Things to Organize in the Spring

What kind of thing MUST you organize in the Spring?


1) Schedule an appointment for an AC checkup for your car and home!

2) When you do the seasonal clothing switch, here are a few organizing suggestions.
Closet structure – Check to see if any part of the closet needs adjusting or improvements?
Purge – Before you start the switch and possible purging, check out some of the spring and summer clothing trends.
Storage Protection – It’s very important to pack away wintery items so they are safe and protected. Whether you need to protect from bugs, dust, heat or humidity, take the extra care to protect the clothing for 6 months.

3) Make a commitment to your health and physical well being. Set up a program, make a chart or calendar to track your plan and your progress, turn up the heat and set a goal!
Diet – What type of eating lifestyle will best support your physical and mental health?
Exercise - Whether it’s for the shorts and short sleeves or for the extra activities that require better fitness, start now so you have a couple of months to get your body into shape!

4) Summer Activity Preparation
Summer Equipment – Maybe it’s a boat, a bike, camping gear or any other piece of equipment. It’s time to clean up, restock supplies, refresh the emergency kits, do a safety check and schedule repairs. Even if you have been using it all year, an annual review is a good, organized practice.
Travel – Research options now for summer travel. Then make reservations, schedule time off, and make any other arrangements necessary for fun summer adventures.
Register for Activities – Research and register for summer programs. They fill up fast!

5) ENJOY Spring Weather
Get outside before the heat, or bugs and humidity keep us indoors.
Plan a picnic, schedule a hike, or even enjoy dinner on the patio!

#30 Less Housework

Who likes housework? Dusting, washing, vacuuming, and putting things away. Cutting down the time to do it or the amount you pay someone else to do it are easily within reach. Here are the staggering numbers: Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of the housework in an average household. That means 40% less time!
Significant enough that it's worth your time to eliminate some clutter!
Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 30 Pick one area in your environment and reduce the clutter in that space.

You know the space you need to pick. It's the one you dread cleaning, the one that takes you the longest or the one that never gets done because it seems like too much! Suggestions

* If the items in a space simply need to return to their home, first return them. Then determine why they tend to collect in that space and create a different solution for those items.

* It might be time to assess how many knickknacks you have around your environment. If you have a lot, it likely takes time to dust each one. It goes something like this; first move them all off the surface. Clean the surface. Then, one by one, dust them and return them to the location. Imagine if that surface only had 3 items on it and how much LESS time it would take.

* The above can also apply if you are a collections person. See if you can still have the collection, but spend less time cleaning it.

* The extra clutter can come from casually laying down a coat, a book, a flier from the store, or the item you need to return to the store. Be more purposeful in where you place things. It saves in two ways; first is that you don't have to touch it a second time to put it in its proper home and second is that you don't have to move it to clean.

Wishing you 40% less time cleaning or paying someone to clean! You have more important and fun things to do with your time and your money!

Response to Comment on #29

Great Comment/Question from Rubbermaid about #29! How to get kids to not leave toothpaste all over the counter. http://blog.rubbermaid.com/

Here are a couple of ideas!

Let's get Rubbermaid to make a toothpaste slide for the front side of the sink. Place it over the edge of the sink and the goal for the "brusher" is to have the toothpaste and (sorry) spit go down the slide into the sink. Then rinse the slide and set it aside.

Another choice is to have a special "toothpaste towel" to wipe down the counter. That clean up is all it is ever used for and it could have a cute tooth or something on it. It could have been left by the tooth fairy at the last tooth under the pillow night with a note about not wasting precious toothpaste.

One last one, get them in the habit of using a kleenex to wipe their face and then use it to wipe off the counter as well. Not as green as the towel, but just tossing out ideas!

#29 - Bathroom Counter Clearing

Today's task is in a room everyone visits many times in a day, but one or two visits are more important than the others. So, I ask you, if there is a place that you visit every day and do virtually the exact same thing every day, shouldn't it be one of the most organized places in your world?

I think so!

It is the place that everyone takes morning time to whisk away the nighttime slumber and prepare for the day. And equally in the evening to wash away the day's residue.
Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 29 Clear off your bathroom counter and organize the products you use everyday.

While I could request that you take on the whole bathroom, we are going to focus on the bathroom counter and you can take it as far as you would like from there. Suggestions

* Your bathroom counter should be 90% clear. Keep basic items like hand soap, ring holder, and a decorative item or two on the counter.
* Have quick access to products with a specific task. For example, I have a basket with my brushes, combs, hair dryer and clips. I pull out the whole basket, put it on the counter, do my task, then put the whole basket away. I also have all my make up in one plastic drawer from an organizer under the sink. I pull out the whole drawer, set it on the counter, do my task, then put the whole drawer away. Gives access without the constant clutter for the other 23 hours and 45 minutes of the day.

*An important aspect of having a clutter free and organized bathroom counter is that you spend less time doing the daily routinues. You get out what you need, use it and put it away. No hunting and searching through the mass of products that are on the counter. You also don't have to shift things around on the counter to make space for the items for the next task.

* When it is cleaning time, you don't have 14 splattered bottles on the counter to move before you can wipe down the counter. AND you don't have 14 bottles that look horrible because they've been splattered with toothpaste and various personal care products.

* For those that use heating elements on your hair, fewer melted bottle edges from a curling iron!

#26 Nightstand Refresh

What's the last thing you see before you go to sleep and what's the first thing you see when you wake up? There is a correlation between what we see and the message that gets planted in our brain.

Does that message send you off to slumberland with positive thoughts, ready to dream about your goals and joys? When you wake up, does that message start your day with empowerment, joy and the confidence we all need to take on these challenging days?

Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 26 Organize your nightstand/bedside table.

Create the space to be not only functional, but one that gives you a positive message.

Make sure that if you wake up in the middle of the night, you can easily reach what you need.
I also find it interesting that many times when someone is being interviewed or profiled, they ask, "What's on your nightstand right now?" They are generally referring to what reading material, but since it's a popular question, there tends to be some meaning in what IS on your nightstand.

#24 & 25 Meal Prep for the Week

The Get Organized Project for this weekend hits so many areas, I'm not sure which category it fits best! It is also one of the best type of organizing projects to take on because it will give you the GREATEST return on your investment of time.
Do you stand and look in the cupboard and wonder what to eat? Do you run to the grocery store for one item? Do you have healthy eating goals that are not hitting their mark? Are you looking for a way to reduce your grocery spending?

This weekend you will create many positive results for you.... so let's get started!
Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 24 & #25 Plan, Shop, Prep and Portion out your meals for the week.
We will look at each step in the process and you can work at your own pace. The goal is to wake up Monday morning and not have to plan or think about food for the week. The only thing you have to do is enjoy the healthy, scrumptious and easy food you prepared!


Step 1 PLAN

Review recipes, week's schedule and pantry supplies.

Review the coming week
Look at what is going on this week and plan accordingly for quick meals, take away meals and balance of healthy choices.

Try something new!
If you save recipes and always want to try a new one, this is your chance to one out for the week. Even trying one new recipe a week can add a fresh and new feeling to your meals. Plan recipes/meals that use items in your pantry.
Use what you have. Saves on the grocery bill.Plan recipes/meals that use similar special ingredients.
For example, if you need fresh cilantro for a meal, make sure you plan a meal or two that can use cilantro. While it's not the most expensive thing you have to purchase, cutting down on the food you waste will help with your budget.

Make a grocery list
Having a full list of needed groceries for the week based on your plan can save you time and money.

Coupons
Review coupons you have for items and advertised specials at stores. Star items on your grocery list that have coupons.


Step 2 SHOP

Time
Pick a time to go when the grocery stores aren't crowded, it will make your time go faster.

Multiple Stores?
If you're like us, we shop at a couple of different stores based on where we can find good organic produce, products that match our ingredient criteria and also have the best price. So, plan to stop at the store where you buy your frozen or most perishable items last.

GREEN
Take your reusable grocery bags!

Coupons
Remember coupons and advertised specials!


Step 3 PREP

Prep Foods that need washing.
Most foods will last longer if they've been washed, especially in a veggie or fruit wash. It also cuts down the time needed when you go to eat it or when you use part for a recipe. Some items won't do well wash ahead like mushrooms, so you make the call.

Prep for recipes
Whether it's portioning out ingredients, washing and chopping or
getting out appliances needed for prep or cooking, doing it all at once can save time.

Cook, Bake or Steam
I'm all for eating the freshest food possible, but if the choice is to eat a good healthy portion of something made 3 days ago with great ingredients or doing a drive through, guess which one wins?

Make Several Dishes at One Time
Also, if you are in the kitchen preparing one dish, might as well do a few others at the same time. Use those minutes when you're waiting for something to boil, bake or rest by working on another recipe.


Step 4 PORTION

Put in portion size containers for the week
If you take your lunch or would only have a single serving at one time (meaning don't do it for a family meal) put a serving in a storage container. It will help you when you are pulling items for your lunch, but it will also help you manage your portion sizes.

Freeze
If it is something that will freeze well, freezing in portion or family meal size containers makes it easy to take out prepared foods as needed. It is also something that stretches the return on your investment of prep time because you stand a better chance of not having to toss out food that has gone bad.

Cheat Sheet
Give yourself a little cheat sheet that gives you the final steps you need to do for a specific recipe or meal that needs to be finished at that time. Either write it down or if it's longer, put a sticky note on the recipe or page in a cookbook for quick reference.

#22 Kitchen Storage Containers

If you can't stand the lids, get out of the kitchen!

Nobody likes to spend more time in the kitchen then they have to, especially when it's clean up time.

Do you like or dislike leftovers? They tend to be a great solution for a quick bite in the days after the initial meal, but most people tell me they dislike them because of the chore of putting the leftovers away. It can be a real frustrating process if you have to search for containers and lids.

Let's streamline meal cleanup time because you have better things to do!

Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 22 Storage Container Cleanup!

Pretty simple - pull out all the containers and lids,
then match them up.

For the ones you are keeping
First, group by size. Makes it easier to pull from a short stack then your entire supply.

Second, watch the how many different sizes you stack together. Fewer is better.

Put lids in their own space.

Put lids in a holding container where they can stand on their side.

For the extra pieces?
Verify the other part isn't being used somewhere else temporarily. If it's gone on to another permanent task, decide if you need to keep the other part. Keep it if it matches other pieces you are keeping.

If it's a container without a lid, there are many repurposing options.

If it's just the lid, see if it can be used to go under a plant pot!

#20 - Take 20 - Get 10

A couple of years ago a friend of mine did "A Year of Abundance" project where you had to give away one thing everyday. At first it may sound like a lot, but think of all the things you bring into your environment. What if you were limited to bringing in one new thing a day? Well, first, you'd be at the store a whole lot more, but my guess is you'd actually bring fewer things into your environment.

One of the biggest culprits for clutter and disorganization is too much stuff! The critical thing to remember about having stuff, is that you have to move the stuff, clean around the stuff, put the stuff back where it belongs, etc. Today, we reduce the stuff!

To my friend, a.k.a. Wonder Woman, thanks for sharing a powerful exercise! Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 20

Take 20 minutes and find at least 10 things to donate. You can add recycle or throw away to exit strategy for items if needed.

Look for items that:
*you haven't used in a long time
*don't fit anymore
*you don't like
*won't use
*have something new and better
*are part of something that you will not complete
*are related to an old hobby or activity that you don't or won't do anymore

#18 - Reading Time

How are you doing with the 31 Ways?

Do the best you can. Even doing some of these tasks will put you further ahead than if you didn't do any at all. Glad you're with us! Celebrate what you ARE doing!

As humans, by nature, we love to learn. We strive to add new information to our knowledge base and expand our horizons. To feed that urge, we harbor away books, articles, magazines, saved web pages and handouts that we want to read.....someday.

Today is the day! Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 18 Read that piece of information or story you saved days ago!

The accumulation of things to read at a later date can become an organizing task in itself. Unfortunately, you can spend more time shuffling and moving those items around than actually reading them. Here are a couple of ideas and aspects to keep in mind about the items you save to read at a future date.

Suggestions:
*Organize your day or week to include reading, learning or research time.
*Create a holding place for specific articles if they relate to an activity, hobby, travel destination or personal interest.
*Encourage those in your household to have a reading break.*If you save articles from magazines, put a sticky note on that page or tear it out. Then keep it with you so you can read when you are waiting for an appointment, a friend to meet you, on break at work or even at a stop light. (well, our lights in Las Vegas can take up to 4 minutes to cycle so it is a nice chunk of time, but use caution. You get interupted a lot by driving between lights, so make sure it's not an intense item to read. Seriously, not for everyone and use caution.)

#16 Catalogs!

Over the holidays, you likely received your fair share of trees in the form of catalogs. Did you think you were collecting a small forest? To add insult to injury, you even stand a good chance of having more than one catalog from an individual company.

Catalog shopping does save time and gas, now we're going to save your magazine rack before it collapses!

Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 16 Sort all catalogs.
Recycle catalogs that:
*you've completely finished using
*are out of date
*you have multiple copies

I know the companies who send out catalogs won't like my next suggestion, but if you don't think you'll ever order from a catalog, call them and ask to be removed from their mailing list.

The second option to help save trees (and reducing your organizing task of sorting catalogs) is to bookmark the catalog site in your favorites folder for your online shopping.

#10 & 11 - First Aid Kits

Welcome to the weekend! The organizing project may take two days and while everyone will get it done at their own pace, I want to lay it all out for you now. There are several steps and one includes purchasing items. You will assess what you need, purchase it and then disperse it where needed. That might take two days.

It follows one of my organizing philosophies:
Be Organized, Be Prepared!

Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 10 & #11
Bring all First Aid and Medical Supplies up to date. Every household, office, emergency kit and car need a Basic First Aid Kit and households also need a Medical Supply Kit for additional ailments. From bumps and scrapes to scratchy throats and fevers, nothing says organized more than a well stocked First Aid Kit!

*One word of caution: Be careful of animals and small children having access to these medical supplies as you work on this project.


Summary of Steps
This weekend it's about being prepared regarding medical mishaps and emergencies.

You will need to determine the needs of your household. Some have pets, more people, different activities and some have family member with special needs.

1) Review First Aid Kit Recommendations from websites listed below & print appropriate and preferred lists for you
2) Gather and review current supplies
3) Purchase Needed Items & Disperse New Stock




1) Review First Aid Recommendations
The sites below will give you a list for each type of kit. You are certainly welcome to search for other lists and find the ones that are right for you. There may be overlap so adjust appropriately.

Basic First Aid Kit
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/firstaidkit.html
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/firstaid.shtm

Holistic Basic First Aid Kits
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12025.cfm

Holistic For Toddlers and Kids
http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/essential_oils_for_kids_parents
For Toddlers and Kids
http://www.mypreciouskid.com/first-aid-kit.html
For Pet Owners
http://www.prepare.org/animal/petaid.htm

Dog Owner First Aid Kit
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/fstaidk.html
Many stores and websites carry prepared and packaged First Aid Kits. I have not ordered from any one of them, so review for the one most comfortable for you if you go this route.
http://www.firstaidsuppliesonline.com/

Camping and Outdoor Stores, Drug Stores, Household Supply stores also carry a wide variety of Prepared First Aid Kits.


2) Gather and Sort Supplies
Get a large bin or basket for collecting all First Aid and Medical Supplies.

Reminder caution: Be careful of animals and small children having access to these medical supplies as you work on this project.

If needed, make a list of what supplies you pulled from various areas to help you when you restock.
Areas to check for supplies and kits:
Medicine Cabinets
Hall Closets
Office
Diaper bag
Purse
Kitchen
Travel Bags
First Aid Kits in:
cars
camping gear
emergency kits
hiking gear
pool areas
boats

Now comes the sort and toss. You will review what you have left and compare that to the recommended supplies list. Check off what you have that is still good and note the items you'll need to purchase.

An item that will be handy to have when you restock is various sizes of ziploc bags. Check your supply before you head to the store!

Another organizing step you get to take as you do this is to decide if you need any new storage containers or bins for medical supplies in the hall closet, under sinks or wherever you store supplies.


3) Purchase and Restock
After you purchase the needed items, time to disperse and restock all items. This is also a great time to determine if the previous location worked well or not. The second organizing step you get to take as you do this is to decide if you need any new storage containers or bins for medical supplies in the hall closet, under sinks or wherever you store supplies.

Suggestion about expiration dates
If you have, for example, an antibiotic cream that will expire in 8 months. Put that one in the place that you would likely use it first. Put the new tube in the place that you would likely use it last.

Buying in bulk
If you purchased some items in bulk and are going to divide it among several kits, be cautious of items that have expiration dates. If you refill a little bottle of ibuprofen from a big new bottle of ibuprofen, watch for expiration dates because you don't want to resort in the future and toss good medicine, but you also don't want to think something is OK and have it actually expired.

Then restock kits, return medical supplies to their storage location, and rest assured that if someone has a fever or gets injured, you are organized and prepared to safely and quickly respond!