Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

I will honor Christmas in my heart,
and try to keep it all year.

~Charles Dickens

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If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Time for who? Simplify the Season 2010

image This is quite possibly my favorite part of Simplifying the Season! This time of year we are often doing so much for others, that it is important to take time for ourselves. It is not selfish to take a little extra time to do something for yourself.  I am a fairly low maintenance gal. The extra few moments in the shower, taking the time to do my own nails, or the monthly massage appointment, taking a few evening minutes to read a book or watch (even part) of a movie - all make me better.  I'm a better servant, a better spouse, a better mom, a better friend, a whole better me when I do these things. 

As we draw towards the end of our Simplify the Season time together, Don't forget about you this Christmas Season.  Make a plan. Put it on your calendar. Don’t neglect time for you.  I can’t wait to share one more week of pre-Christmas Simplifying with you!  Stay tuned; We’re not done yet.

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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, December 15, 2010

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

The only real blind person at Christmas-time
is he who has not Christmas in his heart.
~Helen Keller

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If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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, December 8, 2010

Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom

It is Christmas in the heart
that puts Christmas in the air.
~ W.T. Ellis

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If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Simplify the Portraits 2010

Would you like to be able to Simplify the Seasonal Portraits? Schedule the Christmas portraits and Address the Christmas card envelopes early. Early, as in, the first week of December. It is ok if you “cheat” and have photo cards made which come with envelopes so that you don’t have to buy actual Christmas cards -- in that case, just make a list of card recipients.  You can go one step further and make labels if you're super savvy.  (Note:  If you are planning to write a Christmas Letter, or using specialty photo cards, keep that in mind for addressing envelopes.  You will not need card shaped envelopes.  You will need letter sized envelopes.  Wallet-sized photos will still fit nicely into letter sized envelopes.) And write that Christmas letter now!

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If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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, December 1, 2010

Simplify the Wrapping 2010

Veni. Vidi. Visa.

We came.
We saw.
We did a little shopping.

How do you get all the gifts wrapped and keep it simple? Set up a gift wrap central if you have the space(and for some of these ideas, they will work in just about any space). Whether it is your dining table, spare bedroom, rolling cart, closet, under bed box, folding camp table, Big Orange 5 Gal bucket- get all of your wrap, bags, tissue, ribbons and bows into one space. This will make it easier to wrap gifts quickly, say --- during nap time or Sesame Street? My personal choice is thick under the bed type bins that house my gift wrap and ribbons. I am able to balance them across adjacent dining chairs as I carefully wrap all the gifts upon my dining table.  I keep extra supplies (like scissors and scotch tape) in the gift wrap bin year round.

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After gifts are wrapped you will need a place to stash them. Those needing hand delivery (like teacher gifts) can go into a box/bin in the car – if you have chocolates in there and it is going to be some time before they are delivered, you may need to find a cool dry storage place out of the way in the air conditioning – linen closet or laundry room… or maybe just in the corner BEHIND the tree. Just keep those “gifts on the go” separate from all of the other under the tree gifts… just don’t forget where you have hidden them. If you are likely to forget where you stashed them, make a note in your agenda/planner/PDA.

What’s a good way to keep nosy present peekers from spying on their gifts?  Don’t tag them. 

#1 Choose one wrap for each person.  For example, all of Little Tommy’s gifts are in Silver themed paper and all of Little Sara’s gifts are in Red themed paper.  I use this method for separating “gifts to go” and “gifts that stay” also.  No gift left behind!!!
#2 Choose one tag type or each person and leave the tag blank.  For example, all of little Tommy’s gift tags are Snowmen and all of Little Sara’s gift tags are Santa.
Make a note of what wrap or tag theme you are using for each person in a special private spot (like your planner) if you have a tendency to have memory lapses (like I do!).  It’s not as much fun to peek at someone else’s gifts as it is to spy your own.

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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

Christmas gift suggestions:
To your enemy, forgiveness.
To an opponent, tolerance.
To a friend, your heart.
To a customer, service.
To all, charity.
To every child, a good example.
To yourself, respect.

~Oren Arnold

 

If you are in the Jacksonville/St. Johns area and would like your home better organized, or would like to know how to personally SIMPLIFY your Seasonal demands, 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.