60 Days Until Christmas!

Can you believe there are only 60 days until Christmas? If you're planning to entertain at home this year, now is the time to get those household projects crossed off your list. Planning a party is great motivation to finally get to those tasks you've been putting off. Whether it's fixing up that guest bedroom for out of town guests, or refinishing the floors, schedule time on the calendar to make the calls and run the errands they require.

The holiday's sneak up on us quickly, so if you have time now to do some shopping, you will beat the Christmas rush. Every year on that fateful day after Thanksgiving, it's only a pipe dream that our Christmas shopping would be done. Once the rush begins, you're stuck having to deal with the crowds and hope that the special item on your list hasn't run out of stock.

At the very least, start thinking about your plans for the holidays. Are you going to host a gathering? What do you need to get done around the house? Who do you plan to exchange gifts with? So here's your warning...60 days until Christmas, only 30 until Thanksgiving!

It's National Simplify Your Life Week

This week is, "National Simplify Your Life Week". Our mission at Chaos To Order is to help you get organized thus simplifying your life. Here are a few tips to help you simplify:

• Declutter. Pare down on what you have. We have so much more than we will ever need.

• Keep an errand list handy with the related items in your car. This will help you avoid making several trips, saving time and gas.

• Schedule free time with family and friends without an agenda. Make time for peace and quiet on a regular basis.

• Give your calendar a makeover. Eliminate and delegate tasks. Allow extra time for distractions.

• Be happy with small changes. We can only change 10% at a time, don't expect to simplify your life overnight.

Remember, a simplified life is an organized life.

Help for Hoarders

We are working with Discovery Television on the show "Hoarding: Buried Alive". The producers are looking for participants. If you are a hoarder and are interested in receiving assistance, this could be a great opportunity. In addition to a stipend, the show offers professional organizing and therapy. Contact the Chaos To Order office at 847-825-8400 or info@chaostoorder.com for more information.

How Do You Encourage Someone Who Needs To Get Organized But Doesn't Want To?

Although I'm answering the questions from our eBay Classified Twitter Chats about organizing with kids, I wanted to make this one more general because so many people live with or work with a clutter bug and it can be a tough dynamic. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

They don't see the clutter like you do. Do you wonder how your kids can walk right over their dirty clothes, or throw their backpack in the middle of the entryway and leave it there? They just don't see it the same and it doesn't matter to them the way it matters to you. Speak with them about the clutter in a positive way and acknowledge how you see it differently.

Give them plenty of alternatives. They will probably not want to organize it the same way you do. If they have several options (like hooks vs. hangers or open baskets vs. bins with lids) and different ideas, something may click.

Be flexible. The other person may not want to organize things to the same degree that you want it done. Remember to praise even the smallest signs of orderliness. Be encouraging because being a nag will get you nowhere (Can you tell I have teenagers LOL)!

Say Goodbye to the Suitcase

Last week, we packed up the kids and the car and set out on a road trip to Texas. I was looking forward to the extra time spent with my family in the car. Now that the kids, especially my boys, are getting older (11 and 13), I was anxious to get them to a place where we could have some quantity time together. As much as I enjoy organizing, I do not like packing. In the past year I've tried to challenge myself to travel light and really think hard about what pieces to bring on a trip. I used to feel you needed a different outfit for each day (my husband still packs like that). I've changed my thinking. Now I pack only versatile clothing that can be worn and changed into several different outfits. I was very proud that on a recent ski trip, I packed for four days of skiing in a small cary on bag that fit under the seat on the airplane!

One thing I did very different on this trip, was that none of us brought a suitcase. Each family member got a basket. I love these collapsible baskets from The Container Store. I use them all the time in my laundry room, and now they serve a new purpose as travel bags. I packed one extra basket with all the items necessary for our one night in a hotel on the road. When we arrived at the hotel, only one basket came out of the car. When we arrived at our destination, each person had their basket of clothes and the extra basket was used for dirty clothing and laundry. No suitcases to zipper, and easy access to everything. Give it a try sometime, think outside the suitcase and work with what makes traveling efficient and easy for you.

Organization: It All Boils Down to Creating Good Habits

The rituals we go through each and every day inevitably become the habits we acquire. Getting organized requires creating and maintaining good habits to keep systems in place. For example, do you rush out of your office and leave it a mess? Creating a habit of cleaning off the surface can not only help you feel more organized, but it will also increase your productivity. Here are a few steps to follow when you're ready to make a change:

✓ Start Small: Change one habit at a time. Putting too much on your list will only sabotage your hopes of making it happen.

✓ Write it Down: Write down the good habit you plan to acquire. Even write it on a sticky note and put it up somewhere so you can see and be reminded.

✓ Be Accountable: Having an accountability partner always helps to ensure success. Schedule set times to check in and confirm your progress.

✓ Have Urge Defeating Strategies in Place: Try the "Only 2 Minute Rule". When you're rushing out of the office commit to spending 2 minutes on straightening up. You'll be amazed how much can get done with two minutes of clear, focused time.

✓ Give it 30 Days: Experts are firm in the fact that it takes at least 30 times of consciously repeating the task in order to even get started acquiring a habit.

✓ If You Stumble, Don't Quit: We all stumble from time to time. Use this as a time to go through the checklist again. This will help to ingrain the good habit even more!

"First we make our habits, then our habits make us." Charles C. Noble

5 Tips for an Organized New Year

If your New Year's resolution is to get organized, don't wait for a project to start, live organized right now! Even if things are cluttered around you, you can start small by creating habits that will help to keep the chaos away.

Structure Your Day: When you spend your time scattered about, you end up feeling unaccomplished. Manage your time with a plan.

Create Habits: Small habits of putting away and finishing up what you're doing can have huge benefits in maintaining order.

Do Less: Don't over-schedule your day. Plan for distractions. If things go smooth, you can make use of the extra time.

Be Charitable: Having a good cause to donate household items you don't use will help get the clutter out while helping someone else in need. Regularly go through your things and weed out the excess.

Create A Place: If you have 15 minutes to straighten up, but don't know where to put anything, that 15 minutes is wasted. Having a place for everything is essential to living organized.

A few small steps taken consistently over time can help to make 2010 your most organized year ever!

How Bad Would it be to Give a Regift?

There has always been a curse associated with re-gifting. At Chaos To Order, we see clients who have shelves of lovely unused gifts causing clutter in their closets. Now is the time to really think about the use of these items. Is there someone on your list who would enjoy that candle you're allergic to? Take a good look at the unused gifts you have lying around causing clutter in your house. Next, look at your list and see if you can match anything up. Use the holiday season to gift away what you can, but don't cross the line and gift something that you don't consider worthwhile for the recipient. Here are a few things to keep in mind if you do decide to regift an item:

• Don't regift used or worn items.
• Do make sure it's something that you believe the receiver would enjoy and appreciate.
• Be honest. Consider letting the receiver know that it was a gift given to you and you are not going to use it.
  

Why not give the idea of proper re-gifting another chance. It can certainly help to clear the clutter!

The Gift Of Order

Looking for a unique holiday gift? Give the gift of organization. We have some great pricing packages to choose from on our website at http://www.chaostoorder.com/. Think of the people in your life who are weighed down by their clutter. Rather than buying more stuff that adds to the chaos, help them streamline what they have and become more organized. Purchase your gift certificate by calling our office at (847) 825-8400.

Is Martha Stewart Slowing You Down?

As much as I love Martha Stewart and the wonderful things she does, I am certainly no Martha. As a person who is always trying to help people become more organized, I find that often times the easier, simpler way is often the better way, at least in my life. Yes, a homemade cake is delicious, but the ease of using a box cake and doing it quickly is a no-brainer. Don't be afraid to use shortcuts where you can. People often think that an organized person is bestowed with a special gift of order, but organization is a constant discipline - it has to be worked at and maintained all the time. We all have the same 24/7, so we need to make use of that time wisely so we can focus things we enjoy most. If Chaos To Order can help lighten your load by giving you tips and ideas for getting things done faster and easier, or come into your home or office and set up systems so that you can maintain a level of organization that works, we've done our job.

New Year Resolution: Create a "Not To Do" List

January is National Get Organized Month. Many of you have made resolutions to be more organized in 2009. Instead of creating a New Year "To Do", try creating a list of what "Not To Do". We all have tasks that are important, yet they keep getting postponed. Decide what not to do, eliminate what you can, delegate where you can and create time to focus on what matters most. Many mundane household tasks can corrupt productivity at home and at work. Cleaning, dishes, laundry, they're all time killers, but must do's if we want to live in a decent environment. Creating efficient ways to accomplish what must get done is the key to our productivity. In future posts to this blog, we will cover how to save time and create efficiency in all areas of the home and office. I welcome your questions and comments on how Chaos To Order can help YOU get organized!