Merry Christmas!

My A#1, favorite thing about Christmas is the REASON we celebrate.  Most importantly that I can share it with you.  The true meaning of Christmas is celebrating Christ’s birth, so I would like to wish you a Blessedly Simplified Season for Christmas by sharing Scripture from Luke 2:8-20.
⁸And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ^[a] the Lord. ¹²This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger."
¹³Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest,
      and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
¹⁵When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."
¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.


May you find time to ponder things in your heart this season as Mary did on that very first Christmas.  

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized (or you want some help Simplifying YOUR Season), 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.

Summer’s End?

Sandy floors.  Wet towels. 
Sun screen.  Picnics.  Extra laundry.

I’m really going to miss Summer this year! 

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.

One week to better time management

 

Time Management

What does it really mean?

I realized (again) this past week that some people just don’t have a natural knack for “managing” their time.  What we spend our days doing needs to matter.  Whether you’re a CEO overseeing a large company, or a Stay at home mom cleaning toilets.  Time is important.  And how we use our time is of the utmost importance.

Monday:
Make a list of everything you have to get done in a week. 
Errands (Grocery shopping, Pharmacy, Warehouse store, etc);
Cleaning/Chores (laundry, meal prep, by room, category, etc);
Work tasks (emails, meetings, prospecting, research, marketing);
Family (taxi service, Dr. appointments, school expectations, etc);
Fun time (exercise, beach, gardening, ball games, etc). 

Tuesday:
Estimate about how much time each item will take you to complete. 
Not sure?  Time yourself next time you clean up the kitchen.  It may not be as daunting of a task as you think!

Is there anything on your list that you are doing that is unnecessary?  Prioritize what you are doing with your time.  Cross off the things you can part with.

Decide if there is anything you can outsource to someone else.  What work items can you delegate to an assistant?  Can your husband do all of the yard work without you?  Would a neighborhood teenager be able to run your errands or help with homework?  Will the babysitter fold your laundry or help with meal prep?  Can you swap childcare/cleaning services with another mommy friend? 

Wednesday:
Create a spreadsheet like the one below (or use a regular old sheet of paper and a pen).
Write the days of the week across the top and 30 min time increments down the left margin. 
Now plug in all of the items from your list you made on Monday (of things you do in a week).

	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
7
7:30
8
8:30
9
9:30
10
10:30
11
11:30
12
12:30
1
1:30
2
2:30
3
3:30
4
4:30
5
5:30
6

Thursday:
Follow your plan.  Realize where changes need to be made.  Be flexible.  Work towards your goal of completing your tasks each day. 

Friday:
Keep working towards your plan.  Adjust.  Challenge yourself to stick to your plan next week.

These are simple steps, but will take some getting used to.  Realize that this is not set in stone and there will be changes (sick child, meeting time moved, emergency appointments, cancellations).  Change is a part of life.  But now there is a framework in place to deal with the things that occur on a regular basis.  Keep moving forward and you will be able to achieve your goal. 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and need help with decluttering and setting up some new systems this Spring, contact me. 
Email: juliebavi@gmail.com  
Facebook: by clicking HERE or by searching for Organize With Julie. 
Stalk me on Twitter: @juliebavi.

Spring Cleaning???

Welcome to MARCH!  Can you believe it!?

Head on over to our Facebook page and tell us what part of “Spring Cleaning” is on your mind! 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Organize-With-Julie/52115298910

 

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and need help with decluttering and setting up some new systems this Spring, contact me. 
Email: juliebavi@gmail.com  
Facebook: by clicking HERE or by searching for Organize With Julie. 
Stalk me on Twitter: @juliebavi.

Disaster Forecaster

I live in oft hurricane stricken Florida, yet I don’t think too much about preparing for emergencies.  June-November is our typical hurricane season and if a storm is coming close there is usually plenty of warning.  In the past I have been able to use that warning time to prepare.  (2004 was a doozy of a year!)  Coming across my path lately have been many sites and lots of chatter about preparedness and 72-hour-kits.  I had never really thought of OTHER emergencies for which a kit like this might come in handy.  Now that I have it on my radar and have done a little research, I thought I would share with you and get your wheels turning too.  I could wait until “Disaster Preparedness Month” in September to share this information, but since it has been ringing in my ears so much lately I thought it best to share ASAP.

For my son’s day bags in the past, I have had two packs of clothes ready – one for cool days and one for hot days. Realizing that in an emergency situation, this may not be an ideal thing, I love the suggestion on clothes from HowDoesShe.com… “…just cut off the pants and the shirt if it is THAT hot and now you have summer clothes.  …use sweat pants because you can buy them a bit too big and they will still work, and then your kids can grow into them and you don’t have to replace them as often”.  Now, in Florida – it is mostly HOT.  But depending on the emergency – it might be nice to have a little extra skin coverage.

Most lists recommend that adults have work gloves – and I see no reason able bodied children should not have them for protection, if nothing else.  Although, I have a boy – and there’s some sort of love between a boy and his sticks/branches.   

Organizing on a different level: I can picture how to do this, setting up back packs and plastic tote type bins.  I have even researched water containment units – which ones are easiest to store, stackable, cheapest!, easiest to move, and how long each type of container keeps water FRESH.

Listed from the Red Cross site:

• Water—one gallon per person, per day (3­day supply for evacuation, 2­week supply for home)
• Food—non­perishable, easy­to­prepare items (3­day supply for evacuation, 2­week supply for home)
• Flashlight
• Battery­powered or hand­crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio, if possible)
• Extra batteries
• First aid kit
• Medications (7­day supply) and medical items
• Multi­purpose tool
• Sanitation and personal hygiene items
• Copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies)
• Cell phone with chargers
• Family and emergency contact information
• Extra cash
• Emergency blanket
• Map(s) of the area

Consider the needs of all family members and add supplies to your kit. Suggested items to help meet additional needs are:

• Medical supplies (hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses, syringes, cane)
• Baby supplies (bottles, formula, baby food, diapers)
• Games and activities for children
• Pet supplies (collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl)
• Two­way radios
• Extra set of car keys and house keys
• Manual can opener

Additional supplies to keep at home or in your kit based on the types of disasters common to your area:

• Whistle
• N95 or surgical masks
• Matches
• Rain gear
• Towels
• Work gloves
• Tools/supplies for securing your home
• Extra clothing, hat and sturdy shoes
• Plastic sheeting
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Household liquid bleach
• Entertainment items
• Blankets or sleeping bags

 

72hours.org gives great REASONS for having these things in your kit – as well as instructions for what to do if you are told to “SHELTER IN PLACE”.  There are also some helpful tips on talking to your kids, establishing a meeting place, and teaching about emergencies.  (Don’t touch a downed wire!)

Do any of you have experience with emergency kits/72-hour kits?  Any wisdom you wish to share with someone to whom this is a totally new idea? 

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.

 

Technorati Tags: Disaster preparedness,Get a kit,be prepared,72-Hor kits,organizing,emergency,list,hurricane,flood,fire,shelter in place,family,kids,plan

GO Month events! Don’t miss out.

To celebrate Get Organized Month, attend the FIRST ever ASK THE ORGANIZER!  Monday January 23 at 9:30 I will be having a casual meet and greet time.  If you would like to join me at Panera Bread and pick my brain, please RSVP on our Facebook page under Events.  https://www.facebook.com/events/274446009284772/

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It's GO Month and I want you! Or really Just your outgrown and worn out shoes! Condition doesn't matter. My Soles 4 Souls challenge ends this month and I'd love to collect as many pair as possible for this wonderful organization! Please contact me and I will pick up your shoes or arrange a drop off.  Join with my Faithful Organizers Chapter of NAPO to help change the world “one pair at a time”. 

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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.

It’s A New Day!

Every day is a new day to make new choices in life.  At the beginning of the year (just two short weeks ago) many of us probably made some resolutions.  Whether they were blind, or well thought out, look back on them and ask yourself how are you doing so far?  If you are meeting the challenge: Great!  Well done!  You have a reason to be proud!  If you have fallen behind: Give yourself some grace for each day is a new day.

What kind of resolutions did you make for 2012?  How are you doing with meeting those challenges? 
I have some goals for this next year.  They basically involve health and “unspending”.  So far there have been good days and bad days for each – but I have comfort in knowing that no matter what happens on this one day, I will try my best, but tomorrow is a new day.

What are you going to to with your tomorrow?  Make it great!

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To celebrate Get Organized Month, Attend the FIRST ever ASK THE ORGANIZER!  Monday January 23 at 9:30 I will be having a casual meet and greet time.  If you would like to join me at Panera Bread and pick my brain, please RSVP on our Facebook page under Events.  https://www.facebook.com/events/274446009284772/ 

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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.

Technorati Tags: Announcement,Excitement,New Year,New Day,Ask the Organizer

It’s GO Month!

Every year Getting Organized is in the top ten for New Year’s resolutions.  If organization is one of your resolutions this year, contact me before the end of January to take advantage of last year’s rates.  Book a session before February 1, 2012 and SAVE!

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.

Technorati Tags: NAPO,GO Month,Get Organized,New Year's Resolutions,NYE,NYD,Jacksonville,Professional organizer,Organizing is fun!