Tuesday, May 8, 2012
PANTRY MAKEOVER
Mom needed her pantry "tweeked" today; just needed a little more room and a little change in how things were stored. We did simple things like: 1. Clear pull out drawers for Keurig coffee K-cups, tea bags, pasta bags/boxes, small snacks 2. moved the bottles (that fall over on those wire shelves) into open (non-lidded) containers on lower shelves for easy access 3. purged - yes, purge those outdated and unwanted items (don't tell her I told you but the oldest item we found was from 1986 - the year my 25 year old son was born!) 4. re-zone - move items to places more appropriate than the pantry (candles, vases, batteries, etc)
Your pantry may need 'tweeking" once every couple of months depending on how many people use it, but if you keep up on it you'll only spend 1/2 an hour or so. So go ahead - get to tweeking!
Monday, April 2, 2012
SPRING CLEANING MADE EASIER
What's Behind There?
Spring Cleaning is a great time to ask yourself this question.
There
are places in our homes and offices that truly need to be seen; behind
thesmall file cabinet,behind the refrigerator, behind the bed and
dresser.These are common placesthat wefail tolook
behind so it's the perfectplace for "bunnies"(not the Easter
kind) to hide. And you'd be amazed at who the bunniesinvite to join
them in the recesses of their dark, private corner; lost receipts, lost
papers,single socks looking for a date (or even a mate), pens, sticky
notes, utensils and even money.
For me,
the best plan of attack is to schedule my "What's Behind There?"
searches. I don't want to do a whole day search, I just want to
choose one or two hiding places per session. I know that as a
"naturally disorganized but functionally organized" person I can't
add a ... full
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
TIPS FOR CLUTTER FREE GARAGE
Organizing Tips for a Clutter-free Garage
1. Utilize storage
you already have before purchasing anything new. Old dressers are great for storing small
tools, rags, etc.
2. Make separate
areas for small tools, supplies, hardware, large tools, liquids etc.
3. Purchase multiples
of the same size storage containers.
They will stack easy and give the appearance of order.
4. Keep a small file
box with numbered dividers. For each
storage unit put a label with a number on it, then list its contents on a 3x5
or 4x6 card and place the card behind the corresponding number in your file
box. This works great for boxes stored
up on rafters. Make sure you can SEE the
number on the box (write in on all four sides), then when you need something
you locate it in your file box and go straight to ... full
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
SCANNING FOR RIGHT-BRAINED
Creative, disorganized, right-brained clients love Scansnap! (article written for Fujitsu)
As a CPO (Certified Professional Organizer), I've discovered
a surprising pattern among my clutter-prone, disorganized clients; they love
creating file systems! They tend to be
right-brained and creative, which promotes the desire for an attractive file
system. The problem comes after the
system is implemented; they don't use it.
My clients stare every day at examples of their personal and
professional failures; files and systems created and never used. They call me when they are at their wits end.
They call when the guilt becomes too much to deal with. They call when they are in danger of losing
their job. I love receiving their calls
because I know I can introduce solutions that work. Scansnap has become this organizers favorite
solution. It brings me great
satisfaction to see my clients feeling successful, guilt-free and working
efficiently. It's like ... full
Friday, February 3, 2012
DO YOU HOARD?
Hoarding
Have
you ever wondered whether you are a hoarder?
Does keeping 20 years
of past Christmas cards constitute hoarding? Is there an acceptable
expiration date by which you can still use food and not be considered a
hoarder? How much trash has to pile up before you're labeled a hoarder?
Does having extra sets of things mean you're a hoarder?
If you watched any of the
Hoarding specials these past couple of years, you probably have some
strong opinions about what you witnessed. It can be heart wrenching to
watch. I have clients who live in the pain and shame of hoarding and
excessive clutter; it takes control of their lives and slowly destroys any
sense of a safe and comfortable home.
One segment I watched
involved a sweet elderly lady who was living in a Level 5 Hoarding situation
(see explanation below)and she clearly ... full
Monday, January 9, 2012
TIPS FOR CLUTTER FREE OFFICE
10 Organizing Tips for a Clutter-free Office
1.
Decide what part of the day is your most productive. Reserve that time for you. Use it for the tasks that require the most detail.
2.
Save the simplest tasks for the end of your day. You're more apt to finish simple tasks than
difficult ones at that point.
3.
Use a stacker file on or near your desk. Use only the ones that allow you to label each
section. This is an easy place to keep
things that need to be dealt with today or those things that are urgent. It keeps your desk from becoming a pile of
piles. Use your "15 minute end-of-day” time to clear out.
A.
To file/scan –
whether you or an assistant does the filing, you need a place for it
B.
To deliver – to
someone else ...
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Thursday, December 29, 2011
NATIONAL "GET ORGANIZED" MONTH
National GET-ORGANIZED
month January
Plan now to use January to get
yourself organized and off on the right foot for 2012! What better month to
focus on organizing than January? You've
just cluttered the home with wonderful Holiday
celebrations and have to figure out what to do with it all; it's the end of the
year and you have to plan for that dreaded April 15th date that
approaches almost as fast as Christmas does; you're ready to make a resolution
that will be kept for once. So, get in
the organizing frame of mind now. Make a plan today to seek out the
encouragement you need to de-clutter your home during the winter months. No matter where you live, you should be able
to locate a Professional Organizer through NAPO (National Assoc. of Prof.
Organizers) at http://www.napo.net/ Just select Find an Organizer and
type in your info. NAPO
gives ... full
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
STRESS-LESS CHRISTMAS
As I look ahead to Christmas
I know that many of you, like me, will fight off the overwhelming sense of
stress. What is so stressful about this
time? It's the disorganized tangle of
lights, ornaments, wrapping paper and décor as well as the overloaded lists of
food preparation, appointments, invitations and shopping. If you are naturally disorganized, this scene
is capable of sending you into the "post Christmas crash”. So, let me encourage you to change how you
handle the hours leading up to the presents so you'll be able to handle the
hours after the presents.
·
On Christmas Eve: Take the time to run the
dishwasher even if it's not full, and then empty it; it'll make the morning
much easier! Set up your cameras so
you're ready for the first surprise of the morning. Clear any clutter that's
been building throughout the day. Remind
Santa to ...
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Thursday, December 8, 2011
TAX BENEFITS OF HOME BUSINESSES
Tax benefits of a home-based business
If you need to find
more deductions for your taxes this year, a home based business may be your
answer. Ask your accountant how your liability would be positively
affected by having a home-based business. I've added 2 businesses under the umbrella of Officially Organized. Both help with the struggles of organizing in homes and offices. Both provide me with additional tax benefits as businesses I run from home.
Feel free to ask me about SendOutCards and Clever Container!
- write
off mileage
- write
off meals
- write
off office supplies
- write
off advertising and postage (100% of what you send with SOC is deductible
if you are a distributor!)
- write off travel
- write off
computer supplies
Call me
today if you want more info on being an Entrepeneur with an At-Home business
Tracy
Axcell
256-318-1810
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
PURGE DECORATIONS!
Purge Those Decorations! Decorate
then donate
Do you
hate throwing away the broken gingerbread house from your son's kindergarten
class?
Does
the thought of dragging out those boxes of decor cause your heart to race?
This
year let's donate!
After
you've decorated, don't put those half full boxes back in the attic; donate the
leftover items. If it is a struggle to let go, try taking a picture of
it. Or the child who created the now broken gingerbread house if THEY
want it. If not, then feel free to recycle it.
Now
that you have reduced the amount of decorations, get ready to put everything
away in an organized way. Buy clear tubs with RED/GREEN lids. Get a
couple with dividers for ornaments. Now you ... full
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ABOUT ME
As a Certified Professional Organizer I desire to share ideas and tools to assist anyone who desires to increase productivity in their home or office.
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