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
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Friday, December 25, 2009
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.
Technorati Tags: simplify the season,the aftermath of Christmas,holiday,organize,one in one out rule
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
(Honestly had no idea this was Longfellow!)
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.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Merry Christmas!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series and that you have been able to use some things to practically Simplify your Season. This is the last weekend before Christmas, so if you still have things to do, get to it!
I have one more thing to share with you before Christmas. This is the absolute, Number One, MOST important thing I could share with you about Christmas. This THE true meaning of Christmas - celebrating Christ’s birth, so I would like to share 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.
Thank you for joining me this Christmas Season on your journey to Simplify the Season. I look forward to hearing from you about what worked and what didn’t on your Christmas trek to a less complicated/less demanding holiday. May you find time to ponder things in your heart this season as Mary did on that very first Christmas.
Simplify the Season is not quite over yet. Stay tuned and you’ll see what I mean.
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.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom
May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace,
The gladness of Christmas give you hope,
The warmth of Christmas grant you love.
~Author Unknown
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.
Friday, December 11, 2009
The BEST part of Simplify the Season is HERE!!!
This is quite possibly my favorite part of Simplifying the Season! It’s even better than shopping!!! I promise! Before we go any further I want to remind all of us that it is important to take time for ourselves… especially in this busy season.
For the longest time I thought I didn't have the time to do things just for me. I thought that it was selfish to make time just for me. I am a fairly low maintenance gal. The extra few minutes daily in the shower, wandering through my favorite antique store, or a 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.
I’ve even heard from one mom of 4 who locks herself in the bathroom for 10 min with a magazine for a little peace and quiet. Another friend gets super crafty and spends time out with girlfriends scrapping or painting pottery. What is it that you can do that is special for you?
Don't forget about you this Christmas Season. Make a plan. Put it on your calendar. Don’t neglect time for you.
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.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Wednesday’s Words of Wisdom
Christmas waves a magic wand
over this world,
and behold,
everything is softer
and more beautiful.
~Norman Vincent Peale
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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