by Jennifer Farlin | Jul 16, 2015 | Organizing
Here we are ladies and gentlemen, to your left is ugly, to your right is does not match, behind us is what was I thinking, and upstairs is where the really rejected goes to hide. We are in the belly of the beast. Please, hold small children by the hand and stay with the group–this is no where to be alone.
We will be passing out garbage bags. Your job is to fill the bag with the broken and useless remains around you. Please do not multitask as the monsters around will vie for your attention rendering you paralyzed.
Once we finish we will be doing a second pass. Please follow the signs which will be visibly posted:
This is not a drill. I repeat this is the real thing. Please follow directions and we will all get through this together.
**************************************
Decorating Rut Part 1, Organizing and Fear
by Jen | Apr 20, 2015 | Organizing
Every Tuesday my kid’s elementary school sends the equivalent of one phone book’s worth of paper home with my kids. Times two. No, seriously. Actually they are the collection agency for “Lots of Paper Without Homes”, then they divide the paper by the students and send those papers home. Really. Ok, all joking aside, the school is actually a recycling plant for paper and they recycle millions of pounds a week using secret people and the kid’s backpacks.
25 sheets = 1 quire
500 sheets = 1 ream
1,000 sheets = 1 bundle
5,000 sheets = 1 bale
We should just familiar ourselves with these measurements so we can communicate more efficiently with one another. “I had about one bale in little Johnny’s backpack today.” “Oh, you did? We have been only getting 3 bundles lately.” “REALLY?! I heard that that other school is only sending home 2 quires!” “NO!” “YES!” “Stop it!” “I know, right?!”
My kids are in on it too. They take a piece of paper and scribble a line on it and tell me I need to keep it forever.
And then there is their finished school work. It feels wrong to throw it away. What if they need to reference it? What if the teacher asks me to recall an old assignment (which has happened.) And what if, horror, upon horror, my child feels his hard work is not valuable because he sees it in the garbage?
All parents know that Spring is to parents what Mother’s Day and Christmas are to postal workers…Paper Purgatory.
I have almost won it, or at least am putting on a good show. I will show you here.
If you are raging any kind of war on clutter it is important to understand two things.
One. That’s it. You can only have ONE step involved in dealing with it. If it has one step but it involves walking into another room then that becomes two steps, and you probably won’t do it. It has to take less than 3 seconds to manage it. Unless you are gifted in the art of living with minimal things and have lots of time and like complicated systems and have live in help…then this does not apply to you.
Two. It has to be in a container. Look I show you. (I’m drinking coffee. For those that read regularly you know that when I drink coffee I speak and sometimes write with a Colombian accent.)
Before
After
This was real time. I just did that. And when I was putting all the papers back, yes, I was stymied. I don’t know if I want to order a second set of school pictures, and I missed a deadline on something–is it too late? Does my son still plan on making me, and make us, make play dough from scratch using peanut butter? I better hold on to that piece of paper a bit longer. Am I signing them up for that summer camp or not? I already put all the sports schedules on the calendar but what if I need to double-check one? I better keep the hard copy the coach gave me. And is that book points reward coupon still redeemable? The point is they are all in one place looking purposeful until I have the presence of mind to act, or not.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s go back. And simplify.
One step to deal with it– and it must be contained. Purposeful clutter.
We have one hanging bin where my kids do homework where the homework in action is kept. Spelling words, unfinished homework, upcoming test prep. NOTHING else can go in it.
We have the stand up file pictured previously where the parent in action is kept.
Parent In Action
And then we have this:
The holding basket. EVERYTHING they finish goes in this basket which is hidden–finished art work (4 out of 10 times it is unfinished and I did not know this and they are looking for it to finish and I can smartly reply it is here instead of the garbage/lost/floating in middle distance on the kitchen counter) and finished homework. It’s the dead zone. Then when I feeling energetic I go through the basket and pull out what I want to keep as a memento, or what I want to give to Grandma. I “recycle” the rest except for any schoolwork that looks really important? I throw that back in the basket–if we haven’t needed it by the end of the school year then it will be “recycled” too. (I still keep random school work for their Memory Boxes–which is just a box in their closets separated inside by age/school year in extra large ziplock bags.)
There use to be a binder. But it didn’t take. There were folders inside for School, Sports, Church, etc… All the reference items were kept in it–school ID numbers, schedules, important dates. It involved 4 Steps to contain and I couldn’t deal with it. One to open the closet, two to get the binder, three to open the binder, four to put the paper in appropriate folder. Who has time for that? Now all that stuff goes into the stand up file where all the parent in action papers are. It’s a one step action.
Seriously, I am committed to abolishing paper clutter but I recognize my limitations. Time. And the paper is stronger and faster than I am. Sometimes there is a stray piece that just doesn’t fall into any one category and so I leave it on the counter in defiance of all that is important to me in the fight against this war, until my husband comes along and throws it away. God Bless Him.
If you liked this post: Displaying Kid’s Artwork, Organizing and Fear, The War on Clutter
by Jen | Jan 29, 2014 | How To, Life Reflections, Organizing
My dear friend Amy Volk, in Virginia Beach, has an amazing business and blog–Simplified Living. She writes about living better, and who can’t embrace that? I love her blog posts everyday but yesterday’s struck a huge ginormous YES! in me when I read it. I asked her if she would do a rerun over here and she said YES! So without further ado I would like to introduce Amy Volk. Make sure you stop by her blog and pay her a visit. You’ll be glad you did. Love to you Amy!
There are a lot emotions tied to organizing and getting organized. I’ve talked a lot about perfectionism and how paralyzing it is to getting organized, but the other insidious current lurking around is fear. Fear happens for many reasons and because I’m no therapist, I won’t even try to figure it out, but I do see it crop in my organizing sessions with folks.
Often when we acquire things, we feel good about having them. Over time, these things may or may not be useful, but still we feel safe having them, you know, just in case. The just-in-case reason can be rooted in fear of not having, not being prepared, not being in the know, or being unsure of the right decision. Whatever the reason, it stops us from letting stuff go even when our things no longer serve our life.
happinessseries
Here’s an example; say you have saved statements from bills for the past 8 years. You aren’t totally sure you need them but you hang on to them, just in case. So, you attempt to organize them (or not) and find room in your home, attic, or basement for 8 years worth of paper. But you don’t have room for 8 years worth of paper and it starts to pile up. Then I come along and ask you all sorts of questions like, “When is the last time you needed a statement? How would you find a statement you needed in these piles? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you didn’t have these statements?” And so on…
These kinds of questions can make you squirm if you’re living with fear. Because the worst thing might be that you won’t feel prepared or have to ask for help so it’s just safer to keep it all. Just in case.
This just-in-case reason is probably the single biggest hinderance to getting organized that I run across. It causes folks to keep or buy too much of everything that they need and then attempt to find a place to tuck it all away. There becomes a feeling of safety in having things, whether they are used or not.
wired.com
Today, I want you to look around your home and ask yourself these questions-
1. What do I have too much of?
Maybe it’s paper or clothing or food, but it also might be kitchen utensils, drawers of makeup and cosmetics, plastic grocery bags, or tools. The list is endless, but you know instinctually what you have too much of.
2. What is the worst thing that could happen if I let some of it go?
Could you purchase it again if you absolutely needed it? Could you retrieve it online? Could you ever have access to it again?
3. What is the best thing that could happen if I let some it go?
Would you have more space? Would you have less clutter? Would you be able to find other things easier?
Let me give you a quick story. We recently organized a gentleman who did newspaper crossword puzzles. Each day he would do the puzzle then wait for the next days paper to check his answers. He did this over and over and over and never threw any of them out. Why didn’t he throw them out? He was afraid he might want to look at them again and not have the answers. Did he ever look at them again? No, he had never done that. We talked about some solutions and he agreed to throw them all out, but it wasn’t an easy decision.
So, if you have identified something that you have too much of and you’re afraid to make a change, keep asking yourself the questions above. Also, use these Value Questions to help you more. Feeling afraid of change is OK. Letting fear stop you from making the changes you need is not OK. Feel afraid and do it anyway.
by Jen | Nov 27, 2013 | Organizing
by Jen | Nov 18, 2013 | How To, Organizing
Clutter
Oh. My. We moved into this house 3 1/2 months ago. I did so much purging and clutter delegation when we arrived. Our house is big. I am organized. I pick up and clean all the time. Why, oh why, Clutter have you taken over? Ok maybe not taken over but you are trying to stage a coup. I know your tricks. I have company coming. I am busy. Clutter leave me alone! You leave me no choice. I am sorry.
I’m not going to over think it. I’m just going to dump it.
So after 10 minutes this is what I came up with. I felt it was pathetic.
So I did another round. Which turned into 5 hours later…
Ok, it isn’t as impressive as it looks. And yet it is… Much of this is packing paper that I held onto for when I decided to do this….
…sort, sell, goodwill and purge my staging props. What you aren’t seeing are the boxes of things I am giving away to family…which are boxed and ready to leave my house!
What you also aren’t seeing are all the the things that were work related props that I decided to keep and are now smeared throughout my house… making MORE CLUTTER.
The upside is that after doing this for hours I started going nuts throwing things out of closets willy nilly to THROW AWAY.
I took no prisoners in the kid’s craft closet. The play doh is on the brink of joining this lot, but I am afraid of my 6 year old.
Did I inspire you or freak you out? I’m a little bit of both. Grab a garbage bag today and see what happens…
by Jen | Nov 4, 2013 | Fun Style, Happiness at Home, Life Reflections, Organizing
Is anybody having company for the upcoming Holidays? How about a nagging thing you really want to get done in your house before the end of the year?
Wait. OMG I just bored even me and I’m writing this.
Listen. I love decorating and even I get so bored reading about it. Let’s cut to the chase. It’s not about keeping up with the Jones’. It’s about living in a place that is an extension of ourselves. It’s about feeling good-and liking the skin we are in-the bricks and mortar we live in. Don’t be lazy. Don’t give up. Don’t live in a rat’s nest. Be a Nike ad and Just Do It. For crying out loud. Change your darn dining room light before you have the big dinner. Or pull down the vertical blinds (NO ONE SHOULD HAVE VERTICAL BLINDS EVER). Go to TJMaxx and buy 6 pillows to cover up your totally dated furniture. (Buy the pillows in matching pairs.). You have time. You have time to do one thing before the year ends. We can pretend you can get more than one thing done…but then there is all that OTHER stuff you have to do. So today is the day. Figure out what the one thing is and Just Do It. And don’t belittle it, man. It’s not bows and shiny stuff–home is where your soul rejuvenates.
In the immortal words of Nike.
“We’re all capable of a little more – a little faster, a little higher, a little stronger, a little more. And when we look at all of the little things we’ve done, we’ll see the big things we’re doing.
Where you wake up is where you start this day. Think I’m cheesy? This is what I woke up to when I was much more “young”. Push pinned to my wall right here. Still have it.
You were born a daughter.
You looked up to your mother.
You looked up to your father.
You looked up at everyone.
You wanted to be a princess.
You thought you were a princess.
You wanted to own a horse.
You wanted to be a horse.
You wanted your brother to be a horse.
You wanted to wear pink.
You never wanted to wear pink.
You wanted to be a Veterinarian.
You wanted to be President.
You wanted to be the President’s Veterinarian.
You were picked last for the team.
You were the best one on the team.
You refused to be on the team.
You wanted to be good in algebra.
You hid during algebra.
You wanted the boys to notice you.
You were afraid the boys would notice you.
You started to get acne.
You started to get breasts.
You started to get acne that was bigger than your breasts.
You wouldn’t wear a bra.
You couldn’t wait to wear a bra.
You couldn’t fit into a bra.
You didn’t like the way you looked.
You didn’t like the way your parents looked.
You didn’t want to grow up.
You had your first best friend.
You had your first date.
You had your second best friend.
You had your second first date.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You got kissed.
You got to kiss back.
You went to the prom.
You didn’t go to the prom.
You went to the prom with the wrong person.
You spent hours on the telephone.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You fell in love.
You lost your best friend.
You lost your other best friend.
You really fell in love.
You became a steady girlfriend.
You became a significant other.
YOU BECAME SIGNIFICANT TO YOURSELF.
Sooner or later, you start taking yourself seriously. You know when you need a break. You know when you need a rest. You know what to get worked up about and what to get rid of. And you know when it’s time to take care of yourself, for yourself. To do something that makes you stronger, faster, more complete.
Because you know it’s never too late to have a life. And never too late to change one.
JUST DO IT
-Nike
Love it. Live your life. Love your life. Love where you start it. Love where you finish it. Change one thing. JUST DO IT.
