What's Causing You to be Late?
While brainstorming blog topics and what could help our Chaos Organizing friends “Win the Day”, help with routines came to mind. As a teacher, I HAD to be on time. No excuses. Not only did I have to be on time, but I really needed to arrive early to attend to a few things before students were walking through the door. In addition to getting myself out the door, I also had to get two small children dressed and ready for school.
I conquered this challenge by instilling an evening routine!
What’s causing you to be late?
While brainstorming blog topics and what could help our Chaos Organizing friends “Win the Day”, help with routines came to mind. As a teacher, I HAD to be on time. No excuses. Not only did I have to be on time, but I really needed to arrive early to attend to a few things before students were walking through the door. In addition to getting myself out the door, I also had to get two small children dressed and ready for school.
I conquered this challenge by instilling an evening routine!
What is an evening routine? The definition of routine is a sequence of actions that you do repeatedly. That’s it. You repeat this sequence of actions every night to establish your routine. It will take discipline, but you can do it!
Here are actions that should be included in your evening routine.
Lay out your clothes for the next day. So much time is wasted in the morning with this decision.
Put your purse, keys, wallet, mail, and everything else that goes out the door with you in the morning in one location. This location should be the designated spot every single evening. (No more searching for things in the morning!) Having a phone charger in this space would be smart so everything is there together.
Check the weather. Do you need to leave a little early due to fog, rain, snow? (Well, not so much snow in south Louisiana).
Check the calendar. Do you need anything besides the usual items? School projects? Valentine’s Card? Mardi Gras beads? LSU shirt?
Now take 15 minutes to reboot your house. For me, this involves making sure the dirty dishes are in the dishwasher, sofa cushions and sofa pillows are straight, extra blankets are folded and placed in a basket, toys (now just dog toys for me) are put in their home. I usually throw the dirty kitchen towels into the dirty clothes basket as well. This step will likely take you more than 15 minutes in the beginning but in an incredibly short time you will master this step and it will literally take only a few minutes.
Make a list of your routine and post it until it’s memory. Have kids? They can benefit from an evening routine too! Young children’s routines need to be simple and pictures can be used if they cannot read. Use their age as a gauge of what they can accomplish. 3 things for a 3-year old, 4 things for a 4-year-old, etc.
Not sure where to start when making routines? Give us a call and let’s set up a consultation to get you on the right path. A path where you are no longer running late. A path that helps you “WIN the day”!
Love this blog?
Sign up to get an email with our latest posts!
Win the Day, Win a Moment, Win Some Peace
I am sitting here with a book to read (one of three) about business ...not the fun side of things for me but something I am learning. I flipped to the middle (hoping something would catch my attention) and the sentence I read was “How are you helping me win the day?” I had an Oprah Aha moment. That’s it! That sentence expresses EXACTLY what I’m trying to help people do. Win the day! Win a moment! Win some peace!
“How are you helping me win the day?”
Many times I am asked to tell the Chaos Organizing Story. Truthfully, it’s not that exciting. The short version: I was a teacher and while I loved being a teacher, I knew I should be doing something more. I couldn’t explain the feeling; it was just something I knew. It took me three years of praying to discover that my passion for organizing could have a purpose. I had a gift that I could share. Fast forward almost seven years later…Chaos has a team of organizers helping clients find peace in their homes, one closet at a time! Or something like that. LOL
I am sitting here with a book to read (one of three) about business ...not the fun side of things for me but something I am learning. I flipped to the middle (hoping something would catch my attention) and the sentence I read was “How are you helping me win the day?” I had an Oprah Aha moment. That’s it! That sentence expresses EXACTLY what I’m trying to help people do. Win the day! Win a moment! Win some peace!
I get it. The lack of peace that comes with having a busy career, kids, husband, pets and a home to maintain can be maddening. As I brought my 2nd child home from the hospital (2 under 2…crazy!) I felt overwhelmed at the thought of managing it all. But I had a secret weapon in my back pocket that many do not, I had the help of an organized mother and sister who had been down this path. By adopting systems they already had in place, the shift from a family of 3 to 4 went relatively smoothly. Don’t get me wrong, my house was not perfect. There were crazy amounts of toys all over the place. But my keys, purse and sunglasses had a home enabling me to get out the door for work right on time! (Win!) My laundry was not sitting in the dryer, but hung in my closet categorized by color so I could get dressed at a moments notice for any occasion. (Win!) My shoes were put away each night so I could find them in the morning. (Win!) Certain toys were put away in labeled bins allowing me to rotate the chaos of toys floating around my house. (Win!) The best part, we had routines. As a teacher, you have no idea how much peace that brought me. Our morning routine, after school routine and evening routines were posted on our refrigerator and followed most of the time. (Huge win) These routines changed each year as the kids got older but the basics were there and the kids knew them by heart.(Big win!)
So as you sit there feeling overwhelmed in the midst of your after Christmas chaos, happy that school is back in because the lack of structure was getting to you, just know that I understand and want to help you win the day, win the moment, win some peace with a little help from someone with the gift of organization just like my Mama helped me. Now go find a home for your keys.
Reference: Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller
Love this blog?
Sign up to get an email with our latest posts!
5 Quick Tips to Ease the Pain of Holiday Clean Up
Hoping your holiday was fantastic. Unfortunately, it’s clean up time! Here are 5 quick tips to help ease the pain of the clean up process.
Happy New Year my organizing friends! Hoping your holiday was fantastic. Unfortunately, it’s clean up time! Here are 5 quick tips to help ease the pain of the clean up process.
5 quick tips to help organize your holiday clean up.
Use clear bins if you can. Being able to see what’s in the bin is very helpful when taking items out next year.
2. Label, label, label! Label each bin with every item inside the bin. This seems tedious but you will be thankful next year. You can use a label maker or use the original label tape….masking tape and a sharpie! If you zone decorate like I do, don’t forget to add the zone label.
3. Using an extension cord reel or any type of cord organizer will help keep your lights from being a tangled mess. Label the lights so you know right where they go next year.
4. Label wreaths and garland with the location where they will be used. I use garland in 3 different spots and each garland is a different length. Knowing where the garland belongs saves us time and frustration.
5. Make sure to take the batteries out of anything being stored.
Once again, have a Happy New Year and happy organizing!
Love this blog?
Sign up to get an email with our latest posts!
The Guests Are Coming! The Guests Are Coming!
We are Southern and for us that means it’s that time of year, y’all! Time for turkey, hunting, football, cranberry sauce and Southern hospitality! While it’s sometimes fun to have family and friends in town, it can be stressful unless you plan it right! Let us give you 7 great organizing tips to make your guests feel as pampered as a Southern Belle and you feel relaxed about them being there!
We are Southern and for us that means it’s that time of year, y’all! Time for turkey, hunting, football, cranberry sauce and Southern hospitality! While it’s sometimes fun to have family and friends in town, it can be stressful unless you plan it right! Let us give you 7 great organizing tips to make your guests feel as pampered as a Southern Belle and you feel relaxed about them being there!
1. Clean, Comfortable Bedding
You will need clean and comfortable bedding for the guest bedroom. Clean being the more important of the two! Make sure all bedding is washed and the bed is made neatly. Yes, they might mind the Catahoula hound hair on the pillow! Make sure to have enough pillows and an extra blanket if needed. Here is a link to “How to Make a Bed,” in case you need some help
2. Clutter Free Space
Of course they want to see the 72 photos of you and your kids at the Saints game displayed on the nightstand, but they’d also like a space to rest their own personal items. They will need space for their luggage, phones, iPads, laptops, and other personal items. Make sure the bedside table is clear enough for them to have that space. Maybe just 1 photo of Drew Brees hanging on the wall will suffice? Having a little hanging space in the closet is considerate too. Move the debutante dresses to the other closet!
3. A Touch of Home
Help entertain your guests that have different sleeping habits than your family by providing soft lighting, water, snacks and entertainment. Lamps, books, Southern Living, Garden and Gun magazines, local brochures for nearby attractions as well as a Wi-Fi password provided for late night or early morning reading are a just few nice touches. Water and snacks like pralines, Satsuma’s or Zapp’s chips help a guest feel cozy and may make them forget that it’s 90% humidity outside on Thanksgiving Day. Did I mention they might need hair ties?
4. Guest Towels
In my house, I like to designate certain towels as guest towels so that my children don’t use them to wash the dog or clean up the mud on the floor. (Oh, who am I kidding. They wouldn’t do either of those things!) My guest towels don’t look like the others. They are actually white, for one. (Not dingy white and well loved) I place a clean bath towel, face towel and washcloth on the guest’s bed so they don’t have to go searching for what they can use. I have put these in baskets, tied them with a ribbon or just stacked them nicely. Any of those options makes the guest feel welcome.
5. The Often Forgotten Essentials
A nice basket or container of travel size toiletries is helpful if your guest forgot an important item such as a toothbrush or razor. This basket can include but is not limited to shampoo, body wash, conditioner, toothbrush, razor, mouthwash, toothpaste, dental floss, comb, hair ties or bug spray (Mosquito’s are like hawks, y’all). If your guests have small children, include toiletries geared for children as well.
6. A Clean Bathroom
Make sure that the bathroom is clean. This is especially important if your guests share the bathroom with my children. Uhm, I mean children. Any children.
7. Considerations of Accommodations
Extra special welcoming touches are felt in the small details. These might include simply a small vase of flowers or their very own trial size Tabasco sauce. It may also mean being aware of their food likes and dislikes, allergies and special needs. (Not everyone can tolerate our seafood.) Do they need space for a C-Pap machine, or a place to make bottles or drink milk-bourbon in the middle of the night? What are their favorite beverages or snacks?
All of these tips can help your guests feel relaxed and pass a good time while staying in your home. They let your guests feel that they are as wanted and welcome as Coach O after an LSU win! But be careful, if you are too kind, they might not leave. And as my mother-in-law likes to say, company and fish stink after about 3 days!
If you want to learn more about the 6 things that make up Southern hospitality, here’s a link!
Most importantly, y’all have a good time, cher! Laisses Bon Temps Rouler!
Love this blog?
Sign up to get an email with our latest posts!
How to Relax in a Busy World
Recently, I’ve been seeing a theme on social media saying it’s ok NOT to be busy. This resonated with me because much of the practices I’ve developed in my home and also in your homes is how to be organized so you AREN’T too busy and can have peace, quality time and feel happiness when you walk in your door. Here are 4 things I do to keep from being “too busy.”
Recently, I’ve been seeing a theme on social media saying it’s ok NOT to be busy. This resonated with me because much of the practices I’ve developed in my home and also in your homes is how to be organized so you AREN’T too busy and can have peace, quality time and feel happiness when you walk in your door. Here are 4 things I do to keep from being “too busy.”
1. Be still
If you are overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy, yet you keep saying yes to everything, then you will continue being overwhelmed, stressed and unhappy. Make yourself a priority and remove the trivial things filling up your calendar. These may be fun things that we like to do, such as football games, social events or parties, but if you are empty and exhausted, these things might not fill you up and could further deplete your energy. Schedule some time to just be still.
2. Use a family calendar
Make thoughtful scheduling choices. True, we cannot get out of many of our work activities or home chores. But, if we see them on a calendar, we can spread them out accordingly. If I know I’m going to have a busy week ahead, I will spend Sundays doing a little more than the usual weekly reset. Such as, I know I won’t have time for my usual weeknight laundry(or it will be an added stressor) so I take care of it ahead of time or I’ll make sure to leave time the following weekend to handle it. Also, seeing things on our calendar might relieve some stress. You may realize that you are not as busy as it seems.
3. Minimize time wasters
Looking for your purse, wallet and keys is wasted time. Make them a home and use it. Staring at your closet in the morning looking for something to wear is wasted time. Get your clothes out the night before. Social media is a great way to disconnect but how much time is wasted? Set a timer so you don’t get lost in Facebook land too long. Don’t waste time on people, things events that don’t deserve them. Be picky about where you spend your precious time.
4. Get organized
Having a home for everything doesn’t mean your home won’t be messy, but it makes picking up and finding things go much faster (See wasting time!). Science has proven that clutter causes stress and anxiety (mayooshin.com). Less clutter and more organization might not take your stress away but having a relaxing home to come home to could certainly help you find some happiness in your day.
Being still, using a family calendar, minimizing time wasters and getting organized are only small steps to eliminating the “too busy” feeling that you may have. The choice is yours.
If you need some ideas or help with eliminating some of your stress, let’s set up a consultation! Give us a call.