Organize by the Month Blog

Have you ever cleaned up your home for company and then promised yourself you will keep it that way…always? Then daily life gets in the way and before you know it the house is a mess with clutter again.

You beat yourself up for not keeping your promise. You tell yourself you are a failure. You feel you can never get the house under control and keep it that way.

Then you get angry and decide you’re going to clean up the house once and for all and keep it that way. So you start over again with hopes, dreams, and determination to get it right this time.

Here’s a a quote to think about when you find yourself in the above situation.

“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you always got.”

When you start over to clean up the clutter in your home for yet another time, stop and think of “why” it got this way again, not the “how”. We all the “how” - we simply did not put things away. It’s when you figure out the “why” then you can start doing something different and guess what - you’ll get different results.

1. Why didn’t things get put away?
2. Why do you keep purchasing more items? (Do you really need them? Do you buy without planning first?)
3. Why don’t you have a place or “home” for each item in your home? (Too many items? Not enough or the right kind of storage?)
4. Why don’t you have a routine to follow to keep the house cleaned up? (Never wrote out a plan? The old routine never works? )

We all have weaknesses and it’s easy to come up with excuses. We all have strengths too. Maybe you keep you desk at work clean and organized. Or your craft project is organized and ready to work on. Or maybe you’re great at organizing your childrens school parties, etc.  Take a look at what you do well no matter how large or small it may be and try to apply some of those techniques to what you are not good at.

“Have confidence that if you have done a little thing well, you can do a bigger thing well too.”  ~ Storey

“It’s not how many times you fall that matters; it’s how many times you get up.” ~ Anon

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Decluttering, Home, Organizing, Planning // Add Comment »

A great way for kids and parents to celebrate the holiday is by having a Fourth of July Parade. Let the children decorate their bikes, wagons, big wheels, and themselves to march down the street or sidewalk. Make sure there is plenty of adult supervision especially if they parade down the side of a street. When my children were young we lived on a cul-de-sac. Most of the families on that street had young children so it worked out great for everyone.

Below are several sites with ideas on decorating bikes and/or the children. It doesn’t have to cost much. Use items you already have around the house, a few store bought craft supplies, and a whole lot of imagination and fun!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/bike-decorations.html

http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/a-star-spangled-ride-674243/

http://www.familycorner.com/family/kids/crafts/patriotic-flip-flops.shtml

http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Crafts/Stars-and-Stripes-Cap.html

Don’t forget the red, white, and blue balloons. They always make a parade fun!

If you have ideas for a parade please let me know. I’ll share them with all my readers.

Thanks,

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Calendar, Crafts, Family Fun, Holidays // Add Comment »

In every store you go to there is red, white, and blue displays enticing you to buy all kinds of things to get in the spirit of the holiday. You could spend a fortune on these things. Or you could spend quality time with your children or the creative child in yourself and have fun making your own decorations.

Here are several websites with ideas and instructions to help you get started.

Kaboose.com has a bunch of crafts and other activities.

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/july-4/

Disney Family Fun site has plenty of ideas.

http://familyfun.go.com/4th-of-july/4th-of-july-crafts/

HP Creative Studio has projects you can print on your printer.

http://www.hp.com/hho/hp_create/themes_holidays_4th_of_july.html

I will check out more sites and ideas and post them here in the next few days. If you have any fun, inexpensive, and easy projects please let me know so I can share them with all my readers. Thanks.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Calendar, Crafts, Family Fun, Holidays, Planning // Add Comment »

Last night I was reading the book “The One Minute Sales Person” by Spencer Johnson. It talks about the best way to sell anything (products, ideas, services) is to help the person/customer get what they want from the product, idea, or service. So what does this have to do with decluttering and organizing? Actually plenty because when we work on decluttering and organizing our homes we not only have to “sell” ourselves on the idea we also have to “sell” our family members on it.

We can work on keeping our own things cleaned up but if our spouses and/or children leave things laying around we will become frustrated and discouraged. We know that begging them to help usually doesn’t work in the long run. We have to figure out how to convince them that decluttering and organizing helps everyone in the household. That is where the “selling” comes in. We have to let them know how they will benefit from getting rid of the old things and organizing what is left.

The specific benefits may different for each person but here are some basic benefits of decluttering and organizing that applies to all of us.

1. Fewer things laying around (toys, electronics, etc.) makes it easier to find and put away the ones we really use and enjoy.
2. Putting dirty clothes in the proper designated place makes it easier to keep the laundry up. That means they will have clean clothes when they need them.
3. Putting the dirty dishes in the dishwasher or washing them by hand instead of leaving them all around will allow you to use clean dishes instead of paper ones. That’s better for the environment and today’s children are learning to take pride in protecting the environment for their own future.
4. Keeping track of how much money is spent on “things” and if they are “wants” or “needs” will help save money and keep the clutter from building up around the house. I call this conscious buying and it benefits everyone.

How do you “sell” yourself and/or your family members on the benefits of decluttering and organizing? Please let me know by leaving a comment so I can share these ideas with all my readers. Thanks.

I looked through some old blog posts and found ones that may help inspire you to find the benefits for you and your family.

Wants vs Needs     http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=156

Mindfulness in the Home     http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=87

“Things” Can Be Freeloaders    http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=370

Time To Get Off Autopilot    http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=354

Mistakes As Clutter    http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=210

To a lighter load along the way.
Janice Scissors

Please pass this post along to friends and family who want to declutter and organize their lives.  When they sign up at http://cutclutterwithscissors.com, they will receive a free ebook filled with decluttering and organizing tips.



Stay Connected
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http://organizebythemonth.com  (blog)
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
email:  janice@cutclutterwithscissors.com

Tags: Decluttering, Home, Organizing // Add Comment »

I haven’t blogged for awhile. Below is this week’s newsletter explaining why.

Cut Clutter With Scissors Newsletter
Volume 2, Issue 18
May 2, 2010

It’s been awhile since I wrote a newsletter.  Sometimes life throws you a few lemons and sometimes you feel like you’ve been run over by a bulldozer.  The last four weeks have felt like the latter. My mother had surgery on May 3 that ended up with multiple complications, the most serious being a stroke. She is now on her road to a slow recovery which gives me a chance to settle into a “new” routine.

Both of my sisters live out of town so I’m the one handling most of the legal, financial, medical, and household issues. Fortunately my mother was the “born organized” one. I’m still wondering where my SHEness (sidetracked home executive aka Sidetrack Sisters & Flylady) came from.  My name is on her checking account and her Power of Attorney/Living Will was easy to find. Actually, since her stroke did not effect her memory she was able to tell me where it was.

Ironically right before her surgery I was putting the finishing touches on my new ebook, “Cut Out The Paper Clutter”. Because I’ve been following many of the ideas in the book regarding the organizing of financial papers it wasn’t too difficult to take over her bill paying and still keep my own under control. Most of my bills are on autopay and the rest are paid  with online banking.  I have spent several years using many of the tips that I share in the ebook to reduce the junk mail so it takes little time to sort my mail. I hope to have the ebook up for sale by next week.

My mother hasn’t embraced all the electronic bill paying yet but we had planned on doing it during her surgery recovery time. I will take the next few weeks to slowly get most of her bills on autopay and set up online banking. This way it will be much easier for her to handle her own bills when she gets back home from rehab.  I will also start using some of the tips/websites listed in the ebook to get her name off of the junk mail lists.  See below for a link to the blog post that list the websites.

As much as I have learned through research, first hand experience is still the greatest teacher. We all know the importance of setting up our financial papers so our spouse or children could easily take over the responsibility if necessary yet this is one area many people put off.  Clearing out the paper clutter and organizing our finances can go a long way to reduce the worry.  The stress that comes with disorganization and procrastination will get worse with age. Whether you are in your 20’s, 40’s, 60’s or older, now is the time to get rid of the paper clutter so you can free up your time and energy to spend on the more important and fun things in life.

My goal is to get back to the weekly newsletters (or as often as possible) and blog posts. Although I will be focusing a lot on paper clutter I also will share tips on traveling and garage sales. After all, it’s summer time and that’s what people do during this time of year.

If you have any questions, tips, or suggestions please reply to this email or post a comment on my current blog posts at: http://organizebythemonth.com. I’m always happy to help you with tips to declutter your home or life. I also love it when I can learn new things from you and then share it with all my readers. Thank you.

To a lighter load along the way.
Janice Scissors

Please pass this newsletter along to friends and family who want to declutter and organize their lives.  When they sign up at http://cutclutterwithscissors.com, they will receive a free ebook filled with decluttering and organizing tips.

Blog Posts

How to Declutter Junk Mail        http://organizebythemonth.com/?p=245


Stay Connected
http://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com  (blog)
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
email:  janice@cutclutterwithscissors.com

Tags: Decluttering, Organizing, Paper Clutter, Planning // 2 Comments »

I have found over the years that if I plan out a project on paper I have a much higher success rate in completing it. To make it easy for myself I would design a worksheet and make copies of it for each new project.

Over the years I have designed more specific worksheets for different kinds of projects. I have converted these into PDF’s and loaded them to my server. You can download these free worksheets and print them out. If you have any questions about them please ask me in the comment section.

Paperwork Project Worksheet

Household or Craft Project Worksheet

Weekend Projects Worksheet

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Home, Organizing, Planning // Add Comment »

Over the years I have relied on the experience and expertise of many people to help me learn how to control clutter. Although I’ve never hired a professional organizer I have read many of their books and articles. There are other people such as Marla Cilley, aka Flylady, who have shared their own experiences to help others.

I plan on sharing these resources with you every Wednesday. These posts may include links to websites with lots of information and inspiration. They may be reviewing a book I have read on organizing. Please check out this blog every Weds. If you want, you can sign up on the right sidebar or here to receive new blog posts in your email.

I mentioned Marla Cilley above. She is know as Flylady. I first read about her eight years ago in an article in Woman’s Day magazine. I’ve use many of her tips and tools over the years.

Check her out at: http://www.flylady.net/

Marilyn Bohn is a Professional Organizer in Utah. She has lots of articles on her website and blog. She recently published the book, “Go Organize! Conquer Clutter In 3 Simple Steps.” You can read my review of the book here.

Check out her website and blog: http://www.marilynbohn.com/

Jacquie Ross is also a Professional Organizer. I recently met her through Twitter and now we correspond through email and phone calls. She also writes a lot of articles on organizing plus has a newsletter and ebook.

Check her out at: http://www.castawaytheclutter.com/index.html

There are so many ways to declutter and get organized. Sometimes it is trial and error until you find what works for you. Life is journey but you can lighten your load along the way.

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://Twitter.com/jlscissors (Look for my almost daily mini Cut Clutter Tips.)

Tags: Decluttering, Organizing // 1 Comment »

I was talking to my neighbor this morning and he mentioned how he was getting  ready for all the parties he expected to have in May. Why the parties? Because his daughter was graduating college and his son was graduating high school. Each has their own friends and then there is all the family and friends of their father and late mother.

This got me thinking about the graduation gifts I need to buy. Oh, and Mother’s Day is May 9th so I also have to think about what to buy my mother and mother-in-law. Usually I get them flowers (cut flower bouquet - no vase) plus take them out to brunch or dinner. Both are non-clutter gifts.

But what do I get a high school boy and a college graduating young lady? Since the boy will be staying at home while going to a local college he won’t need anything for a dorm room. His sister may be moving out of state for a job so I don’t want to give her anything she would have to worry about moving to her new home. So the best solution will be to either give them money or a gift card. This way they can use it for things they need without me adding any clutter to their young lives.

Before you buy any gift for your mother or a new graduate think about how it will affect their life in the long term.

• Will it be nice in the short run but clutter in the long run? (a cute decorative wall hanging, silly/joke items, plants or flowers in a decorative vase - how many vases does one person need?)
• Is it something that is practical and they need or will improve their life?
• Is it something that is fun but won’t add clutter? (Tickets/gift card for a concert, amusement park, theater, or restaurant)

On the Flylady site there are some good ideas for the college bound teenager. The list is about halfway down the page. Check it out.

http://www.flylady.net/pages/ClutterFreeGiftsC.asp

While we are on the subject of school it’s time to honor all the teachers that help our children reach that great day of graduation. Next Tuesday, May 4 is National Teachers Day.

“The teacher who is indeed wise does not bid you to enter the house of his wisdom but rather leads you to the threshold of your mind.”
                                                                            ~Khalil Gibran

“Let us think of education as the means of developing our greatest abilities, because in each of us there is a private hope and dream which, fulfilled, can be translated into benefit for everyone and greater strength for our nation.”
                                                                            ~John F. Kennedy

http://www.nea.org/teacherday/index.html

http://www.teacher-appreciation.info/

******

Cinco de Mayo is Wednesday, May 5

http://holidays.kaboose.com/cinco-de-mayo/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/cinco-de-mayo/

http://www.theholidayzone.com/cinco/

******

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9

http://www.holidays.net/mother/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/mothers-day/

******

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Calendar, Holidays, Planning, school // Add Comment »

Yesterday was the official Earth Day. Because it was during the week many celebrations are taking place this weekend. I’m fortunate that my city (a suburb of St. Louis) has a large event that includes recycling of electronics, athletic shoes, and even shredding of paper documents. There also is a large event taking place for the whole metropolitan area plus many other individual suburbs. I googled my city and some surrounding areas to find out the details. Try googling your city so you can take advantage of these once a year events.

Earth Day was designed to remind us at least once a year of how important it is to be considerate of the home (earth) we all share. However, we should think this way everyday of the year.  After all, we want our individual homes to be clean and uncluttered, why not the larger home we all share.

There are many things each of us can do that will add up to making a big difference in the long run. In the process you might save money, create a healthier environment for you family, and simplify your life. I think those are good reasons to make some little changes.

Things I have done:

1. Switched to compact fluorescent light bulbs where I can.
2. Use fewer harsh chemicals for cleaning. Vinegar, baking soda, shampoo/soap, and elbow grease are safer and less expensive.
3. Use very few harsh chemicals for landscaping. My vegetable garden is organic.
4. Recycle as much as I can with curb side recycling plus special events. I also recycle a lot of my food scraps and yard waste in a compost pile.
5. I use reusable water bottles around the house. I still use plastic water bottles (recycled when empty) when my husband and I take our dog for walks at a park. I’m can’t decide what kind of reusable bottle I want to buy that will be easy and light weight to carry while walking. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

These are some of the changes I have made so far. They didn’t happen all a once but a few at a time. To some people it may seem like I am doing a lot of things to be “green” while to others may think it’s barely a grain of sand.

It doesn’t matter how few things we are doing now. What’s important is to slowly keep changing our habits so we can clean and declutter our homes and the earth. Those grains of sand add up to a whole shore line.

“To see a world in a grain of sand
and heaven in a wild flower,
Hold infinity in the palm of your hand
and eternity in an hour.”
William Blake

If you have children then this site below has lots of information and fun things to do regarding Earth Day and everyday. The more the next generation learns about the earth the better they will care for it when they grow up.

http://www.planetpals.com/pp_magazine22.html

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

Tags: Calendar, Decluttering, Going Green, Holidays, Home, Simplicity // Add Comment »

In the work environment most bosses have some kind of assistant or secretary. Today is the official day that they are suppose to recognize how much that person helps the boss. If you are the boss and have someone assisting you then let them know how much you appreciate their help.

But if you are not the boss or even if you do not work in an office take this day to think about all the people who help you with your administrative responsibilities. This doesn’t have to be just work related. There are administrative responsibilities in running every home.

Who pays the bills? Who schedules the doctor’s appointments or calls the plumber when needed? Who takes care of the taxes or at least gathers the papers needed for the accountant?  Who files important papers in the file drawer so they can be found when needed?  The list goes on and on.

In my household I take care of most of the administrative duties. So today I’m going to pat myself on the back. Who knows, maybe when I go out later I’ll buy myself some fresh flowers!

Here are a couple of sites to check out about Administrative Professionals Day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Administrative_Professionals%27_Day

http://www.iaap-hq.org/newsroom/apw/index.html

Janice

http://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors  Be sure to follow me on Twitter for my almost daily Cut Clutter Tips.

Tags: Calendar, Holidays, Home, Organizing // Add Comment »