Getting Your Closet Ready for Winter

I don't want to put my shorts away! And I will probably still wear them - but it might be time to pull out a pair of long pants! When the wind blows at 30 mph - it gets a bit nippy!

I love the fall and sweater weather!  So - I guess it's time to take a look at your closet and get ready for the fall and winter.

If you are lucky enough to have a big closet where you don't have to change out your clothes with the season - then you might not have to go to the lengths that a lot of people have to go through.

With closet space being at a premium - and people having a "lot" of clothes - the winter/summer shuffle happens every year.

Be honest - and be realistic. As you take out your clothes - look at each and every piece of clothing and make the "big" decision. 

# 1     Does it still fit ?
# 2     Do I still like it ?
# 3     Do I still wear it ?  If so - when was the last time I wore it ?
# 4     Is it in good shape ?

If you can't answer "yes" to all of the above questions - Get Rid of It!

This is especially true for kids - as they tend to outgrow their clothes at an alarming speed! If the kids summer clothes still fit now - you have to judge it you think they will fit by next spring. It all depends on the age of the kids and their growth pattern.

Once you have cleared out all of your summer clothes and put them into piles of keep, donate, mend....  then it's time to put your fall/winter clothes back into the closet.

You should go through the same procedure as above. Make sure the clothes still fit and you still like them and wear them.  If not - why have them take up valuable closet space?

Putting things back in your closet by color (yes, I do that....) makes it easier to find something when you are looking for a certain piece of clothing.

An organized closet makes getting dressed and out the door in the morning easier and stress free!

Happy Fall!



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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

It's Fall - Organize Your Garage - Winter is Coming

It's officially Fall! That means no more fun summer activities like tubing on the river, kayaking and all of the other summer activities we love so much.

The leaves are falling, the weather is turning windy and cool and we need to start preparing for winter!  That means clearing out the garage of all of the summer toys and getting ready for snow!

Start by emptying out your entire garage. Yes, it's a lot of work - but it needs to be done (at least twice a year!). 

Be realistic and take a good look at what you have in your garage. If there are toys for kids (skates, bikes, scooters.....) you will need to decide if they have outgrown the toys - or will have outgrown them by next spring. If so, now is the time to get rid of them (donate, give to another family.....).

If there are other things in your garage that you have not used or will not use again - get rid of them.

Sweep out your garage - now - while it's empty.

Make sure that your lawnmower, trimmer and any other machinery that you use is cleaned and empty out any fuel it might still have in it. Store them in the back of the garage.

Make sure that your snowblower is working and ready for winter.

Put your snow gear (snowblower, shovels, ice melt.....) near the front of the garage with easy access.

The snow will be coming soon!  Be ready!



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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Clutter - Keeping Memories

Clutter comes in a variety of disguises. Sometimes it appears as "important" objects that we feel the need to keep "because" someone special gave it to us or it meant something to "someone".

But the question is - does it mean anything to us?  Is it important to us?  Or - is it "still" important to us.

As time goes by - our life changes.  Our interests, our friends, what was once important to us - they all change.

So why are we keeping things that no longer mean anything to us?  Or things that never really meant anything to us - just to the people that gave it to us?

Friends and family mean well.  They give us things that they think we will like - or that they like - and they expect us to keep them and cherish them as they did.

But is that fair to us?  What if we really don't like what they gave us or if we have no room for the object or if the object doesn't really mean anything to us?

Do we really need to keep it - forever?

Sometimes things mean a lot to us - at the time. But what usually happens is that as we change - as our interests change - as our lives change - we don't get rid of things that no longer mean anything to us. Or things that have lost their meaning or value.

Letting go of sentimental things - memories - is really hard.  But keeping them doesn't really change the fact that we no longer have the same attachment to them.  Or that we no longer have the space for them.

Don't let the guilt of letting objects go stop you from letting them go.  You can keep the memories if they are good ones and pass the object on to another person that might care about it. Or if the memory is a painful one - let it go and reclaim your life.

You are not obligated to keep anyone else's "stuff".  Letting go is not always easy - but it is a part of growing up.

Let is go - without guilt. Reclaim your space and your own life.


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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Business Expansion - North By Northwest - Coaching You to a More Productive Life - Without Guilt or Stress

Karin E. Fried Announces the Expansion of her business to include Life Coaching.

Fried has expanded her business to include Life Coaching in answer to her clients changing needs. "Helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs and professionals balance the struggle of business and family without guilt and stress".

MISSOULA, Mont. - June 6, 2018 - eTradeWire -- With over 25 years of prior business experience and her Professional Organizing & Productivity Consulting business being firmly established in Montana, Fried has expanded her business to include Life Coaching in answer to her clients changing needs. "Helping overwhelmed entrepreneurs balance the struggle of business and family without guilt and stress".  By being an advocate for women entrepreneurs Fried is able to help women realign their lives and their business with their personal values to achieve the happiness and success they deserve".

Karin E. Fried of Organizational Consulting Services has expanded her Professional Organizing & Productivity business in answer to her clients ever changing needs. Having provided coaching services for the last ten years Fried has been working with Coach Training Alliance to become a Certified Coach to provide her clients with a better coaching experience that will help to empower them to achieve their goals. The Certified Coach Program is a six-month long course. It is certified as 60 hours of Approved Coach Specific Training Hours by the International Coach Federation (ICF).

North By Northwest – "Pointing You in the Right Direction for Your Life" was born out of the need of Frieds clients for more in depth coaching.Fried helps her clients balance their life and achieve their goals with support and guidance, while helping them reduce their stress. 

Coaching is defined as partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. It is a highly tuned and powerful process of communication and problem solving. The relationship between a coach and a client is co-creative and focused entirely on the client's interests, challenges, and goals

A 'life coach' is someone who is trained to help you see clearly where you are today, then find ways to move forward towards your goals. Coaches help people improve their performances and enhance the quality of their lives. They are a source of motivation and inspiration to help clients reach their full potential. They are personal trainers for their life goals.

"My ongoing education allows me to help clients with the numerous challenges that they face in everyday life" said Fried. Increasing my knowledge will enable me to provide the highest quality individualized services to my clients".

For more information on her Life Coaching business, please visit  www.northbynorthwestmt.com


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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Schools is Almost Out - Some Tips to Clear the Upcoming Clutter

School is almost out !!!! Only a few more weeks to go!

Kids will be cleaning out their lockers and bringing home a lot of  STUFF.  Stuff that you haven't seen in a year. Maybe even stuff that you didn't know that you were missing - like your Tupperware! Well - that is if you are lucky enough to get your Tuupperware back - instead of it having been "accidentally thrown out".

Kids will also be bringing home a lot of papers and other things that they find  in their lockers. Maybe even some clothes. If they are like most kids they will probably just dump it all in the hallway when they come home. And it will stay there for weeks.

So, before you get too far into the summer take some time to organize the mess. And if you can, make the kids help. It is their mess after all!

First, throw out all of the garbage.

Second, take back your Tupperware, dishes, silverware...

Third, grab those clothes and throw them in the laundry. After they are clean, decide if they still fit or might still fit by the start of the next school year. Otherwise, into the "donate pile" they go.

Fourth, go through their papers and decide which ones you want to keep (things such as art work or other papers you really want to keep). You might want to dispose of the other papers when the kids are not around. If you have a folder/box or notebook for each child you can put anything you want to save into their file (by grade). If there is any art work that you want to keep but is too big for your file box - you might want to take a picture of it instead of keeping the actual paper.

Fifth, any extra school supplies that can be used for the next year can be put away in a bag and you will have a head start on shopping for the next school year. Be sure to keep a list of what you already have so that you don't buy duplicates when you get the rest of their school supplies in late summer.

Sixth, check the condition of their backpack and lunch box and toss them or put them away for next year (after a thorough cleaning of course!).

Don't let the mess sit there all summer. You know what to expect - so get ready with a plan - clear it up right away and get on with your summer!

It will only be a few more weeks - until the chaos sets in! Start planning some activities now - to keep the kids busy throughout the summer - so that you too can enjoy the great weather!

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

Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Storage Units - Garages - Basements: Stuff Everywhere

A lot of people have things in storage. Whether its in a garage, the basement or a storage unit.

The big questions is - WHY? 

Why did you put it into storage? Are you really going to use it again? Later? Sometime? In the next year? The next five years? Be honest!

Let's be realistic. If you put it into storage because you don't have enough room in your closet and you switch between summer and winter clothes - well - that's one thing.

But - a few suggestions. Make sure that the clothes are clean when you put them into the bin. Make sure the bin is securely closed (to prevent dust, water and critters).

Make sure the bin is labeled so that you know what's in there!

If you are storing things because you are going to move - be sure that everything is in good condition and wrapped well. Again, label the bin (or box). It will save you time when you are ready to move so that you know where to put the bin once you arrive at your new destination.

Don't store things that you have never used or rarely used or will probably never use. Don't store old books that you will never re-read or books from your high school or college years. Be honest - you are never going to re-read the books and there is no reason to store them.

Don't store old magazines that you never have time to read - because you won't ever get around to reading them.

Don't store things from relatives or friends - that you will never use. Give them to someone that will use them and appreciate them.

Don't store old furniture from your childhood for your kids. They have their own tastes and they don't want your stuff. They just don't have the nerve to tell you.

Don't store stuff that you will not be able to use for the next five years. It's a waste of space and money and in five (or ten) years - you won't want it anyway. And it will also probably be moldy or unusable.

Be realistic. If you don't have room for it - you need to make a decision on how long you are going to pay to store it. Look at the money spent on storage fees - versus the actual value of the item.

Sometimes you just have to let things go.


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