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.

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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.

 

 

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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.

 

 

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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

Happy New Year!!!

Welcome 2010! Contemplate these Words of Wisdom as you look forward to the New Year and any resolutions you may make. 

Motivation is what gets you started.
Habit is what keeps you going. 
~ Jim Rohn

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Simplify the Season – Ho Ho Ho! Put away, here we go!

Just when you thought our series had ended, you find out there’s still more to this Simplifying the Season Adventure!  We have reached Dec 26, my friends. Or what I like to call… dun dun dun… The Aftermath.

Whew! Christmas is OVER!

Why do we so often feel like this on Dec 26? We’ve just had a joyous celebration. Everything we planned and worked for is complete. Hopefully there were no major incidents/catastrophes and everyone even got what they wanted!

But then… We look around…

Wrapping. Boxes. Tissue Paper.

New STUFF that needs to find a spot SOMEWHERE in your home.

SO MANY New Year’s resolutions are made to De-clutter! It’s no wonder that January is National GET ORGANIZED MONTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sit back. Relax. Enjoy the twinkle lights a few more days. Breathe deeply and remember the real reason we just celebrated has nothing to do with the clutter at your feet. Let’s just think up a plan:

Step 1 – Make sure there are no gift cards/checks/cash/etc in the gift wrap. You don’t want to lose anything of value.

Step 2 – Discard/Recycle all old gift wrap and packing materials. If you are a re-user, fine – put it ALL away NOW. If you don’t have room with your gift wrap to put it all away, choose the nicest and give the rest to your distant relative to re-use. (I’m just teasing!) What I’m saying is, if your gift wrap stash is already full, you don’t NEED to keep EVERYTHING from this Christmas too. Remember, this is about Simplifying! You can even shred the wrap into strips to use as packing material.

Step 3 – Separate gifts into “whose” piles or “room” piles. (This is a good time to use your empty laundry baskets for sorting.)  If you have children you will want to do the piles for each person, most likely. Otherwise you will have piles for rooms of the house where the new gifts will go to live… kitchen, family room, play room, bed room, bathroom, garage…. Donate… return….

Step 4 – When you move these gifts from their piles to their more permanent homes, keep in mind the “one in one out” rule! For every new item that is coming in an old item has to go.  Look at existing space. Decide what things you were just gifted that may replace an older item. Decide what things are in the playroom that need to go to make room for newer gifts. Decide what books you can pass on to make more room on your bookshelf. Are you getting the picture?

Step 5 – Donate the old. Cherish the new. Return the unwanted. Remember that many returns expire quickly. If someone was an early shopper and gifted you with an unwanted item, you will need to act fast! I say this with love and sincerity in my heart. Certain people will buy me clothing as gifts… and ALWAYS in the wrong size. While I am flattered that someone thinks I may wear a size Small… ha ha ha… Let’s just say that isn’t going to happen! Act quickly on returns.

 

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.  Want to follow me on twitter? Find me @juliebavi.

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