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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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. 

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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. 

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Are you ready for A Fresh Start?

Whether you celebrate Easter or not, the feeling of new beginnings is in the air.  Spring is my absolute favorite time of the year.  Everything seems clean and fresh.  (Yes, you can tell my mood by how clean and picked up my home is! Mess = Stress)  New plants and flowers, blue skies, warm and comfortable temperatures and fresh green grass make a beautiful picture.  This is the best time of year to create your own new beginnings.  What do you want to change?  What do you want to start pursuing?  Where do you need or want A Fresh Start?

My company name came from the need we all have for the changes in our lives to move in a positive direction.  A Fresh Start is something we all desire when things aren’t working quite right.  My organizing company helps people have a new start in their home.  Whether they just moved into a new home, they are moving out of a home or they need to make their home work better for them, they are all craving a new beginning.  Organizing can help you have A Fresh Start in your life.  Being organized can free up time and space to pursuing new activities, make new relationships and take better care of yourself. 

Most people I find are so overwhelmed with their situation, they aren’t sure where to begin.  Just the thought of starting can create feelings of overwhelm and panic.  I think of when I was in high school and would have a large project or paper assigned.  I would have no idea where to begin.  I would always freak out about not being able to do it.  I would have to break the project down into bite size pieces to get started. 

If organizing your space is a new beginning you want to have this spring, here is a way to break your project down into bite size pieces so you can get the job done and go on to pursue those things you so desire. 

5 ways to organize a room:

1.        Visualize how you want the room to look.  Ask yourself:

a.      What is it you are trying to accomplish in the room?

b.      Who is using the room?

c.      What activities take place in the room?

2.       Sort your stuff.  This is where most people give up, because it always looks worse before it gets better. 

a.      Make sure the items in the room should stay.

b.      Ask yourself if you really need the item.  Instead of thinking that I may use it one day, live for today.  Just because you spent money on it doesn’t mean you have to still keep it.  Think of it as a life lesson and be more careful when you shop.

c.      Separate into categories

                                                                           i.      Trash

                                                                         ii.      Donate

                                                                        iii.      Give to family or friends

                                                                       iv.      Move to another room

                                                                         v.      Keep

d.      For the items you decide to keep, group like items together.  For example, toys and games, beach and pool items, even rags with cleaning supplies.  This will help in remembering where things are when you need them.

3.       Find homes for all your items that remain. 

a.      Where will you use the items? 

b.      Do you use the items often or occasionally?

c.      Keep items you use often easy to access.  Things you use less often are better in your harder to reach areas.

 

4.        Contain.  Containers can make or break an organizing system.  Keep in mind that containers with lids are harder for children to use.  That is one step too many for a child to put things away. 

a.      Make the most use of your space.  Add shelves to utilize vertical space. 

b.      Use clear boxes to see what you have inside. 

c.      Use containers to hold items in cabinets.  You can pull the container out to get to an item easier than knocking down items to get to the back of the cabinet!

5.       Maintain.  Maintenance is the most important means to keeping an organizational system in place.   

a.      Remember “One In One Out” rule.  For every item you bring into your home, you should be removing something else.  This is especially important for clothing and toys. 

b.      Set aside a few minutes a day and a few minutes a week to make sure your systems stay in place. 

These are basic ways to tackle your Fresh Start in your home.  For some of us, the clutter is there for a reason:  we are attached to the clutter, we are overwhelmed by the clutter, we think we may use the clutter, we feel guilty to get rid of the clutter or a combination of  all these.  What ever your reason for clutter, the only way to move forward in your life and stop having this stuff hold you back is to face it.  For some that means someone to help.  If you need assistance, ask for it.  Allow yourself to have the new beginning you are so desiring!

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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Help Me…I’ve Been Robbed!

Don’t panic.  I don’t mean this literally, but we all are robbed daily of something valuable…TIME!  There are so many stolen moments that we need to be aware of to make the most of our day and our lives.  If we don’t open our eyes to the things that rob us of our time, then we will always have a nagging feeling  something was taken from us.  We get angry and frustrated when our time has been taken away from us!  I try and use my time as wisely as I can, so that I actually practice what I preach, but sometimes I am not even aware of when I have been robbed. 

Just the other night, our new puppy (who has been a challenge to say the least)  got into my husbands glass of red wine sitting on the side table next to the couch.  We were busy upstairs putting our boys to bed.  My husband usually kisses the kids good night first and then I do.  He is always back downstairs in his spot on the couch immediately.  As I was doing my kisses, I hear my husband say “DAKOTA WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!”   I am thinking she shredded a piece of paper or got into the trash again, but never would I have thought she was going to have dyed my golden tan couch a new shade of purple.  We settle the kids back down (who now were curious about the commotion) and I got to work on cleaning the stain.  It was BAD!  As I am scrubbing and trying every cleaner I have, my husband says “Why are you wasting your time?”  In my pursuit to undo the damage, I realized that he was right.  No cleaner I had was going to get this up.  I needed a professional.  Had I not been pulled out of my stealth focus on fixing the problem, I would have spent hours cleaning something that was just not going to come out.  I would have been robbed of the time that I had to relax with my husband and watch our favorite shows together. 

There are time stealer’s taking your precious moments everyday.  Are you aware of them?  Things like long, unexpected lines at the store or post office.  Phone calls where you are left on hold for a long time, a family member or you getting sick, car accidents and traffic are other time stealer’s.  These are things that tend to be out of our control, but we need to be ready for them and how it can set us back.  Also, things like not being prepared (can you say no grocery list and forgetting half of what you went to the store for, then having to go back), waiting to the last minute (like trying to buy your Christmas presents a few days before the big day and getting low inventory and long lines), doing something someone else could or should do (like me trying to get a horrific stain out of our couch) and disorganization and clutter (looking for your keys or an important document) steal our time as well. 

How we handle these situations that potentially rob us of our precious time is important.  First of all, setting time buffers in your day will allow you to handle these interruptions with ease.  If you are overbooked, or even booked close together in your day you will be overwhelmed with the time stealer’s.  Allow some open time for the unexpected.  If nothing happens that day, you will have time to relax and enjoy!  Second, you need to have things to do if something is taking too much time.  Like having something to read if you are stuck at the doctors office, making a phone call while you are stuck in traffic, or cleaning out your purse when you are waiting in a long line.  Carry a book with you, or a pad of paper for notes of things you want or need to do, or fold laundry while you are stuck on hold.  There are a thousand things we could do in a short period of time.  Most importantly, being organized (having an organized home and office) will help you fight off some of the thieves of time! 

Just like the saying, “It takes money to make money”, it takes time to make time.  Give yourself a few minutes at the end of the day to prepare for the next one.  Organize your spaces so you know where everything is and can find what it is you need.  Be prepared for the unexpected with time buffers and having things to do while you are waiting.  You will be the Super Hero of  Time and fight the crime of the infamous time robbers!  (Can you tell I have two boys?!?)

What is stealing your time?  Write your “crime” prevention tips in the comments and help us learn what to watch out for!

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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Help Me Please!

Is the help you are receiving making your life easier or more frustrating?  Management requires organization and delegation.  Whether you are managing a Fortune 500 company or a family of 4, you need to utilize the skills of others on your team.  While I can’t give advice to Fortune 500 companies, I do have advice for those of you managing yourselves and your home.   I meet many clients who have the same complaint, the people who help them run the house don’t put things back where they belong.  They spend a large amount of time rearranging things after someone has helped.   What a waste of valuable time!   The fastest way to solve this problem is through good communication upfront.  You cannot expect someone to remember where things go if they don’t know ahead of time. 

Following are a few tricks of the trade to help facilitate good communication with your help.  Whether it is your children doing chores, your spouse helping with the house work load, your childcare help, or your cleaning person/staff, use these tips to make sure the help that is given is a good use of their time and yours!

• Labels – Labeling is one of the key ingredients in house communication.  If you label the shelf for linens with what sheets go where, then there is no question when someone goes to out the sheets away after the laundry is done.  Also, they can see what they need quickly and easily.  If you have people who help you around the house that don’t speak fluent English, use labels in both English and the language they speak fluently.
• Notes – If you need to let someone know something, and you are not there to actually speak with them, leave a note.  Also, if they don’t speak fluent English, try using BableFish   http://babelfish.yahoo.com/ to translate a note for you.  Clear communication is essential. 
• Repeat after me – Make sure, especially for children, have them repeat what is expected of them after you give instructions.  Now this is not to belittle your help, it is to make sure you have clear expectations.  There is nothing worse than trying to explain something and getting a blank stare.  Asking them to repeat back to you will help ensure you have made your point of what needs to be accomplished.
• Pictures – Pictures are a great way to show what it is you are talking about.  Also, if you need to remove something to clean, and then go to put it back, can you remember exactly where everything goes?  Pictures speak a thousand words!!!  Create a photo book for your cleaning staff, or one for your family.  They can refer back to it to make sure they know where things go.  This works great for cabinets and closets, too.  When unloading a dishwasher, those who are helping may not know where everything belongs.  The pictures will assist when someone doesn’t know where things go.  You will avoid “losing” things!
• Be specific -  Make sure they know what it is you need help with and what it is you want as a finished product.  You can’t expect.  If you want to have help, you can’t expect people to live in your head.  They will not know what you want unless you explain it to them.  Many times we hurry through explanations and don’t give enough information. 
• Demonstrate – Especially for children, if you want something done a specific way, make sure you demonstrate for them.  Some people learn and remember by visually seeing what to do.  Walking them through it will also help those who learn in a  tactile manner.

Many people don’t utilize their help because they worry it won’t be done right.   They think they might as well do it themselves.  No one person has the skills, abilities and time do do it all.  Use your help!  Clear communication will save you time and money.   Remember though, if you use your manners with good communication, you will have happy helpers!

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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The Clutter of Costco?

As I was working with a few clients recently, I started to wonder, when did Costco take over our lives?  I grew up in Virgina and don’t remember anyone ever going to a warehouse store.  We had friends with many kids (3 or more) and I can never remember opening a cabinet that was filled with toilet paper or giant boxes of cereal.  I have been wondering when did we feel the need to buy in bulk?  Growing up in the 70’s in Virginia, we only had one car.  My father commuted to Washington, DC on the Metro.  We didn’t go to the grocery store every day, but I never remember my mom or dad stocking up cabinets.   I don’t remember a pantry, just a cabinet with food in it.  I remember one shelf in our linen closet that held extra rolls of toilet paper.  We had just enough.  When did we become unsatisfied with just enough?  At some point in our culture, we decided that we needed the bigger packages.  We now have the clutter of Costco!

OK, before I get lectured about the benefits of warehouse stores, this post is not to discourage your shopping at places like Costco, just to get you to think before you buy such large amounts.  Can you not pull your car in the garage because you have shelves full of paper products?  Just because it is a good price does not mean it is a necessity in your life.  And what about the bulk packages of staplers…do you really need 4 staplers in your home?  I hear many people say they can’t get out of Costco for under $400.  Most of the time it is because we are so distracted by the deal, that we forget whether or not we really need the product itself.  We are living for the future, “I will need it and use it eventually”, instead of living for today.  I think it is funny that we have a much greater ability to get what we need when we need it than we ever did before, but somehow we purchase as if we will never have the opportunity to go shopping again.  Like the stores will somehow disappear off the face of the earth!

Here are a few ways to make sure you don’t get caught up in the Costco fever when you enter the store:

• Shop with a list.  What do you really need?  Are you there for food, yet some how are in the book aisle?  Are you there for gifts, yet somehow come out with a bulk pack of vitamins?  Stick to what you need.  Otherwise the excess becomes Costco clutter!  If you aren’t going to consume, wear or use it anytime soon, you need to store it.  And storage for most people is an issue in and of  itself.
• Shop with friends and family.  Many times we waste money by buying in bulk because the food goes bad before we can use it.  Also, storing the items can be a real challenge.  Where is all the extra going to go?  When you shop with  friends and family you can split items, like fruits and veggies, cereal, and even toilet paper. 
• Shop with a budget.  Make it a challenge to get out of Costco for a set amount.  Can you beat the limit? 

Being realistic with our true needs will help us make the most out of Costco.  Costco is actually thriving in our economy.  People are now in the mind set to save money.  But we can get caught up in the deal and forget about our needs.  Buying in excess means throwing away food that has gone bad, and paying to heat/cool areas that are filled with excess is not saving us money in the long run.  Also, think about the time spent organizing excess.  Finding homes for everything can be a real challenge.  Are you spending time trying to make room for 30 rolls of paper towels?  Living and buying for today should save you time and money.  Just remember the days before Costco ever existed!

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

Organize Your Home Office Day

March 10, 2009 is the official “Organize Your Home Office Day” (according to Chase’s Calendar of Events).  Seeing as March 10th this year falls on a Tuesday, I was hoping to give you the motivation to get a jump start on it this weekend.   Take this as a guide for your home office, but know that everyone has a different space for their home office as well as different activities that must take place.  If you have any questions regarding what you need for your space, leave me a note in the comments and I will get back to you.

Tips for Organizing Your Home Office

Ask yourself:

• Who uses the office space?  You, your spouse,your roommate, your children?
• What activities take place in the space?  Bill paying, office work, homework?
• How do I want the space to look?  Relaxing and soothing, fun and bright?  Like a library, an art studio? 

Group and Sort:

• Put items for each activity together.
• Remove items that do not belong (your old maternity clothes, china, laundry, etc)
• Remove all trash from the space.
• Put all paperwork together to be sorted separately  Get ready to shred! Keep only:
  *ALWAYS CHECK WITH YOUR ATTORNEY AND TAX ACCOUNTANT BEFORE YOU DECIDE   TO SHRED!!!!!
  • Tax Returns for the past 7 years (with appropriate back up)
  • All receipts and documents for current year Tax Return
  • Warranties, Contracts, and Policies
  • Medical Records
  • School Records
  • Current month bills, and credit card/bank statements.  Retain longer only if you think they will be a tax write off.
  • Auto records for as long as you keep the car
  • Home Sale and Purchase Documents for the rest of your life.  Keep with these documents any home improvement receipts and permits.  If they are going to be used as a write off in your taxes, keep a copy with your Tax Return Documents.
  • Investment purchase records.  Keep as long as you own the investment.
  • Vital Records:  Birth Certificates, Social Security Cards, Wills, Trusts, Estate Plans, Marriage Certificates, Passports.
  • Get real with what you will actually keep.  You make time for what you actually want to do.  If you have been keeping a book on how to knit and 5 years later you still haven’t “found time” to learn, you most likely never will.  Be real with yourself.  Make room for what you need and love to do and embrace them! 

Find Homes for Each Activity:

• If the children use the space for homework, find a space for all the supplies they need to accomplish their work.
• If you pay the bills, find a space for the calculator, stamps, return address labels, checkbook, etc.
• If you work from home find a separate place for your work files and your home files.
• If you are in school yourself, find a space that is inspiring to study.
• If you wrap gifts group all your wrapping supplies including tape, scissors, tissue, gift bags, etc.
• Store extra supplies in an area you do not need to access immediately.  This does not mean to go overboard and have 1,000 binder clips, but enough that you can replace your supplies without having to run out to the store every time you run out of something.

Think of Proper Placement for Each Activity: 

• If you have your computer cords running in front of your desk drawer, you will most likely never use the desk drawer.
• If you need to jot down a note or phone message, keep a pad of paper and pencil in close reach.
• If you print often, don’t place the printer on the other side of the room.

Invest in High Functioning Furniture and Storage Containers:

• Home offices do not need to be a room, but can be a “hub” somewhere in the home. If you do realize you need a larger space, re-evaluate the space you have in the home and see where your office would be best placed.  If you have a bedroom saved for a child who is now away at college, re-invent the room so they have a place to visit but you have a room to function in.  Choose furniture that best suits the space and the activities that will take place in your “office”.
• If you will be accessing files often, purchase a file cabinet that opens and closes easily.  If you are struggling to open the drawer to file, chances are you eventually won’t do it.
• If you have a nice size drawer, purchase organizing trays or individual drawer containers to keep like with like and make it easy to find what you are looking for.
• Avoid desks with a hutch above it if this is the area you will be working at most.  You will feel crowded and will not have enough surface space to spread out while you are working.  Instead, sturdy shelves that are easy to reach serve the same purpose without using valuable desk square footage.
• Invest in a chair that is comfortable and ergonomically correct for you.  Your back will thank you for this!

Once you have a high functioning work space, you will be motivated to actually get the work done and keep it organized.  If you have good systems in place, you will be able to find what it is you need very quickly and will be able to do the tedious tasks (like paying bills) with ease!

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