The Plan of Attack

As promised, here is how I created my Plan of Attack in preparation for our yard sale and total house overhaul.

This document lists the rooms in the house that we wanted to work on and what specifically can/could/will/should be improved. Each task is a bullet point so that they can easily be done one by one. I find this method to be less overwhelming than just saying, "I want to organize everything". My plan is to organize everything, but you can make it easier on yourself by doing it in steps. And who doesn't love to check/cross/obliterate things off a to-do list? Oh, maybe that's just me.

Okay. So you want to clean your house. Do these next steps for each room to assess what you would like to do and to start developing a Plan of Attack.

1. Stand in the middle of your space (if you can) and look around. Is there an area of the room that sticks out to you? Is one corner the "junk" corner? Is there a closet bursting with stuff? Or is the whole room just covered in a blanket of nonsense? Make a short list of the areas in the room you notice could use improvement (for example: bookshelf, TV table, desk, coffee table, etc).
2. Now close your eyes, or if you have space, sit cross-legged on the floor, close your eyes, and breathe deeply. Visualize the space you would like to have. If you are anything like me, there is a lot less stuff in this visualized space. Now, for each of the areas you wrote down in step 1, go through and write next to each one at least one possible remedy. When I look at a bookcase, for example, I look to see if there are knickknacks in front of the books blocking the way, if there are books crammed into the shelves, or if the shelves just look too "busy". Then next to "Bookshelf" I write "Remove knickknacks from bookshelf. Weed collection to make a pile of books to donate." I make similar notes next to other areas such as the chifferobe in my bedroom: "Remove clothes unworn in past two year to donate. Donate old DVDs. Remove old body care products that I will not use." For help with a specific area of a room, comment on this post, and I will make sure to get back to you (except if that area is your closet as I will cover that in my upcoming post about closet overhaul).
3. With your list of areas to work on complete, make those suggestions into bullets. I typed all of mine into a word processor so that all of the formatting would be done for me. This also made it easier to drag different bullet points around and to add things that popped into my head later without ending up with a list on paper that looks like a first grader's homework.
4. Next, make yourself a realistic schedule. When I say realistic, I mean do not plan to check ten items off your list in a day. Make a more realistic goal of tackling one or two of them each day instead, and reward yourself when you stick to your schedule. For example, I planned to reorganize the bathroom shelves and medicine cabinet one day, weed through my older clothes the next day, and over the weekend tackle the basement or attic (depended on the heat) with my dad. This way, I never got discouraged or got the feeling like I used to freshman year of high school when I hadn't handed in my homework on time. It is not a fun feeling, so don't do that to yourself. And remember that your plans for the day (or week) can change in a second, so do not feel that you have failed if one day or so you have to put off one of your planned items. Just make sure you don't fall off the band wagon. Move your schedule back one or so day and keep working off that list.
5. In terms of rewards, I just love checking things off lists, but I know that isn't for everyone. Give yourself a pat on the back and remind yourself you did a great job that day. Have a little treat. But please, for the sake of progress, do not go and buy yourself more stuff as a reward. You will regret it later.
   

I hope this strategy helps you start assessing your organizational needs and motivates you to start weeding out your clutter. Remember, assessing your space, making a list, and setting a realistic schedule can be a more productive (and much less painful) way to start on your journey to organized, less stressful living.

Stay tuned for more posts (on a more regular basis), and feel free to post your comments and questions. I would love to solve your organizing issues.

The Yard Sale

It has been too long since my last post! I have been busy doing what I love: Organizing!

My mom and I decided it was time to do a total overhaul on my parent's house. Our house is, in short, disorganized. I am very excited to see what we can do with it! In preparation for this organizing extravaganza, I developed what I call The Plan of Attack. I will detail how I created this plan in a later post.

We set a date for the yard sale and had the goal of finishing the preparation for it in a week. Kids, do not try this at home :P Just kidding. I encourage everyone and anyone to take the first steps towards living a more organized, less stressful life. I do suggest, however, giving yourself more than one week to accomplish the task. Do set a date though, or else it will never get checked off of your metaphorical list.

The preparation for the yard sale included gathering all of the belongings we planned to sell in one location which in our case was our living room. You do not want to get to the day of the sale and have everything in all corners of the house. Plus, if you haven't taken the stuff to sell from the places they used to be in your house, you will not be able to tell whether or not you made a dent in the clutter. Yes, the living room was not the prettiest sight for one week, but it was all over quickly and was so relieving when everything left the house.

One issue was that Mom wanted to see the house less cluttered (making cleaning easier), but Dad did not want to get rid of anything. But let me tell you, people can change. You would not believe how receptive Dad became to the idea of letting go of some of our possessions. It was just so great when Dad beat me to the basement to start bagging up garbage and picking out things to sell. This will probably not happen with your resident pack-rat, but I wanted to share it anyways.

When considering having a yard sale, it helps if you have a few "big ticket items", for instance a dresser that is not in use or the exercise bike that is collecting dust. Yard sales that only have the small things like dolls and records will not be very useful to you and do not attract as much attention from potential buyers.

Quick tip for those considering a yard sale: Make a rule that anything that enters the yard sale does not re-enter the house (or apartment). Plan to donate everything you do not sell to Goodwill or other donation center. This will take pressure off you because even if you do not have a profitable yard sale, you will still have a success because you rid yourself of a lot of unwanted items. If you tell yourself, "Oh, if this item doesn't sell, I am just going to keep it and try to sell it later", you will FAIL at ridding your house of your clutter. Do not, under any circumstance fall into this trap. Be good to yourself, and the people benefiting from charities like Goodwill, and let go of your belongings. Set them free.

Another trick that has been very successful for me (it worked really well for our past two yard sales) is to not bother with all the work of pricing your yard sale items. When you do not price your items you save yourself lots of the preparation work that cause most people to avoid the whole idea of a yard sale. The only preparation we did was to gather all our belongings to sell in the living room and post an advertisement for the yard sale on Craigslist. Simple and pain free.

On the day of your yard sale, all you have to do it move all of the designated stuff out to the lawn and driveway for passersby to see. Any time a person shows interest in your sale, tell them "Welcome! Everything here is pay what you like. Anything we do not sell is going to Goodwill. Please let me know if I can help you find anything, or if you are looking for something specific." This statement gets a very positive reaction, and more often that not the person will stop and seriously look through what you are offering.

One other thing to consider doing: Donate the proceeds of your yard sale to the charity of your choice. In my case, I donated our proceeds to Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation, of which I am an active member. Donating your proceeds to charity does one more good thing for you: You are less worried about how much people are paying for your things and more concentrated on selling as many things as you can. Also, you can mention that "All the proceeds from this sale are going to charity", which can sometimes get a couple extra dollars if people believe it is going to a good cause (and you might get to spread the word about your charity when people ask!)

So remember, gather your yard sale items in one spot in your house, do not price your items, donate all unsold items from your yard sale to charity, and possibly even donate the proceeds as well. After it is all over you will have done something good for yourself and helped out someone else too.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed these tips, and I hope you check back for my next few posts.

• The Plan of Attack
• Top Tips to Start Getting Organized
• My Closet - "Where the devil are my slippers?"
• Keeping Track of Your Finances and Budgeting - Money Saving Tips You Never Thought Of!
• Excel Tips

10 Ways to be More Environmentally Friendly

In this installment (I say installment because I fear my posts will tend to verge on novels), I am going to share a few earth-friendly tips we can use to decrease our carbon footprints! Sometimes a little forethought can go a long way.

1. Eat a few vegetarian meals a week to cut back on carbon emissions, fight global hunger, and reduce cruelty to animals. Try starting a meat-free Monday like Paul McCartney! A vegetarian diet is also much cheaper than a meat eater's diet (and healthier!). Now that's a cost savings you didn't think about ;)


2. Drive less! Carpool or join a ride share if you can, take public transportation, or walk :) When you carpool you do not have to deal with driving and you can catch up on some sleep (if you are not driving!). When taking public transportation you do not have to deal with traffic. And walking is just plain old good for you (unless you are clumsy like me...)


3. Carry utensils (I carry chopsticks!) This saves you from constantly using plastic utensils.


4. Carry a bottle. We buy enough bottled water to circle the earth over and over every day. Some get recycled and some do not, but that also wastes energy. Most places are required to filter their tap, and it is just as healthy (and usually tastier) than bottled.


5. Leave mugs and utensils at work. This saves you a cup every day when you make your tea or coffee. And during lunch you can use your real utensils! Who likes using the plastic ones anyways?


6. Leave reusable grocery bags in your car. Reducing the number of wasted plastic bags every time you shop is a big step towards being more earth-friendly!


7. Use more environmentally-friendly chemicals in your home. Seventh Generation, as well as many other "green" household cleaners, have come out with products for almost all of your cleaning needs, and they are much better for our earth. We put so many chemicals in the air, dirt, and water, but you can still keep a happy, clean home and leave the chemicals alone.


8. Use energy-efficient appliances. From your microwave to your dishwasher to your washer/dryer you can buy products with the EnergyStar label to reduce the amount of energy and water you use. This will also reduce the amount you spend on utilities!


9. Turn off the lights! When you leave the house, when you leave the room, etc. Also, do not leave your A/C blasting while you are not even there enjoying it!


10. And my personal favorite: Let the dishwasher do it for you! Many many studies have shown that it is more environmentally-friendly to use your dishwasher than to hand-wash your dishes. It also gets your dishes cleaner than you could yourself! Remember: the dirtiest thing in your house is your kitchen sponge (da da duuuuuum - check Mythbusters...)

Hope this gives you a few ideas! The biggest one, of course, is number one. A vegetarian who drives an SUV pollutes less than meat eater who drives Prius! Not that I know any vegetarians that drive SUV's ;)

Still to come!!

• Top Tips to Start Getting Organized


• My Closet - "Where the devil are my slippers?"


• Keeping Track of Your Finances and Budgeting - Money Saving Tips You Never Thought Of!


• Excel Tips

Organizing your purse - Being prepared

Ever since I was in middle school I have always carried a purse that has something in it for every situation. This only works because I keep it neat and organized. I am going to do the embarrassing and list here the contents of my purse and why I keep these specific items on hand. I will also mention what I purposefully do not have in my purse :)

In the front pockets of my purse:

• my Blackberry - I use this to organize everything. It has my schedule, task list, notes, and emails. It synchronizes to my computer and gets backed up so I do not run the risk of losing any of it!
• my RFID card for work and my keys - I only have the 5 keys I need and a USB drive
• a small pill case with four spaces - just in case I need to throw my morning pills in my purse or I am staying somewhere overnight

In the three pockets inside the front of my purse:

Pocket one:

• 3 pencils - I am always lending someone a pencil so I carry more than one or two
• 3 pens - one red, one blue and one black
• my spare glasses - for when I do not have time to put in contacts
• chopsticks from Tzu Chi - I eat a lot of Asian foods outside of the house and you can save having to use the wooden ones by carrying these! They are also a great conversation piece :P

Pocket two:

• headphones - to use on my computer, Blackberry, wherever!
• contact lens case with fresh liquid inside
• Vaseline Lip Therapy in Cherry - I keep it in the front because it is what I use more often on my lips (I rarely wear lip gloss/lipstick)
• a spare microSD card for my Blackberry

Pocket three:

• 2 hair elastics
• a tiny safety pin - I cannot tell you how often I have been thankful I carry one of these!
• several bobby pins

The front loose section is where I store:

• a small Kleenex package
• my digital camera (when I carry it)
• a claw hair clip with no-slip grip - to get my hair up and out of the way when I need to

The back loose section is where I store:

• my wallet
• a mini umbrella
• water (when I carry it)
• USB cord - to connect my Blackberry to any computer - it is easier than carrying a travel charger!

The middle zippered section is the busiest part of my purse:

• travel toothbrush, tooth paste, and floss - I keep these together in a small baggie
• gum
• a compact mirror
• lens cloth - to clean my glasses or camera lens
• Tide-to-Go pen - people always appreciate this when they spill something on their shirt!
• peds - just in case I end up in a shoe store :)
• a travel-sized Vaseline Total Moisture lotion - I am careful and wash my hands often which can dry out your skin
• Blink Contacts lubricating eye drops - for dry contacts these are so much better than Visine
• headphones for my Blackberry - I rarely use them but if I need a hands-free option I like to have them
• L'Oreal Double Extend mascara - in case I have to go somewhere and I was not expecting it, I can throw this on and feel a little more put together
• Neutrogena nourishing eye liner - same reason as the mascara
• Revlon ColorStay Blemish Concealer in Fair - in case I get a sudden spot I need to cover! I do not wear makeup daily, so I keep this in case I did not check my face in the morning
• bareMinerals 100% natural lip gloss in Rose - same reason as the mascara and eye liner
• bareMinerals 100% natural mineral lip color in Rose - again same reason as the rest of my makeup!
• a travel-sized bottle of Aleve - inside are 2 Imodium, 2 Zantac, 5 Aleve, and 3 Ibuprofen - My mom calls me a walking pharmacy :)

In the back inside zippered pocket:

• several index cards - in case I have to write something down for someone or make a list
• several Band-Aids - I have two left feet sometimes!
• a travel-sized nail file - I break my nails all the time
• feminine care items - all women need to be prepared for themselves and their friends :)
• an extra CharlieCard - I often help people in the subways, so I carry an extra
• a mini tube of superglue - you never know when you might really need it! I ripped the bottom off my shoe the other day and my superglue really came in handy!

In the back outside zippered pocket:

• a few labels with my name on it - in case I have to label something of mine

Now for the contents of my wallet :)

• Cards: Driver's license, university ID, high school ID, insurance, blue card, list of medications and allergies, CharlieCard, CVS, prescriptions debit, two debit cards, three commuter rail tickets, PETCO, Best Buy, Godiva, Sephora, international calling card, Stop & Shop, Shaws, AAA, Boston library card, Minuteman libraries card, 4 Cargo eye shadow cards
• Commuter rail schedule
• a receipt from a fancy dinner with my boyfriend
• one Band-Aid - in case I am only carrying my wallet not my entire purse. I am clumsy!
• two wet naps - I prefer these to hand sanitizer because you can clean things other than your hands with them if there is a mess. I keep them from any restaurant that gives them out after a meal!
• small amount of cash - I try to use cash the least amount possible because it is easier to track debit card spending. I have to write down all cash amounts to keep track!
• small amount of coins - I try not to carry too many coins because they can get very heavy quickly

In essence, the reason for this list is to show that you can carry this many things, and be prepared for anything, as long as you keep it organized. If I need something from my purse, I know immediately where it is. I have a designated spot for everything in my purse, so it never takes me even a minute to find something!

A few things I do not keep in my purse:

• receipts - I have seen the nightmare purses that are filled with loose receipts everywhere. I have no idea why you would need to keep those on hand. If you do keep your receipts, create a designated spot for them in your purse (inside a pouch for instance) and make a habit of taking those out at the end of the day. Have another designated spot in your house/apartment where you keep a file of your receipts.
• loose change - Money is dirty. I have seen purses that have tons of loose change rolling around the bottom touching everything that is supposed to be clean. Who wants their candies rolling around with everyone's germs? Not me, thank you very much!
• anything that I absolutely cannot find a good reason for - Some people lug complete junk around with them everywhere and they ask themselves "Why is this even in my purse at all?" If you find yourself asking that question about anything in your purse, go with your instincts, and find it a better home.

The main things is to create a system that allows to you get to the front counter and not be scrambling for extra change or that card you just know is in there somewhere. Here are a couple tricks:

• keep like things together - I have all of my hair care items in one area, makeup in another, emergency items, and so forth. Using little pouches to keep things together can work really well because it will be easier to find items that are in pouches and not lost in the bottom of your bag
• make sure when you buy a purse that it is not just fashionable, but also fits your specific needs - I spent a great deal of time finding my purse, but it was worth it. Not only is it fashionable and get lots of compliments, but I was able to create designated spots for all of my stuff inside it. The fact that it has three inside spaces (one zippered - great for lots of loose items), and plenty of smaller inside and outer pockets, made it the perfect bag!
• make an inventory of the things in your purse - In making this list, I was forced to go through every item and justify it. In going through that process, I was sure that the items in my purse are ones I truly want to carry with me. You may find that in making your own inventory there are items that really do not belong in your purse, and you can leave them at home! Also, in the event that something terrible happens and you lose you purse or it is stolen, you have a list of everything that is missing. I also have a PDF of all of my important cards from my wallet (front and back) for that same reason!

This took a little courage to post so I hope you enjoyed it! You may not decide to go through your purse/wallet today, but remember if you do to try these tips! Good Luck :)

My Favorite Sandwich

Portabella Mushroom Sandwich - Makes Four Servings

Ingredients:

4 Large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
2 Red bell peppers
1 Package of soft goat cheese
2 Loaves of ciabatta bread (or enough for 4 sandwiches!)
Low salt soy sauce
Olive oil

Instructions:

1. Drizzle a little olive oil into a pan set on medium heat.
2. Wipe any dirt from the mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Cut the mushrooms into quarters, add them to the pan, drizzle with soy sauce, and cook down for 10 minutes.
3. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Cut the bell peppers in half and remove the seeds and innards. Place them on the baking sheet skin side up and drizzle with a little olive oil. Place the sheet in a 450 degree oven set on broil for 8 minutes. Remove them. When cool enough, slice the peppers into quarters.
4. Cut the loaves of ciabatta bread to make the sides to the sandwiches.
5. When all the ingredients are ready, assemble the sandwiches with the bottom of the ciabatta bread on the bottom, one portabella mushroom, one half's worth of bell pepper, and the goat cheese spread on the underside of the top piece of ciabatta bread that tops the sandwich.

My parents enjoyed this sandwich so much, I had to post the recipe. Try it and let me know if you liked it too!

A Refreshing Drink

Hibiscus-Raspberry Tea Lemonade - Makes One 2-quart Pitcher

I made this up with random things in our kitchen :)

Ingredients:

2 Tea bags of Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger Herb Tea
1 Packet of KoolAid Lemonade
1 Cup of sugar

Instructions:

1. Boil a kettle of water.
2. Place the tea bags in a 2-quart pitcher and fill half way with boiling water. Steep for 4 minutes then remove the tea bags.
3. Add one KoolAid Lemonade packet.
4. Add sugar. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
5. Fill the rest of the pitcher with cold water/ice. Leave in the fridge to cool.

This is a very delicious, refreshing drink and tastes just as good as Starbucks Passion Tea Lemonade :P Go as heavy or as light on the sugar as you like. I actually preferred it with less than a cup!