Simply Positive Change.

Do you have trouble making healthy habits stick?

2012-10-21T07:30:00.000-04:00

We all have something that we would like to do better or more regularly. Sometimes it is a simple as being able to walk out the door easily in the morning and be on time for work, for others they want to create healthy habits such as exercising, taking vitamins regularly or drinking plenty of water. Our habits are also linked to our goals and the things that we want to accomplish. Positive habits help us continually move closer to the things that we want. What habits would you like to start or modify?

What do you want to change? Once you have identified the behavior that you want to change or begin take a look at the things that you are already doing. Is there a habit that you already have that you can pair with the new habit? For example, if you want to remember to take vitamins every evening or morning, add them to a routine that you are currently doing such as brushing your teeth.

What isn’t working? Have you tried to begin a habit and failed to make it stick? Most of us have at one time or another. Habits are hard to start and even harder to quit if it is a bad habit. Take a look at what did not work. Do you simply forget to do the task? Did you not have what you needed or did you simply not want to do it? Is the task not convenient? Habits are much easier to maintain when they are simple and easy to do. Create routines around your preferences rather than someone else’s recommendation.

How can you change the current behavior to make it work for you? Take a look at the time, location and your energy level. Are you trying to make a morning habit that takes too long before work or you simply aren’t a morning person? Try different times of day or week and see if the timing makes a difference.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again. Just because the first few attempts did not work out does not mean that you should give up. If the habit or task is worthwhile, then it is worth continuing. You may need to modify your goal or give yourself permission to be less than perfect.

Bring in a professional. Sometimes the most efficient solution is to bring in outside help. A professional organizer can see the problems from many different angles at once without the emotional filter that you have. They can also ask you questions that you most likely have not thought of yet and help you set up a system that will work for you and your habits rather than against them.

Is your closet a black hole?

2012-10-14T22:04:00.000-04:00

Closets are a funny entity in our houses. Even if the entire house is perfectly clean there is probably a closet that is stuffed to the gills in there somewhere. The closet door allows us to shove things in and forget about them. Clothes closets seem to be especially difficult because there are things from different seasons and different events. We become attached tour clothes because they remind us of a particular time in our life or size. They become a part of our identity and almost identify who we are. But when the closet is overflowing it becomes a source of anxiety and dread. Nothing else can go it, you can’t find anything. All of the clothes that you haven’t worn or can’t wear taunt you each time you open the door. So what are you to do?

Take stock of your closet! Ask yourself, “What really belongs here?” Is it a clothes closet, pantry, cleaning closet or something altogether different? Often when I work with a client on their closet the first thing that I notice is that there are many things that don’t belong in a particular closet. At some point they did not want to make a decision about something so they just tossed the item in to get it out of the way. Determine what purpose the closet has much the same way you would for any space.

How much Real Estate do you want your clothes to take up? Or any item that is in the closet. Many years ago, I moved in with my grandmother who was in her 80s. I took over the basement as an apartment and as you can imagine there were no closets. I purchased a couple of free standing clothes racks to use. As I headed out to buy them my grandmother asked me why I would needed 2 of them. I laughed to myself and thought, “wow this is from the woman who has every closet in the house filled to the gills with clothes?” I couldn’t have used any of them if I wanted to. Clothes have a way of multiplying. We like to buy them every season but rarely discard as much. After over 40 years in the house my grandmother had amassed a ton of clothes. When she passed away, my best friend and I took 18 bags of clothing and handbags to Goodwill and several bags of shoes to Soles for Souls, not to mention the untold bags of clothes I got rid of while she was still alive. So how much do you want to use for clothes?

De-Clutter anything that is the wrong size, style, worn out or torn. Begin clearing out the closet by getting rid of the obvious. If you are never going to wear it again for any reason, get it out of there and donate or trash them. If you are having a difficult time letting go, ask yourself why. Did it belong to someone else or remind you of a time or place? Is there a better way to remember person or event besides an item that clogs your closet? If you still want to keep the item, consider placing it somewhere else like a memory box and make sure that it won’t get ruined over time.

Organize by the way you think about getting ready. As you put everything back prioritize the space according to how you will use your clothing and how you get ready in the morning. For example, I am a jeans girl. You will rarely see me in anything else. I like to put jeans in a lower drawer because there is no decision making for me there. I just grab and go. I put shirts higher because I like to look through them a bit to decide what I want to wear. The more that you use something the easier it should be to reach.

What do you use to organize? Here are a few of my favorite gadgets.

2012-08-13T14:30:00.000-04:00

I am often asked about my favorite products for organizing. Here are a few that I use with clients regularly and really love.

Handled baskets from the Container Store. The handle makes it much easier to grab items off shelves for just about everybody. I like them for spices, medications or any group of small item that would be impossible to keep organized if it was all by itself on a high shelf.

Clear bins from the Container Store. These bins are more square than most so they fill the space better with less wasted room. I like clear so that you can see what you have as well as being easy to get more as you need them. Fashion colors are fun but it is almost impossible to get more when you need them.

Label maker. I prefer the brother P-touch series for labelers. They are an easy labeler for just about anyone to use and they take TZ style tapes which are easy to find and come in a 3 pack for less than $30 at Sam's.

Freedom Filer is an excellent system for home filing. It creates a customized system that tells you when to throw papers out. Most people are hesitant to toss paper since they feel they may need it someday. Freedom Filer gives you the confidence to toss. You can purchase Freedom Filer HERE or contact me for a copy.

ShelfGenie GlideOut shelves are an excellent way to maximize usable space in existing kitchen cabinets as well as help folk get to items that may be out of reach or difficult to access. It is a fact of life, it is difficult to access there is much less chance that an item will ever be used or kept neatly.

De-Clutter your Mailbox

2012-07-30T14:25:00.001-04:00

Incoming mail, email and phone calls that are unwanted create physical and mental clutter that most of us would rather skip. With a little bit of time and effort you can drastically reduce the influx by opting out of many mailing and calling lists. The government has helped us by creating laws that prevent these invasions but we have to do our part to add our names to the opt-out lists. Below you will find physical and web addresses to remove your name from these lists. These will keep you from being added to new lists. If you have ordered something or done business with a company, you will have to contact them directly to remove your name from their list.

Main Opt-Out lists

DMAchoice.org Direct Mail Association and other national opt-out lists.

https://www.dmachoice.org Internet option is quick and free.

You can mail your request directly to Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 643, Carmel, NY 10512 along with a check for $1.

DirectMail.com Do Not Mail Registry

http://www.directmail.com/directory/mail_preference/

National Do Not Call Registry

https://www.donotcall.gov or 1-888-382-1222

When you do receive a telemarketing call, remember to let them know you would like to be removed from their calling list.

OptOutPrescreen.com Opt-out of prescreened credit offers with all three credit bureaus.

https://www.optoutprescreen.com/ or call (888) 5OPTOUT or (888-567-8688)

Catalog Choice This website helps to stop unwanted catalogs.

http://www.catalogchoice.org/

Web Resources for more Information

There are many resources for finding ways to reduce junk mail and tele-marketing calls. Here are a few that are very complete with links and directions for removing your name from various lists.

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

Fact Sheet 4: Junk Mail: How Did They All Get My Address?

http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm

Eco-Cycle

Stop the Junk Mail Monster!

http://www.ecocycle.org/junkmail/index.cfm

GovSpot

How do I remove my name from junk mail and telemarketer lists?

http://www.govspot.com/ask/nameofflist.htm

Cox Target Media

Removes your address from the Valpak mailing list

http://www.coxtarget.com/mailsuppression/s/DisplayMailSuppressionForm

41 Pounds

41 Pounds is a paid service that removes your name from 20-30 direct mail companies for everyone in your household for 5 years for $41.

http://www.41pounds.org/

Slotguard

Costs $9.95 a year but they handle credit card offers, magazines, catalogs, coupons and they actually contact and then follow up with all these companies.

https://www.slotguard.com/

Additional Hints

· Opt-out of as many list as you can.

· Keep the mailing labels from mail that you do not want to receive as mail arrives.

· Follow up with the items you do not want by calling or writing to request your name removed from their list.

· Make sure that when you sign-up for something or make a purchase that you state your wishes regarding mailings. Often the default is to include you on the mailing list. You have the right to Opt-out.

· It will take a few months for your name to begin to be removed but you will begin to see less and less mail over time.

Are you stressed out by clutter?

2012-07-23T14:23:00.002-04:00

Have you ever walked into a room and felt like it screamed at you? Did it feel like every item was trying to get your attention, telling you that something needed to be done with it?

Clutter often is an accumulation of decisions that have not been made so each item is a reminder of work to do or a decision yet to be done. Clutter is also a visual reminder of all the things we have yet to do, want to do, should so, can do, lost interest in and forgot to do. With all these reminders it is no wonder a cluttered room is so stressful.

People often feel very relieved after de-cluttering. This happens in part because they have finally made decisions on all their things, even if the decision is to get rid of everything. Most people don’t need to toss it all out but rather be selective about what they keep and bring into their space.

I like to teach my clients how to pre-decide what they want to do with classes of items so that they are less overwhelmed. It is likely that you will want to do the same thing each time with dirty laundry, junk mail, dirty dishes and your daily gear. Make one decision based on your natural habits and turn it into a routine that frees up your brain for bigger decisions.

I love helping people dig out of overwhelm. Give me a call for a FREE organizing assessment today. (740) 334-1928

Save money - Be organized to buy less

2012-07-16T14:20:00.002-04:00

We are all looking to save money these days. Most of the time there are plenty of ways to save money by using what we already have instead of purchasing something new. How many times have you made a special trip out to buy supplies to only find them later? If you knew where they were you could have saved the time it took to make the trip, the gas money and wear on the car to get there, not to mention the cost of the supplies themselves. In addition to time and money saved, you could have saved your own energy and been relaxing or spending time with family instead.

Many of the people I work with find that they save much more than the investment in organizing by being organized. Some clients find that cleaning their kitchen not only makes them feel calmer but they also use the kitchen more because now it is easier and more enjoyable to cook at home instead of running out for takeout. Imagine how much a family of 4 could save even in 1 month if they ate at home more often.

What are in your home or office could help you save? Would you save time, money, energy or all three?

Buy in Bulk without Waste

2012-07-09T07:57:00.000-04:00

Everybody loves to save money; it is human nature to want the best deal. We like to know that we have what we need without always running to the store so it makes sense that Sam’s and Costco would be popular. I love them too. I buy business supplies and items for home. The key to using this kind of shopping effectively is the system you use at home to store the items. You have to store it, know what you have, use it in a timely manner and not waste it.

Store it. I always encourage my clients to keep unopened items together in a pantry or garage for non food items. The garage is a great place for bulk paper products, cat litter, garbage bags and much more. It makes it easy to unload the car and find what you need when you need it. Try a shelving unit with 4 or 5 shelves to hold items.

Know what you have. This is probably one of the most important parts to this system. If you don’t know what you have you aren’t likely to use it or you will buy more than you need. It is not unusual to de-clutter a pantry, bathroom or other space and find many multiples of items that are used daily, many get thrown out because they have expired or are too damaged to use.

Use it. I love to challenge myself to use all of something before I buy new. My personal rule is “one open - one in reserve.” I don’t buy new until I open the reserve. This is a great way to save money at the store and reduce impulse buying. It also ensures that nothing is going to waste because there aren’t old items going bad while newer items are used. The pantry is a great place for this challenge. Periodically challenge yourself to only make things with items that are already in the house and buy only what you need to use up ingredients on hand.

Don’t waste it. It can take a bit of self discipline to resist the temptation to buy when you already have what you need. It also takes conscious decisions to really evaluate what you need and when you need it. Knowing what you have, how much and how quickly you use an item to decide if you really need to buy more. A family of 5 most certainly needs more bars of soap on hand than someone who lives alone. I also always remind clients that buying in bulk only works if you can use all of something before it goes bad. I almost never buy food in bulk because I can't use it fast enough.

Happy bulk shopping, just don't over buy and waste. If you need help creating a system for buying and using bulk items, give me a call. (740) 334-1928

Were you prepared?

2012-07-03T13:02:00.004-04:00

48 hours ago as I write this a huge summer storm ripped across the mid-Atlantic and knocked out power for millions of people including me. Current reports state that it may be days or even more than a week before power is fully restored to everyone. I am pretty well prepared for things like this. I have been through many storms and outages over the years since my family lives in a remote part of the county. We expect to be without power regularly and always stay prepared. But each time there is something that I wish I had or had prepared better. Here are a few things to think about to be better prepared next time.

What did you need from the store? Was it bread, milk and other perishables? If not, what items were non perishable supplies that could have been kept on hand? If you needed it for the current emergency, there is a very good chance you will need it for a future crisis. Make a list of supplies to keep on hand and use and replace them regularly.

Did you know where to find everything that you already have? If you had to really search for supplies that are already on hand consider keeping everything together for the next emergency in a location that you will be able to access without electricity. Don’t store emergency supplies in a dark basement or really full closet.

Were any of your supplies too old or not functioning? Supplies don’t last forever and many need to be used and serviced regularly. I would have a running refrigerator right now but my generator hasn’t been used or started in 4 years. This is definitely on my list of things to fix and service regularly. Don’t forget to remove batteries before storing items so that the batteries do not corrode and ruin anything.

Was there anything that you needed to do that you did not know how to do? Do you know where to shut off water and power to your home? Do you know how to hook up and start a gas generator? Consider having someone show you these skills for the next emergency.

Her are just a few items that I like to keep on hand:

Batteries in a variety of sizes for a radio, flashlight or lantern
Gas grill and spare propane tank with cook ware for the grill. You can cook just about anything on a gas grill with a few cast iron pans. Coffee is simple with a percolator or French press
Coolers that can become your refrigerator with a bit of ice.
First aid supplies for minor injuries.
Spare blankets and cold weather gear for winter emergencies
Candles and matches
Non perishable foods like soup and tuna
Gas cans with gas. Use and replace regularly.

A little bit of preparedness goes along way during any emergency or natural disaster, the more that you have on hand the less frustrated you will be waiting in long lines.

Get those dreaded tasks done WITHOUT doing them

2012-06-27T13:38:00.009-04:00

Tom Sawyer may have been a mischievousness young man but in some respects he had the right idea. He had better things to do with his time so he got the work done by having someone else do it. How many projects do you have around the house or at work that need to be done but you simply do not like doing the task? Sure you are most likely able to do them yourself but are they really getting done? Are you nagging yourself about them every time you see one of these tasks undone? Its time to find someone else to do the job.

Delegate or trade the task. Find someone else that can do the task for you. If you are the boss there is most likely someone that works for you that can do the task. Maybe there is a neighbor or friend that wouldn't mind your chore and they have one you can do in return.

Hire someone. Often it is less expensive in time, money or simply energy to pay someone else to do the task quickly and correctly. This especially applies to plumbing, electrical and auto repair unless one of these is your profession. During high school I joined the National Guard. I eventually went to school to learn how to be a tank turret mechanic. I got a big dose of electronics, hydraulics and mechanics. My father often wonders why I don't change my own oil in my car. Simply put, I don't want to do it. Yes, I could if I wanted to but it would take me more time and probably money after I messed something up to do it myself. I can drop off my car, work or relax and pick it up later. My car is well cared for and I can continue to use my energy on projects that I am passionate about.

Set up an ongoing service. Some tasks never seem to be done. There usually is someone out there that is willing to help. Not interested in spending the weekend mowing or weeding? Find a landscaper who will contract to take care of everything. Hate taking out the recycling? Check with your trash hauler. I did! Only $5 a month more and my recycling disappears at the end of my driveway. One less thing that nags me every time I come home.

Are you really wearing all your clothes?

2011-12-06T18:35:00.023-05:00

Come on now, be honest. Do you really wear all the clothes that you have? Most people wear a small fraction of the clothes that they own. They have items that are too big, too small, worn out and ripped and just plain out of style. Yeah we all want to think that we will get back to the size we were in high school and fit back into our cute jeans but will it ever really happen and when it does, do you really want to be wearing out of style jeans?

Next time you look in your closet consider this...

If it does not fit now, by the time it does you probably will not want to wear it anyway. If you really want to keep multiple sizes of clothes, pack them up according to size so that when you are ready for them they will still be fresh and not faded or worn out from being on hangers.

Too many items in you closet will make it much more difficult to make decisions about what to wear when you are getting dressed. Fewer items that can mix and match make it easier to get dressed with much less hassle.

Rotate out of season items. They take up real estate in your closet but only get used half the time. Pack them away after a good laundering. It will feel like Christmas in September when you pull out your favorite sweaters fresh, clean and ready for the crisp autumn air.

Be honest with your self. Do you really love the item? Do you wear it? Did some one give it to you and you don't want to hurt their feelings? It's your closet you get to make the rules. Decide what really belongs in your closet and evict the rest.

Create an office command center

2011-11-29T17:45:00.000-05:00

Business and life are chaotic enough without clutter and disorder in your office. Turn your office into an efficient command center so that your office does not distract from your work and enables you to get things back in order quickly.

Keep only the supplies that you need often at hand. Too many supplies at your desk will create clutter.
Store the rest of the bulk supplies in another place. Keeping unused supplies together will also help when you are trying to decide if you have what you need on hand or if it is time to run to the store.

Place supplies near the equipment that uses them. Nothing is more frustrating than having to run to another room or across the office every time you need a new printer cartridge or paper. Extra filing supplies keep well in the filing cabinet that you intend to use them in.

Keep often used files with in arms reach. For most people, only a fraction of the files that they have need to be accessed often. A desk with a hanging file drawer or two usually will do the trick. Less used files can live in another filing cabinet elsewhere in the room. Keep monthly files and others close to promote filing instead of piling.

If you print very often, consider placing the printer next to the desk within arms reach. It will be easier to check work as it prints instead of running across the office each time you print a page. If you are like me and you have multiple printers, consider placing them on shelving spaced so that you have full access to each one without using up extra desk space.

Continually reassess your command center. Is it working the way that you want it to work? If it is not, tweak it! Remember to de-clutter often and remove or store elsewhere anything that isn't being used often.

To label or Not to Label...

2011-11-22T16:04:00.061-05:00

Hi, My name is Andrea and I am addicted to removing labels. I admit it I can't wait to remove labels when I buy something new or find one that has never been removed. There is something satisfying about being able to get the label off cleanly without a bunch of goop hanging around to attract dirt. I never used many labels because the ones I made on the computer never lasted or wouldn't come off or ruined the item. Handwritten labels always looked messy.

So why would a confirmed label remover like myself begin advocating the use of a label maker? They are fabulous!

I never made the leap to purchasing a label maker until well after I began to offer organizing services. All the other Professional Organizers had them but I did see the need for one at first. I found an inexpensive one at a discount club store that also sold a reasonably priced 3 pack of replacement tapes. This was one of the big selling features for me. It does not matter how cheap something is if it costs a ton to keep using it.

I began experimenting with it around the house in small ways at first. I began to realize that labels made it easier for me to navigate my craft room. I did not have to think about where to put things since I had already made the decision and the labels reminded me where things belonged. Most importantly for me, I liked the way they looked. There was uniformity to the labels that was calming and did not clutter my space. The label tapes also stick well and remove cleanly from most surfaces.

I finally got why people were so in love with label makers.

They are neat and uniform.
Quick and easy to make.
They give gentle reminders about where things go.
Stick well to most surfaces.
The labels remove easily when you are done with them.

Beloved collection or dust collector?

2011-11-15T17:45:00.069-05:00

My grandmother had a huge tea cup collection. It filled the hutch, 2 corner cupboards and over flowed on to the shelves in the living room. She enjoyed the cups and everyone bought her more for birthdays and Christmas. They were wonderful cups but at some point they began to over run the cabinets so that it was difficult to see any one cup.

Collections can be a great source of enjoyment. However, collections also have the tendency to become overwhelming over time. It is not uncommon for someone to start a collection on a trip, with found objects or because of an interest. Over time our tastes and interests can change leaving us with a collection that we no longer enjoy as much. If your space is feeling a bit cramped with a collection ask yourself some hard questions.

What does the collection add to my life? Make sure your collection is enhancing your life in some way. Do you enjoy looking at when you walk in the room or has it just faded into the background with the rest of the clutter.

Have you outgrown the "collection"? Have your interests or tastes changed? As we grow up and grow older the things that we enjoy and value change. Maybe it is time to give the collection to someone who is just discovering a particular interest or donate it to a no profit resale shop like Goodwill.

Is the collection growing from gifts? Do you purposefully pick the items for you collection or are the items things that others have given you thinking that you still collect everything that looks like a frog. Many collections get out of hand because people are given the items and sometimes don't even remember how the collection got started in the first place. Ask friends and relatives to take you to dinner and tell you about the trip rather than giving another trinket. I began collecting small snow globes a few years back when I went on a trip. The rule for my collection is to only add items that I have purchased for my self when I travel. No gifts.

Who will enjoy the collection in the future? Collections are often very personal but sometimes people will save a grouping because someone else will want it, they think. I always ask them if the intended recipient has requested the collection. Often the answer is no. They are assuming that the person will want it. The reality is that many people who are saving things for others are not doing their friends and family any favors. These gifted collections end up creating clutter for the unsuspecting receiver who then usually struggle with the decision to donate or dispose of it in some way later.

Shop till you drop?

2011-11-08T18:35:00.055-05:00

Don't you just love to shop? Most of us do. But what happens when the glow of retail therapy has worn off? The newness of something wears off and then it is time to go shopping again. As the cycle continues things begin to bulge out of closets and pile up in corners. Before you know it there is so much stuff lying everywhere that it is sensory overload every time you walk in the room or open a drawer or cupboard.

Here are a few strategies to keep your stuff under control instead of it controlling you.

One in one out. Decide how much space you want to devote to a particular type of item. If you only want to have one drawer of tee-shirts then each time you get a new one, an old one has to be donated.

De-clutter seasonally. Go through each area on a regular basis to purge older and unwanted items.

Rethink purchases. Make conscious decisions avoid impulse purchases. Impulse purchases often become clutter when the newness wears off or we decide that we didn't really need or want the item. Take time to really think through what you are buying. Do you really need it? Want it? How does it enrich your life positively?

Recycle your clutter in Licking County

2011-11-01T19:55:00.002-04:00

A big part of the de-cluttering process is getting rid of things that you either don't want, like, need or use. Many of these items still have some value in them and aren't quite ready for the landfill. Licking County Recycling has a terrific resource on their website at http://lcounty.com/rlc/default.aspx They have also published a handy brochure that can be found here in .pdf listing many of the recycling resources in Licking County.

http://lcounty.com/rlc/PDF/recycling%20brochure-update%2012-08.pdf

Here are some more ideas for donating items for recycling and reuse.

Donate clothing and household items to a charitable organization such as Goodwill or a church with a pantry for the needy.
Donate old worn blankets to the local humane society for animal bedding.
Give fabric and craft supplies to a church, preschool or school for art supplies.
Give gently used furniture to a local furniture bank.

Tips for a little extra time

2011-10-04T18:35:00.053-04:00

We could all use a bit more time. So here are a few of my favorite time savers. Feel free to post your time savers in the comments.

Do tiny tasks while you wait. I never really like to empty the dishwasher but I have just enough time to unload it while I am waiting for my tea or food to heat in the microwave. You can also carry reading or note pad to capture thoughts with you for those time that you have to wait at the doctors office or appointments.

Create routines for everyday tasks. Routines help us keep on track and quickly do tasks. For things that you do everyday look at how you do the task and see if there is an easier or simpler way to do it. Bedtime is a great time for routine since it sets up the next morning and helps to signal your body that it is time for sleep. I try to always look at my calendar to see what I will need the next day and set those thing by the door or in the car. Then I get ready for bed, check the time on the alarm and read till I get sleepy.

Simplify the products that you use. I really like to keep it simple when I clean. There is a lot less to lug around and less switching between products. Fewer products also saves you money. Try cleaning with a good vacuum, steam mop, microfiber cloths, a good multi-purpose cleaner and a furniture polish. Look for a cleaner that is safe for a wide variety of surfaces including glass and wood. You will be amazed at how much faster it is to clean with fewer products. Also look at your bath and beauty routine. How many products can you reduce if you look for products that can do double duty. As a bonus you will also work towards de-cluttering your space.

Make kits for frequent activities. Choose a bag or container for an activity that you do often to keep everything that you need together. I have ones for the gym, bike riding and bead work among others. When I am ready to go have fun I just grab the right bag and go. I don't have to look for all the things that I need.

Define filters for your email. I don't know about you but I get tons of junk email. Some of it is from companies that sell items for activities that I am no longer interested in or I simply am not interested in their current offer but I might be in the future. For these emails I like to make filters so that my email program will automatically put the messages in a particular folder. Then I can quickly look over the subject lines and delete anything that I don't want to read or if I have a bit more time request to be unsubscribed from the list altogether.

Clean up with organization in the laundry room

2011-09-06T18:35:00.072-04:00

Laundry is one of those chores that seems to materialize out of thin air. No matter how often you wash clothes there always seems to be more dirty clothes. A well stocked and organized laundry room can make wash day a whole lot smoother.

Keep detergent, softener and dryer sheets as close to the washer and dryer as possible. A shelf or cupboard above them at a arms reach.
Place a trash can next to the dryer for easy disposal of lint, dryer sheets and junk from pockets.
Put laundry baskets anywhere dirty clothes accumulate such as the bathroom or bedroom. If you have several people in the house you can get laundry sorters so that dirty laundry can be sorted as it is taken off so that you can do a load every time one of the sections is full.
Start by washing the bulkiest items first since they will be easy to fold and reduce the laundry quickly.
Fold items in a way that makes them fit well in the drawers or on the shelves that you use. Often people keep folding clothes and towels the way they always have rather than adapting their folding techniques to the containers.
Keep empty hangers in the laundry room if you hang many of your clothes so that you can hang them up as they come out of the dryer and reduce the need for ironing.

Maintenance Organizing

2011-08-30T18:35:00.027-04:00

Just like losing weight or getting fit, once you get where you want to be, you can't quit or all your hard work will be lost. Being organized is much the same process where there are huge improvements early on but maintenance is needed to keep things the way you want them.

Create spaces that you will like to look at. When you like the way something looks you are more likely to keep it looking that way.

Pick up items that don't belong in the space and evict them on a regular basis. If you are going to a room upstairs and see items that belong there pick them up and take them with you so that you are not wasting the trip. You can also have a bin or area to hold items that are going to a different area so that you can take them on the next trip there. I often have papers, mail or other items that need to go to my car. Instead of running to the car every time I find an item, I lay it on the counter next to the door into the garage and then take all the items the next time I go out to the car.

Define what belongs in an area. Simply by deciding what belong in an area you are also defining what doesn't belong in the area. If you have defined a drawer as the silverware drawer, you most likely will not put a screwdriver in there because it is not silverware.

Avoid miscellaneous areas the lack of definition makes it harder to decide what will go there or more importantly what will NOT go there.

Determine when you will do maintenance organizing. You get to create the rules but you also have to be the one to enforce them. So make rules that you can live with. Don't tell yourself that you will organize an area every Sunday night when you know that is a time you prefer to spend with family. Instead choose a rule that has you picking up the clutter after you use an area or before you leave the area. There will be much less to do and it will be easier to do right them rather than come back and do it later.

Quit procrastinating!

2011-08-23T18:35:00.053-04:00

Procrastination is one of the all time big time wasters. We all do it and we know it, but there are times that it just seems impossible to get ourselves motivated to start or finish a particular task. Here are a few I do when I can't seem to get myself motivated.

What is keeping me from starting the task? Sometimes it is a simple as I am exhausted or the task is very low priority. I am OK with these answer and I will give myself a bit of slack. But other times I find myself putting off a chore because the task is large and overwhelming or there is a emotional aspect that I am not ready to confront. When I look at the reason that I am having difficulty with a project it becomes easier to find a way to overcome the procrastination and get to work.

One form of procrastination is procrastination by perfectionism. Essentially someone will put a task off indefinitely because they are unable to do the project or task to their standards of perfection. I fall into this category when it comes to regular cleaning of my house. I like things really clean but I hate running the vacuum unless I can move all the furniture and really dust everything. Consequently, I often end up waiting to vacuum until the dust bunnies of cat hair look like they will spontaneously create new cats. (I always vacuum at this point since I am one cat away from being a crazy cat lady.) After I realized what I was doing, I began to give myself permission to vacuum without moving furniture. It worked! The floors stay clean and I don't have to do a complete detail of the house that takes days to complete.

For large projects, break them down into much smaller ones that can be done as individual steps. I love the idea of writing cards but actually sitting down and doing it always trips me up. So I break it down in to steps. I address the envelopes one day, then I will stamp the return address another and put postage on in another step. Finally, I will actually write the messages. By the time I get to writing the messages the task doesn't seem so bad and it goes quickly from there.

Good luck on your project. If you need more help finding the motivation, give me a call at 740-334-1928.

Find an organizing system that WORKS for YOU.

2011-08-16T18:35:00.001-04:00

There is no one single way to organize anything. Of course there are proven systems that work for many people but none of them work for everyone. Organizing systems need to be specific to the person and situation. A system is working when it is easy enough for you to do without having to think about it too much or force yourself to use it and it is producing the results that you want.

When choosing a system, here are a few things to think about.

What kinds of systems already work for you? If you prefer paper to electronic, you most likely will not enjoy using an electronic calendar or vice verse. Don't choose a system if you know it has not worked elsewhere for you.

Where will you be using the system? Will you always be in one space or does your system need to be portable? I am often out of the office all day. I also hate carrying a tons of things with me but I always have my smartphone with me. So I know that anything that I can do on my smartphone will work well for me. For others, using a phone for tasks other than calls is irritating. They also may spend most of their time at a desk where a calendar or planner can easily fit on the desk.

Is the system easy to use? Most systems fail simply because they don't work with our natural tendencies. If we have to think too hard about using a system it will not work. The placement of a trash can is a great example of this. Many times trash builds up and fails to make it to the trash can if it is not more convenient to put it in the can rather than somewhere else. If wrappers collect in your car, put a bag or can in the area they collect so that it is just as easy to throw stuff away as it is to throw them on the floor.

Finally, if the system that you choose doesn't work, don't blame yourself. Look at why it didn't work and either rework the system or choose a different one that works for you. Remember you are tayloring the system to you not you to the system.

Back-up those files

2011-07-26T18:35:00.042-04:00

Nothing is worse than having a computer or phone die, well, maybe losing the data that it contained. Data back-up is easy so save early and often. Here are a few options for saving your data.

Use a USB drive. For small amounts of data or data shared between computers a small USB drive can be just the thing. The files can be copied to the drive and kept safe.

Save it online. There are many online file storage services. Dropbox, Box.net and Carbonite to name just a few. Search for online file storage and you will find many to choose from, free and paid. Services like Carbonite offer automatic back-up and can be accessed from anywhere. This is a good feature if you want to back-up your files without worrying about it.

External hard drives. Today's choices for external storage are small portable and relatively inexpensive. They are a great choice for backing up all your data in one place and work well as an archive for photos, files and documents.

Burn it! Another choice is to burn data to a CD or DVD. This is great option for data archiving that is not likely to change or needs to be stored. Photo albums on DVD can also be kept with scrapbooks or other documents.

Mulit-task with your Smartphone

2011-07-19T18:35:00.002-04:00

We all have cellphones these days and many of us have smartphones that are multitasking mega machines. With all this technology in your pocket you can use it to the fullest and replace many devices with one. Here are a few of the ways I like to use mine.

Sync and save contacts. Most phones have some ability to sync its contacts. I have an android phone that automatically updates my Gmail contacts with the ones in my phone. I can edit them from any computer or my phone and have the peace of mind that I am not losing a thing if I happen to lose my phone.

Calendar. I would absolutely be lost without the calendar on my phone. It is linked into Google calendar making it easy to access from anywhere. I can enter items during appointments then edit or reschedule later from my desktop. It the calendar that came with your phone isn't to your liking, looking for a different calendar app.

Download Applications. Some apps are real workhorses and others are just fun. Don't want to carry around a separate meal diary for you diet. Download an app! Apps help you greatly reduce the amount of things you carry with you.

Reduce your number of gadgets. My smartphone and even the last few regular phones I have had have all been multi-taskers. I avoid buying music players, gaming devices, calculators and watches. I also know that I can have a flashlight, camera, level and much more in the palm of my hand.

Before adding gear to you bag see if you see if you can add an app to your phone and reduce the stuff you carry. Of course, if you prefer a good 'ole paper planner and it works best for you, stick with it. Technology is great when it works with you.

File it, Don't lose it in a pile.

2011-07-12T18:35:00.000-04:00

As the mail and bills come in, piles of paper have a tendency to pile up when they aren't filed or thrown out quickly. A filing system that works for you is an important part of keeping the piles at bay. Try a few of these tips.

File by month rather than account or topic. Statements that come monthly generally can be filed by the month and then tossed after two years. Most statements, such as utilities, don't need their own files. Too many files makes things complicated

Keep only the most recent copy of insurance policies and similar documents that only the most recent copy is valid. Once the old document is expired it can be tossed.

Keep labels and categories simple. Choose broader categories unless the file becomes too large. It is easier to fine a file on car care rather than files for oil changes, maintenance, tires and others.

Choose labels that mean something to you and group items depending on how you think of them. Is an oil change a regular bill to you or car maintenance? File it with the category that make the most sense to you, then give it a label you will remember.

Happy filing! If you need help getting started or setting up a system call 740-334-1928.

Your email, only simpler.

2011-07-07T19:14:00.000-04:00

Email is both a necessary and, at times, overwhelming. Here are a few easy tips can make it more manageable.

Set time aside for reading email rather than checking it all the time or not at all. Checking it regularly and clearing out the junk will make it much easier to read without wasting time.

Delete ads and spam as soon as you get them. You can greatly reduce the amount of email you have to read by scanning the senders and subject lines, then deleting anything that is not important to you in groups. Read only the messages that you need or want to read.

Use filters to separate incoming messages into groups. Filters can be set up to look for senders, keywords in subject lines, and filtering messages that come from groups can make it easier to identify, prioritize and read. Once the messages are in their own folders you can decide when to read them.

Archive messages that you want to keep in folders. Messages that you will need to access later can be saved in separate folders for easy access later. Label the folders with names that will help you remember what is in them. Periodically, clean out the folders so that you can find the emails that you really need.

Forward messages from other accounts all to one account. If you have multiple email accounts, have them all forward into one email account for simplicity. This way you can check all your email in one place.

In to the clouds, for your files

2011-06-27T10:47:00.065-04:00

Are you using the cloud? These days using internet storage for files is called cloud computing. Basically, you use free or paid space on someone else's server to store files, photos, music or documents. There are many reasons this type of storage may or may not be good for you.

Access from anywhere. Files based on another server usually are accessible from any internet connection. The most basic form of this is internet based email. It lives on a server independent of a single computer or device. This is one of my favorite since it does not limit my ability to check and respond to email. I can use any computer, even my smartphone when I am on the go.

Accessible from multiple types of devices. Files stored online are usually accessible from multiple type of devices. You can access online calendars from your desktop and a smartphone or tablet PC. Play music on your computer or ipod. The device is your choice.

Go Mobile. With the advances in mobile technology it is more important than ever to be able to access information from anywhere. Google is doing a great job with their suite of online services that are all accessible with one login ID and they are all accessible from any internet connection. They have a calendar, photo sharing, blogs and much, much more. Their Android operating system makes all of it seamless.

Information is less likely to be lost in the event of a computer crash. There are many online file storage services like, Carbonite, that allow you to back up your computers for a monthly fee. They can be set up automatically to perform periodic back-ups so that you never have to do it manually.

Files can be easily shared and edited by a group. Dropbox and Box.net are just a few of the services that allow you to store files online and elect whether you share them. Most of these services allow you to invite others to see and/or edit the files. This is a great way for a group to work on shared files and keep track of the newest version.

The downside of all this online accessibility is security. You may want to limit the types of information that you store on the internet. Would you want someone else to be able to look at your family photos? Do the files you want to secure have sensitive financial or confidential information in the? Depending on the type of information you are storing a good old fashioned external hard drive may be your best bet but for all the fun stuff, explore the cloud.