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.