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
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Closet
1. Hang items in color coded order
2. Use all of the same type of hanger (I reccommend wooden or non-slip felt hangers)
3. Maximize the shelf space above your bar with dividers, bins or extra shelving.
4. Always add a second rod to at least half your closet. Closet doublers can be an easy way to accomplish this with no tools.
5. Purge, Purge, Purge. Always make sure what you have in the closet is what you enjoy wearing and actually fits you.
For more closet organization products and ideas visit The Organized Lifestyle Store www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com
2. Use all of the same type of hanger (I reccommend wooden or non-slip felt hangers)
3. Maximize the shelf space above your bar with dividers, bins or extra shelving.
4. Always add a second rod to at least half your closet. Closet doublers can be an easy way to accomplish this with no tools.
5. Purge, Purge, Purge. Always make sure what you have in the closet is what you enjoy wearing and actually fits you.
For more closet organization products and ideas visit The Organized Lifestyle Store www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com
Monday, March 9, 2009
Making Tax Paperwork Less Taxing
Paper is the number one problem for my clients and customers. Tax season tends to highlight the flaws in our paper filing systems each year as we scramble to figure out where to find everything we need. Having the right system from the start can make it a lot easier. Knowing what was challenging this year, can make it a lot easier to decide what will work best for storing 2009 papers.
Studies have shown that 80% of the paper that is filed each day is never looked at again. That’s a lot of storage for useless documents! This statistic highlights why it is even more important to establish what you actually need for taxes and household reference.
Let’s start with the basics for a filing system. The first step is figuring out where the paper is going to go. Do you already have multiple file cabinets throughout the house? If you do, then you are going to want to be sure to clear some of them out before you rush to buy another one. Keep a filing cabinet near where you process your paperwork. If it is in the kitchen or dining room, then it might be good to keep either a portable or permanent filing system within quick reach. You are much more likely to deal with filing your papers immediately if the filing system is nearby. If that is not possible, then make it a habit to walk any papers to be filed to the file cabinet the day you work on them. “To File” piles end up being endless abysses of paper that you will end up sorting through for taxes next year. And you will be kicking yourself for not dealing with it sooner!
Once you have established where the files will go there are many ways you can set-up an easy and effective system. First, there are products out there that label your files for you. So all you have to do is drop in the categories. For instance, the Homefile system that sells for $24.95 gives you every major category for household and small business paperwork, including Banking, Insurance, Investments, Medical etc. If you are more into personalizing your files into categories you choose, you should check out Smead Viewable hanging file tabs. These three dimensional file tabs allow you to use a simple color-coding program on the computer to label and print custom tabs that can be viewed from the top as well as the sides. Placing them in a straight line when you attach them to hanging file folders will make finding your files extremely easy.
Studies have shown that 80% of the paper that is filed each day is never looked at again. That’s a lot of storage for useless documents! This statistic highlights why it is even more important to establish what you actually need for taxes and household reference.
Let’s start with the basics for a filing system. The first step is figuring out where the paper is going to go. Do you already have multiple file cabinets throughout the house? If you do, then you are going to want to be sure to clear some of them out before you rush to buy another one. Keep a filing cabinet near where you process your paperwork. If it is in the kitchen or dining room, then it might be good to keep either a portable or permanent filing system within quick reach. You are much more likely to deal with filing your papers immediately if the filing system is nearby. If that is not possible, then make it a habit to walk any papers to be filed to the file cabinet the day you work on them. “To File” piles end up being endless abysses of paper that you will end up sorting through for taxes next year. And you will be kicking yourself for not dealing with it sooner!
Once you have established where the files will go there are many ways you can set-up an easy and effective system. First, there are products out there that label your files for you. So all you have to do is drop in the categories. For instance, the Homefile system that sells for $24.95 gives you every major category for household and small business paperwork, including Banking, Insurance, Investments, Medical etc. If you are more into personalizing your files into categories you choose, you should check out Smead Viewable hanging file tabs. These three dimensional file tabs allow you to use a simple color-coding program on the computer to label and print custom tabs that can be viewed from the top as well as the sides. Placing them in a straight line when you attach them to hanging file folders will make finding your files extremely easy.
Remember, as you are creating your files, keep the categories simple. Getting too detailed will make it hard to remember what category you filed something and too broad will make it difficult to track down a paper quickly. If you keep most of your categories focused on what you need to refer back to for everyday financial records, taxes, home and medical, you will find that you really don’t need to keep that much paper.
If you have a lot of hobbies and are finding that you clip every magazine article with a new recipe or every tip you see on gardening, ask yourself how many times you have actually referred back to them once you have filed them. There is a good chance every time you revisit your files you are going down memory lane and seeing paper you didn’t even remember keeping.
Lastly, make sure that you purge your files constantly. If you get a new insurance policy, throw out the old one. Continuing to pile papers into a category that are not current will only make finding the current ones harder. Each year, archive the old paperwork together and remove it from your everyday files. It is a constant shuffle, but worth the time throughout the year. You will thank yourself when you prepare your 2009 taxes!
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer and owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing and The Organized Lifestyle retail store in Guilford, CT. (http://www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com/). You can e-mail her your questions at Kristin@livablesolutions.com.
If you have a lot of hobbies and are finding that you clip every magazine article with a new recipe or every tip you see on gardening, ask yourself how many times you have actually referred back to them once you have filed them. There is a good chance every time you revisit your files you are going down memory lane and seeing paper you didn’t even remember keeping.
Lastly, make sure that you purge your files constantly. If you get a new insurance policy, throw out the old one. Continuing to pile papers into a category that are not current will only make finding the current ones harder. Each year, archive the old paperwork together and remove it from your everyday files. It is a constant shuffle, but worth the time throughout the year. You will thank yourself when you prepare your 2009 taxes!
Kristin Mastromarino is a professional organizer and owner of Livable Solutions Professional Organizing and The Organized Lifestyle retail store in Guilford, CT. (http://www.theorganizedlifestylestore.com/). You can e-mail her your questions at Kristin@livablesolutions.com.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
5 Ways to Become More Efficient
1. Set your top 5 goals for the day at the beginning of everyday.
2. Don’t let meaningless interuptions derail you from completing those goals.
3. Multi-tasking is not always more efficient. Don’t interupt yourself constantly while trying to complete a task. It is better to hold off on the temptation to check the e-mail that just came in and finish what you started.
4. Do not try to achieve the world each day. Prioritize what is most important and put your energies into those items first. You will probably find you have extra time if you focus.
5. Schedule items you didn’t get to in a block of free time on your upcoming schedule. By mapping out your time you will be able to get more done and be more efficient in how you get it done.
2. Don’t let meaningless interuptions derail you from completing those goals.
3. Multi-tasking is not always more efficient. Don’t interupt yourself constantly while trying to complete a task. It is better to hold off on the temptation to check the e-mail that just came in and finish what you started.
4. Do not try to achieve the world each day. Prioritize what is most important and put your energies into those items first. You will probably find you have extra time if you focus.
5. Schedule items you didn’t get to in a block of free time on your upcoming schedule. By mapping out your time you will be able to get more done and be more efficient in how you get it done.
Monday, March 2, 2009
1. Clean out a junk drawer in your kitchen
2. Pull out 10 items from your closet that you know don't fit any more.
3. Match all of your Tupperware lids to their corresponding containers. Toss the mismatched items.
4. Match all of your pairs of socks. Pull aside the mismatches and toss after all of your laundry loads are complete.
5. Throw away expired condiments and old leftovers from your firdge.
6. Read one magazine that has been sitting in a pile on your coffee table.
7. Find three books to donate to your local library.
8. Clean out your medicine cabinet.
9. Sort through your pile of mail.
10. Relax because you have done more than enough!
We want to hear what you are doing to organize this snowy day.
2. Pull out 10 items from your closet that you know don't fit any more.
3. Match all of your Tupperware lids to their corresponding containers. Toss the mismatched items.
4. Match all of your pairs of socks. Pull aside the mismatches and toss after all of your laundry loads are complete.
5. Throw away expired condiments and old leftovers from your firdge.
6. Read one magazine that has been sitting in a pile on your coffee table.
7. Find three books to donate to your local library.
8. Clean out your medicine cabinet.
9. Sort through your pile of mail.
10. Relax because you have done more than enough!
We want to hear what you are doing to organize this snowy day.
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.
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