It's Not Just the Product, it's the Process

Any of you that have followed my blog for any length of time have, no doubt, heard me refer to something that Laura over at the Org Junkie has said, written, or done.  She is probably the biggest online Organizing Icon that I am aware of.

Well, friends, I'm going there again.  As you know, I am a Founding Consultant with Clever Container and we have a few mottos that I am all too proud to repeat.  One is "Organizing Just Got Fun", and the other is "It's Not Just the Products, it's the Process"

Well, ealier this month, Laura went into detail about the PROCESS.  She cleverly uses the word as an acronym and really spells out and clarifies the organizing process in a well thought through way.  Throughout the various steps, Laura provides links to earlier posts of hers in which she delves in even deeper to that particular component of the process.  Brilliant.  Really.  You really need to make the time to read this through.  Follow the link by clicking the picture and go to her site to read through.  Make sure to click through the links and read the details that lie therein.  You won't be sorry.

(http://orgjunkie.com/2012/01/the-organizing-process-is-your-force-use-it.html)

While you are at her blog, check out The Challenge.  I think I'm going to participate.  I think I'll get my laundry room organized.  Let me know if you decide to join The Challenge too!  Post a comment below.

Hurry, though.  The Challenge begins on February 1st.

More CLEVER Tips

A good friend shared this link on Facebook and I just have to share it with my readers.  There are SO many great tips here, so don't waste another minute, go HERE to check it out.

What kind of tips?  Well, there are tips for culling strawberries, storing extra bed sheets, sending apples in your kids lunches without them turning brown. . . and that is all just in the first few tips.

Traveling with kids

Tips for Traveling With Children

Thinking about traveling used to conjure up thoughts of white sandy beaches and relaxation.  That was before I became a mommy.  Now, even getting to our destination can hold its own set of challenges!  I often return from a trip feeling like a need a vacation!  I know that you moms out there are giving me an “Amen” right now.  Perhaps these tips can make your next trip a tad more enjoyable for you!

Pack light: Bring only the essentials. The more you bring, the more you have to keep up with and the heavier the bags. Think through the last several trips you took.  It has been my personal experience that we do not use all of the outfits that I’ve packed.  Try to keep things to a minimum.  Additionally, if you are traveling with small kids, you might also require a lot of “other” things like a car seat, a stroller, a play pen or some type of temporary crib, a high chair or booster seat. Before you assume that you have to take all of your own items along with you, check out this cool site www.babysaway.com where you can rent gear instead of packing it all.  Also, some car rental companies rent child safety seats and some hotels offer childproof rooms or cribs upon request. (In making travel arrangements for my boss, I have noticed that Enterprise gives the option to include a child car seat).  Call ahead.

Expect the unexpected: I know, it sounds like I’m contradict my first tip, but it is also important to make sure you have plenty of what you need in your carry-on: diapers, wipes (which are great for a multitude of things), medications, change of clothes, snacks, and a new coloring book or quiet game that they have not yet encountered – promising to provide a small repreave for you (and others around you!)

On the back of tip 2, I’m going to reiterate. . . bring quiet toys and games with you: Be sure to bring something to keep everyone entertained, but don’t forget the all important things like headphones!  You and everyone else will be glad you did. Consider having a bag or backpack for each child, in which they can carry with their chosen toys, books, etc.

Flying?: Two things that you need to be aware of.  First of all, your own car seat does NOT count as checked luggage on any airline – and you will not be charged. Second, if you have a child under the age of two, then he/she technically doesn’t need a paid seat on the plane.  You can save money this way, but be aware that the trade off is that this little one will need to be on yours (or daddy’s) lap for the duration of the trip. . . so it might be worth purchasing a seat.  That’s your call.

Seek out restaurants where kids eat free:  This can mean an enormous saving for a larger family (like ours – six children!)  Children are many times too excited or tired to eat much at a time. There are often also many restaurants that offer a free meals for one or two of your children with the purchase of an adult meal on different days of the week.

Bring your own stroller. I know. . . I told you to see if you can rent a stroller in an earlier tip, but in this tip, I’m referring to times that you and your family are going to visit theme parks or that type of destination.  If you have to rent them at the destination, it can cost you anywhere from $7 to $30 (for a double) a day in rental fees!

Bring along individual refillable water bottles. These can be refilled at the hotel and at restaurants around your destination. A family of four could easily spend $20 or more a day just buying water.

The most important tip of all is to be flexible. Lines will be long, traffic will be heavy, flights will be delayed and children (and adults) will get grumpy. But with just a little planning and an open mind, you’ll survive and enjoy another family vacation.  This is going to be another great memory for you and your children!

Get Your (home or work) Office In Order!

Getting your office in order can be the difference between a holiday that has your harried and hurried and a holiday season that you can enjoy. If you have gotten severely off TRACK (hence, the picture of a train) in maintaining order to your desk area, try a few (or all!) of the following tips to help put you back in control.

First - Clear out your desk and files.

This will be the longest task of this whole project, but is necessary and will make a huge difference. Think of it more like you are making room for those exciting new projects that you have been putting off. Oh!, for this I would recommend checking out your local resources to see if there are any shredding trucks coming to various events in your neighborhood. A good friend of mine recently told me about a truck that was up at the farmers market a few blocks from her house for about 3 hours on Saturday. Once you have thrown out what you can, you will be surprised at how motivated you become to start working on all those projects. It is also usually quite interesting to see what else you come across too – that missing CD, your passport, your child’s kindergarten picture. Fun times!

Second – Create “Homes for your Resource information.

Paper is a problem for many. Keeping track of the bills or receipts isn’t usually the challenge (hint: file it). Keeping track of the junk mail isn’t a challenge (hint: throw it out!) Still, this is one are that I constantly get questioned about. So what “papers” have people confused? I think it most likely that it is information. You know, those important pieces of information that you come across daily. So, how do keep that kind of information in order? Simply put - create a Resource “home” using a 3-ring binder file. You can print out articles that you come across while surfing or any emails that you may need to refer to again; you can cut out useful magazine articles; you can store newsletters, circulars or magazines. In fact use your resource binder to store anything that you will want to keep and refer to again! Use divider cards so that you can easily access resources on a particular topic.

It would be neglectful of me not to address the clutter that can accumulate on your computer at this point as well, so here is my “home” for resource information on your PC: Store all those downloaded documents and create folders within your folder (also known as subfolders) with each relating to a specific topic. Additionally, take advantage of the bookmark feature on your web browser. You can also create folders and subfolders in your favorites folder. Email me if you would like me to send you specific instructions on how to create folders and subfolders online or offline, I’d be happy to assist you!!

Third - Get back in touch with your contacts

Now's a good time to update your client and contact database. It's easy to let things slip, and again, I’m going to state that we have all been guilty of this type of thing at one time or another, so cut yourself a break – but still resolve to make a change. Drop your friends, family, clients, customers, team members, whatever the case is for you . . . send them a personal note or email and make sure that the information you currently have for them is up-to-date -- and this will ensure that your information is accurate when you come to send those all-important Christmas greetings!

Fourth – Have a website? Get it listed in as many places as possible!

Update your directory listings; get entered on new industry directories; check backlinks -- set up a spreadsheet to keep track of all of this.

Fifth - Get your finances organized

I know, you'd probably prefer to do anything but organizing your receipts, however, this is time well spent! Now's the time to drag out all those business receipts and get your bookkeeping system back on track! The more accurate and organized your finances are laid out all throughout the year, the more painfree your tax filing time will be. . . in fact for many, this critical discipline can be the difference between having to pay the government or having the government sending you a check!

Follow these simple tips and you'll soon have your (home or work) office back on track!

Suggestion for a related Clever Container product:

Baby Steps to Decluttering . . .

As I grow older and our home and my family seems to have stuff that just multiplies on its own, I have a new appreciation for simple and for minimalistic living. You can appreciate, I'm sure, that living in a single family home with my mother, my husband, and our six children, there is lots of "things". These things are in every room of my house and it seems like I will never have it all where I want it. This brings me to address that topic of feeling overwhelmed, specifically feeling overwhelmed by 'stuff'.

When decluttering, it is important to resist the urge to "get it all done now". Many people feel that they need to see significant results in order to find an activity worthwhile. That isn't the case. If you work on decluttering in baby steps, it will still happen, and you will not burn out before accomplishing all that you had hoped to do. Seriously, just take about 15 minutes and just declutter one shelf. When that shelf is cleared off and tidy, celebrate!! Then you can set off to do another shelf, perhaps waiting until the next day. Homes with a lot of clutter can seem so overwhelming, and it is easier just to continue to put it off. Instead of throwing in the towel, just break the project down into steps.

The next step would be to clear it all off! Yep, get everything out of that drawer all at once, or all of the contents off of the shelf, as it may be. It feels so nice to get it empty. . . so, transfer all the contents of the drawer or all of the items off the shelf and put them in a bin or a box or even just on the floor. Just make sure that you get it cleared out and then clean it up. Get the corners cleaned out and all. Finally, go through the contents that came off the shelf or out of the drawer and sort it out – only putting back what you really want to keep. Only really be picky. Only keep your treasures. As questions as you go through things – do I love this, do I need this, could someone else appreciate having it more than me, does it serve a purpose? The trick is to make very quick decisions. Having a garbage bag and a donation bag right there so you can just move, move, move. So pick up your first item and think: throw away, give away, or keep. If it is a keeper, the only thing left to consider is whether or not the current location is the best home for it. Whatever you do, don't put things back into the pile, just force yourself to make a quick decision.

Continue to do this daily and you will see results. You ARE making improvements and you are taking steps to improve the quality of life in your home. The very smallest tasks can yield some very big results – especially with your attitude and sense of accomplishment. So, put that chin up and resolve to 'just get this one thing done' and then when that is done . . . . just do the next thing. :-)

Keep Your Home In Order

One question I get often is "how do you keep up with your home while homeschooling your children?"

This brings me to September's Organizing Challenge: Keep Your Home in Order.

First of all, lower your standards. Yes, I'm serious. Perfection is not, or rather, it should not be your goal. Having things in good enough order that you can welcome a guest into your home without dying of embarassment is the goal. Don't shoot for getting your home featured in Home and Garden magazine.

Next, plan out your system. Set up simple home management routines. You should have strategies in place for shopping, for cooking, for taking care of the laundry, and for keeping your home clean (enough).

This is important! Make sure to get your children helping out too! Housework is a part of life, whether we like it or not, and should be part of what we teach our kids. The home you dwell in is everyone's responsibility – and all should take a part in helping out. Your older kids can help watch the younger ones to free you up to focus on another area. You can send an older teen out to do the shopping, and give him/her real life experience in bargain shopping and economics. While it is sometime a challenge to go through the training necessary to have the children help out, it is well worth the investment.

Finally, always be on the look-out for new or creative ways to save time and money with your processes. Learn to do home management chores the modern way.

Feels Great to Purge! and Menu Plan Monday

Oops.  I didn't get my meal plan up until just now.  Wow, today I was totally sidetracked from my routine.  My plan is at the bottom of the post (again, thanks to Stolen Moments!)  I did the best I could to keep the kids on track with schoolwork, but I really got "lost" in organizing the front room and the little kids' room.  Once I started, I couldn't find a good point to leave it until later - and I was really motivated.  I filled two large bags with things that I dropped off at a local Amvets drop off location and I filled about 1 full bag of garbage.  It feels great.  I also am almost caught up with laundry.  The clean laundry table is full to the brim and I intend to weed out any clothing that doesn't deserve a spot in the newly cleaned out closet and drawers.  Feels great! 


As great as it feels now to have two rooms of my house totally cleared of clutter . . . everything is in its place. . . tomorrow I have to get my head back into 'business'!  I have numerous Clever Container calls I am looking forward to making.  There is a lot of new interest after the holiday break.  I have 8 people to call back about hosting and/or the opportunity.  Woo-hoo.  I love it!!  I am also very excited about listening in on several training teleconference calls this month.  Have I mentioned that I am leading the Opportunity Call again on the 19th of this month - I was so nervous the first time I led an opportunity call.  Email me if you are interested in listening in to learn more about the business opportunity.  What do you have to lose besides clutter?!?  :-)


How about you?  How has your new year started out?  Start with one closet, or one drawer. . . once you get that momentum, it will spur you on!

Now, for food this week:

Monday's Dinner
Brown's Chicken (thanks Mom! - I was seriously sidetracked from everything, including making dinner!)


Tuesday's Dinner
Almond Chicken Stir-Fry
Rice

Wednesday's Dinner
Pork Chili Verde
Biscuits (D)


Thursday's Dinner
Ground Beef Stroganoff
Egg Noodles
Peas

Friday's Dinner
Spaghetti
Green Beans

Saturday's Dinner
Bacon Breakfast Casserole (made ahead - I'll be doing a Clever Container show!)
Cinnamon Apples

Sunday's Dinner
Polish Sausage
Cheese Baked Veggies