HAPPY NEW YEAR 2011

Much like many others in the world, I tend to spend New Years Day refelecting on the year past, where I have been, what I have accomplished and where I want to go in the New Year.
This years successes - spending lots of time playing and enjoying time with my husband, children and friends. 

I finishing writing my LVSonline course, registering for some new classes to take in the January, ensured the house is running pretty much clutter free and completed several Professional Organizer and Home Staging courses.   Life long learning is extremely important to me.

Goals for this year include:

• getting the final details of registering my business completed,
• continuing my education, teaching more organizing classes,
• moving to cash rather than credit for everything humanly possible...keeping my finances as organized as my home - and ensuring I live a debt free existence. 

Most of all my main goal is being the best wife, mother and friend I can be.

Showing kindness to those that are less than lovable and remembering that we are all creatures of God.  He died for even those I find unlovable at time - this is a challenge for me at times and one I have to constantly remind myself of.   I want to be the human being I was created to be.

Tomorrow's project:

•  list of all my expenses each month and determine how much extra I can allot to paying down debt
• set of files for all the 2011 bills
• move all 2010 bills to the back of the cabinet

We do not have a huge amount of debt but it still stresses me out none the less.  I want 2011 to be as stress free, as debt free and as organized as humanly possible.  The choice is up to me, the decisions I make during the year will either help me or hinder me, and I am excited about all the possibilities that lay before me!  As a household we are going to follow the Dave Ramsey program and see what kind of change that creates in our financial freedom.   Want to join along? 

• http://www.daveramsey.com - Get REAL debt help: Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover Plan

The Clutter Diet Book Recommendation

Many of you know I have been writing courses and programs the past little while and until my ebook is finished I thought it would be fun to share the following book consuming my reading time this week.  The subject?  Why organizing and taking control of your life of course!  

The book is called The Clutter Diet and the premise is that the same skills involved in losing weight are used in the declutter process and home organizing success. 

The book is simply laid out, has cute graphics and great information.   Little "fitness" exercises are included throughout the book.  

There is an on-line program to go with the book that can be accessed by clicking the on the The Clutter Diet name.  


Great concept!   Hope you enjoy.

2010 GOALS AND DREAMS FOR THE NEW YEAR

At this time of the year, I often make plans for achieving goals for the year to come and look back at the year coming to an end.    It is good to reflect on the year’s accomplishments, its special moments and the fun that was had.  This year I went white-water rafting for the first time and had a total blast.   I cannot remember laughing so hard and being so scared all at the same time.   It definitely will not be the last time I go.   We spent time in Myrtle Beach to celebrate our eldest’s last year of high school and moving on to University.   Watching the dolphins play in the ocean is always so exciting and never ceases to amaze me.

For the year ahead, I have some courses booked to take, some courses booked to teach, and some courses that I am in the process of writing.   My eldest just started her own business, so it will be fun watching her grown and develop as an entrepreneur.  When her website is up I will post a link so everyone can see and hopefully support her growth.

My home staging and organizing business has the potential for greatness and I am putting all the plans in place to make that soar.   This week I am working on my Executive Summary for my business plan.   At my age, it is fun to see new things on the horizon and I am all for life-long learning and development.  

For the New Year, I am putting directly into my planner, time with my girlfriends, time for DH so we can reconnect regularly, and individual time with my daughters.   I know now that the year will slip away before I can blink.   It is important to make sure that those I love get top billing in my month.  

On the home front, big projects include redoing my linen closet.   We have done a lot of work in the house the past few years so I am hoping this project will be a great organizational tool without breaking the bank!  The other thing that needs some attention is the front entrance.   The vinyl floor needs replacing and with that comes a snowball effect of replacing closet doors, then since the floor goes into the powder room, it would likely be a smart time to replace the vanity and the toilet...then I know myself and will want to change the light fixture and the mirror!   I will leave this project until summer at the earliest.

If any of you need assistance with a specific organizing project or just do not know where to get started, please feel free to email me and I will do my best to help.   You can also check out the LVSonline site and sign up for the Organize Your Life course.   LVS only charges $30.00 per student which is astounding to me!  LVSonline is such a terrific deal and so many courses to choose from.

Check out the LVSonline blog for the newest course offerings in January

LESS THAN ONE WEEK LEFT UNTIL THE BIG DAY!

It has been crazy here with my work life. I have spent the past month and a half writing an organizing course for LVSonline which is finished and now available for registration. This is very exciting for me.

Course registration is open now and registration is only $30.00 for the 6 course units. There will be plenty of hands-on tasks and assignments to help everyone get their lives together.  Your homes will see significant improvements when you follow the online material while completing the assignments and mini-challenges.


I have gotten my website up and running. There is still plenty or work to be done writing some of the web pages but it is coming along.  My tag line reads "Lose Clutter - Gain Clarity!"

Take a look and let me know what you think.
Both home staging and organizing services are offered on the site.

On the home front, we are in Christmas preparation mode. The tree is up, the porch is decorated, the presents are wrapped and today I waxed the floor in the front entrance so it shimmers to welcome our guests. The powder rooms sparkles and we are replacing the guest towels daily to ensure that everyone has clean towels - cold and flu season has begun so keeping germs to a minimum is critical at this time of the year is an ongoing battle.

We are off to a party later today so that should be tons of fun! Merry Christmas everyone.

CHRISTMAS IS COMING - GUESTS ARE COMING - CHAOS ENSUES

It is hard to believe that Christmas is just weeks away!   How on earth can we get it all done, do it well, and be ready?

Remove the pain by scheduling small activities into your day planner.

Have guests coming?   Start with the bathroom.   Tidy out the medicine cabinet, toss old medications, purge old shampoos,  anything that you cannot remember when it was purchased.   Anything older than a year, get rid of it!  Wipe out the cupboards and put everything back that is being kept.   Remember to keep like items together - first aid items, hair care, dental care etc....   Purchase some store containers or use some baskets that are hanging around the house to keep them together neatly in the cupboard.  Are there clean towels for the guests?   Perhaps consider purchasing pretty scented soaps for your guests to use.

Note*  Many pharmacies will take both prescription and over the counter medications that are no longer being used.  They dispose of these medications in a safe manner and they do not enter the water system by being "flushed".

Now check the guest room.   Are the surfaces clear of clutter?   Clear all flat surfaces of clutter - toss, put-away or donate the items laying around.   Make the room as peaceful and restful as possible.   Is the bedding clean?   If it has been on the beds for months but is still clean, take the bedding off and toss it in the dryer on "fluff" with a softener sheet to refresh them and remove the dust.

Consider leaving a small gift basket for your guests with things like:  
mini shampoos,
personal hygiene items for women
lotion,
and a small box of chocolates for a late night sweet tooth,
add a novel as well in case they would like to retreat to their room over the holidays and read

Dust the room, wash the interior windows and window sill.    Grab your broom, wrap a dish towel around the broom's bristles, and dust the ceilings and walls to get any dust webs down.   

If the dog sleeps in this room - keep them out until after the holiday and make sure to vacuum well and air the room out so it does not smell like a kennel.

Looking for more organizing solutions?    Sign up for our Minute-By-Minute Virtual Organizing Program

BOOK BLOWOUT!

Happy Thursday!   Our household has been in a tip lately – we installed our own laminate flooring in the basement (I am now a whizz on a mitre saw) and in the next two weeks we are having our carpet replaced soooooo, it means we have to remove the carpet in the rest of the house.   What does this mean *sigh*, it means a lot of sweat equity to save us $300.00 that the installer would have charged to remove it themselves.

One of the things I need to take care of in this mini makeover project is to clear off the book shelves.   We have gotten rid of lots over this past year but we are all big readers and they multiply like bunnies on the shelf.   I will be donating some of the series that my daughter’s have out-grown to some of my daycare kiddies.  The remainder will be boxed up and donated to the local library.   What they do not need, they sell as a fundraiser.

As I mentioned, the cookbook chaos is gone so really the last area of book blasting is our day to day reading.   Some books on organizing and financial management I keep for reference materials but most of the novels and biographies really need to move on to a new home.   The best part of donating to the library is that if I ever want to read any of them again, I just go and borrow them.   The clutter is out of my house but the books are just a library away!

My mission for you this week is to go to your bookshelves and find 20 books you can donate. If you can free yourself of more than 20 books, please, by all means – do it!  Put them in a bag or a box and take them directly to your car and put them in the trunk.  Next time you drive out of your parking spot – head to the library and deposit the books. 

Magazines.....toss everything but your last 6 into your recycle bin.     

I know what you are thinking:

you collect those magazines,

you love those magazines,

you paid good money for those magazines,

you WANT those magazines....

You do not NEED those magazines.  Magazines just create clutter – if there is an article in a magazine you wish to keep, tear it out ...put it in a page protector and file it in a binder or a file in your filing cabinet.  In an entire magazine, there are not likely more than 8-10 pages you really want to keep.  Better yet, stop buying magazines...and Google any information you might want. Things like celebrity gossip, home decorating, fashion, beauty tips are all available online for free!  Save both money and clutter in one shot!  If you absolutely cannot toss them in the recycle bin (you really can though) then I want you to pack them into your trunk and take them to the nearest hospital waiting room and donate them there.   Off you go, you can do this – free yourself from the clutter!

Stay tuned for more about the tasks involved in getting ready for the new carpet and some new mini tasks!

PAPER CLUTTER - THE HORROR

My latest project has been to tame the unruly paper chaos in my life. Paper is likely the one thing that defeats me the most. With my daughter’s car accident, came a snowball effect in paper. As I mentioned in my last blog, finding all the documents needed for the accident was an easy chore as I had already sorted most of the paper into a good filing system and thankfully it was up-to-date.  While the cabinet pictured is far prettier than mine, it does give you an idea about the visual cuing that I use to help me gain control of my filing

Here is how I sort my files...

A system for the incoming mail that breaks pretty simply into the following

"TO PAY"
"TO FILE"
"TO DO"

These I keep in the kitchen and sort the mail as soon as it comes in.

Once I am ready to file away the papers in the "TO FILE" folder, I head to the basement file cabinet and put the documents in their proper homes.  These basement files are my "archives" for the family and my business.

The system below shows how I have set up my long-term file storage or "archives"

Tools: hanging folders, coloured file folders, labels

I use a hanging file system to categorize my files and then because I am an extremely visual person, I use coloured, labelled file folders to keep them together and easily identifiable in the drawer.

Red files for both my "BANKING" files and my "DEBT" files and "INCOME TAX". 

One hanging folder is labelled:

•  BANKING and within, I have a folder for each bank that we deal with (we use 3 different banks for various elements of our lives). The other hanging folder is labelled

•  DEBT, and within are red, labelled file folders with titles such as:

1. “Visa”,
2. “Mortgage” – yes our mortgages are part of our debt load, 
3. "Credit cards,
4. "Line of Credit", 
5. "Car Loans" etc.... 

I keep all debt in this section. It helps keep me real.

• INCOME TAX, within the red folders hold assorted tax related documents.  I am self employed and my files are so big each year, the actual supporting documents for my taxes are boxed and kept in the garage in a fire-resistant cabinet.

Green files are used for our "INVESTMENTS". 

These are real assets in our lives and mean money in our future so I use green as a quick glance colour reference. Again, label your folders with each type of investment. These could be things like:

• Retirement plans with a bank and two private companies so each has a folder. 

• Education Funds

• Stocks

• Bonds

Blue files are used for our “UTILITIES”. 

The hanging folder is labelled "UTILITIES", and each blue file folder is labelled with such categories such as

• “Water”, 
• “Hydro”, 
• “Cable” 
• “Telephone” etc....any cell phone plans, would go here as well.

Yellow folders I use for "SCHOOL" and for "MEDICAL"

Each category is in a separately labelled hanging folder. One hanging folder indicating:

• " SCHOOL" and the other indicating 

• "MEDICAL". 

Each person in the family has a file in each section. Fortunately our file cabinet is big enough to hold binders as well because DH and our youngest both require binders for their more complicated medical histories. We can grab these medical binders and go when heading off to a Doctor appointment and can easily reference any details the doctor may need to know.

Purple folders I use for "WARRANTIES"

Within the hanging "WARRANTIES" folder, I then add separate purple folders and label each with with headings such as:

• computers & printers, 

• kitchen appliances, 

• office

• electronics

• outdoor 

It was amazing when I sorted through all these folders how many warranty booklets I had for items I no longer owned. It does not take a lot of time to sort through these and for most items, after a year, the warranty is no longer valid so just toss them into the recycle bin. If you don’t need it, don’t keep it! If the booklets can be accessed online, likely they are not needed at all.

Try and set time every six months to do a quick run-through of these files and shred any documents that are no longer required. Pull a few folders while watching TV and pick through them...it takes only minutes once your system is set up.


The other system I use to help me keep my files organized is called NeatReceipts.

It is a scanning system that helps me with my home business organization. I scan all items related to my business - receipts, invoices, contracts etc.... and the paper becomes redundant. Once everything is scanned and backed up – I can shred all the paper and ensure I am not overwhelmed by the unending mountains my home-based business can create**. In the program you create files, much like we discussed about, and scan your papers directly into those files. The information can be exported into many tax programs, excel and outlook. How simple! This program and scanner has become my new best friend.

**Check with your taxation department and ensure that you are able to use digital images rather than the actual receipts.  Check also to ensure what format they must be retained. Backing your documents up is critical in case of a crash!