Have a great THANKSGIVING filled with lots of stuffing!
Wishing you and yours a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING !
Less Clutter = Less Stress SM in your home, your business and your life
Organizational Consulting Services
Tuesday, November 26, 2024
Wednesday, November 13, 2024
Clearing Out Your Closets for Year End
As we head into the last couple of months of the year - it's time to start thinking about clearing out your closets of things that no longer serve you or your family. The holidays are coming and the kids will be getting new toys and maybe some new clothes. Your holiday shopping may have already started and you only have so much room in your home.
When purging kids toys it's important to make them a part of the process. Kids (and teenagers) outgrow their toys and games. Let them help you declutter. It gives them ownership and power over their decisions. Frame it as "they are giving toys to kids that might not have toys or wish they could have a certain toy but can't afford it". Start teaching your kids about decluttering early in their life. Make donating a part of your decluttering and purging process.
Go through your own closets and get rid of anything that no longer fits or you no longer like (or wear).
Go through the drawers in your bathroom and clear out old makeup and lotions (yes - do they expire!).
Go through your kitchen cabinets and look at your spices and make sure they are still good. Since the holidays are coming up you want to make sure that you have fresh spices for all of the wonderful things you will be making for the holidays!
Go through your files and clear out any old papers or documents that you no longer need.
By doing a little bit at a time from now until the end of the year - you will have purged your entire home of things that no longer serve you - and that just take up valuable space.
Start clearing your clutter now and be ready to start the new year on a clutter free note!
Less Clutter = Less Stress SM in your home, your business and your life
Organizational Consulting Services
http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com
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Visit our Life & Business Coaching website: North By Northwest
*** check out the Products tab for self-paced workshops, planners and more....Wednesday, October 30, 2024
The Holidays are Just Around the Corner
It's never too early to start thinking about the upcoming holidays. They are rigth around the corner! By starting to plan early you can eliminate some of the stress. If you want to invite people over for the holidays - start sending out invitations before they make other plans.
The decorations and cooking supplies are already out in the stores. The holidays will be starting soon. There are a lot of things to think about and a lot of things to get organized.
Yes, “Organized“, “Stress Free” and “Thanksgiving” can be used in the same sentence.It all starts with the word “organized”. Don’t let it scare you. Embrace it. By being organized and planning ahead you can actually enjoy a holiday.
Start by deciding on what you want your holiday to be like.
- Do you really want to serve a sit down dinner for twenty (20) people?
- Or would a buffet be acceptable for you?
If you really want all twenty (20) people there then maybe you should consider a buffet.
You can make Thanksgiving as simple or as complicated as you want - it all depends on how organized you are willing to be.
A good way to keep the stress levels down is to divide and conquer.
Enlist your family for help. Don’t take “no” for an answer. This is your holiday too and you have a right to enjoy it.
And we all know that old saying “if Mom isn’t happy, no one is happy”.
Start at least two (2) weeks before Thanksgiving.
Decide on the type of gathering (formal or informal), the size of the guest list and the menu.
Don’t attempt to make something new for dinner or try out a new dessert that day. It could turn out to be a disaster and that would cause you more stress. If you really want to try a new dish - test it out prior to Thanksgiving.
Menu: Do you really want to serve cranberry relish and sweet potato’s even if you don’t like them and you only serve them because “they are always served at Thanksgiving”?
Make up your own menu (yes, it is radical). Serve something different. Serve something you like!
If you are having a small Thanksgiving dinner don’t feel obligated to serve Turkey. How about stuffed Cornish Hen? Or duck? Or stuffed chicken? The possibilities are endless.
Start new traditions! It’s not easy to buck the system but once you make up your mind that you deserve to be happy and stress free on a Holiday you will wonder why you waited so long.
Remember, the whole point of a Holiday is family and friends and spending “quality” time together. Everything does not have to be perfect. Be thankful for what you have and not for what you don’t.
By starting early and making lists and getting as much done ahead of time as possible you will avoid a lot of stress.
Once you have your menu planned work backwards and make up a timetable to what needs to be done. For example: if you want your dinner to be served at 6 p.m., what time do you have to put the turkey into the oven? What time do the potato’s and vegetables need to be started? Just make a list and put it on your refrigerator door so that you don’t have to second guess yourself and aren’t panicking at the last minute.
When your family or guests start to arrive your mind and attention will be elsewhere - so a list can help you stay on track. Don’t leave anything to chance.
A few days before Thanksgiving:
* Shop for all of the essentials, including as much of the food as can be purchased ahead of time
* Make sure that you have enough spices and things that you will need for the food (and rarely buy)
* Do any of the baking or make any desserts that can be made ahead of time
* Thaw the turkey (the size will determine how many days it takes to thaw in the refrigerator)
* Buy the wine or any beverages
The day before Thanksgiving:
* Buy any last minute items at the grocery store
* Chop anything that can be chopped ahead of time (vegetables, bread for stuffing…but do not stuff the turkey ahead of time) and put them in plastic bags so that you will be all ready to go the next day
* Make sure you have enough ice
* Prepare any of the food items that can be made ahead of time
* Make your family aware of exactly what you need them to help you with on Thanksgiving.
* Having assigned tasks for your kids and spouse ahead of time takes away some of the stress of what’s expected of them the next day.
The night before Thanksgiving:
* Set the table and get out all of your platters and serving dishes.
* Make sure that you have enough dishes and silverware. If you don’t, now is the time to call one of your guests and ask to borrow something. Don’t wait until the last minute to find out that you broke the gravy boat last Thanksgiving and never replaced it.
Thanksgiving Day:
* Wake up early so that you can have some “you” time to have coffee and relax before
the day starts (it will get stressful enough later, so the morning might be the only time you have)
* Read over your lists and timetable
* Gather all of your food and cooking utensils, pots and pans ....
* Measure out everything that you can ahead of time and set it aside
* Follow your time table and start making the food according to the schedule
* Once the food comes out of the oven let it rest a while (you can cover it with foil)
* Start cutting the meat and plating the food
* Have family members start their assigned tasks (setting out and serving food, pouring the drinks…)
ENJOY your meal…… sit and talk…..
After the meal:
Some people like to leave the dishes and the mess until the next day. And sometimes I wish I could too, but its worse the next day when you get up and walk into a mess. I’d rather get it done and over with.
Make quick work of it (or as much as will fit into the dishwasher) and then sit and relax and spend time with your family.
Remember, a Holiday is supposed to be enjoyable. If it’s not, figure out why it isn’t and change it. Skip the big complicated meal, the fancy desserts and the good china and make it as simple as you are able to handle.
Start your own tradition….and make it about family!
Happy Holiday !
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....Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Scheduling and Consistency
Most people have good intentions when they say that they are going to declutter and organize their home. Unfortunately, a lot of people just don't follow through.
The key to their success lies in scheduling their intentions to declutter or organize. Just saying that "you are going to do it this week..." doesn't work. You have to actually schedule it - on your calendar (paper or phone). Writing things down has a real affect on making things a reality. By running your home like a business - scheduling regular cleaning days or laundry days or paying your bills on certain days - makes your home run more smoothly. You know exactly when things are going to happen and things won't fall through the cracks.
Flexibility should be added into the mix - because we don't want anyone to be stressed out - but by knowing when things are going to get done - there is a better chance that it will actually happen.
The other part of the equation is consistency. Decluttering or organizing is not a one-and-done deal. It is something that should happen on a regular basis. That doesn't mean that you have to declutter/purge or organize something every single day - but you should have some type of a system in place where you might do a big declutter of (for example) your closets once or twice a year.
If you are working on a big project - you might want to work on it 30 or 60 minutes a day - a couple of times a week. Even with only 15 minutes a day you will accomplish something. If you only work on a decluttering project (like purging/organizing a drawer) for 15 minutes - but do it at least 4x a week - that's 1 hour of decluttering/organizing! It all adds up!
Start small by establishing some consistent habits - such as taking anything out of the living room that doesn't belong there when you are getting ready to go to bed. Take your snack dishes or cups to the kitchen and put them into the dishwasher. Put the magazines back into the magazine rack. Your room will automatically look better.
By putting things back where they go (after you have established their homes) - the amount of time that you will have to spend cleaning is greatly reduced.
Organization doesn't have to be stressful if you have a system in place. Just take it one step at a time.
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....Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Pass It On - NOT !
Parents (especially Mom's) have a tendency to hold onto things to "pass on" to their children. They are the "keeper of the memories" - the "keeper of the heirlooms". And they want to "pass it on" to the next generation.
Unfortunately, most of todays children don't want their parents "stuff". They don't want to be burdened with furniture or dishes or knick-knacks. They have their own stuff and their own style.
Yet - they don't kow how to say "no" - "no thank you!". They don't want to hurt your feelings. So for some of them - they have a basement or attic or garage full of stuff they don't want, won't use and yet won't throw away.
Children expect us to keep all of their drawings and things they made for us - when they were childen. But when they are older - most of them don't even remember making it and they wonder why we even kept it!
Some very brave children have told their parents that they don't want their stuff and that they will get rid of it (toss it in the dumpster) when they die. Hear that gasp of horror???? Their parents are stunned and hurt that their kids don't appreciate their "stuff" which is sooooo special. But it's not special to the children. They have their own stuff, their own taste, their own lives. They don't have room for more.
We should not expect (or in some cases, demand) that our children will take (and cherish) our stuff.
So, if you have family heirlooms or keepsakes or things that you think your childen (or family members) will want after you pass on - ASK THEM!!! If they say "no - don't like it - don't need it - don't have room for it...." - RESPECT their wishes. Let it go to another family member or friend that will appreciate it. But ask them also.
Each person's home is a reflection of them - not of you. By not taking or keeping all of the stuff you give them doesn't mean that they don't love or care about you. They can still keep the memories without keeping the physical stuff.
Ask your children or family members before you unload your home into theirs. They will appreciate it!
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....Saturday, September 21, 2024
Living in the Past
Our stuff defines us. When someone walks into your home - they know what your interests are. They can tell if you are an organized or an unorganized person.
By looking at your clothes they know what your style is like. By looking at the pictures that hang on your wall they know what type of art you like or who your favorite artist is. Your furniture tells them what decorating style you like.
Your stuff defines you....... or does it?
Does your stuff tell us the story of the "you" of today? Or does it tell us the story of the "you" of 20 years ago?
Does your home reflect your current interests? Or your interests of the past?
Do you still have furniture from when you were first starting out your adult life (makeshift furniture and fixings....)? Do you still have clothes in your closet from college - and you're now 50? It doesn't matter if it still fits (we all wish!) - sometimes it's not appropriate for where you are in the world today.
Do you still have arts and craft items from things that you were interested in 10 years ago - but haven't done since?
Do you still have dozens of cookbooks thinking that you were going to make gourmet meals - but you never cook?
It's time to stop living in the past.
Your home and your life should reflect the "you" of today. Your closet should reflect the present you - not the "I still think I'm a size 2" you.
Your decor should reflect who you are today - not stuck in the past.
As we age - our interests change. That's OK! But we need to let go of the clutter of the past - to make room for our new interests. By purging out the clutter of the past - we might actually be able to see and use all of the wonderful things we have now.
Let go of the your past interests that no longer serve you and start living the life you have today - without any guilt.
You deserve to be living in the present.
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....Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Senator Casey Urges Biden Administration to Address Hoarding Disorder in an Aging Nation
From Chairman Bob Casey - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
As a Professional Organizer and Advanced Hoarding Specialist I was honored to be asked to participate in Chairman Bob Casey's special report: "The Consequences of Clutter: How Hoarding Disorder Affects America's Older Adults, First Responders, and Their Communitites"
Statement from Karin Fried, Organizational Consulting Services .....................
>>>>>>>>>>>>> from Douglas Hartman >>>>>>>>>
This morning, Senate Aging Committee Chairman Bob Casey sent letters to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the acting Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The letters outlined the affects of hoarding disorder on older adults, communities, and first responders in America, and called on HHS and HUD to take steps to implement the recommendations in The Consequences of Clutter.
......... The Chairman’s communications team also issued a press release about the letters. That release is available at the end of this e-mail, for you to review, as well as online at https://www.aging.senate.gov/
Sincerely,
Douglas Hartman
Research and Policy Analyst
Chairman Bob Casey
U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging
G-16 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
202-224-5364
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....
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