That's a wrap!

Ok, it's 4 days until Christmas, so maybe you're like some lucky souls that already have all the gifts wrapped and under the tree. Or, perhaps you're a bit like me, you still have gifts to wrap and may even be a bit overwhelmed by all the various "to do"s to cross off your holiday checklist.

To help ease some of that anxiety, I would like to recommend that you create a "wrapping station". My "WS" is my ironing board (for height) with my gift wrap, tissue paper, boxes, tape, gift tags, a pen and some ribbons & bows.

In addition, I suggest that you place an envelope in your "WS" so that you can put all of your holiday receipts into it as you begin your wrapping marathon. That way, everything will be in 1 place and it will cut down the stress later on.

Here's wishing you a happy and stress-free holiday!

It's that's time of the year...

...to hang up your stockings, trim the tree & wrap the gifts! In the hussle & bussle of the holiday season, it's important to be as organized as possible. Gather up all your coupons and put them in 1 place, preferably a clear zip-lock bag. Remember that many online vendors are now accepting "promo codes" for holiday purchases, so go to Coupon Cabin or Coupon Sally (there are literally tons more to find!) for the best discounts! A friend just downloaded a $20 off coupon to Burlington Coat Factory...now we're talkin! As Santa would say, make a list (and check it twice) of the people you need to buy gifts for. You may even want to assign a monetary value to each to help keep your costs within budget. Afterall, it's not fun to go broke over the holidays, so plan, prepare & have fun while you're at it! Happy Holidays!

Fall foibles and handbag solutions...

Do you get annoyed when you can't find that one item you need and remember it's in your "other bag"?!? Well, do I have the solution for you. To combat this problem, I use a small zippered bag (you get to choose the size & style) that I keep my frequently used items in (e.g. Tylenol, tissues, chapstick, lip gloss, etc). Whenever I need to change my bag, I just remove the smaller bag and put it in the new one. Presto! It's that easy and it's a real time saver when you're in a hurry and need to pick up your bag & go. Try this out and let me know if it worked for you. Happy Fall!

15 minutes is all it takes...

...to complete a simple task. In order to reduce the overwhelming-ness (is that a word?) of de-cluttering/organizing, why not start with 15 minute segments. Identify a small task to tackle, set the timer and work at it for 15 minutes. For example, I sorted through a glass filled with loose change, picture hooks, paperclips and other random items the other night. It took me about 15 minutes to sort through the glass, put the change in a container and make a home for the paperclips. By accomplishing smaller tasks, you will empower yourself to work your way to tackling larger projects. You can do it!

Book recommendations...

Happy Spring!

I hope you're off to a great start to the season. I recently attended a prospective members meeting for NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers). At this meeting, I learned of two books that may interest you:

"It's hard to make a difference when you can't find your keys" by Marilyn Paul

AND

"Organizing from the inside out" by Julie Morgenstern

As I continue to take steps in building my business, I would welcome any books you may know of as well.

Thank you!

Cutting down on junk mail...

As I was reading through Real Simple today, I came across two websites that I thought were great for cutting down on all that unwanted mail:

optoutprescreen.com (credit card offers)
catalogchoice.org (unsolicited catalogs)

I also wanted to recommend a great magazine/website that offers a lot of helpful organizing tips/hints, it's called Real Simple. They offer several "topical" e-newsletters which have different cycle options (e.g. daily, weekly, monthly)for you to choose from.

I subscribe to the "daily thought" and it is packed with lots of helpful info! To check it out, go to http://www.realsimple.com/. Also, in honor of their 10 yr anniversary, they are offering $10 subscriptions (snail mail) until supplies last...

Happy spring!
Jen

Spring cleaning...

Now that we have officially ushered in spring, it's time to set aside some time to do some spring cleaning. If you're cringing at the thought, let me encourage you to take it all in stride. Take a moment to sit down & write down a few projects you would like to do and create a plan to accomplish each. For example, I usually take down all my curtains throughout the house and wash them in the spring. So my action plan would go like this:

-- Take down curtains
-- Wash curtains
-- Hang curtains while they are slightly damp, so that they can air dry (or, if they are a bit too wrinkly, you can iron them accordingly to the manufacturers directions on the label)
-- Enjoy the spring breezes coming through your window. You could even spray some Febreeze on them for an even nicer spring scent!

I hope this quick action plan encouraged you. Happy Spring!

Holding on to heirlooms...

I recently overheard a conversation of a woman having difficulty parting with some boxes/heirlooms in her basement. As she described her predictament of letting go of these prized possessions, I was thinking of asking her the following questions:

Do you know what is in the boxes you're holding on to?
and
Are you ready to sort through the boxes and make some decisions on the contents?

If either answer was "yes", I was going to offer my services to her so that she could get the ball rolling on de-cluttering her home of the boxes she has looked at over the last few months.

If you're experiencing difficulty in tackling a "sort through" project, I would encourage you to break this task down into smaller steps. Make a goal for yourself to go through 1 box at a time. Perhaps it would be helpful to make a list of the items you want to keep and then set another box aside to collect those items you want to get rid out, recycle, sell, etc...

Remember to reward yourself after you complete your goal so that you can stay motivated and energized to complete your project.

You can do it!

Feeling those winter blues...

...if you're like many people, the close of winter can bring on the winter doldrums. In order to move through to more positive thoughts and reduce the "emotional clutter" that has built up, try these calming ideas...

- Book a Spa Day
- Take a trip (day-trips can be fun and good way to change the scenery!)
- Read a good book
- Call up an old friend & reconnect
- Cook up a new recipe
- Take a jog or long walk
- Journal your thoughts

However you decide to "declutter your mind and soul", enjoy yourself. Afterall, we are constantly bombarded with negativity and toxicity wherever we go, be good to yourself and remember...spring is on the way!

Hard pressed for space...

Today, while at work, the task was to make space for our new coffee maker. Well, we have very limited space! So...in order to accommodate our new machine, I had to move some other stuff around. If you're hard pressed for space, keep these things in mind:
(1) Purge/throw away
(2) Consolidate
(3) Rearrange
(4) Reorganize

It takes a bit of creative vision, but you can do it!

Make small, attainable goals...

When tackling a new project, my recommendation for you is to set, small & attainable goals for yourself. For instance, don't say "I want my desk to be clean and organized", say "I will go thru this pile of papers and recycle or file them away." By setting small goals, you will see small accomplishments and hopefully feel encouraged to continue on with other projects. Don't forget to reward yourself for reaching your goals...it's important to stay motivated! :)

Calendaring got your crazed?

In today's day and age (I sound so ancient!)...you can have a PDA, iPhone, wall calendar, home calendar, event alerts on your phone and countless other methods & ways to keep your calendar. Today's tip is to use just ONE calendar for all of your appointments. If you want to get creative, you can color code the entries, for example:
Red - urgent TO DO's
Blue - business related
Orange - family related
Purple - social activities/events
By keeping all of your appointments on ONE calendar, you will avoid double-bookings and missed opportunities...and cut down on the chaos of everyday life! Happy Calendaring!

New Year's Resolutions...

Sorry for my delay in posting to the blog...guess I should add this to my list of "New Year's Resolutions." Since we're on the topic of "resolutions", I would like to encourage you to make 1 goal per week to help yourself toward greater organization. Whether it be your household, car, office space or bedroom...set aside just 15-20 minutes per week to tackle this goal (e.g. write a note, reorganize the silverware drawer, go through the stack of papers on the kitchen table). You will find that if you make small goals for yourself, that you won't feel overwhelmed and you will get to experience the joy of accomplishing your goal(s). I'm here to cheer you on!! You can do it!!

Don't let tax time become too "taxing" for you...

As you know, W-2 forms have either already arrived in your mailbox/inbox or they on there way to you. In an effort to make filing your taxes less "taxing" on you, here's what I recommend:

(1) Create a tax folder
(2) Place all of your W-2 forms, receipts, and other important tax-related documents into the folder (e.g. charitable contributions, medical receipts, etc)
(3) Make an appointment with your accountant and/or your tax advisor (this could be you!) to file your taxes on or before April 15, 2010 to avoid any unnecessary fees
(4) Create a "wish list" for any returns you may be expecting (placing your return into a savings and/or IRA account are good ways to save for future wishes you may have!)

Become your own best friend by creating a system that works well for you and your family...so that you have more time to get out there and enjoy life!

Wondering what to do with last years calendar?

If you're like me, it can be difficult to toss out last years calendar. For instance, I have a very nice 2009 Norman Rockwell Calendar here at my desk. Instead of tossing it out, some ideas are to select your favorite pictures and frame them! That way you can enjoy the scenery for a little while longer. Or...you could use the pictures as a wrapping paper for smaller items. Be creative...