The most important organising step EVER

I've been posting some tiny little organising projects that I've done in my home over the last couple of weeks.

I had a few (very polite :)) comments and emails about how people couldn't see much difference in the two pictures, which actually warmed my heart.

Because it means my house IS still running like a well-oiled machine, despite the madness that is the twins!

So I thought I'd write about the most important organising step ever - maintenance.

This is how you know if you have a problem with maintenance:

• you can get a place looking nice and orderly but within days (or weeks) it's a big mess again
• your space is organised but you can't remember what's actually in there so your stuff starts piling up in other areas
• you're too scared to use the organised space in case it gets messy again
• etc
• etc

Coming back to the posts, actual organising of a space should really only happen once, maybe twice a year, or if circumstances change. Like when we had to convert our guest bedroom to the twins' bedroom. (Now I actually think they need their own bedrooms but that's another story altogether!)

But maintenance of a space happens all the time.

And it should happen more often the more people use the space.

Something like my bookshelf is only used by me so really shouldn't get that disorganised if I'm disciplined enough to keep putting books back where they belong.

And therefore only 5 books were decluttered :)


But a space like my Tupperware cupboard gets small tweaks of about 10 - 20 seconds a time a couple of times a week because 5 people use that space regularly.

Do you see the difference?

I said all that to say this: your system hasn't failed if you have to constantly make small tweaks to your organising.

This week's organising challenge

1. Choose one or two already organised areas in your home (a drawer, surface space, shelf, etc.) and go maintain.
2. It shouldn't take you more than 10 minutes each.

Which areas are you going to work on?


P.S. Remember I was looking for someone to do a button for me? Check out my gorgeous new Organise your Home button here.

Decluttering and organising bookshelves

Do you remember my three desks?

I decided to get rid of the white metal one to make more space in the guest bedroom/ study.

Which meant I had to declutter some of my books yet again.

Before

getting messy - see how I just jammed some books any which way?

After
front

and side views

this bag with 5 books is all that was actually decluttered - the rest is pure organising which goes to show

you don't have to be scared that you have to get rid of your stuff if you want to
organise your home

Holding you accountable - what did you tackle this week?

Leave a comment and let me know how you did this week.

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The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Organise your Home makeover - before

This is the entry I received from Jenny's clutter :)

Dear Marcia,

I have heard that the mistress of this home, Jenny, may be entering your contest to win the Organising Your Home E-Course and I would like you to consider not allowing her to win. I like things the way they are... disorganised! Let me introduce myself. I have been called, Clutter, Junk, Stuff, Crud, as well as other less-flattering names. It has taken years for me to grow into the stronghold that I have become.

I enjoy numerous pastimes that, should Jenny win, would become obsolete. One of my favorite things to do is distract the occupants of the home. When Jenny or her husband enter a room they often take one look at me and get so flustered they forget why they came into the room in the first place. What a riot! The living room and kitchen are the most distracting.

I love to listen to kids whine. In this home, a foster home, there are usually plenty of children. I often hear them saying things like, "Where is my Spiderman shirt? It was just on the couch... Does anyone know where my shoes are?...What happened to my library books?" It is especially entertaining when the family is getting ready for school or church. The voices go up an octave and sometimes they start yelling at each other.

Jenny is creative and talented but I've been able to hold her back from success in many areas, including writing the books she has always dreamed of writing. Bob has a stressful job as a police officer and I am able to keep his stress levels up on the home front as well, especially in the master bedroom.

As you can see, I take my job very seriously and am quite comfortable in the Dalley household.

Jenny has even blogged about me at http://shoemomma.blogspot.com/2009/04/wow.html and http://shoemomma.blogspot.com/2009/03/spring-renewal-or-cleaning.html. I'm famous!

Please let me live and thrive and do NOT let Jenny win. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

Jenny Dalley's Clutter

Isn't that great? Read amongst the fun and you'll see the serious effects of the clutter...

So without any further ado, here's Jenny's first post.

As soon as I saw Marcia's contest for her 12-week Organise Your Home E-course, I knew I had to win.

My name is Jenny. I am a stay-at-home-mom with a wonderful husband. I live in Colorado. I love Jesus. And I am the most unorganized person I know.

I seem to be in a perpetual state of overwhelm. When I was growing up I had to share a bedroom with my very organized sister. We nearly killed each other! Now that we are adults and friends she sometimes offers to help me organize my house.

We currently have five children living in our home. Our biological son is 6 years old. We adopted two little boys, 8 and 7, just this week. We are also taking care of two foster children; an 8 year old boy and a 2 year old girl. Within the past two years we have had 13 children in our family.

Thankfully not at the same time. I could not even imagine the laundry pile I would have.

1. We have to do a mad dash of cleaning every time company is expected.
   
2. For those surprise visitors we offer a myriad of excuses for why our living room looks the way it does.
3. We lose things on a regular basis.
4. I often enter a room with the expectation of conquering the clutter, only to become so discouraged that I do an about face and head straight for Facebook or comfort food.

I have learned a lot from Marcia during the past couple of years and this opportunity to go through her Organise Your Home E-course will be life changing.

I am thrilled that I get to be a guest writer on her blog. Not only do I welcome the accountability, but I get to share this experience with all of you!

What would an improvement blog be without a couple of humiliating before pictures?



Is anyone else going through this 12-week course? I'd love to hear how you are doing!

Are you in?

It starts tomorrow - are you in?

Remember this contest for the Organise your Home system?

Well, it's finally here.

Our guest blogger starts sharing her journey with us tomorrow and will continue for at least 6 posts :)

Aren't you excited?

I know I am - I'm that person at the airport who LOVES people watching. And it's just the same with homes - I love seeing how other people organise their stuff and which systems they have that could work for me.

So I can't wait to be a virtual voyeur in Jenny's home and watch her get her home organised over the next 6 weeks.

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***NB***

I'm going to revive the Friday Declutter Challenge while Jenny's doing the guest blogging thing so that you can all play along.

Start thinking about a small area you can declutter or organise in your own home and post your intention in the comments to keep you accountable.

I'm also participating so check the comments for my intention!

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P.S. The Organise your Home ecourse will only remain at this price up to the end of August. if you were on the fence about this, don't say I didn't warn you :)

And the winner of the Organise your Home ecourse is...

Hi everybody

Thanks so much to all 14 of you who entered my competition - I absolutely loved reading your entries and seriously wish I could have all of you guest blog for me.

It was hard, hard work just choosing one winner so I did a little something special for the rest who didn't win.

If you have not yet received an email from me (with your special something) and you entered, then it means I wasn't able to find an email address for you either in your comment or on your blog (invited readers only). If this is the case, please email me and I'll respond :)

Now, the winner is......Jenny from Shoe Momma.

I'm not going to say too much about Jenny at this point because I want her to introduce herself to my readers in her first post :)

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Here's a bit more about the Organise your Home ecourse.

• It's set out in 12 parts with a 13th bonus one thrown in for free
• covers every section of your home. You work through it section by section in manageable bits so you don't get overwhelmed.
• you also get the Household Organising File and instructions on how to set yours up
• free email support for the 12 weeks
• and much more
  

An organised home for just 44c a day

Contest time - I'm looking for a disorganised home

This contest is now closed

I'll be posting the winner in about 24 hours' time. It's so difficult because everybody wrote such compelling entries *sigh*



It's been 6 months since I held this type of contest and I think it's about time we did one again. Don't you agree?

So who has a disorganised home?

I'm looking for someone who would like and could use my Organise your Home e-course.

If you're chosen, I'll give you one for free and in turn, I'll need you to be my guest blogger and do at least 6 posts - one post before, at least 4 room posts, and 1 post after to say how you've changed, etc... - which I will use for the 4 weeks in August and 2 in September when the babies are born.

See? Win-win :)

I did the same thing at the beginnning of the year and chose Anne as my guest blogger for the Office Organising Makeover which worked out really well because then I was in the throes of extreme pregnancy fatigue!

Let me tell you a little bit about the e-course... in case you don't feel like clicking the picture to go read about the great results others have and are getting.

• It's set out in 12 parts with a 13th bonus one thrown in for free
• covers every section of your home. You work through it section by section in manageable bits so you don't get overwhelmed.
• you also get the Household Organising File and instructions on how to set yours up
• free email support for the 12 weeks
• and much more
  

An organised home for just 44c a day

This is how you enter

Send an email to marcia AT takechargesolutions.org or leave a comment telling me

• a little bit about yourself - married/not, children, what you do (SAHM/ WAHM/ works full-time), etc. (just because I'm nosy :))
• which areas of your house need the most help
• if you have your own blog (this is not a requirement)
• why you want to do this

Entries close at midnight EST on Saturday 4th July.

Let the games begin!

Could I have the envelope please?

And the winner of the Organise your home e-course is....


Amanda


who said...

I'd choose the organizing your home one. i've been trying to declutter my house since your declutter challenge last summer

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The Organise your Home e-course will help you get your entire home organised in just 12 weeks.

The price is going up tomorrow - this is the last day to get it at the current price of $27.

Organise your home ecourse - a giveaway

If you've come by from the Bloggy Giveaways carnival, a BIG WELCOME to you.

This giveaway is now closed - thanks for playing along :)

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Is your goal for 2009 to get your home organised, once and for all?

You are not alone!

This is one of the top 3 things on most people's wish lists Every Single Year.

What would you say if I told you you could have your home completely organised in just 12 weeks?

Yes, you can!!! I couldn't resist :)

I've taken your entire house and broken it down into itsy-bitsy sections so even the most overwhelmed person won't get distracted!

Have a look at the Organise your Home e-course and get your entire home organised in just 12 weeks.

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Now, for the giveaway. Here are the rules:

Visit my website and come back to leave a comment telling me which product or service I have available that you'd most be interested in.

You get extra entries if you:
* twitter about it pointing the link back to this post (1 extra entry)
* post on your own blog pointing a link back to this post (2 extra entries)
You must come back and comment to say "I twittered it/ blogged it here"

I'm doing this giveaway together with Sandy. We're going to pick a winner from both of our blogs.

The giveaway closes on Friday 30th at 6pm EST.