2nd Happiest Place on Earth!

Let me just start by shouting out ... "I LOVE IKEA!" I would like to say that it is due to all of the time I spent in Denmark .. ikea is really reflects Scandinavian style ... but back on point, I loved it even before I went to Danmark. Probably the clean lines in the design or the minimalist approach or even just the simplicity of everything ... I LOVE IT!!

Well, the boys love it too ... there is a play area and good lunch/dinner food ... and of course, $1 ice cream.

So, I packed up all of the boys yesterday afternoon and we hopped on the freeway to the 2nd Happiest Place on Earth!

The trip was as expected ... I found a couple GREAT solutions to current issues at my house ...

This is going to solve my "boys messy room" issue. I bought one for both of my older guys with the idea that they can put all of "their" stuff in it that doesn't fit tidily in their dresser top organizer ... wish me luck & we'll see how it goes!!! The beauty of this lies in the peace from knowing now they have one place that neatly zips to dump all of their junk instead of pushing it under the bed!!!

Next, for me ... I keep lots of information in little folders ... I have a School folder, a Scout folder, a Church address list folder, a weight loss folder, a Christmas folder and a good idea folder ... yep, lots of folders. I like to label them with cute labels, but this is a topic for another time. I have run out of space and found these cute, minimalist magazine files. They should work perfectly and they have a spot for another label!!! YAHOO! Plus, I love the green color!

So, I found my great finds and treated the boys to lunch + dessert. It was a good trip ... I also learned a couple things ...

1) Everything is better after eating Swedish meatballs with syltetoj! YUM!

2) There actually can be a place for everything ...

3) My soon to be 17month old is He-Man! He wouldn't stop carrying around this stool ... I was so impressed!

Christmas Planner

I love Christmas! Everything about the season. The carols, the cookies, the colder weather, the gifts, the pagents, the lights. I love EVERYTHING about Christmas and I never want to miss a thing!!!

So, this year, I have created a new Christmas Planner. Created especially to manage multiple projects/dates/etc. It is still a work in progress, but I think the skeleton of it is pretty good ... but there is always room to improve, so next year's will even be bigger and better!

My planner is in Microsoft Excel - consists of 10 linked worksheets. If you don't have a Christmas Planner that you like, let me know ... I don't mind sharing! Just email me at Teresa@TeresaHeaton.com. (unfortunately, i can't figure out how to post an excel file here!)

Happy Planning & Merry Christmas!
Teresa

Start with the end in mind ...

Most projects you really have to "start" way before you actually "start". There has to be some type of plan to put into action to accomplish whatever goal you have in mind.

Well, what happens when you want to accomplish long term change, not just a short term project. What about changing habits or solidifying character changes? How do you plan for living, fluctuating, long term personal change?

Starting with the end in mind is the key ... I realize this, but what are your practical tips and applications for affecting these types of change? Would love your input!?!?!

I, Teresa, do hereby bequeath ...

For YEARS, I have been thinking about the need for a will. Some way to make my (& my husbands) wishes known should we pass prematurely ... and even more vitally important, keep my children cared for, safe, and let them know that we had taken the time to (get organized) think about the horrible possibility of something happening to us before they were grown.

Not a happy thought, to say the least ... and that is probably why it has taken me so long to officially do anything about it. But, with the thought of my husband leaving Sunday on his current business trip, I seriously started to unravel a little. While, I know nothing is going to happen to my him, while he is gone, the thought of him being so far away and us not being prepared, left me breathless - in a bad way!

So, I spent a couple hours, using a silly little "fill-in-the-blank" estate planning software, I had purchased a number of years back to the very least bring me some peace until we get something a little more detailed in place.

So, this is my reminder to all of you, that haven't put anything in writing, yet ... "get-er-done" ... especially if you have children. The last thing you want to do, is leave this earth without a plan for them or your assets. Luckily, in this day & age, there are so many quick and pretty painless ways to put something together ... attorneys, legal documents you can purchase on the internet ... pretty painless and will give you such a peace-of-mind.

Poor Neglected Walls ...

Have you ever noticed how versatile walls are? They hold almost anything imaginable ... artwork, of course ... kitchen utensils, bath essentials, (what a killer rhyme) ... white boards for notes & reminders ... hats, coats, scarves, clocks, books on shelves, TV's & other electronics.

The possibilities for creative asthetics with inherent functionality is almost endless.

So, next time you need to "re-oganize" a room, don't forget to fully utilize the walls. This is my newest project ... we'll see how it goes!

By the way, here are some great pictures I had stashed away in my "binder of good ideas" (most likely from Queen Martha - she is inspiring! or PB)

First Tenet of Organization ....

The First Tenet of Organization ... as I see it ... is 'Everything has its place'.

The basis of organization is making sure there is a place for everything, even if that place is the trash can or recycle bin. Clutter is the ultimate organizational foe and must be fought relentlessly to conquer.

Here are a couple ways to deal with Physical Clutter ...

Mail ... specify a place for 1) Outgoing mail; 2) bills to be paid; 3) mail that has a task associated with it, such as a dental reminder to make an appointment or coupons to cut; 4) items to shred & Most importantly, have a recycle bin close by for all of the junk mail & envelopes

School Items ... for those of us with school aged children ... schools tend to send home immense amounts of paperwork in the form of notices, awards and completed work. I have found having a small folder usually suffices to keep all the notices/student handbooks, etc. for the year. Also, having a special place (such as the refridgerator) to post the childs most current or favorite paper/award, etc. makes for happy kids (& proud teenagers, too ... even though they may not show it). Just remember, after a set amount of time - week or month or until the next item is brought home, take down the paper and either store it right away in a specific place (not in a stack).

Other Organizations ... most hobbies (sports teams, clubs of any sort, memberships, etc.) have paperwork associated with them. If you don't have to access this routinely, this would fit nicely in with other files. However, if you will utilize the information regularly, best to keep it in a folder or binder (depending on quantity of items) and neatly stacked with other like folders.

Other People's Items ... if your house is like my house, the other occupants often get items out, forget to put them back and leave. Having a bin for each person in the family works well. Items go in the bin until the end of the day/night when the owner of the basket is required to return the items to their place.

Purse Hanger

We women love our purses! We buy them to match our shoes, a special outfit, for everyday of the week or just because we may need a pick-me-up. (a new purse usually does the trick, by the way.)


One problem I have always had, I never had a good place to put my current purse when I am home. In my closet, I lovingly keep my purses on a shelf for themselves, where they stay all tucked into their own little sleeping bag to keep them dust free. But my current purse would get set in a chair or - heaven help me - on the floor, until it was needed.


Voila! I am happy to say, that I have found a solution that works for me and may help you. I have been using this for sometime now and love it!


I use a 'wreath hook' on my home office door. I am not sure it 'wreath hook' is technically the correct term ... it is a thin piece of metal that forms a gentle hook on one end and slides over the top of the door on the other. This can be used on almost any door and may work especially well with a walk-in closet.



Here is an example. They come in multiple colors - I prefer silver - but you can find almost anything if you look!

(This can be found at the Container Store.)

At the End of a Busy Day

It is usually at the end of a very busy day (as they all seem to be at this point in life), the entire family is wiped out and ready to call it a day when, unfortunately, the house usually looks as bad as we do.

I have committed to myself to make sure the house is clean every night, so the next tumultuous day can start fresh. I say clean, but clutter free is possibly a more accurate term. I have noticed, when the house is put away before bed I sleep better and actually wake up in a better mood.

Now, with 4 small kids, this is NO small task. I have figured out a couple of tricks that make the evening chores more of a quick run through rather than an all out war!

Daily Tips for a more Managed Home:

1) De-clutter as you go - when leaving a room, glance around to see if there is anything out of place that can be put away right then (this will save a ton of time at night)

2) Make sure beds are made in the morning - unless you like the bedding thrown around during the day or toys hidden under blankets

3) Wipe up spills as they occur - it is easy to fall into the "I'll get it in a second" mentality, but the result is usually a bigger mess the later you tend to it and requires a lot more elbow grease to clean it

4) Sweep the kitchen & dining room nightly

5) Kids bin - rather than running back and forth all day to children's bedrooms, each child has a basket to fill with items that need to be put away and they are required to empty it nightly ... this may work well with a spouse as well

Good luck & good night!
Teresa

And so it begins ...

Once upon a time, I was extremely organized. I never missed a birthday, always remembered to call and followed through on every promise. I was known professionally by my peers for these attributes. When I left the corporate rat race to stay at home with my (then two) sons and ultimately help my husband start his own business, things slowly changed.

Years later, I remember my husband asking in a loving, teasing way “Didn’t you used to be organized ... What happened?” UGH!!! One really analytical and deep introspection later, I realized just how out of hand things really had gotten. Needless to say, this was not one of my best days!

Happily now on the “Road to Recovery”, as I call it and implementing tools learned professionally, I am starting this blog to help others that may be momentarily life management challenged or just looking for small ways to improve.

I firmly believe in collaboration being the best igniter of creativity, so if you have ideas or comments, I would love to hear them!

Happy Organizing!
Teresa