Organized?

December is perhaps the merry-ist yet messy-ist month of the year.

The gossip pages wrote about how Anna Wintour threw out her Christmas tree
before the holiday because it was too messy!  I get it.

From holiday decor to year-end paperwork, the clutter at home can be so stressful that
getting away from it all might just be the easiest solution to "relaxing". 

Aside from Dieting, one of those top New Year's Resolutions is, Organizing.
As 2014 rings in, don't let clutter get the best of you - just learn how to control it. 

I do admit that just sometimes,  I am a secret slob.
{Lips sealed...most of my clients are also}.

Since I am not totally neurotic, I am ok with my own temporary bouts of imperfection.
Life is busy, but when I do auto-correct, I feel so much better.

But, if locating Scotch tape, a pair of scissors, a pencil, rubber bands, paper clips or a stamp is a scavenger hunt...read on.

 

Drawers
Every item should have their place.  Plastic divider bins are available to in every size + shape.  I tend to favor the basic bigger sizes that fit nicely into the drawer + then work around the filling of each.  Sure from time-to-time the rubber bands do dance their way over to tango with the paper clips, but during some telephone hold time, I file them back neatly to where they belong.  Oddly enough, fixing-up makes me feel good.

Papers
Don't really belong shoved into silverware drawers.  This is the basics of how clutter starts - things layered on top of other things. Papers do best in vertical file drawers, hanging in folders that are labeled.
Until they make it there, having a basket handy keeps all neatly in one place.

For me, keeping monthly bills to-be-paid in 3 separate folders, vertically on my desk, works wonderfully:

Due 1-10
Due 11-20
Due 21-31

When bills arrive, daily it seems, they get filed into one of the folders which are clearly in view.
Call me old fashioned but I still do like to receive paper bills.

For tax payments, either the voucher or a file card goes into each folder, reminding me of the due date during that 10 day time period.  The month doesn't matter to me at this first level, just the day of the month.  If an invoice is due in a few months but during that 10 day period, it just sits there peacefully, waiting.
Of course, for some I do set-up Outlook reminders, but for some reason,
I tend to dismiss them + do better with a hard copy on my desk.
Since most bills are now are paid on-line, this double system has worked very well for me.

The Bathroom
Yes, I've heard many times that 2 sinks make for a great marriage, but a little organization also helps.

This is the smallest yet busiest location of any home.
If you are a female client, I probably have already organized your make-up area!

 My personal latest system is 3 plastic stacking drawers:
-shadows, pencils + eye creams in the top drawer
-blushes + moisturizers in the middle
-night time prep: pills + floss, in the bottom

The Bedroom
If  you missed my article about organizing your closets, it can be viewed here.

Finding + Perfecting Your Own System
Certainly everyone has their own way of navigating through life.
From time-to-time, our daily routine can use some tweaking.
Assistance from an outside set of eyes can often help you draw that straight line from 6 am to 10 pm.

Whether it be at home or at the office, in the car or in your handbag,
if you need a new a method to streamline the stuff of "life",
we can develop a personalized method that works for you. 

 

"Diamonds might be a girl's best friend, but a label maker is an organizers' BFF"

 

Cheers to a Healthy New Year!

~m

Images courtesy of Real Simple Magazine