Tag: Evergreen Park

BTS: Never Be Late Again!

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Last August, I resolved we would be on time for school. Every day. And except for the very last day of school, when there was an actual flood in our neighborhood, we accomplished our goal.

Do you know why we succeeded?  Because I realized that my own adherence to my own routine can make or break our morning.  If we are late for school, by and large, it really is my fault.

As my children grow up, the responsibility shifts to their shoulders.  Some mornings, kid cooperation is not 100%.  But it is still up to me to set the example, to create (with family in-put) and stick with our Morning Routine, to focus on the task at hand and not get distracted, to keep the goal of “School On Time and Prepared” ever in sight.

Your kids may have a few weeks until they go back to school, and soon their morning routines will get tweaked.  So, this week, get your own Back To School (or going to work every day) Routine on track, and make the BTS transition easier for everyone!

Get up when you plan to get up.

I admit, I am a snoozer.  When the alarm sounds, my hubby hops up and stays up.   Me?  Not so much.  I learn from him, though, and moved the alarm clock more than an arm length away from the bed, to keep me from smacking the snooze button without even fully registering that the alarm went off.

Why?  Because I use an alarm for a reason.  I need to get up at 6 am to get myself ready before the kids get up.  And if I don’t get up with the alarm, I defeat my own intentions before I even get out of bed.  Setting the alarm earlier and allowing snooze time doesn’t solve the problem, either, now does it?  Nope.  Same bad habit and defeatist behavior.  So bye-bye bedside clock, hello hidden-under-the-bed or across-the-room clock.

And, DO NOT set your clock ahead.  Everyone knows it is set ahead, and it loses effectiveness (unless you set it a minute or two ahead, and don’t tell anyone….)

Get Ready First.

I talk about “Back to Ready” with my clients.  It is a mental image of what an organized and ready family looks like.  We know what is necessary to get ready, how to do those things, and that once we’re there, we can go do something fun.

But it has to start with getting Me “Back To Ready”.  Why bother getting the kids or the house ready for us to go if I am  not ready?  First order of the day is to get myself up and showered and dressed and fed.  Then I am much more available and coherent when the kids get up.

Lower Your Morning Standards.

Whenever I talk about routines, I always suggest to write down what you Need to do in the morning.  And, yes, I said NEED.  Make sure the Needs are covered, then move on to the Wants.  Needs are get clean, get dressed, eat breakfast, get out the door.  Everything else is extra.

I am the queen of starting just one more thing when I should be leaving, but that “one more thing” like writing an email or starting a load of clothes can make us late.  You and I both need to Write It Down and save it for later, and get out the door.

I read an article the other day that suggested we all Need to rise before 5 am to meditate, journal, work out, conference call with Singapore and grind our own flour for organic muffins for our families (yes, I made some of that up.  But not all!) before 7 am.  But if that list of things to do is not for you, don’t worry.  Stick with Needs, then move to Wants.

Recognize Load Time and Leave Time are two different things. 

Load Time:  The time we start loading ourselves in the van.  Factor in the every-morning-search for the 11 year- old’s watch, the 7 year-old’s daily dash to the bathroom as soon as I holler “Let’s go, people!”

Leave Time:  Time you pull out of the garage and head to school.  Leave Time factors in the length of the car ride / walk to school and adds a little cushion.  Aim for 5 minutes early to start with, it’s better to be early rather than late!  And don’t consider Early early.  Consider it On Time.

If you only have yourself to get out the door every morning, you can learn from this, too, especially if you find yourself running back for a few things as you leave the house.  Know your self.  For example, if you have to leave at 7:30 am to get to the office on time, aim for 7:20, realizing you always search for your car keys, double-check the locks, share a few words with the neighbor, or forget something.  And if you actually get to work a few minutes early, that is great, too!

So, whether you are going Back to School or not, let me challenge you this week to make your Morning Routine work better for you, and Get Where You Are Going On Time Next Time.  Give it some thought, get up a little earlier (or just move the alarm clock like me) and never be late again!

Organize your Garage: Crystal Ball or Snow Globe?

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     Look with me into my crystal ball…   I can tell you exactly where you were this past February 2nd.  If you live in the Midwest like me, you were either stuck in your house or shoveling the 2 feet of snow that fell in 18 hours.   

     More importantly, for today’s message, where was your CAR?  Your second biggest investment?  Your necessary transportation tool for work or school?  Was it safe in your garage (if you have one), or was it on the street or in the driveway while your clutter stayed warm and dry?  And where will it be when snow flies again?   Organize Your Garage This Month!    It is a lot easier and more comfortable to do it in August than in December (trust me, I’ve been hired to do both!). 

     Why is organizing your garage different from other parts of your home? 

  1. Everyone uses the space;
  2. The stuff stored there is just bigger; and there is more stuff because the space is bigger.
  3. The Garage becomes a collection of indecision, a waiting room for stuff to come and go from your home. 
  4. We ignore the stuff until we are faced with a crisis or never.  And the stuff just keeps piling up… 

     Why should you organize your Garage?  Garages don’t get the respect they deserve: they are truly multifunctional!  The primary goal for a garage should be vehicle parking.  Organize your garage, protect your car and large investments, and stop paying for off site storage units.

5 Tips to Organize your Garage:

  1. Remove the big things first, like large boxes or appliances, garbage bags of donations or recycling.   
  2. Break down the Cardboard:  you’d be amazed by how many empty boxes are probably cluttering up your garage.
  3. Stop storing things for other people.  You know who you need to call.  And they know who they are, too.  Make the calls, give the “other people” a deadline, have the stuff collected or toss it.  Some tough love now will save you time, money and car care later!
  4. Take Action:  Make some more phone calls, or take some time on-line and set up appointments for pick up of the items you already know need to go away.  Your clutter is treasure to someone else.  Donate big unwanted items:
    1. HOMES, Salvation army for furniture
    2. ComEd for large appliances
    3. PennySaver to place an ad, or list your items on Freecycle.
    4. For a more complete list, check out my Recycling Guide.
  5. Do NOT store treasure in the garage, which can have excessive temperatures, -20 to 120 degrees, pests and moisture.  All can cause damage to photos, books, clothing, or things with glue or wax like seasonal decorations.

 Storage solutions for Garage Storage:

  1. Climb the walls:  With just a little effort, you can use vast expanses of vertical wall space for peg boards for small-item storage, hooks for bikes or bags, racks for yard implements and snow shovels.
  2. Big items need big shelves:  So many things in the garage are REALLY BIG.  Bikes, yard toys, coolers, holiday decorations, sleds, bins of off-season clothing (see photo below).  Standing shelf units are great solutions, and if you use your garage for many purposes, you can invest in rolling shelf units.  Then you can roll out the stuff you need and roll it back away when you are done.
  3. “Roll out the barrel” out of your garage: I cringe when I see huge barrels of yard tools standing in the corner of a garage.  First, as a mom, anything that heavy and full of sharp edges that can fall over makes me nervous.  Second, why does any one need a barrel full of anything?  You can’t move it, access it, or clean it out.   A big barrel just screams to be filled, and so we fill it.  With rakes, brooms, old wood, baseball bats, who knows?  Get rid of the barrel, or outfit it as a rain barrel.  As for the yard tools, hang them on the wall (see Climb the Walls), or try a very low-tech idea, a short board across the space between the studs around 3 feet high and stand yard tools up in the space behind the board.    
  4. Garage rafters are a great place for large and / or off-season items, like ladders, summer deck furniture, sleds, etc. 
  5. Lock it UP: Safe Storage.  Assume that everything is going to fall.  Store heavier items on lower shelves, lighter items on upper shelves.  Mount shelves / attached shelf units to wall.  If children ever use the garage, put away power tools and cords, heat or flame sources and flammable items.  Make sure poisonous house and garden products have child resistant caps, are clearly labeled and are out of reach of children or in a locked cabinet.

Set aside a couple of hours this weekend, and make some space in your garage for your car.   You’ll be so glad that you did!

I must give credit to Julie Morgenstern, Organizing From the Inside Out  and Barry Iszak, Organize Your Garage In No Time.

 

Clean Your Home: Everyday or All At Once?

     Do you clean your home?  I am assuming most of you do.  So the next question is:  when?  Are you a spend-time-on-it-everyday person, or a clean-it-all-at-once person?  Or have you ever even thought about it?

     There is no wrong answer to this question, but knowing yours helps focus your Clean House mission. It may also be helpful to note that the answer to “Clean Your Home:  Every day or all at once?” can change as your life changes.  The All-At-Once way was no longer working for me, so I made the plan and the decision to change to Every Day.

     My goal for today’s blog is not to persuade you to choose one method or the other, but to suggest:

  1. There is always more than one way to complete a work project;
  2. Before jumping into action, give your situation some thought, and determine how best to attack that project; 
  3. Be flexible and open to other ideas, and find solutions that work for you; and
  4. Even something as mundane as cleaning your house becomes more meaningful if you set your terms for getting it done.   

    I started my current experiment in May, here are my notes from that day:

  • May 15th.  I love my house.  I love my family.  But I don’t love losing my weekends to housecleaning.  My schedule used to allow one full day dedicated to my home, but as the kids and business have grown, I can’t spare a whole day for cleaning.
  • Friday was Cleaning Day, which worked great even when we traveled, because I could clean and pack as I went.  
  • However, I still have to get Back To Ready on Mondays (or if we are traveling, whenever we got back), and maintain during the week, too.  And often, Cleaning Day gets pushed to Saturday, Sunday or even Monday before I finish. 
  • I feel like I am cleaning all the time, but I don’t feel it is getting done well, and I stress with the tension between doing it all / cleaning when I have time / making time to clean. 
  • I am embarking on a new house cleaning / maintenance schedule.  I will spend a House Hour every day on cleaning and maintenance instead of the All At Once approach.  The little-bits every day approach chafes against my perfectionist tendency of wanting everything DONE at least for a moment, but I am optimistic.
  • To Sum up, Challenges:
    • There is work to do, lots of effort goes into maintaining a home. 
    • I do most of the work alone most weeks.  I don’t know how to ask for help.
    • Am I really teaching my kids any life skills if I am the only person who cleans the house, and I do it while they are at school?
    • Will I have those children that go to college not knowing how to clean a bathroom or do their laundry? 
    • Am I demonstrating that only women do house work?  All of this has to change!
    • I can clean all day one day a week, and still need to maintain every day, too.  If I have to maintain every day anyway, could I just do that for a longer block of time instead of All At Once AND Daily Maintenance?
  • July 25th:  Outcomes of my experiment.
    • Click here to see my house cleaning spreadsheet.  It hangs on my refrigerator in a plastic page protector so I can assign chores to different people, and cross things off as we complete them.  Make your own, and add whatever you want!
    • We have done pretty well.  The house is consistently tidy.  In the All At Once approach, I would give up maintenance a day or 2 before my scheduled Cleaning Day, which became a growing problem if Cleaning Day got pushed later and later!
    • I love the daily approach.  There are some days our House Hour does not happen, because we are exceptionally busy or out playing (it is summer, after all!), but then I dedicate more time the next day, and catch up.
    • As we’ve gotten better at this House Hour idea, I have learned some days are easier than others, and I can spend more of the Hour on the easy days on organizing or projects.  This week, we look at school clothes  and supplies, and clean out my little guy’s toy box. 
    • The kids are learning the different tasks and skills that go into maintaining a clean home, how a household works and how they are a part of it.      
    • I am still working on the Asking For Help part, and probably will be for life.  A finite list of things of tasks for each day is less intimidating for all of us.  Once their tasks are done, they can go play. 
    • A personal challenge for me is to accept “different” as “just as good as my way”.  This is tough for me, but I am learning.  My wonderful hubby did the bulk of our vacation laundry, God bless him.  And his way is just as good as mine, though dissimilar.  It made me momentarily crabby, then I smacked (metaphorically) my self upside the head and reminded myself that the laundry was clean and folded, and I did not have to do it.  Woo hoo!
    • I was pleasantly surprised today.   We just got home back from a week’s vacation, and I am often overwhelmed when reality rushes back in after a week away.  But things look fine today, and I can pick back up my House Hour tomorrow. 

     So if you have ever felt the tension of when / how / what to clean, give your timing some thought and see what works best for you.  Try something new for a month or 2 – you’re a smart person and you can change – and see how it goes!

Organizing: Where To Begin?

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     This week, I heard from three different people, “ I am so overwhelmed, where should I begin?”  We’ve all been there – we look around our home or office, and disorganization is everywhere!  Perhaps we’ve been busy, and regular maintenance has been neglected.  Perhaps it is a time of transition; leaving on or arriving home from vacation; career change; a family member moving home or moving away; change of seasons on the calendar; change of seasons in our life. Regardless of the reason, we wake up one day with disorganized space and a long list of projects or goals.

     Then we have that deer-in-the-headlights moment, when we are frozen stiff and our brain is racing in circles, trying to figure out where and how to start, and sometimes in that moment we get so overwhelmed that we shake our head and racing brain, turn around and leave, instead of accomplishing something, anything.  

     So, then, where do we begin?

  • Ask yourself “Which project will make the greatest impact on my daily life?”  That is a great place to start!  For example:  If you have 4 projects (kitchen, linen closet, attic and basement), start with the kitchen then the linen closet, as those projects will help everyone in your home immediately.
  • To rephrase, “Start in the area that is causing the most pain” according to Barry Izsak, CPO and author of numerous organizing books.
  • The other answer to the “So, where do I begin?” is pick a starting spot – like the doorway to a room or closet, and move left to right around the space.  Or right to left, or top to bottom.  The starting spot itself is not magic. It is the choosing-a-starting-spot-and-working-methodically that gets things done.  
  • Walk around your house with a pen and clip board, and looking objectively at each room.  Jot down necessary repairs, organizing projects, items that need to go away or be replaced, etc.
  • Make a list of the tasks required to complete each project. For example, don’t just say “organize teenager’s closet”. A task list might include:  1.   Empty all drawers, purging old or unloved clothes; 2.  Install new hardware on dresser drawers; 3.  Empty closet, purging old or unloved clothes; 4.  Paint shelves; 5.  Install new closet rod, closet light and over-door clothing rack; 6.  Swap out old hangers with new hangers for hanging clothes.
  • Be specific with your tasks list, and the needed supplies to pick up at the home improvement store quickly become evident. Also, it is easier to determine time allotment for the specific tasks, than it is for the whole project.
  • Keep a master list for all of your projects.  This will illustrate where among the projects there is common ground, like tackling two projects with one trip to Home Depot or one call to the handyman.  This saves time and money and gets things done. 
  • Repeat after me: You do not need to complete every project right now, today. And you probably could not if you tried.  Don’t you feel better already?  But you can move forward on a project today, and come closer to completion, and there is satisfaction and success in that.

To Prioritize Tasks, Ask yourself these three questions (from Julie Morgenstern, Never Check Your Email in the Morning):

  • Question 1: How long will the task take? We inflate our idea of how long an undesirable task may take. I dread balancing my check book, so it seems intimidating, but it usually takes all of 15 minutes a month. Conversely, you also must allow enough time for a project to get done. If you tell yourself you are going to paint the basement this summer, but don’t actually block out time in your calendar to get it done, it won’t get painted. Dedicate a block of time or regular intervals to make the project happen.
  • Question 2: What is the return on investment? It may take a full 4 hours on a summer afternoon to finish a project, and you’ll wish you were somewhere fun, but the return is big when you are done. Find a balance between the potential pay off of a task and the estimated time it will take. Remember too, there are lots of things that need to happen today, but not all are major.
  • Question 3: When is the deadline? Even if one project is the biggest, if the deadline isn’t for another month, do the smaller but more timely things first.

So, the next time you are faced with multiple projects and your brain is racing all around, close those eyes and take a deep breath, take a walk around your house, and then pick your spot to begin.  You can do this, I know you can!

PS:   I am thinking of starting a blog category entitled “If I Had a Nickel….” for every time someone asked me certain questions.  I could call it Frequently Asked Organizing Questions, but I like “If I had a nickel… “ better!  Which do you prefer?  And what questions should I include?

7 Things I Learned From My Summer Vacation

We host a weekend get-together every July, next year will be our 20th. 

It started out as a bunch of recent college grads gathering at my very gracious in-law’s lake cottage in Michigan.  Our numbers have expanded over the years, as we’ve gotten married and added children.  We can gauge our growth in advanced degrees received, mortgages, increasing car size (to accommodate our growing families), challenges met and conquered and learned from.  It is amazing how we have all evolved. 

After 19 years of hosting this event, there are some Organizing Truths I have learned and can share with confidence:

  1. Organizing Truth:  Life is not about the stuff, it is about people and relationships.  I am so blessed.  I am choking up as I write this because I have images of such good friends and conversations and love, a wonderful co-host (my hubby), my gracious and dear in-laws and my dad who brings us cookies every year.  I am so, so blessed.
  2. Organizing Truth: Quality time with friends and family is judged by enjoyment, not by effort.  I am getting better about judging event success by the fun had by all, and not by the diversity of menu options or the cleanliness of my house or how much effort I put in (because the more you do these things, the easier they get!).
  3. Organizing Truth:  You can learn from every experience.  After any experience, ask yourself to sum up what you have learned in one or two sentences.  Self-awareness is a valuable skill, tool and talent.  It helps you find worth in every experience, even the mundane, and helps you to constantly evolve and improve.
  4. Organizing Truth:  Take notes, and help your Future You out next time.   I have a spreadsheet for planning this big weekend from year to year, with guest and RSVP lists, menu, shopping list, etc.  In the next few days, I will open up the spreadsheet file and make some notes about what worked and what did not:  “don’t forget the softball game next year, ask G to bring more fireworks, broaden the lunch menus”.  I will save that information, change the dates for 2012 and be ready to go next Spring.
  5. Organizing Truth:  Technology can be a very useful tool!   I already mentioned my yearly spread sheet, and a glance at my file directory tells me I have been keeping notes digitally since 1998.  I annually update the email contact list and correspond almost entirely via email.  These are basics.  I can also send map links to emails if requested, and this year I was able to check Facebook and my email for arrival updates via my smart phone.  Maybe next year, I’ll use Evite and we’ll have a FaceBook page (but then again, maybe not).
  6. Organizing Truth:  Standard Operating Procedures make things run smoothly.  I have a list in my head of things that need to be done, but next year, I will hang on the fridge a list of kid-friendly jobs to be done, so I can defer to the list and delegate better.  Examples of tasks may include:
    1. Get the boats ready to go: load the cooler, count and load the life jackets and beach towels
    2. Meal Set Up:  clean off table, get out plates and napkins and utensils, consult menu, etc.
    3. Yard Clean Up:  soda cans and water bottles to recycling, sporting gear and beach toys to bins, etc.
  7. Organizing Truths:  Notes from Kitchen Duty.
    1. Set up for the next meal at the end of the current meal.  Meaning, after dinner clean-up is done, look ahead to tomorrow’s breakfast, and set out the griddle and pancake ingredients and frying pans for sausage.  Most critically, set up the coffee maker for the next morning, so whoever gets up first can flip the switch!
    2. It occurred to me along the way that I could save a lot of hassle for myself and my guests if I just did all the menu planning and shopping.  At first, everyone would bring their own stuff, and meals were a hodgepodge, the refrigerator was full of odds and ends, and coolers were lined up on the deck and needed regular additions of bagged ice.  Now, I do all the shopping (with a few additions, like Cinnamon Rolls from the Ohio contingent), the menu is posted, and this year, a team of kids even helped with prep and clean up.  It’s a beautiful thing!
  8. Organizing Truth:  Less really is More.  I could go on and on, but I won’t!

So, learn from my experiences, I know I do.  Think things through, review and revise, and most importantly, get out there and appreciate your friends and family and life.

Organized Travel: Packing tips from the Lakeside

It seems fitting and proper, kismet perhaps, that I would publish information about organized travel from the table overlooking the lake at my favorite travel destination!

We travel a lot.   We are blessed with friends and family all over the map, and we think nothing of heading to lunch for the afternoon 2 states away.  And when you pack and unpack as often as we do, you learn some things!  So here are packing tips, for adults and children alike!

  • Take everything out of your wallet and make a copy of both sides of each card, and your passport if you are traveling abroad.  Leave  the copies and your itinerary with your house-sitter, or in an easy-to-find place at home, in case you have to call home for information.
  • Assign a home in your bags for your most important items; money, passports, car keys, cell phones and medications  (e.g. always the same backpack pocket or the top left inside corner of your suitcase, etc.).  You and your travel companions should know where these vital items are at all times.
  • Give your kids packing lists. Create equations: Small children?  # of days x 2 = # of outfits.  Older children?  # of days x 1.5 = # of outfits.  Our weekend list includes:  2 pjs, 3 underwear, 3 socks, 3 t-shirts in cold weather, 1 Church outfit (top, bottom), 1 belt, 1 sweatshirt, 1 hat, 2-3 outfits:  pants or shorts, t-shirt or long sleeved shirt, shoes (sneakers, crocs/sandals).  Also, Personal Hygiene:  toothbrush/paste, comb, soap / shampoo, lotion, deodorant; and Entertainment: books and booklights, mitts and ball, DVD player and DVDs, Nintendo DS, charger and games, IPod, watches.
  • Offer a Re-Packing List, too, for re-packing your items for departure!
  • Roll your ensembles:  This is one of my favorite recommendations!  When I pack for my kids, each roll contains a top, a bottom, underwear, t-shirts and socks.  A client packs for her color-blind husband, and puts his outfits together for him before he leaves.  Rolled outfits take up less space, too, and help you make every inch of packing space count!
  • When on the road, pack for each day:  An outfit for each person on each pile, then take a pile out each day.  This keeps the kids (and spouse?) from rummaging through (read—unpacking) the suitcase every day.
  • Pack along a color scheme, too, for example: khaki, blue and white; then you know everything matches.  Or even basic bottoms, like khaki or blue or black, and interchangeable tops (this works for my sons, though perhaps not for fashionistas).
  • Have a day pack packed all the time; bottled water, juice boxes and non-perishable snacks, sun-screen, bug spray, wipes and first aid kit, hats and sunglasses, towels and trunks.
  • If you’re traveling by car, keep swimsuits and towels in a separate, ventilated and easy to reach bag, so everyone can get to the pool or lake quickly, and suits and towels have a better chance to dry fully between swims.
  • Plan for contingencies, but don’t over-pack.  My friend says “lay out everything on the bed that you plan to take -then put half of it away”.  And pack items that multitask.  I have a great wrap that can double as a blanket in the car.  The kids have wind jackets that roll up, and double as pillows.

Enjoy your travels, and let me know your favorite packing tip ever!

Did You Remember To Pack The…

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This summer will find my family in multiple states and destinations.  And so begins the summer travel season!  Preparing for Travel can be a mixed bag, though, excited at the prospect of your adventures yet overwhelmed with the details of packing and unpacking.   One of the most organized and well- traveled people I know admits to having the “What did I forget to pack/bring” fear “every.single.trip”.   And I can empathize!

Vacation is about getting away, even getting away from our stuff, but some stuff really needs to come along.  How do you ensure it makes the trip?  Read on….

Standardized Packing Lists:

  1. Standardized packing lists are great tools to help you focus your packing efforts.  Looking for inspiration?  Do a google search for “Packing List”.  Here are some of my favorites:
  2. Over time, I’ve made a Klimczak Family Packing List.  I update it in the computer, and print it for family member use.  We’ve even laminated it, and used dry erase markers to chart our packing progress.
  3. Our packing list includes clothes and toiletries, of course, but also items like baseball mitts, game systems and chargers for the kids, travel snacks and work stuff for me.
  4. The boys have a packing list posted in their room, too, so when I tell them where we are going and for how long, they look at the list and bring the right things for the right number of days.
  5. Use a standardized toiletry packing list, too, and post it on the inside of the medicine cabinet door and in your toiletry bag closet, to ensure you don’t forget the small items!

Set Aside Things as you remember them, or at least Add Them To The List:

  1. Keeping your list in the computer allows for edits as you learn from every travel experience.  Tweak your standardized list as your travel needs change, your kids get older, etc.
  2. Keep a Trip Bag set aside for upcoming trips, and a folder for the same, either on your computer or in hard copy.  As you purchase or remember something for that trip (Father’s Day cards, gifts, beach towels, etc), or receive travel brochures or itineraries, put  them in the bag.  That way, all that is left to pack on travel day is clothes and toiletries.   We may have a couple of Trip Bags on the shelf, if we have more than one Trip coming up.
  3. You can also re-pack commonly used items as soon as you come home.  For example,
  4. Keep a set of toiletries just for travel, if you travel often.  The time saved is worth the extra expense.  We also always carry: An eyeglass repair kit, a  small sewing kit, a small first aid kit and 2 night lights.  I  used to pack an alarm clock, but now I just set  my smart phone alarm
  5. Carry one toiletry bag or shave kit for the whole family.  A friend suggested this one, and I have to agree with her.   If each family member packs their own kit, we end up lugging around duplicates of everything.  There are some items we can all share, like lotion, shampoo and conditioner.

Finally, Take a breath.  Don’t let fear or the need to be perfect keep you from enjoying your trip.

Ask yourself “What is the worse that can happen?”

  1. If the answer is “I might have to stop by a store once I reach my destination for sunscreen or tooth paste”, is that really so bad?  No.
  2. If the answer is “I forget my airline boarding passes or passport or the wedding gift or my notes for my speech”, then make sure to write those items down on your check list, and put them aside as you get them!

So, my challenge to you this week, whether you are traveling soon or not, is to check out the on-line packing lists or start creating your own.  In addition, pick a spot for your Trip Bag (ours is in the coat closet) and remember to toss things in the Trip Bag for upcoming travels.  And relax and enjoy your summer vacation!!

“Going Away” Checklist

Ask yourself:

What do you do every time you leave the house?  Run around like a crazy person, hoping you remembered to do everything….

What do you wish you had done, an hour into your trip?  Unplug the iron, set the DVR, water the grass, check the faucets….

What are some tasks that would make your getting-out-the-door go more smoothly? (insert your list here!)

What would make your coming-home more pleasant?  and Wouldn’t a standardized list of this stuff make the whole process a lot easier?

Of course it would!

One of my most often used and beloved organizing tools is a simple hand-written index card with a dozen or so task items written on it.  It is a standardized list of what I need to do to get the house ready for us to leave.  I laminated it early on, so that I could cross off the tasks as I accomplished them with a dry-erase marker and re-use the card.  And I have. Over and over again!

Whenever it is time to close up the house for a while and leave, for either a quick over-night trip or a 2 week vacation, the list remains the same. The tasks take an hour (uninterrupted) to complete, and then I can leave the house with a clear conscience.    The biggest motivators for creating the “Going Away” checklist were:

1. Clarity of thought, just in case I am leaving in a rush or for an emergency;
2. Safety, above all;
3. Energy and resource economy; and
4. Avoiding pests like ants, gnats or mice.

Here is the List: “Going Away”:

Kitchen:

  • Clear the fridge, toss left overs, Freeze what can be frozen
  • Refrigerate what can be refrigerated (fruit bowl or bread on the counter)
  • Wipe down surfaces
  • Lock stove door, make sure burners are off
  • Turn off the coffee maker timer
  • Wrap up the dishes, start the dishwasher and run the garbage disposal to clear it

Pets and Plants:

  • Dog: Plan or Pack up her stuff (when we had a dog)
  • Fish: Vacation Feeder pellet, or a plan for someone to watch them
  • Gerbil: Check water and food levels, or have a plan for someone to watch them
  • Plants: Water all, including the garden

House

  • Bedrooms: make beds, laundry to hamper
  • Close and lock all windows, pull shades in bedrooms and family room
  • Vacuum all
  • Turn up / down thermostat
  • Turn off / unplug computers
  • Take out the trash
  • Final walk through for safety and water check, making sure things are turned off or unplugged

So, my challenge to you this week is to Make Your Own “Going Away” check list.

  • Sit down with a pen and paper, and note all the tasks you tend to do to get ready to go.
  • Be an objective observer the next time you are getting ready to travel, and figure out if anything needs to be added to your Going Away Checklist, or subtracted, if it is not really important.
  • Most of the tasks on my list can be shared or delegated to my kids, too, and help is always welcome!
  • The order of my tasks is important, too, leading from one to another in a logical fashion, the path I walk through my house.

So, spend a little time now to make your next departure go smoothly and your next homecoming more pleasant.  What does your list look like?  Please share!  And safe travels!

Organize your (insert here) this Summer!

Take advantage of lighter schedules and brighter days and use the Summer time to make progress on your organizing projects.  Summer projects should be short and easy, especially if you want your family to lend a hand.  And any project goes smoother if you reward yourself and family with a fun summer pay-off like a trip to the park or for ice-cream!

First, get together and make your wish list, see Balance Your Summer Time blog from last year.

Don’t know where to start organizing?  Walk around your house with a clipboard (it helps you look at your home objectively) and note areas of concern.  Also, pat yourself on the back when you see an idea or space you really love.

So what are your projects?  An informal FB poll about summer organizing projects tells me the most popular projects were toys and photos.  I was stymied, trying to figure out how to address both in one blog article and under 1,000 words. 

But the great thing about organizing is that the process is the same, no matter what type of item we are trying to organize!  You can learn from these tips – just swap out “books” or “Clothes” for toys, and yes, it really is that easy!  Also, before you get start any project: 

1. Break big projects into little pieces – don’t try to organize all the toys or photos in one day. Tackle a room or even an area of a room (like the toy box or the book shelves) first.  Spend an hour, take a break, and come back tomorrow.

2.  Assign a destination for your clutter.  Old DVDs and book clutter will be donated to our local library for their book sale, Nintendo games will be sold or swapped, clothes will be donated to charity, etc.  Knowing where things are going helps us let them go. 

To Organize, Per Julie Morgenstern, We Sort, Purge, Assign a Home, Containerize and Equalize.  So, toys:

  • SORT toys by type (outdoor, indoor, books, games, size, shape, color, by child or developmental age, or in whatever other way that makes sense to you and your kids).
  • Clutter is anything we don’t Need, Use or Love.  PURGE all the things you don’t need, use or love.  Duplicate toys, broken toys, baby toys or toys we just don’t play with any more.  PURGE can mean donate, sell, trash, recycle, share with friends, or put away for a rainy day.
  • ASSIGN A HOME and CONTAINERIZE (these two are very closely linked):  Figure out where to store the toys and how, based on where and how the kids play with them. For example:
    • Last summer, to make space for 2 growing boys, we moved all the toys out of my older sons’ bedroom and into the basement play room.  Once we chose where to store toys, then we decided how to store them.
    • We have Legos, good golly do we have Legos, in every color and size and shape imaginable.  We store them in a couple of ways, though, based on how we use them.  
    • Assembled kits like monsters and space ships and castles have book shelves dedicated for display.
    • The big table is for active play and assembly. 
    • And we have large shallow see-through bins (think under-bed storage bins) beneath the table for the extra pieces.  I assembled a lego sorter for a client’s son, a neat item with shallow pull-out drawers for each color.  If your kids build based on color, perhaps the sorter idea would appeal to you.  My guys like things all jumbled up, so that’s how we store them.
  • And EQUALIZE means Maintenance.  Once we sort our toys, clear out the clutter, and determine where and how to store the items we keep, we just need to put things away once in a while (I know, easier said than done).  But consider how much easier it will be for everyone to put stuff away now that there is less clutter, and an official home and storage options for the toys. 
  • Photos:
    • There are organizers that specialize just in photo organizing and they are not me.  I admire my scrapbooking friends for their creativity and tenacity, but it is not a hobby of mine. BUT, the same organizing rules apply.
    • Sort:  First things first, bring all your pictures together.  Data cards and keys, camera cards, hard drives, boxes and envelopes.  When you are sorting photos, sorting chronologically is the most meaningful.  You can also sort photos by subject matter, but sorting first by date really helps, especially with digital pictures. 
    • Purge:  Purging is tough with photos, but you can start with duplicates, bad photos of you or others and photos that just don’t matter anymore. 
    • Assign a Home / Containerize:
      • I need to mention data retention and back up.  With digital photos, I recommend at least one back up (external hard drive, disc, flash drive, etc), or perhaps on-line storage.
      • How do you want to use your photos? Are you just storing them for some day, or do you need to print them for distribution or craft projects?  The answers to these questions will determine how and where to store them. 
      • And Equalizing, or Maintenance, is critical for success.  In all things.  Once you have your photos organized, make sure to download and save your photos regularly, say, once a month or after every vacation, and make sure to back them up.  Print photos if you want to use them.  Just do something with them!
  • So  my challenge for you this week is to look around and see what projects you might have, and decide when and how you want to address them.  Take advantage of the summer time for long-term and outdoor projects, or projects you want your family to help with!  Happy Summer, and Happy Organizing!

No, Really, Balancing Work and Life

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A reader requested information on organizing time and space as we work from home.  I’ve written this response over two days, between baseball games and dinners with friends, mulch and laundry, so SZ, you are not alone in this struggle!   

The Act of Balancing
I hear the term “Work-Life Balance”, and it puzzles me.  “Balance” is a tenuous and fleeting moment as a thing tips one way to the other.  “Balancing”, on the other hand, is active.  It is the movement of a thing back and forth between two sides, and seems a more attainable goal.  Judge the big picture and determine how your day or week went, instead of momentary balance.  Here are ways to make Balancing simpler:

Know your self and your family.
I am not very useful after 8 pm, as my brain is tired.  However, as crazy as it sounds, I find inspiration at 6 am (and my house is quiet!).  Early mornings rock!   That is how my body and brain work, and I have learned to embrace it.

 S.Z., you asked “Do I work now or run to Target?”  The answer is “Both, just not right now”.  In my case: 

  1. I can go to Target….
    1. Alone right now, while my kids are in school;
    2. With them after school; or  
    3. Alone after school, if my oldest child or hubby are home. 
  2. I can Work….
    1. Now, while I am alone in my quiet house. 
  3. Once everyone is home, it is much more difficult to focus or make calls uninterrupted.  Personally, I protect early morning, school time or nap time for work, and leave the errands and house tasks for family time.  Work now, errands later.
  4. Work is an “external motivator” (I’ll write more on this topic some day!).  An external influence (employer, publisher) requires accountability from you, to get your work done.  The laundry doesn’t require accountability, at least most days, and it also does not pay well!  So sometimes work wins. 

Focus & ReFocus:
Make a list of 3 things that absolutely have to get done today, regardless of whether they are work related or personal.  Do these three things first, in case your day does not go as planned.  

Re-assess at 2 pm.  I don’t know about you, but mid-afternoon, my concentration and energy fade.  It is a good time to take a breath, take a break and look at my list for the day.   I check my 3 important items and make sure they are done or in progress.  If they are not, I re-focus on getting them done, so I don’t lose my day to distractions.

I use timers.  All the time.  I’ll dial in 20 minutes and focus just on clearing my in-box, then move on.  I use one while I do home tasks, too, setting it for every 30 minutes or so as a reminder to re-focus and move on, if I have gotten off-track. 

Ditch perfectionism, and accept that you may not start and finish a big project in one day.   For those of you, like me, who work in 2 or 3 hours blocks, here is an example:  Day 1: Plan and start your project; Day 2-3: Write or work on it in blocks, for 2 or 3 days; Day 4: Edit; Day 5: Publish or complete.  Again, this buys you time if things don’t go as planned.

Open for Business:
Make a Clean Break between work and family life.  I have a friend who leaves the house every morning at 8, buys a coffee and comes back home through a different door to help with the transition to his work day.

A successful start today relies heavily on how you ended yesterday.  At the end of each work session, leave yourself notes or a task list for tomorrow.   Here is a recent blog on this very topic, The Last 10 Minutes.  

Dedicate your first 10 minutes to routine tasks,  to set the stage for getting things done.  A friend suggests starting the day with a couple of short and easy tasks, to ease into the work day.   Having a routine for your work time is invaluable, too.  I have lots of ideas for my business, so many in fact that sometimes it is difficult to concentrate on just one.  Starting with mundane tasks like a quick email check, Facebook post, and update of my work hour spreadsheet helps me settle into my rhythm and transition into a more complicated task.

Other blogs on Time Management:  168 Hours A Week, 1440 Minutes a Day  and Taking Care of Business Tuesdays

A few words about Space:
I love my office space when I am home alone.  however, my lovely work space is in our family room, and once everyone is home, I feel a little crowded.  I love my family, but my focus disappears as my family appears.  

We need to choose our work spaces wisely.  I work best with lots of light and a pretty work space.  We have space in the basement or in my bedroom, but I don’t want to work underground or where I sleep.  I recently lobbied for desk space for me and my laptop on my hubby’s desk in the quiet living room, away from the TV, door, etc.   He said yes because he is a kind and generous person, and even cleaned it up for me.  And if I still have too much background noise from my people, earphones and my IPod are very handy (SRC, thanks for the reminder.  I’ve got Tracy Chapman on right now!)

We’re part of a global community of workers, providing each other with inspiration and ideas – Please share your comments regarding the Work/Life Balancing Act.  Meet you in the break room later!