It Takes Time to Make Time – Tip #1

Business owners have long heard it takes money to make money.  The thought being you have to invest in your business to get ahead.  The same rings true for our time.  It truly takes time to make time.  You have to be willing to invest a little up front to get more out of your time.  Time management has always been a hard pill for most to swallow.  How can you manage something that isn’t tangible?    I look at it more along the lines of there are portions of the day when I wish the time would slow down (late for pick up at school and I am begging the clock not to tick away) or when it seems to go by so slowly (when I arrive early for pick up without something to read or do).  How can we manage ourselves to make sure our time is used wisely?

My next few posts will deal with how to take time to make time.  These aren’t time management tips per se but more organizing ideas will help you to find more time in the long run.

Tip #1  Clean Out Your Closet

We all know, fashion diva or not, what it is like to be in a hurry to get dressed.  It seems like when you are pressed for time nothing looks good, fits or is clean!  Mornings are hard enough, and it seems as though the minutes we have in the morning tick more like seconds.  Having your closet organized can be a great way to find more time in your day.  If you take the time to sort out your clothes, purge what you no longer wear (or fit into) and group the clothes you have left into categories, you will:

• Easily find what you are looking for
• Have clothes that fit and look good ready to put together
• Know what you have and what you need

Who doesn’t want to look good when they walk out the door?  Getting dressed should not occupy that much time in our day, but if you have ever stood in front of your closet and thought, “I have nothing to wear”, you know how fast time can be sucked away.  For ease and convenience, it is important to find clothes that are easy to mix and match.  Think staples and uniforms.

• Choose bottoms and tops that can easily be put together to create a whole new look.  Beware of the hard to match tops and bottoms…you wind up with lots of unworn clothing.
• Choose what you like to wear.  You will always have “go-to” outfits that will be quick and easy to throw on.  These become a “uniform” of sorts.   A child who wears a uniform to school doesn’t have to think before they get dressed!  Why do you think they still exist in schools? – ease and convenience.
• Choose clothing that fits.  Tailor items which almost fit, but need a little adjustment.  If the clothes don’t fit, you won’t wear them!

I also want to include accessories in this tip.  A boring white shirt can be brought back to life with a fabulous necklace.  A plain black dress can look different if you wear different accessories with it every time.  Shoes can transform an outfit from OK to WOW in no time flat.  (no shoe pun intended!)  The same as organizing your clothes, organize your accessories and shoes.  The easier it is to see what you have, the more likely you will wear it.

For more ideas of organizing your closet and accessories check out my other posts:

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/category/closet-organizing/

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/category/jewelry-organizing/

Organizing your closet will free up many minutes on a daily basis.  A little hard work upfront will go a long way.  But remember it is an on going process.  A closet is a boundary.  You must limit what goes in.  The one-in-one-out rule is very important to remember when shopping!

I want you all to know that every tip given here is not the only solution to an organizing dilemma.  They are suggestions to help you get started on a path to organization.  No two people are alike and no two spaces are alike.  If you have tried something I have suggested and it doesn’t seem to be a good fit, write a comment and I will try to offer another solution.  By all means, I want you all to have the Fresh Start feeling that organizing gives you.  I am here to help!

Homework Haven – Organizing Your Homework Station

OK, I can’t really say I understand why teachers give so much homework.  I don’t see why children are in school all day long and then are given 2 hours of homework a night.  I guess this is all in preparation for the real world when we take work home with us and are attached to our PDA’s.  None-the-less, I still detest homework, just like I did when I was in school.  Maybe it is my own memories of hours of homework that just make me cringe when I sit my kids down to do theirs.

I have to be honest.  My oldest son will be entering 5th grade and the school he attends starts homework at this grade level.  I know, don’t hate me, but I am freaking out!  My son hated doing his easy reading homework the past two years and his occasional book report threw him over the edge.  This year I am going to be aimed and ready for battling helping him.

First and foremost, I know a good study area is important to keeping the focus on the work assigned.  You may be thinking, she is just starting homework with her son, so what does she know…long story short, we have moved numerous times and we have attended schools that assigned heaps of homework.  His kindergarten had 12 worksheets a week with coloring on each page, enough to send a 5 year old into tears.  I have talked with my son to find where he thinks studying will be best.  He has chosen his room at his desk.  I asked him because I value his input and want him to take ownership in his work.  Whether you have a desk in your child’s room, a place a the kitchen table, a place in the family room or a desk set aside in your office, a space designated for homework is key.  (Hey, I did well laying on my bed, although my wrist suffered from the numerous leaning sessions!)

Once you have found the best location for homework to take place, make sure it is free of clutter and distractions.  Don’t have piles of papers on the kitchen table and expect your child to have great focus.  Also, if working in a room, make sure the toys are kept away from the study area.  Kids will be distracted easily and you can’t expect them to want to do homework when they are surrounded by things they would rather be doing!

After you have cleared the space, stock your study area with the tools they need to get the job done.  Don’t have all your school supplies away from the area, or they will have to get up to get what they need and will lose focus.  If they will need a ruler for homework, keep one in arms reach.  Do they need additional paper, pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, markers, colored pencils, scissors, glue, or calculators? When setting up their work area, keep these in stock.  If your child will work in a transitional area (kitchen table) then keep these supplies in a caddy or box so they can bring it with them to work and put it away when they are finished.

Finding the best time to get the homework done is a must in getting the job done efficiently.  If you wait until 8 pm to get started, the kids will be tired and it will be hard for them to focus.  I have found that if you get them right when they get home, they are still in school mode and you can reward them with play time.  This works for me, but may not work for you.  Have your children help decide what is the best time for them to get it done, because if they have ownership in the decision, they will have ownership in the results.  Take into consideration practice schedules and when their neighborhood friends are playing.  If their friends are outside playing while they are working, you will never get your child to focus on their work.  Talk to the neighborhood moms to see if they have a set schedule for homework.

Finally, make sure the area they are work in is comfortable.  Would you want to sit on a hard chair for two hours?  Also, don’t forget they need adequate lighting.  How would you want to be working?  Make sure they are well fed for the energy they need to accomplish their work.  A cranky, hungry child will take longer to get the job done!

I still wish there was no homework assigned, but since I will not have my wish granted this year, I am going to have a great attitude with my child.  I am determined to make it as great an experience as I can so he will not go in with a bad attitude (OK, the bad attitude will be there, but I will try and curb it as best as possible!).

Now What? Organize Your Free Time

I know the back to school dream of the parent.  The one where if you finally have your kids in school full time so you are going to get all the projects left untouched in your home complete.  You may even squeeze in a leisurely bath while you dread anxiously await your lovely children to return.  What to do with all this new found free time?  Then reality kicks in and you realize your dream did not come true as you kiss your kiddos good bye every morning.  You seem to have nothing done at the end of the day.  They come back much sooner then you every imagined.  When did the clock start going from 9:59 am to 3:05 pm?  What happened to all the other minutes?  Now don’t get me wrong, you want your kids to come home, but how can you be excited when all you’ve accomplished is the gym and the grocery store.  The productivity gods are not impressed. 

For those who went from corporate life to stay at home mom, you think “I used to have 8 reports, a conference meeting, pitch 4 new clients and go out to lunch all before 3 pm!  Now I am lucky to get a shower in during the day!”.  How does the day disappear so quickly when you have a the same amount of time that you used to?  There are still only 24 hours in a day, but why do the 24 hours seem to go light speed  now?  It all has to do with managing your day. 

Contemplate:  Think about where your time is allocated to in each day.  Take time to make time.  Look at where you are wasting time.  Now be honest and don’t think you don’t waste time.  We all do it.  You got sucked into the latest status updates on FaceBook, you had a phone conversation with a friend that went way too long, you volunteer for an activity that you dread, you click on a link in an email that starts a web surfing adventure…you see what I mean.  We all waste time.  This isn’t to say you can’t do those things ever, it just means you need to set boundaries to help guide your time.  Also, think about when you work best:  morning, afternoon, evening?  Make sure you know when you can be most productive so you can allocate your time better.

Delegate:  When you worked in an office, you had help.  Whether you had an assistant, a co-worker, or even an employer, you had the opportunity to ask for help.  Why does that seem to be a problem for the stay at home/work from home folks?  You think, I should be able to do this all without the kids around, but really delegation is more important than ever.  You may not get it done the right your way, but you can at least know it is getting done.  Delegation is best for those tasks you tend to procrastinate on or fail to remember to do.  They aren’t getting done because they aren’t a priority.  Pass the buck and get it off your list!  Great people to delegate to:  Husbands, children, house cleaners, neighborhood teens, grandparents, friends, I mean the list is endless!  Just make sure you compensate by doing something back that works in your schedule or with monetary tokens of appreciation! 

Regulate:  Set a regular schedule to get your tasks done.  Look at what normally needs to take place and what you usually do in your week.  Group errands together and group chores around the house together so you are more efficient.  It seems so mundane, but in actuality, it will be so much easier to know what to do and when to do it.  Your family will also know when laundry gets done so they will have what they need ready to be washed (OK, we may still need to check with them and ask repeatedly, but hopefully it is easier than throwing in another chore throughout the week).   

For more tips on Regulating check out my blog post on Automating Your Day :

http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/2009/06/26/automate-your-day-clearing-the-mental-clutter/

Manipulate:  I don’t mean be deceitful to others, I mean be flexible with your ideas of time and scheduling.  How can you change things on the calendar to be more efficient.  Does this mean you used to work out in the morning at 9 am and now it will have to be 11 am because  you can accomplish more in the morning around the house?  Can you go to one grocery store instead of 3 or 4?  Or can you grocery shop once a week on a specific day and get all you need for a week instead of running out multiple times?   There are ways to change our habits and become more efficient in the process.

Just say NO:  OK, it doesn’t rhyme, but it is the most important thing to get more done.  Stop doing for others if you aren’t getting things done yourself.  Take a break from volunteering, sign up for the easy jobs in the classroom, don’t attend events you aren’t excited for.  Say no to yourself as well.  Does it have to be done perfectly, or is just OK good enough?  Do you really need to send out elaborate invitations to an all out birthday, or would a small gathering or activity be enough to celebrate?  Think about what you can take off your to-do’s and know it is OK to say NO.

Don’t let interruptions get you down!  This can be the worst culprit of time stealing and an unproductive day.  Can you turn off the phones, turn off the email reminders, turn off the TV and don’t answer the door for two hours a day?  Can you see friends in the store and let them know you will give them a call later, but you must get going?  Avoiding the interruptions can make you a speed machine in no time!

Once you have readjusted your schedule, delegated tasks, said no, and limit interruptions, you will be on your way to a taking those bubble baths and maybe even a leisurely nap!  Well, really, you just might feel a little less frantic and a little more mellow.  Also, you will be ready to focus on the kids when they walk back through the door!

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year – 5 Tips for Organizing Your Back to School

For a few years there was a commercial (I believe it was for Staples) that ran for back to school shopping.  It had a casually dressed father soaring on a shopping cart shopping for back to school supplies.  The kids walking behind him were absolutely miserable.  The music playing is a Christmas song, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year“.  For most parents, after a long summer break, they are ready to get their kids back to school.  I know personally I love routine (or should I say I thrive on routine) and summer makes me a little crazy with the relaxed schedule.  My husband is probably reading this thinking, “yeah she could lighten up a little”, but thought process is easier for me when there is an agenda for the day.  I am one of those excited parents dropping off my kids on the first day.  I love that they are in a controlled environment and I don’t have to listen to them fight for a few hours!   I miss them for awhile during the day, but soon enough they come back to me.

For most kids (at my sons’ school the term kids is thought to be reserved for baby goats, but I still can’t help but use it!), going back to school is torture.  They are exhausted, nervous and feel overwhelming dread about sitting in a classroom and studying again.  Not to mention homework!  Since when did parents have to host a second school session at home with hours of homework.  Maybe that is just the way school is preparing them for the real world…our work is never done!  I am not aware of one family who actually can’t wait for the homework to be assigned, yep, not one!  I can’t blame children for hating homework, but again it is a life lesson to build a functioning, working  adult.

How can you make this transition between summer lazy and school crazy go off smoothly?  One solid way is to start early.  I mean, don’t think you can travel the weekend before school goes back, let the kids stay up late until the day before school and expect to have a high functioning child in the chaotic morning!   Organizing your daily routine ahead of time will be beneficial to all in the long run.  Here are a few ways to make sure going back to school is less of a headache and more of a celebration (even if it is just yours alone!):

• Move your kids bedtime back 15 minutes a night for 3 weeks until they are going to bed at a decent hour.  If your school bedtime is 8 pm, don’t expect your child to willingly go to bed then if they have been up until 9:30 every summer night.  This will slowly get their body clocks back to where you want it. 
• Make sure you have your morning routine down before the first day.  Almost like a fire drill, practice your busy mornings a few times before the first day.  Plan an early morning activity on those days that will help mimic a school departure.  For example, have an activity planned in which the kids will need be dressed, lunch or snack packed, and books or activities to take along with them.  
• Practice preparing the night before.  We know mornings are chaos, no matter how well you plan something inevitably goes awry. Get as much done the night before as possible to avoid the screaming “Hurry!  We are SOOO late!”  chants we parents love to cry! 
• Let your children know what will be expected from them.  If they have chores, after-school activities, and homework, there is little time for play.  Have your child see where their time will be spent on a calendar and help them to realize time management (IE don’t waste time) is a huge role in allowing them enough time to be a kid, too.  The sooner they do what is expected of them, the sooner they have time to do what they want (within reason of course).  Let them know when they will have to do homework and when they can have fun.  Establishing this type of a routine will help in the transition.  If you establish the rule upfront, you will get less hassle once school is underway.
• Help them establish routines.  Work with them to find out how they would like to do things.  If in the morning they would rather eat before getting dressed, then see how productive they are when doing that.  Even if you would do things another way, taking ownership and responsibility for themselves will help them actually do what they are supposed to do.  Guide when necessary, but don’t lecture and tell them “I told you so” when they realize maybe this isn’t working.  We all make mistakes and part of growing up is learning from them.

Give yourself enough time to get the kids ready for back to school, so it really can be The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!  Next post I will talk about school supplies and setting up a homework station.  Also, I have previously posted more Back to School tips here on my blog…check them out:  http://afreshstartblog.wordpress.com/2008/08/.

What have you been doing to help ease the transition of back to school?  Let us know your tips and tricks by leaving a comment below!

Dream Weaver – Organizing your Ideas and Thoughts

I feel like a mental drain has been attached to my brain.  I am in the process of updating my website and blog. I have had this WordPress blog for over a year and wanted a more custom look.  I wanted my blog to stand out!  I love to look at blogs with style.  I wanted that!  I  found a great designer who only designed on Blogger, so not knowing much of anything, I moved my blog (www.afreshstarttheblog.blogspot.com).  I LOVE the design but was uncomfortable on Blogger.  I am not saying Blogger is bad, I am just more familiar with WordPress and this change has been tough!   I have decided Iwill be moving my blog back to WordPress and my website, too!   This process will take time. (Ugh, patience is not my strongest asset!)   I am hiring a designer to handle both the Blog and Website, since again, I want a more custom feel.  I have learned that I am NOT good at digital design…no matter how hard I try! 

In the process of this change, I have found a lot about organizing ”ideas”.   This has been a challenge because you don’t physically see and touch these ideas floating in your head.  How do you organize something that isn’t physically here?   But really, if you don’t organize them, they will get lost in your mental clutter!  I have been wasting time trying to make these changes because I didn’t have a game plan in place.  I was just searching for ideas, but not placing the ideas I have or found in an organized home!

My project has been critiquing my website and blog, as well as other websites in and out of my industry.  I have been making notes, printing of pages for likes and dislikes, and thinking about what I want from my site.  I found that my designer really helped guide me in organizing my thoughts.  His questions helped me to understand what I should be looking for as well as how to help guide him in understanding what I want.  I have had a file of “Web Ideas” filling up for months now as I have been getting ready to take the plunge.  I had a cluttered file of ideas and no real master plan as to what to do with it.    I wound up sorting through my papers and creating a chart of what I like and dislike about each site I have visited.  This helped me to articulate what I wanted.  I had a clear path to the finish line!

I have many clients who have this same problem with ideas they want to do with their home projects.  Whether it is remodeling, redecorating or a dream home file, they have all these ideas (scraps of papers, magazine clippings, photos, catalogue pages) all stuffed into one file with no rhyme or reason.  I work with them on creating a binder or accordion file folder to keep their “ideas” in an organized manner.  If using a binder, we use page protectors and dividers (easily found in discount stores or office supply stores).  I personally like the binder because you can flip through the pages, remove things you no longer like, add to each section and protect the pages as you look at them.  Use the dividers to break the “ideas” project binder down into bite size pieces.  For example, you may be renovating a kitchen.  You would want to break it down by counters, cabinetry, appliances, decorative accents, paint colors, fixtures and flooring.  One thing I realized in my project is that you need a way to communicate to others what you really like, by showing them what you don’t like.  I really have found it helpful in guiding me to what I want!

What project are you working on that could use an idea binder?  We would love to hear what it is and how organizing your ideas will benefit your project!  Leave us a comment.

5 Lazy Ways to Organize

How many times do you think about organizing a drawer or even a room and give up because it is too overwhelming?  Well, I hate to break it to you - organizing is work, but organizing doesn’t have to be a nightmare!  Like weight-loss, most people are looking for a quick fix to organizing.  And as we have learned, quick weight-loss doesn’t work and you return to the habits which got you to where you were in the first place.  The same rings true with organizing.  Creating new habits will make organizing a breeze as time goes on.

Lazy is defined as slow moving or sluggish.  Organizing the “lazy way” will still take time (I didn’t call it 5 Fast Ways to Organize now, did I?).  Going in with a lazy mindset will help you slowly and steadily gain control over the disorganized clutter monster that looms over your head!  Patience is a virtue!  The old adage, “How do you eat and elephant? One bite at a time” should be playing in your head as you tackle your clutter and disorganization. 

1.  Get over perfection!  Most people feel organizing is about living Martha Stewart Perfect.  Not the case!  It is really as simple as finding what you need when you need it and keeping what you need, use and love.   Finding a good home for what you have is essential.  Keep those things you use often close to you, not as frequently a little further, and those you don’t use often furthest away. 

2.  Get over guilt!  If you are holding onto things because you’d feel guilty getting rid of it  DON”T!   (Like your friend who gave you a shirt that just doesn’t look good on you, but you feel she will get her feelings hurt if you give it away).  You will be able to shed yourself of so much clutter when you purge the guilt first!  Those who love you should understand your needs are, and guilt isn’t one of those needs!

3.  Stick to one area at a time!  If you want to organize the whole house, trying to organize it all at once will take longer.  You will become the Tasmanian Devil, spinning on a path of destruction.  Choose one area to organize at a time.  Slow and steady wins this race!  Seeing one project through to the end will give you the motivation to continue on to the rest of the house. 

4.  Stop making to-do lists!  If you skip this step and put your tasks directly into your to-do lists, then you will actually have the time to get things done!  If you need to purge your brain to get it out of your head, create different lists.  You need one for long term goals, short term goals and one for everyday tasks.  Work those lists into your calendar to see what you can accomplish daily, monthly and yearly.  Remember to leave room in your schedule for fun!

5.  Get help!  Any way you look at it, help is the best way to change your habits.  You will have someone to hold you accountable.  Don’t you have enough on your plate?  Adding self accountability (is that a phrase or did I just make it up?) is just one more thing to worry about.  Pass that responsibility on!

You can actually waste time by being “hyper” organized (as I like to call it).   You can procrastinate on projects by organizing as a distraction.  You can lead an unbalanced life if you are so focused on perfection.  Organizing should bring you more time to do what you love and want to do.  So get lazy and organize your home one space at a time!

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Decorative Swapping

The other day I was watching Oprah and she had the adorable Nate Berkus and the clutter cutter Peter Walsh on.  They were showing neighbors swapping furniture in order to recreate new looks in their homes.  The point behind the show was to open our eyes to how, in hard times with limited budgets, we can be creative in our design to get the best out of our space.  Now of course having a fabulous designer makes a huge difference when you are decoratively challenged (I think I just created a new word), but the point was easy to get.  The “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure” was spoken loud and clear here. 

Anything unused or unloved is clutter!  Clear your clutter by having a swap party!  Have you thought about other ways to swap?  It doesn’t have to be just furniture!   How about:

• Kitchen Gadgets
• Video Games
• Women’s Clothing
• Children’s Clothing
• Accessories (belts, scarves, jewelry)
• Children’s Toys
• Books
• Magazines

The list is endless.  You can save so much money by trading what you don’t want, need, or have grown tired of with someone else!  The only thing you must remember in a swap is that this is not a garage sale!!!  These items are good quality and something someone would really WANT in their home  (or closet) to update their look.  Your tattered couch that the dog has called home for 15 years may not qualify! 

Let us know if you have had an opportunity to swap with friends, neighbors and/or family to get the best results for your homes!  What was your experience?  What worked?  What didn’t? 

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Why Hiring a Professional Organizer is a Necessity Rather Than a Luxury?

Last week I attended the annual conference of the National Association of Professional Organizers!  If you can imagine a conference that is run more smoothly and organized, let me know!!!  We had a blast in Orlando discovering new products, new services, new books, new ideas (yes, I am rambling) and rekindling friendships from all over the world.  Who knew there is a need for organizing in areas like Bermuda, Japan, New Zealand and France?  It just goes to show how everyone is looking for a little more order in their lives, no matter where they live.

You may think as we all meet that we are learning new ways to put items in a pretty container, but it was so much more.  As organizers, our goal is to help you discover why you are disorganized and ways to help you create new habits to overcome disorganization.  The classes we take go deep into the needs of our clients.   But the biggest part of the conference is to help our profession gain exposure.  Not many people know what we do and why they should spend their hard earned dollars on our services!  They all think they could do it themselves, why should they pay someone to help.

I thought I may help educate the rest of the world who aren’t sure what we can do for you and can’t figure out why they should spend the money on it!  Here are a few reasons why:

Why Hiring a Professional Organizer is a Necessity Rather Than a Luxury?

1. Professional Organizers help cut expenses by weeding out processes, activities, or tools that are no longer serving their purpose.
2. You will have more time to touch base with clients, networking contacts and other potential clients.
3. Professional Organizers help you find and use what you have, such as, pantry items, office supplies, gift items, etc., so you avoid re-buying things you already own.
4. Professional Organizers help you pay your bills on time and control your finances.
5. You will know where everything is!
6. Professional Organizers help you keep appointments, avoiding no-show fees.
7. Professional Organizers help prevent missed opportunities and events.
8. Professional Organizers help eliminate the costs of extra storage space.
9. Professional Organizers help you uncover what is important to you and helps preserve those items.
10. Professional Organizers help maintain your valuables, including your home and car.

A professional organizer is a confidant, a friend, a specialist, a coach, a financial assistant, and so much more.  We have different niches that we focus on to be the best service provider for our clients.  No matter what your level of disorganization is, a professional organizer will bring more time, joy and freedom into your life!

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Budding Artists-Taming Your Children’s Art Clutter

As the end of the school year is swiftly approaching, parents are faced with what to do with all the art (and school work) clutter their children have produced.  Now, when I call it clutter, that is not to say we don’t love what our children created, it is just that the shear volume is overwhelming.  It seems as if once a child can hold a crayon, their paper seems to multiply faster than fleas!  But what is more amazing is our attachment to each and every one they create.  Whether it is a masterpiece that Van Gogh would admire, or one that is scribble scrabble (a phrase my kids teachers have used) we can’t seem to let go of our budding artists/scholars work.  And this is only compounded by having more than one child! 

If you were to save each and every piece of paper our children worked on in their 13 years of school, you could fill an entire standard bedroom!  Mom’s who find out I organize homes always ask how they can better organize their children’s art and school work.  They all seem to want to cut it back but don’t know what to let go of.  I mean, how can you let go of something your child created.  It seems like you are giving or throwing a piece of them away!

The good news is the older they get, the less paper work they bring home.  The bad news is you can’t keep it all!  Making the decision of what to keep and what to toss/recycle can be easier if you face it head on.  You need to create a limit or standard and a means of storage of what you will keep.  Each family and situation is different, so there is no set standard, but you can figure out your own set of guidelines. 

I typically save art that is art.  Not the painting swirled in a circle with the teacher writing “A Motorcycle” above it.  I also keep things that show progression in their development.  Be it writing letters, or drawing a flower, or a worksheet, I will be able to look back as see their attempts at mastering a new learning challenge.  Also, I save items that are about them.  A self portrait, a interview from preschool about what they want to be when they grow up, a drawing of the family, an essay of their summer vacation, and so forth.  You don’t need to keep the 4th grade book report they received an A++ on, unless you somehow are related to the person in the story!

Keeping the work you have decided to save can be a challenge.  Here are a few suggestions on different approaches to keeping the memory alive of their precious childhood:

• A scrapbook or file box that shows progression and growth.  Start a the beginning and work your way up to high school.  Make sure you don’t fill books or boxes.   Your child will not have the same attachment to these as you will.  Be picky, and set your limit.  Your child will appreciate that you don’t hand them boxes and boxes of their work when they are adults.  Parents are always surprised at how their children don’t have the same attachment to the items that they do.
• Photo of your child with their art work or school work.   Hang your children’s art/school work on a blank wall and take a picture of them with their work.  You can place multiple works on the wall and have one photo!  You will capture the memory, but save it in a much smaller form.  Also, the glitter and rice (cereal, beans, you know what I mean!)  will not be left in a box for so many years that the glue has disintegrated and left you with a mess!
• Scan or photograph their artwork and school work.  Create a digital scrapbook of their work.  You will be able to arrange a book in no time that shows their development and progression.  This will cut down on the size/volume of papers you accumulate.  This doesn’t give you “permission” to save it all.  Again, be picky about what you save.  Your child will not appreciate your hard work of scrap-booking all they did in school if it is a 20 volume series!  Use what is most valuable, and toss the rest.

Some moms tell me their children may get upset if their work is thrown away so soon after creating it.  For my children, I have a large magnetic board that has their weekly art/school work on it.  This sets a limit/boundary as the board can only hold so much.  As they bring home something new, I have them help decide what should come down to make room for their new work.    You will be surprised at how fast they will take something down to make room for their new creation.  You can see what they value in their eyes, not yours! 

I know all the little scraps of paper that say “I love you Mommy” are so hard to throw away!  But be strong, know your children love you and that you have a limit as to what you can keep.  It doesn’t mean they don’t love you if you need to throw it away!  And a little disclaimer to the toss process, recycle what you can!

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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Sugar High

OK, enough with the candy already.  I can’t believe how, between Christmas and Easter, I can consume so much sugar.  If you have ever seen the movie Elf with Will Ferrell, he talks about the four food groups.  “We elves try and stick to the four main food groups: candy, candy canes, candy corn and syrup.”  With all the candy from all the holidays, I actually think I may give up sweets until Christmas.  Not… my sweet tooth is too big to give it up completely!  But I do think I need to replace a few Peeps and jellybeans for some carrots and lettuce. 

As I think of my new relationship with vegetables, I feel like I am making a New Year’s resolution for healthy eating.   This will be a positive change in my life (as I kick and scream).  Growing up, I could eat whatever I wanted.  As the big 40 is coming at me like a freight train, I feel like I could eat two carrots all day and still gain a pound.   I have to come to terms with the idea that I can’t eat like I used to.   The same rings true for organizing.  If you have habits that allow clutter to pile up, a change in your habit needs to take place.   The more you ignore it, the worse it becomes!

In trying to create new habits, be it organizing, eating more healthy, or any other positive change you want to take place, you need to be more conscious of your choices.  Being present in your life is a means to making new habits stick.  When we just go through the motions in life, we are bound to the same in life.  Change requires going through life with your eyes wide open and your mind in the game!

I have the following suggestions for making changes in your life that will stick:

1.  Find the positive in the situation.  I could feel angry and deprived that I need to pay more attention to my diet, but instead, I am looking at it with a new attitude.  If I don’t embrace the need for change, no change will happen!  I love the way I look and feel when I am eating well.  The energy I have is endless.  If you are trying to be more organized (or even get organized), find what you do that is actually working.  Do you pay your bills on time?  Do you always keep your keys in a certain place so that you always find them?  When you start to see the good in what you are doing and see the good in what these changes will bring you, you will be more apt to maintain your new habits!

2.  Make a game plan.  If you don’t have a plan, then it is easier to slip into your old routine and habits and nothing will change!  With better eating, I know I need to have my food somewhat planned for the day and week.   When I am busy and hungry, I will reach for a quick fix and not choose healthy foods.  If I eat about every 3 hours, and eat something well balanced,  I will be successful in sticking to my plan to eat better.  If you have a plan of action for your organizing, you will be less overwhelmed with the clutter and be able to tackle your disorganization day by day.  This plan of action will help you focus on your goals and keep your mind in the game.  Knowing what to do next is half the battle!

3.  Be prepared for set backs.  Life comes at us pretty quick some days.  If we are going through the motions, we are hit harder by the unexpected.  Whether you have been traveling and find it hard to eat well or a loved one passes away and you inherit their belongings (not to mention the grief), the unplanned needs to be expected.  I guess expect (and plan for) the unexpected.  We are only in control of our lives to a certain extent.  When you need to deal with other things in life, be aware that this is only temporary.  Be aware that you can and will get back to your plan of action.  I think most people when the unexpected takes over, don’t see how or when things will get back to normal.  The overwhelming feeling usually covers our eyes to our goals and we often give up.  If you know your plan, can incorporate any thing into your plan and be aware of potential setback, you will have an easier time getting back into the game!

With any desire for change, I look forward to the results, yet don’t always like the steps it takes to get there.  I have clients who hate when I come to work with them, but love when I leave.  In life, routine and habit make our days easier to handle.  Creating new, good habits is not easy.  For example, I love any sort of sugar junk food.  I know I will never be able to live without it.  The way I feel after eating a lot of sugar makes me miserable.  But, oh how I love the taste!  Cutting back and being more conscious will make this change easier.  Knowing that the change is for the good will help us focus and stick with the steps you need to take for your desired results!

What change are you in need of?  What steps will you take to make it happen?  Share with us.  Leave a comment on how you will or are living a little more aware of your habits!

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 

And get daily tips delivered to you through Twitter.  Follow Me