The Organizing Olympics, Day 8: Reading Relay

Today's event will be.....The Reading Relay

As in any relay event, this event is all about teamwork, and in this it involves passing the baton, aka any unused reading material, on to another member.

The goal of this event is to:

Clear out space on your bookshelves to store all your Olympic Medals!

What is your strategy to win at this game?  Here are some things to consider when beginning training for this Olympic Event:  

• Will I read it again?  Have I reread it already?  If you have, you may indeed read it again, if you have not – well perhaps it is time to let it go and then you can always borrow it from the library if you do want to read it again. 

• Is it reference material?   Medical journals age out as do any fitness journals – any old University or High School books are likely no longer relevant.   Google will provide you with much more up-to-date information and take up “zero” space in your home.   Likely the best place to dispose of these would be – gasp – putting them in your recycle bin

•  Old Newspapers and Magazine – recycle.   There is nothing is these items that you cannot find online, if there is something sentimental in an article, cut it out and get rid of the rest of the paper or magazine.

Now that you have finished training, know the rules or your Reading Relay….GO!

1.       Be first out of the starting gate- Sort your reading materials as quickly as you can. 

2.       Drive yourself to the point of exhaustion – Make tough decisions

3.       Pass the Baton to your team mates – The recycle bin, Goodwill, the Library,

4.       Cross The Finish Line – Take all the books to Goodwill, fill your recycle bins, and get them out of the house.

For more book de-cluttering solutions check out my blog articles:   B is for Books and Book Blowout.   If you need some hands on help, consider hiring a professional organizer to walk with you through this journey.   Join me of Facebook.

The Organizing Olympics, Day 7: Junk Mail Javelin

Today's event will be.....Junk Mail Javelin.

This individual event comprises training agility and skill to keep your competitors, junk mailers and paper marketers at bay.

The goal of this event is to:

Stop the junk mail from entering the sector (entering the house).     

What is your strategy to win at this game? 

1. Throw The Javelin - Sort your mail as soon as you pick it up. 
2. Use Javelin competitor’s techniques and with an “overhand” throw to toss all non-addressed junk mail directly in the recycle bin.
3. Addressed junk mail can either be shredded or recycled based upon your comfort level 

(I shred anything with our names on it)

4. Throw for Distance - Contact catalogue companies and get off their mailing lists – you can get everything on line if you are looking for an item.
5. Get as many of your other mail pieces sent to you online.   Most bill companies will send you eBills to cut down on the paperwork

The competitor with the longest single legal throw is the winner, so grab that Javelin and throw that junk mail as far from your home as possible.

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The Organizing Olympics, Day 6: Training Camp

Yesterday's event was the Powder Room Paddle and it was clear that some of the competitors required some additional training for this event.

Toilet Paper  (aka TP) solutions and how to make the space under the sink seem to be the two areas where intensive training was needed.

So here are a few quick and easy solutions to the TP dilemma.   The basket of course that was shown in yesterday's event.






 

A pull out shelf be used but stacking technique is critical with this method

A  TP Tower, some even come with magazine rack and the actual TP dispenser built in

For this without drawers built in, plastic pull out drawers and bins could be the perfect solution for your home

OR

Using a System like the one above that adjust around your pipe system could work.

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The Organizing Olympics, Day 5: Powder Room Paddle

We are moving onto  Day 5 of the Organizing Olympics:   The Powder Room Paddle Event!

During this event we are going to tackle the Powder Room....this is an individual sport and sadly, your team will not fit in the room.

Warm up, do your stretches, and get ready for your event.


You will need a broom, rags and your favourite bathroom cleaners.   I am a Windex gal.  It cleans everything.

This event involves: a warm up, the event, and the finish line...the podium is where you get your medal as you leave the room.

During your warm up, grab your broom and cover the bristles with a rag,   get all the dust bunnies and cobwebs knocked down from the ceiling - do the same with the walls

What is your strategy to win at this game? 

1. Getting the Powder Room Pristine Clean
2. Keep Only what you use and love and want guests to see in the powder room
3. Toss what is no longer in good condition and beyond repair
4. Donate items that are in good condition and you could bless others with
5. Move items that do not belong in the powder room to the proper location in the house.   This is a bathroom we share with our guests and intimate personal items should be stored elsewhere.

Empty the cupboards and the drawers and use the sorting process above.  Wash inside before putting anything back

Make sure there is a good supply of Toilet Paper for guests that is easily accessible.

Scrub Mirrors, Sinks, Facets and Counter Tops.   The toilet should shine inside and out.  

Make sure there are clean towels in the powder room.   Guest should not be using the same towels that you had your shower with that morning....ick!

Wipe down the cabinets and around light switches, toilet paper holder and doors.  Give the door knobs a wash as well.

Empty the waste paper basket - keep a fresh bag in there and if the inside of the can is dirty, wash it in hot soapy water...if it is really nasty, perhaps it needs to be replaced.

Scrub the floors and back out of the room.

You are finished, head to the podium to collect your gold medal to hang on the door.

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The Organizing Olympics, Day 4: Hat Hoops

Love this pic from wtfeck.com ~ too funny!

Today's event will be.....HAT HOOPS.


Just like basketball, this will be a team event.    Get the entire family involved because they will need to make some decisions about what they still like, what they still wear, and what they can let go of.

The event involves...     

Gathering all of your hats, toques, ball caps, cowboy hats – basically anything that will sit on your head -  into one location.

What is your strategy to win at this game? 

Sort all the hats into categories.   Same type with same type…all the ball caps together, all the winter hats together.   Get everyone to look at their head wear and make decisions about what to keep following the same “rules” of the game we did yesterday.

1. Keep what you love, wear and have space to store
2. Toss what is no longer in good condition and beyond repair
3. Repair items you love but need a little rehab
4. Donate items that are in good condition and you could bless others with
5. Store items that are off season in a location that will keep them clean and protected until needed

If you have tons of hats, you may need to use a timer to take regular breaks.   Keep in mind, as with any athletic event, time matters so make your decisions quickly and spring into action.  You are heading for a gold medal....GO!!!

• Keep

• Toss

• Repair

• Donate

• Store

I would suggest you store winter hats all together in a clear bin with a lid.   Clear so you can see what is inside – with a lid to keep items clean off-season.  The lid is also a good indicator of when you need to clear your hats out in the future.   If the lid is hard to get back on, it is definitely time to clear some more out.   Do the same with summer hats and label each bin by season. Off season hats can be stored in the front closet if there is enough space, or in another part of the house if storage is at a premium.

Hatboxes protect more expensive hats that are worn less often.   Label the boxes so you know what is inside.

Ball Caps can get a little out of control and you might need to get a little more creative – they can be washed in the dishwasher (top rack) and if you cannot store them in a bin, try searching on line for Ball Cap Storage Solutions.    Here is a link to one option found at WalMart 

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The Organizing Olympics, Day 3: Shoe Toss

I remember when shoes like this did not hurt!
Oh youth, where have you gone?

During Day 1, Event we tackled the front entrance and part of that involved shoes.

Today's event will be.....The Shoe Toss.


This event can either be an individual event or  a synchronized event if you want to get the entire family involved.

The event involves...     

Gathering all of your footwear into one location.

What is your strategy to win at this game? 

1. Keep what you love, wear and have space to store
2. Toss what is no longer in good condition and beyond repair
3. Repair items you love but need a little rehab
4. Donate items that are in good condition and you could bless others with
5. Store items that are off season in a location that will keep them clean and protected until needed

If you have tons of shoes, you may need to use a timer to take regular breaks.   Keep in mind, as with any athletic event, time matters so make your decisions quickly and spring into action.  You are heading for a gold medal....GO!!!

• Keep

• Toss

• Repair

• Donate

• Store

When putting items back into the closet, clean the floor and shelves and take a last look at each items and ask yourself when the last time was you wore the shoes and when you realistically see yourself wearing them again.   It does not matter if you paid $500.00 for the shoes if you are never going to wear them...donate them to someone who will.

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Organizing Olympics, Day 2: Purse Diving

Today's athletic event will be.....Purse Diving.   This is an individual event 'cause we ladies are pretty individual in our taste for our delectable purses.

 

My guess would be that you do not need any special "training" for this event and your coach can likely go for a coffee break.

The event involves...

Your purse of course, followed by:

1. diving into the bag, 
2. emptying the entire contents, 
3. tossing the garbage, 
4. sorting the contents and only putting back what you need.    

When putting items back - consider using some small Ziploc bags, or small zippered makeup bags from the dollar store to keep like items together. If using zippered makeup bags, use a different colour for each so you do not have to open each to know what is stored inside.

Things that you could store might be things  like:

• Lipsticks and makeup in one, 
• Breath mints  & hand sanitizer
• First Aid items like band aids and Tylenol

Use the zippers and compartments build into your purse to store "like items" together.   Keep your cell in the same pocket all the time, keep pens in the same zippered compartment all the time, don't forget to keep a small notebook in your purse...there is always someone searching for a paper and pen.  What about the keys...where in your purse do you plan to put your keys?   Use that spot each and every time.   I use the outside back zipper on mine since it is the easiest to access when my hands are full leaving the store.

 If you have more purses than you know what to do with, I found this simple cost effective idea on YouTube - take a peek at.

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