Organize This, Organize That

"Getting organized is one of the top five New Year's resolutions people make."
~Standolyn Robertson, president of the National Association of Professional Organizers

Did you make a resolution to get organized this year? I think the majority of us make this resolution in one way or another. My resolution was to set up household routines and stick to them so that I can have more fun. Part of that will be getting things organized, so yeah, I made that resolution too. :) I can certainly understand why so many of us make these types of resolutions. The new year symbolizes a "fresh start." And our external environment is often a reflection of our internal environment - a cluttered home (or work space) reflects a cluttered mind.

Since January is National Get-Organized Month, I thought I would list some tips and tools for getting organized.

Lighten Up: Feng shui experts have found that well-lit areas tend to have less clutter. Look around your home and see if this is true for you. I know it is for me! If it's cloudy or dark in the house I feel like I can get by with doing less - I don't see the dust and mess as clear as I would if it were bright in the house. Add some brighter lamps, open up the curtains - let the sun shine in.

A Home for Loose Items: We all have these areas in our homes, they tend to be the hot spots - where we set all the little things that seem to float around the house (magazines, remotes, keys). Find a basket for each type of item so that it will have a home - other than the flat surface you are trying to keep clean.

Store items close to where they are used: Does your family play games in the living room? Set a nearby shelf or closet aside to store them. Do you craft? Think about setting up a crafting area near where you craft. Storing items close to where we use them increases the likely hood that they will be put away when we are finished with them.

Websites: There are a ton of organizational websites out there for your use. Here a  few that I use on a regular basis.

• Organized Home - Clean House, Cut Clutter, Get Organized at Home!
• Flylady - Creating routines, decluttering, cleaning by zones all 15 minutes at a time. Flylady's system is done using a Household Notebook. I personally love the notebook but I pick and choose what I use from the Flylady site. It doesn't all work for me.
• My Messy House - I use this for my Weekly House Blessing (Flylady term). Flylady has WHB on hour a week, that's impossible for me no matter how hard I try. So I use the My Messy House plan to do my WHB one room (lucky room of the day) per day (Monday - Friday).
• S.H.E.'s Organized - This is the home of Pam Young and Peggy Jones' Sidetracked Home Executives™ household management system. This is where I started. I am a proud SHE. This system is often referred to as being "in the box". It's set up with 3x5 cards and a box holder. I have incorporated a lot of Pam & Peggy's system into my Household Notebook.

Apps: I am sure there are a lot more apps and computer programs you can use for helping you get organized but here are just a few I use or have tried.

• Google Calendar - You can use this in place of a household notebook. I also have a few friends that use Outlook instead of a notebook. 
• Cozi - This is a free online organizer (there is also a free mobile app). You can use it for appointments, lists, blogging and you can share with family members online too!
• Home Routines - This an app for the itouch/iphone. This is one of my favorite organizational apps. I love this app. I have recommended this app to a few friends on Twitter too and they have loved it too. It is one app that is absolutely worth buying. One friend bought an itouch just to download this app. :)
• Awesome Note - This is another app for the itouch/iphone/ipad. I just downloaded it this weekend and I love this app as well. There are so many things you can do with this app - it's amazing. It ranks right up there with the Home Routines app and I've only had it about 3 days. 

So go have some fun getting organized this year! Remember this though - motivation follows action. Don't let yourself stop you from reaching your goals. Waiting for the motivation to strike or waiting until (insert whatever you are waiting for) often results in never reaching our goals. Vision what you want and then just go for it! Once you start working towards your goal, you'll be surprised how much motivation you will find to continue. Progress not perfection - life, organizing, loving ourselves -it's all a journey!

Do you have any tips or tricks for getting and staying organized? I'd love to hear them!

☮peace.♥love.☺joy

Photo here

Organize This, Organize That

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Holiday Grand Plan - Week Two

 Bean feeding the reindeer on Christmas Eve

Wow I can't believe how fast week one went.  I did get a fair amount of the work I had listed done,but I'll admit I didn't get many of the lists done.  The week was a bit off with the kids going back to school. I haven't quite settled into a new routine yet but it's getting there.  I'll be carrying over what lists I have to finish to this week, maybe I can get some of them done today.  You can check here to see what my plans were for last week & what I was actually able to get done.  I think I did well. :)

So here we are in week two of the plan.  This week is question week. If you're following the HGP cleaning plan the focus is on the living room, but for me I'm doing the Flylady zone so I'll be working in the kitchen.

My goals for the week are:

*Answer these questions:

1. Do I see Christmas time primarily as a time for entertaining friends and renewing long lost acquaintances or as a time for family?
2. How much emphasis do our Christmas activities place on the spiritual side of Christmas?
3. How involved is my family in the Christmas preparation?
4. What activities are particularly important to our family at Christmas? To myself?
5. Why do we observe the traditions we do in our house?
6. How important is an elaborately decorated house, homemade gifts or food, to my feelings about Christmas?
7. What would my ideal Christmas be like?

 *Holiday Prep

1. Buy extra flour, sugar, shortening, etc.
2. Make one extra meal for the freezer labeled HOLIDAY MEAL. This should be large enough to feed the family plus two people.
3. Develop ideas for gifts, decorations
4. Buy Christmas Card envelopes and address

*Chores - Flylady zone 2, for me that is the Kitchen

1. Wash walls
2. Clean knick knacks
3. Wash light fixtures
4. Wash blinds
5. Clean windows & screens
6. Clean all appliance inside & out - fridge, stove, microwave
   
7. Straighten & wash all cabinets and drawers
8. Clean trash can
9. Shine sink
10. Sweep & mop floor

So that is my plan for this week, we'll see what I am actually able to accomplish.  No matter what anything is better than nothing!
How did your planning go last week?
Are you starting to feel more excited about getting ready for Christmas?

Several others are also blogging about their Christmas preparations. You can find them all here & if you are just joining us please put your name & the link to your blog post about this week's Christmas prep in Mr. Linky.  Then we can all see what you are busy doing & come cheer you on!

Candace at Diary of a FlyBaby
Diane at DianeDenmark
Kelly at Life at the Quinn Home
Pippa at A Mother's Ramblings

Holiday Grand Plan - Week Two

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Holiday Grand Plan - Week One

Today is the day! It's the official start of the Holiday Grand Plan!  Are you excited?  A little nervous?  I am both of those things.;)  In case your not sure what I am talking about you can read all about it at Organized Christmas.

Week one is List and Porch Week. This is the week we will do all of our planning.  So don't feel as though since you didn't plan yet you can't join.  You've joined at the perfect time!

My goals for the week are: 

Lists: 

• Finish setting up my holiday binder. It's mostly done, I just need to print off a few recipes and maybe design a new cover if I have time.

• Make the following lists:

         * Start a master gift list
          * Christmas card list & list of designs to make
          * Menus for Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas, New Years
          * Baking list (for us & gift-giving)
             - Molasses Cookies
             - Nauvoo Gingerbread Cookies
             - Chocolate No-Bake Macaroons
             - Oatmeal Cookies
             - Shortbread Cookies
             - Rolled Sugar Cookies
             - Chocolate Chip Cookies
             - Candies – Fudge, Toffee, Peppermint bark, Hard rock candy, Peanut brittle, Chocolate covered   pretzels, Buckeye balls
          *Freezer meals list (had a list but seems to have disappeared)

Chores:

• Flylady zone 1 – for me that is dining room, patio & entrance

          * Outdoors
            -Paint front door
            -Buy new mat
            -Paint deck
            -Power wash front of house
            -Weed garden
          * Dining room
             - Plant in shower
            -Wash walls
            -Dust & clean wall art
            -Clean ceiling fan
            -Wash curtains
            -Clean windows & windowsills
            -Clean crystal
            -Clean tables & chairs
            -Vac area rug & mop floor

This is my "plan", now how much of that I actually accomplish may be a different story.  The main thing is anything I do get accomplished is better than nothing at all.

So are you ready to get started? 
What are your plans going to be? 

I am so excited and eager to get started and to share the next 18 weeks with all of you. And, remember-make this plan (or any other plan you are using) your own. Pleas link up your blog using Mr. Linky if you are going to attempt to join me on Sundays to plan for the upcoming week & discuss how we did the previous week.

Holiday Grand Plan - Week One

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Holiday Grand Plan

 Did you know there is only 118 days until Christmas?  Wow where did the year go? Are you the type that likes to plan ahead and do a little here and there leading up til Christmas?  Or do you wait and do it all in December?

I usually try to work on it a little a time.  Actually the first year that I did it in an organized fashion (on purpose) was about 3 years ago.  The year before I got pregnant with little E actually.  That year Christmas went so smooth and it was so much fun.  We were relaxed and enjoyed lots of activities together. It wasn't rushed and all crazy.  It was the one year I really felt like we truly enjoyed Christmas together.  I tried to reproduce those results when I was pg (uh, 24/7 morning sickness didn't help) and then again last year.  Last year went a little better, but still not great.  This year I'm going to try again.  I figure anything I can get done is better than nothing.

So, you wonder how I am going to do this?  Have you ever heard of the Holiday Grand Plan?  The Holiday Grand Plan is an 18 week program that was written by Katie Leckey  in 1992-1993. The Holiday Grand Plan is the Web's oldest Christmas organizing plan. 

Every week (starting on Sunday, August 30th) you are given an assignment.  Part of it will be decluttering/cleaning and the other part will be holiday related. Such as making your Christmas card list, baking and making some extra meals for the freezer.  The goal is by the time mid-December rolls around you are done. Done decorating, done shopping, done baking.  All. Done. Free to have fun with your family, to really enjoy the holidays and all the festivities.

Here is what my Holiday Grand Plan calendar looks like for this year. I was thinking that every Sunday I would come make a post about what the goal for the week is, talk a little bit about what I am doing to get ready for Christmas and I was hoping some of you might like to join me.  It doesn't matter if you can't do it all, heck I there will be weeks I'll be doing good just to think about doing the assignment, but every little bit helps.

So think about it, go check out the Holiday Grand Plan website, then come back here on Sunday and let's have some fun getting ready for Christmas!

Holiday Grand Plan

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