give yourself permission to chang your mind

When you give yourself permission to change your mind, you give yourself permission to try new things.

If you’re tempted to stay the course on a project, hobby, or other time commitment that no longer inspires you or makes you happy, give yourself permission to change your mind. When you say “no” to time commitments that no longer suit you, you create space for projects, hobbies, and activities that can fill your life with joy!

tip of the week (08/30/2009)

August 30 – September 5, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Mandi, from Grand Rapids, MI

Mandi writes: “My husband and I receive lots of magazines each month (total of 7 a month). I used to have the hardest time parting with each issue. So, I came up with a solution. If there is an idea that I love in the magazine, I tear out that page and place it in a clear page protector in a large binder that is index with tabs such as, 'House', 'recipes', and 'crafts.' Then I gather up all the magazines and take them to a local retirement home in our community. This way I know that someone else will read them before they go into the recycle bin.”

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website! For more organizing tips, check out www.andreadekker.com. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (6 of 6)

his week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #6 = Banking

There are many easy ways to streamline and simplify your banking. First of all, take advantage of direct deposit if at all possible. This will alleviate the possibility of lost checks and the need to physically go to the bank which will in turn save you time and even gas money.

Avoid having too many different accounts at different financial institutions. Often, if you have your checking, savings and other accounts at one bank, you will be able to receive one statement which will cut down on the amount of paperwork you have to open and file.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (5 of 6)

This week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #5 = Snail Mail

Mail can become a pile of chaos in no time at all if not tended to promptly. Bills can get mixed up with store flyers and other junk mail. The only way to avoid the trap of the bottomless pile of mail is to deal with it each and every day as it arrives.

Immediately toss anything that is junk mail. Flyers for stores you never go to would be one example. Open and shred all of the credit card offers and other personalized pages.

Sort all bills and file in one central place. If you create a current bill file and are conscientious about using it, then you won't have bills scattered around in numerous places. If that happens, you run the risk that you will misplace some and they won't be paid on time.

For any invitations received, decide if you care to attend and then jot the date on your calendar or in your planner.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (4 of 6)

This week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #4 = School Lunches

Rather than dealing with creating each lunch from scratch every morning, you can prepare in advance many items. For instance, if you will send goldfish crackers in your child's lunch, you can buy a large package and transfer it all at once to small baggies. The same can be done for almost any snack foods.

Take a plastic bin and corral all of the small baggies you've filled and you can simply pull it out in the morning and choose the items to send. The same can be done for items that need to be refrigerated such as grapes, baby carrots, apple slices and strawberries. Simply store the container in the fridge.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (3 of 6)

This week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #3 = Kitchen Pantry (I just did this one myself…yesterday!)

Create specific areas in your kitchen depending upon your cooking habits. Baking, canned goods, spices and sauces, oils and vinegars, dry goods (such as sugar, rice, pasta, flour.) By creating these areas, you will cut down on the amount of space (and time) looking for things. For instance, you will know if you need vanilla extract to look in your baking area.

Also recommended are lazy-susans that turn easily so you can see what's there without knocking stuff over.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (2 of 6)

This week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #2 = Cosmetics

Does your cosmetics drawer or cabinet look like a bomb went off? Could you lay your hands on your favorite hot pink nail polish in seconds or do you end up buying another bottle because you can't find the one you already own?

For makeup, cosmetics, hair products, etc the only way to make sense of it all is to containerize. It doesn't have to be a bunch of fancy matching boxes although those are fun too! Shoe boxes work just as well or the disposable food storage containers.

Gather everything you currently have and toss away any obviously old, no longer usable product. Now is not the time to lament money spent and wasted on stuff you didn't use. Bacteria can grow on old cosmetics and be dangerous. Just toss. Once you are sure that you have only kept the newer, safe products you will definitely use, then sort according to category. For instance, consolidate all nail polishes all lipsticks, all hair products and so on.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

6 ways to SIMPLIFY (1 of 6)

This week is all about simplifying your home, office, possessions, routine...and most importantly, your life. Keep reading all week for more great tips.

Way to Simplify #1 = Clothes

Above all else, it's important to know what you have and what you need. Go through your closet and drawers and pull out anything that doesn't fit you or make you feel fabulous. Make an inventory of what you have now and then make a list of the items or outfits you need. Try to stick to a certain style or color palette so that items will mix and match more easily.

When buying shoes, purses or other accessories, aim for pieces that will work with a number of outfits as opposed to just one thing.

Try to group pieces in your closet in a way that works best for you. Perhaps hang all of your pants together, blouses, skirts, etc. Or maybe instead it would work best to hang complete outfits together.

For more SIMPLIFYING tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

tip of the week (08/23/2009)

August 23 – August 29, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Kara, from Allendale, MI

Kara writes: “In order to keep up with my daughter's school worksheets and artwork that she brings home, I used some scrapbook paper and decorated a small cardboard box and made it special just for her. She simply inserts her papers into the box. At the end of the month, I empty the box and put all her work in a crate with folders.

I plan to use this system through the elementary school years. Maybe through junior high as well. It's neat to watch how much her handwriting and art has progressed during the year.”

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website! For more organizing tips, check out www.andreadekker.com. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

pictures, pictures everywhere!

Do you have boxes and boxes of pictures lying around your home? Have you stopped printing them because you don’t know where to go with them all?

Digital cameras are a wonderful invention but they make it too easy to go crazy with picture taking…and it is also too easy to simply store them on your computer…and never look at them again (I do this a lot!)

So what is a solution? One idea is to put together a simple slide show of all your pictures from a certain vacation, a specific season or year, or even one for each of your children. Then, burn the slide shows to a DVD, label the DVD and store them in a CD holder. Now, you will know where all your pictures are, you can pop in the DVD any time you want to look at them (or share them with guests) and you won’t have boxes and boxes of pictures lying around.

organize your children for back-to-school

I was working with a client the other day and she showed me her organizing system to keep her children organized during the school year…here is what she said:

I've been using two of the wider shoe shelf organizers to help my young daughter get organized for school. One is for clothes; the other is for items to take on specific school days. Each shelf is labeled a day of the week and on Sunday, with my help, my daughter gets herself organized for the week.
In one organizer she places the clothes to be worn for each day--school socks or sports socks, undies, uniform or sports uniform, and ice skating clothes for Saturday.
In the other organizer she puts the school items that are needed on specific days--swim bag for Monday, violin book for Tuesday, choir book for Wednesday, banking for Friday.
If there are notes to return to school or payment envelopes, they are put in the specific day's shelf.
This process has helped my daughter organize herself and saves us time in the school mornings looking for clothes or forgetting important school items.

It seems to me that she doesn’t really need my help getting organized! But seriously, this was an amazing…and very simple, system for both her and her children. It worked wonderfully. It might be something you want to implement with your children this year.

simplify your life

It’s that time of year again…you are about to be busier than ever with school, programs, clubs, sports practice, music lesions and all the other activities that start up again in the fall. Then, almost without warning, the Holiday season falls on top of your already super busy schedule!!

This year, make it a goal to really focus on the things, people, activities and goals that are important to you. Keep reading for some really great ways to simplify your life and hopefully reduce some of the stress that accompanies this time of year.

1. Think about your values and write down those that really matter to you. What is most important? Spending time with family? Accumulating great wealth? Achieving powerful influence? Acquiring possessions? Expressing yourself? Learning new ideas? Experiencing adventure and travel? Maintaining excellent health? Socializing with friends? Contributing to the community? You can't do them all. Cut out activities that aren't consistent with your core values.
2. Write a list of goals you'd like to achieve. Focus on doing a few really well, rather than a lot in a mediocre way. You can't add hours to the day, but you can cut down on activities.

3. Make time for yourself. Set aside time each day to reflect quietly, go for a walk, plan for your future or meditate. Visit the park instead of the mall.

4. Cut back on debt. Consolidate your different debts into one and pay it off. Put your credit cards in a spot where you won't be able to use them until you're debt-free. Track your expenses for a month, then cut back your spending on items you don't need. For instance, pack a lunch rather than buying one at work. Mix and match your outfits rather than constantly buying new ones.

5. Take a moment each day to be grateful.

overwhelming projects

I hope you are all taking advantage of the last few weeks of summer and planning a few more activities for your family and friends.

As some of you know, my husband is a teacher, so we always try to pack as much into our summers as possible. This year we decided to re-do the entire inside of our home. We put in new flooring, painted all the walls, hung new curtains on every window, got a lot of new/different furniture pieces, re-designed the laundry room and even knocked out a half-wall. We just finished last weekend and everything looks great!

The feeling I got when we were done was similar to the feeling I get every time I tackle (and finish) a large organizing project, either for myself or for a client...a feeling of satisfaction, accomplishment, excitement and an overwhelming sense of calmness, knowing that you are finally done and can reap the reward of a newly organized (or re-decorated) space. It's great! You look back and think, that wasn't so bad...I'm so glad I did it.

At the beginning, however; there is a sense of the somewhat overwhelming task that lies ahead. I definitely felt anxious and overwhelmed when we began talking about everything we would try to accomplish over the summer. I wondered if we could get it all done and questioned whether it would really be worth all the hard work and time it would take to finish.

Well, I can guarantee you that all our time, frustration, and hard work was worth it! I can also guarantee that I have NEVER worked with a client who said well, that wasn't really work it...I wish I had not wasted my time getting organized. No, they always say I can't believe I didn't do this sooner...what took me so long! If you are questioning the value of getting organized I would encourage you to evaluate how much your clutter is really affecting you and then consider if it is worth the extra effort...I think it will be!

make organizing fun

What does getting organized bring to mind for you? Does it mean putting in many hours and blood, sweat and tears before you will become more efficient? Does it mean lots of hard work to accomplish important and necessary tasks? Do you procrastinate when it comes to getting organized because you feel it is too daunting a job? Organizing does not have to be thought of as a chore. There are ways to turn organizing into something enjoyable and fun to do.

1. The easiest and simplest way to make organizing a fun activity is to put on your favorite music.

2. Do not try and tackle all of the organizing on your own. Get everyone in your home involved in becoming organized and make it a family affair!

3. Think of organizing as a favorite workout. Just as workouts get you invigorated and feeling good, so will organizing. Coordinate an organizing project like an exercise routine working to get areas organized and fit. Organize in 15 or 30 minute sets. Document your results. As with exercising, set future goals and continue to progress.

4. Treat organizing like a puzzle. The more pieces you fit together (the more organizing you accomplish), the more complete and whole the puzzle becomes.

5. Reward yourself. Pick a reward that is something you enjoy doing or something you really want. When you achieve another organizing goal, plan another reward to work toward.

6. Make organizing a friendly competition. A competition between family members or friends can put a whole new spin on getting organized. Set several goals for participants to work toward with varying levels for each accomplishment achieved. Designate a corresponding treat as a prize to attain for each level.

7. To get children more involved in organizing, play 'beat the clock.' Assign a 'put away' basket for each child. Set a timer for 30 seconds and see who can pick up the most items. Repeat and keep score. The winner is rewarded with a prize, such as a movie or getting to stay up later for an evening.

8. Associating organizing with something you enjoy can help make the tasks more fun. For example, you can watch your favorite TV show as long as you also sort through the paperwork on your desk.

See organizing is not so bad after all!

For more organizing tips, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

new classes for fall

I am offering several new workshops starting in September. These workshops are a great way to get a ton of information for a very inexpensive price ($20.00)!!!

You can choose from Quick and SIMPLE Clutter Control, Boost Productivity at Home and Work, and Less Stress for the Holidays.

I am also teaching a very exciting workshop on Food Preservation...which will teach you the different ways to preserve food (freezing, canning, drying, etc.) and there will be lots of taste-testing! Make sure you check out these 4 workshops and all my other class options at my website www.andreadekker.com!

I will give discounts for groups who sign up together and would be willing to teach these workshops at the location of your choice (groups only).

tips of the week (08/16/2009)

August 16 – August 22, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Mary, from Dorr, MI

Mary writes: “In August, when the back to school sales are going on, I buy the clear, plastic pencil boxes and use them to organize bathroom items--like first aid, samples; Q-tips etc. They are easy to stack and I use a label on each for the contents.

I do the same with our school supplies. I use the pencil boxes to hold pens, pencils, erasers and other like supplies so I can take advantage of all the great sale prices and still find the items when I need them.”

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website! For more organizing tips, check out www.andreadekker.com. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

7 steps to end clutter

Everyone has some degree of clutter lurking at home. When you're tired of moving it around, stepping over it, and losing important items in it, it's time to take control of the clutter. What should you do with it? You have seven options:

1. Dispose of it. Much of clutter is trash you either thought you would need or figured you'd throw out later.

2. Put it away. About half of the remaining clutter in most homes consists of items that simply haven't been put away. Fill a laundry basket then deliver the items to the proper rooms. Avoid this trap by making things easy to put away and by enforcing a family "use it and put it away" rule.

3. Donate it. If you don't use it, it's not a treasured decorative item or memento, and it's not an important piece of paper, get rid of it. Pass it along to someone who can use it.

4. Refer it. The novel you've been saving for Debbie, the recipe you copied for Aunt Jan and the gloves borrowed from Mom need to be sent or delivered to their rightful owners. Gather them and make your rounds tomorrow.

5. File it. Set up a "hold" file for wedding invitations and concert tickets (after you note them in your calendar). Set up a "to file" file for all important papers.

6. Fix it or have it repaired today. Those buttons aren't going to sew themselves. Either mend them or take them to a seamstress. The same goes for the broken toys, watches and electronics.

7. Give it a home. Everything else is something that belongs in your home but you don't know what to do with it. Where DO you put extra batteries and your kids' artwork? Designate a permanent place in your home for each group of items you find in a clutter pile. Simplify by making a list of items and where they belong.

For more organizing tips visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

no excuses...get organized

Do you ever feel defeated before you even get started? Do you have a million reasons why you can't get organized? Believe me, we have all been where you are. We've all used the same excuses to avoid getting things organized. For every excuse we can find to use, there is a solution.

So, if you are motivated to get organized, join along with us as we resolve our excuses and get organized.

1. There's just too much stuff!
Get rid of the stuff! I know we sound like a broken record when we say this, but it just illustrates the need to reduce the 'stuff'. If there is just too much stuff, it's time to remove some, whether you donate it, hold a garage sale, advertise on Freecycle or Craigslist, or just trash it--bottom line, get rid of the stuff!

2. I don't know where to start.
No matter what, you have to just pick a place and start. It isn't going to get any better until you do. It helps to know what needs to be done. To accomplish this, you need to make a master list. It isn't a hard thing to do, it's just a list of every single thing you want to do in your home, including decorating, remodeling and so forth. You can do a whole house Master List, or you can do a room by room Master List. Once you have completed your initial list, move one or two items from it to your daily or weekly to-do list. Don't try to do more than one or two items weekly, it will get too overwhelming.

3. I just don't have time.
No one has every single second of every single day scheduled. No matter how busy we are, we all can find five, ten or even fifteen minutes in which we can get things done. It doesn't sound like much time, but you will be amazed at how much you can get accomplished in just a few minutes a day.

4. I want to get it all done now.
In all likelihood, your home did not get in this condition over night. No matter what, you aren't going to be able to change things overnight, or in one marathon session. It is highly likely you would only get discouraged and give up. So, schedule time into your day, just as you would any other important appointment, to work for that amount of time, whatever your task may be. Slowly, little by little, you will see changes.

5. I don't know how to go about getting organized.
Well, you've come to the right place. You'll find tons of tips and ideas in this newsletter, on my site, in my books and throughout my discussion forum. Everything you need is right at your fingertips when you visit the Get Organized Now! web site.


6. My spouse won't toss anything.
So, don't worry about your spouse's belongings. You can't expect to jump in cold and change your spouse's ways.

If you are unable to convince your spouse to donate or sell his/her things, then just work on your things. Then negotiate with your spouse to declutter family things, or jointly owned things. Otherwise, just focus on decluttering and organizing your own items. Eventually your spouse may be inspired to join you in decluttering and organizing. Once your spouse sees how nice things look, and how easy they are to find, he/she will be more likely to team up in your quest to declutter and organize.

7. I get it organized, but it doesn't stay that way.
And it won't unless you put routines in place to help you maintain it. Just like your home doesn't stay clean once you clean it (wouldn't we all love that!), you need routine upkeep to keep things organized. A) Start cleaning up after you do anything. If you make a sandwich, clean up so that after you eat your sandwich, no one knows you've made one. B) Pick it up and put it away. If you see something out of place, pick it up and put it away. Just practicing these two routines each day will go a long way towards keeping things cleaned up and organized.


8. My children undo, whatever I do.
No matter what age your children are, they can and should have responsibilities around the home. Hold a family meeting and discuss all of the things that need to be done to keep your home running smoothly. Let your children choose which age-appropriate chores to do. If they choose them, they are more likely to complete them. Let them know too that they can re-negotiate which chores they'd prefer at the next meeting.

Hold regular family meetings, twice a month or even once a month. Every family member needs to be a cooperating family member. Remember, you are the parent, you are in charge. Be their parent, not their friend. Teach them what they need to know to be a functioning, responsible adult.


9. But, I might need it someday.
Every one of us has felt that way. The reality is that almost everything you do toss won't be missed at all. In all likelihood, you won't even remember what you've tossed. When a friend's grandfather died and things had to be cleaned out, it was amazing to see all the stuff he hung onto, just because he might need it someday. The list was very long and included things like bent rust nails, because someone might need them! If you do need it someday, in all likelihood, you can purchase it at a rummage sale, rent it or borrow it.


10. I don't know what I should get rid of.
There is an easy way to know what should stay and what should go. When trying to decide if an item should stay or go, ask yourself two questions. 1. Do I love it? 2. Do I use it? If the answer to both of these questions isn't yes --donate, sell, recycle or trash it. If you don't love it and use it, it shouldn't be taking up space in your home. And that includes gifts that you're keeping out of guilt. If it's something you are keeping for sentimental reasons that you just can't bear to part with, box it up and put the current date on the box, nothing more.



Mark your calendar about 6 months out. In six months, if you can't remember what is even in the box, and you didn't go to open it in the 6 months, it's very probable that you can donate the box and not even miss the items. If you do remember and still don't want to part with it, then start using and loving that item--frame it, display it, pass it to a child--give it the love and use it deserves!

back-to-school = more paper!

Back to school means back to homework! Make it all a notch easier by setting up a simple homework station. Stock it with supplies your child will need to complete homework and other at-home projects throughout the school year. Allocate or purchase age-appropriate supplies such as:

• Pencils and/or pens (plus, have a reliable pencil sharpener close at hand!)
• Markers
• Crayons
• Ruler
• Stapler
• Hole punch
• Transparent tape
• Scissors
• Construction paper
• Notebook paper
• Glue and / or glue stick
• Eraser

Ask your children’s teachers their supply recommendations based on their curriculum and planned projects. My additions to the list include white poster board and empty shoe boxes, but your list and needs may vary.

matching containers

If you’ve just finished organizing a space and it still looks cluttered to your eye, put this simple concept into practice. Use opaque containers of a single color and material to make your space look streamlined and orderly. If you’re afraid you’ll forget what’s inside, just add a simple tag tied with ribbon. By using this simple container trick your organized space will look as organized as it really is!

If this sounds like too much of an expense for you, simply take paper boxes or shoe boxes and cover them with a solid color wrapping paper!

empty containers

A common result of decluttering is a plethora of empty storage bins and containers! When you encounter this in your own organizing and decluttering efforts, take pause and recognize these empties as signs of progress! You’ve created space. You’ve created breathing room. You’ve let go of clutter!

After patting yourself on the back, decide what to do with all those empty containers. I recommend holding on to your favorites until you’ve finished organizing. Place your containers together in a centralized location and create a container station in your home. Then, when you organize another space in your home, “shop” your container station to see if you have something on hand that will work for your current project. When you know there’s a container you’ll never be happy using again, send it along to your favorite charity with your next load of donations!

maximize your space

Do you feel like you're running out of space for all your stuff? It might be because you have insufficient storage space…or maybe because you are using the space you have ineffectively. Believe me, there is a HUGE difference between the two.

Insufficient storage space means you don't have enough space for your things. Ineffective space means you have enough space for your things, but you're not making the best use of that space. Most closets and cabinets have the volume to hold twice as much as they are usually constructed for. And you probably have quite a few nooks and crannies for storage that you haven't even thought of. Of course, it's important to make sure you don't have things you don't like, are outdated, etc., but it is also important to have effective storage space for the things you do like and enjoy.

If this sounds like you, keep reading below for some SIMPLE ideas for using your space more effectively.

• Add Another Rod: Hang two rods--one above the other—for extra storage space in closets.
• Install Shelves: If you have adjustable shelves, adjusts them so they fit your items perfectly…this will give you more space. Or, perhaps you can add another shelf. Plastic, multiple level shelves are wonderful for kitchen cabinets. And corner shelves are great for picture frames, knick knacks and other small treasures.
• Use Storage Units: No, I don’t want you to go out and rent a large storage unit to store the stuff you never use (you should just get rid of that!) I’m talking about a piece of furniture that can store and conceal the stuff you do use. Storage units are great space savers and can be used for anything from TV’s, computers and other electronic devices to an extra dresser for linens and even a space for canned goods in your kitchen.
• Use Your Walls: Look around and you're sure to find quite a bit of empty wall space. There are many uses for this new-found space. Pots and pans can be taken out of cabinets and hung on walls. Tools can be placed on pegboards. Shelves can be installed for picture frames and knick knacks.
• Keep Your Desk Clear: A clear desk is directly related to your productivity. You will get more done, if you're not constantly under a pile of papers and files. A sturdy, full-suspension filing cabinet is a must for any home or office. Desk supplies belong in an on-the-desk caddy or in trays inside your desk.
• Rearrange your stuff: Everyone is different, and has different needs so take some time to think about different ways you can make your home or office work for you. If you never use your formal dinning room and would like to have an office, music room or play room, consider rearranging your home and using your dinning room in a more function way.
• Rotate: You may have many items you love in your home or office, but not enough space. Rotate them. In other words, keep some things in storage for a month or two and display some of your things. Then, once that time is up, make the switch. The items on display go into storage; the items in storage go on display. What a neat idea!
• 
  

See, it’s not that difficult or expensive to completely change the look and feel of your home and/or office. With just a little creativity and a few do-it-yourself projects you can transform you space from unorganized and dull, to a creative organized space that you will love being in.

For more organizing ideas, visit my website: www.andreadekker.com

tip of the week (8/9/2009)

August 9 – August 15, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Jamie, from South Bend, IN

Jamie writes: "I had a problem with actually throwing or giving magazines away that still had things I wanted in them.

What I decided to do was to go through each one, rip the magazine at the spine and pull the particular items out that I still wanted to read or keep for future reference.

I had several piles such as recipes, fitness tips and exercises, finance tips, stories, etc.

I bought sheet protectors and binders and placed all the tips in their own labeled binder in a sheet protector.

Now if I'm looking for a new recipe or if I'm in the mood for exercising, I can pull that specific binder out.

I put what's left of the magazine in the recycle bin.”

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website! For more organizing tips, check out www.andreadekker.com. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

want a FREE kitchen makeover?

Is your utensil drawer terminally overstuffed and out of control? Real Simple is in search of America’s messiest pantries and kitchen cabinets and drawers: Send in a photo of yours, and it could be made over for the December issue.

Click here to learn more!

organize your student's dorm room

A successful strategy for organizing a student’s dorm room must have two features:

- plenty of vertical storage
- simplicity

The space in a college dorm room is just too limited to not make use of all the vertical space. The room also has to be a simple enough organizational strategy that a busy student can maintain it. If it’s too complicated, the room won’t stay organized.

Now I know that many of you are thinking that you child would never stay organized…but you might be surprised! The only think you can do is get them the right tools and hope that they keep things somewhat under control!

Here are some ideas of organizing tools and gadgets that might be helpful for your student’s room.

- Back to Campus Sale at organized.com

- Space-Saving Tips to Make the Most of your Dorm Room

- Organize and Decorate your Dorm Room

- Dorm Room Supplies at DormBuys.com

- Dorm Room Checklist

So there you have it, everything you need to get your student off to school in an "organized" style...who knows if it will stay that way...but at least you tried!

5 tips to help you say "NO"

It's such a small word but so difficult to use sometimes. We seem to use this word so easily with our spouse and children but have a hard time saying it to other people. So the trick is to figure out how and when to say no.

I'm not saying that you should be selfish and never help anybody out. However, most people are running around stressed because they're saying yes to everybody but themselves.

You should only be saying yes when you genuinely want to do something, you feel excitement at the thought of doing it or it ties in with your life goals or definition of success. If you have trouble saying no…and we all do, keep reading for some tips that might just help you out!

1. Realize that when you say “yes” to one thing, you ALWAYS say “no” to something else.

When this happens, you usually say no to the more important parts of your life - God, family, yourself. For example, you're asked to help out on a committee at your child's school. You could end up so busy with committee work that you deprive your child of quality time.

2. You don't have to have another appointment in order to say “no”.

If you've planned to have an evening in (reading, TV, whatever...) and you get invited out, this does not automatically mean you have to accept. An appointment with yourself is just as important as one with other people. Value your time!

3. You don't have to be rude or ugly about it - there are many ways to say “no”.

No can be "I can't help you this time", "I can only do it next month", "that's not my strong suit" or simply "no, thanks".

4. You should have said “no”, if you feel resentment after saying “yes”.

Learn to listen to your heart. The Bible says that we mustn't give grudgingly or under compulsion, and yet, so many of us do. We say yes, and harbor deep feelings of resentment and bitterness. Nothing good comes from a resentful attitude.

5. If you can’t say “no” right away, buy yourself some time to think about it first.

Always check your calendar first before committing to plans. Or just take a deep breath. Otherwise you end up saying yes to everything and at the end of a hectic period, you're virtually burnt out.

Hopefully these tips will help you to say “no” to those things you really don’t want to do and don’t have time to do. Just remember that saying “no” comes easier when you are confident in your own abilities. Don’t apologize when you say “no”, simply explain that you can not do it at this time and move on. Don’t worry about what they think of you.

And as with everything else, saying “no” gets easier with practice. It actually becomes empowering when you realize that you made the correct decision and have more time and energy to spend on the things you really wanted to do!

So start this week, pick one thing that you really don’t want to do or don’t have room in your schedule to do and say “no”. Then fill that slot with something you really do enjoy doing instead!