Organizing as a teaching tool

What I have learned this week about myself and my household while being incapacitated: 1. Being organized allows me to sit on the couch and direct others to the proper location of important items (like my son's jacket, shoes, and proper pjs). 2. I do not like asking for help. 3. Being organized allows my son to know that while I may be stuck, we will still have a schedule. He will still be fed at least 3 times a day, bathed, given time for free play, and put to bed at a time resembling reasonable. 4. You really can only watch so much tv. - Okay, that may not be related to organizing... but it is true. I would love to hear what organizing has done for you in your life. That's enough introspection. Are you ready to clean out some real clutter now? Since I'm not overly mobile at this point I'll give us an easy 15 min task. Grab your purse and a trash can and get ready. It's time to clean out the deep recesses of the purse and all the pockets. 1. Empty the entire contents. 2. Sort into categories: Keep in purse (wallet, cosmetics, gum, pain reliever, etc), Put elsewhere (toys, receipts to file, mail, duplicates of items, etc), Trash (expired receipts, candy/straw wrappers, open food items, obvious trash). My find upon doing this task recently? A lollipop which had been tasted and placed in my purse... without a wrapper. What will you find? If you have recently cleaned out your purse and think you are off the hook, how about your gym bag, your child's backpack, or your glove box/console in the car? 3. The trick now is putting all of those "elsewhere" items into their proper homes. (and putting the "trash" into the can. 4. Wipe down, mini-vac, or wash your purse (gym bag/backpack/glove box/console) before replacing the "keep" items. 5. Replace the "keep" items. 6. Smile! You have a lighter cleaner purse! What did you find that surprised you the most? Next week: Taxes.

Reflections

Jan 20

Now that you’ve had a chance to settle in and think back positively on your holiday experience, what would you do differently next year? If that brunch you threw just didn’t seem to suit, how about a cocktail (or “mock” tail) party this year? Make some notes in that handy-dandy planner we talked about last time. You can use this same system as you go through your year this year. After each worthy event (Spring Break, Overnights away, Summer vacation, going on a blind date, finding a sitter, etc) make notes of what you would do differently next time. It might be as simple as doing the laundry a day ahead of time the week prior to a trip so that packing is easier. Let me know what you come up with this year. I love it when you all share!

Are you ready to do some cleaning out of REAL clutter now?

Take fifteen minutes to go through your medicine cabinet and dispose of any old/expired medications and prescriptions. I was recently talking with someone who just disposed of medication that expired in 1995. She has moved twice recently and moved the expired medicines with her. Twice. Also make sure that the medicine dispensers for any children’s medicine are clean and stored properly. (Some medicines are very sticky and leave a residue.)

How are you doing with your resolutions? Keep trying. Good things come to those who wait.

Our first real blog!

Hello fellow organizing crusaders! If you've been following along with us over at http://www.organizewithjulie.com/ welcome to our new space. I was hoping that we could get some real conversations going now that you will have the ability to add comments without the hassle of e-mail. If you have not been following along up to this point. Welcome! I'm very glad you could join us. Comments, questions, suggestions, random quandaries of your own - are welcome here. This blog is primarily my weekly (give or take) musings about organizing. Mostly it is advice to help you find a better path toward less clutter and stress in your own life. Primarily, it's just plain fun. So this is the part where I "organize" my thoughts and plan our next steps together. I think for now I'll leave the previous posts up at organizewithjulie.com and just have a redirect to this site for any future posts. Sound good? Ok, I will "see" you all on Sunday night. Have a good weekend! ~J