there with you can be super motivating. 

 

Give each of these procrastination beating strategies a try and see which ones give you the best results. Like anything else, procrastinating is a habit, and you can get out of it and turn yourself into the motivated and productive version of yourself you want to be. 

 

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....

More Spring Projects for Your Home

 As the snow melts and spring is right around the corner - everyone is anxiously looking forward to spending more time outside. So - it's time to clean out and organizer your garage, patio and shed!

Start by pulling everything out of your garage.Then sweep it out.

Look at all of your tools, rakes and anything else in the garage and first make sure that it's all in good shape and working. If not - throw it out.

Anything that doesn't belong in the garage - put it back where it belongs.

If you are done using your snowblower or other winter weather gear - store it in the back of the garage. Be sure that it's cleaned up first. If you won't be able to use it next winter - get rid of it.

Don't forget to look at winter "toys". If you or your kids have outgrown or are no longer interested in any winter gear (sleds, ski's, snowshoes...) - get rid of it. Don't let it clutter up your garage.

Put all of your spring and summer gear closer to the front of the garage - where you can easily get to it.

Make sure that your lawnmower is ready to go! Make sure that you have rakes and leaf bags and anything else that you will need.

If you have bikes - make sure that the tires are all inflated and in good condition.

Once you are done with the garage - work on your patio or deck. Clear off any furniture and sweep it off. Make sure that any furniture you have is in good condition.

If you have a gas grill - make sure that  your tank is all filled up so that you are ready to grill!

Next - on to your shed (if you have one). Some people had sheds for extra outdoor furniture or garden supplies. If you haven't cleaned it out since last summer - now is the time to clear it out, sweep it out and organize it.

Spring is a busy time of cleaning and organizing! But once it's done - you have the entire summer to enjoy your newly cleaned and organized spaces!

 

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
.

Visit our Life & Business Coaching website:  North By Northwest

*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more.... 

 

Time Management Basics for Working Women

Whether you work from home or work outside the home, all women work. Keeping your sanity while working and raising a family can be quite challenging, but there are some things you can do to help get things organized and less stressful. Here are some time management basics for working women.

Being a Morning Person

You may not be a natural "morning person," but mornings are really crucial for working women. In fact, one of the secrets to becoming a morning person is to be an evening person first! In other words, do as much as you can the night before so that the morning isn't so rushed and crazy. Here are some tips:

* Pack backpacks and diaper bags the night before and put them by the door.

* Prepare lunches (whether for you to take to the office or the kids to take to school) the night before and freeze or refrigerate.

* Lay out clothes the night before so you don't have to figure out what you and everyone else is going to wear.

* Get up before your kids do so you can have time to get your act together before they're up.

* Prepare any breakfast make-ahead items such as cut-up fruit or hard-boiled eggs.

Come to an Understanding

It's important that your spouse and/or kids understand that everyone has to pitch in. If both spouses work, for instance, it's unfair for one spouse to unwind in front of the TV after work and the other spouse to start working in the kitchen. So have a family meeting if necessary to discuss this issue; it needs to be understood that if you're contributing to the income, they need to contribute to the housework and other such tasks.

Prioritize

It's crucial for working women to prioritize their time. You can't, for instance, be driving your child 20 minutes both ways to attend an activity they're only moderately interested in. You also don't have time to attend every single sporting event or performance your kids are in, and it's okay - forgive yourself and do what you can.

Simple Meals

During this time in your life, it's a good idea to keep meals simple. A few main ingredients and quick preparation can be the rule; apply it to all kinds of meals. And in general, kids are just as happy with a cheese quesadilla as they are with an elaborate beef curry dish. In fact, they'll probably like the quick quesadilla better!

Keep things on hand for simple meals, too, such as jarred spaghetti sauce, frozen bread, frozen vegetables, tortillas, and pasta. Frozen chicken breasts and fish fillets can be prepared quickly, even without pre-thawing. Buy ground meat and make it into patties; freeze, and pull them out as needed.

Hopefully, implementing some of these tips will enable you to spend more quality time with your family.

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Family Organization Tips

One of the hardest parts about getting your family organized is knowing where in the world to start. Often, family members feel like they can't stop long enough to get organized. This is where some basic tips can help. Following are some simple, fundamental family organization tips to help you get things in order.

Share the Burden

Often, one family member (usually a parent) feels all the pressure to get things organized, and it just seems like other family members are constantly undermining his or her efforts. To help overcome this, try sharing the burden. For example, every family member should be responsible for putting away his or her things (coats, jackets, shoes, toys, books, etc.). There are various ways you can get your family motivated to take care of their own stuff. You might try:

* Give points for tasks completed, and require the kids to have a certain number of points before watching TV, spending time on the computer, etc.

* Hiding items that are left out can really drive home a message about taking responsibility for one's stuff. Make sure everyone in the family is aware of this consequence if they leave their things out. Then those items can be hidden as you like, and perhaps kids will have to earn back the hidden items.

Work Space

Try establishing work space for family members' various activities. It could be as elaborate as a separate room, simply a piece of furniture (such as a table), or a corner of a room. This helps in several ways:

* All the stuff required for a family member's activity - books, paper, pencils, craft supplies, sports equipment, etc. - can be sequestered in his or her work space. That prevents said stuff from ending up all over the house.

* Family members tend to feel validated when they have their own space to do what they want or need to do.

* Homework space should be separate from entertainment space to avoid temptations, and to make sure that supplies are handy. The need for a computer in homework space is understandable, but make sure that it's only used for school purposes (such as research).

Bins and Containers

Finding the right bins and containers for items can really help get things off the floor and onto shelves, into closets, and just up off the floor. You may find that you can get by with a few clear bins in each work space, or a set of inexpensive plastic shelves.

You may prefer a large dresser or filing cabinet for the whole family, with each person having his or her drawer. Whatever you choose, make sure the containers can be closed and stacked, and that you can see what's in them (and/or label them).

At the Front Door

It seems like the front door area is a catch-all for shoes, coats, jackets, books, and anything else family members happen to be carrying when they walk in the door. Try having a basket or box for each person on shelves by the door; mail, school papers, and other items can go in each individual's basket/box. Every week, the baskets and boxes will need to be sorted through and cleaned out, but done regularly, it should not be too hard.

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Organizing Tips to last you All Year

It's spring and people are starting to feel like they need to Spring Clean their homes. Freshen things up. Shake out the cobwebs of being cooped up all winter.

So many things to do! So many projects!

It's sort of like New Years Resolutions - everyone makes them - but after a few weeks - they lose interest and go back to being couch potatoes!

So - let's give you some incentive, encouragement and accountability!

Sit down with a pad of paper and just start brainstorming all of the things that you want to do - if you had the time and energy and nothing was standing in your way.

Just start writing it all out. Don't overthink it!

Let's see what your list looks like:

Deep clean the living room
Organize the garage
Organize your kitchen
Organizer your calendar
Get rid of clothes you don't wear anymore
Organize your file cabinet

You get the picture......

Now that you have it all written down - will you actually do it?

In most cases - you might do one or two things and then get side tracked.

So - I have created  a years worth of Organizing, Decluttering and Cleaning Tips that might give you some ideas - and maybe even get you motivated to get your house and life back on track!

You can sign up for 52 Weeks of Decluttering & Organizing emails
and you will receive one (1) email a week with a tip around one topic. Each week there is a new topic. We will cover various organizing and decluttering issues. We will cover ways to get your family involved in helping around the house. We will even cover some cleaning tips.

The emails will automatically come to your email address every week.

You just have to read and then implement them!

Some of the topics include:


Organize your Bedroom
Organize your Kitchen
Reducing Your Stuff
How to Fold Fitted Sheets
How to Create a Realistic To Do List
What to Do In 1 to 3 Minutes to Declutter
Create Habits to Get Things Done
Why Your Calendar Can Make You More Productive
Every Day Laundry Tips

and many more tips to last you throughout the upcoming year....

At the end of the 52 weeks you will also receive a special gift.

Sign up today - it's easy!


52 Weeks of Decluttering & Organizing emails


*****  This series is only available as a subscription - it will not be posted on this Blog


Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Getting Your Family to Help with Clutter and Organization

One of the most asked questions that I receive as a Professional Organizer is "how do I get my family to help me keep our home clutter free and organized"?

Well - the answer is not easy. And every family will have a different way of doing things.

A few suggestions:


Start when the kids are young. Have them put away their toys and clothes. It's never to early to start them on the road to an organized life. They can start as early as 3 (yes, they can put away their toys - one toy at a time).

Near the end of the evening - stop whatever you are doing - and spend 10 minutes picking up after yourselves. Hang up the coats, put away the shoes, take the dishes & cups out of the living room and put them back into the kitchen. If everyone picks up after themselves - it does not fall on "the mom" and the house will look much better. 

Try setting an alarm for 30 minutes and have everyone clean one area. If everyone pitches in - the house can look spotless!

Make a chore list for each member of the family. Have a special treat for whoever finishes all of their chores.

If you have kids - and have a chore list - rotate the chores with the kids. That way they get to do different chores each week. Some they will like and some they won't. By doing this one person isn't always stuck doing the "yucky" chores.

Have a chore bowl.  Let everyone pick a chore out of the bowl and give them a deadline as to when it must be done.

Don't save all of the chores for the weekend. Spread them out over the week so it won't feel like you are wasting your weekend on cleaning.

Do something fun after a big cleaning episode!  Reward yourself. Something as simple as going out for a hike and enjoying nature. Or have an ice cream!

By breaking up the "must do because that's life" chores with some fun and rewards - it will help your family act as a family unit.

Everyone lives in the house - everyone works together.

That's what a family is all about !



Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Getting Organized - in Small Chunks of Time

A major reason that people say they can't get organized is "because they don't have enough time".

Well - that's just an excuse!

There are many things that you can do to organize, declutter and clean your home and your life - that doesn't take up a lot of time.

You can put away all of the shoes that are taking over the entryway of your home
You can clear off the kitchen counter
You can organize one drawer in your kitchen
You can clear out one side of the medicine cabinet in your bathroom
You can throw out all of the old newspapers that are still on the coffee table
You can put away your laundry that has been sitting on our dresses for the past week
You can clear out your purse
You can sort the mail

There are a lot of things that you can do - that take up very little time.

Give yourself  5, 10 or 20 minutes - pick something - and then do it!

For more inspiration and ideas - reread:

In Five Minutes I Can .....

Get Organized In Twenty Minutes A Day 

 

Organizing Your Purse (Briefcase / Backpack)....

 

Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Junk Drawers - Everyone Has One - Organize It!

You know that we all have junk drawers!  Someplace there is a space, a drawer, that has a lot of "stuff"!  

All kinds of stuff!  Pens, pencils, paper clips, rubber bands, batteries, scissors, flash light, bits and pieces of ....whatever. 

It's the place where we throw everything that we don't know what to do with!

That's O.K. !   Really it is!

But you can have an "organized" junk drawer.  Yes, you can!

Instead of just throwing everything into one drawer and never being able to find something when you need to - get some drawer dividers.  They don't need to be expensive or fancy. Anything will do.

You can find inexpensive dividers at the Dollar Store or WalMart.

You can be creative and use old check boxes. Or business card boxes.

Any small box will do. As long as you have something to divide up the space so that everything doesn't roll around.

Once things are contained (and like items with like items) - your junk drawer will look much better and function much better.

So - get creative and clean out your junk drawer. What else are you going to do in the next 20 minutes anyway?


Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Getting Your Calendar Ready for 2018

It might only be August - but I like to get a head start on organizing my calendar for the new year. I'm picky about the type of calendar/daytimer that I use. Therefore, I start looking early - so that I can get one that works for me. 

I like one that has a month at a glance so that I can see all of the appointments I have during the month. This helps me spread out my appointments and obligations so that I have plenty of time for family and friends and don't feel stressed because I try to cram too many things into one week.

I start my new calendar by putting everyone's birthday and anniversaries on my calendar. I use a different colored pen for birthdays so that I can easily distinguish them from my appointments.

Then I highlight all of the important holidays. 

Next - you can add in any vacations that are already planned for the new year, any days that your business/school is closed, any appointments that are already made.

I also add notes to my calendar - about 4 months ahead of time - to make any doctors/dentists  appointments that I might need.

You could also add notes or reminders about ....anything. Write it down so that you don't worry about forgetting important events.

Get a head start on planning for next year. By doing it now instead of in December - you will avoid the stress of the holidays and might actually start the new year off organized!



Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM     in your home, your business and your life 

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Checklists For All Of Your Needs

RealSimple is a great magazine that has numerous articles on everything that you need to be ORGANIZED and it also has a great online magazine.

Below are some links that you might enjoy!


Checklists For All Of Your Organizing Needs


Pantry Organizing Checklist

Organizing The Kitchen Checklist

Daily Cleaning Checklist

Quick Dinner Cleanup Checklist


 

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Grab A Basket - Clear Your Clutter

It's summer and you should be outside enjoying the beautiful weather - instead of deep cleaning your house. Don't misunderstand me - you really do want a clean house - but sometimes some things are more important - such as spending time with your family.

So - grab your laundry basket (or whatever large basket or container you have handy) - and walk into your living room - and pick up things that don't belong there. Put them into your basket.

The clothes that are laying round. The magazines or books that are on the floor. The newspaper. Games, toys....  dishes, cups.... 

Put everything into the basket.  Only things that belong in the living room should be there.

Fluff the pillows and straighten the rug.

Now take your basket and walk into the kitchen and take the dishes & cups out of your basket and put them into the kitchen.

Take the books & magazines and put them back on the bookshelf or magazine rack.

Take your clothes and put them back in your closet or into the laundry hamper.

When the basket is empty - you've accomplished your task!  You've cleared a room of the clutter that did not belong there.

You can use this process on each room that is cluttered with things that don't belong.

It's a quick way to have an uncluttered room.

Another way is to always take anything that you brought into the room - out of the room when you leave the room.

Unlearning bad habits is hard. Remember - "everything should have a place of it's own to live".

Now that you've decluttered a room - go out and enjoy the great weather!



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Favorite Organizing Tools

There are a lot of really great gadgets out there to get yourself organized. Some of them are really expensive. But spending more money on things doesn't mean that it will work better or keep you more organized.

Simplicity is the key.  And so is being inventive!

My most favorite (and cheapest and most versatile) organizing tool is - ZIPLOC !  I love Ziploc bags - for everything!

We just got back from a camping trip and having to have every little detail (and every meal) organized - and planned out -  Ziploc is your best friend!

I packed each meal in a Ziploc bag. All of the vitamins - in a Ziploc bag. All of the utensils, the napkins, the extra bags (always, always bring extra Ziploc bags when you go on a trip) - everything goes into a Ziploc bag.

Even the plastic containers of food - before they go into a cooler - go into a Ziploc bag.

Believe me - this will save you time in hunting for everything when you have everything in one easy to grab bag. The containers are protected from getting waterlogged in the cooler (one of mine had a leak).

I use Ziploc to capture all of the phone cords - so that we always have them in one place.

Then there are bags. Since everyone has gone to reusable bags there is an endless supply of bags. Use them to capture a 'grouping' of things. Snacks go in one bag. Cooking utensils in another.

You get the picture.....    "like with like" !

Of course - another favorite tool is "the list" - it makes packing fast and easy - and you don't forget a thing!

There are many simple tools out there that can make your life just a little bit easier!


Happy Organizing !



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Take Five Minutes

Time is a very important thing.  Something not to be wasted.  But we all do it....waste time.

We sit on the couch and watch T.V. in a daze..... while we complain that we don't have any time to do anything and our house is a mess.   Admit it....we've all done it.

So go ahead and watch T.V. ....but there are those commercials that give you plenty of time to get a few things done!  Really, take five minutes and organize something.  Do something.  Anything!

*   Bring your basket of clean laundry into the living room and fold your laundry

*   Organize your purse, briefcase or backpack

*   Organize a drawer

*   Make a list of things to do for the weekend

*   Go through your mail

*   Pay a couple of bills

*   Read your child a chapter in a book

*   Write out your grocery list

*   Write out next months birthday cards

*   Sew the buttons on a shirt

There are a lot of things that can be done during a commercial break.  Don't worry - those commercials will be on again (and again....) so you won't actually miss them!

Make better use of your time by doing small projects that you keep putting off.  This is one time where multi-tasking is O.K.

Happy Organizing!



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com 

Raising Organized Kids

School is now well underway. Everyone is getting settled into their daily routine.

The question now is "Do you have a calm and stress free routine ?".  If not, why not? The answer is probably because things are not as organized as they could be.

Kids are never too young to start learning how to be organized. Kids as young as three can be taught how to put their toys away.

School age children should have a daily routine. Everything from getting up in the morning, getting dressed themselves, making their beds and getting their backpacks all ready for school. This includes making sure they have their lunches!

By making kids responsible for themselves they can start learning organizational skills. It also helps takes the pressure off of the parents.

Even though as a parent you might want to do everything for your child....you would be doing them a disservice if you did. Don't you want your child to marry someone that can take care of themselves? Someone that helps around the house?

By teaching your kids some basic skills when they are young you are setting them up for success!

Kids love to learn new things. They love to think that they are in charge. Let them be....in charge of themselves!

As a parent your job is to give the kids tools they can use in everyday life. Being organized is a crucial tool.

Parents, especially single parents, need all of the help they can get. Teach your child to be self sufficient and you too will reap the rewards.

And don't use the excuse "I am not an organized person myself".  I have a lot of clients that aren't organized themselves....but they know the right people to teach their kids various skills.

If you can give your child piano or gymnastics lessons.... you can give them "organizing lessons".  It's something they will use forever. Not that being able to do a cartwheel isn't important!

By starting young and having expectations from your children you are helping them be a better person. Their teachers, bosses and future spouses will "Thank You"!

Start Today..... Raise an Organized Child


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Taxes and Paper Piles

It's the end of January and everyone has been swamped with paperwork. All relating to taxes. I know that it's overwhelming. Papers everywhere. Piles everywhere. Come on. I know about the piles. But for tax purposes i'll let it slide.

You can start out with one big "tax" pile or you can separate your piles into piles such as personal, medical, business related, house expenses.... Anything that makes sense to you, depending on how you do your taxes.

By grouping your papers into more manageable piles you will make it easier on your accountant and yourself. And you will be able to tell, at a glance, what papers you might be missing.

Once you have all of your papers in organized groups you can turn it over to your accountant and let him do the hard part.

But don't let this be the end of your paper organizing. Let this be the start. By creating your "organized piles" you have also created your very own file system. Use these piles to make new folders for the upcoming year. When you get any papers that might be related to taxes put them into their proper files and make your next tax year even easier.

By having a system in place you will make your life (and home) a lot less cluttered and a lot less stressful. You will be able to find things easier.

But remember, make a system that works for you. Don't over thing it. Don't make it complicated. Make it "your" system. It doesn't have to be fancy. It just has to work for "you".

Now get going....and get your system in place.

Have a great day !


Less Clutter = Less Stress ^SM in your home, your business and your life

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Where to Start ?

You have decided that you want to get organized. You have taken that first step. Now what ?

Everyone has good intentions at the beginning of each year. They promise to do a variety of things. Then they immediately come to a standstill. Now what ? Where do you start ?

Most people make things too complicated. There is no right or wrong answer. You start anywhere that you want. You start at the place that bothers you the most. The kitchen. Your bedroom closet. The family room. The basement. The garage.

It doesn't really matter. Don't over think it.

Just the fact that you are ready and willing to do something is a great first step. Now answer the question "what bothers you the most ?". And that's the place to start.

If it's the bedroom closet then you really need to be honest with yourself as you take everything out of the closet. Yes, take everything out. Be honest with yourself and if you have not worn it get rid of it.

If the kitchen bothers you the most then you take one cabinet at a time and take everything out and if it's expired...throw it out! If you don't have matching lids to your tupperware containers...get rid of them.

If the basement bothers you the most you might have to be even more honest and admit that all of those "projects" that you started are never going to get done....so get rid of them.

Start anywhere....but start somewhere.

Be honest and get rid of things that you never use (that means donate or recycle....).

Take one small step at a time....one cabinet at a time...one drawer at a time...

Just pick a place..... and start.

I would love to get some feedback on "what room / disorganized space bothers you the most...and why". Send an email to kefconsulting@gmail.com with the heading "disorganized space".

Now go and pick a spot....and start organizing !

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Planning Ahead for Year End

This is a really busy time of year. The holiday season has started and some of us are already thinking about Year End and taxes. Well, maybe you aren't but I know that some of my clients are already dreading the end of the year and the piles of receipts that they have waiting for them to sort through.

Now is the time to take a deep breath spend a few minutes thinking about where you dumped all of your receipts and tax related papers. Yes, I did say "dumped". Or was that shoved, as in shoved into a drawer never to be thought of again? It sounded like a good plan at the beginning of the year. "Deal with it at year end and get a whole year of not thinking about it".

Well, the end of the year is near. And now I hear by clients moaning about "the piles".

So take a deep breath and deal with it now.

* Make a list of the files that you need to create.
* Make a list of all of your documents that you will need to gather for the accountant.
* Separate your receipts into piles such as: house related expenses, business expenses, donations....
* Make an appointment with yourself to sit down for 30 minutes at least once a week to get some of your papers into order.

By taking some time now to think about the end of the year and what you will need to gather for taxes and your accountant, you will spread the "tax stress" out so that you are not hit with it all at once.

And also, think about how to create a better system for next year so that you don't have to go through the "year end tax stress" every year.

Happy Organizing !



Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/

Summer Parties - More Organized & Less Stress

It's summer. Time for parties and picnics. So make your life easier by keeping things simple and keeping things organized.

Spending time with family and friends should be easy. But a lot of people get stressed out when they think about entertaining. That's not how it's supposed to be. You can make entertaining more enjoyable by having things planned out and organized ahead of time.

* Step back and look at the big picture. Keep things simple.
* Decide on how many picnics, BBQ's and parties you will probably have this summer.
* Use paper plates and plastic utensils. Buy enough at the beginning of the summer to keep you stocked throughout the summer.
* Buy all of your beverages (pop and such....) ahead of time so it's always on hand.
* You can also buy any canned items or other munchies (chips, pretzels....) that are on sale.
* Plan simple meals. It's about being with family and friends, not impressing people.
* If you are having friends over let them bring a side dish or dessert so that you don't have to do it all.
* For a BBQ, buy some pre-made side dishes and just BBQ your favorite meat. There is no rule of entertaining that says that you have to make all the food.
* Don't feel that you have to "entertain" your friends...it's just about being together.
* Relax and enjoy yourself. It's not like on T.V. No one is going to judge you on how well you entertain.

For spur of the moment picnics:

* Keep a basket / bag filled with picnic essentials. Paper plates, cups, napkins, silverware, plastic bags for garbage.
* Keep a blanket in your car at all times for impromptu picnics or an evening at the beach.
* Pick up sandwiches and drinks at a grocery store on your way to the park or beach.
* Enjoy an hour or two at the beach / park at any time.

By planning ahead you will be able to enjoy the summer and have more time to relax with your friends.

Entertaining doesn't have to be nor should it be stressful. By planning ahead you too will be able to enjoy your summer.

Happy entertaining !


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com