Organizing Alone

What if you want to get organized but other people who live in your home do not? Many folks who long for a little order in these circumstances just give up and live with the mess. It is not an easy task to be neat when all around you is chaos. Clutter begets clutter.

If you are one of those people who want to be neater but cannot gain cooperation from housemates, there are a few steps you can take to bring a little order to your life

Talk to others in your home to see if there can be agreement on keeping certain spaces clutter free. Perhaps the living room and entryway are a good start. You may even find you have an ally or two who also want a neater space. You may want to agree on a pick-up day when everyone picks up items that are where they don’t belong.

See if introducing some new tools into the environment will help decrease the clutter. Some ideas are a big brass tub or basket for books and magazines, a trunk or wagon bench for toys, a trash can in the family room where people eat snacks or near the microwave where containers are discarded, clothes hampers in the bedrooms to keep dirty clothes off the floor.

Organize what you can control. Straighten your side of the closet, organize your study or work area, and purge your old books and papers. Your example of being able to find your stuff when you need it may prompt others to stop wasting their time digging through clutter to find what they are looking for.

The most important thing is that you will have taken control of what you can directly affect and will have made your desires known to those with whom you share space.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE A FAMILY COMMUNICATION CENTER

It’s baaack. That’s right, another school year is about to begin. Are you prepared to deal with schedules that accommodate scholastic happenings, sports and other extracurricular activities as well as scheduled health appointments and the fun stuff that goes with living with a family?

If you are one of those folks who never miss sending in a permission slip and who never spend a late night prompting a child to finish an assignment that is due the next day, then you have mastered the art of communicating and scheduling family activities. If, like most of us, you sometimes struggle with getting children to tell you what is coming up in their schedule or coordinating a host of family commitments, here a few hints to improve family communication.

You need to know what is happening. Make it easy for the family to leave papers to be signed, notes about activities and messages from teachers by creating a family mail station. Folder holders, cubbies or even large manila envelopes labeled with family member’s names can be placed at a spot where the family enters the house. Make it a rule to empty backpacks and place the communication in the appropriate “mail slot”. Permission slips and notifications go to Mom or Dad and reminders about dental appointments can go to Jimmy or Jenny. The other rule that needs to be enforced is for each family member to check his mail daily. It only takes a minute and once incorporated into the routine, becomes almost automatic.

Create a master schedule where everyone can see it. Make sure it is down low enough for the youngest family member to see. If children are pre-reading age, you might choose to use symbols to represent school, work, music practice etc. Your family can decide if one person will be responsible for maintaining the master schedule or if each person will enter his own activities. If each person enters his own information, consider making a rule that as soon as someone notices a conflict, he brings it to an adult family member.

Provide a spot to leave messages. You may choose a dry erase board, a magnetic board., black board tiles or a bulletin board. The important thing is that anyone can leave a quick note. “Please turn the oven on at 5:00” or “Tommy is coming over to work on project” or “What a great job picking up the family room!” or “Reminder: pick up milk”

Grouping the mail area, master schedule and a bulletin/dry erase board in an accessible area creates a family communication center that will aid in keeping chaos at bay.

Check out these websites for supplies for you family communication center.

www.bedbathandbeyond.com
www.harriettecarter.com
www.ikea.com
www.potterybard.com
www.officedepot.com


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE YOUR BOOKS

We love books. They are the hardest things for us to get rid of. The main motivator for ridding ourselves of our beloved books is so that we can buy more. So we understand that maintaining orderly bookshelves can be a challenge. We just have to keep telling ourselves that we can have no more books than we have space to store them. That means sharing some of our treasures with others before we add new ones to our shelves.

Here are some hints to help you get your books organized.

Clear out all the books and put them in one large space. The floor works fine. As you take them from the shelves remove any papers and bookmarks. Separate the books into five piles: keep, recycle (some paperbacks and pamphlets), throw away, give away, and sell. Immediately take all the books you are not going to keep to their final resting-places. Another alternative is to plan a book swapping party with friends. If you do this remember to dispose of enough books, so that you have space on your shelves for those you will claim for yourself.

Group the “keep” books into categories that are meaningful for you. We like fiction, nonfiction, do it yourself, cooking, children’s, and resource books (like dictionary) as main divisions. We like to sort the books alphabetically within these groups. You may decide to just group alphabetically by title or by author. You could even use the Dewey Decimal system like the libraries do. The Dewey Decimal Numbers are usually listed in the front of the book with the publication information. If you want to digitally catalogue your books by tags, Dewey Decimal Numbers or Library of Congress Categories, take a look at the website Library Thing which allows you to enter 200 titles free of charge. You might also opt to keep books in spaces close to where they are used - repair instructions with the tools, craft books in the craft basket, cookbooks in the kitchen.

Once you have the books off the shelves and grouped as you like them, clean the shelves thoroughly. Replace the books in the categories you have selected, dusting them as you go. You may have to be flexible and place oversized or heavy books on a bottom shelf regardless of category. Nothing can ruin a reading session like a bump on the head from a heavy book on a high shelf.

If the shelves are long, break up the book display with decorative items or use bookends to stabilize groups of books. If books still will not stay upright, take a look at the Shelf Shark Organizer available at Home Depot or http://www.shelfshark.com/. These handy little devices keep books standing straight.

Once you have your shelves filled with the books you love, remember to dispose of a book every time you bring a new one home. If that is more than you can bear, get a library card. It is good for your pocketbook and good for the planet.

Have fun and stay organized.


Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE YOUR YARD SALE DISPLAY

We visited a few yard sales this week and we just could not turn off the organizer within us. We kept noticing that some folks did not make the best use of their space. Maybe they just wanted a little fresh air and sunshine and selling the unwanted items didn’t matter much. That is the impression they projected with the jumble of items that littered their lawns.

We are serious about yard sales we organize for ourselves and for our clients. We want to make money, maintain safety, use our time well and have fun, so we have a few guiding principles that we abide by when it comes to space utilization and display.

Provide prices for everything. It is not necessary to put a price on every item if you are willing to accept a single price for a category. Examples are:
Men’s T-shirts $2.00
Paperback books $0.25
For items priced by category, keep a list next to the cashier space.
If time is running short or you have a bunch of miscellany that defies description, allow customers to fill a bag you provide for a set price that is posted on the bin of items

Be clear about what is included in the price. Keep multi-piece sets together with pins, rubber bands or plastic zip bags. Make special note on price tag about features or pieces missing.

Maintain safety. Allow adequate space between display sites for two people to walk side-by-side. This allows for two-way traffic, parents with children, and handicap access.

Make sure that sharp objects do not protrude into walk space and that heavy objects are not precariously balanced on shelves. Also remove any broken pieces or loose small pieces from open access and put in plastic bags and tape to the item if they are part of the sale. Do not place green tarps on green grass. Some shoppers may have difficulty seeing where the boundary is and stumble over the items on the tarp. Make sure display tables and other devices are sturdy and able to support the weight of items displayed on them.

Put like things together. Some categories to consider are toys, children’s clothing, tools, small appliances, exercise equipment, jewelry, home decor. Books are a tricky item and some advice columns say they do not sell well. That has not been our experience. Think about putting some of your books with categories that are directed to customer segments: children’s books with toys, how-to books with tools, recipe books with kitchen items. It just might tempt your customers to peruse the book stacks for others that might interest them. Put things next to each other that appeal to market segments: toys next to children’s clothing, garden equipment next to tools, jewelry next to women’s clothing.

Capture passers-by with visible merchandise. Set tempting items close to the curb. If possible, include items that will draw in various population segments. A piece of furniture, a toy, a fertilizer spreader and a piece of exercise equipment will attract very different buyers and more buyers equal more sales.

Have fun. Yard sales are a way to rid yourself of unwanted items, meet new people and make a little cash. While doing that you get to enjoy fresh air and sunshine and your choice of refreshing beverage. We call that a good day!

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

AVOIDING FAMILY ROOM CLUTTER TRAPS

The greatest challenge in managing clutter in the family room is_____?

You guessed it-the family!

The family room is a wonderful concept- a place the family members can gather for entertainment, conversation and enjoying each other. The reality can be something a little short of the ideal. It is hard to watch TV or play games if all available seating is covered with clutter. Empty food wrappers, discarded clothing and piles of toys detract from the ambience of any space. Many friends tell me they clean the family room every week just to find it in the same deplorable condition the following week- or maybe the following day. It can be so frustrating that it becomes accepted as a room that looks bad all the time.

Is there a remedy? Yes there is, but it is not easy because it involves group effort. If you want a permanent solution to a cluttered family room we recommend the following:

The next time you clean the room record what you pick up on a piece of paper or a voice recorder.

Take a look at the list for patterns. Does Dad leave his shoes under the couch? Does Suzy leave Pepsi cans on the coffee table? Does Junior scatter Legos all over the floor? Does Mom throw magazines on the floor next to her chair?

Think about reasonable suggestions for managing the clutter. Would Dad put his shoes in a shoe storage bench next to the couch? Would Suzy discard cans in a handy receptacle? Does Junior have a storage space for his Legos that he can reach and manage? Would Mom lay her magazines in a conveniently placed rack?

Hold a family meeting and talk about the things you pick up every time you clean the room. Be open to other family members input. Tell them some of the suggestions you have for making it easier to put things away and let them suggest other solutions that appeal to them.

Set the rules. Assign tasks according to age and ability. Purchase or make the suggested systems to keep things organized and the next time you clean the room discard or give away any item that is not in its designated space. If trash is the problem, the clutterer has a penalty of the family’s choosing.

Stick to the rules and hold another family meeting to see how the system is working. Revise what you need to make the system work for everyone, but do not let any family member abdicate his responsibility for keeping the room organized

Hold a special celebration after one month of successful clutter management.


These steps work for families of all ages and all sizes. If you cannot figure out how to get started on the organizing project, a professional organizer can be a great help in developing and implementing a plan.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

GET READY, GET SET, GET SCHOOLED

As August hurries to a close, thoughts turn to the beginning of the school year and all the organizational tasks that have to be completed before the bell rings marking the beginning of the first class. These tasks include lining up clothes and uniforms that fit and buying the required supplies that appear on the endless lists provided by the various schools. It also means modifying schedules to accommodate bus pick-ups or parent drop-offs, or student drive times. It includes taking time to calm some children’s fears and curb other’s enthusiasm and unrealistic expectations. It means finding the time to accomplish all that needs to be done. Before the doors even open, you may find that you have lost control of your time and your budget and are rapidly losing your patience and what is left of your mental health.

It is just this kind of environment that promotes disorganization that leads to permanent clutter and chaos. Here are a few hints to help you stay in control until the little (or big) angels start to school and the family adapts to the new routine.

Take a deep breath and assess what needs to be done. It helps to make a list with due dates beside each item.

Solicit help from the family to accomplish tasks. You might even make a game of it by posting the list in a prominent place and see which family member can complete his/her assignments first. This also teaches younger children to plan and meet deadlines, a skill they will appreciate during the school year.

Keep track of what you spend. If you have not prepared for this year's expenses, you will have a basis for estimating next year’s expenses. You can also minimize initial expense by buying only a one month supply of each item. Once your child is in school, you will have a better idea of what is needed and what is “cool”. I still have a supply of No. 2 pencils which, for some reason, were not “right”

Keep behind the clutter. Throw away packaging. Find a space for the supplies as you buy them. Give away the clothes that don’t fit rather than letting them pile up in a corner. Make sure the children get their rooms “study ready”. At least clear a space to get homework and put down the books.

Let some things go. Do you really need to dust this week? Can you skip a meeting? Can you wash the car next week? There are only so many hours in the day and managing your time requires making choices and setting priorities. School is not going to wait, so what will wait?

Take care of yourself. You and your family come first, so make sure you have adequate rest, nutrition and recreation. After all, summer is ending and school is right around the corner. Health and happiness are always top priorities.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net