The Queen of KAOS @Home

Today is once again D Day - Declutter!

Today, I am working on a project that I started a few days ago, you can see a picture of the original mess and also some good ideas on tackling your office supply cabinet (or closet in my case) by clicking the link below.

ORGANIZE YOUR OFFICE SUPPLY CABINET

It was a bigger job than I thought but it’s coming along.

Already a lot of things have gone packing, either to the garbage or the library or to donate.

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These days in America, it seems that everyone is so busy that preparing school lunches is liable to push a typical mom right over the edge. When you have to choose between making school lunches or spending that extra 15 minutes in bed, it seems like buying ready made lunches at the store is a no-brainer, but your budget doesn’t agree.

The average mom packs $2.00 worth of pre-packaged goodies into each lunch she sends to school with her kids. (That works out to $720 for 2 kids.) What mother hasn’t wondered if those lunches are even getting eaten?

Try these tips for things you can do in 30 minutes or less on the weekend to make those school lunches a snap!

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“Clean your room.”
“Ugh! Oh, Mom. I’ll do it later!”This same dialog is shared by millions of parents and their children all over the world. Do you suddenly have the driving urge to get your child’s room in order? Where do you start? Here are a few ideas:

1. SCHEDULE. Schedule a specific date and time to clean out your child’s room. Your daughter or son, if she or he is old enough, should be there to help.
2. DUMP OR DONATE. Have a large box on hand for items you will be donating to your local charity or selling at a rummage sale. Also, have a large plastic garbage bag–maybe two or three–for everything you will be disposing of. Your son or daughter can help here. Let them know that every item that is of no use to them, that they donate, will be helping another child. Also, tell them that it’s important to discard anything that will never be used, to make room for new, useful items.
3. CLOTHES CLOSET. The clothes closet is usually a good place to start. Pull everything out until it’s completely empty. Then, the only items that should be returned to the closet are those articles of clothing or other items that are going to be used again. This should eliminate clothing that doesn’t fit, is worn out, and so on. If you’re not sure if an item fits your child anymore, have him or her try it on right now.
4. BASEBALL CAPS. Hang a baseball cap rack on the back of your child’s bedroom door to keep all caps neat and organized. Ensure it’s at a reachable level for your child and that he/she understands the proper way to hang the caps on it.
5. SHOES. A shoe rack can keep children’s shoes organized, easily accessible and in one place. Show your child how to organize shoes, keeping all pairs together and separating dress shoes from casual.
6. STUFFED ANIMALS, TOYS AND GAMES. Put up shelves in children’s rooms. This is usually a better solution for toy storage versus containers, because the toys won’t get crushed and will be easily obtainable. Make sure the shelves are at a reasonable height so that your child can reach wanted items.
7. PAPER. Create a filing system for your child, to keep artwork, rock star photos, blank paper, notes from family and friends, etc. Use a portable filing container that is capable of holding hanging files and that can be transported to someplace else if necessary. The ones with handles are nice, since they can be transported to different homes, on vacation, and so on. Some of these containers have snap-shut compartments for pens, pencils, clips, and more.
8. RESPONSIBILITY. Teach your children to clean and organize as soon as they’re old enough to do so. If you help them do this now, you will be helping them when they’re old enough to move out on their own. Devise a simple daily checklist for maintenance. If you have two children sharing the same room, divide the room in half with an imaginary line. Describe this imaginary line to each child. Assign each one the responsibility of keeping their side clean and organized.

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I was editing a lesson for my Time Management for Mom’s ecourse and while I was writing, I realized that sometimes we can have some pretty major obstacles in the way of our accomplishing our goals and aspirations.

I realized that sometimes to get over the hump, we really need some outside insight, and the first person who came to my mind was a fellow mom and life coach, Aurelia Williams. I’ve heard her speak and found her to be very authentic as well as genuinely concerned with the topic at hand, what ever it may be.

If you are feeling overwhelmed, she may be just the person you are looking for to get that leg up.

What in the Heck Can a Personal Coach Do?  by Aurelia Williams

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I found myself childless, and alone, living the simple life out on the town yesterday afternoon. No heavy and loud decisions about who wants to go where first, who wants something that they don’t need, who wants something that they do need but I don’t want to buy.

Just silence.

I could do anything I want!

Oddly, I didn’t feel like my usual treats - capaccino, chocolate, sinful decadence at the fast food place. I didn’t want to buy a book, I have too many to read now and not enough time to do it, I didn’t want to buy myself anything.

WOW!

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Just wanted to remind anyone who may want to start with the D Day Challenge that today is the day (if you are doing Saturdays, if you want to do another day, just come here and post your comment.

You can read about it here Saturday is D Day

and post your comments here Declutter Day

Feel like you’re running out of space for all your stuff? Here are 10 simple ideas for using your space more effectively.

1. INSUFFICIENT OR INEFFECTIVE. Do you have insufficient storage space or ineffective storage space? There’s a big different. Insufficient storage space means you don’t have enough space for your things. Ineffective space means you have enough space for your things, but you’re not making the best use of that space. Most closets and cabinets have the volume to hold twice as much as they are usually constructed for. And you probably have quite a few nooks and crannies for storage that you haven’t even thought of. Of course, it’s important to make sure you don’t have things you don’t like, are outdated, etc., but it is also important to have effective storage space for the things you do like and enjoy.
2. ADD-A-ROD. Looking for extra storage space in your closet. If you have the type of closet with two+ walls for hanging clothes, on one wall hang a rod at head height for long clothing (dresses, pants, etc.). On the other wall, hang two rods–one above the other–for shorter clothing (shirts, skirts, blazers, etc.) In other words, you’re not restricted to only one clothing rod.
3. INSTALL SHELVES. Most shelves can be moved up-a-notch or down-a-notch. If you have three inches of space above your linens, you may consider adjusting the shelf so the shelf below it has more space. Or, perhaps you can add another shelf in between. Plastic, multiple level shelves are wonderful for kitchen cabinets. And corner shelves are great for picture frames, knick knacks and other small treasures.
4. USE STORAGE UNITS. Storage units, which can be picked up from housewares or hardware stores, are great space savers. Your spices can be removed from drawers and placed on a spice rack. There are racks for canned goods that, when a can is taken from it, the next can in line rolls forward. Some of these hold over 40 cans! Ice cube trays are inexpensive storage containers for smaller items such as earrings. There are coffee tables on the market with storage space hidden inside. Under bed containers are perfect for storing quilts and linens. Be creative and make use of these great tools!
5. DON’T FORGET ABOUT WALL SPACE. Look around and you’re sure to find quite a bit of empty wall space. There are many uses for this new-found space. Pots and pans can be taken out of cabinets and hung on walls. Tools can be placed on pegboards. Shelves can be installed for picture frames and knick knacks. Many stores now carry corner shelves that can be installed in a snap.
6. PUT FREQUENTLY USED ITEMS WITHIN ARMS REACH. Whenever possible, store regularly used items where you use them most. Recently, my husband created a toilet paper holder on the back of our bathroom cabinet door, with a small dowel, 2 nails and 2 loops of rope. It holds three rolls of toilet paper, and it’s right near the area it’s needed most. You shouldn’t have to walk from one room to another to retrieve items you use every day. Store linens in the bedroom. Store videos near the television. If you use the scissors in the office area and in the sewing room, have two pairs of scissors, one in each room.
7. ADD-A-DRAWER OR SLIDING SHELF. Many hardware and housewares stores carry drawers that can be installed underneath a cabinet. These are great if you have a home with limited drawer space. In addition, you can also install shelves under cabinets that slide out when you need them, and slide back in when you’re finished with them.
8. KEEP YOUR DESK CLEAR. A clear desk is directly related to your productivity. You will get more done, if you’re not constantly under a pile of papers and files. A sturdy, full-suspension filing cabinet is a must for any home or office. Portable file boxes that hold hanging file folders also come in handy. There are plenty of storage choices for CD-roms and diskettes. Desk supplies belong in an on-the-desk caddy or in trays inside your desk.
9. REARRANGE. Everyone is different, and has different needs. Make your home or office work for you. One woman I know told me she never uses her dining room, not even when she has company over. And she had no intention of ever using it since her kitchen was big and elegant enough. She also said she hated her dark basement office. So, I suggested she rearrange a bit, and turn her dining room into her office. And that is exactly what she did. So think about your surroundings and make them work for you, even if they seem a little out of the ordinary.
10. ROTATE. You may have many items you love in your home or office, but not enough space. Rotate them. In other words, keep some things in storage for a month or two and display some of your things. Then, once that time is up, make the switch. The items on display go into storage; the items in storage go on display. What a neat idea!

by Maria Gracia - Get Organized Now!â„¢
Want to get organized? Get your FREE Get Organized Now!â„¢ Idea-Pak, filled with tips and ideas to help you organize your home, your office and your life, at the Get Organized Now!â„¢ Web site
http://www.getorganizednow.com

Teaching kids about money is such an important life skill.  I love Jill’s article because it gives a new spin, our own responsibility, and a reminder that all eyes are on us!  I know I will be watching my own habits more closely after reading this article, and making a bigger effort to teach my own kids money skills.

by Jill Cooper

So many people ask how to teach their kids about money, hoping we can give them a 1-2-3 formula to use that will help their child become a wise caretaker of his money and maybe even a future Bill Gates or Oprah Winfrey. Many parents ask this question because they are terrified that their children will turn out just like themselves when it comes to spending money. They hope that the “Do as I say, not as I do” method might actually work in this case.

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A new article has been posted to the Queen of KAOS @Home article directory called “Kick Clutter to the Curb”.

It’s about how your mindset affects how much clutter you collect, and how to get rid of it.

All it takes is one little word.

Kick Clutter to the Curb

I’ve just put up a page outlining a new program that I hope will help everyone spring into ACTion - Decluttering ACTion that is.

You can read the details here - Saturday is D Day

Basically, I am going to open a blog entry every Saturday and you can post your comments on it about what you’ve decluttered, how it is going for you and any comments you may have.

You can also purchase the Declutter Fast ebook and get Time Management for Mom’s FREE, as well as my own cheat sheets that I made to make it easier to use the ebook.

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