Creating Peace Blog

Spring Cleaning

2010-05-04T12:37:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year. The sun is out more, it’s getting warmer and the plants and flowers are starting to grow and blossom. I love Spring. It just feels fresh and clean, a new start.

This year I’ve decided to plan out my Spring cleaning and I’ve given myself a deadline. I want to be done with all of my cleaning and clearing out by the end of school. That way I can start summer with a very clean and organized home. I love to organize too.

I am putting together my plan now and I found some helpful sites and I wanted to share them (in case you also are attempting your Spring cleaning).

This article has many other links you can go to that give more detailed check lists for each room.

This site has some great downloadable checklists that I’m going to use. They have marked the to-do’s as to whether they are adult appropriate or if they could be delegated to a child. (Hmm..great idea!) They also note when a professional should be called in.

This site has some Spring cleaning tips and tricks.

This is Martha Stewart’s printable Spring cleaning guide. Some of it is a little inappropriate for me. I won’t be changing out our curtains for lighter ones this season. Um, we do not even have curtains and I have to say that even if I did have curtains I would not be changing them out when the seasons change. But hey, that’s just me.

Well those should get me started. I am excited to get things cleaned up and cleaned out. It’s also a good time to look at your wardrobe and maybe even your habits. What habits could you clean up and throw out this Spring?

A Guide to Minimalism

2009-10-08T07:01:00.000-07:00

I recently stumbled upon two great websites, and a great e-book! The first website is www.zenhabits.net. And the other is www.mnmlist.com.

The man behind these sites is Leo Babauta. He recently wrote an e-book, that I downloaded and have already read. It is called “The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life”. It basically just gives you steps to living very minimally. Some of the things are a bit extreme for me, but I am always trying to live with less, and he had some great suggestions.

He explains how you can minimize all of your paperwork and save more of it on-line. And he gives great examples and steps to get you closer to living with less, and to help you from buying more and adding more and more to the “stuff” you already have.

We really only need a small amount of things on a daily basis. Society and advertising make us think we need so much more than we really do.

If you are interested at all in paring your lifestyle down, and becoming more paperless, etc. Then I would suggest buying this ebook, and you can download it in minutes. It’s only $9.95, and it downloads right to your computer to read and save for future reference.

I found it very valuable with some great steps to get you on your way to living with less. He also has a book called “The Power of Less”, which I intend to read as well.

Click below to purchase “The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life”.
https://www.e-junkie.com/ecom/gb.php?ii=329069&c=ib&aff=88277&cl=10747

Email Overload

2009-09-10T15:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, before I know it, I'm up to almost 300 emails in my inbox. I have to admit that I do use my inbox as part of my to-do list. In other words, I will not file or delete an email until I've taken care of the action it is tied to, but most often I just accumulate emails that I've read but have not done something with.

This usually only happens when I haven't been in front of my computer in awhile. But I take the time it takes to clear those out. It takes time, but it must be done.

Here are some tips to help you avoid having email overload:

1. Unsubscribe to all mass emails you receive that you do not absolutely need to read. If you need some information you can always look it up as needed.

2. Set aside two times a day to go through email. Maybe once first thing in the morning, and another time in the late afternoon.

3. Try to deal with each email during the allotted time. Return all emails that require quick responses, then file or delete the incoming email. File any that you need for reference, and set a time to take care of any to-do's related to emails that day, so that you can delete them or file them when you check back in on email later in the day.

4. Don't feel obligated to read every single email. If you are busy and some friends sent you a joke email, it's okay to delete it. Also, if you get daily emails, that are either updates, or blog entries, etc. You do not have to read each one. If you have time, great. Or if the subject really pertains to you, then take the time to read it quickly before you delete it. But if it doesn't look like something you want to read...it is OK to delete it without reading it.

5. You can set up for certain emails to go directly into folders that you have set up. The trick here is that you will need to have a way to manage those. But that can be helpful and can help you with filing emails you need for reference.

6. If you are keeping an email just because of a date to remember, stop and put it in your calendar or tickler file and then delete it or file it in a folder. That only takes a few minutes.

7. Really try to clear out all emails for the day before you leave work, or before you close up your computer. If you stay on top of email, it is so much easier to maintain.

8. When you go on vacation, set your out of office, so that the people emailing you will receive a note that you are out and they will not continue to email you while you are out and create a ton of emails to go through and respond to.

I hope these help. It takes time to get into a good routine with email, but the main key is to deal with it daily so it can't stack up.

Fearless by Max Lucado

2009-09-08T10:23:00.001-07:00

I just finished reading the new book by Max Lucado, called "Fearless". It is so good!

What a great word. Fearless. If only we all were…….fearless. This book is another wonderful, well-written book by Max Lucado. I’ve read about 4-5 of his books and this one is my favorite. It probably helps that this is such a great subject, one that most of us are struggling with on a daily, even hourly basis right now. God has great timing.

Max’s style of writing is so easy to read. He gives so many good analogies, stories, and quotes to support his points. He also becomes very transparent at times, which only makes him more relatable. In this book, we are reminded over and over, that if we just focus on God, our fears will subside. We were never intended to have fear.

I will be ordering a few extra copies of this book to give to friends and family. It is a great book with excellent scriptures to drive home what God wants us to remember. Max allowed God to speak so eloquently through him in this book.

Everyone should read this book….do not let fear hold you back from the life God intended for you to live!

A Few Good Links

2009-09-01T10:28:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon a website that I really liked, but what I enjoyed even more were the other blogs/sites she listed links to.

Here are a few of them for you to take a look at. My new favorite is this website called Small Notebook. She has all kinds of great tips for organizing, simplifying, etc. Right up my alley.

http://smallnotebook.org/

And this one has some great tips for keeping your house chemical free for your kids (and of course yourself, your spouse and your pets)

http://healthychild.org/

And lastly, this one is just a site full of tips, called TipNut. It includes tips on projects, on cleaning, home improvement, etc.

http://tipnut.com/

These sites have some great tips and good information. I hope you find them as helpful as I have.

If you have some helpful links that you visit often, please share them in the comments.

Thanks!

More Back to School Organization

2009-08-26T07:29:00.000-07:00

I found another article to help with back to school organization that I really liked. Here is the link.

http://www.rachaelray.com/article.php?article_id=264&section=kids

This article has some really great tips. Some we've already covered and some we have not. Take a look and see what you think.

Also, the link below is a blogcast from Office Max that lasts about 40 minutes. It is Peter Walsh (Organizer who has been on Oprah and on TLC) along with a teacher, parent and two kids. It has a lot of good information.

http://www.officemaxsolutions.com/btsblogcast/

Update: I'm still working on my 100 Thing Challenge, I'll update you soon. I might post my list as it stands right now. I'm really cleaning out the rest of our house as a result. Anything that I see that has been sitting and has not been used in a long time has to go. It's very freeing!

Back to School

2009-08-11T13:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's already that time again, and summer is almost over! Wow, it flew by.

Yesterday, my daughter and I went and purchased all of her school supplies for the year. She will be in 1st grade, so the list was a little longer this year. We found everything she needed, with a few of the items on sale. We started at a Dollar Store. If you have one nearby I would suggest starting there for some of the basic items. Then, of course, Wal-Mart and Target are good options. We found a nice lunchbox on sale at Target for under $4.

In addition to the school supplies your children will need for school, do not forget supplies they may need at home to complete their homework. If you do not already have a space, you should create a space for them to do their homework everyday. In this space you should have the supplies they will need. Pens, pencils, erasers, scissors, a pencil sharpener, a stapler, tape, glue, markers, crayons and maybe some map pencils. That way they can come home and they know right where to go to start their homework and they have everything they need right at their fingertips. Also, you should have a place to keep their backpack everyday when they come home. They will get in the habit of putting there everyday when they get home. We have large hooks for our children to put their backpacks on. The hooks are located right inside their bedroom doors for easy access.

And a few days before school starts, stock up on juice boxes and snacks that will be going in your child's lunch, if you make it for them. You can even get those small ziploc snack bags and start filling them with snack size amounts of goldfish, pretzels, trail mix, etc. and store them in a basket in your pantry. Make sure they are sealed tightly. They will be ready to go, and you can just grab one in the morning as you are putting their lunch together. It saves time.

I just came across this website. They sell "Lunch Mail". It's a bag of little cards you can put in your child's lunchbox. They are $4.95 a box and that is for 30 cards. You could re-use them, or you could also just make up your own little cards. Just get some colored cardstock paper and cut it into 2 x 2in. squares and write inspirational or loving notes on each one. Then just stick them in your child's lunch each day, or maybe just on Friday's or Monday's. Whatever works for you. I think your children will really enjoy getting a special note each day.

http://www.live-inspired.com/products.cfm?categoryID=0&ProductID=252

Good luck with the first day of school!

100 Things

2009-07-23T12:09:00.000-07:00

I recently started cleaning out our closets (I usually do this once a year). Along the way, my husband found an article about the 100 Thing Challenge. I was intrigued. A man by the name of David Michael Bruno came up with this challenge. He is a writer who writes a lot on consumerism in America. His goal is to simplify. Thus, he created the 100 Thing Challenge. Could you live with just 100 personal things? I'm going to try.

This only applies to your personal items. Items that only you use. Anything that is used within the house, by the rest of the family, does not count. (Dishes, furniture, yard tools, etc. )

Here is Mr. Bruno's website so you can read more about the challenge and the rules, and read his list.

http://www.guynameddave.com/100-thing-challenge.html

I love this kind of stuff. A challenge to get rid of things? That's right up my alley. I love to find ways to clear out, go through, and simplify. I find joy in that. I know that might be strange to others who love to collect, keep, store and save, but I am just not wired that way. I am not attached to things. And only on a rare occasion do I regret giving something away. And it is usually only for a moment.

So, we began in the master bedroom closet. My husband joined me, and he started going through his things as well. We filled up about 6 bags of clothes (and we just cleaned out our closet about a year ago). We decided to be more diligent this time around. I even asked him to go through my clothes and pull out anything he doesn't like to see me wear. Well, he did not hesitate at all and jumped right in. Like I said, I'm not attached to anything and that includes clothes. There are probably only 1 or 2 things that I would not get rid of, so he was safe. He only picked out things I was willing to let go of. And now it's great! I know that whatever I choose to wear from my closet he likes to see me in. It makes me feel good and honestly, I needed to let go of a lot of those clothes. I tend to just wear the same things over and over out of habit. I'm not much of a shopper.

So, we have a very lean closet now, but I still need to give more away to meet the 100 Thing Challenge. I'm excited. I have already started my list. I'm on #40 of things I will keep, I'm contemplating the rest as I go. It makes you realize what things you use all the time, and which things just sit there in your closet or in a cabinet for way too long without ever being used.

Check out the rules of the challenge and if you feel so motivated to do so, join me! I will keep you updated on my progress and challenges.

Moving and Packing Tips

2009-06-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

I have a client that is getting ready to move, so I thought it would be fitting to post some moving and packing tips.

1. If you have some time before your move, start going through things and clearing out! This is my biggest piece of advice. (and actually this is my advice all the time, not just when you are moving). You do not want to pack, move and unpack items that you no longer use, want or need. That is a waste of time and energy.
2. If you have boxes that you never unpacked from your last move, you need to seriously consider giving them away, or going through them and throwing things out. If you did not reference them, or need them, then you probably will not need them in the future.
3. To help your children clear out their toys and books, incent them with some sort of treat or special event (going to the park or the mall, for instance) if they load up a certain number of bags of give away items. If you have more than one child, you can also make it a game. Tell them whichever child can give away the most bags, wins.
4. Once you gather some boxes, tape with a dispenser, and some packing materials, it's time to start packing. Always start with the items you use the least. The last things you want to be packing are the items you need and use daily.
5. A good way to keep track of your boxes and what is inside them, is to keep a notebook handy while packing. Number your boxes and list the numbers in a notebook. Next to the numbers, list out the contents of each box. To make it easy to determine which room each box should go in, you can use colored markers. For example, red numbers go in the bedroom, green numbers go in the kitchen, etc. This way you can easily scan your sheet of paper to find what you need instead of trying to step over boxes and see what you wrote on each of them.
6. In the kitchen, utilize cloth napkins, dishtowels and placemats at the bottom of boxes that you will be packing with breakable things. I always line the bottom of those boxes with the soft items from my kitchen. That way you are packing the kitchen linens, but at the same time using them to protect the breakables.
7. You can also do this with bath towels. Pack towels in with any breakable items from the rest of your house. They keep things insulated and secure and you need to pack them anyway. It allows you to use less bubble wrap and newspaper.
8. When packing, pack only things that go together in one box. For instance, do not combine items from different rooms in one box. If you have some space, just fill it with something soft, or some paper. That way when you unpack you will not have to transfer things all over the house as you unpack one box.
9. Once you know you'll be moving in a few weeks, starting using the food in your pantry and freezer. It will save you money at the grocery store, and it will be less to pack up and move.
10. Create a checklist of all the things you need to do before the move, with a timeline. For instance, the cable needs to be cancelled at your current residence and you need to set up a time for it to be installed in your new home. You need to do the same for electricity, water, trash, and any other utilities. You will also need to make a list of everyone you will need to give your new address to. The bank, your credit cards (if you have any), your insurance company, friends and relatives, etc.
11. Make a "first night in the new house" box. This will more than likely be one of the last boxes you pack, but it will be the first one you open at the new house. Pack it with a roll of toilet paper, a set of sheets, a shower curtain, shampoo and soap, some towels, a roll of paper towel, some paper plates, plastic cups and plastic silverware. That way, if you get in late, or do not have time to unpack many boxes before you spend your first night in your new home, you'll have everything you need for one night. You will not have to search through multiple boxes looking for items you need, when you are exhausted and probably ready to just go to sleep.

Errand and Coupon Organization

2009-05-27T08:10:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I have found myself at a store thinking "I have a coupon for this place, but it's in my coupon folder at home". Hmm...doesn't do me much good there while I'm here. So, about a year or so ago, I decided to keep all store coupons in my purse or car. This worked fine, but I usually just used a plane envelope and it wasn't the best solution.

I recently ordered this Errand/Coupon holder and I really like it. It has a place to hold all of your coupons, shopping lists, gift cards etc. You can label the slots as well, however you want. It then has a place to write down your list of errands, and sticky note pads too. I am really enjoying it. Now, whenever I get a store coupon, I just put it in the corresponding slot and put the entire thing in my purse or car each time I'm going to be out and about. You could just keep it in your car or purse at all times, adding to it as needed.

It also helps you become more efficient when you list out all the errands you need to run. You can then plan your route so that you do not backtrack and waste gas. I also try to think of any errands I can run when I'm already going somewhere else. For instance, yesterday I took my daughter to gymnastics and we have to go right by Wal-mart. So, we stopped at Wal-mart on our way home to pick up the pictures I ordered on-line and had delivered there. That way I did not have to make a special trip (and use more gas). It is now summer, which means gas prices are going up. So plan your errands, use less gas, and help your wallet and the environment at the same time!

Putting Things Back

2009-05-11T07:48:00.001-07:00

One way to really help with clutter build up, is to make it a point to put things back after you use them. Just take the time right then to put it back, wherever it goes.

Also, remember to take things out of one room and into the other room every time you leave a room. Just look around and see if anything needs to be taken back to another room. I try not to leave a room empty handed most of the time. It seems there is alway something I need to be taking somewhere else. Either dirty laundry to the laundry room, recycling to the kitchen, mail to our desks, etc. It's always something.

We also try to get the kids in the habit of always taking their things back down to their rooms, or to the place it belongs. My husband is very good at this as well, which is extremely helpful. He makes it a point to not leave anything in his car or out in the living or lying around outside.

Getting everything out of your car each time you get home really helps to keep your car cleaned out. Even if you have to make a couple of trips, just get it all out of the car as soon as you get home.

If something needs to go downstairs or upstairs and it will only take a couple of minutes, just go ahead and do it now. It's good excercise and it keeps the clutter under control.

If it is something that you need to take with you in the car the next day, go ahead and put it in the car. That way its out of the house and you won't give yourself a chance to forget it when you need it. I also keep all store coupons on a coupon holder in my car, so I have them with me when I'm shopping.

Always keep things where you use them or where you need them, this only makes it that much easier when cleaning up and putting things back!

Packing

2009-04-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

I just got back today from a Women's Retreat with my church. This was my first one, and I had a great time. But it brought up a subject that I thought I would talk about today. Packing, and how to make it easier. Summer is coming and many people travel during the summer. Here are a few tips to make it easier.

First of all, I think it is very helpful to always make out a list of everything you think you will need on a trip. Go through the days and think of the activities you may be doing and what clothes, shoes, and accessories you may need. Include all travel day needs as well, for instance CD's, books, snacks, etc.

I keep travel size toiletries in my travel bag at all times. I try to keep it stocked with all the things I need, minus maybe 2-3 things that I just add in when I'm ready to go. I keep small sizes of the following in my bag ready to go: toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, lotion, floss, facial soap and moisturizer, sunscreen, razor, shaving creme, nail clippers, and tweezers. I do add in my makeup each time, but that is fairly easy since I do not wear a bunch of makeup. If you have a lot of makeup items, you may think about buying duplicates or smaller sizes to keep in your bag if you travel a lot. I do not travel a lot, so I do not want makeup items to sit in there and go bad with the minimal use they will get. The other items are fine.

A couple of days before a trip I do all the wash to make sure I have everything I will need for my trip. I also take the dry cleaning a few days before as well. That way I have all the clothes I could possibly need ready to go. I don't worry too much about wrinkles because most hotels these days have irons. I do pack as neatly as possibly, but if it gets wrinkled, no big deal. Just iron it when you get there. I do try and pack items that do not wrinkle very easily if I can.

If you will be traveling with kids, then you'll need to make a list of the things they will need, or have them make a list if they are old enough. Do this a few days before so you have plenty of time to wash their clothes and get anything at the store that is needed. Do not forget to include activities and snacks for travel days.

The main key to packing successfully is to plan and start early. That way you've had time to go over your list a few times and also given yourself enough time to get any last minute items and to do the laundry.

Happy traveling....

Earth Day Efficiency

2009-04-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

In honor of Earth Day today, I wanted to spend some time talking about efficiency. I think efficiency is common to both organizing and being more responsible with the Earth's resources. Efficiency is using all of our resources, even time and money, in a much better way. Efficiency creats more free time, more money, more energy and more peace.

Efficiency comes with having a completely organized space, knowing where everything is, and not spending minutes, hours, or even days looking for things. Being organized not only allows you to be more efficient with your time, but also your own resources. You will spend less money because you will know that you already have bottles of lotion, or cans of tomatoes. You can see them and use them as needed, not wasting time, energy and money buying more of what you already have.

Being more responsible with the Earth's resources is very similar. If you make some small changes in your daily habits, you can use the Earth's resources much more efficiently. Get the whole family involved, especially your children. Now is the time to create good habits.

Here are some ideas that you can implement today with your family:

1. Plant a vegetable garden - this allows you to get outdoors, teach your children about gardening, and provides your family with better tasting, better quality food. You can also start a compost with all of your fruit and vegetable scraps and eggshells, which also reduces your trash and helps create better soil.
2. Pack an eco-friendly lunch - Instead of using those baggies that seem oh so convenient, try packing your kids' lunches in reusable containers. Even their drinks. You can save a lot of waste this way.
3. Donate old toys and clothing to others that will enjoy them and use them. (this goes hand in hand with cleaning out your "stuff")
4. Take shorter showers (saves water and time)
5. Use cloth reusable bags at the grocery store and for other errands. I bring along a sturdy reusable bag when I run errands and instead of using up bags from retailers, I put what I purchase in my reusable bag. Its easy. Not only do I help the Earth, but I help my house from getting cluttered with too many bags.
6. Use the reverse side of scrap paper. This is great for your children's artwork.
7. Use your local library. Instead of buying more books (that may become clutter) go to the library and check out a book. You can also donate magazines to most libraries. I love this, I take my old magazines and a I pick up a few new ones while I'm there...for free! Then I take those back the next time I go. That saves money, waste and clutter, and the environment.
8. When you fill up a cup with water and you do not finish it, instead of throwing it out in the sink, use it to water indoor plants. You can also do this with ice, it will melt and water the plants.
9. Re-use the ends of bread loaves, or stale bread by making croutons instead of throwing it away. Just chop the bread in cubes, spray or pour olive oil over them, season with garlic salt and cook for about 7-8 minutes on 350 until they are crispy and golden brown. Or you can feed the bread to ducks, if you live near a pond.

Efficiency makes life more peaceful in my opinion. Happy Earth Day!

Too Much Stuff!!

2009-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

I notice this is a common theme among my clients. They are not usually messy people, and/or have never been organized. It is more often the result of too much stuff and not enough time to process it, or enough room to store it!

You just have to take a look at your piles, or junk rooms, your drawers and closets. What do they consist of? Is it all stuff you normally use or look at? I'm going to guess it isn't. But you might need it one day.....right? I definitely hear the word "might" quite a bit. The problem with that word, is that you are using space that should be for things you "do" use for things you "might" use. The "mights" start to take over the "dos". Make sense?

One of the toughest things for everyone seems to be clothes. Those clothes that WILL fit when you lose those extra pounds you plan on losing. Let's be honest with ourselves. (I've been guilty of this plenty of times!) Go through your clothes and ask yourself how long it has been since you last wore each piece your holding onto? If it's only been 6 months or so, then keep them for another 6 months and see if you can wear them then. The best thing to do is turn all of your hangers around, have them hook on the bar the other way. When you wear something, turn the hanger around. After 12 months, whatever is still turned the wrong way, needs to find a better home. You need room in your closet for things that you DO wear and that make you feel great. That's it. And if you do lose the extra pounds, think how fun it will be when you can go and buy some new clothes to reward yourself!

I would also venture to say that a lot of your "stuff" consists of things you just haven't even gone through and looked at in years. It's time to clean out. Clear your house and clear your mind. Having a clutter free home with less "stuff" in it, frees your mind and frees your time for more important things. It's like losing weight. Rid yourself of those extra "stuff" pounds and feel lighter and able to do more. Don't let the clutter weight you down, physically and mentally.

I'm reading a great book right now (which inspired this blog), called "It's All Too Much" and it's written by Peter Walsh who is the organizer on the TV show "Clean Sweep". It's a great show and he is pretty firm with people about their stuff. Here are some of his tips, mixed with mine:

1. If you haven't used it in 12 months, it needs to go.
2. Ask yourself these questions when going through your things: a) Do I use this or reference it often? b) How long has it been since I used it or looked at it? c) Will I use it again? (Be Honest!) d) Is it worth the space it takes up in my house?

3. If you have things that belong to other people...give them back immediately. Do not become a storage place for other people's things.

4. If it's broken or doesn't work, and you haven't fixed it or used it in 12 months, it's got to go.

5. If you have a ton of recipes or magazines with recipes you "might try in them....you can look them up on the internet. Recycle the magazines.

6. Go through expiration dates on medicine regularly, as well as pantry items. Toss what is past the date.

7. Cookbooks. If you have a ton of cookbooks, try this trick. Every time you use a recipe from one of your cookbooks, put a post it on the page you used. After 18 months, give away the cookbooks that do not have any post it's.

8. You can reduce junk mail by taking your name off of marketing lists. There are websites you can go to, and phone numbers to call. If you need more information, let me know.

9. If you have a stack of your kid's artwork, go through and keep just a few of your favorites and frame them. You can then hang them on your child's bedroom wall, in a playroom, or in your office. It's a much better way to enjoy the artwork and it doesn't take up nearly as much space. Remember they will continue to bring home lots of artwork, not to mention what they create at home. Another option is to take pictures of the artwork and make a scrapbook or album with all of the pictures. You can do these pretty easily on-line with one of the photo book websites.

10. With other memorabilia or gifts that family or friends have given you, it's okay to let them go if you do not use them. It does not mean you are throwing away the person, or the relationship, you are merely making more room for your life today. Keep those very special things, but let go of the rest. You are not letting go of the memory, just the "stuff".

11. You can also give special items away to family and friends if you know they will use them. This is a win win situation. You are clearing out your "stuff" and giving it to someone who will use it.

Another important thing to remember is that clutter requires time from you. You have to lift it up to find things, step over it, look under it, move around it, etc. And if you move to another house, you are moving clutter....what a waste of time, right? Clear the clutter and regain more time for yourself and for your family.

Getting Things Done

2009-03-23T13:40:00.000-07:00

Isn't that all we really need to do every day...is get things done! Well, we CAN get things done, but not without a plan of action and some determination.

I personally use a tickler file. I am not extremely fond of the name, but they didn't ask me when they named it. If you are not familiar with a tickler file, let me explain. A tickler file is made up of 43 total file folders in a portable file holder. In the front you have files labeled from 1-31 and in the back you have a folder for each month. You use the file system for your to-do list.

So, for example, you have a birthday party invitation, and you need to get a present, but the party is a few weeks away. You can put that invitation in the file folder with the date you know you'll be able to go and buy a present. If Saturdays are your errand days, then you would put it in the next Saturday that you'll be shopping. Then when that day comes, you come in and look at that folder to see all of your to-do's and there is the invitation, reminding you to get the present.

The beauty of this system is that you can put things in the appropriate folders and then essentially forget about them until that day comes. That way it's not constantly hanging over your head. And you don't have your to-do list floating aimlessly in your mind at all times. That's exhausting and stressful.

I also want to mention, that you keep only today's folder in the front of the file, then when you've emptied it it goes in the back of the 1-31 files. When it's time to bring in the next month you do so, and it just keeps rotating through. So right now, I have 31 as my first folder and then the April folder is right behind it. Then after the April folder, I have 1-30, which now pertains to April. May is the first folder in my second section of folders and the months go accordingly after that.

Another great thing about this system is having a place to put things that you do not need to pay attention to for months. For instance, I found some cute Valentine ideas that my daughter could use for her Valentine cards at school. Well, I found them too late to use this year, but I've already put then in the February folder so I'll come across them next Feb. 1st. And for now, I can totally forget about it. Instead of putting it in some miscellaneous folder that I would totally forget about next February.

Also, to make sure you include ALL of your to-do's, write a master list of to-do's every few weeks. Then take each one and write it on an individual piece of paper. Then slide each to-do into the appropriate day when you know you'll have time to get it done, and/or when it needs to be done. That is the key. Getting it done.

So, the two most important parts of this system are checking it every morning, and trying your very hardest to get everything done in the file for that day. If you do those two things and keep adding to-do's as needed, you'll find that things are getting done!

Here is a picture of my tickler file. It's on a file cabinet just to the left of my desk, very accessible. And it's nothing fancy, just file folders in a mesh file holder. It can be larger if you need it to be, but this size works great for me.

Spring Cleaning with Kids

2009-03-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

Spring is in the air and I love it! There is something about Spring that makes us want to clean out and freshen up our houses. It's time to open the windows and let in that cool breeze, while we begin the clean out.

My daughter and I started in her bedroom. We pulled out all of her clothes and went through each one. I had to entice her with either a snack or something from the "treasure box" because this is not one of her favorite tasks. But she understands it is necessary.

Each season we go through all of her clothes to see what still fits and what we can either give away, or sell at the consignment store. There are some great children's consignment stores. We have made a fairly decent amount of money on her old clothes, and we usually spend it on new clothes at their store because they are so reasonable.

Going through clothes and cleaning out is a necessary project that needs to be done at least a few times a year. I find it easiest to do it when the season is changing. Especially with kids, because they grow so fast and many times things from one or two seasons ago do not fit now.

Once we sorted her clothes, we folded and hung all the remaining clothes and put them back in her dresser and closet very neatly. Shirts with shirts, pants with pants, skirts with skirts, etc. That way she can find what she needs fast.

We also use this time to go through her toys and stuffed animals. The rule is whenever you bring something in, you need to take something out and give it away. We do this right after Christmas, but I think it's necessary to always be cleaning out toys and stuffed animals. If you don't, they can take over your house. So we do it again each season to see if there is anything she can part with and there almost always is. I started doing this when she was very young, so she understands that if she does not play with something that there is probably a child who does not have much that would love to play with it, and she wants to give it away. It's a good lesson.

Once her room was finished she told me how good it felt. I encouraged her to try and keep it this way and reminded her of the rules (that she seems to sometimes forget). I tell her that before she goes to bed, and before she goes to school it should look like this. That way she can play the rest of the time and get out whatever she wants, but when it's time to go to bed, or go to school, it needs to be put away. If not, it can pile up and become overwhelming. She's doing a great job so far.

On to the next room...I think my step-son wants to work on his room this weekend. Spring is in the air....

What exactly do I mean by "Peace"....

2009-02-24T10:15:00.000-08:00

I thought I would start out this blog by talking about “creating peace” and what that means to me. Ultimately, that is my main goal for each client I come in contact with. I want to create peace in their lives in some way. I believe peace comes when we feel relaxed, in control, and have very little to worry about, if anything. Messes, piles, stacks, un-planned schedules, and clutter do everything BUT create peace. They create anxiety, stress and a feeling of no control. That can then perpetuate to the rest of our family and even friends.

Our homes should be a haven to come home to. The world can be scary, overwhelming, frustrating, daunting, exhausting and just plain stressful. When we walk into our homes we want to have that “Ahhhhhh” feeling. The feeling of calmness and relaxation. The feeling that takes all of that stress and dissolves it, if only for awhile. If your house is causing you more stress than the outside world, then you need peace my friend.

There are many areas in the home and life that get out of balance and add to stress. First of all, there is the kitchen. When we are not organized in the kitchen, when meals are not being planned and grocery lists are not being properly planned, we get stressed, anxious and overwhelmed…..and then we go to McDonalds. This of course is not a good cycle to be in, and usually our kids suffer, not to mention ourselves. Then there is the garage, and the fact that you can’t even park your car in the garage. So, when it rains you have to get wet, when it’s cold, you have ice on your windshield, and when you’ve just washed the car and it rains at night…well, you get the idea. It all creates more stress, more work and less peace.

Let’s look at just a few more examples. In your bathroom you can’t seem to find what you need when you need it, and you are running late. Your closet is a mess and you CANNOT find that shirt that goes with the only pair of pants that seem to be clean. Again, this does not conjure up peaceful feelings does it? Now, your home office, oh my. You have stacks of un-filed, un-attended to papers that scare you because you do not know what lurks in there. The not knowing is usually the most stressful part.

Lastly, our daily schedule and time management. Do you feel as if there are not enough days in a week, hours in a day, or minutes in an hour? Do you always feel like you haven’t accomplished much at the end of the day? This adds to all of that stress and anxiety we have already mentioned.

Now, let’s look at all of these examples from a different view. First, envision your day and week being planned out ahead of time, and knowing what you need to be doing at any given point throughout the day, and your to-do list getting done one item at a time, because you have assigned days and times to each item. Imagine when you get home you can pull your car in easily and get out in the nice, dry and warm garage. You park your car and get out and walk into your home. When you arrive in the kitchen, it is clean, organized and you know what you’ll be making for dinner that night because you planned it out on ahead of time, and you have already purchased all the appropriate ingredients, AND you have them thawing or marinating already. Don’t you feel the “Ahhhhhh” feeling coming into play now? Let’s continue…next you walk into your home office to pay a bill and there are no stacks, everything is put away in the correct files in your very organized filing system that is very easy for you to access. You pay the bill on-line in just a few minutes, then file the bill where it goes. Ahhhhhh. You then you go into your organized closet and you can easily find your workout clothes to put on and go for a walk. I can just feel the stress melting away, can’t you? After a great dinner with your family and you decide to take a bath in your very organized, great smelling and clean bathroom. Does it get any better? Do you feel the peace back in your life now?

That is what I want to help create in my client’s lives. I want to help them with each of these areas to create a very stress-free and peaceful daily life! And most importantly I want to teach them how to keep this a reality instead of only a vision.