Click HERE
for the recording of Vlasta's talk.
Enjoy!
Why get organized?
Studies show that when we walk into a cluttered environment, our stress levels rise.
- Less anxiety
- More time
- Saves money (not buying duplicates!)
- More productivity (when you know where things are, you can get more done)
It's overwhelming, but you can do it. Take a deep breath and try out this list.
- Visualize + Strategize--what works best for you?
- Sort + Purge--make categorized piles of least favorites
- Assign a home--so you can find what you need
- Contain + Label--clear bins so you can see what you've got
- Evaluate + Maintain--is it sustainable? Is it still working for you a few weeks later?
100% is "overfull", so give yourself room to breathe!
Family Landing Zone: make a space for your family calendar and daily odds and ends to live that you need access to all the time. Go visual. Simple is best. For example, make files for all that paper in your life and use labels like "bills to pay," "coupons and gift cards," and "Event RSVPs."
Kid's Landing Zone: All that stuff has GOT to be contained. And it doesn't have to be Pinterest Perfect. Hooks for their backpacks, cubbies for their shoes, a bulletin board for their school flyers. Make a space where you all know where to find what you/they need.
Routines + Rituals
- Routines reduce anxiety
- Create a consistent pattern in every day--a place for everything
- Visual checklists--helps your older kids gain independence
- Place your keys and wallet in the same spot every day
- Start your day with finishing something before beginning something new (i.e. at the end of the day, don't start a new project. Give your living space a state of calm).
Experiences over items: Doing things as a family outdoors means you are bringing less in.
In 5 Minutes or Less You Can:
- Empty the dishwasher and wipe down the counter
- Remove expired medicines from a cabinet
- Declutter a shelf or drawer
- Discard canned foods not used in a year
- Enter addresses into your contact list
- Return two emails
- Clean out your purse
- Set out clothes for the next day
See Yourself as the House Manager: Schedule what needs to get done, like paying bills and planning activities. Choose a day or evening dedicated to doing these things (i.e. Sunday night is "bills night.")
Chores
- Children can help with chores
- If everyone is involved, the house will run better
- Adopt a Chore Mantra
- We share the house, we share the benefits, we share the work.
- Your contribution is important and we are counting on you.
- You can do what you want to do as soon as you do what you need to do.
- If Mama isn't happy, nobody's happy
- Take care of yourself! Self-care is critical to your well being. Better input for yourself means better output for your family. So sleep, exercise, eat well, and take those vacation or personal days for leisure (not to take on extra work).
- Get support where you need it. Outsource the housework, yard work, childcare, carpooling, or tutoring. This is the key to mom's happiness.
//Keepsakes: keep or toss?
-choose the best "version" of your kid's product (the BEST scribble of 100)
-take a photo as a digital keepsake
-don't keep macaroni
-create a binder with sheet protectors for a special test or their first story
//Gifts you receive
-Don't feel guilt to keep that wedding gift from your great aunt Mildred.
-Your responsibility to a gift is saying "thank you" and sending a card. Be free not to like it.
-Let it go.
//When can kids start sorting things?
-Make it fun/a game/play ("let's put cars and trains in this bin! Yay!")
-Make it a habit
//Rule of thumb for "what if I need it later?" or "this could be useful someday"
-work through why you're holding onto things. Some thing are genuinely more important than others. Some are decidedly not.
//Toys + Clothes
-Sort toys no one's playing with/clothes you're not wearing. Put them in a bin. Look at them 6 months later. Did you miss it? Will you really use it/wear it?
-Think about it: every time you look at that pile of clothes or toys, it's a "To Do" that burdens us.
-If you haven't worn it in a season, you might not actually like it. THAT sweater? It's not gonna be any cuter, the longer it sits around.
-Cycle through toys!
//LEGOS
-put them in smaller bins, not one big bin, so that if your kids pour them all out, it's not from one big bin (ALL THE LEGOS)
-they're less likely to dump out a wider, not-as-deep-bin because they can see everything already
-get a Lego mat.
//Pictures
-Be easy on yourself
-sort your pictures on the computer by year and you'll know how to find stuff easier than "Easter"
-Google Photo sorts pics for you
-pick a small period of time to print or make a book, not they're entire childhood
-My Social Book takes FB photos and comments, makes cheap photo book
-Make a digital slideshow of photo albums and home movies, put it on a DVD. Kids are more likely to watch that than look at an album. And you can capture several years in 20 minutes.
//Art Supplies
-Has anyone used it in 3 years?
-Is it for adults? If not, how likely are the kids to use it?
-Make an art station for kids. They need a zone.
- Do you think clutter and disorganization add to household stress?
- What room or area in your home would benefit from decluttering?
- What strategies do you use to keep your household running smoothly? (i.e. family calendar, family landing zone, etc.)
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