25 Organizing Tips to Survive an Ice Storm

It's been a bad winter. Really bad. Snow, ice, freezing temperatures for weeks on end have made life more challenging this season. Just like any other season, it's important to be prepared with the tools to get through the changes in weather--shovels, rock salt, snow brushes, warm gloves and boots--the list goes on. My guest blogger, Moreen Torpy of De-Clutter Coach in Ontario, Canada knows a thing or two about being prepared for cold weather. Today she's sharing with us 'Southerners' 25 ways to survive an ice storm. I hope we never have to use any of these tips, but they're here for you just in case...

This winter has brought more than our fair share of ice storms and the resulting power outages, cold, inability to access transportation and all manner of other inconveniences.

After the realization sinks in that this might be a longer experience than you’d like it to be, after realizing you’re very cold will be the thought of what to do with food so it doesn’t become waste.

The following are lessons I learned from surviving the 1998 ice storm in Montreal:

Food:

1. Keep a few large plastic storage containers or clean garbage bins available to store your freezer contents outside without power. You can always chip off the ice to get into them when necessary.

2. Fill your BBQ propane tank at the end of summer so it can be used in case of winter emergency to cook whatever you have in your freezer, warm soup or boil water for coffee/hot chocolate/tea. Never use your BBQ or propane stove indoors. Set up in your garage if you have one, or outside

3. Use fresh food first, frozen food second and canned food last so you eliminate as much waste as possible. Cook whatever can be cooked when you can, then eat it cold if necessary. This will ensure less waste and provide as healthy a diet as possible under the circumstances.

4. Ensure you have a manual can opener and know where it is should you need it.

5. Don’t ever get rid of your fondue pot! It can be very useful to warm soup or water. Check now if you have fuel for it, and if not purchase a couple of bottles. Keep them with the pot so you know where they are.

6. Don’t cook anything that takes a lot of cleaning up, such as cheese. Remember, you don’t have hot water to do that right now.

Light/Heat:

7. Collect all candles and batteries from wherever you have them around your house and centralize them in one place. Inventory what you have and purchase what you still need—do you have D-batteries for your flashlight? C-batteries for your portable radio? What about candles? The dollar-store brand won’t last very long not to mention the mess they create when molten wax spills over. Keep something to light the candles with them, whether matches or a BBQ lighter.

8. Find any oil lamps you may have, purchase oil for them and keep them where they’re easily found when needed.

9. Find a mirror and put it with your candles. It doubles the light from lit candles as well as the heat produced. You might also toast marshmallows over the flames if you’re feeling adventurous. Maybe even assemble some s’mores!

Grooming:

10. Get used to the idea it may be a while until you can shower, shave or wash your hair. If there’s a shopping centre nearby with power, you could go to the hairdresser or take your hair dryer and wash your hair there. And perhaps even wash yourself as well. Hot water is better than cold any day for these personal care tasks.

Home:

11. Turn off as many lights and anything else electrical as you remember having on before the power failure and turn on your front porch light. This way, when the power comes back on, you won’t be as much of a drain on the infrastructure, and you’ll know immediately from outside if you have light.

12. Close doors to rooms you’re not using to keep any available heat in those you are using. This is a good time to congregate in as few rooms as necessary to take advantage of each other’s body heat.

13. Close off the entrance to the room where your gas fireplace is, if you have one, and spend your time there. This will keep the heat in that room and not where it won’t be doing any good.

14. Before abandoning your home, pour windshield washer fluid into the drains and toilet to prevent the pipes from freezing when your home has no heat. Also open faucets to allow a small trickle of water to help keep it moving.

Vehicle:

15. Always keep your vehicle’s fuel topped up. If there’s no power, the gas pumps won’t work. Additionally there’ll be less space for moisture to form in the car’s gas tank.

16. Be very careful when removing ice from your vehicle. You don’t want to damage it by being too aggressive

17. Keep your vehicle’s trunk as empty as possible in case you need it to store used cookware that can’t be washed until you have plenty of hot water. You might also store frozen food in your car until you need it.

Varia:

18. Keep an amount of cash in your home—bank machines won’t work without power.

19. If your local shopping centre has WIFI, take your device charger(s) with you and use them there. You might also hang out there with your phone, e-reader or laptop. The food court, while mostly junk food, can provide a hot meal if this is your only choice for one.

20. Don't bundle up in all your clothes to sleep. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, however you will warm up faster under the covers with just your usual nightwear or just something a bit warmer on. If you share a bed, take advantage of each other’s warmth. This is a good time for all the kids to pile in with parents so everyone stays warmer.

21. Remember Fluffy and Fido will be cold too, so allow them to cuddle with you.

22. Be as active as you can to build body heat if you’re staying in a cold house, but don’t work up a sweat or you’ll be colder than you were before.

23. Keep your medical prescriptions up-to-date, not waiting until you’re on your last pill. If you’re stuck without power, your pharmacy probably is as well and won’t be able to refill them.

24. If you intend to join others (family or friends) to wait out the power outage, select people you get along with and can hopefully find the humour in your situation.

25. Try to look on the experience as an adventure you can talk about and embellish in future telling of the story.

For more about emergency preparedness, check out my FREE report, Emergency Preparedness the Organized Way.

What’s your ice storm experience? Do you have any tips in addition to those above? I’d love to hear about both your experience and your tips. Please share!

© Moreen Torpy

We would be honored for you to reprint this article. If you do, please include the resource box below with the hyperlinks intact.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Moreen Torpy is the De-Clutter Coach, a Trained Professional Organizer, Author, and Speaker. Her new book is Going Forward: Downsizing, Moving and Settling In. See www.GoForwardDownsize.com for more about the book including where to purchase it, and www.decluttercoach.ca to learn about her organizing services and other books.

Organizing Tip: 5 Things You Must Do After a Successful Organizing Project

When I complete an organizing project with my clients, I remind them to give themselves a pat on the back for crossing the 'finish line.' My guest blogger, Rashelle Isip of the The Order Expert, believes in celebrating the completion of a successful organizing project. Read below to find out the five things she wants you to do after reaching your organizing goal.

“I finally organized my bedroom closet!”

“I filed away that giant stack of papers on my desk!“

“The cabinet under the kitchen sink is finally tidied up!”

Congratulations! You’ve finally completed an organizing project. You’re a bona fide success!

Before you happily rest on your laurels, consider these five pointers to help keep your project a success and let you bask in the glow of a job well done for many months to come.

Plan daily maintenance.

Now that you’ve finally gotten things in order, don’t be lazy and let all your hard work go down the drain! Figure out specific steps to take on a daily basis to help keep your organizing project in order. For example, let’s say you finally organized your bedroom closet. You might decide to place shoes and belts back on their shelves/racks at the end of the day, place dirty clothes immediately in the hamper and fold and store/hang clothes right after the laundry is done to keep things in order.

Take a photo.

You’ve worked hard to achieve your goal. Why not make a record of your achievement? Snap a photo on your cell phone or digital camera for posterity and save the image in an easy to access place. Refer to your photo on any organizing “rainy day,” that is, whenever you feel you’re sliding back into your old habits or are undoing your hard work for a bit of positive reinforcement and motivation to keep things organized.

Plan a smaller organizing project.

You’ll probably be feeling very good after completing your project so consider using this feeling of accomplishment into another organizing project. Keep in mind that your next project doesn’t have to be the same size as the one you just completed and certainly doesn’t have to be completed that same day or week. If you’ve just finished organizing the garage, planning to organize the basement right away probably isn’t such a wise choice. Instead of going whole hog, keep your plans to a smaller project such as cleaning out your wallet.

Share your story with others.

One of the best things in achieving a goal is sharing your accomplishment with others. Thanks to social media, it’s easier than ever share information and stories. Share your success with friends and family via your favorite social media network or tool with photos and a short story. Who knows, you might just inspire someone else to get started on or complete their very own organizing goal!

Celebrate!

Lastly, we can’t forget the importance of celebrating your achievements. Go out for a nice dinner, listen to your favorite music, buy yourself a small gift, relax with loved ones, smile, and of course, enjoy your newly organized space or materials!

Now to you…what do you think of the above? Have you ever given yourself a reward for an organizing job well done? Perhaps you have a reward in mind for the near future for an almost completed project?

Copyright © Rashelle Isip and The Order Expert, 2011-2013. 

Rashelle Isip is a blogger, time management, and productivity consultant and professional organizer. She is founder of The Order Expert, a site featuring practical and creative organizing, time management, productivity tips, inspiration and much more. For more information, visit http://www.TheOrderExpert.com. You can follow her on Twitter @theorderexpert, on Facebook at facebook.com/theorderexpert, and on Pinterest at pinterest.com/theorderexpert.

Organizing Encouragement - Baby Steps

It's the end of January. Many of you have made New Year's resolutions or have set goals for yourself in 2013. You shouted from the rooftop, "This is the year I'm going to get organized!'

Have you started yet? Made a plan? Mapped out some mini-goals for yourself? If yes, then great!

If not, that's OK. No beating yourself up about it. It's been cold. Maybe you or a family member has been under the weather. Maybe 'life' has gotten in the way. Or perhaps, you just don't know where to begin.

No worries--take 'baby steps.'

No one expects a baby to stand up one day and walk across the room. There's a lot that goes on before a child meets that developmental milestone. They sit up, they crawl, they practice standing up in their crib. They take 'baby steps' towards mastering their actual baby steps.

You can take baby steps to reach your organizing goals, too. Here are a few examples:

- Toss expired medicine. Next chance you get, do the same with health products.
- Sort and purge your piles of coupons while waiting for pasta water to boil.
- Schedule 15 minutes on your calendar to organize your sock drawer.
- Read a few posts on organizing blogs that pertain to your organizing challenge(s).
- Look at organizing ideas/products on Pinterest (don't get sucked in, though!).

All of these teeny-tiny organizing projects/tasks are baby steps that will eventually get you where you want to be.

I often tell my clients to visualize their organizing goal as an iceberg. Baby steps are equal to the act of chipping away at that iceberg. Some days you may feel like you're chipping away with a hammer, other days, with a toothpick. Regardless of your tool, if you keep working at it, you will reach your goal, however challenging it may be.

You can get organized in 2013. I know you can. Just take a baby step--one little step in the direction of the organizing goals you have set for yourself. In the beginning, it may feel as if you're not making much progress but let me assure you--every 'baby step' you take towards reaching your goal will get you one step closer to the day when you can proudly shout from the rooftop, "I did it!

Peter Walsh Organizes Rachael Ray's Kitchen

If you watch television and you have even the teeniest tiniest interest in organizing then you know who Peter Walsh is. If not, here's the short version: Peter Walsh is an Organizing Expert from Australia who has a 'tell it like it is' attitude but also uses compassion and empathy while organizing with his clients. He has worked miracles in tiny spaces, as well as in the homes of hoarders. I first saw him on an organizing show called 'Clean Sweep' and from there, he occasionally appeared on The Oprah Show as well as other daytime shows.

I 'Like' Peter Walsh on Facebook. He's always posting about projects he's working on, easy organizing tips, and when he'll be on TV next. So, a short while ago, he posted that he was going to be de-cluttering Rachael Ray's home kitchen on The Rachael Ray Show. Sweet! My DVR was set. If you didn't get to catch it last week, here's what happened...

Rachael Ray, America's sweetheart of the kitchen had a secret...

She told her audience that she has a tiny NYC apartment kitchen and that she's just as guilty as other homeowners when it comes to de-cluttering her kitchen--it never happens. Cluttered cupboards, out-of-date food in the pantry and cabinets overflowing with pots and pans were just some of her organizing issues.

If I had her hectic schedule, I might not have time to de-clutter my kitchen either...

She decided to bring Peter Walsh to her home to see if he could get her kitchen organized again. Rachael gave him a quick tour of the room and then he kicked her out and started organizing. Peter started with the pantry--he emptied it, sorted the items and tossed all expired food in the trash.

Some of Peter's pantry tips:

-Store platters upright for easier access. Use an organizing product that stores baking trays to do the same thing for platters.

-Keep flat surfaces clear. They are for food prep--not for storage.

Peter then headed to a spot most people wrestle with in their kitchen--the junk drawer. Like the panty, Peter emptied the drawer and sorted out the trash. He then grouped 'Like with Like' and used containers to keep 'like' items together.

Peter used drawer dividers like these to organize Rachael's junk drawer

What junk drawer items did he hold up for all the world to see? Four pair of gardening shears! Since Rachael didn't use them very often, he promptly moved them to a different area of the kitchen.

He then removed all magnets from her refrigerator. I have a ton of magnets and children's artwork on my fridge--Peter Walsh would have a field day with my fridge!

He and his crew worked to de-clutter the rest of Rachael's kitchen and then brought her back in to see.

The first spot he showed her was the pantry--she loved how de-cluttered it was and how Peter had grouped 'like' items with like items on clear trays from The Container Store. They then moved on to the junk drawer--Rachael was so thrilled with the way it looked, she gave Peter a high-five! He had removed many of her household tools and placed them in labeled bins in a cabinet over the refrigerator to get them out of the way.

Rachael then walked over to the fridge and saw that most of her magnets were gone! She almost had a heart attack because a magnet with her deceased dog's picture on it was no where to be found. It was quickly placed back on the fridge--organizing crisis averted!

As I often do with my clients, Peter gave 'Organizing Homework' to Rachael...
-go through all cooking utensils
-separate out the ones she uses often from the ones she barely uses
-keep drawers neat and tidy

Peter offered up two tips and advice for the viewing audience:
1. Stop using the word LATER as in, "I'll put that away later." Do things as you go and he promises it will make a huge difference.
2. Flat surfaces are for PREPARATION not STORAGE.

Peter also gave the viewing audience five 'Double Duty' organizing products to use in the home:
1. Use an empty tissue box to store plastic bags (I do this in my own home.)
2. Use a tension rod to create hanging space under a sink
3. Thread a tab from a soda can over a hanger and hang another garment from it to double your closet's hanging space. (I LOVED this tip!)
4. A tag from a loaf of bread can be used to wrap around and label electrical cords.
5. Use extra glass vases to corral multiples of items.

I thought this was a great segment. Kudos to Rachael Ray for being brave enough to have Peter Walsh organize her kitchen for all the world to see!

*Author's Note: I love watching de-cluttering segments on daytime television--I pick up great organizing and product ideas all the time. But, what I'd like you to know is that de-cluttering a room takes hours--sometimes days and sometimes weeks. It looks quick on TV but what you don't see is a multi-person crew working arduously to get the job done in a certain amount of time. When it's just you, or you and a friend, or even you and a Professional Organizer the process takes a LONG time.

 If you are de-cluttering an area of your home, don't despair that it's taking a while to emerge as a clutter-free space. Make good decisions, have trash bags at the ready and look for the light at the end of the tunnel. Here are a few tips to make sure your organizing efforts are taking you in the right direction.

Twenty-Eight Top Ten Organizing Lists!

Who doesn't love a good top ten list? I think David Letterman made them famous but wherever you turn on the internet whether it be a newsletter, a blog, or a sales pitch, everyone has a top ten list. I even have one on my website (left under the Facebook logo).

In my last post, I wrote about the top ten helper shelf 'hot spots' in your home. If you're not already using helper shelves, I hope my post gave you some inspiration to double your space on any of your horizontal surfaces.

I submitted that post to The Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for August. The theme: Top Ten Lists. Twenty-eight Professional Organizers contributed to the 'Top Ten Lists' Blog Carnival. That's 280 tips! To read all 280 nuggets of organizing advice, go to Top Ten Lists - August 2012 Professional Organizers Blog Carnival.

Some of the Top Ten Lists you'll find are:

• Ten Tips to Save Big Money on Your Food Budget
• Top Ten Ways to Say 'No'
• Ten Strategies to Stop Procrastinating
• Ten Best Sources for Organizing Help

...and twenty-four more! (including mine)

So, if you have some time to relax this weekend and would like to pick up  'a few' organizing tips, kick back with some BBQ and the Top Ten List Blog Carnival. You never know what you'll learn!

Meal Planning Tips: Me and Michelle Obama

If it's August, it must be back-to-school season! Time to buy school supplies, new clothes and shoes and get back into routines.

It's also a time that includes figuring out what's for supper every night. If you need some meal planning ideas, check out this article...

Real Moms Share: Easy Ways to Plan Meals for the Week

Photo of my family at Disney enjoying a meal--not planned by me!

It just so happens that I give tip #8 and Michelle Obama, our First Lady offers the first one. Hope you pick up some good ideas--I did! Even a Professional Organizer needs help with meal planning sometimes...

Organizing Inspiration from Curious George

A few months ago, I was watching an episode of Curious George with my five year old. The episode was called 'Trader George' which made me laugh for a moment because it sounded so much like 'Trader Joe's' which is a food store I love to shop in and eat from.

Hey, it was really early in the morning and I was hungry. OK--back to how this connects with organizing...

So, in the episode George does some trading of items with people in order to get what he thinks he wants. The back story involves The Man With the Yellow Hat. While George is out trading his stuff to get other stuff, The Man With the Yellow Hat is at his county house going through the closet looking for items to put out at a local swap meet (where George is doing all this trading).

I'm getting to the organizing part...

Mr. Yellow, as I'll call him for brevity sake, ends up spending much of the episode sitting in front of his closet pulling stuff out and reminiscing about it. My son is enjoying the show while I'm yelling at the TV in my head, "Don't do that!'

You see, Mr. Yellow was breaking one of the cardinal rules of organizing.

Do not reminisce while organizing.

Why is this a bad idea?

It's distracting. You're supposed to be sorting and purging and getting rid of the old to make for the new and instead you're looking at pictures or dreaming about the last time you fit into that cocktail dress and now you've stopped organizing to look for the matching shoes and handbag you wore with it ten years ago.

It's a time waster. Not many people have all day to organize. Time is precious and it's important to focus on organizing during the time you've alloted for it before you get tired or have to move on to the next activity of the day.

There's nothing wrong with taking a few moments to think about the past. But those moments should not take you away from the task at hand. Pick a time later in the day or week to go through all the bridesmaids dresses you uncovered or all the never-before-seen pictures you found from your parent's first Thanksgiving together.

Next time you're organizing a spot in your home and you come across some cool stuff you want to dwell upon for more than thirty seconds, think about The Man With the Yellow Hat. Make time later to reminisce--or you may miss out on a lot more than just a swap meet...

Helpful Organizing Tip - Prevent Parking Lot Panic

For the past few months, I have been posting organizing tips on my Facebook page based on a theme. November's theme is 'Holiday Organizing' and a recent tip was geared towards holiday shopping. It didn't have to do with making lists. It didn't have to do with organizing receipts. It was all about you, your car, and the mall parking lot.

Holidays or not, going to the mall can make you dizzy! Add in holiday decorations, tons of people, blaring holiday music--all that can make a brain very tired. So when it's time to go home and you exit hopefully through the same door you used to enter the mall, it may take you a moment to think about where you parked your car.

Not any more! Because my holiday tip is:

Use the camera on your cell phone to take a picture of where you parked your car. No more wandering around the parking lot in a panic. (Whew!)

I do this even when it's NOT holiday time. To the left is a picture of my car at the Paramus Park Mall. I only had to run in and out of one store but I snapped the photo just in case.

When you take the photo make sure to have a 'landmark' in the background such as a store or a parking lot sign. If you look at the picture look closely, you'll notice that I'm in Section 26 parked near the Sears Auto Center.

Now you have one less thing to worry about this holiday season! Less stress for you and more time for the joy of the season. Who can't appreciate that?

Helpful Organizing Tip - Post-its on Coupons

Do you clip coupons? In today's economy, it's especially wise to do so. Who can't use a few extra dollars in their wallets?

Clipping coupons for the supermarket is easy. There's a picture of the item--you know immediately what you'll be using the coupon for. Then there are those coupons that are vague. They offer deals like free shipping, 25% off your total order, or $5 off of a $50 purchase. These are great--I use them all the time. But it's very easy to put them in a pile and forget about why you cut them out in the first place.

To remind you to use them and to remind you what you need to buy, my helpful organizing tip is:

Attach a post-it to the coupon. On the post-it, write down what you need to buy from this particular store or website.

Here are some examples...

The above coupon is for the Carter's store. With two little kids, I'm there a lot. I was very excited when this came in the mail. I clipped it, stuck a post-it on it and wrote down what clothing my children needed. Using this method, I don't have to gaze at the coupon while at the store and ask myself, "Why am I here? What did I need?" Big time saver.

I'm also in need of some picture frames and a new photo album. I saw this coupon last week, cut it out, stuck a post-it to it and went around my house with it looking for frames that needed to be replaced. I still have to go through an envelope of recently printed pictures to see which need frames but I'll add that info to my post-it (or use a bigger one) when I'm done. Now, when I get to the store, I won't have to stand there staring at the frames wondering what sizes and colors I need. Like I said, big time saver.

So, next time you're clipping coupons, grab a post-it pad and a pen along with those scissors. By using this helpful tip, you'll be saving yourself a little time here and there during your day. But, make no mistake--those minutes add up!

Helpful Organizing Tip - Master Shopping List

Between raising a family and being a business owner, there's a lot going on in my brain. If I need to remember something, I have to write it down or else it's as good as gone. I'm a visual person so I like post-its and pads of paper for quickly jotting down ideas, to-do's and lists.

With four people in our household, we go through a lot of food. When we run out of something, I add it to my shopping list (my main supermarket is ShopRite). But, I shop in four or five different markets depending where I'm driving past that day and what food item I've run out of. I needed a central place to keep track of all our food needs. That's when I came up with the Master Shopping List.

My Master Shopping List

I went to Michaels and purchaed a magnetic pad with lines and stuck it on the side of my fridge. I wrote in the names of stores I shop in often--ShopRite, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Fairway, and Costco and left room underneath to write what I've run out of. When I buy the item, I cross it off my list. Sometimes I'll circle an item if I need to purchase it later or at another store.

Keeping this list close to the fridge or pantry makes jotting down items a quick and easy task. If you don't like to or can't hang items on your fridge, store your Master Shopping List near your refrigerator. Don't like the note pad? Create something similar to this on your computer.

The master list is not just for food. Use it for drugstores, big box stores--wherever you shop often.

This master list has made my life much easier. If I notice we are running low on an item from a particular store, I grab my pen and write it under the appropriate store name. If I know I'll be passing by a certain store after working with a client, I'll jot down from the master list (onto a separate piece of paper) the things  I need and cross items off them off the list when I return home.

I guarantee--creating a Master Shopping List for your family will work as well for you as it has worked for me. Give it a try. It's all about making our lives easier and having what we need when we need it.

Back-to-School Time!

If it's August, it must be Back-to-School shopping time!

In honor of the tradition, I'll be posting weekly organizing tips on Organized Artistry's Facebook Fan Page on the topic of Back-to-School organizing. Check back every week in August for a new way to get your kids (and yourself) organized for the upcoming school year.

Until then, I leave you with one of my favorite commercials...

I'd better practice my singing--my five year old starts kindergarten this year and he needs supplies!

Organized Artistry's 9th Anniversary - 9 Organizing Tips for You

July 27, 2011 is the 9th anniversary of my first client. Thank you Mrs. Z for trusting me with your papers and your closet. Hopefully, you had no idea I was a 'newbie' when I walked through your door...

Since that time, I've worked with more than 50+ clients--all of them like snowflakes--no two were alike. But, the one trait they all shared was their desire to get organized. Over the years, my clients have asked for some key tips on how to become and stay organized. In honor of Organized Artistry's 9th anniversary, I am going to share 9 organizing tips to help you reach your goals and lead a less stressful life.

Use one, use some, or use them all...

1. Just Do It. Stop complaining/thinking/worrying about your clutter and instead draw out a written plan to tackle it.

2. Start small. Rooms full of clutter overwhelm most people. Start by sorting items one shelf, one drawer, or one corner of a room at a time. Feeling ambitious? Try one more and get back to sorting the next day.

3. Know Thyself. When do you work best? Mornings? Evenings? Organize when you are at your most energetic.

4. Give 'em a Good Home. Invest in a high-quality file cabinet for your papers. My father's file cabinet is almost as old as I am and still functions well. My favorite brand of file cabinet (and my dad's, too) is HON.

5. Save Money Where You Can. Don't spend a ton of money on organizing products until you know exactly what you need. Until then, use shoeboxes, Ziploc bags and other free or inexpensive organizers.

6. Wear Sturdy Footwear. You never know what might fall off a high (or low) shelf. You never know what you might step on. Protect your feet while organizing--no flip flops or bare feet!

7. One-In-One-Out. If you bring something into your home, something must go. Bought some new towels? Purge some old ones. Got a new pair of black shoes? Send another pair walking. One-in-one-out keeps the amount of 'stuff' in your home at an even level. To really de-clutter, live by the One-in-three-out rule.

8. Take Before and After Pictures. You don't have to show them to anybody. Just take the pictures and keep them for yourself. My prediction is that you'll make sure your home never reaches 'Before' status again!

9. Reward your Accomplishments. Whether you organized a large clothes closet or a small drawer of office supplies, note the accomplishment and reward yourself accordingly. Manicure? Double-chocolate cookie? An evening on the couch with a good book/funny movie/loving spouse? You've worked hard at reaching your organizing goals--you deserve it!

Nine years in business is quite a milestone. Thanks so much to my clients, colleagues, family, and friends for helping me to get to this day.

Facebook Tip of the Week

People are always asking me for organizing tips. I enjoy being able to provide helpful advice and strategies so starting this week, I'm going to be offering a 'Tip of the Week' on my Facebook Fan Page.

Every month I will cover a different topic. July's tips will be all about Getting Organized for Travel. Are you going away this summer? Be sure to check my Facebook Fan Page for tips to help you get where you want to go in an organized fashion...

Helpful Organizing Tips - Put It Where You Need It

Today I had a conversation about dust busters with my hair stylist, of all people. Why? Well, we both have small children who make a mess under their high chairs and we were discussing the best way to make it go away. She told me she shlepps out a vacuum every time her kid makes a mess. I advised her to grab a 20% off coupon and hightail it to  Bed Bath and Beyond to get herself a dust buster.

The conversation made me think back to when my older son was in a highchair. For a few years before he was born, the dust buster lived in our laundry room. The few times I would need it, I would run downstairs and get it and later return it to it's base--no problem. Then my son came along and started eating solid foods. Some missed his mouth and landed on the highchair and on the floor. So I'd run up and down a flight of stairs to grab the dust buster and then return it. After a few weeks of this. I thought to myself. "There has to be a better way. What if one of your clients presented you with this problem? What would you say to her?"

I'd give her today's Helpful Organizing Tip: Put It Where You Need It

Everything you own needs a home: the remote, your toothbrush, your car keys. Creating a home for an item helps you locate it when you need it. When you know where an item lives, you can easily return it that home which in turns enable you to find it when you wish to use it next. But, any home won't do. It needs to be a LOGICAL home. A logical home for the above examples would be remote - near TV, toothbrush - in the bathroom, car keys - near the door you enter and exit through most.

Did most of my messes occur in the laundry room? No. Did it used to be a logical place for the dust buster to live? Yes. Once my son started making daily messes was it still a logical place? No. Did I now need that dust buster to live in my dining room? Yes!

So I put it where I needed it--in a cabinet in our dining room. Now I have another child in the highchair who does the same thing. Guess who can clean that mess quickly? Me. Guess who can try 'putting it where they need it' in their own home. YOU.

Take a few minutes to think about what items in your home need a more logical place to live. While you're doing that--I'll be dustbusting a family of petrified Cheerios off my carpet...

Helpful Organizing Tips - Back to School

So, school has been is session for over a month for some students. How's everyone doing?

In case you didn't get off to the most organized start, not to worry. Here are some tips for getting an A+ in organization for the rest of the school year...

Create a home for library books

A great way to NOT get them mixed up with other 'like' books in your home

and while you're at it...

Make a note on your calendar the day the books are due back to the library. No surprises means no need to pay a library fine.

Designate a home for school papers

Doesn't it seems like schools are the reason so many trees are chopped down each year? The amount of papers sent home is staggering and when you're not looking, they multiply like bunnies on your kitchen counter or dining room table.

An easy system to adopt is to have a spot for papers parents need to see/deal with and a spot for each child. This could be a drawer or shoebox--whatever works for your space and budget. Have each child place papers from school in the parent 'spot' and when the parent is done processing the papers (trip slips/lunch money/) it is returned to the child 'spot.' The child then places the papers in their book bag.

For papers that need to be referred to often, consider placing them in a binder or folder for quick reference (holiday schedule, class lists, etc.).

Designate a home for artwork

First it's 'scribbles' on a page, then finger paints and leaf rubbings come home. Soon, the artwork becomes 3-D and it's living on your dining room table. Before it takes over your home, determine where your children's artwork will live in your home. A folder? A box? Your child's room? Make your child responsible for their creations. They may surprise you with how well they take care of their works of art.

Have supplies on hand

Take advantage of back-to-school sales to save you time, money an stress throughout the school year. I remember when I was an elementary school teacher, Staples would sell mini bottles of Elmer's Glue for .10 cents a bottle in August. I would stock up for my class because inevitable by February, everyone's bottle tips were clogged. Another example--paying .59 cents for a pack of looseleaf paper in the summer is easier on the pocket than $2.49 a pack mid-year.

Know what fits (clothes)

As the seasons change, have a try-on session with your kids. No child wants to go to school in pants that are too short or wear shirts with buttons that pop open and be laughed at by their peers. Write down their needs on a post-it and put it in your wallet for the next time you're at the mall. For my son. I take inventory of all of his shirts to determine what color bottoms he needs. Right now I'm looking for navy blue and gray pants and I have his waist size and pant length written on that same post it. (Yes, I carry a tape measure in my purse! Did you doubt it?)

Prepare the night before

This is probably the most important back-to-school tip I can give you. If there's one thing you can do to stay organized, its to get ready for the next day, the day before. Make school lunches when you're making dinner. Before bedtime, have your kids place their packed knapsacks by your home's point of exit so all they have to do in the morning is put their lunch inside (as well as a last minute item or two) and they're ready to leave. A less stressful morning often leads to a less stressful day. Who doesn't want that?

Wishing you an organized school year!