This summer our family relocated from Minnesota to the sunny south of Peachtree City, Georgia!
This moved called for an update to the web domain: OperationOrganizationbyHeidi.com. All traffic has been successfully redirected from the former address (operationorganization-mn.com), so you’ll still be able to click through to any articles you may have bookmarked or ‘pinned.’
This is the first in a series of articles chronicling the multiple ways one can keep organized with routine home maintenance needs.
In the quest to get routine home management tasks organized, it can be quite tempting to try to adhere to a system or routine that seems to work well for someone else. However, you must take care to intentionally select a path that is right for you in the season of life you are currently in. Additionally, be willing to try a new path of maintaining order if you sense your family lifestyle is shifting or possibly taking on a brand new shape.
There are often MANY options that will lead you to a desired result.
Consider the common household chore of Laundry. It’s important to remember that this task is never truly ‘done’, but choosing one of many possible routines will give you peace of mind that the laundry monster is at least under control. There are several possible variations of each, but these suggestions will get you started:
1. Assign a ‘Laundry Day’:
Focus on the laundry task only once a week on a regular recurring day. Complete all washing needs (sorting/washing/folding/putting away from start to finish).
Use a timer to help stay on task.
Assign a central area for folding like a bed or table.
Possible Observations:
You might feel overwhelmed by the thought of doing doing laundry ALL day.
HOWEVER,
You’ll have the freedom to completely ignore the laundry the rest of the week with the peace and assurance you have a plan in place to keep it under control.
You might feel trapped by the thought of spending the whole day at the house surrounded by laundry.
HOWEVER,
Maybe you can plan to do laundry on a day when you’d rather be home anyway (perhaps on a Monday after a long/busy weekend?) OR, maybe you’re an introvert who doesn’t mind having long stretches of time at home. You can indulge in DVR recordings, podcasts, audio books, or catch up on phone calls while you fold.
2. Assign a ‘Type’ of Laundry toindividual days of the week:
Possible Options:
Bed Linens and towels on one day.
Light colors and delicate items on one day, dark colors and denim on another.
All adult clothes on one day, all kids clothes on another.
Split laundry days per room assignments (girls who share a room on one day, boys who share a room on another, master clothing on another).
For large families, assign a ‘laundry day’ to each family member.
Benefits: Time spent sorting/folding/ prepping for transfer to dedicated location will be lessened overall.
3. Strive to be a ‘Daily Do-er’ of Laundry related tasks: (Do something with your laundry every day) Possible Options:
Wash/Dry/Fold/Put away ONE (or more, if needed) load a day.
Wash/Dry one load every other day (put away on the odd days).
Have a general ‘awareness’ of the state of the laundry situation each and every day and just do at least one ‘next step’ per day. (this is my current method in our current season of life).
4. Delegate the Laundry Task:
Negotiate with another family member to take it off your plate (maybe a sports savvy family member that would love an excuse to kick back in front of the big game with less guilt? wink, wink!)
Hire out laundry service.
General Tips
Decide where and how many receiving baskets you need/want depending on your family size and routine of choice. For example, with the ‘Laundry Day’ option, you may favor one central laundry station where colors / types of laundry are sorted throughout the week to streamline your various wash cycles, etc. With the ‘Type of Laundry’ per assigned day(s) through the week, one basket per room may suffice.
Getting bogged down by sorting colors? Look for color fast detergents to enable you to do mixed loads.
Always losing little tiny socks? Try washing all of them in a mesh lingerie bag!
Tired of matching oodles of family socks? Get one style and stick with it – makes matching easy just eye balling for possible variations of size. Time Saving tip: Try sorting/folding clothes right out of the dryer and into individual baskets for each family member. That way, you will not needlessly handle clothing multiple times. You can simply haul baskets to each room and let the family members take it from there!
Having one of these plans in place will result in less stress. When you start to see laundry piling up, you can relax in the knowledge you’ve got a system in place to keep on top of it.
Which routine seems best for YOU in your current season of life?
Any other tips/tricks to share?
Please add your thoughts in the comments.
Perhaps you’re currently feeling completely overwhelmed by your clutter & mounting personal organizing goals?? Or, maybe there is a space or two in your home that simply needs a fresh set of objective eyes to to bring to its fullest organized potential?
Maybe having an organizing buddy, cheerleader and coach that could encourage you one-on-one would be just the solution you need to achieve the success you need and deserve – to allow you to live a more peaceful life you LOVE with more time and energy to fully and freely participate in activities and hobbies you enjoy!
Would you like to work with a Professional home organizer based near Atlanta, Georgia?
We currently serve clients in the surrounding metro area as well as Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and expanding!
Contact Heidi to learn more about how to get organized with our professional organizer services.Operation Organization by Heidi provides customized organizing solutions to ‘cure’ your unique clutter challenge / condition.
If you’re currently struggling in the pursuit of an organized home and life, chances are you’re hoping to find the ‘perfect’ or ‘best’ way to solve your individual challenges.
Thing is, there are often MANY options that will lead you to a desired result of order and peace.
As I mentioned in a previous article, The Solution to Staying Organized, it can be quite tempting to try to adhere to a system or routine that seems to work well for someone else. However, you must take care to intentionally select a path that is right for you in the season of life you are currently in. Additionally, be willing to try a new path of maintaining order if you sense your family lifestyle is shifting or possibly taking on a brand new shape.
Consider what is going on in your life: Determine/Define your personal priorities to guide you. What are your own personal family / work obligations to balance around? What are some of your personal special interests? (The time with which you dedicate to those interests matter in determining what system/routine will work best for you) Identify your natural gifts & talents as well as potential stumbling blocks or obstacles.
In the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting multiple options you can consider when attempting to keep on top of the following basic home maintenance needs:
Laundry
Cleaning & Clutter Control
Meal Planning
What are you looking forward to tips on most?
What are your biggest challenges when it comes to basic home maintenance?
Perhaps you’re currently feeling completely overwhelmed by your clutter & mounting personal organizing goals?? Or, maybe there is a space or two in your home that simply needs a fresh set of objective eyes to to bring to its fullest organized potential?
Maybe having an organizing buddy, cheerleader and coach that could encourage you one-on-one would be just the solution you need to achieve the success you need and deserve – to allow you to live a more peaceful life you LOVE with more time and energy to fully and freely participate in activities and hobbies you enjoy!
Would you like to work with a Professional home organizer based near Atlanta, Georgia?
We currently serve clients in the surrounding metro area as well as Marietta, Kennesaw, Acworth, Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Newnan and expanding!
Contact Heidi to learn more about how to get organized with our professional organizer services.Operation Organization by Heidi provides customized organizing solutions to ‘cure’ your unique clutter challenge / condition.
There is an endless supply of tips, suggestions, and visual inspiration toward getting organized. I’ve even shared what I view to be 7 Habits of Highly Organized People. However, often people find that the *getting organized* is simply not a guarantee that you’ll STAY organized.
The Secret Equation?
Identify & set up specific SYSTEMS (a plan/process) to maintain the order that you have created.
Find a system that works for Y-O-U.
There’s not one way to be organized. What works for your friend, neighbor, co-worker, mother or mother-in-law to stay on top of the chaos of life in the form of paper, clutter, laundry, cleaning etc. may not work for you. And, that is OKAY.
Further, what works for you in one particular season of life, may no longer suit you when you find yourself transitioning into another. Accept and embrace who you are as an individual and be willing to re-evaluate your systems over time.
Whether you know it or not, you probably already have several ‘routines’ that happen throughout your days and weeks. A routine is merely a sequence of actions regularly followed.
I’m willing to bet you have some sort of routine you generally follow in the morning as well as in the evening.
Do you eat and sleep at regular intervals?
Most times, these routines simply develop by accident or by reflex of what is happening around you. May I suggest you put some intention into these routines? Chose a time of day that you already have some sort of routine happening (like the morning or evening or leading up to/following a meal) to plan to address a few routine tasks toward maintaining the systems you’ve put into place to influence a more organized lifestyle.
HABITS of Organization will then begin to develop
as a by-product of your Systems & Routines!
Do you need some assistance identifying and developing strategic SYSTEMS to suit your individual lifestyle? Could you use some guidance creating ROUTINES to maintain an organized state of living? I can help you in your goals of becoming that Highly Organized Person! Contact me today!
Also, be sure to check out the FREE printable checkliststhat I have created that are sure to aid in following & maintaining your routines.
In our home, there are two times a year that I sit down with my children to discuss what toys will be moving out of the house:
Just before their Birthday (in the spring) and in the weeks leading up to our family Christmas celebrations.
Why?
Because, that is when they are sure to get MORE STUFF. Knowing that new things are coming into their life makes it easier to part with other items/toys that are either broken, missing pieces, or have just not honestly received much attention or interest in recent months for whatever reason.
Here’s a peek at what my two boys selected to purge this December (2012)
Kids can actually be quite logical in this process if you provide advanced warning of the impending purge (a day or two ahead of time is usually plenty) as well as a brief explanation as to the ‘why’ of the purge.
What is the ‘why’ ?
* In our culture, it is simply a guarantee that we will always get more STUFF. Sometimes it is things we buy for ourselves, sometimes it’s a gift for a special occasion or simply a hand-me-down from someone else looking to get rid of their stuff. 😉
* Our homes only have so much space to store all of our things.
* We need to choose only what is most important to us (and also only what will realistically FIT) to stay in the home.
If your kiddos (or you) are having a hard time choosing what to move out here’s a few guidelines:
– Anything that is broken or missing pieces.
– Anything that children simply do not play with anymore.
– Anything you have multiples of (for example; decide a distinct limit to the amount of types or sizes of dolls, stuffed animals, mini figurines, cars / trucks / trains etc.) If you need to – provide your child a ‘limiting container’ to give them a visual boundary for specific items. Explain to them that this is the space they may have for a particular toy or collection of similar toys. They can pick which toys to keep, but only what will ‘fit’.
This process is also a very important life skill/lesson that will serve them well into their adult life and give them a healthy perspective on dealing with ‘stuff’.
I have long enjoyed the hobby of capturing memories and moments in time through photographaphy.
I was first introduced to the art of scrapbooking my junior year of high school. A friend invited me to a party where supplies were being sold and the process of creating beautiful and unique hand-made memory books to highlight photos was presented. My love of photos combined with the outlet for personal creative artistry hooked me to the hobby instantly!
I continued the hobby through my early years of marriage and was always on the lookout where I could set up shop to create and find space to store my supplies wherever we moved during the many transitions in our life.
However, once my children began getting older, it became increasingly difficult to pursue.
I never had quite enough time to complete very much unless I was away from home in a retreat atmosphere (which was only a few times a year), and with more people in the house, I didn’t have the luxury of a dedicated room in which to leave supplies out in-between sessions. It began to feel like too much effort to continually pull all the supplies and tools out, only to put it all away over and over again. There was also the factor of limited time as well. I not only had to find the time to have photos printed but also time to travel to pick them up in addition to the time it took to get set up and of course time to actually create.
If you are or have been a mother of small children you know just how precious ‘free’ time is, and I became increasingly dis-interested in spending it in that way.
I still had held onto that desire to photograph and capture our lives, but the creation of albums was slowly growing few and far-between.
Fast forward a few years and I began experimenting with digital scrapbooking. With the help of a few popular websites I was able to continue in the hobby without monkeying around with all the supplies in efforts simplify the process altogether and still have a semi creatively made photobook to look back fondly on of all our cherished memories. I printed the book and was happy to have it completed, but I still felt as though I would have liked to have more of a personalized stamp on the creative process without needing a big time investment to learn a difficult program like photoshop.
I jumped at the opportunity to test drive their digital scrapbooking software, and it was a complete breeze to navigate!
While they offer plenty of free pre-designed kits & templates for the beginning scrapbooker to utilize, there is also a huge collection of backgrounds, fonts, and graphics available for the artist at heart to mix together for a personalized look as well! New freebies are a continuously created and there is also a digital shop to browse even more fancy-schmancy options as well.
The creations that can be made through the software is not limited to just scrapbooking templates either. I’m thinking party invitations, personalized photo art, labels, printables and much more!
What I like BEST about digital scrapbooking software is that I no longer need to purchase & store physical supplies to create something I can still say that I created. It’s wonderful to just open up the program, work on a project for a few minutes, and simply ‘save’ it for another time when my precious free time has expired.
Here’s what I created in about an hours time on a Sunday morning before church:
I drew some inspiration from a holiday card I recently saw advertised on-line and wa-la! It looks nearly identical! YOU can totally do this! And there is plenty of help available if you need it as well. Take a peek at all the tutorials available via the MyMemoriesSuite YouTube channel!
If you would like to enter to win the software for yourself or to give to a friend or family member simply visit www.MyMemories.com. Browse around for a bit and choose your favorite digital paper pack or layout, then come back to this post and leave a comment on your sharing what you found and loved!
For extra entries, subscribe to and follow other My Memories social outlets and leave an individual comment telling about each one you joined:
Entries can be submitted through Wednesday, December 12th at 9:00 pm. Winner will be announced via email (and on the bottom of this post) Friday, December 14th. So, make sure an email address is linked to your entry identity as well.
CONGRATULATIONS to entry #2 (The Muellers) ! You’ve won free digital scrapbooking software from MyMemories! Please email me at [email protected] so that I can connect you with the company to receive the code to download!
Hello Friends!
