Organizing According to Your Right- or Left-Brain Dominance

          

The following is an excerpt from an article that Vali G. Heist, professional organizer, wrote for the Reading Eagle. It's about how being right-brained or left-brained affects how we organize.

"Knowing your brain dominance can be the key to understanding why organizing comes easy or is a challenge for you. How you approach organizing your home, your time and your life is determined by which side of your brain you favor. Organizing for the Creative Person by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping explains right-brain styles for conquering clutter in your home, and it can be a great reference tool for left-brain types as well.

If you are left-brain dominant, an organized home is essential; there is a place for everything and everything is in its place. If things get messy you don't get overwhelmed; you just break it down into smaller parts and clean it up because dealing in detail is not a problem for you. In fact, you enjoy the tasks associated with organizing because they make sense and you simply focus on one task at a time. Finally, you easily discard something that isn't being used and tend not to be emotional about your stuff.

Right-brain dominant people are creative, focus on the big-picture and actually have a need for clutter. If you are right-brain dominant, neatness is too sterile and causes you discomfort. You like to make little nests so you can surround yourself with stuff even though it may look messy to someone else. You tend to be emotional about your stuff, and you find it difficult to let go of your belongings. You usually know where everything is, but when you can't find your keys or bills get paid late, that's when you feel a need to change your surroundings.

Even though people use both sides of their brains simultaneously, they naturally depend on one hemisphere of their brains more than the other because they prefer to live, act, think, and organize a certain way. However, it is important to recognize the benefits of all of your brain's capabilities in order to become a balanced thinker. To find out which side of the brain you favor, take a quick assessment offered by The Art Institute of Vancouver.

Knowing which side of the brain you favor can open up a whole new world of possibilities of how to structure and organize your home and your life. That knowledge helps you to recognize what is comfortable for you and what is not when you organize your home or your time, and why some tasks are easy and others are a struggle. Finally, you can start to forgive yourself (and your loved ones!) because you understand why you do what you do.

Finally, if you are right-brain, organizing may not come naturally for you, but that doesn't mean it is impossible."

More on organizing according to personality:

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Introversion/Extraversion

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Sensing/Intuition

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Thinking/Feeling

myHomework iPhone App Helps Students Get Organized

          
I found the following description of the myHomework iPhone app on Calling All Geeks, and I thought it might be useful to you and/or your kids. The grammar is a bit lacking, but you get the idea:

"Here is an awesome application for students for iPhone to keep your assignments, class schedules, tests, projects, homework and lot more organized. So now students can keep all their to-do lists handy.

The interface is user-friendly and have nice notebook like design and colorful too which is going to attract students for sure. There are lots of useful feature but the good part is that it is very easy to access these features.

The application launch with very colorful design which includes sticky-notes and colorful tabs for homework in yellow, classes in green and info/preferences in blue. Late assignment will be marked in red, upcoming task in orange and upcoming task in blue which makes you classify your task properly.

You can also prioritize the tasks with different colors. You can also add the details like day, time, class title, teacher, due date, room etc. You can also share your schedules, course with your friends via emails.

 
This tool is for all the students or parents who want to keep track of their kid’s assignments, schedule and classes. The application is free to download and compatible with Mac, iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Requires iOS 3.0 or later. So no more noting down your plans on paper, get techy with MyHomeWork App."

More on homework:

Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student

Getting Organized for School 2010: Homework

100 Free and Essential Web Tools for the College Bound

Getting Organized for School - Study Shows Flashcards Help Improve Memory

 

Decluttering Seminar

      
Just a reminder to local friends - I'll be giving a seminar on decluttering on Saturday, November 13 from 3-4:30 pm at the Kent Free Library in Kent, OH. There is no need to pre-register. Hope to see you there!


More on decluttering:
Three Steps to Decluttering
Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence

Getting a Jump on Christmas Cookies

     
Last night our foster daughters wanted to make chocolate chip cookie dough and eat it. I know it's not all that healthy, but hopefully they won't get sick. We didn't get to it last night, so we'll probably try it today. 

My deal with them: they can have the equivalent of three cookies each and we'll freeze the rest of the dough for Christmas cookies. And my Christmas baking will have begun! Here's a post from the past on Christmas cookies:

I've done Christmas cookies in various ways over the years. Sometimes I've made them as we've needed them or wanted them. But two of my favorite ways to get a jump start on cookies are:

1. My friend Pam and I came up with a great way to get a jump on Christmas cookies. We originally set aside a day in December to make Christmas cookies all day, split them and stock our freezers. But that was pretty exhausting.

2. Then one year, we couldn't find a date in December, and that changed our Christmas cookie baking from then on. We decided to get together in November and just make the dough, freeze it in small batches, and cook as needed. It's so easy to just thaw a small amount, form into cookies, and bake! All the work and mess is over with and you have fresh baked cookies in a jiffy when you need them.

Plus we got to spend the day together! I miss it. Now that we live in Ohio and she lives in Maryland, it doesn't quite work! I need to mention that we did this when our children were in college or on their own. If making memories with your children is part of the equation, you may want to disregard our "mass production" mindset! :)

If you need to find a cookie recipe, my daughter Sara sent me a list (Cookies, Cookies, Cookies) of every possible cookie recipe known to man.


More on cookies:
How Coffee Filters Can Help You Declutter Holiday Baking
Making it a Priority to Create Memories

Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 6 - Planning Holiday Meals

 
We had a fun time with our mystery night on Friday night! A lot of laughter! If you haven't tried a unique dinner, give it a shot! On to our post today ...

I'm not exactly sure how Thanksgiving or Christmas is going to look for us this year. We are supposed to be here and host those holidays for our foster girls, but each of our four girls has family they might visit. One of our daughters is coming for Thanksgiving and both will be here for Christmas. So it will be interesting to see what mix we end up with. 

Here are some thoughts about holiday meals:

- Determine which special holiday meals you’ll be preparing. Will you be hosting any parties?

- Decide what you will serve for each special meal or party. Make a list for each event. Make sure to have a balance of protein, starch, something green and something red/orange/yellow. Try to avoid a lot of last-minute or time-consuming recipes. (By the way, keep your list in front of you until after your meal. Have you every looked in the fridge after a meal and realize you forgot to serve something!?! I have! LOL!)

- Do you have enough dinnerware, glasses, silverware, linens, and serving pieces?

- Are there some items you could prepare in advance - breads, desserts, cornbread for cornbread stuffing, etc.? Plan when you will cook some of these recipes and write it on your schedule, so you can space them out and avoid last-minute stress.

- If you are having guests, take them up on their offers to bring something!

- For each week during the holidays, plan your menus and make a shopping list. Try to go shopping only once a week to save those time-costly trips back to the grocery store. During such a busy time, try to piggy-back from one meal to another. Cook a roast, and use the leftovers for beef stroganoff, for example. Plan simple regular meals during the holiday season to reduce your stress level.

- Have some easy-to-prepare foods on hand if you have a disaster day: frozen ravioli, ingredients for wraps, and frozen chicken tenderloins, for example.

- Have some ideas in mind for using leftover turkey: chow mein, stir fry, pasta salads, etc. Use leftover ham in soups or pasta salads. Freeze extra turkey or ham in meal-size portions for a time when you are not weary of these meats.

Even though it takes time to plan your holiday meals and your regular meals, you’ll save yourself time and stress by organizing your menus. You won’t be making last-minute trips to the grocery store, you won’t forget ingredients, and you’ll have what you need.

You’ll be able to welcome your guests or have a special meal for your family without stressing! What a refreshing way to celebrate!


What are your favorite holiday recipes?

Leftover ideas:
Dinner in 10 - Chicken with Cranberry/Mandarin Sauce
Getting the Maximum Mileage out of Your Veggies
Cook It Once, Serve It Twice
Three Steps to Planning Dinner 
Hassle Free Dinners

Planning Your Weekend

     
Each Friday I look on Ohio.com for entertainment ideas. It lists what's going on in the area - both free and otherwise. I then make four lists of options I think are worth doing  - one for each girl. The girls vote, then I tally the results and plan the weekend.

On the list I include things to do out, things to do at home, exercise, crafts, games, etc. Since we're getting close to Christmas, I'm including some things they can make for their friends and family - jewelry, food, lip balm, pillows, etc.

I keep a list on my computer of places to go around here, crafts to do, exercise options, etc., so when I'm brain dead I can refer to the list and come up with some ideas.  

In addition, I came across 100 Things To Do During a Money Free Weekend over at Simple Dollar - another source of creative ideas. 

Scour your area for resources that list local activities and events. If I hadn't looked on Ohio.com, we would have missed the Duct Tape Parade and Festival where all the floats were made with duct tape - so fun and creative!! Or we wouldn't know that Akron Art Museum offers free admission each first Sunday of the month - a request from one of our girls this weekend.

Tonight I think we're going to have a Mystery Night - a unique dinner topped off with an episode of the new Sherlock Holmes series on PBS that we recorded. 

More creative ideas:

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Indoor Decathlon

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Water Spoons

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Treasure Hunt Dinner

Three Steps to Planning Your Child's Parties

Help for Moms with ADD

   
I found the following review this morning on Strollerderby.

The review is written by a mom with ADD about a book written by a mom with ADD. Katherine Ellison spent a year researching and writing after being diagnosed with ADD at the same time her son was diagnosed with it. The result - Buzz: A Year of Paying Attention. 

"Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Katherine Ellison has trouble paying attention. She’s impulsive, hot-tempered and disorganized. She’s also brilliant, creative and often inspired.

So when her son was diagnosed with ADD, she looked into the diagnoses for herself. Yes, her psychiatrist said, that would be you.

Knowing she and her son both had ADD was only half the battle: Katherine still struggled with what to do about it. So she did what she knows best: she wrote about it. She spent a year paying attention to attention: in herself, in her son, in their relationship.

She researched treatments, from medications to meditation. She took notes. She bared her own soul about what it was like to live with this disorder – and to parent through it.

The result is Buzz, a recently published memoir about her year of paying attention.

I’m the kind of mom who gets up from a game to fetch her child a glass of water and forgets, by the time she’s arrived in the kitchen, why she’s there. I’ll start unloading the dishwasher or making a snack and ten minutes later an exasperated kid yells, “Mommy! Can I have my water yet?”

So when I had a chance to review Buzz, I pretty much had to leap at it.

Given my own challenges with attention, it’s maybe not shocking that I haven’t read this book cover to cover yet. Not only does Ellison have a lot to say on the subject, but she’s nailed the emotional challenges of being an ADD mom perfectly.

The rattling monologue; the sudden lapse in attention; the hot temper you struggle to control; the dizzy feeling when you get overstimulated and the whole world spins for a few minutes.

The book is a rich blend of memoir and research, detailing everything from the history of impulsive behavior to experimental modern treatments. Not that I skipped to the back and read the appendices when my mind wandered in the middle of chapter three or anything.

Katherine’s insightful, personal writing offers two things I’ve been yearning for as an ADHD mom: that huge sense of relief that comes from knowing I’m not alone, and a treasure trove of solidly researched information and advice on how to handle parenting with my brain chemistry. This book is a gift to parents with ADD. I suspect I’ll be handing copies of it out like candy at Christmastime."

More on ADD:

Help for Parents of Disorganized, Inattentive and Forgetful Kids

Organizing the ADD Household

ADHD Organization - Time and Energy

Organizing Your Travel Data

             
I don't travel a lot, but when I do, I usually save my travel itinerary emails in a folder called "itineraries." However, I may change my ways. I just discovered Tripit. 

Instead of having to search through emails looking for confirmations for airline, hotel and car rentals, Tripit stores your details in one place - confirmation numbers, flight times, hotel addresses. All you do is forward your confirmation email to Tripit. 

This free service also includes apps so you can have your itinerary at your fingertips - on your phone, calendar, etc. And you can easily inform your friends, family and coworkers of your travel plans.

If you upgrade to Tripit Pro for $49 a year, you get extra features such as alerts for flight delays, cancellations, or gate changes. You can send travel status updates to your LinkedIn and Facebook profiles so others can stay in touch. In addition, there are several other perks available to you with the upgrade. 

Whether you travel a lot or a little, this service can keep your travel details organized and available, reducing your stress!


More on travel:

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

Lists for Repeated Activities

Redeeming Your Travel Time

Three Steps to Time Management for the Office

 

Just Because You've Decluttered Doesn't Mean It's Going to Stay That Way

     
Happy election day! After voting, I'm going to take our four foster daughters shopping for their monthly clothing allowance since they are out of school. Instant insanity!?! Hopefully it will be a fun time together. :) On to our post for today ...

Decluttering is a huge job well done! But unless you have a system in place to maintain your clutter-free area, it will soon be piled up with clutter again. Here are a few suggestions:

First of all, make sure everything has a place. Not having a place for everything is the easiest way to accumulate clutter.

Next, make a deal with yourself not to drop things when you come in the door. Even though you're tired, take the extra five minutes to put things away. 

Third, don't procrastinate: putting away laundry, emptying and/or filling the dishwasher, sorting the mail, etc. These jobs left undone create clutter in a hurry.

Fourth, make a sweep through the house before you go to bed. Mornings are so much more pleasant when they start clutter-free!

Next, ask others in your family to adopt the previous habits.

And finally, evaluate. Even with the previous steps in place, are there areas that are still tripping you up? Figure out what the problem is and come up with a solution. 

More on clutter:

The #1 Cure for Accumulating Clutter

Starting Small with Clutter

How to Avoid a Clutter Explosion When You Walk in the Door

Three Steps to Decluttering

Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 5 - Mapping Out Your Calendar

      
I officially started my Christmas shopping yesterday on Halloween by picking up a few stocking stuffers. Starting December 1, I put a little wrapped gift in our foster daughters' stockings each day until Christmas. Kind of an Advent thing. We did it with our own daughters and have continued it. They love this tradition! :) On to our post on scheduling ...

Have you ever found yourself flitting about from one holiday event to another, just because your were invited, or it seemed like a nice thing to do? Unless you plan out your holiday calendar, you may find yourself tossed about by everyone else’s agendas, priorities and events. By determining what is important to you and your family, you will be able to make sure your family's high-priority events get top-billing on your schedule.

Sit down as a family and talk about what each individual wants to have included in the holiday schedule – decorating, special outside events, baking, making gifts, reading stories, watching movies together, shopping, sending Christmas cards, hosting a party – whatever says celebration to each one.

At the same time, discuss all the holiday events from school, sports teams, church, work, friends and family. Which ones do your family members want to attend? Prioritize them, if necessary.

Take your list and schedule in those activities your family wants to include in their holiday celebration. Evaluate: Are your scheduled events going to allow everyone to get enough sleep and rest? If not, rethink things.

Create margins and boundaries. Know your own limitations as well as those of your family members. Make sure to schedule in some “breather dates” into your calendar so you don’t over-schedule. If someone invites you to do something else, you can honestly say you have something already scheduled – it’s true! Even if it's staying home and watching Christmas movies in your PJs with the fam!

Making a plan and writing it on your calendar reduces stress – it’s on paper for you and the family to see and anticipate. In addition, you are being intentional about how you are spending your holiday season and doing those things that are important and meaningful to you and your family. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

What do you like to include in your Christmas calendar?

More on reducing Christmas stress:
Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 1 - Expectations
Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 2 - Thinking Through the Needs of Your Family and Friends
Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 3 - Smart Gift Giving
 

Don't Let Clutter Create a Fire Hazard

  
Every winter you read about people dying in house fires. I've already seen several such articles this fall associated with clutter - the houses have been so full of clutter the resident can't get out of the house and the emergency crews can't find the resident. And many times there is no working smoke detector.

Gruesome topic, isn't it? If you know someone whose clutter is becoming a fire and/or safety hazard, try to arrange for some help before it gets out of hand. There are professional organizers who specialize in hoarding - not only the aspects of decluttering, but the psychological aspects as well. The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization offers referrals and assistance.

As we've discussed before, this is not an easy problem to tame and it usually requires professional help. But a working smoke detector is an easy step. Being a foster home, our house must be inspected every year by the fire department. They have even installed free smoke detectors! Check with your local fire department to see what services they provide if you or someone you know needs help in this area.

October is the month to change your batteries in your existing smoke detectors. If you know someone who may have difficulty changing their batteries, why not offer a hand?


More on hoarding:
Hoarding - There Are No Easy Answers!
Self-Help Books for Hoarders and Their Families
When Clutter is Unhealthy

Declutter Your Thoughts Instead of Your House

           

I came across this article entitled, "Declutter Your Thoughts Instead of Your House a Stress Solution for Life" over at GoodHealth. It has some great ideas (and a few typos).


"When your stressed you often live with clutter. Clutter in your home, in your office, your car and your life. It may not be easy but it’s fairly simple to begin to declutter your environment. You select a room or area to declutter and begin to clear out the area by throwing things that are unusable and giving away items that are usable but you no longer need. The difficult part is to give up those items that you’re emotionally attached to. Clutter comes in all forms, from the never ending to do list, the messy bathroom to stress of holding onto a relationship that is literally destroying your mind.

But what about the mind. Clutter in the mind causes confusion, you may experience loss of energy and overwhelm. But you can’t throw out the mind or give it away because it’s usable but you no longer need it.

One way to declutter the mind is to simply write. That may seem oversimplified but it’s a fact. When you write about a stressful situation you not only record your thoughts but you defuse the stress. A stress journal is the perfect solution.

Steps to stress journaling
1. Select a journal that is pleasing to look at and small enough to carry with you throughout the day.
2. Find a quiet comfortable location to write. A place that you find particularly peaceful and relaxing.
3. If possible put on relaxing music that will set your mood and tone for writing. If time allows focus on the music for a few minutes. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths this has a calming effect on your mood.
4. Begin to write. Let your creativity flow. Write about yourself. But don’t judge your writing. Don’t attempt to write a book or in a manner that isn’t natural for you. Write the way you talk. Write about your accomplishments of the day. Writing takes the stress from your mind and places it on a piece of paper, bringing you a sense of calm.
5. Stick with it by writing everyday for five to ten minutes even if it’s hard at first. You’ll find that in a few weeks you’ll look forward to writing in your stress journal. 
 
It’s time to make a commitment to live the stress free life. Journal, meditate and be at peace. Don’t be afraid of your feelings. Writing is effective in releasing your feelings and it doesn’t have to be shared with anyone. Let your feelings show on paper. There is not right way to write –journaling will declutter your mind."

More on a clutter-free mind:
Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work
Save Time and Clutter by Making Decisions

Clutter Becomes Storage?

    

Just for fun - thought you might enjoy taking a look at a line of products that provide a hiding place for your valuables in plain view. Developed by Yi-Ting Cheng, a Taiwanese design student residing in London.  




                             
Secret Stash from yiting cheng on Vimeo.

Color-Coding Toys

   
Even though your child may have a place for everything, he may not remember where it is, even if it is labeled. So here's another way to help keep things neat: color-coding.

Using a blue permanent marker, place a blue dot on the back of each piece of a puzzle. Even if the puzzle is not put together, your child knows the pieces go in the clear shoe box with the blue dot on it.  And so on for other toys that may be confusing to place.

If your children get their toys confused, assign a color to each child and place an additional dot on their toys. Bobby's toys always have an orange dot in addition to the other dot that shows where they live.

I did this with socks as well, especially if I bought the same socks for both girls. They each had a color, and we marked dots on all their socks so it was easier to match socks on laundry day. 

More on toys:
Teaching Children to Organize
 Organizing Legos - Or Not
Helping Your Child Declutter Toys Before Christmas

You Can't Downsize Memories

    
When my parents-in-law were downsizing to a retirement community several years ago, people kept asking if it was hard giving up the home they had lived in for 40 years. 

My father-in-law had a great response: even if they had to get rid of some "things," the memories will remain. Isn't that a great outlook? We can treasure all the memories created in our homes - moving doesn't take those away.

If downsizing requires parting with beloved possessions, take pictures or give them to special people so you can visit them occasionally. But your memories surrounding those possessions will be with you forever!

More on downsizing:
10 Signs That Your Parent Shouldn't Be Living Alone
Downsizing - Factors to Consider when Choosing a New Residence
Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence