With spring on the way, time to think about cleaning out the garage.Are you using your garage as a storage room?Are you able to drive your car into the garage?Here are some tips to guide you in getting things in order.
1. Start by purging what you no longer need, use or want.
2. Discard anything that is broken
3. Sell or give away what you can
4. Place everything you are keeping in the driveway, grouping items by categories (auto, sports, etc.)
5. Place small items in stackable bins and dangerous or valuable items in bins that lock
6. Hang what you can (garden tools, brooms, folding chairs, bikes, etc.)
7. Put shelves or cabinets up and/or free standing shelving units
8. Make use of rafters by laying sheets of plywood as a floor
Showing posts with label guilford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label guilford. Show all posts
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Streamlining the Morning Routine to Save Time
Do you find that you are running out the door frantic in the mornings trying not to be late or forget anything important? Here are some ways that you can combat the morning stress.
1. Empty your bags/briefcase as soon as you walk in the door at night and prepare them for the next day. Having a landing station for mail and other items that must enter and leave the house will help.
2. Put everything you will need for appointments, work or errands in the car the night before so you are packed and ready to go.
3. Know what you are wearing the next day before you go to bed. Pick out every detail from the outfit to the accessories and have them ready to go. When you are tired in the morning it is much easier to not have to think, but just follow a thought out plan.
4. Prepare lunches for the kids or work the night before. Grabbing food in the morning can seem like it will only take a minute or two, but a minute can turn into ten. You are more likely to opt for unhealthy take-out and spend more money on food when you already have the supplies to make a healthy meal from home.
5. Be consistent when you go to bed. Ensure that your bedtime will allow you enough sleep to wake up easily the next morning. The more you push the snooze button the greater the chance you will be stressed getting out the door in the morning.
6. Try to get gas or run errands that will affect your morning on your way home. There is nothing worse than running late and realizing your gas tank is empty. Taking the extra five minutes to fill your tank at night will relieve some pressure in the morning.
7. Create a good morning routine with your family. Be sure that the showers are not full when your small window to get out the door on time requires you to be in it. Everyone should know what time they must be up and follow the plan to prevent waiting (and arguing!) in the early morning hours.
8. Build in time to relax a little in the morning. If you are rushing around you will spend the rest of the day feeling that stress. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to wake up, enjoy that cup of coffee, check out the weather, or accomplish that one thing you forgot to do to prevent you from falling behind schedule.
1. Empty your bags/briefcase as soon as you walk in the door at night and prepare them for the next day. Having a landing station for mail and other items that must enter and leave the house will help.
2. Put everything you will need for appointments, work or errands in the car the night before so you are packed and ready to go.
3. Know what you are wearing the next day before you go to bed. Pick out every detail from the outfit to the accessories and have them ready to go. When you are tired in the morning it is much easier to not have to think, but just follow a thought out plan.
4. Prepare lunches for the kids or work the night before. Grabbing food in the morning can seem like it will only take a minute or two, but a minute can turn into ten. You are more likely to opt for unhealthy take-out and spend more money on food when you already have the supplies to make a healthy meal from home.
5. Be consistent when you go to bed. Ensure that your bedtime will allow you enough sleep to wake up easily the next morning. The more you push the snooze button the greater the chance you will be stressed getting out the door in the morning.
6. Try to get gas or run errands that will affect your morning on your way home. There is nothing worse than running late and realizing your gas tank is empty. Taking the extra five minutes to fill your tank at night will relieve some pressure in the morning.
7. Create a good morning routine with your family. Be sure that the showers are not full when your small window to get out the door on time requires you to be in it. Everyone should know what time they must be up and follow the plan to prevent waiting (and arguing!) in the early morning hours.
8. Build in time to relax a little in the morning. If you are rushing around you will spend the rest of the day feeling that stress. Make sure you allow yourself enough time to wake up, enjoy that cup of coffee, check out the weather, or accomplish that one thing you forgot to do to prevent you from falling behind schedule.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
5 Things You Can Do Right Now to Limit Distractions At Work
1. Shut off your e-mail for short periods so you can avoid the temptation to leave your current project and rush to read the pop-up.
2. Have a screening process for your phone calls. If you don’t have caller id sign-up for it. If you have caller id, answer the phone calls you deem timely. If it is someone who you know you will talk to too long, make an appointment to talk to them or call them on your ride home from work tonight.
3. Be short, but specific with your responses. Limit return questions by phone or e-mail by stating everything clearly. Much of e-mail traffic is follow-up questions that could have been avoided the first time around.
4. Politely end conversations that are taking you away from your work or goals. For example, “I am really excited to talk to you, but I am caught up in a project right now, can we schedule a time to chat when I am less distracted?”
5. Knowing what you want to accomplish in the time period is important. By identifying your goals and making them visable you will have greater success at focusing on them and not the new ones that pop up during the day. Being reactive will allow you toget sucked into activities and conversations you are not interested in and don’t have time for.
2. Have a screening process for your phone calls. If you don’t have caller id sign-up for it. If you have caller id, answer the phone calls you deem timely. If it is someone who you know you will talk to too long, make an appointment to talk to them or call them on your ride home from work tonight.
3. Be short, but specific with your responses. Limit return questions by phone or e-mail by stating everything clearly. Much of e-mail traffic is follow-up questions that could have been avoided the first time around.
4. Politely end conversations that are taking you away from your work or goals. For example, “I am really excited to talk to you, but I am caught up in a project right now, can we schedule a time to chat when I am less distracted?”
5. Knowing what you want to accomplish in the time period is important. By identifying your goals and making them visable you will have greater success at focusing on them and not the new ones that pop up during the day. Being reactive will allow you toget sucked into activities and conversations you are not interested in and don’t have time for.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Free Workshop on Organizing for a Kitchen Remodel
Workshop: What's the Key To Successfully Remodeling A Kitchen? Organization!
When: Sat Mar 14, 2009 11am – 12pm
Where :map
The Organized Lifestyle Store, 725 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437
Description:
Kim Spanier, of Everything Under the Roof will present this workshop on preparing and organizing for a kitchen remodel. Get information on how to organIze design ideas that are most helpful to the design/construction company. Also organizatonal components to consider within the design, (ex. spice racks next to the stove, multi-level pantry storage for non-essential items, etc.). Kim will also show you how to prepare and organize for the construction (setting up a temporary kitchen station in a separate room with essentials). Join us for this interesting discussion whether you may be planning a remodel now or in the future.
Cost: Free
Pre-registration: 203-458-7674
When: Sat Mar 14, 2009 11am – 12pm
Where :map
The Organized Lifestyle Store, 725 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT 06437
Description:
Kim Spanier, of Everything Under the Roof will present this workshop on preparing and organizing for a kitchen remodel. Get information on how to organIze design ideas that are most helpful to the design/construction company. Also organizatonal components to consider within the design, (ex. spice racks next to the stove, multi-level pantry storage for non-essential items, etc.). Kim will also show you how to prepare and organize for the construction (setting up a temporary kitchen station in a separate room with essentials). Join us for this interesting discussion whether you may be planning a remodel now or in the future.
Cost: Free
Pre-registration: 203-458-7674
Sunday, March 1, 2009
The Organized Lifestyle Store has moved!
The Organized Lifestyle store has moved. We are now located at 725 Boston Post Road, Guilford, CT, 06437. In addition to offering organizing products for your home and office, professional organizing services and custom closet design we are now offering digital organization through Vandertech, LLC. computer consultants. For more information on our products and services, visit www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com or www.livablesolutions.com.
Quick Tips from a Professional Organizer - Meal Planning
I always suggest making a meals ahead of time for the week on Sundays to get a head start on a busy week. If you take the time to store soups, stews, sauces etc., after a tiring day at work you can have great healthy meals at your fingertips.
If you don’t like having the same meals a couple of days in a row, consider making sauces and soups in bulk and freezing them. Pour the liquid in sealed freezer bags with a label and lay them flat in the freezer. You will save room, by avoiding bulky plastic or glass containers. In addition, you can quickly defrost a flat freezer bag under the sink.
With these small changes to your routine, you can make your work days a lot less hectic.
If you don’t like having the same meals a couple of days in a row, consider making sauces and soups in bulk and freezing them. Pour the liquid in sealed freezer bags with a label and lay them flat in the freezer. You will save room, by avoiding bulky plastic or glass containers. In addition, you can quickly defrost a flat freezer bag under the sink.
With these small changes to your routine, you can make your work days a lot less hectic.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Fifteen Minute Pick-Up
Taking care of a household is a never-ending job. There are always chores that pile up, messes that get worse with time and millions of other things in life that keep household chores low on your list of priorities. Avoiding regular upkeep on these household tasks will surely allow them to spiral out of control. However, gaining control over household tasks and staying on top of them can be simpler than it seems! Taking fifteen minutes out of your day to spend on these tasks can produce remarkable results with a low sacrifice.
At first you will need to catch up with the clutter, repairs and cleaning that have begun to get out of hand. This means you will have to choose one room per day or even per week that you will spend your fifteen minutes on each day. Anything from getting trash thrown away and clutter organized to changing light bulbs and dusting surfaces. Once you have caught up with the household you can now begin your Fifteen Minute Pick Up! Spend your fifteen minutes each day to get ahead of the game. You can choose to set up a schedule for yourself each week, i.e. Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is dishes, Wednesday is vacuuming, etc. Or you can choose to tackle tasks spontaneously as needed. Either way, by making a habit of taking only 15 minutes out of each day you will get ahead of your household tasks. You may even find you have more time to do the things you truly enjoy now that your household duties are out of the way!
At first you will need to catch up with the clutter, repairs and cleaning that have begun to get out of hand. This means you will have to choose one room per day or even per week that you will spend your fifteen minutes on each day. Anything from getting trash thrown away and clutter organized to changing light bulbs and dusting surfaces. Once you have caught up with the household you can now begin your Fifteen Minute Pick Up! Spend your fifteen minutes each day to get ahead of the game. You can choose to set up a schedule for yourself each week, i.e. Monday is laundry day, Tuesday is dishes, Wednesday is vacuuming, etc. Or you can choose to tackle tasks spontaneously as needed. Either way, by making a habit of taking only 15 minutes out of each day you will get ahead of your household tasks. You may even find you have more time to do the things you truly enjoy now that your household duties are out of the way!
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