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Greetings!
Happy New Year! I hope you have recovered from the busy holiday season and are looking forward to 2013.
Did you set any New Year's Resolutions? If so, how are they holding up? It shouldn't surprise you that January is National Get Organized Month. So it's a great time of year to want to start fresh and new.
If you're like most folks, you may already be losing sight of your resolutions. To help you stay focused and on course, here's an article entitled "11 Stellar Tools to Keep New Year's Resolutions."
Wishing you an amazing 2013!
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Where do I Start an Organizing Project?
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During the Question and Answer portion of my presentations I'm often asked "If my whole house is cluttered, where do I start?" The first thing I tell people is that Slow + Steady Progress = Long Term Success. In other words, don't be in a hurry.
 If your house is full of clutter, it didn't become that way over night. It happened slowly and gradually. And that's exactly how you need to approach getting it organized and under control. So let go of the idea of working a miracle over the weekend!
One approach I've used with people is to count the number of rooms in their home and then commit to organizing one room each month. This is a very realistic approach and will allow you to develop some new habits along the way that are more apt to stick in the long run.
You might consider starting out with the room/space that will have the biggest impact on your household. Perhaps it will be the kitchen, mudroom or entry way. On your 2013 calendar, label each month with the room/space you plan on organizing, setting aside blocks of time to devote to your project. Leave the attic and garage for when the weather is most appropriate. And if you think you'll need a dumpster, check first with your regular garbage hauler.
Regardless of where you begin, being realistic with your goals and time frame will contribute to future success. |
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The JOY of Storing Holiday Decorations | |
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The holidays can be a blur of activities, company visiting, cooking and baking and making new memories with friends and loved ones. But when the fun stops, your home will need to return to a sense of normalcy and that includes taking down and storing the decoration. It's my most dreaded part of Christmas. Here are a few tips that will help you take an organized approach to this dreaded task:
- Keep all outdoor lights in a separate box or bin. Have these easily accessible for a beautiful fall day when you can take advantage of putting lights up before sub-zero weather. Also, keep this box handy in your garage or porch so when you have a nice spring day, the storage container will be close at hand for take-down operations. Before taking your lights down, snap a few pictures of them, taking close-up photos of how and where you used extension cords and connectors. It will make putting them up next year a breeze! Be sure to store timers and plastic hooks in the same box as your lights too.
- Use large plastic storage containers with tight fitting lids to store your holiday décor. As you put items away, make an inventory list of each container's contents. Tape this Inventory List to the outside of the bin. Next year, it'll be much easier putting items away as well as retrieving since you'll know what fits into each box.
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