Ellen's Blog, Professional Organizing for Kingwood & Houston

4 Ways that Working with a Certified Professional Organizer Supports You and Your Goals

August 31, 2023/4 Comments/in ADD and ADHD/by Ellen

4 ways that a certified professional organizer supports you and your goals

There are possible times you might have felt overwhelmed by clutter, decisions, and stress in your home or at work. That feeling of being overwhelmed can keep you from setting goals, starting your projects, and getting started on tasks. You might feel like you lack direction. That’s when you benefit most from hiring a certified professional organizer. A professional organizer helps you create and maintain systems and routines for home, work, and life.

Support for your organizing

Being organized saves you time, money, and stress. A certified professional organizer is a partner in helping you sort and declutter efficiently. Immediately you know what you have and how to find it. There is no more purchase duplication because you can’t find what you have. You have not wasted time and energy looking for something because it has a home and you can find it. Being organized gives you confidence and control.

Support for your productivity

Being productive gives us back time to do what we love. Working with a certified professional organizer boosts your focus. By identifying distractions and causes of procrastination, and creating a workflow with effective tools, your output improves. Starting a workflow that includes breaking down tasks, projects, and goals into chunks creates manageable deadlines and deliverables. You feel more productive, creative, and in charge.

Support for your financial goals

The first step is to identify how to streamline your processes, eliminate waste, and evaluate resources. They can also help you set up systems for managing your bills, receipts, taxes, and budget so that you can avoid late fees, penalties, and stress. By saving time and money, you can free up more resources for your wellness and happiness goals.

Support for your well-being

As your other areas improve in life, your overall health, well-being, and emotional wellness improve. Your sense of work-life integration changes, as well as time to pursue what you love and spend time with those you cherish. Establishing healthy boundaries and self-care routines in your day improves your quality of life. With time blocking and Weekly Planning, you are able to prioritize what is most important and follow through consistently. A certified professional organizer can help you establish routines for healthy habits that support your rest, nutrition, and exercise.

Communication and connection improve your well-being. A certified professional organizer can help you find ways to easily connect through organizing events, finding time for volunteering, and creating space for family connection. Keeping connected is important to a thriving, empowered life.

Life transitions occur more frequently now. A certified professional organizer can help as you navigate these transitions by coaching and supporting you. Helping build a team, including a coach, therapist, or spiritual advisor, as well as other resources, support you and reduces your anxiety. Finding strategies for relaxation, mindfulness, and positive thinking are benefits.

Curious about how this might work for you? Reach out to connect! Together we celebrate your successes, accomplishments, and strengths, supporting you with acknowledgment and encouragement.

Back to School: Setting up and Organizing a Home Office

August 24, 2023/4 Comments/in Work From Home and Work At Home/by Ellen

Back to school is a great time to evaluate all the spaces in your home and how these are functioning. While the debate continues on the success of working from home, we have all learned the importance and value of setting up a home office. A home office gives you a dedicated space to work productively and keep up with the details, papers, and stuff that go along with work and home administration. There are several parts of setting up your office you will want to consider as you create a workspace that works for you.

Location

Decide on what space works best for you! Some families relinquish the dining room to become an office, some families work well in the midst of the media area. Decide if you need quiet, paper management, and printing capability, and what tools you will use to work. You are ready to set up your space after thinking this through.

Desk, chair, and ergonomics

Those who have worked in a dining room all this time might have back pain. Choose an ergonomic option that gives you good support. Lighting for work and Zoom are considerations. Your desk should be ample in size to not only hold your computer but also have space to work. Look at these as strong foundations for a good setup.

Paper management

Function and beauty are both important for your office. Your command center with mail and actionable papers can be located in this space to keep all paper together. Establish a paper management system for your files with easy access using a file cart or a file bin adjacent to your desk. Lateral file cabinets are easy to access and can also work as a credenza for storage behind your desk.

Storage

Bookshelves with attractive notebooks, magazine sorters, and bins help you create storage for each office supply. Projects can be stored on a shelf in an attractive container. This is the spot to store back-to-school supplies for your kiddos to access. Label the storage containers and shelves for everyone to know what is stored and where to find it.

Technology

Technology and internet speed are crucial to your success. Be sure to have ample space on your hard drive and fast internet. Back up your computer routinely with an automated system and have a backup internet option in an emergency. Set up your printer and scanner for daily use. Corral your cords with attractive coverings.

Family

Multiple workspaces help everyone be more productive. School-age kids can work alongside you during homework time with an additional chair and laptop. If your partner works from home, an additional desk or partner desk can be a part of this space. You can include headphones for those who need quiet or a microphone for Zoom. Your home office can be set up for you and your family with double duty for your work and homework too.

Setting up your home office will give you the opportunity to be most efficient and productive at home.

Back to School: Setting up and Organizing a Study Space

August 10, 2023/6 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Back to School/by Ellen

Setting up and organizing a study space

Back-to-school success depends on a great home study space for your kiddos. With the best intention, families add a desk to their kids’ bedrooms for studying and homework. Adding a desk to their rooms might be the answer to students’ productivity, however, there are other options for families to consider. Here are some setups and strategies for back-to-school homework study spaces.

Prime real estate for studying

Decide on what space works best for you and your student. When we were in college, almost never did we get work done in our dorm room. We went to the library for quiet and desk space. Choose a location where your student can avoid distractions. Many students do best in the dining room. It is an uncluttered space with a big table. You can view how homework is progressing and also step in if help is needed.

Add interest by creating multiple locations for study. Your student could work in the family room, outside under a tree, or at the coffee shop nearby. Each location gives your student the opportunity for tweaking what works best given the seating, internet access, and focus.

Dig in on details of ergonomics and lighting

Keep in mind that a good environment extends beyond location. A desk or table conveys that work is being done and keeps your student at work. Your student might like a standing desk or rolling table top. A chair that supports your student’s posture and good lighting are important parts of your study space. Some students prefer “spinning” chairs or yoga balls that help keep their interest while studying. Portable, battery-operated lamps can be added to any space to add light. Sit with your student as they begin their homework to experience the environment.

Consolidate resources and supplies

There’s stock and back stock. Elementary school and middle school students need supplies to complete their assignments. Take stock of what you have for school supplies and create a caddy or cart that can travel with them to that study space. They will likely need a supply of writing utensils, paper, scissors, and a stapler. You can organize this in plastic boxes and a plastic caddy. Stock your student’s backpack with a zipper case with what is needed at school.

Keep restocking supplies in your home office in well-labeled containers. Categorize the items by a group so you know what you have and where you are storing it.

What else might be helpful?

Cute counts! Add some splash to this spot with fun wall art. An inviting workspace adds fun to after-school assignments.
A dry-erase board in the study area helps as a visual reminder of due dates. It can also be used for processing and breaking projects into manageable pieces.
Remember to add storage for completed projects and papers. A display spot for art or a shelf for projects celebrates the success of a project in the short term. Create an archive spot for these with a file box for that year. Many families photograph the artwork and create digital photo albums each year.
There is always trash with your students whether it is empty drink bottles or crumpled papers. Consider adding a trash can to the area that is big enough for a week’s worth of trash.

Engage your student in the process of designing study spaces. This means that they have buy-in and will love the finished space.

Back to School: ADHD Friendly Family Routines

August 3, 2023/4 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Family Organizing/by Ellen

Back to school is back to routines. Every fall we are getting back to routines have a less structured summer. Family routines create cohesiveness and support responsibility. These routines are the foundation of life at home. As well, it is a way to make life simpler and easier. Check out these tips on communication, laundry, meal prep and more.

Family Calendar

Post a paper family calendar where everyone can see the upcoming activities and tasks for your family. This month-at-a-glance calendar can be posted on the refrigerator or in a pathway everyone passes daily. During your family meeting and all week long, populate the calendar with activities that are coming up. Color-code your calendar to know who is doing what and when.

Meal prep

The meal prep goal is the nutritious meals eaten during a time together. Keep it simple with a dinner rotation every 2-3 weeks of the same easily prepared meals. Or use theme days for meal planning, like Meatless Monday and Taco Tuesday. Whatever your plan, rotate who is the chef and who is clean up.

Theme days

Assign a day of the week for specific tasks, especially grocery runs and laundry days.

Communication

Encourage responsibility and independence with a coaching conversation. Encourage some details, some deadlines, and some accountability.

Getting buy-in from your family is important.

Keep it simple! Less is more to keep routines going. When tasks are complex, look for ways to simplify to get these done.
Remember that as a family you are all in this together. Partner up to work as a team. Variety makes the tasks more interesting.
Write stuff down. With checklists, calendars, and notes, your family sees what to do and when to do it.
Self-care ensures you and your family have the energy needed to get stuff done. Self-care includes appropriate rest and bedtimes for everyone in the family. If you are feeling drained, your family will too!
Always have a deadline for family tasks. These deadlines keep you and your family accountable and happy.

What more ADHD-friendly family organizing ideas? Check out my youtube!

Back to School: Quick Tips to Thrive during Busy Family Times

July 26, 2023/2 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Back to School, Family Organizing/by Ellen

Back to school is when we all gear up and get organized. It’s back to structure and routines. Busy people are the most organized. Here are many organizing, productivity, and self-care tips from those who are in the trenches too.

Organization tips for busy people

Having a joint email with my husband that we use for ANYTHING related to the kids, the pets, the car, the home, vacations, digital tickets etc. Even if I’m the one who reads and answers 90% of them we both have access to entire conversations, booking numbers, dates and details.

It is ridiculously simple but I use the notes app on my phone. I’m able to scan documents and email them. Keep a running tab of my to-do list and groceries. I also have a notes page for gift ideas.

Color-coded calendar (each person has a color) including how they’re getting to/from the practice or game, etc… and review that at least weekly but ideally every 3 days to ensure we’re all on the same page

Personal: morning workouts before fam wakes up. Familial: shared family Google calendar. Marital: weekly marriage meeting.

Written and Google calendar for myself, dry-erase monthly for my daughter, and verbal communication with my husband

I meal plan every dinner and prep accordingly. I add all things to the phone calendar and “invite” whomever in my family needs to know. The kids have a daily chore schedule and also lay out their clothes for the week on Sunday so I can steam them in time. During the summer, I started “marvelous Monday’s” where we do all the chores on a Monday so we can forget about it. I also stopped folding laundry. I made them each a basket in the laundry room where clothes are sorted coming straight out of the dryer. They are responsible for putting away their own clothes. I love it!!!

Cozi Gold family organizer app. With 2 active teens, it really helps keep everyone informed and organized.

I have a cleaning service so I don’t resent every mess as a personal slight. Kids have a very large calendar on the wall for all things as my ADD DH doesn’t look at online calendars, emails, or text messages. He didn’t look at the wall calendar either but it modeled good organization for the kids at least, lol. Also, tell DH plans over dinner and remind him in the morning.

Use a digital family calendar, order the week’s groceries for pickup on Mondays, and once a month have someone come in to clean!

Summary

I am grateful to those who shared their wisdom.

Having a calendar that works for your family is important. Choose what you love, model this for your family, and collaborate with those who need extra support on this.
Build your best team with outside help and buy-in from your family. Set up systems in your home where kids can partner and everyone benefits. Make it fun!
Set up routines that reinforce and support your goals. Weekly meal planning and grocery delivery, as well as regular cleaning people, help everyone at home.

What works for you at your home or office?

Back to School Transitions

July 20, 2023/2 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Back to School/by Ellen

back to school transitions

Summer is shorter than we like and soon we will be preparing for transitioning back to school. Everyone in your family might have many emotions about this transition, some being happy, sad, anxious, or fearful. You might be thinking about family routines and how to get back into the groove. Creating a smooth transition back to school can help you start the year strong.

Listen to everyone’s feelings

It might not feel so matter of fact to start back to school, end summer, and start routines. Gather as a family to chat about all the feelings of school. Hear about everyone’s feelings without judgment or application to your feelings. According to Dr. Becky Kennedy, one of our jobs as parents is to listen to our kids with empathy. When there is a transition, it is important to check in and be empathetic about feelings.

Work as a team

Show support for everyone by working as a team. Chat about what support everyone needs and how to work together on challenges. Work together to see how to set up success for everyone. Practical examples of this are how to partner up for study time, meal prep, laundry, and other family responsibilities.

Establish support

One of my clients reminded me that everyone needs a different kind of support. Each of you and each of your children will need different support this year. Look around to establish a bigger team that includes a therapist, coach, cleaning service, concierge service, medical team, and more. It is well worth the investment for everyone to do their best during the school year.

Set boundaries

Good boundaries help us balance work and play. Those boundaries include time blocks for work and self-care for adults and kids. Discuss with your family how to set up boundaries and why adhering makes a difference for everyone. Ensure that everyone has an opportunity to share a boundary that is important to them.

Reset routines

Routines of all types help us make life easier, simpler, and more peaceful. Get back into your routines by starting small. That might be starting a new bedtime routine like plugging in devices early in the evening. Start prepping back-to-school meals with your family to encourage dinner time together. Write out a chart of routines so that everyone can reference this.

Addressing transitions could be something new to your family. Take the opportunity during a family meeting to deepen conversations as the school year begins. Start these conversations two weeks out from the first day of school so that you have ample time to meet as a family.

Use this Cute College Cart to Organize Your Dorm Room

July 13, 2023/4 Comments/in College organization, College organizing/by Ellen

Are you setting up your college dorm room? There is one organizing must-have product for you to include to maximize your space and access your stuff. It’s a cute, fun, and functional three-tier to four-tier cart! Check out the variety of uses of this cart that will make any dorm room more organized. All carts are available on Amazon (Amazon photo credit for all carts).

This cart is a versatile extra storage space for many different functions and zones in your dorm room.

Study storage for books, office supplies, and technology.

Night stand for self-care including the analog alarm clock.

Snack and veggie area

Choose a color you love for fun and functional storage!

5 Tips for An Organized Road Trip

July 6, 2023/2 Comments/in Family Organizing, Travel/by Ellen

5 tips for an organized car trip

This summer families are taking to the road in record numbers. Great road trips start with preparation, planning and organization. Here are tips for your best family road trip together.

Have more than a road map

Years ago all that was needed for a road trip was a map. While there are a lot of amenities on the road, don’t leave things to chance. Scope out your trip day by day with the help of AAA or RoadTrippers app. Update your hotel apps for your favorite resting places so you are ready to pivot in case you are not as far along as you planned. Make hotel reservations before you leave home for each stop along the way.

Check the weather

Weather changes have increasingly impacted our travel. Check what the weather will be during your travel time. In case of emergency, know what to do in case of hail or severe weather while driving. If you are driving long distance, this can be especially important.

Make your car travel friendly

Travel friendly care trips include easy to access drinks, food, toys, chargers, lots of blankets and multiple pillows. Have your kids use their airpods so everyone can listen to their own music. Download games, music and other fun before you leave. Choose a family audiobook for everyone to listen. Bring along new favorites like a rubik’s cube or MadLibs to play together. Rotate seats to keep everyone cheery and entertained.

Packing for intermittent stops

Pack a carry on bag for those stops along the route before your destination. A large tote can carry all your toiletries, medicines and an extra set of clothes. This way you are not unpacking all your luggage for this stop.

Find common ground on travel strategies.

Talk with your family about how to travel. Some families leave extra early to get on the road and have kids sleep along the route. Some families take frequent bathroom breaks and some stop for fun along the way. Talk with your family about what will work best for you all. Always agree to stop before it’s too late and everyone is too cranky.

Family road trips are memories that will long be remembered!

7 Ways to Boost Summer Productivity

June 29, 2023/2 Comments/in ADD and ADHD, Productivity, Small Business Organizing/by Ellen

Summer has many positive “distractions” like vacations, kids in and out of camp, and one national holiday every month. It may not seem like this is the most productive time of the year. There are ways to maximize your summer productivity by taking advantage of these opportunities.

Prioritize projects and tasks

Natural breaks in the summer give you natural time blocks for deadlines. Use the breaks as the beginning and end of projects. Know what must be completed before a vacation and use your project management tools for calendaring these dates.

Tackle administrative tasks

Make a list of all the administrative tasks that you have not been able to check off this year. With a short window of time to execute, time block tasks that can be finished within a week’s time.

Learn new skills

Use the opportunity for quick deadlines to learn a new skill and complete professional development requirements. Listen and learn by video, audio, or webinar. Always wanted to knit or learn a new sport? Vary your learning with both professional and recreational study.

Plan ahead

Plan and schedule for the upcoming quarters. When you are back from one break, use that creative energy to think big about life and work. Assess goals, deadlines, and responsibilities. Review your strategies, plan your next steps, and add in accountability. Take this opportunity to reflect on what you might change with the changing current times.

Prioritize self-care

Take advantage of the summer extended daylight for exercise and meditation. Wake up to daylight and use this time for journaling or a walk. Exercise has many benefits for wellness. Try a new sport you want to try like pickleball. Choose relaxing self-care with a nap, reading, listening to music, or sitting by the water.

Clear clutter

Set up for success with a digital or physical decluttering session. Knowing that you have a time frame before the next holiday, use a daily time block to organize paper and digital files, and then create a system to efficiently manage these. Clearing clutter reduces frustration and overwhelm and creates clarity for your work.

Connect

Connections are our most important resource for support and well-being. Reach out to friends, family, colleagues, and clients to engage before or after work. Use holidays as connection points to meet up. Connect with a simple text of “I am thinking of you and hope you are having a great summer.” No matter how small, an act of kindness makes a big difference for others. Use this summer to connect through kindness with small thoughtful gestures for others.

Productivity is when you use your time best for the projects you have. Use this Summer to relax and recharge as well as move projects forward. Enjoy your breaks as natural ways to boost your energy and productivity.

Six Travel Tips to Keep You Super Organized

June 22, 2023/0 Comments/in Family Organizing, Travel/by Ellen

six travel tips to keep you super organized

This Summer everyone is traveling! Travel is our passion and we love getting away to the beach, taking an educational trip to a new city, and spending time as a family on vacation. Here are some of my favorite organizing strategies that will help you be super organized while on vacation.

Add apps for travel

Flights changes and weather interruptions are part of travel that can’t be helped. Start by updating and uploading all travel apps related to your trip. The best apps include AccuWeather, Flight Aware, and your Airline app. Add your hotel and restaurant apps for paperless access to your reservations. Consolidate all your travel apps in a folder on your smartphone or use the App in the Air Widget.

Use a packing list

Life is busy and travel is complicated. Give yourself extra days to pack and be more organized. A packing list saves you every time. You can customize your list on the Notes app with a check box to include your specific needs. Pull out your travel bag 3 days in advance and start dropping in what you need to fill your bag according to your list. Be sure you pack a little extra layer for warmth and extra shoes for comfort.

Stay as connected as you like

Choose to disconnect completely for a real break. If you choose to stay connected, be prepared to keep everything charged by packing a complete set of chargers for your smartwatch and your smart devices. Duplicate your chargers and keep these packed in a tech organizer. My favorite travel tech organizer keeps each cord secure.

Categorize to stay organized during travel

Frequent travel requires a complete personalized toiletries bag. A clear bag with toiletries helps you know you have what you need. Include a complete set of what you use stored in this bag. No overthinking what to pack and no need to remember your daily items with a designated toiletry bag.
Use packing cubes for categorizing what you pack. Different sizes of cubes organize and consolidate clothing. You can group items by day of the week or type of clothing. Packing cubes keep your suitcase organized while at your location.

Choose safe spots for important travel documents

Create peace of mind by keeping important documents safe while traveling. Use travel wallets and waist belts for your money, credit cards, global entry card, and passport. Be sure to use the safe in your hotel for jewelry and devices. You will want to make multiple copies of these important documents, as well as important documents in your wallet, to keep at home while you are gone, in your handheld travel bag, and held by a trusted person at home.

Pack your patience and be prepared

Pack your patience and plan for random moments of fun during your travel. Download to your Kindle, create a music playlist, and choose games to make travel time less frustrating. Our family loves Heads Up and we always pack a deck of cards.

Enjoy your time away this summer. It’s all about the memories you are making and the experiences you are sharing.