12 Days of Holiday Organizing- It's that wonderful time of year again: the holidays are almost upon us. We know it arrives at the same time every year, and yet it continues to sneak up on us. Your holiday preparations can be less stressful if you create a holiday countdown to halt the holiday madness.
3 Tips for Maintaining Order in Your Home or Office- So you've gotten yourself organized, cleared the clutter and pilfered the piles of paper once hiding your desktop from view. Now what? How on earth do you maintain order and head off the stuff that clings to horizontal surfaces like gum on your shoe? Use these 3 tips to keep your chaos under control, and you'll be that much closer to sticking with your new organizing system:
A Housekeeper is Cheaper Than a Divorce- Ms. Sherman's book, A Housekeeper is Cheaper Than a Divorce, not only provides the tools for finding and keeping a good housekeeper, but also helps us determine whether or not we need domestic help and at what level.
Alternative Organizing Solutions- You've read all the books, magazines, and tips on organizing
the clutter in your home. But something's missing in the
equation and things are just not going as smoothly as they
should.
Clear Your Closets for Charity- With the holidays just around the corner, many of us are clearing out the clutter to make room for even more stuff. Parents are purging their kids' closets to make room for Santa's goodies, and optimistic dads are cleaning out the coat closet to allow room for that new jacket. But what can be done with the outcasts? Whatever can be gained from cleaning out our closets and outgrown clothes hiding under the beds?
Conquering Kids Clutter, Tips for Organizing Kids Rooms- With a preschooler's Hot Wheels taking over my living room, I'm getting ready to regroup. Perhaps a few of these organizing tips will help you in your quest to conquer clutter in kids' rooms.
Crafty Storage Solutions- Creating storage for craft and hobby items can be quite challenging - what to do with all those parts and pieces? Here are some of my favorite tips for conquering craft clutter, and finding a storage solution you can live with.
Fridge Clutter and How to Avoid It- Anyone who spends any time at all in a kitchen quickly learns about refrigerator art: what it is, how it's displayed, and who created it. If your refrigerator is anything like that of other parents, it's plastered with kid art, the family calendar, homework assignments, soccer schedules, doctor's appointment reminders, and.... that's just the front!
Getting Organized for Back to School- How many days left of summer? When does school start? Are those the voices of bored teenagers that I hear, or the whine of frazzled parents? Summer is coming to a close, and it's time to begin thinking of back to school basics. No, not the 3 R's, but how to organize your home for the back to school schedule. Here are 5 tips to help you jazz up those blues:
Getting Your Family Organized- Why do I have to do all the work around here? She's a slob! He never hangs up his wet bath towel!
These are battle cries heard all too often in the quest for family organization. But if we're all striving toward the same goal, getting and staying organized, then why are we nitpicking on how we get there?
How to Live with a Packrat- For those of you who take pride in your organizational skills, I congratulate you. And for those of you living or working with a packrat, you have my sincerest sympathies. As the wife of a "collector" as he prefers to be called, I share in your struggle for an uncluttered life. I too dream of a neatened living room, a straightened bookcase, and an invisible trail of paper in the office. Is there hope of ever surviving this challenge? Can you overcome the obstacles thrown in your efficient path every day? The answer is a resounding YES, and I'm living proof that it works.
How to Streamline Your Morning Routine- Whether you are married or a single parent, getting ready for work each day can be quite a challenging feat when you have children. Gone are the days of hitting the snooze button on your alarm repeatedly, then quickly showering and eating a Pop Tart(c) on the drive to work. Your alarm clock has been replaced by giggling children or whining sleepy-heads who await their orders for the day: wake up, put this on, no you can't wear your dance costume to school, stop hitting your brother, don't kick the cat, eat your breakfast, drink your milk, go find your socks. the list is endless. No wonder parents of young kids find themselves half-dressed or mismatched when they arrive at work later-- sometimes we're doing good to have socks ON, much less ones that match!
Organizing Your Bedrooms & Closets- Are you tired of stepping over clothes and shoes to get to your bed? Do you want to be able to find that special shirt hidden somewhere in your closet? Can you even see the floor of your closet?
Power Wheels: 10 Steps to Organizing Your Mobile Life- xOrganizing your car is not just for the ultramodern high-tech gadget guru anymore. Move over, Sharper Image - the organizationally challenged are rising up, and they're on a budget.
Practical Tools for Procrastination-free Living- Many of us suffer from a serious debilitative ailment called procrastination. We put off washing the breakfast dishes, sewing buttons on otherwise wearable shirts, and clearing closet clutter for charity donation.
Below are just a few practical organizing tools for those who put things off until they are out of clothes to wear, can't find the kitchen counter, or spend countless minutes deliberating on what to wear in a closet full of castoffs and has-beens.
Shoestring Organizing Solutions- As a professional organizer, it's my job to help busy women find the balance between organizing career and family. However, most of us don't want to invest much time or money to accomplish this goal. Some of the best organizational tools are very inexpensive and can be found at most discount stores. Often developing a personal system involves just a bit of creativity rather than a substantial investment in a professional product or service.
Shoestring Organizing Solutions- Some of the best organizational tools are very inexpensive and can be found at most discount stores. Often developing a personal system involves just a bit of creativity rather than a substantial investment in a professional product or service.
Shortcuts to Organize Your Life- Although our official workday is shorter than those of our parents and grandparents, down from around ten hours to eight, today's parent is struggling to pack as much into a 24-hour period as possible. Once your job at the office ends, your real job begins as: taxi driver, tutor, cook, housekeeper, lawn service, mechanic, counselor, and first aid specialist. And even though you have established goals to help you be the best parent to your children, you often find yourself getting lost in the details-- washing dishes, picking up clutter, decorating for the holidays, paying bills, and making your home warm and nurturing.
Time Savers or Time Bandits?- It would seem that somewhere along the way, we have forgotten the purpose of the cell phone, the beeper, and call waiting. They're not here to cause stress, multi-tasking, or more work. Quite the contrary; they were invented to make routine tasks easier and to simplify our lives.
Time-Savers to Streamline Your Work Day- Leading time management experts agree that man cannot manage time, but there are some very effective ways to turn the tables so that it does not manage you. Listed below are tried and true techniques for controlling the workflow and streamlining the operations in your work at your desk and while on the road.
Fourth of July!
July 4th is almost here. Celebrate Independence Day this year with crafts, recipes and plenty of other ideas. Here are a few examples to get you started...
Fun Picture Riddles Help with Letter Recognition: Scholastic has done it again, releasing yet another fabulous book in its popular I Spy series. This time Jean Marzollo's witty riddles married with Walter Wick's vibrant photographs make for a fun and engaging read for children of all ages. Through the seemingly magical power of rhyme and repetition, children will obtain several early reading skills without even trying!
Family Matters Radio
FMR is a nationally syndicated radio program developed to help you live your best life, hosted by Caroline & Jacquie. No rants and raves - you get enough of that from your kids. Choose a segment below to begin listening!