Here’s what I know for sure about the month of November: Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday of the month and The Container Store Stocking Stuffer catalog is going to be delivered to my doorstep!
I’m lucky to live a short drive away from The Container Store in Paramus, New Jersey. I can do more than just drool over the catalog–I get the chance to see, feel, and experience these Stocking Stuffers at the store.
Since researching for the post I wrote back in 2016, I’ve come to see that the Container Store Stocking Stuffers are less about organizing and more about cute, kitchy, helpful, and the borderline absurd. So, for the season I just roll with it. The Container Store will get back to focusing on organizing products in January and so will I…
For the 2019 edition, I’ve divided the Stocking Stuffers into four categories: Organizing, Functional, Fun, and Why? Just Why?. Grab a pad and a pen–one or more of these may work as stocking stuffers for your family and friends!
Taco Tuesday (or tacos any day of the week) is BIG in my house–my nine year old loves them! But, it isn’t always easy stuffing them and keeping them from breaking or imploding. These holders make filling, serving, and eating tacos easy. They are dishwasher-safe and stack one inside the other (how organized!). And cute packaging, too–always a nice perk when giving a gift. I’m going to be buying these and trying them out at my dinner table. They come in red, blue, green and pink–with my husband and two boys in the house, I’ll probably be asked to use the pink one…
A basic organizing principle I teach my clients is, ‘Give Everything a Home.’ A ring usually lives on one’s finger but if it’s nighttime, wash-the-dishes time, or let’s-make-meatballs time, you’re going to want to take it off and have a temporary home for that ring so you’ll know where it is when it’s time to put it back on your finger. The Umbra Ring Holder comes in Llama, French Bulldog, and the ever-popular Unicorn. I’m partial to the Llama–great especially if you wear multiple rings. Maybe they should have made a giraffe?
I ‘heart’ the OXO company. They make products that are ergonomically comfortable, sturdy, and make people’s lives easier. If someone you know eats at their computer often or their keyboard is a dust magnet, this cleaning brush would probably be well received in a stocking. Looking at my keyboard (and knowing how often I eat in front of it), it wouldn’t be a bad idea if I got one for myself!
So cute! Makes me hungry just looking at it! Perfect for all ages but I think kids (and adults) wouldn’t mind cleaning their glasses or phones if they had a cloth like this to do it with. Also comes in Pepperoni Pizza, Cinnamon Roll, and Lemon Slice.
No more frayed charging cables! They fit over a cord plug in the exact place where charger cables can show wear and tear. Works with iPhones lightning cables for iPhone 5 or later. They’re all cute but I’m partial to the bug-eyed chameleon…
Even though I’m allergic to wine, I do serve it and cook with it–I would definitely use these in my home. They come in handy for entertaining and for BYOB restaurant dinners. Made of easy-to-clean and easy-to-stretch silicone with witty wine-related messages written on the top. Know someone who likes to drink wine? I think you’ve found a stocking stuffer for them! Definitely an over 21+ kinda stocking stuffer…
Great for car rides or to keep in a purse or back pack for when the kids are getting antsy–this will keep them occupied. Recommended for ages six and older. There’s a wooden stick with a sharp end included. If you know your child can be trusted with it–great. If they’d prefer to use it as a weapon against a sibling or playmate, perhaps this isn’t the best stocking stuffer for them…
If someone you know likes unicorns and has to keep their hair dry in the shower sometimes, this is the stocking stuffer to get them. Comes in Flamingo and Duck styles, too. The last time I mentioned a shower cap in one of my stocking stuffer roundup posts was back in 2013–way before the resurgence of the unicorn’s popularity. Can you guess what animal appears on it? Check here to see if you guessed correctly!
I don’t think I’ve ever had the thought while I’m showering, “Boy, am I thirsty! I wish I had a drink in here.” But, for those of you with a quench for more than just water while getting yourself clean, this would make a good stocking stuffer. As the description states, PLEASE use cans or plastic–do not use with a drinking glass made of glass!
Can someone tell me why these make a good stocking stuffer? What message does this send to the recipient? Just because they’re small does NOT mean they should make an appearance in anyone’s stocking at holiday time–IMHO. They’re 2 oz so they work well for travel–keep one in your toiletries bag and pack it for your next trip. These sprayers got a bunch of 5-star reviews so they must work but please–don’t give it as a gift unless you know the person really wants it. Please...
The rest of the Container Store’s Stocking Stuffer Collection can be found on their website. With 146 to choose from, there’s bound to be something for everyone on your shopping list. Happy shopping!
Which one of this year’s stocking stuffers is your favorite?
Happy blogging anniversary to me! As of this October, I have been blogging for ten years.
I. Can’t. Believe. It.
Even though I’ve been a Professional Organizer for seventeen years (which I find astounding) it’s equally as astounding to me that I have been blogging about organizing for a decade. That’s a loooong time.
In the past, I have started off these Blogging Anniversary Posts with a few lines on how I started blogging. The short story is that I took a blogging workshop at the NAPO Conference in 2009 and started my blog a few months later after dropping my then three year old off at preschool. That kid is now thirteen.
A few days ago, he walked into my home office as I was writing this post. He asked me what I was doing so I told him what I was writing about and how I started the Organized Artistry blog. He laughed when I said that I waited until he was in preschool to compose my first blog post in silence!
Besides talking out ‘how it all began,’ I use this post to hold myself accountable for the goals I set for myself and my blog. This year, it was challenging to keep up with my blog. I had some major family obligations to put my energy towards and I had made the decision to start a YouTube channel. The learning curve that came along with it ate up much of the time and brain power I often allotted to blogging.
My 2018-2019 goals were to blog 1x a month, use the blog template I created for myself, and add Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images to blog posts. How did I do?
Goals for 2018-2019
Blog 1x a Month
OK, I dropped the ball on this one. Family obligations kept me from blogging this summer. Family first! My goal was to get back to blogging this Fall (and here I am blogging!). Also, in the beginning of 2019, I was putting most of my writing abilities into scripting my YouTube videos and had little left ‘in the tank’ for blogging. I did though, use the blog template. It focused me and saved me hours of ‘thinking time’ when I had a rare moment to turn my ideas into a blog post.
Keep Using Canva to Update Images on Already Existing Blog Posts
Did it! And I’m continuing to do it. I created a list of blog posts that need a Canva generated/Pinterest worthy image and every few weeks I design one and upload it. This has allowed and will continue to allow me to generate traffic to my website via Pinterest.
Goals for 2019-2020
Blog 1x a month
I created a YouTube video script template for myself (much like my blogging template) and the writing of my video scripts are now more streamlined, leaving me more brain power for blogging. I’ll continue to use the blog post template I created for myself last year–it enables me to concentrate on the task and saves me time. Besides composing a monthly newsletter, I’m going to try my best to make sure I compose a monthly blog post.
Tweak and Update Existing Posts
When you’ve been blogging for ten years–that’s a whole lotta content to keep track of! Not all of it is as up to date and evergreen as I’d like. So, I’ll be going back in to those posts to create Canva generated/Pinterest worthy images, update the text, check links, and delete any that no longer serve my readers.
Consider a Pin Scheduler such as Tailwind.
Using Tailwind is something I’ve been thinking about for a while. My blog gets a ton of traffic from Pinterest. There are only so many hours in a day for me to be pinning to my boards. Believe me, if I could spend a few hours a day pinning, I’d be a happy girl but I have clients to organize and dinner to cook! I’ll be putting more thought into using Tailwind this year.
Create New and Relevant Content
Even after ten years of blogging, there are still a ton of topics that haven’t been written about! I keep a running list in Evernote (one of my favorite productivity apps) of organizing topics I’d like to blog about. I’ll be consulting that list as I jump back into blogging.
And guess what happened this past year?
Look on the right side of this blog page under the ‘Categories’ list. In January, I became a Superstar Blogger of the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival for taking part in 25+ Blog Carnivals! Big shout-out to Janet Barclay of Your Organizing Business who created the the Professional Organizers Blog Carnival as well as a space for us ‘Blogging Organizers’ on Facebook. 🙂
I recently returned from the 2019 NAPO Conference held this year in Fort Worth, Texas. I always enjoy the conference–I get to take workshops, meet new Professional Organizers and reconnect with ones I haven’t seen in a while. The latest organizing products from NAPO’s business partners are on display and stepping away from my everyday responsibilities for a few days helps to ‘recharge my battery.’ The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Education is Bigger in Texas.’ Even my hotel room was big. It was so large, I could cartwheel through it. Not that I did–I’m just sayin’–everything is bigger in Texas…
As silly as it may sound, one of the things I look forward to at the NAPO Conference is the conference bag that’s given out every year. I have a nice collection of them by now running the gamut from a lovely red handbag-like tote (Lillian Vernon – Chicago 2004) to an amorphous recycle bag (New Orleans 2013) to a bag with a zippered top and water bottle/holder (Chicago 2018). I use the conference bag I received at the Orlando conference (2009) as the work bag I take to my client’s homes.
It’s important to me that everything I need to drag around with me during the day fits in the conference bag. After the not-so-fab New Orleans conference bag, I started packing an old conference tote (Minneapolis 2007) with me in case I didn’t like the conference bag been given out. But, this year, I did not pack the Minneapolis tote…
The night before I left for the NAPO Conference, I was thrilled to see that someone had posted a picture of this year’s conference bag on Facebook.
I was happy to see that it had contrasting colors and a little button closure–cute! It was roomy without being too big.
But, there are times when a bag can be too big and become a black hole for everything they’re carrying. When you’re at a conference, you need to use your brain power for learning and networking–not for searching and worrying about where all of your stuff is. You don’t have time to send a search party out to find your business cards and hotel room key!
If you or a friend, family member, or colleague are attending a conference in the future, here are 5 tips for keeping your conference bag organized so you’ll always be able to find what you need when you need it.
Tip #1 SORT
What items do you think you’ll want handy the day of the conference? Gather them and place them on a surface in front of you–couch, bed, desk, kitchen island–whatever works…
Then, take those items and sort them into categories such as electronics, items you’ll need to access quickly, note taking items, and most important–SNACKS!
Tip #2 CONTAINERIZE
Now that you’ve categorized your stuff, it’s time to put them in their own containers so they’re not floating around the bottom of your conference bag (eliminating the need for that search party mentioned above…) Pack a few pouches and small/medium/large Ziploc bags for this purpose. The size of the pouches and baggies are dependent upon the items you plan to carry in your conference bag.
I kept my necessities in here–phone, business cards, lip balm, pens, hotel room key.
Tip #3 RETURN ITEMS TO THEIR ‘HOME’
Conferences can be non-stop learning and networking events. You might feel rushed during your conference day and tired at night but it’s important for you to take the time to put items back in their baggies and pouches after using them. This will save you time later in the day and the next morning when you need to access your phone charger or hand someone your business card.
Tip #4 MAKE IT YOUR OWN
Whether there are fifty or six hundred and fifty conference attendees, almost everyone will be carrying the same conference bag. You’ll want to ensure that no one accidentally walks away with yours thinking it’s theirs! Make it stand out with a large pin, decorative ribbon, or brightly-colored scarf that no other bag will have. You’ll always know which bag is yours!
Since I saw a preview on Facebook of what the conference bag looked like, I packed a color-coordinating scarf to tie around the handle. I always knew which conference bag was mine!
Tip #5 PURGE
Purge your conference bag at the end of the day of items you no longer need–used tissues, energy bar wrappers, and the free swag you couldn’t resist putting in your bag. Getting rid of what you no longer need makes room for the items you will need the next day.
If you’re a visual person like me, click on my YouTube video below to see the 5 steps and get a sneak peek at this year’s NAPO Conference bag:
These 5 tips are going to ensure you have the most organized bag at your next conference–I guarantee it!
Are you heading to a conference soon? What item would you need most in your conference bag?
Some people blog about their small business, some blog about personal challenges and accomplishments, and some even blog about blogging!
Whatever you choose to blog about, it’s important for you to organize your blog. Why does your blog need to be organized?
• An organized blog is an easy blog to read
• An organized blog is a blog readers want to come back to (and isn’t that what we want our readers to do?)
• An organized blog represents YOU. You don’t want to look disorganized to your readers!
Whether you’re thinking about starting a blog or wish to tweak an existing one, here are a few tips based on basic organizing philosophies that will keep you on track and help you organize your blog:
Schedule It
We make appointments for the doctor, an oil-change, and the cable guy, Why not make an appointment for yourself to blog? Blocking out the time on your calendar gets you one step closer to accomplishing the task. Figure out how many times a week or month you are able to post and stick to that schedule. But, be realistic. Brainstorming, writing, taking photos/video and commenting takes more time than you think it does.
Sort It Out
Compile a list of topics you’ll want to discuss on your blog. Look at a calendar–are any of your topics seasonal? Plug them into the months they belong in. For instance, as a Professional Organizer, I would start blogging about Spring Cleaning in March. A chef might blog about the best foods to barbecue in May. Other topics may revolve around holidays, trade shows, milestones, or history.
Break It Down
Take your topics and create sub-topics for them. So, if the chef were to blog about Barbecuing in May and has decided to schedule one blogging ‘appointment’ per week, he or she might blog about the benefits to cooking on a clean barbecue the first week, do a hot dog review the second week, offer grilling tips the third week, and list his or her top ten recipes for summer grilling during the fourth week.
Delegate
Sometimes we need to take a break from blogging. Find other blogs of similar topic/interest and link to their information for your readers. Check out blogs that are pertinent to yours and invite their authors to be guest bloggers on your site. You get a break from writing while your guest blogger gets a whole new set of readers (and possibly followers). It’s a win-win!
Get Rid of the Clutter
Too many pictures, videos, or advertisements detract from what you’ve written. Keep the look of your blog simple and streamlined. You have to grab the reader’s attention within the first five seconds of their arrival at your blog. If they have to spend those five seconds looking for your latest blog post, they may not return out of frustration. (Nooooo!)
Maintain It
Stay on track with posting to your blog. If you know you’ll be on vacation or going through a life-changing event, write posts in advance or have a guest blogger fill in for you. Keep all photos and videos for your blog in one place on your computer. Once a month, review your topics and subtopics and make any necessary tweaks or changes.
After applying the above principles, your newly organized blog will be low-maintenance, a pleasure to post to, and a joy to read.
Which organizing philosophy would help you organize your blog the most?
I’m excited to announce–Organized Artistry has a YouTube channel!
It’s something I’ve been considering adding to my business model for a while. YouTube is a great vehicle for reaching those in need of organizing assistance outside of my Northern New Jersey area. I thought it would be a creative marketing tool for my residential and virtual organizing services as well as for my book and any books I write in the future.
Slowly in 2018, I created the channel, added a banner, uploaded a few FaceTime videos but I wasn’t putting a ton of time and effort into it. Why? What held me back? A few things…
Time
As a business owner, parent of two, and volunteer for business and religious organizations, did I really have time to pursue something new?
Knowledge
My son told me it was easy to make a YouTube video. He said to me, “My friend from middle school and my camp counselor have YouTube channels. How hard could it be, Mom?” I tried to convince him that Mommy’s YouTube channel had to be a bit more professional than teens playing Xbox together and videotaping it. I’m still not sure I’ve convinced him…In order to have a professional-looking channel I was going to have to figure out the ‘How-To’ part.
Doubt
Was anyone going to watch? Could I fit creating, optimizing, and uploading videos into my already tight schedule?
Bad Hair Days
Yes, if I’m being honest, bad hair days kept me from making videos. I don’t have the most predictable hair and it doesn’t always look as professional as I’d like it to look. Kinda silly, but true. #honesty
What I know about owning a business is that it has to always be moving forward and keep up with the ‘times’ in order to survive. Many articles I read this past year pointed to video marketing as a game changer for 2019. I decided if I really wanted to make it happen, I had to schedule it, learn what I could, deal with doubt, and my hair. Here’s what I did…
Time
I decided to block out time in my day to brainstorm ideas, write scripts, and film the video (when I’m not working with clients). Mornings after I drop my son at school until noon are my ‘Power Hours’–the time of day when I’m most alert and motivated. This time management technique worked for me when I was writing and self-publishing my book, too.
Knowledge
Do you know the best place to learn about starting a YouTube channel? It’s YouTube! I started watching ‘how-to’ videos while on the treadmill, while getting dressed/putting on makeup, and when I was cooking dinner (it’s the perfect accompaniment to chopping vegetables). I took notes on the videos and created a section in Evernote for them. I also purchased an online course to speed up the process–it’s proving to be a good investment so far.
Doubt
I still have my doubts but I moved forward anyway. I’ve been in this place before as a business owner and realize that anything new is going to stir up feelings of doubt. I decided I wouldn’t let it stop me.
Bad Hair Days
Almost a year ago, I started following the ‘Curly Girl‘ method of caring for my hair. My hair is healthier, looks better and is now (in my eyes) more ‘video-worthy.’ And I bought some products to cover my ‘roots’ so I can film my videos and camouflage some gray hair and hairline without having to run to the salon as often.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been working diligently on the ‘Channel Trailer’ for my channel–it’s the first video people will see when they come to my channel if they’re not subscribers. Want to check it out? There may be a few pics of me as a little kid in the video if that piques your interest…You can watch it here or click the video below. Feel free to leave a comment, hit the ‘Subscribe’ button, and remember to click the little bell next to it to get notified when I post a new video!
If there’s an organizing challenge you’d like me to make a video about, let me know at .
Keep an eye out on the Organized Artistry YouTube channel for organizing tips, organizing hacks, and decluttering know-how. My videos will help you to get organized and gain more space in your home, more time in your day, more money in your wallet, and less stress in your life.
It’s that time of year! The Container Store Stocking Stuffers are here!
A few weeks ago, I headed to my local Container Store (a 10 minute drive from my house) to purchase a few Nalgene bottles for an upcoming vacation. I stepped into the store to make what I thought would be a quick purchase and there it was…the Stocking Stuffer collection of 2018. It was all there for me to see, touch, and admire. Yes, this is what brightens the day of a Professional Organizer and no, this did not end up being a quick trip to the Container Store…
Over the years, the Stocking Stuffer Collection has morphed into more of a group of fun, kitchy, somewhat functional items–most small enough to fit in a regulation holiday stocking and less of a collection of small, cool, organizing products. That’s OK. Year ’round we can shop for the ‘cool’ and the ‘functional.’ Sometimes you need a little ‘cute,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘didn’t-know-I-needed-this’ type-of-product, too.
For 2018, I’ve split up my favorites into two categories: Great for Getting Organized and Awww, That’s Cute.
How many times have you thrown your keys in your handbag or backpack and hours later had trouble locating them? No need to search high and low when you attach your keys to the NanoClip Pocket and Purse Clip and attach the clip to the bag you’re carrying. It’s made from stainless steel so it’s strong and lightweight. Works on pants pockets, too.
This Week Notepad $6.99
The funny and creative people at KnockKnock created this pad (and others in their collection) for the organized and disorganized alike. Get organized for the week and get a head start on next weeks’ tasks with the space at the bottom right. And it’s orange–you can’t miss it if it ends up on your counter, the bottom of your purse, or in the middle of a pile of papers!
Who loves Post-its? These colorful and sticky flags will help you to color code documents and mark the spot you need to refer back to. A great visual reminder! I love reading a book and using these to highlight passages I’ll want to read again. I usually use them when reading non-fiction books and cookbooks but sometimes I use them when I’m inspired by beautifully written sentences in novels. And check out the case they come in–oh, so organized!
These are girly and a little pricey in my opinion but if a pretty pad motivates you to make a list and get stuff done then it’s perfect! The size looks like it would fit in the tall part of a stocking, too. Imagine what you could accomplish with 150 blank pages!
My kids love the movie Monsters, Inc. and this bread and egg shaper reminded me of the little green, one-eyed character Mike Wazowski (played by Billy Crystal). I especially like those little cut-outs for the teeth. Add two slices of bacon for legs and it would look even more like a little monster! If your child enjoys eating eggs and toast this could be a cute way to get them to indulge in a fun and healthy breakfast.
Little Pigs in Blankets Mold $12.99 Pigs in blankets are a fan-favorite in my family. We call them ‘little hot dogs’ and no get-together is complete without a platter of these with sides of ketchup and mustard for dipping. This stocking stuffer made me laugh when I saw it. Although I usually buy my ‘little hot dogs’ pre-made, I think my family would appreciate the humor of having these ‘little piggies’ on a platter. The only problem is, I’d need about four of these or make a batch at a time and freeze them. Twelve piggies are not enough!
Would you like to see the rest of the close to one hundred products in the Container Store Stocking Stuffer collection? They’re all right here!
If I handed you a Container Store gift card, which stocking stuffer would you buy?
I’m sure you’ve started at least one this year. If you’ve been getting organized and you feel successful, that’s great! Give yourself a well-deserved pat on the back. If not, I’m here to assure you that it’s OK. These things happen. Maybe you need to tweak a system you created. Maybe a part of your life changed and what you’ve done so far is no longer in alignment with that change–it’s all part of the organizing process.
I don’t want you to give up, though. It’s easy to throw in the towel when processes like getting organized don’t work out the way we want them to.
I felt inspired to write this post after a few experiences I had over the last couple of weeks. One just led to the other which then circled back to writing this post. Below are a few examples of people that chose to not give up and give ‘it’ one more try. The first one is me…
In January of 2015, I self-published The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbookthrough Amazon’s CreateSpace. Due to the decorative interior design, the book files were not translating well in ebook form and it was challenging to get it to function properly. At the same time, my husband and I were beginning a home renovation that had us purging and packing our entire home. Needless to say that between technical difficulties and time constraints, the ebook never got published. Life became hectic and I basically gave up on ever seeing my paperback book as an ebook.
Fast forward to September 2018. I received an email from Amazon saying CreateSpace was merging with another division of Amazon–KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing). I transferred my book’s file to KDP and received an email about a helpful KDP 101 webinar. It fit into my schedule and would cover all I needed to know about KDP so I signed up for it. Little did I know that it would inspire me to give publishing my ebook ‘one more try.’
During the webinar’s Q&A time, another participant named Elaine asked the instructor a file-uploading question which made me think about the uploading issues I encountered almost four years ago. As crazy as it may sounds, I have a random stranger named Elaine to thank for being able to upload my ebook to Amazon/KDP. After the webinar, I revisited my ebook files and found that Amazon had added a new online feature that enabled me to check the formatting of my book and see how it would appear on a tablet or phone. It translated perfectly. I couldn’t believe it. I had given up over three years ago but decided to give it one more try–and it worked!
I saw Elaine as my ‘sign from the Universe’ to give it one more try.
If I had not been forced to move my book files from CreateSpace to KDP, the chain of events that followed would not have occurred and my ebook would still lie dormant on my desktop. Thank you, Amazon and Elaine wherever you are! My next task is to have a specific ebook file created that will upload onto Apple iBooks and Barnes & Noble’s Nook–my goal for early 2019.
I was feeling inspired and motivated by this series of events so I decided to write about it in my October newsletter. I always start my newsletter with a quote and found this one from Thomas Edison:
As if I hadn’t received enough ‘signs from the universe, ‘ I took some time before writing my newsletter to walk on my treadmill and watch a TedTalk. Most are eighteen minutes in length–perfect for the approximately twenty minutes I’m on the treadmill. I was scrolling through YouTube when I came across a TedTalk called: Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Since it was about organizing, I thought I’d watch. Elizabeth Dulemba had given up on some dreams of hers and when the Universe ‘spoke’ to her, she decided to try one more time and make them her reality. Is Your Stuff Stopping YOU? Tedx University of Edinburgh. If you have twenty minutes, I’d recommend watching it. You Never know what it might inspire you to try one more time.
But, the ‘Don’t Give Up–Give it One More Try’ message didn’t stop there…
My family and I enjoy watching The Voice. Contestant Matt Johnson made it on to the show after auditioning fifteen times during a seven year period. Matt Johnson personifies the quote by Thomas Edison. This guy NEVER gave up. Perseverance is his middle name! He kept trying. And trying. And coming back for another try. And the most incredible part of it all is that he was the last contestant to audition and went on to win the last spot available on the show. Success at last!
Isn’t it amazing how giving something one more try can lead to incredible events occurring?
And then, as I’m writing this post, an email from (Chicken Soup for the Soul’s co-author) Jack Canfield’s newsletter lands in my inbox and what is one of the topics? ‘Don’t Ignore Signs form the Universe’.
I think the Universe is telling me that this was the perfect blog post to write this week!
Giving up is easy. Moving forward to reach your goal is not. Just ask Thomas Edison about his lightbulb journey. Here are some ideas for eliminating the need to shout, “I give up!”:
Break down the process
Getting organized isn’t an easy task. It takes time, physical, and emotional energy and it’s rare to have all three at the same time. Break down the process of organizing a space or your time into easy tasks and micro-goals–making reaching the finish line more manageable and attainable.
Be patient with yourself
Getting your file cabinet or your pantry organized can’t be accomplished if your exhausted, the kids are sick, or the hours in your day are not always your own. The time will come and you’ll be able to easily recognize it and use it to move forward.
Listen to the Universe
I know this sounds kind of ‘woo-woo’ but it’s important to be open to signs. Some will whisper to you and some will shout but please listen. Pay attention to and make note of recurring instances. I did that the past few weeks–signs of not giving up and trying one more time kept popping into view. I couldn’t ignore so many of them!
Reward yourself for hitting milestones
Remember those easy tasks and micro-goals I spoke about a few paragraphs ago? When you’ve completed one–celebrate! Honor your achievement however small. It’s a great motivator.
Remember why you’re doing this
Why are you getting organized? Do you want to be able to find papers easily? Get out the door with two kids without forgetting anything? Be able to get dressed effortlessly in the morning? If your ‘WHY’ is important to you, it will inspire you to not give up.
Thomas Edison and I are in agreement. Don’t give up–the way to success is to try one more time. Make that ‘one more time’ step a small one. Sometimes all it takes is a small change to reach your goal. You just may have a ‘lightbulb’ moment…
What have you given up on? Are you ready to give it another try? Has trying ‘one more time’ worked for you in the past? I’d love for you to join the discussion. 🙂
Color–it’s not just for those who like rainbows–it’s for organizing, too!
Color coding is a system that organizes information, offers the eye instant recognition, and reduces the time searching for items your need–all useful when organizing a home, home office, or one’s schedule.
But, you don’t have to have a degree in art to organize with color. Here are some items found in the home that can easily be organized using color:
Papers
Are your piles growing as you sleep? Can’t find certain papers when you need them?
Start the color coding process by sorting your papers into different categories (such as finances, school, house, etc). Then, select a different color for each category. Hanging files and manila folders come in a rainbow of colors and can help you reduce the time spent looking for a particular document. If you designate ‘green’ as your color for ‘financial’ papers, you won’t waste time looking through yellow or blue folders for your last 401K statement.
If you’re not interested in spending money on colored folders, Avery makes adhesive colored circles that can be placed on hanging files or folders and have a similar effect.
Clothes Closet
If you look in home stores, you’ll find that hangers come in practically every color imaginable. Use colored hangers to differentiate the various types of clothing in your wardrobe. For example, hang work clothes on white hangers, work out clothes on blue hangers, and cocktail attire on purple hangers. If you keep up the system, you’ll never show up to the office in your yoga pants…
Let’s say you’re like me and you prefer to hang your clothes on crystal hangers. You can either tie a colored ribbon around the hanger or use those Avery colored circle stickers discussed above to differentiate between different clothing types.
Children
If you have more than one child, pick a specific color–that will be the color that will identify them. Some children’s items are easily organized by color: clothes, shoes, puzzles, sports equipment, backpacks, etc.
For example, ever wonder which of your kids left the wet towel on the bathroom floor? Assign each child a different colored towel and you’ll know who the culprit is very quickly…
Are you a busy family trying to keep track of everyone’s schedule? Color coding appointments on a calendar (planner/wall calendar/digital) is a quick visual cue to help you figure out which child has to be where on a particular day.
Computer
Is your desktop a jumble of files? Is your inbox filled with emails? Use color to save time and create consistency.
Color coding files by project enables your eye to focus when juggling multiple projects. For instance, label all files related to ‘The Smith Project’ (as well as it’s folder) a particular color. Time spent looking for documents or emails related to ‘The Smith Project’ will be drastically reduced if they are all the same color.
Color coding email messages can alert you to a message from a particular person (green = your boss, red = your spouse, blue = your kid’s school). Many email programs come with this feature–you just have to create the categories, enter the email addresses, and choose their corresponding colors.
Holiday Decorations
It is not uncommon for stores to carry plastic bins and tubs that come in colors corresponding to a holiday. Try purchasing orange bins for Halloween decorations and costumes storage. Red and green do the trick for Christmas, blue for Hanukah, and pastel colors for Easter egg painting supplies. It’s SO much easier to find a colored bin in an attic or garage!
Why not bring some color into your life? Using color as a part of your organization plan will save you time, money, and stress in the long run and just think about how colorful (and organized) your life will be!
Tell me–how do you get organized with color in your home?
Shortly after it’s publication, I came across a quote that I now believe to be true: “If you thought writing a book was hard, try marketing it!”
It has been a challenge getting the word out about The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook, especially because it does not have much in common with my day-to-day home and virtual organizing business. I’m a Professional Organizer–not a Wedding Professional. With this book, I straddle the fields of organizing and weddings–marketing it has been quite a learning experience.
I’ve let the world know about my book via social media, Facebook Ads, giveaways, guest blogging, being included in ‘wedding product roundup’ articles, (and a little bit of begging–I’m not proud) and recently decided to give video a try. Articles on book marketing point to video as the way to go in marketing today. They say a book trailer is an important piece of an author’s media kit. I’ve done a few Facebook Live videos and I’m slowly growing my YouTube channel so I thought I’d give it a try. I had never used iMovie before but I thought, “If my twelve year old can use it, so, can I!”
It took about a week of learning from articles and YouTube videos and a few brainstorming sessions in solitude but I did it! I created my first book trailer using Canva, iMovie, and some loyalty-free music from YouTube.
Presenting…the book trailer for The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook.
Thanks for watching! If you know a bride with a house full of wedding gifts who could use some writing tips and help with their wedding thank you note wording, please share The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook book trailer with them. For more information, go to the Organized Artistry website or Amazon.com.
Download Our Gift Tracker Printables!
Track your engagement gifts, bridal shower gifts, and wedding gifts with our *free* Gift Tracker printables! Click the image below to download and print three gift trackers and valuable tips for keeping your addresses and gift lists organized.
Your thank you note tracking is about to get so much easier…
OK–you finally finished your Spring Cleaning. You spent days sorting and purging through your belongings. You threw a few things out and even repaired one or two items. But, what will you do with everything else you uncovered and discovered? If you’re willing to invest some time and energy, why not have a garage sale?
Garage sales are a great way to get rid of things you no longer want, need, or cherish. But, is it as easy as just dumping your stuff on the lawn and waiting for customers to drive by? Not if you want to make any money, it isn’t. Besides having decent-quality merchandise, the key to a successful garage sale is being organized.
Here are 3 steps for making your garage sale organized for happy customers and optimal sales:
Step 1: Pre-Sale Organizing
• Select a weekend for your sale and make no other commitments on those days. You WILL be exhausted. Ask friends and neighbors if they would like to join you. It is a perk to be able to split advertising costs and have someone watch over your area while you’re grabbing a snack or running to the bathroom.
• Have you ever been to a garage sale where the items had no prices on them? One way of making ‘Garage Sale Day‘ organized is to create a pricing system. This makes the selling easy for you and the buying easy for your customers. Purchase colored, circle-shaped labels and designate each color to be a different dollar amount, for example blue = $.50. Use white circle labels to write an amount such as $5.00. Make signs that describe your pricing system and post them around the area of your garage sale so you don’t have a constant stream of customers asking you about prices.
Or, try these pre-printed labels. See the color-coded pricing chart I created for my last garage sale here.
Select one area of your home to be the staging area for pricing items and one area (most often the garage or an underutilized room) for storage of the items once they’ve been tagged. This last space will enable you to see exactly what you have and allow you to group ‘like-with-like’ such as toys, books, kitchenware, etc.
• Start saving grocery bags as well as heavy-duty shopping bags. Your customers will appreciate your preparedness and it will be easier for them to carry their new-found treasures off your property.
• Some of these new-found treasures will be breakable. Start saving newspaper, old wrapping paper, and bubble wrap. These packing materials will help your customers get their breakable purchases home in one piece.
• Borrow and gather folding tables, card tables, crates, workbenches, and other horizontal surfaces for displaying items.
• Check with your town regarding permits for having a garage sale.
• Advertise, make signs and post them on nearby streets facing oncoming traffic.
Step 2: During-the-Sale Organizing
• Post your pricing system signs around the area of your garage sale.
• Wear clothes with pockets. Pockets come in handy for holding some of your garage sale supplies such as pens, markers, and extra price stickers.
• I know they’re not so fashionable but wear a fanny pack! Your money will be close to your body without spilling out of your pockets. Wear a pack with two compartments–one for bills and one for coins.
• Know exactly how much money you started the day with so you’ll be able to calculate exactly what you earned.
• Set up your belongings outside by category–all toys together in one spot, all office supplies together in another area. Group ‘like’ items to the best of your ability. If a customer is looking for baby toys and they’re all in one place, it is very likely that they’ll buy more since everything they’re looking for will be right in front of them.
• Have at least one other person working with you. It is difficult to sell merchandise, wrap breakables and field questions by yourself. Take turns helping customers, straightening up merchandise, and taking breaks.
Step 3: Post-Sale Organizing
• Bring everything that was not sold into the garage or another room to make final decisions on whether or not to keep unsold items.
• Throw out anything that became damaged or broken as a result of being in the garage sale.
• Donate the ‘leftovers’ to a charity of your choice.
• Clean your lawn/driveway of any debris from the garage sale.
• Count your money and determine your profit. $$$
• Create a list of all supplies used for the garage sale and keep it on your phone or in a paper file labeled ‘Garage Sale.’ Order in dinner and put your feet up. Now you’re ready for your next garage sale–job well done!
What the best thing you ever bought at a garage sale? I’d love to hear about it!
A blog by Professional Organizer Stacey Agin Murray bursting with cool products, 'gotta-tell-a-friend' ideas, and a whole lotta organizing know-how. Learn more...
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About Stacey
When you grow up in a 5’x12′ bedroom, you learn to organize pretty quickly! I chose to take that knowledge and turn it into a business helping people find what they need when they need it. I’m also the author of The Organized Bride’s Thank You Note Handbook–a book that offers wedding thank you note-related organizing tips and how-to’s plus 101 unique sample thank you notes (what bride can’t use that?).
These are girly and a little pricey in my opinion but if a pretty pad motivates you to make a list and get stuff done then it’s perfect! The size looks like it would fit in the tall part of a stocking, too. Imagine what you could accomplish with 150 blank pages!
Contact Stacey to Get Started!
