June 2006 - organising challenges

I decided to post the organising challenge so that it's easy to reference and stay up to date. I will edit my post every week and write a little bit about each week's challenge, like I've already done for week 1.

Enjoy - each challenge won't take more than 15 minutes, or definitely 30 minutes if you're the type that loses focus quickly :)

Week 1 - Organise your sock and underwear drawer.
Throw out all those socks from 5 years ago that have seen better days. Any stretched, ill-fitting or plain ugly underwear must go. Treat yourself and go get some new things. You can still feel pretty (or handsome) underneath all your winter woollies. Use the bottoms of cereal boxes to partition your drawer and keep items neat.

Week 2 - Clear off the front of your refrigerator & tidy your spices and condiments.
Do you really need to have 50 magnets on your fridge? Many times a cluttered fridge makes the whole kitchen feel disorganised and out of sorts. Clear everything off and start with a fresh slate. Now put back only those things that you love or add value to your life - photos of loved ones, shopping list, menu for week, etc.
Throw out your spices if you've had them for longer than a year or two. Dried herbs lose their flavour after a year.

Week 3 - Organise your CD and DVD collection.
First off, go through all and decide if you still want to hold onto them. When was the last time you listened to or watched them? Has your taste changed? Are you hanging onto something because Aunty Mary gave it to you and you feel guilty giving it away?
Now, put them in whichever order you like – I do my CDs first by group, and then in chronological order. There is no right way – you need to organise according to how your mind works.
Lastly, pack them neatly in a CD holder, storage box or on a shelf. (Clicks has some lovely storage boxes for R29,99 that hold CDs, videos, photos, etc.)

Week 4 - Clear your desk by sorting out all physical and e-mail.
This week's challenge is two-fold - it's your desk at work AND at home. If you don't have a proper desk at home, it's the place where you dump your mail and all your papers! Now you know what I'm talking about!
1. Take a plastic bag and throw away anything that doesn't belong - old cups from the vending machine, bits of notepaper, all used envelopes, junk mail ads, pens that don't work, etc.
2. You should only be left with proper mail - bills to be paid, magazine subscriptions, letters and cards (does anyone still write real letters these days? On a nostalgic note, when I was at university, my friend Melody and I used to buy sheets of 100 stamps at the post office every couple of months!).
3. Diarise when you will pay the accounts and file any old, paid accounts.
4. Now for the email, delete, delete, delete. That is, delete anything you've already actioned, forwarded or read that you don't have to keep for reference. My goal is to delete about 200 emails daily - easy on a Monday when all my newsletters arrive, but it forces me to go through old folders daily towards the end of the week. What will your goal be?
5. Now, file the rest in your action, to read, and personal folders until your inbox is empty.

I read something really cool the other day. Do you ever get home, take the mail from the letterbox, read through it all and then take it back to the letterbox? No, of course not. However, most people treat their inbox like this! They read the email and leave it right there in the inbox. Just something to think about!

Transforming Your Junk Drawer by Maria Gracia

Ninety-nine percent of the people in this world have a junk drawer. So, I'm certainly not going to tell you not to have one.However, I am going to recommend that you organize it a bit so that instead of a junk drawer, it can be called your HELP drawer.Here are just a few simple steps to make this transition:

REMOVE EVERYTHING. Take everything out of the drawer and place it on top of your counter. If your junk drawer is removable, remove it from the track and turn it upside down onto your counter. You may want to lay a sheet of newspaper down first to help protect your countertop.

SORT. On your counter, begin categorizing each widget (i.e. thumbtacks in one pile, buttons in another, toothpicks in another, and so on.) By the way, when you come across a gadget that you can't identify, put it aside. Check with others in your family to determine if it a) can be identified, and b) if it is truly needed. If not, toss it.

FIND DIVIDING TOOLS. Find something around the house that you can slip into your drawer to keep these categorized items separated, such as an ice cube tray, drawer dividers, small boxes, or 3 oz Dixie Cups. Organize these separators into your drawer.

CATEGORIZE INTO COMPARTMENTS. Finally, begin replacing the items you are going to keep, ensuring that each categorized item is in its own place.You're done! Voila! One minute you have a Junk Drawer, and the next minute, you have a Help Drawer!

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!
Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now! Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now! Web sitehttp://www.getorganizednow.com

Home Organization—Avoid These Five Common Mistakes

Home Organization—Avoid These Five Common Mistakes By Penny Johnson and Anne CalkinsTime and Space Unlimited LLC

Spring cleaning is a time-honored tradition. The warmer, brighter days prompt us to clear out our homes as we put away heavy coats and blankets. Decluttering and organizing seem to have a greater effect on our surroundings than just scrubbing and dusting. Indeed, getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40% of the housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association.
Five common mistakes can thwart your springtime organizing projects. Avoid these blunders as you strive for a clutter-free home.

MISTAKE #1 – Buying storage containers first. When most people make the decision to “get organized”, their first step is to head to the store and buy a variety of plastic boxes and drawer organizers. Soon they find they are overstocked with containers that don’t suit their needs— the containers become part of the clutter. Do your sorting and purging first, then you will know exactly which storage tools to buy. Measure your space, count your items, decide on your style, then purchase containers. You may be surprised to find you don’t need nearly as many boxes as you thought!

MISTAKE #2 – Keeping things for the wrong reasons. You are paying room and board for your stuff. Is your stuff earning its keep? As you sort through your possessions, question yourself: “What value does this item bring to my life?” Just because you received that ugly vase as a gift, or you inherited it from Aunt Betty, or you bought it cheap at a yard sale, doesn’t mean you have to keep it now. Allow yourself to sell, give away, or toss those things that have no positive meaning in your life.

MISTAKE #3 – Using the “miscellaneous” label. The definition of organization is the ability to find what you want when you want it. The gold standard is being able to find it in thirty seconds or less. Store like things together and you will be able to find things quickly. Instead of tossing all of your tools into a miscellaneous box, for example, sort them into type: screwdrivers, hammers, pliers, etc. Now you can grab exactly the right tool without rummaging through the miscellaneous pile.

MISTAKE #4 – Ignoring your personal style. Are you an “innie” or an “outie”? If you crave clear counter and desk space, with everything tucked into closets and drawers, you are an “innie.” If you need to have everything out where you can see it, and you fear you will forget something if it is in a closed drawer, you are an “outie.” Either style is acceptable as long as you plan for it. An “innie” needs sturdy file cabinets, drawer organizers, cupboards and closets with doors, opaque containers, and lidded baskets for storing possessions. An “outie” needs open shelves, clear containers, clear desktop trays and file holders, baskets without lids, and tool turnabouts. Using storage solutions that match your style will help you stay organized.

MISTAKE #5 – Neglecting a maintenance routine. Remember when your high school science teacher taught you about entropy, the tendency for things to fall apart when left alone? Entropy can undo all of your organizing triumphs. If you are going to put the effort into getting organized, you are going to want to stay organized. Build a “maintenance plan” into your daily routine to keep your things in order. Choose something you know you will do regularly, and tie an organizing project to it. Make it a new rule that you cannot brush your teeth until you have spent five minutes decluttering your bedroom. Use the commercial breaks during your favorite TV show to sort household paperwork. Before you mow the lawn each week, straighten the garage.

Welcome springtime with a clutter-free home. Then go outside and enjoy the sunshine and flowers!
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Note: The preceding article may be copied or published without obligation or payment to the authors, as long as this ending author resource box is printed with the article
AUTHOR RESOURCE BOX:Penny Johnson and Anne Calkins are professional organizers with Time and Space UnlimitedLLC, Baraboo Wisconsin. For a free copy of their idea-pak for seasonal organizing projects, contact them at 608-356-2089 or visit their website www.timeandspaceunlimited.com

10 ways to recycle boxes

1. Put awkward-sized gifts inside – makes for easier wrapping and looks beautiful.
2. Stand all your rolls of wrapping paper in a nice square box in an unused corner.
3. Cut the top and a portion off the sides to make your own magazine holders. You can also cover them with gift wrap to blend in with your colour schemes.
4. Use the bottom of cereal boxes as dividers in your underwear drawer.
5. Open and flatten out cereal boxes and let your kids use the reverse side to draw on or for projects.
6. Use tissue boxes to hold your spare plastic bags.
7. Use smaller boxes in your junk drawer or stationery drawer to keep small items like drawing pins, paperclips and staples neatly organised.
8. Use sturdy shoeboxes to hold CD’s or photo albums.
9. Cut the top off tissue boxes and use to stand your two-minute noodle packs upright.
10. Find two or three really sturdy shoeboxes from men’s shoes and use these as slide-out drawers on shelves. Use these to store stationery and gift-wrapping supplies.

Copyright Marcia Francois. Visit my website at www.takechargesolutions.org

What are your favourite ways to recycle boxes?

10 ways to use plastic bags

1. Instead of buying plastic bin liners for your rubbish bins, use a plastic bag.
2. Use plastic bags to hold vegetable peels or scraps of meat while cooking. Then throw them in the rubbish bin – your bin won’t have any dirty smells this way.
3. Wrap yoghurts or any food that can spill in a small plastic bag first before packing your lunch. This way, if it spills, it doesn’t mess up your other food.
4. Take a couple of plastic bags with you when travelling to separate your dirty laundry.
5. Wrap your shoes in a plastic bag so they don’t dirty your clothes in your gym bag or suitcase.
6. Keep shampoos and other liquid toiletries in a separate plastic bag inside of your toiletry bag.
7. Keep a plastic bag in your car to throw the rubbish on a daily basis and remove every weekend.
8. Use a plastic bag over your hand to pick up doggy poo. Then just turn inside out and throw in the bin.
9. Re-use plastic bags when you go shopping instead of buying new ones continually.
10. Use plastic bags to pop bread in the freezer before it goes stale.

Copyright Marcia Francois
Visit my website on www.takechargesolutions.org