‘Organizing & Productivity’ Category

60 Minutes to Get Organized After the Holidays

Tuesday, January 5th, 2010

2009 is history, and you’re stoked for the New Year! But chances are you’ve lost some of your good habits in the holiday shuffle. Add these items to your to-do list and get back into the swing of things:

1. Pack away holiday decorations and presents: 30 min – You’re not the person who still has Christmas decorations up in June, are you? Pack away those ornaments, garlands and snowflakes. Consider re-using packaging for birthdays throughout the year, or wrap presents that you’d like to re-gift right away.

This is also a good time to shop post-holiday deals on themed decorations if you have more than thirty minutes, and since you now know what your friends and family enjoyed receiving, write down future gift ideas.

2. Set up your calendar: 10 min – Whether you’re a paper or digital gal, make sure you take a few minutes to include any recurring appointments onto your calendar. Try also scheduling time for your New Year’s Resolutions. Planning to exercise three times a week or spend more time with kids? Increase your chances of success by marking that time in your week… and for extra insurance, set a reminder!

3. Create a tax document folder: 3 min – Important documents for your taxes have probably already started to arrive in your mailbox and will continue to do so all month. Make sure you’re ready for the April deadline by collecting all the papers in one assigned spot. I like to use a folder that sits right alongside my keys, sunglasses and other items in my “mail center.”

4. Update your budget: 10 min – Review your goals for 2010 and update your financial bearings accordingly. Be honest about budgetary buckets that aren’t allocated correctly. For instance, if you’ve allocated $100 for clothes each month and are spending $150, it’s time to look at taking away money from another bucket.

Be realistic, and if you need help tracking what you’re spending on household essentials, remember Alice has some great tools under our “Budgeting” tab. There, you can see what you’ve spent each month overall, in each category, and what you spend on average.

5. Take inventory and stock-up on basics: 5 minutes –Whether you received guests at your home, or were away for most of the holidays, it’s time to take stock. Take a moment to discover if your guests left you with the need to buy more toilet paper than usual, or if you forgot that you let your dish soap run low. Items like paper towels, razor cartridges, glass cleaner, batteries and deodorant are all common items you may be running low on.

Make sure you take into account any personal care items you received as gifts, like body washes, perfumes, and lotions. Using your presents up first means you can save a bit of money this month, or if they’re stocking-stuffer sized, put together a travel kit for the next time you need to pack a suitcase. Pre-package your small bottles in plastic bags so they’ll be primed and ready for the security checkpoint.

6. Take a breather and relax: 2 min – The holidays were a busy time for most, and while you’re rearing to go on your New Year’s to-do list, make sure you take a moment to breathe and relax. Plug in a great air freshener along with your favorite music, and put your feet up. After all, you just made it through another decade!

What did we leave out? How do you get back into the swing of things after the holidays?

Posted in Dialogue, Home Management, Organizing & Productivity | 2 Comments »

How to reorganize your pantry

Wednesday, October 7th, 2009

Today’s post is from contributing writer Christina over at Northern Cheapskate.

I recently spent an exciting afternoon reorganizing my pantry.

I’m not kidding about the “exciting” part.  My pantry was a pit – a total chaotic mess of canned goods, boxes of cereal and too many free granola bar samples to count!  I felt a huge sense of accomplishment when it my project was finished, and my husband was thrilled he could step inside our small pantry without getting attacked by a stray box of pasta.

I learned a few things from reorganizing my pantry.  For one thing, I noticed an evolution of my buying habits since the last pantry clean-up.   I’m buying a lot less processed dinners and meal kits and more staples like pasta, brown rice, and dried beans.

I learned how important it is not to let things disappear into the back of the pantry.  There were a few things that were pretty darn old that I had forgotten about.  It is very important to know what you have so that you can use it up before it goes bad.

A few other lessons learned from reorganizing my pantry:

Rotate by date. Organizing my food by expiration date should have been a no-brainer for me.  I should know to use the older stuff first. But I’ll admit it – I got a little lazy and just put food away without staying on top the dates.  I’ve learned my lesson now!

Containerize and label. Things like dried beans and rice are easier to organize when  placed in containers and properly labeled.  I’ve also learned that square containers work better than round ones.

Improvise on storage items. You don’t have to run to a store and buy fancy shelves and baskets to organize your pantry.  Take a look around your home and see what things you can put toward your pantry reorganization.  I used an old ice box I wasn’t using to organize my free sample snacks I’ve gotten in the mail.

When in doubt, throw it out. If there was any question as to whether a food item was good or not, I tossed it.  It’s far safer to just cut your losses.  With that said….

Check out Still Tasty. Still Tasty is a great website that offers information on the shelf life of all kinds of food.  I don’t want to take risks with certain foods, but for many foods (like pasta), the “best by” date is not as critical.

Organize by type of food. I organized like things together:  pasta, rice, and beans in one area, cereals on another shelf, snacks in one corner, condiments in another.  Figure out what system works best for your family so that you’ll be able to find what you are looking for and determine what you will need to buy at your next visit to the grocery store.

Plan your meals and fill in the gaps.  Once you’ve organized your pantry, you’ll have a better idea of what you have and what needs to be used up soon.  You’ll have a better idea of what meals to plan and what items to stock up on during the next big sale.

A well-organized pantry can mean big savings for you – both in time and money.

Posted in Hacks & How-Tos, Home Management, Kitchen, Organizing & Productivity | 6 Comments »

An easy 10-minute daily clean up

Tuesday, June 30th, 2009

I recently committed to doing a quick under ten-minute daily clean-up. Which means by the time the weekend rolls around, I have more time to tackle some of the larger cleaning and organizing projects on my list… like mopping and sorting out that closet once and for all.

Seventh Gen All Purpose One of my favorite cleaners. Ever.

And also going for walks outside, reading a book, and the other leisurely pursuits of summer of course. Here are the three steps I follow –

1. Empty. I always start with my kitchen first. I empty the dishwasher of clean dishes and load it up with the dirty ones. I walk through each room and put things in their rightful place. Magazines, containers, clothes, everything gets put back. I clear my bathroom counter of bottles so the next morning is clear. I place clothes and extra shoes back into the closet. Organizing my clothes is the part I dread most, but I timed myself and found it never takes longer than a few minutes.

2. Wipe. Next, I wipe down the countertops of the kitchen. I have also started to occasionally wipe the floors to prevent dust throughout the week and get away without mopping on the weekend. I wipe down the bathroom counters and then dust the living room surfaces, the computer screen, the dining table. Not every day, but a few times a week does the trick.

3. Stop. The key to finishing in under ten minutes is to remember you’re not cleaning the house. Not during these ten minutes. You’re just restoring your home for the next day. For instance, you should clean the countertops of the crumbs from lunch, but don’t worry about wiping off the fingerprints from the stainless steel fridge. You should use a daily shower cleaner, but don’t break out your toilet scrubber.

What are your cleaning hacks? How do you find more time? Are your routines ongoing or more sporadic?

Posted in Cleaning Closet, Dialogue, Hacks & How-Tos, Organizing & Productivity | 11 Comments »

12 ways to simplify your morning routine

Thursday, May 7th, 2009

Mornings permeate and set the tone for the rest of the day. If you’re rushing, frazzled and frustrated, it affects you, your family and your work. Here are twelve tips that have helped me keep the morning hours calm:

Cultivate good habits

1. Go to bed at the same time.
Starting with good sleeping habits increases the likelihood that you won’t be tired the next day and prepares your mind for whatever routine you stick to.

2. Don’t hit snooze.
Get up at the same time every day. Eventually your body will get used to the schedule and you might even find yourself waking up two or three minutes before your alarm – a much more peaceful beginning than the usual clamor.

3. Don’t turn on your computer. Don’t.
This is my favorite tip and the hardest thing for me to stick to. Turning on my computer means I spend 20-30 minutes before I even turn on the shower, and then an additional two or three minutes here and there while getting ready. It’s a huge time suck and isn’t smart because I’m not fully awake to be productive. But darn if Twitter and email don’t call out to me lovingly each morning.

4. No TV either.
It’s the reporter’s job to make you interested in the story and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down while brushing my teeth to watch a story only to be pulled in for five or ten minutes. Just keep it off.

5. Cultivate efficient routines.
My shower routine consists of shampooing my hair, washing my face, conditioning my hair, washing my body and then shaving. It’s the most efficient order to be in and out of the shower as quickly as possible. Find out what works for you and just be logical. Eat breakfast before cleaning the pearly whites. Let your lotion dry while you brush your teeth.

Be smart

6. Organize your products.
Organize your make-up and household product shelves and drawers with baskets or organizers. If you can always find what you need you’ll avoid a late start and a bad mood.

7. Find a good time to commute.
I can either leave between 7:00 am – 7:15 am or 8:30 – 8:45 am. Anywhere in between is a traffic nightmare. Figure out your own traffic sweet spot and plan accordingly.

8. Keep your keys easy to find.
I have mine hanging on the back of my door (see photo right). This was a necessity after I once spent fifteen minutes searching for keys that were in the first place I looked.

Spend 15 minutes the night before

9. Write down your to-do list.
Not only do I list and think about my priorities the night before, but I often keep a pad of paper and pen next to my bed if I have a lot of ideas going through my head. Knowing your priorities and getting them out of your head allows you to concentrate on getting to bed on time, resting and being up and at ‘em in the morning.

10. Prepare lunch the night before.
The easiest way to do this is to cook more than you need for dinner and package up the leftovers in the freezer. Once you get a few containers going, you don’t always have to eat the same thing the next day either. Or make a sandwich, grab some fruit and put it in a bag that’s ready to take the next morning.

11. Pick out your outfit, at least in your head.
I actually can’t do this the night before since I never know what the weather or my mood will be the following day. But I do decide in the shower what to wear so I’m not dripping in front of my closet trying to figure it out.

12. Get everything together.
Pack up your files, laptop and make-up. Put everything in your stylish bag on the counter next to the lunch you have prepared in the fridge and the keys on your door. Now, you’re ready to go!

What are your tips to getting out the door smiling? What makes it easier or more difficult for you?

Posted in Dialogue, Organizing & Productivity | 19 Comments »

Are you defined by your values, or your stuff?

Tuesday, March 31st, 2009

Laundry detergent is more important than you think.

The right piece of furniture, or art, or that flat screen TV is marginal to your sense of well being. Really. What actually matters are the other seemingly frivolous household objects that convey a sense of integrity and purpose to our lives.

Like that chipped coffee cup you drink from each morning. Or those Beatles coasters that totally make you feel like a cooler person.

This was all proven way back in 1981 when researcher Mihaly Czikzentmihalyi asked what objects were special to individuals and why.

One woman showed the researcher a tacky plastic statue with blurred features. Czikzentmihalyi reports, “With some hesitancy, the interviewer asked the woman why the statue was so special to her?”

“The woman answered with great enthusiasm that the statue had been given to her by a Tupperware regional sales manager as a prize. Whenever she looked at the statue, she didn’t see the cheapness, but an image of herself as a capable, successful businessperson.”

I have a special affinity for my license plates, enjoy that Seventh Generation All-Purpose Cleaner represents my values, and take great pride that I got my dining room chairs at a huge discount.

Household objects that have meaning to us are those that we have a relationship with, and those meanings change with the interactions and experiences we have. They show us where we’ve been, where we’re going and who we are now.

And they’re often the only concrete symbols of who we are, our goals, and the significant and salient events in our lives.

So it’s not how your living room looks, or how it expensive your car is, or the status your Kitchen Aid mixer brings you. Instead, it’s the memories and associations the object has with your family members and friends.

You hold on to a lipstick long after it’s safe because a good friend recommended it. Using toothpaste may be more exciting because you got a free sample after a movie. You might cry for hours over a broken bowl because it belonged to your father.

These objects, they acquire meanings as we use them, becoming integrated in our whole life experience and before you know it, you can’t tell where you begin and the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser ends.

Are you defined by your values, your stuff, or both? What household objects bring meaning to your life? Or doesn’t it matter?

Posted in Dialogue, Home Management, Organizing & Productivity | 12 Comments »

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