Wordless Wednesday: An Easy Routine to Refresh your Living Room

Schools out and your kids are probably trailing germs, toys and other unnecessary clutter into your family room. To solve the summer living room blues, check out these easy steps. Living rooms seem to breed messes, so get into the mood and fluff up the sofa pillows, fold the blankets and you'll be half-way to a tidy space. Get your kids involved! Have each child remove their items from the room, so you can worry about the rest. Keep a few cleaning essentials in a basket, close at hand. Start by disinfecting the hard surfaces, dust those keepsakes, remove lint and pet hair from your furniture, spray some fabric/air freshener and Voila! You'll have a refreshed living room everyone can enjoy (even Mom and Dad)!

Images ©Christine Bonnivier Photography

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Guest Post: You might be unorganized if...

Since I am by all obvious reasons, A very Organized Person... I sometimes forget what it feels like to be unorganized.  I recently had the oppertunity to work with Laurie as she reviewed our Virtual Organizing Services and her witty comments on what might make you disorganized just had to be shared!  I asked her to write today's post because I am sure that many of you can relate, so without further ado...

You Might Be Unorganized If....

Organization, now there's a funny word. As a matter of fact, I pretty much laugh anytime I hear it spoken. I haven't been "organized" since well, I can't even think back that far.


I recently looked around my house and decided to put down in writing a few of the ways to know if you might be disorganized. Here are the things to look for.:

• If your couch seats four and you can only seat one from all the clutter, you might be disorganized.

• If you are pulling newborn size clothes out of your six year old's closet, you might be disorganized.

• If your silverware drawer is beginning to fear being taken over by your junk drawers, you might be disorganized.

• If your kitchen counter-tops are longing to see the light of day, you might be disorganized.

• If you filed something in your "To Do" folder in 1999 and you just completed it in 2010, you might be disorganized.

• If you have your garage door open and your neighbor says, "Hey, I didn't realize you were moving?", you might be disorganized.

• If the piles of paper on your desk look more like reams of paper, you might be disorganized.

• If your kitchen cabinets need to be marked with yellow caution tape, you might be disorganized.

And my personal favorite...

• If your child dumps all his toys out of his toybin and says, "Look mommy, now my room looks like your office," you might be disorganized.

If you read any of these and thought, " Oh my goodness, that is definitely me," then call for back-up! It is never to late to start to organize your life. I know for me, it reduces my stress levels so much to accomplish even the smallest of tasks when it comes to organization.

There will be a Twitter party on May 5th from 8:30-9:30pm EST. #GetOrganized. If you would like to learn tips and ideas on getting organized, this is the place to be! RSVP today by going to:

http://momof2boyswifeof1.blogspot.com/2010/04/join-product-review-place-and-simply.html


I recently had the opportunity to work with Christie Love of Simple Organized Sanity. We did a Virtual Organizing Session on organizing my home office. If you are at the Twitter party, you will be the first to see my AFTER pictures of the NEW and IMPROVED home office. Hope to see you there!

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Laurie is a 38 year old mom of two small children that keep her feeling like life may never be organized again. Though there is nowhere in her life she would rather be than where she is at right now.  She says, "My children have shown me that even when my life isn't perfect, it's perfect for me."  Please take a moment to Visit  Laurie's Blog Guessing All The Way.

Wordless Wednesday: Speed Bump Ahead

The clutter in our lives often acts like a speed bump... slowing us down and preventing us from getting us to where we want to be. Are you ready to start conquering your speed bumps today???

My latest Project

One of my biggest organizational challenges in my home has been my four year old's bedroom because it was in serious need of some added storage.  I designed a custom built unit for her room and began planning for the project weekend... anxious to transform her space.

         
Before the Project Started...

I made a list of all of the categories of her toys that I would need

fabric storage cubes for so that I could purchase the

right number before the project started.

I went shopping for fabric storage cubes on a budget. I was finding them for around $3.99-$6.99 online and at local stores; however, I knew that I needed 15 or more cubes so I wanted find something a little more budget friendly.  I can not tell you how excited I was when I found all of these cubes and baskets at... THE DOLLAR TREE!!!!  That is right I got all of this for only $18.00!!!!

 

Project Day

We got started by clearing EVERYTHING out of the room.  I took all of the toys and boxed them up and moved out the other furniture so we could get the unit built.

After they were built:

I moved the bed back into the room and began sorting all of her toys into the different cubes and baskets while also purging out old toys, books, and other items that we not going back into the space.   I bagged up four trashbags of things to donate from her room.  

Putting it all together

My daughter LOVES her new space and so do I!!!  She has been doing a wonderful job of only getting one cube out a time and clean up has been a breeze. 

Celebrate Earth Day by Reducing Junk Mail

Tomorrow is Earth Day and if you are looking for a way to celebrate the day and make a positive impact on our planet, allow me to suggest an easy task for you to complete.

Many aspects of getting organized can help you be more environmentaly friendly but this one is something that you can complete today and make a big difference for the earth and your home.

The task is to Stop your Junk Mail!

Did you Know??? 

• • 62 Billion pieces of junk mail are created and sent out each year.

  
  

  • Each year more than 100 million trees are destroyed to create all of the junk mail that clutters countertops all across the world.

  
  

  • 44% of all junk mail goes into the landfills of the world without ever being opened or read.

  
  

  • To transport and deliver junk mail each year costs an average of $550 million and sends massive amounts of auto emissions into the atmosphere.

  
  

  • The average American spends more than 70 hours a year... just dealing with the 41 pounds of Junk Mail they recieve each year on average!!!

  
  

  • To produce the amount of junk mail in this world requires the use of more than 28 billion gallons of water annually.

  
  

  
  

  You can use a free site like Direct Mail to remove yourself off of thousands of lists that clutter your mailbox or a membership site like 41pounds.org that will reduce your junk mail while donating part of your membership to charity.  Another great site with tips on decreasing your junk mail is The Privacy Rights Clearinghouse

I challenge you to pick an option today and take the steps to reduce your junk mail and your impact on the enviornment so you can celebrate tomorrow knowing you have made a difference!

Clearing out my closet

At the beginning of this year I made an announcement to my family... this WAS the year that I was going to get back into shape and shed the extra pounds.  After weeks of eating healthier and working out regularly... I am happy to announce that I am half way to my goal! 

Part of being halfway to my goal means that I am now in pants that are four sizes smaller than I was wearing a few months ago!!!!!

I have been hanging onto pants for a long time in closet because I was using my weight as an excuse...

• I might need those when I lose weight...
• I might need those when I gain that weight back...
• I am afraid that if I get rid of them I will need them again...

This time is different... I am not on a diet... I am on a mission to be a healthier, happier version of myself.  One that is able to keep up with my kids without getting winded.  So...

I cleared out the safety net this week!!!

I sold 42 pairs of pants in wide range of sizes... that I have outgrown and I never intend to get back into!!!!

We all hold onto clutter for a wide variety of reasons; however, one of the most common that I hear is, "I may need that again."  I was guilty of using this excuse to clutter my own closet and in a way I was sending a message to myself that said... "You can't do this... You WILL need these clothes again."

The feeling of boxing those pants up and sending them across the country was one of the most liberating feelings I have had in a while!!!! 

What can you clear out today that you are holding onto out of fear??? How is it holding you back in your life????   Let it go and experience the same joy I did this weekend when I cleared out my closet at last.

A new defination of C.L.U.T.T.E.R?

I am a visual person so I always like to find new ways to visually illistrate for clients the importnace of getting organized and staying that way.  Another product of prolonged bed rest this week was time to think and brainstorm... which led to this little nugget.

A New Defination of Clutter

C:  Can't

L:   Let

U:  Unused

T:  Things

T:  Take

E: Essential

R:  Room

So the next time you are looking around your home trying to decide what is clutter and what is not... ask yourself this simple question... Are these unused items that are taking up essential room?  If the answer is yes then is C.L.U.T.T.E.R and needs to be either organized or cleared out of the space. 

Are you a packrat?

A person who likes to accumulate material items and has a very hard time parting with things is often labeled as a "packrat" in our society.

Out of curiosity I was doing some reading about the rodent the packrat on Wikipedia found a few the terms to be more accurate than I would have previously thought.

• The packrat is active nocturnally. Like many people whose disorganization causes stress which can lead to sleep problems like insomnia developing. I often hear clients complain of trouble sleeping due to the guilt of not staying up to deal with their clutter.

• Packrats will often trade one item they have for something more interesting. Animal experts have observed a packrat carrying one treasure and dropping it to pick up another item that is more interesting to them. Hmmm... I think I have seen this at yard sales by people who are in search of the best treasure for a quarter.

• Packrats will store their treasures inside their vast nests. The treasures have no purpose for the rodent other than to take up space or in some instances to support a part of the nest. How many treasures do you own that have no real purpose except to take up space? I have seen homes where it seems that those "treasures" are helping to support the ceiling of the home.

• Packrats continue to expand their nest to make more room all the time. Hmmm... how many of us look for bigger houses, rent storage units, expand our home, or bring sheds into the backyard, all because we need more room for our stuff. I once spoke to a family that was looking to sell their home for the sole reason that they wanted to have a bigger junk room.

• The rodent is said to be very vocal with fighting between other rodents. Clutter is the cause of MANY fights and rifts in families. I see clients all the time that are desperate to ease conflicts with spouses, friends, and family members by heeding their requests for the person to get more organized.


So the next time that you are called a packrat or you use the term to label someone else... stop and think a moment if you really want to be compared to a rodent who spends their life in a state of high stress, with little rest, always in search of the next big treasure to add to their stash. Do you really want to keep running the same "rat “race or are you ready to make a change in your life? A change that can decrease your stress, improve your sleep, improve your relationships, and allow you to enjoy your life more... a change to get more organized.

Wordless Wednesday: Decluttering the Organizer

I thought you all would enjoy seeing that I too took advantage of National Clutter Awareness Week.  I had a little "Organizer, Organize Thyself." session and purged out 13 empty three ring binders, 2 empty accordian files, 6 blank presentation binders, 3 empty plastic tubs, 52 old magazines, and 15 outdated files from my filing cabinet.

My clutter my look a little different than yours... but it was clutter nonetheless and I feel better having taken it out of my office this week. 

Calories Burned While Organizing

This is clutter awareness week, a time to focus on clearing out the clutter in your home and life. 

Clutter can be found in many forms, professionals define it as “anything that takes up space in your home, office, or life without serving a purpose. “ It can be as severe as a basement full of outgrown clothing, old toys, unneeded papers, and outdated furniture or as simple as a stack of outdated magazines and unread junk mail.

We have talked about how organizing has many benefits in our home and life, and today I want to share with you an often overlooked benefit of getting organized... all the calories that you can burn! 

Here are 10 common calorie burning tasks that you may be doing when organizing:

Filing (Office Work) burns 151 calories an hour.

Packing and Unpacking Boxes burns 238 calories per hour.

Carrying boxes upstairs burns 510 calories per hour.

General Cleaning House burns 204 calories per hour

Taking out the trash and Dusting burns 170 calories per hour

Walking to put away household items and laundry burns 204 calories per hour.

Moving Furniture or Carrying boxes burns 408 calories per hour

Sweeping burns 272 calories per hour

Standing to sort a drawer out burns 136 calories per hour.

Doing Laundry burns 139 calories per hour.

Exact Calorie totals would be based upon your own height and weight. These numbers are based on an average 145 pound person.

To figure your exact calorie totals visit http://www.livestrong.com/ and sign up for a free account.

So if you were looking for yet another reason to get motivated to get organized I hope that knowing the calorie burning benefits may encourage you to start to tackle your clutter during this National Clutter Awareness week and get more organized and healthier at the same time! 

The Wonder of the Garage Sale

It never ceases to amaze me... I hold an annual garage sale EVERY year to get rid of TONS of outgrown clothes, unwanted decor, and already read books... plus other odds and ends that we accumulate each year. What amazes me is that I can have one each and every year... because we KEEP accumulating so much stuff! As I wade through the piles of items to be priced and placed out on tables in my garage I often wonder... "who is going to want all of this JUNK!"

When the garage door goes up at a quarter to eight am... there are people WAITING in their cars to come and lay claim to my JUNK. They scavenge over it as though they are rare and valuable treasures... however, sadly most of their purchases will end up in the same place... their garage sale next summer!

We as a society are so in love with the "thrill of the deal" that we often don't stop to ask ourselves:

• "Is this purchase something I will use again?"
• "Is this purchase meeting a need in my life or my home?"
• "Is this a purchase I was looking to buy already?"

No most of the time we just see the price tag of a quarter... and decide at that price... we will FIND a use or place for it.

Garage sales can be a huge pit for clutter collectors... so I encourage you... buyer beware! Make sure you have a need for it or a purpose for it; otherwise, you may as well leave the price tag on it to save yourself the trouble of having to reprice it next year for your sale!

Clutter Awareness Week

Starting on Sunday March 15th is National Clutter Awareness week and Simple Organized Sanity has partnered with the Springfield Victory Mission to encourage individuals to donate their unwanted clutter to people who can use it.

The Victory Mission has numerous programs that strive to help those in need in the greater Springfield, MO area. Consider cleaning out your closet and donating clothes that you no longer wear or fit into, towels that you don't need, and extra linens. Clean out kitchen cabinets and donate unused kitchen items like extra dishes, cooking appliances, and Tupperware.

Is your garage full of unused furniture, lawn care items, tools, medical equipment? The Victory Mission will put it to good use by making sure that someone in need receives your donation.

If you are interested in learning more about this partnership program please visit http://www.simpleorganizedsanity.com/DeclutteringforChrist.html and as always if you need help with your decluttering project contact Simple Organized Sanity at 417-733-2089.

Have a blessed Day

Downsize your Clutter and find new space.

According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, "About 80% of the clutter in your home is the result of disorganization, not lack

of space."

In this real estate market, homes are not selling without homeowners taking a hit to the wallet. It is a buyers market right now which means that many families are putting off selling their homes until there is a rebound to home values. This also means that lots of families are having to make due in smaller homes... which can be frustrating.

One of the best things that you can do to make your smaller than desired space more accommodating to your needs it DECLUTTER it! Go through closets and rooms and purge things that you no longer use, wear, or need and get rid of them. You can donate these items or sell them to make some extra money.

Then go through what you have left and ORGANIZE IT. Organizing things means that you give EVERY items a specific home.

Organizing your small space will instantly make it feel bigger and help you feel more like you are in charge of your home instead of it being in charge of you.

If you need help learning to declutter and getting organized contact Simple*Organized*Sanity either through our website http://www.simpleorganizedsanity.com/ or email us at christie@simpleorganizedsanity.com .

I will be happy to set up a phone consultation for you to discuss how I can best help you make your current home's space last for you and your family longer.

Have a blessed day.