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 

Unexpected Loss - Are You Ready ?

Life doesn't always go as planned.   We just lost a loved one and it was beyond devastating.  My brain just stopped working and I was lucky that I knew what day it was.  Everything was a blur.

But during the very hectic days where arrangements were being made the one thing that we didn't need to worry about was "where did we put things?".

A few years back I had put together a list of everything.  Where the wills were kept, who the lawyers were, where all of the banking was done, where the investments were, names of all of the doctors and any and all pertinent information that someone might need to find.

When you are in an emotional state - the last thing you want to do is to scrounge through your house and frantically look for things.

By being organized and just putting together some lists we had everything at our fingertips.

It's not easy to think about the eventual future that we will all have to face.  But by being proactive and thinking ahead - it helped take a lot of the stress out of the mix.

Re-read the article about "Organizing Your Paperwork" to learn more.


http://professionalorganizer4u.blogspot.com/2011/01/organizing-your-paperwork-and-your-life.html



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com 

Organizing Your Pantry and Your Freezer

Summer means farmers markets, fresh fruits and vegetables, which translates into canning and freezing. Well, at least at my house.

But have you checked your pantry or freezer lately?  Have you used up all of your older products?

At least a few times a year you need to clear out your freezer and pantry.  Take a good look. Rotate your food and check all of your expiration dates.

If you have not used up all of the products that you made last year you might want to re-think what you really use in your home and either don't make as many  for the upcoming year or make them but give them away as gifts.  People love homemade preserves and other food products.

Canning has once again made a comeback - believe me - I could not find any canning supplies last year because they had all sold out!

But some people tend to forget what's hidden in the deep crevices of their pantry and freezer.  So take an hour and go through your freezer and pantry and take stock of what you still have and double check that everything is not past their expiration date.

Make sure that everything is neatly organized by product type so that you can tell at a glance how much you have.

Shopping - in your own home - what a great idea!


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Organzing Your Childrens School Papers - Artwork Galore....

Kids come home from school with a lot of papers and artwork. All of which they are proud of and want you to keep - forever.

It doesn't matter if it's just a few scribbles on a piece of paper or a watercolor they think is a masterpice....they want you to keep it - forever.

Each piece of school work, each test....you just have to keep it - forever.

But the reality is....we don't have the space for it all. I try to sort through it and keep what I think are the really great ones - the ones that show their personality.

Each child has a folder and each day when things come home I pick the ones that go in my "keep" pile.

My husband...he thinks it's just a way for the teachers to get the stuff off of their desks!

Anyway....my "keep" pile ....was getting too big - so I had to sort through it - again. This time, I really had to toss just about everything (let's not tell the children).

It's near the end of the school year and I had a huge pile (a very neat pile - thank you). But I only have so much room and I got new containers for each child. So I had to make some very tough decisions and keep only a few pieces of art and notes that they have written.

The point is.... organizing is a continuous process.  It is always evolving. You sort and keep things that you love and have great memories of....and in the future....in a year or two or three.... you go through the process again and again and make further decisions to de-clutter and dispose of things that you now can comfortably get rid of.

Organizing isn't stagnant. It's a process. It changes as you change. Be comfortable with that thought.

Now....go out and make some hard decisions. You can do it!  



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Vacations Made Easy - Lists and Stress Free Packing

We just got back from a really nice and relaxing vacation. A condo overlooking the lake with the mountains as the backdrop. It was glorious!

But it was one of those times where the few weeks leading up to our vacation were extremely busy with work, meetings and other activities so I didn't actually pack our suitcases until the morning we were going to leave. Believe me - this is not like me.

But I had a great excuse.  Jeff Dunham. What can I say - I'm a huge fan!  We got tickets to see his show and it was scheduled for the night before we were supposed to leave on vacation - so packing got pushed aside. I do have my priorities!

I then learned the power of lists!  I've been packing up the house and kids for vacations for a long time so I have it pretty well down. But waiting until the very last minute to pack can be a bit stressful even under the best of circumstances.

With my packing lists it took almost no time at all and I didn't forget a thing!  I had a checklist for each member of the family and everything went into the suitcases as planned.

Lists are great - they take the stress out of most things in our busy lives.  Orderly and efficient.

So make fun of me if you must - but my vacation list saved the day and our vacation was very relaxing.

As an add on - remember that vacations are not only about packing your suitcase - but about making your house vacation proof.


When you go on vacation you not only have to remember to pack all of the things that you need…you also have to remember to take care of your house / apartment / cats or dogs / plants / garden / bills and a whole slew of things.

A few things that you might want to do:

• Put your mail on HOLD
• Make arrangements to get your lawn cut / your garden or flowers watered
• Make arrangements to get any inside plants watered
• Make arrangements for any animals ( to get fed or taken care of)
• Make arrangements to have your bills paid ahead of time
• Make arrangements to have someone pick up some basic food essentials for your return home so that you have something to eat until you have a chance to go to the store

By planning ahead you too can have a relaxing and enjoyable vacation and a relaxing return home.

Have a great vacation !!!

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Organizing Seminar - Stevensville Library

Spring is Here!  Let's Get Organized!

On Tuesday,  May 14th  - from 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm.  It's FREE !

At the Stevensville Library - North Valley Public Library.  

Come and join our discussion on how much disorganization costs you, the organizing process, different types of clutter and much more.

Get some tips on how to de-clutter your home for spring. 

Join us !


Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Containers and Organization - What's the Difference ?

I love containers and everything in its proper place. It makes things look so neat and orderly.

But just because you have containers doesn't mean that you are organized.

Being organized means that you have a plan, a place for everything and you know where everything is.

It means that the things you have are "useful". You don't just have a bunch of "stuff".

If you have a lot of containers (boxes, baskets....) but you have a lot of "everything" thrown into them and there is no pattern or reason to their order - then you really aren't organized. You just have a lot of nice containers!

Organization means that you have put "like with like". It means that only things that are supposed to be in the room (or file or cabinet....) are in there.

It means that you have a plan for how things are supposed to be and you stick with the plan.

Containers are a tool. Organization is a state of mind, a way of life.

You need both to be successful and to make your life easier.

But don't get carried away and start buying a lot of containers when you don't need them or they aren't functioning in a way that is helpful.

Everything should have a purpose and a place.  That's what being organized is all about.  



Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com