Don’t have hours to get organized? Here are 5 things you can do for 5 minutes to get your home in order.

1.  Recycle junk mail.  Stand over your recycle bin or a paper sack and toss old newspapers, extra catalogs or clippings you no longer need.

2.  Sort through a kitchen drawer. Set a timer for 5 minutes, grab a shopping bag, open the drawer, pick through anything no longer needed and donate it. 

3. Make a clothing donation bag. Go through your clothes closet and choose 5 articles of clothing you never wear. Put them in a donation bag to be given to your favorite charity.  Stop at Goodwill on the way to get these out the door. 

4. Five minute toy pick up.  Enlist your kids to help.  Put on energizing music and have a pick up party.

5. Delete email.  Take 5 minutes to delete email from your sent box, especially if it is older than a month.

Feel accomplished?  Organizing is not about finding the perfect time or creating the perfect system.  It is about the baby steps to create a level of order in your world that works!  Share with me your 5 minute organizing project!

This fall I am excited to host 2 clutter support groups to help people define, establish and maintain an uncluttered life

 The Clutter Support Group supports members in

• Clarifying their organizing and lifestyle goals
• Transition their space and paper from disorganized to more organized
• Discussing systems that will facilitate organization for them
• Discussing routines that will facilitate organization for them

 Strategy

• Group setting facilitated by certified professional organizer
• Set your organizing goals and learn your organizing strengths
• Put your strengths into practice by working on one space in your home during the 6 week time frame
• Read along with Peter Walsh’s book Its All Too Much and discuss organizing challenges you face. 

Meeting structure

• Beginning Tuesday evening September 21 or Wednesday morning September 22
• Six weeks, Sessions of 1 ½ hours, at Kingwood Pine Hospital private room
• Fee based membership of $120 for all sessions.  Pre-registration required.
• Limited enrollment

In Houston, we are notorious for keeping our cars in the driveway and lawn equipment, unopened boxes and more in our garage! October is a great month to organize your a garage and even have a garage sale too!  It is a big project to tackle so be sure to include your family team in the process.   

There are so many great organizing quotes! Here are a few that especially bring a smile to my face.

Done is Perfect.  Donna Smallin coined this phrase in her book Organizing Plain and Simple. Don’t get caught up in perfection, just get your job done!

Well begun is half done.  Mary Poppins has many professional organizer traits!  In her song, A Spoon Full of Sugar, we all learn that getting started is half the job.   And then you are already half way complete!

Just do it! Taken directly from Nike, but I couldn’t resist!

Drain the swamp, regardless of the alligators. Many obstacles keep us from completing a job.  Find a way around the big teeth and get the job done.

Keep it simple sweetie! Be sure as you organize and as you live your life, the priorities and path are clear for you.   

Hugs and happy organizing.  My favorite of all!

What is your favorite saying to get the job done?

5 Steps to Simplify and Organize Your Home

Downsizing? Right sizing? Empty Nester? Transition with a new baby? Learn the simple ways to make a difference for your home and create peace of mind for you and your family!

www.woodlandsshows.com

SATURDAY & SUNDAY,
August 29 & 30, 2009

SHOW HOURS
Saturday from 9am – 7pm
Sunday from 10am – 6pm

Presentation on Saturday at 1pm and Sunday at 2:30 pm

Happy Organizing and see you there!

Organizing your car means having handy access for the things you need, when you need them, without having an accident to get to them. What about maintaining your organized car? If your car is “trashed” regularly, here are some hints to help you easily keep it in order.

Empty trash at each stop along the way. As you get gas or run errands at Target, drop your trash in the cans just outside the door there.  Or you can place a large trash can in your garage for you to easily drop in items. Take advantage of these trash cans along the way. 

Up to date registration and safety stickers are easy to renew if you calendar the date on your planner.  It saves the cost of a ticket!  You can enter this as a recurring event on your Outlook calendar too.

Need to keep track of mileage for expenses? Keep a mileage log in your car and write it down during a gas stop. Regular intervals like this weekly stop create a baby step for an often overwhelming task.

Empty the extra stuff out of your car each day.  It is a small step to keep your car from being a dumping ground by distributing items back into your home where these belong each day.  Assign this task to your family team members too to get the job done. 

Is your car your office? Once a week refill the items you use regularly, like business cards or marketing pieces, into well defined spots in the car.  It is like preparing for a quick meeting by having handy these items.

What baby steps are you taking to keep your car organized?

Hurricane season begins on June 1 and extends until November 1.  Being ready has different meanings depending on whether you stay or leave your home.  Having been through 2 major hurricanes in 3 years,  Houstonians want to be prepared.  September is National Preparedness Month too!

Important papers

In a small portable safe, organize these documents: copy of passport, copy of drivers’ license, mortgage info, credit card info, banking, social security cards, will, birth certificate, marriage certificate, military records, 2 previous year’s tax returns, insurance info and divorce documents.

Many different websites recommend what to have on hand for remaining in your home.

FOOD
Non-perishable foods (soups, canned food and vegetables, breads and crackers, snacks)
Juice boxes and bottled water

HOME SUPPLIES
Ice chests, water, water jugs
Camping stove; propane; charcoal
Disposable plates, utensils, napkins
Storage bags
Toilet paper, paper towels
Diapers, wipes, formula, bottles, ointments
Prescriptions, copies of prescriptions and over the counter meds
Toothpaste, toothbrush, soap, shampoo, deodorant
Clothing, blankets, pillows, sleeping bags

First aid kit

Bug repellant

Eyeglasses, contact, hearing aids and batteries
Pet supplies, food, litter, pet carrier, medications
Identification
Cash, credit cards
List of phone number of family and friends
Important Documents, insurance policies
Photos, videos, cameras, film, memory cards, batteries
Battery powered radio
Flashlights
Extension cords
Pliers, wrenches, screwdrivers

Other sites for preparation checklists

www.ready.gov

www.redcross.org

www.americanfamilysafety.com

www.texasprepares.org

www.nokr.org/nok/restricted/home.htm   (Next of Kin Registry)

www.petfinder.com

Start with a baby step on preparedness this week!

In starting this blog, I want to continue to make a difference for my clients and be a resource for our community.  I am passionate about empowering people, motivating them to live their best lives, and affirming their strengths!

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams, live the life you’ve imagined!  Henry David Thoreau. This is what organizing does for our lives! We have confidence to pursue what is most important and powerful.  We spend our time with people and enriching experiences.  Organizing provides the backdrop for empowering you.