The smallest bathroom in the world

A few months back in one of my mailings I told you I would blog pictures of the smallest bathroom in the world.

Well, here it is, my en-suite bathroom: From the front - the shower is to the right.

See how I use my wall space well...

And this view is from the top... in the corner, is a set of stackable green baskets - I use the top one for my make-up, the middle one for less-often used things, and the bottom one fits 3 spare toilet rolls very nicely

Of course, to balance this minute bathroom, for my main (guest) bathroom, we have one of the biggest bathrooms I've seen.

Only in Kensington!

Holiday Survival Guide

Hi all

Kimberly Fulcher just sent out a free e-book called Holiday Survival Guide. That ties in nicely with 3 of our challenges this month, so here is the link.

You can download it here.

Enjoy and have an organised week.
Marcia

Nov 2006 - organising challenges

Christmas is just 6 weeks away so we have 2 Christmas challenges this month.

Week 1 – Start the Christmas cards
Make a list of people who you're sending Christmas cards to this year.

Buy enough packs of cards, divide the number by 4 (to ensure that you have them all ready by the beginning of December) and start writing some out every evening.

Tip You can also do a conveyer belt - one person writes the card, one does the envelope and the next one does the stamps.


Week 2 – Organise your guest room
You are going to make sure you have fresh sheets on the bed, that you have spare towels and guest toiletries and most of all, some space for your guests to put their clothes. I'm guessing that you'll have to do some decluttering too.

Most of us use our spare rooms as extra storage space so now is a good time to get rid of all the old things you're keeping there.

If you get this out of the way now, you don't have to go running around at the last minute if you have people to stay over Christmas or New Year.

Even if you're not having any guests, use this time and still declutter and organise the space, especially if you use the room for sewing or other crafts.


Week 3 – Make a list of gifts to make or buy.
Remember the special people in your life with a gift. Decide if you're making any or just buying. If you are buying, make a budget and stick to it. Remember to add in gift wrap and ribbon!Remember it is not worth going into debt buying gifts. It truly is the thought that counts

TAKE CHARGE tip
Buy plain rolls of coloured kraft wrap and gold or silver ribbon for a cheaper alternative. Try to give gifts that can be used so that recipients aren't faced with more clutter. If you google clutter-free gifts you will get plenty of ideas. There are also some great gift ideas at http://betterbudgeting.com/

Week 4 – Declutter tablecloths and placemats

Go through all the tablecloths to see which are stained, ugly or just don't bring you joy.

Remember, anything you don't love should go. When you buy new stuff, get in the habit of throwing something out or donating to someone. The old one in-one out principle.

The same goes for placemats. Last weekend I went through my sideboard drawer and found placemats that suited my previous house but not this one (country cottage vs more modern), so I gave them to my helper.

Have fun with this one and if you're really good, you'll have the space so that if you see something you absolutely have to have, you can reward yourself!

Some of my favourite travel tips

1. Start making lists ahead of time. These can include lists of things to pack, things to do, see, eat, etc. Download my travel checklist

2. Always take extra plastic bags for dirty laundry, shoes, etc.

3. You don't have to plan out each and every day but at least if you have a rainy day, you can look on your list and choose an indoor activity.

4. Count on buying things while you're on holiday so plan for this and take less with you. Our baggage allowance is 25 kg (hold & hand luggage) and I'm planning to take 18kg or less!

5. Decide on a colour scheme and stick to it… well, mostly. For instance, on this trip, I'm going for autumn (fall) colours like brown, yellow and orange, and also taking some clothes in military green.

6. Count the number of days you'll be away and plan just enough sets of clothes, remembering that you need more tops than bottoms. You won't use all so make a note of what you didn't use so that you don't overpack next time.

7. Pack travel size toiletries or if you have some old hotel toiletries, use those. I actually keep my toiletry bag permanently packed with everything except my Speedstick. Whether we're away for a long weekend or a long holiday, all I have to do is grab my Speedstick and I'm ready.

8. Take a backpack. There is a reason why these are so popular with tourists - your hands are free to eat, browse, carry your water (okay, that's for me), etc.

9. If you read the Bible, next time you go away, don't take the whole Bible. Simply go to a free online Bible site and print out a chapter for each day you'll be away. You can try a different version of the Bible you usually use for added variety. The added convenience is that you don't have to bring these pages back with you.

10. Whether you're flying or driving, take any magazines or ebooks that have piled up around your house. You can catch up on your reading and again, leave the magazine or ebook in the airport lounge. I have about 4 Shape magazines to catch up on and yes, they're already packed.

Do you want to use this article? You may, as long as you include this complete bio with it: Marcia Francois, the Take Charge coach and professional organiser, coaches people to reach their goals and maximise their potential. She publishes the popular “Take charge of your life” monthly ezine. If you're ready to live your dream life, get your FREE subscription now at http://www.takechargesolutions.org

Sorting your clothes is easy as 1, 2, 3

This is my suggestion for purging your clothes closet.

Make 3 piles:

1. Clothes you don't love anymore or that don't suit your lifestyle
2. Clothes you love and that fit you
3. Clothes that you're not sure about, for whatever reason

Then you action the piles

Pile 1 - donate or throw out
Pile 2 - organise in your wardrobe or on your shelves according to your personal preferences - by colour, style (smart, casual, etc), or season/ sleeve length, etc.
Pile 3 - move to another place in the house or to a storage container. Diarise a "to look at again" date. When you look at this pile again, fit everything on. You will be able to look at the clothes unemotionally and decide whether they deserve to take up space in your wardrobe (you want to keep them) or whether they need to be donated.

Last year when we moved into our new house I fit on ALL my clothes before I packed anything into my cupboards.

I made 3 piles:

1. Stuff I liked and that fit me (in the wardrobe)
2. Stuff I liked and that didn't fit me (in a spare wardrobe – deadline 1 November this year)
3. Stuff I didn't like and that didn't fit me (to the church's welfare box)

Well, I fitted on all the clothes (about 4 pairs of pants and 3 suits) from the spare wardrobe a few days ago (we'll be on holiday on 1 November) and most of them now fit!!! There is also a suit that fits but that I don't like anymore which is going to the welfare box this weekend.

The stuff that doesn't fit me nicely will also be donated.

Oct 2006 - organising challenges

Week 1 – Declutter your kitchen counter tops.
Do you really need everything on your counter tops?

Go around your kitchen with "new eyes" and see what you can declutter.You should only have things that you use more than once a week on your counter top. If, for example, you have an electric frying pan out that you use once a month, consider storing it in a cupboard and only taking it out when you use it.

Tip - use vertical space wherever possible. Instead of a canister with your cooking utensils, consider mounting hooks above your stove for them.

Week 2 – Organise your clothes on shelves.
I would suggest that you put all the clothes you frequently use at shoulder height and the rest either one shelf up or down.

I swop mine around every winter or summer and I find that it helps to keep my shelves neat and tidy. My jeans and T-shirts are now at shoulder height and the long-sleeved tops and jerseys have been moved a shelf down now that it's Spring.

Week 3 – Declutter and organise your recipe books and files.
This week, we are going to sort out all those recipe books in the kitchen. I know what it's like because I'm just like you.

You see some gorgeous books at the bookshop, imagine cooking all those delicious meals and buy the book. If you're lucky, you make one or two recipes and then that's it - they start gathering dust.

So our challenge is to sort the books into two piles - books I use (or have used) and books that just look pretty and take up space. Let go of the second pile to other cooks, second hand bookshops, etc. and free up some space in the kitchen.

Once you've decided on the ones to keep, buy a pretty magazine folder and keep them together neatly. I download things off the internet too and use plastic flip files to organise those recipes.

Now and again I go through them and throw out recipes I know I have no intention of ever making.

I don't know if I'm lazy or if I just prefer to cook more creatively but the only recipes I tend to keep are for baked goodies.

Have fun with this one - maybe you'll even get inspired to cook or bake up a storm this weekend. THink of me if you make any muffins (I LOVE baking muffins because they're so easy).

Week 4 – Spruce up your coffee & end tables.

Do you have an organising question for me?
Email your question

There are less than 3 months left before Christmas. Wouldn't you like to have an organised, peaceful Christmas? Go to http://takechargesolutions.org/12org.pdf to see how I can help you.

Do you need some distance organising help?

There are two types of people in the world:

Those that like to work alone and do things by themselves. If this is you, you are up to date with all the challenges and email me to tell me how you did and so on...

The second group of people read the challenge every week and say, "that is a good idea. I must get around to it sometime".

If this second person is you, then maybe you just need some ideas and encouragement.

You decide which area bugs you the most and I'll help you.

Go here to look at the 12 most common organising challenges

Sept 2006 - organising challenges

Week 1 – Organise your paper & plastic goodies.

This week, we're going to sort out all the cling wrap, foil, sandwich bags, bin bags, etc.

Dedicate a drawer or shelf for all these packs. If you have a wine rack you're not using, the bottle compartments work nicely to keep it all organised.What other ideas do you have?

You know those metal/paper ties you get in each pack of freezer bags? The ones that pile up because you only ever use 2 - 3 out of every packet? This week, we're throwing them out.

Week 2 – Organise your sideboard OR crockery & cutlery you use to entertain.
Really evaluate all the stuff - if you have 3 sugar bowls and you only ever use 2, give the other one away.

If you have 50 plates and the most guests you ever have over is 20, then use some of them as your everyday plates and get rid of the old, ugly ones. You get the picture...

Do the same for everything you keep in the sideboard but don't obsess - do 15 minutes a day so you're not overwhelmed. You can easily do a drawer or a shelf in 15 minutes if you don't get obsessive compulsive.

Remember, we're decluttering and organising, not detail cleaning.

Week 3 – Declutter and tidy your dressing table or any flat surfaces in your bedroom.
I want you to look around at any and all flat surfaces. Basically, we're targeting all those common dumping grounds like the bedside table, dressing table, top of chest of drawers, chair, etc.

Starting with one "hot spot" at a time, remove everything. Decide what you would like to keep there. Move all the other stuff to a box or basket in the meanwhile. Do not start putting these things away in the rest of the house - you'll get sidetracked!

Now organise the keepers. Do this same process for each of the other hot spots.

When you've done, you can then remove the box or basket and restore the other things to their rightful places, even if it's just to the laundry!

There - you're done. Now doesn't that feel good.

Week 4 – Declutter and organise your bathroom vanity and corners of bath.
A bathroom can be a place of peaceful tranquility or it can be a messy, cluttered space. And you don't have to have a big bathroom to have it feel peaceful. Trust me - I have one of the smallest bathrooms in the world so I know what I'm talking about (when I figure out the digital camera, I will show you what I mean).

Is your bathroom vanity cluttered with lots of stuff - knick knacks, soaps, toothbrushes and toothpaste, etc, etc? See if you can't mount a holder on the wall to use up some of that vertical space.

Get a rubbish bin and look in that bathroom cupboard. Throw out all old medicines, shampoos, anything you're not using. You can donate some things like the shampoo you used once and don't like, and the old medicines must just be thrown out.

Decide to use your bath salts, bath oils and so on or give it to someone who will use it. When you remove all these things from the corner of your bath, you can finally see all the dust that has gathered there. If you do have a decorative bottle, wash off the dust and wipe it down.

This challenge won't take you longer than 20 minutes but it is going to make you feel so good! You can reward yourself by having a nice, long, bubble bath (men too)!

***introducing something new***
If you're seriously doing these challenges, then please take before and after pictures, and send them to me. I'll post the best ones on the blog to encourage the rest of the subscribers.

Spring has sprung!

Happy Spring Day!

Spring is the time of new beginnings, new growth and a new start!Even though the weather (here in Johannesburg) isn't really co-operating with the change of season, no reason for us not to start celebrating this new season.

Clutter stifles your creativity and the flow of any good things (like money, relationships, opportunities, etc.) into your life.

Think about which areas of your life are cluttered:
- your desk...
- your cupboards...
- your debts!
- your car...
- your garage...
- your to-do list...
- your relationships...

Don't get overwhelmed!
I want you to think about which areas you're not happy about and then jot down a few notes. Do it now.....I'll wait....

Right, now that you've made a list, it's time to take action.
Just do one thing every day for 15 minutes. If you do this every day in September, just imagine how much you can get done. (I made a business to-do list so I'll be doing this along with you).

If you need help, go here. Bookings close for the Houghton workshop on Wed 6th September. Don't delay.

I will send out the monthly newsletter this weekend and also give you some testimonials from tomorrow's Organising Workshop. Also, look out for more information on Discovering Yourself early next week.

I'm only doing one of these workshops and then we're jetting off to Thailand!

Here is our travel blog if you're interested -

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love and success
Marcia Francois
www.takechargesolutions.org

Get more done!

The One-Minute TIP - http://www.philiphumbert.com/TIPS

The twin secrets to getting more done are clarity and a sense of urgency.

When the phone rings and company is coming in 20 minutes, it's amazing how much cleaning can get done!

When you know exactly what you're trying to achieve, and know it must be done today, the same principle applies!

Never let "Murphy's Law" that work expands to fill the time available apply to you.

Have a sense of urgency about making those calls, getting those sales, finishing your most important projects.

Be a person of ACTION! Git 'er done!