A Finite Number

Sometimes when I am taking people through the organizing process, they want to know how many of something they should have. The answer is a finite number. ( A definite number. Not infinite. In other words it could be measured, or given a value.) The quantity can be determined easily depending on the item in question. Enough math, already? Not quite yet. Just set a quantity that gets you through the wash cycle, a quantity that fits in the allotted space, and is in good condition. Here are a few of the items people have asked me about in the last few years.

Coffee cups are one of those cupboard breeders that left unchecked can fill several shelves in a few years. I find teacups that came with the set of dishes, gifts, commemorative, and themed coffee mugs stacked high in the back. Start with your favorite cup- most of us have one, and set that aside. Then ask yourself how many times will you drink a hot beverage until you do the dishes or run the dishwasher. One day? Three? Multiply times the number of people in your household drinking coffee and there is the number. Choose the ones without chips or cracks because you can do better. So it turns out that you really don't need thirty mugs. If thirty people come over for hot chocolate, odds are you will use disposables.

Underwear - just dump the drawer out. Weed out those that are stretched, torn, holey, stained, and don't fit, and toss them. How often is laundry day?- Even washing every two weeks, that is fourteen pairs. Give yourself a few more if it is worn under a particular outfit like shapewear or thongs. Even if you went on a three week vacation, you would most likely do laundry at some point.

Magazines- God bless Oprah Magazine for running an ad lately that asked people to recycle magazines. (Reuse, of course, is better so share with an art teacher, doctor's office or other waiting area). People save piles and piles because they haven't read them and they believe they must read them. The simple truth is if you had the time to read a few magazines at 100 pages per issue, you would have by now. After a while, the pile grows and now you have read 1500 pages or more. More homework? Be reasonable with yourself. Tear out the pages of extremely important information like recipes, and articles on organizing and file them away. Set a quantity rule like three issues per title and keep the piles in check.

The same principles apply for the other things that fill your cupboards, closets, drawers and cabinets. You only need a finite number of staplers, and other office supplies, cords and cables, toys, magazines, sheets, holiday decorations, greeting cards and craft supplies. Toss. Donate. Recycle. Never lose the function of your spaces because you have too many of anything.

Grocery Shopping TLC

Buon Appetito! While on vacation in Italy, we stayed in a house that was near the largest grocery in town. It had four aisles, and two of those were pasta. Our refrigerator was very tiny and so we had to plan each morning what we would eat for the day. We could only buy what we could carry. Less choices, no coupons, no problem. We were on vacation and had lots of time.
Here at home. It can be a little more intimidating. Grocery stores in the U.S. are mazes of seven foot shelves with endless varieties of food. You want soda? The possibilities are sugar or diet, caffeine or no caffeine, bottles or cans, six, twelve, or a case and so on. Then, there are sales and coupons. Paper or plastic? Here are a few things you can do before you leave the house to make your trip more organized.
Know Your Store
To begin with, write your list roughly in the order of the aisles at your favorite store. Going to different stores can make you walk an extra few miles to get forgotten items. For example, my favorite store begins with dairy, then paper products, cleaners, and winds through till you get to the produce. So, when we realize we need lettuce--we write it at the bottom of the list and yogurt goes near the top. This prevents backtracking to get items we missed.
The Basics
Make a menu of at least five or more meals you or your family like to eat. It can be as simple as mac and cheese, tacos, soup, spaghetti and chicken. Then, list the ingredients you need to make these. These are the basics that you want to have in your pantry. Build your shopping list with breakfast foods, stuff for lunches, and some snacks. More advanced: create a master list of food you use and laminate it. Place it on the fridge and highlight what you need to purchase.
Organize your Pantry (and Your Fridge)
Group like items. (Can Organizers really say this enough?) Soup always goes here on this shelf, canned fruit here, cereal here, condiments in the fridge door. This makes it easy to see what is missing by the holes on the shelves when you take your list on a walk through the kitchen before you leave. It makes unpacking your groceries easier too.
Ready to shop?
Get your TLC- -reusable Totes, List, and Coupons!

The A-List (or stuff you need for a new apartment)

Our two daughters, Leah and Kelsey are both in college. My husband and I attended college. My little sisters attended college,. I worked at The Container Store helping families get ready for college and I have pack client's cars to send their kids to college. I am an expert on what one might need for a dorm room. I know what to buy cheap and what to invest in for the long haul. The college experience can involve more than eight trips moving in and out. I know girls will fuss more with color coordinating, and guys may feel pained by mom's questions and planning. The point is to remember is that your roommate is bringing nothing for you, so really focus on the personal items.
This year, my daughter Kelsey's new roommate Katie came up with a list that was helpful for them to check and compare what they each could bring to the apartment this fall. Apartments require more thought than a dorm. In an apartment there is a kitchen and all the measuring, storing and eating utensils to think about. You will need more cleaning supplies (theoretically) because you now have a bath and counters to clean and sanitize. A few basic tools like a couple of screwdrivers are helpful. With so much to gather for the trip to school, the list is essential. Pack in totes if you can because they stack in the car and can be brought home when you are unpacked. You really don't want to wait till you get to the college town if you can help it. Local stores tend to run out of needed items quickly.
I have posted Katie's list on my website as a beginning resource for planning what you might need. http://www.neatstreak.com/apartmentlist.html

All in the Name

Yeah-It's a junk drawer so that's exactly what you will put in it. Much of the contents will be junk-expired coupons, unidentifiable keys and assorted key chains, dried up pens, twisty ties, Taco Bell sauces, Chinese takeout chopsticks, paper clips, and bread crumbs in the corners. I've looked into plenty of junk drawers. If you want to be more organized, toss most of that stuff and change the name. The moniker I favor is "Utility drawer". Add a few drawer dividers and this is the place for a screw driver, glue, tape, paper clips, scissors. Use a two pocket folder for the take out coupons and menus and store this near the phone books.
The same goes for that Miscellaneous file in your file cabinet. If it is important enough to keep, give it a file and it's own name. Decorating ideas, Holiday crafts, Recipes, Party Ideas, Organizing Tips, and Vacation Spots are all legitimate file names. What's more, they are easier to find and more likely to be ever looked at again if they have their own file instead of being exiled to the dreaded Misc. file. Remember too, if the file has more than twenty-five pages, it should be broken down further.
So start making changes by changing the name. If you have a junk food cupboard...

Organized Enough to be Gone

I recently took a class on helping heirs of the chronically disorganized, and they brought up a great point that I had never really considered, the concept of e-property. For example, my e-property would consist of my website, domain name, blog, photos, and social network pages. I began to think that I needed to make my husband aware of passwords so he would be able to handle dismantling these things as my executor. Should I make a list and seal it in an envelop with my Power of Attorney and Living Will?
I have worked with several widows in the last few years whose husbands had passed away very unexpectedly. We have sifted through boxes and files to find documents, keys, and even important accounts. Now many people have gone paperless for their statements on billing, banking and investments- how would we ever find those accounts? One husband had over-saved and we had to sift through mountains of redundant paper. It would have been ideal to have everything spelled out and accounts in a file in a filing cabinet clearly labeled.
Everyone has a different level of comfort with privacy and security. Some people shred every address label as though they are in the witness protection program and others have to rescue their birth certificate from the Target bag with coupons, and leftover party napkins. (I cannot make this stuff up-it really happens.) People are and should be protective of passwords. But how can we help those who come behind us? It's a new frontier. What will you do about your e-accounts? Are you organized enough to be gone?

The Secret of Organizing

The secret to maintaining organization. Here it is... if a task takes 30 seconds or less, put it away, and do it now. That's it. Take the compost/trash out. Put the dish in the dishwasher. Sort the mail. Pay a bill. Take something upstairs or to another room. Start the washer. Together, these tasks can feel overwhelming, but broken into bite size pieces...they are done!
I recently worked with a teenage girl who kept leaving her towel on the floor in her room from swim team and showers. This damp mess made Mom nag and the daughter defensive. I asked the daughter if she would like her Mom to "back off" and she said "Of course". The answer is simple I said. Hang the towels in the racks provided in bath. I told her it would take less than 15 seconds to do this. Actually, she could probably do this 2-3 times in 15 seconds. less time than it takes to send check and send a text. Peace for the rest of the summer.
What little tasks can you accomplish to get them off your plate?

Simple Solutions to Ordinary Problems

I was dinning with friends the other night and helping clear the dishes and leftovers. When I reached for the foil and plastic wrap, I noticed that the roll kept falling out of the box. I showed my hostess the small cuts at the end of the box that the consumer can push in effectively trapping the roll in the box. It's simple, and so many people do not know it was there. The rest of the dinner party came to the kitchen to see what she was excited about. So there it is. Pass it on.

A client was struggling with summer reading books from the library. They could never find the checkout receipt and never knew how many books were supposed to be returned. The answer is to always checkout the same amount -say ten children's books per week and keep them in the same bag.

A colleague of mine, Birdie, has the best tip about what to keep when it comes to children's school work. She advocates getting two pocket folders in different colors for each child. (These will be on on sale in August) Take a "Hello My Name Is" sticker and stick it on the cover. Let your child sign it and you have acptured their signature for that year. Inside add the final report card of the year, any certificates of acheivement, an example of math, art, writing and some photos of projects and class activities. Voila! You have scrapbooked. You can toss them on the table for the graduation party, and will not overwhelm your child by delivering tons of totes to their future home when they are 30.

We were frustrated at our house because we were failing to leave something to thaw for dinner and then choosing to go out to eat when we got home. My friend, Alicia, told me that she browns the burger/ground turkey when she gets home from the grocery and freezes it after.
Of course! Process first then freeze. I love it. Spaghetti, tacos, and casseroles made simpler. I am also a crock pot fan for pot roast, soups, pulled chicken etc. What other quick ideas make meal prep a breeze? Let me know.