Solution:  Memorabilia Boxes

This is a great solution because it allows items like old stuff animals, yearbooks, travel memorabilia, things like that to have a home.

You can organize the memorabilia boxes by each person in the family.  Depending on the age of the person will determine how many boxes or bins you may have.

I have a bin that is more designated towards my high school and college years.  I also have a bin designated to my husband and I which contains wedding memorabilia, old cards, pictures etc.

I have a bin for each of my children.  This is a great place to store items from when they were babies and young children.  You can organize it by year of age or by grade in school.

The options are endless when it comes to how to categorize your memorabilia bins, the point is to have a place for these items to go.  No longer the days of wondering what and where the ticket stubs from your favorite concert should go!

You can use any kind of organizing bin, clear or solid, depending on preference.  I do recommend labeling the bins, so you are not wasting time opening them up and figuring out who’s who.  You could even color code the bins to recognize which one belongs to whom.

Knowing you have a system will make organizing a lot easier!

Happy Organizing!

Take Control Organizing has seen some changes this year, most notably a new look on the web and a new service, ADD Coaching.  I feel so blessed and honored to help others. Whether I worked with you personally or maybe you received a tip from the blog or a podcast which motivated you to get started, my hope is it makes a difference.

Thank you for being a part of this community!

I look forward to everything 2012 has to offer!

Here are a few of my favorite posts from the year: 

Top 5 Reasons to Clear Your Clutter

Three Essential Steps to Stay Organized 

5 Tips to Make Sure You’re Never Late

5 Secrets of Organized People 

The Top 2 Things You Need to Get Organized

Why Getting Organized is Not Enough

Clear the Paper

Paper Piles That Work

Weekly Menu Planning

Ask These Questions Before You Organize

Beating Procrastination 

Setting Your Priorities 

Gratitude

Deciding To Let Go

Financial Papers – What to Keep!

Happy New Year and of course Happy Organizing! 

I’m tired, I have no time, I don’t feel like it, I will….. do this later! 

If you catch yourself putting an item down in your home and thinking you will take care of it later…. Beware… You are starting to accumulate clutter!

What is clutter?  

Typically it’s an unmade decision.  It’s item that doesn’t have a home and you are not sure what to do with it, so you do nothing and think.. I will take care of this later!  However, later never comes and before you know it, you have a pile of “stuff” in the corner!

We are all guilty of procrastinating from time to time.  It becomes a problem when later becomes never!  It becomes a problem when we lose time looking for items we know have but can not find. It becomes a problem when the clutter starts to take over our space!

Here are some strategies to eliminate the “I’ll do it later” scenario:

1) Make Decisions – Clutter is typically an unmade decision, it’s now time to start making some!  For everything, there is a place.  Every item in your home needs to have a designated place to live. A place for you to retrieve and return the item when you are done!  If the decision has already been made, it will be much easier to maintain your organization!

2) Touch it Once Rule – The touch it once rule is basically touching the item only once, you pick it up and put it right away. This is not easy, believe me I know from experience how hard it is, but it can be very effective!  Even if you don’t do it with everything, every time it does work, you have just prevented clutter from building up!

3) Set a limit - If you can’t break the habit of putting clutter away immediately, consider setting a limit.  Have a basket or bin for these “later” items and when the bin is full, you must take care of it, start making those decisions and contain your clutter!

Happy Organizing!

A New Perspective!

I would like to share with you a new perspective about your children’s toys… Next time you walk into the bedroom or playroom, I want you to get down on their level and see what they see.  The first time I did this, it was a real wake up call!

The room is most likely filled with color, shapes, sounds, and toys!  

Could you find your favorite toy if you wanted too?  Would you know what to play with?  Are you happy or a little stressed because there is just too much?

We often forget our children can feel the same anxiety and stress we feel when we walk into a cluttered office or kitchen.

Less is more.. especially when it comes to kids toys. Don’t get me wrong, I want my kids to have fun but I also want them to be creative and appreciate what they have and sometimes that is difficult if they have too much.

The holidays are just around the corner and this is a great time to start reducing.  Reduce the stress and make room for the new! Go through the toys with your children and find out what they would like to give to charity, doing it now will allow another child to enjoy for Christmas. What a great lesson you can teach your child.

Another trick we do in our home is we rotate toys.  We have bins of toys in our attic space that the kids can trade in and out.  Children will have an easier time keeping their spaces organized if there is less to organize!  They also appreciate their toys more because they are not being used or seen on a daily basis.

Sometimes looking at a space in a new perspective can make all the difference in the world!

Happy Organizing!

Top 5 Organizing Mistakes!

Your intention is to live a more organized lifestyle, however something happens and it doesn’t work exactly the way you envisioned it!  There are certain roadblocks that get in the way…

Here are the top 5 organizing mistakes and how to avoid them:

1) Waiting for the time – If you wait for it, it will never come.  There will always be something to get in the way.  If getting organized is a priority, you have to make it one.  Set up organizing sessions on your calendar and get started!  They do not have to be all day events, even 10-15 minutes a day will move you forward.

2) Setting the standard too high -  Organization is not about perfection!  It’s about finding what you need, when you need it.  Don’t set yourself up for failure by expecting too much!  This is a point I stress when working with my ADD clients.  It’s not about bins and labels, it’s about making things simple and easy for you to maintain.  Organize to the point where it’s good enough for you!

3) Buying Product Too Soon - Don’t waste your time or money with buying organizing product first!  It’s not the product that organizes you, it’s the process in which you develop.  By making sure everything has a home and you return items to the home.  Only buy product after you have done sorting and you know what you need.

4) Starting but not finishing – It can become so overwhelming, people stop in the middle of the process. This is the time to break large projects into small spaces, taking just a little bit at a time.  Take a break if you need too, but remember what is motivating you to go through this process and get back on track.  Ask for help if you need too, either by a Professional Organizer or a trusted friend/family member.

5) Not sharing the new system – Nothing will ruin your organizing efforts faster than by not sharing what you have done!  You can’t expect your family members to help maintain your new systems, if you don’t show them what to do.  Take the time to give a tour of a new space, and get their opinions too… If they take ownership, they will more likely help maintain.

Happy Organizing!

Do you want to live with less clutter in your home …. then stop it at the door!

One the best strategies in preventing clutter build up in your home is to think twice before buying!

Recently, I got the chance to celebrate a huge milestone with one my clients, which was about this very subject. She was traveling and stopped herself from buying a sweater.  She took a few minutes to really ask herself …is this worth taking home?  Did she really love it, did she really need it. Her answer was no, and she walked away.

Walking away with a smile, she thought of me… knowing how proud I would be!  And I was.  

Two years ago, she would have bought the sweater. Later down the road we would have gone through her closet and the sweater would have been donated with tags and all.  But this is no longer her reality, instead of impulse buying or thinking I might use it someday, she is only bringing in what matters most, things that have actual purpose, right now… not for someday.

This is what organized people do, they make decisions on what matters most!

Happy Organizing!

Organization means different things to different people.

There is no right or wrong way to organize.

In fact, I discourage my clients to have images in their minds of how their space “should” look.  Many times this is just not realistic and somehow we have to figure out what is right for them…. not what a magazine or a book says is the right way.  I give a lot of advice and tips about organizing on my blog and podcast, these are only suggestions.  What I love about organizing, is there are so many options, so many ways where it can work.

In my experience working with your natural preferences is the first step towards defining what organization means for you.

For example:  If you find that no matter what you always drop your mail in the same place all the time, don’t fight it.  Build a mail system around where you drop your mail, trying to move that natural habit may actually do more harm than good.  A lot of people will recommend you open your mail daily, I do not, I never have.  So I built my mail system on opening my mail once a week.  This works for me, it may not for others.

If your natural habit is to pile paper, then pile paper…. just build a system around the piles, so they have meaning.

TCO’s definition of organization is finding what you need, when you need it.  It has nothing to do with the bin or basket it may be in.

When organizing, analyze your behavior first and set up your systems around this.  This approach will increase your productivity and most importantly the maintenance of your systems! 

Happy Organizing!

Before and After!

There are some great shows on TV about Organizing…  You see these wonderful transformations of the Before & After.  The stories are emotional and it’s great to see these folks make such a change in their lives.  Many times I will take pictures for my clients so they can see their own transformations.  There is definitely value in this exercise.

What I would love to see with these shows is less about the process on getting there and more on how to stay organized.

Organization is more than just about the after picture.  It’s a lifestyle built around habits, routines and daily decisions.  It’s how you manage things in your home but also how you manage your time and your life.

It takes time to put into place the organizing systems and it takes commitment to maintain them. By paying attention and thinking of your organization as a constant work in progress will only enable you to continue your success.

Getting organized takes longer than the 30 minutes as see on TV and the staying organized takes a lifetime!

Happy Organizing!

For most of us, the answer is a big YES!  The benefits completely outweigh the consequences!

There is a way to increase your focus and productivity….. Clear Your Desk! 

When we have messy desks, we have messy minds!

Clutter stops us from getting our work done, it decreases our creativity and it’s confusing!  Looking at a desk full of paper piles is overwhelming!  The only way to clear this quiet noise all around you is to organize!

Solution: Create a new habit and commit to organizing your desk at the end of each workday!  Spend the last 10 minutes filing paper, organizing projects, and preparing for the next day.  A little clean up can go a long way!  Don’t despair if it takes you longer the first few times to organize your desk, as the habit sticks it will become easier!

Start the new day with clarity and not despair!

Happy Organizing! 

Learning a new skill is challenging! 

Organizing is a skill. For some of us it will come naturally without a lot of thought, for others, it takes practice!  But as with any new skill, the more you practice the better you will be!

We can’t expect to only organize once.  What may seem to work right now, may not work later.  It’s just like cleaning your house, this is not something you only do once you move in, it has be done on a regular basis, so does organizing!

I have talked with many clients in the past who feel frustrated.  They wished they were better at organizing, better at staying organized.

If you look at your new skill as something you are practicing… it can actually take some of the pressure off of trying to get it right the first time!

Next time you decide to take on an organizing project, think about how you will practice to keep it that way! This way if for some reason the space slowly goes back to being something you don’t want it to be…. Don’t be disappointed, just know it’s a work in progress!

Happy Organizing!

Staying Organized!

It’s not always an easy thing to do!  Staying organized is always a work in progress.  Just because you cleaned out the junk drawer once, does not mean it will stay that way!  Everything you organize needs to have some attention drawn to it even after you did the initial sorting and organizing.  I have never known anyone to only clean their home one time, the same goes with organizing, it is a constant thing we need to do to maintain our organized lifestyle.  

A great way to stay organized is to build routines around your organizing tasks.  

When you build a routine you are adding structure to your daily, weekly, and monthly upkeep.  It takes the guessing out of when you are going to do a certain task.  After a period of time the routine will become habit, and you will no longer think about what or when certain tasks need to be done.

Examples: 

Closet Organization – At the beginning of every season, schedule a time in your calendar to go through your closet and donate any clothing you no longer wear, like or need.

Kitchen Organization –  Prior to any grocery shopping, do a quick inventory of what you have in the refrigerator and pantry, this way you will no longer buy duplicate items.

Kitchen Organization – Clean out your refrigerator the night before you garbage comes.

Toys / Children Organization – Make a part of your daily routine to clean up the toys every day.  This will keep the toy clutter at bay.

Laundry Organization – Set up a regular schedule of when the laundry is going to be done.  In my home, it is on the weekends. For some homes it’s one load everyday, or maybe it’s certain kind of laundry on specific days.  It takes the stress of when this chore will get done.

We could probably think of many more…

The point is to set up a regular routine around these tasks to ensure they get done and you maintain your organized lifestyle!

Happy Organizing!

Does your clutter help you remember? Many people use clutter as a reminder, especially if you are more visually orientated!  You may be afraid to put something away, because once it out of view, it’s forgotten.

For time sensitive items like bills and other action related paper, this may necessary.  Maybe you have a DVD or a book that needs to be returned.

I want to you to think about other items, which are not time sensitive.  What about half-finished projects like the blanket you never finished quilting or a book you received as a gift but never found the time to read, or something that has broken and needs to be fixed.

Clutter comes in all forms!

We often say, “someday, when I have time”.  My question is… are we really being truthful about these projects? What is really holding us back?  Maybe it’s a lack of desire or enthusiasm, maybe it wasn’t has much fun as you thought it was going to be.  Maybe you really don’t have the time because you would rather spend your time doing something else.

We get so used to living with the clutter, we forget it’s there!

Let’s be honest! Start clearing the projects  you don’t like, want, or need!  The ones you do, find a home for them to be stored.  Rather than just having un-finished projects all over the house, designate one spot.  Then as your schedule opens up, do them!

Happy Organizing!

We are always searching for better ways to be productive!

Lists are a great way to organize our thoughts and the actions that need to follow to get something done! However, many of us can easily go overboard and they can become much bigger than we are able to complete!

A suggestion I have to manage these tasks is to separate your “To Do” lists into two separate lists!

The first list can be a mind sweep of ideas and things you need to do.  Whatever is on your mind goes onto this list.  This is a great way to get it out of your head onto paper.  This is a concept  I have adopted by David Allen in Getting Things Done, he references it as mind like water!  Don’t worry about organizing this list right now, the point is just to get out of your head, it releases the stress of having to remember anything or worrying about what is not getting done.

The second list is where you can into more detail about what needs to be done.  You can categorize these lists however you see fit.

Some suggestions include:

• By day- what do you need to do today?
• Time – how much time does each task take? Organize your list by 10 minute projects, 30 minute projects, and so forth.
• By Project – have a list of all the tasks associated with one project

There is no right or wrong way in doing this, and you may find you will have different lists for different kinds of things, it doesn’t have to be just one way, all of the time.

The point is to have it work for you!

Happy Organizing!

Really?  Is it possible to be Organized for Good?

I recently was looking up keyword searches through my google analytics and I came across the search for... Organized for Good.

My first thought was I absolutely love the determination of this statement!  This person is ready to take care of business!  Just from those few words, it’s sounds like they want this done!

My second thought… I wish I knew who it was, so I could talk with them about their expectations of being organized for good… In my experience, it has never been a final act!

If I could talk with that person this is what I would say….

Organization comes and goes and it’s always a work in progress... even for the most organized in the world!  It takes work and constant attention!  Don’t think it’s just happens once and then it stays that way! It truly is a lifestyle.

You have to be constantly aware of your organizing systems and how they are working for you. Just like seasons, how we organize our homes will change. Depending on where you are in your life at that moment, your organization will be effected.  When you stop paying attention is when your systems break down.

The more aware you are and willing to keep the effort in your organization systems, the more likely you will stay organized… for good?  Kind of… until the next season!!

Happy Organizing!

Ask any Organizer what their favorite organizing tool is, and I bet the majority of them will say a Label Maker!!

Why?

Because they give an item like a bin or container.. PURPOSE! Whatever is on the label is what is in the bin! You don’t have to dig inside to see what’s there or even have to think too much about it!

When something is taken out of the bin, it can easily be replaced because you know where it goes.  It has a home with a label!

Here are a few examples of where labels can be very useful in a home or office:

• File Folders – Keep your labels simple and how you would naturally look for an item
• Binders – Make it clear what kind of Binder this is… Recipes, Household Handbook, Home Ideas, etc.
• Food Storage Containers – Great way to distinguish flour from sugar!
• Large Plastic Bins or Storage Containers – We all have storage, this will help you know what is where!
• Shelves – You may need to distinguish shelves by family member or household product.

The list could go on and on…

You can find label makers which are very simple to very elaborate, depending on your style.  They will also vary in price, so you want to determine what your budget is and how often you plan on using labels.

In summary, labels are a great tool to keep you and your family organized!

Happy Organizing!

Purchase with Purpose!

Impulse buying is not a friend to the Organized Lifestyle!

Have you ever gone to the grocery store without a list? If so, my guess is you know what impulse buying looks like!

Have you ever felt buyers remorse? Not really planning to buy something and then later feeling very guilty about it!  If so, then you may understand why it’s important to keep your receipts!

I have one really important question you should always ask yourself when you are getting ready to buy something ….. Where will I use this? Not…  Where can I put this?

Think about the difference of these two questions… Don’t just buy on impulse, buy with purpose! If you can’t think of the purpose immediately, don’t buy the item!  It’s that simple!

Not only will this strategy help contain your clutter, it will save you a lot of money!

Happy Organizing!

Recently I was asked how to organize a hall closet when you have so much stuff… especially from your kids… Sports equipment, coats, shoes, etc.  The client was complaining how the closet was spilling over and the door could no longer close…

I am positive this is the case for many of us… We just start accumulating and it never stops!

What To Do?

• Clear it out and plan for the purpose of the closet!  How do you want this closet to function in your home?  Once you know the purpose, it will be easier to make decisions on what’s staying and what’s going.

• Separate sports equipment and find a place in your garage or somewhere else to store it. Often times it is too bulky and it’s almost impossible to fit, don’t force it, just find it a different home.

• Think seasonally. If you have a small closet already and it’s stuffed to it’s core, think about rotating your coats and shoes by season.  If there is less in the space, there is less to organize!

Happy Organizing!

It takes all kinds of people to make the world go around!  Some of us are organized and some of us, well, not so much!  In my experience, even the most organized, still have to work at it.  Things just don’t get put away on their own… You still have to establish the habits and routines to keep your space organized!

SO what’s the secret? What makes an organized person, organized?

In my experience, I have found a few similarities of the most organized people I know…

Whether this came to them naturally or it was a skilled which was taught, this is what they have common:

1. Organized people are decision makers - they have confidence in their decision making and stand by their decisions.  They are not afraid of making decisions.  They get done what needs to be done.

2.  They know when to say no - they take control of their time, by knowing what they can and can not do. They set limits for themselves and they live by their priorities.

3.  They know when to delegate - they don’t pretend to know how or want to do everything!  They surround themselves with people they trust and can help them achieve their ultimate goals.

4.  They plan and prepare – whether it’s for the next day or a party next month.  They plan and prepare what they can ahead of time!

5.  For everything, there is a place - every item they own no matter how small or big has a home within their home and office. This is such a key to your organizing success.  Clutter happens because items do not have a home, therefore it’s easy to delay the decision of where it should go.

These are all great things to strive for… they will not all come easy and it takes time and commitment!  But the payoff is living an organized life!

Happy Organizing!

Thursday evening, we took the kids to the Roller Rink for the first time.  The same Roller Rink I went to as a kid! It hasn’t changed!  The school was putting together a family fun night and we thought it would be a great time to learn how to skate!

My eight year old son was determined to learn.  My husband and I tried to teach him, but this only lead to more frustration.  (Most likely because I really didn’t how to teach him, I hadn’t done it in years myself!)

He went on to the learning area of the rink by himself and just practiced.  I have to say it was hard to watch.  He took some really hard falls….  Really hard falls… I thought to myself, he is going to break his leg!  But he was determined and never wanted to stop.  I actually have never seen him try so hard at anything in his 8 year old life.

The last fall of the evening took him over the edge!  I could see it in his face, he was in a lot of pain.  Not his leg but his elbow.  It’s very difficult to see your child in pain.  I didn’t think it was broken but my instincts were to take him to Urgent Care, just in case!

It all turned out just fine, they did the x-rays, nothing was broken, just some swelling and bruising.  They gave him a sling to wear and he was good to go!

I was so proud of my son.  He was learning something new and it was hard.  He Never  Gave Up!

Once he got hurt, I thought for sure, this was the end of ours days at the Roller Rink… To my surprise, he said no!  He didn’t want his next birthday party at the rink, but he does want to go back and try again!

Wow... what a great kid!  I hope he takes this spirit with him in everything he learns and tries in his life.

The determination to learn something new, be willing to fall, and having the courage to get back up and try again!

What a lesson to be learned for all of us!

Have a great weekend!

Happy Organizing!

Getting organized is the first step, staying organized is the key to success!

How does a person stay organized?  By making daily decisions.

An organized person is a decision maker!

Clutter builds up in our homes, because we are not making the necessary decisions to take care of it.   Instead of putting something away, we lay it down and say “we’ll take care of it later”…. Or because we don’t know where it goes, we don’t deal with it at all… Sound familiar?

Here are three essential steps to take when making decisions. Making these decisions will keep your clutter at bay and keep you organized!

1)   For Everything, There is a Place – Every item in your home must have a place to live.  When this is the case, you eliminate the roadblock of not knowing where something goes.  Now you just have to take the proper action to put it away!  Don’t make it too complicated or you won’t follow through!

2)   Assign New Items a Home Immediately – The sooner the new item has a home, the better!  It eliminates the delayed decision-making.  The best thing to do is while you are out shopping; think about where the item is going to go in your home.  If you can’t figure it out right away, really question, why you are buying the item!

3)   Pay Attention – What items are constantly being piled up?  Being aware of what your clutter is will help you eliminate it.  If the same things are getting piled up, create homes and action systems for those particular items.  Don’t settle for the clutter, do something about it!

I challenge you to take a look at your home and start making decisions on your clutter.   Assign homes for those homeless items, get rid of what you no longer need and be confident in your decision-making!

Take back control of your space!

Happy Organizing!

What is clutter?

In my experience, clutter gets built up because of an indecision.  You don’t know where an item goes, so it lands anywhere.  Typically this will be on countertops, desks, dressers, and sometimes the floor.  I see a lot of paper clutter when I go into homes, this is because it is something new coming into the home, and if there isn’t a designated place for it, it goes everywhere.

I also see clutter getting built up, because the homes the items are suppose to be returned too are not convenient, so you think, I will take care of this later… later all of the sudden becomes months..  Almost to the point where you don’t see the clutter anymore!  You know what I mean… It becomes a part of the house whether you like it or not!

Here are a few ways to identify if what you have in your home is clutter… It’s time to start making some decisions!

1) Is it useful, do I need it? If the item is useful and it’s something you want, find a better home for it.  One which is easier to get too and put it away.  If it’s not useful and has just been sitting there for no particular reason, it’s clutter and it’s time to donate.

2) Do I know what it is? I can’t tell you how many times, I will be working with a client in an area and they will find something and they have no idea what it is, how it got there, or why it’s there.  This is clutter.. Get rid of it.  These should be the easiest decisions to be made.

3) Does it work? I think it’s fine to want to fix something before replacing it, if it’s fixable, and if you are really willing to take the time to do it.  If this broken item has been sitting around the house longer than a year… It’s clutter,it’s time to move on!

4) Have I been missing it? I have also worked with clients before, where we will find something in a closet or drawer and they were thrilled we found it!  They had missed it, this is not clutter. This is just a lost item!  If you haven’t missed it and even forgot about it, and really do not have any excitement about finding it, then it’s clutter!

Take a few minutes today and go through a pile of “stuff” and see what you can identify as clutter!  Then when you are done, take a trip to your favorite charity… You have just cleared your space!

Happy Organizing!

Maintain your organization and tackle your daily clutter!

There are many  ”organizing rules” you can follow to help maintain your organization…  For this post, I want to talk about….  ”Never Leave a Room Without Improving it’s Appearance”

What a great idea!  I am not sure how realistic it is… but I think it is worth trying!  Think about the difference it could make in your home!  Especially if you have kids and the house tends to get messy fast!

Following this rule is simple.  Every time you leave a room, you do something to make it better.   It could be as easy as straightening a pillow or folding a blanket.  If you have a little extra time, it could be going through a drawer. It’s these little steps, everyday, which maintain the home and keep the clutter from building up.

Like with any new “rule” it takes time to make it a habit.  Pretty soon, you won’t even have to think about it, if you see something out of place, you fix it!

Try it… For the next week, make it a goal to never leave the room without improving it… See what a difference it can make!

Happy Organizing!

Happy Valentines Day!

What better gift to give to yourself and your loved ones…. Clear your Clutter!

Here are my top 5 reasons why:

1) Your Emotional Well Being - Compare your emotional being when you walk into a clean and organized space vs. when you walk into a room with a lot of stuff… What’s your reaction?  Walking into a cluttered space can actually increase your heart rate and make you feel anxious.  Most likely you will not want to spend a lot of time in a room full of chaos. Remember, this doesn’t mean the room needs to be picture ready perfect, but it should be cleared with only the items you love and need.

2) Control of Space – Our clutter problems are not usually because we have a lack of space, it is usually because we have too much stuff!  I know there may be some exceptions out there, who live in small studio apartments, but for the most part, we have the room, we just have to be smarter in how we use it!  Get back some your space, by clearing out your unwanted items.  If you are limited space, then this gives you even more reason why it’s so important!

3) Control of Time – On average we are wasting an hour a day looking for items we know we have but we can not find.  Most of us are already complaining about how we don’t have enough hours in the day to get everything done! Take your hour back, by examining what is getting lost most often.  Once you recognize it, place a new organizing system just around that one item.  For example, you are losing your keys all the time. Designate a place just for your keys.  Start getting into the habit of placing your keys in the same place all of the time.  Start taking back your time!

4) Money! Who doesn’t want more money!  Are you paying bills late because you do not have a bill paying system in place?  Are you buying repeat items again because you can’t find the originals?  Are you paying money every month for a storage unit, you don’t really need?  Do you have items that you no longer need or want that could be sold on Craigslist or eBay?  Depending on the answers to these questions, will determine why clearing your clutter makes and saves you money!

5) Better Relationships- If you got that extra hour back by eliminating some of your clutter, how would you spend it?  By eliminating the stress and chaos in your life, you actually free up your time and energy for things that matter most… You, your family, your friends, hobbies, etc.  How do you eliminate the stress? You get organized and stay organized!

Happy Organizing!

This weeks podcast is about organizing and children!  I wanted to follow it up with a few tips on “Room Rules”!

To keep the clutter from building up in your kids bedroom’s, it’s important to establish rules!  Here are a few to keep the clutter at bay!

1)  No Food or Drinks allowed! Are you sick of cleaning up wrappers and finding water spilled on the carpet?  Make it a rule!  It eliminates the garbage in the first place!

2)  Eliminate the clothes on the floor by establishing the habit of putting clothes in a hamper.  To do this, you must have a hamper in each child’s bedroom.

3)  In school, when a child is done with something they have to put it back before they get out a new toy. Establish this rule in your home! This is tough, I know, I struggle with it with my own children.. but if they can do it at school, they can do it at home too!

4) Clean up every single night! Make it part of your routine… make it a habit just like brushing their teeth every night!

Like with any rule in your home, if it’s not followed, there should be consequences.  You have to follow through and make it priority!  To stay positive, make sure you give you lots of praise and maybe even a little reward at the end of the week!

Happy Organizing!

The more organized you are, the less stress you will have, and the more present you will become!

This is a very powerful statement!

There are so many benefits to living an organized life!  But the key is to remember it is a lifestyle.  How organized you are is determined by how you make daily decisions about your things, your space, and your time.

The result of being organized gives you less stress. You are no longer worried about wasting time finding something you need, or wasting money on items you all ready have.  You will be more productive, in your work, your home, and your personal goals.  When you are more productive, you get more done. You get to enjoy the freedom organization can bring you by living the life you want to live.  By spending your time doing the things you want to do.  Not by worrying about everything you need to do.

How do you become more present in your life? The more organized you are the more in control you feel about your life. Which means, when it’s family time, it’s family time, you are able to give 110% into those moments that mean the most to you. You are able to close the door to work.  You are able to be present and live in the moment.

The more organized you are, the less stress you will have, the more present you will become!

How present are you right now in your life?  What changes can you make today, to live the life you want to live?

Happy Organizing!