Clothes closet prime place for organizing
The Columbus Dispatch
Thursday January 19, 2012
If you are yearning to think more clearly in the new year, perhaps your closet is the place to start.
“I tell people if you want to know how you think, open a drawer or a closet,” said organizing expert Regina Leeds of Los Angeles.
The benefits of having well-organized space are many — from saving time when dressing for work or play to saving money because you realize that having 26 little black dresses is enough (and you don’t actually need the 27th), Leeds said.
Leeds is the author of the New York Times best-seller One Year to an Organized Life. Here are her top tips on how to tackle your closet:
• Trash the bags: If anything is in dry-cleaning plastic, remove the bag and throw it away. The plastic traps cleaning chemicals, which are bad for clothing and you.
• Perfect the hangers: Remove extras, and don’t leave anything on wire hangers (they can leave indents, bumps and bubbles in clothing). Consider investing in quality ones. (The Container Store sells space-saving Ivory Huggable Hangers that are, according to Leeds, “all the rage.” A package of 10 costs $10.)
• Clear the closet: It’s called a clothing closet for a reason. Remove any extras — luggage, duffel bags, memorabilia — and find a more appropriate space for them.
• Evaluate each item: Go garment by garment and ask yourself, “Do I like it?” and “Do I wear it?” Trash what’s “dead” (holes, stains, etc.). Repair or alter clothing as needed. Give away what is in good shape but no longer fits or pleases you. (This is a good way to earn cash toward buying something new: Consider reselling your nicest things at consignment shops such as Second Chance in Grandview or Soho Fashion and Furniture Exchange on Sawmill Parkway.)
• Keep this in mind: “You want to put things on your body — even if you’re just comfy at home — to feel good about yourself,” Leeds said.
• Restore order: Organize garments by item type — pants, jeans, shirts, dresses. (If you don’t have one, add a shelf for sweaters.) And in each category, arrange items by color.
And about those little black dresses: Seeing 26 of them clearly does not mean you might not buy the 27th. Sometimes, you just need another one.
From the Library: Resources can keep those New Year’s resolutions on track
Saturday, January 7, 2012
By Kathleen Nonneman Grand Island Public Library
It's resolution time again! Are you sticking to your promise to yourself?
If not, here are some library materials in book and audio visual format, along with valuable web links to keep you on the right track.
Some of this year's top New Year's resolutions seem to repeat themselves, but nevertheless, are great to have on your list: spend more time with friends and family, eat healthy, get more organized, exercise, lose weight, and pay off debt.
Some great new exercise DVD's that might help you accomplish a few of your "resolutions" are "Flexibility for Performance," "Core Conditioning," "Joint Integrity" and "Performance," all part of the "TD, Todd Durkin" series. Other cool DVD's you might find helpful are "Yoga for the Rest of Us-Back Care Basics," "Move the Jointsk," "Health Solutions for Sleep" and "Alternative Medicine." You can find these DVD's displayed in the adult area on the book display "Eat Healthy, Stay Fit."
Sometimes resolutions regarding weight loss and eating right are difficult to accomplish. Don't despair! The library has great magazines you can read while walking on your treadmill! "Oxygen," "Open Minds," "Health," "Prevention," "The Mayo Clinic Health Letter," "Fitness" or "Men's Health" are all great resources to use in your fitness journey.
In addition, the library has some wonderful books that might interest you, including "Re-shaping it All" by Candace Cameron Bure, a book great on motivation for physical and spiritual fitness. A neat little easy-to-use guide for anyone interested in choosing healthier foods when eating out is "What to Eat When You're Eating Out." Also, another guidebook, but for living and doing more with one's life, is "A Life Worth Breathing: A Yoga Masters Handbook of Strength, Grace & Healing" by Max Strom. Then there is the standard "Road to Wealth" by Suze Orman. This updated edition gives readers invaluable advice about: credit cards, FICO scores, changes in student financial aid, changes in the real estate market and mortgages, stocks and bonds and the latest retirement investment strategies.
I have chosen what I think is a fabulous book, "Strength Training Anatomy Workout" by Frederic Delavie, to help me in strength training and understanding how muscles interact with surrounding joints and skeletal structures. You can do workouts at home and with limited equipment; excellent illustrations as well!
You may also want to use the library's computers to find a few of the helpful websites listed below as well as using our web-based computer catalog to locate additional magazines, newspapers and audio visual items located in the library,
Other resources:
-- To help pay off debt: www.fool.com/personal-finance/credit/9-ways-to-pay-off-debt.aspx; www.bankrate.com/brm/news/cc/19980713.asp; "Women and Money: Owning the power to Control Your Destiny" by Suze Orman (in this book on CD, Orman offers "a five-month program that delivers long term financial security); the magazines Money and SmartMoney; and the newspaper Barrons.
-- If you are looking to get organized: www.organizetips.com/; "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds (provides tips and ideas for organizing each room of the house in a week by week guide that focuses on large and small projects).
-- Losing weight: If you started the New Year with the best of intentions, but soon life got in the way, check out "No-Time-To-Lose Diet: the Busy Person's Guide to Permanent Weight Loss" by Melinda Jampolis. It's filled with easy recipes, shopping lists, efficient exercise tips and long term goals you can live with, then check out these cool websites http://www.acefitness.org/getfit/ and http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/fitness/HQ00171.
Think "year round" not just at the beginning of the new year. Nothing big gets accomplished in one day. Resolutions are set in one day, but accomplished with a hundred tiny steps that happen throughout the year.
Life is about choices. Make choices, set goalsand let the library help you accomplish them.
Kathleen Nonneman is a librarian with the Grand Island Public Library.
Between the Stacks: Adventure to be had at library
Tuesday, January 03, 2012
By Amy Ravenel-Baker
This year, I fully intend to remember people's birthdays, work out more and possibly learn to say no to that second slice of chocolate cake. I'm going to make it happen because it's a brand new year with new possibilities.
Plenty of changes and whole new adventures await.
What are your resolutions for 2012?
Perhaps you'd like to get organized. We have books to help you. "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds and "Easy Home Organizer" by Vicki Payne are two books that offer all kinds of tips and tricks to help you start the organizing process.
Or perhaps you'd like to start a new hobby.
Staff member Zack Johnson's display of stamps and currency will inspire you.
If it is diet and exercise you need, we have several books that can help you get started. "The Skinny" by Louis Aronne, "Real Food Has Curves" by Bruce Weinstein, and "Fat Families, Thin Families" by Amy Hendel all offer ways you can learn to eat healthier. As for exercise, try any of our yoga and aerobics DVDs.
On Saturday, Jan. 7, at 10 a.m., Sasha Vargas-Fimiani of the Charleston County Consolidated Dispatch Center will hold a dance aerobics class in our auditorium.
It's a great way to get started on your exercise resolution. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and bring a bottle of water and a towel. You're going to be working up a sweat.
Want to plan a trip in the New Year to some place you've never been? We have all kinds of travel books from Eyewitness/DK, Fodor's, Frommer's, Lonely Planet, Moon, Rick Steves, etc. Places such as Brazil, China, England, France, South Africa and all 50 states are detailed in these books.
Not sure where you want to start with your New Year's resolutions?
Try reading "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.
She offers all sorts of ways you can make yourself happier all year long.
In fact, we'll be holding a book discussion featuring this book on Monday, Jan. 9 at 10:30 a.m.
Pick up a copy and join in the conversation.
Spending more time with the family is definitely at the top of my list of resolutions. We have a program that can help dads do just that. On Saturday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m., Ms. Grace will be teaching do-it-yourself arts and crafts that kids and dads can do together. It's a great way for fathers and children to spend more time together.
One change I'm really enjoying is the cooler weather. Recently, I actually had to pull out my heavy coat and gloves.
There was even frost on my windshield one morning. It's been a while since I've seen that (and growing up in the mountains of North Carolina, I saw it every winter). You know, I think it's time to celebrate winter and the colder weather it's bringing. It is a nice change from the extreme heat of summer.
On Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 4 p.m., we'll be holding a Winter Celebration.
Bring the whole family out to the library to enjoy a cozy afternoon.
Wow. That's a lot of changes to make in the New Year. But, like I said, anything can happen. May this be an awesome year for everyone!
Amy Ravenel-Baker is a reference librarian at the Mount Pleasant Regional Library, 1133 Mathis Ferry Road. She's not a fan of the cold, but she is glad that it's starting to feel like winter.
It's simpler than you think to get your home clean, organized and uncluttered
By Bailey Shiffler
Special to the Star-Telegram
Get a jump on the new year by getting organized. We don't have 10 magical steps that will lead to a magazine-perfect pantry or an immaculate inbox, but we do have lots of tips from experts that will get you started. Try to implement a few (or all) of these hints, and we promise you'll get a better night's sleep -- even if it's just because you didn't leave your wet towel on your pillow.
Keep a giveaway box in your
home or garage
It may seem like bringing in another box would just add to clutter, but an easy-to-access donation bin might be just what you need to keep you from putting off regular trips to Goodwill or Salvation Army. Iyna Bort Caruso, who wrote The Everything Home Storage Solutions Book, keeps a trash bag in her laundry room. "When I do laundry I can look at the clothes and evaluate," she says. "It makes it easier to get rid of ratty clothes when there's a donation bag right there." Keep the bag for a few weeks before dropping it off -- chances are you won't miss any of the items in it, but if you're wavering on one, ditch it and see if you go looking for it later.
Start small
Organizing the whole house can seem overwhelming, so Melinda Massie, owner of Organizing With a Side of Fabulous in Fort Worth, says to start with a drawer, desktop or counter. "Start with small, flat surfaces and clean those off first," she says. "Something that is small and contained." She advised organizers to sort like things together (you'll often discover you have seven pairs of scissors and 800 paper clips), and then to ask themselves questions about items: "When is the last time you used it? When you used it, if ever, did it work? Did it accomplish the goal that you needed it to?"
Make the bed every day
Massie stressed the need to make your bed in the morning. "It takes minutes, and it doesn't have to be hospital corners. Just pull up the sheets and smooth it out and you have a nice, clean look to the room," Massie says. Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life, agrees. "It puts an end to one day and starts the next," she said.
Set times to check your e-mail
If you're not at a desk all day, schedule time for checking your e-mail when you can not just read your notes, but respond to them. Kay Gallegos, owner of Clutterbusters in Fort Worth, says setting aside time to check and respond to e-mails will keep you on top of your inbox. Take advantage of your e-mail provider's organization tools -- make folders, label and archive so you can easily search for e-vites, bills, etc.
Remove sentimental value from things
One of the easiest ways to stockpile stuff is to attach emotional value to it. Whether it was a gift from a friend or it belonged to a lost loved one, it's tougher to donate or get rid of things that have that kind of weight. Caruso suggests being honest with yourself -- "If you think you need to let it go, do it," she says. For big items, like a set of china, keep a few pieces, like a plate or serving platter, to display, and donate the rest. If it's a tchotchke you think a friend might enjoy, pass it along. "If I give it to someone who's going to really appreciate it, it's honoring the message of that gift," Caruso says. "If I'm going to get a gift and keep it in the closet, it's not honoring that person." Massie agreed, noting that the memory of a loved one is not in an item. "If it's not enhancing your life, then you don't need it," she said.
Create a system to organize paper
Gallegos says the No. 1 problem she encounters with her clients is a paper problem -- there are stacks of meeting agendas, coupons, junk mail, notes from teachers and more. She advises paper hoarders to set up a system that involves three piles: keep, trash and act on. As soon as you finish a meeting, getting the mail or paying bills, sort your paperwork. The keep system should involve a file drawer, where you can categorize with folders for things that relate to appliances, school, finances or whatever you see fit. Just be sure to find time regularly to go through the "act on" pile, so the bills, invitations and forms don't stack up.
Purge more
One way to avoid stockpiling is to schedule regular closet/drawer/pantry purges. Write them on the calendar if you need to, but taking routine inventory of your stuff will help you to evaluate what you're actually using. Go through your clothes after each season and donate the items you didn't wear. At the end of each month, trash items in the pantry and refrigerator that are expired. For everyday maintenance, develop a one-in, one-out policy: Every time you buy a piece of clothing, put one in the donation bin. Massie noted that once you get started, purging is a breeze. "As my clients start to let go of things, they realize how freeing it is," she said.
Make a designated spot for things you need access to often
Time spent searching for keys, phones and purses can be cut drastically with this one step. Set up a phone charging station and plug in your cell every time you walk in the door. Hang a hook by the door for your purse or backpack and keys. "Hunting for your keys is time wasted," Leeds says. The same goes for other items that may not be easily lost, but will otherwise wind up on the floor. Find hooks for towels, reusable grocery bags, coats and bathrobes, she says.
Get rid of bath products you don't use
Almost everyone is guilty of over-shopping in the "products" department. The desire to try something new often leads to cabinets full of barely used lotions, hair products, medicine and shaving cream. Leeds says it's important to get rid of the ones you don't use -- start with expired products and work your way up to those you just don't use. "If you feel guilty, you can give them to a friend who might want to try them," she said.
Go through your wallet, purse or bag every night
Every night, determine what you'll need the next day and put it in your bag. Not only will you be less likely to forget your work ID, your insurance card for a doctor's appointment or your umbrella if rain is in the forecast, but you'll free yourself of the prior day's necessities, lightening the load for tomorrow. Leeds says it's a good time to go through receipts from the day, store loose change and file business cards.
Keep out clothes hangers for what you're wearing, and keep a hamper handy
People who throw the day's clothes on the floor tend to do it out of convenience -- either they're too lazy to hang them or the hamper is too far away. Caruso suggests removing the obstacles. Move your dirty-clothes hamper to the most convenient place possible, and leave hangers you'll need that night on the closet door or bed. If drawers prevent you from folding and putting away clothes, switch to baskets. "It's all about putting easy solutions in place," she says. Be sure to keep a separate hamper for clothes that need to be dry-cleaned.
Avoid buying organizational materials until you evaluate what you need
When people want to get organized, they typically start with a trip to The Container Store or Target, where they pick up bins, baskets, drawer organizers and the like. Caruso warns that this is a preemptive step that is better left until most of the organizing is actually done. First, you may be able to repurpose things you already have -- odd bowls can become jewelry organizers, an old shelving unit can sort your shoes -- and second, you can't know what you need until you've identified your problem areas.
Sort mail as soon as it comes in
Go straight from the mailbox to your trashcan or recycling bin -- so much of what we receive can be immediately filed there. Trash the junk, and make piles of the rest: to the fridge or bulletin board for postcards or invitations, to the desk for the mail that needs an action, like a payment or RSVP. It's unlikely you'll be able to reply to every invitation and pay every bill as soon as it comes in, but try to schedule a time each week that you go through the week's mail, act on it and then file it away.
Keep a small box for sentimental items
You can't keep every wedding invitation, postcard, birthday card and thank you note you've ever received, but it's OK to keep ones with special meaning. Caruso suggests keeping a small photo box or shoebox for these items -- they'll be out of the way, but you will know where to go when you want to reminisce.
Commit to seeing things through until they're finished
Partly finished projects are the key to clutter, Massie says. She makes her clients commit to seeing things through until the end. "That means showering and putting the towel back where it belongs," she said. It extends to almost every project -- cooking dinner means cooking, eating and then doing the dishes, and that means washing them and putting them away. Checking the mail means checking it, opening it, sorting it and putting it where it belongs. "It's prevention, and that's a huge thing with keeping the home clutter-free," she says.
8 Ways to Simplify Your Life in 2012
Resolutions for the new year
Melissa Daly
Streamline your workouts, your morning makeup, even your resolution list. Here are eight New Year tips on how to look better and improve your health for 2012.
Tip #1 Focus your new year's resolutions
Got a long list of ways you want to overhaul your life? Simplify it and you'll tick off more by year's end, says Kelly McGonigal, PhD, a health psychologist at Stanford University and author of The Willpower Instinct. Setbacks are inevitable while making a change, she says, "but what's important is to not let one failure turn into an off week or month." There are ways to prioritize so you get real results:
Pick the one thing that matters most. You're most likely to succeed if you stick with a resolution (or two) that is compelling and inspiring to you. How to tell what's a keeper? Pretend it's 2013: Are you grateful you made this change? If your answer is "eh," drop it.
Think big picture. That old advice about making resolutions specific and measurable? Not quite spot on. You could, after all, check off your goal of exercising 30 minutes each day, then help yourself to a second piece of cake— — not consistent with your true overall desire to be fit. "Rather than an outcome like losing 20 pounds or saving $10,000, identify a value, like health or financial security, that becomes your focus for the new year," McGonigal says.
Give yourself a break. Think about what you're pretty sure you can do— — then cut it in half. So if you want to save 10 percent of each paycheck this year, aim for 5 percent. And if you don't always hit the mark, don't get discouraged: Even if you saved only 2 percent this month, that's still in line with your overarching goal (financial health), so onward and upward!
Tip #2 Simplify your schedule
If you cringe at each ding of your BlackBerry calendar, you might be overscheduling yourself, says Sherrie Bourg Carter, PsyD, author of High Octane Women.
Book like a therapist. Make appointments 50 minutes long, leaving 10 minutes of flex time to return calls or make up for running long. "Without that cushion, inevitably something will put you off schedule," says Carter.
Get real. If it's time to trim obligations, but everything feels essential, ask yourself: What was my original goal? If you signed up for marathon training to be more active, but now you're so achy you spend every night on the sofa—there's your answer.
Be single-minded. "When you get pulled away from a task by email, it
takes 16 minutes to return to your previous level of productivity," says Carter. Plow through work faster by turning off all bells and whistles until a project is finished.
Pencil yourself in. Slot in time for yourself, even if it’s just a 10-minute walk in the sun. "Then," says Carter, "don’t cancel it!"
Tip #3 Make under your morning beauty routine
You can sleep in tomorrow: Carmindy, makeup artist on TLC’s What Not to Wear and author of Crazy Busy Beautiful, officially releases you from the mandate to re-create your features every a.m.: "You want to enhance your natural beauty, not contour new cheeks."
Go big. Apply blush with one swipe of a large powder brush. "A traditional brush puts too much on a smaller area, so you spend time blending," Carmindy says.
Highlight key spots. Sweep pale-vanilla shimmering shadow under brow, on inside eye corner, and on cheekbone top. "The contrast makes you look as good as if you were wearing more makeup," she says.
Skip the blowout. Every other day, swap your shampoo and blow dryer for a de-greasing powder. "Brush this through and hair’s perfect again," says Carmindy.
Tip #4 Streamline your go-to meals
Six p.m. might just be the shortest hour of the day. Save the dicing, measuring, and fussing and still get healthy, mouthwatering food on the table with these tips from Ellie Krieger, RD, host of the Cooking Channel's Healthy Appetite and author of Comfort Food Fix.
Use no-chop ingredients. All you need for a great homemade meal in 15 minutes is a quick-cooking, minimal-prep protein (chicken or fish), whole grains (whole-wheat pasta, brown rice), and veggies that are already bite-size (snow peas, baby arugula). "I love garlic basil shrimp with cherry tomatoes and orzo— — you don't even need a knife," Krieger says.
Swap shortcuts. You might automatically grab a tub of shredded Parmesan, then head to the fresh produce section for veggies. But rethinking which ingredients you buy premade can cut time and boost flavor. "Frozen peas and spinach are easier and just as good as fresh in many dishes," Krieger says. "But there's no substitute for freshly grated cheese. Plus it has more flavor than store-bought, so you use less." Just put a hunk on the dinner table along with the grater.
Alter the atmosphere. A lot of cooking stress comes from the attitude you walk into the kitchen with, Krieger says: "I used to approach making dinner as drudgery, but then I started putting music on, pouring a glass of wine, having my daughter there ripping up lettuce for the salad. It can become the nicest part of your day."
Tip #5 Edit your news feed
To counter iOverload, unsubscribe to useless e-lists and news feeds. Then use a bare-bones or customizable home page like iGoogle (instead of a headline-heavy one) or a customized reading app like Flipboard, suggests Gary Small, MD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences at the University of California, Los Angeles, and author of iBrain.
TIP #6 Lighten your handbag
It's a great way to instantly feel more organized. To do it:Follow these steps from Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life.
Take everything out. Separate it piece by piece into groups of like items, creating categories as you go (cosmetics, pharmacy, work essentials).
Get brutal. Toss the trash and trade full-size anything for travel-size. Admit what you can do without (superglue? spare thumb drive?).
Repack. Tuck each group of must-haves into different-colored mesh bags — —easier than remembering which of your purse's seven pockets your lipstick is in.
Do a daily sweep. Take 60 seconds when you get home to file receipts,
clear out junk, and replenish supplies. You should be feeling lighter already!
Tip #7 Weed out your closet...
Weird-but-true wardrobe math: Subtracting pieces can make you feel like you have more to wear, says Dana Ravich, fashion stylist and co-author of I Have Nothing to Wear!.
Give it three rounds. First, toss anything that's not in good condition (you can't even donate it). Second, donate what no longer matches your life or style— — uncomfortable shoes, plunging necklines that make you fear a wardrobe malfunction. In round three, try on what's left. "Anything that stays must be a 10," says Ravich. That means it satisfies two additional criteria: It flatters your figure and expresses your personal style. Variety isn't as important as quality. So what if you wear one of the same five fabulous bottoms every day? Your bottom will look fabulous every day.
Slim down your rack. Trade bulky wood and plastic hangers for "huggable" ones. "These are very thin felt hangers that quadruple your space and grip all your spaghetti straps and anything else that normally slides off," says Ravich. Don't hang knits, by the way—stack them on shelves.
Display jewelry. You can use a plastic hanging organizer with dozens of clear, zippered compartments so that jewelry stays detangled and visible all at once. Done.
Tip #8 But keep one pair of almost-fit jeans
Yes, you want to streamline. But hanging on to jeans you hope to fit in can help you stick with a fitness goal, says Jennifer Baumgartner, PsyD, author of You Are What You Wear. Hang them right on your closet door, she advises, so you can visualize the payoff.
One Zen Day at a Time
by Donna Ladd
November 16, 2011
“To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labor tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecution."
— Samuel Johnson
You could call me an armchair decorator. No, I don’t mean that I spend my spare time decorating armchairs; I mean I like little more than plopping into a big comfy chair, or propping up in bed, and reading about domestic bliss. I love funky and colorful home-décor books (Jonathan Adler’s are among my favorites) and magazines (may Domino rest in peace; I’m still in mourning).
I used to take home care fairly seriously: puttering and organizing and traipsing from flea market to thrift store to home stores. Since I’ve become a busy newspaper woman though, I don’t spend nearly as much time on my home, though, and tend to entertain in other venues.
It also means my home isn’t as visitor-ready as I’d like it to be. I admit it: I have some really cool local art I haven’t hung, yet; and a backlog of organizing projects—which I love more than you’d believe.
I used to spend my Sundays—my only day at home—exhausting myself, trying to read, organize, decorate, and tackle a long list of projects. And if I wasn’t doing them, I was fretting about not doing them. I clearly needed a bit of home therapy.
Turns out, “Apartment Therapy" is one of my favorite home-porn websites. So Todd went looking for Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan’s décor book for me for Christmas (I always get at least one new décor book; delicious). He found two, though, and bought them both to be sure he got the right one. The smaller paperback, “Apartment Therapy: The Eight-Step Home Cure" (Bantam Dell, 2006, $15) was just the shot of domestic Zen I needed. Call it a therapeutic kick in the butt.
It really is therapy. You have to start out answering questions about what you really want out of your home—Todd and I both did it—and he also asks you to consider your favorite actors, music, TV shows, clothing and more. Then you have to get honest about the problems with your home, including needed repairs and organization. And you must ask what your home would say back to you: “When will Nancy pay attention to me?" (Ours would say: “Why don’t you spend more time with me?")
Done mindfully, this exercise was actually fun and enlightening. Once it’s done, Gillingham-Ryan sends you on a gradual eight-week journey—which he promises will be good for the spirit—to get your home (a) cleaned up, (b) repaired and (c) meeting your needs.
Be ready: This isn’t all about hanging pictures and buying flowers (although that’s included, too, even for you dudes). Each week includes a “deep treatment," cleaning and de-cluttering. You start with a complete list of repairs and must get rid of at least one item. You get to focus on one room and take it slowly. By the eighth week, you will have purged all your clutter and be throwing a party.
I’ve always liked the chunk theory; you know, do a chunk at a time. Maybe a whole shelf is too much commitment; maybe just do a corner of it. Then another and another.
You can even take a whole year if eight weeks is too daunting and focus on one room of your home at a time. When one is completely finished, move to the next (while keeping the first one organized; this is key and difficult).
If you need longer than eight weeks, just read “One Year to An Organized Life" by Regina Leeds (Da Capo Press, 2008, $16.95). The best part of the book is its focus on “Zen organizing" (talking my language there).
Leeds focuses on “the creation of a calm, peace-filled and joyous environment"—rooms that feel restful and happy, and that’s not just about lining items up at right angles.
Zen organizing is also about carving out time to enjoy getting your life in order—and I’ve found that I truly enjoy the times when I’m in that kind of domestic “flow" (a neuroscience word for being mindful). I just need to schedule more time for it: every month, perhaps?
For now, I’m determined to figure out how to use both books at once. Maybe I’ll just go fret about it a little. Namaste.
At Your Library: Saving time
By Kim Erickson Myers
Library Assistant
November 02, 2011
As we approach the day we turn our clocks back to Standard Time, ending Daylight Savings Time, I think of what entrepreneur and philosopher William Penn quipped, "Time is what we want most, but ...; what we use worst."
Whether we are trying to be more organized at home, or more efficient at work, or simply want to enrich our lifestyles and environment through time-saving methods, "time" can be on our side.
Through the years the federal government has experimented with ways to use daylight time more efficiently. Taking advantage of the later hours in April through October allowed the government to save energy for war production during World War I. It is assumed that today, Daylight Savings Time allows us to use less energy during the longer, lighter days. And in early November, don't we all cheer for that extra hour of sleep!
Some of us try to use any extra time by keeping our homes organized. Whether it is our kitchen drawers, basements, family photographs or our financial papers, we are forever trying to simplify and straighten our household. Author of "One Year to an Organized Life," Regina Leeds, compiles her formulas to organizing anything, helping to breakdown tasks month-by-month and week-by-week. She builds routines and helps conquer the clutter once and for all.
"Cut to the Chase and 99 Other Rules to Liberate Yourself and Gain Back the Gift of Time" by Stuart R. Levine offers a concise list of no-nonsense rules to be more effective in the workplace. With chapters titled "Teach People How to Use Your Time" and "Take Back the Weekend," Levine reveals ways to stay on track, be more successful in your workplace and find a happier, more balanced life with your loved ones.
For an amusing look at time-saving tips, check out "Buy Ketchup in May and Fly at Noon: A Guide to the Best Time to Buy This, Do That and Go There," by Mark Di Vincenzo. He offers such items as best time to do a cardio workout, best time to shop at a flea market, best time for an adult to learn a foreign language and the best day to go grocery shopping. Saving time, money and helping you live longer, Di Vincenzo states, "Timing is everything."
Offering organizational skills to young adults, Samantha Moss and Lesley Schwartz authored "Where's My Stuff? The Ultimate Teen Organizing Guide." Learn backpack maintenance tips, how to manage schedules, and how to create spaces in your bedroom. Funny with easy-to-follow charts, "Where's My Stuff" will have you keeping it together and enjoying your free time.
Perhaps we'll never have enough time to do all the things we want to do. Technology has given us more time, and yet we are quick to fill up that time with additional activities.
However, by reconnecting to what is important to ourselves, we just may have all the time in the world!
Other books to check out:
* "The Power of Slow: 101 Ways to Save Time in Our 24/7 World" by Christine Louise Hohlbaum
* "Buddha Standard Time: Awakening to the Infinite Possibilities of Now" by Lama Surya Das
* "How Did I Get So Busy?" by Valerie Burton
These books are available at your library or through Minerva.
Countdown to NaNo: Your Writing Space
Posted on October 26, 2011 by writenowcoach
I love being a writer. What I can’t stand is the paperwork. —Peter De Vries
In 2009, The Guardian ran a wonderful feature called writer’s rooms. In the articles, writers talk about where they write. Even better, there are pictures! Here are some places that famous writers have found to be inspiring:
*Michael Morpurgo tried writing at a standing desk, like his friend and neighbor Ted Hughes, but it just made his feet hurt. After learning that Robert Louis Stevenson wrote on a bed, he took up the practice. He now has a study complete with a bed made just for his writing.
*Justin Cartwright writes in a former entrance to a builder’s yard, just 10 feet from his home. He likes to work in a separate space. In the office, he has big comfortable couches for napping. The author writes his novels in longhand, revises by hand, and then types them into the computer.
*Miranda Seymour writes on an old desk in the corner of her bedroom. Above her desk, she has placed photographs to inspire her writing. She also has a window nearby, so she can watch the birds.
Your Writing Space. Where will you write your National Novel Writing Month Project? Many of my colleagues write books at their neighborhood coffee shops, libraries, and restaurants. Others have spaces in their homes that they have claimed for their writing. I’ve always wanted to write under the big tree in our backyard, pictured above. If you are trying to write 50,000 words in November, I encourage you to do both. Find a public spot in your neighborhood where you can write without interruption. And, take time to clear out a space to write at home.
Before the month starts, clean up your home writing space so that you will be ready to write like a mad! Two years ago, I interviewed Organizer Regina Leeds, author of One Year to An Organized Life, about how to clean up one’s writing space. She said, “Walk away from your home office and return with what I call Fresh Eyes. See it as if for the first time.”
Ask yourself these questions. (You might want to make a list of your answers.):
* What tools and papers do you regularly need and waste time searching for?
* What stuff is in between your workspace and the tools you need?
* What other items get in the way of you doing your work?
* Are you constantly getting up to use items like the printer or fax that reside across the room?
Once you have this information, you need to set aside two uninterrupted hours to do a quick toss and reorganize. Here’s how:
1. Gather supplies. You will need a timer and four containers labeled:
* Toss. This is a trash container.
* Recycle. This is for your papers.
* Donate. This is for books and other items that you will donate.
* Move. Items you want to keep in your life but not in your writing space.
2. Do a speed elimination. Set a timer for 20 minutes. Choose one area of your writing space and eliminate everything that you identified in your list as being in your way. Use your containers! Repeat this as necessary—saving 40 minutes to do step three.
3. Move furniture, technology, and tools into the optimum positions.
4. Get the containers (and the stuff inside them) to their proper place!
5. Put any items you will need for National Novel Writing Month near your writing desk.
Now congratulate yourself! In two hours you have set up a great foundation for getting organized. You are so going to rock NaNoWriMo!
July 2011 SlideShare.net
LifeByMe.com
inward
zen organizer. author. inward seer.
Author, speaker, and zen organizer Regina Leeds brings order to home and work environments across the U.S. Her clientele runs the gamut from movie stars to business people and housewives. www.reginaleeds.com
When we complicate our lives with chaos and debris, they represent more than the stuff we see. They represent the chaos and debris of the past traveling with us, usually as a pain or wound. If we clear that out, we can do what we were born to do. Helping people with that process is my great joy in life.
Growing up, I was organized because my mother was very organized and if you lived in her home, you had to be organized too. But I discovered that being in control of my environment unleashed my creativity and gave me a way of expressing myself. That’s how I learned what my mother never understood – that being organized is a creative outlet and part of a spiritual life. She was organized because she wanted to impress other people. Her focus was outward. Mine has always been inward.
Last year I went back and found a terrible wound from the first two weeks after I was born. Even though no one consciously wanted to hurt me, I had a medical problem when I was born and was put into isolation in a room by myself. The hospital had decided I was going to die, so my mother went home without me and I wasn’t cared for by the hospital. My grandmother discovered me there alone, lying in my own waste products, crying for help, and she saved my life. Now, as an adult, I see that every mistake I’ve made, certainly in the area of relationships, can be traced back to that little infant who’d been abandoned and thought she was going to die.
Babies come with an avalanche of stuff. They need so much. It helps to be organized and conscious about how you use the time that frees up to pay attention to else that’s important, like your other important relationships. I wish my parents had done that. They died when I was in my 20s. I’ve also wished I could sit down and talk with them as adults. I’d like to understand them better. If we could take blame off the table, maybe they could explain to me where so many of the decisions they made came from. I’d like to have appreciated them, and I wish they’d been around long enough to understand who their daughter was.
“This is who God sent to you, Mom. Let’s get with the program.”
But if I hadn’t been hurt, I wouldn’t be here, on this journey, which has made me a richer, deeper, better person, and I’m so grateful for that.
- Regina Leeds
Your Midyear Money To-Do List
By Kimberly Palmer
Summertime brings beaches and barbeques, but it can also be prime time for overspending on travel, accumulating piles of disorganized paperwork, and losing track of New Year's goals. That makes June the perfect month for a midyear financial tuneup. We spoke with financial experts about the best ways to give your finances a summer boost. Here are a dozen of their top suggestions:
1. Rethink big goals. Like many Americans, you might have made a list of goals back in January, from saving $5,000 to buying your first home. Now is the time to check in to see if you are halfway there--or not. If not, there's still plenty of time to do something about it.
To get back on track, Oakland, Calif.-based financial planner Cathy Curtis recommends Mint.com, which lets you monitor your expenses against a budget. "If you are spending too much, make a bigger effort for the rest of the year to catch up. If you're spending less than planned, pat yourself on the back and invest the surplus," she says.
2. Give yourself a raise. Even if your salary is maxed out, your earnings don't have to be. If you've been brainstorming about ways to earn money on the side, the slower summer months are a good time to put those plans into motion. Do you know a second language you could teach? Or have craft or cooking skills you could share? To get ideas about how to earn extra money, check out the services section on Craigslist and see what people are advertising, from editing to gardening and event planning.
3. Put your money to work. Instead of keeping your money in a savings account, Danny Tobias, co-creator of the budgeting site doughhound.com, says anyone who has money sitting in a savings account should consider moving it into a Roth or Traditional IRA to reduce taxes later. If you already have money invested in the market through retirement or other accounts, spend an hour rebalancing them, so you are not over-invested in assets that have performed well recently. If you manage your own portfolio, Tobias recommends completing this task at least once a year, but says once a quarter is even better.
4. Get a flex-check. If you're among the thousands of employees who signed up for a flexible spending account at the start of the year, which means you set aside pre-tax dollars to cover certain eligible health care, transportation, or child care costs, check to see where you stand with those accounts. If you haven't yet spent close to half of your allotted amounts, look into potential expenses throughout the rest of the year and ways you can make adjustments to get the most out of those accounts. In most cases, money that isn't spent is forfeited.
5. Cut your energy costs. During the summer, energy costs often skyrocket. In addition to the price of gas, overtaxed air conditioners add to monthly costs. Limit your own expenses by turning your thermostat up a few degrees during the day, keeping shades down, and plugging any leaks in your home. (In Pictures: 10 Ways to Reduce Your Summer Utility Bills.)
6. Get covered. In many parts of the country, summer coincides with a rise in burglaries and thefts. The warmer weather also brings on a slew of natural disasters, especially hurricanes and thunderstorms. Check on your homeowners or renters insurance to make sure you have the coverage you need. (See Why Renters Insurance Is Worth Its Low Cost.)
7. Don't over-tax yourself. Summer might not be known as tax season, but it should be, says Curtis, because a mid-year checkup allows you to recalibrate any withholding amounts. If you are earning more or less than you expected, you might need to adjust your W9 form, she says. (She suggests another tax check in the fall to prepare for any end-of-year moves.)
8. Throw yourself a paperwork party. If paperwork has been piling up since winter, consider engaging in a little early summer cleaning. Regina Leeds, the "zen organizer" and author of One Year to an Organized Life, suggests setting up a file system to easily store receipts that pile up throughout the year. If your filing system looks a little ragged, consider spending an hour tossing or shredding what you don't need and putting the rest online. Check that your most important documents, such as birth and marriage certificates, are stored in an archival box or locked metal file cabinet that's separate from your day-to-day files, advises Leeds. (See How to Spring Clean Your Finances.)
9. Make smart summer vacation plans. Minimize airline fees by traveling light and packing your own food, traveling at off-peak times, and using comparison sites to shop for the best deal. Tobias, who is also co-creator of the travel site ishouldlogoff.com, says many people overlook the pleasures of taking a road trip to a national or state park. "Camping is cheap, but even if you're not one to start your own fire, you can still pay for a nice stay at a park lodge or local bed and breakfast, neither of which should cost more than a standard hotel," he says.
If you have the flexibility to wait to book a trip until the last minute, you can snag great deals on cruises and hotels that need to fill empty rooms. And don't forget free summer activities from city-sponsored outdoor concerns, local library offerings, and post-dinner walks around the neighborhood.
10. Keep an eye on upcoming splurges. Christmas gifts, school tuition, and winter vacation are just a few costs that could be headed your way before the year is over. "A lot of people get excited about being outside and going on road trips, and they forget about what's coming up later," says Casey Weade, vice president of Howard Bailey Financial and a certified financial planner. He suggests factoring those fall and winter costs into your summer budget to prevent nasty surprises later.
11. Get creative with passwords. Tobias suggests changing passwords on a regular basis to keep thieves from hacking into your accounts. Tobias, who has been a victim of identity theft himself twice in the last year, urges people to take this simple step to protect themselves and possibly even enroll in a credit monitoring service.
12. Pick a pet project. If summer travel or reading exposes you to a global or local problem that you would like to help solve, learn all you can about it and commit to making a difference. Instead of saying "yes" and donating small amounts to friends' causes throughout the year, decide what your own priorities are so you feel like you are having the impact you want.
After completing this to-do list, you'll have earned that trip to the beach.
'Ask The Organizer'
Organize Your Offspring
By Regina Leeds 'The Zen Organizer' & Author of the 'One Year to An Organized Life' series including 'One Year to an Organized Life with Baby'
It’s not uncommon for parents to hire me to organize the entire home. It is uncommon for them to ask me to start in their child’s room. I almost always refuse. As a parent you are the leader of the pack. If your bedroom and the home in general are in chaos, your child is going to have a hard time understanding why you want him to get organized. The most powerful teacher is a positive example. Actions really do speak louder than words. If you are lamenting the state of your child’s room, first look to your own. As Shakespeare put it: Physician, heal thyself!
The amazing thing about children is that when they see order they take to it like the proverbial duck to water. They usually return home from school and are stunned when they see how mom and dad’s closet looks after I ‘Zen Organize’ it. “Can you do that in my closet?” they ask. “You bet!” is my response. The first step in getting organized is to eliminate what you don’t need, don’t use or simply no longer want. It’s wonderful to foster generosity in children by telling them that their old toys and clothing are going to be donated to those who can’t afford new items. If your child is old enough ask her to accompany you to the charity of your choice. Make the experience real.
I’m always asked what the rules are for eliminating items from a closet or any room really. There are those who follow the ‘If I haven’t worn it/used it in six months or perhaps a year, out it goes. And then there’s the camp that says when you bring one item home an older version has to exit. I say, using these rules are fine if they work for you. I myself never use them. I’m much more interested in your emotional attachment. The ‘Why’ reveals much more than an unemotional rule ever will be able to do. Again unless a child is very young, always engage him in this process. If you have trouble making decisions, ask yourself if your parents empowered you or did they make decisions for you? It’s an important life skill to master and it’s certainly at the very heart of getting organized. If you understand why you are releasing an object, later you won’t regret the decision to eliminate.
The Rule of Law
Here are some ideas for organizing/maintaining a child’s room:
- Establish rules. Is it OK, for example, to eat in his room? If that meets with your approval, do set the rule that no plates, cups or glasses remain in the room overnight. Crumbs are a banquet to creepy crawlies. Don’t put out the welcome wagon.
- Returning food items to the kitchen is one way to teach the concept of completion. Every action that starts needs to end. If you leave cupboard doors open, drawers open and never put things away, you are in fact teaching the ‘art of chaos.’
- Once the closet is organized, clothing may not be tossed on the bed or a chair. There is a reason you purchased hangars.
- Clothing is never to be tossed on the floor. If it’s dirty, provide a hamper. If it needs to go to the dry cleaner, provide a bag for that purpose. Make it easy to keep the rules you establish.
- Just as clothing doesn’t belong on the floor neither do wet towels belong on the bathroom floor. Again provide a hamper. You are not the maid and even if you have one, a child needs to pick up after himself.
- If you have very young children, provide a low bar in the closet where the every day clothes can hang. Allow them to pick some outfits. Being able to reach your clothes and your dishes for that matter builds self-esteem and allows children to feel grown up.
The Bottom Line
If you set rules and don’t enforce them, why are you wasting your breath? We live in a world where there are consequences for our actions. The first place you learn about cause and effect is in your home. Make no mistake, however, while there needs to be ‘punishment’ for the rules that are not followed (being grounded, time out, loss of phone, computer or TV privileges are the most common) there must also be rewards for the rules that are followed. We all need incentives. We also need to know that we are noticed, appreciated and acknowledged. And what are these really but ways to express our love?
Is it party time?
When children hit milestones it’s wonderful to celebrate the accomplishment with a party. I hope you will make a list of all the party elements (guest list, food, drinks, decorations and entertainment) and see how you can work them into your budget. Yes, here I am using the ‘B word’ again. Once you have a family budget you’ll know how much expendable income you have each month. Most people simply plan the party and let the financial chips fall where they may. This is one of the reasons Americans are drowning in credit card debt. I’m suggesting you understand what amount you have to work with and then craft a separate party budget. Unless your child is a toddler, involve her in the process. In fact ask her to cover some aspect of it from her allowance or the extra money she can earn from doing extra chores. Maybe it’s $5 for a bag of balloons? Perhaps it’s $15 dollars for party favors. The amount isn’t as significant as the symbolic gesture of understanding that celebrations are funded. If your child grows up to be known for her party-giving prowess, you can send me a thank you card!
Diane Bronson: Dust off these spring cleaning reads
April 28, 2011
By DIANE BRONSON
As I write this, I am on vacation — but before you start visualizing white beaches and turquoise seas, you should know what I’m doing. I’m spring cleaning. I have bitten the bullet and dedicated two weeks of my life to heavy duty house cleaning, decluttering, repairs, and yard work. It’s that time of year, and if you’ve got a house as much in need of attention as mine is, these books are for you!
But don’t call me for help. I’m busy.
“HOW TO CHEAT AT CLEANING” BY JEFF BREDENBERG
Bredenberg agrees with the late Erma Bombeck — perfectionism is overrated. He gives time-saving techniques, short-cuts and a list of tools and products that make cleaning easier and faster, but his main emphasis is that your home should suit you, not your obsessive Aunt Madge. As one Amazon reviewer put it, “If housework is not your idea of the way to spend your days off, then this is the book for you.”
“NONTOXIC HOUSECLEANING” BY AMY KOLB NOYES
If you’re concerned about the toxic chemicals in many cleaners, check out this book from the Chelsea Green Guides series. It’s full of recipes for homemade cleaners that are just as strong and effective as commercial products but are safe for pets, children and people with health concerns, as well as being environmentally sound.
“TAKE THE U OUT OF CLUTTER” BY MARK BRUNETZ AND CARMEN RENEE BERRY
Brunetz, of the Style Network’s “Clean House,” teams with Berry to explain why we tend to fill up our houses with stuff, and how to break the cycle of emotional attachment to clutter. If you’ve ever said “but what if I might need this someday?” then you need this book.
“HOUSE OF HAVOC”
BY MARNI JAMESON
The subtitle of this book says it all: “How to make — and keep — a beautiful home despite cheap spouses, messy kids, and other difficult roommates.” Jameson shows you ways to organize your real-world house that recognize the demands of family, work, too little time and competing priorities — and she’ll make you laugh while she does.
“ONE YEAR TO AN ORGANIZED LIFE”
BY REGINA LEEDS
Leeds, a professional organizer, believes anyone can get organized. She divides her book into 12 chapters, each with a four-week schedule, breaking down major tasks into workable segments that let you gradually build routines to simplify your life and give you the freedom to accomplish your goals.
“HELP! AROUND THE HOUSE: A MOTHER’S GUIDE TO GETTING THE FAMILY TO PITCH IN AND CLEAN UP”
BY DON ASLETT
Aslett is the guru of cleaning efficiency — his many bestselling books on cleaning and organizing your home are straight to the point and full of great advice. In this one, he explains why cleaning is everyone’s job, demonstrates ways to motivate your kids and make clean-up fun, and shows how to get the most critical jobs and chores done no matter how busy your family is.
“PRETTY PET-FRIENDLY”
BY JULIA SZABO
Having pets doesn’t have to mean a messy home. Szabo walks readers through every room of the house, giving healthy and safe solutions for harmonious living with pets that will create and maintain a neat and clean household that is both pet- and guest-friendly.
“MY HOME, MY MONEY PIT” BY TOM KRAEUTLER AND LESLIE SEGRETE
The authors, hosts of the weekly call-in radio show “The Money Pit,” offer advice for do-it-yourselfers on projects ranging from routine maintenance to major home improvements. Not a step-by-step instruction book, but practical advice on what to look for — and look out for — when planning a home project.
Diane Bronson is the collection development coordinator for Live Oak Public Libraries. You can contact her at Live Oak Public Libraries, 2002 Bull St., Savannah, Ga. 31401, by phone at 652-3615 or by email at bronsond@liveoakpl.org.
Get organized ASAP: How to straighten up without stressing out.
By Sara Reistad-Long, Health.com
Mar 21, 2011
It starts piling up during the chilly winter months, builds through March, and by the time spring-cleaning season rolls around, it’s everywhere. Yep, it’s clutter! And chances are, it’s driving you crazy right about now. Luckily, we’ve got the secret to getting it under control in seven essential, game-changing steps. Each one addresses a notoriously difficult tidying issue and fixes it fast, so you can focus on more important things—like updating your Facebook status to "totally organized!"
Step 1: Clear the rubble in your purse
Business cards, receipts, shopping lists—they all multiply exponentially and get lost in your handbag. "These are things we always need to access in a hurry, too, like at a checkout counter," says Mary Carlomagno, a professional organizer and author of Live More, Want Less. Carlomagno suggests reserving your wallet for payment cards, cash, and important IDs, and keeping everything else in a coupon organizer.
Customize the category tabs in whatever way best suits your life. At least once a week, clear out anything you no longer need to have handy, transferring whatever you want to keep to your office files.
Health.com: Upgrade your gym bag
Step 2: Do a paper purge in your office
"We keep a lot of unnecessary papers lying around," says Lisa Zaslow, founder of Gotham Organizers. It’s perfectly OK to toss monthly bills and receipts for everyday purchases once the payment has shown up on your bank or credit card statement.
A few exceptions: Keep hard copies of anything you might need for tax purposes, as well as important contracts and personal documents. For everything else (warranties, product manuals), Zaslow recommends scanning them into your computer. You’ll have quicker access and be able to search for those docs with a click of a mouse.
Health.com: Clever ways to clean up the clutter
Step 3: Divide and conquer your kitchen cabinets
There’s one pot you need for making dinner, but in the process of reaching into the back of the cabinet to get it, you wind up with a tumbling mess. Zaslow’s advice: "Divide your cabinet space so everything has a visible home."
Use expandable shelf-doublers to take advantage of the space between shelves. Tiered cabinet organizers also make it easier to see and reach the items at the back of a shelf. In deeper drawers and cabinets, you can use vertical organizers to "file" things like cutting boards and trays. No more frying pan avalanches!
Health.com: How to cut kitchen clutter
Step 4: Find a home for all your clothes
Who needs a leopard-print dress when your whole wardrobe is a jungle? "Closets fall into disarray because people put things in them without any rhyme or reason," says Regina Leeds, author of One Year to An Organized Life.
Hang "likes" together, sorting by type of item and color, and make the whole space easier on the eyes by sticking to just a few types of hangers. Store sweaters and scarves in clear, stacking drawers—you’ll preserve hanger space and keep everything within sight and easy reach. Best of all, you can rotate individual drawers in and out, depending on the season.
Health.com: Spring clean your closet
Step 5: Corral clutter fast in your living area
It can be tough to sit back and relax when you’re surrounded by piles of newspapers, games, blankets, etc. "People tend to use a lot of stuff in this area, and they don’t have a place to return it to," Zaslow says.
Keeping a few baskets around will do more than just help you appear more organized—it will help you be more organized. By assigning a different storage purpose to each (blankets in one, games in another, etc.), you’ll have designated places to return the stuff to. Zaslow suggests using one basket for things that come from other rooms, then returning them to their rightful place a few times a week.
Health.com: How to make your house the ultimate kick-back zone
Step 6: Harness hidden space in your bathroom drawers
Rummaging to find your fave body lotion or lipstick when you’re getting ready in the morning is not the way to start your day. "Chances are, your brushes, tubes, and bottles are all jumbled together," Leeds explains. "And you’re likely pressed for space, too."
The fix: stackable boxes that will create additional space under the sink or on large shelves. Put things you use in the same way or at the same time—hair products or first aid items—in the same box, and label them with tape for easy finding.
Health.com: A green guide to cleaning your kitchen and bathroom
Step 7: Neaten your dumping ground by the door
You walk through the door after a long day, juggling your keys, glasses, and a stack of mail, and—boom!—drop them wherever. Then, the next day, you can’t find anything. "It’s important to establish a consistent ritual for unloading when you come home," Carlomagno says.
She suggests setting up a hook for your keys, a pouch for outgoing mail, and a board to post or write notes and reminders.
Big Blend's Garden Gossip
Bedroom Love
by Regina Leeds, the Zen Organizer & Author of the
'One Year to An Organized Life' series
Remember when Tina Turner asked us: What’s Love Got to Do With It? According to the song, not much at all. But Tina wasn’t singing about organizing and I am. My response to the question is … everything!
There’s no better time than February to examine your relationship with your space. You can’t love another until you love yourself, right? How we love ourselves is expressed in our environments as personally and uniquely as any fingerprint. It would be overwhelming to look at the entire house this month so let’s concentrate on the bedroom.
Here are a few questions to get the self-discovery ball rolling:
- When you walk into the room do you feel invited in to rest and play? Or does the chaos literally keep you awake at night?
- Can you and your partner get into bed without pole-vaulting over piles of books, toys (kid and pet variety) or other miscellaneous debris?
- Is the bed made?
- Are the sheets clean?
- Do you have so many pillows on the bed that it takes extra time to make it in the morning?
- Is there an office in the room? Do you sneak out of bed at night to work? Or is that your laptop on the bed waiting to disrupt your sleep?
- Do clothes litter the chair?
The antidotes appear …
I could go on in fact I do in One Year to an Organized Life. Did I nail at least one or two of your issues? Take heart. I’m not psychic; I’ve just been in a lot of homes over the past 22 years. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to tell you that the cure for each of these issues is the opposite.
To wit:
- The bedroom is for sleeping and sex. It shouldn’t be your de facto office. It isn’t a playroom for the kids. If the home is meant to offer respite from the chaos and stress in the world, your bedroom is intended to be your ultimate sanctuary.
- Bookcases and baskets, anyone?
- When you make your bed, you are putting a period on the night’s experience. It is the gesture that ushers in a new day. If it’s never or rarely made just entering the room will make you sleepy and not infrequently a bit depressed.
- I know people who launder the sheets every morning. That’s too much for me so let’s just say at least once a week, OK?
- My mother loved ‘military corners.’ You could snap a quarter on those tight sheets in every bed in my childhood home. Me? I have a really beautiful duvet. I put the top sheet back into place, fluff the pillows and smooth the duvet. Case closed or rather bed made!
- If you live in a tiny apartment and must turn a corner of the bedroom into your work area, put a screen in front of your desk so that you don’t have to be reminded of your work life when it’s time to sleep. If you have a wood floor, you can also mark off the work area by putting the desk and chair on an area rug. Please leave the laptop in the family room!
I am a purist who prefers no electronic devices in the bedroom hence no TV, radio or even a source for music. I find there is magic in silence just as I find peace in empty space. You don’t have to go this far but if you try it, you might be pleasantly surprised. And yes battery operated devices are absolutely the exception to the rule.
- When the closet is organized, you’ll find it’s just as easy to hang up a garment, as it is to toss it on a chair. In fact why not claim the chair as your ‘reading nook?’ The piles of books long to entertain you!
Whatever floats your boat ….
In the end life is what we make it. I have a friend who complains about everything. I don’t think she remembers how to be happy. Does that sound like you? What does your environment tell you about your habitual mental state?
I taught a class a few years ago to a small group. One young woman was impossible to read. I couldn’t tell if she hated me, loved me or was bored to tears. When the class ended she didn’t move a muscle. She stared into space as if I had hypnotized her. Finally she looked at me and said: “I thought this class was going to be about what containers to buy. Instead it was about my life.” Organizing always is.
Love yourself this month. And remember there are detailed instructions in One Year to an Organized Life to help you transform every square inch of your home into a personal sanctuary. What are you waiting for? What have you got to lose?
An Expert’s Advice on Organizing on a Budget
January 12, 2011
Posted by budgetsmartgirl in Budget Smart Girl's Guide
Budget Smart Girl (BSG)-What mistakes do most of us make (especially when we’re on a budget), when we start organizing?
Regina Leeds (RL)-People are busy, stressed and will make a snap decision to ‘get organized’ over the course of a few hours one weekend afternoon. The problem with that is there is no plan of attack. And since it took time to tumble into chaos, it stands to reason it will take time to create order and the systems that will keep it all in place.
A new and rather modern mistake is going shopping for containers before you know what you need. I see closets and spare rooms filled with containers that look pretty but aren’t needed. Containers can be the new clutter in the home rather than the long needed solution.
A big mistake couples make is for one person to make decisions about the possessions of the other without asking. This is a violation of privacy and can only lead to an argument or long festering negative feelings! I believe children and especially teens should also be a part of the process rather than come home and find their rooms have been raided in the name of organizing. That’s a great way to inadvertently create a slob! Rebellion takes many forms.
It pays to remember the first rule of Zen Organizing: the whole of anything is overwhelming; therefore you need to break a project down into the parts that will bring you to completion. It’s one thing to say: I have to make decisions about the items on the counters in the kitchen. It’s another to stand there and think: Today I need to organize the entire kitchen. The former presents you with an achievable goal; while the latter overwhelms you with its scope.
BSG-My toughest task is organizing the pantry. I keep it well stocked, use items constantly, get too busy to put things back where they came from and within a week it’s back to chaos. Any tips for keeping it in tip top shape?
RL-My hunch is that you are ‘tidying up’ rather than ‘getting organized.’ To organize means you assign a specific spot for an item. It takes as much time to toss my keys into the void as it does to place them in a dish or designated hook. People assume maintenance is some special drain on your time. It’s merely a re-direction of energy!
In a pantry (one of my favorite places in a home) it’s good to give yourself visual reminders. To wit:
1. Label the shelves so that everyone in the family knows where that box of cereal goes when they are done with it … or are putting it away after a run to the grocery store. Every home should have a label maker on hand with at least one extra cassette. I prefer Brother P touch. The low end model is great and usually sells for around $30 but if you watch for specials you can grab it for $15 or less. At a store like Staples you get reward points for purchases. If you have kids you might get enough points for school supplies to get a label maker for free! http://www.staples.com/Brother-P-touch-PT-90-Personal-Label-Maker/product_812523?cmArea=SEARCH
2. Use shelf dividers (designed for the clothes closet) to keep categories separate. You don’t want the bags of pasta to bleed over into the soup can area, do you?
http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10004079&N=&Ntt=shelf+dividers
3. Some items can also be kept in baskets and that will keep them corralled. Think potatoes, onions and the like. Very often we receive gift baskets and they are ideal for this task. It’s the ultimate in recycling.
Perhaps THE most useful item a would be organizer can invest in (after the label maker and shelf divider) is some grid totes. The Container Store has them in clear, pink, green and white. They come in a simple square and a rectangle. They can be used all over the house and are easy to keep clean. (I would designate a specific color to a particular family member or room or I would simply use the clear or a single color throughout.) I prefer The Container Store because they keep items in stock. I wouldn’t want to start with grid totes as an example and then find out in 6 months that they are no longer carried. You want to be consistent in your choices especially within given areas. http://www.containerstore.com/shop?productId=10010620&N=&Ntt=grid+totes
No one is a robot with a totally controllable schedule. If life gets away from you and all the pantry items are not in place one day because the kids were late for the school bus or you had a migraine or the dog needed to be rushed to the vet or …., spend 5 minutes correcting the situation either at the end of the day or at the start (depending on when you are at your best). This applies to paper piles and clothes tossed on a chair or shoes kicked into the closet.
How to Make 2011 a New Year
By Regina Leeds
NABBW’s Organizational Skills Expert
Here are some important steps to get you organized for the year ahead.
Start with Work
It’s always important to have an organized workspace. But now with downsizing and job loss spreading throughout the work sector like a fever, being organized is a great insurance policy. You can use your organizing skills to demonstrate to your employer how invaluable you are to the day-to-day operation of the business.
If you are the owner of the establishment, you can just as easily show your employees by example the kind of office space and productivity you hope to find throughout the organization.
Are you looking for a job? Being organized will not only help you organize your job search, it will be a skill you can present to your employer.
And if you are the sole proprietor of a brand new start up, an organized foundation will allow you to devote your energies to your clients and to business growth rather than squandering it in quest of lost legal documents and invoices.
You see? There isn’t a single down side to being organized!
Get Organized: A Skill to be Acquired
If the world of organization has been an area of challenge for you, consider this: getting organized is a skill. If you wanted to play a musical instrument like the piano, master a sport like tennis or learn how to dance, what would you do? You’d read some good books, find a qualified teacher, practice and hope to reach your individual potential. Getting organized requires the same steps. It isn’t solely for those who seem to have been born with a natural proclivity for order.
Learning a new skill is one of the best ways to keep our brains active and stay youthful. There’s no time like the present to begin the journey. You’ll find a book in my ‘One Year to …’ series that perfectly meets your needs whether your challenge lies in the area of home, finance, office or you need to get ready for the birth of a child.
If you are long past your baby birthing/child rearing years remember that One Year to an Organized Life with Baby is the perfect baby shower gift.
Practice Makes Perfect
Architects of change will bombard you this month in the media. If you want to lose weight, stop smoking, get organized or have a bevy of New Year’s Resolutions, fear not because magazines, newspapers and television pundits are waiting to help you.
Perhaps it would behoove you to get your health in order before you start tearing apart your closets and files? What if you took it step by step and built slowly? Who won the race the tortoise or the hare? You see my point.
A man or woman who is fit, healthy and relatively stress free is going to perform better in every arena. We have one life. We are free to direct our energy into office, home, family and spiritual pursuits but we remain at the center of it all as one integrated human being. When I see a messy office, I know what the home looks like and vice versa.
When a relationship is in trouble, it isn’t odd to uncover money problems. Everything is part of the whole. Instead of living a fractured, compartmentalized life, think holistically.
One Step at a Time
We live in a cause and effect world. If you don’t like what you see and want to change it, you need to identify the causes that were set in motion that created this reality. Once identified you are in a solid position to select new causes that will bring into reality those now desired effects.
It’s not 15 years of therapy I’m referring to but rather a brief period of introspection. Grab a notebook, a cup o’ Joe and see if you can identify what’s driving your current experience.
By the way don’t announce your new goals or resolutions to everyone in your world. Ask one trusted friend to back you up and let the others simply watch the changes unfold. Instead of support you might just incur snarky comments because your desire to change may cause others to feel that they should be doing the same.
The ego always fights for the status quo. It’s where it has control. Take it one step, one day at a time. Smile at the negativity you encounter. Consider how much pain a person has to be in to try and derail another human beings’ attempts to be the best they can be.
Baby Steps to Freedom
Here’s a tip list from our discussion to help you stay on track:
Conclusion
There is power in resolutions at this time of year because the entire world is aligned with the idea of change. But resolutions will stay in the world of wishes and dreams until we work out a specific and realistic plan of action. It’s a new year full of potential and magic. The Universe is waiting to support your best efforts. Your contribution is needed. What are you waiting for?
Get Organized: Help for Moms
ivillage.com
Whether you're the mother of an 18-year-old girl who refuses to pick her clothes off the floor, or a soon-to-be mom whose home is in disarray, you're in the right place. Zen Organizer Regina Leeds, leader of the Get Organized Community Challenge® answered questions from all types of mothers whose homes are in need of help. From teaching your kids how to respect their things (and yours), to learning how you can make time for yourself so you can clean out that closet once and for all (really!), Regina will show you how to take your life from chaos to control.
Training Preschoolers to Clean
Q: How do you suggest training preschoolers to respect the work you've done to keep the house organized? More importantly, how can you get them to contribute by helping out (rather than having tantrums) every time they are asked to pick up after themselves? --iVillager annie.graham
A: The first word that popped into my mind was "consequences" and the second was "rewards." Make it a game to help and enforce those consequences! I find that young children, like puppies, really long to have someone in control. If it isn't you, they will, like puppies, happily take over.
Organizing With a Small Baby
Q: I have a 10-month-old baby. How can parents with very young children keep up with organizing and the daily tasks of parenthood? --iVillager sday2me
A: You are in the most difficult situation of all! Under these circumstances -- and these alone -- I suggest working in shorter time spans because that's about all your children will allow. Do try to enlist help as I suggested above so that you can create the template for a calm home. It is such a nurturing experience for children to grow up in peaceful environments. Let that desire guide you. Don't think of getting organized as an addition to a long list of should's. Think of it as a precious gift you give yourself and your family. With that motivation, it will be easier.
Single Mom of Three Daughters
Q: I am a single mom of three girls (15, 12 and 11). I work all the time because of money issues and have trouble keeping up with the house. Is it totally unrealistic for me to hope to get my house clean and organized for good? I've always thought that I could do anything if I set my mind to it, but lately I just can't seem to muster the energy. Any thoughts? --iVillager grwing
A: Hands down, no questions asked -- all three girls should have had tasks to perform starting at two years of age with consequences if they did not do those tasks.
One day they will each be on their own -- how else can they begin to understand what it takes to maintain a household? Remember, you aren't punishing them if you ask them to take on tasks around the house, you are giving them the opportunity to develop a valuable skill: getting organized. Not to mention that you, my dear, deserve the help!
Be gentle in your approach; if your daughters are used to you being their maid, this shift isn't going to be a popular one! But necessity should win over popularity. And remember, kids always want to act grown up. Tell them you see how mature they are, and you realize it's time they assumed some of the responsibilities that accompanies being an adult.
Getting My Teenager to Pick Up Her Stuff
Q: How can I get an 18-year-old to want to pick up and clean up after herself? She just doesn't want to, and I hate to nag and get upset at her. --iVillager sante000
A: Well, this may be the way she has decided to rebel. I would tell her she needs to respect the common rooms shared by the entire family. If, at 18, she wants to live in a pigsty in her room, close the door and let her do so. She needs to see that the way she manages her room is synonymous with how her first apartment and home will look. In other words, if she wants to be treated like an adult she must act like one.
Here's the rub: Are you organized? You want to be sure you are setting the example.
Teaching the Invaluable Skill of Getting Organized
Q:What do you do about the person who messes up what you have just done after you've cleaned? It is very frustrating! --iVillager stress_2000
A: I presume you are speaking about a child or spouse. If it's a child you need to teach them to respect the work of others. I swear to you that I see very young children (even one who was two years old) who pick up after themselves! It's not easy, but what an invaluable skill to teach! When all the children are organized, the professional organizers will retire!
Single Mom With Two Boys
Q:When and how do you find time to organize if you're a single mom of two very active boys, work full-time, and care for a house? -- iVillager debs1999
A: It's not easy. Let's honor that first, okay? Quite often we get lost because we fail to realize that daily activities are actually helping us get to our goals. The area it sounds like you need the most help in is time management, which I cover in the second week of the Get Organized Community Challenge.
You can also make the Community Challenge last longer than six weeks if you need to stop and spend more time on an area that particularly challenges you. I want you to work at your own pace rather than rush ahead before you are ready. I hope to help you change the inner patterns that have directed you to establish the outer one you follow now.
Six Months Pregnant and Have Lots of Stuff!
Q: I'm six months pregnant, in nesting mode and spending tons of time at home cleaning out closets, etc. But I'm feeling really overwhelmed. I know I have to get organized before the baby comes. Where do I start? --iVillager Jenny
A: The two most important rooms in the house will be the baby's room and the kitchen. If nothing else gets done, at least the baby's immediate world will be in order.
Try to schedule your time before you give birth so that you do not overwhelm yourself with activities around the house. If possible, ask an experienced mom to come and help you make decisions about the new structure in the home. Moms always know the shortcuts. Why not take advantage?
When Your Family Creates Clutter
Q: My family creates the clutter for me! I can't win. No matter what I say or do, my family won't stop making messes for me to clean. I live with my husband, his brother, my three children ages four, seven and 11 and two dogs. Is there a way to keep my family in line? -- iVillager fleureange
A: I would suggest two avenues of attack (no pun intended). The first one involves your need to address the cause at the root of this situation. You have two grown men who are capable of helping around the house and three children old enough for chores. Why are they all dependent on you? Can you look back and find the time when this situation was created? Understanding your part of this problem will empower you to change it. You may want to take the Get Organized Community Challenge for help.
We begin our organizing with lots of journal work. We also set out to create three positive habits. If you assume responsibility for three tasks around the house (my favorites include putting the keys in the same place, taking out the garbage every day, leaving no dirty dishes in the sink nor any clean ones on the drain board) and perform them with grace before you address your family, I'll bet they all notice.
Presuming that your family loves you, they will respond more positively if you ask for their help rather than assailing them with blame. Can you call a family meeting and calmly explain that you can no longer continue picking up after everyone? Have a list of chores handy. Make these things that will lighten your load and are age appropriate. Ask each person to assume responsibility for three things and then share what you have put on your plate. Be sure there are consequences for nonparticipation!
Organize, organize some more
By Maggie Moran
desototimestribune.com
Published: Friday, August 27, 2010
I love back to school time. The students look so smart in their new clothes, carrying books and wearing eyeglasses. Hey, would someone tell me why students are wearing glasses with space between the rims? I thought the whole point of wearing eyeglasses was to see.
During this time I see a lot of advertisements for books that help one organize and clean up. I remember back during the beginning of high school and college how being organized meant life or death. So many books to carry, I color coded my notebooks to match my textbooks. This way I could rush out to class with the right books without looking at them.
Don't be like me. Take advice from the professionals. Julie Morgenstern, founder of Task Masters, has been a professional organizer for 20 years. Her ever popular "Organizing from the Inside Out" is now in its second edition. She can help you organize any room in your house. Tricky attic space, ask her. Filled-to-the-gills garage, consult Morgenstern.
Right now I am paying close attention to her organizing the mobile, cubicle and home based office. Although I work in an office at Northwest, I have a habit of taking my work with me. Can you say workaholic?
"Mission: Organization" by Home and Garden Television suggests lots of hooks and labeled boxes. This would be a perfect book for those new dorm students who are living away from home for the first time. Suggestions on where to place things and label them is a skill one will be able to use for the rest of his life.
For those of you who have a love-hate relationship with material stuff, open up Regina Leeds "One Year to an Organized Life." In this book she breaks down work into convenient months. One organizes the Christmas decorations in January when it is time to store them instead of July.
Chapter nine is dedicated to the busy school year starting in September. Plan the lunches and the clothes one will wear the night before. Why, well if you dress in the dark, people tend to make fun of unmatched socks and shirts that are on backwards.
Peter Walsh of the hit television series "Clean Sweep" has written a book that rivals the size of any history textbook. Within the 450-page tome one will find a whole section dedicated to education and career. "How to Organize Just About Everything" is just that-everything.
Maggie Moran is director of Learning Resources at Northwest Community College.
From The Beacon: Simpler life? Books lead the way
Halle Eisenman
heisenman@bcgov.net
Published Sunday, August 1, 2010
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak." Hans Hofmann
The concept of voluntary simplicity is very appealing: By cutting down on inconsequential matters, we are able to fully appreciate and enjoy the activities, people and possessions that are most important to us.
There is no need to renounce all material possessions and move to a cabin in the woods to appreciate the tenets of voluntary simplicity, even small steps toward reducing mental and physical clutter can lead to more satisfaction and fulfillment on a daily basis. How do you begin? The following books will all help start you down the path to a simpler, more organized life:
In "The Power of Less: The Fine Art of Limiting Yourself to the Essential in Business and in Life," Leo Babauta gives many helpful tips on how to simplify your life by identifying what is important, focusing on these things, and eliminating any nonessential items. This is a slim book, but it is packed full of useful tips on streamlining your personal and professional life. If you enjoy Babauta's philosophy, you should also take a look at his blog, called Zen Habits (http://zenhabits.net), where he writes "about finding simplicity in the daily chaos of our lives."
If you are overwhelmed by having too much to do, not enough time in which to do it, and are subsequently worried about important tasks falling through the cracks, "Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity" by David Allen can help. Allen's method provides a framework to organize your life by using a system of folders and to-do lists. According to Allen's philosophy, once your mind is freed from trying to keep track of all the things that need to be done, you will be able to work more accurately and efficiently.
One thing that tends to complicate life the most is out-of-control finances. To combat that feeling, try picking up a copy of "One Year to an Organized Financial Life: From Your Bills to your Bank Account, Your Home to Your Retirement, the Week-by-Week Guide to Achieving Financial Peace of Mind" by Regina Leeds and Russell Wild. This accessible guide breaks up an intimidating and often dreaded task into reasonable chunks, and by the end of one year your finances should be well-organized and manageable.
Sometimes living vicariously through others' experiences can be just the inspiration needed to make a change. If that is the case, Mary Carlomagno's "Give It Up!: My Year of Learning to Live Better with Less" will have you contemplating what it would be like to give up some of your favorite things for a month. In an attempt to get back to basics, Carlomagno renounced cell phones, alcohol, dining out, chocolate, cursing and television -- among other luxuries -- for one month each over the course of a year.Her account shows the value in taking time to appreciate the simpler things in life.
Halle Eisenman is the reference manager at the Hilton Head Branch of the Beaufort County Public Library, at 11 Beach City Road, Hilton Head Island.
'Ask The Organizer'
Organized to Sell Home Sweet Home
By Regina Leeds 'The Zen Organizer' & Author of the 'One Year to An Organized Life' series
Summer is a great time of year for a move because you don't have to worry about the weather tossing a monkey wrench into your plans unless of course you live in Hurricane Alley. In One Year to an Organized Life I devote an entire month to the process. I take you through the complicated series of steps you need to follow to have a successful and relatively stress free move. The more organized you are, the easier your move will be. This month I'd like to consider some things you can do if you are selling your home. You want it to move quickly and as close to the asking price as possible. You want to leave your driveway for the last time without regrets just happy memories.
Personal Style
Do you love a sport or hobby so intensely that artifacts are scattered throughout your home? Consider keeping your interests private. You don't want to lose a sale to a vegan who doesn't appreciate the moose heads you have mounted all over your home. You get the idea. When people enter your home, you want them to see it as a blank canvas on which they can write the story of their family and imprint their unique style. I had a client who was involved in Eastern Spiritual philosophy. While I appreciated her artwork, I assured her that potential buyers from outside this circle might not be able to see the house because the artifacts offended them. Alas she didn't listen to the real estate agent or me and her home never sold. Which begs the question: are you sure you want to sell? There's a house in my neighborhood that's frequently on the market. It has never sold. But for over 20 years the For Sale sign periodically pops up on the lawn. I assume the owner is lonely and this is the only way he can get folks to stop by.
Clutter Doesn't Sell!
'Stuff' has a 'visual noise' about it (to coin a phrase) that makes it difficult to think clearly. How can anyone decide if their stuff will look good in your space if that space is chock full of furniture and decorative items? This is a wonderful opportunity for you to weed through your belongings. After all you want your next home to literally represent a fresh start. Don't know where to begin? Pick a room and start at one end and work your way through to the other. Stay focused on small areas and allow your success to move out into the room. All those newspapers and magazines you've been meaning to read can go to the recycler. Whittle down your memorabilia so that you aren't lugging too much of the past into your future. If you already have the new space, draw diagrams and place your furniture. Donate or sell the pieces you can't take with you. It's time to be ruthless. You might even fund your move if you sell enough pieces!
From the Outside In
If your home is clutter free and presents the ideal neutral image but the outside is a tangled mess of half dead plants, a broken fence and paint peeling off the sides, don't expect the real estate caravan to make a pit stop. Your home will be the ultimate drive by! Ask your real estate agent which projects like a fence or landscaping will help you get your asking price. Play your cards right and your profit will reimburse all your improvement expenses.
Feng Shui & Moving
The ancient Chinese 'art of placement' known as Feng Shui teaches that if you wish to move to a better place, neighborhood or situation, show respect and give attention to your current residence. You are demonstrating the care you will provide the new residence you're seeking. You are also showing respect for the person who will take over your current home. Perhaps this idea will inspire you should you be feeling overwhelmed by the prospect of a move.
The Vacation or Second Home
Not every move means you are taking all of your possessions with you. You might be lucky enough to have a second or weekend house or perhaps one you visit each summer. Nothing is more confusing then wondering where you left a treasured item. Be sure your second home has towels and linens. Stock the kitchen with plates, glasses and some basic cooking utensils. Each weekend or summer when you arrive, you'll know you can settle right in! Make use of Excel and keep a list of special items you have in this home. Next winter you'll be grateful to discover that you didn't lose that copy of "Wuthering Heights," you simply left it in the lake house.
In Conclusion
Moving is always a huge undertaking. All the obvious elements come into play: turning off utilities at the current address and finding new providers. Culling through years of collected memorabilia, clothing, pots, pans and photos. Looking at furniture in a new light to see what will work and what won't. It's exhausting which is why I devoted an entire month to the process. As with any big undertaking, with a plan you are going to be able to stay on schedule and achieve success easily. See this time as a positive transition to the next phase of your life. Fill the process with joy rather than sorrow and regret. You know what they say: it isn't what happens to you in life, it's how you deal with it. With One Year to an Organized Life I know you can successfully navigate any move.
Spring Cleaning Gives Way to Summer Organizing
by Winnie Hsiu
July 9, 2010
Whatever happened to spring cleaning? Many families never had time to do spring cleaning, and home organization and housekeeping have been suffering ever since. During the summer months when children are out of school, the sense of structure imposed by the school day can sometimes cause a family's routines, including house cleaning and decluttering routines, to devolve into clutter and chaos. In newspapers all over America, professional organizers are offering their advice on everything from spring cleaning tips, getting rid of clutter, closet organization and closet organizers, organizing everything from children's schedules to basements, and how to decide what to keep, what to throw out or recycle, who might be able to reuse certain items, and what should be safely stowed in a secure self storage unit or other secure location. Most of all, they are offering tips on time management -- how to make time to declutter, clean, and organize.
Stacie Bowers thought she had a system for dealing with clutter. "I always had what I called a 'stuff-it room' so when company was coming, we could move out stuff and put it in that room, and that room got overwhelming," she told The Columbus Dispatch. Most people begin with the "stuff-it" system of organizing, but eventually they have to move to the "getting rid of stuff" stage, which involves sending items out of the "stuff-it" location to a new home. Stuff can go to a friend who will reuse it (baby clothes can be given to a pregnant neighbor, for example), to a consignment store, to a recycling center, to a self storage unit, or even to the garbage dumpster.
According to Lauren Nemroff, a senior editor for Amazon.com, people have become much more interested in organization and decluttering since the recession began. "Most people are looking to do more with less," she wrote in an email to Washington Post writer Jura Koncius. For many people, that means organizing the stuff they have so they know what they have, what they can reuse, and what they can put on Craig's List or eBay to earn a little extra income.
"I've worked with clients who've had to re-buy things like video cameras and cell phones because they know they have it but they don't know where it is," commented Ohio organizer Kelly Yost in The Columbus Dispatch.
Others have just gone through a divorce or separation in which the departing spouse left behind a mountain of possessions that must be sorted through and dealt with. That is what happened to lawyer Sami Atkinson, who was left with a house full of stuff to sort when her husband moved out. "He got to take the things he wanted and everything else got left behind," she noted in The Vancouver Sun. Then her mother, downsizing her own home, left her excess possessions in Atkinson's basement. "That was the final straw!" Atkinson said. "It's mentally burdensome. You just feel weighed down by all the stuff." Self storage may be a good option in cases where a separating spouse is left with possessions that he or she may or may not be held legally responsible for in the the final divorce decree.
Some people want to get organized because they have spent so much time working and dealing with tasks that must be done quickly (like cooking dinner for a family or meeting work deadlines), that they find they have let clutter pile up around them. Canadian Chronic Disorganization Specialist Kim Eagles commented in The Brunswick News that "When the stuff in your house starts to affect your life and your health, that is a big sign it is time to ask for help....If you cannot find your kitchen, have not seen your floors in years, or cannot safely move throughout your house, then maybe it is time to get some help."
All in all, the organizers agreed that a person who is feeling overwhelmed by clutter should keep the following tips in mind:
Home Organization Pros Share Secrets to Getting Your Home Clutter FreeJune 1, 2010
Click Here to View the Viewpoints Blog
Spring Cleaning Essentials
Summer is almost here, which means spring cleaning is about to wrap up. But not without our crash course in home organization first. Whether you struggle to get rid of clutter or just need a push in the clutter control direction, our organization tips will make the last part of spring cleaning quick and easy.
Starting to sweat over the very thought of decluttering your home? Breathe easy. If you take it one step at a time, clutter control is possible. First, start with these guidelines from Lorie Marrero, creator of the Clutter Diet, on how to assess what to keep and what to trash when you're organizing your home.
Now that you have the building blocks for home organization, think of the problem areas and commit to clearing clutter there first. Here are three areas that can make a big difference if you organize them now.
Organizing the Home Office
Whether you actually have a home office or if another room in your house doubles as the office, chances are papers are piling up somewhere. To get rid of clutter in your office, Marrero employs a strict policy called ART. The ART system involves sorting papers into three piles:
Once you've sorted all your cluttered papers, invest in a paper storage bin so you can keep "action" papers separate from "reference" papers. Once you've got your system in place follow professional organizer and author of One Year to an Organized Life Regina Leeds's overall rule of organizing, "You have to have a designated place for everything you own and you have to return that item to its place when you're done with it." Sounds simple but you have to stay committed!
Organizing the Bedroom/Bedroom Closet
Leeds warns that a clean home can often harbor a messy secret - a cluttered bedroom! "Most people hide chaos in their bedroom," she says. In order to get your room clutter free, try these closet organization tips from Marrero.
~ Closet divider
~ Over the door shoe pockets
~ Plastic garment dividers
Organizing the Garage
According to Marrero, the garage is your clutter cemetery. "It's where clutter goes to die," she says. So chances are cleaning up this mess is a big task. Now is the perfect time to give your garage a makeover because fun summer items (think beach gear, lawn chairs, bikes and your grill) are amidst the mess.
Organize your garage with these easy steps from Leeds:
One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good Review
Devilza.com Blogs, April 8, 2010
I downloaded the sample on Kindle along with another book on organization. The other one needed to be better organized!
Unlike another reviewer, I like the Zen thoughts she has. A place does "feel" better to me when it is neat and organized and beautifully decorated. She talked at the outset about people having lots of golden strands that never get tied and I liked that too.
At the outset she wants you to keep an organizational journal-again, this works for me. I like knowing where I was when I get somewhere else. She also talks about seeing your dreams by creating a dream board. I already do something like that with a notebook, so I'm still in sync with her.
OK, the first month is the kitchen. And right at the get-go she gives you about 5 choices and says choose one or two and make it a habit. One was taking out the garbage each day. Another was unloading the dishwasher when it completes a cycle. Another was wiping off the counters after every use. You get the idea. A habit that takes a few minutes. I took out the trash right away. Unloading the dishwasher is another matter - LOL, I store my dishes in there - but I am going to try.
It does make you feel empowered. I would have chosen wiping off the counters, but - eeek, where are they. I don't cook, so my counters catch everything. Notebooks and projects and thus and so.
I will update this as I go along - but, this is exactly what I was looking for. Someone to give me choices AND direction and break it down into pieces I can manage.
One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good Overview
The organized way to get organized: a week-by-week plan to forever streamline all aspects of your life.
Who would you be if you felt at peace and had more time and money? An organized life enables you to have more freedom, less aggravation, better health, and to get more done. For nearly twenty years, Regina Leeds - named Best Organizer by Los Angeles magazine - has helped even the messiest turn their lives around. Anyone can get organized - she'll prove it to you! One Year to an Organized Life is a unique week-by-week approach that you can begin at any time of year. Regina helps you break down tasks and build routines over time so that life becomes simple, not overwhelming.
* Master time management
* Make your kitchen efficient
* Permanently organize closets and drawers
* Deal with your finances
* Reclaim "dumping grounds" like the guest room, garage and basement
* Declutter the kids' rooms
* Organize your travel plans-and the vacation photos and souvenirs
* Entertain with joy
Regina reveals her magic formula for organizing anything, plus her method to stop the chronic cycles of clutter, misplaced items, and lateness. Whether you're living in chaos or just looking for new ways to simplify, this essential book will help you get the whole household organized - and stay that way.
Take the Stress Out of Organizing
By Woman's Day, April 6, 2010
If just the idea of getting organized makes you feel overwhelmed, think on the small side. Micro-organizing gives you the same sense of accomplishment without all the hassle. Here's how it works: Instead of spending hours tackling the entire house, pick one small thing that you can put in order in a fraction of the time. Who knows? It might just spur you to do more.
Glove Compartment
Admit it: You're really not sure what's in there. Well, now's the time to find out. "Have a trash bag handy when you empty the contents so you can quickly toss old maps, stale gum and anything else you don't need," says Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life. Once you have it cleared out, give the inside a quick swipe with a moist towelette to pick up any dirt and dust. Then neatly put back only necessary items. "The glove box is really meant to hold the car manual," says Leeds. "But you may also want to store your registration and any repair receipts in there as well." Add a battery-loaded flashlight. "And one of the most important and useful items to store there is the LifeHammer," she adds. "In the event of an emergency it can shatter a side window or cut your seat belt strap." ($15; lifehammer.com)
Makeup Bag
A quick way to streamline your purse is by purging your cosmetics. You don't need to carry so much with you at all times. "If you don't remember when you bought it, toss it," says Jamie Novak, author of The Get Organized Answer Book. "Most products are only healthy for six months to a year, and for mascara it's even less-about three months." Sort your remaining cosmetics into three piles: Everyday (go-to basics, neutrals, glosses), Daytime (alternate day shades to replace a neutral when the mood strikes) and Evening (deep, saturated or pearlized hues). "Use clear plastic bags for each group," suggests Novak. "That way you're not sifting through red lipstick to find your everyday neutral. And since the bags are clear, you can grab the exact one you need at a glance, toss it in your purse and go."
Family Bulletin Board
For many of us it's command central. But it's also a clutter magnet with so many papers tacked up haphazardly that you don't know what's actually there. Step one: Pull it all down and throw out anything that's outdated or no longer needed, says Lorie Marrero, author of The Clutter Diet. Step two: Create sections by family member or by category (like Schedules, To Do, etc.). You can even use colored painter's tape to create sections if you like color-coding. Now you'll know exactly where your son's soccer schedule - and everything else - okoihiu98goes.
Junk Drawer
Why waste valuable kitchen space with a drawer full of junk? Put this clutter catchall to better use. "First of all, don't just dump out everything and create a new mess," says Leeds. Be more methodical. Take items out one at a time, matching them up by category as you go. Next assess what you have - and be honest. Do you really need five pairs of chopsticks? That assortment of packaged condiments? Toss as much as you can. "And move as many items as possible to more appropriate locations," says Leeds. Found a hammer and screwdriver in there? Those should live in your toolbox. A sparkly barrette? Back into your daughter's room it goes. Wipe out the drawer and insert a clear acrylic drawer organizer; you can even use a kitchen utensil organizer. When you return the remaining items you'll actually use to the drawer, they'll stay neatly corralled.
Freezer
Tired of battling the frozen tundra just to find something to defrost? Here's how to grab and go: "Group like items together: all veggies in one area, all frozen treats in another, all leftovers in another, and so on," suggests Novak. Clearly label leftovers' freezer bags or plastic containers with a dry erase marker. "And to prevent boxes or bags of veggies from toppling over, place them between two metal bookends."
Cell Phone
An alphabetized list of contacts is great, but a categorized one is even better. It's easy to organize your cell phone contact list this way. "Just add a letter representing a particular category to the front of the entry," says Novak. For instance, use R for restaurants, C for carpool - you get the idea. "Now all the entries will group together alphabetically, making it easier for you to find the person or place you're looking for."
Help Getting Pregnant
Review of One Year to an Organized Life
March 16, 2010
I own over 30 Get Organized books and by far this is the 1 that has made it finally happen for me.The author is witty and straight forward.Organization Tasks are broken down into categories (i.e. kitchen, bedroom, etc.)and are assigned to you to do during a specific month of the year.However, where this book made a difference for me is each month is broken down into weeks, and each week we are given assignments to be completed that are not overwhelming - just baby steps that are part of the huge overwhelming mess we have created by being unorganized.I highly recommend this book as it holds your hand and never allows you to have to decide "what am I going to do next". It takes the guess work out of organizing, and where my hiccups come in, is trying to decide where to start - well this book removes that by braking everything down for you.Very simple organizing education, it is like having your own personal organizer with you every step of the way, every day.
Product Description
The organized way to get organized: a week-by-week plan to forever streamline all aspects of your life.
Who would you be if you felt at peace and had more time and money? An organized life enables you to have more freedom, less aggravation, better health, and to get more done. For nearly twenty years, Regina Leeds - named Best Organizer by Los Angeles magazine - has helped even the messiest turn their lives around. Anyone can get organized-she'll prove it to you! One Year to an Organized Life is a unique week-by-week approach that you can begin at any time of year. Regina helps you break down tasks and build routines over time so that life becomes simple, not overwhelming.
*Master time management
*Make your kitchen efficient
*Permanently organize closets and drawers
*Deal with your finances
*Reclaim "dumping grounds" like the guest room, garage and basement
*Declutter the kids' rooms
*Organize your travel plans-and the vacation photos and souvenirs
*Entertain with joy
Regina reveals her magic formula for organizing anything, plus her method to stop the chronic cycles of clutter, misplaced items, and lateness. Whether you're living in chaos or just looking for new ways to simplify, this essential book will help you get the whole household organized-and stay that way.
PathsToKnowledge.com
Regina Leeds
By Reverend Keith on January 3, 2010
A new favorite on my list of organizational gurus, Regina Leeds is known as the "Zen Organizer". She explains in her books that what she is trying to bring to her readers is the feeling of peace, calm and clean that she experienced in her own (well-organized) childhood home. She believes that organization isn't simply done for it's own sake. "Newly organized areas of my clients' homes quite literally felt different than they had before we began our work of transforming the space." In describing this change of atmosphere, she expressed it as "Zen Organizing".
Here at PathsToKnowledge, of course, we don't limit our Zen to organization. But its very refreshing to read an organizer who understands that the primary purpose of organization is to gain an inner sense of peace that you simply can't have if you're life is constantly controlled and interrupted by the chaotic situations in which you try to live and work.
Regina's most recent books are a trio based on the excellent model of breaking down our efforts to organize into a year of simply weekly tasks. To begin with general organization, Regina wrote One Year to an Organized Life, which I've reviewed previously. Extending this method specifically into the work environment, she next produced One Year to an Organized Work Life - which I still need to read, and finally in 2010 came out -ith One Year to an Organized Financial Life - saving what is for me the hardest topic for last.
Together, this trio of books takes a direct, hand - held approach to guiding you through the process of acquiring all the habits and values that will make you a more peaceful, calm, happy and (of course) organized person.
In addition to writing, Regina seems to be a very active professional organizer, with seminars, workshops and consulting appointments in addition to serving individual clients. She was named "Best Organizer in LA" by Los Angeles Magazine, and even has a former career in acting - which no doubt helps when getting her points across in seminars.
The psychology of clutter
By Heather Grimshaw Special to The Denver Post
Our stuff has a powerful grip.
"People turn physical objects into magic talismans that connect them to memories (and) better times in their lives," says Regina Leeds, author of "One Year to an Organized Life" (Da Capo Press, 2007).
Professional organizers walk a tightrope between therapy and physical order. Most clients are garden-variety clutterbugs in search of help storing old magazines, arranging unmarked photographs and eliminating the unused things that line every surface of their home or workplace.
But a few cases illustrate the deeper psychological elements of clutter: One client keeps a box full of cashmere sweaters from high school even though they are riddled with moth holes and far too small to wear; another stores the ashes of his deceased wife in a closet; a third needs a therapist simply to sort through his boxes of stuff.
Getting organized may have more to do with psychology than piles of possessions, according to professional organizers and the people who hire them. From low self-esteem and an inability to make decisions, psychology shapes a person's relationship to his or her space and stuff. So the key to more organized lives may lie within the gray matter of the mind.
Leeds has logged 20 years as a professional organizer. "Your home should be your sanctuary, your buffer against the world," says this author who also calls herself a Zen organizer. "It is torture if you're living in chaos."
On a daily basis, organizers like Leeds suggest clients make simple, positive habit changes - such as washing and stowing dishes immediately after use, and making beds each morning to establish a foundation for an organized, healthy, effective life.
Yet guilt, grief and attachment are common motivations for retaining old things well past their expiration date. Many professional organizers and psychologists, who often refer clients to each other, believe that clutter can be indicative of underlying psychological issues.
"It can be an obsessive disorder in which the person is immobilized in terms of action," says Elizabeth Robinson, a psychologist in Denver. "I think there is a great fear of making a decision that could be wrong, of feeling something like regret or loss or guilt about getting rid" of things.
There are about 75 Colorado members of the National Association of Professional Organizers. These people specialize in corporate, residential and time management organization, and charge $50 to $200 per hour.
Teri Lynn Mabbitt is president of the state chapter. She says disorganization is a symptom of something else. "The art is in digging deep to understand the cause," says Mabbitt, who owns Chaos 2 Calm in Denver.
The first step for many organizers is to ask clients a series of questions about their homes and the items in them.
Krista Socash is a spiritual counselor and clairvoyant in Arvada who teaches energy healing classes and offers organizational help to clients whose clutter has reached a fever pitch. These are generally people who cannot walk through their rooms without tipping piles and become panicked by the thought of sorting through it all.
"These people are in a lot of pain," she says. "Much like people who use drugs as an (escape), some people cannot get rid of their stuff."
To help clients process ties to clutter, Socash asks people how each item in the room enhances their lives: Do you like this item? Does it weigh you down? Do you feel stuck to it?
Things that clients do not want to part with are put into a bin for a week.
"At the end of the week if they remember what is in the bin," she says, "they can keep it."
Helen Kearney hired Mabbitt to organize a few rooms in her home. The Boulder sales professional had trouble with change but says there was a "feeling of total relief" once she saw the benefit to grouping like items together.
"Talk about a transformation," she says. "It was so simple, but I couldn't see how to do it all... Teri really helped me with the dark corners where I would always shove stuff."
Kearney also spent the past two years working with a therapist trained in feng shui who helped streamline her household habits. She realizes now that growing up in a messy, overcrowded house taught her certain habits, like leaving food on the counters overnight, half-empty coffee cups in the bathroom, and drawers and cabinets askew.
"I was never taught to hang my coat on a hook," she says. "Having a spot (now) to always put my wallet and phone is a miracle."
Four kinds of clutter
Teri Lynn Mabbitt, a professional organizer in Denver, believes there are four categories of clutter.
Technical: Clutter that causes space restrictions and an overall lack of storage space.
Life changes: Clutter caused by a new baby, a death in the family, a move or anything that has thrown a life out of balance.
Behavioral/psychological: Clutter caused by depression, attention deficit disorder, low self-esteem or lack of personal boundaries.
Time/life management: Clutter caused by the need for better planning.
Of these, the behavioral/psychological-driven clutter is the hardest to solve.
Regina Leeds, author of "One Year to an Organized Life," says there are three basic steps to organization: Eliminate, categorize and then organize. Among her tips:
Start with closets. If you are holding onto a piece of clothing that belonged to someone who has died, consider keeping a swatch of fabric in a shadow box instead.
Clutter control
Here are some ideas from the domestic gurus at Better Homes and Gardens magazine for gaining control of common home clutter zones.
Let storage components climb the walls of your home office, and rearrange your work space so regularly used supplies are accessible and others are out of the way.
Use the "handle it once" rule to keep papers from piling up. Immediately toss, file, pass on or mail off paperwork rather than revisiting it later. Labeled hanging files provide a quick, tidy place to stash paperwork.
Correspond via phone or e-mail to prevent a paperwork backlog.
Stash office supplies out of sight. Choose small-scale tape dispensers, staplers, pencil sharpeners and the like; full-size ones hog more space.
Store clips and rubber bands by the batch. Spice jars, secured with commercial grade hook-and-loop tape under cabinets, will do nicely.
Put an end to a jumble of jewelry in the bathroom, bedroom or closet with a ceramic egg tray found in the kitchen supply aisle. Tuck earrings and necklaces away in little cups so they will never get lost or separated again.
Reserve a drawer in the family room for board games. A divided bin is a winning solution for corralling all those tiny game pieces.
Replace door panels with pegboard in the laundry room for storage on both sides of the door.
Build plywood cubbies in the garage to span an entire wall. Be sure to attach them to studs.
Add adjustable shelves in the garage to accommodate camping gear and other bulky stuff. Smaller knickknacks and holiday ornaments are for stackable containers.
Ask yourself these questions when deciding what to keep and what to throw out: Has it expired? Is it used? Is it a duplicate? Is it a good fit?
Book roundup: Self-help titles
By Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY
....
One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good by Regina Leeds (Da Capo, 309 pp., $16.95). Leeds is known as the "Zen Organizer." This 12-month guide offers the chronically messy a genuine sense of serenity. Leeds' approach: First, you envision the life you want for yourself and your family in terms of space and spirit. Then you take concrete steps to implement that dream. The book is a mixture of gentle tips, mental exercises and practical advice to assist the reader. The book isn't about rigid dictums, cast-iron to-do lists or expensive products. An L.A. resident, Leeds' tone is unusual: very creative and appealingly New Age.
Library Sciences Site
Books That Have Changed Lives
Paula Laurita, BellaOnline's Library Sciences Editor
Regina Leeds, the New York Times bestselling author of One Year to an Organized Life reminisces that, "As an only child growing up in Brooklyn, New York I was over-protected and sheltered by my parents. I found my solace in books. My favorite author was Charles Dickens. When I was 18 I went to London for the first time and had the honor of visiting his home. To stand at the desk where Miss Havisham was created was truly overwhelming. No fiction book has ever touched me like Great Expectations! Reading takes you on adventures and opens the world to you...even one your over protective parents are afraid to let you experience 'for real!'"
Boone Bridge Books
One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week by Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good
Reviews
Library Journal (01/15/2008)
From professional organizer and author Leeds ("The Zen of Organizing") comes the perfect book for anyone wanting to find important papers instantly or have a navigable closet. The author divides getting organized into 12 monthly sections with four weekly tasks. The first week of every month is devoted to journaling and understanding the psychology of disorganization. The remaining three weeks of every month are for tasks like creating a bedroom sanctuary, packing wisely for trips, and creating a festive holiday atmosphere. Full of useful information for everyone, from the person who needs simply to clean a messy desk to the person requiring a whole new approach to life; highly recommended for all libraries. Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information.
Simply Stated. A blog from RealSimple.com
Inspiration
5 Organization Books I Love
Posted on May 29, 2008 7:28:00 AM By ErinDoland
2. Regina Leeds' One Year to an Organized Life. This is the most realistic home organization book on the market. Leeds doesn't tiptoe around the issue that organizing your home is a process and that it will take time to reach your goals. I wish the book had a less daunting title, but that's my only serious complaint about the work. If you're looking for a long-term solution to your organizing problem, you'll want to read this book.
New Year's Resolutions Start at Home
By Jodi Helmer
Jan 13th 2010
In the spirit of the New Year, resolve to spend time on projects that help your personal space reflect your personal style.
"Too many people ignore their homes when it comes to making New Year's resolutions," says Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life. "Your home is a place that should reflect who you are, so it's the logical place to begin when you're setting goals for the New Year."
We came up with a few resolutions to get you started:
Resolution: Frame the artwork and family photos that have been gathering dust in the back of the closet.
You could: Take all of your prints and pictures to a custom frame shop where you can sift through thousands of frames and countless types of photo mats. Sure, the results will be spectacular, but you'll likely spend an amount equivalent to your monthly mortgage to have it done by the pros.
You should: Spend an afternoon wandering through a craft store (with your prints) assessing your options for DIY framing. The shelves are stocked with frames in all sizes and precut mats in a rainbow of colors -- all at a fraction of the price of custom framing. Achieving a custom look is just a matter of mixing and matching the frames and mats. "You can also buy a precut mat and cover it with a patterned fabric," suggests Caroline Tiger, who blogs about design at design-phan. "You can get the fabric, cheap, in a fabric store or on etsy.com, where people sell vintage fabrics. And just glue it on...no sewing required."
Resolution: Seal the drafts coming through the windows to help cut your energy bills.
You could: Replace all of the windows in your home. The project, which requires a team of professional installers, is expensive. In fact, it can cost up to $1,000 to replace a single window. And according to Remodeling magazine, the ROI of new windows is limited: Homeowners will recoup just 77% of their original investment during resale.
You should: Pick up insulating film with a low-E coating at a home improvement store. The film has an invisible layer of metallic oxide that traps heat indoors and helps reduce heat loss through older windows by up to 40%. Unlike the bulky plastic film your parents used to cover the windows during the winter of 1978, this film fits seamlessly over your windows. Home improvement stores sell low-E film for $3 to $12 per square foot. You'll save enough on your heating bills to splurge on a pedicure!
Resolution: Make your home more secure.
Recommended Information
Shop & Store, Better Homes & Gardens Diabetic Living
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