Organizing For A New Baby

Help, Organization, routines

Oh, babies bring such joy, exhaustion, smiles, and stuff to your life. Stores, other parents, grandparents, and others you meet will have lists of stuff and advice you need to get organized for your new baby. But do you really need all this stuff?organizing for new baby

I received a gift at my baby shower that the person said she used all the time and it was a necessity. I carried it around in my diaper bag for 6 months before I decided I’d never use it and I needed to stop lugging it around. I had enough stuff in there. The baby swing we barely used for my now 3 year old was used often with my 2nd child. But this time, my older child used it to push her stuffed animals in. Occasionally we put the infant in it, but again, my older child pushed her and it was more entertaining than soothing. We never used it to put the baby to sleep.

The lesson here is that you never know what is going to work for you and your family. Every child and parent is different.

Babies also grow fast. My children were born in opposite seasons (Winter and Summer). I figured this meant I’d be buying all new clothes the second time around. But my youngest grew so fast that she’s able to fit into her sister’s hand-me-downs.

Do I Really Need All This Stuff?

Here are some suggestions for preparing for your baby, as well as managing the stuff that shows up that first year.

  • Don’t go out and buy everything on that suggested registry list. All you need to prepare are some diapers (newborn and size 1), some onesies (newborn and 0-3), a place for the baby to sleep, and a car seat. Babies don’t do much but eat and sleep those first few months, so you can buy the right size clothes and start thinking about other items you might need after the baby shows up.
  • Borrow items from friends to see if it works for you, your space, and your child. Can you borrow a swing from a friend and see if your baby likes it? Do you really need that play mat or will a blanket and some toys on the floor work?
  • Do you have friends you can swap stuff with? If their kids are older or younger, passing items along gets it out of your house or saves you money if it’s your turn.
  • If you have space, label bins with sizes (o-6 months, 6-9 months, etc.) and toss clothes in as your child outgrows them. Now they’re ready to pass on to the next person.
  • If you have space, have a bin or two for the stuff you don’t use. Whenever you see something that your child has outgrown or you know you won’t use, it goes in the bin. You may try several types of baby bottles before you find one your baby likes. Don’t let the others clog up your kitchen space.
  • If you’re not holding on to items for your next child or your friends children, have a plan for where to send this stuff when you’re done with it. Is there a consignment shop nearby? Or a donation place for families in need? Know where the stuff is going to go next so you can let it go, clearing space for the next round of toddler toys and clothes!
What About Gifts?

And as your child nears his or her first birthday, think about asking for experiences instead of gifts. A membership to the zoo or museum is more meaningful than another stuffed animal or toy. You can spend the morning looking at animals or playing in bubbles at the children’s museum. You both have fun and your house isn’t covered in toys (at least not for those few hours).

I hope this helps as you prepare for your new little bundle of joy. And, congratulations!

Why Should I Bother Getting Organized?

habits, Help, motivation, Organization, routines

That’s a great question. You feel like you’re functioning just fine with all of your stuff. Maybe you spend 20 minutes in the morning looking for a pair of shoes (yours or your kids), every now and then. You can find something important on your desk if given a few minutes to search for something. And you rarely miss any appointments. So why bother getting organized?why bother getting organized

Maybe, taking the time to get yourself organized would greatly benefit you. It might give you more time with your family. Or maybe your mornings won’t feel so hectic and you’ll get to work focused and ready for the day. Your evenings won’t leave you feeling exhausted and wanting to collapse on the couch. And you won’t spend your weekends frantically trying to get everything done that didn’t get done during the week.

You will be less stressed. If you clean up your desk at the end of the day and prepare for tomorrow’s tasks, you can start each day in a much more efficient manner. You won’t spend the morning trying to figure out what you need to do that day, you can just dive right in.

Being more efficient during the day means you just might get to leave work before the sun sets. So you can get yourself to the gym or dinner with friends. Or home to see the kids before they go to bed.

When things have a home, as in your keys go in the same place every time you walk in the house, your kids know where to take their shoes off, and your pantry items are where they belong, you won’t spend so much time looking for things.

If you’re staying on top of your tasks and clutter, you can focus on what’s important to you. You won’t spend dinner with your family thinking about all of the things you didn’t get done today and all the things you need to do tomorrow. You may still be writing to-do lists on the shower wall every now and then. But you’ll know that you have a clear path to getting those things done as necessary.

There are many benefits to being organized. These are just a few to get you thinking about what reasons you might have to get organized this year. If you’d like some help figure this out in your life, schedule a call or send me a message!

Organize Your Closets!

Closets, Help, Organization

Let’s talk about closets. They tend to be places we shove things when company is coming. Or we’re tired at the end of the day and we don’t bother to hang up our clothes (or put away our laundry). Things hide in closets and possibly multiply when we’re not looking. Take some time this week to organize one or all of your closets. Maybe spend 15 minutes a day or clean out one shelve a day. Whatever works, just get organizing!organize your closets

Here are some tips to help get you started.

  • First, purge everything from a closet. Wash all of your laundry, so you can sort through your clothes. Create piles (keep, donate, belongs elsewhere, trash).
  • Think about the space within a closet. What do you use the closet for? Does it serve that purpose? What needs to change so it supports the purpose?
  • Think vertical. Put in shelves as high up as you can. Store off-season or rarely used items on the top shelves.
  • Store the items you use most often on the shelves that are easiest to access – directly in front of you.
  • Design the closets for the person / people using it. Put hanging rods and hooks low enough for kids to use.

Hopefully these will get you started on getting your closets under control! If you want some more guidance, set up a call with me or send me a message!

Procrastination

habits, Help, motivation, Organization

ProcrastinationLet’s talk a little about procrastination. Have you ever just put away your to-do list because it looks like too much work. Or stepped over a laundry basket instead of taking the time to put away the clothes? How about letting the pile of mail get bigger and bigger instead of sitting down and going through it? We all do it. Sometimes we just don’t want to deal with a project, big or small. We’d rather just wait until tomorrow.

But the longer you wait, the bigger the pile gets or the  less time you have to work on a project. Here are some ideas for working through that desire to procrastinate.

  1. Gather the tools you need the night before. Lay out your gym clothes, gather the paint and painting supplies (maybe even start taping), gather the paperwork and files, etc. Getting started the night before helps you get a jump start on the project.
  2. Tackle a project when you feel at your best. That may be first thing in the morning or right after lunch. Whatever time of day it is, focus on your most important task.
  3. Break down a project into manageable steps. Sort the mail (pulling out the important stuff), shred all of the junk mail. Then tomorrow sit down and deal with everything that needs attention.
  4. Spend 15 minutes a day on something (cleaning out photos, paperwork, emails).
  5. Do the worst part first. It’ll only get easier!

Just take that first step. Sometimes you just need to find some motivation to get started and you’ll be able to keep going. Think about tomorrow and if you want to wake up to that dirty kitchen or that pile of mail. If you take care of it now, your future self will thank you!

If you want some help getting started, schedule a call or send me a message!

Organize Your Home Office

Help, Organization, time management

organize your home officeThe second Tuesday of March is Organize Your Home Office Day. So this post is all about organizing your home office. You can plan to organize yours on Tuesday, or take a little bit of time each day or on the weekend to make sure your home office is working for you.

  1. Gather any tools you might need: a shredder, trash bags, a box for any paper that needs to be sorted and filed, sticky notes or label maker, pens, markers, and any cleaning tools you might need. 
  2. Pick one corner of the room, a spot on your desk, a shelf, whatever spot makes sense to you. Work around the room, sorting into piles (like with like) everything that you come across. This helps you see what you have and allows you to start identifying what needs to live where.
  3. Once you have worked your way around the room, take out the trash and shred everything that you’ve piled up near the shredder (unless you were shredding as you went along).
  4. Then work through each pile and find homes for everything. Think about how close you need it to you as your working. Archived files can live in the closet. Your inbox should be convenient to your chair. Keep in mind how you work and what items you need access to when.
  5. Make note of any supplies you need to restock. Keep in mind that you don’t need all of your sticky notes to live on your desk. You can have a couple of pads out and the rest can be in your closet or on a shelf with other overflow supplies.
  6. Get in the habit of ending your day by cleaning up your desk. Put items back in their appropriate places and prepare for tomorrow’s tasks. This way you can start each day with an organized workspace.

Make some time today to organize your workspace and create habits to keep them organized! Happy organizing! 

If you want some guidance in getting your office organized, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Let’s Be More Productive!

Help, Organization, routines, time management

be more productive

As we wrap up February, I thought I’d share a few productivity tips. I don’t know about you, but my to-do list seems to grow longer each month instead of shorter. Somedays it’s downright overwhelming. Maybe it’s being home with a 14 month-old who doesn’t like to nap. Or maybe it’s me. Either way, I could certainly use to follow some of the advice below to be more productive!

  • Find a calendar you love and commit to it. It may be on your phone, on your iPad, or a paper version. Find one and use it. 
  • Create a list of everything you need to do. You can have separate lists for work and home, but don’t keep too many separate lists. Things get lost this way.
  • Manage your technology, don’t let it manage you. Check your email at certain times each day and have a specific time to respond to emails. Make sure the blogs and other items you receive are supporting you, not taking away your focus from something important.
  • Schedule downtime. Otherwise, that elusive spare time will never happen. It’s perfectly fine to put it on the calendar.
  • Break down tasks in to smaller steps. I’ve been wanting to work on my scrapbook for months now. As a whole, it feels very overwhelming. But I sat down a few weeks ago and put everything in my scrapbook box in order. Then I sat down and over a week went through pictures (all on the computer) to see what to print. Then I printed them. Next, I need to take those prints and get them mixed in with everything else. Then I can sit down and start scrap booking. Tiny steps means I’m on my way to catching up with it.

These are just a few productivity steps to help wrap up February. Start thinking about how you can use them in March. If you want some guidance in how best to use your time, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

What’s Your Bill Paying Process?

habits, Organization, papers, paperwork

bill paying processNo one likes paying bills. Unfortunately, it’s something we all have to do. The third week of February happens to be National Pay Your Bills week. So I thought I’d share a few tips on making your bill paying process a little bit easier.

  1. Keep all of your incoming bills in one location. This could be a folder or inbox on your desk or a box on your kitchen counter. Where ever it is, all bills that need to be paid should go in it. 
  2. Keep all of your bill paying supplies in one place. Stamps, pens, pencils, your checkbook, envelopes, return labels, etc. should all be kept together. If you like paying your bills while watching TV, keep the supplies in a box that you can take with you to the couch and store out of the way when you don’t need it.
  3. Balance your checkbook before you pay bills. Pull out the receipts from your wallet. (We have one spot in our house where all receipts go so I don’t have to go bothering my husband about receipts when I want to balance our books.) Keep in mind any debits or credits that are going to happen in the next few weeks (such as incoming salary or automated bills being paid). This way you won’t overdraw your accounts.
  4. Sit down 1-2 times a month and pay all your bills at one time. Make these regular times, say the 3rd and 24th of each month.
  5. Immediately record all the paid bills either in your checkbook or your computer software register and (if necessary) file them.
  6. Automate payments where possible. Maybe you can have your cable bill and phone bill automatically put on your credit card. Ensure you review those bills regularly to ensure you’re not overpaying.
  7. Pay your bills online. I log on to my checking account and pay all of our utility bills at the same time. You can even post date when necessary. Maybe you’re headed out of town and need some bills paid while you’re gone. You can do this with online bill payments.
  8. Consolidate your money as much as possible. Have only 1-2 debit and credit cards to use for everything. You don’t need all those department store cards or gas cards. Fewer bills coming in means it’s easier to keep track of where your money is going.

I hope these tips help you create an easier bill paying process!  If you want some support in creating new routines, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Cleaning Out Your Computer

digital organizing, Help, Organization, routines

cleaning out computer The 2nd Monday in February is Clean Out Your Computer Day. Maybe instead of a day, you need a week or a month. How about spending just a few minutes at the end of each day cleaning off files. Get in the habit of doing this regularly and you can keep your computer clutter free.

Here are a few tips to get you started. (Some of these can apply to your smartphone as well).

  • Delete any software or apps that you no longer use.
  • Take a look at your computer’s desktop and delete any files you know you no longer need. Last week’s list of errands is probably no longer relevant.
  • Go through any folders you’ve created and delete files you no longer need.
  • Delete duplicates of any files. Do you really need 4 versions of something? Keep only the most recent.
  • Create folders for each person in the house and start putting relevant files into each person’s subsequent folder (if it’s necessary to keep).
  • Go through iTunes and delete any music you no longer listen to or want to keep.
  • Go through your photos and delete any duplicates, blurry photos, etc.
  • Create files for your photos to keep them organized. For example, mine are labeled by year-month-topic (2013-3-Trip to Santa Fe). Use a naming system that makes sense to you.
  • Clear out old emails in Outlook or Mail. Archive old emails if you have many you want to keep.
  • Go through your contact list and delete duplicates or remove any contact that is no longer useful.

This list should get you started. Schedule some time to back up your computer and get in the habit of cleaning up your computer’s desktop and files on a regular basis. A clutter free computer is a happy computer! If you want some guidance in cleaning out your computer, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

You Do Have More Time Than You Think!

habits, Organization, time management

you do have more timeYou have 168 hours every week. You’re in charge of how you spend those hours. Are you using your time as best as you can? According to Laura Vanderkam, you have more time than you think. And I agree with her!

We have dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, microwave ovens, and many other devices to help us get more done quicker. So why does it feel like you still have more to do than you have time?

Maybe it’s how you’re using that time. If you’re watching 23-30 hours of TV a week, like the average American, that’s a lot of time you could be doing something else. Or maybe you’ve signed your kids up for every activity imaginable and you’re rushing around to 1-2 activities every night, trying to figure out how to get your older child to swim practice at 4:00 and pick up your youngest from karate across town at 4:30, all so you can get home, figure out what to make for dinner and head out to choir practice at 6:30.

Maybe you struggle to get everyone out the door in the morning because lunches need to be made, you need to sign a permission slip for your son, your daughter needs help finding her soccer cleats for practice tonight, and you need to gather paperwork for an important meeting.

Or maybe you feel exhausted come Sunday night because you had 3 birthday parties, grocery shopping, errands to run, a house to clean, and a family dinner to attend. You’re left wondering where your weekend went and still feel like you have a million things to do, let alone spending any time relaxing with your spouse.

So What Can I Do?

So how do you fix it? Can you? I’ll give you a few ideas to get started. Then read Laura Vanderkam’s 168 hours: You Have More Time Than You Think for even more.

Start by keeping a time log. For one week, log everything you do and how long it takes you. Once you know how you’re spending your time, you can identify things that you can change or tweak. I’m guessing this task will be eye-opening.

Think about your morning and evening routines.

What can you do at night to make the morning run smoother? And vice versa. Pack lunches and gather paperwork, sports equipment, etc. at night to save time in the morning. Conduct nightly clean ups, putting all toys, books, and laundry away so clutter doesn’t pile up. Plan meals out for the week so you’re not scrambling to feed hungry family members at the end of the day.

Don’t pack your schedules so full that there’s no room for emergencies, last-minute changes, or even spontaneity. Maybe each family member gets one activity per semester. Have one day a week with no technology, unless you’re watching a moving together. Or if your family enjoys being so busy, see if you can share carpool duties with 1-2 other families so you’re not driving all the time.

Plan your weekends a day or two early if possible.

My husband and I will talk about the things we need to get done (errands, groceries, cleaning) and things we’d like to do (go hiking, go out for ice cream) and anything else that’s already planned (birthday parties, family dinners). We’ll identify who’s doing what and when we’re doing it. Then we’ll check in throughout the weekend to see how we’re doing on our tasks and if anything needs to be tweaked. I by no means am saying our weekends are always perfect. I have many Sunday nights where I wonder where the time went and why it feels like I got nothing done. But planning our weekends makes them easier.

See what other tasks can be outsourced. Can you hire a cleaning service? Find a way to have your groceries delivered? Automate your bill payments? Delegate tasks to your kids? Depending on their age, they can empty the dishwasher and help clean up meals or put away their own laundry. Maybe they can even be in charge of their own laundry from start to finish. Maybe they’re old enough to help with dinner or make dinner for the family every now and then. It may feel like a bigger hassle to teach them these things, but in the long run, it will be helpful.

There are numerous other tips I could provide, but these should get you started. Think about how you’re spending your time and what changes can be made so you feel less overwhelmed. Remember, you do have more time than you think!

If you want some guidance in sorting out where your time goes, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Too Many Emails?

digital organizing, Help, Organization

too many emailsDoes your email inbox scare you? Do you check your email and cringe because you have so many unread emails? What do you do when you have to many emails?

Maybe it’s time to declare bankruptcy on your emails. Pick a date, maybe 30 days ago, and delete all emails prior to that date. Or if deleting them seems too scary, move all of them into a folder with a title that makes sense to you (for example: old emails, prior_date_year). This way they’re still searchable if necessary, but they’re not taking up space in your inbox.

Then you can process emails from the last month, making sure to delete or file them as you read or respond. Take a look at the blogs, daily deal emails, or other group emails that you’re getting on a regular basis. Are they relevant to you? Are you reading them or using the deals? If not, unsubscribe. Your time is valuable.

Set up rules for your emails. Maybe you have a favorite blog but only sit down every now and then to read it. Have it sent directly to a specific folder. Then you can go in and read them when you’re ready. This helps keep less important emails out of your inbox.

And try to sit down each day or every few days and process your emails. This means sitting down and responding, deleting, filing, etc. each email. This will help you from having to declare email bankruptcy in the future.

If you want some guidance in sorting out your emails, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Delayed Decisions

habits, Help, motivation, Organization

delayed decisionsClutter really is just delayed decisions. Those clothes in the back of your closet waiting for you to decide whether to keep or donate. That pile of mail that needs to be dealt with. The emails you need to return but are avoiding. Those are all decisions that need to be made.

You can decide to keep the clothes or drop them off at Goodwill. You can sit down and sort through the mail. And you can either delete or respond to the emails (or respond and then delete). Either way, you need to make a decision.

What decisions do you need to make to clear out some clutter? Get to it!

If you want some guidance in making these decisions, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

While You’re At It

habits, Help, motivation, Organization, routines

quick declutteringWe’re busy. It can be hard to find time to tackle an organizing project. So, I have another suggestion, similar to my previous post about quick decluttering. Take a look at your shelves while you’re doing something else.

  • While you’re brushing your teeth, take a glance at your medicine cabinet. Do you need everything that’s in there? Are there bottles of expired medicine / lotions / etc.? Get rid of what you don’t need.
  • While you’re doing the laundry, take a look at clothes you’re putting away and the clothes already in the closet. Does the item still fit you (or the appropriate family member)? When was the last time it was worn? Is it the right season (should it be stored with the other off-season clothes)? Or should it go in your donation box (which you have right there, in the closet)?
  • While you’re putting away the groceries, take a look at your fridge and pantry. Better yet, take a look at them while you’re making your grocery list. What is expired or about to expire? What can you work with to make a meal out of this week?
  • While you’re dusting or putting other household items away, take a look at what you have and where it is located. Do you still need it? Is this the best location for it? If not, where else could it go?

You get the picture. As you’re taking care of one task, take a few minutes to see if there’s anything you can get rid of or find a better home for. You may be surprised at what you find.

If you want some guidance in decluttering, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Don’t Get Organized!

habits, Help, motivation, Organization

don't get organizedMaybe the thought of getting organized is just too daunting. Maybe you just don’t know where to start.

So don’t get organized. Start getting rid of stuff. Pick a pile or a corner of a room or a shelf. And clean stuff out. Do you need that piece of paper, knick knack, memento, book, toy, or whatever it is? If not, off to the donation pile, trash or shredder it goes.

There’s no need to spend hours perfectly organizing your house so it looks like it belongs in some home magazine. But by starting to clear the clutter, item by item, you can make a dent in organizing your stuff.

If you want some guidance in decluttering, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Maintenance

habits, motivation, Organization, routines

maintenanceMaybe the title of this post should be constant vigilance instead of maintenance. Because once you’ve purged items in your house and organized your stuff, you have to be on constant watch that it stays that way. Otherwise, you’re back where you started.

Taking a car load of items to donate feels great, as does an organized pantry. But it’s important to identify what is coming into your house and why. If you’re often out buying clothes you don’t need or kitchen gadgets you rarely use, or picking up all the free items at a conference, you’re just inviting clutter into your home. Identify why you’re buying these items or if you really need them.

Ask yourself the following questions before letting anything come through the doors of your house.

  • Do you really need it?
  • Do you have a place to put it?
  • Do you already have something similar that will serve the same purpose?

If you answer yes to the first two questions, it’s probably ok to bring it home, as long as you know it has a home. If you answer yes to the third, then you don’t need it.

Keep these questions in mind every time you bring something into your house. This helps you keep the clutter under control in your home.

If you want some guidance in decluttering, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

What’s Important?

habits, Help, motivation, Organization

what's importantAs I write this, I have an infant at home. My days are busy taking care of her. This means that some days I spend more time staring at my clutter than dealing with it. It also makes me thankful that we purged our house of anything we didn’t need or love before she came along. Some days we’re lucky if we get the dishwasher emptied or the laundry put in the dryer. I consider other days successful if I get the laundry dried and we just pull the towels out of the dryer as we need them.

But then I think to myself, I’m a professional organizer, I should be able to maintain an organized home, even with an infant. I also live in the real world and know that people are busy, we’re tired,  and some days we’d rather watch the latest DVR’d show than put away the laundry.

So what would I recommend to someone in my position?

Identify what’s important. Each day I figure out what important or key tasks I need to accomplish. Our kitchen is tiny so if we haven’t emptied the dishwasher, it’s probably a priority or making dinner will be difficult. If I can’t find a clean onesie for my infant, I’d better put away her clothes so I can get her dressed.

I also try to stay on top of the piles. Deal with the mail as soon as it comes in the house, put dishes in the dishwasher on a regular basis, put away the laundry with each load. This keeps the piles to a minimum and allows me to spend more time playing with my little one.

So what’s important for you to accomplish today? If you want some guidance in identifying your daily priorities, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Just One Thing

Help, motivation, Organization, time management

just one thingJust one thing is how I get through a week when I’m feeling overwhelmed. When I add three tasks to my to-do list for every one task I cross off. I just pick one task to accomplish each day. I know I can send an email, pay a few bills, or put away the clothes in the laundry basket. If that’s all I get done from my to-do list in any given day, I’m ok with that. And sometimes, just one thing is all we need to get us moving forward in what we want to accomplish.

If you want some guidance in identifying your daily priorities, schedule a call with me or send me a message!

Just GO!

habits, Help, motivation, Organization

get organizedJanuary is Get Organized or GO month for the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO). Maybe you’ve been thinking about all the piles you have in your house that you’ve been meaning to deal with if you just had the time. Or just thinking of what you’re going to do with all the gifts and decorations you accumulated over the holidays.

Now is the time to start figuring out what is important to you and what you want to organize. What is the most critical project or the most irksome? What would make your day-to-day life a little easier if you would just take care of it?

This doesn’t mean you need to tackle it all in one weekend. 10 minutes a day, 1 hour a week or a Saturday afternoon is sufficient enough to make progress. The key is just getting started, taking that first step. Often, we’re so overwhelmed by all the stuff to deal with that we don’t know where to start or it feels like too much work.

So pick a corner, a shelf, or a pile, set a timer for 10 minutes and just GO!

If you want some guidance in identifying your daily priorities, schedule a call with me or send me a message!