List Planet… or Rather List Plan It

When speaking to groups of women about time management, I often reference things to make their lives easier.  It was brought to my attention last Dec that when speaking about List Plan It – my listeners hear List Planet.  I am here today to clear up the confusion.

Several months ago I “won” (via twitter) a quarterly membership to ListPlanIt.com.  Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love lists!!! Naturally I couldn’t wait to get started.  I was amazed!! There really is a list for EVERYTHING on this site.  (Over 400 lists to be exact.) And just when I think there can’t possibly be one more list, The List Mama comes up with something new.

Check out the ListPlanIt blog all February long.  Jennifer is giving away prizes. Daily!  http://listplanit.com/2010/01/list-of-reasons-to-visit-listplanit-each-weekday-in-february/

The most important question is: Beyond that first quarter, did I extend my membership? You betcha!  I am proud to be an Associate of ListPlanIt. 

Happy listing everyone!!!

Jennifer Tankersley (aka List Mama) is the founder of ListPlanIt.com, which has over 500 lists and planning pages available for members to either print or download as often as you need for 1 year, including Home Management, Family Matters, Financial Planning, Meal Planning, Holidays & Occasions, Time Management, Travel Planning, and more!

Jennifer Tankersley |   http://ListPlanIt.com

400+ printable lists & planning pages to put your world in order

As for finding me, it’s easy peasy:
If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or by searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

Successful organizing is based on the recognition that people get organized because they, too, have a vision.
~ Paul Wellstone

 

What’s your vision for 2010?

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

Home Hub Here We Go!

Over the Christmas holidays, a long lost friend came to visit me.  As our boys played so nicely, we were able to have hot tea and chat.  She was telling me that she does pretty well with the STUFF in their home, but is overwhelmed by paperwork chaos.  Her system is a familiar one:  Allow the paper work to accumulate until it gets overwhelming (or until company is on their way).  Then shove all papers into gift bags and stack the bags in a closet. Well, that is starting to take up quite a bit of closet space for her.  Not to mention that the papers that enter the bags are sentenced to life imprisonment “never to be heard from again”. 

I brought out my completed Home Hub and an empty Home Hub consisting of: binder, business card page, sheet protectors, pocketed dividers, pencil pouch, pen and post-its.  We talked about her categories of paper and what she could do with the binder.  She perused the one that I have for our family.  And she left my home not only with a new idea for her paperwork, but with a weight lifted.  She felt empowered to do something about her situation. 

Would you like control over your paperwork clutter too?  Would you like to feel empowered by a system that YOU can create to fit your own personal needs?  That’s what a Home Hub is all about.

Here is a general Home Hub guideline and FAQ.

~What is a Household/Home Hub Binder? Its essence is that it should be a manual for your daily life. This is the place to keep your - weekly schedule, grocery lists, take out menus, sales ads/coupons, financial information, school fliers, business cards, contact info.

~How do I start? Gather all of your paper and see what it is that you need to put into your binder. Make stacks of like items (finances all together, school stuff all together, etc). Use stickies to label each broad category. Write labels for sub categories as well.

~Now what? Assemble your binder by using the categories you've created. Use pocket dividers, sheet protectors, and business card sleeves where necessary. Include a pencil pouch in the front of the binder to hold extra pens, stamps (for bill paying and correspondence), a mini calculator, and other small items.

 

Other uses for a Home Hub Binder:

~ New Home Owner Manual - paint colors, service companies, age of appliances. (Great Gift!) ~ Vacation Home Manual - emergency contacts, operating systems, local favorites. ~ Finance Only Binder - track investments, bank statement, and account info. ~ Health Hub - Medical/Shot Records, Insurance Info, Explanation of Benefits/Dates of Service. ~ Decorator's Dream - Fabric Samples, Paint Chips, Magazine Inspiration Pages, Measurements. ~ Correspondence with your nanny/childcare - notes, schedules, plans of action, emergency info.

Paperwork is my number one nemesis.  It comes into the home constantly and from many different sources.  It is often difficult to know what to do with it all!  So tell me fellow Home Hubbers, what are your questions, concerns, points of advice? If you are interested in a workshop session, leave a comment or send an e-mail. I'd love to help you bring order to your paperwork chaos.  Many of you are in the process of trying to assemble your own Household Hub Binders. If you need personal assistance, I am free to workshop it with you alone or in a party with your friends.

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home or paperwork better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

 

Technorati Tags: home hub,jacksonville,organizing is fun!,family

Special Announcement: MEMS and ME

Is this mid week enough? I am very excited to be speaking to a wonderful group of Moms on Wed Jan 20.  The MEMs (Mother’s Encouraging Mothers) group meets two Wednesdays a month for fun and encouragement.  If you’re in the Jacksonville area and interested in attending, let me know!  We’re going to have a great time learning how to corral, my nemesis, PAPERS and chat about some general organizing as well.  I’m also told there may be some crafting involved.  Woo hoo!

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

Technorati Tags: public speaking,organizing is fun!,organization,mom stuff,NAPO,Jacksonville

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

It's not enough to be busy, so are the ants.
The question is, what are we busy about?

~ Henry David Thoreau

 

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

 

 

Technorati Tags: Thoreau,Time Management,Scheduling,Organizing is fun!,NAPO,Jacksonville,quote

Still Simplifying. Good-bye Season!

I hear much discussion and debate starting in mid-Nov about the “proper” time to put out Christmas decorations… especially a tree.  It seems people range from pre-Thanksgiving on into December.  Personally, I choose the first weekend of December.  I like to take the time to enjoy Thanksgiving and ease out of that holiday before starting another. 

Now that we’ve finished the first week of January, I want to know: Is your tree still up? If it is, it is time to take it down.  Pack up all of the decorations carefully and say good-bye for ten or eleven months.  Truthfully, packing up the Christmas decorations always makes me a little sad, but at the same I feel a sense of relief at getting the house back to “normal”.  It is a very peaceful feeling to have everything in its place once again. 

Tell me, When you do typically un-decorate from Christmas?  When does your tree make its grand exit?

I’m sharing some big news mid-week, so stay tuned!

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

The aspects of things that are most important to us are hidden because of their simplicity and familiarity.

~ Ludwig Wittgenstein

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

 

 

Technorati Tags: quote,NAPO,Jacksonville,Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom,Simplify,Organize

One-in One-out

With all the generosity of family and friends this past season, now is a great time to institute the “One-In One-Out” Rule for you and your family.  What is the one-in one-out rule?  Described as “A tie for a tie a shoe for a shoe” by Rita Emmett.  It is precisely as it sounds.  For every new item that comes into your life, an old item needs to leave.  Why?  Just because you are acquiring new things, it does not mean you are acquiring more space to store those things.  New books received do not guarantee a new book case. And if a new book case arrived, would you have a place to house it? 

I do have limits on space for how I store my things.  If the sweater shelf is full, I know that there are enough sweaters there and that if another one is added to my collection I will have to part with an existing sweater.  I cannot simply build another shelf to house more sweaters.  The same is true for my shoes.  There are X number of slots in my shoe hanger.  If all those slots are full, there is no more room for new shoes.  This does not mean that I add another shoe hanger.  I must say goodbye to an existing pair of shoes in order to make room for the new shoes.

This rule has been harder for me as a parent.  Toys are not all the same size.  Nor are all toys of the same value to my preschooler.  I have to weigh these things when deciding what toys to consign, donate, send to grandmother’s house, or give away.

What is your number one weakness when it comes to the one-in one-out rule?

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, and would like the assistance of a professional organizer, e-mail juliebavi@gmail.com  You can also find me on Facebook by clicking HERE or searching for Organize With Julie.  Stalk me on twitter @juliebavi.

 

Technorati Tags: One in one out rule,Closet,Organization,Toys,Sweater,Shoe,Jacksonville,Florida,NAPO