There are just days where as a parent, we have things we need to get done and our kids don't follow along with our plan. On my other blog, I posted some tips and tricks that can help you. Check out the links and comment with your ideas!
To your success!
One of my Twitter friends @CarlaYong just posted this question
I am asked this question frequently, so I thank Carla for the blog post inspiration! Keep reading for my reply.
Continue reading "'Disappear' Toys or Ask Your Child to Choose Which Ones to Give Up?" »
Are you a closet DIYer? Do you like to make things for your home or office? If you are like me, you may like to "hack" things more than make them from scratch.
What is a hack? A "hack" is when you take something and make it into something else.
What is IKEA? The store IKEA is a world-wide company that offers a "wide range of well-designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford them." Their designs are very utilitarian most of the time, but high quality in workmanship.
So, an IKEA Hack takes IKEA products and modifies them for form, function or design to work for what the user needs in their space. If this is of interest to you, check out the blog IKEA Hacker. IKEA Hacker shows you how to transform IKEA stuff and takes hacks from all across the globe to feature. Check out the link below for great ideas.
http://ikeahacker.blogspot.com/search/label/storage
Thanks!! to @lisamurphyTO, @chrissychrzan and @tinkugallery for sharing this site!
January is also BE ON PURPOSE Month. Live your life with a plan! Make sure that what you do is not by default. Be on Purpose! Many people loose track of their focus and goals because of procrastination. Does that sound like you? If so, try this technique I read about in the Early to Rise newsletter. The next time that you find yourself putting things off:
January is Clean Out Your Closet Month so I thought it would be helpful for you to get some ideas on how you can get started. Closets can be really overwhelming for many people. If you have an overwhelmed closet, start by sorting through what you have and placing your items into three categories: yes, maybe and no.
Closets can be intimidating. There are many people that will sit and look at their closet and have no idea where to start. Is that you?
Or maybe you say that you have no room for everything you own. Did you know that about 80% of the clutter in your home is a result of disorganization, not lack of space? Read on for some simple ideas to start making a dent in that valuable space -- your closet.
The kitchen is often the most used room in the house, and the price of an unorganized kitchen can be high. Lots of wasted time looking for items and money wasted purchasing duplicates can add up to a lot of unwanted stress. But the payoff can be big and the best place to start your kitchen organizing project is the pantry.
Do you have a pile (or piles) of old T-Shirts that you don't want
anymore, but that are are taking up space in your home? Today I have
the solution for you!
ReTees is a company that takes your old unwanted t-shirts and recycles them into great green products. Why T Shirts? In today's age of disposable clothing, the T Shirt reigns supreme. They are cheap, cheerful and "fast food fashion". In fact, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, an estimated 11.8 million tons of textiles were generated in 2006, or 5 percent of total municipal solid waste. The company has other great facts out on their site about why they are focused on t-shirts. https://www.reteez.com/facts.php
It can take a lot to keep your home office in a productive state. I have personal experience with this! Sometimes family members want to make the space their own. Sometimes, it is easy to put off taking care of things because of other pressing issues. What ever your challenge, today I'm sharing an article by a colleague that will help you get on your way to a home office more organized.
In her article, Organize Home Office Space Six Super Easy Steps to a Productive and Organized Home Office, Samantha Buck shares a common sense approach to how to handle your stuff. Enjoy! http://searchwarp.com/swa395040.htm
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Get Organized Now! Holiday Planner END HOLIDAY STRESS, FRUSTRATION AND CHAOS Are the holidays stressful for you? Between holiday card writing, gift giving, decorating, family traditions, baking, and everything else, it's no wonder! But, it doesn't have to be that way. It's never too early to start getting organized for the holidays. Get your Holiday Planner today, and have a relaxing, stress-free holiday season. This is a great book! Let us know what you do to plan for the holidays. |
It is at this time of year that Americans take time to reflect on what is important to them and what they are thankful for. We at Calahan Solutions, Inc. want you to know that you are appreciated every day of the year and if there is anything that we can do to help your holiday season run with less stress, please let us know! The following tips provide thoughts for upcoming holiday planning. We will be adding quite a few articles to the site within the next few weeks, so keep a lookout for more ideas.
Shift Your Focus
You are Not Alone! Professional Organizers Can Get Emotional with Their De-cluttering Too-- The Process Used by One Organizer to Part with her Wedding Dress & Help Breast Cancer Research
Clutter- Anything that you own, possess, or do which does not enhance your life on a regular basis.
I provide this definition in almost every presentation and workshop that I do. It is logical and I apply de-cluttering tips on a consistent basis in my own home. . . with one exception . . . my wedding dress! The dress I wore to marry the love of my life.
Continue reading "Letting Go - The Rest of the Wedding Dress Story" »
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and what better time to tell you about this donation location!
“Brides Against Breast Cancer” continues to be the Making Memories Foundation’s number one fund-raising event across the nation. Over 32 shows every year enable brides-to-be to find the gown of their dreams (at an incredible savings) while making wishes and dreams come true for women and men diagnosed with terminal breast cancer.
No matter where you travel, consider keeping a road emergency kit in the car. You can either purchase a pre-made one, or make one yourself. To make one,
The time for school is quickly approaching. Getting good habits in place now will be a great start to getting the school year off to a great start. (Not to mention limiting the stress on you!)
Once you have put these items in place you should find
that your days run more smoothly and everyone gets out the door on a positive
note.
The U.S.
Department of Education’s daily homework guidelines are 20 minute maximum for
grades 1 to 3, 40 minutes maximum for grades 4 to 6 and two hours maximum for
grades 7 to 9. The National Parent
Teacher Association has recommended 10 minutes of homework per grade
level.
Other ways you can help your child get off to a good start with schoolwork include
Throughout the next 4 weeks kids will begin to start school. Now is the time to
pave the way to a good school year by setting up a routine and an
organized house.
Remember children need to make as many decisions as possible. Avoid power struggles by letting them make small decisions. Encourage independence. The more kids are
involved in the household, the less strain there is on the parents.
Here are tips for homework to reduce your anxiety level and making the school days run more smoothly.
As the
carefree days of summer are coming to a close, it’s time to start thinking
about sending the kids back to school. While some parents are jumping for joy, others view this time of year as
hectic and stressful. Now is the time to
pave the way to a good school year by setting up an organized routine and an
organized house.
The
key
is to have everyone in the household involved in the daily tasks.
Encourage independence. Let them help in what ever age-appropriate
tasks they can. The more kids are
involved in the household, the less strain there is on the parents.
Here are tips for reducing your anxiety level and making the school days run more smoothly.
Family Reunions can be the highlight of the year if they are planned and organized well. We found Mr. Spiffy out on the web and he has some great tips for making your family reunion one of the best ever! 
Many people procrastinate around getting organized because they focus a bit too much on the past. We call it the could-a-would-a effect. Take this day and let go! Print out your own "Round Tuit" as a reminder!
About a month ago I wrote about how you could start getting ready for this day. How did you do? Those we love now are precious. Take the moment you would normally
spend reading this post and go hug your kids! Here is their theme song to hug play too.
When someone begins thinking of organizing, many questions can pop into their thoughts. Every once in a while we will select questions from our readers and share our response with you.
Q: I so am embarrassed to have you come over, my place is so messy! I know I need help, but how can you do that without seeing my place? -- Jennifer - Palatine, IL
My husband's cardiologist would strongly disagree with how I started this article, but hang in there with me and you will see where I am going. Organize your files week is an April holiday, but you don't need a holiday to get your files in order! Before you create an organizing plan for your space, evaluate the necessity of removing the backlog. If you have a disaster of an office, you have to get it cleared out and start fresh before you can really make a difference.I love to hear my grandchildren talk about what they want to be when they grow up. While some children stay with their chosen career path from preschool through adulthood, most children find new interests that lead to other kinds of life work.
Adults frequently identify new interest areas throughout their lives. For example, my husband started golfing in his 50's. My sister started quilting in her 60's. They were both able to identify something they wanted to do, acquired the necessary equipment and skills, and carried it through the action phase.
New interests are sometimes the source of clutter, and I call this Wannabe Clutter. My definition of Wannabe Clutter is the material that accumulates as a result of start and stop interests.
Do you ever feel like this guy? So many things to do that you can't even see what is right in front of your face??
Well, Simple Mom posted a great article that is a fast read and includes 36 Tips for Productivity in the Home.
I enjoyed a number of them, but I especially liked point number 28.
"Prepare yourself for something wonderful to happen. When you do, it always will."
— Shad Helmstetter
Every once in a while we like to share success stories from our readers, workshop participants or clients. Recently we received a letter from R.M. from Morton Illinois. R.M. was struggling with the belongings of her daughters and a basement space that was not functioning as she would like.
What does your kitchen "junk drawer" look like? What about your office desk? Rubbermaid has a great blog that talks about how to organize different spaces in your home and office. Recently, there was a post on using a silverware sorter to organize things other than silverware.
That reminded me of a personal project I had done a while back. . .
Could you find what you wanted in the drawer to the right?
I couldn't either! So here is what I did about it.
Continue reading "Organize your drawers in the office and kitchen" »
| Chronic Disorganization - Possible Symptom of a Medical Condition (6 minutes, 23 seconds) |  |
www.selfgrowth.com is an awesome site and is the internet super-site for Self Improvement and Personal Growth. The company’s mission is to provide informative, quality Self Improvement and Natural Health information to help people improve their lives. They provide information ranging from Goal Setting and Stress Management to Natural Health and Alternative Medicine.
Regardless of what areas of growth you have, you will find the experts that can help you along your journey. I have
Just about every client we talk with says that paper is one of their biggest challenges. Is it one of yours?
One way you can eliminate paper from your home office (or kitchen counter, entry hall table, etc.) is to
Do you ask for the same directions over and over? Not only is that embarrassing, it is a waste of time for you and the person giving you directions.
I was out on the web today at Gardener's Supply Company and I found some pretty cool products. I thought I would share a few with you. Now, I'm not an avid gardener. I will puts around my flower beds, but that is about it. However, I love looking at this site to see different tools that inventive people come up with.
Did you know that the foods you eat can make a difference in the levels of concentration you experience? Food can help you or hurt you. . . we all know that. My buddies at Butterfly Reports have shared
The other day my son, David, came home from school with a "Scholastic News." The short children's news story talked about how sneakers are now being recycled to create the ground cover on playgrounds. They use every part of the shoe.
Continue reading "Going GREEN - Tennis Shoes Become Places to Play!" »
"I'm sorry, but I don't have time."
"Just let me finish this first."
"Can you do it?"
"Not now!"
"I have work to do."
"Can I watch you later?"
Have any of these words come out of your mouth as you were talking to your child? Do you have children that you are not able to spend as much time with as you would like? Today is the day to start putting some things in place to be ready for June 21st!
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Get Organized Now! Easy Organizer What do you think? Have you read this book? Tell us what you think! |
Last March I had the pleasure of spending some time with Jim Killian, News Director for WGCY
radio. He was fabulous. It was really easy to talk with him and he
made me feel at ease. (Thanks Jim!) To make things even better, Jim
provided the recording of our conversation for me to share.
We talk to a number of people on a daily basis through our consulting and speaking events. We frequently hear people tell us that they know they need to get organized, but they are not really sure where they should focus, or where they need help. If you feel the same way, we have tools for you!
Our Productive Environment Scorecards™ are easy to use, take less than 5 minutes to complete and help you identify the areas you should consider working on next.
Would you like a free telephone consultation? Fill out one or more of the scorecards and e-mail or fax your results to us and we'll review and contact you.
To your success!
| Clutter- Signs of Postponed Decisions (4 minutes, 15 seconds) | | |
When someone begins thinking of organizing, many questions can pop into their thoughts. Every once-in-a-while we will select questions from our readers and share our response with you.
Q: Do I need to be a neat freak to be organized?
Continue reading "Do I need to be a neat freak to be organized?" »
Lighten Up! Free Yourself from Clutter is the first book of its kind to view cleaning clutter not as a burdensome chore but as a transformational experience. If those piles of stuff are draining you of energy, if they're not supporting and nurturing you, then get out from under them! Lighten Up! Free Yourself from Clutter is a practical yet inspirational guide that encourages you to approach clutter cleaning as a fun, creative, soul-enriching endeavor. |
Have you read this book? What do you think about it? Let us know!
23% of adults say they pay bills late (& thus incur fees) because they loose them, according to Harris Interactive. The systems you use (or don't use) can make or break your financial situation. Here are some web resources to help you get your financial affairs in order and reach towards your financial freedom!
There are frequently stories on homes that have gone up in flames and the fire fighters struggled to put out the fire. When you look at your home, do you see an easy way for emergency personnel to come in and help you, or would emergency staff struggle to find you? Take a look at a recent story in Oregon.
Cluttered house ignites, makes firefighting difficult | KATU.com - Portland, Oregon | News
This month is Stress Awareness Month. Understanding the stress in your life and how to overcome that stress is one of the first steps to living your life to your priorities. We have provided the following links for you to learn more about stress and what you can do to fight it.
The American Chronicle had a great article today about how to make your kitchen the space of your dreams. You can find the entire article at Kitchen Savvy Leads to Abundance. Author Pat Heydlauff tells you of a Feng Shui focused 3-step system to
"creating great energy in your kitchen – the kind of energy that stays with you and nurtures you every day of the week."
Check it out for some great kitchen ideas.
Your Turn!
Do you have things that help you stay organized in the kitchen? Please share them. We love to hear your ideas.
Love It Or Loose It This book helps you:
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Have you read this book? How has it helped you? What did you think of it?
Whether your sewing space is a corner of the dining room, a dedicated closet or a separate room just for sewing, you can make that space inviting and efficient for your sewing tasks. With some thought and organization, your sewing area can be a source of enjoyment and many accomplished projects. Here are 5 tips to start you on your way to a great organized sewing area.
Got (or want) Books? Here's a great web site for you....
Want to increase your business library? Or like to curl up with a good book to relax and unwind from the day? Do this for next to nothing, while also being environmentally friendly, with www.paperbackswap.com. It is easy to use and there's no subscription fees for the service. Here is how it works:
Continue reading "Got (or want) Books? Have Some to Get Rid Of?" »
When you are in the process of selling your home you will likely have to experience the inspection of your home. Here is a checklist that you can use to get you and your home ready for a good report. Download preparing_your_home_for_an_inspection.pdf
Sharon Wolfe of the Pantagraph newspaper interviewed me for a very nice feature story home section of the paper. You can read the online version here: This Spring Take Control of Your Clutter
Ellen Hankes
Bruce Hammitt
Stephanie Calahan
