Clutter Conversions

Classes are coming to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County VA!

Clutter Conversions, LLC Classes and Seminars are coming to Harrisonburg and Rockingham County VA. I have been repeatedly asked, "Kathryn, when are you going to present classes and seminars in Rockingham County and Harrisonburg VA?"
Well, they are now available!
Click on "Upcoming Classes and Seminars" to find a class that suits you and see how to register.
I look forward to seeing you there!

Why do people dread the Holidays?

I find that many people dread the holiday season for many reasons but the most common one is due to having too much stuff to get done and the cost.

I am writing this now because now is the time that you should start preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

Here are four quick tips but many, many more will be offered in my "Get Organized for the Holidays" class.

1) Create a Christmas shopping list in January. The list should contain the name of people you know you will want to buy things for at Christmas and an idea of what you may want to give them.  Start purchasing items in January and shop throughout the year.

2) Learn to say "NO".  You can not possible attend everything everyone invites you to and you can not do everything all by yourself.

3) Make time for your self!

4) Prepare this year for next year.

 

To register for this class log onto www.clutterconversions.com under classes and seminars.

Why is this task or project not getting done?

     Most of us have a task or project we want to do but keep putting it off.  If you are a business, it may be that you want to organize your desk, files or storage area.  If your project is at home, you may be putting off painting a room, cleaning out the garage or planting a garden. 
Below are a few reasons that may be stopping you from getting the task or project completed.

• Do not know where to start - generally start with the area that is closest to you on your right and work yourself around the space.

• Overwhelmed - break it down into smaller tasks. Use timers to help you work for short periods of time.
  

• ^{No Plan - answer these questions: what items are needed, who do I need to help me, how much money do I need, what tools is needed and how much time can I spend on it? Once you have answered these questions, mark it on your calendar to do it.}
  

• Do not know how to do the project - research the project or ask a professional for assistance or guidance.

• What to do with items no longer needed - before you begin, figure out how you are going to deal with the trash, where are you going to take donations or how are you going to get items back to the original owners?  Again, you can research local nonprofit organizations or ask a professional.

• Fear - I may not do it perfectly or I may fail to finish or meet someone's approval.  There is no such thing as perfection! If you follow the plan, you will finish. Finally, your approval is all that matters.  What matters most is that you are happy with the process and end results

     Once you have all these questions answered and a written plan, your stress will be decreased and beginning, implementing and completing your task or project will be a huge success!

Want to get organized but short on time?

     As a professional organizer I often hear people say, “I sure would like to get more organized but I just do not have the time.”  Contrary to what most people believe, getting organized does not have to take up a lot of your time!  There are many things that you can do when you only have a couple of minutes.

     Here are three things you can do that only takes five minutes and makes a huge difference in the appearance of your home, making it look organized and uncluttered.

1)      Make the Bed!  It is usually the largest item in the bedroom and if it is made, the room looks 75% organized and uncluttered.  You do not have to make sure the bed is perfect just pull the comforter back over the bed and put the pillows at the head of the bed.

2)      Clear off the Bathroom Countertops!  Put the toothbrushes in their holders and toothpaste away in the cabinet or drawer.  Slide make-up into the drawer, put combs and hair brushes in a drawer and pick up towels.

3)      Pick up Laundry!  Hang up clothes; put clothes in a hamper or drawer.  Do not leave them hanging on a chair, bedpost or thrown on the floor.  Place shoes inside the closet or under the bed.

 

These three things take less than five minutes to do daily and will make your house look more organized and uncluttered.  Just remember that anytime you have unexpected guests, they will most likely want to use your bathroom.  Now you will not have to worry what it looks like!

January is “GO” Month

“Getting organized is one of the top New Year’s resolutions people make, and with 4,300 NAPO members ready and available to assist, it is easier than most people think,” said NAPO President Laura Leist. “NAPO members have helped people put order to their lives during this month-long event by offering solutions for getting organized and hosting events nationwide.  This year it’s time to take action and Get Organized!”

During Get Organized Month, NAPO’s chapters and members will hold public events offering de-cluttering tips and filing methods throughout the country. Some events include reuse-and-recycle programs, organizing services, shred-a-thons, seminars, school outreaches and contests. Programming will take place in local libraries, bookstores and community centers nationwide.

According to a recent survey conducted on behalf of NAPO, respondents agree—getting organized is definitely a necessity. Of those polled, 71 percent said their quality of life would improve if they were better organized.

• 65 percent described their home as at least moderately disorganized.
• 27 percent said disorder keeps them from being effective at work.

I have teamed up with Jim Maust, owner of Venture Builders and Deb Mitchell, owner of  The Design Group of Harrisonburg to de-clutter and organize three areas for The Valley Mission located in Staunton, VA. The event will take place on Friday and Saturday, January 22^nd and 23^rd.

We are in need of monetary and product donations.  You can donate any amount of money you feel is comfortable or any of the following items:

***12 sheets of 3/4"plywood or OSB Board

***2 sheets of 1/2" plywood or OSB Board

***Clear plastic bins/tubs, shoe box to large 5 gallon size

***(4) Label maker tapes - Brother P-Touch 12mm 1/2" laminated white split back

***White wire shelving - 12 or 16' x 16" and brackets

The Valley Missions’ Public Relations Coordinator, Wendy Shiflett, states that “by building and installing shelving units and reorganizing donations, these storage rooms will become better organized, helping us to make better use of donations received, and more accurately target our donation requests.”

If you or your business would like to donate money or products to assist with this project please contact Wendy Shiflett at (540) 886-4673 or wendyshiflett@valleymission.net  or Kathryn McMillan at (540) 294-1523 or clutterconversions@yahoo.com.

New Years Resolutions

New Years Resolutions

Your very first New Years Resolution should be “I want to simplify my life so I can enjoy what is truly important to me.”  In order to simplify your life, you need to take a good, long, hard look at the things you have been doing in the past and decide if they represent your most important goals and values.  If they do not, then you need to stop doing them.  You have been wasting valuable time and energy!  Decide what you most important goals and values are (only 5-7), list them on a piece of paper and underneath each one, list the actions you need to take to achieve or reinforce your goals and values.  This list is what should fill your calendar.  These five to seven goals should be your New Years Resolutions!!

The first thing to do is create a plan!  Be specific when you describe your resolutions and make them measurable.  A New Years Resolution is just a starting point.  It should be a year-round project comprised of many small steps.  Break down large goals into smaller ones with time frames established.  Find alternatives to a behavior that you want to change, and make this part of your resolution plan.  Remain flexible, things change constantly and you must be able to adapt to be successful. The second thing is to be realistic!!  Setting a New Years Resolution that is unrealistic will set you up for failure immediately.  Remember that "effective" time management will give you the time needed to achieve your goal.  You will feel proud and successful, as well as, be a healthier and happier person!  An important component to having a successful resolution is to make yourself accountable!  Tell anyone and everyone what your resolution is because most people do not want to look like failures.

Finally and most importantly, make New Years Resolutions that are truly important to you and NOT what you think you ought to do or what others expect of you.

Modular Mates

Modular Mates by Tupperware® are wonderful food storage containers for the kitchen.  They can free up 1/3 of the space in your cabinets or pantry.  They are very durable and come with multiple colors for lids to choose from so that you could color code your items.  For example: pasta may be stored in containers using red lids, while cereals have blue lids.   They stack well and come in many different sizes.  Modular Mates® are also excellent at keeping bugs and rodents out of your food while being stored in your pantry or cabinet.  To see these or order them contact tupperwaregal@verizon.net or log onto www.my2.tupperware.com.

Box-4-Blox

This is an awesome organizing tool that even your children will love!

They can pick up as many Legos that will fit into their tiny little hands, drop them in the top and watch them fall through the holes as they get to shake the box!!!  It will save you time hunting for pieces lying around.  When your child wants to play with the Legos again, all they have to do is separate the boxes.  Legos will already be sorted by size for them. 

You may find other organizing uses for this product as well, such as the "Micro-Minis", marbles, and more.

Think outside the Box! 

To place your order click on the link below:

http://www.box4blox.com/cmd.php?af=755130

My Mornings Are Exhausting...Before I Even Get to Work!

You feel as if you have just ran a marathon and you are not even out the door yet to go to work!

Well, you are not alone!  It is a extremely common problem facing most of us on a daily basis due to the fact the most people do not have a clear reality of how long it actually takes to do a task.

For example: I had a client who had a full time job from 8 a.m.-4 p.m .  She was the stress-out mother of two elementary school aged children, a boy and a girl. When we met for her organization planning session, she described her weekday morning routine.

I get up at 6 a.m., go downstairs and turn the coffee on. I turn around and go back upstairs so I can wake up my husband.  I go back downstairs again. Then I start making the kids lunches, straighten up the den, and grab my coffee. Now I trudge back upstairs  and pick out clothes for my husband.  Did I mention that I am usually ironing his clothes at this point?  Now I can finally get ready for work from about 6:30-6:50 a.m.  Between 6:50 to 7:30 a.m. I focus on getting the kids up and dressed for school. After getting them downstairs, they get a bowl of cereal while I load their backpacks.  We head out the door at 7:30 a.m.  I'm exhausted every morning.  I don't know how much longer I can keep this up without going bonkers.

"How would you like your mornings to run?" I ask.

She said that she would relish having 10 minutes of quiet time.  Enjoying a cup of coffee would be a luxury.  It would be a miracle not having to rush getting herself, husband, and children ready for the day.   Eating breakfast?  Now she eats a breakfast bar on the run.  Would it be possible to eat at the breakfast table every morning?

Your "In A Snap" Solution: Knowing how many tasks are in a project and how long each task takes. Step One: I had her write down every single task that she did in the morning.  Beside each task, she had to write how long she thought it took to do it.  Next she added up the total time for all her morning tasks. Her first list did not include every single task because she still kept lumping things together.  She combined her shower time with dressing, hair drying, and make-up time.  I had her break out her list in detail.  She added each individual task. Step Two: I then asked her to write down a new list.  For the next 4 days she was to write down how long it actually took her to do each task.  She quickly realized that she was trying to do way too much in the time she allotted herself. Step Three: I sat down with her.  It was time for making a few tough decisions. With gentle coaching, we walked through the process of deciding what she could do the night before : Straightening the den, packing the kids lunches, preparing their backpacks and sitting them beside the door, having the kids help her pick out their own clothes, and setting the timer on the coffee maker.  Then I asked her what could she delegate to someone else (her husband).  He could wake himself up, pick out his own clothes, and make sure they were pressed.  This allowed her husband to lend a hand with the morning routine. Step Four: After giving her new routine a test run for just one week, she was de-stressed! She was thrilled, her kids were less moody, and her husband was able to lend a helping hand. The morale to our organization story: Are you setting the stage each morning for a positive day or a rushed, stressed out day?  Let Clutter Conversions in control..Organized Living in a Snap!

Hurry! Get in the Car!

Do You Find Yourself Rushing Around Every Morning?

Are You Completely Stressed Out Before You Get to Work?

There are thousands of parents who are trying to get the kids dressed, breakfast and lunches prepared, backpacks packed in the morning, as well as, themselves ready for work and by the time the family is headed out the door, parents are already stressed and tired. 

Are you one of these harried parents?  Do you hear yourself say, "There's never enough time in the mornings to get everything done?" 

Here are a few "In A Snap" tips that will make your mornings much more enjoyable!

1. The night before, set out the children's clothes they will be wearing to school the next day.
2. While you are preparing supper, make the children's lunches, put them in their lunch bag and designate a place in the refrigerator that you will put it every night.
3. Every night before the they go to bed, set aside about 5-10 minutes for each child to pack their back pack.

 

Develop this plan and make it a part of everyone's routine every night.  By doing these 3 things, you will be teaching your children how to plan and organize while at the same time reducing everyone's stress in the morning.

Our guarantee:  You will save yourself at least a half hour every morning!  Relax and enjoy that extra cup of coffee.