| Greetings!
Happy New Year! We hope that you are well! A new year is always a new start... what will you do this year?
Exciting news for A Little Elf.... we have some new Little Elves to spread organising assistance around Sydney.
We would love to hear your organising and decorating questions and what has worked for you! We look forward to continued contact with you and the opportunity to assist you with your projects!
Happy Organising!
Warm regards,
Karen Koedding
A Little Elf
Australia's First (and Only) Certified Professional Organiser
Live simply, laugh often, love deeply...today!
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New Year = New Start
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How do you get ready for 2010? In Australia, it's the start of the new school year and back to work after several weeks off. In the States its short days, cold weather, and long work hours.
Here's some helpful tips to help some of the problems most of our clients experience:
For everyone...
1. Plan an area for the "Dumping Ground" - the place everyone throws their stuff when they come home. Plan a place for shoes, outdoor clothing, school bags, work bags, keys and the mail. Try different strategies until you find what works for you. It may be baskets, or lockers, or shelves, or hooks or all of them. Try to keep it to one dumping ground space. This is one of the most challenging areas in a home, and is often the front entry way plus the kitchen countertop plus the dining table.
2. Create a rotating meal plan for dinners. Important even if you are single and live alone. This saves time in preparing...you can get creative in cooking on your days off. It'll simplify your food shopping and allow for you to take advantage of sale items if you know what you always buy. If you are single buy extra food containers and freeze extra servings.
3. Create a standard food shopping list in Excel or online if you order groceries online. Print it out and attach it to the fridge, you can check off what you need as you use it.
4. Get a large wall calendar - preferably a white board version. Assign everyone a colour and put their schedules up. If you use more techie versions, I still find the quick glance on the wall is really helpful, just make sure that all calendars agree to each other.
For families...
1. Create simple task lists for the kids. They learn how to organise in day care and kindergarten...don't let them get away with not doing it at home. Running a household filled with people can not be a one person job. Organising skills are a life skill, and you'll set your kids up for life if you require it now. My favourite Professional Organiser in Adelaide, Rebecca Mezzino, suggest 3 lists, one for before school, one for after school, one for before bed. Happy for you to create a reward system. The key to all of it is to keep it simple and consistent.
2. Go through last year's school paperwork and recycle as much as possible. In most cases it will NEVER be looked at again.
3. Set up a binder for each child with plastic sleeves in it. Label the binder on the front and spine. Use this for schedules, school trips, etc.
4. Part of a big school project requires the clean up afterward. Make this part of the project for your kids. Have them clear their desk every night, put supplies away, file their school work, get their bags ready for the morning.
Please send any questions that you want answered, we want to help out.
Happy 2010! May you be healthy and happy!
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| About A Little Elf |
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A Little Elf is a Professional Organising Firm based in Sydney and New York City. The firm was founded by Karen Koedding in May 2004. A Little Elf offers hands-on organising, organising consulting, training seminars, relocation unpacking services, and one-day re-design services for residences and small businesses/shops.
Karen is Australia's first and only Certified Professional Organiser. Karen's background includes degrees in Accounting and Interior Design, along with extensive experience as an Accountant and Financial Controller. She is currently serving on the AAPO National Committee for the 2nd year. |
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