January 2011 Workshop
The first thing you need to do is
Identify YOUR Clutter Personality.
Which one are You??
The stasher- this individual is surface clean, but open their closets or cupboards and watch everything fall on your head!
The packrat- this is the ultimate hoarder! They hold on to everything for like fifty years. “I might need that someday.” Or “so and so gave that to me.” (then they display it when that person comes to visit)
The messy- these people make messes wherever they go. You can find them just by following their clutter path.
The procrastinator- quite often a perfectionist, this individual is afraid of not doing it right, so they don’t do it at all. Or they are waiting for the right time, or the perfect organizing tools, and… well you get the picture. It never happens.
Simple Steps to Organize Your Life
Assess the situation- Walk outside your front door, close it and take a deep breath. Now pretend you are someone else, and this is your first visit here. Open the door and begin walking through the house, seeing it through different eyes. Go ahead, snoop! Look through closets & cupboards. What do you think? Be honest now!
Purge- pick a room. Then choose a drawer or closet. Remove everything, and sort into piles.
1. Throw away
2. Put away
3. Give away
4. Sell
5. Keep
To keep or toss? Ask yourself, “Does it enhance my life or the life of others?”
If you answer no, then toss it.
Put back only the things that you love!!!
If it takes 60 seconds or more to decide, toss it.
Organize- Now that you have freed up space, it’s time to organize! Use common sense, put things where you will need them. Be creative, use boxes, crates, buckets, and baskets to organize. Find a home for every homeless thing, and then you never have to waste time trying to find it.
Maintain- easier to keep up, than catch up. Periodically purge throughout the year. Make the decision NOT to bring something into the house, and you won’t have to make the decision about what to do with it later.
Helpful Organizing Websites & Blogs:
www. Flylady.net
http://declutteryourhomes.blogspot.com/
http://orgjunkie.com/
http://creativeorganizing.typepad.com/
http://diyorganization.com/
http://organisingtips.blogspot.com
Lori’s Tips & Tricks on organizing your time: -
1) Whenever a paper with a date and time comes home from school, church, sports, practices, etc. I immediately write it and all of the fine details on the family calendar, then I toss the paper. That way we don't have paper clutter anywhere and we always remember where we are supposed to be and at what time. This way, I am never left trying to find a practice schedule 10 minutes before practice starts, or trying to find that little primary paper that tells what talk a child has to give on Sunday.
2) Delegate responsibility to your children. No, the chores may not be done perfectly at first, but keep teaching them. If you give them some ownership in the role of keeping the house clean and tidy, it will eventually cut your organizational time in half and give your children a good work ethic.
3) I sit down once a month for a couple of hours and plan out my menus for the entire month. Then I take a night where my husband can watch the kids and I go grocery shopping. I get a lot of comments from people at the grocery store when they see my cart, but it saves me time and money all month long. Rather than trying to come up with something to cook every night and running to the store for last minute ingredients, I have a list of 30 dinners that I have items for already at home.
4) Every week, I write a to-do list and post it in a visible place. First, I write the days of the week and fill in the blanks for the things I need to do that week that are date specific, ie. visiting teaching on Tuesday, Ian to preschool on Thursday, Tanner student of the day presentation on Friday, etc. Next, I write my weekly to-dos. These are items that aren't specific to any particular day, but need to be done for the week, ie, laundry; bathrooms, pay bills/ balance check book, etc. Next, I write some long term goals. I may not get to these this week, but if I find that I have extra time then I work on them, such as scrapbooking, painting a room, organizing a closet or space, etc. And finally, but most importantly, I write a list of my "want to-do's" for the week. It is essential to make time in the week to do something that I want to do, or else I get burned out and bummed out. I have to write my want to-do's down or else they don't become a priority.
House Keeping Survival Tips
"Always keep several get well cards on the mantle... So if unexpected guests arrive, they will think you've been sick and unable to clean."
Is your life in disarray? Do you have trouble finding things? Do you constantly forget stuff? If so, don’t worry — you’re like most of the human population.
Disorganization is a natural state of order..
If you have a desire to get organized, here are some great organization tips to get you started…
Tips from a few of our Sisters-
Mary Putnam- If you’re out of swiffer pads, or just don't want to buy them anymore, a wash cloth works too! With a spray bottle of water or cleaner.
For grease stains use mixture of 1 part ammonia, 1 part Wisk liquid laundry soap, and 2 parts water. Put in spray bottle and spray away. Usually works the first time, but sometimes needs 2 treatments. It used to work on grass stains from soccer and boys jeans.
Linda & Holly Davis- We have horrible hard water here in Rigby, we use Lemi Shine with our dish detergent in our dishwasher and it takes hard water spots off your dishes like nothing else! (you can find it at Broulims or Walmart)
When I'm having a get together I have folders w/the guest list, invites, recipes I'm making for it & a grocery list. Then I'm not searching through cookbooks & what not.
A woman who is AMAZING at cleaning taught me this. Do one room at a time and have a big basket or something for things you want to put in another room. Then you just drop it in the basket and put it all away after instead of running all around while you're trying to clean.
Wreatha Stephens-Two things that I have learned through sharing with sisters in RS that have made my life easier are.
1. Cheap hairspray will take out ink and permanent marker from fabric.
Just spray, rub until the ink looks like it is smearing. If it is clothes
launder immediately, if it is furniture, scrub with soapy water and a
sponge while hairspray is still wet.
2. Keep your finances in order all year with 1/2 hour of work. You will
need 15 - 20 file folders, a marker pen, and a box wide enough to hold
the files upright (you may need to wad newspaper, or use a smaller box
behind the files to hold them in place for the first six months.) Write
the name of each month and the current year on a separate file folder,
write one for deductible donations, one for medical receipts and
correspondence, one for house payment stubs, one for bank statements
and ATM receipts (I use two - January to June and July to December),
one for car and/or life insurance receipts, and one for pay check stubs.
Set the box where you set your handbag or pay your bills. As you
return from the store, or when you pay a bill drop it in the file for the
month or the specific file for that item. When you have to return
something you will easily find the receipt. When there is a question
about whether you have paid your medical bill, you can take to the
doctor your medical folder. Tithing settlement is easy just add up the
receipts in your donation file to compare with the ward record. If your
computer crashes, losing your financial records; you have a back up at
little cost to you. At the end of the year close up the box, write the year
on it and put it with your storage. Then if you are ever audited by the
IRS you can pull it off the self and the information is all together. I have
heard that you need to keep financial records at least 5 years, preferably
7 to 10 years.
Shortcuts for 10 Household Chores
Dusting Try dusting cloth lampshades with a lint roller. It works quickly and effectively without the hassle of a vacuum. Slip an old unmatched sock on your hand and dust as you go.
Windows and Mirrors Use old newspapers to clean mirrors and windows. You'll have a great disposable cleaning rag and be recycling at the same time. Vinegar is an inexpensive easy cleaner that can be used on windows and mirrors. To prevent streaking and extra rubbing, wait for an overcast day to clean your mirrors and windows.
Cleaning Out the Microwave Bring a cup of water to boil in the microwave, the steam will help loosen dried on particles making them easily wiped away.
Scrubbing the Toilet Put toilet cleaner in the toilet to soak while you wipe down the outside. The inside dirt and stains will be loosened and more easily cleaned.Buy a drop-in toilet cleaner dispenser, to increase the time between needed cleanings.
Cleaning Out the Refrigerator. Briefly clean out trash and bad food each trash day morning. It only takes a few minutes to dump the stuff, and will clear out space to make cleaning easier. Use baking soda to wipe down the inside of the refrigerator. It scrubs and eliminates odors without damaging surfaces.
Cleaning Out the Oven. On nights when you get take out, take a few moments and spray the inside of the oven with oven cleaner. Then after dinner, or the next morning if your stains are tough, you’ll be able to wipe away the dirt and grime easily, without missing the use of your oven.
Filing Paperwork Make filing time coincide with a favorite show that you feel guilty for taking time to watch. Most filing can be done with little thinking, and you’ll get to watch your favorite show in the process. Sort the papers into categories based on your file names. Don’t forget to include trash. You’ll be surprised how much of the pile you won’t need to keep.
Washing Dishes Let the person who is in charge of washing the dishes, get to pick out dessert. When you begin cooking, run a sink of hot soapy water, and wash as you go. Food on dishes won’t have a chance to harden, and you’ll be that much ahead when the meal is done. Keep a supply of disposable plates, flatware, and cups. On nights when you’re overwhelmed by double-header Little League games on the same night as PTA, you won’t have to worry about dishes.
Lannon’s tips on Getting your finances in Order-
If you don’t have the $ DON’T buy it!
If you pay just 16% more on your mortgage you will cut your loan in half!
Lannon also suggested having a savings account that comes out of your pay check s for Chistmas, or family trips etc.
Payment Date _________________________
Tithing________________________________
Hold for House Payment__________________
State Farm Insurance_____________________
Kemper Insurance_______________________
Dish Network___________________________
Cell phones_____________________________
Transfers
Family Fund -02_________________________
Pocket Change
Piano Money -04
Payment Date___________________________
Tithing_________________________________
House Payment__________________________
Intermountain Gas________________________
Rocky Mountain Power____________________
Qwest__________________________________
Gymnastics_____________________________
Preschool_______________________________
Savings_________________________________
Kids____________________________________
-01_____________________________________
Christmas -03_____________________________
Our whole night was focused on the real reason we should try to be organized- not just to have an immaculate home, it’s to be able to have MORE time with the ones we love. It’s all about balance. Don’t get discouraged, what works for one sister might not necessarily work for you. No one is perfect. We all have unique home & family situations.
Just do the best you can, but be sure it is your very best! – Pres. Hinckley
:: Frugal & Fabulous :: Decorating on a Budget::
Blogs:
http://thriftyredisigne.blogspot.com/- Bri Harris’s AWESOME blog
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