Free Original Organize Your Life Organizers

Organize Your Life has taken up Amanda Robins Wonderful Web Women De-Cluttering 'Random Acts of Kindness' Challenge, donating a dozen Original Hard Copy Organizers (rrp $69.95) to the first people who sign up at http://www.organizeyourlife.com.au website and email claire@organizeyourlife.com.au with 'declutter challenge' in the heading.

All you need to do is cover the postage - $9.95 Bargain! For anyone outside Australia, the first 12 people to do the above will get an Organize Your Life original Download for free. First in first gets! Good luck!

Organize Your Life FREE Giveaway on YouTube

Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers

Organize Time Out For Yourself to Meditate

I used to think that Meditation 'wasn't for me'.... and more to the point that it simply 'wouldn't work for me', because my mind always went so darn fast I didn't think I would be able to learn slow it down.

I'm happy to report that I was wrong and that Mediation has and continues to work very effectively for me. Here's how....I was presented with the opportunity to partake in an 8 week Mindfulness Course run by Monash University. It was basically learning how to Meditate and be 'in the moment'. When we are 'in the moment' we can not worry about past events or future happenings - which is blissful for someone who used to worry a lot, or 'ruminate' as it is also somberly known.

We had to do Homework during this Mindfulness/Meditation Based Program, part of which was organizing our day in such a way that we could find time to Meditate for 45minutes a day, as well a find several 3 'minute breathing spaces'to practise Mindfulness. Our Meditation Practice was invaluable to make it part of our new routine....not that I now mediate every day for 45 mins. I tend to meditate for smaller amounts of time in the morning, and at night before I go to sleep, which is when I do my 'Gratitude's'. If you haven't heard about making time to be thankful for what your are grateful for, it is as simple as that. (Oprah is actually big on them.) It is a very helpful way to see the good in your life and to focus on that even if you are facing challenging times.

I continue to find the 3 minute breathing spaces incredibly useful. Often during what I would previously have considered quite boring, mundane tasks, such as washing the dishes, hanging the washing out or putting the rubbish out. I REALLY take notice of what I am doing like feeling the warm water on my hands while doing to dishes, or breathing in the fresh air and grabbing a quick does of sunshine while doing outside chores. It surprisingly does make a big difference to how I feel and helps keep my stress levels down, by taking a breather that I wouldn't otherwise take during the day. Why don't you try it and see for yourself. You deserve the time for yourself. If you struggle with this concept of deserving 'me time' then trust that it will benefit everything else you do - inlcluding work, homelife, personal relationships -you name it. So it's a win/win thing to do. So go try some meditating yourself!

If you want to read more about Meditation and other related topics, then you may like to read an article of mine on the topic here.


Bye for now,

Claire McFee
Organize Your Life

Love jewellery as much as I do? Then...

I just wanted to let you know about Annette Piper Jewellery - Handcrafted Jewellery that is elegant, sophisticated and one of a kind… just like you & me! Annette creates timeless jewellery with classic elements and simple, unfussy lines with quality gemstones, pearls, sterling silver and gold fill. A sight for sore eyes!

Check out Annete's Blog at http://www.annettepiperjewellery.blogspot.com

Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers

be the change changing the dream

I just had to share a great clip with you, made by top notch Advertising Execs for the 'Global Community' Group, which is used in the Changing the Dream/Be the Change Symposium. http://www.globalcommunity.org/flash/wombat.shtml It is very clever and hits the nail on the head when it comes to what we all need to do to rise above the 'problems' - Environmental/Social Justice/Peace/Spirituality issues etc- we have been stuck in for so long.

Would love to hear your thoughts. I for one would like to see this and other content like it in our schools, we need to start from the ground up for change to take effect and be long lasting.

I attended one of the Changing the Dream Symposium in Lorne, Vic Australia recently which was great. Below is a testimonial I wrote for them I was so impressed and a YouTube Video I made in support of them as well. check it out here.


“The ‘Changing the Dream’ Symposium was all that I had hoped for and more. We were informed and inspired to think about ways we might be able to make a difference to the world through our lives. We got to see a more Global ‘Big’ picture, and how that relates to us locally. I am integrating the ideals of Changing the Dream into my business – for example in the articles I write & in my blog posts. I know no matter how small these efforts, they can make a difference to the collective consciousness of others to help instigate Changing the Dream. As a family we were already very conscious of being environmentally friendly, but there is always MORE you can do to help. We are growing Vege’s and herbs; walking rather than driving more; using toxic free household products and chemical free makeup etc. What would have seemed overwhelming to me a few years back is the ‘norm’ for us now. We feel really proud that we are constantly finding ways to decrease our carbon footprint, as well as teaching our children to have a giving attitude when it comes to helping other people in all sorts of ways. I learned lots of new ideas at the Symposium for how to continue these efforts. Changing the Dream reinforced to me how much HOPE there is in the world and how many good and caring people are out there. Thank you for your efforts.”

Claire McFee
Director Organize Your Life
www.organizeyourlife.com.au

Organize Yourself some more great FreeGiveaways at Your Cheeky Monkey

I know how much you love a good free giveaway so here's a website that has plenty of them. Go to Your Cheeky Monkey to find out more!

Need to Organize your Garage or Organize a Garage Sale?

We know from our Household Organizing experience and research that many of you have problems with Garage Disorganization and therefore not surprisingly, want to know how to effectively Organize Your Garage.....which leads to organizing a Garage Sale too.

Well we have two informative articles on these topics. So if you are in need of addressing your Garage Clutter then have a read.

Go to How to Organize Your Garage
Happy Organizing.

Claire McFee
Organize Your Life

One Free Ticket -Two for One Meditation Conference

Our Friend Kate James From Total Balance Coaching - has a special offer you may be interested in.

SPECIAL 'TWO-FOR-ONE' CONFERENCE OFFER
Meditate 09 conference - Melbourne -(20 & 21 June)
Register and pay by Thursday June 18 for the Sat and bring a friend for free.
To take up this offer please register at http://www.meditate09.com.au and email info@meditationevents.com.au the name of your friend.

The theme of this year's conference is Meditation and the Mind. Presenters will explore how meditation promotes physical wellbeing and emotional literacy and can be used in the prevention and treatment of stress, anxiety and depression.
To view the full program and purchase tickets, please visit http://www.meditate09.com.au

If you are lucky enough to go - let us know how you go. I wish I could attend but it is my daughters 10th birthday on Sat, so I am Organizing a party for her instead! :)

Claire McFee
Director Organize Your Life
co-Creator Organize Your Life e-Organizers

Organize Your Life on You Tube

It's official ! Organize Your Life is on You Tube. We must admit it took a pretty big push for us to finally take our own videos and post them on You Tube. One of those 'outside the comfort zone' things in part! It also had a bit to do with good old Technology - can't live without it - sometimes difficult to live with!"

We will be adding lots more video and audio clips to the website over the coming months on all manner of topics such as Interviews with Professional Organizers who go into peoples homes to re-Organize their lives. We know lots of great PO's as they are known and think they are amazing. The transformational Organizing work they do is really inspiring!

We have a special section on our website here - where you can find your own PO (in Australia). So if you have been thinking about getting the Help of a Professional Organizer for a while, or didn't even know they existed till now, then go find one in your area and Organize Your Life!

Claire McFee
co-Creator Organize Your Life
Interactive e-Organizers

Organized a Twitter Account Yet?

Know anything, or much about Twitter? I feel like I only just got the hang of Facebook! Social Networking Sites can be great for keeping in touch and for Business Networking - if you know what the 'right' amount is for you!

I have only just Organized myself a Twitter account - clairemcfee - and will use it more over time.

If you want to know more about it, then I found a great post about Twitter on this Blog - Tilda Virtual. Check it out, I'm sure you'll learn a thing or two.

Claire McFee
co Creator - Organize Your Life Organizers

Over 20 Solutions Organize Your Life has found to help Depression, Feeling Overwhelmed, Anxiety etc

I have just finished writing THE MOST comprehensive article I have ever written. It's about Solutions for Feeling Overwhelmed, Depression, Anxiety Disorders etc - "Solutions you've never heard about for Depression & Feeling Overwhelmed."
As many of you know I have been there, so I know how debilitating it can be. While learning to manage the depression I experienced for many years, I discovered many new ways to reduce the depression symptoms. Many of these solutions are not mainstream but have been the most effective. I certainly wish I had heard about them before to save me an untold amount of time. I am happy that I can help many of you who may be experiencing the same issues.

Having an organized home and life in general has obviously played a big part in keeping depression at bay for me, and from the feedback of countless customers in the 10yrs since I started Organize Your Life, this is your experience too. As they say "A Clutter house equals a cluttered mind."

It's all related, as is everything in our lives - one area affects another, affects another and so on. Above all we need to remember to go easy on ourselves and that BABY STEPS will get us to where we want to be for optimum Mental/Emotional Health, so we can reach our full potential. It is possible!

Here is a Snippet of the article and a link to see the full version.

Be Proactive about your Mental Health and Wellbeing
I have learned to Trust my Gut Instincts. Perhaps you need to learn to do the same? Interestingly, the thoughts that would come to me intermittently over the depressive years about what was 'wrong' with me, but at the time I thought couldn't have been causing the problem were basically the issues I ended up having to deal with that were in large part causing the depression . I now know to trust my instincts I turned my world around and if you need to you can too - or at least steer a loved one in a different direction to help their well being flourish, not flounder any longer.

Hormones Awry!?

I long believed that my hormones were a large part of the 'problems' I was experiencing, but after having blood tests through my GP they appeared quote, unquote "Normal", so I didn't look at this possible cause for another 10 or more years. 5 yrs later I saw a Naturopath, upon the recommendation of a close friend that showed otherwise. This wasn't without trepidation or scepticism. Like a lot of people, I grew up with the impression that Naturopaths and the like were not valid Health Professionals that could REALLY do anything other than a perhaps a placebo effect. Boy was I wrong, and glad to be proven so!!

Trans Cranial Magnetic Stimulation - Known as TMS - for treatment of Depression

I watched a program on ABC's Catalyst about a treatment for Depression called TMS which the Alfred Hospital was conducting a trial on and looking for participants. The treatment is basically stimulating the part of the brain where depression is said to reside, by 'exciting' the cells into acting more normally. Suffice to say I called up ad was put on a waiting list (of well over a year but worth the wait.) What I noticed about the treatment was all of a sudden, catching myself going down the wrong path thought-wise. I was less likely to catastrophize things and didn't use up valuable energy as a result which led to a massive decrease in lethargy which had a huge effect on my mood and therefore the 'depression.'

Claire McFee
co-Creator Organize Your Life e-Organizers
Organize Your Life

Organize Your Consumer Buying choices with help from new CHOICE CEO Nick Stace

I read a great article recently about the new appointment of new Choice CEO, British born Nick Stace. Choice is the only source of truly independent, exclusive and science-based testing on a wide range of products and services. Banding together collectively with purpose and organization has been shown to make a substantial difference to our buying options and recourse when our choices don't turn out the way we want.

Taking on the big Multi Nationals for our benefit is essential. We need to support Organizations like this so that they can do what we can't - be our voice and take the stress out of the myriad of often overwhelming purchasing choices out there.

Nick Stace made a significant impact on the Motor Industry in his previous role at Britain's Consumers' Association. Stace brought prices of cars down by up to a third, in line with what Europeans were paying for the same vehicles. I know I want someone like that advocating for me, don't you!?

Life is complicated and busy enough these days. Saving time in this area can then be better spent on other things - like doing things you enjoy or at the very least having more time to organize your own home life!

I signed up to support them in their quest - why don't you too?! Go to their site to find out more Choice.com.au

If you want to read about more time saving tips then you might like to read "How to get it done the first time"

Changing the Dream Symposium

I attended a wonderful Workshop on the weekend that I wanted to let you know about.

It was called 'Changing The Dream Symposium' and is a Worldwide movement that – “Explores the links between three of humanity’s most critical concerns: environmental sustainability, social justice and spiritual fulfilment.” Go to www.bethechange.org.au for more info. There are Advisors to Barrack Obama involved and other high profile people all over the world. Worth checking out if you hadn’t heard about it.

Being involved in Organizations such as this makes me feel like I can and am making a difference with efforts I am making in these areas. It gives me back control in my life, that can all too easily feel non-existent in your life if you are not given HOPE. We all know what happens then.... we get overwhelmed, depressed or sick in a myriad of other ways. We are then not able to keep on top of managing our lives. Effective Home Organization certainly goes out the window when this occurs, but can come right back in again if you so choose. As with all things Organized, this it all comes back to BABY STEPS!

If you need some Inspiration & Hope you know where to go. for those of you who already have then I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Organizing more Exercise for better Fitness in Your Life

Since reaching 30 several years ago my bodies metabolism certainly changed gear - unfortunately downwards and I have had to really start watching what I was eating and drinking, as well as organizing more exercise into my routine.

I am pleased to say that I now regularly organize a game of tennis with friends; attend Pilate's once a week; go to the gym once a week and do the odd walk around town in my weighted runners - temporarily adding an extra ~ 2.5 kilos to my weight - and therefore does wonders for my legs and butt!

Women's Health and fitness is really important, especially as we get older. So if you are like me - perhaps you should look at organizing a bit more exercise into your lifestyle. The benefits to your fitness and longevity are enormous - and your partner will love you for it too. If you would like to read more about Exercise and Fitness and how to incorporate it into your life you may enjoy reading my article '7 Top fitness and Exercise Tips'

Happy Fitness & Exercising Organizing - Remember it ALL related!

Here is a snippet below...


7 Top Fitness & Exercise Tips

Do you want to get fit, or get fitter? We all know keeping fit is good for us in more ways than just the ‘physical’, yet we often do not take it seriously enough to incorporate more exercise into our daily lives. I know I fitted into this category for a long time. My wakeup call was probably when I turned thirty and my metabolism decided to go half as slow as it used to. I seriously thought the clothes dryer was shrinking my jeans a bit more than usual for a while, until I bought my first pair of scales and weighed myself. I now am much more careful about what I eat and fitting more exercise into my routine to keep myself fit. Here are 7 great tips on how to be effective when it comes to your fitness:



1. Choose a Fitness Program that suits you

Everyone is different. So take your body limitations and personality into account when making this decision. You may have some medical issues that make some fitness programs unsuitable for you. Yoga is a great way to improve muscle tone, core strength and flexibility, without feeling like you have run a marathon at the end of the session! Pilates is another great modality, which I have been doing for quite a while now and love. Alternatively, a boot style camp may suit you if you thrive on working as a group, with a strict leader telling you what to do.

2. Set realistic targets

If a bit of weight has crept up on you and you need to lose say 5 or more kilos, you need to be realistic about how long it will take to lose. Just like clutter in your life – It didn’t get there over night so won’t disappear overnight. Cutting out all your favourite foods for example and all of a sudden training 4 times a week may be too much too soon, and at the end of the day may make it harder for you to incorporate into your lifestyle. Baby steps usually work best, so you can get used to your new routine and habits, without it being too much of a shock to the system.

3. Concentrate on Exercising your muscles

A combination of cardio workout as well as strength building is recommended by professionals. If you hate one or the other remember something is better than nothing! YOU may surprise yourself. I know I have in the past. My gym instructor would try to get me to add more weights to my training circuit which I resisted for a while. Then all of a sudden what I was doing was too easy and I really wanted to do more, then it became self motivating. Wow look how far I have come kind of thing. Just remember that it’s not all in the scales. When you regularly workout, you will develop more muscles while losing fat at the same time. Muscle weighs more than fat, so the scales may not look like you have not lost much weight. It’s more about the shape of your body and how much better your clothes fit you. So don’t focus on the numbers too much. Ask what exercises work best for certain parts of your body.

'7 Top fitness and Exercise Tips'

Organize Your Life introduces Konstant Kaos & their great Free Giveaway

Gotta love the name of this quirky Blog - A little Bit of Kaos under the banner of Konstant Kaos - Sounds like the opposite of Organize Your Life but when you read Blogger Margaret's Posts you will see she is just like the rest of us - doing the best with what she's got and trying to enjoy life along the way!

Margaret has a lovely Giveaway at the moment. It ends on the 8th June so be quick. You can win one of her gorgeous handmade purses. While you are there check out the clever photo she has pertaining to the Swine Flu featuring the one and only Piglet and his friends ... (well not at the moment!)

Good luck!

Claire McFee
Author Organize Your Life

Validation YouTube clip - Make a difference

This post has nothing to do with Organizing whatsoever but I think you will love it anyway! I found out about this brilliant YouTube Video called Validation that is absolutely heart warming, clever, funny and soooo worth watching. Go to http://www.thetallpoppy.blogspot.com/ and scroll down to the Make a Differecne post on May 1st at The Tall Poppy Blogsot and you will see what I mean. Have a great day!

Claire
Organize Your Life
related article; "Organize Yourself some Good Karma"

Get organized to win some stuff!

Just a quick 'feel good' post to let you now about a great website that gives away stuff all the time! Everyone loves to get free 'stuff', inlcuding me! If you haven't heard of them -(they were featured on Ch7 Sunrise a while back), then hope on over to Business Mums Network to sign up for their regular giveaways.

This has to relate to being organized in some way of course, which is easy because if you aren't organized, you forget or don't find the time to do something like this, or even important tthings in your life.

Getting something for nothing may be just the incentive you need to 'find the time' in your busy life. Interesting that we can usually find the time to fit in new things when we choose to isn't it? Motivation plays a big part in being able to get and stay organized. Worth thinking about what your motivations are, to be able to give yourself a kick up the proverbial when you need to!

Depression and Anxiety Solution you may not have heard about it.

The reason I came up with the idea for Organize Your Life almost 10 years ago was to help me manage better after having my first child. I had experienced depression prior to having children, so I was concerned about getting Post Natal Depression. I knew being organized (or as much as you can be with a baby!) would help and it did.

Over the years I have leanred a lot about depression and how to best manage it and am passionate about helping others do the same. Many subscribers and customers have emailed me over the years telling me their 'before and after' overwhelmed/depression stories which inspires me to keep doing it.

I have found several really effective solutions to the depression I experienced that you probably haven't heard about. Sad but true. What is termed alternative, which is really just 'Natural Medicine' and was around for eons longer than Western Medicine has an enormous part to play in maintaining good mental health. In this modern age both have an important part to play. Don't get me wrong, I am not against anti-depressants, although I do think they are over-prescribed and not monitored closely sometimes enough by many doctors (who are overworked and not trained well enough in the area perhaps?)

Anti Depressants played an important role in my recovery, giving me enough space to feel moderately well, to be able to look into the real underlying cause of my depression and how to prevent or at least manage it better. Unfortunately for many, they have tried anti-depressants only to suffer from many side effects, rendering them unable to get any benefits and often more depression and anxiety about their future. It is certainly not a one size fits all solution.

One key thing I heave learned over the years in particular, is that we have way more control over our mind than we realize, but that most of us wouldn't have a clue how to. i know I was one of them. Good news is it can be learned and is profound once done. The 'Panic Away Program' is one such way learn how to do this. Mainstream Medicine is gradually seeing the evidence banking up, proving that the techniques covered in the Program are effective and most importantly work over the long term when used regularly.

I have made a short YouTube clip on this topic that may help you, so simply click on the links below to view and hopefully there will be one or more depression strategies that may work for you if you are in this situation. http://www.youtube.com
I am so impressed by the program that I am personally endorsing it. To find out more go to http://www.practicalpanichelp.com

We are actually offering our Self e-Organizer for free to anyone who purchases the Panic Away Program through us plus lots of other bonuses.

Organize Yourself to Participate in a huge Motherhood Study

Heard about best selling book "You Sexy Mother" by Jodie Hedley Ward? I read it several months ago and was thoroughly impressed by the insightful content. What is even better is that Jodie, along with Dr.Angela Huntsman from a QLD University are spearheading a massive new Study on women and motherhood. to find out more follow this link.

http://yousexymother.com.au/content/research-study.aspx?l1=YOU0002426

There is expected to be approx 10,000 paricipants in the study and I highly recommend you let your voice be heard and be one of them. If we want our roles as mothers understood and respected more then this is one important was we can change attitudes and ultimately policy. the Study is being launched tommorow to coincide with Mother's Day.

In the longer term this can help with feeling more in control of our lives and having more choices - which of course makes us better able to keep on top of our day to day lives and maintain good organiziation at home, at work, as a Mum - the list goes on. It's all connected!

Happy Mother's day from us at Organize Your Life!

Putting yourself into the equation when it comes to your life is important - if you want to read more on this topic then read on:-


How to put yourself back into the equation for more 'Me-Time'
by Claire McFee

Many people I talk to, particularly those with children, say they have come to the point where they rarely have any time for themselves, and are at their Wit's End, desperate for some 'Me Time'. What's worse is that if they do find some time just for them, they feel guilty using it! So let's look at why it is important to look at your time -management to slowly but surely factor in some personal development for you to grow into the person you have the potential to become.

Me Time
To be able to happily have some 'me time' for yourself, you need to be at a point in your life where you can do this without feeling guilty about it, by realizing that it is better for everyone -definitely not just you! We should all have our personal self improvement factored into our lives so we can grow and learn and not become stagnant along the way - which is of grave risk of happening if you do not look at time management and how you can improve this as you (and your family) go through all your life stages.

Not there yet?
If you are not in a place where you could possibly imagine having me time let alone family or couple time at this point, and have no idea of how to get there, then you more than likely need to sort out your home affairs! Once you do this, you will then be in the right frame of mind to change your way of thinking about using some of your saved time as 'me time' and not seeing this wrongly as a selfish thing to do. This is a must if you are serious about your long-term happiness.

We are all Busy, so...
Even if you are the busiest person on earth, I know you can find a spare 10 minutes here and there. That's all you need to start with. Even if it's a short break to have a bath without interruption, or going out to have a coffee with a friend - (without the kids) - now and again. It is important to try hard to schedule this sort of thing into your timetable, by improving your time management even if you think you are too busy to manage it. Doing 'like' jobs and chores are a great way to start doing this.

Things have changed
Many of us have been brought up to think that once you settle down and have children, that you should put your own needs last and that anything like 'me time' is sacrilegious! You will be happy to know that this is not true and in fact is counter-productive to you and your family's happiness. If you do, you will end up resenting your family for the gradual loss of 'yourself' and as a result, you will not be as good a partner or mother. So with this knowledge in mind, firstly give yourself permission to do what you want to do sometimes, not always what everyone else wants to do. They will survive and even better - will also be happier for it, learning important life skills about time managements and the importance of constantly factoring self improvement! during their lifetime.

Time flies
Don't make the mistake of leaving it too late to regularly find 'me time' for yourself, falsely thinking - "It's just for a few years while the kids are young", because before you know, it will feel normal not, not just to yourself, but to your partner and children, and it will therefore be that much harder to make the necessary changes down the track. this is a lose/lose situation where no one's development is furthered.

Stop making excuses!
For those of you who have lost someone close unexpectedly, the harsh reality is that we do not know when our number is up - it could be tomorrow, so don't put it off for one day longer. It's often just a matter of stopping thinking about doing it and doing it when you think about it. No more..'I'll do it later.' That is really bad time management...So make an effort to catch yourself and see how much more you get done.

Be a good role model
In amongst all of this, it is a good opportunity to teach our children that you do not exist just to serve/take care of them, and that your needs are important too. Teach them that being a 'family' is all about 'teamwork’ and truly happy families (yes they do exist!) function with this philosophy. This doesn't have to be an unrealistic pipe dream. Self development isn't a 'new age' fanciful term, but a real need, that when fulfilled creates well balanced human beings able to engage with others on a small and big scale in a much more effortless way.

Slowly but surely
Once you gradually factor yourself into your family's routine and the rest of the family get used to it, you will then have the necessary head space and extra energy to make this a long term lifestyle change. Say it over and over if you need to every day, "I deserve and will make more me-time."

Lastly
Accept that no-one else is going to do it for you so take charge of your own life using efficient time management practices (found all over this website) and then do it. Good luck!

http://www.organizeyourlife.com.au/organizeyourselfnowmetime

Life's 'Problen Solvers' - including Professional Organizers

You may have read an interesting article in The Age's 'M' magazine a little while back about 'Problem Solvers', not surprisingly including Professional Organizers, or P.O's as they are commonly known.

Organize Your Life are members of both the Australasian Association of Professional Organisers (AAPO) and the American equivalent NAPO and have met/had contact with countless PO's over the years. As a result and can vouch for the great work they do with their clients - usually everyday people like you and me -who just need a helping hand to keep on top of their home affairs due to leading such busy lives.

These days, hiring a cleaner, dog groomer or an image consultant is becoming part of everyday life for many people. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 1:5 Australians works more than 50 hours a week. That’s a lot of people with very little spare time for chores and errands. The rise in the outsourcing of all manner of domestic help is linked to more and more women in the workforce, rather than at home as in the past having more time to do the household chores etc. So people are basically buying back time chewed up by all we have to fit into our busy lives.

If you fit into this category then go to http://www.organizeyourlife.com.au/australianorganisers for a list of great Australian Professional Organisers.

If you need some motivation to Start the Organizing process yourself you may like to read my article "How to Organize Your Home"

Here is a snippet for you -

How to Organize your Home

by Claire McFee

Home is truly where the heart is. It can be welcoming or overwhelming depending on how we organize our time, possessions and our psyche. The ultimate goal for ourselves is to have a home that calms and soothes us, but equally invigorates us and excites us about our future and where we are heading. For most of us mere mortals this doesn’t just ‘happen’ miraculously, it takes a bit of effort and of course Organization. With guidance it’s easier than you would think. Here are some points to think about in this important life area.

Keep on top of your ‘Stuff’

Too many possessions can be the death of a person. It is imperative to continuously ‘move on’ items that are not used or are broken beyond repair.

Do regular ‘Culls’

The average home needs to do 2-3 clear outs per year to maintain a semi-clutter free space for you and/or your family.

Get the Family on Board

If you have a partner and kids it’s only fair that it is a team effort to have a happy, well functioning household. Setting a good example is imperative here and also taking into account different personality types plays a big part too. If you have a child who couldn’t find his own teeth to brush if they weren’t attached to his head then allowing some leeway for his room to not have to be perfectly sorted everyday. Pick your battles!!

‘One in one out’ Rule

A good general idea to stick to is whenever you buy a new item for the house, you need to pass on a similar older item. This can apply to clothing; toys; books; old tools; jewellery; kitchen appliances etc.

To read full article go to "How to Organize Your Home"

Organizing Overboard!

I have long been a fan of Good Weekend Writer Stephanie Dowrick and this weekend her ever-thoughtful column was related to Home Organizing in an article titled "The tyranny of Tidiness."


The article espoused healthy 'untidy' homes, as opposed to unhealthy ones. I must say I agree with her comment that "The ordinary tumble of daily life does not fall into that (hoarding) category. I say we should not be servants to our homes! Rather, homes should serve, happily - those who live in them." Having a slightly dis-organized home does not mean you live in constant chaos and need 'help', it simply means you are busy like everyone else and are choosing to 'live' life (at least some of the time) rather than be a slave to it.

Some people can go overboard when it comes to having a well presented home and overly house proud. There is a fine line between being house proud and being obsessive about it to the point of not 'living' ones life as a result. As one of my favourite quotes says "On your death bed, what will you remember more the sparkle of your kitchen floor, or the sparkle in your children's eyes."

Yes of course it helps to have a home that is organized to a degree, as long as there is room for 'real life' to fit into it, without the worry of how it will 'look' to others. Make sure your tidy/untidy, organized/dis-organized house expectations of yourself and others are realistic, and if not, stop giving yourself such a hard time - Life's too short!

Organize to buy healthy children's cereal with help from The Parent's Jury

Heard of The Parent Jury? They are a fantastic advocate for Australian Families. Their most recent Parent's Poll has announced the 'Worst Cereal offender'. I don't know about you but I have to closely watch what my kids eat or we suffer the consequences. I have to be really organized when I go shopping - with a list of nasty additives that they are allergic or intolerant to - a sadly long list. I use a great business card sized list that you can easily print out online by going to this link. http://www.smartsnacks.com.au/site/Page.aspx?PageId=22

Parent Jury joined nutritionist Dr Rosemary Stanton as part of an ongoing campaign to reveal the truth behind the marketing spin on popular children's food and drink products. They compared the on-pack claims on 14 children's cereals, nominated by members of The Parents Jury, with their actual ingredients and key information on the Nutrition Information Panels.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain cereal was announced as the outright worst offender, with its traditional reputation as ‘Iron Man Food' that 'helps fuel growing boys' unable to stand up to its very low fibre content and high levels of sugar and sodium. Despite a re-formulation, Nestle Milo cereal was also criticised for its brazen packaging that features many ticks and statements about its wholegrain and fibre content, as well as the lines 'nutritious energy cereal' and 'now better 4 you'. With its 30 per cent sugar content Milo cereal cannot claim any "superior moral ground for good nutrition".

Along with the The Parents Jury, I strongly support the introduction of a mandatory 'front of pack' traffic light food labelling system that uses red, amber and green colour coding to rate levels of fat, saturated fat, sugar and sodium on packaged foods, enabling consumers to make informed choices at a glance. The more consumers let themselves be heard the quicker these important changes will be made. It's worth finding the time by being organized to do this. Go to http://www.parentsjury.org.au/ for more info. The 'Choice' Magazine website has a lot of useful information too. Go to http://www.choice.com.au/viewArticle.aspx?id=106322&catId=100228&tid=100008

I organized to sponsor a child through World Vision!

I'm really excited about getting myself organized to Sponsor a needy child through World Vision. His name is Frank Luis and he is 8 years of age and lives in Peru. To be honest I don't know why I didn't take this step earlier. We donate to many good causes but for some reason stopped short of this commitment.

Maybe it's partly due to the wake up call of The Australian Black Saturday Fires, which reminded me of just how much we have here in Australia and that we can ALWAYS spare more.

So although we are a bit cash strapped building a new house, we can find and extra ~$10 per week for such a good cause. It's about organizing your priorities really - spending less on those ice creams for the kids or that coffee for yourself, or the expensive bottle of wine you don't really need.

I'm not sure exactly what it is, but as you will see from my last few posts, there is a them of being proactive in an environmental and social way. I have taken an interest in, and actively participated in many ways in these areas over the years, as I've always felt compelled to help others and know that we all can individually and therefore collectively make a difference. The encouraging thing is that more and more people are doping the same thing. Mainstream media really seem to be taking these issues seriously and help promote all manner of important causes in a way they rarely did say 5 years ago. The media CAN be a great influence for good when it wants to and should be encouraged for that.

Anyway back to our sponsor child. I was thrilled to learn that through World Vision you can organize to send e-letters, which are translated for you and then sent via snail mail, which I know my kids will love helping to do. They will love even more, the responses we get in return telling us about the life of our new friend on the other side of the world. I will keep you posted with what we learn about him and in turn about ourselves.

Did you organize yourself to participate in Earth Hour

Another Earth Hour has come and gone. It is growing at a rapid rate which is very encouraging. Go to http://www.earthhour.org/home/ to read more about the wonderful work they organize year to year, growing all the while. Not surprsiingly I will mention that, yes, it takes organization to be procative about these sorts of things, so that we can get up and make ourselves heard. If we are dis-organized and overwhlemed then the likihood of doing this is slim. Another great reason to organize your life!

Here are some impressive stats for you, showing we really do care about the future of our planet. Well done World!

• Around 55% (309) of Australia's local councils committed to Earth Hour, demonstrating strong regional support across the country
• All Australian capital cities participated in Earth Hour
• 99 of the ASX100 companies registered their participation
• Australia's major icons switched off: the Opera House and Harbour Bridge (Sydney), St Kilda's Luna Park and Flinders Street Station (Melbourne), Story Bridge (Brisbane), Parliament House (Canberra), WA State Memorial (Perth), Rundle Mall Lantern (Adelaide).
• Key achievements of Earth Hour 2009 internationally:
  3929 cities, towns and municipalities in 88 countries across the globe
  70 national capitals participated
  18 out of 20 G20 countries took part 9 out of 10 of the world's most populated cities switched off
• The world's most famous landmarks went dark: the Pyramids and the Sphinx (Egypt), Eiffel Tower (France), Vatican (Italy), Acropolis (Greece), Big Ben (UK), the Las Vegas Strip and Empire State Building (USA), Christ the Redeemer (Brazil), Bird's Nest (China) and the Petronas Twin Towers (Malaysia).

In other exciting world news forwarded to me by a colleague "The Evolutionary Leaders Counsel has been asked by the Obama administration to offer information on what is taking place on the planet and how we can change it. They requested a signed petition offering information on how many people are in favour of the changes suggested. Please read the information below that was submitted to the Obama administration.

If you agree with it click the following link where you will be able to sign the petition. I have! Go Obama! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/248704259

World Prayer Day 2009

I attended my first World Prayer Day this year at our local Catholic Church, where our two other church parishioners attended as well. Although 'busy' like everybody else I organized my schedule so that I could attend and am certainly glad I did so.

I did not go to church as a child and am non-denominational, so it was all quite new to me. I love the concept of countless people all praying for the same thing. Every year they pray for a specific country and their needs. This year it was Paupa New Guinea and we heard about some recent efforts of a local Rotary Club that had gone over to help with one of the hospitals there.

Knowing that there are studies that have been conducted with thousands of participants, whereby they have prayed for the one area at the one time , which has led to a 25% decrease in crime - for example in New York - is amazing and exciting. It certainly can't hurt, so why don't you give it a try next year. I know I will. It was lovely to connect with other locals, particularly the older generation to show them that we do care. Having a cup of tea afterwards and learning about them and their lives was an important aspect of the day as well.

Organize Your Clothes Wardrobe

I have been helping my husband (a builder) with a couple of internal and external wall frames for our new house (to be completed by the end of the year.) It's surprisingly exciting seeing where everything is - in particular my office and walk in robe. Those of you have been following me for a while now, know that I am bargain Queen from way back and especially love finding clothing treasures in Op shops. So as you can imagine, I have a few clothes to store and keep organized. We have been renting for a few years while preparing to build/building and I have had the smallest closet ever during that time,so I am looking forward to being able to organize my clothes in a more orderly manner. then I will be able to see everything I have and actually wear all the clothes I have spent my hard earned money on! My shoes will even have a special home raised off the floor so they can be seen properly.

What I have had to do in the meantime is separate my Summer clothes, so that they fit into the closet/wardrobe. This works well, although it has it's drawbacks when you live in Victoria as I do, when there are often 4 seasons in one day, leaving you without easy access to everything you own and reducing your clothing options big time. You manage of course, but the thought of not having to store my clothes in separate areas in my new new walk in robe is blissful!

See my article on Organizing Your Clothes Closet at our Organize Your Life website: http://www.organizeyourlife.com.au/organizeyourclothescloset

I would love to hear your clothes/wardrobe/closet storage and organizing solutions, so tell us your secrets.

How to Organize Your Home Life

I am still on a New Year's 'high', with our new family routines still going supurbly well. What a difference a year makes with the kids and what they are able to take responsibility for as they get older. They are getting so much better at tidying up after themselves and organizing their own stuff. I must say I'm really proud of them. They definitely have a happier mum as a result! Below is an article on how to Organize Your Home Life if you need some more pointers.

bye for now,
Claire

Organize Your Life Author

How to Organize your Home

Home is truly where the heart is. It can be welcoming or overwhelming depending on how you organize your time, clutter} and our psyche/mind. The ultimate goal for ourselves is to have a home that calms and soothes us, but equally invigorates us and excites us about our future and where we are heading. For most of us mere mortals, this doesn’t just ‘happen’ miraculously, it takes effort, time and of course Organization With help, it’s easier than you would think. Here are some tips to think about in this important life area.

Keep on top of your ‘Stuff’
Too many possessions can be the death of a person. It is imperative to constantly pass on items that are not used or are broken beyond repair.

Do {regular/constant} ‘Culls’
The average home needs to do 2-3 clear outsculls per year to maintain clutter free space for you and/or your family.


Get the Family on Board
If you have a partner and kids it’s only fair that it is a team effort to have a happy, well functioning household. Setting a good example is imperative here and also taking into account different personality types plays a big part too. If you have a child who couldn’t find his own teeth to brush if they weren’t attached to his head then allowing some leeway for his room to not to be perfectly sorted every day. Pick your fights!!

‘One in one out’ Rule
A good general idea to stick to is whenever you buy a new item for the house, you need to get rid of a similar older item. This can apply to clothing; toys; books; old tools; jewellery; kitchen appliances etc.

Be patient
It takes approximately 21 days to create a new habit, so give yourself time to get used to any new routine that you implement to improve your household organization.

Everything in its place, everything has a place
It’s surprising how out of place things look when not put away when there is a home for everything. It’s so much easier to keep on top of cleaning; tidying; organizing your home when you have this underlying rule to live by. Similar to the saying “A penny saved is a penny earned now” is - “A minute spent now is a hour saved later” – seriously!

Keep it simple
Consciously create more control over where you are heading and what you let into your life and therefore your home. By this I mean for example, if particular family and friends have a draining effect on you then consider cutting down the amount of time you spend with them. We can only help others so much and many don’t want to be helped anyway. You need to learn to put yourself first and not see this as a selfish thing to do – you can learn to do it in a healthy, positive way. Your organized home and anyone in it will thank you for it!

Act Locally think Globally
None of us can plead ignorance when it comes to the effect we are having on the planet anymore. So when buying anything for the home, don’t only think about whether you need or really want it, but also consider the effect of your consumerism on the wider world. It may make you think twice. Collectively we can make a huge difference. And ultimately create a happier home life through your thoughtful actions and organizing efforts.

It’s easier than you think to organize your life. So stop thinking about it and just do it!

For more Organizing Articles Click here.

Organize Yourself to Help the Fire Victims

The devastating recent Bush fires across Australia have stirred so many into action -donating their time and money to help those affected. I am sure you are part of this group of wonderful Australians too. In case you weren't aware, many Community Houses / Community Centres are becoming 'collection points' for donations, so if you have one near you, then grab a bag and put in as many of the following items that are in desperate need for all the displaced families. I am off to drop some items off now.

Items such as: toiletries - tampons, pads, nappies, shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, brushes, new underwear of all sizes, non perishables, new electrical appliances - kettles, toasters, fry pans - if you have good working order appliances these are needed it just means they then need to be checked and tagged, non perishable foods, life long milk, clothing - though they have large amounts already donated.

Remember: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

Having a Fire Plan in place is crucial, so take this time to think about Organizing one if you haven't.


If you want to read any articles on home and life organizing then go to our Organize Your Life Website to select from over 100 organizing articles.

Claire McFee
Organize Your Life Author

Make the Op Shop you best friend for effective Organizing

School is back today - Yippee - After 6 weeks with the kids home I'm in need of some uninterrupted time to Organize my Home, the business and my life! It helped that I got the kids to help me do some de-cluttering over the weekend and we got rid of 3 bags full for the ops shop and two bin fulls of paperwork. I never tire of how good it feels to organize myself to another level, free of 'Stuff'.

I just dropped the 'stuff' to the Op-shop, with my friends saying even for me that was Super-organized. A new 'Before School Job List' made this morning go extremely smoothly. It was an easy routine for the kids to follow that made such a difference! Camping with the kids over the School Holidays (and having to be really organized to actually enjoy the experience. It was instrumental in preparing the kids for a bit extra responsibility once back at home. I have written an article on these back to school organizing tips - along with getting your house organized after holidays.

Read on for more tips...

Organize for a relaxing Camping Trip”
By Claire McFee

My husband and two young children have just gone on our first camping trip together, and my first full stop, so it’s been an eye opening experience of why so many people are converts to living in the outdoors whenever they can. The benefits are many and there are of course pitfalls, With the right mindset and good preparation and organizing before during and after your trips can make the difference between a relaxing and enjoyable holiday for everyone involved or a stressful time that you never want to repeat again!! We had a ball I’m happy to say and met lovely like-minded people along the way which is part of the appeal! Here are some tips I’ve picked up along the way and from more experienced campers as well.

Less is best
With very limited space taking as little as possible is obviously one of the most important rules of thumb. Even though it can cost a bit more to buy food once at your destination, within reason it can save a lot of angst about storing everything by buying as you go.

Worst case/best case Weather scenarios
We all hope to have good weather when camping, but the elements love to throw in a few surprises just to test our endurance. With this in mind be sure to pack thermal underwear for those frosty nights and hooded jackets and scarves for cold windy days.

Be wary of excess gadgets
If you go to any of the outdoor chain stores there is all manner of excess gadgets to supposedly make life easier. In some cases they do, but you need to be mindful of where all these gadgets will; live because the one thing that can make a camping holiday stressful it’s too much stuff to store, clean and maintain. You would be surprised at how inventive you can be if you have to be. The things I‘ve seen people do with a bit of string and some wire!!

Back up Easy meals
Having a couple of tins of baked beans for quick and easy meals is handy for those nights when you are spent from a day of high activity, so make sure you pack a few for these ‘emergencies’.

Card/board games
Camping is a great time to get back to basics and enjoy making your own fun –especially with young kids. So pack a few basics and make sure you get them out of a night time and of course on those unexpected cold and raining days.

Journaling/Paper and pencils
Keeping a diary of sorts of your trip - which can accompany the photos you take along the way for the kids to show their teachers is a great idea for some educational activity in amongst it all as well.

Camping Etiquette
Use your common sense when it comes to camping etiquette. Unfortunately alcohol can hinder reason, so before you get into the evening wind-down - usually involving a glass of wine or a beer, have your limits and stick to them. ‘Oh it’ll be fine’ roaring with laughter all night doesn’t cut it the next day living in close quarters.

Midnight Tinkles
If you are partial to needing the toilet during the night, the last thing you want to do is have to go to the toilet block on your own in the dark. Therefore having a bucket of sorts (filled with some water for dilution purposes) is a great idea. Cover with a tea towel or lid if possible and empty into the toilets along with the rest of the campers the next morning. Putting the toilet paper into a separate bag helps make this process a little less messy.


Claire McFee
Organize Your Life Author

Camping and Organization - can they go together!?

We are now back from our first camping trip, which was great. I must say the whole camping experience made me realize - as much as I like to think I'm never anal about anything - that I definitely can be.

I quickly realized that things can get out of control in an instant when camping, because the space is so darn small. I had to set some ground rules with hubby and the kids early on, so that I didn't lose the plot daily. Putting things back where they belong and getting into a good organized routine with everyone having certain jobs to do on a daily basis was imperative - if we wanted to actually enjoy our camping trip together. Being organized was paramount that's for sure.

My first camping experience was a real eye opener. I chilled out a bit by the end of the holiday but it made me realize how much I was still picking up after others and that I did not want that to continue. They are old enough to do it themselves - especially hubby!

We have new routines in place at home learned from our camping trip, which will make my life much easier.

For more articles on how to organize your life, organize your home, organize your money or organize yourself go to our Organize Your Life website with over 100 Organizing articles to choose from.

Claire McFee
Organize Your Life Author

Organize a great Camping Trip

We are on holiday at Wilson's Prom in Victoria. It's my first camping trip ever so it's interesting to see how it all works. If ever good Organization is needed it's when camping. The space is obviously so much smaller than what you are used to living in, therefore it gets untidy so much quicker. Everyone needs to be conscious of putting things back where they belong or it's impossible to function and relax and enjoy yourself. We are in a caravan with a full Annex, which is a Godsend. It's where all our clothes bags and kids toys can go and of course the potty for those night time toilet visits!

Campers are a friendly bunch and you can hear families singing to the guitar at night, which is lovely to listen to. Trees are a precious commodity to dry clothes, so bringing lots of rope for that and all other manner of things is a must. For a first timer I am actually pleased with remembering to pack most things we need. The good thing is you can make do or a nice 'neighbour' will lend it to you.

The kids are taking on more responsibility than I expected - made easier by the lower sink and bench tops. We have the whole washing, drying and putting away down pat which is great and is something we will be able to carry on at home.

If you are a camping veteran and have the packing down to a fine art, I'd love to hear your packing tips and ways to save time.