Time for a Picker Upper from the Houston Chronicle

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Most of us have too much stuff.

It’s tough to resist the latest gadget in a consumer-oriented society. Sentimental attachments are difficult to break. And often, we’re simply too overwhelmed to declutter. Life transitions and work overload get in the way.  The situation has fueled a growing demand for professional organizers to help sort through the forests of paper, boxes of junk stuffed in the garage and the dark cave of half-used cleaning products lurking beneath the kitchen sink.  Fall’s an opportunity to get the house in order so you can show off seasonal decorations, have spices in easy reach for holiday baking and welcome company to a guest room without outdated computers shoved into the corner.  “Start with the end in mind,” says Ellen Delap, owner of www.Professional-Organizer.com.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/life/main/7185854.html

Keep It Simple Santa

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It is the happiest of times and the busiest of times!  The holiday season is here!  Sharing a few ideas to help you celebrate this special time of year! 
 
Choose one

Whether is it choosing gifts, baking holiday cookies or sending Christmas cards, we often have complicated choices.  Choose one biggie and make it your best.  Simplicity is a powerful way to do your best and de-stress. 

Also, think about taking one task off your list this year.  Throughout the year we are busy, and the holidays are extra busy.   Take off that one task you dislike the most, you are least prepared for, or one you can delegate easily. 
 
Share the joy

Holiday time is filled with ways to share time and tasks.  Partner with family members to get tasks done, such as wrapping gifts, baking, or decorating.  Put aside perfectionism so your partners can be creative and have fun.  These moments make the holiday  most memorable.  

Think of others to share the joy too! Set a time and date in the next few weeks for family decluttering.  This is the perfect time to declutter with your kids help.  Have them help you load the car and go with you to donate too.  Used toys in good condition are appreciated by Goodwill now and all year long.
 
Spend time with people, not preparations

Nurture time with family and friends at this time of year.  Set a date and create a simple gathering with those who are most important.   Time together can be a visit to a museum, a picnic in a park, or a watching a holiday movie together.  Here is where the true joy of the season really shines.

Wishing you a very merry holiday season and the happiest of new years!  Hugs, happy organizing and happy holidays! 

Elegant Holiday Decorating Made Easy

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Thank you to Leslie Sarmiento for this guest post on making your home merry and bright! 

 Holiday decorating is an American tradition. No matter what kind of year you’ve had, the holidays always seem to conjure up images and memories of a magical time. Holiday decorating allows you to capture some of that magic and bring it home.

With the huge selection of holiday décor to choose from, deciding which items to buy can be overwhelming. With all the sparkle, glitter, bells, and music, all beautiful and magical, reminding us of a warm holiday moment or two. The biggest mistake most people make with their decorations is thinking all holiday accessories coordinate and work well together. Not true! As the selection for decorations grow larger each year, holiday décor now goes way beyond Santa, the angels, and Christmas trees.

So how do you know which items will work well for you?

As with any decorating project, before you go out and make your selections, you need to do some careful planning. Ask yourself these questions:

 ~ What decorations do you already have, and which ones do you want to use again this year? (There is no rule that says you have to bring out every single holiday item you own).

~ Do you want to decorate around a specific theme? Examples would be winter themes, Santa’s toyshop, nature themes, or gingerbread houses.

~ What color palette do you want to use this year? Do you want to stay with the traditional red, green, gold and white? Or maybe pair your favorite color with gold or silver for a trendy metallic look. For contemporary designs, combine jewel tones, such as turquoise, purple, magenta and apple green. Red, white and blue can make a big statement, too.

So now that you’ve made your overall design decisions, you are ready to shop. You need to prioritize your budget so that you spend most of your money on basic accessories like holiday linens, table runners, and throw pillows, and spend less on novelty items such as your fireplace mantle or a new centerpiece for your table.

 Don’t feel like you have to fill up every nook and cranny. Decorating with elegance means less is always more, even during the holidays.

From my house to yours, have a colorful holiday season!

Leslie Sarmiento, author, speaker, interior decorator

Website: www.LeslieSarmiento.com

Homemade Holiday Gifts

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Homemade gifts are gifts from the heart.  We all have ornaments on our tree made by our children when they or we were young.  We have cherished small table top decorations in the same way.  Some ideas for homemade holiday gifts:

Create a family cookbook.  You can print it or give it on a flash drive to family members.  Our family created a family cookbook last year to share within our family and with family friends.  We use it constantly during the year to find frequently made foods.  

There are also many online scrapbooks to create with family photos as well.  Check out  http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks.html.  Family photos can be shared and cherished in a new way this way.

Bake your favorite recipe and share it with friends.  Our family has an irresistable toffee recipe that I am baking this year!  A traditional favorite is fudge too! http://www.christmas-cookies.com/recipes/recipe191.fantasy-fudge.html

Every family cherishes ornaments for their tree.  Familyfun.com has lots to choose from! http://familyfun.go.com/christmas/christmas-decorations/christmas-ornaments/

Assemble a homemade gift basket with a theme.  Hot cocoa, a mug, and a sweet saying can be gifted together.

Gift a gift in a jar.  http://www.allfreecrafts.com/giftinajar/index.shtml

Homemade holiday gifts are a treasure!

Your Calendar and You! Making a Match!

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Helping decipher the calendar code is what I do with my clients.  There is no perfect planner, but there is a planner that will make your life, your work and everything come together. 

A work at home mom and photographer who is also a very busy volunteer prefers google calendar.  She loves that it synchronizes with her phone so she only has one item to carry in her purse.  It is also compact, so no bulky planner to carry.  Her husband can enter dates and see all the family activities.  She adds dates consistently and loves that it is always updated.

A working single woman uses ical to track her work week.  She uses the week at a glance feature and color codes her appointments, her testing dates, and her administrative time.  The color coding reinforces what tasks she has to accomplish.  She add recurring dates and uses this feature to keep her on top of routines.

A part time working, part time stay at home mom with an additional small side business loves the planner pad.  This planner is only available online at www.plannerpads.com.  She loves the columns at the top of the week at a glance section to add tasks in categories, loves the month at a glance page to get an overview of the upcoming events, and loves that it comes in a notebook format.  She adds additional pages at the back to record information she uses regularly in her additional business. 

A busy entrepreneur loves his Outlook calendar.  He writes notes on index cards every day and enters into his calendar each evening.  What is especially helpful is adding reminders 15 minutes before each action item and dates.  He never misses an appointment or is late!

A blended family with 6 kids come together weekly and fill in their month at a glanc calendar that hangs in their kitchen.  Everyone talks about the weekly activities, while one of the kids fills in the dates on the calendar. Each family member knows that is going on that week.  Kids and parents refer to the calendar throughout the week to keep on top of pick ups, drop offs, and tasks. 

Call me old fashioned, but for my work I love the paper planner with week at a glance.  It really works for me as a visual tool, easy to access and great for planning.  I work with a week at a glance, have a weekly planning time to update and review what is coming up, and add items all the time. It is my most important tool for my business and my life balance.  I carry it like it is my “blankie” and never let it out of my sight. 

Think about your strengths, your needs and your work flow to make an effective choice!  What calendar system works for you?

Clutter Free Holiday Gifts

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clutter free holiday gifts

 

Celebrate the season with new  meaning!  There is something powerful about the holiday season and gift giving.  View this site the advent conspiracy and see if you agree!  Clutter free holiday gifts are a great way to share experiences, not stuff.

www.adventconspiracy.org

 

At this time of year we can teach our children about sharing by how we give gifts. We can unburden others by sharing in a new way.  Clutter free gifts can include savings bonds,  gift cards for gas or groceries, spa and pampering gifts, museum membership, entertainment tickets to local symphony or Broadway show, movie and a dinner, cooking, fishing or painting lessons, itunes or Starbucks gift cards, or any item that is consumable.

 

Non-profit gift giving is an alternative too!   Give the gift your friend is passionate about by supporting a worthy cause. Consider a cash donation to a charity in honor of the recipient such as cancer research, green living, or supporting underprivileged families.  You can find these by reviewing www.charitynavigator.org.

 

A gift always means more when you give the gift of yourself.  Join a friend at an art class, yoga session, book club, or a scrapbooking class.  Babysit for friends, nieces, nephews and grandchildren.  Take a child to lunch, on a day trip, to the museum/zoo, or to a sports event.  You can also make coupon book for those special and every day treats with things you know your partner would enjoy from the practical to the whimsical, such as a back rub, doing the dishes for a week, making a candlelight dinner, grocery shopping or packing a picnic.

 

Other ideas for sharing the fun include a pirate swap or  “Secret Santa”.   The pirate swap is passing out numbers from 1 to whatever for the number of people at the event.  Number 1 picks a wrapped gift, number 2 can pick a gift or steal the unwrapped one from Number 1.  With the Secret Santa you pick a name from a hat with all the adults in your family establishing a limit for the gift’s expense.   Gifts can be goofy, practical, or holiday themed.  One client hosts her swap just like Oprah’s Favorite Things show.   Guests bring their “favorite” beauty item including lip gloss, face cream or other product and have a swap.

 

Virtual gifts are easy to make too! Create a family cookbook and give it on a flash drive to family members.  Our family created a family cookbook last year to share within our family and with family friends.  We use it constantly during the year to find frequently made foods.   There are also many online scrapbooks to create with family photos as well.  Check out  http://www.smilebox.com/scrapbooks.html.  Family photos can be shared and cherished in a new way this way.

 

Keep the meaning in your holiday this year.  It is not about the perfect gift, it is about connecting with those  who are dear.   Where are you on the clutter free continuum?  Start something new this holiday with clutter free gifts.

 

Join the holiday fun on my Facebook page.

Holiday time line

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It here already! The holiday fun has started!  With a myriad of activities, events, and tasks, the best way to approach the holidays is with a holiday time line.  Start with a family meeting to talk about all the special parts of the holiday season.  What makes the holiday special for each family member? Make a list of the most important part of the the holidays for each person.  Now you know what your goals are for the season. 

Using a big month at a glance calendar, pencil in all the dates from your family meeting.  These are the items to work around as you create your holiday time line. 

Add the tasks and times to get the “other stuff” complete. 

Gift giving: dates for purchases completed,  wrapping, mailing.   With a list, this can be completed before December 15. 

Tree trimming: dates for setting up the tree, outdoor lights,  indoor decor.  With organization and help, this can be completed by December 8.

Holiday events: dates for cookie exchange, parties, family gatherings.  Review your calendar each day to be sure what you need for each event.  Work back two days to prepare for each event.

All of this together means a less stressed holiday!  You enjoy what is most important by pacing the actvities.    How does your holiday time line work?

Home for the Holidays on Nov 2 at Kingwood Library

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Leslie Sarmiento, Owner of Interiors by Decorating Den and Ellen Delap, Certified Professional Organizer and Owner of Professional-Organizer.com, are hosting a workshop on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Homewood Suites at 23320 Highway 59 North in Kingwood, Texas.

The topic for the workshop is “Home for the Holidays – Decorating and Organizing Your Home During the Holiday Season” and there is no cost to attend. The only thing the ladies ask of attendees is they bring canned goods for a food drive benefiting the Society of St. Stephens.

The Society of St. Stephens is a 501c3 community outreach agency serving people living in the Humble, New Caney and Splendora school district boundaries. They are 100% volunteer and have no paid employees. Weekly, they provide more than 400 individuals with food and clothing, and provide financial assistance (like utility and medication assistance), for about 20 families each week.

The Society hosts three special projects each year, including a “Back-to-School” drive, a Thanksgiving Holiday Dinner, and a Christmas Family Dinner and Gifts event targeting more than 400 families with children ranging in age from 1 to 17 years of age.

Leslie and Ellen knew this time of year is when the Society gets hit hardest and wanted to provide some help with their food bank. Both felt this was one way to give back and help those in the community, while sharing some great “show and tell” tips for decorating and organizing during the holidays.

If you would like to donate or would like more information on the Society of St. Stephens, call 281-358-7722 or visit their location at 1799 Woodland Hills Drive, Kingwood, Texas 77339.

For more information about the Food Drive and Workshop, contact Ellen at edelap@professional-organizer.com or 281-360-3928.

A Spa Treatment for your bathroom

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Sometimes it is the little things that matter most! Getting your bathroom and vanity area organized can make a difference in getting out the door on time in the morning and starting the day with a bright outlook! Pamper yourself with these tips for organizing makeup and jewelry.

Makeup: 
So Many Samples and Products
We all have products we have purchased that are expensive but we decided not to use. Make a decision – toss, “gift” to a friend, or use the product. If you are still not able to decide due to the expense of the product, date the back of the box, and vow to decide in 6 months. As you are reviewing your products, check the expiration dates. If they have not been opened, the products are still fresh. Remember, cosmetics have a shelf life due to bacterial growth.   Samples and gift sizes can get out of hand! Keep one container in a guest bath for pampering your guests. Give extra products and samples to college students or teenagers you know. Store the remainder in plastic containers, labeled with the type of product, shampoo, conditioner, lotion or whatever. Also consider giving sample sizes to a women’s shelter or church mission trip.

Divide and Conquer
Think of the cosmetics displays and counters in the department store. Categorize the different products by their use. Keep products together for your face, your eyes, your lips, and more. Use the back of your vanity space to store the extra products, using baskets or plastic bins for each of the different types of products. For additional vertical space, retail stores have a shelf addition that will double your space under your counters.

Access for Every Day
For everyday use, keep just one of each product handy for you to use. Keep them in a container that can be lifted easily from below inside your vanity or in the top center drawer for easy access. Purchase containers that keep each group of products together, with an area for mascara, eyeliner, and eye shadow, another area for moisturizer, blush, and face powder, and another area for lip liner and lipstick.

Jewelry:

Create a “Home” for Your Jewels
Keep a small tray in the kitchen and on your bathroom vanity to be the “home” for your jewelry when you take off your watch, rings, and bracelets. This way you always know where to find these valuables! I always take my jewelry off as I reach home so as not to damage these doing chores and laundry. Diamonds are hard, but can still chip when hitting the center of the washing machine!

 Queens Jewels or Not
Review your jewelry – are there broken pieces that need repair? Have you lost a stone? Is there a family heirloom that might be refashioned and worn? Keep these out for repair. Also, is it time to part with some of the costume jewelry that is outdated? Donations to worthy causes and mission trips are a wonderful way to share your blessings.

It’s all About Access
With your remaining jewels, decide what is everyday jewelry and dress up! Separate these for access and storage. For dress up, store valuables in a locked cabinet if possible. Keep all of it together so you know where it all is, otherwise you can lose individual pieces if stored around your home in various spots. Purchase a small safe or locked file cabinet for a great storage space. Do not store jewelry in your master bedroom – this is the typical spot to check in a robbery. Depending on the quantity of dress up jewels you have, store in boxes from the jewelry store with a label on the outside, or purchase individual leather trays from Hold Everything or clear containers from the Container Store.

For everyday jewelry, store your items as if they were in a jewelry store. There are two ways to do this – store all the rings, bracelets, necklaces separately by category. Or store the items that make a “set” together – a matching ring, bracelet, earrings and necklace in one area. Inexpensive jewelry boxes are available at retail stores and The Container Store to view your jewelry for easy access. Choose what you love, either countertop or inside a drawer, to keep you organized!

Happiness

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At the recent National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization Conference, I learned from Dr. Wanda Bethea (www.drbethea.com) about the important of happiness. 

Happy people live longer, are more creative, generous, productive at work, in better health, and have higher income! 

 Dr. Bethea shared the value of positive psychology, including the study of people living an engaged, meaningful and pleasant life.  Dr Bethea’s introductions of several rating scales for happiness intrigued me in that adding a measurement tool for happiness made us even more aware of how important this emotion is to daily living.  Every day we face stressors, but are we generally happy?   Take the test and see.  www.positivityratio.com.

If you found your score deficient, here are some ideas shared by Dr. Bethea to elevate your score. 

Write down 3 good things each evening.  Keeping a gratitude journal makes a difference.

Write a letter of gratitude to share on the phone or in person with the recipient.

Write about your future as if all had gone the best possible way, seeing the best possible future for yourself.

Identify your character strengths and cultivate one of them in five ways during a week. 

Create a vision board for happiness, what makes you happy,  brings a smile to you face, and bring inner joy.

Some of my ideas….

Surround yourself with optimistic people.

Find a quote you love or a silly saying to post on your mirror where you dress each morning.

Do for others. Nurture optimism in those around you by celebrating a birthday, bringing a surprise, or taking a cupcake to them.

Bring out the best strengths in others with affirmations.   Celebrate the small quiet kindnesses in our world. 

So what is the happiness and organizing connection?  For me it is about being  and feeling your best, living a meaningful and productive life.  And that is what organizing adds to in everyone’s life.  Happiness is the global result of organizing.   Share with me your steps to greater happiness!