Get Organized Month 2009 - Some Words from Peter Walsh, Organizing Guru

Peter Walsh, professional organizer guru, was interviewed in the latest issue of The NAPO News published by the National Association of Professional Organizers. The following are some inspirational exerpts:

"Stuff has power, and the stuff we own has power—power for good or power for ill. It’s up to us to decide how we use the stuff we own. We either advance the kind of life, community, and world we want, or we become so self-absorbed with our stuff that we become like greedy children hoarding cookies."

"One of the problems I constantly see is we are swimming against the tide by living in a society that says more is better. That mindset is exactly why we are in the economic crisis we are in today."

"If we focus on the stuff, we do ourselves … such a disservice. It’s not about the stuff. It’s about the life we live and the lives we create."

"I believe homes are metaphors for our lives. I believe it’s impossible to make your best choices, your most enlightened, spiritually rich, emotionally stable choices in a cluttered and disorganized home. It just can’t happen. Time and time again, I have seen that when you open the space you create the opportunity for amazing things to flow into that space."

"Organization is not something you do, it’s the way you live your life. It is not about
simply cleaning up, it is about making mindful decisions about your life."


I'm motivated, what about you? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


If you're inspired, motivated, and eager to make mindful decisions about your life, The 1-2-3...Get Organized series provides a vehicle for getting there!

Get Organized Month 2009 - Organizing Office Supplies

While organizing an office yesterday, several non-descript boxes housed various sizes and types of envelopes. Taping one of the envelopes to the outside of the box makes the contents easy to find at a glance without opening each box. This system works well with other paper products as well.

We also placed the most-used items in the middle shelves and less-needed items on the lower and higher shelves. Try this technique in closets, your kitchen and garage, too!

Another blog related to this subject: Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

Fot more help organizing your office, try Three Steps to Organizing Your Office.

Get Organized Month 2009 - #1 Biggest Organizing Mistake

People are in love with organizing containers. Many of my clients rival The Container Store in the number of containers they own!

Owning organizing containers is not a bad thing. The #1 organizing mistake, however, is buying organizing containers without a clear picture in mind of how you can use them. For example, I was organizing an office yesterday and our initial conversation indicated that we might need to purchase or make something to hold finished projects. As we worked through the office, though, we found a solution with existing furniture.

I always organize first, buy organizing containers last, if needed. Many times, my clients already have storage - we may just need to think outside the box in order to find it.

So, as tempting as it is, refrain from purchasing organizing containers until you know what you need. Yesterday we purchased upright Christmas wrap containers to hold rolls of work-in-progress - but that was AFTER we determined what we needed. We knew exactly what we wanted, and we felt very fortunate to snag the last two at an after-Christmas clearance sale.


What unusual storage solutions have you used? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


More blogs on similar topics:
National Association of Professional Organizer's Best Residential Product for 2008
Storage for Your Garage
Products we Recommend - KangaRoom Stackable File Box


As you declutter, consult Three Steps to Decluttering if you are overwhelmed.

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

Got outdated electronics? You hate to get rid of them because you feel someone can use them? Here are a couple of options for ya.

You can sell them at Gazelle. Gazelle buys cell phones, digital cameras, MP3 players, laptops, PDAs, GPS devices, gaming consoles, camcorders, satellite radios, external drives, video games, and movies. Simply submit your item and they will make an offer. If it's a deal, they will pay for shipping and even send you a box.

NBC Nightly News recently featured a store in NYC, CEX, that purchases electronic gadgets and resells them in their store. View the story.

If you'd rather donate your items, The National Cristina Foundation takes computers, printers, peripherals, and software. "The National Cristina Foundation is a not-for-profit foundation dedicated to the support of training through donated technology. For more than two decades we have encouraged companies and individuals to donate computers and other technology, which is then matched to charities, schools and public agencies in all 50 states, Canada, and in many countries around the world."

Do you recommend other organizations that help us declutter our electronics? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


More blogs on similar subjects:
Recycling Cell Phones to Our Soldiers
Recycling Computer Components
Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment

Get Organized Month 2009 - Create/Update Your Budget

Have your income or expenses changed in the last year? If so, updating your budget may be in order. Or if you don't have a budget, you may want to create one.

The optimum way to create a budget is to look at your spending over the last year. If you do't use a software program or other means of tracking your spending, gathering tax info provides ample opportunity to do so. If you have inadequate records, estimate your spending patterns.

The tricky part is to keep your budget below what you earn!! It really is a reality check to track your spending. Without trying, you can easily find yourself in debt before you know it. And you may sacrifice immediate pleasure for future security.

Include in your budget short-term and long-term savings. Short-term savings is for replacing appliances, unexpected car expenses, etc., so you don't have to go into debt when you have an emergency.

Long-term savings is for a down payment on a house, retirement, college funds and such. If your employer has a matching retirement program, enroll!! Starting early provides exponential multiplication of your investments. Even if you think you can't possibly afford it, do it! If you wait until you can afford it, it may not happen.

Determine the categories to include in your budget and assign an amount for each. Don't forget to include occasional expenses - vacations, gifts, etc. Whittle down amounts until your expenses are less than your take-home pay.

It's a lot of work to create and maintain a budget, but it keeps you living in reality!


How do you manage your budget?

Get Organized Month 2009 - The Mode Premium All-in-One Recycling Center

Does the clutter of recycling annoy you? It does me!

I just read a press release for a product that eliminates the clutter and gives you a place to keep your recycling until recycling day. It's called the The Mode™ Premium All-In-One Recycling Center and has a price tag of $199-299.

Here's what the website says about this new appliance:

"Sort. Store. And crush your way to a cleaner counter top. The Mode™ Premium All-In-One Recycling Center, featuring our patent-pending compaction system, allows you to hold up to 3 times more than a typical bin. The versatile compaction system crushes aluminum cans and 8 oz to 2 liter plastic bottles and jugs in one easy step that doesn’t require a plug. The paper bin is designed to help you eliminate kitchen clutter by organizing all your recyclable materials in one convenient place. Which means now you can save the planet without sacrificing counter space."





Would you spend the money on such an appliance? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

Get Organized Month 2009 - Opt Out of Phone Books

I recently lugged new phone books into the house, thinking "what a waste of money!" It is rare that we look in a phone books these days.

I just became aware of a way to opt out of receiving printed phone books. When you sign up, they will send you an email that you must reply to in order for it to take effect.
Not only does it declutter your house, but saves some trees and the environment!

What are you doing to be green? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)



More on similar subjects:
Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment
More Eco-Friendly Recycling

Get Organized Month 2009 - Declutter Your Wallet/Purse

Here's a while-you-wait task: while riding in the car, waiting for an appointment, etc. Declutter your wallet by removing any excess receipts. Toss the ones you no longer need and file or record the ones you need to keep. Remove expired credit cards and shred them. Other people's business cards can be filed or recorded if you don't need them in your wallet. And toss expired coupons or other clutter.

Go through your purse and empty it of trash and unnecessary items. Use smaller bags or organizers to house like items. Then you'll be able to find what you need at a glance!

Other while-you-wait decluttering tasks: the car (when you and other family members get out, ask them to pick up whatever trash they see - whether it's theirs or not!); briefcase; diaper bag; book bag.


What decluttering tasks do you do while you wait? If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

More on similar subjects:
Pouchee Purse Organizer
Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Purse/Wallet and Briefcase

Get Organized Month - Organize Your Refrigerator Freezer

Happy Inauguration Day! What a historic day for our country! I hope you get to watch history being made as we welcome our first black president.

Our daughter, Sara, arrived here from Kazakhstan on Sunday and we're enjoying our visit with her! We haven't seen her in 1 1/2 years. We're going to run some errands and be back by the time the inauguration starts.

If you have taken the day off today, here's a project you can do while watching the festivities: organizing your refrigerator freezer. Every once in a while I like to take stock of what I have, what needs to be tossed, what I need to use up, etc. It doesn't take long, and it helps you stay on top of what's in there.

I like to use clear plastic shoe boxes (without the lids) in my freezer to house like foods: veggies, fruits, breads, meats, etc. I get mine from the dollar store. Since they're clear, I can see at a glance what is housed in each container. And I can just slide them out without having an avalanche at my feet.

When I have leftover veggies or meat that would be appropriate for a soup, I'll put them in the designated container. Leftover fruits I'll use for smoothies or fruit compote. It's like having a free meal when you use those little bits of leftovers that no one wants to eat. How about a pot of soup tonight?

When I have an overabundance of some item I try to freeze it before it goes bad so as not to waste food and money. For example, some weeks our bananas are eaten and other weeks they are not. So if they are going bad, I peel and freeze them, to use for banana bread. They look really ugly when you thaw them, but they make wonderful banana bread.

I keep my coffee on the door of the freezer for easy access. We have A LOT of coffee, so I use one shelf for decaf and the other for regular.

I try to keep items in our refrigerator freezer that we use often and store less-used items in our chest freezer.

Share your tips with us! (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


More blogs on similar subjects:
Decluttering in 5 - Check out the Shelf Life of Your Spices
Get Organized Month - Clean out the Freezer

If you need more help on organizing your kitchen, take a gander at Three Steps to Organizing Your Kitchen.

Get Organized Month 2009 - A Year of Growth

Before we get into today's topic, just wanted to catch you up on the progress of rethinking my desk. My desk is clear and things are organized and have a home. It took several hours over the weekend, going through every file drawer and every shelf, but it's done and I'm pleased - what a great feeling!

January is a great time to look ahead to the year and consider potential areas of growth for yourself and for your children, if applicable. I would not suggest considering growth areas for your spouse! :)

For example, are you being held back because of a lack of knowledge in a particular area? Do you need to get further training in order to be more effective? Is there an area you are eager to pursue, adding to your personal or professional toolbelt? Are there some life skills you need or want to work on - communication, boundaries, time management, parenting, ball room dancing, technical/computer skills or programs, etc.?

As you pinpoint an area or two, consider how you might pursue growth in this area - a class, a mentor, reading a book, coaching, for example. Figure out how you can fit this into your budget and schedule. Growth is envigorating and inspiring! My personal opinion: growth is necessary for a positive self image. Don't be tempted to short-change yourself.

For myself, I'm going to pursue a business idea that popped into my mind last week. I'm going to run it by several people and brainstorm with them to evaluate the pros and cons. If we can figure out a way to make it work, I'll march ahead! And I'll let you know about it soon.

If you have children, think through areas in which they may need to grow. For example, I'm going to work on manners with our foster daughters this year. Since we have each house of girls in our home once a month, I'll work on one topic each month. When we get a new girl in our program, she usually has no idea about table manners. So instead of embarrassing her, we'll address one aspect of manners each month plus review what we have learned in past months.

So far, I'm thinking of: placing napkins in our laps, how to use utensils properly, not using our fingers, how to cut properly, not chewing with our mouths open, properly passing food, how to set the table, etc. I always tell them that when they are invited to the White House for dinner, they'll not want to embarrass themselves. :)

Our own girls loved eating with their fingers, still do in fact! I think it's a throwback to living in Kenya during their early years, where it is considered appropriate. Evey once in a while when we are together, we'll make sukuma wiki and ugali and dig in with our fingers! Yum! Just for fun one night, you may make it a no-silverware-night! And serve soup!

As you consider areas of growth for your children, look at the needs of each individual child. Make sure to select areas that are age appropriate for each child, not expecting them to function at a higher level than they are capable. Try to make it fun, and reward a job well done.

What areas do you want to pursue this year? (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)


More blogs on related topics:
- Why Throw Shallow New Years' Resolutions at Yourself When You Really Need to Rethink Life?
- Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Determining The Legacy You Want to Leave Your Children

If you need help rethinking life, explore my Rethinking Life coaching package or any of my Time Management books.

Jennifer's Review of My Books at the Dirty Shirt

Jennifer at The Dirty Shirt has reviewed Three Steps to Organizing Your Office and Three Steps to Organizing Your Kitchen. She's got a giveaway, too! Wander around her great site while you're at it!

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.