Sheri's Organized Life

I've Relocated!

2011-10-07T18:56:00.000-05:00

For those who frequent this site, I have just launched a new website that includes my blog. Please find me at www.sheribertolini.com I look forward to seeing you there! Sheri

Turning 50

2011-10-03T19:16:00.000-05:00

This past week was a blast. I was so excited to turn 50. Probably because I'm the happiest I've been in a very long time. I'm healthy, content, living in an empty nest having my husband all to myself for the first time since we married... all good. My siblings and parents came out for a long weekend visit to help me celebrate my birthday and we played hard. It was great. My husband managed to

Rebel-ebrate!

2011-09-21T06:43:00.001-05:00

Not the bad kind, the good kind! Yes, there is a good kind of rebellion. I was reminded of it at lunch yesterday when my friend, Kim, announced her closet is a mess and she isn't going to do anything about it. When asked why she explained. "For 20 years, I had a voice hammering me to clean it up, clean it up, clean it up," said Kim, shaking her head. Apparently a former relationship had some

Organizing or Analyzing?

2011-09-18T07:25:00.000-05:00

If you've followed this blog with any consistency, you've probably noticed that 90% of the time I address heart issues rather than how to line up cans of soup in your pantry. I have nothing against pantries or soup. Or lining up--I love it when things that are lined up! My focus has shifted. I am far more interested in how you feel and think, and what you believe about yourself and your world.

Time Management and Sneaky Stress

2011-09-14T07:21:00.000-05:00

My first Dale Carnegie class was last night, covering the topic of Time Management. I've been to time management workshops before and we talked about tools and principles I've heard before, but they were good reminders. The activities were very engaging and encouraging. Then... At the end of the class, we talked about how stress is related to time management. I found myself writing a question

Before the Sun

2011-09-12T06:29:00.000-05:00

I've always been a morning person. Lately, (due to hormonal influences, I'm convinced) I've developed the odd pattern of waking at least twice a week at about 3:30 in the morning, ready to start my day. Believe me, I've made several attempts at "just lie here and rest" but my brain is on and the day has begun. So I try to quietly grab my workout clothes which are laid out each night before bed,

Birthday Giving

2011-09-08T06:57:00.000-05:00

Years ago, my good friend Melissa gathered several of us around a table at a local restaurant to help her celebrate her birthday. She did something at that dinner that I've never forgotten. Her greatest blessing was not receiving gifts from us, but giving gifts to us. That's how she wanted to celebrate her birthday. So she intentionally selected people to surround her table who had impacted her

Natural Turning Points

2011-09-02T22:33:00.000-05:00

Beginning of the school year, empty nest, new job, new season... all of these are natural turning points. Any time you find yourself in a natural turn in the road, take time to reassess. Are you headed in the direction you want? Do you need to make any changes in your home? Your time management? Have your roles changed? Take stock and see if there are changes that need to be implemented in

Dread

2011-08-23T06:26:00.000-05:00

C. S. Lewis said, "Experience: the most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn." And what I'm experiencing this week is dread. The weekend of my youngest's departure to college is coming. I can't dig in my heels and slow time, though my heart tries. Mixed with the dread of her absence is the joy of seeing the young woman she's become. How is it possible that two weeks before

Staying on Top of Technology

2011-08-11T07:33:00.000-05:00

If you're like me, you're saying, "Yeah, like that's even possible!" Perhaps knowing all the latest technology as it is released is impossible, but the trickle down of what is practical, helpful, and can be implemented into our lives is definitely manageable. The key is: Are you willing to keep learning? I've just started finding out how powerful Microsoft Outlook is... er... has always been. I

Back to School!

2011-08-08T19:47:00.000-05:00

These tips will help you establish some vital routines which will simplify the daunting task of keeping up with your children as they start back to school. Before school begins, assess each child's room for minimizing distractions. Create an area in which to complete homework and keep their school bag and supplies. If their room, closet, or desk is a disaster area, allow enough time for you and

The Other Cost of Debt

2011-08-05T07:42:00.000-05:00

Dave Ramsey teaches about the dangers of debt and how debt makes you a slave. Owing a debt means you are not truly free. Sure, debt costs you money, and when you owe money, you spend a long time paying it back. It costs you--but money is not the only thing you pay. You also lose years of yourself. You don’t get those years back. The time and energy spent paying off the car loan could have been

Energy Schedule

2011-08-01T06:45:00.003-05:00

A new approach to time management... schedule your energy! Look at your day. When are you naturally the most energetic and "on"? Plan your day so that activities which require your energy occur during those times. It's not always possible, I know, but as much as possible, if you're a morning person, do your writing, creating, planning in the morning hour. If you turn on at night, do your

Countdown

2011-07-30T07:52:00.005-05:00

I like countdowns. They're exciting. When I was getting married, I had a countdown timer on my computer that constantly showed how many days, hours, minutes until my wedding. It was fun for a while, then it got really annoying because I had so much to do and it was getting hard to wait. I can't wait until my 50th birthday in September. I intend to thoroughly enjoy this one. But I don't look

Ownership

2011-07-27T08:01:00.002-05:00

Renting an apartment is limiting and freeing. It limits you in creativity (painting the walls deep purple) and sometimes in relationship (no loud parties and Rex probably needs to live elsewhere). It frees you from the responsibility of lawn care, building maintenance, and paying property taxes. Owning a home is limiting and freeing--just more so. You can use deep purple paint on anything you

Broken Thinking

2011-07-22T06:23:00.002-05:00

I just returned from a weekend with all the video presenters for Laugh Your Way to a Better Marriage http://www.laughyourway.com/. We spent one day in training and one day playing... it was great. Our number of presenter couples has doubled in the last two years and we reached over 20,000 people last year with the Laugh Your Way seminar. But what impacted me most from the weekend was something

GUEST POST: Terrie Ferrell

2011-07-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

I met Terrie at the Dave Ramsey Counselor Training week which I attended back in April. She and I hit it off immediately, and she told me about her first book which she'd just published. I was struck by its theme and asked if she'd write a quick post about her subject. My Dad and I have always been close, a daddy's girl, that's me. In my twenties, my Dad started talking to me about what he

Acknowledgement

2011-07-09T21:40:00.000-05:00

Having a sensitive nature, I'm probably overly sensitive about this topic. Then again, I've listened to my husband expound on it in reference to his business relationships. Whether personal or business, acknowledgement is a big deal. From "Got your email. Thanks" to "Thank you--your package arrived earlier today," it's great to just use 4-7 words to let someone know that their message was

Crossed a Line

2011-06-30T07:25:00.000-05:00

I crossed a line yesterday. You know those rules that we all carry around in our head and our society? Well, I definitely crossed one yesterday. But it worked. Living out of the box is scary. I had given a keepsake to a friend years ago. At the time, I had no cash and wanted to offer a meaningful gift for a significant accomplishment she had just achieved. The gift was a little pearl on a chain

"I Didn't Know It Meant That Much to Me"

2011-06-27T19:01:00.000-05:00

Funny how thinking you lost something forever helps you realize how much it really meant to you. And sometimes what you thought you'd lost gets returned. I thought our youngest was going to leave at the end of this month for the summer, going straight into college. I thought I'd lost all my summer plans to help her prepare for her next adventure. She decided to stay. You can't imagine my relief

Kissin' or Kickin'?

2011-06-19T10:10:00.000-05:00

Kissin’ or Kickin’? Try this exercise: Look around your home and begin to mentally ask each possession, “Are you kissin’ me, or kickin’ me?” Sounds odd, no doubt, but there is validity to the question. Everything in your home is either supporting you or draining you. You are either gaining benefit or feeling the drag of dead weight from each item in your house. If you look at you home through the

To My Men

2011-06-17T05:15:00.000-05:00

Three. I have three significant men in my life. Husband, father, and brother. Couldn't be more different. My crazy Italian, who makes laugh, who shares my heart, and my days. I love you so much. My conservative Dad, who taught me how to love nature, save money, give generously, work with excellence, and shoot. My brother, who is the picture of faithfulness, fairness, and loyalty. And speaks

Sudden Moves

2011-06-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

You learn that you have to vacate your residence in two weeks. What do you do first? It's surprising how a sudden dividing line thrusts you into decisive action. When your time is limited, your values jump to the forefront. So you have two weeks to move: First, shed baggage and dead weight. Get rid of trash, and all items that really didn't matter, have no value to you, or are very easily

FREE Organizing

2011-06-03T07:10:00.000-05:00

I'm a firm believer in generosity. I'm also a firm believer in letting you know you're appreciated. So any time you tell others about Sheri's Organized Life and they end up hiring me, you get an hour of free organizing! Tell 3 friends... they all hire me... you just got an entire morning or afternoon session for free--my "thank you" to you for the business. So tell people! Show them what we've

Small Steps

2011-06-01T19:43:00.003-05:00

June 1st, 5:00 a.m. Alarm goes off and I sigh. Here I go. Getting up at 5:00 is normal for me. That's when I work out. But today I've added a new element. Today I start training for a 5K. I've recently lost 27 pounds and wanted to run again after losing weight. So today, after consulting Jeff Galloway's training schedule, I learned that I only needed to run for 10 minutes during my walking