2021 Home Organizing Challenge. Week 2: Junk Drawer Organization
/What’s in your junk drawer? What to keep vs what to toss.
Read More2021 Home Organizing Challenge. Week 1: Paper Management.
/Welcome to our 1st ever 2021 Home Organizing Challenge. We hope to turn this into a yearly event.
What better time to start than January? This is the time many people resolve to get more organized. My job is to help, motivate, and hopefully inspire you to stay organized, long after the challenge is done.
Let’s start by doing a brain dump. Free your mind, write down anything and everything that you need to do. Sometimes just getting everything out makes me feel less stressed, even if i don’t actually do the items on the list! You can also just use any notebook, same concept.
First week we’ll start small. Paper Management. Now, I’m not asking you to go deep in your archives and pull out files from 5 years ago. We don’t want to overwhelm ourselves. Start now, where you are and move forward. Once you create a system for current paper, you can always go back when you feel ready to tackle it on.
Ready to Simplify? Let’s begin:
I’m going to ask you to go around your home and collect all the paper you see. Don’t include paper that is already in some sort of filing system, or archives. Go get all the junk mail, bills, magazines, forms, receipts, papers that need a home.
Separate into piles: To Recycle, To File, To-Do Eventually, To Do Now. Any forms or bills that are due within the week should go into the To Do Now pile. Make sure you get to them by the end of the week, if you can’t tackle it immediately. The key to not letting that “To Do Eventually” pile is to go through it weekly. Priorities often change, you may change your mind and move it to the Recycle Pile or it may end up being moved to To Do Now.
Set up a command centre for incoming papers so they have a home while they’re all in one place and waiting to be sorted.
Remember, maintenance is the key to staying organized. Make it a habit to tackle all incoming papers as soon as they enter the home. If you add this to your weekly routine, you’ll soon have your paper under control.
5 Ways to Start your Day off Right
/Especially on Monday mornings which don’t have a bad rep for no reason. First off, think about what your ideal day even looks like. What do you want to accomplish? Then try these tricks below and see if it will help you achieve your goals.
Try to sleep early so that you get your 8 hours of sleep. This is something I need to remind myself because I love my free time in the evenings.
Lay out your next day’s outfit. I’ll even lay out my kids clothes just because I want them to be as quick as possible in the morning without asking me tons of questions. Also, leave whatever you need for the next day by the front door so it’s easy to grab and go. If it’s returns you have to do, your work bag, an umbrella if there is rain just leave them in a handy spot by the door.
Start your day with intention. Review your schedule the night before. Plan your day in advance so you know how your day will look. Less time wasted in figuring out what to do next. Even if they are small bite sized tasks, you’ll feel more productive crossing them off your list.
Exercise. Go out for a quick walk. Getting your blood pumping first thing in the morning will energize you. If you have time for a full workout, even better!
Eat a good breakfast. After all, it’s not called the most important meal of the day for no reason. A balanced meal will help you feel fuller longer. Breakfast replenishes blood sugar levels, which helps provide energy and improves concentration.
The key to having a great morning all depends on you. See what works for you, what makes you happy, and continue to do that.
Exercise and sleeping early are definitely areas I struggle in. What about you? What’s your morning routine look like? Anything you’d like to improve on?
Clutter Free Gift Ideas - covid edition
/So this year has been…..interesting, to say the least and I’m sure we’re all ready for a better 2021!
The holiday season can be a stressful time, regardless of our current situation. Additionally, we’re not going to the malls as often and can surely expect delays with online deliveries making it more challenging to pick out gifts,
I’ve compiled some clutter free gift ideas, most of which you could purchase from the comfort of your own home and they can still enjoy during the pandemic. (no international trips on the list!)
These gifts won’t add clutter to your loved ones homes, also they will help out the businesses you purchase from. Win win!
Happy Holidays everyone and hope you all stay safe!
Decluttering Sentimental Items: Some tips.
/Decluttering sentimental items can be tough; you need to be in the right frame of mind. It’s also why I never suggest starting an organizing session with this category.
Now, remember: The special memories are in your mind, and in your heart…..not in the object. Letting go of the item, does not mean that you are letting go of those memories. Let that sink in.
Some helpful tips:
Display some of those special trinkets instead of keeping them in storage. Were you passed down a family heirloom, that you love but keep it away so it stays “safe”? What use is it doing collecting dust high up in a closet? Pull it out so you can enjoy it and let it bring joy to your day.
Were you gifted something but it isn't your taste, nor is it useful to you? Pass on the item to someone who actually wants it and will cherish it.
Do you have something that you love, but won’t necessarily use? Repurpose that item into something useful. Pinterest is full of wonderful ideas on how to do this. How about those old baby clothes you keep in a storage bin? Choose the special ones and you can sew them together to make an adorable quilt. These repurposing projects can definitely add character and you can get some use out of it instead of keeping it in storage.
Digitize the item rather than physically hold on to it. A picture is worth a thousand words. Often times, pictures of sentimental items are enough to preserve the memories associated with it, without keeping the items.
Less is more. If you were passed down a collection of items. Give yourself permission to keep one or two from that group, and let the rest go.
Take breaks in between if you are feeling overwhelmed. You don’t need to do it all in one sitting; it can get pretty draining. Take a break, get some air, and come back once you’re able to continue.
And remember, it is ok to keep some sentimental items, within reason of course. If an item is special and truly brings a smile to your face - by all means…..keep it. Fill your home with items that are full of positive energy. Don’t let an item with negative, guilt ridden feelings take up that valuable space in your home which you can use for other meaningful things.
Easy tips for an Organized Car
/Took some time out on this labour day Monday to get the car organized.
Some easy steps to keep that car tidy!
🔹Trunk organizer:
My husband will tell you that I’m the one responsible for the trunk being full. Be it donations to drop off, items to return to the store, reusable bags, you name it. This neat trunk organizer definitely helps contain some of that clutter! I now have a space for my reusable bags, extra tissue paper, lysol wipes and baby wipes. Now I’ll only load up my car with donations or returns, if that is scheduled for the day.
🔹Glove compartment:
The glove compartment on the Mazda is much smaller than others. I can’t even fit the car manual inside. I decided to keep the car manual in the trunk because I rarely use it and I would rather keep my most used items in this prime location.
🔹Car visor tissue holder
One of my favourite finds. No more tissue box that goes flying when I make my turns.
🔹Backseat organizer. I’ve got one for each child and I couldn’t be happier with these. It keeps things off the seats and floor and my kids are always entertained in the car - which is a plus!
What I do with my kids' artwork and papers?
/
My daughter loves drawing, and I mean loves it. Every picture she sketches or colours in is special to her. Being the daughter of a professional organizer means she knows she needs to set limits for herself. She cannot keep every one of her creations or she will soon be drowning in her own artwork.
The way I deal with her projects is quite simple and it still allows her to make her own choices.
I allow her one space, just one space. It can be one drawer, one storage container, or even one file folder.
She is allowed to keep anything and everything that fits that one designated space.
Once things start becoming too full, we pull out her papers and it is time to assess. She then sorts through and separates her favourites from the ones she is ready to let go of. Letting go of the item doesn’t decrease its value, in fact it just makes the ones that she keeps a little extra special.
Any paperwork that is ready to be stored longterm: report cards, school awards, and special crafts all go in my clear storage container. It has hanging file folders that I use to separate per grade.
Why Hire a Professional Organizer?
/
Organizing and decluttering your home can be a daunting task for anyone. Now imagine that task combined with any of the above situations.
Here are some reasons why you might look into hiring a professional organizer:
You want to regain control of your home but you don't know where to begin. A professional can help you plan the entire process and provide direction. They also teach you new and creative ways to declutter and organize your home.
You are moving to a new home or downsizing. Moving can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be. Hire a professional to help ease this new transition. An organizer can help with decluttering your space so it’s ready to be listed, as well as efficiently pack your belongings. An organizer can also be there when it is time to unpack so you can quickly feel right at home in your new space.
You are going through a major life transition; be it a new addition to the family, the death of a loved one, merging families, a divorce, or becoming empty nesters. A life transition forces us to step out of our comfort zone and face a new way of living. Making sure your space is functional is especially essential during this time. With everything going on, an organizer can be there to facilitate this process.
Your surroundings can influence your mood. Your home should be a refuge - a calm, inviting place to unwind at the end of the day. If your space is cluttered, you may feel stressed or have difficulty feeling productive. Let an organizer help turn your home into your haven.
Organizing a space is time consuming and let’s face it, you have things you’d rather be doing with your time. Sometimes it may be best to delegate certain tasks so it frees up your schedule. This way you can spend more time doing the things you love without your home getting out of control.
Managing a household is hard work. Often times you’re juggling a career, family, friends, and that never ending to do list. There never seems to be enough hours in the day. Don’t burden yourself with yet another task. Call in for help before you become too overwhelmed. Let a professional help.
Simplified way to track Monthly Expenses
/
If you had asked me years ago how much I spend on groceries per month, I wouldn’t be able to give you an estimate. Finances bored me and numbers overwhelmed me.
It was right around the time that I was planning on quitting my full time job to become a stay at home mom that I decided to sit and take a hard look at the way we were organizing our finances. Personally, if I were to pick a system to follow every month it would have to be super simple for me to want to maintain it.
Don’t confuse this with budgeting. That’s just something that doesn’t really work in our household. Neither of us spend frivolously. The idea was to just keep track of the money coming in and out so that we can have a snapshot of how our monthly spending per category looks like.
Tracking each and every dollar you spend per month sounds more complicated than it is. What really simplified this process was using Mint’s web-based personal financial management service. It’s free to use and It connects with your bank accounts and credit cards, consolidates all your transactions, and categorizes them. You can even personalize the categories. We rarely use cash in our household, so for the odd times we do, I manually track it to enter at the end of the month.
I plug in the numbers from Mint to an excel sheet I created. I’ve modified this template a few times over the years, but I’ve finally found one that really works for us.
Now more than ever, it’s important to keep an eye on your spending. This snapshot will allow you to see where you can make adjustments if needed, or simply follow it on a monthly basis.
Click the image if you’d like to download this template. Feel free to modify to fit your own lifestyle.
Digital Photo Organization: My Monthly Routine
/
If I were to ask you how many photos you have on your camera reel, what would be your answer? Truthfully?
Now excluding photos you’ve taken with your cell phone camera, how many are screenshots? what about duplicates or blurry photos? And let’s not forget what happens when a child takes your phone and you find this?
I’ve always been pretty good at backing up my photos and keeping them organized, but I became pretty strict about it after losing a few months worth of my first born’s baby videos. It’s been 8 years since then but I still get sad thinking about it. Never again.
So let’s dive in.
Connect your phone to your laptop and copy everything off.
Create folders. I usually create a folder for each year, and then use subfolders for each month. If there was an event or trip where I took more pictures than usual, a new subfolder would be created.
Yearly view
Monthly subfolders
Every month I then empty out my phone. It may take longer if you haven’t been doing this regularly. I go through each picture, deleting screenshots, duplicates, and those images not worth saving. If this is the first time you’re organizing your photos, I’d recommend starting from today’s pictures and get into a monthly habit moving forward otherwise it may be too overwhelming.
Copy the pictures in their correct folder.
I prefer the layout of google drive, but you can also use google photos as a cloud backup. I also have an external hard drive where I make a second backup.
Delete off your phone.
Bonus points if you’re already going through each image, save your favourites in a separate folder. If you’re like me and you make yearly photobooks, half your work in choosing images will already be done.
