Don't bring it home

When we are away from home and the clutter it is easy to buy something and think it will fit right in at the house.  But our homes are so often filled with these types of items, the impulse purchases we make because we couldn’t resist acquiring them.  A huge part of clutter management involves being brutally stringent about what comes through the door.   

When you are out and about and something catches your eye ask yourself these questions before you walk away with a new trinket…

“Do I truly need this?  Can I live without it?  Is this thing necessary for me to live my life?”

“Do I have a place for this item to reside?”

You must be honest from the beginning.  If you answered “no” to any of the questions above the item should not find a home with you!  If you absolutely need to bring something back and space is limited decide before you leave the store what item at home can go to make room for the new purchase.  

Procrastination and how to beat it

So what exactly is procrastination and how does it affect us?  Procrastination is the postponement of action.  As a result we get caught taking action at the last possible moment.  This practice leads to tyranny of the urgent instead of what is of long term benefit or importance.  Tasks that should have been fulfilled at an earlier time are addressed at that very moment, pushing other tasks out of the way.

Procrastination can make you scurry around at the last minute.  This frenzy takes time away from other important tasks, activities or even your time to relax. You always lose your buffer when you push things off and a time buffer can be a great way to plan for the unexpected. 

The urge to procrastinate can stem from fear, forgetfulness and disorganization.  First, the fear of doing the task or what the outcome may be (one task has now become five new tasks) can delay the start of a task.  Second, simply forgetting to do it because the task was not recorded can be an indirect problem, or not having what you need when you need it (disorganization) can make the task too hard to start. 

So how do we stop procrastinating?  Do not put tasks off until the last minute.  This creates unnecessary stress.  Always build in a buffer time to complete things or get places.  Break bigger things down into smaller steps if they feel overwhelming and the temptation is there to put stuff off. 

This next practice can be hard especially with small kids or a busy job, but try to limit distractions that can make it easier to procrastinate.  Stay away from the computer, tv and phone if you have something important to work on!  We sometimes enable ourselves in bad habits so we can put things off.  

Finally, set realistic expectations of yourself and what your schedule will allow.  More time to complete a task means you are not pressured by the deadline and can actually plan milestones and steps for completing the tasks in a timely manner.  

How to help your child clean their room

One of a parent’s big challenges is helping a child into the consistent habit of cleaning up his/her room.  This can be especially daunting when the child is young and easily distractible.  Many parents will tell a child to clean a room, only to come up 30 minutes later and find that not only is the room no better than before, but the child is playing with all the toys.  Giving your child a step by step process for cleaning a room when they are young is key to helping them maintain the habit as they get older.

Children are just as overwhelmed by clutter as adults, and the problem is multiplied when there is not a home for anything.  They are told to clean up yet they do not know where to start and they don’t know where anything should go.  Before a routine is set up the room should be (ideally) purged of unnecessary toys and a system of storage put in place.  Make sure to label all containers!  You have now set your child up for success by assigning everything a home.

Second, create a checklist for them to follow.  When you say, “Go clean your room”, there should be a process they can follow and replicate easily without your presence.  You may need to be there the first few times to keep them on track, but eventually your child should be able to execute the plan without you.

The checklist can have pictures if your child is not of reading age and the list should be short.  The most effective ones I have seen direct children to groups of toys and go something like this:

1. Put away all your books
2. Put away GI Joes
3. Put legos in bins
4. Spend 5 minutes putting clothes in drawers
5. etc

Remember to keep it simple and make the number of steps appropriate to the age of the child.  The younger the child the simpler the list and steps should be.  Make the checklist fun and decorate it.  You can laminate it and hang it on the door knob or just put it on the wall.  The bottom line is to give your child a structure so cleaning a bedroom won’t be as daunting anymore!

Tax preparation made easy

At this time of year when taxes are due it always makes sense to review what changes we can implement to make the process easier for the upcoming year.  With the 2011 tax season drawing to a close you may want to review your paper system for 2012.  Were there documents you searched for?  Did you spend extra time compiling numbers you needed?  Even though a few of these tips are repeats from previous blogs they are worth looking at again:

-Whether you use a hanging file with interior folders, a divided tote or a binder with pockets, you should have one place where all your tax related paperwork goes throughout the year.  Keep the paperwork somewhat accessible so you can add documents as they arrive.  Leaving tax-related paper out to be filed at a later time can result in the documents never making it to the storage area. 

-While this list is not exhaustive, here are some sub-categories you could have and the documents within them.  If you run across another sub-category make a folder for it: “Charity” for any non profit donations you make, “Medical Expenses” for any health expenses you can claim, “Tax Documents”  for all end of the year statements (financial statements, 1099-HCs, 1099s, W2s, etc), “Income” for paystubs, rental income, prizes etc.

-If you do not have Quicken or Quickbooks it can be helpful to maintain a spreadsheet throughout the year.  As you incur an expense it can go on the spreadsheet in a specific category.  At the end of the year you will have the total number for each area and not wasted time reconciling receipts.  Examples of good expenses to track would be medical, education, mileage and travel etc. 

Of course all of the above are just guidelines and a basic structure.  Take some time to properly set up for 2012 and make it your own!

Keeping appliances dust free

Do you remember those plastic zippered bags that comforters and sheets often come in from the manufacturer?  I have never liked them much, mostly because in many clients’ houses I run across extensive collections of these bags!  People are always keeping them hoping they will come in handy during some organizing project.  The occasion almost never arrives and we end up recycling the bags.  However, a couple weeks ago I can honestly say that a client and I discovered a great use for these bags. 

She had a small fan we wanted to store in the basement but we did not want it to accumulate dust.  So we popped it into one of the old comforter bags.  The bag zipped up easily, the fan is in a transparent “container” and the fan will not be covered in dust when she is ready to use it again.  These bags can also be used to store small appliances or other items in a dusty area so they are clean and ready to use.  Try this super easy and inexpensive idea at home!

A creative method for storing electrical cords

While organizing solo in a client's spare room a couple weeks ago I ran across a trash bag full of empty toilet paper rolls.  Upon my client's arrival home later that day she would look through a pile of suggested trash so I quickly added this bag to the pile.  About an hour later I came across a gathering of electronics and cords and had to laugh when I saw her creative and simple method for keeping small extension cords under control...

She had bundled a long cord up and slipped it inside a toilet paper roll.  What a great idea!  This solution costs no money and it is so easy.  I absolutely loved her creativity.  I went back to the bag of toilet paper rolls and pulled a couple out for her...

Never forget the food you have again

Many of us, myself included, have a limited number of narrow yet deep kitchen cabinets in combination with no pantry!  I understand first hand how hard it can be to keep track of food buried in small cupboards.  It becomes difficult to use food before it expires and keep track of the cabinet contents.  So I came up with a quick solution that works great for my needs and I want to share it. 

I posted a small (8x11) dry erase board on my fridge.  I created two columns, one for the cabinets and one for my freezer, yet another area that food can get buried in.  In one column I listed all the food items I had stashed in the deepest recesses of my cabinets such as mustard, jellies, bulk coffee purchases etc.  I only wrote down the items I cannot see if I open the cabinet door.

In the other column I recorded the foods I have in my freezer, the steaks, chicken etc that I keep individually wrapped but can never see.  Now with a quick glance at my white board I can know exactly what I have, where it is and how much!  No more guessing and digging when I create my shopping list.