Tools for Organizing On the GO

Sun Visor Organizer – For sunglasses, Post It Notes & pens

Smartphone Car Mount – If your car does not come with built in Bluetooth technology, then a solution that mounts on the window may be a better than one that clips to the air vents.

Receipts – Keep a plastic envelope in your car to collect all those receipts you gather during your business travels.

Forms, Files and Brochures – Keep a small desk top file box that holds hanging file folders to create a rolling office with all of your working files, brochures, forms and extra business cards.

Product Samples – Contain your product samples in a bin or a two compartment truck organizer to avoid damaging samples that are rolling around as you drive and to save trunk space.

Travel Waste Container – This is a must for those who have a rolling office.  I suggest something soft sided and made of canvas or a similarly rugged material with a plastic lining.

Note Recording – Use the voice recorder on your phone to take notes while driving.

TSA Approved Computer Case – Avoid removing your laptop at the airport.  Choose a case that’s TSA approved and it will save you time and aggravation.

USB Car/Wall Charger – This two-in-one device will prevent you from carrying two chargers.

Portable Power Pack – A backup power supply is essential when traveling to avoid a dead phone or computer when there is no convenient outlet available.

Travel Size Wireless Mouse – About half the size of a regular mouse and works almost anywhere.

Wireless Keyboard – Great for taking notes on your tablet

Travel Power Strip – Belkin power strip, surge protector and USB outlet.  This is great at the airport when there are limited outlets available.

Cord Wraps – Binder clips are great as inexpensive and convenient cord wraps.

Take advantage of your Smartphone technology while you’re on the road to maintain safety and travel easier.

Business Card Scanner/Reader – Avoid that pile up of business cards on your desk by scanning business cards on the spot while networking.  ScanBizCards

Receipt Scanner/Reader – Escape the torture of organizing your travel receipts by scanning on the go with an app like Concur, CamScanner or Scannable.

Digital Personal Assistant – Samsung S Voice, Apple Siri and Google offer a range of tools with just a touch of a button and a voice command.

Tips and Tricks to Eliminate Electronic Clutter

Email Clutter:

I like the David Allen approach to avoiding email clutter.  He has a four part system for handling email as it comes into your box.

Delete – Immediately get rid of those emails that aren’t useful or you will never read.

Do – Follow the 2 minute rule and handle any emails on the spot that take 2 minutes or less to complete.

Delegate – Ask yourself if the email is something that you need “to do” or can you give it to someone else to complete?

Defer – These are emails that need your attention and can be added to your “to do” list and scheduled in your calendar for a later time.

Sort your inbox by the “From” category in Outlook to allow you to delete an entire group of emails at one time.

Schedule time in your calendar on a monthly basis to sort through your emails. Scheduling time will help you avoid distractions.

Email Folders:

Remove those emails that you want to keep by creating folders.

Think in broad categories when creating folders to avoid folder overload.  If you are running a business you may want to have a folder for marketing or specific projects.  If you’re a homemaker, you may want separate folders for each family member or mom groups.

​Don’t like sorting your email into folders? Use Outlook Instant Search or the Gmail Search Box as your filing system.  Emails can be sorted by a word, phrase, name or partial name.  You can even narrow your search by scope, such as, subject line or sender and you can choose to search specific folders or all mailboxes.

Email Subscriptions:

Use a program like Unroll.Me to manage all those subscription emails that fill your inbox daily.  Unroll.Me, rolls those subscribed emails into one folder and list. Then you can choose to keep them, delete them or unsubscribe, and best of all, you decide the time of day to view your subscriptions.

Virtual Filing System:

Folders and Files

Mirror your paper filing system by creating a good folder structure using broad categories, followed by sub-categories.  If you use on-line banking, your broad category (folder) would be Financial and your sub-categories (files) would be your separate accounts.

Naming Convention

Storing multiple drafts of the same document can get confusing and a naming convention is one way to avoid that confusion.  Adding a date at the end of the file name is a great way to keep track of multiple documents and the addition of initials at the end of the file name will add clarity if more than one person is working on the same document.

Naming convention examples:

Jane_Doe

Jane_Doe_1/1/15

Jane_Doe_1/1/15_JD

Desktop Icons:

Is your desktop cluttered with icons?  If so, this is a great time to evaluate what you really use and delete those icons that are outdated or infrequently used.  Note: deleting an icon is not the same as deleting a file, folder or program from your computer.  Deleting the icon will simply remove it from your desktop.

A program like Fences is a great way to automatically sort out all those remaining icons into organized, easy to see boxes and categories.  The program can sort the categories for you or you can create your own categories.

A Better Method for Spring Cleaning

I don’t know about you, but spring is my favorite time of year and the last thing I want to do is spend my weekend or multiple weekends focusing on cleaning and organizing my entire home each spring.  Instead of pulling out that long list of spring cleaning duties, consider breaking up the list into bite size pieces to be completed throughout the year. Maintenance is a much easier solution and a tremendous time saver.  

Pick Your Battles

Look at your list and determine the cleaning and organizing tasks that make the most sense for this time of year.  For example, closets are a great place to start because this is the time of year we change from winter to spring/summer attire.  Garages are another good area of focus.  Now is the time to put away the snow blower and pull out the lawn mower.  And, let’s be honest, things tend to get piled and tossed into the garage all winter, so it’s time for a garage clean-out.  Your garden shed is another great fit for seasonal organizing.  Inspect and sharpen your garden tools, take stock of your supplies, clean your clay pots and determine your tool storage area based on how often you use the tools. With the onset of warmer weather comes the need to change to lighter blankets and comforters.  Once the bed is striped you can vacuum and turn the mattress to complete the process.

Maintenance is Key

Now that you have decided which areas make sense to organize during the spring season; let’s break the rest of that cleaning and organizing list into manageable tasks to be completed throughout the year.  Baseboards, doors and cobwebs can be dusted and cleaned during the winter when you’re stuck inside during a snowstorm.  Lampshades and ceiling fans can be dusted at regular intervals when you dust the rest of your home. Draperies, blinds and carpets can be cleaned in the fall or the end of the summer.  Many people have self cleaning ovens that can be cleaned any time of the year and grease traps and stove filters are easy to replace or clean on an as needed basis. 

Consistency is the Name of the Game

Having a consistent, year around routine will help you avoid investing large chunks of time in the spring.  Instead, get out and smell the forsythia, spend time with family and friends or do whatever makes you happier at this wonderful time of year.  Organizing and cleaning are necessary for a functional life, so finding ways to spread it out and make it easier in the long run will save you endless hours each season.

Self Management a.k.a Time Management

Let’s face it we all have the same 24 hour day, so it’s not really time we need to manage, it’s ourselves we need to manage.  According to experts, during the last 25 years, our leisure time has declined by 37% while our work week has increased by a full day.

Make Time for Yourself

This means we need to be sure to make time for ourselves first.  If we don’t take care of ourselves, then in the long run we will not be able to take care of anyone else. That includes eating well, exercising, meditating a few minutes a day and spending time with family and friends.

Set Daily Priorities

The best way to so this is to set daily priorities and intentions.  Setting daily priorities creates a space for achieving your goals.  It gives you a clear focus so the mind can hone in the day’s activities.  Spending 10 to 15 minutes every morning mapping out your day can save up to 6 hours a week.

Scheduling

Now that you have your list of priorities it’s time to put them on the calendar.  Schedule appointments with yourself to complete priority work.  This will block out the space you need to get your tasks completed in a timely manner.  Be sure to schedule the most important tasks at a time of day that you are most productive.  If you are a morning person, then do your most important task first thing in the morning.

• Put your personal & business schedules into one calendar so you have a snapshot of all your commitments at a glance.  If you need several calendars for work, home and kids, then consider something like Google calendars that allows you to create a separate calendar for everyone in the family that can be snapped together as one calendar and separated on an as needed basis.

• Go over your schedule each evening for the next day.  This will actually help you sleep at night by preventing some of the list making that goes on in our heads when we wake up in the middle of the night.

Tasks

Try not to plan too much in one day.  Too many items on a to-do list can create paralysis instead of action. Adding fewer more important tasks versus a long list of less important tasks forces you to focus on what is really essential in your day.

• Prioritize your list so that you get the most important items completed first

• Break projects down into actionable steps

• Add any info you need to complete the task—phone #, links, addresses, etc

• Separate work and personal tasks

• Group tasks together like all phone calls, all errands, similar writing projects

• Avoid multitasking.  It takes the brain four times longer to recognize and process each time you change gears to a new task.  If you switch back and forth constantly you are wasting valuable time.

• Consider timing your tasks to give you a more accurate idea of how long certain activities take each day. This will help you to better plan your time.

Parting thoughts:

• Most people are dis-organized because their organizing systems don’t match their current lives.  If you are using the same system now that you used in college or when you first started working, then it’s not going to work.

• Using a new organizing system takes time and practice. There is no one size fits all. If you have been doing the same thing for 20 years and you implement a new system then you may need to give it a little time.

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Clutter Free Gift Ideas for the Holidays

Let’s be honest, we all have too much stuff in our lives, so here are a few ideas for “stuff free” gift giving this holiday season.

Sports Fan: 

Sporting event tickets

Fashionista:

Tickets to a fashion show or a makeover

Foodie:

Dinner at their favorite restaurant, cooking classes or a culinary tour

Book Lover:

E-book gift card

Music Lover:

iTunes gift card

Fitness Buff:

Personal training sessions, yoga classes or a gym membership

Senior or Shut-in:

Movie night – pick up a movie, bring popcorn or other snacks and share a great movie together or take them out to the movies. Gift of a homemade dinner that is shared with the person or take them out to dinner. Commit to a project that needs completed their home.

Student:

Gift cards to favorite stores, iTunes or iPad apps

Commuter:

Metro or subway passes, coffee shop gift cards

Parents:

Movie tickets or gift card to favorite restaurant

Kids:

iTunes, iPhone and iPad apps, fun park tickets, zoo or museum passes

Philanthropist: 

Donations to their favorite charity or acts of service

Save Time and Frustration by Setting Up a Holiday Wrapping Station

Tired of wrapping gifts late into the night? How about setting up a temporary gift and mailing station this season to help avoid or eliminate those late night sessions?

1) Shop your house and find all those supplies you bought last season at the end of year sale.  Here’s what you will need…

• Wrapping paper
• Tissue paper
• Gift bags
• Gift boxes
• Cellophane and packing tape
• Ribbon and embellishments
• Sharp scissors
• Writing utensils

2) Find a suitable location for your wrapping station. Preferably a room with good lighting and a door that you can lock.  You will need a table, desk or any decent size flat surface for your station.  A 4′ or 6′ folding craft table is a great option because it can be stored away when not in use for the holidays.

3) Now it’s time to set up your station! Your rolls of wrapping paper can be collected in a vertical gift wrap organizer next to your table. Ribbons and embellishments can be placed in baskets and containers on top of your table.  Scissors, pens and colorful markers can be gathered in a festive Christmas cup or jar. Tissue paper and gift boxes can be stored in a desk top file organizer for easy accessibility and color selection. Gift bags can be hung on the wall above the table using removable Command Hooks.

Helpful tip: Consider choosing 1-3 colors of wrapping and tissue paper that can be used for any occasion to avoid having to purchase and store several rolls of wrapping throughout the year.

Recycling Events and Programs – Fall 2013

Recycling…wouldn’t it be lovely if all the cities, counties, boroughs and towns were all on the same recycling page?   Then we would know what, when and where to recycle.  Instead most of us walk around in a recycle fog looking for locations, dates and times to finally unload those outdated computers and piles of shredding.  In an effort to make your recycling search a bit easier we have compiled a list of events and programs available in southeastern Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.

Collection Events

2013 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste and Old Electronics Collection Program

ELECTRONICS ONLY Collection Event

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Lower Bucks Area, Lower Makefield Township

Lower Makefield Corporate Center

770 Township Line Road

http://www.buckscounty.org/government/departments/communityservices/planningcommission/2013HHWElectronicsDates.pdf

Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Recycling Event October 19

Delaware County will host a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Recycling Event from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building at 8500 Furey Road, Upper Chichester, PA 19061.

Delaware County has expanded what can be accepted at this Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events to include most small E-Waste. Simply stated, if it has a cord, does not contain Freon (air conditioners, dehumidifiers, small refrigerators), and is not considered a large appliance, they will accept it. Visit http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/recycle/hhw.html for more information.

Delaware County 2013 E-Waste Recycling Events

Saturday, October 19, 2013
8500 Furey Road
Upper Chichester, PA 19061

Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building

2013 Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program

Lower Merion Transfer Station

Sunday, October 20, 2013

1300 N. Woodbine Ave.

Penn Valley, PA 19072

http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4551

2013 Montgomery County Electronics Collection Program

Upper Merion Middle School – Electronics

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Enter near 435 Crossfield Rd.

King of Prussia, PA 19406

http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4550

Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs or CFL’s are a great way to reduce your electricity bill while lessening your carbon footprint. However, these types of bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly at all times.

Intact CFL bulbs can be taken to any Home Depot, Lowes, or Ikea stores for free proper disposal and recycling. CFL bulbs can also be taken to any county-sponsored household hazardous waste event for free disposal and recycling.

Please DO NOT throw them in the trash. Nationwide, over 670 million mercury-containing bulbs are discarded improperly each year. In Montgomery County most of these bulbs are ultimately land filled or incinerated. These disposal methods can lead to a release of mercury into the environment through breakage and leakage and ultimately contaminate the food chain.

TV, Computer & Electronics Recycling
Computers and many electronics contain heavy metals and other materials that should be recycled if possible. Below are a few options for proper computer and electronics recycling.

• Check with the manufacturer or retail outlet to see if a take-back, drop off, donation or mail-back program is available. View the U.S. Electronics Manufacturer and Retailer Guide developed by the Product Stewardship Institute.
• Find a local drop off location: (Note: Fees may apply.)
  • AB Commercial Services Inc.
  • AERC Recycling Solutions
  • Douglass Township
  • Elemental Inc.
  • Gigabiter, LLC.
  • Lower Merion Township
  • Plymouth Township
  • Russell A. Morello & Sons, Inc.
  • Team Children
  • Tech Equipment Sales, Inc.
  • Whitemarsh Township
  • Pennsburg Borough
  • East Greenville Borough
• Bring computer and electronics equipment to one of the county’s electronics collection events.

Permanent Electronics Collection Programs

http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/household/14079/electronics_collection_programs/589591

Berks County Recycling Center

1316 Hilltop Road, Leesport, PA

Limited hours of operation, call 610-478-6362 for details.
Links: Berks County

Chester County Solid Waste Authority accepts computers and peripherals at the Lanchester Landfill

7224 28th Division Hwy., Narvon, PA.

Telephone: 610-273-3771

South East Chester County Refuse Authority
219 Street Road
West Grove, PA 19390
Dawn Robinson (610-869-2452 ext 11)

West Chester Borough
205 Lacey Street
West Chester, PA 19382
Meghan Fogarty 610-696-5282

Delaware County Marple Township offers free electronic recycling to residents at:
Marple Township
446 Marpit Rd.
Broomall, PA 19008
Joe Romano 610-356-4040 for information.

Springfield Township offers free electronic recycling to residents at:
Springfield Delco Public Works
1258 Church Rd.
Springfield, PA 19064
Contact Jeff Bickel at 610-543-2837 for information.
Police Court Yard 24/7 or
Public Works Facility 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (www.lcswma.org) Household Hazardous Waste Facility

Lancaster, accepts computers (including peripheral equipment), televisions and cell phones free of charge from Lancaster County residents.

1299 Harrisburg Pike,

Facility hours are Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Links:Lancaster County

Lehigh County residents can recycle electronics at AERC Recycling Solutions at

1801 Union Blvd. or 2591 Mitchell Ave,  Allentown, PA

Fridays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

List of prices (pdf) and AERC Electronic Recycling Information 

Contact information: 610-797-7608 or visit http://www.aercrecycling.com.
Links: Lehigh County

Montgomery County – Cheltenham Township – Residents can recycle electronics at:
Cheltenham Township Public Works Facility
8101 Old York Rd.
Elkins Park, PA 19027
William Ferrari 215-635-4600
Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

East Greenville Recycling Center
620 W. Side Alley.
Pennsburg, PA 18073
215-679-5194
Mon. to Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Lower Merion Township – Residents can recycle electronics at:
Robert J. Koegel Public Works Complex
1300 N. Woodbine Ave.
Penn Valley, PA 19072
Joseph Przybyszewski 610-667-1952
Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Northampton Borough – Residents Only
King Street Recycling Center
King Street
Northampton, PA 18067
Hours: Wed. 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 p.m. to Noon
Contact: Gene Zarayko (610) 262-2576

Philadelphia County – Computers, TV’s and cell phones are accepted at all HHW Events. Citizens may bring their computers and TV’s to any Sanitation Convenience Center

Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Links:Philadelphia County

Wayne County residents may drop off electronics at the Wayne County Recycling Center

66 Volunteer Dr., Honesdale, Pa.

Hours are Monday – Friday from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm or Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to1:00 p.m.

Questions can be directed to the Wayne County Recycling Center at 570-253-9727 or E-Mail: wcrecycling@co.wayne.pa.us.
Links:Wayne County

Delaware County Municipal Curbside and Drop Off Programs

http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/recycle/pdf/townhsipcurb.pdf

Delaware County 2013 E-Waste Recycling Events

Saturday, October 19, 2013
8500 Furey Road
Upper Chichester, PA 19061

Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building

Shredding Events

City of Bethlehem – FREE SHREDDING SERVICE

Shredding of confidential documents is available FREE to businesses and private individuals at the Theis/Cornfeld Recycling Center. If you have 4 or more boxes, please call (610) 865-7082 to schedule an appointment.

Hours of Shredding – Monday-Saturday – 9:00a – 3:00p

• If you have 4 or more boxes, you need to schedule an appointment
• If you wish to stay while your material is shredded, you must have an appointment regardless of how much material you have.

We cannot shred the following:

• Anything heavier than a paper clip or staple
• Rubber bands
• Heavy file folders
• Glossy material
• X-rays or photographs

Two E-Waste Recycling Events Planned

Northampton Township has scheduled two e-waste recycling events for April 20 and Sept. 28

Northampton Township has partnered with Leck Waste Services to schedule two e-waste recycling events so residents have a place to properly dispose of computers and other electronics safely.

The first e-waste recycling event will be held April 20 from 8 a.m. to noon and the second will be held Sept. 28 , also from 8 a.m. to noon. Both events will be held at Leck, 237 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland.

According to township officials, a new state law prohibits the township’s trash hauler from taking electronics. The law, the Covered Device Recycling Act 108, prohibits computers, keyboards, televisions, printers, microwave ovens, fax machines and other electronics from disposal at Department of Environmental Protection solid waste landfills.

Acceptable e-waste recycling items include:

• Computers/laptops/monitors/keyboards
• VCR/DVD/CD players
• Cell phones
• Small office copiers/printers/fax machines
• TVs/radios/MP3 players
• Electronic toys and games
• Microwaves
• Common household appliances like stoves, washers, dryers, air conditioners and refrigerators

Monthly Community Shredding Services

Titan Mobile Shredding Service

Cost at all locations is $10 for each standard file box, copy paper box or the equivalent.

One box minimum quantity – No maximum box quality

Cash or checks only please, no credit cards are accepted at Community Shredding

No reservations required, just stop by!

First Friday of Every Month

Bailiwick Office Park

252 West Swamp Rd (Rt 313 & Rt 611 Bypass)

Doylestown, PA 18901

Time: 8:30am – 9:30am

Second Tuesday of Every Month

Upper Moreland Township Library

117 Park Ave (off Rt 611 in the Police Dept parking lot)

Willow Grove, PA 19090

Time: 8:30am – 9:30am

Third Thursday of Every Month

Shady Brook Farm

931 Stony Hill Rd

Yardley, PA 19067

Time: 12noon – 1:00am

http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx

http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar

Saturday, September 28, 2013  

Larry Farmbry & Associates
7300 City Line Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19151
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
215-877-4950
http://larryfarmbry.com/new/larryfarmbry/
http://www.proshred.com/all-events

Representative Rozzi
4933 Kutztown Road
Temple, PA 19560
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
610-921-8921
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1647
http://www.proshred.com/all-events

Bucks First Credit Union & Bucks County Planning Commission
Lower Makefield Corporate Center
770 Township Line Road
Yardley, PA 19067
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
215.788.5270
http://www.bucksfirstfcu.com

Saturday, October 5, 2013

Friends of Easttown Public Library
720 First Ave
Berwyn, PA 19312
9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
http://www.proshred.com/all-events
http://www.easttownlibrary.org/friends-of-the-library
$10 for one box or two shopping bags

First National Bank & Trust of Newtown
Bucks County Community College
275 Swamp Road
Newtown, PA 18940
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
http://www.fnbn.com
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx

Saturday, October 12, 2013

Whitemarsh Township
Miles Park – Lower Parking Lot, Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19444
8:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
610-825-3535
http://www.whitemarshtwp.org/services/public-works/waste.aspx

Middletown Township (Residents only)
3 Municipal Way
Langhorne, PA 19047
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
http://www.middletowntwpbucks.org
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx

Upper Macungie Township
Public Works Garage
8550 Schantz Rd.
Breinigsville, PA 18031
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
610-395-4892
http://www.uppermac.org
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx

Saturday, October 19, 2013

Penn Liberty Bank Trooper
2724 Ridge Pike
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
610-535-4860
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf

Schuylkill Township
1580 Charlestown Road
Phoenixville, PA
610-933-5843
http://www.schuylkilltwp.com
http://www.proshred.com/all-events

Saturday, October 26, 2013

Montgomery County
Lower Merion High School
Montgomery Avenue
Ardmore, PA
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1588

Representative Briggs
554 Shoemaker Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
610-768-3135
http://www.pahouse.com/briggs/
http://www.proshred.com/philadelphia/events

Four Stations to Streamline your Back to School Routine

Reduce back to school chaos by creating easy to maintain stations.  Applying a few simple systems can save hours of frustration.  Every item must have a place to live for the home to be organized and setting up a few simple systems can make your days run much smoother.  It’s important to set up systems from the beginning of the school year to avoid the chaos the changing of seasons.

Family Communication Station

The center of any good communication station is the calendar.  For a family calendar it to be effective it must include the activities of every family member.  This can be done by using one big calendar with large squares or you can provide a separate calendar for each member of the family.  Adding a bulletin board and dry erase board for notes and lists will complete your station.

Click here for Communication Station ideas.

Lunch Packing Station

Setting up a lunch packing station will save you time and energy each day and make packing lunch more enjoyable.  Select an area of your kitchen where you can store all items needed to pack your lunch, including lunch boxes, utensils, napkins and plastic baggies.  You can also set up a container in your refrigerator with pre packed snacks like carrot sticks that can be used for lunch or snacks on the go.

Click here for Lunch Packing Station ideas.

Backpack Station

This station is designed so that the kids have a specific place for their backpacks as they enter the home.  For the system to be effective it’s important to provide separate hooks set at the height of each child. Dropping those papers that need signing in a bin above the hooks is a great way to jog your memory and save time.

Click here for Backpack Station ideas.

Homework Station

A designated area to study with a specific place for everything is a great way to make homework more enjoyable.  It’s best to find an area with few distractions with stationery supplies available within arm’s reach.  The chair should be comfortable and at the correct height for your child and proper lighting is a must so your child’s not straining their eyes while they work.

Click here for Homework Station ideas.

Clutter Takes a Grilling

Summer has officially arrived: the time for outdoor fun and summer grilling (including “grilling” our clutter)!  By grilling I am referring to examining the clutter and deciding how to organize and eliminate it in a way that does not interfere with our more pleasurable summer activities.

Think Small

The summer months are not amenable to tackling large jobs like basements; however, they can be used to work on smaller, organizing tasks that can be accomplished quickly and will enhance the order in our lives.

Closets are a great place to start!   When organizing a small space, I recommend completely emptying the space. This enables you to clearly see everything and makes sorting, purging and cleaning easier while also facilitating the organization of remaining items.

When organizing a closet that holds toiletries or medicines, use open containers to store items that are similar.  This makes them easier to find and prevents items from getting lost or spilling out onto shelves.  Labeling also helps family members locate items at a glance!

Consider Your Pantry

The pantry is another straightforward space to organize! You can also rotate foods that should be used in a timely manner and eliminate items that have expired.  Because the pantry has many items of varying sizes, you can use storage containers, mason jars and perhaps a Lazy Susan to effectively organize it.  Remember to group similar items together and label shelves so that others can arrange your groceries according to your system.

There are many small spaces that can be organized in less than an hour; select one or two per month and you will have accomplished much while still enjoying your summer activities.

 

Cultivate Your Space to Change Your Life

People hire organizers because they feel their lives are out of control and they are unable to get organized on their own.  Frequently the problem is simply having too much stuff to organize.  Often the weight of too many possessions can wear us down. When our space is cluttered and dis-organized it can impact every facet of our lives.

When the burden of too much clutter is lifted from our shoulders, we may feel physically lighter, more energetic and less stressed. This relief can lead to increased work productivity, greater enthusiasm and better relationships.

The question we need to ponder is why do we purchase so much in the first place?  There are a number of explanations for this compulsion. Often we simply want to possess the latest and greatest stuff because we think it’s fun to own!   We live in a consumer culture and we often validate ourselves by what and how much we can accumulate.   Consumerism and materialism are promoted by advertisers in print and on TV and computers in the form of commercials.  According to Annie Leonard who wrote, “The Story of Stuff”, the two main activities Americans engage in are watching TV and shopping.  We are bombarded by advertising and are exposed to approximately 3000 ads per day. We see more ads in a day then people saw in a year 50 years ago.

Couple that with the fact that the average house size has doubled since the 1970’s and it becomes easy to see why we accumulate so much “stuff”.

Sadly in order to maintain our lifestyles of consumption, many people are working 50+ hours per week.  We work until are exhausted and depleted and then we shop to make us feel better! We return home too tired to do much else than watch TV and the cycle begins anew!!

Is this the way we really want to lead our lives?  If so, fine!  If not, then it’s time to rethink our goals and blithely step off that hamster wheel of consumption and examine saner options!!

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