Donation Designation

Have a bag or box designated for donations.  Place it in a closet or in the garage.  As you are going through the house make a point to donate at least one item a day.  Let everyone know, once an item has been put in the box, it is not to be retrieved (just make sure they agreed in the first place to give it away).  Keep a notepad with the box and a disposable camera.  Documentation is more important than ever for taxes.  For every item that goes in, write it on the list and take a picture of it.  This will make next years donation deductions for taxes a little easier.  (Yes, you can use “taxes” and “easier” in the same sentence!)

Out of Sight!

Are you an “out of sight, out of mind” kind of person?  Do you have to have things out in order to remember them?  Do you worry that if you were to put it away you will never remember to use it or deal with it?  Well, I am one of “those” types.  I am highly organized, yet I am extremely forgetful.  If it is not in front of me or under my nose, I will forget. 

I have my schedule down to a science, yet I did forget to pick up my son and his friend from their tennis clinic!  My five year old and his friend decided since I was late they would walk home (three blocks)!  They were a happy as could be thinking how grown up they were to walk home!  I had my heart stop and my throat close as the guilt of my mistake consumed me.  A frightful night of sleep was a result, as I was thinking of what could have happened to the two sweet boys!  It was a day where time got away from me.  I am a scheduler and planner, yet this day a long business call took my mind off of what I was supposed to be doing.  Needless to say, a talk with the boys was a must to let them know to call home first, and to never walk home alone again.  And, for me, a new way of reminding myself needed to be developed.

There are many ways to remind you of what needs to be done.  I am the queen of reminders.  Here are a few things I have found helpful in helping keep me in line (without having to staple a note to my forehead!):

• Use on-line calendar with reminders.  I have the calendar synced to my phone so not only does my computer ding at me, but my phone does as well. 
• Use a timer.  The dreaded day my son walked home was unique.  My friend and I decided to send our boys to the tennis clinic at the last minute.  Our older children were at other practices and the little boys wanted to go to tennis.  She drove them to the clinic and I was to pick up.  It was not on my calendar so there was no reminder.  Now, for those days where something last minute comes up, I set a timer to remind me.  I was distracted by the phone conversation and time got away from me.  This can happen if you are busy cleaning, surfing the net, or reading.  I needed to be brought into the present and a timer would have been the reminder.  Now, I set one often!
• Sticky Notes – I am not a fan of sticky notes for daily use.  They fall off, get attached to other papers, or clutter up a space.  But, if used for special reminders, they work well.  If you have a unique, one time reminder, they can save the day.  For example, I was to bring food for my bible study group.  I had all the food that was not perishable set out to take the night before.  Most bible study mornings are busy and I know if it is not in my path to the door, it will be forgotten.  So I put a sticky note reminder on the non-perishable bag set by the door to remind me to get the items from the refrigerator before I left.  I could easily see myself leaving in a dash without them!  That morning, almost everyone in my group who was bringing food forgot something.  When you have tasks that are not routine, it is easy to be distracted and forget.

There are other ways to remind yourself of important tasks.  What do you do?  I never understood the “tie a string around your finger” method, yet if I have another incident where I forget my child, I may break down and try it!  Even the most organized can make mistakes!!!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

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I Love, I Love, I Love, I Love My Calendar Girl…

When reading the January 2009 issue of Country Living Magazine, I came across a new calendar/day planner product and I got so excited (yes, I am seeking therapy for this).  Reason for my giddiness is that so many mom’s I know don’t use a computerized calendar system.  They have a paper calendar and use paper lists.  As a busy stay at home mom, computer time can be limited, so the paper calendar works easier for some.  This is not to say they are not as savvy as a working mom.   I also know working mom’s who prefer a paper calendar to the computer.  For me it took awhile to cross over from paper to computer.  I kept trying to print out the calendar and write on it, then input what I wrote.  What a waste of time and paper!  Choosing a calendar/planner for you is just a matter of preference.  Finding one that works for you to keep your “time” organized is what matters most.

The calendar/planner I discovered is made by Truly Mom.  The article explains the company name, “Women wear the word Momas a badge of honor”, says Michelle (Nicastro) who coined the name Truly Mom.  “We want to celebrate what it means to be a mom.”  The three women (Michelle Nicastro, Kristen Nicastro, and Maria Newton) who created the company sound as if they have a lot of fun working together and it comes through in their product line.  In addition to planners, they have a creative line of stationery and note cards. 

If you are still in need of a new calendar for 2009, or you are finding yours isn’t making the grade, look into this product.  From the three note pads securely attached, to the way it folds (it flips over and folds over so you can have a sturdy writing surface without taking up a lot of space – the picture above shows it laid out).  It has an address book and a daily planning pad.  What more could you ask for?!?

If you log onto their website www.trulymom.com you will find an offer for 20% off on all orders over $30 by entering freshstart into the coupon code.  Hurry, offer expires January 31, 2009!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips

Also, subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”. Subscribe Now 

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Corralling the Puppy Clutter

With the addition of a new puppy to our family this Christmas, we are tripping over stuffed toys and bones everyday.   I have two boys, six and ten years old, and I am on them to always clean up after themselves.  Now I have two dogs, and I have yet to figure out how to train them to clean up all their toys at the end of the day! 

One thing I have made sure though, is to limit the amount of toys the dogs have.  I don’t have stuffed animal toys for them because it looks like it snowed in Southern California within a few minutes of playing with it.  It also looks like a gruesome murder as the body parts of the toy are scattered across every room in the house.  Next, I don’t buy hollow plastic toys.  Again, my small dogs become vicious killers who can’t hide the evidence.  Why buy something that only lasts a few minutes for them to play with, but takes a half hour to clean up the small pieces?!?  To corral the actual toys the dogs play with, I have utilized a low rectangular basket in our living room.  This is small enough to limit the toys and low enough that the dogs can find a new toy to taunt each other with.

Also, with new a new puppy comes other “stuff”.  I have bones (vet approved), two different foods, two beds, cleaning/bathing supplies, treats to reward good behavior,  baby gates, pens to corral the dogs from our pool, and sprays to keep the puppy from chewing on things she shouldn’t.  Where does all this new stuff go?  I cleared out a cabinet to keep all the dog “stuff” together.  Food, bones and treats on one shelf, cleaning/bathing supplies on another.   I can easily access everything I need to quickly take care of the dogs.  I also made space in our garage for the gates and playpens for when the puppy is bigger and can have the freedom to roam around the house. 

With anything you bring into your home, you should use the one in two (OK, one in some cases) out rule.  Now with bringing in a new puppy, the one in (puppy) and one out (our dog of 4 years) does not apply!  But I did need to make room for everything that I needed to make the puppy’s life here at our home a great one.  So if were a new vacuum, a new TV, a new set of furniture, new clothes, new make up or anything else you may bring into your home, make sure you are clearing out at the same time. 

What was your big Christmas gift that required you to do a little clearing out?  I would love to hear about it!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

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Evaluate your magazine subscriptions. Even a great deal on magazines will still be a waste of money if you don’t have time to read them. There are only so many hours in a day!

Love the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred for a fast and effective 20 minute workout. Look for the DVD set at Target or at www.excercisetv.tv. Now you have no excuse, everyone can find 20 minutes a day to excercise.

The New Adventures of the Interrupting Puppy

Dakota

This year Santa really delivered to my family.  We received a new puppy under the tree!   Dakota (a Puggle – pug/beagle mix) arrived Christmas morning and we haven’t been the same since.  She is an adorable and loving addition to our busy family.  She is also a new challenge in our daily lives.  I must admit every once in a while we have wondered “are we nuts?”

We are not rookies at the puppy training game, but I did need a refresher course.  I got back out my handy puppy books that I found helpful in rearing our other dog, Reagan.  Puppies for Dummies by Sarah Hodgson (www.dummies.com) has become our puppy training bible.  In reading about how to train a new puppy, I realized how much of what I read related to what I tell my organizing clients.     Training a puppy has similar principles to time management.  (Organizing and Time Management are like peanut butter and jelly – each are good, but together they are better) Establishing a routine is the foundation to keeping your house free of messes (puppy and human).  Schedules, routines, and good habits are things we can’t live without.  We wake in the morning and we sleep at night.  We eat breakfast, lunch and dinner around the same times each day.   Knowing what to expect keeps us feeling safe and sane!

I am finding that in establishing a new routine for Dakota, I am in need of changing my own routine to fulfill her needs.  I am being interrupted to constantly take her outside to go to the bathroom.  With my two boys home on Christmas break, introducing the new puppy to Reagan, and keeping a vigilant eye out for puppy mischief, I am just keeping my head afloat.  Interruptions are a huge time management obstacle.  New life changes, even minor ones, require us to readjust our schedules and habits.  Creating a new habit usually takes 3 weeks.  Perseverance is a necessity.  I am up to this challenge!   How about you?  What are your new challenges for the New Year? 

My next post will have to be on organizing all the stuff you “need” for a new puppy!

For more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips. 

Also, you can subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now