Archive | February, 2010

Teaching Children To Be Organized

Posted on February 15, 2010 by in Home Organizing

 

Recently I was interviewed for a blog post at “Organize This Life”!

One of the questions they asked was: “How can parents teach their children to be organized?

My answer.. “You teach your kids to be organized by being organized yourself.  By setting the example that organization is an important part of life. Setting up daily routines and structure in your home.  Teaching them to be organized is teaching them to value their belongings and space. Taking pride and being grateful for what they have.”

I wanted to share this answer with you mainly for a couple of reasons, one I believe organization is a life long skill that we can teach our children. And a very important one.  Our lives are less stressful and less chaotic when there is some sense of order.  When we plan we are often more organized.  When we find what we need, when we need it, we are more organized.  Our children see what we do, they see how we live, and often times end up living the same way.

However, this does not mean everything is perfect.  In fact it never is.  Your house is not always going to be clean and closets do get messy.   Having children means stepping on a lego or two!  Life happens.

Organization is not perfection and it’s not the same for everyone.  Finding the right balance for you and your family is what we are striving for!

Happy Organizing!

(To read the entire interview, click here)

A Few of My Favorite Things!

Posted on February 12, 2010 by in Home Organizing

To keep with the theme of the kitchen, I have compiled a few of my favorite kitchen organizing products.  All of these items can be found at the Container Store.  There a lot of great products out there and this is only a sample… What are some of your favorite things?

1. Junk Drawer Organizer – A must for keeping your junk drawer contained.  It’s a great way to find what you need when you need it!

 

2.  Plastic Wrap / Tin Foil Organizer -  If you have the space in a pantry or cupboard, this is a great tool in keeping those long wraps under wrap!

3.  Lazy Susan- This is a great organizing tool pretty much anywhere in your home but it is particullary helpful in the kitchen.  By keeping all like items together it’s easy to turn and go right to what you need!

4.  Freezer Containers – This is a product I have used for clients in the past.  It helps contain like items together in your freezer.  It keeps it all together but because it’s wire like, you can easily see everything too.

5.  Baking Pan Divider – This is a great way to organize the muffin pans, baking sheets etc.  Sometimes it can become a real mess and difficult to pull things out when you need them.  Not with this system, it keeps them organized and easy to get!

There are so many great products out there and it’s very easy to get ahead of yourself and buy before you know what you need. Remember to take measurements of the space and only buy it if you will use it!

Happy Organizing!

Meal Planning!

Posted on February 10, 2010 by in Home Organizing, Productivity, Time Management

Grocery shopping and Meal planning!  Two things that sometimes I enjoy doing and other times I dread.  When I dread it the most is when I have not planned ahead.  I hate the feeling of it’s 5:00pm and I have no idea what to make for dinner.  Asking my children is not a good idea, they will say McDonald’s!  Asking my husband is often no help, because he never cares what we have for dinner!  So what to do?

 

Ideas to relieve the dreadful 5PM hour:

  • Make a list of everything you like to cook.  This gives you a list to refer back to when you are planning your weekly meals.
  • When planning your meals, take into consideration everyone’s schedule. The weeknights can get busy in our house, between sport practices, meetings etc.  On busy days, decide on take out, or an easy meal to put together.
  • Plan your meals has a family, if everyone gets to pick out a meal within reason, you will eliminate some of the “I don’t like this”, however in my house it never eliminates it completely, but it’s something!
  • Plan your meals for the week and then go grocery shopping.  This saves you time and money.  You will not buy anything extra you do not need.
  • Keep your weekly planner of meals and reuse it for a different week. You don’t have to recreate the wheel each time.
  • There are many resources and websites geared to helping you plan your menu.  Check them out and see if it’s a good fit for your family.  Also consider places like Dinners Done Right, where you can go and prepare the meal, freeze it and then eat it later.  I know a lot of families who find this helpful during busy sport seasons, surgeries, new babies, etc.  ( TCO can also help you with meal planning as part of our service! )
  • Most important – schedule meals together with your family. Use this time to reconnect and talk about your day.  Turn off the TV and don’t answer the phone.  Just focus on each other.

Happy Organizing!

What can you do in 15 minutes?

Posted on February 8, 2010 by in Getting Started, Home Organizing, Office Organizing, Productivity, Time Management

What can you do in 15 minutes to organize your kitchen?  Many things!  Just spending a little time each day can and will make a big difference!

What can you do today in 15 minutes?

Clear out one cupboard - the other day, while I was watching Oprah, I decided to clear out our cup cupboard. This cupboard had been bothering me for some time.  We had a bunch of old sippy cups and “to go” coffee mugs with no lids!  It literally took less than 15 minutes to clear out.  Even my husband noticed how organized it was!  Get rid of the dishes you are no longing using, the dishes that are missing partners or are broken.

Purge the Junk Drawer - You don’t need to organize it all at one time, just take  a few minutes to throw away anything you no longer need.  Old menus, old notes, check for pens that no longer work.

Clear out the Utensil Drawer- I am so guilty of buying the latest and greatest utensil thinking I may use it.  I have not once used my lemon zester! Time to take inventory, donate, and keep what you love and what you use!

Do One Large Sweep- Set the timer for 15 minutes and go through as many cupboards and drawers as you can and donate all of the old appliances you no longer need, want, or are broken.

Clean the surfaces of your refrigerator- Having a clean refrigerator makes a difference.  I suggest taking out old food right before your trash day.  Take a damp washcloth with a little soap and clean the spills.

Pantry- I hate to admit this, but sometimes food is wasted at our house.  And it is always a good idea to check the pantry for stale potato chips and moldy bread.  You can do this very quickly, and then take note of what did not get eaten and don’t buy it again! Or at least make sure the bread is eaten quicker!

Spices- Take a few minutes to do a little spice inventory, what do you have, what are you low on.  Re-organize them. Sometimes depending on who is cleaning up the meal, the spices sometimes get put back in the wrong spot, now is the time, to make sure they are all together.

What are you going to do today?

Happy Organizing!

Organizing Products For The Utility Room!

Posted on February 5, 2010 by in Home Organizing

We have a schedule.  We know how and what to delegate to family members.  The next step is to talk about organizing products for the utility room.  I have seen a lot of utility rooms in my business.  I have seen large rooms, small rooms, closets, and garage walls being used.

No matter how big or how small your area is there are some essentials in every utiltiy area. If you have anything to add to the list, please share!

Trash can – For the tags, dryer lint, and the misc. trash you may find in pockets.  I was surprised how convenient it is to have a trash can in your utility area.  I believe it is a must have!

Bins to contain laundry supplies- Depending on your space, these can come in all shapes and forms.  The point is to keep all like items together in one spot.  For example one bin may contain all stain removers, one bin may be all laundry detergents.

Lazy Susan – Can be very useful in utility rooms for items used frequently.  It is an alternative from using a bin.

Think up- If you are working in a small space, look up, adding a couple of shelves can really make a difference in your storage space.

Think thin- The portable stacking shelves to the right can easily fit in between the washer and dryer.  It doesn’t take much space, however you can fit all of the essentials.

Sorting Hampers – If you have the room, sorting hampers can contain your laundry.  Rather than having a bunch of clothes on the floor, you can sort and put them in the hampers.  If you are not able to finish all of the laundry like planned, it looks more contained and tidy.

Hanging Rack – You can buy inexpensive hanging racks for your utility room and then when you are done they fold easily in between the washer & dryer.

Iron Organizer - You can find these that go on the back of the door or on the wall.  Very handy to keep the iron and board together, without taking up a lot of space.

There are many great products available.  The most important thing before buying product is to assess your needs and your space. Measure and know what is going into the product then buy.

All of the products shown can be found at The Container Store.

Happy Organizing!