“Diving Right In” – Phase II (Test the System)

Posted on April 30, 2012 by Candy S | 6 Comments

I decided to back-up and re-group and NOT try to name all the phases of organizing. I will stick with the name that works, “Dive Right In” and not make the process too complicated (no more contests for a while :-()… although I may try to stay with a water theme.

I started small with my project (as we all should) and worked under my bathroom sink. I had to separate my personal items from my cleaning items. Fortunately, my bathroom has two (2) sinks, so I didn’t need have to get my husband’s input, but I probably need to know what IS under his sink.

BEFORE

AFTER

You can buy small organizing tools along the way, like this little basket. But there is no need to buy unnecessary items.

Now if you have the CASH, then GO FOR IT!!!

After the project is complete, we need to develop a road map, NOT literally. But at least, we should have a general idea of what all the items are in the space. Take others on a tour of the new “organized” space, so that they know where everything is.

IKEA.COM

Now understand that NO organizing system is cast in stone, it continues to evolve. A system is meant to continue to improve and become more effective, the more you use it…..

Phase III – What’s Next!

lagwar.com

Now that we have a rhythm going, let’s go to the next space, using the same process. I am sure that we have made modifications along the way and adjustments based on “Lessons Learned”. With each new space, the process becomes easier and easier.

Once you have a “basic” organizing system developed, you can just “roll with the flow”!

Now this is VERY IMPORTANT, you have to live in the space and things are going to get out of place. Do NOT create a system that you can’t live with. Just don’t allow the clutter to build and get out of control.

NEXT POST:

We need a maintenance process and we need EVERYONE involved, including the kids.

Frugal Organizing Series – Under the kitchen sink (divyabalasubramanya.wordpress.com)

“Blog Chill Day 7”

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Candy S | 4 Comments

ETSY.COM

WOW !! times two (2)

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Candy S | 16 Comments

I am simply overwhelmed by how far my little blog has come in such a short period of time. I hit an all-time high of “86 hits” on 4/13 (not sure why) and things have really taken off since then ~~by my definition~~…. and now my friend, Beckie, over at CuzIsaidSo has nominated me for Versatile Blogger!! This again is truly an honor to be recognized by one of your fellow blogger, who simply enjoys what you write. Thanks so much, CuzIsaidSo. By the way, Happy Belated Birthday!!!! Not sure how I missed it. I must be behind on my reading again. 🙂

Now seven (7) random unknown facts:

1. I was the tallest person in my first grade class, I believe that included the teacher. My dad came home and laughingly shared that fascinating fact with my mom (in my presence)….

2. When I was maybe 8 or 9, I was mugged for my Halloween candy. Two teenager boys simply knocked me down and made me scratch my knee. sob!

3. In my much younger days, I wanted to skydive…. Luckily I came to my senses before it was too late. My husband often says that he just doesn’t understand why anyone would want to jump out of a perfectly good plane.

4. By the way, my husband is 6’8″, which is why we have 6’3′ and 6’4″ tall daughters, respectively. Thus, The Junoesque Blog!

5. I love murder mysteries,the old ones; Sherlock Holmes, The Thin Man, Murder She Wrote, Colombo, etc.

6. I too love cartoons and my old favorite is Scooby Do and my new favorite is Phineas & Ferb.

7. My daughter calls me a “Shark”, because I will ride around and around a parking lot to find the closest parking space.

Now 15 fellow bloggers that also deserve the nomination and honor!

http://trthomp.com/2012/04/25/251/ ** – Shares God’s Word, new blog for me, but inspiring
http://nestdesignstudio.wordpress.com/ – Extraordinary pictures
http://writingstraight.com/ – Holly is a true author!
http://thebeinspiredproject.wordpress.com/ – Name speaks for itself
http://mqinspiringthoughts.wordpress.com/ – Truly thought-provoking
http://dangerouslyorganized.wordpress.com/ – Need I say more??
http://hipncreative.wordpress.com/ – Another “hip” organizer, with other interesting tips about FOOD!
http://feminolceinspired.wordpress.com/ – Young Inspiration
http://nissiknows.wordpress.com/ – Helps others, especially young women to feel good about themselves
http://verticaltales.wordpress.com/ – Excellent poetry and just stuff to live by
http://angelashella.wordpress.com/ – Fantastic songstress with other interesting facts
http://anissasadventures.wordpress.com/ – Spiritual Food
http://theunderestimatedmom.com/ – a lot about family, thus the title
http://aypee.wordpress.com/ – Check out the snake on his cover page
http://agirlandherbrush.wordpress.com/ – She shares her life journey with beautiful art work

Now that you have been nominated, you have to share 7 unknown facts about yourself and then nominate 15 other bloggers for the award.

By the way, I also needed an alternative for the “Liebster Award”, to replace Source of Inspiration, who unfortunately or fortunately (depending on how you look at it) has too many followers.

So my new nomination is:

http://meantforsomethingbetter.com/2012/04/25/thanks-and-do-i-have-to/ – Shares her life concerns, but understands that there is a purpose.

The Liebster Blog Award Rules:

1.Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.

5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

Liebster Blog Award – WOW!!

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Candy S | 14 Comments

I want to THANK with my whole heart, my new friend, Julie for nominating me for the Liebster Blog Award. Julie helped me with the definition of “Liebster”, which means “dearest”! It is such an honor to have a fellow blogger to think so highly of your blog and I really appreciated it.

Please visit Julie over at Butterfly Julz! As soon as you open the blog page, you immediately feel the serenity, peace and inspiration of the butterflies. Perfect Place to go after a hard, stressful day!

Now for my nominations:

http://createabeautifullife.com/ – The name speaks for itself

http://tadams4u.wordpress.com – A good laugh is like medicine

http://lizmason.wordpress.com/ – Speaks to your spirit

http://thebettermanprojects.wordpress.com/ – He is truly on a mission

http://patcegan.wordpress.com/ – A true “Source of Inspiration”

The Liebster Blog Award Rules:

1.Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who presented the award to you.
3. Copy and paste the blog award on your blog.
4. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 5 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed.

**Special note: I have already broken the rule, if this doesn’t apply to you, let me know (Pat and others)**

5. Let them know they have been chosen by leaving a comment at their blog.

It pays to allow the Lord to Order Your Steps….

What a Great Day!

Congratulations on 3 Whole Months!!

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Candy S | 16 Comments

co2partners.com

While I was running my “Name the Phase” contest, My blog and I celebrated Our 3^rd Anniversary!!! A LOT has happened over the past three (3) months. It really doesn’t seem like it has been 3 months.

So let’s go back a little further and recap what has happened….

I wrote down my dream for Order Your Steps in August, 2010.
I made it official when I registered the name of my new business / ministry in Sept., 2011
I applied for early retirement from Xerox in Nov., 2011 (based on a buy-out that was offered that I became eligible for on Sept. 20th of the same year!)
I officially retired on December 30, 2011, after 32 years with Xerox.
I wrote my first blog post on January 10, 2012

Believe it or not, I was not a social networker (is that the correct term?), I didn’t even have a Facebook account until last year. But I now have a Facebook page (with the help of my daughter). Please stop by and take a look and I hope you “LIKE” it. I have Facebook fans from all over the US. I have a new website and a blog, which is my favorite. I had always said that at some point I would write a book about my life ~~(kinda jokingly)~~ and I am sure that this is the closest that I will get at the moment. But I was reminded after I read another blog, that my life is now open for the entire world to see. People from many different countries have read about me. Places like UK, New Zealand, Australia, etc. I have exceeded 1700 hits, which is a LOT for me. My daughters have a blog, The Junoesque and they have about 6 times as many hits for the same timeframe, but I don’t care…LOL!! After the first few weeks, I must admit that I wasn’t sure if I had an audience, but for true, it really didn’t matter. This was for me and I am truly, truly enjoying writing my posts. I have almost 90 blog followers and I have over 100 Likes…. AWESOME!

I started my blog by sharing just a few tidbits of my Order & Chaos in Corporate America. Now, three (3) months later, the favorite post was “Life Lesson”. Xerox has been such a HUGE part of my life. Then I transitioned into Life after Xerox and “Order Your Steps”, the order out of chaos, into the world of organization. Your favorite “Organizing” post was “Thought from a Cluttered Mind”. For some, I am still trying to get everyone (men & women) to grasp the concept that disorder, clutter, being unorganized, etc…. does create stress, added fatigue and frustration to our lives every day. But I am going to keep working at it!

rentittoday.com

By any chance, do you know this person? ….. Where did all this junk come from?

I need a change quick! Will organizing my closet really change my life?

I am so stressed!

I am Living My Dream, doing something that comes natural to me … organizing is my gift and my passion. I have an opportunity each and every day to help people to actually change their lives.

This has been quite a journey so far and it has only just begun!

wednesdaynightservice.com

“Blog Chill Day 6”

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Candy S | 7 Comments

http://www.maxnocz.tumblr.com

“Dive Right In” – Step 2

Posted on April 18, 2012 by Candy S | 4 Comments

For the past two (2) weeks, I had committed my blog to the contest and as my friend over at “Laughing at Everyday Life” said, once you are committed, you have to see it through. Needless to say, it didn’t exactly turnout the way I had liked, but I got a great name nonetheless. Again, I want to say “Congratulations, Cheryl” at Create a Beautiful Life, for the name “Dive Right In” for Phase 1 of Organizing. I never really know what the Lord has planned, especially if it don’t happen the way I think it should.

Let’s get back to Organizing… Now that we have completed Step 1 and we have gathered the input from the other members of the household about how to best utilize the space that we have identified, then we are ready to move on to Step 2…

It is imperative that we touch every item in the space. ~~NO Really! Don’t Assume.~~ I can hear you now, “I know everything in this space and I need to keep everything in it”. ~~NOT!~~ You should determine if you really need /want to keep an item, throw it away or if it belongs in another space.

Once we have decided what is going to stay in the space and or potentially what items that may be added to the space, we want to develop an organizing system that will maximize all usable space. Everything must have its proper place. We need to be able to find the item(s) and be able to direct someone else to the item, if necessary. Again, it would be great if all members would participate in the process but that is not always feasible. But if you decide to do it yourself, you don’t want “Candy, Where is my _______?”, ~~which you will probably get anyway!~~ Keep in mind that after the project is finished, we will still need their support to maintain it.

Now I am sure that you may have already decided, this is just TOO much work!!! But remember, once you have made up your mind to “Get Organized”, you have to “Dive Right In”. As I said in an earlier post, I am over-emphasizing the steps of the process, so that we do an effective job organizing our space and yet it doesn’t overwhelm us along the way. Clutter did not just happen overnight, so it will take time to get things back in order. We must think through the entire project, so that we avoid becoming extremely frustrated, especially if our space begins to look like it did before we started.

Now that we have completed “Dive Right In”, we can decide if you really need to buy something and what it might be….

Music to Organize By!

Un-clutter your Mind, Spirit and Space…