Bottom of the basket

I actually LIKE doing laundry... and that is a good thing since my family seems to produce plenty of it! I have a system of sorting on the floor in the upstairs hallway - darks by the playroom door, towels by the stairs, colors next to the bathroom door, etc... ...but here is where I get stuck. For the last six months there have been three pieces of laundry repeated left in the bottom of the laundry basket. 1.) Pink sheer top that needs to be handwashed. 2.) Tan shirt that needs to be dry cleaned. 3.) An orange flowing shirt that always bleeds all over the place when washed. I am avoiding them... I cannot denigh it... They have been passed over every week since the middle of August. Why? I just don't want to take the time to do what needs to be done. Do you know what I mean? What is your "thing" you are avoiding? Let's both turn off our computers now and go do our "thing". Let's not let it suck anymore energy out of us.... Let me know how it goes!

Schedules...

While strolling down the aisle at the grocery store on Saturday, I met up with someone whom I haven't seen in a long time. Standing in front of the baked goods we exchanged "hellos". When asked how I was doing, my automatic response was "crazy, busy, good". I didn't even think about it. Somehow that is just the normal answer that comes out to anyone who asks. As I rolled away, I thought how untrue my statement was. I am good and busy but not really crazy and out of control. I guess that if we don't seem or sound like we are doing, doing, doing all that we can then we are not doing enough. I guess that it would sound silly to have replied " Good to see you John. How am I? Actually I am doing quite well at managing my life in ways that make me feel balanced...My beds are made and the laundry is finished. I have allowed just enough time to bake something for the potluck tonight. I have checked my schedule twice today and I am right on track. Thank you very much. How about you?" Think about the things you are communicating. You don't have to be doing everything, you just have to be doing the right things. Next time my response will not be "crazy, busy, good".... it will be "doing well...I am really blessed How about you"?

Clutter Kills!

Whoever said crack kills was wrong... what really kills is clutter! In all the movement of the holiday season, I let a few things pile up in my office/workroom. (Yes, it happens to me too!) While working on a school sewing project with my daughter, I made the mistake of plugging in my sewing machine with the cord running across the floor. Last minute gifts were also there waiting to be wrapped. McKenzie tripped over the bag and along came the sewing machine cord. Down, down, down crashed the machine into pieces all over the floor. The look on her face was sheer horror...but it was my fault. The good news is that McKenzie is fine but the less than good news is that the machine is a total loss. I wish they offered sewing machine medical insurance!

Saving a few minutes here and there is really going to cost me.
Take the extra time today to pick up all those things in your way.... it will really save you in the long run.

Lists... and more lists!

I am a list-maker. I write them on notepads, in my calendar, on the back of old notices from school... and even emails to myself. I get great satisfaction writing them and then crossing off things as I go along. (I have even been known to write something on there I have already done just so I can cross something off the list right away. Ahhhh, the pride of accomplishment!... and the power of a pen stroke....

Tonight at my computer I was consolidating the half completed lists so I was ready to start my week fresh with a one, new "to do" list when I simply had to laugh out loud. There still waiting to be crossed out was this -

WASH CHOPIN AND ABERLIN

Why is this so funny?

Chopin is the dog my older daughter is currently dog sitting and Aberlin in my younger daughter. The fact that I would group them together in one thought made me laugh and laugh!

The good news is that they only share a line on my "to do" list... and not the same bath water!

Curious....then grossed out

Have you ever been appalled yet wickedly intrigued at the same time? Last night when I was picking over the discount bins at a store I saw just the thing that made me appalled and intrigued both at once. (By the way - you do look in those bins, right!? There are major organizational treasures hiding in there!)

There on the shelf was a brightly colored box of sour candy coated raisins. And here is the best part - the makers of these disgusting treats were proud to claim that the product contained no refined sugar ...and were being marketed as a "smart choice" for healthy kids!

It seems like an idea gone totally wrong to me. I picked up the box and even laughed out loud to someone passing with their cart. It should have been a clue when they had been marked down from 99 cents, to 69 cents and then finally to 24 cents.

Of course I bought a pack. How could I pass up such a bizarre deal??

Sitting in the parking lot I tried one. Only one... and that was enough. I normally don't make it a practice to spit things out preschooler-style but I did! I guess my "intrigued" voice spoke louder than my "appalled" sensibilities. Never again! :-}

Holiday Madness

This year really takes the cake!

I know that stores like to make us feel like we need, need, need things but this really is going too far. While strolling down the holiday aisle of a major big box store I saw Fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's AND Valentines Day items all at the same time!

As your friendly professional organizer, I beg you not to shop until you drop this season. Consider how you can celebrate these holidays other than buying something. Your closets, drawers and storage areas will thank you!

Hand-me-downs!?!?!?!

I am a major thrift shop junkie. There should really be a support group from people like me. The thought of finding a treasure in what looks like a pile of junk is better than going to Tiffany and Co. Truly!

What is EVEN BETTER than a thrift shop? Hand-me-downs.
Those big plastic bags from friends and family holding unknown gems are even more thrilling to me.

...BUT BEWARE! Those same bags of hand-me-downs can be a curse too! Accepting these "gifts" from others can get complicated. You don't need to be the central dumping station for anyone simply because you have children of a certain size.

If you chose to accept them - here is what to do. Sort the clothes immediately into three piles - keep, donate and trash. Once you do that place the keepers directly into the laundry, trash the throwaways, and bag up the donation items. Place them on the front passenger seat of the car. If they go in the trunk, they will stay there too long!

Keep in mind that it IS okay to decline hand-me-down offers. You shouldn't feel obligated to add to the (possible) piles of clutter already spilling out in unwanted places. Gently say that you have all that you need this season, thank you!