5 steps to organize any room

Alright…you are working through your summer checklist and it’s time to organize that room that has been taunting you since the winter. Here are some foolproof tips to make the design and re-organization successful: 1. Determine purpose-  Decide how you want the room to be used and what activities you will be doing in the space. This provides a framework for what items will actually stay in the room. 2. Create a Plan- Sketch the room on graph paper. Then have fun and cut out furniture to scale (similar to what you already have in the room) from magazines! You can move the pieces around until you find the perfect flow and layout. No more moving heavy furniture several times! 3. Proper Homes-  Think of where you will habitually execute a task. Once you determine the best place to do something, gather all the materials you need to do that chore and put them into the location you previously chose. Group similar activities together into “zones” 4. Be Honest- Always ask yourself, “Do I need this?”, “Is it worth making room for?”, “Does it take me closer to the goal I have for using this space?” 5. Revisit Always assess the design and organization of your space. A change in your method of doing things always means a tweak for your space.

Vacation made easy

My family and I recently returned from a seven day cruise in the Western Caribbean. It probably goes without saying that cruise ships make being organized while far from home as simple as breathing. I was in my glory and every family member benefited from the ease in which we were able to relax! I was most impressed with the stateroom I had on the ship. I spent the first half hour on board getting acquainted with my fabulously laid out cabin. It was refreshing to be in a space designed so well to accommodate every need I might have. The bathroom lacked counter space but made up for it with a variety of shelves and cabinets tucked away from view. I could unload everything and not have to look at it! The dresser, vanity and closet had ample space for 4 girl’s clothes, including several small cabinets and drawers to hide away all our non-clothing items, all organized by use and in their assigned storage spaces! I couldn’t lose anything because all my "stuff" had a home. This assured that I came back from vacation with everything I left with, too. I was in love with this cabin, which made my vacation so enjoyable given the fact that I was sharing the space with three other women. The layout of the ship was a thing of beauty, too. I want to meet the “convenience gurus” who thought out the floor plan of each deck and cabin. They could not have made it any easier to get to where I wanted to go, anywhere in the ship. When you consider that over 5000 people have to share a 160,000 ton vessel for seven days the level or organization needed is staggering. I loved it!

Happy July 4th!

I want to wish you all a Happy July 4th! I hope you enjoy this day with family and friends but also remember the reason why we celebrate this pivotal moment in history. While traveling over the last couple weeks I witnessed a bit of the beauty but also the poverty and oppression in other parts of the world. It was a sobering experience to reflect on what I take for granted back home.

Let’s take the time to remember and acknowledge today the incredible sacrifice of many determined men and women over 230 years ago who stood up against tyranny and governmental injustice to pave the way for the birth of our nation and set the foundation for the freedoms we have today.

Never take them for granted. The rights we have now were fought for and are still being protected today against those who would slowly take them away. Have a wonderful day and I hope you celebrate this great country of ours with those close to you!

Stress free vacations

There are so many areas of my life that are positively affected by being organized. One of which is preparation for a trip or vacation. I look forward to our family vacation every year. It is a chance for us to decompress and slow down. And I have learned that nothing delays that wonderful relaxation process like rushing into our excursions stressed and wondering if I have forgotten something. The chaotic feelings and approach to planning for a trip can especially cost you in the long run if your travels take you internationally. We will be leaving the US for the first time in a short week. Passports, tickets and other vital documents are so essential to making these trips memorable and easy, that forgetting them leads to last minute disasters and often panic. When packing I always use a list. It grows and receives additions depending on what the trip requires. However, I consistently include the articles of clothing, hygiene essentials and other items I cannot afford to forget. This makes packing go so quick and I have peace of mind knowing I have not left anything behind. If you really feel ambitious, consider including a short list of contents in the top of each suitcase. These are especially great for kid’s bags to ensure clothing is worn for the right occasion, not to mention that all clothes come back. No more confusion and outfits being used on the wrong day! Whether you create a printed list or a simple handwritten one try it out to experience another benefit of organization!

Cell phone storage

I am always on the lookout for cool organizing products that actually serve a purpose. As we all know, there is nothing worse than a gadget that doesn’t live up to its expectations and makes life more difficult. How about those unruly cell phones, PDAs and mp3 players? What happens when you charge them? Electrical cords end up all over the counter and the device just lays there. To solve this problem check out the driinn® Mobile Phone Holder available online. It hangs from the battery charger in your wall, corrals the charging cord and gives you an accessible platform to simply lift the device off of. On top of that it comes in great colors. So if your family share plan required you all to have the same phone at least the different colors will tell your daughter’s and son’s phone apart! This product can be bought online at the driin® website.

15 minute organizing

Ok so many organizing gurus out there say you can get organized in as little as 15 minutes a day. Sounds like another one of those miracle exercise programs, doesn’t it? “All it takes is five minutes a day to the perfect butt!” Yea, sure.

But what do they really mean? I have told several people that they can work on a space for as little as 15 minutes at a time and feel like they have made progress. Let’s face it though…if you really want to wrap up a project, you need to put more time into it.

For big endeavors you will have to spend MANY 15 minute intervals doing what you could accomplish in just a few short hours. It takes time to get in a rhythm, and constantly starting and stopping the cycle doesn’t yield major results.

Focusing on a small task for 15 minutes is much different. Think of it as, “I will clear this coffee table in fifteen minutes”, or “I will got through three files in fifteen minutes”.

If you truly want to accomplish a larger scale project, designate a time and commit several hours to it. You will then see noticeable results and feel satisfied with the work you have accomplished.

I'm AWAKE!

I often get caught up in the past. Isn’t it easy to bring yesterday’s baggage with us into today? Sometimes I might even check baggage from months ago…It could be as simple as criticizing myself for making a turn that sent me on a ten minute detour to dwelling on an honest mistake I have made. What I don’t often look at is the mental and physical drain it takes on me to focus on the negative. If I dwell on what I can’t change in the past long enough I have little energy or motivation to conquer today. I try to catch myself in those situations and take emotions to a positive plain. And what do you know…I am more productive that day. I only am guaranteed this moment anyway. I notice with many of my organizing clients they bring “organizational failures” into a new project. They talk about a fool-proof tip that failed, how their family doesn’t keep things organized after they fix a room or about their own perceived ineptitude at being organized. While the root problem and unsuccessful attempts are instrumental in helping a client overcome current problems, dwelling on things that can’t be changed from the past de-motivates them. If bursts their balloon of energy and desire to succeed. Part of my job as the organizer is to encourage them and guide them through the journey. On the flip side success takes individual motivation, too. I was listening to a presentation at a business networking meeting last week and the presenter was talking about how her little daughter gets up every morning. Very first thing she will get out of bed and in her pajamas run to the top of the stairs. This little girl will then take a wide stance, throw her hands up in the air and shout, “I’m AWAKE!” What a great, clean start to the day. What would happen if we left our criticisms of our past mistakes at the door when we took up a new project and approached it with a fresh start?