After Organizing Do You Get the Itch to Decorate? (Plus a Great Giveaway)

During the last session of Quick + Simple Clutter Control there was discussion in the forums about decorating. Several workshop participants were inspired to decorate and put the finishing touches on the spaces they had decluttered during the workshop. Does this happen to you, too? Do you get the itch to decorate after you organize and declutter?

 

I get the itch to decorate during certain times of the year—especially in the fall. I think it’s the knowing that winter is fast approaching. I want something fresh and new to look. I want to create a cozy space to relax and enjoy during the cold winter days. 

 

So the timing was just perfect when the folks at Southern Living asked if I’d like to take a look at their new book Southern Living Style. Just one look at the cover and I was sold.

 

(Don't you just love that turquoise, wooden box?)

 

When the book arrived I realized how little I really know about southern style. I grew up in Michigan…so you might guess that I don’t consider myself a southern girl. Yet, when I flipped through the pages of the book I realized that I could feel very much feel at home in a southern-inspired room. The rooms are comfortable, eclectic and many shown in the book are much more casual than I imagined southern style would be. I found tons of inspiring photos and project ideas. My creative decorating juices are flowing. 

 

Want to take a look inside? Here’s a sampling of the eye candy you’ll find inside Southern Living Style.

 

This bright and cheery chest of drawers started out as a basic pine chest. Love this!

 

How about painting a door with chalkboard paint? So fun! (And don't you love the "laundry" letters up on that ledge?)

 

 

I love, love this kids bunk room, and the idea of using heirlooms in a kids space...like grandma's old quilts and a footstool brightened with paint. I have a few quilts from grandma (and great grandma) maybe it's time to pull them out? I always say "If you're going to keep it...have it out where you can enjoy it." This space definitely embraces that idea. 

 

How smart is this room...with two workstations in the family room? Terrific idea that would definitely help a family stay organized.

My favorite chapter was the kitchen chapter. It was loaded with inspiring photos and ideas. I have this thing right now for white kitchens. I love this eat-in kitchen, with the white slip covered chairs, wooden floors and table...and so much clean, crisp white all around the space. I'm definitely inspired. 

 

(All images in this post courtesy Southern Living.)

 
Here's what the publishers have to say about this book:

Southern Living Style, the most comprehensive design book from Southern Living magazine, debuts in bookstores on September 13. Like a gracious host, Southern Living Style ($29.95) serves as a visual, step-by-step guide on crafting rooms that are traditional, eclectic, and always unexpected. The book offers gorgeous rooms that have graced the pages of Southern Living magazine, plus countless helpful trends and tips.

Would you like a free copy of Southern Living Style? Here's how to enter for up to four chances to win.*

1.  Leave a comment that answers these questions. Do you get the itch to decorate after you organize? If so, what are your favorite decorating resources? Do you have a favorite design blog? OR... 

 

2.  Head over to Facebook and “like” simplify 101. Come back and leave a comment letting me know you did. OR...

 

3.  While you're out there "like" Southern Living magazine on Facebook. Come back and leave a comment letting me know you did. OR...

 

4.  Mention this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter, then leave a comment letting me know you did.

 

Comments will close on Sunday September 18, 2011 at 9 PM central, and the winner will be announced on Monday. *Please note that this giveaway is open to United States residents only. Thank you to the publishers of Southern Living Style for sponsoring this giveaway! And good luck to everyone who enters! :)

 

**UPDATE:  Comments are now closed. Thanks for entering!**

Cleaning: Is it Better to Create a Schedule or Not?

In this post Jennifer shares her evolving thoughts on implementing a cleaning schedule. The first time someone suggested the idea, she balked at it. In time though, Jennifer decided to give it a try. What she found may suprise you just as it suprised Jennifer. Scheduling tasks like cleaning can give you a tremendous sense of  freedom...and even room for spontonaeity! What works for you? Do you prefer to have a cleaning schedule...or does your life work better with out one? 

 

Sometime between the birth of our first and second children, my good friend Janice (who is such a good friend that she had children roughly the same time I did, except for she went for a third child because she is an overachiever like that) began talking about her “cleaning schedule.” I tuned her out for a while. It sounded a bit to akin to “Meatloaf Monday” or something equally as rigid. But Janice is gorgeous and brilliant and accomplished, so eventually you just have to ask her How do you do it? Her answer in this instance was to clean by a schedule.

 

I laughed. I shuddered. I balked. And then I broke down and gave it a try. I had worked full-time for years before having my daughter, Joy. Janice was quick to point out that in my job, I had not just shown up for work and drifted through the week. There were things on my calendar each day – meetings to attend, calls to make, tasks to accomplish – so why not operate that way in my new career as a stay-at-home mom? Janice makes a good point, doesn’t she? So I created a schedule based on hers and gave it a go. 

Immediately I felt a huge relief. I found that I could walk across the Cheerio-ridden kitchen floor on Monday with acceptance because I knew that cleaning floors was a task for Tuesday. It made my workload seem more manageable, and I felt much better when I opted to take Joy to the park instead of trying to tackle the endless housework. 

When Joy was 4 and my youngest daughter, Faith, was 2, I went back to work on a part-time basis, working every other week. I tried to maintain my schedule, but what quickly happened was that I would keep up with housework one week and keep up with my job the next. It was good in the sense that it was still somewhat of a routine, but looking back on it now I see it would have alleviated so much pressure if I’d come up with a schedule. Even if it had been a “light-duty” week for my workweeks, combined with a “heavy duty” schedule on my weeks off, it would have helped. Ah, hindsight.

 

Once I knew I would be transitioning to new hours at my new job at simplify 101, I decided to dust off the ol’ schedule. I revamped it to work with how our life works, intentionally leaving room on Friday for catching up (or slacking off). I also kept Sunday virtually blank since that is our family’s day for rest and fun time. All I do is menu plan that day, which takes little time and sort of helps me focus and plan on the week ahead anyway.

I keep my list posted in the kitchen inside a page protector and use a dry erase marker to check things off or make new notes as I go.  This also helps me in recruiting help from the rest of my family. Anyone can plainly see at the end of the day or week what hasn’t been done. 

 

 

 

What about the tasks that are not spelled out on the list? I struggled with that one my first time around, but this time I’ve struck on something that’s working well at our house. When I see those things that are bothering me but I don’t have time to deal with right then, I note it on my schedule as an “extra cleaning job.” I know there are so many ways to deal with the extra jobs in an organized fashion -- tickler files, monthly checklists, seasonal routines -- but I’m not there yet! This way I’m at least dealing with the stuff that’s irritating me most (cobwebs on the light fixture!) and feeling good that there’s room in the routine for it.

It’s not a perfect system, and I continue tweaking it as I go. I think it’s also worth telling you that I don’t check everything off each week, and I don’t honestly expect to. That’s too much pressure! If there’s a chore that gets skipped or glossed over, I make a dot next to it and give it more attention the following week. And for now, this routine is serving my family pretty well – helping us stay on top of the housework instead of buried under it, and helping us make space for the really important stuff, like family fun time together!

How about you? We’d love to hear about your cleaning habits and routines. Leave us a comment here or on our Facebook page.

~Jennifer

Freebie Friday - Sample One Lesson of Organize Your Paper Clutter

Who doesn’t love a free sample? It’s so much easier to try something before you buy it. That’s why I am really excited to tell you about this offer — a free lesson in our Organize Your Paper Clutter workshop. If you’ve heard me blog about my online workshops before, and thought that sounds interesting, but do I really need that? Or Hmmm…I wonder what those workshops are all about? Would they work for me? Then today is your lucky day! You can find out firsthand what goes on in our online workshops absolutely risk free and free of charge!

I’ve designed the simplify 101 workshops not only to help you get organized, but also to have a lot of fun while doing it. Our online workshops offer:

• Convenience: Learn valuable organization techniques from the comfort of your own home, at a schedule and pace that works for you and your family.

• Quality Content: Receive downloadable lessons with color photography, online materials, and high-quality audio to reinforce each exercise.

• Simplicity: Each concept is structured in small, straightforward steps that can be easily tackled.

• Value: Get the benefit of an in-home organizing expert at a fraction of the cost.

• Creativity: Incorporate your own personal style and ideas into your organizing solutions. 

• Community: Receive inspiration from the ideas, support, and successes of other students in your class, and benefit from the expertise of a knowledgeable, results-oriented instructor. 

• Satisfaction: Enjoy the gratification that comes from doing your own projects. You’ll take control of your life, add creative touches, and bring about positive, empowering change in your home and life.

So…what is Organize Your Paper Clutter all about? This workshop addresses one of the most common organizing dilemmas that people face. The paper coming into our lives can be overwhelming … mail, junk mail, school papers, the newspaper, magazine clippings, recipes, etc. If you’re struggling to set up a good system for all of those pieces of paper that you can't throw away but don’t know where to file—this is the workshop for you.

 

This workshop will help you create homes for your paper, so you don’t have to let it pile up (and stress you out!) anymore. And best yet, you’ll put together systems that work for you, your home, and how you naturally do things. 

 

 

Sign Up for the FREE Sample Lesson

If this sounds good to you, follow this link to sign up now for your “taste test” of our workshop. Make sure to follow all three steps in the registration process. (It is really important that you do all three steps. So please read carefully—I want to make sure you can take advantage of this offer.)

 

Then, for one week beginning next Thursday, September 15th, you’ll get a free week in Organize Your Paper Clutter! Hurry—this offer ends Wednesday, September 14th, 2011 at 9:00PM US CST. I hope to see you online soon!

Organizing with Your Kids: How do you organize all the little things?

The final session of Organizing with Your Kids for 2011 starts today! In celebration of organizing with your kids, I'm doing one more Q + A blog post. Here's today's question:

How do you organize all the little things, such as beads, found rocks and sticks, tiny toy pieces, etc? 

 

First, recognize how your child uses these small items. I often tell the story of the countless hours I spent when my son was younger separating the tiny stuff in his room into categories that made sense to me…diecast cars in one pile, Lite-Brite pegs in another, bouncy balls in a third, Legos® in a fourth and so on. However, to my son, these items were all the same—they were toy “trash” that he used to play garbage trucks! Sorting into categories that made sense to me didn’t help either one of us. I was frustrated when my efforts evaporated before my eyes; and it didn’t help Collin play and use his things. 

 

The moral of this story is to start by recognizing how your child uses the items in his room. Then, with this in mind, select a container for them. 

 

Second, divide items into separate containers or compartments if it helps your child use or enjoy the items. It certainly didn’t make sense to separate Collin’s Legos from his Lite-Brites—and it would have made even less sense to sort the Legos by color or size! A big bin for all of his small toys (a.k.a. garbage) made play time and clean-up easier. 

 

Once you understand how your child uses the items, match the storage container to the size of the items you are storing. Put large items into a toy box or large storage bins, and store small items in smaller containers such as plastic food storage containers, canvas bins or tackle boxes.

 

Display treasures and other small keepsakes on shelves. 

 

Or contain  collections in clear plastic jars or glass jars if your kids are older.

 

If you'd like more ideas for organizing with your kids and helping them create organized spaces that work for them, join me in the online workshop Organizing with Your Kids. We're just getting started and would love it if you and your kid(s) would join in the fun!  

Organizing with Your Kids: How do you persuade kids that it is worth being organized?

Before we get to the blog post, I have something exciting to share. You may have noticed that there's a lot going on this week! It’s a new month…so there’s a new checklist. There’s a new workshop and a new instructor. And just when you thought I was done with all the new stuff…I’ve got something else new to share. Okay, I should really say I’ve got someone else new to share with you…and I couldn’t be more excited! Please meet Jennifer McClure.

 

Jennifer is the newest addition to the simplify 101 team. She joined us earlier this month as our marketing + content coordinator. Part of Jennifer’s role on the team is to contribute to the Creative Organizing blog! I’m beyond thrilled to have Jennifer’s fresh ideas, energy and talents—on the blog and elsewhere at simplify 101. Jennifer is the mom of two school-aged girls, and in her first post she shares first-hand how she has started answering the question “How do you persuade kids that it is worth being organized.” An answer Jennifer found lies in tapping into the other things your kids are naturally interested in. But…I’ll let Jennifer share all of that with you. Please join me in welcoming Jennifer to simplify 101!

 

It isn’t for lack of interest in being organized, I am sure of that. I actually think that she is a naturally organized person, if that’s even something you can truly assess at age 8. Yet time and again we are both completely overwhelmed when room-cleaning day rolls around. Every flat surface is covered in stuff, and the perimeter of her room is lined with piles. Neat piles that don’t bother her, mind you, but piles and piles nonetheless. She doesn’t know where to begin, and frankly, how could she? The chaos that is her bedroom is enough to make a grown mama cry.

 

I’ve helped, cajoled, offered advice, given suggestions. Some of it has been well received. She did embrace the concept of labeling, and now her storage cubbies are set aside for things like “piggy bank” and “tomorrow’s jewelry.” But unfortunately for us both, most of my sage words have met obstinate refusal. (Ah, that’s my fiercely independent eldest daughter, Joy.)  

 

So you might imagine how an American Girl book entitled Clutter Control: Tips and Crafts to Organize Your Bedroom, Backpack, Locker, Life would catch my eye, yes? After a quick thumb-through, I felt it would be well worth $8.95. “Hmmm, this looks kind of cool,” I quietly mused as I thumbed through it. This quickly caught Joy's attention as this was a perfect storm of her interests... books + American Girl = Hello! I let her take a peak and within moments she was asking if I would please, please, please buy it for her. “Well,” I said, “let’s see.” Respectable pause here. “OK, I guess if you really think you would like to try out these tips, we can get the book.” (Ha! I love having these clever, stealthy parenting moments, don’t you?)

 

Joy loves the book, particularly the fun, colorful labels supplied in the back. She excitedly asked her teacher on the first day of school if she could affix the “Take Me Home” label to her folder.

 

She loves that the book instructs her to focus on one area at a time, and her desk is an area she has been able to maintain pretty well. She loves… get ready… using a binder for her papers. I bought the girl a pretty binder and a pink 3-hole-punch, and she was over the moon!

 

She now has a paper management system of her own that actually works for her. Papers she wants to keep on display now hang from her new “gallery,” and other papers are either stored in the binder or recycled. Oh, thank you, American Girl! We may still have some cluttered surfaces and piles to sort through, but the few practices that she has already adopted are already paying dividends. 

 

I’ve learned some things here, as well. Organizing can be fun, even for kids. The question is really how to make it fun. I used to try to set up tubs and challenge my girls to toss the toys into them. That could sometimes create a few moments of fun, but my girls aren’t very athletic. It didn’t hold their interest. So, now I feel like I am onto a couple things. 1) Things my kids are interested in can help inspire them, even in an area like being organized.  2) If it can be their idea, it’s infinitely more successful than something I am trying to force on them. 

 

This weekend, I plan to mention all the cool things simplify 101 is going to do in the Organizing with Your Kids workshop that begins Sep. 6, 2011. I hope at least one of my children thinks this sounds like a fun thing to do with Mom and asks to sign up! 

~ Jennifer

Your September Get Organized Checklist

Happy September 1^st my friends! It’s the first of the month which means it’s time for a fresh, new Get Organized Checklist. Here’s what’s on tap for the month of September.  

 

{see below for a printable pdf version of this checklist}

 

Your September Get Organized Checklist

Set your goals for the month.  Ah…what are your goals for the month ahead? I love starting each new month with a fresh perspective and  renewed commitment to my goals. Are there things you’ve wanted to start working on, maybe a new habit that you’d like to create? Take a few minutes today to think about (and better yet, write down) what you’d like to accomplish in the month ahead.

 

Check your monthly tickler folder. If you’ve taken my paper clutter workshop and use a tickler file, today is the day to go through your September file folder and distribute the contents into your daily folders.  

 

Declutter + organize your closets. My thermometer is in disagreement with this one at the moment…but September is a great time to declutter and organize your closets to get ready for the cooler temperatures. If you'll be organizing your closets this month, check out my self-paced workshop Organize Your Closet for a step-by-step guide to transforming your closet into organizational bliss. Or, if your kids' closets are on your to-do list, join me in the September session of Organizing with Your Kids to learn all my secrets and strategies for involving your kids in the organizing process.  

Make clothes shopping lists for the upcoming season. As you go through your closet (and / or your kids) sort and edit your clothing. As you do, make a list of the clothes, shoes, and accessories you and your family members need for the upcoming season.  Use this wardrobe-shopping-list printable (from my Closet Workshop) to organize your shopping lists.

 

Deep clean your home. When the seasons change I always have a strong urge to get my home sparkling clean. It's a great time to shampoo the carpets, wash  the windows, clean the light fixtures, and maybe even do a bit of painting. 

 

Pull out + declutter your fall decor.  September is also a great month to inventory your seasonal decor. As you pull things out of storage, donate items you no longer like or want out on display.  

 

Check your heating system + schedule a service call if necessary.  Seems crazy to be suggesting this on a 100 degree day…but it never hurts to plan ahead.

 

Clean out the fireplace flue.  If you have a wood burning fire place, get ready for fire season by cleaning out the flue or making an appointment with a chimney sweep. While you’re at it, make arrangements for firewood.  If you don’t have a fireplace, check your inventory of candles…and stock up if needed. 

 

Perk up the outside of your home with fresh potted flowers, a fall wreath or new doormat. The flowers on my front porch have had it with this heat. I’m excited to put out some potted Mums and maybe even some pansies before the end of the month.

 

Declutter + organize the garage. We did our annual "fall" garage clean-out earlier this week. I find that if we do it twice a year…it doesn’t take much time at all. If yours hasn’t gotten attention for a while, remember to break the task into small organizing sessions. Make progress for fifteen to thirty minutes at a time. Start by letting go of items you no longer use, need or love, and then arrange your keeper items into zones such as automotive, lawn and garden, kids toys, etc.

 

Sign up for a fall class on a topic of interest like scrapbooking, photography, yoga, cooking, or organizing. For me September is back-to-school month (even though my kids start in August.) Quench your thirst for learning by signing up for a class on an interesting topic. You could join me at Spawn of True Scrap or in an online organizing workshop. Or if you’re local, join me for some yoga at the Y. (I’m not teaching…just a very happy student.) Or if you want to brush up on your photography skills (an ongoing goal for me) consider 31 Days to a Better Photo. (I'm starting today!)  

 

Let go of something that’s weighing you down. The change of seasons is also a wonderful time to do some general decluttering. This month, find one thing in your home that’s weighing you down…and let it go!

 

Whatever you decide to put on your to-do list this month, make it a great one! Here is the PDF for this month's checklist:  Download September-checklist. (You will need Adobe Reader to open the file which you can get here:  http://get.adobe.com/reader/)

 

What’s on your September to-do list? Is there anything you feel super-motivated to do this time of year? I'd love to hear from you. 

You're invited to an online scrapbook event!

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 have to check out Spawn of True Scrap. Registration just opened today for this amazing weekend of scrapbooking and fun.  For just $127 you get 17 classes taught by 17 fabulous instructors! PLUS recordings of all the classes and a virtual make and take. (And you can do it all in your p.j.’s from the comfort of your own home!) How great is that?

 

Just check out this line up of instructor’s and their fabulous classes:

 
Design Your Story with Embellishment Gatherings {Noell Hyman}

Quick and Easy Digital Pages {Renee Pearson}

Show Me the Money! A Dozen Ways to Make Money Scrapbooking {Lain Ehmann}

Going Off the Grid: Creating layouts that are anything but square {Lisa Dickinson}

From Pages to Cards [Kristina Werner}

Stamping on Scrapbook Layouts {Nichol Magouirk}

Super Stamping Secrets II {Jennifer McGuire}

Spray Inks De-Mist-ified {Francine Clauden}

Ready, Set, Distress! {Nic Howard}

Phoning It In: Using cell phone photos effectively {Tami Morrison}

Mixed-Media Scrapbook Pages {Erin Bassett}

Solutions for Small Scrapbook Spaces {Aby Garvey}

Creating Digital Templates for Photo Printing {Paula Gilarde}

Go with the Flow: Creating flow in your scrapbook albums {Shimelle Laine}

Freud on Scrapbooking: Sometimes a page isn’t just a page… Inspiration for Free! {Kelli Crowe}

Photo Composition {Katrina Kennedy}

Stitch it. Dot it. Edge it. {May Flaum}

…Plus special guest interview with Cathy Zielske

This fabulous, three day online event will happen October 20-22 LIVE from your computer! Mark your calendar and then grab your spot here! I look forward to seeing you there!