Ideas for Organising Reception / Living Rooms

Living rooms are some of the most used and frequented rooms in your home – they are your social rooms, and as such loads of people will come into them over the course of the year, and they need be organised so that they are able to cope with everything.

Lets face it -

Having a sense of calm, clutter free living for GUESTS will make the whole room feel more comfortable and welcoming to them.

and

Having a sense of calm, clutter free living for YOU will make relaxing in the evening much easier to do (no more toys strewn around, magazines / DVDs / CDs everywhere etc….)

So, to get your started, here are my top tips on organising living rooms – hope you enjoy!

Think about both the overall purpose of the room, and then what you want to do in that room. Don’t necessarily be guided by the “normal” uses for rooms – if you want a space for exercising, or for a hobby, then utilise your room as such. Maximise your space and make it work for you, after all, you are paying for every square inch! Don’t leave a room anywhere in your home unused if at all possible. 

For example -

Lounge – Relaxing, TV watching, Book reading, Socialising, doing fitness DVDs

Dining Room – Dinner Parties, Daily eating for tea, Homework on the dining table

Playroom – Playing games with the children, computer space, storing all toys, reading, a place for them to watch TV and socialise with friends

Once you know what you want to do in each room – ensure that there is the space and necessary furniture/items in that space, otherwise it will just frustrate you by having to get up and down every time you need something.

Basically you want to make every activity you do in the space as easy as possible to do.

For example, if you read in the room – have a seat with a light close by (or by a window for natural light, and ensure you are seated so that the sun won’t get into your eyes as this will annoy very quickly!), bookcases or a magazine rack to hand etc..

TIP – In my business I stage homes for sale as well as do interior design, and I always have to ensure that a home has all the “ticks” for potential buyers. Most want a kitchen/diner, living room, family room if at all possible, and usually say they want a dining room so I stage homes to show these spaces are there – however, actually living in the space is so different – as long as you have a reason for each room then you will be utilising it right for your specific family needs – have a bit of fun with it!

Given my post of a week or so ago, I fully believe that one way of really maximising the organisation and storage in a room while minimising visual clutter is to have furniture that does more than one thing.

For example, a storage footstool to hide away magazines and remotes.. find out more great ideas in the blog itself.

Also – think about not only storage functionality, but extra functionality that may help your circumstances. Only have 2 bedrooms but need a third for frequent guests? Why not have a sofa bed in a living room so that you can easily convert that space to a bedroom when needed.

Just think outside the box a little and you’ll be amazed at the results!

As familys grow, needs change. You may need a nursery and playroom now, but when your children are older you may want to think about having a second lounge for them and their friends to have a little space (and also for you to get some peace!)

Giving children a little independence works really well – and you will still be able to keep a watchful eye on whats going on if necessary!

Its also important to give all members of the family some space as well – my husband and I decided to have 2 TVs in the house – one in each reception room. He is an avid football watcher, and I’m not (!) so when the season is in full swing, its easy to have separate evenings even if we both want to watch TV. It also means that the family room has a TV for my daughter to watch as and when as well.

Remotes – seriously – how many do we all need!

I have just been around my house and counted up – apparently we need 10! For stereos, TVs, DVD players etc… ARRRGGGHH!!! and you can be guaranteed that you won’t be able to find the right one when needed, or its in the wrong room, or has run out of batteries….

If you simply designate an area in the room for them, and get into the habit of returning them there after use (this works for any items in the room, and especially keys), then this will save you lots of time. I like using a drawer or a space within the TV unit itself, or inside a storage footstool. Just maintain where it is and you should be safe!

Also – I spoke briefly about batteries – a real pain when they run out. Why not think about having a supply of remote specific batteries close to hand as well?  (just keep out of childrens way)

It may seem a silly thing to ask, as you will want to answer “as many as there are living in the house of course!” – but stop and think for a moment. How many times do just the members of the house sit down together at any one time in the same room?

Its much more likely to be with friends / for parties / evenings together / kids friends etc…. – and as such you want to be able to sit them all down relatively comfortably. Imagine a dinner party for 6 and you all decide to sit in the living room, only to find 5 seats – not great! (and people could get too cosy than they really want!)

Now – I’m not saying go out and buy as many chairs as possible just to be on the safe side – as you won’t need those 6 chairs every day and the room could look cluttered – but do you have access to chairs in another space that can be easily moved for the evening? Its just about thinking ahead and trying to ensure that you are prepared!

As a minimum though, have enough for your family to sit down! We are trying to encourage this after all!

If you have a family, consider loose covered furniture and get two sets so that you can 1. change them over when spills happen and 2. get a new look easily.

Think about special occasions when placing furniture i.e. where will your Christmas tree go? will it be easy or hard to fit in – try and make everything as easy as possible.

And lastly – if a room doesn’t feel right, don’t be afraid to move furniture around - you may be surprised at what set up works best for you.

When decorating, consider having neutral colours for the main items (walls, furniture, flooring) and add colour in soft furnishings and accessories – when you want a change it will be easier and cheaper to just change these things.

Another great and very organised idea is having a summer set and a winter set (lighter curtains vs. lined thicker curtains for example) and swapping them over with the seasons. It gives a different feel to the room without breaking the bank.

(I had to add in some interior design advice in here now, didn’t I?!)

Are they accessible? Are they out of the way? Here are some good ways to store things:-

A basket can be used to hold remotes, videos or DVDs in a living room.A bin can be used to hold cards and board games which can be stored in a coffee table, shelving, end tables, or ottomans. Put the small pieces into plastic storage bags so they will not get lost.Have a sideboard style piece of furniture in each room and then you have drawers and a cupboard for all items in that space.IKEA do some great large wicker trunks/baskets that look good in the room but can hide a multitude of things!If you have open shelving, what about adding small boxes and baskets to them so that you can store things but it still looks goodFor young children, a basket can be used to hold books and toys such as rattles. – Use labels to make it easy to know whats in what container (pictures rather than works for smaller children works well)Have only items out that are necessary or that you love, it will feel more like YOUR home then

Clean the room regularly, and keep on top of the larger jobs too so that it doesn’t get overwhelming i.e. carpet cleaning, upholstery cleaning, chimney sweeping, curtain cleaning etc…

We will talk about this in future posts – but for now just ensure that you know what jobs are needed to keep the room looking good – and keep doing them!

So, you should now have a better idea of what space you have, what you need to use the space for, and what can be done in each room.

You will have decluttered and organised the items that you need in each room, and be on top of maintaining it as well.

Well done! Let me know how it goes!

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How to Organise your Memories – Creating a Memory Box

We all lead busy lives, packing so much into them its sometimes difficult to catch your breath! But in the midst of all this busy-ness your life is literally passing you by.

Blink and you’ll miss it! I can’t believe my daughter, Jenna, has just turned 4 – doesn’t seem possible! Although I have been making the most of the time we spend together, I am very aware that some things will be forgotten as life takes over.

I want to remember what we did together when she was little, any funny things that happened, any developmental steps – and its the same for my life – Its so nice to be able to look back over what has happened over the past years and reminisce.

However – I forget things – very quickly! – we all do really. Its a case of whats happening in the here and now has to take priority in your mind and therefore all other bits that aren’t critical are lost – sometimes forever.

Think of your head as a filing cabinet where all your information is filed as you get it each day – pushing the previous information further and further back. Just as with a filing cabinet that isn’t organised well, whats the likelihood that you will be able to access all this information again? Pretty low.

Now, with important information you will be starting to get into the habit of keeping it in your Home File or Diary – for easy access when you need it, but with the other bits and pieces – memories, funny sayings, special moments etc… – that’s a whole other story.

So whats the answer? How can you make sure that key moments in your life are not forgotten, and the little things that mean so much are kept alive?

The answer is a memory box – and I am a HUGE advocate of them – having kept one since I was a teenager. I am quite a sentimentalist at heart you know!

A memory box is a place where specific, sentimental items can be put that you want to keep, but not display or have to hand daily.

Its something that you can take out every now and again to reminisce, and also something to pass on to family (great for children when they are leaving home – as its their life story so far!)

I advocate having a memory box for every member of your household – as then they have something special and unique to them.

The list really is endless – and can be very specific to you – but here are a few ideas to get you started:-

Cards from special occasion from specific important people in your lifeFirst tooth / First haircut lock of hairPhotographsCertificates and TrophiesDVDs of eventsSpecial clothes (I have my first ballet outfit! – so cute!)Toys that mean somethingLettersSchool reportsDiaries (these are great to look back over when you are older!)Photographs of larger items that you had to get rid of but wanted a memory of (wedding dress, your homes / cars etc…)

Setting a limit to the amount of “stuff” you keep is vital to making a memory box a worthwhile possession for you. If you end up with something that’s too big then you’ll never want to take it out and look at it – and it will become one of the clutter hot spots in your home – the LAST thing we want to achieve!

I advise getting a largeish box – whatever style you prefer (I actually use a plastic box with a lid as my memory box is kept in the garage so then everything is protected from water, damp, mice etc..!) and, as with everything else in your home – start a one in one out policy.

TIP – If you want a more stylish box – but still have the waterproofing of a plastic box – why not line with wallpaper inside – then you have a gorgeous and very personal box for everyone in your house!

Lets face it – as we go through life, some things from our past are going to become more important, and some will be less important. As we look back in our memory box, then we can naturally get rid of some items that were once really important, and make room for others. This method will ensure that your memory box always contains those things that really mean something to you, and also that tell your life story.

I like to gather memory items as I go, and just keep them in a drawer for now – quick and easy. Then once a year or maybe more, sort through them and decide what to keep and how you want to update your memory box.

This is also a great excuse to look through the box and share some memories!

It only takes about an hour to keep on top of it in this way – and means so much.

TIP – Write a note on the back of items so you know exactly when and what they relate to. It may be obvious now what something is – but do you think it will be in 10 years time!

(Also – I keep a photo album each year for any bits that we as a family want to keep – that way they are in date order as well – this is great for my daughters art, writing etc… and cards we have received)

A memory box can be a fantastic way of keeping your past with you – without becoming too overwhelming. It can give you a link to your memories, and ensure that things are not forgotten.

Keeping it safe and out of the way should ensure your precious items will stay safe – and give you access to your memories when you want them.

Its a relatively easy thing to start, and makes real sense to start when you have a child, as all their special things can be added so that one day you can go through the box together and reminisce.

I hope you have fun creating yours – let me know how it goes!

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July 2012 Organised!

The kids are going to start their summer holidays this month, along with hopefully the warmest month of the year (statistically at least!) it should be the real start of summer for most people.

This month is a great time to start thinking about days out as a family – when the kids are off – and also getting away as a couple or by yourself for some well deserved relaxation.

The days are so long at the moment, with it not getting dark until after half 9 – which is just perfect for getting the most out of every minute. You can do loads during the day and still feel like you have an evening by the end of it! And what could be nicer than sitting outside with a drink in hand watching the sun go down – a great end to the day.

What plans for days out have you got? Tell me more at www.facebook.com/organisemyhouse)

Make this month really count for you…..

Here is a print out diary which I use – works well as theres space for reminders, TO DOs and a diary with times in so you can see at a glance where you have free time (if any!)

JULY 2012 DIARY PAGES

Also there is a handy checklist to get you in the habits of setting monthly goals, creating new habits, and basically being your backup for a more organised start to the month (I suggest printing it out and working through at the end of the previous month so that you are ready to go).

JULY 2012

Get some days out in the diary – if you work then book a few random days off if you can – theres nothing nicer than having a day off in the middle of the week to really refresh you!Get outdoors – enjoy the weather (I’m an optimist!) – have a few picnics, take a trip to the beach or a local river. Theres lots of time to be indoors on the colder months so make the most of it now!BBQs are a great way of socialising in groups (see my post on quick wins to make more of your social life) – ask people who you think will get on together and who have similar aged children. They are also a lovely way to feed just your family,or to have a quiet evening with your partner, and a great excuse for eating outdoors and getting fresh air. What about BBQ night once a week?!Get outside even if its just for a 15 minute walk each day (I walk in my FitFlops as I get a workout at the same time!) – you’ll feel so much better for it. I am currently making sure I walk my daughter to preschool and back every day and I feel more energised and fit.

Finalise childcare for over the summer holidays if required – if you can’t get any for any reason consider sharing childcare with another family – that way you still get some work time!I know its early to think about it – but have you ensured that you are all prepared for back to school in September? Ensure you have all you need from the school, as it will soon be shut for 6 weeks!Finalise any holiday plans and start to look at what you need to take – do you need to start a shopping list?Get some “me time”. I like to listen to podcasts or audio books when out walking – its time that I can switch off, get fit, and enjoy myself (talk about multi tasking!)Keep on top of the garden – with the hot weather being punctuated with rain at the moment everything is growing at a rate of knots – so do a little lowing and weeding each week so that you are always guest ready outside as well as inside!If you work for yourself, are you ready for yours and your childrens holidays? Ensure your clients are aware of any, and try and manage your diary so you don’t come back to a mess. Always try and give yourself a couple of days after getting back to sort out the admin side of things before you start client work again.Birthstone = RubyZodiac Signs – Cancer and LeoOn average its the warmest of the months (lets hope so!)

If you have any questions or comments please reply below and we’ll get back to you always. As ever, we love to hear from you!.

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May - the month of May Day, Bank Holidays, Half Term, and (fingers crossed!) ...

June - this year its a time for two bank holidays, the diamond jubilee, warm ...

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Don’t Put It Off! – (The Answers to Procrastination)

How come some people seem to be able to get everything done and still have time to play?!

I have lost count of the number of times over the years I have looked at my TO DO list and sighed. It just seems overwhelming at best and totally impossible at worst.

There are days I simply want to bury my head in the sand and make it go away. But thats really not going to help in the long run, is it!

Some of us have simply created the right habits to getting things done, and not overthinking things too much. They realise that most jobs will still be there tomorrow, along with a set of new ones that have cropped up, and so its better to stay on top of things as much as possible.

I have already talked about the reasons why people put things off in a previous post, but here I want to give some realistic ways that will help you to break out of overwhelm, take control again, and get things done.

If you can start to do things now rather than put them off, trust me, it helps in so many ways. You have more head space to think about your goals, you have more time to do what you want, and you have more energy (theres nothing worse than sitting on the sofa getting more and more bogged down by the thoughts of all the things you should be doing)

Its time to get off that sofa and reclaim your life! You will thank me for it in the end…….

We all live our lives in our way. We have set up habits that most of the time we don’t even realise we are doing, and procrastinating can be one of them all too easily.

We can think it normal to put things off, run out of time each day, move our TO DOs constantly to the following day – and basically not being in control of our lives at all.

We blame time, committments, family, friends, workload and much more – but the truth a lot of the time is simply that we are spending too much of our time procrastinating and not just getting on with things. Those things are usually the ones we think of as boring, overwhelming, or complicated.

This habit can easily be retrained though, and you’ll be amazed at the results!

Its far too easy to fill up your diary with scheduled things that don’t actually leave any time for your TO DOs. If you use your diary in conjunction with your TO DO list then you’ll be much more likely to get things done.

Make sure that you don’t have too much in your diary for any one day. Leaving some gaps will enable you to add in a few things from your TO DO list. Once TO DOs are scheduled then they are much more likely to happen!

Add in the TO DOs that are the highest priority at that time, and then you will feel accomplishment. If you only ever add in the easy stuff, the quick wins, then you will find yourself still left with the stuff you procrastinate over by the end! Doing things as they are needed to be done will pay dividends.

However, you must get yourself into the main habit of following your diary! Theres no point in scheduling perfectly if you only roughly do whats written down. Think of it as a favour to yourself in that once you have done the jobs for the day, you’ll be able to relax or do the more interesting things in the evening, or for the following day.

If you waste just an hour each weekday by overthinking what to do next, then that adds up to a full day of catchup by the weekend – and who wants to waste their time off!

Its just as important to schedule some rewards and breaks as well – all work and no play……..!

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Getting your Social life sorted! (S.M.I.L.E 1 of 5)

Back in December 2011 I wrote a post entitled “How to Live a Balanced Life“.

It was about an acronym that I came up with many moons ago as an attempt to always consider all the different parts of my life each day, and to not let any one thing dominate too much. Basically an easy way to ensure a balanced life.

This acronym was S.M.I.L.E – standing for Social Life, Managing the Home, Income, Leisure and Energy – and I wanted to go through each of these in more detail over the coming weeks – to give you more of an idea of what falls under it, and to get you thinking (as I have over the years) about each section really carefully.

I hope that this helps you to think about what your priorities are, what your goals are for each section, and enables you to lead a more balanced life! I know that having a balance has really helped me over the years.

So – first off in this 5 part series of posts is a look into your Social life – let me know your thoughts!

Part of living a balanced life is gaining a network around you of family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, etc… – your role in the world is not one, but many – think about it:-

e.g. Are you a mother, wife, partner, daughter, granddaughter, sister, auntie, neice, cousin, friend, colleague, neighbour, businesswoman, volunteer, group member, I could go on and on…..!

You have so much going on in your life that its no wonder life can be so full.

The key is to acknowledge these various roles, and plan out how you can feasibly spend time cultivating each and every relationship you have, without getting stressed along the way (or doing what we have all be known to do in the past and not seeing people for months or even years at a time….)

However, firstly we must get to grips with our good and bad relationships – as we will want to spend more time with the good, and less time with the bad (or more time making the bad the good! bear with me and I will explain!)

You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family

Now, while this is mostly true, there are so many exceptions to the rule that I can’t help but think that we are in the midst of a huge social change in our lives.

In days gone by we used to rely on our family so much more, they always lived close by, helped with childcare, and were more often than not dropping by daily. Our partner was usually someone that we grew up with, that lived close as well.

Nowadays we are much more likely to live away from our family (having left for Uni and never come back, or relocated due to a job move or a new partner etc…), and as such we tend to rely much more on our friends to be our family.

As such, I am considering ALL relationships together – as it really depends on your own circumstances as to who you class as your family!

I want to be quite analytical in looking at our relationships, as this is how I work – but I really think that its the easiest way to do it – and if you take the emotion out of things fo a while you will be able to see things much more clearly than ever before.

So – first things first – get some paper and a pen and split the paper into 4 columns. In the left hand column, write down a list of ALL your relationships – anyone that you spend time with at present. This could take a while!

In the next column along, write down how often you see that person and how you spend time with them.

i.e.

MARK – Every Week at the pub

HANNAH – Once a month for coffee

CHLOE – Every 2 months we email

Then in the third column add a tick or a cross. This represents how you feel after you have contacted/seen that person. A tick means you are energised and happy, and a cross means you are worn out/stressed and generally not happy.

The last column is your “Going Forward” plan for that person.

You may want to continue as is – as this works well for you and you feel like you see them the right amount of time. You may want to see more of them or change how you see each other (i.e. you and your best friend may be used to a call every fortnight to catch up, but maybe you want to change it so you see each other once a month). Or lastly, you may decide that you don’t want to cultivate this relationship anymore, as its doing you more harm than good (can be just a friend who asks for favours all the time and doesn’t ever return them, or someone that always talks about themselves with no interest into your life etc…))

Being this analytical really does help you to see who is the most important in your life, who shouldn’t really be using up your time anymore, and also really highlights how often (or not!) you get to spend time with those that matter.

It simply shows you where your good and bad relationships are.

Like most people you will find that you have so many people in your life its pretty much impossible to keep regular contact with everyone – but here are a few tricks to help you get more out of your time while still having loads of great relationships:-

Whether it be friends of family – why not socialise in groups? Have a BBQ for your whole family, or a night out with a group of friends. This makes catching up all the more easy, and probably means you get to spend more time more often with those you care about.

You have already identified people that are basically wasting your time – in that they make you feel low after you have seen them. Now’s the time to declutter them from your lives.

This is much easier to do with friends than family members, but is possible in any relationship.

Try to be less proactive for a while with sending out invites for meeting up – and at least lessen the number of meetings you have. Also, when you do socialise with them, try and make it for less time than usual, or mix with a group of friends so that you see others as well. For family members, only see them at family occasions for example.

This is hard, and quite cold, I know that and I understand that. But the fact is that these are people who you ar letting have a negative effect on your life, however small that may be. You need to do something about it. Think of it another way if this helps – what are you now able to do if you spend time with this person? Who else are you having to postpone?

In this day and age, everyone is pretty much on Facebook or twitter.

I am not saying that this should take the place of talking and meeting up – BUT if you are really struggling for time, why not ensure that all your friends are following you on one of these sorts of sites. That way they can see what you are up to, and you can keep in touch with whats going on in their lives as well.

You only have to update once, and everyone can see what you are up to.

Its worth thinking about as a quick fix while you get yourself more organised. (Word of caution – you can spend MANY hours on social media if you let yourself – just use it quickly for a few minutes a day and it can work well for you)

I tend to use my driving time or when I go for a walk in the evening to make phone calls (hand free of course!). Its a great way to keep in contact with people, and you can even get a sort of schedule going so that you always speak to certain people on certain days of the week (I have recently noticed that after my Tennis Cardio class on a Tuesday I tend to always have a chat with my sis on the way home, the journey is about 25 mins which is a good amount of time – and we keep up to date with whats going on. If I had to find time when I was at home then I doubt that this would happen so regularly, as there is always something to be done at home that distracts…)

I mentioned a schedule in point 4 briefly. And although this seems to be an analytical way of doing things (welcome to my world!), it makes sense really.

When I am checking in at the end of the day and working through my S.M.I.L.E acronym, or checking my diary for upcoming plans, I find that it helps to have my list of people close to hand.

I can then quickly run down the list and ensure that:-

1. I have seen/spoke to them recently – or within our usual time frame

2. I have made plans to see them and they are in the diary already

This simply means I can maintain relationships, no matter how infrequent – and hopefully it stops me from neglecting anyone!

Over the course of life, you will meet new people, move house, join new clubs/groups etc… and people will naturally come and go from your life. This is the nature of relationships.

And its exciting!

However, I would like to think that now you are more aware of what relationships you have, what time you have, and what you need/want out of relationships, you will find it much easier to make new relationships.

You will also be a lot more aware of what you need from relationships.

For example, over the years I have come to term some people as “Fair Weather Friends” – people who want to be around you when the going is good, but are notably absent when times are tough. This is no problem if you are aware that they shouldn’t be the people you ring in a crisis, as you will only be disappointed. But knowing that they will be the life and soul of the party when you organise a night out means that the relationship is more geared towards having fun – and sometimes that can be just what you need!

I find that having a balance of people in my life always works well. People I can lean on, people that can lean on me, and people I have fun with – all work so well, and makes life much more interesting!

So – hopefully you will have completed the actions we have talked about, and got much more to grips with your network of family and friends etc….

You will know what you want and what you need from your relationships, and also be much more aware of any relationships that you should let go, any that you aren’t spending enough time on, and any that are just right!

You will be more open to new relationships, and much less likely to be disappointed as you will be more aware of what kind of relationships you have with people.

And hopefully, you should be able to more clearly keep up to date with catching up with people – not letting friendships drift, and making your social life part of your balanced life!

Heres to a happier, more balanced you!

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The “Why, Who, When, Where, What and How” of Getting Organised!

Whether you are single, a stay at home mum, working, wealthy, poor (the list is endless!) it makes no difference to the fact that being more organised WILL benefit you to some extent.

Do you find yourself saying any of the following throughout the day:- “I want to get organised”, “I need more time”, “Where did I put my…”, “Where do I start!”, “I am so sorry, I forgot…”  etc….?

I challenge anyone to not say yes to at least one of those!

The best way to get started is to understand what questions to ask, and get an overview of how it will help you and what you need to do. Being aware of the overall picture will help you to stay focused and motivate you to get to the final destination.

Of course, the “What / How / Why / Where / When and Who questions and answers that I will look at in more detail below will be different for each of you, but its the asking (and answering) that will lead you on your organised way.

I hope that the following helps you to focus on what you want, how to get there more quickly, and how to stay organised for life. It should at the very least make you think about things more closely!

Organising will help you to live life to the full, whoever you are!

Look at the list below and see if you relate to any of them:-

I am constantly losing things and wasting time trying to find themI am late for meetings regularlyMy house is only ready for guests after I spend a day cleaning and tidyingI seem to do everything around the houseI can’t remember the last time I simply had chance to relaxI am always sending belated cards to peopleMy mind is constantly full of information of TO DOs etc…My children leave it to me to tidy up after themI constantly double book myselfPlanning for Christmas / birthdays / holidays is always done at the last minuteI am always chasing my tail and never seem to get ahead

If you have ticked even just one of these, then your life would benefit from being more organised (and you’ve probably identified a good place to start as well!)

“Getting Organised” is such a wide reaching phrase, and can mean different things to different people. The key is to define what it means to you, and to work towards that (this reason will be your motivation)

For example:-

Do you want a clutter free home?So you want to set a good example for your children?Do you want more time?Do you want all the above, and more!?

Define your reason – the “Why” – and you will be able to more clearly see how to get there. Sort out the “Why” first.

You may think that it will only be you that will benefit from you getting more organised (and indeed you should only do it if you are totally invested in it, or its not likely to work), and this is not so.

The butterfly effect (from Chaos theory) states that every small event creates large events (if a butterfly flaps its wings, then a few weeks later a hurricane is formed.

As such what you do everyday can affect your whole life. The little things add up to form large things. Small bad habits, small amounts of wasted time looking for things – all create large amounts of time and effort and energy that you have simply lost – just by being disorganised.

What you do everyday also affects so many other people as well. It stands to reason that therefore everyone benefits from you getting more organised.

You become a better partner, parent, friend, sibling and child all by developing more organised habits:-

You will feel more able to have people over as your home will be guest readyPeople will be able to rely and depend on you moreYou will be on time for thingsYou will remember important eventsYou will appear more relaxed, and therefore be someone easy to be around

Basically, you benefit so much from getting more organised and so does everyone you interact with.

There are some people who are really organised at work, and not so much at home – whereas some people have everything in its place in the home but their car looks like a bomb site (see a previous post as this is me!)

If you can easily see where needs your attention the most, then it will serve you well to pick an area within this to start with.

This could be your home, your office, your hobby, your car, an organisation you belong to, your garden, your social life etc….

This is purely your high level overview of your life – and will give you a good insight as to how balanced it is as well.

Of course, you may be disorganised in the majority of your life areas, as such you will need to look a little more closely……

This links very well to the “where” and is the next stage of working out your organising plan.

You need to be specific with what you want to get organised, as then you will know exactly what to focus on the most, and you will start to see your goals more clearly.

Your “What” should be something that makes your life run more easily, and that has a positive effect on you (and others as well most probably).

Things to consider would be:-

paperwork / finances / daily habits / clutter / time / systems and routines….

And there are lots of theories to consider on exactly how to choose what to get organised:-

Start where it hurts the most – what do you get frustrated by on a daily basis? The positive of this method is that you can see results quickly.Start in the most disorganised space – do you have a really cluttered room, or simply too busy a social life to keep up? Again the positive of this method is that you will make a difference very quickly to your life, and be more motivated to continueStart small and build up slowly – there is a train of thought that suggests that starting with something small like a drawer or a cupboard will give you enough to get started, but not overwhelm. While this is correct, it may be too insignificant for you to feel a big difference and your enthusiasm may wane over time.Start and finish one room / area before going on to the next – The problem with this is in how you define “finished” – nothing is ever perfect, and so you may find yourself stuck in one area trying to reach perfection.

All these methods are good, mainly for the reason that they all get you started – and thats the main goal here – to simply START.

I always go for starting somehere where I feel really needs sorting fast, as long as its something I will see everyday. This way I will see the results and build momentum to keep going. I also make sure I split it into manageable chunks – which means that I can start with a big project but not get overwhelmed. This method covers the majority of the ways to start listed above, and works well!

For example – this past weekend I really got stuck into sorting out the families paperwork.

I have had a lot going on in recent weeks, including an influx of work projects, family changes, and general busy-ness. As such the paperwork has ended up being neglected and piled up (only that which isn’t too important of course).

I also have in the back of my mind that I am writing an ebook soon to be available on this site – all about the perfect way to organise all the paperwork that comes into your home (WATCH THIS SPACE!). As a result I want to be able to go through the process from start to finish to ensure that I think of all the possible niggles in my system so I can sort them out and ensure the system you get is great. Thats the aim! However, this project takes time to do, and as such things had been building up.

ENOUGH!

I simply got started, and felt so much better!

I took everything out of the corner where I intend to set up my system, and then sorted everything out into specific piles – allocating a file or a space in a drawer for each part. Then I put everything where it should go.

The results? I can now find everything I need, I have the beginnings of the system I want to create, and can now see it working properly before I invest more time into getting each part of it sorted. Its enough for now, and it the first step.

I now feel more relaxed when I deal with my paperwork , as I know the system is in place and working for me – even with some tweaks to make. I also know where to find everything quickly and easily.

Its all too easy to fall behind in your organising when you’re busy or waiting for other things to happen, but just getting started will help so much!

So, we have now looked at the “why”, the “who”, the “where” and the “what”.

We have a plan of action but we don’t as yet have the tools to do the job.

The reason you have chosen the area of your life to get organised that you have is because you are to some extent disorganised and need to change what you are currently doing – because thats the only way you know how to do it.

If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got…

You now need to find new systems, strategies and habits to ensure getting organised is sustainable and will work specifically for you.

My key to getting organised is as follows:-

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Top 10 Hidden Storage Ideas

Ever notice how you look at a room in a magazine or a show home and want to recreate it – but no matter how hard you try it never quite looks the same? That’s because those pictures are done for the camera to accentuate space  – and are not how we all live.

They don’t have any real life “stuff” lying about, which can be thought of as visual clutter and is in every home in the country I’m sure!

A great way to decrease the look of this clutter in your home (after actually decluttering that is!) is to make smart buying decisions when it comes to the furniture and items you have around the home.

Multi-functional furniture is a great way of doing this, and having hidden storage in some of your most used peices can create a very calm feel to your home instantly – and its a quick win too because you get to keep everything you need to hand in the right place, but you don’t have to see it every time you walk into a room (which as we all know can make you feel really low).

Think about it, no more magazines lying around the living room, they are in there but hidden away – no more bulky bedding for occasional guests, it is in the sofa bed already! I could go on – but heres my top 10 list of favourite hidden storage solutions. Some of them are well known solutions, and some are a little more obscure.

Hope you enjoy looking through, and that it gives you some inspiration when you next come to buy something for around your home! I would also love to hear from you about any great ideas you have for storage in your home…

I like using a footstool as an alternative for a coffee table in the middle of the room.

This has so many functions – you can pull it towards the seating to use as a footstool when you are relaxing, you can use it as a coffee table in the middle of the room (adding a tray on top gives you a sturdy surface), and if it has built in storage too then thats just a bonus! (its also great if you have kids as there are no sharp corners to hurt themselves on!)

This is just such a gorgeous one I had to include it as the picture – its pricey but there are loads to choose from out there (a search for “storage footstool” in google will bring back loads!)

A great place to hide all those remotes (who has only one nowadays!) and magazines.

Note: There are also loads of coffee table options and I would always go for one with storage rather than without, as the coffee table tends to always be in the middle of the room, and if you can limit the look of clutter on that then the room will automatically feel tidier – just an idea!

If you have a bay window (or it can even work along one wall of a room if its big enough), you can maximise the space by having a window seat. Added seating, and hidden storage – what could be better!

Here are a couple of pictures of what I mean – and a local joiner/carpenter could make one to fit your space as well.

  

(pictures from www.woodworkinstallations.com)

Now – I have already written a post about the merits of storage beds, and I really can’t say enough about them. SO useful and SO much storage! Take a look at the post for my favourites.

I love items that have two purposes, and as such when I came across this one from Dwell I had to share!

Not only does it look great, but it also keeps all your hair products, makeup and/or jewellery to hand but out of the way – it simply rotates on the base so you can also use it as shelving on show if you want to as well!

Ingenious!

This is a lovely traditional bedside table (could also be used as a lamp table).

The beauty of it is that even though there are drawers that are obviously visible, there is also a hidden drawer right at the top of the table which can hide away things that you don’t want people to see, for example, jewellery when you are away – less easy for burglars to find.

Hidden storage isn’t just for hiding more of the visual clutter in your home, but is also really good for hiding your valuables so you feel safer.

(NB. This picture is linked to my own online store, but a quick search for La Roque Bedside table will bring back lots of other places in google to buy it if you prefer!)

Now, a sofa bed is a multi functional peice of furniture anyway, but this one goes one step further, and the storage that it has is an ideal place to keep all the bedding a guest would need ready to go at a moments notice.

Great for unexpected guests – and if its late when they come round you don’t have to wake anyone by rummaging around to look for blankets, pillows etc…..!

I particularly like this one as you can’t tell its anything other than a sofa when you look at it – so feels very sleek and streamlined.

NB – Ikea do a good storage bed as well that is a single and pulls out to become a kingsize – with drawers underneath, but this is more obvious storage.

This is a fantastic item, as it tackles a lot of peoples difficulties in finding something suitable for a home office (with enough storage for everything) but that can also be hidden away when the room is being used for a different reason (dining room is a common one!).

A lot of desks look like desks when not in use, and can make you feel like you are still working even when relaxing. This would look great as a sideboard in a dining room as well.

(Again, one from my shop – just so you know!)

Came across this one when looking for some more funky hidden storage out there!

This would work really well for magazines or remotes – easy to get to when needed but not visible when not! – the drawer closes shut when not needed and has hidden storage.

I specifically like this one as it looks very streamlined as an item of furniture as well – so feels quite calming to the eye!

Another great one for storage with security in mind.

This is a lovely looking clock that would sit well on a lot of peoples mantelpeices, but has the added benefit of having storage in the back.

I would use this for hiding credit cards, or even some spare cash in case of emergencies!

Its out of the way, but accessible when needed – and not many people would find what you have hidden there!

As with the window seat, Under stairs storage will help to utilise wasted space. I have seen this space be used as a storage room, as a downstairs toilet, and also as hidden storage panels which is my favourite!

Take a look at this picture for more ideas and again a joiner can help you to come up with the best solution for your specific space.

This shows panels that can be pushed to open, with plenty of storage behind. Great place for the hoover, cleaning products, coats and shoes.

(Picture courtesy of www.custombuiltcabinets.co.uk)

I was at the Northern Home Show at the Trafford Centre this weekend (Exibiting with the House Doctor Network - part of my business!) and saw the most amazing peice of furniture there.

I have added it into this post as, although its not necessarily storage, it does hide things away, and makes great use of space! Couldn’t resist adding it!

Its called the STUDY BED and basically you can pull it down to be a bed, or up to be a large desk – but the difference between this and other similar items on the market is that you don’t have to tidy away everything or unplug computers etc.. before you make the switch – as everything stays in place! Perfect for teenagers rooms where they need lots of working space but don’t want it to take over, or in a guest bedroom that doubles up as an office. Take a look and see what you think!

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A.D.O.R.E – Getting Your Car Organised

I love that new car smell.

To me it smells of the expectation of the journeys that I will take in it, like a new house or a new outfit give you a buzz of excitement when you first buy them.

Sitting in the drivers seat – the plastic looking all shiny, black and gleaming, the seats totally mark free, and no mass of toys and clutter lurking wherever you look.

There is simply a sense of peace.

BUT – Lets face it – a few days into real living and for most people this scene fades and in its place is the car that we all know and love. That trusted friend to get you from A to B – along with the clutter, mess, dirt and toys!

I get that “new car” feeling every time my car has been cleaned – and always, ALWAYS vow to keep it that way. But life takes over every time.

My car is my organising Achilles heel.  Whatever I do, I don’t seem to be able to stay on top of it. If you’ve ever seen FRIENDS then you’ll relate that its like Monicas cupboard – the queen of being organised still had to have one space that held her mess – my car is mine.

Its not that I don’t try -

I have a rubbish bag to collect litter, but you can be guaranteed that children in the back of the car will drop things, or that you are eating/drinking on the run and things get dropped by you too.I have a handheld hoover – bought with the express intention that it would be so much more handy to quickly nip out and get the car clean each week – but even that rarely makes it out there – preferring to stay and be a source of fun for my inquisitive daughter!I have tried to put everything in the right compartments, but as I often go to clients homes and have lots of paperwork, samples and catalogues with me, things get left behind for the next journey just to add to it….

I have the best intentions in the world – after all – when I pull up to clients homes I want to show a professional side, which my home definitely does – but my car is my downfall completely.

I am sure you have somewhere in your home that isn’t working at its best for you at the moment – one place where it seems to be OK for you to leave messy occasionally. My aim from now on (I can’t say for next week, or next month as these timeframes never seem to come round – better to start from now!) is to keep on top of my car.

I have collected all the tips from various books, online, magazines etc… on this topic over the years, and hopefully these will make all the difference….. well, we’ll see!

Good luck with whatever you choose to organise from now on…. !

So – here goes!

Heres whats my car looks like today – OH THE EMBARRASSMENT!

        

All areas look like a bin bag has been emptied inside!. My daughter has lots of toys and has eaten when we’ve been driving so loads of crumbs and food have found a way into all the nooks and crannies of the seating and floor – my life seems to take over the front seat – and as for the boot – well thats just anything that makes its way there, usually never to be seen again. Not great when I open the boot ready to put the monthly food shop into it! ARRRRGGGHHHH…..

I will use my A.D.O.R.E method to try and make things easier….

I need my car to be clean and tidy at all times so that I look professional when at clients homes.

I also need to have space for suitcases regularly in the boot (as I use these to store catalogues and samples which I take to clients homes etc…)

I need to have all the usual items in the car at all times, but have systems in place to declutter regularly.

My daughter is often in the car with me for longer trips to family and friends, so I need to ensure she has everything she needs to hand.

I also listen to lots of CDs about time management, business, self help etc…, and my daughter has several CDs to listen to in the car also – so CD storage is key for us.

Right – So I need to take EVERYTHING out of the car and see exactly what I have – deciding what I need to keep in the car, what I need to keep but not in the car, and what is genuine rubbish.

Throw away all the rubbish, and reallocate the other things to their rightful places in the home – then I am left with just that which actually belongs in the car.

While the car is empty, this is the best time to give it a thorough clean inside and out (and a good chance to delegate this if you prefer! Valeting is always a good idea as a once off to really get the car thoroughly clean).

My main gripe is rubbish that accumulates – so

Keep a bag/box or whatever suits you best to keep rubbish in one place. Drinks bottles, food wrappers, car parking tickets, receipts etc…. then create a habit of emptying this everytime you get out of the car at home (this should be easy for me as I get out almost next to the bin!)

Then, storage (what and where) is second:-

Keep only what you need in your car. I am forever storing everything but the kitchen sink in my boot – it just adds up slowly – but I didn’t realise how much effect this has on your petrol useage, and with todays prices, we can’t fritter our money away like that anymore. Decluttering the car is the answer. You should only have the necessities (and also have them in the correct place in the car – its no good keeping a car park pass in the boot if you need to get our of the car every time you need it – better to keep it in the glove box). This is what I think is required in my car, and where I would like to put it:-Car Park PassesSunglasses for drivingMaps or Sat NavVehicle PaperworkHands Free ItemsCDs – One way of organising them would be a Sun Visor Organisor For Car Interior – which utilises the wasted space perfectly!)Breakdown company detailsPhone Charger (theres usually a cigarette lighter inside which you can use to charge it)Spare Change (for car park fees, toll roads etc…)Tissues / WipesPens and Small NotepadUmbrellaBlanketFirst Aid KitChange of ClothesBottles of water and snacks in case of breakdownOilWindscreen WashSpare TyreJackSnow Scraper (If winter then this will probably be in the glove box)TorchRaincoatSmall Spade (if winter – to move snow from road)Shopping bags (bags for life work well as they are sturdy enough for most shopping)

I have tried to keep enough space in my boot for a large food shop, or to buy larger items, or for suitcases for my work – that way I won’t get stressed when I have to cram things in!, I like the idea of having a small storage facility in the boot for items as well

Even her car seat has two drinks holders that pull out which are useful for drinks (!), and for small pots of snacks etc…

I chose a back of seat organiser as this would work best for our needs, we also regularly have more sitting in the back seat than just her, so a “middle of seats” organiser would get in the way a lot.

I chose an organiser that could house magazines and books easily as this would be what it was most used for (lots of organisers have different arrays of storage compartments so worth considering exactly what you want it for.

I have tried wherever possible to ensure that the items I am going to store in my car are hidden from view – so as not to attract thieves.

SO – this is what I am now left with…..

          

Better – I hope you agree!!! (and yes – got it valeted a bit!). I have added a small car bin under the drivers seat which will be handy to add any rubbish to as I go – and easy to empty into the bins in my drive when I get back (you can see them outside the drivers door if you look hard enough – no excuse!). In the centre picture you can see the CD storage in the car visor -handy and out of the way, and in the back seat my daughters toys are now off the floor and in storage that she can reach. All in all a great change that I am hoping I can keep up!

Schedule in your diary time when you will clean your car inside and out. Make it at least once a month, whether you do it yourself, delegate, or pay someone , it doesn’t matter – what matters is that it gets done. I love the fact that at my gym there is a valeting service right outside. This leaves no excuses and I started a couple of weeks ago to leave it with them while I went inside. Time management and multi tasking to perfection! The best thing is that they gave me a 50% off voucher for next time as well! No longer will a dirty and untidy car get me down.Keep your car well maintained. Services should be kept up to date (reminder in diary a couple of weeks before its due is a good idea), check lights are working, tyre pressure etc…. regularly. If you leave things until the last minute you may have to delay a long journey unnecessarily. Some garages offer service packs for MOTs and Servicing, and will pick your car up for you to save you hassle and time. These are worth considering. I started using mine when I had my daughter as it spread the cost over the year, there was no worries about waiting around the car when I needed to feed her, and I could pick a day when I didn’t need to use my car anyway so it really wasn’t noticed that it was gone.TIP – I also always try and tell someone where I am going, what route I am taking and when I am due to get back – so they don’t worry, and so that they can be more informed should I have any troubles or don’t return. Better to be safe.

Evaluating whether this system works should be easy – as it will stay clean and tidy the majority of the time. If it doesn’t then I need to ensure I stick to the 3 main habits I need to stick to (rubbish taken away often, car cleaned inside and out every month, storage space for everything).

I will report back!

Hope this method helps you to stay on top of your car. If you have any great storage ideas, or anything to add to my list of things to keep in the car, I would love to hear about them!

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Do You Think Too Much? – Organising Your Thoughts and Ideas

Are you always thinking? Do you find it hard to switch off at the end of the day, and always find things to worry about?

My husband, a few years ago, bought me this book. Which was a sort of joke purchase, as I am definately a serial thinker in our family, but it is a good read!

I seem to always be starting up new conversations that seem totally unrelated to what we were talking about a moment before, and regularly have to reread paragraphs in books or relisten to a TV programme because my mind hasn’t switched off from the day.

I usually do at least 2 things at a time – and although this helps with managing my time and getting the most out of it, it leaves less and less space for relaxing with my thoughts and giving them some space too.

Very frustrating – but I am used to it now, and am beginning to take steps to try and minimise it so that I do get relaxing time as well (did I mention that massages are the best place to brainstorm your business – dear me – SWITCH OFF I SAID!!)

I am sure that a huge amount of you reading this will empathise with this.

Are you regularly:-

Waking up in the night because something has just come into your mind?Finding it hard to get off to sleep because your mind is racing?Always coming up with new ideas of things that need doing around the house, with the family, at work etc…?Always looking for the next challenge?

If any (or all!) of these sound like you, read on…

Theres nothing wrong with thinking lots, but there is something wrong if you aren’t able to utilise those thoughts into something tangible that will progress you towards your goals in life, or if they are making your life more stressful than necessary (who wants lack of sleep!?)

Thoughts and ideas are really important in life as they define you as a person, and are often the way you motivate yourself or challenge yourself.

If you have ever heard a successful person talking, you will realise that they are usually no different to yourself – the only difference is possibly that they have acted on their thoughts and not let them slip away. They have used the momentum to get them somewhere in life, and have worked out ways to harness their enthusiasm and drive.

EVERYONE has ideas. EVERYONE has a business idea that they would do “If only…..”, and everyone has thoughts racing round their heads – but most people don’t act on them.

I suggest a two fold attack!

Start with writing down all your ideas – as a sort of line in the sand – a place to start and a way to release some of the headspace currently being taken up. Once they are all written down then at least you know that they aren’t going to go anywhere, and you can come back to them when you have more time. They have freed up space in your head!

Then ensure that you always have a notepad and pen with you wherever you go. This is such a small change, but makes the world of difference when used correctly.

Write down any ideas, thoughts, details, notes etc… down as and when you think of them during the day (or night! – keep it beside your bed as well and then you can write it down and go back to sleep rather than be wary of forgetting in the morning), and then transfer them to the proper place either daily or weekly dependant on how busy you are and what your schedule allows.

For general Ideas, life thoughts, and wishes – add these to your NICE TO DO list. This way you can look into it more when you have time, but it isn’t clogging up your brain in the meantime, and you won’t forget about it going forward.For numbers and contacts – simply add to your address book and / or phoneFor items that really do need actioning (i.e. something that has woken you in the night because you have forgotten it needs doing by the next week) – they should be added to your TO DO list – or scheduled into your diary in the appropriate time frame.For items such as recipes, ideas for home decorating, family days out etc… add these to your Home File in the right sections – ready to pick up as and when you need to.

Which means that now all of your random thoughts are more organised immediately, and you can feel more free to concentrate on the here and now.

Every month get into the habit of looking over your NICE TO DOs – as some of these will start to become more urgent, and some will become redundant as time goes on. Its always good to do a declutter of these so you can see whats what, and are able to focus (just as you would your TO DO list).

And of course, as time goes on, there will be less and less coming into your head that is a panic thought, as you should be becoming more and more organised. What you will find is that your thoughts become more about what you want to do, what would be nice to achieve in life, and ideas for family/friends etc… which is altogether a nicer place to be don’t you think!

You are thinking that it would be amazing to start your own business one day. You aren’t ready to make that drastic change as yet, and aren’t even sure that it is a goal you want to pursue, but it does keep coming into your thoughts so you need to write it down and acknowledge it.

I suggest keeping these notes in your NICE TO DO lists – under – IDEAS! – One day you may find that you do want owning your own business to be a goal, and therefore you can look at your NICE TO DO list, see what thoughts you have had already, and then start adding steps to get there on your TO DO list (i.e. take a course, look into finances etc…)

At least then you have a head start and can see what you have been thinking down on paper.

Your friend or a family member has done something thats making you stressed. You have this on your mind a lot, and its causing you to lose sleep. Writing it down in your notepad will help to focus your mind on exactly what the issue is, and may give you clarity just doing that – it may also help you to realise a solution.

The next step would be to look at how you can resolve this issue as you have now identified it is taking up headspace – possibly talking to that person is required. Ask yourself what would be the worst that could happen, and if you are OK with that (its usually not as bad as your subconscious is making you think it is), then go for it.

You constantly have chatter in your head about everything and anything. Theres things you don’t want to forget, decisions about the family holiday this year, items to add to the shopping list, someone you need to get back to about an appointment change.

All of these are weighing you down. When you do a braindump and add these things to the proper places as shown above, you will feel much more able to move on and actually get things done.

I also try and focus my thoughts each night before bed, thinking about the day and whats gone well or not so well. Just being in touch more with how I am feeling does help to rationalise my thinking and paves the way for a better nights sleep.

Try using the acronym i have talked about before to see whether you have had a balanced day as well – as this can really help in terms of feeling more content.

The key is to identify what your thoughts are.

The action of writing them down can help you clarify them, and eventually action them – but whatever you end up doing with them, they won’t be taking up valuable head space any longer!

This will free you up to do more, and the more organised you get, the more organised your thoughts will become anyway!

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Organising Makeup and Toiletries – Top 10 Tips

Open most bathroom cabinets and you will be forgiven for thinking you have entered your local pharmacy or supermarket – there are just so many products available to us now that it isn’t surprising to have more than you can use at any one time!

Whether it be a 3 for 2 offer, or a birthday/Christmas present – the ways we receive and bring makeup and toiletries into our home is never ending! So how do you go about organising everything, and indeed, using it all as well!

Here are my top 10 tips to get you started:-

I have lost count of the number of toiletry based gifts I have received over the years. It is a favourite gift for a woman definitely!

However, a lot of these products are either things I can’t use due to being for the wrong skin type, or things I won’t use as I just don’t have it as part of my skincare regime (anyone have time for foot scrub!?)

Break up the box sets and keep only the items that you will truly use. Anything else that you really think someone else would love, then pass it on to them – better that someone gets the benefit than it just to sit in your cupboard for months longer….

TIP – why not create your own set for a friend by wrapping up suitable products in thick see through cellophane, and tying with a beautiful ribbon – can make a great gift! (if you don’t want to see inside the package, then add a layer of coloured tissue on the inside – get creative!

Arrange your storage so you can easily see how many of each product you have, and therefore you will know when you are running low. I try and group like with like, so that I can see exactly how much shower gel (for example) I have. Its quite amazing how much you have of some things when you go through it like this!

Anything else – just get rid of it – its just clutter otherwise.

If you go to the gym or travel regularly, why not consider having a set of toiletries and makeup ready in your bags. This will save loads of time not having to transfer them over each time you need them, and also saves worrying about forgetting them (its bound to happen!)

Most chemists and places such as Boots sell travel sized bottles, and you can get quite a few samples of makeup if you shop around (or just buy 2 – makeup isn’t that large or heavy and you will no doubt use then up anyway!). Alternatively you would buy small bottles and pots and dispense small amounts of the products into them for a truly personalised set.

TIP – for the gym you may want to consider a chlorine specific shampoo for when you swim – as it will protect your hair. Having different products with you often comes in useful!

Why not have a makeup bag that has your daily makeup in, and your evening makeup in another bag – then you won’t have to keep rifling through EVERYTHING every morning to find what you need.

Of course – if you have loads of makeup, you may have to change the bag idea to drawers…….!

Your skin changes over the year – it can be quite dry over winter when heating is on, and a lot paler than in the summer. Therefore colours and possibly the products you use will change over the course of the seasons.

You may well also change your hair colour over the year too – a lot of women add more highlights in the summer months and tend to go a little darker in the winter. As such look at your makeup colours AND your hair products. Always make sure you are using the right products.

Also – as you grow older your natural colouring will also change – so colours that were right for you in your late teens / twenties may not work in your thirties for example.

Now, I’m not talking about whether you are still sporting a look from the 1980's (although lets hope not!), but instead, whether your makeup needs throwing away due to being out of date (just like food products)

You can usually find a little symbol on makeup that shows how many months a product should be OK for – with something like 12M or 18M inside it. I find that a permanent pen is a great asset to a makeup bag as you can write on the packaging for each product the date you opened the product and then it will be easy to keep track of when it needs changing.

For now – heres a quick checklist that shows the average times to keep items:-

Cream of compact foundation or blusher: 18 monthsConcealer and cream eyeshadows: 12-18 monthsPowder – Blusher, Eyeshadow and Bronzer: 2 yearsEyeliner: 2 years (liquid eye liner 3-6 months)Mascara: 3 monthsLipstick, Lip Liner and Lip Gloss: 2 yearsNail Varnish: 1 year

Try not to have loads of toiletries out in the bathroom – as you will end up using little bits of everything, it will look messy, and you will more often than not not use all that you have before you find you have to throw it away.

Have one bottle of each item you use daily on show (or in the cupboard!) – and make a pact with yourself not to start a new one until that ones all gone. This works really well for shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, bath gel etc….)

The only multiples that should be out are if you or your family members have different product needs.

Get your family into the habit of having a basket each for their toiletries – that they keep in their bedrooms.

The basket can be brought into the bathroom when required. This makes tidying up easy, and all family members can have their own sets which stops a lot of arguments!

For children a great idea is to use multi use products – such as shampoo and conditioner in one. It saves time, hassle and space!

Wipe your makeup containers with antibacterial wipes regularly to avoid any transfer of germs. you are likely to have brought out your makup bag and put it down in many different areas, and therefore it won’t hurt to keep it clean!

Keep makeup away from heat sources, and direct sunlight (perfume as well)

Don’t share makeup. Ever!

This really goes without saying for an organising post, but you are only saving money with product offers if you were going to buy it anyway.

If you use certain products regularly and then when you go shopping you find that they are on offer – then BUY! Buying in bulk in this way saves lots of time and money (see my stockpiling post for more details on this concept).

BUT – don’t buy just because an item is on sale. If you are not going to use it, or your family don’t like the product, then its a complete waste of time and money.

Products such as perfumes, branded items etc… are all really worth buying in the sale. I always try and save vouchers for bigger purchases so that they aren’t so much of a hit when they need to be bought! (OR I ask for perfume as a birthday/Christmas gift as its a lovely gift to buy for someone, and can be seen by the giver to be very personal, while it is still a very easy thing to buy when you are told what you like!)

Its a fine line, but worth it!

When organising your makeup and toiletries, think about what products you use and what suits you – and stick to buying those!. Store items together so you can see at a glance what you are running low of, and make everyone in the family responsible for their own items.

This way you will be able to enjoy the products you own, and get the most out of each one! Hopefully getting this part of your life organised will save you money AND time!

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The Top 12 Time Wasters and How to Avoid Them!

I have spent time writing about ways to make the most of your time, and therefore it makes sense to focus this post on ways that can waste your time.

If you can clearly see where you are wasting your time, you can actually do something about it – rather than just carry on as you are and wonder where the days go.

Here are my Top 12 time wasters, I have known myself to lose hours to most of them, and its a weekly struggle to keep on track and try and avoid these pitfalls usingthe ideas I have talked about below – but I’m only human……..

I have really lost count of the number of hours I spend (yes, still now if I don’t watch myself!) trying to work out what would be best to do with that day, how to make the most of my time etc… – only to find that the day has passed and I’ve still got nothing done.

SO FRUSTRATING!

Your diary really should be your best friend when it comes to managing your time. I really get the most out of my day now that I use mine religiously.

Add in any unmovable appointments along with travel and prep time for each, then add in any errands or jobs you have to do that day. In any spare time you have you can then look at your TO DO list and work out the top priority for that day, and add it in.

If you do this simple task each evening ready for the following day then you should know exacly what you need to do and when.

These should all come with a warning – once you have signed into facebook, twitter, linkedin, your email, etc… then time will pass by double quick.

People often say to me that they hadn’t realised how long they spent on these things until they were asked to time how much of a day they spent on it – and most were horrified!

This is a YouTube video that has some amazing stats about social media – it really does blow your mind at how much its taking over – but is also a warning abot how much time you can spend daily on it!

Its impossible to not spend time on social media and email nowadays, but its important not to let it take over.

Spending a set time 2 or three times a day works best – usually first thing in the morning, at lunchtime, and last thing at night. Its also worth remembering that everyone can wait – and a few hours won’t hurt!

Your goals are what you will look back on and feel a sense of pride in if you have achieved them, but feel deflated it not. Therefore it makes sense that anything that takes you directly away from your goals are wasting your time.

Things such as hobbies that you don’t really enjoy anymore, groups that you area member of that have a lot of time comittment but don’t relate to your goals, friends who make you feel low when you are with them, and workingall the hours you have in a dead end job when you would rather start your own business.

Really look at how you spend your time, and what proportion of what you do is helping your towards your goals in life. You may be surprised at the results.

With those things that you really should drop, get out of them confidently and learn to say NO more to things that don’t help you.

There will of course be some things that you can’t avoid in life – but if you can manage things better then you will have more time to get to where you want to be in life, and ultimately this will make you happier.

I have clarified in the title that its not just TV thats a time waster. On the contrary there are some TV programmes that can be useful, relaxing, and entertaining.

What I am talking about is watching things just for the sake of it, flicking through the endless channels available and not really watching much of anything – or simply the hait of watching TV every night and not doing something else that would make you happier. All of the above are a complete waste of time.

One very easy way to do this is to invest in something like Sky Plus or a Virgin Media box. You can record programmes and series and watch them when you want to and not be dictated to by the schedule.

Another big bonus is that you can fast forward through the breaks, and you can watch more of what you want to watch at a time that suits you.

The other option is of course to simply limit how much TV you allow yourself each day, and see how much more you get done!

My biggest gripe of all are phones. They are about the only thing in this world that ring out and expect you answer it there and then, dropping whatever else you are doing, and sometimes waking you – often for no good reason other than someone trying to sell you something.

I simply have answer phones on my mobile and my landline – and only answer if I know who is calling, and I genuinely have the time – which is rare. Instead they will always leave a message, and I can get back to them when its a more suitable time.

This sounds quite cold, but I have been amazed at how much more productive I am. I run a business from home and am often called throughout the day by sales people, who are sometimes difficult to shake! Actual customers tend to email rather than phone, and those that do phone always leave a message as they assume I am busy with another client – so it does nobody any harm – and it does me a lot of good as I can focus on my work and then make calls at the end of the day when I am ready and in that mode.

Doorbells, children, friends, family, deliveries, phone calls, emails, etc… can all eat into your day and before you know it you haven’t got anything done AGAIN.

Now I’m not saying that you should ignore your children (unless its a tantrum of course!), and I am not saying your can avoid interruptions altogether (emergencies will crop up that need your undivided attention) – but you should be able to limit them as much as possible so you get what you need to done.

Try and keep yourself behind closed doors when you have work to do at home, and get someone to look after the children (can you get your partner to share childcare in the evenings for example).

What about doing your important tasks at times of the day when you are less likely to be interrupted?

Also, if you really can’t avoid interruptions, know this and schedule in time for them in your day – which means you won’t get so stressed and should hopefully still be able to get everything done that you wanted.

Have you ever been getting ready for an event and realised that you or your partner haven’t sorted a present/card/babysitter/taxi etc…? Lack of planning not only wastes time, but can really stress you out.

Simply getting more organised will help you stay on top of planning. Knowing where you are going and how to get there, knowing that you have the right clothing, whether you need to have a present etc…. – all these things take a lot less time when done on the right day along with everything else – rather than at the last minute in a rush

Keys are the most common thing that are lost in peoples homes – taking forever to find, and usually when you need to be out of the door and on your way somewhere.

Whether it be your wallet, an important letter, chequebook or a price of jewellery – its so frustrating and stressful when it can’t be found.

A place for everything and everything in its place

This can’t be said enough when you are organising yourself and your home. If you and all your family members are aware of where to put things, and then create new habits that ensure that they are put back each and every time they are used, then you WILL eliminate this time waster once and for all.

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Why a MASTER TO DO LIST works best!

Most people tend to write a daily TO DO list – writing into it what is their top priority at the time of writing.

They write EVERYTHING they can think of to it – not prioritising or scheduling it at all.

Its usually a long list thats intimidating at best, and impossible at worst. It is basically setting people up for a fall as usually there will be loads left on it by the end of the day, and more added to the bottom.

The phrase “never ending TO DO list” springs to mind!

But there must be a better way of working, right?

Well – I am not here to say that this way is totally wrong, far from it. If it works for you, genuinely, then carry on. Getting organised is what works for you best to save you time and effort – so don’t fix it if it ain’t broke!

For the rest of you (and I’m betting there are a fair few who are still reading this with curiosity!) heres what I think is a better way of making sure you utilise your TO DO list so that you are running IT and not the other way round.

A daily TO DO list tends to be a reactive list – based on what has come up and is in your immediate area of concern for that time. It tends to forget about the tasks you need to do to reach your goals in life as they are not ones that absolutely need your attention at that minute, and as such you can feel very deflated at the end of the day.

You have worked hard, done lots, but achieved very little.

Sound familiar?

It makes for a “busy” person – but not necessarily an effective person. Its like always chasing your tail!

Being proactive rather than reactive is the name of the game when it comes to getting more organised.

You need to be fully aware of your time, and how much you need for the tasks that you already have scheduled for that day. Being realistic about how much “spare” time you have, and how long tasks really take is half of the battle.

Much better to get 2-3 crucial things done well each day than several insignificant tasks.

You also don’t want to be so busy that theres no room for manouvre (think of those unexpected things that ALWAYS crop up that suck your time from you each day)

The key is getting the balance right between not wasting your time and not getting stressed about things along the way.

What I use, and what serves me very well from both a homemaker and a “working for myself from home mum” view point is my MASTER TO DO list.

A master TO DO list is basically an ongoing list that is upkept daily, but not written out daily – that is kept inside your diary and works in tandem with it.

It has on it EVERYTHING you need to do, in every part of your life – on ONE list.

It tells you what priority things have, how long estimated time it will take to complete, and is broken down into manageable peices of work.

It is where you add anything that crops up on a daily basis TO DO, and where you go to fill in any time gaps in your day.

It will keep you focused, give you a great overview of where you are in all apsects of your life, and will really help manage your way towards your goals.

We all have different roles and responsibilities in life, and its important to understand what yours are. It will help you to see your life as a whole, and determine what you want and need to do in each area. They are very top level headings for now – which will be more detailed at a later stage – but its important to think general first so that you don’t miss anything!

Examples of such headings are as follows:-

HomeEach person in your home can have their own heading with things you need to do for each of themBusiness / WorkHobbiesClub MembershipsSocial

Each of these headings can be split up into projects- just as you would have several projects as an employee, so too you have projects within your home, and business. This helps to define areas of attention, and works just as well inside the home as inside work.

Some such projects would be as follows (taking the above list as the example):-

HomeMaintenanceDecorationCarGardenEach person in the householdSchool / Work things that need something done or made forLetters/ Cheques to sendUpcoming things to start researching (childrens schools, nurseries etc..)Business / WorkDifferent projects that you are working on – specific clients etc…Different services that you provide and what you need to do to drive each one forwardAdmin tasksNetworking and Marketing tasksAdvertising tasksFinancial tasksSocialHobbiesClub MembershipsCharity / Volunteer workAnything to research such as specific holidays, time away, new ideas etc…

Sound a lot doesn’t it?! But believe me that once you have your Master TO DO list sorted, then adding one at a time as you go through your weeks is quick and easy, and will actually save you time in the long run.

Add in each item in priority order, within each project. That way you will know the order in which to do things, and will be able to clearly see if things rely on other things to be done first if they are set out like this.

The other thing to note here is that when you put your TO DOs on the list, try and be as specific as possible – break tasks down into easy to achieve mini tasks – so that you can do that smaller thing in any spare time you have. This will make getting towards your goals a lot easier.

i.e. If you have a task such as “Book family holiday” on the list – then you should add mini tasks like – research locations, determine budget, book accomodation, look at things to do, write what we need to take, book time off work etc….. – each of these things in order are easy to progress, and less intimidating than that of “booking family holiday” – which you may leave until the last minute because of the time you think it will take. Its the same with most things – when you break them down they are more likely to get done. Once you have done each mini task in a project then you can take that whole project off the list – how satisfying!

So – you should have something that looks like this now:-

MASTER TO DO LIST

HomeDecorate Living roomChoose Living room curtains (3 hours)Choose Living room Paint colour (1 hour)Get decorator booked (10 mins)Clear room ready for decorating (2 hours)Buy TV unit (2 hours)Buy Rug (1 hour)BusinessCLIENT ONE Finish draft paperwork (1/2 day)Arrange meeting to discuss (5 mins)FinancesDo end of year books (1 day)Send through to Accountant when ready (5 mins)Marketing and AdvertisingResearch Google Adwords (2 hours)Look into getting leaflets printed (2 hours)

Etc………

If you also get into the habit of writing out your tasks and projects in priority order as well, then you always know what needs doing first when you have time

i.e. for the above example – on a day where I am working and I have no scheduled tasks for the day in my diary, then I can simply look at my master TO DO list and see that my first priority is CLIENT ONE – so I will work on my paperwork for that client first, get that done and move onto the next task. I can also see if I can make some quick wins on other items that only need a couple of minutes to complete – thus ticking off as much as possible during this time, and really making progress.

Anything that has a specific due date should be scheduled into your diary so that you ensure it gets done in time – but anything else that isn’t time specific can be added to your TO DO list ready for those times when you have a gap in the day.

Having everything in one place will make it so much easier to progress tasks, whatever you are doing.

As a “working for myself from home mum” I have several differents roles, and on certain days I work, other days I look after my daughter, so its handy to know that on a working day I can clearly see what needs to be done, and how urgent it is – so I can prioritise easily – with the knowledge that I will get to the goal if I work through the TO DO list properly.

All scheduled tasks in my diary take precedence of course, and then you can refer back to your TO DO list when you have gaps in your day – ticking them off as you do them.

Having one list, split into every project in each main part of your life, will help you stay in control of what you want to achieve. Whether you have this list electronically or on paper, you can easily see where you are heading – and one huge benefit is that as your priorities change, so too will your TO DO list – and you can update as you go – so you are always heading for the right thing! (some things over time will naturally become obsolete).

I like to keep my list in a Word document on my laptop, and print it off weekly so I can add  it to the front of my diary and write on it, tick things off and add things on the go (I still use a paper diary as I prefer it – but you could have everything on your smart phone if you prefer!)

You should now have a one stop shop to add in your TO DOs, and have them in an organised fashion, so you can easily see what needs doing next in any part of your life when you have some time to fill in your diary.

You don’t have to write out a TO DO list every day – as you will have scheduled tasks written in your diary as you go, and can therefore simply schedule your TO DOs from your TO DO list each day into that.

You now have control back over your never ending TO DO list – and it can feel much more manageable – and you will be able to easily see when things become redundant and be able to take them off the list.

Now what could be better than that!

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