Oooh – Organize your Vacation this Summer

If you are planning a vacation this summer, plan ahead.  Always keep all your notes on airfares, hotels, places of interest to visit, and an action sheet, in one folder.  Choose a quidebook and surf the web sites to help you plan.  As an organizer, guidebooks give direct information about a location and then I can surf the web for more in depth information.  This organizer just got back from a cruise and doing the analysis dollar for dollar, it saved us money.  All the food was provided, only unpacked once for 12 days, and no gasoline worries.  I also used a travel agent. (I will be glad to share their names)  It was no more expensive to book through a travel agent then online and they kept track of all the needed paperwork for the trip until four weeks before.   When you book a vacation check all your family members passports to make sure they are up to date in case your destination requires one.  One week before check the weather conditions.  Avoiding under packing or over packing – with all the new weight restrictions on  airplanes – will avoid stress.  Plus Nipomo Organizing Solutions offers a great idea on how to save your information (paperwork, post cards, notes and thoughts on the sights you visit) you collect when you are on your vacation too.  Email us and we would be glad to order you one with the Vacation Countdown Checklist.  Be organized and reduce stress and you will relax and enjoy your vacation

Kitchen Organizing

Tip for the summer months to help enjoy being out of your organized kitchen.  If you need help organizing that kitchen before summer starts, call us and we will help.  We have an eye for organizing, helping to relief the stress, letting you enjoy life.

Every Day

·  Wipe down the sink after doing the dishes or loading the dishwasher (30 seconds).

·  Wipe down the stove top (one minute).

·  Wipe down the counters (one minute).

·  Sweep, Swiffer, or vacuum the floor (two minutes).

Every Week

·  Mop the floor (five minutes).

·  Wipe the cabinets, backsplashes, and appliances (10 minutes).

·  Wash the dish rack (four minutes).

·  Wipe the switch plates and phone (one minute).

·  Wipe the inside of the garbage can (one minute).

Every Season

·  Empty and scrub down the inside of the refrigerator (30 minutes).

·  Empty and clean the insides of the utensil drawers (15 minutes).

·  Scrub down the cupboard exteriors (30 minutes).

·  Clean the stove-hood filter (10 minutes).

·  Perform “Shiny Sink 101″

 

Office Organizer to the Rescue

Judy, terrific professional organizer, came to my rescue a few weeks after I moved.  I remember that it was 11:30 pm, I had so much work to do, my office was not at all organized and I was feeling overwhelmed.  I went to my computer, emailed her and the sbuject line was “HELP”!  Two days later she was in my office, and as soon as she walked in she knew exactly what I needed.  She moved the desk and table which opened up open space and made the area so much more “workable” and “livable”.  She organized files, moved things around and in a matter of about 5 hours, she created order.  She was amazing.  I immediately became more productive and relaxed.  I highly recommend her, and because I dislike organizing so much I cannot believe she loves doing it!  She is in the right business.

Michelle Beauchamp, Sandler Sales Institute, www.beauchamp.sandler.com;  Grow your business with success

Organizing Yourself Makes you Feel Good

We spent all the time on our garage and for the first time in a long time I actually don’t mind walking out there and getting things from my car – it is organized!  What a great feeling it is not to drag in leaves and debris into the house anymore – it is organized!  I am not afraid of tripping over things and “injuring myself ” and my daughter has her own space, organized, which only only makes our lives easier and safer, but also our nanny’s are appreciative to find her stroller and toys in one area too!  I never realized how much just a few hours of focused organized help would bring such eash when accessing our belongings.  What an amazing transformation in such a short period of time!

Sherry, Massage/Therapy, Rancho Santa Margarita

www.imassageu.com

Clutter Causes Stress

“Clutter causes STRESS”, says Gary Small, M.D., director of the UCLA Center on Aging, and stress in turns causes the body to secrete cortisol, a hormone that, if chronically elevated, is linked with anxiety and agitation”  “Chronic stress can speed aging and increase risk of heart disease, says Dr. Small.

Spend at least 10 minutes a day decluttering your space at work or at home.  “It’s clutter hygience, like brushing your teeth”, says Dr. Small.  Organizing takes the edge off and helps you feel more in control.   (November, 2006)

Organizing Tip for your Office or Home

Stuff gets piled up all the time in our offices and homes.  Sometimes there is no time to organize them.  Mail, notes, files, articles that you want to read.  You are swimming in the paperwork stream.  Take the pile and with a black tip pen put a “USE BY” date on it.  Just like product that we buy at the store that spoils if not “USED BY” a certain date, so does alot of our mail and stuff.  This gives you the peace of time that you can throw it away when you see the date on it.

Organzing your Projects in the Office or at Home

“I start projects, but then I get overwhelmed.” – have you ever heard that.  Being a professional organizer I have heard that many times.  Here are some keys ideas:  Slow down.  People want to be organized in 30 minutes or less.  It takes longer, remember how long it took to get it in the shape that it is now.  Steve Webber (The Experts) gives good advice, “Don’t work for more than an hour continuously.  If you think the task is going to take two days, it will probably take four days” – and that is fine – remember it is the results that is important.  Second – Avoid distractions – stay on track.  Third – take shortcuts – sort your items quickly and go on to the next area.  Do small areas at a time.

Remember the One Year Rule

When you are organizing your closets or cupboards, a good rule to follow is: if you have not used it or woren something for one year, chances are you won’t use or wear it again.  If you have clothes that you would like to give to a wonderful charity you can contact me at 949-916-8027 and I can direct you to two wonderful people that work on special projects.  Organizing gives you back peace of mind and frees you to go be healthly by exercising, being outside, having fun time with the family, and enjoying life.  Call a professional organizer who can help you.

” I am Thrilled with my organizer”

I found Judy in the Saddleback Valley Newspaper.  Our home office was cluttered with personal paperwork as well as all my work supplies, as I work from home.  Judy gave me the push I needed to start me on the road to organizing our home office.  Now it does not look like the cluttered dumping spot it was.  My husband even got motivated to organize the boxes of “stuff” he had let pile up.  Our office is now a much more pleasant place for me to work each day and it is easier to put things away at the end of the day as they all have a place to go.  Judy was very fun to work with too.  Thank you Judy!!!

Naomi in Mission Viejo, CA

Keep only what you love

When you’re moving, according to the National Association of Home Builders, a lot of people move with everything they own.  This is an excellent time to sort through the items in each room and donate to organizations.  Ask yourself, do you really have to keep it? Put your focus on using the things that bring you happiness.  Check the following websites for donating your items:  www.charityguide.org and www.justgive.org