Trying to make a change? Here are some thoughtful resources to begin the process!
10 Questions to Ask Yourself
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/levi-benshmuel/tired-of-new-years-resolu_b_801668.html
My Specific Goals by MomAgenda
http://www.momagenda.com/printable/index.html
Organize to Revitalize
http://dallisonlee.com/blog/2010/12/27/resolutions-are-a-waste-of-time/
Zig Ziglar’s Seven Steps to Goal Setting
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show off seasonal decorations, have spices in easy reach for holiday baking and welcome company to a guest room without outdated computers shoved into the corner.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
In holidays past we were all about assembling toys and reading instruction manuals. Now it is setting up your wireless and using your new smart phone! We each have a different way of getting started on our new technology. Some of us like to read on the internet, some of us like to play with the technology, others like our friends to talk us through the set up. Let me offer a few hints with baby steps to get organized.
New Kindle or Nook
New mobile device like a smart phone
New computer, laptop or other hardware
New ipod, ipad, itouch or iphone
Calendar technology
Getting started with your new gadgets may take a few extra minutes but it will be well worth it! Remember, there are always a few glitches so be sure to persevere. If you get stuck, talk with friends, google or call.
What are your ways of organizing your new gadgets?
Lifehacker’s link for shiny new gadgets http://lifehacker.com/5717749/
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.
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.
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!
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!
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?
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?
It’s all about the food at this time of year! And getting your Thanksgiving dinner together takes planning and organizing. Some of us start our plans in early November and some of us start…well…not too early!
Early bird preparations
Procrastinator preparations
What are your favorite Thanksgiving hints for your family dinner?
No matter your style, I wish you a moist turkey and a sweet pumpkin pie for your holiday event!
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.
In a world where we are always “super sizing” our life, I like to reflect about our stuff. What is “enough” in our world of consumption, media saturation, and bigger is better. Here is a story to add awareness about upsizing and over buying.
A friend recently renovated her kitchen. She moved the old (meaning 4 years old) refrigerator to her office, which is a renovated 1950’s bungalow. Once at the location, the refrigerator would not fit through the door! In order to take it in, the doors were removed. The refrigerator is very out of proportion with the rest of the kitchen. What does this say about our homes now and then?
My friend said, “The very moment they were taking off the hinges to the refrigerator door, I thought this is bigger than what the family used here 50 years ago and now I have two refrigerators at my house and a freezer. What’s wrong with this picture?”
As we think through our choices in homes and lifestyle, are we aware that we have added “more” to everything in our lives? This not only includes appliances! Homes on the average are double the size now as in the 1950’s. During the last 30 years, the self-storage industry has been the fastest growing sector of the U.S. commercial real estate industry, based upon the number of new companies, new facilities and amount of total square footage added. Our stuff is outgrowing our oversized homes too.
This year I have chosen to purchase only items when needed, not when wanted. It is really not hard, but I must be mindful of the choice. I avoid places that make for easy over consumption or items that are not necessities. I can already see the difference in my budget.
So with this cautionary tale, start an awareness of less is more. Begin your uncluttered journey in saying no to more stuff. A client recently told me, “I used to think that having more stuff made me a better person.” Your stuff is not who you are, it really is just stuff. How will you know when is “enough” for you?
Want more information about our oversized homes? Read The Ever Expanding Dream House http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5525283
We specialize in working with ADD/ADHD clients. Whether in your home or your office, we motivate, empower and affirm our clients in their quest for organizing and productivity! 