organized office

When we first moved into our home 4 years ago, I set up one of the bedrooms as our home office. We had a spot for our computer and miscellaneous office supplies, but what we really needed was a "multi-purpose room". For example, I wanted a craft area, a sewing area, a gift wrapping area, a project area with tools, etc. etc. My husband wanted an area for his school paper, books, and bags; and an area to watch TV, read, grade papers, etc.

So I had the challenge of turning a TINY 9'x10' area into a room for all our needs...and here is what a little creativity, $27.00 worth of yard sale furniture, and LOTS of paint can do!

A computer desk was a must, and I found this one for $5.00 and painted it black. The drawers house our office supplies (envelopes, stamps, pens, paper, blank CD's etc.) To the right of the desk is a large basket for Dave's school bags and books.

The frame above the desk was purchased for $3.00 from Hobby Lobby (95% clearance b/c it had no glass!). I painted it and put chicken wire in it...and now it has multiple uses. During the holidays, we display all our cards, pictures, and letters. During the school year, we use it to hang schedules, notes, pictures, cards that we need to send, etc.


The next part was a bit trickier because I needed a spot for craft and sewing supplies. I don't do a ton of either activity, but I do enough that I want the basic supplies on hand and easily accessible.

A few more yard sale finds solved my problems.






The yellow armoire ($7.00 + paint) hides all my sewing supplies and the larger craft supplies. I store fabric scraps in the large black box, cards and other craft papers in the 2 blue boxes and all my sewing supplies are front and center for easy access.

The armoire also provides a nice place to "hide" our printer, paper shredder, and the TV (per my husband's request).


The small white cabinet ($10.00+paint) holds smaller craft supplies in the drawer and the the wood crate below.
We also use the lower part of this cabinet to store binders with information for the many committees we are part of.






Now, for the closet!
We have a very small closet in our office but I've managed to create 3 distinct zones in this one closet. You can click on the above link to see how I created a gift wrapping zone, a paper filing zone, and a tool zone to round out our "multi-purpose" room. (oh, and the filing cabinet was FREE on the side of the road!)




All we needed was a big comfy chair for reading and watching TV. I found this one on Craig's List...and while it is not part of my $27.00 office make-over, I did get it for only $40.00 and it's a Rowe brand from Klingman's ...so I think I did a pretty good job!







So there it is, 90 sq. feet of space, $27.00 of furniture, a $40.00 chair, lots of paint, and we have a room that fits all our needs.

1 small closet...3 uses

Our home office is one room in our house that we could not do without. The room is just a small extra bedroom; and the closet is even smaller so I knew it would require lots of organization to function at maximum capacity.

We needed the closet to do 3 very specific things:

1. House all our gift wrapping supplies
2. House all our paperwork
3. House basic tools and craft supplies
   

Since the closet is SO small I decided to removed the door to give us easier access to our "stuff". Here it is...all 3 feet of it!

ZONE 1: Gift Wrapping
LOCATION: Top Shelf



I have 4 large white bags that contain all my wrapping supplies:
1. large bags
2. large boxes
3. small bags
4. ribbons & bows.

To the left is a birds-eye view of my "bag filled with small bags!"




Then I have 2 boxes; one that contains a variety of small boxes, and one that contains tissue paper. (Yes, I save tissue paper!)

Then I labeled each bag and box with cute tags that I made from construction paper.



ZONE 2: Paperwork
LOCATION: Filing cabinet and fire-proof safe

In the center of my closet is a large 4-drawer filing cabinet. And if we need to find piece of paper, we know just which drawer to look in!

Drawer #1: Personal paperwork
Drawer #2: My business paperwork
Drawer #3: Hubby's school paperwork
Drawer #4: Craft paper, cards, envelopes, etc.

I use the tabs down the center for our main categories, and the tabs on the left for subcategories.

For example: the main category might be "utilities" and then the subcategories would be each of the different utility companies we work with (DTE, AT&T, Consumers Electric, Allied Waste, etc.)
This system works wonderfully for us.

We also keep a small fire-proof safe on top of the filing cabinet for important documents and information.

ZONE 3: Tools & Craft Supplies
LOCATION: Peg Board

Inside our closet, on the right side, I installed a small section of peg board to house some of our smaller tools and craft supplies.

Our larger tools are either in the shed outside or down in the basement but these are the ones we need to keep on hand for more regular use.

This section of the closet would otherwise just be a bunch of wasted space.

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So there you have it... 1 small closet transformed with virtually no out-of-pocket costs to fit 3 distinct needs in our home office.


Next week I'll post more pictures of our office along with more organizing tips so make sure to check back!

control your clutter...now!

One of the reasons clutter feels stressful is because it often represents lingering indecision. Whenever you can decide what to do with an item or a piece of paper right away, do so. When you make a decision now, you’ll dramatically reduce all that clutter that piles up as a result of indecision.

Ahhh…goodbye clutter, and goodbye stress.

getting organized is SIMPLE

Since the name of my business is “Organization Made SIMPLE” I focus a lot of energy on creating concepts that my readers and clients can easily understand and implement in their own home and with their own family. The following is just that…a “simple” formula for organizing your home, office, schedule, and life!

S Start Small: Set a timer for 15 minutes and do what you can.

· Clear your counters

· Clean one drawer in your kitchen or bathroom

· Organize one shelve or section of your closet

· File one handful of papers

· Fold and put away one load of laundry

I Immediate Action: Don’t procrastinate…start today!

· Make a goal to do a little every day

· Every time you walk from room to room, take something with you and put it away

· De-clutter for 20-30 minutes before you go to bed

M Make a Space for Everything: If something doesn’t have a “home” it is clutter.

· Make a home for everything in your home, office, car, purse, etc.

· Involved your family and make sure they know where the “home” for each item is

· If you can’t find a home for it, get rid of it!

· Think about where you will put something before you buy it

P Plan Ahead: Anything you can do now will save valuable time later.

· Pack lunches and pick out clothes the night before

· Plan a week/month of meals in advance and make your grocery list accordingly

· Spend 15 minutes at night planning the next days activities

· Plan a weekly or monthly budget to prevent over spending

L Leave Emotions Out: Try to separate your emotional attachment from the physical object.

· Limit the amount of pictures (doubles, triples) you hand on to; only keep your favorites

· Get rid of your “skinny” clothes, when you lose the weight, you’ll want new clothes!

· Don’t feel guilty about donating a gift…your friends will never know

· Realize that you don’t need an object to keep a memory…the memory will still be there

E Enlist Accountability: Have a friends or family member to keep you accountable.

· It’s easier to reach your goals if you have someone who is checking up on you.

· Tell this person your organizing goals (Ex: organizing my kitchen by summer)

· Have a regularly schedule time for this person to call and “check up”

These “SIMPLE” organizing techniques will help you to get started—which is often the most overwhelming part—and finish any organizing project you have on your to-do list right now!

make organization your goal

There are lots of goals and resolutions made on the 1st of each; however, just because it is now March doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a few new goals for the rest of the year! One of the most important goals you can make is one that will affect every area of your life. That is to resolve to be more organized!

No matter what your goals are, organizing is at the crux of those goals. If you don't apply organizing principles to the things you wish to do, your thoughts, ideas and results are going to be haphazard.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

1) Remove the clutter. Whether it's clutter in your bedroom or basement, clutter in your email inbox, paper clutter, or clutter in your mind, it's taking up precious space that could be used for the important things in your life.

2) Balance your schedule. A schedule that's all work and no play is just as bad as a schedule of all play and no work. Work to achieve a balance in your schedule that leaves time for work, play, family, goals, friends, education and all the things that are most important to you.

3) Get it on paper. If it's just in your mind, it's floating around up there with everything else you have to think about. Get it on paper, make it concrete, and get it done.

4) Prioritize 1-2-3. Have a minimum of three important things to complete in every day and do them in the order of importance. If you don't complete one of them, that should be on your 1-2-3 Priority List tomorrow.

5) One in? Two out! If your home or office is already cluttered, make it a rule that for every item you bring in, two have to go. By the end of the year, you'll have lightened your load tremendously.

my most often asked question...

This is the ONE question I get asked by clients more than any other question.

I want to get organized but it's all so overwhelming. Where do I start?

There are different ways to approach this question but before we even start with the practical aspects, you need to do this:

First of all, relax and take a deep breath. Then get your mind in the right space.

Realize that this is a process and that you will not have a totally organized home in one hour, despite what you saw on TV.

Remember the home makeover shows have TONS of organizers and stylists behind the scenes making the space look beautiful. You only have you (or if you're really blessed, a friend or family member to help you).

Now that we've got that part settled, let's talk practical.

When trying to decide where to start, grab a pen and paper and walk through your home…room by room. Write down specific areas that are the most overwhelming to you right now. For example, the junk drawer in the kitchen, the dinning room table, the entry way, the bathroom counters, etc.

Then, once you have your list, look it over and pick ONE spot to tackle first.

Think about what you use the space for, who uses the space, how you would like the space to look when you are finished, etc.

Bite the bullet and get started. Set your timer for 15-20 minutes and start clearing out that specific space. Dump any trash, create a pile for give-away items, and create another pile for items that need to be returned to a different room in your house.

Don’t focus on anything else for that period of time and don’t allow yourself to be distracted by your phone, computer, the TV…or your family! You will be amazed with what you can do in such a short amount of time. Then tomorrow, make it a goal to spend a few more minutes in that space. Before you know it, you will have moved onto the next clutter hot spot on your list.

a formula for eliminating clutter

A simple way to stay organized and create new habits is to become mindful of the things you add to your home and life. For each thing you add, decide to remove something old. So, if you add a new shirt to your closet, take out an old one. If you add an exercise class to your weekly schedule, subtract the equivalent amount of time from another activity such as web-surfing or watching T.V.

This strategy can also help you stay focused on achieving any goal – organizing, or otherwise. Instead of working on ten new habits at once, pick one new habit that moves your life forward, and find a competing old habit to subtract. For example, you could add the habit of drinking green tea in the morning, and eliminate your mid-morning Diet Coke habit. Or add the habit of spending fifteen minutes a day decluttering, and shed the habit of waiting to tackle your organizing projects in longer, more laborious sessions.

It all adds up to this simple formula for getting and staying organized:

1 new thing minus 1 old thing equals zero clutter added

Now that’s one equation that works for me!

Happy organizing!

tip of the week (1/24/2019)

January 24 – January 30, 2010 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Chuck from Lansing, MI

Chuck writes: “I travel a great deal, and don't have time to re-invent the wheel so to speak when packing a bag. So I have a series of lists that enable me to delegate packing to staff, friends and family if need be: a 2-day bag, a 4-day bag, a week-long bag, etc.

Some other useful traveling tips I use are:

1. Always carry plastic shopping bags. They are excellent for holding laundry, wrapping anything wet and keeping anything dry.
2. Always carry foam ear-plugs so you can sleep properly when traveling.
3. I keep a record of the serial, reference and registration numbers of all my insurance policies, bank accounts and personal and professional information in a single word document on my computer. At any time I can access it should emergencies or other needs arise.”

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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

draw a line in the sand

Over the past few months, there have been a couple of times when something in me snapped, and I just knew it was time to draw that proverbial line in the sand. It was a turning point where I simply said, “From here on in I want something different.”

One of these critical moments happened when I was putting my Christmas decorations away. Previously, I stored the decorations in our basement under our stairs. I was never happy with this storage place and always seemed to get frustrated any time I had to mess with the “junk under the stairs”. So this year, as I was pushing and shoving, trying to fit my 3 tubs of decorations in their designated spots, I decided right then and there that I was done storing things under the stairs. I went to Lowe’s and purchased some sturdy shelving units and clear tubs and now have a nicely organized (and easy to access) storage area…doesn't it look great!! Best of all, I no longer store anything under the stairs!

Another critical moment happened when I dropped off a bunch of plastic bags to be recycled. Sure…I was recycling them, but I wasn’t satisfied with the time, space, and energy that my use of plastic bags was causing for me and for the planet at large. So, I decided I was done using plastic bags and made the $1.00 investment for reusable shopping bags.

While I am extremely happy with the results, I know that my basement will require continual maintenance to stay organized, and I need to remind myself to bring my reusable bags into the store each time, but I have taken the first step to change my habits…I drew my line in the sand!.

Now, in case you are confused, this tip isn’t designed to advocate the use of recycled bags or to tell you to clean your basement this week. Instead, this tip is designed to help you live an organized and clutter-free life. So, my question for you is this:
Is it time to draw a line in the sand about clutter? Are you ready to decide that, from this point forward, you no longer want clutter in your life?

Remember, the day you declare your intention and the day you realize it are two different days. But you can’t realize a clutter-free and organized life until you declare that this is what you want. So, are you ready to draw your line in the sand?

If you are ready to live a clutter-free life, sign up for my Quick & Simple Clutter Control Class!

learn how to say 'no'

So many of us are overextended, but we need to remind ourselves that there are only 24 hours a day.

Saying 'No' is an art form and there are many reasons why we have so much trouble saying it, even if it's in our best interest to do so.

Some of the reasons include:

· we don't want to hurt the other person's feelings

· we don't want them to think negative thoughts such as we're being unkind

· we avoid it in order to try to escape confrontation

Many of us lack daily refusal skills. 'No' may be a mere two letters--but it is a powerful word. So what can you do to get a little better at saying ‘no’ and give yourself more time for what you want to do? Here are a few ideas.

1. Be brief, direct, and honest. Do not make excuses. People respect honesty. Be fair, and most of all remember to be fair to yourself.

2. Do not make commitments you are not prepared to keep. Take a minute and breathe before answering a request.

3. If you feel that you are unable to say 'no', especially to someone's face, say you 'need to think about it.' Call after you have thought about it for a day or two before you answer, but be honest with yourself.

4. Don't feel like you explain yourself. We don't give reasons when we say 'yes' so why should we have to give a reason for saying 'no.' A simple 'I appreciate you asking, but no thanks' will often do the trick. Kick your guilt to the curb!

5. Set limits. If you are only available to help a friend for 4 hours on Saturday, tell them that and stick to your limits. Keep in mind to be firm but polite.

6. Know what the expectations are. Before you make a commitment, make sure you understand what exactly is expected of you. Are you expected to organize the entire party or just cook a dessert?

7. Think ahead. Organize yourself. Have clear to-do lists and a calendar in order to allow you to know what is coming up and whether you are able to make another commitment.

8. Give some away. If nothing else works, remember to delegate some of your commitments to others. Delegation is the key to being a good leader. Break up things among family members, friends, organizations, or co-workers. Allow others to help you.

Now put one or two of these ideas into practice and start creating time for the people and activities you love…no guilt allowed!

e-mail organization

Forget about the piles of mail on your kitchen counter and think about your e-mail for a moment. How does it look? Can you find your e-mails easily? Or do you have so many e-mails you don't know where to start?

Organizing your e-mail is an important part of making your life easier and more efficient. Here are some ideas to get your e-mail organized and keep it that way.

1. Reserve your Inbox for action items.

2. Set up email file folders. Set up individual folders for people with whom you communicate often, specific projects, events, and organizations, hobbies, etc. Create a holding file for pending email that you plan to keep for a very brief time. Last, but not least, create an “Important: folder for high priority items.

3. Put complete information into the subject line of email so they will be easier to find later.

4. Allot a specific amount of time each day to review and file email. Try to download and respond to email no more than twice a day.

5. Stop subscriptions to online newsletters that don't contain helpful information. Limit your receipt of jokes and chain letter type email.

With just a few adjustments you will save so much time…and stress. Get started organizing your e-mails an inbox today!

e-documents

Forget about the mountains of papers on your desk and think about your computer for a moment. How does it look? Can you find documents easily? Or do you have so many documents you don't know where to start?

Organizing your computer is an important part of making your life easier and more efficient. Here are some ideas to get your computer organized and keep it that way.

1. Set up broad-category folders. You can then set up subfolders within each category.

2. Name your files and folders with meaningful and recognizable names. Also, be specific and include dates if possible. The goal when naming files is to be able to tell what the file is about without having to open it and look.

3. Reserve your desktop for items that need immediate attention. When you are done with them, file them in the proper folder. Try not to store documents long-term on your desktop.

4. Back up your files often so they can be cleared from your computer. There are a number of affordable back-up options that will keep all your important files, media and photos saved if anything should happen to your computer.

5. Regularly download excess music files onto discs, flash drives or backup drives to keep your computer clear of clutter.

6. Store all pictures in the same place, re-naming them so you can recognize them later. There are also down-loadable options available online, or online storage.

With just a few tweaks, you will have a more organized (and much more user-friendly) computer. Check back tomorrow for tips and ideas for your e-mail!

take some time off

This time of year is very busy…whether you are at home or at work. However, those of you who work out side your home have the added “joy” of all kinds of work parties and festivities and the benefits of taking a few holidays and vacation days to spend time with friends and family.

The only problem with all of this “time off” is that you still have deadlines to meet and tasks that need to be accomplished. How will you finish it all? You will need to increase your productivity…and here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Arrive to work 1 hour earlier. You will be amazed how much you can accomplish when no one else is around.
2. Pack your own lunch and eat at your desk or in your lunch room. Sack lunches are a great alternative to going out to eat. Plus they save time, money, and your waistline!

It is also important to keep your desk and your workspace organized to promote maximum efficiency. Here are a few tips:

1. Keep most-often used items within arm’s reach.
2. Keep less-frequently used items in drawers or on shelves so they don’t clutter you workspace.
3. Create some sort of filing system for paperwork to eliminate all those piles.

With just a little work upfront, you can increase your productivity and maybe even take a little more time off this holiday season!

paper, paper, paper!

If you're ever going to keep up with all the paper in your life, you have to decide on a system, work it, and then keep tweaking it. Just like everything else…it’s a continual process.

Here is some help to get you started!

1. Examine the sources of all the paper and write them down

• Magazines
• Mail
• Printing emails
• Notes from school
• _________
• _________
• _________

2. See where you can eliminate or reduce the flow of paper.

• If you get accounts by email and in the mail, email the company and stop the mail.
• If you and two friends read the same magazine, buy one every 3 months and pass it around.
• Sign notes from school immediately and send back the next day. Don't leave them on your kitchen counter a minute longer than you have to.

3. Decide on your comfort level for accounts/ filing

· I do not keep any utility or credit card statements anymore; mainly because I can access them all on the internet.

· Be honest with yourself and determine if you really need to keep all the paper you are keeping. Odds are, you will get rid of a lot!

Start implementing these tips for immediate results!

make your schedule more manageable

Let me guess, you are super-busy, right? Want to know how to make your crazy schedule more manageable? Keep reading!

1. Double up: Cooking a pasta dish or casserole for supper this evening? If you are already cooking the first dish, why not make more for a second meal and freeze it for later?
   
   
2. Decide your limits: Given the fact that you can not create more hours in a day, decide what you are honestly able to accomplish. Also, get good at delegating (see next point) things you can not do or don’t have time to do.

3. Delegate: There are often tasks on our lists both at home and at work that can be delegated to others. Many of us find it difficult to ask for help but it is an important skill to learn. Just remember to provide clear and concise instructions.

4. Find time for yourself: In order to be at your best you must take care of yourself. Find out what helps you relax and make sure you schedule time for it in your schedule daily.

5. Give yourself permission to say no: You cannot do it all, all the time. If you don't respect your time, others won't either.

6. Prioritize: Make a to-do list and rank the items by priority. Then work on the most urgent items first.

7. Multi-task: Multi-tasking is appropriate in situations that involve simple tasks that you are familiar with. Do not multi-task if the task is new, difficult, complicated, or requires a lot of attention.

8. Recognize that perfection is impossible: No one is perfect. If you realize this and accept it, then others will too.
   
   

Managing a schedule can seem like a full time job all by itself, don't let your schedule rule your life. You can do it and make it more manageable.

3 tips to simplify your life

We all have SOOO much to do every day. Not only is it difficult to get it all finished, it can even be difficult to start! In order to have a balanced life, you need to manage your time correctly otherwise you'll be stressed out, burnt out and frazzled!

Here are the top 3 things I do to make sure my home, my work, my family and my life run smoothly:

1. Eat your frogs every day

Every day, make a list of things to do. Then do the most important task first. It often seems like that one is also the most difficult task. Once that is out of the way, your day gets better and the rest is a breeze.

This way, even if you don't finish everything on the list, the most important tasks will always be done.

2. Remember Parkinson's Law

Parkinson's Law states that work expands to fill the time available for its completion.

Many times we don't know how long something will take so we allow hours and hours for simple tasks. If you genuinely don't know, then start keeping a time log for tasks you do routinely, like writing a weekly running errands, cleaning, emailing, or doing certain projects at work.

Once you have an idea of how long regular tasks take, set a timer when you do them in the future and aim to complete in that set time, every time.

3. Have monthly, weekly and daily checklists

For anything you do more than once, make a list as you go along.

Your daily checklist could include: running specific errands, meetings, appointments, etc. Your weekly checklists could include: menu planning, grocery shopping, cleaning, trash, planning the week ahead, etc. Your monthly checklist could include: vacation/holiday planning, yard/home projects, upcoming events with your children, etc.

This is so that you don't waste time having to rethink your steps of action every day, week or month, or worse still, you forget to do something important. I suggest that you have some self-care items on your lists too. Set aside time to read, craft, watch a favorite program, exercise, etc. Also, make sure to make time for planning the day and week ahead!

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If you start implementing these 3 tips on a consistent basis, I guarantee that you'll free up at least two hours a day. I'd rather spend an extra two hours with my family; wouldn't you?