As my boys grow out of the little kid stage, I have become more and more aware of how fleeting childhood is.  I have to admit it makes me kind of sad to think about my little boys growing into young men.  The things that use to seem annoying  — silly cartoons, endless games of pretend, so many Legos®, little socks without mates, countless drawings covering the refrigerator, or lots of toys lining the side of the bathtub — now, I long for more!  

​I'm realizing now that what matters most to me is time together, shared experiences, and memories made.  The memories are in my head and heart, but having tangible things to see and touch, help me remember more vividly.  It is very easy to get into a state of mind (like I am as I write this) that you want to hold onto your children or your life as it is now and never forget it — and to do that, we feel like we should save everything!   It's funny how something very small or seemingly insignificant can jog your memory and bring back emotions you felt at the time you first had the experience.  A little note in scribbled handwriting, a self portrait drawn in Kindergarten, a story written by an imaginative elementary student, a photo, a ticket stub, a program from a school concert, or a spelling test with a big red A+ all will transport you back in time, if only for a moment, to re-experience the event you were commemorating by saving the item.  Hanging onto all of our kids' stuff can quickly become a dangerous practice unless you can afford to add on a wing to your house for mementos!

I've found that time is the best way to determine if something is really worth saving.  Once you throw something away, it's gone, so I have made the decision that if I have a slight feeling of attachment to an item, I will save it — at least for a while. Way back when I started My Life In Order, I wrote about paper organization and shared a workflow that helped me stay on top of all the paper that comes into our home.  A big part of that process is about how I handle items that I consider mementos.  Today, I'm going to share with you my current system for memento organization, and in a later post I will explain how my system is evolving as my children get older.

​Step 1:  Keep or Trash?
Commit to making quick decisions about everything that comes into your home.  There are really only two options with mementos — keep or trash.  Just because you choose to keep an item in this first step, doesn't mean you have to keep it forever, so don't spend much time worrying about the quantity of items you save in this step.  

I used to save too little in this step, and my little guy would often rescue his beloved artwork or a worksheet he was particularly proud of from the recycling bin.  I've finally found a happy medium between saving everything and trashing the majority, and the key has been asking my kids about what they would like to save.  Sometimes I'm surprised what they want to save but also at what they DON'T want to save.  

I have an inbox in my kitchen specific for mementos.  This is the perfect spot for me, because all paper flows through my kitchen! But before I put items in that inbox, I review them for things I obviously don't need to keep.

​Step 3: Review and Prune
Every once in a while, you will need to review and prune your mementos so you don't run out of space.  The added benefit of this review is that you can experience the memories that go along with these items again.  In reality, the only mementos I do this with regularly are the kids'.  The natural time to review is between school years.  It's kind of fun to spread everything from that drawer where we put items throughout the year all over the floor and go through them together.  If there's an item that neither of us can remember what it is or why we saved it, that's a sure sign that it should be trashed!  At the end of a school year, I also have more clarity about if I saved WAY too many spelling tests or drawings, and then with the help of each child, I can choose the best of the best to save long term.  

Each year I purchase a small container, and only allow myself to save the amount of paper that will fit in that bin.  This finite amount of space helps to keep the mementos to a respectable amount.  I realize that with two kids and one container per school year, this will add up fairly quickly.  Currently I have the back of one closet dedicated to these items, but I know that as more time passes, I'll be able to repeat the review and prune process a few more times to get the kids' mementos down to an even more manageable amount.  The more time that passes, the easier it is to determine what is worth saving.  Don't forget to go through this process with the over-sized items from Step 1 that you may have stored elsewhere.

Much of Step 3 depends on the amount of space you have.  Don't overwhelm today with all the stuff of yesterday. You will need to determine how much space you are willing to dedicate to mementos and be sure that they don't interfere with living your daily life to the fullest.  

What's Next?
I'm planning to pare down my kids'mementos even more as time goes on.  The truly important mementos will automatically show themselves — you'll remember what they mean while you may forget why in the world you saved some of the other things! My oldest is turning 13 in just a few weeks, so I'm using this milestone to motivate me to create a system for him that will allow us to continue to save important mementos in a way that will be easily accessible when it's time to make a high school graduation party display and small enough for him to take to his own home someday.  I'll be working on this over Christmas break, so stay tuned for Memento Organization: Part 2!

​Last week I wrote about how Evernote makes it easy to take, store, and access notes at work, but Evernote is also great for keeping things in your personal life organized!  Here’s a quick refresher about how Evernote works:

• Each note is like a blank document where you can type text, insert photos, record audio, attach files, insert links, create tables, add screenshots or webpages using the web clipper, and even add sketches.  It's easy to create bulleted or numbered lists and insert check boxes. 
• ​If you would like to group notes together, you can create notebooks, and for even more categorization, you can create stacks (which I like to think of as binders) where you can group notebooks together. 
• To easily find notes, you can apply tags that are searchable.  A note can have as many tags as you want.  In addition to searching by tags, you can search all text in a note as well as text in any images. 
• If you want to collaborate with other Evernote users, you can share notes and participate in discussion about them.

The uses for Evernote are endless, but I want to share some of my favorites with you:

​Gift Ideas
This was one of my BEST parenting ideas ever!  Whenever we are shopping and the kids see something they like, I whip out my phone, open up my Evernote app, and search for their note in my "Gifts" notebook.  I just type in the name of the store we are at and then insert a photo of the item they like (I try to include the price in the photo if possible.)  This takes less than a minute, but saves me SO much time — time spent listening to kid-whining and time spent trying to make up a Christmas or Birthday list for grandparents!

I keep a note for each person in my family and for close friends as well as a general one for other friends.  If I’m online and see a cool gift idea, I sometimes paste the URL in my note.  I also keep a note like this for myself — just in case my husband ever needs a good gift idea for me! ​

Shopping
I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time remembering specifics about products I like especially if they are items I don’t buy very often.  I used to have to guess what color of makeup I wore, what fabric softener scent I liked, and what type of cat litter worked best whenever it was time to restock.

I created a note for each shopping category with a picture of the product including any details like color, scent, size, type, etc.  For example, I added a "Makeup" note with a photo of the type of pressed powder I like.  I have a photo of the front and back so I can see the product name and the color information.  In this note I have a picture or pictures of every type of makeup I like — eyeliner, eye shadow, mascara, blush, concealer, foundation, powder, lip color — I also may include the name of the best store to find each item and even record what a good price is.
​
Another note is titled "Cleaning/Household Products" where I include things that my family has a certain brand preference about like laundry detergent.  I also have a note called "Clothes" where I record current sizes for each family member (my kids’ feet grow so fast, I can never remember the sizes.)   

When you are shopping for home improvement projects, Evernote is very handy to store options so you can easily compare items that are at different stores all in one spot.  Another great tip is to snap a photo of the measurements you wrote down so that when you’re at the store, you can make sure the item you want to purchase will fit in your space.  When we were remodeling our kitchen, I must have counted how many of each type of cabinet handle we needed 20 times and then couldn’t remember when I was at the store.  I finally got smart and took a picture of it, and put it in Evernote so it was easy to locate and accessible to me when I was ready for it.   Keeping photos like these in Evernote is better than just in your phone’s photo app because Evernote is searchable.

Family Activities
Keeping track of all the details of every family members’ activities is no small feat, so I use Evernote as a cheat sheet!  Many of you probably take photos of sports schedules or school field trip info, but how easy is it to find when you need it?  Insert those photos into an Evernote note and you can easily find what you need when you need it!  If the school emails you a PDF document, you can even insert that into a note.  The things I access most in this category are the school calendar and sports schedules.
​
I also have a note that lists the times that my kids have lunch at school, so if I ever happen to be home and free during that time and want to go have lunch with them, I don’t have to call the school to find out what time they eat.  I save the monthly school lunch menu in a note instead of printing it out or having to look it up on the website or in my email every time the kids want to know what’s for lunch.

I prefer to keep my work and personal Evernote accounts separate, but if you would like to have them in the same account, you could easily create a "Work" and a "Personal" stack and have several notebooks in each to keep them separate.

What I’ve shared likely just scratches the surface of what you could use Evernote for.  It’s such a flexible tool, and the basic features are FREE!  The possibilities are endless, and when you use a combination of the desktop, online and mobile app version, you can access your notes anywhere!

Did you think you'd be done with note taking when you were done with school? Depending on what type of job you have and what your responsibilities are at home, you may be taking more notes now than you did in high school history class!  

How often have you jotted something down on a scrap of paper and by the time you needed to refer to what you had written, you'd lost it?  Maybe you keep a small notebook with you at all times in case you need to make a note.  How do you possibly find the just the right note when you need it?   It may be time to consider a new way to store your notes so you don't lose them and can quickly find what you need when you need it!  ​

In today's digital age, notes can be taken in many forms - handwritten, typed, or even as a voice recording.  The best solution I have found to store and organize my notes is Evernote.  This is a free app with upgrade options for a fee that allows you to take notes in different formats on different devices, store them in the cloud, and categorize them for easy access.  

If you've never heard of Evernote or even if you have used the app for years, read on to learn some tips and tricks that will boost your productivity at work.  In a later post, I'll share some ways Evernote can help you at home!

 Evernote at Work

Planning
Evernote is one of the first apps I open in the morning because I use it for planning my day,  I created a note that includes a checklist for the day's "Must Do's"  and another checklist of my "Would Be Nice To Do's."  Below that I include a day's calendar broken down in 30 minute increments that I use to plan out my day.

First I fill in any appointments, and then I fill in the blanks with "Must Do's" and if there's any time left, I sprinkle in a few "Would Be Nice To Do's"   I then keep a "Done List" of the things I actually accomplished for the day.  I reference this note often throughout the day and add to my "Would Be Nice To Do's" as I think of them and record what I actually did on my "Done" list.  This helps me visually see what I've accomplished for the day while also helping me to better understand how long tasks actually take so I can better plan in the future.

Since I use the free version of Evernote, I can't save an actual template, but I keep a blank note and just duplicate it every day.  ​If you are interested in creating your own templates, you may want to consider the Premium plan.

Meeting Notes
I use Evernote to take notes during meetings if it's appropriate to type.  Even if I take handwritten notes, I can snap a photo of them and insert as a note.  Since Evernote can search text in images, even my handwritten notes are searchable!

Tags are a great way to easily filter notes so you can see all notes about a specific topic at once.  I suggest creating a few categories of tags like dates, people, meeting types, subjects.  To make it easy on yourself, consider a prefix for each category so you don't get confused.  Here's a few examples:

• Start all "date" tags with an ! As soon as you type an ! in the tag area, all the date tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created in September 2019 would be tagged    !09-2019.
• Start all "people" tags with a :  As soon as you type a : in the tag area, all the people tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a meeting with Susie Q would be tagged    :SusieQ
• Start all "meeting type" tags with an @  As soon as you type in an @ in the tag area, all the meeting type tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a one on one meeting would be tagged    @1on1
• Start all "subject" tags with a /  As soon as you type in a / in the tag area, all the subject tags you've previously created will pop up for you to choose from.  A note created about a fundraiser would be tagged   /Fundraiser

Using check boxes for to do's that come up during a meeting are a great way to make sure you don't forget to do the tasks assigned to you.  In Evernote you can create saved searches, and the most powerful of these searches is the one I set up for "unchecked to do's."  I can quickly click on this and see every note that has an unchecked check box.  Then I can either do the task if it takes less than 2 minutes and check it off, or, if it will take longer, I can add it to my master task list.  

I also like to indicate when others have a to do.  You could do this by inserting a certain character, emoji or colored text to indicate whose task it is.  This is especially helpful when you share your notes with those who were assigned tasks during the meeting.

I created a meeting template for myself that I duplicate for use for meeting notes.  If you'd rather use a template that's already created, check out all the free template options.

Other Ways to Use Evernote at Work

• Consider creating a notebook about goals and using notes to record your progress toward them.  
• Save ideas and tag so you can easily find the right idea when you need it.
• Record steps in a procedure.
• Keep track of multiple projects.
• Insert notes from other apps like Google Drive, Outlook, Nozbe, and more.

I can't wait to share how I use Evernote at home.  Stay tuned for  those useful tips next time!

Sources:
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Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

www.evernote.com

Today is My Life In Order's two year anniversary!  It's hard to believe that I've been writing for so long.  A year ago I published "One Year of My Life In Order" which was pretty exciting, but this year I've got something even bigger to celebrate! 

Over the past few weeks, I've been working on my 6 week sprint, and it's culminated in a product I'm very proud of — my e-book, Get Organized Head First!

The book is on sale now, and anyone who takes the time to read this full post will get to use this coupon code to get the book for just $4!  Use code: BLOG at checkout.

My boys share the responsibility of emptying the dishwasher each morning.  The oldest puts away the dishes, and the youngest puts away the silverware.  Sometimes they had a hard time telling if the dishes were clean or dirty, so I bought one of those magnets for your dishwasher that you flip over to indicate if you ran the dishwasher or not!

This is a great system - - if you use it.  I would often either forget to turn the magnet around, so when the boys got up in the morning and saw "dirty," they'd be thrilled with one less chore for the day.  Or, even worse, I would forget to run the dishwasher and leave the magnet saying "clean" causing dirty dishes to get put into our cabinets.  The magnet became so unreliable, my 8 year old son looked at my earnestly one morning, pointed at the dishwasher magnet and asked me, "Mom, does the magnet speak the truth?"  I cracked up, but it made me realize that if I didn't use the system faithfully, it became less efficient than not having a system at all.

Any productivity system has to be followed regularly and fully in order to be effective.  This can range from something as simple as a dishwasher magnet, to your shared calendar with your spouse, to your task management strategy.

​The key to staying regular with your systems is to develop them one at a time.  Read my previous post about how to track a new habit and get a free printable to help!  If you try to wake up one day and suddenly reinvent yourself with several new routines, habits and systems, you're not going to be successful.  Master one before adding in another.  For a system to work, you must set up in a way that is easy to maintain because if you don't consistently use the system, you won't trust it.  One  system that you have absolute trust in is your calendar!

Develop a Trusting Relationship with Your Calendar
Regardless of your preference between paper or digital, if you don't use your calendar for everything, you will lose confidence in it, and it becomes nearly useless!  I recommend a hybrid approach to a calendar with the primary tool being digital with a secondary physical calendar of some sort posted in your home.  Digital calendars allow you to capture appointments as soon as you are aware of them - enter in your kids' next dental cleaning before you leave the dentist's office and add the sports practice schedule to your calendar as soon as you receive the text from the coach.  Digital calendars make it easy to set recurring entries or record future appointments.  There are many tools available, but Google Calendar is one of the most popular (and my favorite!) 

Here are 5 ways to make your digital calendar your trusted helper:

1. View everything in one screen! - Set your phone up so that you can view any calendar that impacts your life all in one screen.  This could include your work, personal, and any shared calendars.  Each source can be set up to display entries in a different color to help you quickly differentiate between types of appointments .
2. Share! -  You are busy and likely share responsibilities with others - either at work or at home.  Set up shared calendars or use the invitation method to put items on your calendar that you need to be aware of.  For example, in our family, if my husband has an late meeting requiring me to pick up the kids, he sends me an invitation that says "Josh working late" or simply forwards me the meeting invitation from his calendar so I know where he'll be. 
3. Record EVERYTHING! - Put everything on your calendar that is time bound that impacts your day.  This includes recurring appointments, all day events, and  items that are for information only (like kids' picture day.)  Be vigilant so that you know what to expect from your day and don't waste your time trying to remember your schedule in your head.
4. Review often - My husband and I compare calendars every weekend for the upcoming week to make sure we remembered to invite each other to anything pertinent on our own schedules.   We use what is on our calendars to determine what types of food we should add to our grocery list.  Do we need crockpot meals or will we have time for meals that take more prep time?  We  verify we have all the kid-hauling covered and are able to attend any important family events.
5. Use alerts! - When you use the alerting feature on your calendar to really put your life to be on autopilot.  Set reminders far enough in advance to give you time to either prepare for your appointment or leave on time if you have to travel.  When you set recurring all day appointments with reminders for a few days ahead of time, you will never forget a birthday, anniversary or important event again!  

My motto is "If it's not on my calendar, it doesn't happen!"  This frees my mind and memory for more important tasks than just remembering where I'm supposed to be when!  ​

I like the addition of a physical calendar at home to visually display to my family what's going on for the month.  Use a ​ different color for each family member so they can quickly scan to see what appointments impact them.  Just as with your digital calendar, you have to be diligent with keeping it updated.  I look forward to filling in my cute chalkboard calendar  that I got on Etsy at the end of each month for the following month.  I use my digital calendar as my master and fill in the next 30 days for all to see.  Each evening, around dinner time, I take care of any changes on the calendar.  The first time that your calendar "doesn't speak the truth" will be the last time your family trusts it!  ​

Sources:
​Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash

Everyone has a junk drawer (or maybe more than one!)  and most are filled with, well, junk!  Maybe we should rename it a 'miscellaneous drawer' to remind us that this drawer doesn't have to be a cluttered mess.  I'm in the midst of a kitchen remodel (read more about that here) so I had a great opportunity to rethink my junk drawer.  In my previous cabinets, I actually had about 4 junk drawers, and though they looked fairly organized, there was just too much stuff!  I consolidated everything into one large drawer and curated the contents to be only the items that didn't already have a home elsewhere.  

2. Get rid of what you haven't used in the past 3 months
​Maybe last time you went through your junk drawer, you were really into gum, but since you've settled on hard candy.  It's ok to throw away your gum if you're never going to chew it!  I keep small packages of tissues in this drawer, but whenever I pull out a package, I never choose one that isn't full, so I ended up with about 6 partial packages taking up precious drawer space.  Instead of throwing these away, I took them all and put them in my car's console so they will get used up.

3. Relocate items that have a home elsewhere
I had two containers of toothpicks in my junk drawer, but I moved them to my kitchen cabinets where I stored the other box of toothpicks I'd recently bought because I'd forgotten there were some in my junk drawer!  I also moved tea lights and votive candles to the drawer near my wax warmer where I keep all my scented waxes.    I moved some small tools to my tool box and masking tape to my laundry room cabinet where I keep packing tape.  

4. Group like items together
I used to have one container for rubber bands, paperclips, and twistie ties.  I could never find a paperclip when I wanted one because they were hidden among all of the other items.  I've now separated these things into two separate containers so now it's much easier to find what I want when I want it!

5. Get creative with drawer organizers
You can use pretty much anything for drawer organizers - products specifically for organizing drawers can be found at most stores, but you could also use dollar store plastic containers, small tins, small cardboard boxes, etc.  Remember that size is key, you want enough room in each compartment for what you want to store there, but not too much space causing you to waste precious junk drawer real estate! I found some inexpensive drawer organizers at TJ Maxx, but they didn't have any very small compartments, so I nested some smaller organizers right inside, and viola, I had just what I needed.  

I'm excited to share a very special post from my first guest blogger, Csaba Vadadi-Fulop from www.productivity95.com.   I met Csaba when we were both part of the 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity book launch team.  He has great content on his blog, and in this post he shares tips on remaining productive while parenting.

Productivity and Parenting 
By Csaba Vadadi-Fulop

When your baby is born, a lifelong odyssey begins. You quickly realize that you must harness your down time more than ever before. Maybe you experience a paradigm shift in your life in terms of how you perceive your world: you might be more selective in what's important and what isn't. Both happened to me.
 
You, however, can't prepare for having a newborn―no matter what people say. But you can make significant adjustments to your life both before and after the birth of your baby and that's the topic I want to discuss in this post.
 
By the end of this post, hopefully, you'll get valuable insight about how you can channel your life back into order.
 
 
Adjusting Your Lifestyle
 
It goes without saying that you'll likely develop sleep debt, exercise debt, and the like. What's less obvious, though, is that it's much more than time. It's about your space-time continuum. The arrival of a baby and the events downstream will consume your space and time in a non-linear fashion.
 
It's beyond the scope of this post to discuss nursing, psychology, time management, and the like. Nor am I capable of giving such advice. I just want to share with you how becoming a parent literally changed my life in terms of how I operate on a daily level.
 
First, it forced me to switch from the PC to a MacBook. I've flirted with the idea for years, but it was the birth of my baby when I realized that the PC simply consumes too much space, cables are in mesh, and I have less flexibility to work. The MacBook was a game-changer. I was able to work practically everywhere at any time with the comfort of a king.
 
Second, when I purchased my wireless headphones I quickly discovered that I won't miss my loudspeakers anymore. I can listen to inspiring podcasts or my favorite band and take care of my duties, simultaneously. Washing the dishes, taking out the garbage, lifting my dumbbells? No problem, I just put on my magic headphones―with my iPhone laying on the kitchen table (!)―and my favorite podcast is with me all the time, regardless of whether I'm in the bathroom, bedroom, or yard. And my baby would still be sleeping or wondering what the heck dad wears on his shiny head.
 
Luckily I switched to consuming eBooks a couple of years ago, and I can say it was a good deal. EBooks don't take up any place; they're sitting in the cloud (Kindle cloud, by the way). So I can reserve some shelves for the storybooks dedicated to my little baby.
 
I've been extraordinarily resistant to changes for years including those related to the above-mentioned (portable device, headphones, eBooks). I always had an excuse―be it finance, reluctance, or fear―preventing me from diving into new things. Having a child is a perfect time to say no to your reluctant self!
 
Let's discuss the tech side of all those changes a little bit...
 
 
Adjusting Your Techniques
 
I use Nozbe as my task manager that's highly flexible to keep my life in order. I created a Baby project in Nozbe to home tasks that are related to parenting. When my wife was in the hospital with our newborn, I made a grocery-like checklist in Nozbe to ensure that I buy and deliver to the hospital everything my new family needed.
 
It was a highly demanding period: the born of your baby is psychologically demanding itself; on top of that you're supposed to take care of a lot of things, including the certificates of your baby, among others. Nozbe was a great partner in this period, too.
 
Later on, I kept important deadlines in Nozbe about vaccination and the like.
 
I still have my Baby project with a traveling checklist, recurring tasks such as weight recording, and more. This project will never end. Maybe I’ll rename it to, say, "Parenting" for the next twenty years.
 
It's one thing that you keep your tasks in a trusted system, another thing is finding a system to organize your notes.
 
Evernote is the note-taking app that I use on a daily basis to record and keep my notes, clip articles, save my journal entries, and the list is almost endless. I keep a lot of parenting related stuff in Evernote: baby first aid guides, nursing guides, weight journal, notes from the pediatrician, consultation hours, screenshots of diapers and medications, and much more.
 
Keeping a record of the baby's weight is a must. I created automation on my iPhone with the Workflow app: each week when my wife and I are recording the baby's weight, I just push a button on my home screen, enter the weight, and it will automatically appear in my Evernote weight journal with the appropriate date and time.
 
Sounds good? I still have much to improve...
 
 
Future Commitments
 
There's always a place to improve and adjust your productivity system.
 
Selecting the clothes that I like the most is still ahead. The rest is best to go for a charity that will open up a lot of space in my wardrobe. But, again, it goes beyond space: it will free up mental space for me.
 
Integrating regular exercise into my weekly routine is another challenge: I want to fight off this challenge with immersing into different new sports and picking the one I like the most. Without feeling anticipation, it's hard to build a long-lasting habit.
 
It's my sincere hope that you got some ideas and motivation to adjust to dad life (or mom life). Parenting is a lifetime commitment; productivity is a never-ending journey: why not combine the two for multiple outcomes?

2.  Set an alarm you can't ignore (or two)  
I used to be a serial snoozer.  I could hit a traditional alarm clock's snooze button every 9 minutes for a good hour before finally rolling out of bed.  I tried using my Fit Bit as an alternative and set multiple alarms that would vibrate until I turned them off.  That worked better, but I soon learned, I can turn them off in my sleep!  I think I may have found the best solution for me - I have been setting an alarm on my Google Mini and when it goes off it the morning, I have to actually speak to turn it off, "Hey Google, cancel alarm."  Even if I don't get out of bed immediately, having to talk out loud seems to wake me up enough so I don't fall back asleep. ​  I like setting backup alarms to make sure I'm out of bed in time.  Additional alarms throughout the morning can also keep you on track - try an "it's time for breakfast" alarm, an "it's time to dry my hair alarm", or an "it's time to load the car" alarm.  Remember all those little things you do in the morning that could be wasting time - like checking email or social media on your phone or watching the news.  If you want to build those into your morning, give yourself a set time so you don't get carried away!

5.  Limit the number of times you open doors and drawers
I try to only open a drawer or a door twice a morning - once to get out what I need and a second time to put those things away.  I open my top bathroom vanity drawer to get out my contacts, my hairbrush, and my makeup bag.  Then I close the drawer and don't open it again until I'm done with all of those items.  I open the door under my vanity to get out my curling iron and/or hair dryer and hair products, and then I close it.  I don't open it again until I'm ready to put those away and while I have it open I spritz myself with body spray before closing the door for the final time.  

6.  Put things away as you go
I like to wake up to a clear bathroom counter and leave for work with a clear bathroom counter.  It allows me to start the day with a little control.  When you do your makeup, try taking out all the items you will use out and set on the counter.  As you use them, put them back in a makeup bag, so when you're done, everything is back in your bag and it's easy to just put it back in its place.  Try a heat proof bag or container for curling irons or straighteners, so you can put them away as soon as you're done instead of leaving cords all over the place!  Keep a wastebasket next to where you get ready so you can throw away cotton swabs, tissues, cotton balls, etc. as you go.

7. Empty your head
Whenever you think of something you need to do, either write it down in a place you will see before you walk out the door or set a reminder on your phone that will create a notification so you can feel confident you won't forget.  If I need to take food for a carry in or return a library book or drop my car off at the repair shop, I set a reminder for early that morning so that when I look at my phone before I walk out the door, I'll see the notification.  This helps me sleep better not trying to remember what I have to do in the morning.  I also set reminders at times all throughout the day for things I need to buy, errands I need to run, phone calls I need to make, etc.  It's nice to get them out of my head and into a system I trust.  

I've said it many times before, I'm not great with time, which is why I try to come up with systems and habits to help me.  I'm not going to lie and say I'm never late or I always have a calm morning, but these few tips have helped me greatly reduce the amount of mad rush mornings!  ​

It's easy to let your medicine cabinet get out of control - as long as you can shut the doors, you can ignore whatever is going on in there, right?! You can become blind to your own clutter, or so overwhelmed by it that you don't even use your medicine cabinet anymore. I was tired of the fear that all of the expired medicine would fall on me and annoyed that I felt like I was running out of space in my bathroom. This weekend, I did a major medicine cabinet purge in both of my bathrooms and then made a trip to one of my favorite stores, Dollar General, to stock up on a few items that would fit in the narrow cabinets and provide the organization I was looking for. Here are 5 items that you might not think of using in your medicine cabinet that can help you get organized and only cost a few bucks!

1.  Plastic Cups
​I needed some vertical storage, so I looked for some tall plastic cups.  I found 4 for $1!  Make sure to measure your shelves first and measure the diameter of the bottom AND top of the cup to make sure you can close the door all the way.  I used cups to store an entire bag of cough drops, tubes of toothpaste, small bottles of lotion, and my husband's electric trimmer.  To make it easy (dare I say foolproof) for my family, I labelled the cups!  I like the idea of cups because if they get gross, they can be popped in the dishwasher!​

2. Drawer Organizers
I bought a set of modular drawer organizers and was able to use the small and medium sizes in my cabinets (I used the large ones in my vanity drawers so they didn't go to waste!) I put things like nail clippers, first aid ointments, and bottles of medicines in these organizers and added a label as well!

3. Small, plastic food storage containers
I found a 3 pack of food storage containers for a great deal. I didn't need the lids, but the oblong size was perfect. I like clear storage so you can see what you're getting. This is especially helpful for top shelves. Consider taking items out of their original packaging to store in a more accessible way. I emptied all the adhesive bandages out of their cardboard boxes and separated into large and small sizes (and of course, labelled the containers!) I also emptied out flossers into one of these containers. Since there is a wide mouth opening, it is more likely that my kids will grab one and actually floss their teeth than if they had to get them from the original package.
​

4. Command hooks
I got a set of Command hooks for the inside of one of the doors and used them to hang a razor. My door has an inset area that was perfect to tuck the razor in! You could even hang toothbrushes or tubes of toothpaste with a binder clip attached to the end of the tube. Take note of where your shelves are situated to make sure there is room for the items you want to hang from inside the door. I also like to tape a little inspiration on the inside of my doors - a sweet note from my kids and a picture of me at my ideal weight!

5. Small decorative candle holder
I found adorable little lantern shaped glass tea light candle holders that were just shallow enough to fit in my cabinets for a dollar each! I used them for our thermometers. Because the container is glass, it won't tip over. I used the second one for a few of my random items I use on a daily basis.

My medicine cabinets look a little bare right now because I purged so many expired items.  I have a short list of the things I want to replace, but now I have plenty of space and a plan for where each item will go.  Just as with every area that you organize, it is important to purge first, determine the best location for what you have left, and then purchase or repurpose storage solutions specific to your own needs!  

On a whim, back before I'd even had the courage to publish my first blog post, I applied to be part of a book launch team for a new productivity book from the founder of the task management software I use, Nozbe. I was thrilled when I was selected as one of approximately 100 people worldwide who would have the opportunity to review and offer suggestions for this book. At that time, I had no idea that I'd actually be quoted in the book! It's been over a year, but the book has been written, edited, and published! 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity by Michael Sliwinski is now available for purchase!! I'll give you a summary of some of the great content from this book below. Make sure to read to the end for info on how to get entered for your chance to win a copy!

The first thing you need to know about this book is that its author definitely has the authority to be writing it!  I had the honor tointerview Michael Sliwinski last year and learned about why he's a true productivity expert.  Click here to read the post for more background on the man who created a productivity platform that nearly half a million people use daily!

Each chapter of the book is one of the 10 steps to ultimate productivity.  For each step, you will be taught why it is important, learn from some real life examples, receive tips about how to put the step into practice in your own life.  There are also bonus materials that you can access online to help with your own personal productivity system. 

The ten steps are:​

1. Clear Your Mind
2. ​From Tasks to Projects
3. Focus on What's Most Important
4. ​Be Productive Anytime and Anywhere
5. Delegate Tasks to Achieve More - Work in a Team
6. Group Your Tasks and Shift Gears
7. Take Control Over Your Documents
8. ​Check Your System Regularly
9. Master Your Emails
10. What Else Can You Improve?

I'm so excited for you to read this book that I'm going to give you the chance to get one for FREE!  There are two ways to enter (and you can do either or both for an additional entry!)  ​A winner will be drawn on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

• Visit My Life In Order on Facebook, like the page if you haven't already,  and follow the instructions on the pinned post! 
• Follow My Life In Order on Pinterest, and repin the pin about 10 Steps to Ultimate Productivity from the Productivity and Time Management Board!

I have two weeks off for the first time since before I entered the workforce (of course I'm not counting maternity leave because that is NOT vacation!)  To say I'm excited is a severe understatement.  Many people have asked me what I'm doing and where I'm going.  My answer is nothing and nowhere - and that's by choice and why I'm thrilled!  I love the holidays - the decorating, the Christmas sweaters and socks, the cooking and baking, the gift giving and the family gatherings are all fun!  But just as much as I love the holidays, I love the fresh start of the new year that follows.  

I have a busy life just like most of you.  A wife, mother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend, volunteer, employee, boss, entrepreneur, piano teacher - there are so many roles I play.  I enjoy having all these varied experiences, but there is one area that I tend to neglect - ME!  

This week between Christmas and New Years is one of the best times to recharge your battery.  During my time off, I plan to reflect on the past year, plan for the new one, rest, relax, enjoy things I want to do, make memories with my family, declutter and purge, and reorganize.  Try this quick list of tasks to help you transition from the holidays to the new year!

1. Un-decorate - I prefer to leave my Christmas decorations for a few days after December 25, but no later than the weekend after New Years Day.  Once your decorations are down, you can see the new start that the new year brings.

​2. Purge - after receiving Chirstmas gifts, you are more likely to be willing to part with old items around the house.  I start with my kids' rooms where most of the new "stuff" from the holidays tends to end up.  We do a system of 20 minutes at a time of hard core work, going through every item and nook and cranny.  I have two kids so while one kid is decluttering with me in their room, the other gets some screen time.  We alternate until we are done.   I can't wait to complete the purging process in my own space as well - look out small appliances, your days may be numbered!  

Around the holidays, I always get the urge to purge!  Life gets so busy between Thanksgiving and Christmas around my house with school programs, parties, shopping, decorating, family gatherings, etc.  It seems extra difficult for me to stay on top of the regular tasks like laundry, dishes and clutter, so this is the time that having less stuff is really appealing.  Whenever this feeling strikes me, I take advantage and get out some trash bags and cardboard boxes!  ​

I like to do pre-holiday purging in the areas that I'm most likely to acquire new stuff.  The prime location to begin, kids' rooms!  It's ideal to involve your kids in this process, explaining that if they want to enjoy new toys or gifts, they have to make some room.  I like to give the kids 5 options on every item in their room:

1. Keep for everyday use
2. Keep as a keepsake
3. Give away to someone we know
4. Donate 
5. Trash

For me and my sons, it works best if I'm in the room with them, holding up each item, but if you have older kids, they may be able to do this process on their own.  Since there are 5 options, we use 5 containers - a combination of trash bags, boxes and storage bins.  To be very thorough, have your smallest child crawl under the bed or to the back of the closet to make sure you get everything!  I have found that option 2, keep as a keepsake, has helped reduce the time it takes to make a decision.  Kids are sure about the things they want to keep and get rid of, but there are some items in between.  Rather than force them to decide one way or the other, we keep a box of keepsakes in the basement.  Occasionally (but not as often as we should) we go through those keepsakes and purge  further.  I also throw in the option of giving away to someone we know because it's easier to get rid of a beloved toy if they know it's going to their younger cousin who will like it (and they may get to play with it at their house, too!) 

Just like I make my kids go through this process, I like to do it myself on my clothes, coats, jewelry, and shoes.  It works out well since this time of year usually aligns with when I do my clothing seasonal switch.  I also like to go through things like CDs, movies, craft supplies, and kitchen gadgets.  If you want to do some in-depth work on your kitchen, check out my video series, 7 Days to an Orderly Kitchen! 

I have a hard time getting rid of things that prove my kids are growing up - like kids' movies and music,  games for younger kids, coloring books, and even little spoons and cups.  This is where giving to someone I know comes in handy for me.  I can much more easily part with a Sonic the Hedgehog activity book, a plastic Spiderman plate and silverware set, or Veggie Tales DVDs when I know my nephews (and now niece!) or a friend's child will enjoy them.  

​In addition to purging, I love to use this time to get organized as well.  The key is to be realistic about how you use your spaces and to store items near where they are typically used.  Using the correct storage solutions is important.  For example, you don't want to stack bins on top of one another that you want to access often. Instead, consider a shelf with bins, hanging closet shelves, a set of drawers, or stacking bins with front access.   Make a list of what storage problems you have and then do a little organization browsing online or in person.  Select one area to focus on first and either purchase or re-purpose some organizing supplies for that area to be complete.  This will give you so much more satisfaction than getting one thing for each room.  You can slowly add to your collection of organizing supplies as time goes on.

On my last day of Thanksgiving vacation, I'm planning a fun filled day of purging!  So family and friends (you know who you are,) prepare yourself for being offered a bunch of stuff we no longer need!  I remember receiving lots of hand-me-down clothes and toys from others who had older kids, and even if I didn't keep everything, I always appreciated free stuff and knowing that someone else thought enough of us to pass down things they used to love.   Happy pre-holiday purging to all!

​“I have so much to do, that sometimes I don’t even know where to start!”  How many times of you heard yourself say those words?  I know that’s how I’ve been feeling the past week.  When we have unexpected things happen, our responsibilities don’t just stop.  Things keep piling up and eventually there is this big bunch of things to do and you almost feel paralyzed because you feel like no one thing is going to make a big enough dent to actually be considered a priority.  In order to know where to start, you have to know ALL that there is to do.  That’s why it’s important to have everything that you need to do in one place, and then you can more easily decide what needs to be done first.  

​I like digital tools, but before technology can help, I have to know what I’m going to put in that tool and how I am going to structure it.  I was feeling really out of control last week, so I did what always calms me down – got out a pencil and paper and start dumping my brain onto the page.  If you try this, don’t worry about it being pretty or cohesive or anyone else understanding what in the world you’re writing.  It’s so freeing to get what’s in your head onto paper, and then you can actually SEE all the things you need to do.   Unless you are super-human, it’s nearly impossible to figure out what to do and when if everything you have to do is floating around in your head all at once.

​If you’ve read the book The One Thing by Gary Keller, you know that he says there is always one thing that’s more important than everything else at that very moment in time.  Sometimes it’s so hard to figure out what that one thing is and it’s so much easier to just do busywork and make yourself feel like you’re being productive when in fact you’re doing nothing!  A good example of this is spending the entire day working out of your email inbox just responding to messages and taking care of brief little tasks, and then putting other, bigger projects aside for “later”.  If you do that type of triage all the time, “later” never comes, and those big tasks begin to create an overwhelming pile.

​I’m trying to unbury myself and am doing this in my personal life using Trello.  It’s a free app that I use on my laptop and on my iPhone where you can create different teams (which I’m using as areas of my life) and within those teams, you can create as many project boards as you want.  These are kind of like digital bulletin boards where you can create lists and tasks.  Trello gives you a visual representation of all of your to-dos and lets you drag and drop them where they go.  I took my handwritten notes and figured out there were several areas of my life:  Me, Family/Friends, Household, Volunteer, Side Hustles, and Work.  I use a different task management system at work called Nozbe.  Some people like to use the same system at home and at work, but I prefer to keep them separate, so I decided for these purposes to nix the work category in my Trello app. 

I started getting so excited about my new system that I spent a lot of time designing it, thinking, “should I have a separate areas for my blog, piano lessons and Clever Container sales or should they all be in one area called Side Hustles?”    I realized I was going down a dangerous path spending more time designing a system than using it!  I’m giving myself permission to start where I’m at and improve as I go.  That’s one of the things I like about Trello – it’s really easy to drag and drop tasks to different lists, put things in different order, and move boards to different teams.
​
Once you get going and have all your responsibilities out of your head and in your chosen system, give yourself time to review all tasks and decide what is the “one thing” is that will move you forward, and what the next one is, and the next, etc.  Consider assigning due dates and reminders.  If you have projects that you repeat, create a template so you can copy and repeat what works best for you.  Don’t worry about your system being perfect – an imperfect system is better than no system at all!

Sources:
Photo by Alejandro Escamilla on Unsplash

Last winter, my kids had a magical three days when my husband’s and my flu-like symptoms overlapped.  It’s not that they wished us poor health, but they did enjoy our lack of enforcement of the no TV during the school week rule.  We were too tired to care, so we all got too much screen time for those few days.
​
When are bodies are worn down, our regular routine usually goes out the window.  It’s so easy to get behind while we are sick – dishes pile up all over the house, hampers overflow, tissues cover end tables and the floor next to trashcans, and stacks of mail begin to topple.

The best way to keep it together when we don’t feel good is to create systems to follow while we are healthy so that we can afford to take a few days off when we're sick without things falling apart.  If you do these seven simple things on a regular basis, your house will be manageable, and when you get sick, you’ll have a little latitude to slack off.  

1. Hang up jackets and put bags in a designated area when you come inside.
2. Have an inbox for all of your paper, and process it regularly.
3. Immediately put away your clothes, shoes, and jewelry when you take them off.
4. Create a laundry system that your family sticks to.
5. Put dishes straight in the dishwasher. Run and empty the dishwasher regularly.
6. Clear surfaces when you leave an area.
7. Throw away or give away things you don’t use or need.

When you are under the weather, give yourself permission to take a few shortcuts to keep your house from becoming a disaster zone. 

• Keep a few cans of soup in your cabinet so that when you get sick, you can cook an easy meal.  It’s also a good idea to keep a couple of bottles of Gatorade or lemon-lime soda on hand in case of upset stomach.  As soon as you use any of these items add them to your shopping list.  You don’t want to be home sick with nothing easy to fix.
• Use paper plates, flatware, bowls, and napkins so you don’t have to worry about doing dishes.  If you do use regular dishes or cookware, put them straight in the dishwasher.  If you use a reusable cup, consider using a plastic straw that you replace periodically or use disposable water bottles.
• Put all incoming paper into a designated inbox (ideally the same system you normally use) and give yourself the ok to skip a week of processing it. (Check out this previous post about wrangling your paper!)

• Create a “sick bin” to corral all of your supplies in like tissues, chap stick, medicine, cough drops, a bottle of water, and your phone.  It’s easy to misplace things when you’re not feeling well, so keeping them all in the same bin that you can carry with you from the couch to the bedside table will help.  A bin with a handle is a nice touch! You can also use a small gift bag as a portable tissue trashcan.
• If you still have to go to work when you’re sick, bathe and wash your hair at night so you can sleep in as long as possible the next morning.  Tame the crazy hair the next morning with a spritz bottle and quick blast with the hair dryer.

​The best thing you can do when you’re sick is rest so that you can get back to yourself as soon as possible.  Don’t feel bad asking for help while you are sick or even when it’s time to play catch up.  You’ll feel like a rock star when you are healthy again and you realize that your house didn’t fall down around you!

Staying productive is hard.  If we only had to worry about our own priorities, it would be a little easier, but in real life, we have requests and expectations coming at us from all directions.  The biggest avenue for those outer expectations is our inboxes.  Most of us have at least two inboxes – a physical paper inbox and an email inbox.  I wrote about how to wrangle your paper in a previous post, and today, I want to start a series on how to manage your email inbox.

Even though email is dying a little because of other messaging apps, it is still prevalent especially in professional settings.  Most of us have at least two email addresses – a personal and a work address and receive many messages each day.  At my day job, I easily get over 100 emails every day, and at home, I may get 30 or so.  These add up very fast, and if you don’t know how to efficiently triage your messages, you can quickly get buried and miss the important messages because they nearly disappear amongst all the junk. ​

I use Microsoft Outlook at my day job and Gmail for personal and My Life In Order email.  These platforms are very different, but both common, so I will be using them as examples in this series.  Regardless of what email platform you use, the overarching principles of email organization are the same.  Email used to be a great, time-saving tool to replace handwritten or typed memos that had to be circulated through the office, but it’s turned into an invasive nuisance that the Washington Post reports takes the average white-collar worker a little over 4 hours each day to deal with.  This equates to 20.5 hours each week and more than 1,000 hours each year!  Even with the quantity of email we get, it doesn’t need to take up half of our work day, and by implementing some of these ideas, you should be able to dramatically improve your email efficiency!
​
Process your email, don’t read and re-read it
You should do 1 of 4 things with new emails - delete, file, do, or move to a task management system (we will talk about the details of this in a later post.)  Don’t just read the your messages and leave them in your inbox to come back to later because you will end up either losing it, forgetting about it or you will re-read it over and over, which is just wasting your time!  If a message is obvious junk or something you are sure you will never need again, just delete it!  If it’s reference information that you may need later, file it.  If it’s actionable use the 2 minute rule that David Allen talks about in his book, Getting Things Done.  If the action can be completed in 2 minutes or less, just do it.  If it will take longer than 2 minutes or can’t be done until you have additional information, add the action to a task management system and then either file or delete the message.
 
Unsubscribe generously
Over time, we all sign up for various newsletters either on purpose or inadvertently.  Instead of continuing to delete them each time they are delivered, take an extra few seconds and unsubscribe from the ones you are no longer interested in.  Every email marketing platform (that’s legit) has a little button somewhere at the bottom of the message that you can click on to get off of their email list.  There are also some services that will help you get unenrolled from unwanted lists.  Of course those of us who have an email newsletter don’t want you to unsubscribe (it hurts our feelings) but I care more about your productivity than my email list, so do what you’ve got to do!  If you’re too scared to make that drastic of a decision to never receive a particular newsletter again, you can use the next tip instead.
 
Also be sure to report spam so it can be blocked for the future.  Most email platforms have a mechanism to report spam.  If you get rid of most of the junk, you'll spend less time sifting through all the things that don't matter for the few messages that do.

Rules, Rules, Rules
If you aren’t using rules in your email, pay attention!  You can set up a variety of rules in whichever email platform you use.  This allows you to never touch a message and direct it to go right to a particular folder, to be marked as read, or even go straight to the trash.  For those newsletters you were too scared to unsubscribe from, you could set up a rule to move them to a special folder.  Set a reminder on your calendar for a couple of months in the future to look at that folder.  If you haven't missed anything important, you may feel comfortable completely unsubscribing.

You can also create rules for message you send.  I have a rule so that if I put myself in the BCC line, it moves that message to a folder I have named “Waiting.”  This allows me to remember to follow up if I don’t receive an answer to my message.  You can also set up conditional formatting so messages from your boss are displayed in a different color.  In the next installment of this series, I’ll show you some examples!
 
Shortcuts
It’s ok to be a little lazy with your email!  There are many ways that you can cut corners.  In Outlook, my favorite is to set up quick steps to use just one click to complete an action like moving a message to a folder, creating an appointment with the contents of the message in the body, forward a message to a particular address, or create a new message to a particular address.  Learn how to drag and drop messages either to a folder or to your calendar.  Explore the menu that is displayed when you right click on a message.  Add commonly used folders to a favorites area to save a few seconds each time you want to access it.  Next time, I will provide some demos of how to set some of these shortcuts up.
 
Simplify your folders
I used to have an elaborate foldering system with folders for each project with sub folders and sub-sub folders, but what I realized a few years ago was I was spending so much time deciding where to folder things and nearly that same amount of time selecting the folder to look in when I wanted to find the message later that it just didn’t make sense.  Now, I have only one folder per year with a sub-folder for every month.  Anything I don’t delete goes in the folder for the month it was received.  All email platforms have search functions, and the two I use – Gmail and Outlook – have excellent search tools, so you can find any message without having to know what folder you put it in.  Some people like to keep EVERYTHING in their inbox and just search for what they need.  Now, that makes me a little anxious, so I prefer to folder when I’m done.  I look at my email inbox like my home mailbox.  It’s just for new stuff that comes in, and just like I take in my physical mail every day or so, I like to keep my email inbox emptied. 
 
 
 Next Time
In the second part of this series, I will have some demos to show you how to implement some of these tricks, but I need your help.  I could use several of you to email my demo email address with various subject lines. Email mylifeinorderdemo@gmail.com to help me create a good tutorial for you!

Sources
Photo by Krsto Jevtic on Unsplash
​
“Analysis | How Many Hours of Your Life Have You Wasted on Work Email? Try Our Depressing Calculator.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 3 Oct. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2016/10/03/how-many-hours-of-your-life-have-you-wasted-on-work-email-try-our-depressing-calculator/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.bd59896565f2.

Ansaldo, Michael. “3 Tools That Easily Unsubscribe You from Emails.” PCWorld, PCWorld, 22 Mar. 2017, www.pcworld.com/article/3181014/software/3-tools-for-easily-unsubscribing-to-emails.html.

Soccer season is upon us, and that means cleats, soccer socks, shin guards and soccer balls EVERYWHERE!  I have two kids who play plus my husband coaches, so he has a huge bag of practice gear to add to the collection of soccer equipment.   In past seasons, we've tried to contain all of these supplies in our mudroom, but it seemed like we were constantly tripping over equipment but yet the kids could never find a clean pair of socks or a matching set of shin guards!

Over the past few years, I've tried to figure out how to keep sports equipment organized and accessible while not overwhelming my entire mudroom., but it just wasn't working.  I had shoes in one spot, socks and shin guards in another and soccer balls in yet another.  Because I had created 'homes' for items all over the place, no one ever put them away.  I realized last season that I needed a system not individual solutions for my sports equipment problems!  I think I finally got it figured out with the sports zone that I created just outside the door to my attached garage.  Here's how I created it:

Identify the Problem(s)
I needed to determine everything I wanted to accomplish so I could create ONE solution to solve all the problems at once.  The problems were:

1. Equipment taking up too much space in my mudroom.
2. Kids had trouble finding equipment when they needed it.
3. Equipment couldn't all fit in same area in the room I was trying to store it.
4. Items weren't getting put away!

Visualize the Ideal Scenario and Find the Right Space
Think about what the ideal solution to the problems you identified would be.  Look at magazines, browse Pinterest and look at how friends and family have organized similar items.  Don't be afraid to "steal" ideas from others.  

Measure and Install the "Bones"
Measure, measure, measure -  the most important aspect of your sports zone is making sure the items you need to store fit!  Purchase or re-purpose items that are specific to what you want to store.  It was important to me to have drawers because I'd be storing clothing (uniforms and socks) in the garage, and I wanted them free from dirt or dust.   I reused some plastic drawers I already had, and we purchased three shelf boards and six brackets from the hardware store.  Consider the height and the space between shelves so that the items you store there are easily accessible.  The shelves we installed are sometimes accessed from the garage, but other times from the steps, which means that we were able to put shelves up higher and maximize that vertical space. 

Edit, Edit, Edit!
My space is a sports station, but I focus on the current sports season and don't try to keep all equipment for all sports in this area all the time.  Right now I have one tote in the basement for off-season sports stuff - all sizes of baseball pants are in a vacuum bag to save space, and cleats that are too big (we get our cleats at garage sales and save them for little brother!)  are in a trash bag.  I put socks and hats each in gallon size zippered bags.  I don't separate by size or kid because they grow so much from season to season, everything has to be tried on anyway!  We keep bats, mits, balls in the garage year round because there's a chance those will get played with in the backyard during the off-season. ​

​​Load and Label
Now you have a blank slate, fill it up!  Be sure to add labels so that it's easy for your family to put things back where they belong!  I have a set of three drawers and labelled the top two with each kid's name where we keep their socks, favorite shin guards, and uniforms.  The bottom drawer is for things like a blanket that we may use to sit on at a soccer game.  I keep two plastic shoe boxes (no lids) on top of the drawers labelled with a kid's name for their cleats.  I have LOVED this because no more clumps of dirt from cleats all over my floor - they go in from the garage, deposit their cleats in the shoe box before they come inside.  There is a bin for soccer balls, and a shelf for my husband's coach gear.  I have a shelf helper hanging underneath the bottom shelf where I have a plastic shoe box filled with extra shin guards (just in case we lose the favorites!)  Because there's actually EXTRA space now, I have a shelf where I'm keeping my Cargo Carry All bag that I can throw everything I need for a day at the field!  Because it has a lid, I'm storing a small soft-sided cooler inside that I may take to save on concessions!   A bin of baseballs and mits fit nicely on that shelf as well.  The very top shelf houses baseball bags filled with bats and helmets.  We even have room on the floor for the chairs we take to sit on as we cheer on our kiddos.

​Maintain
To make this work and and assure that your kids aren't running around in a panic before their games looking for their uniform and cleats, you have to train them to maintain this system.  When they get home from practice or a game, send them straight to the sports zone to unload.  When laundry is done, have your kids take their sports accessories straight to their labelled bin or drawer.   

I hope that creating a sports zone will help you feel a little more 'in order' during the busy sports seasons ahead!  I'd love to see pictures of how you organize your kids (or your own) sports equipment!  

Weekends are usually jam packed with family events, regular housework, yard work, sporting events, going out with friends, and maybe even a date night, but every once in a while you get that unicorn of a weekend with no plans - what do you do then?  How about a Weekend Warrior Organization project?  Here are 2 projects in areas of the home that, in my opinion, are the best areas to start with when getting organized.  These can each be realistically completed in one weekend (of course, only 1 per weekend - let's not get crazy!)

Paper Organization
I've written about paper organization before, and though it is an intense one, it's one that will leave you feeling the best when it's complete.  You could easily spend weeks on paper organizing if you spent only small chunks of time on it, but if you really commit your weekend to paper organizing, you'll see some amazing results!  

Friday Night

• Designate command central for your weekend project.  This could be a part of your living room floor, a guest bed, your kitchen island or table, or a folding table.  Make sure to pick somewhere that you can leave a giant mess, so if you need your kitchen island or table for food prep or eating, don't pick that.  If your living room floor is the walkway to everywhere in your house, don't pick that.  I like the folding table idea because you could easily move it if needed (in front of the TV, to the bedroom in case of a surprise visitor, etc.) 
• Gather ALL your paper from your entire house, basement, attic, garage, car, etc. and put it in "command central."  If you have some items already fairly organized, you can leave them in their files or boxes, but still bring them to the work area.
• Determine your paper categories.  Once you see all the paper you have, it will be easier to decide how you want to categorize.  Most people have things like: finances, health, property, personal/mementos, current projects.  Will those categories work for you, or do you have others?  Maybe you love to cook and collect recipes - if you want to keep those in paper form, you may have a recipe category.  Maybe you are an artist, so you need a category for drawings.  Maybe you are a writer so you need a category for journals and manuscripts.  The system should work for you!
• Start thinking about what you could throw away.  Are there things you don't need anymore or things that are already available digitally or that you could scan and store digitally?  Don't make any decisions yet, just start pondering.  Your mind will do some of the processing for you as you sleep.

Saturday
After a good night's rest, roll your sleeves up and get started!  

• On a blank piece of paper, write each of the categories you decided on the night before in large letters with a sharpie marker.  Spread these out in your work area.
• Grab three boxes and mark them "Recycle," "Shred," and "Scan"
• Touch every piece of paper - I know this seems like overkill, but if you're going to do it - do it right!  Consider with each one - do I need to keep this for any reason?  If yes, put in one of the categories.  If no, put in one of your boxes - scan, recycle or shred (depending if there is confidential information included.)  I'm not gonna lie, this is going to take you most of the day!  Break it up with snacks, TV, some movement.  If you really start getting bored, use the Pomodoro technique - set the timer for 25 minutes and put your nose to the grindstone, and then set the timer for 5 minutes and do something physical to get your blood pumping.  Then get back to it!  
  • Read my previous post, The Paper Purge, for suggestions on how to decide what to keep.
• In the evening, put in a movie and get out your shredder and shred away!  This is so satisfying  and mindless.  If you don't have a shredder, just box those items up and put them in your vehicle.  You can take them to an office supply store or sometimes to your financial institution for shredding.  You may want to consider investing in a small shredder to keep the paper under control in the future.
• When you're done shredding, start scanning and saving!  If you don't have a scanner, you can simply take pictures with your phone.  You can then shred the physical copies.

Sunday
You should wake up to a few piles of paper in categories.  Now is time for the fun part!  

• Decide on a color for each category - I personally like green for finance, yellow for property, red for health, blue for personal, and I have a purple category for fun.
• Scope out your space.  Where will you store paper?  Think about how often you will need to access the items.  There may be some items in your finance category that you don't need to access very often at all (ex. tax returns) while other items in that category you will need much more often.  You may want to designate long term storage in the basement and short term storage in a desk or filing box.  Consider creating an inbox for all paper to live in until you have time to process it.
• Make a list.  What items do you need to purchase to store the paper?  Some of the usual suspects: Hanging files, file folders, an inbox, binders, file box, a hole punch, page protectors, dividers, label maker.
• Go shopping!  You can do this in person or online.  If you do it in person, you can actually complete your project in the weekend, but if online is preferable, check out Clever Container's office organization supplies.
• Store your paper.  Create your files (remember the color coding system you created this morning.)  Choose what works best for you - files, bins, binders - or some combination.  Read about my Binder System here.
• Commit to a system so your paper doesn't get out of control again!  Check out my system in my post, The First Big Win, Wrangling the Paper!

Friday Night

• Clean your kitchen.  Wash, dry, and put away all your dishes, clear your counters, and sweep your floors. 
• Get rid of expired or unwanted food.  Throw out past-their-prime leftovers and expired items from your pantry/cabinets and refrigerator and freezer.  Don't do any organizing, just throw out the old and unwanted stuff.

Saturday

• Set up your command central somewhere in your kitchen - table or island is best.  
• Get a couple of boxes and label "Donate" and "Relocate" and have a trash can handy.
• Go through each of these areas one at a time and separate items into either keep, donate, trash, or relocate (you're keeping it, but it doesn't need to live in your kitchen.)  Watch out for duplicates - how many ice cream scoops do you really need?  Keep a running list of the type of organizers you need to purchase.
  • Silverware, cooking and serving utensils, and kitchen gadgets
  • Dishes, containers, glasses, and plastic cups
  • Cookware and serving trays
  • Appliances
  • Food storage (cabinets/pantry and refrigerator)
  • Non food related items (junk drawer, pet supplies, paper)

Sunday
Today should be spent arranging your kitchen by zones.  Consider how you actually use your kitchen and group things for specific tasks together.  Example, create a baking area, a lunch making area, etc.  (If you signed up for the free video tutorial, this is the last video.  Make sure to sign up a week in advance, because you get one video emailed to you each day!)

• Decide on your zones and their locations
• Add to your shopping list any additional organizers you need.
• Go shopping.  If you go in person, make good use of the dollar stores!  If you shop online, check out Clever Container's kitchen section!
• Put your kitchen back together.  You should have much more space now that you've done a purge.  By grouping like things together, you will be so much more efficient in the kitchen!

What other areas of your home would you like to see plans for an Weekend Warrior Organization Project?  Email me, fill out the contact page, or comment on this post and I'll be happy to do a future post on some other areas!

I’m so ready for back-to-school!  Not because I’m tired of my kids being home for the summer, but because I’m ready to get back into a routine.  I always loved the beginning of the school year as a kid – new clothes and shoes, freshly sharpened pencils, blank notebooks, locker organizers – kind of my dream come true!  I was thinking today about why the beginning of school still excited me as an adult.  Yes, I get to buy supplies for my kids, but there’s more to it than that.  There’s something about a fresh start that appeals to me, and I think we can all learn some lessons from school to help us live our best life this school year.
 
Refresh your wardrobe and get a haircut
Kids usually get a few new outfits and shoes because they’ve grown out of the clothes from the previous school year.  We go through their entire wardrobe and get rid of things that are too small or they won’t wear to avoid any fashion arguments!  This time of year is also a great time to refresh your own wardrobe.  Go through your closet and donate items you haven’t worn in the past several months, items that don’t fit, or ones you just don’t like.  Make a list of what items you need to “fill in the blanks” of your wardrobe.  Watch for sales and treat yourself!  We get our kids a haircut prior to the first day so they look fresh and clean.  Make an appointment for yourself, too.  This could be the one time per year that you spend a little extra or try a new style.  

Keep a regular sleep schedule
Just today, our family discussed what fair bedtimes are for the kids when school starts and what time they need to get up to have plenty of time in the mornings before school.  This will be a big change from our summer routine where the kids’ bedtimes go out the window – and so does mine.  I find myself staying up way too late on a regular basis, but still having to get up at the same time to go to work.  By the end of the summer I’m exhausted and sleeping in late on the weekends to try to catch up.  When school starts, the kids will each have a set bedtime and wakeup time.  I plan to create my own, reasonable bedtime as well as a wakeup time that doesn’t involve the snooze button!

Eat healthy breakfasts and pack a lunch
When school is in session, I make more of an effort to feed my kids a healthy breakfast to give them a good start to their day.  It’s so easy for us as busy adults to skip breakfast or scarf down something on the go.  When school starts, it’s a great opportunity to plan your morning to include a healthy breakfast at the table with your family.  Many days my kids pack their lunches, and we have various options that are easy to pack and are fairly healthy.  Packing a lunch for myself alongside the kids will help me not only to save money on eating out, but help to control my portion size and the nutritional value of what I eat for lunch.

Embrace a fresh start and the opportunity to learn new things
Kids literally start the school year with a blank slate, and they have the opportunity to take new classes from new teachers.  It’s a great time of year for us to forgive ourselves for failed attempts in the past and make new resolutions and plans for new habits.  Is it time for us to take a class, read a book, attend a webinar about something new?

Be active and enjoy recess
My kids have gym class at least once a week, and recess every day.  They also participate in sports during the school year.  I need to follow suit and be more active.  I can use the time they spend at sports practices to be active myself, and why not enjoy a “recess” during the day and take a quick walk?

Create systems to manage time
With all the commitments kids have these days, they have to learn to manage their time, plan ahead and just plain remember what all they need to do!  We are in the process of finalizing what the daily routine will be and then will create a checklist to keep track of it all.  I will print out a grid with the items that need completed down the left-hand side with the days of the week across the top.  The paper will go in a page protector and be displayed on the fridge with a magnetic clip.  The kids will use a dry erase marker to mark off their daily accomplishments.  This makes it reusable, but also easy to change if we add or take away a responsibility.  It’s great to pair one of your own responsibilities to your kids’ – for example, when they practice piano, you wash dishes or when they do homework, you read.  Consider planning your day the night before with specific timebound tasks.  Always overestimate how long it will take you to do things so that you don’t get frustrated!

Cut back on screen time
During the school year, our kids don’t have any screen time from Monday to Thursday (unless homework requires it.) We started this a couple of years ago, and it’s amazing – attitudes are much improved and since there is no expectation of screen time, we don’t hear whining or complaining.  This means my husband and I don’t turn on the TV until after the kids are in bed, and sometimes we don’t even turn it on at all.  It’s my goal to use the time I normally would watch TV to do other things – read, play board games, talk to my husband, take bubble baths, take a walk, etc.

Catch up with friends
One of the best parts of the first day of school for me was always seeing my friends that I hadn’t seen much over the summer.  We would catch up and tell each other what we did over the vacation.  We looked forward to eating lunch together and playing at recess together.  As adults, why don’t we designate the start of the school year as a time to plan some lunch dates and fun activities with old friends?

Today marks the 50th post of My Life In Order!  Even though there have been ups and downs, triumphs and defeats along the way, this blog has been a constant in my life this year.  I'm proud to have posted faithfully every week and to have done so in a transparent and authentic way.    As I sit here with the beautiful morning sun pouring in, listening to the quiet of my family still asleep, I'm so grateful to be right where I'm at.  That's kind of profound.  Do I wish there were some aspects of my life that were different or better? - sure, but I'm learning that being content with now while expecting growth is the only way that positive and lasting change will happen. ​

I just did a quick scan of my house from the vantage point of my couch, and what I see is certainly not perfection!  I look down to my pink and white striped shirt and leopard print pajama pants - I don't match, but I'm comfortable.  I see clean, folded laundry on the stairs waiting for my kids to take it to their rooms - it's not out of sight, but it's clean and my family has plenty.  I gaze upon my kitchen counter filled with shopping bags from a back-to-school shopping trip my mother-in-law took with my son and grocery bags with food I'm taking to a family reunion - it's cluttered, but it speaks of the abundance of family in my life.  I see dust on my furniture, and I'm reminded of the glorious day I spent relaxing and recharging yesterday instead of doing housework.  Some would look at me and my house right now and think I'm unorganized or not put together, but I feel very much in order.  Items in my life have a place and a purpose, and I have the ability to enjoy my home, my things, my family, and myself.  In honor of my 50th post, I want to share highlights from my blog, so please enjoy 50 Tips for a Life in Order:

1.  Do things in order, and don't get ahead of yourself.  Take the time to do it right the first time. 
Read Order Part 1: A Lego Lesson

2.  Set boundaries and honor them. 
​Read Order Part 2: Honoring Boundaries

3.  Remember you are in charge of you.
Read Order Part 3: Who's in Charge?

4.  Ask for and accept help.
Read Order Part 4: Help Me!

5.  Embrace your creativity (even if you're not an artist!)
Read Can Creativity Be Orderly?

6.  Make a plan to process the paper in your life and manage it regularly.  
Read The First Big Win: Wrangling the Paper and The Binder System

7.  Don't be afraid to throw things away.  
Read The Paper Purge

8.  Laugh at yourself!  
Listen to My Life in Laughter: Cozy Shirt,  My Life in Laughter: Gold Saturn, My Life in Laughter: Drive Through Judgement

9. Use a timer to learn how long it takes you to do tasks, and use an alarm to help you manage time.
Read Getting Better at Time

10. Look on the bright side, find positive aspects of even the most frustrating circumstances - reframe to stay sane!
Read 10 Reasons I Love My Unfinished Bathroom

11.  Cut yourself some slack!  Don't expect more of yourself than you do of others.
Read Lower Your Expectations

12.  Remember parties and vacations are supposed to be fun - plan ahead so you can enjoy them!
​Read 10 Steps to an Organized Party and Organized Travel Made Fun

13.   Get your family involved in housework and accept that how they complete a task may not be how you would do it.
Read Fun Things and Jobs

14.  Be patient and prepared for opportunities.  Don't rush because you feel bad that others are waiting on you.
Read Left Turns in Life 

15.  Take time alone at least once a year to think about what you want to focus on in the future.
Read Plan Your Focus for the New Year

16.  Set goals that are realistic and align with your focus.
Read Be S.M.A.R.T. About Goal Setting

17.  Don't wish away time.  
Read Freezing Time

18.  Take action!  
Read Actually Means Action

19.  Use technology to help you save time, not waste it!
​Read How Use Your Phone For Good

20.  Use the Pomodoro Technique to break up your work into sections and give yourself breaks so you don't get burnt out.
Read Cheating at Productivity

21.  Use a task management software (NOT your email inbox) to keep track of your to do list
Read Productivity the Nozbe Way with Expert, Michael Sliwinski

22.  Organize your kitchen - you spend a lot of time there!
Read Organizing the Heart of Your Home - The Kitchen

23.  Use what you envy about others to help you change yourself.
Read Turn Envy Upside Down

24.  Seek wise counsel - talk to a coach, join a mastermind group, get a mentor!
Read It Was Time to Do Something About It

25.  Be kind and helpful to others - they will likely return the favor.
Read Why Can't Things Be Easier?

26.  Make a list of your most important tasks the night before so you can sleep better and hit the ground running the next morning.
Read Confessions of a List Maker

27.  Make a list of what you want to be known for and use it to guide your decisions.
Read What Do You Want to Be Known For?

28.  Check in with yourself regularly.  Make sure your actions are in line with your focus, moving you toward your goals, and true to what you want to be known for.
Read It's Time To Check In With Yourself

29.  Create new traditions.
Read The Power of Tradition

30.  Keep your computer and phone 'clean'.  These are tools you use many times each day - if they are cluttered, your overall productivity will suffer.
Read 9 Tips for Digital Spring Cleaning

31.  Identify tasks that drive you crazy and experiment with ways to make them work better.
Read A Laundry Experiment: Part 1

32.  Be aware that words have power, use them carefully.
Read If You Can Say Something Nice, Do!

33.  Store out of season clothes or clothes that don't fit somewhere other than in your closet.  This forces you to go through your wardrobe periodically.
Read The Seasonal Switch

34.  Acknowledge that how you look impacts how you feel.  If you want to feel put together, try to look put together.  This is why getting up and taking a shower and putting on "real" clothes tends to make us more productive than if we stay in our PJs all day.
Read How We Look Impacts How We Feel

35.  Analyze your best day ever and do what you can to recreate it!
Read Make the Rest Like Your Best

 36.  Get creative about storing items -  have fun making your home function FOR you!
Read Lego Storage Under the Stairs

37.  Expect the best until proven wrong.
Read Changing My Pet Peeve

38.  It's ok to play catch up.
Read 6 Steps to Get Caught up With Paperwork

39.  Learn from those around you - everyone has at least one idea you can borrow.
Read Top 10 Organizing Tips from My Dad

40.  Make a list of travel dos and don'ts and add to it after each trip no matter how big or small.  Review the list before you travel.
Read Organized Travel Made Fun

41.  Don't try to do it all - find the right person for the job.
Read Find The Right Person for the Job

42.  Plan for solitude.
Read 8 Ways to Stay Focused at Work

43.  Brand new experiences make great memories.
Read Making Time Matter

44.  Cultivate good habits.
Read Don't Let the Weeds Take Over

45.  Color code!  Assign each member of your family a color, or create a color system for various areas of your life and use with a folder or binder system.
Read The First Big Win: Wrangling the Paper

46.  Use a physical journal to jot down ideas, make lists, doodle, etc.  Writing helps us process our thoughts and ideas.
Read Confessions of a List Maker

47.  Put down your phone and be present.
Read Can Creativity Be Orderly?

48.  Take the time - if you can do something now, do it now.  It's so much easier to do the little things as we go rather than let them build up and require a large block of time to accomplish all of the "undone" things in our lives.
Read Getting Better at Time

49.  Spend time on what you love and with who you love - somehow things we are passionate about seem to stretch time and make it richer.
Read Making Time Matter

50.  Be consistent in something, you'll likely become consistent in other things, too! 
I'm proud that this is my 50th blog post, and I haven't missed a week since I started.  This shows me that I have it in me to be consistent and helps me have confidence that there's much more that I can accomplish! 

​Thanks for reading and for your support in my journey to get (and keep) My Life In Order.

Once you've arrived

• Text/email family when you arrive (and return) so they know you’re safe.
• Unpack completely at the hotel if you're staying longer than 2 nights, and pick up each morning. Hang up clothes on the hangers you packed, and consider using  wrinkle release spray or the hotel's iron if needed.
• Take a small bin to corral toiletries on the bathroom vanity.  
• Public transportation is fun – use taxis, buses, trains, trolleys, etc.  Look into day or weekend passes, but if you pay cash, you may need exact change.  Look for free trips (example sometimes hotels and attractions have deals for free taxi or shuttle rides.)  Car rental is nice, but if you're in big city, you may not need it the whole time.  Plan your itinerary so all attractions that you need a vehicle for are scheduled close together.  
• Eat at local restaurants as much as possible. Try new or local foods (we discovered our love of chicken and waffles while in Atlanta!)  Plan at least one breakfast away from free hotel breakfast!  Consider sharing meals when possible.
• Be sure to check booth/tables each time you leave a restaurant for bags/souvenirs and check seats on public transportation to make sure you don't leave a jacket or purse.
• Take a picture of where you park and of the license plate and car if it's a rental.
• Carry a backpack to attractions.  Take in food and water if allowed, include hand sanitizer, sunscreen, power pack for your phone, tickets, a few plastic shopping bags for wet clothes or trash, and ponchos or a small umbrella if you're going to be outdoors and the weather is questionable.
• Take  extra outfits, shoes/flip flops, and plastic shopping bags for kids anywhere they may get wet.  You never know when there's going to be a splash pad!
• Look through pictures each night and delete the ones that are no good or are duplicates, and upload to Google Photos (or your preferred cloud photo storage.)  Send the link to family so they can see what you are doing each day.
• Plan a low-key day mid-vacation, build in time to swim at hotel and rest a few times during the vacation.  Rent a movie on the hotel room TV and have pizza delivered for a really relaxing night!
• A 15 minute walk is very doable to get places!  The more you walk, the more you can eat and not feel guilty!  If you walk a lot, to avoid chafing, use deodorant or vaseline on any area that may rub.
• Book a hotel with guest laundry facilities. Take travel-sized laundry detergent and cash for change, and do all of the laundry the night before leaving.  Fold laundry before putting in the suitcase keeping each family member's clothing together.  It's very nice not to have a ton of laundry to do when you get home!  If doing laundry at the hotel isn't an option, pack all dirty laundry in one suitcase on the way home.

I hope some of these tips will help your next family vacation be a little more organized!  Consider making your own list of travel dos and don'ts.  My list has helped me not to forget things, plan for the unexpected, and have a better plan so I can relax and have fun!  If you have more tips, please share in the comments.

​​​

5. Don't let sentiment cause clutter
My dad is somewhat of a minimalist.  He doesn't care for a coffee table in the middle of the room or many knick knacks sitting around.  My dad had a decent sized record collection, some of which he'd had since he was a teenager.  They were stored in a wooden cabinet with sliding doors.  Several years ago, he wanted to use the record cabinet for another storage purpose (in the garage on that wall in front of the vehicles - thank you hanging tennis ball for keeping it safe!)  In order to use it for garage storage,  he got rid of the records. I remember feeling sentimental about him getting rid of them and they weren't even mine.  He didn't let sentiment cause any unnecessary clutter.  I'm grateful that my husband and brother got several of the records for their own collections!

6.  Research and analyze which is cheaper and better - fixing/refurbishing or buying new
This one may only apply if you have the ability to fix things yourself. If you know my dad, you know he can fix just about anything!  There are times that most people would have just gotten a new (insert whatever is broken in your house) but my dad did the research to fix it.  For instance, he put a brand new bottom in the bathtubs instead of replacing them.  It was cheaper and less work in the long run than tearing out the old one and installing a new one.  There are times though, were  you've fixed as much as you can fix, and it's just time to buy new.  

7.  Label generously
My dad has been making labels as long as I can remember!  His go to is masking tape and a sharpie.  Putting labels on things helps to identify them (the reason spices of similar colors are labelled in my mom's spice cabinet) and helps us remember where things go (this is why I label my clear bins in my refrigerator - I certainly don't want my raw meat to ever go in the bin where my yogurt is supposed to go!)  I have to admit, I did think my dad took it a little far when I saw that he had labelled the tape dispenser, "TAPE."

​​When life gets busy,  paperwork is one of the last things I worry about! As a working mom with active kids and couple of side hustles, I have systems to help keep me on track, but when Spring arrives and my weekends fill up, it’s easy to get a little behind. I’ve written before about how to get started with wrangling your paper, purging old paperwork, and even creating a binder system to file it all. The key, though, is regular processing of your paper! I like Sunday evenings because I’m usually home, and it’s a good way to get the week off to a smooth start.

Back in mid-May, I gave myself the day off for Mother’s Day, and I liked that so much that I just kept putting all my papers in the file box and not actually processing them. They were tucked neatly away, but because I didn’t do my weekly review, I started missing things - there was a panicky trip to the bill drop instead of my normal online payment weeks in advance, my kids missed dress up days at school because I hadn’t reviewed the paper that was in my  file box, and CVS Extra Care bucks expired before I remembered to use them! I began digging through my file box when I knew a bill needed paid or a form was due rather than processing the whole stack weekly. As time went on, I became overwhelmed by the volume of things I needed to review and file, so I just kept putting it off.

Step 3
Put the relocate items and mementos in their proper places. 
​
Step 4
Separate the "do" pile into categories to make it more digestible.  Examples could be:

• Bills to pay
• Items to log before filing (like Health care receipts, vehicle maintenance, etc.)
• Forms to complete (school permissions slips, camp registrations, etc.)
• Calls to make or emails to send
• Orders to place

Then DO them!  As you do each item, the associated paperwork should be put into one of the remaining piles: file, shred, or recycle.

Step 5
Take the file pile, and get to it! In a previous post, I explained my binder system  that may help you. Regardless of your filing system, be certain that each paper that you put in your files is necessary to keep.  If it's available electronically or can be scanned, consider shredding it instead of filing.   You may not need to clog up your files with every bill, receipt, or statement you receive, but instead you may be able to simply log the information.  For example, you could keep a log of your vehicle maintenance instead of keeping every oil change invoice.  Read the post about the paper purge for more ideas and some free printables.   Sometimes you may keep only the most recent version of a document, so as you file the current one, be sure to add outdated items to either the recycle or shred pile.

​
Step 6
Recycle and shred.  This should always be your last step.  It's easy to want to do this first because it gets rid of two piles at once, but since you add to these piles through the process, it's best to do this last so you don't have to do this job twice.  Shredding is a great job for kids - at least in my house, using the shredder is a real treat!

You're going to feel SO great, when you get through all your paperwork.  Just do yourself a favor and don't get in this situation again (but if you do, just re-read this post!) 

Let me set the scene...half-built Lego creations on the basement floor with all of the remaining pieces strewn about. The remnants of well-intended organization cluttering the dedicated Lego space, while rogue pieces invade nearly every square inch of the thoroughfare of the basement. Unopened Lego sets stacked in the corner, never getting played with because the unfinished basement is such an undesirable destination. 

It was time - it was time to create a Lego storage system in an area of the house that the kids actually wanted to use! But how? and where? Here is the process I used to get creative about how to use a small space to meet a storage and organization need.  

​1. Determine the location

I surveyed the options for Lego storage in my house - they were limited! Since both of my kids like Legos and often share pieces, it made sense to store them in a shared location rather than in one of kids' bedrooms. We don't have a spare bedroom or a rec room, so I was having trouble wrapping my mind around where I could possibly store these Legos! I had to stop looking at my house as it was and start thinking what it could be. I landed on two possibilities: the breezeway between our garage and kitchen (which was used as a mud room and craft room) and the nook under the stairs (which was used for toy storage.) After considering the size and shape of each spot as well as how I wanted to have the mess contained and hidden, I settled on the space under the stairway.

2. Clear the new space of old stuff

We first had to empty the area of what was currently stored there. In this case, we had a toy shelf with bins, a small table with multiple containers of toys and games on and under it, and a bin of puzzles (and maybe a few dust bunnies!) Because my kids understood the end goal was to make a cool place for them to play with and store their Legos, they were on board with doing some purging and relocating. We went through every bin and separated into keep, trash, and donate piles. We also had to repeat this process in each kids' bedroom to make room for the items we kept from the nook under the stairs. We were able to get rid of enough that we could rearrange one bedroom to reuse the toy shelf. We also used this as an opportunity to purge some Lego accessories - mainly instructional booklets that were no longer needed. We recycled a huge pile, and the remainder fit nicely into a hanging file organizer that I mounted to the wall underneath the table allowing to use some otherwise wasted space!

3. Plan to maximize the space

It was fun to plan out how this very small space could be filled with functional solutions. Drawing pictures is the most helpful way to map out your plan, and using grid paper makes it easier to draw to scale. Sometimes things you visualize in your head just won't work when you get out the measuring tape! Use resources like Pinterest to get inspiration and ideas. I created a whole board for Lego storage! Browse online for product ideas, but also go to a physical store so you can see and touch the materials you are considering. And don't forget to check your own house for items you can reuse or repurpose. If you are creating a space for someone else, be sure to include them in this process. They are the ones that will use it, so they may have ideas that may never have occurred to you. Don't forget to make use of vertical space and the space under tables and counters. The final product in our Lego cupboard under the stairs (a little Harry Potter humor!) was very close to my original sketches, but I had to be flexible in a few things like getting a smaller pegboard than planned because the large one wouldn’t fit in our vehicle!
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3. Buy, build and reuse

Shop around for the best deals, and don't shy away from building custom pieces. When you are at a physical store, don't get caught up in wanting to take home the supplies right then. Make sure to comparison shop online, and purchase what is both best for your space and is the best value. I took my kids to the hardware store to actually see and touch pegboard bins, and then we ordered cheaper ones online in the size and colors the kids preferred. Make sure to measure, measure, measure! Don’t assume your space is square or level (especially if you live in an old house like mine!)    Our project included a fairly simple table and shelf that my husband built and a pegboard we painted and cut to size (materials list at the end of the post.)  We got creative with covering up our imperfections with some adhesive Lego tape.   In addition to those supplies, the kids helped me pick out folding stools that fit nicely and could easily be stored under the table.  We also purchased some new rolling drawers, a hanging file holder for instructions, a floor mat for easy Lego clean up, adhesive battery operated LED lights.  Everything else was reused or repurposed!  Because the space was awkwardly shaped, there weren't studs in all the right places, so for some things, I used anchors and for others I used industrial strength velcro with an adhesive back.

4. Relocate, decorate, and enjoy!

This is the fun part - moving into the new space! We slowly brought up Legos from the basement giving the kids time to sort and choose the best location in their new Lego room. I overheard them talking about how they were going to sort their Lego swords into some of the pegboard bins separating them into gold, silver, and other colored swords.  This MAY be an indication we have too many Legos, but what had taken up a huge area before now fit nicely in the little nook! We have space for displaying finished masterpieces on the shelves, a spot for unopened sets, lots of storage for the Legos themselves, an area for instruction books, and even have a plan for when the Lego playing gets so serious it needs to move to the floor! The mat I purchased cinches up into a bag so the mess can quickly and easily be picked up! We added some finishing touches that we reused from it previous Lego space - some wooden letters I painted in Lego blue, red, yellow and green that I adhered to the side of the shelf with Command strips and a poster frame filled with Lego wrapping paper. We also mounted a Lego mini figure display box that had been a Christmas gift on the wall above the pegboard.  Now the kids are enjoying their new Lego retreat.  It looks great, but yet it's hidden from view!

If you want to use any of our ideas, here's a supply list and some instructions:

Table
Supplies

• 48"x 16" white laminate shelf board (purchased at Lowes for about $16.00)
• 2"X 3" X 6' boards (purchased at Lowes for about $3.00 ea)
• White paint (reused from a previous project)
• Adhesive Lego tape (purchased at Walmart for about $13 for 8' or available on Amazon)

Instructions

• Cut 2"x 3" board to length for two sides of the shelf board (example 1-48" piece and 1-16" piece
• Mount board to the wall on studs at the appropriate height
• Cut shelf board to length
• Place shelf board on top of the 2" x 3" supports and screw shelf board to supports
• Cut the remaining 2" x 3" board to the appropriate length to create a table leg
• Paint table leg
• Position table leg and screw shelf board to table leg and screw table leg to either floor or wall
• If there are any uneven spaces between the wall and the shelf board, use adhesive Lego tape to cover.

Pegboard
Supplies

• 2' x 4' sheet of pegboard (purchased at Lowes for approximately $10.00)
• Blue paint (1 quart paint/primer tinted blue purchased at Lowes for approximately $7.00)
• Mounting hardware
• Pegboard bins (set of 16 purchase from Amazon for approximately $9.00)

Instructions

• Measure and cut to fit your space
• Paint (note that I first primed with white paint and then painted with blue.  I wish I would have just painted with blue because it was difficult to cover up the white!)
• Hang with hardware keeping a small space between the pegboard and the wall to allow for hooks and bins to hang.
• If you have uneven edges, consider some adhesive Lego tape to cover up!

Shelves
Supplies

• 1" X 6" X 6' boards (purchased at Lowes for approximately $4.00 each)
• White paint (left over from another project)

Instructions

• Measure your space and cut boards to fit
• Create a square and use screws to secure
• Add a shelf/shelves as desired.
• Paint
• Cover screws with plastic screw cap covers (I stole some from a shoe shelf in my closet or they are available on Amazon)
• Install in your space using brackets

Accessories

• Three drawer cart with wheels (purchased at Walmart for approximately $13)
  • Holds one kid's legos and the Lego mat
• Wooden bin (reused from previous toy storage)
  • Holds the other kid's legos
• Hanging file organizer (purchased from Walmart for approximately $5.00)  
  • Holds all instruction booklets that they decided to keep
• Lego play mat (purchased on Amazon for approximately $9.00)
  • Allows kids to play on the mat and when they're done, you just cinch it up into a bag and store in a drawer!
• 18" folding stools (purchased from Amazon for approximately $12.00)
• Poster frame filled with Lego wrapping paper (reused from previous Lego area)
  • Just for a fun decoration
• Wooden craft letters to spell LEGO (reused from previous Lego area)
  • Hung with Command strips to the side of the shelf
• Lego clock (resued from previous Lego area)
  • To keep kids from losing track of time while they are playing Legos!
• Lego mini-figure display case (reusued from kids' room)
  • Hung on wall above the peboard using industrial strength adhesive velcro
• Three battery operated, adhesive LED lights (purchased from Lowes for approximately $13 or available on Amazon)
  • Hung on the angled ceiling  - they are push button operated.
• Lego creations for display (from my kids' imaginations)
  • These can be changed out as desired.  Each kid has a shelf and the top shelf is for unopened Lego sets.

I'm so happy with how this area turned out!  I love Legos and even wrote about how the process relates to getting your life in order in one of my first blog posts.  After this project, I am inspired to plan out more functional areas in other small spaces in my home and garage.  Next on the list - a sports equipment storage area in the garage!  

It FINALLY feels like Spring in Indiana, which means it's time for me to embark on the monumental task of the "seasonal switch."  This is when I put away the wintery clothes and get out the spring/summer clothes that are stored in totes in the basement.  It doesn't sound hard in that single sentence, but it is SUCH a process!  This year I decided to do things a little differently to try to make it more efficient and enjoyable.

I have two boys, so I save everything that's in decent shape from the older one for the younger boy.   Since they are 4 years apart, that means I have tote after tote labelled by size.  Currently I have totes for size 6, size 7, and two totes for size 8 (as the clothes get bigger it takes more room to store the same amount), an 8/10, a 10/12, a 12/14, a 16/18, one for my oldest boy's out of season clothes that still fit, one for my out of season items that fit, my too small tote, and my husband's out of season - oh and then there's one for boots (or sandals depending on the season), one for hats/ gloves, one for coats/jackets, and one for kids' shoes that my youngest hasn't grown into yet!  That's a lot of totes!  And it never fails that the one I want is on the bottom of the stack, so I have to do an intricate redesign of the towers of totes to get to it.

Yesterday was the day I decided to tackle this season's switch, and even though I think I've come up with a pretty good new system, there's no denying, it's still a lot of work!  Here's the new way I'm doing things and how I am organizing the totes of clothes so that when, in a couple weeks I ​find some T-shirt or pair of sweats that somehow escaped the switch , it'll be a cinch to store it because I'll be able to identify which bin it should go in AND access it easily.

Step 1 - Sort the new season's clothes
Don't start with what's currently in your closet or drawers - if you do that you may end up sleeping in a tent for two weeks.  That's what happened to my then-6-year-old last year when I switched his summer clothes to fall/winter clothes.  I started by sorting through the clothes in his drawers, deciding what would be too small next year and what I could save.  Then I didn't have anywhere to store the clothes for the next summer because the storage bins were full of the fall/winter clothes that I hadn't gotten out yet.  So, I dumped the fall/winter clothes on the bed, filled the emptied bins with the summer clothes, and took them to the basement.  When it was bedtime, I was OVER clothes sorting, and since his bed was a mound of long pants, sweaters and long johns, I tried to make it fun and let him sleep in a tent on his floor that night.  Well, one night turned many nights, and I actually lost track of how long he'd been sleeping in a tent until one night he said, "Mom, when can I sleep in my bed again? I've been sleeping in this tent since the night we watched the nun movie!"  He was talking about Sister Act, which we'd watched a full two weeks earlier!  

So to avoid tent sleeping due to a clothes infested bed, start with the new season's clothes.  I store our out of season duds in the basement, so I started with one family member (my youngest because I felt bad about the tent incident.)  I brought up several bins that contained sizes he may fit in this summer (if only there was truly a universal sizing system so I didn't have to have him try on sizes 6 through 8!)  I pulled everything out of each bin and put aside anything that was visibly too small or out of season (if I were better at planning I would have had my kids so they'd be the same sizes during the same seasons...)  and made a giant pile of what I needed for him to try on.  I did this only one bin at a time because, if you have boys you know that trying on clothes is something they can only endure for a very short amount of time.  We tried everything on and decided if it fit and if he liked it enough not to whine about wearing it.  We made three piles: it fits, it's too small or he won't wear it, and it's too big.  When we were done with each bin, we put all the items that fit into the laundry room clothes sorter, the too small items into a bag for my nephew (so my sister-in-law can store those at HER house!), and the too big pile back into the tote it came from.  We repeated with all of his bins (after some breaks in between each one.)

You can repeat this process for each member of the family:

1. ​Get out ALL totes that contain clothes for the upcoming season
2. Before trying anything on, sort out items that visibly won't fit or you don't like
3. Try on everything else, and create three piles:
   1. fits
   2. will never fit again (for kids these would be too small, for adults it is clothes that are for a weight that you realistically won't be again within a year or two)  OR clothes you don't like.  If it's something you know you won't wear because it's not flattering or it's a color you don't care for - donate it!  Don't waste precious closet space to store something you won't wear.
   3. will fit in the future (for kids these would be too big, for us adults, this could be the clothes that are within a few pounds of our current weight)
4. Put items that fit into the laundry
5. Put will never fit again/don't like clothes into a donate box
6. Put will fit in the future clothes back in a tote.

Step 2 - Sort the previous season's clothes
While the new season's clothes are in the laundry, go through the clothes that are currently in your closet and drawers.  Use the same general strategy as you did with the upcoming season's clothes with a couple of tweaks.

1. ​Take items directly from your drawer or closet and make a decision on each item (in other words, don't take them all out and make a giant pile.)  This allows you to do a little at a time and not risk the tent- sleeping -for-two-weeks fate.
2. Create three piles:
   1. fits
   2. will never fit again (for kids these would be too small, for adults it is clothes that are for a weight that you realistically won't be again within a year or two)  OR clothes you don't like.  
   3. will fit in the future (for kids these would be too big, for us adults, this could be the clothes that are within a few pounds of our current weight)
3. If you can make a decision without trying it on (since you likely recently wore most of these items) just put it into the appropriate pile.  But if there is any doubt, try it on!
4. Put items that fit or will fit in the future into the empty bins created when you emptied the upcoming season's clothes.  You may consider creating one bin for "will fit in the future" and another for "fits now" or you could put them all together since you'll have to sort them next season anyway.
5. Put will never fit again/don't like clothes into a donate box
6. Label the tote clearly on multiple sides.  If it's kids' clothes, mark the size and gender, but if it's adults' clothes, just mark it with the name (and if you separated by fits and will fit in the future, indicate that as well.)  Label it on multiple sides so that no matter which direction the tote is stored, you can see the label.  Colored duct tape and a sharpie make easy and cheap labels that can be removed so your totes can be reused.

Step 3 - Store out of season clothes
This is the biggest thing I'm excited about!  I am going to bite the bullet and do something I've been thinking about for several years...I'm buying shelves for my totes!    (I know big step, right?)  When totes are on shelves that means you don't have to play that game like the one you played as a kid where a square was filled with tiles and there's one blank space and you have to move tiles around to get them in a certain order.   I've ordered the shelves and can hardly wait til they arrive (don't worry, I'll let you know on Facebook when they do!)  Mine will go in my basement for the out of season clothes, but these could easily work in a garage or pole barn for anything you store in totes.

Bonus tips

• Make sure to put the tote containing the size of your oldest child in the most accessible spot because, as they grow out of things, you will want to be able to add to that bin without a lot of hassle!
• Keep a trash bag with handles hanging in the laundry room so you can toss too small kids' clothes for giveaway in it right after they come out of the dryer. 

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Step 4 - Put away new season's clothes
After you've washed all the new season's clothes, put them away in your closet or drawers.  Use this as an opportunity to purchase new (or re-purpose other items as) closet and drawer accessories to keep you organized.  Some of my favorites for the closet are the hangers that allow you to hang multiple items and then collapse to save closet rod space, belt hangers or a purse hanger which takes advantage of vertical space, a scarf hanger which take advantage of the depth of your closet without hogging closet rod space, a cami hanger which can handle multiple sleeveless tops in the space it takes to hang one hanger, fabric totes where you can store items like t-shirts, hats, athletic clothes, stacking bins for closet shelves, hanging shoe holders, or shoes shelves.  In your drawers, use clear plastic shoe boxes or wire inboxes intended for a desk to divide large drawers, or criss-cross  organizers for socks and underwear.  

I hope these 4 steps will help your "seasonal switch" go much smoother this year.  If you are lucky enough to have huge closets, you may not even need to go through this difficult process (I'm jealous!) but for most of us, we have to store at least part of our clothing in a different location when they are out of season.  If you have multiple kids and are saving their clothes for a younger sibling - kudos to you for saving all that money!  Take it from a mom who's done it the hard way for way too many years and try some of these tips.