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“Name Phase 1” Contest!

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Win a $50 eGift Card from The Container Store!

Announcing the “Name the Phase 1 of Organizing” Contest! 

We are looking for your ideas for the names of the phases of organizing.  We really want to drive more interaction among us ALL, so that we can support each other in our organizing endeavors and discover how much fun organizing can be….

Contest Rules:

Contest officially begins on Today, Monday, April 2.  We ask that you submit your names to the “Order Your Steps” Facebook page or through the Comments section of this Blog.  Names will NOT be accepted on my personal Facebook page, email or via any other medium. 

Please NO Profanity or Inappropriate Language! 

We will continue to take your name ideas until Monday, April 9 at midnight.   On the morning of April 10, we will publish the names that have been accepted and then we will vote on our favorite via Facebook or the Blog.  So Alert all your friends & family!

On Monday, April 16th, The Winner will be Announced!!!!!! 

The winner will need to give us your email address or facebook info to receive the eGift card.  Your information will ONLY be used for that purpose.

So what is a Good Name?

Please put on your creative thinking caps.

Good Luck!

Now what is Phase 1 of Organizing?

Phase 1 is when you decide in your mind and heart that you need to organize.  In most cases, organizing can be a big decision.  You have grown accustomed to the clutter and it just continues to be overwhelming and taking that first step can be very stressful.  So once you have made the decision and you are truly ready to start and stick with it, you are in Phase 1.  Then, I would suggest that you start with a small area. 

For example:  Under your sink  (kitchen or bathroom)  

 

“The Shredder”

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We talked last week about “what to do with the paper”.  After you have sorted through your paperwork, you will also need to throw things away.  If you are a fan of my “Order Your Steps” facebook page, I sent out a link from the Container Store called “Document Storage Guidelines”.   The most CRITICAL factor when discarding paper is your privacy and identity.  You want to be very careful not to give thieves access to your personal information (although with the Internet, you wonder just how private is private). … You want to have a “Shredder”.

 

DO NOT get a cheap one!  My husband, I mean “we” bought this one.  You can see the piles of “personal data” which needs to be shredded.  Now DON”T buy a shredder if you don’t intend on shredding the paper.  But once you invest in a Heavy Duty Paper Shredder, that you are going to use, I would suggest that you put it where you sort your mail and or your home office. 

When you get your mail out of the box, please do the following:

  • Toss the junk mail immediately.  Put it in your recycle bin, if applicable.
  • Put your personal stuff, i.e. the millions of credit card offers in your shredder or in a “to shred” bin (like the blue one).
  • Place the bills, letters or other mail that requires your attention in a designated place.  Establish a specific time to go through this mail, so that it DOES NOT PILE UP.  It can happen very quickly.

It is also my understanding that there are shredding companies that will pick up and or shred your paperwork at your home.  I believe that many charge “cents by the pound”.

There are a few other things to consider when you throw away paper, you want to make sure that you don’t have addresses, phone numbers, etc. hidden among your paper.  Lastly, you want to be prepared for Tax Time, which is closely approaching.  It is a lot better to prepare throughout the year.  You want to have a special “Tax File” to put anything pertaining to taxes, so that you are ready when Tax Season is here!

  April 15th is less than a month away….

 

 

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“Blog Chill Day”!

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I’ve decided to name Fridays, “Blog Chill Day” (primarily because I really don’t have a post for you today! 😦 )  Normally, when I first wake up, I get a flood of ideas for my blog, but today, NOTHING!  Besides, I have given you a LOT of information over the past few weeks, hopefully, some helpful and some simply entertaining. 

What I would like to share with you today are some of my idiosyncrasies, as a naturally organized person.  I have been trying to get my husband to share from his perspective, but he still refuses???  (except for me making up the bed on our honeymoon, which he shares every chance he gets :-)…. 

But just to name a few things about me, starting with couple of spots in the house…

BEFORE

 

AFTER

The Lazy Susan in the kitchen has to be straightened at least one or twice a day. OCD??

BEFORE

AFTER

The Table in my Family Room, too neat maybe??

***************** 

And then that are a few little things outside the home, especially in restaurants:

  • I have to straighten the appetizers, so that they are easier accessible to everyone.  Yes, I know that the table is only so big…
  • I have to put the salt and pepper shakers, condiments, etc. back to where they were
  • I put the packets of the various sugars in their proper order
  • I stack the empty dishes so that they are ready when the waitperson returns, but only in places like IHOP, Bob Evans, etc.  I try to resist in the finer restaurants.

AND That is enough for now …

Hope you enjoyed “Blog Chill Day”! 

Until Next Week, Enjoy your Weekend!

Organizing “System”

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I guess now you are wondering how do you develop an “Organized System”.  It is fairly simple, you have to arrange your “stuff”, so that you:

  • Know what you have 
  • You know where to find it, and
  • You can get to it fairly quickly. 

Normally, you organize “like” items; i.e., clothes, spices, paper,etc.   You have to decide what is the most efficient way to organize:

  • Height of the container
  • Size
  • Symmetrical (Be Creative)
  • Alphabetical order
  • Color
  • Etc., etc. etc.

Then, of course, you have to remember your “system”, SO KEEP IT SIMPLE!   For example, you may have all the “C” spices together.  It would be a bit ridiculous to have Chayenne pepper, Chili powder, then Cumin.  A little TOO much detail and Believe It or Not, you and your family would not be able to maintain it.  You want the people in your household to buy-in to your system, help develop the system and then they will be more likely to maintain it. 

 

 

Another example, would be organizing your clothes.  At first, it is imperative that you sort and purge (I know that I am beginning to sound like a broken record).  But, in order to get organized;

 

  1. You have to go through all your items
  2. Determine what you are going to keep
  3. What you are going to give away
  4. Then arrange what’s left in the most efficient manner that you can. 

You may organize by color, work versus casual, or simply tops and bottoms, suits, dresses, etc. 

Lastly, I will say that you also want to organize / arrange your stuff according to how often you use it.  The things that you use often should be on the lower shelves (or closer to the front) and those things that you very seldom use, can be on a higher shelf (or in the back).

Well enough rambling for now!

However, this would be a good time for you to ask me questions and let me know how I can help you with your particular organizing project.  Organizing can really be fun! 

More tips on Monday!  Don’t forget Daylight Saving Time!

My Epiphany(s)

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Epiphany Part I – Organizing is Not Difficult, but it is NOT Easy either!

 I am a born organizer, but organizing takes on a whole new dimension when you are doing it for a living.

First, I found myself, making sure that I am organized.  In my spare time (?), I tidied up my pantry and kitchen cabinets… No, I don’t have BEFORE pictures… Remember, I’m a Professional Organizer!  🙂  LOL!  Now if you are critiquing my degrees of “neatness”, please understand, TOO “neat” is almost impossible to maintain (unless you live alone).  Your space must be liveable.  You will just have to trust me on this one.  But don’t misunderstand, if you hire me and you want “neat”, I will give you whatever degree of “neat” you want.  🙂

When someone is paying you for a service, things change. It is no longer the way you think it should be, but now you have to determine what the customer wants and deliver it. Organizing is Not Difficult, but at times, tapping into what the customer wants & needs will not always be easy. This premise applies to you also. When you begin organizing, you will need to develop a “system” that you can sustain/maintain,  yet live with.  This applies to home, work and Life, in general.

Epiphany Part II –  It is not about what it looks like!

I am in the process of promoting my business and I was working with one of the on-line ad companies to increase the traffic to my website.  The representative was explaining to me how she could optimize my ad, however, she said, Well, you do know that the professional organizing industry is saturated.”   I didn’t comment, but it struck me.  Had I really retired and entered a market that had no potential?  The enemy loves to siege an opportunity to get you discouraged.  However, what I decided during my session of 2nd guessing myself again…. My Steps have been Ordered! … I must practice what I am preaching.  The “industry” will just have to make room for me.  I am passionate about Organizing and it goes WAY BEYOND “Organizing” in the traditional sense.  When I talk to anyone about my mission, my ministry, my vision for “Order Your Steps”; I get excited… my voice goes up at least an octave or two and my heart starts racing! 

“Order Your Steps” may not look like or feel like what “I” think it should be,  YET!… All I can say is that we will just have to wait and see what God has in store for me!

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