SPRING AND YOUR GARDEN

Spring is right around the corner. It’s time to start thinking about your garden. At this point I can hear people asking “what does a garden have to do with organization?”.

The answer, “everything!”. As a huge gardener I am always excited to start planning my garden. Don’t get me wrong, I love winter and snow. But a garden is the ultimate answer for stress. You can dig in dirt, get all dirty and covered from head to toe…and it’s o.k.

You plant seeds and watch them grow all spring and summer and you are so proud. Just as if you had given birth to a baby! But before you can even think about planting your seeds you have a lot of work to do.

First, it is very important that you wait until the ground thaws and is dry. Then, it is important that you check your soil and get a soil test to check the pH levels. You can check with your garden center or a county extension office for these tests. Then you will need to add the correct materials to your soil to correct any imbalances.

You will also need to clean up any leftover debris from old plants. Pull them out of your gardens and compost them.

Next, you can prune your fruit trees and any other trees and bushes.

Then, spray your fruit trees.

Now is also the time to plant your cold weather crops, like broccoli. And you can start your other seeds indoors.

Add mulch as needed and edge your yard for a new fresh look.

Spring is here….and soon our garden duties will be in full swing.

By being organized and planning ahead you can have the best yard and garden in your neighborhood.

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

St. Patrick's Day

Wishing all of you a safe and Happy St. Patrick's Day !

WHY BEING A PERFECTIONIST HURTS YOU

A very interesting phenomenon that a lot of people don’t know about is that some disorganized people consider themselves “perfectionists”. And I admit that at first I was surprised by this also. Clutter, mess and perfectionism?

But what happens is that some disorganized people who are self proclaimed perfectionist feel that they can’t do a good job or won’t get it done in time or it won’t be “perfect”, so they don’t start (their project).

So their room is a cluttered mess because they might start to clean it and never see their progress so they get disgusted with themselves and stop.

They made progress and an outsider (or a professional organizer) can see the progress, but they can’t . So they beat themselves up over what they consider their failure and never finish.

They are their worst enemy! By breaking a project down into smaller projects they will be able to see their progress and will continue and eventually their “big project” will be done. Not everything in life has to be perfect. If you are afraid to start something because you know it won’t be perfect, you might never do anything.

Self confidence is obviously a factor here. These self proclaimed “perfectionists” have little or no self confidence.

Everything in life does not need to be “perfect”. There should be order. Order brings calm. Calm reduces stress. But being a perfectionist for these people causes stress. And that’s not good.

Sometimes you just have to do the best you can and be proud of the fact that you tried your hardest. For everything else….call a professional. We are all good at different things. We can’t all be good at everything. I admit that I’m not good at most things except for being organized.

Give yourself a break. Do what you are good at and be proud of the fact that you can admit when you are not good at something.

Remember: Less Clutter = Less Stress (sm) in your home, your business and your life.

Happy Organizing !

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Fat Tuesday

As in the tradition of FAT TUESDAY it's a day to eat donuts
(or Paczki) and not feel guilty !

Enjoy... and get ready for the start of the Lenten season.

ORGANIZING – A TEAM EFFORT

I get a lot of calls from potential clients who say that their spouse is tired of the disorganization and they just want to throw everything in the trash.

Or they are neat but their spouse isn’t and how do they get them to be more organized? Or their entire family does nothing in the house and they have to do it all.

So what can I do to help them? Honestly, not much. I can organize their homes and teach the willing family members the how’s and why’s of organization, but unless everyone is on board and gets with the program – nothing is going to change.

I can’t wave my magic wand and make everything better. I can give them solutions to their problems, but if they don’t take my advice, there is nothing I can do.

Just like a therapist or lawyer or doctor – if they tell you something and you choose not to listen to their expert advice, you will still have the same issues that you started with.

A family has to be willing to work together. Partners have to help each other and stand by each other. Parents have to set boundaries for their kids. In a family, it has to be a team effort. Everyone needs to have a clearly defined set of responsibilities and everyone has to do their part.

If not, instead of a calm and clutter free house you will have chaos, clutter and a big mess.

The first step to having an organized house is to have everyone in the house work as a team. That’s what family is all about. A lot of people have forgotten that.

Remember: Less Clutter = Less Stress (sm) in your home, your business and your life.

Happy Organizing !

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

KIDS AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES

Organizing is not an “adults only” activity. Yet many parents today have not made their kids take responsibility for keeping their own spaces clean and organized.

Unless you live by yourself each member of the household needs to share the responsibility of keeping their home and their individual space neat and organized. This goes for kids too. No matter what age they are.

Unfortunately, parents today don’t seem to expect anything from their kids. They don’t expect them to pickup their clothes up off of the floor much less keep their rooms semi-clean and orderly. Kids tend to drop things everywhere and no one holds them responsible. So why would they change?

What parents don’t realize is that this sets the tone for how the kids grow up and how organized they are going to be as teenagers and adults.

It’s not too late to change things. Parents need to be adults and hold their kids responsible. Yes, they should lead by example, but just because you are not organized or neat does not mean that you can’t try and make sure that your kids have better habits.

Set expectations for your kids. Don’t just say “clean your room” and expect to see “your idea” of clean. You need to be more specific. You need to say “pick all of your clothes up off of the floor and hang them up in your closet” or “pick up all of your toys off of the floor and put them in the toy chest”. Be specific. Be consistent. It can work.

You are their parent, not their “maid”. Make them help keep the house clean. Teach them something that they will be able to use the rest of their lives. If you aren’t up to the task a professional organizer can help teach your family how to be more organized.

Start today and take back your home.

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

SOUP FOR ONE

Have you ever tried to make soup for one? Or even two? Well, let me tell you ….it can’t be done !

Well, at least not by me. But then again…. I’ve never been able to cook for just one or two people.

So the other day I wanted to make a white bean soup with ham, potatoes and carrots. Sounds delicious doesn’t it.

I soaked the white beans overnight. Wow, did they ever expand. I guess maybe I shouldn’t have used the entire bag. But I got out my huge stockpot and started making the soup. It smelled really good when it was cooking and really hit the spot that night.

And I made enough to feed a huge family. But since everyone is off at school I really didn’t need that much soup for dinner. So I froze it in a few containers for later use when I didn’t have as much time.

And then I thought about how most families don’t eat very well and eat a lot of take out and junk food.

Not very healthy and eating out can really add up.

It didn’t really take much longer to make a huge pot of soup that could be divided and frozen than it did for making bean soup for one or two. A few more potatoes and a few more carrots.

It’s homemade, it’s healthier, and it’s cheaper. And you can’t just make bean soup for one.

So when you do have the time to make dinner at home….throw in a few more pieces of chicken or a little more pasta…. and you can freeze the extra for a later meal or have a delicious, healthier and cheaper lunch instead of the fast food that you might normally eat.

By planning ahead you can save time on meal preparation and money on your food budget.

And really….. have you ever tried to make bean soup for one?

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com