It's hard to believe that Christmas is in two days.  Are you stressed out trying to get everything done?  I want to help you to keep your stress at bay these next few days so you can enjoy the holiday.  Try these three strategies:  

• Keep perspective. If the present doesn’t arrive until after the holidays, the ornaments aren’t hung on the tree, or the gravy never makes it on the table — you will be okay. In fact, you’ll probably have a funny story to tell for years to come about the year you didn’t serve ham because it was frozen solid and Uncle Joe broke his knife trying to cut it!   (That never happened to me personally but I can tell you that one of my presents this year will not arrive on time so I simply put a picture of it in a box with an explanation.  I know I will be forgiven.  No problem!)
• Adopt a mantra. I am a fan of mantras.  I think they help us stay the course, thereby reducing our stress.  One of my favorite that I keep finding myself saying more and more is "It's good enough".  Using this mantra takes a lot of stress off of my Type A personality and tendency to want to be "perfect".  Knowing that I did my best, although perhaps not perfect, is "good enough" for me.  Whatever positive saying works for you, use it and use it often. 
• Let it go. In keeping with the above, you are not a superhero. Perfection is unattainable, so stop trying to be "perfect".  Buy a smoked turkey if you’re nervous about cooking the bird. Throw all your clutter into a closet (did I really say that!?!?!?) and deal with it after the holidays when you’re more level-headed. Purchase a gift card instead of hunting for the exact gift you think you might discover at the last minute.

Do yourself a favor and be a happy holiday celebrant.  It is much more enjoyable for everyone around you when you are enjoying the festivities along with everyone else rather being irritable and stressed out.  Takes all the fun out of it for you too, doesn't it?  

Wishing each and every one of you a happy holiday.  Happy Hannukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year!  May you have a stress-free and joyful holiday season.  See you again in 2012!!!!

A lot of my clients and organizing community are busy moms who work from home.  I know that you need all the help you can get.  It's a juggling act.   I was interested in what Ali Brown has to say about holiday tips for work-at-home moms.  I thought I would share:

We are now in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.  With Chanukah starting on December 20th, Christmas on December 25th, Kwanzaa on December 26th and New Years Eve on December 31st, there is a lot to plan for. 

I have a few suggestions as to how you can save some precious time during the holidays.

1.  Give yourself a break!  You don't have to prepare all of the food yourself.  You can prepare those special recipes you enjoy making but have others contribute.  Have your guests bring a dessert or an appetizer.  Order a nice tray from your local grocery store or speciality shop to reduce the amount of time you spend preparing for your dinners or parties.

2.  Avoid the traffic jams on your stove.  Use an electric skillet, slow cooker or food warmer.  You can use them to heat premade foods and set them up somewhere else besides the area around your stove.  Why not use another portion of your counter top, a table or a server? 

3.  Create a centerpiece for the table by using what you already have.  Use a long runner that reflects the holidays.  Use fabric or even wrapping paper and let the food you prepare serve as the decorative part of your table.  Use a nice basket of seasonal fruit to create a focal point on your table.  Put it on a larger plate and surround it with Christmas ornaments for an even more festive table.  Again, if you don't want to take the time, have your local grocery store or specialty shop create the fruit basket for you.

4.  Keep a few gifts on hand for unexpected guests.  We are bound to either forget about someone or someone shows up with an unexpected guest.  Be prepared by keeping a few extra gift items on hand.  Wrap them ahead of time and indicate on a post-it note what it is and you will not be caught off guard.

5.  As I've written about in previous posts for Thanksgiving, do the same for the upcoming holiday parties and dinners.  Give your fridge a thorough clean-out.  Get rid of what you don't need, clean the shelves and make room for those leftovers!

6.  Make a list of the items you will need to prepare your special recipes.  Avoid having to run to the store last minute to purchase that extra stick of butter or some condensed milk.  Go through all of your recipes carefully and make sure you have everything you need when you go to prepare that special appetizer, side dish or dessert.

These suggestions will help you to save some time during the holidays.  Let me know which one you like the best. 

Most importantly, enjoy!     

We can all acknowledge that this time of year can be very stressful.  It seems like a whirlwind from Thanksgiving right thru to the end of the year.

I have business goals I want to reach by the end of the year, I prepare for my Thanksgiving feast several days in advance and then head right into decorating, sending out cards and shopping for the holidays.  Before you know it, it's New Years Day.

Especially during this time of year, it is very important that we attempt to reduce our stress levels as we have so much to deal with in such a short period of time.

Stress can lead to clutter in our head.  When we are stressed out, we tend to not think clearly and then can not visualize the path we need to take in order to get things done.

The best way to help clear the clutter in your head is to write things down.  Make a list of all the things you need to get done either on paper or on your Smart Phone or other device that you use to keep track.  Then, map out when you will do them and schedule it on your paper calendar or electronic device.

I make a habit of mapping out my "To Do's" on my big wall calendar (even up to a year in advance) and then create a daily "to do" list of things I need to accomplish - putting the most important things at the top of the list.

It is amazing how much you can accomplish when you do this.  It tends to keep you more focused on the task at hand.  You tend not to get so distracted by other things and, before you know, you can check it off your list.

Do yourself a favor this holiday season and reduce your stress by eliminating the clutter in head.  Write it down.

Try this and let me know how you make out.  I would love to get your feedback and hear about your experiences.

In the meantime, have a great week!

When is it time to let go of the past?  I am speaking of those items that represent the past, and not necessarily in a good or bad way.  It could be either. 

My first husband, Paul, died of cancer over 14 years ago at the age of 40.  His legacy, aside from our son, was his treasured music collection - LPs for the most part.  When I relocated from our marital property into my current home after he passed away, I transported the large collection and for the past 14 years, they have been stored in my storage room.   They were stored in a way that was unobtrusive and so they sat, well preserved. 

At first I thought I would hold onto them because, not only did they represent a direct emotional connection to my late husband, but that they would increase in value.  Besides his passion for music, it was one of the reasons he kept such a collection.  I was carrying on his wishes.  Also, knowing they were with me in my home made me feel that a part of him was always with me.

I married again in 2002 and accumulated items with my second husband until we separated in 2009.  We traveled, we spent holidays with our combined family and when we split up, some of the items from our past remained.  

This year I turned 50 and my divorce was finalized.  I have spent a great deal of time evaluating where I have been, where I am now and where I want to be in the future.  The "stuff" is no longer a part of the picture.  I am ready to let go of the past.

I am selling the large music collection and going through my home, room by room, and getting rid of the things that remind me of my failed second marriage.  It's time.   I want to focus on who I am today and what that represents to me.  The sad memories and the "stuff" associated with it no longer belong in my life.  The music collection no longer holds that emotional connection to Paul.  The wedding presents from my second marriage no longer evoke fond memories.  

Letting go of the past can be very healing in a lot of ways and one of the ways is by getting rid of the "clutter".  I believe that you should only hold onto the good memories and you can do it with a lot less "stuff". 

So, what things are you holding on to that evoke sad or bad memories of your past?  Perhaps its time to let them go.

If you need assistance with this or any other aspect of organization, let me know.  I am here to help. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

Sometimes, in order to stay organized, you need to break some bad habits that you have had for quite some time.  This comes into play especially after you have worked to create organizing systems in your home and in your life. 

You can put systems into place, but if you end up reverting back to those bad habits you have had all along, chances are those systems will not continue to work.

Good habits are things you do each and every day that, over time, gradually lead you towards becoming the person you truly strive to be.  Sometimes, habits are formed to achieve your most important goals in life - like getting organized.

On the flip side, bad habits are those things you do repeatedly that make you unhappy and move you further away from achieving your goals.

The good news is that it IS possible to overcome bad habits - but it does take practice.  They say it takes about 21 to 30 days for something to become a habit. 

When it comes to habits, we experience a specific trigger, which could be a thought, a feeling or a situation.  In response to this trigger, we activate a response and that leads us to perform a certain action.

You can change this process by using 5 steps:

1.  Identify a specific bad habit to focus on

2.  Break the bad habit down to a Trigger and a Response.

3.  Create a new response

4.  Mentally practice your new response

5.  Implement your new response in the real world.

You can utilize this practice when it comes to getting and STAYING organized.  Utilize the new tools you learned and implement them on a regular basis so that they become a habit.  It just might not need to take you 21 to 30 days to do so.  If the habit is that easy, you just might find it takes much less time to implement.

*Please note that some of the information contained within this blog was provided by Dr. Anthony Fernando www.anthonyfernando.com.

What new organizing habits have you recently acquired?  I would love to hear your thoughts. 

In the meantime, have a great week!

When you think of getting organized, do you think it means that you have to "clean up"?  Believe it or not, cleaning up and getting organized are two different things.

Cleaning up is more about how something looks.  Cleaning up involves putting things away, or at least getting them out of sight.  (That can mean different things to different people). 

Cleaning up is what you do before your guests arrives.

Cleaning up means straightening up those piles or perhaps putting things into boxes or bags and hiding them away.  (We're all sometimes guilty of that!)

Cleaning up can mean gathering up all of those magazines and articles that you have been meaning to get to and putting them into a nice, neat pile.  That's not getting organized.

Getting organized is more about how it works or functions; creating systems that meet your specific needs.  Organizing really has nothing to do with how it looks, although I still think that is important to create a nice look in a particular space or room in your home. 

When you get organized, you decide, honestly, what you will use and how best to store it so that it will be available to you when you want it - quickly and easily.

Organizing is something you do for yourself - not your guests!

Are you ready to do something nice for yourself?  Are you ready to get organized, once and for all?

You can!  Take that small step and contact me.  We can discuss your needs and I can show you how you can have A Better Space.

I don't know what has happened lately, but I feel that my list of things to do has become endless.  Not only professionally, but personally as well.

Lately I have consolidated bank accounts to make things easier, changed my credit card features to provide me with more "perks", purchased a new car and am transferring my old car to my son, and handling all that goes with these transitions.  Not to mention, all of the other things that need to get addressed on a day-to-day basis.

Professionally, I have been working with my clients and accommodating their changing schedules, writing articles, blogs and my newsletter, preparing for various public speaking engagements and taking classes online to provide the best service to more people.

Whew!  Many people know how busy I am and wonder how I get it all done.

My key to success is taking all the clutter in my head and writing it down on paper.  Then I have my "To Do" list.  As my day progresses and new things come across my plate, I write them down on a pad of paper (not a bunch of notes on different pieces of paper).  Every evening I evaluate my list and select the items I need to tackle the next day.  They go on my "To Do" list for the next day.  One by one, I work through my list and VOILA!  I get it done.  You can do the same thing with an electronic device, if you wish.  

I find that writing it all down takes the pressure off of having to remember everything and an itemized list is easy to follow and check off items as I go.

Do you have a bunch of things you need to get accomplished?  Do you have a "To Do" list?   I would love to hear from you as to how you manage your "To Do" list.

In the meantime, if you are feeling overwhelmed with any type of clutter or organizing issues, please feel free to contact me.  I am glad to help.

Have a great week!   

Just how do you handle the onslaught of paperwork that comes through your door on a daily basis?  Most of us hear the word "paperwork" and think of "work".

Well, it doesn't have to be that way!  Trust me!

By creating a "Communication Station" in your home, you will be able to create a zone where all the daily paperwork can gather and have a home while it is active.  The keyword here is "Active".  This is not a place for old paperwork to gather and accumulate.  There are other solutions for that.

The "Communication Station"  is intended for kids' permission slips, bills, incoming and outgoing messages, mail and any communication among family members.

There are key pieces to have in place to make this area function as it should.

First, it needs to be in a convenient location in the home (like a kitchen or mudroom).

Second, use either stackable letter trays or wall mounted magazine racks for each member of the family to have their own slot for his or her papers. 

Third, a large wall calendar that is color coded for each family member provides a clear view of the schedule for each person.  Use it to jot down events that involve multiple family members (such as appointments that require a driver, etc.) 

Fourth, a bulletin board (be creative with it if you wish) and use it for flyers, invites, etc. This will provide a clear view of the details for upcoming events or RSVP deadlines.  You can add an envelope tacked to the bulletin board to stash coupons, gift certificates or other money-savers you might need to grab on the way out the door.  (Be sure to clear the board on a regular basis to avoid clutter build-up.)

Keep a cup or pencil holder on the flat surface in this area for the various colored markers you are using for the calendar.  Keep a note pad and pen as well as some post-it notes in this area as well.

Keep a trash can or recycling bin and paper shredder in this area to eliminate the "Junk".

Use letter trays to sort your mail DAILY into various categories for various purposes.  Each piece of mail should have a purpose or it is trash! 

By utilizing these tips, you can create your own "Communication Station" and eliminate the chaos of paperwork strewn throughout your home.  You can have A Better Space.

If you are overwhelmed with the concept of getting organized, whether it be paper or any other type of clutter, let me know.  I am more than happy to help.

Submit pictures of your "Communication Station" to provide others with ideas they can use.  They might end up in my monthly newsletter "Organizing News You Can Use". 

Not getting your issue?  You can sign up right on this page!

In the meantime, have a great and organized week!

Most recently, my friend and colleague has begun writing a book about making choices.  This prompted me to think more about the ability to get organized by making wise choices.

For me personally, I have been provided with numerous offers to write and speak on various topics relating to organization.  I am thrilled about these offers, don't get me wrong. 

However, I have discovered that since I  am now being presented with more and more "opportunities", I need to take some time to decide whether or not saying "yes" to them is in my best interest or just another project that will simply take up my time.  

We only have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.  We want to be able to use our time wisely and make the best choices for ourselves.  It is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of activity and forget to focus back on ourselves and what is best for us.

By making wise choices about what you take on and how you spend your time, you will be able to more easily organize your life.

Do yourself a favor and take some time to evaluate how you are spending your time and where.  And, don't forget to say "no" sometimes.  It's okay.  In fact, it's best.

Let me know what choices you have made recently to bring balance back into your life and be more organized.

If you are feeling overwhelmed with the concept of getting organized, contact me.  I am glad to help.

In the meantime, have a great week!