Silly Things People Save....Part II

Well, this one is sort of a logical progression from the boxes mentioned in the previous post. The next silly thing being saved is...bags. Paper grocery bags, plastic grocery bags, shopping bags, gift bags, tote bags, etc. Most households have enough bags to last 5 to 10 years!

As with boxes, keep only what you will use. If you reuse gift bags, by all means, keep some on hand so you don't have to buy more. I am a big proponent of reusing things like this.

As far as grocery bags and shopping bags go, keep a few on hand as needed. Most grocery stores have a recycling bin at their entrance where you can return the bags at your next shopping trip. Better yet, use washable canvas bags that can be reused for each grocery trip.

Tote bags are a big pet peeve of mine. They seem to just multiply like rabbits in our homes. We get them on trips, at work, at conventions and shows and other places where they are given to us as free promotional items. If you can find a use for them, such as using them in place of plastic grocery bags, great. Otherwise, send them to a thrift store or charity. These bags are often kept on hand "just in case"; just in case my other 25 tote bags that don't advertise for some embarrassing prescription medication are all out of commission!

Some Silly Things.....Part I

Ok, first of all, let me apologize for being a slacker with the blog this past month. It was a busy month for me and the blog fell victim to my schedule!

In the spirit of spring cleaning, I thought I'd talk about some of the things that I often see people very attached to and that I also have found to have little to no value in holding on too.

Cardboard boxes seem to be high on the list of silly things people save. Shipping boxes, boxes that electronics come in, gift boxes, etc. All these boxes might come in handy someday, right? Or perhaps you are saving the boxes so that if you move years from now, you can put things back in their original packing materials (as if your computer would know the difference!).

A few thoughts here about the plethora of boxes in your garages, attics, basements, and closets. Boxes take up a lot of space. In non-temperature controlled climates, the cardboard gets subjected to extremes in temperature and can become brittle, which makes it weak and unable to hold heavy loads for shipping or moving. Insects and rodents love paper and cardboard. Damp paper can get moldy, which can cause respiratory issues and allergies.

Save boxes for electronics until the return and/or warranty period has expired. After that, there is not a valid reason to save the boxes. If you move, you can always find boxes. Every day, there are loads of them being offered for free on sites like Freecycle and Craig's List. Rather than letting your boxes rot in your attic, recycle them while they are still useful by offering them to someone who needs them now.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

Organizing systems, when designed properly, should make things easier for you. If you are having trouble finding papers, putting together an outfit in your closet, or getting your car into your garage, you likely could benefit from an improvement to your current processes.

That being said, an overly complex system can actually be cumbersome and time-consuming, which can easily lead you to abandon the new system and revert back to your old ways. An ideal system is one that allows you to accomplish your goal of finding a paper or assembling an outfit with less problems and in less time that it previously took.

A professional organizer can work with you to find out your specific needs and goals. From there, they can design a system that will be personalized to get you the results YOU need. Ultimately, you will have a smarter way of doing things that makes your life easier on a daily basis.

Cut Down on Grocery Bag Clutter

I was in Target recently and saw that they now have disposable shopping bags for sale. The bags are Target red in color and they zip up into a little pouch shape when not in use. They are made of a fairly sturdy woven fabric material. The bags were relatively inexpensive, only 99 cents per bag.

Using bags like this is not only good for the environment, it also cuts down on the sheer clutter of having all those paper and plastic grocery bags coming into your home. That being said, if you need to keep a small supply of bags available in your home, don't feel quilty about getting a few of them to have on hand. Just be certain not to stockpile them.

Many grocery stores also offer the reusable bags as well. Look for bags that are roomy enough to hold bulky items, but not so big that they will be hard to carry when full. They should have sturdy handles and be able to be washed as needed. Some of them have a coating that helps make them more water resistant, which is helpful when toting things into your house in the rain.

When using reusable shopping bags, the key is to remember to bring them along with you to the store. It is helpful to develop a regular routine for this purpose. For example, after you unload your groceries from the bags, you may want to get into the habit of immediately returning the bags to your car.

Playing "Catch Up"

I have had a respiratory infection all week that forced me to have to clear just about everything on my schedule, setting me back on some activities that I had really hoped to get done. Even a planned break from the daily grind, like a vacation, can also throw us into a tailspin when we return to "normal" functioning.

To more easily get back on track, I try to categorize my backed-up tasks based or priority. I list everything I need and want to do. Next to each item, I indicate if the task is Urgent (U) or Important (I). Important might be paying a stack of bills, and a bill that is due this week may be both Urgent and Important. Returning phone calls might have a sense of urgency, but those calls which are most important will take priority.

I also will indiciate if the tasks is external - meaning I have to leave my home or office to complete it. This way, when I am out, I can easily look at my list and see if there are additional errands I can take care of. I do the Important and Urgent first, the Important next, and then the Urgent. Things that are neither urgent or important can wait until I get all caught up.

When you feel overwhelmed with all you have to get done, using a simple system like this can help you to quickly develop a game plan to get things back in order.

Realistic Expectations

I love watching the organizing shows on TV. However, as a Professional Organizer, I worry that the shows can sometimes create unrealistic expectations for potential organizing clients. The TV shows can appear to completely transform an entire house in just 30 or 60 mintues.

In reality, these shows have huge crews working behind the scenes, not just one organizer. And even with these crews, the work may take days or weeks to complete, but is edited to appear as if it the projects were completed more quickly.

The other pitfall to these programs is that since the organizing is done "all at once", there is an illusion that once the house is completed, order has been restored forever. There is little to no discussion of establishing new, ongoing systems and habits to maintain this blissful environment.

A Professional Organizer wants their clients to have that same wonderful reaction as the TV organizing clients; however, the reality is that this comes in a series of smaller accomplishments as the client learns to gain control over their stuff and the space in their home or office.

Looking at Things in a New Light

When we think about getting organized, for many of us, our thoughts immediately drift to containers. Boxes, bins, totes, and folders to store paper, collectibles, photographs, and other memorabilia. However, many of the items in our homes that are sitting around unused can be easily repurposed, saving us money as well as a trip to the store.

Here's an example from my own home. I needed a way to store my earrings, the kind that are on the wires (not the posts). In a box or drawer, they always seemed to get quite tangled. I saw some nice earring organizing products in catalogs and online, but did not want to spend the money. I considered a plastic fishing tackle box, which was affordable, but I'm not a big fan of bringing a lot of plastic storage into my home, except in outdoor spaces. I wanted something more natural.

While going thru some decorative items I had not used in a while, I came across a wrought iron candle holder. It had a heavy iron base, with round iron loops around a central post. A glass votive cup sat in each of these circular areas. One of the glass holders was cracked, enough that I would not use the piece again. As I was removing the glass cups and wrapping them up to take the Goodwill, I realized the remaining metal piece would make a wonderful storage and display unit for my earrings.

By looking at this item in a new way, I solved the organizing issue with my earrings without spending a dime. The broken glass was recycled, the good glass was donated to be reused by someone else, and the iron piece was repurposed. No landfills or wallets were harmed by this organizing project!