Organizing to Move House Again - No Joke
For those of you who received the last newsletter about moving house, you will appreciate this article more. :)
You wouldn't read about it but after our recent Organizing a House Move, we had to organize an Un-move! I had moved 3/4's of our stuff/possessions - (because my husband was working 7 days a week at the time) - into the new house. This can be the stuff of nervous breakdowns but luckily with the personal development course I did last year, I was able to let go of the "There's no way I can do this AGAIN!" feeling really quickly and turn it into - "What are the positives of this happening?" Below I will share what I gained from the somewhat unexpected experience and if interested how on earth it happened in the first place.
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Lose Weight: Organizing to Move House is a great way to lose a kilo or two and to tone up big time - especially your arms carrying all those heavy boxes. I was surprised at the difference in this area in just the first 5 days of movuing let alone doing it all over again!
Higher Water Intake: I drank a lot more water during all this extra organizing, which had a marked improvement on my skin and increased energy. We really do function and look better when we drink about 2 litres of water a day - especially when the weather turns colder but you still need to drink adequate amounts due to being around the dehydrating effects of indoor heating.
Valuable Lesson: The other fantastic effect on organizing another move again was the increased reduction of even more of our 'stuff'. I had obviously already culled a lot of our belongings for the original move. This unique situation made me look at our possessions with an even more ruthless eye and say to myself "Do we really want this item enough to move it again?" I was surprised how often I said No and gave it away. Although most of you won't ever been in the bizarre situation we were in, think to yourself when you de-clutter next. Would I move house twice for this object?! If the answers no then toss it!
Books, books - I moved on a lot of books this time around. I am not a huge novel reader and never have been. When I do find the time to read a book it is usually one recommended and loaned to me. I know books are a much loved possession by a lot of people and that's a great interest to have, however to those of you who keep them just 'because and are never intending to read let alone re-read all the books you own, perhaps you should consider giving them to someone else and filling the valuable space with something that means more to you.
It's all a matter of Relativity - There is 'always' another level to which you can take your de-cluttering and organizing. Each time we do a 'cull' we get rid of the lowest common denominator, deeming the other 'stuff' still to good/sentimental etc. So the next time you go through your things the lowest common denominator of items will be ones you overlooked last time. The trick therefore is to cull more often than you already do, not mistakenly thinking there isn't enough to get rid of because there's always more. It will be clear when you look at it without the last lot of stuff that to make it look better than it actually is. You will wonder why you kept it so long.
Schedule Declutter 'Culls' more frequently - i.e.: quarterly clear-outs make the job easier each time to rather than one big chore to dread with the end result being less objects filling up your valuable living and sanity space!
Opportunity to be a REALLY good role model! I am proud that my children saw me handle the potentially mega stressful situation so calmly and even with a touch of humour. Not a bad life lesson at the tender age of 9 & 6!!
How this happened in the first place??!!
We rent directly from the owners of the current house we are renting, while building our new house. Our friend's own the house we were moving into, and who had their new house on the market for two years without a bite, with only 2 people even looking at the house the whole time, and no luck with suitable tenants. They decided to take the house off the market at the end of the Easter Holidays. We took a gamble moving in before it was officially 'off' the market due to being holidays and a good time to do it with the kids help. The rest is history! I'm so glad we could see the humour in the situation. What's the point in stressing about it?
Publicity
I recently had an interview with a lovely journalist from Marie Claire. The article aims to lessen the stigma around Depression, which now that I have gone public about my experience with Depression, I am really passionate about helping to do in this way. The article should appear in next months edition. I even had my hair and makeup done for this shoot which was a bonus!
Personally
My new business partners - Deb and Julie - and I are nearing completion of our New Interactive Organizer. We have been getting heaps of feedback about what people want and would love to hear from you as well. We will be re-launching soon with lots of added features for you to Organise Your Life, so stay tuned.
Testimonial
" Getting organized is something I have been working on for a long time now. Your newsletters are really helpful, and I look forward to them appearing in my inbox. I know your organiser will help me to overcome some lifelong issues I have had. Mainly forgetting things, because I always seem to be multitasking. Thanks so much." L Fieldman
Till next time.........Happy Organizing! From Claire and the Team
Saturday, 7 June 2008
Monday, 12 May 2008
How to Organize a Night Time 'To Do' List"
"How to Organize a Night Time 'To Do' List"
As we are moving into Winter and we tend to try and find a warm corner to curl up in I thought this suggestion might be well recieved right now.
I know most of our subscribers use a 'to do' list, but have you ever thought of writing a separate list, specifically for jobs you can do at night when the kids (if you have them) are in bed? I used to rely on my memory to get little jobs done at night, but found that unfortunately my brain just wasn't up to the task!
Now that I write these sorts of jobs down on their own special list, I quickly refer to it of a night time before I sit down to watch a show or the like, grab what I need and get a few odd jobs out of the way at the same time.
Some of these jobs are really a great excuse to sit in front of a warm fire or rugged up on the couch and be able to say - I'm actually working!!
1. Some of the odd jobs you may find useful to do at night include -
· Putting photos in albums Great to do while the kids aren't around!
· Darning socks or anything else that needs mending.
· De-pilling jumpers One of those boring jobs that should only be done when there's nothing else to do except watch TV!
· Cutting & Filing nails a great job to do in front of the TV. I also do the kids nails while they are watching a favourite program, so that they are distracted and are less likely to protest, (or notice that their feet are ticklish!)
· Updating an old to do list. Something that is easily forgotten, which then makes us avoid looking at the messy list, and therefore not getting the jobs done.
· Personal phone calls - Hard to do at the end of a long day, but if you look at your reminder list and see a friend's name staring back at you, you're more likely to pick up the phone and just do it. They will appreciate the effort, and you will be glad you did too!
· Sending emails via lap top/or your PC If phoning friends at night is too hard for you to do, then keeping in touch via email is a great idea instead. If I don't do this at night I find it's always the thing that comes last during the day, when work/kids etc come first. But I can hoon through several emails in one night time sitting focusing.
· Doing any internet research again either on a lap top, (so you can do it out of the office/study), or on your PC. You may have wanted to look into something crafty or to do with gardening. This quieter time is perfect for personal interest jobs that you usually don't get a chance to do.
· Going through your kitchen/phone drawer it never ceases to amaze me how quickly my kitchen paperwork drawer fills up, since the last time I went through it. I just get a rubbish bag, pull the whole drawer out, put it on the coffee table and sort through it putting everything in one of three piles - Rubbish, Filing Cabinet.
Although some of you may thing that these jobs may sound too small and insignificant and not necessary to write a 'to list' for, as I've said before and I'll say again "The weakest pen is better than the strongest memory" Anom
If you ant to read more articles on Organizing Your Home click here.
As we are moving into Winter and we tend to try and find a warm corner to curl up in I thought this suggestion might be well recieved right now.
I know most of our subscribers use a 'to do' list, but have you ever thought of writing a separate list, specifically for jobs you can do at night when the kids (if you have them) are in bed? I used to rely on my memory to get little jobs done at night, but found that unfortunately my brain just wasn't up to the task!
Now that I write these sorts of jobs down on their own special list, I quickly refer to it of a night time before I sit down to watch a show or the like, grab what I need and get a few odd jobs out of the way at the same time.
Some of these jobs are really a great excuse to sit in front of a warm fire or rugged up on the couch and be able to say - I'm actually working!!
1. Some of the odd jobs you may find useful to do at night include -
· Putting photos in albums Great to do while the kids aren't around!
· Darning socks or anything else that needs mending.
· De-pilling jumpers One of those boring jobs that should only be done when there's nothing else to do except watch TV!
· Cutting & Filing nails a great job to do in front of the TV. I also do the kids nails while they are watching a favourite program, so that they are distracted and are less likely to protest, (or notice that their feet are ticklish!)
· Updating an old to do list. Something that is easily forgotten, which then makes us avoid looking at the messy list, and therefore not getting the jobs done.
· Personal phone calls - Hard to do at the end of a long day, but if you look at your reminder list and see a friend's name staring back at you, you're more likely to pick up the phone and just do it. They will appreciate the effort, and you will be glad you did too!
· Sending emails via lap top/or your PC If phoning friends at night is too hard for you to do, then keeping in touch via email is a great idea instead. If I don't do this at night I find it's always the thing that comes last during the day, when work/kids etc come first. But I can hoon through several emails in one night time sitting focusing.
· Doing any internet research again either on a lap top, (so you can do it out of the office/study), or on your PC. You may have wanted to look into something crafty or to do with gardening. This quieter time is perfect for personal interest jobs that you usually don't get a chance to do.
· Going through your kitchen/phone drawer it never ceases to amaze me how quickly my kitchen paperwork drawer fills up, since the last time I went through it. I just get a rubbish bag, pull the whole drawer out, put it on the coffee table and sort through it putting everything in one of three piles - Rubbish, Filing Cabinet.
Although some of you may thing that these jobs may sound too small and insignificant and not necessary to write a 'to list' for, as I've said before and I'll say again "The weakest pen is better than the strongest memory" Anom
If you ant to read more articles on Organizing Your Home click here.
Friday, 2 May 2008
Mothers Day - How To Ensure You Pamper Yourself As A Woman For Mothers Day
Quote – Mothering myself has become a way of listening to my deepest needs, and of responding to them while I respond to my inner child. – Melinda Burns
Mothers Day is fast approaching and many women are fortunate to have families polishing the silver and going shopping for gifts to treasure; others families are busy after school making cards and gifts of affection while staining their clothes and carpet in the process.
If you are fortunate enough to have small children bringing to your bedside a bunch of flowers and burnt toast with a half a cup of tea on Mothers Day, then you are truly blessed. Enjoy the efforts of your family and love them with all your heart.
Maybe you are the nurturing host in your family who has Mum over for lunch and then the in-laws for dinner. Although we love the idea of being able to provide for family, upon reflection, Mothers Day is not much more than a Sunday spent in the kitchen!
For many too we acknowledge that Mothers Day can be a difficult day; possibly without a mother or a child; a day rather skipped than celebrated.
No matter how you do, or don’t, celebrate Mothers Day, Organise Your Life wants to help you to ensure that you do carve some time out in the first week of May to call your own: to plan, to anticipate and to do what you truly want to do.
Plan something that from just thinking about it during the week will make your heart sing, and give you a feeling of joy and happiness. There is no saying – “I don’t have time ...I’m needed this week, I don’t have the money….”
None of these are valid reasons: everyone around you will benefit from you doing this for yourself, so there is no excuse.
Plan some time into the first week of May to ensure you don’t miss out – take out your diary now and look at the first week or two of May and find time for you. Then write it in! – make it a date with yourself. Schedule with your partner, friend or sitter to care for kids if that is needed.
With that done comes the next fun bit, planning what you will do. The time of day you have allocated will most likely dictate what you will plan but planning and anticipating will bring you possibly as much joy in the next week as the actual hour or so you will spend on yourself.
After you have decided what you are going to do, look at the activity creatively and think “How am I able to make this time more enjoyable and memorable? What indulgence can I include?” Pop into a specialty shop or even the supermarket and get some cheese, chocolate, bubble bath, fruit, scented drawer sachet, etc that you don’t normally buy but love. It can be as little as $5 but will make you feel delightful.
Time on your own might be anything
It could be that you are tied to the house with sick kids; so to get out and go to the local pool for a swim or a walk at the beach might be just what you are hanging to do.
Curl up by the warm fire with a great book and something yummy to munch on, even better if you have had a warm pampering shower or bath first.
Hire a movie you have wanted to watch –or see again! – something the rest of the family “don’t get”. Play it on your laptop while you sit in a bubble bath and eat choc dipped strawberries!
Go out for a manicure or massage, and a decadent dessert from your favourite restaurant – who said you had to have entrée and mains every time?
Play your favourite music and rearrange your treasured collections of pictures, books, plants, furniture etc and give your space a fresh feel. If you don’t have your own space at home, create one. Think of new ways to surround yourself with the things you love.
Turn off the mobile phone, go and kick the autumn leaves in the park and bring a few home or to the office and stick on the fridge to remind you of that weightless feeling. Don’t worry if anyone sees you – they will only be wishing they were as uninhibited as you.
What ever you decide to do be sure to do it, enjoy it and why not then schedule more time next month….
Let us know how you go and tell us what you did – we’d love to hear from you!
claire@organiseyourlife.com.au
Some links that may help to make your Mothers Day Memorable
Gourmet Food - We are Australia's largest restaurant delivery Service
Luxurious Linen - Egyptian Cotton Sheets and Towels - Click Here!
We all love Perfume - 8,000 Brand Name Colognes & Perfume Up to 70% Off Plus Free Shipping
Never be late with cards again! - Hand Written cards for all occasions sent on time for you!
Creative Personal Expression – let it out….Journals for Empowerment - offers a range of unique writing journals with companion meditation cds, that encourage women to experience a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Did someone say Chocolate? - Gourmet Coffee And Chocolates - We retail gourmet coffee, gorgeous tea's, and homemade chocolates, truffles and fudge.
When only a book will do - Over one million books to search, plus flat-rate A$6.50 shipping to any Australian address - buy in Australia and save!
Flowers are a winner any day and time order some today - Affiliates, Place Your Own Advertising Text Here. (ie) Click Here To Enter Merchant Website And View Products.
Be prepared for pampering times with a splash of fun - Funky soaps for deep sudsy soaks click toview products.
Home maker indulgence - Homesense.com.au - Quality Homewares And Decor. Modern Designs. Free Delivery!
For more Organizing tips and ideas go to our Organize Your Life website.
Mothers Day is fast approaching and many women are fortunate to have families polishing the silver and going shopping for gifts to treasure; others families are busy after school making cards and gifts of affection while staining their clothes and carpet in the process.
If you are fortunate enough to have small children bringing to your bedside a bunch of flowers and burnt toast with a half a cup of tea on Mothers Day, then you are truly blessed. Enjoy the efforts of your family and love them with all your heart.
Maybe you are the nurturing host in your family who has Mum over for lunch and then the in-laws for dinner. Although we love the idea of being able to provide for family, upon reflection, Mothers Day is not much more than a Sunday spent in the kitchen!
For many too we acknowledge that Mothers Day can be a difficult day; possibly without a mother or a child; a day rather skipped than celebrated.
No matter how you do, or don’t, celebrate Mothers Day, Organise Your Life wants to help you to ensure that you do carve some time out in the first week of May to call your own: to plan, to anticipate and to do what you truly want to do.
Plan something that from just thinking about it during the week will make your heart sing, and give you a feeling of joy and happiness. There is no saying – “I don’t have time ...I’m needed this week, I don’t have the money….”
None of these are valid reasons: everyone around you will benefit from you doing this for yourself, so there is no excuse.
Plan some time into the first week of May to ensure you don’t miss out – take out your diary now and look at the first week or two of May and find time for you. Then write it in! – make it a date with yourself. Schedule with your partner, friend or sitter to care for kids if that is needed.
With that done comes the next fun bit, planning what you will do. The time of day you have allocated will most likely dictate what you will plan but planning and anticipating will bring you possibly as much joy in the next week as the actual hour or so you will spend on yourself.
After you have decided what you are going to do, look at the activity creatively and think “How am I able to make this time more enjoyable and memorable? What indulgence can I include?” Pop into a specialty shop or even the supermarket and get some cheese, chocolate, bubble bath, fruit, scented drawer sachet, etc that you don’t normally buy but love. It can be as little as $5 but will make you feel delightful.
Time on your own might be anything
It could be that you are tied to the house with sick kids; so to get out and go to the local pool for a swim or a walk at the beach might be just what you are hanging to do.
Curl up by the warm fire with a great book and something yummy to munch on, even better if you have had a warm pampering shower or bath first.
Hire a movie you have wanted to watch –or see again! – something the rest of the family “don’t get”. Play it on your laptop while you sit in a bubble bath and eat choc dipped strawberries!
Go out for a manicure or massage, and a decadent dessert from your favourite restaurant – who said you had to have entrée and mains every time?
Play your favourite music and rearrange your treasured collections of pictures, books, plants, furniture etc and give your space a fresh feel. If you don’t have your own space at home, create one. Think of new ways to surround yourself with the things you love.
Turn off the mobile phone, go and kick the autumn leaves in the park and bring a few home or to the office and stick on the fridge to remind you of that weightless feeling. Don’t worry if anyone sees you – they will only be wishing they were as uninhibited as you.
What ever you decide to do be sure to do it, enjoy it and why not then schedule more time next month….
Let us know how you go and tell us what you did – we’d love to hear from you!
claire@organiseyourlife.com.au
Some links that may help to make your Mothers Day Memorable
Gourmet Food - We are Australia's largest restaurant delivery Service
Luxurious Linen - Egyptian Cotton Sheets and Towels - Click Here!
We all love Perfume - 8,000 Brand Name Colognes & Perfume Up to 70% Off Plus Free Shipping
Never be late with cards again! - Hand Written cards for all occasions sent on time for you!
Creative Personal Expression – let it out….Journals for Empowerment - offers a range of unique writing journals with companion meditation cds, that encourage women to experience a journey of self-discovery and empowerment.
Did someone say Chocolate? - Gourmet Coffee And Chocolates - We retail gourmet coffee, gorgeous tea's, and homemade chocolates, truffles and fudge.
When only a book will do - Over one million books to search, plus flat-rate A$6.50 shipping to any Australian address - buy in Australia and save!
Flowers are a winner any day and time order some today - Affiliates, Place Your Own Advertising Text Here. (ie) Click Here To Enter Merchant Website And View Products.
Be prepared for pampering times with a splash of fun - Funky soaps for deep sudsy soaks click toview products.
Home maker indulgence - Homesense.com.au - Quality Homewares And Decor. Modern Designs. Free Delivery!
For more Organizing tips and ideas go to our Organize Your Life website.
Thursday, 3 April 2008
How to Organize Your Garage
How to Organize Your Garagge
By Julie McRitchie co-Creator Organize Your Life
How and why is it, that one day you realize it’s been years since your car took cover in an organized garage……what happened? There are many reasons but the fact remains the same – the garage area is in a complete mess! There is no way you could find the right size screw driver, or hammer to drive even one of the nails that are spread all over the floor into anything. Who would have a clue which box holds the camping and picnic gear? “He” might know you may think, but the garage should be user-friendly for everyone and that means anyone who wants to go into the garage to repair or make something – or to simply find the Christmas lights.
Ok we all get the idea the garage is disorganized and you want it to be organized!
Set aside, then Plan and Prepare for a day to organize your garage. You will need to spend some time doing a bit of a stock take of the situation. Really give some thought to how our suggestions are a fit for your garage and select your storage solutions based on your needs and budget. You will need to be prepared with some empty boxes, garbage bags, some labels and markers and if things are really serious, a mini skip.
Do you need a mini skip? – If you do; book it now!
Do you need more boxes or stackable plastic containers?
Collect boxes from your local fruit and veggie store or buy some big plastic tubs from $2 shops, or hardware stores. Fishing tackle clear lidded boxes also often found in craft shops are great for all the small screws and washers. Pull out drawer units can also be handy and keeps the little bits handy on the bench top ice cream containers are great in the garage too for holding all sorts of oddments.
If you need and have room for more storage shelves, Op shops and $2 type shops can be good for cheap functional pieces. Or buy some brackets and wood from your local hardware store.
Create a plan
What is being moved from where, to where? what will be the advantages of moving it? Think about how often you use something and position it accordingly – the most used item most accessible and the least used higher up and further to the back.
Make use of wall space for all types of storage
Some wall mounted storage solutions include:-
Peg boards
Hooks and racks – for garden tools anything from the leaf rake to your bike or hoses.
The ceiling can be great place for storage especially if you have rafters to utilise
Skis and fishing rods can be balanced across rafters
ropes and pulleys can be used to hang a kayak or roof racks.
Putting shelving up can be very rewarding so if there is room for some shelving of whatever length and width give it a go store all manner of items.
This is a great way to store paint tins and power tools. Just be aware of weight ratings to be sure what you put on them will be held securely.
Consider if you need to ask someone to help you move some heavy or awkward things. Asking for help is a lot better than getting a bad back!
On the big day equip yourself with sturdy shoes and old clothes including gloves and maybe a mask if you have to deal with lots of dust/sawdust/cobwebs or chemical fumes.
Whack on some music that will keep you on the move.
To get started sometimes we need to make a larger mess to clean up so don’t be upset if after your first half hour attempting to get organized it looks worse than when you started!
We all have different styles but this is what I did recently to declutter and get our garage organized.
Take some before photos
Walk around in the shed if you can (!) & visualise it clean, tidy and orderly
Make some decisions on the big stuff, bin / op shop, a new space, or use it more effectively if you are going to keep it – i.e. the lawnmower and garden tools, power tools, hand tools, etc
Question if this is the best spot for them? How can I store this better?, Is it accessible for how often I use it?. Could I store it another way i.e. handle folded away, shelving over it, garden tools hung or standing in a drum or have in a tray against the wall.
Using your space well is the key to having your garage organized. You will need to get rid of what you don’t need; this may be heartbreaking, but on the whole it will be satisfying as you and your family decide what is no longer needed and can live without. Take photos of things that have been special if that is what is needed to move on.
Allocate an area for going to the op shop, to be given to friends, local club/charity Auction event etc.
You can get good prices for scrap metal, especially for the copper, stainless steel, bronze and Aluminium so look into this if you have any lying around.
Also make piles to sell – you may not have enough for a garage sale but still a few products good enough to sell. To earn some extra cash might even be a good motivator for you to take this job right to the end! EBay is great to sell off the repair manuals for the cars you had years ago, the old backpack, power tools, hand tools, garden tools, kids prams, toys, exercise gear, snow & diving gear etc
If you need to experience the feeling of progress load the stuff for the op shop / friends etc into the car and take away immediately, phone friends and give them a deadline to have collected it before you give it to someone else or simply toss. You can also put a FREE sign for your nature strip. Anything you put here will be gone quickly! Same with wood – “free firewood”.
Once you have some space, and you are down to what you want to keep, put in place a system that will save your garage from being that disorganized again.
Make a monthly note in your diary to assess the stuff in the odds and ends box in the shed and take it to the op shop – recyclers etc. This is an easy system that keeps you on track and you will enjoy the satisfaction of ticking it off your monthly to do list.
At some point you might have decided you have enough for a garage sale. Before you get carried away with how much money you will make – (although some people make a lot of money out of a garage sale) on the whole it may not be the most effective way for you to get rid of your stuff. We previously lived in a rural town and passing trade was limited so sales were not great but once we put a sign out that said “garage sale all stuff free” then they came in droves and we were happy to get rid of it. We didn’t have to pay removalists to take it all to our new home and no tip fees, or have to store it in our new garage and we could then quickly get back to life.
Alright, the garage is decluttered and is now ready for sorting; think about what you need access to right now. Seasonal rotations help to declutter – your camping gear, beach stuff and skis won’t likely be needed all at the same time so put away at the back what you don’t need and make easier access for the things that you do.
My Father was an earth mover and needed discipline to put things away and once he had a place for everything clearly marked he followed it to the letter, so much so that in his latest employment he is getting the workshop in order on a large cattle station using many of the simple ideas we share here with you.
Plan
De-cluttering
Accessibility
Clearly marked places for things –we cannot stress enough the importance that every thing must have a place and you must put it back after every use. If it isn’t being put away ask why not ? – maybe it isn’t in the most practical place or stored the best way.
Rules - Rules of the shed at our house with 3 teenage boys is; the work bench must be clean and clear before leaving the shed.
Discipline to follow whatever rules you set – motorbike time is deducted at our house.
Reward yourself for sticking to the rules.
TIPS/Helpful Links –
Try to avoid using glass jars – as great as they are for being clear – they are too easily dropped and broken. Fishing tackle boxes are ideal they stack and you can see what is inside. Howards Storage SolutionsLearn how to stay on top of every aspect of your life using just one simple folder full of lists and spots to store all your current bills, mail, rosters, must see videos, favourite wines etc. www.organizeyourlife.com.au
By Julie McRitchie co-Creator Organize Your Life
How and why is it, that one day you realize it’s been years since your car took cover in an organized garage……what happened? There are many reasons but the fact remains the same – the garage area is in a complete mess! There is no way you could find the right size screw driver, or hammer to drive even one of the nails that are spread all over the floor into anything. Who would have a clue which box holds the camping and picnic gear? “He” might know you may think, but the garage should be user-friendly for everyone and that means anyone who wants to go into the garage to repair or make something – or to simply find the Christmas lights.
Ok we all get the idea the garage is disorganized and you want it to be organized!
Set aside, then Plan and Prepare for a day to organize your garage. You will need to spend some time doing a bit of a stock take of the situation. Really give some thought to how our suggestions are a fit for your garage and select your storage solutions based on your needs and budget. You will need to be prepared with some empty boxes, garbage bags, some labels and markers and if things are really serious, a mini skip.
Do you need a mini skip? – If you do; book it now!
Do you need more boxes or stackable plastic containers?
Collect boxes from your local fruit and veggie store or buy some big plastic tubs from $2 shops, or hardware stores. Fishing tackle clear lidded boxes also often found in craft shops are great for all the small screws and washers. Pull out drawer units can also be handy and keeps the little bits handy on the bench top ice cream containers are great in the garage too for holding all sorts of oddments.
If you need and have room for more storage shelves, Op shops and $2 type shops can be good for cheap functional pieces. Or buy some brackets and wood from your local hardware store.
Create a plan
What is being moved from where, to where? what will be the advantages of moving it? Think about how often you use something and position it accordingly – the most used item most accessible and the least used higher up and further to the back.
Make use of wall space for all types of storage
Some wall mounted storage solutions include:-
Peg boards
Hooks and racks – for garden tools anything from the leaf rake to your bike or hoses.
The ceiling can be great place for storage especially if you have rafters to utilise
Skis and fishing rods can be balanced across rafters
ropes and pulleys can be used to hang a kayak or roof racks.
Putting shelving up can be very rewarding so if there is room for some shelving of whatever length and width give it a go store all manner of items.
This is a great way to store paint tins and power tools. Just be aware of weight ratings to be sure what you put on them will be held securely.
Consider if you need to ask someone to help you move some heavy or awkward things. Asking for help is a lot better than getting a bad back!
On the big day equip yourself with sturdy shoes and old clothes including gloves and maybe a mask if you have to deal with lots of dust/sawdust/cobwebs or chemical fumes.
Whack on some music that will keep you on the move.
To get started sometimes we need to make a larger mess to clean up so don’t be upset if after your first half hour attempting to get organized it looks worse than when you started!
We all have different styles but this is what I did recently to declutter and get our garage organized.
Take some before photos
Walk around in the shed if you can (!) & visualise it clean, tidy and orderly
Make some decisions on the big stuff, bin / op shop, a new space, or use it more effectively if you are going to keep it – i.e. the lawnmower and garden tools, power tools, hand tools, etc
Question if this is the best spot for them? How can I store this better?, Is it accessible for how often I use it?. Could I store it another way i.e. handle folded away, shelving over it, garden tools hung or standing in a drum or have in a tray against the wall.
Using your space well is the key to having your garage organized. You will need to get rid of what you don’t need; this may be heartbreaking, but on the whole it will be satisfying as you and your family decide what is no longer needed and can live without. Take photos of things that have been special if that is what is needed to move on.
Allocate an area for going to the op shop, to be given to friends, local club/charity Auction event etc.
You can get good prices for scrap metal, especially for the copper, stainless steel, bronze and Aluminium so look into this if you have any lying around.
Also make piles to sell – you may not have enough for a garage sale but still a few products good enough to sell. To earn some extra cash might even be a good motivator for you to take this job right to the end! EBay is great to sell off the repair manuals for the cars you had years ago, the old backpack, power tools, hand tools, garden tools, kids prams, toys, exercise gear, snow & diving gear etc
If you need to experience the feeling of progress load the stuff for the op shop / friends etc into the car and take away immediately, phone friends and give them a deadline to have collected it before you give it to someone else or simply toss. You can also put a FREE sign for your nature strip. Anything you put here will be gone quickly! Same with wood – “free firewood”.
Once you have some space, and you are down to what you want to keep, put in place a system that will save your garage from being that disorganized again.
Make a monthly note in your diary to assess the stuff in the odds and ends box in the shed and take it to the op shop – recyclers etc. This is an easy system that keeps you on track and you will enjoy the satisfaction of ticking it off your monthly to do list.
At some point you might have decided you have enough for a garage sale. Before you get carried away with how much money you will make – (although some people make a lot of money out of a garage sale) on the whole it may not be the most effective way for you to get rid of your stuff. We previously lived in a rural town and passing trade was limited so sales were not great but once we put a sign out that said “garage sale all stuff free” then they came in droves and we were happy to get rid of it. We didn’t have to pay removalists to take it all to our new home and no tip fees, or have to store it in our new garage and we could then quickly get back to life.
Alright, the garage is decluttered and is now ready for sorting; think about what you need access to right now. Seasonal rotations help to declutter – your camping gear, beach stuff and skis won’t likely be needed all at the same time so put away at the back what you don’t need and make easier access for the things that you do.
My Father was an earth mover and needed discipline to put things away and once he had a place for everything clearly marked he followed it to the letter, so much so that in his latest employment he is getting the workshop in order on a large cattle station using many of the simple ideas we share here with you.
Plan
De-cluttering
Accessibility
Clearly marked places for things –we cannot stress enough the importance that every thing must have a place and you must put it back after every use. If it isn’t being put away ask why not ? – maybe it isn’t in the most practical place or stored the best way.
Rules - Rules of the shed at our house with 3 teenage boys is; the work bench must be clean and clear before leaving the shed.
Discipline to follow whatever rules you set – motorbike time is deducted at our house.
Reward yourself for sticking to the rules.
TIPS/Helpful Links –
Try to avoid using glass jars – as great as they are for being clear – they are too easily dropped and broken. Fishing tackle boxes are ideal they stack and you can see what is inside. Howards Storage SolutionsLearn how to stay on top of every aspect of your life using just one simple folder full of lists and spots to store all your current bills, mail, rosters, must see videos, favourite wines etc. www.organizeyourlife.com.au
Top 5 Dis-organized Warning Signals
Top 5 Dis-organized Warning Signals
If you think you might be dis-organized, then read on to see if you fit into any of the below categories and if so, what you can do about it!
1/ Crappola Overload – When you can’t see the majority of surfaces in your home due tio all your clutter there is a definite problem whereby you may need to bring in some serious help. One Organize Your Life customer of Claire’s got to the point of having to clear the marital bed every night to be able to go to sleep before she got help!
Find a wardrobe professional in your area of Australia. Search Now!
2/ Miscellaneous Madness – If you have the problem of miscellaneous dis-organized piles of things in drawers boxes cupboards etc then things aren't looking good. You need to have ‘like objects’ housed together for them to be better organized. Yes it will take a while to de-clutter, but it’s worth it when you find things quickly and not only you but your family will get in the habit of putting things away where they belong - (most of the time anyway!!)
Kangaroomstorage - Unique Storage solutions for an easier life.
3/ The ‘Late Bug” – Forever being late for work, or to meet friends etc probably means your home based organization (which is the centre of all of our lives whether we want to admit to it or not) is out of whack. Besides which, this affliction annoys people no end and is a good reason to make yourself do something about it.
Feel Good and Be On Time With These....
4/ Brain Fog – If you constantly forget what you are saying mid sentence, forget appointments and have half finished jobs done all over the place, at home and at work this is a sure sign that you need to take stock. Life isn’t meant to be that hard! YOU need to serioulsy Organize Your life
Tools To Life is a 100% free self help and development program - Make the changes that you want to make in your life with Tools To Life. Get Started Today!
5/ Wine O’clock Syndrome – When you reach for a glass of wine at 5 on the dot and don’t stop at just one, robbing yourself of any last drop of energy to attend to household clutter, there is an issue. This is a numbing strategy, which works well for that purpose, but if you want to get out of your rut and do more with your time, then cutting back on the old alcohol is a must if you want to beat your dis-organziation.
Alternative Pampering...
For lots more Organziation Articles go to our website Organize Your Life
Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers
If you think you might be dis-organized, then read on to see if you fit into any of the below categories and if so, what you can do about it!
1/ Crappola Overload – When you can’t see the majority of surfaces in your home due tio all your clutter there is a definite problem whereby you may need to bring in some serious help. One Organize Your Life customer of Claire’s got to the point of having to clear the marital bed every night to be able to go to sleep before she got help!
Find a wardrobe professional in your area of Australia. Search Now!
2/ Miscellaneous Madness – If you have the problem of miscellaneous dis-organized piles of things in drawers boxes cupboards etc then things aren't looking good. You need to have ‘like objects’ housed together for them to be better organized. Yes it will take a while to de-clutter, but it’s worth it when you find things quickly and not only you but your family will get in the habit of putting things away where they belong - (most of the time anyway!!)
Kangaroomstorage - Unique Storage solutions for an easier life.
3/ The ‘Late Bug” – Forever being late for work, or to meet friends etc probably means your home based organization (which is the centre of all of our lives whether we want to admit to it or not) is out of whack. Besides which, this affliction annoys people no end and is a good reason to make yourself do something about it.
Feel Good and Be On Time With These....
4/ Brain Fog – If you constantly forget what you are saying mid sentence, forget appointments and have half finished jobs done all over the place, at home and at work this is a sure sign that you need to take stock. Life isn’t meant to be that hard! YOU need to serioulsy Organize Your life
Tools To Life is a 100% free self help and development program - Make the changes that you want to make in your life with Tools To Life. Get Started Today!
5/ Wine O’clock Syndrome – When you reach for a glass of wine at 5 on the dot and don’t stop at just one, robbing yourself of any last drop of energy to attend to household clutter, there is an issue. This is a numbing strategy, which works well for that purpose, but if you want to get out of your rut and do more with your time, then cutting back on the old alcohol is a must if you want to beat your dis-organziation.
Alternative Pampering...
For lots more Organziation Articles go to our website Organize Your Life
Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers
Thursday, 22 November 2007
How to Organize a Stress Free Christmas
5 Tips for a stress free, relaxing Christmas.....it is possible!
Too many people I know, and probably many of you as well, do too much leading up to Christmas, and especially on the actual day. That's not what Christmas is supposed to be about, so start to make a few changes this year and a few more the next year and so on, and see if you can do something to change that!
1. Think about sharing the Christmas food preparation each year - for those of you who spread around the location of your Christmas celebration, so that the person who has it a particular year doesn't dread their turn!! Organise everyone to each take a couple of dishes to ease the burden.
2. Think about the actual food that you prepare for Christmas day - is it really necessary to have the whole kit and caboodle with all the trimmings!? Especially considering that the tradition of a hot meal comes from the English, whose Christmas day is during winter. Doesn't make sense does it!!
3. Be Realistic - I'm not suggesting you ditch the whole Christmas lunch that everyone is used to, just make a few small changes to the meal selection. Some alternatives could be pre-bought cold turkey and/or seafood to cook on the BBQ.
4. Expect a little opposition - Obviously some family members, who may not have had to help much with Chrsitmas preparations in the past, may not like this idea but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to make some changes to help you enjoy the day more - particularly if you are the main person who does the food preparation. You should have a pretty major say if you are; don't you think!?
5. Stand firm and keep your main goal in mind when making these suggestions - remembering that all you want is to spread the workload around a bit for a more relaxing stressfree Christmas.
My family has been through the above already, and although it took some family members a little while to 'come around' to the new Christmas idea, once implemented, they are used to it, and it now feels completely normal, as if we have always done it this way.
Admittedly, the initial reaction was no way, but eventually this turned into a maybe, and then OK we'll try it 'just this year' and see how it goes - to having a much easier Christmas Day lunch every year since. It was definitely worth the effort as there is now less stress on the day, and it is therefore more enjoyable for everyone. Just remember you may need quite a bit of patience with this one!!
Christmas Traditions can be ingrained very deeply and can take a while to alter. So even though there may be opposition to these sorts of changes and some people may disapprove, decide what is right for you and take it from there. Good Luck and Merry Christmas
Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers
Too many people I know, and probably many of you as well, do too much leading up to Christmas, and especially on the actual day. That's not what Christmas is supposed to be about, so start to make a few changes this year and a few more the next year and so on, and see if you can do something to change that!
1. Think about sharing the Christmas food preparation each year - for those of you who spread around the location of your Christmas celebration, so that the person who has it a particular year doesn't dread their turn!! Organise everyone to each take a couple of dishes to ease the burden.
2. Think about the actual food that you prepare for Christmas day - is it really necessary to have the whole kit and caboodle with all the trimmings!? Especially considering that the tradition of a hot meal comes from the English, whose Christmas day is during winter. Doesn't make sense does it!!
3. Be Realistic - I'm not suggesting you ditch the whole Christmas lunch that everyone is used to, just make a few small changes to the meal selection. Some alternatives could be pre-bought cold turkey and/or seafood to cook on the BBQ.
4. Expect a little opposition - Obviously some family members, who may not have had to help much with Chrsitmas preparations in the past, may not like this idea but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try to make some changes to help you enjoy the day more - particularly if you are the main person who does the food preparation. You should have a pretty major say if you are; don't you think!?
5. Stand firm and keep your main goal in mind when making these suggestions - remembering that all you want is to spread the workload around a bit for a more relaxing stressfree Christmas.
My family has been through the above already, and although it took some family members a little while to 'come around' to the new Christmas idea, once implemented, they are used to it, and it now feels completely normal, as if we have always done it this way.
Admittedly, the initial reaction was no way, but eventually this turned into a maybe, and then OK we'll try it 'just this year' and see how it goes - to having a much easier Christmas Day lunch every year since. It was definitely worth the effort as there is now less stress on the day, and it is therefore more enjoyable for everyone. Just remember you may need quite a bit of patience with this one!!
Christmas Traditions can be ingrained very deeply and can take a while to alter. So even though there may be opposition to these sorts of changes and some people may disapprove, decide what is right for you and take it from there. Good Luck and Merry Christmas
Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers
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