…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space
The reason that I became so interested in clutter busting is that I have had to do a fair share of de-cluttering in my life.
I have the reputation at my place of employment of being the “go to” person if someone needs historical data. At home I am the keeper of family memories and traditions. And I have personally organized, down-sized and moved at least three of my elder family member’s homes. [Read more…] about Confessions from the Clutter Busting Coach
On January 1, 2011 my post encouraged you to determine what you were longing for. So in order to walk the talk, I inventoried my longings.
The longing that stood out for me and the one I am focused on for 2011 is balance. And what does that mean for me?
I believe that my life is out of balance because I am constantly struggling with “doing” versus “being”. And my life is currently focused on doing the responsible thing versus following my passion.
Now I not saying I am not going to pay my bills or grocery shop. What I am saying is that there is a way to live the life of your (my) dreams (even if it is in little bits).
Knowledge is power and identifying this longing …acknowledging that this struggle is creating chaos for me and throwing me off balance is the first step in process.
I invite you to join me in my journey to find balance, to conquer chaos in my own life and to thrive in 2011. Join me by checking out the post on my website regularly to see how my journey unfolds.
Here are a few tips for getting organized for good. These tips can be used in specific areas of the house or anywhere:
O – One in, one out. Use this rule to limit your stuff. If you bring something new in, something old must go.
R – Routines are crucial. Daily, weekly, monthly and yearly schedules for organizing, cleaning and maintaining will keep you clutter-free.
G – Get help. Enlist your family to stop chaos. If needed, get the help of a friend or professional organizer.
A – Assign a place for everything and put everything in its place. Store things where there are used so it is easier to put them away.
N – Note it. Create a book with critical information in one place. This is where schedulers, phone numbers, invitations and other important information can be found.
I – Institute a system for actions like paying bills, filing and follow up actions. Placing paper in action files can corral paper clutter and stop your piles from growing.
Z – Zip things into bags (mesh or plastic depending on the items). You can do this for lost items, the dry cleaning or small items.
E – Evaluate what is and isn’t working for you. Take a few minutes to identify one or two area of your home that are clutter and ask yourself what’s working or not and brainstorm some solutions.
Using these “organizing” tips can help tame chaos and keep you clutter-free. I would love to hear a tip or two from you.
Just because you can buy 20 pounds of chicken at a time or a 64 pack of paper towels, should you? Does it make sense for you to buy in bulk?
Buying in bulk can make sense, but keep these questions in mind:
• Do you the storage space for it?
• Will you use it within the next (you pick the time frame)?
• Is it the right size for your needs? A quart can of tomato paste, really?
• Will it end up costing your more in waste when you throw out an expired item?
I think that buying in bulk makes sense for some, just go with a plan and don’t impulse buy and you should be okay.
As I was organizing and sorting my magazines (I was a little behind), I came across a great article in January 2010 issue of Prevention magazine that shared several ideas from authors, readers and staff about what works for them.
Personally, I use two binders. One is small with page protector sheets that hold my handwritten or typed recipe cards that I started years ago and that used to be in a recipe box. The other is a letter size three-ring binder that also holds page protectors where I have inserted recipes (keepers) from various sources. It also has pockets in the front of each section for untried recipes (which I clean out every three to four months if they haven’t been used yet). I have used this binder system for several years now and was just questioning what about it was and wasn’t working for me when I came across the article I referenced above.
I was really intrigued by the suggestion of organizing recipes by seasons because I do cook that way (winter versus summer dishes) and then I also recently saw a cute recipe box and I do have all those 3”x5” recipe cards that are in the small binder and would a recipe box serve me better?
Yet another question is: do I really need to cut and keep recipes from magazines or the newspaper any more since there are websites that have hundreds of recipes for all kinds of dishes and foods. And you can also use your computer to electroncially organize your recipes rather than have actual paper recipes.
Hmmm… Is it time to organize my recipes differently? Is it time that you organized yours?