Your April Get Organized Checklist

Can you believe that tomorrow is April 1st? In anticipation of April first...no joke...I've got your April Get Organzied Checklist all ready to go. Woohoo! Let's make it a terrific month.

 

April Get Organized Checklist

 

Set your goals for the month. 

What do you want to accomplish or make progress on this month in terms of your personal goals? Write it down and then make a plan to make it happen.

Check your monthly tickler folder. For those of you who have taken my paper clutter workshop and use a tickler file...remember to check your April folder today or tomorrow and disperse the contents into your daily folders!

Finish spring cleaning. Good news...we have another month to get the spring cleaning finished up. Well, at least I do. No trips planned for April...so I'm hoping to make some good progress.

Plant garden (or plan your garden if it’s too cold to plant in your zone) and set up gardening binder. April 15 is the official last frost date in my planting zone. I can't wait to get some green stuff growing in the yard again! I also plan to put together a simple binder that I can use to capture what we planted, how well it grows, what we enjoy eating and all that kind of fun stuff.

Declutter and organize clothes closets and dressers. If you need some quick and simple closet organization tips, check out these new closet organizination tips on my main site. Or join me for my online workshop Organize Your Closet for my complete closet organizing system, plus tips and tricks to make your wardrobe work for you (and make getting dressed in the morning a breeze!) Class begins next Thursday, so grab your spot today.  

Make spring / summer shopping lists for new clothes, shoes, and accessories. As your organize and declutter your closets, make a shopping list of new items you and your family members need for the upcoming seasons.

 

Decide if you will have a garage sale this spring or summer. If so, decide on the date and establish a spot to collect items for the sale. Also, check out these two blog posts How to Organize a Yard Sale Part 1 and Part 2 for more ideas on organizing your own garage sale. And...if you're on the fence about having a garage sale or not, read this post called To Garage Sale or Not to Garage Sale? Be sure to check out all the great ideas and thoughts in the comments section, too. 

Shampoo carpets or schedule an appointment to have your carpets cleaned. I'm personally hoping I can delegate this one to my son...wish me luck.

Celebrate Earth Day on April 22 by creating a shopping mini zone stocked with reusable shopping bags, your shopping lists, coupons and store flyers. Aside from the reusable shopping bags idea, you might be wondering how this is an Earth Day activity. Well...when you shop with a list you're less likely to make spontaneous purchases of unneeded items. This is is a planet-friendly thing to do. Not only do you keep clutter out of your home (an important part of the planet) but you keep items from ultimately ending up in a landfill. Check out this post for more ideas on creating an errands mini zone. If you're not up for an errands mini zone, consider keeping a stash of reusable shopping bags in your car. You'll aways have reusable bags with you when you're out.

Declutter and inventory Easter baskets and decorations.

Create a shopping list for basket stuffers. Need ideas for basket stuffers? Check out this post called Stuffing Easter Baskets + Other Easter Stuff.

Check your home air conditioning system and schedule a service call if needed. You'll thank me in June for this one.

Fix something broken...or decide you never will and let it go. Who did this one last month? I'm going to keep it on the monthly get organized checklist for a while because fixing or letting go of broken items is a really powerful thing to do! Let me know if you took the challenge last month...or if you plan to this month.

 

Here's the pdf for this month's checklist:  download april-checklist. I hope you have a fantastic month! If there's something you're planning to do in April to get or stayed organized, please share in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

an online scrapbook event - and you're invited!

Hey my scrapbooking buddies...this post is for you. Have you ever wished you could go to a scrapbook getaway and learn from expert scrapbookers? But then there was the price of admission, air fare, meals, and the hotel (not to mention convincing your hubby that he really could handle the kiddos for an entire weekend while you ran away with your friends). Well...if this sounds familiar then you are going to love my friend Lain Ehmann and the online scrapbook event that she's putting together.

 

The event, called True Scrap, features fabulous teachers like Ali Edwards, Shimelle Laine, Kelli Crowe (whose scrapbook space was featured in my book The Organized & Inspired Scrapbooker) and a bunch of other talented and inspiring scrapbookers. And I'm in on the fun, too! I’ll be teaching an interview style workshop on creating an organized and inspiring scrapbook space, with a live Q & A web-chat at the end. Fun? Indeed!

 

 

It will be a weekend filled with inspiration, techniques, tips, and virtual make'n'takes that you just won't want to miss. And best yet...it's online so you don't have to worry about airfare or hotels or getting out of your p.j.s for that matter.  

 

This fabulous, three day online event begins April 7th. You can get all the details (and sign up!) here. And if you're thinking, darn, I've already got plans that weekend, not to worry. Just sign up for the "all-access pass to Ali’s keynote, all 12 classes, plus the virtual make-and-takes…PLUS full replays of all of the above!" With this option you can "attend" the event any time that fits your schedule. (Yep, Lain thought of everything!) Hope to see you online in April!

Monday Morning Check In

Happy Monday my Finish It Friday friends! I hope you had a great weekend. I’m in that “Gee, I’ve been gone for a week” kind of place right now—getting back into the swing of things slowly but surely. Here’s my update on my Finish It Friday lists. 

 

Play List

• Hang out with my Dad on Saturday. Check! And we had such a wonderful time together.

 

To Finish

• Unpack. :) Check!
• Start + finish laundry. Umm…not so much. I actually laughed when I read that this was on my list just now. Really? I thought I would come home and do laundry yesterday? Clearly I wasn’t remembering that we would be gone last evening and that I would be in need of a nap yesterday afternoon. So…the laundry has been moved forward to today’s to-do list. Oh well…no one went naked today. So no biggie. :)

 

How did you do with your to-do list this weekend? I hope it was a great weekend for you, filled with fun and getting things done. I’m looking forward to next weekend already…a weekend at home with no major events. Hooray! Have a terrific Monday.

Get Organized for the Weekend

Happy Friday my Finish It Friday friends. I hope you had a great week. I'm still in Michigan...so my weekend to-do list will be short and sweet this week. Here's what's on tap for me:

 

Play List

 

• Hang out with my Dad on Saturday. (And hopefully my sister...if she is feeling better.)

 

To Finish

 

• Unpack. :)
• Start + finish laundry. 

 

I'm sure there will be more...but these are the big hitters for me this weekend. I fly back early Sunday morning...so have just part of a day to get things done this weekend. 

 

What's on your to-do list this weekend? I look forward to hearing from you. Have a great weekend. :)

Monday Check-In

I'm posting the Monday check-in early this week, because tomorrow morning when I would normally post...I'll be on an airplane headed to Michigan. Here's my weekend progress report.

 

Play List

• Tae Kwon Do tournament. This means no boot camp. Oh no! Check and I ran Saturday morning to make up for missing boot camp...so this is a double check. 
   

 To Finish

• Start and finish packing for trip. At this point this is almost a check. But it will definitely be a check before tomorrow morning.
• Finish laundry. The last load is in the washer right now. And it's a blanket for my bed...so the laundry will be done before bed. :)
• Start and finish cleaning the house. Thanks to my sweet son...this is almost a check, too. I will clean the bathroom tonight, and call it good.
• Meal plan / grocery list for the upcoming week. Check!
• Finish (at least) one spring cleaning task. Check! Okay...I seriously want to spring clean so, so much right now. It was the perfect day to spring clean the garage...BUT...I am packing to go north...where it will be nothing like spring for the time while I'm there. Yes, folks, this is torture for the organizer in me. I did spring clean the pantry a bit, so I got my check...but darn, I wish I could do more!

How did you do with your lists this weekend? I hope it was a fun and productive weekend for you!

It’s Time to Get Organized for the Weekend

Whew, it was another super speedy week. Where oh where did it go? I hope your week was fantastic. Do you have big plans for the weekend? Are you up for another round of Finish It Friday? I am for sure! Lots to do this weekend…so here goes my list:

Play List

• Tae Kwon Do tournament. This means no boot camp. Oh no!

 

To Finish

• Start and finish packing for trip. I’m headed to Michigan on Monday to visit family. In addition to packing there are lots of miscellaneous to-dos to get ready for this trip. So…my main focus this weekend will be packing and getting everything else ready to be out of town for a week.
• Finish laundry. I got a jump start on this last night…so just a couple of more loads to go. Hooray.
• Start and finish cleaning the house.
• Meal plan / grocery list for the upcoming week.
• Finish (at least) one spring cleaning task. It was so nice here yesterday that the spring cleaning bug was definitely biting. Attached is my spring-cleaning-checklist so far. I imagine I will add more things as I dig into the project…but it’s enough to get me started. (I’d love to hear what’s on your spring cleaning to-do list. What tasks do you do every spring?)

 

So...that's my plan...what's yours? I'd love to hear what's on your weekend to finish list and play list! Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a great weekend.

The Winner Is…

The winner of the spot in Organize Your Paper Clutter is Genise who posted on March 13, 2011 at 01:03 AM and said…

I work from home and my biggest source of paper clutter is my work documents, combined with all of my personal & family "stuff" (bills, school papers, coupons, etc). I am buried in paper and I need help with organizing this mess!

If you’re Genise, email me at aby at simplify101 dot com to find out how to claim your seat in Organize Your Paper Clutter. If you’re not Genise, there’s still time to sign up and put an end to your paper clutter! Class begins tomorrow, so grab your spot today! I hope to see you online soon.

Monday Morning Check-In / Move It Forward Monday

Happy Monday to you! I hope you had a terrific weekend. Around here it was busy but good. There was a lot of fitting things in between basketball games…but I did pretty well on my lists. Here’s my check in.

 

Play List

• Boot camp. Check. It was a tough one this week. And once again, I have discovered even more muscles I didn’t realize I had. Fun! :)
• Basketball tournament. Check! Four games this weekend. Two were very emotional and we didn’t come up on the right side of the score board. But heart breaking losses are what makes victory so sweet. (Looking forward to the next victory...) 

To Finish

• Call to make eye doctor’s appointments. Check. Jay did this.
• Send a photo to a friend. Check. It is addressed and ready to go out to the mailbox today.
• Plant some seeds. No check. We’ve decided to scratch this one from the list altogether this year. We’re joining a CSA and need to figure out what else we want to grow in our own garden. I think we’ll just buy plants after the last frost and after we decide what we want to grow ourselves.
• Plan meals for the week / make grocery list. Check.
• Clean house. Check, and I even got started on some spring cleaning.
• Finish laundry. Check.
• Spring forward! Check...I'm feeling this today, too. ;)
• Work on spring cleaning checklist. Check! Will share more on this in an upcoming post.

How did you do this weekend? Remember, if you didn’t get everything done consider how you can move a project forward today. What one step could you take today on a project to move it forward even just a little bit so it’s that much easier to finish next weekend or during the week this week? 

 

Thanks for joining me for Finish It Friday this week! See you back here next weekend for another round. 

Organize Your Paper Clutter Online Workshop Giveaway: Freebie Friday

We’re gearing up to begin the spring session of one of my favorite online workshops—Organize Your Paper Clutter. One lucky blog reader gets to join me for FREE! That’s right, it’s Freebie Friday and up for grabs today is one spot in this fun and effective online workshop that shows you how to put an end to your paper clutter! During this workshop you will learn how to organize every type of paper in your home following the process outlined in my new article Seven Steps to Organize Your Paper Clutter.

If you’ve never taken one of my online workshops before, here are some good things to know…

 

• You can take the workshop on your time schedule. There is no set time for the class / lessons. Instead, once a lesson is released, it is available to you 24/7 through the workshop close date. You can also download and save all the lesson materials so you have ongoing access to the content after the workshop closes.
• Lesson concepts are bite sized and action oriented which means you won’t just learn how to get organized—you’ll do it!
• I actively participate in all of my workshops. This means if you have any questions as you implement the lesson concepts, answers are just a few clicks away. This means you will keep taking action and making progress on your projects throughout the workshop.
• Online workshops are an affordable and effective way to get organized. For less than the cost of a single in-home organizing consultation, you can spend seven weeks online with a professional organizer setting up proven systems that will help you get a handle on your paper!
• If you sign up, try a lesson, and decide it isn’t your cup to tea, we’ll give you a full refund. (View our generous refund policy here.)

Organize Your Paper Clutter is for anyone with paper clutter. Whether you have kids or not, you’ll learn how to set up effective (and fun!) systems for every type of paper in your home.

 

Here’s how to enter for a chance to win a spot in Organize Your Paper Clutter:

 
1.  In the comments answer this question:  What (or who) is the biggest source of paper clutter in your home? AND / OR…

2.  For a second chance to win link to this giveaway on Facebook. AND / OR…

3.  For a third chance to win, tweet this giveaway with a link on Twitter. AND / OR…

4.  Do all three for three chances to win! Make sure to leave a separate comment for each thing you do telling us what you did—answered the question, linked on Facebook or Tweeted.

 

By the way, if you've already signed up for the workshop and win the freebie, we will refund your money. :) I will leave comments open through Sunday, March 13 at 9:00 PM Central, and draw a winner on Monday. Good luck...and have a terrific weekend.

**Comments are now closed! Winner will be announced Monday, March 14. Thanks for entering!**

Get Organized for the Weekend

This Friday morning began like most Friday mornings…until hearing the news about the earthquake in Japan. My sister-in-law is from Japan, and her family lives in Osaka. Thankfully her family is safe. It breaks my heart to think of the families that aren’t waking up to good news this morning, or who at this point simply don’t know the fate of their loved ones. The people of Japan are on my mind and in my heart today…as I’m sure they will be for a long time to come.

What’s on your mind today? Are you up for sharing your to-do list for the weekend? So we don’t break our Finish It Friday momentum, here’s my list for the week. (And yes it looks quite similar to last week’s…and the week before that…and the week before that…)

 

Play List

• Boot camp.  
• Basketball tournament. Right now we have three games on Saturday alone! It’s going to be a busy one.

To Finish

• Call to make eye doctor’s appointments.  
• Send a photo to a friend.
• Plant some seeds. Since the exact basketball schedule is a bit up in the air, this one is on the “if there’s time list.”
• Plan meals for the week / make grocery list.
• Clean house.
• Finish laundry. I did a few loads in the middle of the week this week…so hopefully it will be a lighter laundry weekend than last weekend.
• Spring forward! Change clocks ahead before bed on Saturday.
• Work on spring cleaning checklist.

 

What are your plans for the weekend? I'd love it if you would share your to-do list in the comments. (By the way...make plans to check back here later today for a fun Freebie Friday...) See you soon!