December Donations

When sorting papers or dealing with mail, my clients often put aside requests from non-profit organizations, arts groups, and schools to make an “end of the year gift.”  The folder or pile grows and grows.

Well, the end of the year is around the corner!  Now is the time to pull out that folder or get to that pile of requests, and make your decisions.

Here’s what to do:

• Find your folder or stack of donation requests.
• Grab your checkbook, or your laptop if you pay online.
• Sort requests by organization/group, and throw out multiple requests from the same place.
• If you write checks, keep a list with the organization’s name and the amount you gave this year.  Use this list to be sure you get all the acknowledgement letters.
• If you pay online, you should receive an email confirmation. Set up a file in your email program and file all the confirmation emails here.

With a few simple steps you’ll make your donations and be ready for tax time.

Organizing for Car Trips

When my family set out on our drive to see relatives for Thanksgiving, we actually left on time! Exactly on time, not 10 or 30 or 60 minutes late, which is usually what happens. We sailed along traffic-free and had a great drive to grandma’s house.

What happened so that we got out of the door at the appointed hour?

• Got out our bags a few days before the trip.
• Made a list of random things we had to bring – a wedding gift, a stack of books to return to my mom.
• Packed as much as possible the night before; generally I say I will do this but don’t really pack everything – this time I did it!
• Used bags to organize: I created a “car” bag for all the random last minute things that need to go in – GPS, camera, snacks, baseball hat.
• Set up the cereal, bowls and glasses on the counter the night before; this made breakfast easier in the morning.
• Let everyone in the family know my expectations: when we planned to leave, that we’ll need your help packing the car, etc.

What are your secrets for starting a car trip on time?

Cleaning Up as a Family Affair

Last week I heard a great idea from a client.  Once each month, on a weekend, her family has a scheduled Chore Day. On Chore Day the whole family is involved, working from a list of chores, including putting things away in the storage areas, cleaning out cabinets, and general tidying up. The client reported that “having a scheduled chore day each month means I don’t feel guilty the other three weekends about having lots of fun.” Brilliant! In my house I may schedule some time for myself to work on the basement or the attic, but it’s more haphazard…and it’s not usually a family event unless I rope my husband into it at the last minute or get my daughter to clean out her art supplies. And in between all my daughter’s weekend activities we do have a lot of fun…but the mess in the basement is still there. But now I’m very inspired by the idea of Chore Day, and will try it with my family: maybe just half a Saturday each month to get us going on that nagging list of To Do’s. Would a set Chore Day work for you?

Getting Organized to Exercise, by guest blogger Catherine Milliken

Hi everyone! I’m Elizabeth’s trainer and see her up to three times a week for Boot Camp, Pilates, and personal training through Karna Fitness. I asked her if I could share some tips on getting organized about exercising, since I believe that’s most of the battle.

Woody Allen said that 90% of success in life is showing up. So why is it so hard to show up to exercise? The answer? Planning, preparing, and letting go of excuses.

1. 1. Plan your week and establish a routine. Every magazine will tell you that you need to schedule time for exercise, and it’s true! If you have kids, sit down with your partner and negotiate who gets what morning or evening for exercise. I like to do the same thing every week for simplicity sake (ex: Monday is boot camp, Tuesday Pilates, Wednesday run) but you may need more variety or flexibility. Some say it takes three weeks to change a pattern of behavior, so be really committed during that time to “show up.”
2. 2. Prepare the night before. I’m a morning exerciser, so I like to make sure my bag and water is packed, coffee is in the coffee maker, my outfit and shoes are laid out, and a banana is next to my bag. That way, I can literally jump out of bed, get dressed, and get out the door. I don’t have to think AT ALL, which is helpful at 5:30 am! I’ve gotten lazy a few times and neglected this routine the night before…it ends up taking me three or four times as long in the morning as I walk around in a fog.
3. If you like to work out in the evening after work, pack your gym bag the night before, along with a pre-workout and post workout snack. Nothing kills motivation like being famished.
4. 3. Just go, no excuses. “If you go to school and you still feel sick, then you can come home.” You’ve heard this before, right? From your mom, right? SHE KNEW that your sniffle or your “bellyache” wasn’t substantial enough to keep you on the couch all day. She knew that the hardest part was getting out the door. It still is. Take a lesson from mom: if you get dressed, get out the door, drive to class, spend ten minutes at exercise class and STILL don’t feel like it, you can go home.
5. I tell my clients to adopt a simple mantra, “Don’t think, just go!” At 5:30 am, it’s easy to convince yourself that you can squeeze in a power walk after dinner, but the fact of the matter is, it probably won’t happen, especially if it’s not part of your routine. So stop negotiating with yourself; don’t think—just GO!

Good luck with establishing your routine…it really is 90% of the battle!

PS. If you’re curious about how Elizabeth does in class, she’s always punctual and very dedicated! She’s followed my tips for getting out the door and almost never misses a class unless it’s for a very good reason, like she is on vacation, or her husband is away. She’s up for ANYTHING and went from basically doing only walking and occasional yoga to running, holding a 2 minute plank, and high intensity interval training!

Check out Karna Fitness and follow us on Facebook.

A Better Errand List

Do you feel like you are running all over town trying to get things done?

Do you keep thinking of the errands you need to do? Often my list swirls around in my head, or is scribbled on several sticky notes on my desk.

Here’s my simple 3-step system to keep the errand list under control:

Step 1: I get a piece of paper and write down all the places I need to go in the next week or two. I basically empty my brain of all the stores where I need to pick up something or return an item.  My initial list looks like this.

Step 2: Then I try to group the errands into trips. For example, one trip might be Target and HomeGoods since they are near each other.  So my list looks like this:

Step 3: The last step to really make it happen…schedule time! I get my Google calendar and look at where I have pockets of time, and slot in the trips.

This simple process helps me to get all the nagging to do’s out of my head and on to my calendar. Happy shopping!

Organizing in the Kitchen: What are your online tools?

Say the phrase “kitchen tools” and you probably think of a stand mixer, chef knife, or set of measuring cups.  But what online tools have you tried?

As a busy parent, I know that finding the time to plan meals, shop, and cook can be a challenge. Here are a few online tools I've tried to save time:

• Online grocery delivery: When I lived in an apartment and couldn’t carry bags of groceries home I regularly ordered my groceries online. Now I use the deliveries when my schedule is too hectic. A busy mom friend says this service saves her every week, especially with store app for smartphones. Her basic shopping list is always ready to go.
• Recipes online: I use websites to find the perfect birthday cake for my party theme, or to discover a new way to cook Brussels sprouts. My sister also uses Pinterest to “pin” her favorite recipes from the web, allowing her not only to have the recipe but also a photo of the dish.
• Cooking magazines online: In my home we love Cook’s Illustrated and subscribe online so that we can find any recipe we need, any time. Now we don’t have to search through all the magazines to find that dessert we wanted to try. My husband loves their app for the iPad too.

I have been telling parents about The 6 o’clock Scramble website. Subscribe and you’ll receive weekly meal plans with shopping lists and healthy eating tips! I haven’t tried it yet but it looks like it could be a huge help.

What online tools have you tried to make it easier to get meals on the table?

Ready to Return?

Everyone loves to leave on vacation, but few of us like to return.

Here are my organization tricks to make the “re-entry” back to reality easier:

• Before I leave I write a list of critical things I need to do once I return (like pay certain bills, call client, etc.). All this races through my head before I leave but I can put it on the list and forget it while I’m away.
• Clean up the kitchen before you go away. I like to come home to a clean kitchen.
• Once you return, start laundry right away. My husband and I now bring our bags right from the car into the laundry room. We empty the dirty laundry and get at least one load started as soon as we are home.
• Unpack as you can…laundry and clothes are first, the other items may take a few days to get put away.

Bon voyage!

Summer Entertaining

It’s time to get together with friends! Here are some tips to organize your summer entertaining:

• If your event is outside, be sure to have a back-up plan in case the weather doesn’t cooperate.
• Make your lists: grocery, other shopping, to do.
• Have your kitchen stocked with a few party favorites for impromptu gatherings. I like to always have olives, crackers and cheese ready to go.
• Also keep your bar stocked for summer drinks. It’s easier to have a party “signature” drink (think gin and tonic or mojito) rather than offering a full bar.
• Check to be sure you have napkins, plates and other supplies for outside entertaining.

And for some fun aprons and linens, check out my cousin Janna’s fabulous designs at Raw Materials Design.

Happy entertaining!

Martha Stewart Living Radio Interview

I was thrilled to be interviewed on the MSLR show, "Living Today." Host Ryan Brockington and I discussed our favorite ways to get ready for summer, shared our love of lists, and I answered questions from callers. It was very fun!

Listen to the interview (about 30 minutes).

Making an Effective List

Sure you can write something down, but then do you ever look at it again? Does one big list help you accomplish what you want to do?

Here’s how I make my lists work as a tool for planning and time management:

• I create one master list for a project on my computer, making it easy to edit.  What I like about an electronic list is that it provides a place for me to quickly get out all my thoughts and then rearrange and change them later. I may print it out and cross some things off, but then it is back to the computer to update it.
• I give the list some context with sub-headings. For example, for a renovation project I may have sections like To Call or To Research. Giving context with verbs also helps make the list actionable!
• I break down the list into smaller more manageable tasks. This is an important part of any “big” project and makes it much more achievable. I know I’m making progress one step at a time.
• I include some deadlines for the tasks.
• For specific to-do’s, I put them on my schedule so they actually get done.
• And finally, I look at my list often!

This list approach works well for me, which shouldn’t be a surprise if you’ve read Is There an Organizing Gene? I grew up seeing my Mom making and using lists all the time. Mom’s lists tended to be neatly written in black ink on pages of paper with much detail. Now that I think of it, my Dad was a list-maker too. He opted for the short-but-effective sticky note approach.

Making and using a list can be a key strategy to stay organized, but there isn’t one approach that works for everyone. The important part is to find what works for you.

What’s Your Jan Plan?

It’s almost January! How did that happen? It’s the new year, my birthday month, and a great time to reflect on the year ahead.

What do you want to accomplish? What are your goals for the year? Write or type them out, and visit your list* often.

I’ve already started jotting down a few ideas for 2011: places I want to go, fun things I want to do with my family, goals for my business. And in the spirit of The Happiness Project, I’m going to set a few happiness goals again for myself this year.

During this holiday season, spend a little time relaxing, reflecting and then planning for the year ahead.

*Read my tips for making a list work for you!

Email Organization: 1-2-3

Recently I wrote about how to deal with the catalogs coming into your home at this time of year.  After that post I noticed that my email was also getting quickly filled with shopping “deals” and offers.  While my catalogs were under control, my email box wasn’t.

I realized I could apply some of the same tips for dealing with catalog clutter to organizing my email:

1. Using outlook rules, I set many of my retailer emails to go to a specific folder called “shopping”; now they don’t take up space in my in box and distract me from other tasks at hand. (Another idea I’ve heard: use a separate email address for retailer emails to keep them out of your work or main email box.)
2. When I review the emails I delete any I know I’m not going to use right away. I can also quickly scan my new “shopping” folder and delete all the emails at once if I want.  
3. Even better still, I took myself off several retailer email lists that I just never purchase from.

How do you keep your email in box in control? Post your tips in the comments.

Caution: Catalog Season

‘Tis the season for tons of catalogs arriving in your mailbox. Here are a few tips for controlling catalog clutter:

• Use the 1 in/1 out rule: when a new catalog comes in, throw the old one out!
• Better yet, recycle the catalogs you know you won’t read as soon as they come in the door.
• Even better still, get yourself off the catalog lists! Call the company who sent the catalog, or check out the Direct Marketing Association to get off multiple lists.

And if you do order gifts from catalogs, think about the recipient and your budget. It’s easy to get excited about the latest cookware, electronic gadget, or new sweater on the glossy pages of a catalog. Is it really something the recipient wants, needs or would love to have?

Paper….or Paperless? Easy Holiday Cards

Like most people I use email and texting for regular daily communications. But I have a love of paper—and enjoy using it for cards, thank you notes, and invitations for special events.

Now a service promises to give you the design and feel of a paper card, with the ease of email. Paperless Post lets you select electronic cards, including photo cards, that get delivered to your recipients by email. They offer a range of great designs, and tout the ease and convenience of using email.

I’m a traditionalist, and will probably still send a paper holiday card this year. But if you are looking for a way to save time and resources, try out Paperless Post.

Neat Tips

More tips out this month!

Check out Elizabeth’s tip (#85) about streamlining your grocery shopping in the new book 105 Tips to Make a Mom’s Life Easier, by Stephanie Vozza.

All (School) Systems Go!

Four…three…two…one! Has school already begun?

The countdown is on for back-to-school, and now is the time to set up (or create!) your systems to stay organized. In my home, during the summer we have different routines and have been on vacation…so we don’t always follow our typical ways of doing things. This is part of summer and the change is good!

Just don’t forget to get ready and set for school.

Be sure that you have a way to deal with:

• the coming deluge of school papers, including homework, permissions slips and artwork you want to keep
• packing bags and backpacks
• making lunches
• scheduling activities
• finding the right equipment for those activities (soccer ball, ice skates, tap shoes)
• finding what you need to get out the door!

A “system” doesn’t have to be complex – it is just a process or routine for regular activities to help us stay organized. And simple is often better.

For example, use a basket on the kitchen counter to catch incoming school papers that need your attention. Update your family resource binder with the new class information. Make lunches and have kids pick out clothes the night before. Use a family calendar – paper or electronic – to schedule activities and school days off.

These are just a few ideas. For more, search our blog under the categories “kids” or “school” or contact That’s Neat! Organizing and we’ll set up a customized system just for you.

Quick Tip: Labels for a Sunny Day

I’ve been trying to remember to put sunscreen on my daughter before she heads out each day. We’ve left the sunscreen on a shelf by the front door, and we often remember…but there are many hectic mornings when we forget.  With the weather getting hotter I wanted to have a reminder for myself.

So I did what I would tell my clients to do: label it! I made a reminder that hangs on a door knob in a fun sun shape. (A post-it note would work just as well.)  I made one for the front door and the back door, and now we never forget!

Knickknacks in the Attic

Recently I was sorting through things in in my attic and came across two boxes nicely labeled “knickknacks - attic.”  This ranks in my top 3 labels to NOT use for boxes, #1 and #2 being “miscellaneous” and “stuff.” 

I caution clients to avoid these labels, but when I last moved five years ago I had labeled two boxes “knickknacks” and shoved them in the attic. Good place for them, right?

I had no idea what I had packed in there, so I decided to take a look. I also “decided to decide.”* That is, I’d make a decision on this stuff, once and for all. No more knickknack boxes in the attic!

What was in there? I found my wooden animal and small box collections from when I used to travel often to Africa and Latin American. Also lots of drink coasters. Why did I have so many coasters and how had we possibly lived without them? (Just kidding). Also inside was my husband’s model (I mean die-cast replica) 42 Ford pick up truck from his days as a Product Manager at the Danbury Mint.

While I found a few treasures, like a favorite wooden elephant named Stampy, and a few nice framed photos, many of the items didn’t “fit my life now.”* 

Following my “decide to decide” strategy, I immediately sorted out the things I knew I wouldn’t use and put them in a pile to donate. I found a place for Stampy and returned to the 42 Ford pick up to my husband. I also set out a few new photographs.

Then I was left with the dreaded “maybe” pile. Clients: I know first-hand how hard it is to decide on the maybes. For me, the maybes represented my past life when I regularly travelled internationally as part of my non-profit career.

It was hard to part with this pile, but I decided if I couldn’t find a way to enjoy these things, I’d donate them. (I certainly wasn’t enjoying them packed away in the attic.) So now I am looking for a way to display some of the wooden animals, and have let a lot of the little boxes go into the donate pile. Whew!

Although it was hard to decide on some of these items, I feel better and lighter knowing that I unearthed these things from the attic. Now on to find any boxes I’ve marked “stuff to save!”

*From The Organizing Sourcebook: Nine strategies for simplifying your life by Kathy Waddill. For this organizing project I used Strategy #1 and #7.

Happy Camper

This time of year can be really busy: as soon as school winds down…summer camp starts up. In the next few weeks I’ll be getting my daughter ready to go to camp for the first time.

Here are some reminders to help get your camper ready to go:

• Plan a time to shop for what you need to purchase.
• Label everything your child will bring or wear to camp. There are several online companies where you can purchase pre-printed labels with your child’s name. 
• Plan for the first day of camp. Talk with your child about what to expect, especially if this is the first time they are going. Have them pick out their clothes for the first day and have the backpack or bag packed the night before.

With a little bit of planning and organization, your child will be a happy camper!

Tornado Season: Spring Cleaning

Feeling ready for Spring? Here's some inspiration from guest blogger, Janna Lufkin.

I grew up in Idaho: we don’t have tornadoes but you’d think one hit the house every March or April. It was time for the annual Spring Cleaning. My mom would take an entire weeks vacation from work and whip herself up into cleaning frenzy!

Personally, I look forward to spring cleaning, but like most, I can’t spend an entire week on the project.

Over the years I have learned not to try to do too much all at once. Here’s how I go about it: my system is to break down the tasks into smaller tasks.

I take a day to clean and reorganize each drawer in the house. I start by setting up some boxes marked toss or donate. I’ll go from room to room to sort, reorganize and clean each drawer. I take the items that are no longer needed or wanted and toss them into the right boxes. I finish my day with a trip to the Goodwill.

When I have another day I do closets, then onto cupboards (including the pantry) and so on. Again, I have my boxes in tow and finish with a trip to Goodwill.

I call this cleaning from the inside out.

After about three days of cleaning and sorting throughout the month I move on to other tasks like wiping walls and woodwork, which usually takes a day. Next up: vacuuming furniture, drapes or blinds, and having the rugs and carpets cleaned. I’ll take one day and thoroughly clean all of the bathrooms and another day to get down and dirty in the kitchen. Finally I clear out winter blankets and bedding, wash everything and store for the summer.

And, you know what I discovered? By tackling my cleaning in this way I found I really enjoyed it! It wasn’t so much of a ‘big’ chore as it was a series of smaller chores done over a month or so.

So, throw open the windows and doors and let the fresh air and sunshine in while you work. Take joy in the ritual – just do it a little at a time.

-Janna