The Nerdy Organizer

40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge

2015-02-18T14:55:00.001-06:00

For those of you who don’t come from a Catholic household, today is Ash Wednesday which means that Lent has officially begun. Lent is a period of prayer and fasting when practitioners are encouraged to abstain from something that will feel like a sacrifice to them.

What could be a bigger sacrifice to you than the clutter that you've been hanging onto for far too long? Hmm, on second thought that might not be a big sacrifice.... Let's do it anyway!

Lots of the women I know take this as the time to abstain from sweets or soda. And while that is definitely a good thing, when Lent is over they pick the habit right back up. Getting rid of your clutter on the other hand can have a life-long impact.

For those of you who haven't yet heard. There is a decluttering challenge designed specifically to for the 40 days of Lent.

Technically speaking, there are 46 days throughout Lent. That means that you get one day a week off. Traditionally, you're supposed to take that day off on Sundays but I'm totally feeling you if you think Monday would be a better day.

I'm sure some of you have heard of the challenge before and some may have even completed it before. Big high five to those of you who have! However, even if you've completed the challenge in the past, doesn't mean that you can't participate this year. Keep the momentum going and turn it into a yearly tradition!

For those of you who are new to the challenge let me give you a quick rundown in case the name doesn't speak enough for itself.

40 Bags
That's right 40 bags. You have to fill 40 bags. Here's the catch, as with so many other things, size doesn't matter. Whether you fill a grocery bag, garbage bag, contractor's bag, or a body bag, it doesn't matter. You just have to make sure that you fill a total of 40 bags.

40 Days
Make sure you fill those 40 bags in the 40 days of Lent (with one day a week off). So that means you have to fill those 40 bags before Easter Sunday!

Now I know that this might sound like a huge task to you because most of us believe that we don't have enough clutter to fill 40 bags. Trust me, most of us do! And I'm including myself in that. That's right, I'm going to be doing the challenge right along with you.

And right now I'm going to the share with you my secret to success in doing this challenge. When you set out to fill your bag, pick one small area to work on. Let me say that again, "ONE, SMALL area." Don't go diving in head first and try to tackle your entire garage in one sitting. That is a recipe for disaster. You'll overwhelm yourself before can say, "Easter egg." Pick a corner, or one shelf and focus on that one space. When you're done with that, assess how you feel. If you feel like doing more, rinse and repeat just like the shampoo bottle is always telling you to do.

Just a note, these bags don't necessarily have to be filled with things you want to throw away. They can be recyclables, things to take to the consignment shop, or things that you want to regift to friends or family. However, when you fill that bag, it leaves the house, right then and there. Don't be all sneaky and fill the bag and just let it hang around till Christmas.

Being able to sit down and really relax in a spiritual state can be so hard when you're surrounded by clutter. It causes stress and your brain can't quiet itself enough to get that truly calm frame of mind that makes for the most fulfilling prayer or meditation time. So go ahead and give it a start today so that you can be on your way to a more peaceful (and less cluttered) life.

As a bonus, I'm also sharing with you the printable that I have made to accompany the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge. Each time you fill a bag, check one off of the printable. That way you don't lose count and you can stay on track!

Click on the image below to download the printable!

Using and Caring for Reusable Bags

2015-02-06T16:43:00.003-06:00

A few months ago, Mr. Nerdy and I moved to California because he was transferred out for his job. While the move has been slightly less than thrilling for me, there are some aspects of California living that I am absolutely loving.

One of those aspects is the fact that eco-friendly products and information are so readily available out here. I know I'm not the greenest person in the world but I am always trying to improve myself in regards to that.

I remember that the very first consciously did to be greener was to start using reusable bags when I went shopping.

The main reason was because I already had about 20 plastic bags stuffed full of other plastic bags waiting around the house for me to reuse. Our recycling center didn't take plastic bags and even when we could remember to put them in the car to take them to grocery store to recycle there we'd get home and still have plastic bags in the car because we forgot to take them in with us.

And another reason that I starting using the reusable bags is because it seems like the plastic bags that stores use are getting more and more flimsy. I can't tell you how many times I've ended up with a broken jar of spaghetti sauce or had to chase a can of corn as it rolled down the parking lot because the bottom of the bag burst.

Let's also not forget that starting in July of this year, those of us living in California are going to have start paying anywhere from 10 to 25 cents for each plastic bag we get from the stores. Um hell to the no! I'm a cheap-o so there's no way I'm paying my hard-earned money for those crappy bags... except at Target because those bags are actually kind of worth it.

Of course, there are stores that will also give you a discount for using reusable bags. I know that Target gives you 5 cents off your purchase for every reusable bag you use to bag up your purchase. Other stores offering discounts include Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, and Kroger although I'm not entirely clear on what exactly their discounts are.

Reusable bags are not exactly a burden on the wallet either. They typically cost from $1-$3 depending on where you buy them. Specialty bags, such as the insulated kind, are going to be slightly more but still should be around $10. The trick is to make sure you're buying sturdy, quality bags so you don't end up just adding more bags (and money) to the landfills. My most dependable bags come from Dollar General and Fresh Market.

Once you've got yourself some quality reusable bags it's important to keep them that way. The number one way to do that is keep your bags clean and germ free. Here are my three best pieces of advice on how to do just that:

1. Don't mix and match groceries in your bags. Designate one bag each for: raw meat, produce, and boxed/canned goods. At the very least make absolutely sure that your raw meat has a bag of its own. I write on the outside of my bags what each is to be used for because I have limited brain space and trying to remember which is which takes up too much of it.

2. Disinfect and clean your bags regularly. After each shopping trip I give my bags a good once-over with a bottle of disinfectant. My personal favorite is Odo-Ban. I also generally wash my bags once a month or so because the disinfectant doesn't always get into every nook and cranny. Canvas bags can be washed on a normal cycle and dried in the dryer. Anything else, put it in the washer on a delicate cycle and lay it flat to dry.

3. Keep your bags cool and dry. If the weather is warmer outside make sure to put your bags in the coolest part of your vehicle, usually the floorboards. This is especially important if you have raw meat or cold items that might "sweat." The sweating mixed with warmer temperatures can cause unpleasant bacterial growth. Can we say, "Yuck!"?

Now, as as little bonus, I put together a graphic below that will show you how to fold up your reusable bags so they're not taking up a ton of space in your car/entryway/mudroom/wherever.

My 2015 Resolutions

2015-01-30T14:54:00.000-06:00

Today I'm over at my "personal" blog talking about my goals/resolutions/things for 2015. Go check it out! And be kind about the design, I'm still working on that with my limited html knowledge.

Nerdy Monday

2014-02-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

Winter is going to end at some point. Right? I mean it has to! If it doesn't get warm enough for me to start taking the fur baby for regular walks soon we might both go crazy! Thankfully, it's the weekend in the Nerdy household which means there are going to be two humans to keep the princess entertained ALL. DAY. LONG. While we're doing that, you enjoy some of the goodies I have found around the web for this week.

Videos:
Erin Condren Life Planner
Organizing Your Life
Prepare My Life Planner

Blog Posts:
No Excuses::Dealing With Distractions {And Having ADD/ADHD}
Let The Pantry Party Commence
Monday's Meditation: An Urgent Call to Action

Until next time!
Stephanie Ann

Nerdy Monday

2014-02-10T16:54:00.000-06:00

I'm back with another episode of Nerdy Monday. I hope you're all doing well as you start your week off. We're getting snowed in here so I'm stocked up on hot chocolate, cinnamon moonshine, and books. We had the library book sale last week so needless to say, I'm not going to need to borrow anything from the library for a while.

Anywho, here's a few tidbits from the around the web that I thought you might find to be some good fun!

Videos:
How To Fold Towels
A Favorite Tool - Planner Pad
Simplest Budgeting Technique Ever

Blog Posts:

Simple Painted Glass Jars
$15 Hutch Update

Until next time!
Stephanie Ann

Nerdy Monday

2014-01-20T14:15:00.000-06:00

I'm starting a new feature here on The Nerdy Organizer and I'm going to call it Nerdy Monday.

At some point, I'm hoping that it will be a great link party but since I don't exactly have a ton of readers... yet, I'm going to do a sort of wrap up of posts and videos that I found throughout the week that I liked and hope you will as well. Since Tuesdays and Wednesdays are currently my weekends, I thought I would leave you with good stuff to keep you occupied while I'm snuggled up on the couch with my dog and a book or two (or ten).

Blog Posts:
Declutter Your Computer Desktop
How To Make A Rainbow Cake
Practical Ways To Get Rid Of Paper Clutter
Freebie Planner Cover Page
DIY Custom Drawer Dividers Using Hot Glue
If You Like It, Then You Should Put Some Stain On It!
Tips For Organizing A Hot Drink Station

Videos:
A Formula for Uncommon Success
Day Timer Family Plus Planner Update

Closet Organization Series :: Arranging Your Closet

2014-01-16T20:21:00.001-06:00

With a little luck, you managed to make it through the purge process without needing medication or your significant other moving out for a little while. (soon-to-be) Mr. Nerdy claims he's going to do that every time I say I'm thinking about reorganizing something.

You should be at a point where everything fits back into your closet neatly. If you break a sweat trying to squeeze things in, you should probably go back and start purging some more.

Now comes the fun part - getting everything organized. I want to make sure that everybody understands that no organizing solution is "one size fits all." This is simply what works best for me and some of the people I've helped out in the past.

The first thing to do is get like with like. Make sure your bottoms are together, tops are together, dresses are together, and so on and so forth. If you have double hanging rods, I suggest pants on the bottom and shirts on top.

Second, break each category down a little further if you have more than a few of each type. Group your work shirts together, and your t-shirts, and your tank tops, etc. Mine are broken down into dressy shirts, t-shirts, and work/casual shirts, just to give you an example.

Lastly (or instead of the second step), arrange them by color. You remember ROY G BIV from grade school, right? I arrange mine by black, white, grey, cream, tan, brown, pink, and then ROY G BIV. Trust me, it is very pleasing to the eye when your clothes are arranged in color order. And if you have a top that is blue-green you can easily slide it in between the two and still find it easily.

Next up, we'll take on our accessories. If you want to get a head start go ahead and go through the purge process on your scarves, shoes, belts, etc. Remember, if you don't wear it and love it, it's probably time to let it go.

Stephanie Ann

Liebster Award

2014-01-11T14:00:00.000-06:00

Rikki over at Momma's Got a Dude's Name nominated me for the Liebster Award so I'm passing it on.

Okay. Here are the rules. When you get the award, you have to...
1. Link the person who nominated you.
2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 10 Liebster questions given by the person who nominated you.
4. Pick 10 bloggers with under 200 followers to be nominated for the award.
* I assume that's under 200 on Bloglovin but I can't be certain.
5. Come up with 10 questions for your nominees to answer.
6. Notify your nominees by commenting on their blogs.

Nominees: PLEASE comment on this post with the link to your post.

11 Random Facts:

1) I think I'm the only person in the world who is allergic to coconut. Apparently it's a rare thing to be allergic to. But I only have the food allergy, not the contact allergy so that's a good thing.

2) My family is a glorious mixture of redneck and southern belle. And sometimes you can even get both in the same person. Case in point... me.

3) I am confident there is a squirrel mafia out there somewhere and the Godfather of said mafia has put a hit out on me.

4) I ordered my wedding dress before my fiance and I had gone to pick out a ring. I guess it was a good thing though because I completely changed the kind of ring that I wanted based on Thomas Knoell gently forcing me to try on rose gold jewelry to go with my pink dress.

5) I am from Kentucky and my fiance lived in Italy and Germany for six years. When we got together, I taught him about bourbon and shine and he taught me about all the different kinds of wine.

6) I have a serious level of social anxiety. Having to meet new people is enough to make me need a nerve pill.

7) I am a confessed horror movie addict. My favorite movie growing up was Halloween. However, I would watch that but refuse to watch Pinocchio because the fat guy that throws him in a cage scared the bejeezus out of me. Go figure!

8) I can easily name all thirteen dwarves from The Hobbit but have some trouble naming the seven that go with Snow White.

9) I have a goal to read 50 books this year. Last year, I read 30 but I slacked big time at different times throughout the year.

10) I am resistant to new technology but I always adapt to it quickly. I hated the idea of the iPhone, Kindle, and Keurig. Now I love all three. Although I'm ready to trade my iPhone in on a Note 3 since my fiance got one. Jealous!

11) I am slowly but surely learning to love hockey.

Rikki's Questions:

1) If you could go back and tell your high school self one thing, what would it be?
Be patient. High school does end and life goes on... and gets better!

2) What is your guilty pleasure?
Mocha Almond Fudge gelato and Nip/Tuck... preferably at the same time.

3) If you stepped on a garden snake and it said, "Hey! Look out!" What would you do?
The same thing I'd do if I stepped on a snake and it didn't speak. Crap my pants and run like I just stole something.

4) What is your favorite charitable cause and why?
The Humane Society. I like animals far more than I like people.

5) What do you order at Starbucks?
Right now, Skinny Peppermint Mocha. But my usual is either Caramel or White Chocolate Mocha.

6) What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who drive like idiots. Nuff said!

7) When did you stop believing in Santa Claus and how did you come to that decision?
I'm really not sure. A lot of my childhood is fuzzy. Although I know it was a young age. I was far too practical of a child.

8) What comes very easy to you that others struggle with?
Writing. I could pull a five page paper out of my butt in no time flat in college. Used to tick off my friends something awful.

9) What is one stereotype you used to believe but no longer do?
Men are like parking spots, the good ones are either taken or handicapped. I found a great one! But he is taken now so...

10) iPhone, Droid, or Zach Morris phone?
I currently have an iPhone but I am jonesin for one of the new Samsung Note 3's.

My Questions:

1) If you were stranded on a desert island, what one item would you want to have with you?

2) How old were your parents when you were born?

3) What is your favorite gift you've ever received?

4) What TV show do you never miss?

5) What time is your bedtime?

6) Do you keep a journal or diary?

7) If you could spend one day in heaven with any one person, whom would it be (excluding Jesus because everybody answers that)?

8) Facebook or Google+?

9) What is your blog post schedule?

10) If you could offer a newborn one piece of advice, what would it be?

My nominees:

1) Lisa at Butterflies and Hurricanes

2) Sheila at Sass and Sweat

3) Mandy at Some Crafty Life

4) Tara at Suburble

5) Natalie at Looking Through the Lens

Ok so there are only five nominees here. Between blogs that have already been nominated and 99.999% of the blogs I follow already having a large following, it was slim pickins. If I find some more though, I'll update this post with more!

Closet Organization Series :: Letting Go - Part 2

2013-12-27T16:14:00.002-06:00

In my last post, I told you about some easy things to purge from your closet. Okay, now we’re going to move onto the tougher stuff. The decisions you’re going to make aren’t all going to be easy ones, but keep the image of what your closet can be in your head. Just keep thinking of how a great outfit makes you feel!

Without further ado, here are some pieces that you should really consider whether or not they’re worth the space in your closet:
• Anything you haven’t worn in one to two years. Really consider the value of the piece. If it is a dress that is perfect for a spring wedding but you haven’t attended one in a while, consider keeping it. If it’s a floral blazer because it was on the clearance rack and it looked nice (yes, I’m guilty), get rid of it.
• Multiples. Do you have twenty pairs of jeans, but only wear five in between washings? Consider getting rid of some of those extras.
• Sentimental items. Do you have every t-shirt that you received for sorority activities in college? Consider having them made into a t-shirt quilt. How about some of your baby clothes or your graduation cap and gown? Have them put into a shadow box to make a lovely display in your home. If you have adequate space in your basement or attic, store these sentimental pieces in plastic storage containers with other sentimental items. Lacking in storage space, take pictures of the pieces and make a scrapbook using the photos and possibly even a patch of the fabric from the item.

After thinking through some of these pieces, if you’re still not sure about whether or not to get rid of them, put them in a “holding bin”. Any plastic storage bin or cardboard box will do. Put this box and the items with the items in it, in another room, for example the spare bedroom. If after a few months you haven’t even thought about these items, it is probably safe to get rid of them. If you are trying to put together an outfit one morning and you realize that one of the pieces would be great with it, pull it out of the box and incorporate it back into your wardrobe.

As I said, this is not going to be easy. Getting rid of clothes seems wasteful to so many people. But just remember, that it's being wasted sitting in your closet and not being worn. It could be donated to someone who could greatly appreciate it and get use out of it. Also, this experience is about making you feel the best that we possibly can. And you can’t do that with a closet full of clothes that don’t fit and don’t make you feel fantastic. So get in there and get to work so that tomorrow morning you can walk out the door feeling fantastic.

Next up, I'll be showing you some techniques you can use to arrange your closet and minimize the amount of time you spend in there choosing your clothes each morning.

Stephanie Ann

Closet Organization Series :: Letting Go - Part 1

2013-12-12T18:51:00.000-06:00

As promised, here is the first in my series on closet organization. I hope you really like after that long wait!

Having an organized closet can save you a lot of time, stress, and money. The goal is to have a closet that will allow you to get in and grab an outfit that makes you feel fabulous in a flash. There are two parts to making this dream closet a reality. The first is to only fill the closet with clothing that makes you feel great. Not okay. Not so-so. And certainly not flabby, lumpy, or frumpy. Say it with me – G-R-E-A-T! (Put some Tony the Tiger emphasis in there!) The second part, is to make sure that the clothing and accessories that make you feel great are arranged in a way that makes them easy for you to find.

Unfortunately, this means that there are some things in your closet that you’re going to have to let go. Don’t worry though, I'm going to help you make this is as painless as possible.

Let’s start with some easy pieces for you to get rid of:
• Anything that you know you don’t want. This should be a no-brainer but it is a wonderful place to start.
• Anything that is stained or damaged beyond repair. This should also be a no-brainer but you would be surprised how many people are holding onto t-shirts that are holier than the Pope.
• Maternity clothing if you are not currently pregnant. If you have no plans for more children, donate what is still wearable and throw out the rest. If you know, or think you might, want to have more children do two things – get rid of the pieces that don’t make you feel fabulous and put the ones that do into a plastic storage tub for when you need them. This way they are not getting in the way of the pieces that fit you right now.
• Anything that you haven’t worn in two years or more. Don’t even think about it, just get it out.
• Anything that is more than one size too big. I allow that one size because we all have those days where we feel bloated or just plain blah and need the comfort of extra room to lounge around in.
• Anything more than one size too small. I encourage everyone on a weight-loss journey to have one piece of “goal” clothing in their goal size. Mine is a pink and green bikini that I bought in my early 20’s. However, you should not fill your closet with clothing that will not fit until you lose another five or ten pounds. It makes you feel defeated first thing in the morning when you are picking out your outfit and that sets the mood for your entire day.
• Anything that gives you a negative feeling when you look at it or put it on. Remember, you want to feel great!

Okay, that was the easy stuff. I'll be back with part two of the series, where we'll cover how to let go of some things that will be a little tougher for you to part with. Until then, work on getting all this "easy" stuff out of your closet and your life so that you can start feeling the momentum of progress!

Stephanie Ann

Checking In

2013-12-11T20:32:00.000-06:00

Hi there everybody! Okay, you may have noticed that "next week" turned into "next month". While I am a procrastinator by nature (and working on that issue), I had some help keeping my fingers off the keyboard recently. I just wanted to check in with y'all and let you know what is up.

First, my dad's surgery went as well as we could have hoped. The surgeons got all of the tumor. However, it had already started to branch out so they're not sure if they got every single, little cancer cell. They have said that he won't have to go through any more radiation and no chemo so those are both seemingly good. For now, he'll just be doing his usual routine of an MRI area of the area every 8 weeks and a full-body scan every 12 weeks. Tedious but at least we stay on top of this bad boy before it has time to do any damage!

Second, after I got home from that trip, I had a few days of peace in which I was just relaxing and trying to regain my normal stress level... and then I got sick. My immune system is a... well, it's a long list of four letter words and stress doesn't help it. Thankfully, it wasn't the flu though. I missed my flu shot last year and will NEVER EVER repeat that mistake. I'd rather die than have the flu again. And I'm pretty sure my fiance would kill me if I ever give it to him again.

Third, hello ice storm! Thankfully not as bad as the one we had in 2009. But still, I hate the spotty internet connection and not being able to get out and drive somewhere. It put me behind on watching season 2 of Grimm (just now discovering the show and love it), oh and also on getting real work done.

Fourth, I was nominated for a Liebster Award from Rikki at Momma's Got a Dude's Name and I have to get that post up and done ASAP otherwise it will disappear in the abyss of my brain never to be seen again.

So that means to expect my first official "organizational" post (for my Blogger platform) tomorrow. Promise! I'll be doing a series on closet organization to start off with. And you can also expect the Liebster post just as soon as I can find other people to nominate. That is going to be the really hard part.

Toodles for now though!
Stephanie Ann

Hello There

2013-11-14T10:28:00.000-06:00

Wow, one mention from Hubby Jack and my readership is starting to boost off. Well, for all of you new readers, let me introduce myself.

My name is Stephanie and I am currently 30 years old... or 29 for the second time, depending on how you count your years.

I am engaged to a great guy and we have a cute, little house and a golden retriever puppy that we, of course, named after a Battlestar Galactica character because we wouldn't be nerds otherwise. I am both a writer and an organizer by nature. Right now I am focusing more on writing as a way to pay the bills and keeping organizing as more of a hobby and a way to bring in a little extra something on the side.

I am very excited to be downsizing The Nerdy Organizer to a Blogger blog with a fresh new design from Hubby Jack. By the way, if you like the design be sure to hop over there and let him know. He did a great job and deserves a big pat on the back.

I promise to try to have some great posts up for everybody soon, as well as get my About Me page filled out and get my redesigned printables on my Etsy shop (and probably have a few for free as well).

However, it may be next week before I can get this ball really rolling. Right at this very moment I am sitting in a waiting room at Washington University waiting to hear about how my dad's brain tumor surgery is going. Pins and needles to say the least!

In the meantime, leave me a comment and let me know if there is anything specifically you would like to see a post about and I'll see what I can do about getting it written up.

Also, please forgive any formatting or spelling errors. I know they are very annoying but I'm posting this from my phone and that is totally new to me.

Talk to you soon,

Stephanie

Bloglovin

2013-10-11T14:46:00.001-05:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin Just getting my Bloglovin all set up!

Changes are Coming!

2013-10-11T13:33:00.000-05:00

I'm currently in the middle of a major transition. I am moving my site from a Wordpress hosted website to a free Blogger blog. While I'm in this transition phase bear with me and I'll update everybody when I'm up and ready to go. Thanks so much for your patience!

Stephanie