Get Organized Month 2009 - Rethink Your Desk

Ok, it's -12 degrees! That's real temperature - not wind chill - at 7 am this morning! The high today is going to be 7, but I've been watching the temperature decrease since I've been up. Coffee is in order.

We missed Clean Off Your Desk Day, which was on Monday. Oh, well .... we can just pretend it's today. I haven't had time to tackle this job until today, and I didn't want to be hypocritical. :)

With a new year beginning, it's a great time to rethink how your desk is functioning. When stacks start accumulating on my desk, it's a clear indication that I need to rethink things. Some good questions to ask:

Have my responsibilities changed in the last year?
Are there items that have no home?
Have some areas increased in importance and others decreased?
Is my desk area functional and efficient? If not, why?

As I may have shared before, I HATE to file. Consequently, for my few most active areas, I have used open boxes on shelves. I can just drop papers into the boxes and be done! However, I find that I'm not doing this because I have to stand up and open the cupboard door each time I must file something.

As stupid as this sounds, if you can't do it while sitting at your desk chair, you're more likely to put it off or put it in a stack. Sad, but true.

So, as I have evaluated my desk, I'm going to break down and use some hanging files instead of boxes. I also need the storage space. A box takes up a lot more room than a hanging file.

I've looked at what accumulates on my desk and figured out what I can do to keep that from happening. And I'm going through my file drawers under my desk to remove files that are no longer active. They will go into a file cabinet in another room. I'm also creating new files for new areas, as necessary.

My goal is to take a few minutes at the end of the day and take care of anything that needs attention - filing, items that require action, shredding, etc. Since everything will have a home, my desk shouldn't be the repository of homeless items.

How do you like to keep your desk functional, efficient and neat? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

More on similar subjects: A very simple filing system for email and paper, Can Clutter Cause You to Lose Your Job?


If you need more help organizing your office, treat yourself to Three Steps to Organizing Your Office.


P.S. We've made it up to -10 degrees at 8 am!

Get Organized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Fridge to Keep Foods Fresh

It is COLD here this morning. It has gone from 2 degrees when I got up to -1 as I write this at 7 am! Schools are closed, but it wasn't posted until 6:05 by which time we were all up and dressed. Our foster daughter has gone back upstairs to read/sleep, not pleased that she was fully dressed and ready when she could have stayed in bed in her pjs! I agree. :)

Speaking of cold, the next time you buy groceries, reorganize your fridge so things stay fresh. By the way, I usually clean my fridge just before grocery shopping or as I'm putting my groceries away. I throw away the old stuff, clean off shelves and put in the new stuff.

Here's what eHow suggests to keep foods at their peak:

"Step1 - One way to have fresh food is to keep all raw meats and poultry on the lowest level of the refrigerator. This is normally a drawer for meats. It will keep juices from dripping onto your other foods and pose a safety risk.

Step 2 - I know the compartments for eggs and butter are neat, cute and seem to be organized, but if you use this compartment, then your eggs and butter will quickly loose quality because this area is too warm. You can always use this area for medicines or other non food items.

Step 3 - Other areas of the fridge that seems to warm up quickly are the shelves on the door. This happens every time you open the door. You can always use this space for not so temperature sensitive items, such as, salad dressing, ketchup or jelly. It will still give your refrigerator organization while keeping food fresh.

Step 4 - The top shelf of the fridge should be used for the most perishable items, such as milk, eggs, sour cream and yogurt. This area is the closest to the fan."

They also suggest checking the rubber gasket on your fridge door by "closing the door on a dollar bill. If you can slide the dollar out easily, replace the gasket for better insulation."

Remember when we talked about the optimum temp for the refrigerator being 41 degrees or less? I have my fridge thermometer located where I can see it. I've noticed that when I open my fridge, the temp goes down several degrees. A good reason to think ahead before opening the fridge door! I try to get everything I need for my recipe at one time.

I also tried those green bags that are supposed to keep produce fresh. I didn't have any success with them - did I do something wrong? Anybody else have the same experience?

Have you heard some tips for keeping foods fresh in your fridge? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

More on similar subjects:
Demystifying Food Expiration Dates
Fun Food Tips
Saving Money by Being Organized
Clever way of storing salad dressings in the fridge

Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge

Part of getting organized is setting up sytems that allow you to maintain your organization. One that nourishes my soul is having everyone clean up what they have messed up and pick up what is theirs before going to bed. It is pretty discouraging to me to get up in the morning and be greeted by a messy living area!

A way to make it a fun event is to have a Family Five Minute Challenge. Designate a container for each family member - a basket, a bucket, a shower caddy - have fun with it! During the day your family members can deposit their stuff in their containers.

If by the time you start your evening routine for bedtime, things are still out of place, set the timer for five minutes. Each family member searches the main living areas and drops misplaced items in his/her container.

Then set the timer again, and they take their containers to their rooms and empty them. You'll need to "inspect what you expect" so the items don't end up in a pile, in the closet, or under the bed. The key is to have a home for everything. But that's another topic.

Even your toddler can participate in the Family Five Minute Challenge with a little training and/or help. Because the attention span is so short at that age, I usually did it with my girls. Of course that means I needed to have my stuff cleaned up beforehand!

When our girls were pre-school ages, we did such clean up activities three times a day. Once before lunch/nap, once before dinner, and once before bedtime. Otherwise, it was too overwhelming for them, and I started twitching with the mess. Yes, I know ... your child is supposed to put a toy away when she takes another out. But that doesn't always happen, does it?

Do the same thing for your kids' rooms: set a timer for younger children or a time limit for older ones to declutter and straighten their rooms. By setting aside time each day, it creates a system for maintenance.

If clutter is out of control at your house, have a Family Five Minute Challenge several times each day to help you and and your family get to a manageable state. Designate containers for giveaways, throwaways, stowaways (toys/clothes that are too young for one child until the next child grows into them - label according to age), and/or tradeaways/sell.

Take before and after pictures, to share the sense of accomplishment. Once you get the clutter under control, do something big to celebrate and to reward everyone's hard work!!

To encourage consistent decluttering, reward the person with the least number of items collected each night. It doesn't have to be big, but positive encouragement goes a long way. So much nicer than if we are growling and grumpy!

If there comes a night when everyone's containers are empty because they have gotten into the habit of putting things away (is that a possibility!?!), celebrate by doing something special the next day.

By taking a few minutes each day, clutter doesn't pile up and become overwhelming. And home is inviting and peaceful and calming.

What do you do to keep clutter at a minimum? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this (link will take you back to my blog.)


More on similar topics: Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind, Schedule Daily Clean Up Times, Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment, More Eco-Friendly Recycling, Cash from your Clutter

If you need help in creating a functional and fun room for your child, consider Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room (book and ebook).

Get Organized Month 2009 - Pet Hair Removal

While we're getting organized this month, let's talk about pet hair. What's the point if we get all organized, but everything is covered with a layer of fur? I've heard of many remedies, but there's a new one out now: Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair.

Here's a review from fellow organizer Tracy Axcell, "I worked with a new client this weekend who receives “test” items before they hit the market. She gave me a new one to try and I love it! It’s the Pledge Fabric Sweeper for Pet Hair. It’s disposable, keeps the hair inside the unit and you toss it when it’s full. I used it on multiple surfaces and it did better than any of the other recommended items I’ve tried
in the past."

The Pledge Fabric Sweeper is now available at Walmart, Target, K-Mart and Walgreens, and Lowes. Look for it in the pet care area or the rug cleaning supply area.

Not having pets, I'll have to rely on you to let me know what you think!

More on similar topics: Keeping cats off furniture.


For more help on cleaning, see our Three Steps to Clever Cleaning.

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Magazines

Decluttering magazines is something I'm attempting to do throughout the year. I'm not keeping on top of it, so I need to whittle down the quantity that enter my house.

If you have the same problem, here's how to get started;

1. Go through your magazines and toss those you know you don't need or want any more. To double your time, do this task while watching something on TV or another activity that lends itself to multi-tasking. I take them along when I'm riding in the car for a few minutes or when I know I might be waiting.

2. As you're going through your magazines, ask yourself if you really want to continue the subscriptions you have. If you don't have time to read your magazines, it's wasting your money and cluttering up your house! I've recently let several subscriptions lapse because I just don't have time to keep up with them. I'm also going to cancel a newspaper that we're not reading.

3. For those magazines that are left, tear out the pages to keep or read. Categorize them into like groups: recipes to try, organizing ideas, etc.

4. For those articles or ideas you want to keep on a long term basis, make files for each different category or create a binder for decorating ideas, scrapbooking examples, etc. Use plastic protector sheets and just slide the articles/ideas into the sheets. If you place a piece of paper in the protector sheet, you can store an idea on each side.

5. If there are entire magazines you want to keep, get some magazine boxes and label them accordingly. Give yourself a limit on what you will keep. For example, if you decide to keep one year's worth of a magazine, remove the oldest one when you receive and have read the newest one.

6. Decide if you want to organize your magazines by magazine titles, topics, or by month (if you want to look at ideas, recipes, etc. seasonally).

7. Keep your current magazines in a magazine rack or box. When I have a few moments, I'll pick up a magazine and go through a few pages.

Do you have tips that keep your magazine clutter to a minimum? (If you receive this by email and want to leave a comment, this link will take you to my blog.)

If you have further decluttering needs, please see our 1-2-3...Get Organized series.

Get Organized Month 2009: More on Closet Organizing - The Closet Purse Hanger

Shawane Thomas is a woman after my own heart. She had a problem - lots of purses. What? Is that a problem? Not really - just storing them.

She tried various ways of storing them, none to her satisfaction. So she invented the Closet Purse Hanger by playing with a paperclip. The beauty of the Closet Purse Hanger is that it requires no installation - it simply hangs on your closet rod! She patented it and is now on a mission to create peace in our closets.

Closet Purse Hangers can be purchased online and come in a package of 10 for a price of $19.99 plus $3.00 shipping and handling. Shawane has some great before and after pics on her site, including this "after" picture.

I haven't tried the Closet Purse Hangers, but they sure look terrific. If you decide to try them, send us some before and after pictures of your own!

More on closet organizing: Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet, Get Organized Month - Organize Your Shoes, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Tops/Blouses/Shirts, Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Pants, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Suits/Coordinated Outfits and Jackets

Ink for 1/3 the Cost? No Way!

I love my Epson Stylus Photo 1400 printer. One reason: it stops printing when ink runs out. When I've used HP printers, they just keep printing. If I'm not paying attention, I discover pages with spotty printing, wasting paper and my time.

Another feature: it has individual ink cartridges for each color. It irritates me to death to have to change an HP cartridge because one color is gone, when I know there are other colors lurking in there!

The only thing I don't love is buying ink! Last night I was on the verge of replenishing my ink supply at Staples.com (because I had a coupon) when I decided to google other ink possibilities. I am so glad I did!

I found 4Inkjets.com, which offers ink for one-third the price! They offer 100% guaranteed satisfaction and are highly rated by BizRater. You can use your credit card or PayPal. And if your order is over $50, shipping is free.

I googled for a coupon code and found one for 10% off. So instead of paying $280 for 14 ink cartridges, I paid $62 and no shipping!

I had tried Cartridge World, but I had to take my empty cartridges there, wait while they filled them, and sometimes the cartridges didn't work.

I'm hopeful that 4Inkjets will come through. I'll keep you posted.

Anyone else have some ink-buying advice?

Get Oranized Month 2009 - Organizing Your Clothes Closet

I've written several blogs on organizing your clothing, which I'll list below if you're in the market for that topic. However, I came across some clever closet organizing ideas in a CNN article, and thought I'd share a few.

- If you can't decide whether to keep an item or not, turn the hanger around backward or "flag" it. If you wear the item, turn the hanger around correctly or remove the flag. It's easy to see which items you haven't worn, and you can donate them or sell them at a consignment shop.

- "Once you have whittled down your wardrobe, you need to assess the layout of your closet. Measure the space you have, making sure to utilize backs of doors, floor space, and all interior walls. When you go to shop for boxes, bins, and other necessary space-savers, make sure you have your closet measurements in hand.

- Use every square inch of your closet. Hang shoe racks on the back of your closet door. Classic belt hangers with multiple hooks are also a good solution for hanging camisoles, bras, or scarves.

- Invest in the right kind of hanger for the type of clothing you are hanging. Use padded hangers for items made from delicate fabrics, plastic hangers for button-down shirts, and sturdy wood hangers for suit jackets as they help retain the shape of the items. Remove all wire hangers (they don't properly support your clothes) and plastic dry-cleaner bags (they don't allow fabrics to breathe, keeping the chemicals used in dry cleaning in your clothes).

- Sort sweaters, T-shirts, and other folded clothing by color as well. Always remove sweaters from hangers and fold them. Hangers will ruin the shape of sweaters over time. Store sweaters on shelves in manageable-sized stacks using sweater dividers to keep them from turning into leaning towers of Pisa. Even better, store them in sweater boxes with well marked labels.

- Keep items you use frequently at eye level or below and items you rarely use higher up. Labeled boxes are good for storing things like bathing suits or turtlenecks because you can rotate them higher or lower in your closet depending on the season.

- Move any snow boots, rain boots, or other "outdoor" gear to your front hall closet (or mudroom if you are lucky enough to have one); restrict what goes in your clothes closet to dress shoes only.

- It's possible that no matter how much you try to edit and organize, you just have too much stuff to fit in your closet. If that's the case, then you need to resort to a seasonal system by rotating your fall/winter clothes with your spring/summer clothes. Covered clothing racks can be filled with out-of-season clothes and kept in your attic or basement or under your bed. Flat storage boxes can serve a similar purpose."

What closet organizing tricks do you use?

More on organizing your clothing: Get Organized Month - Organize Your Shoes, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Tops/Blouses/Shirts, Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Pants, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Suits/Coordinated Outfits and Jackets

The Truth about Cell Phones and the National Do Not Call Registry

This information from the Federal Trade Commission was brought to my attention by my son-in-law Steve to correct false emails. Even though the following article was released in April 2005, these emails continue to circulate.

"If you’ve received an e-mail telling you that your cell phone is about to be assaulted by telemarketing calls as a result of a new cell phone number database, rest assured that this is not the case.

Telemarketing to cell phone numbers has always been illegal in most cases and will continue to be so. In response to recent e-mail campaigns urging consumers to place their cell phone numbers on the National Do Not Call Registry, the Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission issue this advisory to give consumers the facts.

One e-mail making the rounds says:
“JUST A REMINDER...In a few weeks, cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sale calls. YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS... To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888/382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list. It will only take a minute of your time. It blocks your number for five (5) years. PASS THIS ON TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS...”

Another version claims:
“The Federal Trade Commission has set up a "do not call" list. It is called a cell phone registry. To be included on the "do not call" list, you must call from the number you wish to register.”

Here’s what you need to know about the National Do Not Call Registry program: FCC regulations prohibit telemarketers from using automated dialers to call cell phone numbers. Automated dialers are standard in the industry, so most telemarketers are barred from calling consumers on their cell phones without their consent.

The federal government does not maintain a national cell phone registry. Personal cell phone users have always been able to add their numbers to the National Do Not Call Registry — the same Registry consumers use to register their land lines — either online at www.donotcall.gov or by calling toll-free 1-888-382-1222 from the telephone number they wish to register. Registrations become effective within 31 days of signing up and are active for five years. There is no cut-off date or deadline for registrations.

Business-to-business calls are not covered under the Registry.

To learn more about the National Do Not Call Registry and the rules that enforce it, visit the FTC at www.ftc.gov or the FCC at www.fcc.gov. For more information about a planned “wireless 411” directory, visit http://www.iq411.com/wireless411/index.shtml.

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair business practices in the marketplace and to provide information to help consumers spot, stop, and avoid them. To file a complaint in English or Spanish (bilingual counselors are available to take complaints), or to get free information on any of 150 consumer topics, call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357), or use the complaint form at www.ftc.gov. The FTC enters Internet, telemarketing, identity theft, and other fraud-related complaints into Consumer Sentinel, a secure, online database available to hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.
Media Contact:
Jen SchwartzmanOffice of Public Affairs202-326-2674
Staff Contact:
Rosemary KimballOffice of Public Affairs202-418-0511"

Get Oranized Month 2009 - Update Your Addresses

I don't know about you, but it takes us a while to read all our Christmas cards. On some days, I only have time to put them in our designated Christmas card basket. Other days I have time to read them.

After Christmas every year, we go through our Christmas cards and update our address list. Remember my Palm problems last month and how they assured me that my address list would not be erased when they transferred my data to my new smart phone? Well ...... my phone numbers stayed in tact, but the addresses disappeared. Since I had not been able to sync my Palm to either computer, I had no way to save my list. Ugh!

So my job will be a little harder this year. I do have a hard copy from years gone by, but it is sadly lacking. I think I'll make hard copies more often now!

The easiest way I have found to update our address list is to have my husband read me the addresses from the Christmas cards, and I check them against our list. Then I can just type and he can just read. I'll also add notes about our friends to help us remember what has been happening in their lives.

Have a cup of tea and enjoy visiting with your friends indirectly through their cards. We joke about the ones we receive that just have a signature - at least we know they're alive!

If you have a lot of Christmas cards to go through as we do, know what you can handle. If you break it up into small segments, you won't be as likely to put it off. I can handle anything for a short duration! So we might decide to tackle Christmas cards for 30 minutes and see how we feel - are we done or can we manage more?

Since my phone contains both my phone list and my address list, I'll update both lists at once. If your cell phone does not contain your address list, I'd suggest looking over the phone numbers and removing the ones you no longer use. Occasionally I find a number on my phone and I can't even remember who it is!

Use waiting time - when you are waiting at a doctor's appointment, waiting to pick your child up, or another such time to decluter your phone list. I'm not a very good waiter, and I start twitching if I don't have something to do. :-)

Don't let me overwhelm you with both jobs - pace yourself and put it on your schedule or to do list. Then you can mark it off and congratulate yourself!

More Ideas for Get Organized Month: Get Organized Month - Organize Your Shoes, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Underwear Drawer, Get Organized Month - Decluttering Your Sock Drawer


What do you feel is your most urgent organizing task?

Happy Get Organized Month!

January is Get Organized Month as declared by the National Association of Professional Organizers. I think we all feel like getting organized, getting rid of stuff, making a new start. We'll take some time during January to organize several areas to help us get started!

If you haven't taken down your Christmas decorations yet, let that be your first organizing project. Get rid of anything in your Christmas boxes that you haven't used for the last couple of years and that you don't love.

As you are replacing your Christmas decorations with your regular decor, do the same thing. Get rid of anything that you don't love or is extraneous. Take the moment to look at your decor with a fresh eye:

Is it too much?

Is there something you need to make it complete?

Is anything faded or worn?

Is there something in another part of the house that would brighten up your look?

Is your room functional and efficient?

It's invigorating to pare down your stuff and take a new look at things. Have fun! When you finish, take a moment and come back to report your accomplishments.


More on Get Organized Month: Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Catalogs, Get Organized Month - Declutter Under Your Sink, Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Pantry, Get Organized Month - Clean out the Freezer, Get Organized Month - Declutter the Laundry Area


If you need help organizing your time or space, see my 1-2-3...Get Organized series, books and workbooks for the organizationally overwhelmed.

Speaking Engagements: What to Consider When Contemplating Downsizing

Just wanted to let you know of a couple of local speaking engagements for those of you in the area. I'll be speaking on What to Consider When Contemplating Downsizing at two different locations:

Saturday, January 3 - Borders in Cuyahoga Falls on Howe Avenue, 1 pm., lecture and book signing

Thursday, January 8 - Cuyahoga Falls Library on 2nd Street, 7 pm, lecture with books available for sale

Drop by if the topic is of interest to you!

Link for College Tools Now Working

I discovered that the link for the Step By Step College Planning Guide (blog on December 29, 2008) was not working. I edited my
blog and it is fixed. Sorry about that!

Why Throw Shallow New Years' Resolutions at Yourself When You Really Need to Rethink Life?

Happy New Year! We had a party with our foster daughters last night and stayed up watching movies. My body woke up at 5:30 this morning as usual, which I'm not appreciating! May be naptime at the Coggins' house later on. :-)

I wish for you a wonderful 2009. I hope it's the best year ever in your life!

Here's my blog for New Year's Day:

January is a wonderful time to take stock, evaluate, and realign yourself. Do your activities reflect your passions and priorities? Do your work and leisure capitalize on your gifts? Are you being intentional about the legacy you want to leave your children and/or future generations?

Or are you bouncing through life like a pinball – rebounding off other people’s goals and ambitions, unclear about your own missions in life?

Rethinking life is something you can do once every few years, once a year, or several times a year – depending upon how often your life has significant change or needs significant change. I like to get away to a place where I won’t be disturbed. Sometimes I have gone to a friend’s cabin, or to a hotel, or just isolated myself at home. Sometimes I go alone and other times my husband and I go together. We’ll work separately, but then come together to work on those things we are committed to jointly.

If getting away or even carving out a chunk of time isn't a possibility, set aside a few minutes each day.

However you do it, how often you do it – the important things is to do it! We don’t want to echo Yogi Berra, “We’re lost, but we’re making great time!”

During these “rethinking times” I like to look at my passions, my priorities, my gifts and the legacy I want to leave my children and generations to come. I then compare my activities to see if they reflect these things that are most significant in my life. I make long-term and short-term goals in various areas of my life and schedule them into my life.

It is an appropriate time to eliminate activities I am no longer passionate about or that don’t rank high enough on my priority list. It’s a reality check if I discover I’m expecting myself to cram 30 hours into a 24-hour day!

The result? I’m intentionally spending my time doing those things that are most significant to me. I’m not at the mercy of others’ agendas. And I’m living in reality. I only have so much time each day. I want to be intentional about the way I spend it.

An important key to maintaining your priorities: build in time each week to evaluate your schedule, tweak it if necessary and plan for next week. I like to create a master weekly plan that I can refer to each week when planning my week so I don’t inadvertently leave something out.

Life can be busy and hectic, but you can have a sense of peace because you are living out your priorities and leaving an intentional legacy!

What legacy do you want to leave?

More on this subject: Announcing My New Coaching Package - Rethinking Life, Keeping First Things First, To Do List or Not To Do List - That is the Question!, Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Determining The Legacy You Want to Leave Your Children, Feeling Overwhelmed? Organize Your Priorities, Get Organized for School (or life!) - A Family Calendar, Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Getting Enough Sleep, Refill Time

Each time management book in the 1-2-3...Get Organized series guides you through a step-by-step process of determining your passions, priorities, gifts, and legacy and aligning your schedule and activities accordingly. If the thought of doing this alone is overwhelming, a coaching package is available as well.

Clever Organizing Tips from Better Homes and Gardens

Better Homes and Garden's January 2009 organizing issue has several clever organizing tips I thought I'd pass on to you:

- Carry a digital recorder with you and record reminders to yourself. When you get back to your office or home, record your reminders on your calendar or to do list.

- Attach a bathroom toothbrush and tumbler holder to the side of your desk. Store pens, scissors, etc. in the tumbler and hang s-hooks from the toothbrush slots for keys, etc.

- Attach a robe hook (like the ones on the back of your bathroom door) on the side of your desk to hang your purse.

- Hang your purses and bags from shower curtain rings on a closet rod.

- Velcro a gardening belt (with pockets) onto your child's desk or art table to hold art supplies.

What clever organizing tips do you have for us?