It’s Halloween, which means one thing: the winter holidays are just around the corner! If the thought of the approaching holidays (and the mile-long to-do list that accompanies this time of year) has you feeling anything other than excitement and joy, keep this in mind: you don’t have to do each and every single thing!
Before the holidays get in full swing, take a few moments to decide which activities deserve your time and attention this holiday season. Ask your loved ones what’s most important to them. Then, decide not to do those tasks which aren’t critical, or that don’t add to the joy of the holidays for you or someone you love.
Ahh...the holidays just got a notch sweeter, and notch simpler!
The living room and family room are 2 rooms that are very difficult to organize…partly because they need to be functional and practical for your family and also presentable for company but partly because they get so much daily use.A good way to help you clear the clutter for this over-used space is to divide your room into zones.
Electronic Zone: Find storage solutions for your TV and DVDs. Store DVDs or CDs in a cabinet or shelving system that will help keep out dust. Keep all remotes in a basket in a central location. If you can find an enclosed cabinet to house all of these electronic items, you can simply shut the door when company knocks.
Reading Zone: Books, Magazines and Newspapers can overwhelm your space with unsightly paper clutter. To solve this problem, use a decorative basket for recycling. You can put your used newspapers and magazines in there until you have time to bring them to the curb. Use a small book case or a few wall-mounted shelves for books and magazines you are not ready to part with.
Game/Toy Zone: Use multi-purpose furniture such as coffee tables, storage cubes, or ottomans with storage inside for children's toys, board games, cards, extra pillows, and blankets. It is easy for your children (or spouse) to just dump everything in a covered bin and then you don’t have too look at their mess.
With just a few changes you can transform your living room and family room into warm, inviting…and functional spaces.
Do you have so many ideas floating around in your head that you are having trouble keeping track of them? Are you wondering where to start? Here are some ideas to take away the feeling of chaos and help you to organize and implement the wealth of ideas you have.
Get all of your ideas out of our head and onto paper. Don't worry about organizing them yet, just do what is called a `brain dump'. Write down every idea--don't try to do more than get them out of your brain and onto paper.
Create categories for your ideas. Your categories will be specific to you and your situation but could include home decorating, home improvements, craft projects, social activities, family vacations, business projects, and so on. Don't try to do anything more than brainstorm categories for now.
Place your ideas into the categories listed above. Use different colored highlighters to mark each category. Once you have a different color for each category, it's time to go through your list of ideas. Decide which category you think each idea fits into, and then highlight it with the corresponding color. Don't worry if you have ideas that don't fit any of your categories. We'll deal with that next.
Create additional categories (as needed). For those ideas that don't fit your existing categories, let them be your guide for additional categories. Some additional categories might include self-improvement, health goals, etc. You can make your categories as broad or as narrow as you choose. Making them a bit broader eliminates having too many categories.
Transfer your lists to a notebook, index cards, PDA, or computer. Remember this is for you--so make it work for you.
Start implementing your ideas. Some of your ideas can be moved to a daily or weekly To-Do list and completed in a short time frame. Others might be a bit more complex and therefore require several steps to complete it. In this case, you should break these ideas down into small steps that you can then put on your daily or weekly To- Do list.
As you work through your list of ideas in each category, don't cross them out as you complete them. Instead, highlight each one as it is completed. This will make it easy to see and remember all the things you have accomplished. Also, remember that your lists might change as you complete items and add new ones. Feel free to adapt your category system to best suit your personality and your personal organizing style. This is your document, make it work for you.
Excel spreadsheets are a wonderful tool to help you organizing all sorts of things in your life. With Excel, it is easy to create formulas to automatically track your finances, your schedule or even your holiday gift list. However, if you are unfamiliar with using Excel, it could be a little overwhelming to get started.
Last week, a clients e-mailed me the following link to PracticalSpreadsheets.com which is a website that offers FREE Excel spreadsheets to help you organize your schedule, your finances, and your life. Some examples of spreadsheets you can find for FREE at PracticalSpreadsheets.com are:
Budgeting and Financial
Calendars and Schedules
Loan Calculators
Contacts and Addresses
Sports Schedules
Home Organization
Diet and Fitness
Childcare
Trip Planning
Check it out and start getting a little more organized to day!
Do you struggle to stay on top of the enormous amount of clutter than can so easily accumulate in your kitchen and dining room? With so much “stuff” coming in, it’s hard to know where to go with it all and how to help the center of your home to feel calm and inviting. The holiday season is approaching…which means, cooking, baking and lots of holiday entertaining. It’s time to get your kitchen and dining room in order. Keep reading for more tips!
Clear your counter tops. Put away appliances (as many as you can) into drawers or cabinets. Take a look at some of your appliances; if you haven't used it in 12 months then it might be time to donate it to charity or a friend who could use it.
Clear your drawers. How did you ever accumulate all those little gadgets such as lemon zesters and melon ballers that are now just cluttering up your drawers? Empty the contents of a drawer into a box and put it into your garage or a closet. If you need an item, go get it, use it, and put it back in the drawer. Determine a time to clean out the box (such as a month, 3 months, 6 months, or even a year) and donate what is left in the box to charity.
Arrange zones or stations in the kitchen to make your life simpler and easier. For example, coffee, filters, mugs, and the coffee maker should be near each other to make it easy and convenient to make coffee in the morning. Another zone may be your baking zone. Include baking supplies like flour and sugar, cookie sheets, measuring cups, etc.
Make “homes” for your stuff. Is there always stuff piled up on your dining room table? Determine what the stuff is and what solutions can be made to conquer the clutter so you and your family can sit down and share a meal. For example, do you use the table for hobbies such as scrapbooking? Make sure you have a home for your scrapbooking supplies such as a plastic drawer system on wheels. Does your table get piled with mail and other papers? Designate a basket or wall folder system to house all the papers, magazines, and newspapers that come into the house. Make sure you dump the junk mail as soon as it arrives. Empty the basket on a daily basis.
With just a little determination and an afternoon of organizing, you can have your kitchen and dinning room clutter free and ready for your next batch of company!
I have several clients who are very creative people (artists, writers, photographers, web designers, architects, etc.) and they all have trouble with traditional methods of getting organized. I find that this is often the case with creative people…they just need different ways to get organized.
Fortunately, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to organizing; in fact, I believe that since each person is unique, each person's organizing system should also be different.
Do you find it hard to use traditional methods of organization? If so, keep reading; here are 3 great tips that can work wonders with “creative” personalities!
1. Adjust your Attitude: There's a myth going around that creative people can't work in a structured environment. On the contrary, having a bit of structure in your life actually enables you to be even more creative and to do better work.
EXAMPLE: A few weeks ago, a client emailed to tell me how she's been energized and has been creating beautiful things again. What was the difference in her life? We'd worked on organizing her office space and within the order; she could be creative once again.
Stop telling yourself that you can't be organized; rather tell yourself that you organize yourself in non-traditional ways. And that's perfectly okay.
2. Skip the Schedule:
Traditionally, we've all been told to work according to the clock. I think it’s a better idea to work with your energy cycle (when you are the most productive).
EXAMPLE: If you know that you tend to go through a bit of a slump around lunch time, maybe that's when you want to run errands or exercise to give yourself an energy boost. If you design websites and you know that you're most creative at midnight, then design your websites at midnight. Who says you have to start working at 8am?
3. Organize your Office Space: When you can find your equipment and supplies easily, your valuable energy is used for actual creativity and not wasted on looking for things. It's also important to have your workspace set up according to your organizing style.
EXAMPLE: Are you a visual, auditory or kinaesthetic learner? Are you a paper or electronic person? Maybe the reason you can't seem to get your papers organized is because you're actually an electronic person. I've had clients with very messy offices whose computers are perfectly organized, and vice-versa. It's so important to play to your strengths.
So there you go, if you are a creative person and just can’t seem to get organized, try implementing one of these ideas today!
October 25 – October 31, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Jamie, from Grand Rapids, MI
Jamie writes: “When my daughter was born, we had a changing table for her. When she outgrew it, sentimental as I am, I didn't want to get rid of it.
Now we use it in the laundry room. I put six laundry baskets, two on each level. I labeled each basket in black ink for sorting: whites, reds, darks, towels, sheets, and hand washing.
Everyone can easily and quickly sort their own laundry when they bring their laundry basket to the garage. It works great and speeds up the laundry process because the sorting is already done.
It also helps when you are teaching your children to do laundry so they don't mix a red shirt with the whites!”
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.
Do you worry that you won’t be able to keep a space organized once you go through the effort of getting it organized? If so, replace your doubt-filled thoughts with this empowering message: If I can get it organized, I can keep it organized!
The process of organizing a space is different from the process of keeping a space organized. But if you can do the first, you can certainly do the second. Organizing involves many steps such as setting up systems, allocating space to specific functions, deciding what to keep and what to let go of, selecting storage, and adding labels—to name just a few. Staying organized, on the other hand, involves creating new habits—the habits of using your new systems as you intended when you organized the space to begin with.
It’s a much simpler process to keep a space organized. At the core, keeping a space organized is as uncomplicated as putting things back where they belong when you’re finished using them. It’s really that simple. And here’s the good news: If you’re capable of maintaining any habits, such as regularly brushing your teeth, you can learn to adopt the habits required to keep your spaces organized, too!
So tonight, as you brush your teeth, remind yourself that staying organized is a new habit you can learn, just as you successfully enjoy the habit (and the consequences!) of brushing your teeth. You might even try repeating this new saying in your head a couple of times (just so it really sinks in).
If I can get it organized, I can keep it organized…
Do you ever have trouble motivating yourself to complete projects? All of us need a reward of some kind to help keep us motivated. Here are ten projects to complete, along with ten rewards for completing each one.
1. Project: Clean out medicine cabinet/vanity: Toss out expired medications, makeup and ointments. Use containers to hold odds and ends like ponytail holders, hair clips and so on. Reward: An at-home or salon manicure.
2. Project: Clean out the inside of your car: Take the time to clean out papers, trash, and so forth from the inside of your car. Wash the windows on the inside and wipe down the seats if they are leather or vinyl. Reward: A trip to the car wash to make the outside as sparkly as the inside.
3. Project: Clean up your craft supplies: Have you been lax about putting away your crafting items? Take time to straighten up what you've been using as well as putting it away so that your crafting area is cleaned up and organized AND inviting. Reward: One hour of uninterrupted crafting time.
4. Project: Clean out your recipe file and recipe clippings: Take time to go through your recipe file and all of those recipes you've been clipping. Toss any recipe cards that you haven't used in a year or more (other than holiday recipes) and also be realistic about which recipes you've clipped that you will actually use. Reward: Lunch or Dinner out.
5. Project: Clean out your closet: Go through your closet and remove those items you haven't worn in a year. Donate those in good shape to a charity. Even those that are in a little bit rougher shape can be put to use--so donate those as well. Reward: One new article of clothing
6. Project: Declutter the junk drawer: Everyone has at least one junk drawer. Take some time and clean it out. Empty everything out of it, use dividers or locking trays to sort things back into. Be realistic about how many twist ties you can actually use. Store like things together that you will use in the room the junk drawer is located. Reward: One hour of uninterrupted reading time.
7. Project: Clean out your purse: Take a few minutes and clean out your purse. We always carry around more than we need, and then when we need something, we can't find it. Reward: A less-heavy bag!
8. Project: Gather up donations and deliver to charity or call for a pickup: We always have items that we could easily part with, whether it is outgrown clothing from our children, or items we no longer wear. Gather these items, and take them to a charity like Goodwill or Salvation Army. Many times they will also send a truck out to pick up items. You just have to call them and schedule a pickup. Reward: Tax deduction for donations
9. Project: Set up a meal/menu plan for 2 weeks or a month: Spend the time going through your cookbooks and recipe files and plan your menus for a month. Even two weeks gives you a great variety of meals that you can repeat without feeling like you've just eaten that item. Reward: Hassle free dinner plans
10. Project: Clean out and organize your garage: The time you spend cleaning out the garage will pay big dividends when it comes to room for your car--thereby eliminating the need for scraping winter windows if you live in snow country. Reward: More storage and work space
See, it's not that difficult to complete one small project if you know there is a reward waiting for you at the end! This week/weekend, try to tackle one of the projects above!
With the holidays just around the corner, now is a great time to declutter your kitchen! This week, take a few minutes each day to do a kitchen micro-clean up project. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Wipe down the cabinet fronts and appliances to make your kitchen sparkle.
Go through the fridge, pantry or food cabinets and remove any expired foods.
Take inventory of the items in your freezer and make plans to use up the older items in the next few weeks, creating space for holiday cooking and baking.
Go through your food storage containers and match lids to containers. Clear out lidless containers, and container-less lids. (And while you’re at it, whittle down your collection if it’s gotten a bit out of control.)
Inventory your spices and baking supplies. Stock up on needed items in upcoming weeks—ideally when they go on sale.
Pull unnecessary items such as extra fast food drinking cups, dated (and un-loved) freebie coffee cups and mugs, and tattered dish towels from your drawers and cupboards.
Tackle these simple projects while you’re waiting for the pasta water to boil. Then, as you see progress (and love what you see), add to the micro-project list. Best of all, if you start now, your kitchen will be in ship-shape well before the holidays arrive!
Do you want to know if you fall under the category of "disorganized"?? Below you will find 10 signs of disorganized people. If you fit the description, you may want to work at getting a little more organized.
You can’t find things easily. You spend a large part of your day looking for things, rummaging through piles, files, drawers and brief cases/tote bags
You miss deadlines. You justify missing the deadline by some wild excuse and it is always someone or something else at fault.
You forget important appointments and important tasks. If you have a daytimer, you don’t look at it or have a wall calendar, a daytimer, an electronic calendar and slips of paper/sticky notes with some appointments on each and some duplicated but most appointments are recorded once.
You buy doubles or triples of things. When you do find time for cleaning, you discover that you’ve got multiples of things and had them on a shopping list somewhere as well.
You pile things without sorting them. You have stacks of papers, magazines, etc. everywhere you look. Some haven’t been touched in months or years. You have no idea what is in the stacks.
If you file things, you can’t retrieve them easily as your filing system doesn’t make sense. Your labels are too vague or folder label sections are left blank. The colour coding (if it exists) has been changed and no longer makes sense.
You discover papers that needed your attention ages ago and now it is too late. You forget to prioritize or note important tasks on a calendar.
Co-workers have commented, “Don’t give it to Jack/Jill, they’ll lose it”. You find that co-workers are reluctant to give you originals and if they must, they make a duplicate copy first.
You rely on others to keep you organized and criticize them for not being organized. You are lost without your assistant or significant other as they are the ones that keep you on top of things.
You do not have an organized contact management system. Key contact information is found in multiple places. You have business cards in miscellaneous places and no way to monitor when you’ve talked to a client or customer and what the last conversation was about.
Don't feel bad if the above concepts completely describe you...just make a goal (or two) and get started today!
If you’re looking for some tips and tricks to boost your productivity at home and at work, our Productivity Workshop is for you! In just 3 hours you’ll learn how to better manage your time, your home, your office, your computer/e-mail, and your life to promote maximum efficiency and get more accomplished in less time.
You will also learn how to establish a clutter busting routine, how to layout your office for maximum efficiency, and 13 tips to increase your productivity.
The class is tonight from 6-9:00 pm at Grandville Middle school. Contact me immediately if you want to register!
Do you put off tasks that you don't want to do or don't like to do? Do you say 'I'll just do it tomorrow?' Procrastination, for one reason or another, happens to the best of us. There are ways to help alleviate it.
1. Plan your day according to your most productive time.
Are you a morning person? Plan the most difficult or unpleasant activities during the morning when you are least likely to procrastinate and have the most energy.
2. Break large projects down into small chunks.
If you are putting off even beginning a project because you find it too overwhelming and intimidating, break the project down into smaller steps until they are manageable. Write the steps down and be specific by putting a date on each one as to when it will be completed.
3. Prevent distractions and interruptions from occurring.
When you have something that needs to be done, turn off the cell phone. Do not answer the door. Turn off the television. Remove whatever it is that distracts you from doing the job at hand.
4. Eat healthy, exercise, and get enough sleep.
Eating healthier foods and exercising will help you create more energy and you'll be less likely to procrastinate. Getting a good night's sleep, at least 7 hours, will help you re-energize and you'll be able to maintain more energy during the day.
5. Get organized.
Being disorganized causes chaos and is very distracting. When you are organized, you are better able to focus on a task instead of the clutter.
6. Ask for help to stop you from procrastinating.
Ask this person to hold you accountable for the completion of a task you have been putting off.
7. Create a mental picture of the project you wish to complete.
Maintain your focus on the end result as well as the process to get there. Keep in mind how good it is going to feel when you finish the project. Remember this feeling when you begin a new project.
8. Reward yourself when you have completed a task on time.
The more positive reinforcement, the less likely you will procrastinate. Focus on what you have done rather than what is left to do. On the flip side, consider penalizing yourself if you have not completed a task. For example, miss a television show if you do not complete a task on schedule.
9. Avoid overextending yourself.
Evaluate your obligations and then prioritize them. Is there anything you can omit, delegate or move to a different time frame? Set realistic goals. As the saying goes, 'bite off only as much as you can chew.' Make a list each day of every task you need to complete in order of importance. Finish each task before starting the next task.
10. Plan for setbacks because they are bound to happen.
Planning will prevent you from slowing down because of a setback. Just make sure you do not give up!
October 18 – October 24, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Fran, from South Bend, IN
Fran writes: “Whenever I make an appointment and put it in my appointment book (hairdresser, doctor, plumber, etc.), I always put the phone number right besides it. That way if I need to cancel or change the appointment, I don't have to go searching for the number.
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.
It’s that time of year again…time to start stocking up on holiday gift-wrapping supplies.
To simplify gift wrapping, I wrap all my gifts (birthday, Christmas, anniversary, weddings) in butcher block paper or white paper and then I can spice things up with a cute ribbon. This way I know that I only need to buy 2 types of paper and when ribbon goes on sale; I only buy types that will look nice with white or butcher block paper.
Just one more way to make your life, and your holidays, a little "simpler".
Today we are continuing on from yesterday with 5 additional tips to save more time.
Want to get more of the right things done? These additional 5 tips are sure to help you.
Don’t multi-task all the time: Yes, you read that correctly ;) I’m all about multi-tasking when it comes to watching TV…but when you try to multiple tasks on more important projects, your attention is split and you lose focus. The lack of focus means that you end up spending a lot longer completing your task because you're not fully engaged.
What happens when you're driving and you get lost? You switch off the radio so you can focus. Next time you have to work on a project, close your e-mail and turn your phone on vibrate so you're not distracted by incoming emails or calls.
Write it down: Write down things to buy, things to talk to X about, errands to run, upcoming birthdays, etc.
You won't find yourself returning from running errands only to find you forgot to return your library books. You will start being that organized person who actually has a birthday present wrapped days before the person's birthday.
Declutter and simplify: Did you know that decluttering cuts your cleaning time by a third? If that isn't inspiration to declutter, then I don't know what is!
Living a simplified life means you no longer spend hours looking for things. It also means your schedule isn't jam-packed with activities and you actually have time to enjoy your life.
Plan your time: When you plan your time, leave enough time to complete the task plus some buffer time. Work expands to fill the available time so don't allow 3 hours for a 1-hour activity because you will use the full 3 hours if you do so. If you're not sure how long things take to do, keep a time log for a week or two and see for yourself.
Organize your paper and email: Every time I run an organising workshop, I get participants to complete a Time Wasters Assessment. The results differ slightly depending on the type of group but email continues to creep up the ranks and is now the top time waster! Paper is a close second.
Learning to correctly organise your paper and email will save you HOURS every day.
Don't get overwhelmed - work on just one of these tips consistently until it becomes a habit and keep adding another until you have it all mastered.
One of the most common goals my clients tell me about is that they want more time. If you can relate, I have good news for you - if you put just one of these tips into practice, you will save hours every week!
1. Play to your strengths: With everything in life, I believe you should play to your strengths.
If you're terrible at cleaning your house, hire a cleaning lady. If you're not great at organizing, hire a professional organizer.
2. Learn to prioritize: When you know how to prioritize, even if you only get one or two things done daily, they will always be the right things and not just busy work.
3. Set up systems: Systems save you space, time, energy, money and stress. Meal planning is a system for organizing and preparing meals. Regular computer back-up is another system to keep your computer running smoothly.
4. Learn to say no: Saying no helps you set strong boundaries. What do you have to say no to so that you can say yes to your goals this year? When you stop saying yes to other people's agendas, you'll free up time in your own.
5. Work smarter: Group tasks so that you only do preparation ONCE. When you cook supper, cook double and put the extra meal in the freezer. It takes almost no extra time but will save you at least 30 minutes when you use that frozen meal.
Make your work do double duty. If you type a certain type of email often, make an auto text entry and save the template. If you write a comment on a blog, expand that same comment and write a blog post of your own.
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Don't get overwhelmed - work on just one of these tips consistently until it becomes a habit and then keep adding another until you have them all mastered.
If you change up your home decor, either seasonally or for the holidays, use this tip to simplify the process.
Once you have your seasonal decor set up the way you like it, snap a few photos of each decorated area in your home. Then, print your photos and store them with your seasonal items. Use your photos as a reference next year to take the guesswork out of the decorating process.
Happy organizing... and decorating!
P.S. If you would like more ideas on how to simplify your holiday season, join me for my Less Stress for the Holidays workshop!
Whether you are decorating for fall, planning a Halloween party, or preparing for trick-or-treating, being organized always helps. Here are a few helpful tips for getting organized during this fun time of year.
1. Make a list of the family members who will need a costume. Consider going with costumes that are simple and reusable. You can pull ideas for costumes from a number of sources, including classic fairy tales, video games, comics, cartoons, etc.
2. If you plan to host a fall/Halloween party, the first thing you need to do is come up with a theme. Then you can pick the location and put together a budget. Make a checklist of all the tasks that need to be done, when they need to be done and the items that need to be purchased, such as invitations, food and decorations. Plan fun activities and games for your party. Bobbing for apples is a one example of a classic game associated with the holiday. Do not forget to set the mood with music. Planning these details ahead of time makes for a smooth event which in turn allows you, the host, to enjoy the party too.
3. To get your home ready for trick-or-treaters, make sure your walkways are well lit. Remove objects from your yard that could present a hazard. Be sure your pets are secured and away from the entryway. And don't forget to get into the spirit of the occasion by putting on a costume yourself. The trick-or-treaters will enjoy seeing you dressed up.
4. Fall decorations do not have to be difficult and elaborate. You can create a festive centerpiece for your table by filling a vase with dried flowers, brown leaves and empty branches and then simply tie a dark ribbon around it. Pumpkins and gourds of all colors are plentiful this time of year. Put them together with corn stalks, hay or other decorations for a festive look. Stores also have a large variety of decorations available for your decorating projects that fit many different budgets.
5. Buy your treats ahead of time and have them ready for trick-or-treaters. In the event you choose not to give out candy, consider these healthier options: sugarless gum, trail mix, peanuts, fruit, roasted pumpkin seeds, small bags of popcorn or pretzels, sunflower seeds, or pre- packaged cheese and crackers. Great non-food items to give as treats include Halloween-themed stickers, coloring books, pencils, erasers, temporary tattoos and other small prizes.
6. There are unlimited ways to make food fun and fitting for Halloween. It is a great time to let your creative juices flow. For example, put out snacks such as gummy worms and other Halloween candy treats. Simple party food can be turned into Halloween fare with Halloween embellishments. Freeze raisins in ice cubes and it looks like bugs. Green, red and blue food coloring added to scrambled eggs makes it look like brains. Green jell-o is festive. If you are at a loss for ideas, the Internet, books and magazines are a great source of inspiration.
7. Take advantage of all the fresh produce and head out to a u-pick apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Go for a hay ride, have a bonfire, walk through a corn maze or visit a haunted house. There are so many fun things to do outside…and in a few months, you will wish you could head outside again.
Take some time this fall and do something festive with your family and/or friends.
Yes, it's that time of year again...time for you to begin thinking about shopping for the holidays!
I spoke at a women's retreat this past weekend (on the topic of "Less Stress for the Holidays") and mentioned that I usually like to have all my holiday shopping FINISHED by the end of October. Yes, I said finished, by the end of October!
I didn't think I would get such a reaction but I had so many women come up to me later that morning with disbelief of the above mentioned statement. They coudn't believe that it was possible to be finished shopping so early in the year.
I told them some of my secrets--which you can learn if you sign up for my "Less Stress for the Holidays" workshop, coming up in November--and gave them a few ideas to get a jump start on shopping for this holiday season.
One question I kept getting over and over again is what to do with all your receipts (because we all know that returns are a big part of holiday shopping!).
So, here is what I do... I have a small folder that I keep in my purse at all times. When I purchase something, I use a pencil to write who the gift is for, and then stick the receipt in the folder. Then, if I decide it has to be returned, I just put the item in my car and I know the receipts will all be in one place right in my purse!
It's a very simple and very handy solution to dealing with the clutter and chaos of wads of paper receipts.
October 11 – October 17, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Angela, from Alto, MI
Angela writes: “When I tried to get rid of some of my child's extra baby clothes, I first went to the consignment shops. They just were so picky. Everything seemed to be either too faded, out of style, or stained.
So I just took the clothes, shoes, and blankets to the local crisis pregnancy center. They are so desperate for baby and maternity clothes. The girls who use the services usually have little money and sometimes no where to turn for basic baby supplies.
They appreciated ALL of my extras, no matter how out of style they were. Plus I got the good feeling you get when you know you've helped someone out in need.”
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.
If you are looking to get started on your next organizing project (and I hope you all are!) then here are 5 things to think about before you begin.
Lesson 1: The best solution is the one you love.
One of my underlying philosophies, after all, is that the more you love an organizing solution the more likely you are to use it. This in turn means you’ll be more likely to keep your space organized going forward.
Lesson 2: It’s easier (and cheaper) to try before you buy.
For example, you can use containers you already have on hand to test out a new organizing system. Use ramekins or other small bowls to test the idea of segregating items in your junk drawer. Or use a paper box to try the idea of using a file basket on your kitchen counter. After living with your make-shift solution for a while, you’ll be confident as to whether or not that is the solution for you. Ultimately, when you buy permanent containers, you’ll buy with confidence.
Lesson 3: One size does not fit all.
For those of you who have been following me for a while…you know I believe this to be true about organizing. The key is to have the tools at your disposal to figure out which solution is best for you…and then go for it! Don’t worry if it’s not the same organizing system that I use, or the ones you see in magazines. If your systems is using old shoe boxes for everything…and that works for you, don’t spend the money on nice clear storage containers!
Lesson 4: It’s more fun with a friend along for the ride.
From having someone to bounce ideas off, to reporting your ongoing progress, a friend makes organizing much more enjoyable, too.
The benefits of having a friend along for the ride get even better. The more fun you’re having with a project, the more likely you are to get it done. If you enjoy the process of getting organized, because you have a friend along for the ride, you’re much more likely to finish your projects.
Lesson 5: Getting started feels good. Keep this in mind if you’re avoiding getting started on your organizing projects. Even if it feels like any action you take today will just be a drop in the bucket…a drop in the bucket is better than no drop at all – and it gets you started!
So there you go, round up a friend or two and then get started!
If you’re having trouble getting started with an organizing project on your to-do list, remember this: getting started feels good. When you start, you create momentum and an even greater desire for the finished project. Also, once you actually begin, the end result feels much, much closer. And that is very empowering.
So, what do you say? How about getting started on your organizing project today? It doesn’t matter if you can’t do the whole thing today. The only thing that matters is that you just get started!
Recently, I have been getting tons of questions on how I keep my closet from exploding with too many clothes. I don’t have any elaborate system, I just stick to the simple concept of 1-in-1-out. Nearly any time I get a new article of clothing, accessory, etc. I get rid of an old one.
Also, I keep a paper grocery bag in the bottom of every closet and any time I feel like I should get rid of something, I place it into the bag.
When the bag(s) are full, I take my clothes to a women's shelter or a donation station (Goodwill, Salvation Army, etc.) and begin a new bag.
My closet is always organized and I can always shut the doors!
There are some things in life I just can't do without. These 5 organizing tools are a must in my house and really help to keep us organized.
Daily Planner:
Need I say more! You should always have someplace where you keep your entire entire schedule from work appointments to weekend plans. It is ideal if the item can fit in your purse and also hold all your families activities as well. Then you always know what you are doing at all times.
Note Books & Pens:
I try to keep note books around me at all times, one next to my bed, one on the entrance hall table, one in my purse, one in the car, etc. It is easier to jot some notes down immediately without losing the thought than to have to try to remember it.
Small Rectangular Storage Containers:
You can pack more stuff into a space if you use square or rectangular containers than if you use round ones. Use them in the kitchen for food and in the office for paperclips, staples, etc. You can even use them in the shed or garage for small tools, seeds, fertilizers, etc. Just make sure that if you don’t use clear containers, you take the time to accurately label the contents. (Labels are another organizing essential!)
Ziploc Bags of all sizes:
Use Ziploc bags for sandwiches, freezing food, holding vegetables, for toiletries when traveling, for all your camera or MP3 player attachments, if you're going on a day trip and need to take some sun block and mosquito repellent, etc. The reason I like them so much is that they are clear, easily conformable to most sizes of contents, they are easy to label and they are disposable!
Perpetual Calendar (Dutch Calendar):
These are calendars with the dates of the month by NOT the actual days of the week. Set it up once with all the birthdays, anniversaries and special events, and you use the same one, year in and year out. Just don’t forget to check it around the 27th of every month for upcoming birthdays and you are all prepared!
