Quick Post...Tax Time is Over, Be Prepared for Next Year!

Today a lot of people are breathing a sigh of relief now that another tax season is coming to a close. It never fails, but each year I hear so many stories of people racing around last minute to gather essential documents and receipts for their tax returns. Here is a tip that might prevent this from happening next year. Each January, designate a folder for tax information for the year (ex. "Taxes 2009"). I put this folder in the section of my filing cabinet set aside for tax information. If needed, this folder can be subdivided into categories such as property taxes, medical receipts, donations, etc. As I come across items that I know I will need for taxes, I file them in this folder. Then, when I am ready to do my return, everything I need is at my fingertips!

Recipe Roundup!

If you home is like most, kitchen space is limited. This is a place where unwanted clutter can become quite the problem. Here are some ways to prevent those cookbooks and loose recipes from turning into a recipe for disaster!

Keep it Simple! Go through all those cookbooks and weed out the ones that you don't use often. Do you really need five books on Italian cuisine? If a particular cookbook has a recipe you like, write it down instead of keeping the whole book. Recycle or donate those cookbooks you can do without.

Go Online! There are many websites that offer a variety of recipes. This helps resist the impulse to save every recipe you find on food labels and in magazines: limiting the potential for these to become clutter. Also, the internet puts unlimited variety at your fingertips. Here are a couple of my favorite recipe websites: http://www.recipesource.com/, http://www.cooks.com/, and http://www.allrecipes.com/ (this website lets you adjust the recipe yield easily by providing an online calculation of ingredient amounts).

Write your favorites down! What I like to do is to keep all my recipes in one card box. In this box I keep all my cherished family recipes as well as favorites that I have tried and want to make again. When I see a recipe in a magazine or on a label that I want to try, I put it in a folder. If it is a keeper, I then write it on a recipe card and place it in my box. That way, all the recipes I use regularly are in one place. Even if a recipe I like can be found in one of my cookbooks, I still write it on a card. That way, if the book gets misplaced, I still have the recipe! Here is a great website where you can print out your own recipe cards: http://www.kayskreations.net/special/recipe.html.

A Quick Post: Tips to Keeping A Dirty Dog Clean!

April showers bring May flowers, but they sure make it hard to keep a dog clean! I have a wonderful white dog named Echo. Keeping her white is a challenge especially this time of year! What I like to do is keep unscented baby wipes handy in the front hall closet for quick clean ups right after her morning walk. I also like to keep other grooming essentials handy in the closet. I have a container with a brush for her fur, her toothbrush and toothpaste, and baby powder (which makes her smell nice in between baths). Here is a picture of her and my little cat Puff!

Getting Rid of Emotional Clutter

When most people think of organizing, the image of physical tasks come to mind. Clutter can also be emotional. Negativity from thoughts, self talk and toxic relationships use unnecessary energy.

Never use the words "I can't"! I always say that perception is everything. Using the words "I can't" sets people up for failure. Instead, say "I am not able to do ______ at this time". This creates a positive mind set and leaves open the possibility for change. You will be surprised at the powerful effect words have on your emotions.

Get Rid of Toxic Relationships. These are those relationships that make you feel "weighed down". Does seeing a particular person's phone number on the caller ID make you cringe? Do you feel drained after talking with that person? Is it a one sided relationship? These are all clues that you may have a toxic relationship with that person. Try to end the relationship if possible. At bare minimum, limit the time spent with them. Negative energy not only causes stress, but can cause physical and emotional illness.

Clarify Your Lifelong Goals. Write down the goals you want to accomplish in your life (raising well adjusted children, starting a business, furthering your education, buying a house). View each behavior in your life in relation to these goals. If a particular behavior in your life is not helpful in meeting these goals, seek to change it. Is having the biggest house on the block going to help you achieve inner peace? Will buying the kids designer clothes help them learn to be better people?

Be A Forward Thinker! Try not to dwell on the past. Change is only possible in the present and future. We can only change ourselves and our response to situations: not others.

It's Okay to Have A Junk Drawer!

There are mixed opinions about junk drawers. Most people are shocked when I actually recommend having one. Sometimes things don't fit so perfectly! Organizing is not a perfect science. Don't let those magazine pictures fool you!


I do think junk drawers are useful and actually quite necessary. I prefer to call them miscellaneous drawers and recommend that people limit them to a few per household. Limiting the number of miscellaneous drawers is the key to making them work well for you. Having a miscellaneous drawer gives you permission to be a little disorganized. This is similar to being on a diet and allowing a cheat day. Giving in to temptation periodically helps prevent a sense of deprivation or the sense that everything has to be in perfect order.

One good place for a miscellaneous drawer is in the kitchen. In fact, I have one myself. This drawer holds bag clips, wine openers, pastry bags, and other assorted odds and ends that are typically hard to organize. Another place where a junk drawer makes sense is in the office: for assorted office supplies. Ziploc bags are great for containing small items within a miscellaneous drawer. I like these because they fit just about anywhere. If you want to get fancy, you can purchase special drawer dividers that can accommodate different shapes and sizes. Spacesavers.com offers expandable drawer organizers which are great for customizing drawers.

Warning! Be careful not to use the miscellaneous drawer as a quick fix. If you find that you have a large amount of one type of item, this is a cue that storage needs to be created elsewhere.

Happy Organizing!

Is Your Car Driving You Crazy? Tips for Keeping Your Car Organized!

My car is like a second office. With everything I need to keep on hand, it can get cluttered pretty quickly. Therefore, I have to be creative with such limited space. Here is what I have learned over the years.

Get a clean start! When doing the initial organizing, give your car a good deep cleaning! Once your car is clean, it will make you think twice about cluttering it up. If possible, use your home vacuum cleaner. The ones available at service stations just aren't up to par. Also, your vacuum cleaner most likely has all the attachments that make it necessary to get into all those crevices. If necessary, shampoo the rugs and upholstery (it might be easier to take it to a professional for this service). When I do a deep clean, I use glass cleaner to wipe down all the windows and surfaces. It really makes the car sparkle. Lastly, get a nice air freshener. Cars can develop odors quite quickly and a nice aroma will make it a pleasant place to be in.

Get down to basics. Think about what you use your car for the most and store only those items that are related to those functions. If you use your car as an office, use a portable case to contain files. Other things to keep handy are a few pens and your cell phone. Invest in a good work bag to contain any other items you might need such as your appointment book, laptop and loose business papers. Use a thin binder for mileage forms and stow it between the seats for quick access. Make a point to write down mileage every time you start and stop your trips. Waiting until later makes for a lot more work.

If you use the car for toting around the kids, you might want to have some activity books, crayons, snacks and drinks on hand to keep the little ones busy. Another handy item to keep in the car is a canister of baby wipes which are great for cleaning a variety of sticky messes.

Be creative with the existing compartments of your car. Use extra cup holders for holding pens and a small pad of paper. I have re purposed the ash tray for a place to store my cell phone. Also remember to consolidate items if possible. Take CDs and DVDs out of their cases and store in an disk organizer. They will take up a lot less space and reduce the potential for clutter. If your car doesn't have many built in storage options, consider purchasing products specifically designed for the car. Here are some links to products that might be useful.

http://www.organizeyourride.com/site/990177

http://www.spacesavers.com/auto-organizers.html

http://www.lillianvernon.com/catalog/thumbnail.jsp?parentCatId=3&catId=31

Check out this cool product! http://www.spacesavers.com/superstickypad.html

Be prepared! There are certain things that are helpful to keep on hand regardless of how your car is being used. I recommend having the following: kleenex, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, a few pens and a small pad of paper, empty grocery bags for garbage (store these in an emtpy kleenex box), first aid kit, emergency car kit (blanket, flares, reflective signs, flashlight), and bottled water.

Regular maintenance. The key to keeping the car organized is regular maintenance. When you leave your car for the day, take a few minutes to gather trash into a plasic bag and wipe down any surfaces that have spills or stains. Also take time to put items back into their places and re stock items like snacks and empty bags. The few minutes it takes will be time well spent! Schedule deep cleanings on a regular basis. I do this on the same day as I do a deep cleaning of my house (refer to previous post..http://simpleorganizing.blogspot.com/2009/03/routine-cleaning.html). Remember that keeping organized is about building habits!

Happy Organizing!

Quick Post.....Think Outside the Box!

Another common organizing challenge I encounter is what to do with all those empty boxes! Many times I feel faced with the temptation to save every box that comes my way: thinking that I might need it someday. To deal with this, I designate one shelf in my hall closet (which thankfully is pretty large) to boxes. When no more boxes fit on that shelf, I make a point to weed out those I can do without. If parting with those boxes is too much to bear, break them down and store them horizontally or vertically so they take up less space. Just make sure to keep some tape on hand for when you actually need the box!

Happy Organizing!