Simply Organized Online

I just returned from speaking at the Mom 2.0 Summit ~ where social media, marketing folks & Mom bloggers came together for amazing conversations.

Of course, I was there to talk about Mental Clutter in our 2.0 Lifestyle but I have to admit, I met some pretty amazing women doing phenomenal things.

You'll see below a "slide share" presentation from VolunteerSpot[dot]com. I actually had no intention of posting about my conference experience {on this blog} until I looked at this website!

Here's the simple version ... this site provides {for FR*EE} Volunteer Coordination! I was a goner when I saw the recommendation that teachers could use this site for scheduling Parent-Teacher conferences!

Rest assured I am forwarding the information to our PTO so she may educate any & all at our schools!

Now, you may be wondering ~ "April, why are you endorsing such a unique website?". First & foremost, this is a complimentary plug ... secondly ~ because the potential life simplification this service has to offer can not be kept quiet! So once you check out the site ... be sure to use it for simplifying your volunteer scheduling needs & then tell everyone you know too!

Thanks!

Recently there was a question floating around amongst my colleagues

"How many magazine subscriptions is too many?"

Of course, numbers began flying through the forums ... 3 ... 15 ... 50

But it got me thinking, weren't they missing the point?

If we stick with my organizing philosophies {find what works FOR you} then would the number really even matter?

If you're a Mom of extremely athletic children, find yourself waiting between games on tournament weekends and capatilize on that time to read 5 of your favorite magazines {or indulge in guilty pleasures like foodie or gossip magazines} then wouldn't that number of 3 be too limiting?

Or how about if you're a Mom Blogger, traveling from conference to conference this time of year & find yourself sitting in airports for lengthy layovers ~ there is only so much technology you might want to surround yourself with ~ and again you divulge in the pleasure of your favorite subscriptions ... should you be denied because someone else said "there should be a limit!"?

And guys, don't think I've forgotten you out there! If you're a man who enjoys his hobby magazines & likes to take a little relax time ~ should we stop you?

I think NOT!

The point here folks is ~ determine what capacity stands in your way of feeling good about your surroundings or level of commitment & adjust accordingly.

If you have a different take on this topic I would love to read your comments!

Happy Magazine Subscribing!

april
 

I hope this post finds you saying a warm farewell to 2009 & embracing the transition to our new 2010!

Many of my clients find the changing of a complete calendar energizing & motivating ... I encourage them to embrace whatever the feeling is and evaluate what they'd like to improve ~ SPECIFICALLY.

So, I'm sure you can guess what's coming next :-)

Resolutions.

To be honest, I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. Mainly because folks tend to make them too ambiguous.

A list that looks like this:

• Organize the Garage
• Stop running late
• File all my paperwork
• Stay on top of the laundry

Is destined for disappointment.

Now, you may be thinking ~ "Gee April, why don't you burst my bubble a little more!"

Just the opposite though ...

I challenge you in the next week to adjust your 'list' by using those 'To-Do' items as a starting point {instead of the end all thing you're going conquer this year}

And then let's check back in.

So, here's what it would look like...

Instead of:
"Stop Running Late"

Try:

• Time myself getting ready
• Time my commute
• Time how long it takes to drop the kids off at school

Once you have collected your 'data' you can compare it to your long term goal & figure out exactly what part of "Stop Running Late" needs an adjustment.

** I once had a client who had no problem getting up in the morning, getting ready & driving to work ~ although, was rarely on time. When we took a closer look, it turned out that there wasn't any wiggle room for the toddlers to be picky eaters or for the time it took to physically corral the kids into the car ~ this took approximately 15 minutes {exactly how late this employee was each day}.

By adjusting the morning routine to accommodate the extra 15 minutes, arriving at work went from sliding in {hoping no one noticed} to arriving calm ~ cool ~ collected. **

Leave comments on what your "resolutions are this year" & let's get some specific strategies underway that will help you find success!

Till next week ~

Look for your Simply Organized habits,

april

... Where does the time go?

It's almost as if sitting in front of the computer to "quickly check my email" is code word for "Hit the time warp button & zap me with a brain-dead laser".

As the organizer, I even fall victim to this activity with unawareness.

Advising my clients to try certain strategies is one thing, but when I find that I too am struggling, I look for creative innovative solutions to bring into the arsenal of "try this & see if it works for you" tool bag.

Standard strategies are:

• use a kitchen timer {set it for 10-15 min & when it goes off it means you're done, get up & leave the vicinity}
• allocate a certain time of the day to check the email {morning, afternoon, evening?}
  
• adjust your junk mail filters to a higher sensitivity
• don't sign up for too many eNewsletters

However, I've found those to be more precautionary measures. In addition to the above you can also implement:

• Folders, with categories that are appropriate to big picture topics {allowing you to "file" things for a later date}
  
• Focus, check email with a mission "I'm looking for any emails from ..." & then only open those {don't let the other stuff distract you}
• Establish a "read later" folder & then {here's the key} a dedicated time to address those
• And finally, establish a "fun email" time {after kids are in bed, during 1 load of laundry on Saturday, early in the morning ~ before anyone wakes up}
  

The idea is to establish a more efficient use of your In-box time. If you know you need the info for the field trip from the teacher's email or the meeting time & place your secretary sent you, then enter the danger zone of your in-box armed with the defenses of the most critical goals on your mind the entire time.

You're in, you're out & nobody gets hurt!

Now a new strategy I'm giving a try, due to my own recent ability to be so easily distracted {it is so much more fun to surf the Container Store(R) sales page than it is to pay my bills!} :

• I'm setting a day that will be a "no email day".

For me this works out to be Sunday. So often I'll jump on the computer while I'm waiting for the laundry to finish up or I'm ready for a break from some other chore & inevitably the Gmail page is still up from the last time I was called away from the computer. So I am instantly faced with the 'new' messages & drawn in by the titles or subject lines. Then before I know it, the laundry buzzer has gone off 3 hours ago & nothing else has gotten done! {because of course, I ignored the washer/dryer & kept having fun!}

My newest distraction ... Facebook.

And of course, I have it set to email me when I get a new message. So, you can see where this is going, I'm immediately drawn in by the notices I receive that someone has "socialized" with me! {more on that aspect later}

I'm curious how my readers are handling their email woes ~ please be sure to leave comments & let's get this conversation going.

• Have these tips helped?
• Have you tried it all & found something that "stuck"?
• Or, have you just completely given up on the whole thing & ignore it completely? :o)

Looking forward to hearing from you, I'll do a follow up post once I have some feedback.

Have a Simply Organized week,

april

 

Yes, it is that time of year again, when we begin counting down the remaining care-free days left before the kids head back to school.

Of course, this would require that we all survived the summer in one piece :o)

All joking aside, I read a tip from the "Real Simple" folks that got me thinking. They suggested putting a kid friendly CD on in the morning & telling the kiddos 'that they needed to be done eating by track 4', without buying the required the CD {yes, marketing at it's best} I do think that's a great start ... but I have a better idea.

Often I advise folks to take the week before heading back to school to prepare {as best as possible} for the chaos ahead. Involving the kiddos not only teaches them the life skills needed to understand how to prepare as best for the unexpected, but it also shows them in living color what it takes to think ahead while staying flexible.

Obviously, school shopping needs done & bedtimes need restored but what about once the nostalgia of the new teacher & classroom have settled? Things have a tendency to return to the normal chaos ... being tired, doing homework, keeping up with chores & the social life. What now?

Habits.

So, if we all know that Johnny {or Mom for that matter} isn't a morning person, then what habits can we put into place so that things run more smoothly getting out the door? Enter the CD idea. No need to buy a certain CD though. You can easily use music you already own or a favorite radio station. {my newest find is on the internet & free! www.pandora.com}

• Create a playlist with benchmarks that signify what should be getting done throughout the morning routine.
• Change out the playlists with monthly holidays to keep it from being too dull.
• Use a list for things that need done each morning {in our house we have an "out the door" list on the the door we leave from. This has helped library books get returned on time ~ finally!}
• Another trick we use {us non-morning people} is to spend the first 5-10 minutes waking up, thinking about the day ahead as a way to jump start our brains & avoid being grumpy.

Now, there is always going to be the "make the lunch items the night before" tips, but I've found many of my clients just don't live in that world. So, what can you do for lunch prep that will curb some of the chaos?

Create a list of lunch options {PB&J with a Go-Gurt, or leftovers & sliced fruit} then use it as a quick reference guide to avoid having to make decisions while stressed out in the morning rush.

Bonus! This also simplifies that famous grocery list, if you know you need to have 'x, y, z' on hand for lunches then you begin to grab them as staples during the "big shopping" trip. Again, keep it fun & change it up with the different holidays or seasons.

Use a school holiday as a day of change/adjustment to the routine, this not only ensures that things are addressed on a regular basis, but it also gives the kiddos something to do on their day off that is {in the bigger picture} a maintenance item for their lifestyle. :-)

Good Luck this school year & feel free to leave comments, questions or concerns,

april

It seems the trend with my parent client's these days is all about LAUNDRY ... could it be the nostalgia of summer break has completely worn off & many parents are counting down to the first day of school?

Maybe.

Inevitably though, conversations have come back to the chores & how to balance them.

When it comes to laundry {especially during the summer} it seems like it never ends for most busy families. And sure, we've all heard the general advice:

• Set a certain day of the week for laundry
• Put a load in as soon as you start your day
• Involve other family members to help out
• Make a "laundry" zone or station to simplify the tasks

What I've figured out {& helped my clients put into action} is that these are only pieces of a much bigger picture. Consider these the insider secrets to the already working ebb & flow of your home.

"So April, how do I find that 'ebb & flow'?" you might be thinking :o)

Simple ... find a way to signify accomplishment.

Example:

• Break down the laundry first by person {my laundry, hubby's laundry, the teenager, etc}
• Then by loads {lights, darks, delicate}
• Then by day {Tuesday, Thursday & Sunday}
• Assign a day/time for the miscellaneous {bedding, towels, etc}

This strategy provides a benchmark ~ a goal ~ an end in sight. It may seem like extra steps at first glance, but trust me, it helps break down that feeling of never ending laundry rotation.

As the kiddos get older they can begin to do their own loads by sorting, checking pockets & prepping the machine. Then once they have performed all tasks successfully with supervision, they can begin doing it on their own. {freeing up much needed time for other things you need to do & providing them with a life skill they will need for decades to come}

If this strategy doesn't appeal to you then I encourage you to glean out information that resonates & put your own spin on it {no pun intended!} because ultimately, efficient systems are only as good as their productivity!

april

P.S. I have tried the Purex 3-in-1 laundry sheets & have to admit not only do they work {surprisingly well} but they smell fabulous! And they are perfect for younger kiddos that are too inexperienced for measuring detergents :o) Click here if you're curious how they work