When Life gets in the way,clean it all out.

It's been longer than I realized since I last posted.  My excuse is that I have been helping people get organized. A whole church in fact.. I am not good with the before an after photos. I've been told that would help people see what things look like and get a better idea of what being organized looks like. 

In one area we took out shelves to make a storage area in to a back stage green room.. Yes to organize the space some times less it MORE!!! The reason given was with less flat surface's less clutter 

In this case it worked out great. We took out all the shelves an took old curtain dividers and stapled them the the wall to cover the studs. No dri wall was hung in this part back stage so it left tons of nooks and crannies to put stuff. Not a good look.

Now the room has carpet squares and chairs Around the room with a round table in the corner. Looks great and serves a purpose . Most importantly no clutter .

We did put shelves in on the other side of the back stage and it still needs tweaking but has cleared up a lot of area even to store stuff in a more exsessable way. 

I guess what I'm saying being organized looks different to different people for different reasons . Each person needs to find a way to get the most use out their space.  Like in this case less was more!

 Drop me a line an I'll try to answer you questions. You can comment on this blog.

Till next post happy organizing.

THE PAPER TRAIL........

Here's some thing I don't think about to much. But I have recently moved and
wanted to up date my paper trail; we all have one . That is assuming that you have Internet, face book . All of those things leave a foot print some where which in turns leave a paper trail. You need to go through your computer an purge out programs files and  stored information that you do not need any more. We all have a bigger paper trail at home too.
With my recent move I have changed up different documents and canceled others all of which I ask for paper confirmation. There are some things that just get canceled because I don't live in that city any more.
You need to go through your files as well as your information and sort it out. NOTE THERE IS NO PASSING THIS PAPER WORK ON. WELL UNLESS YOU ARE RICH AND PASS ON SOME INHERITANCE TO SOME ONE. THAN PASSING ON THE RIGHT PAPER WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT.
In this cleaning out of files helps make room for what you need on a day to day basics as well keeps records in order and easy to get to when needed.
If you don't already have one you need some kind of file cabinet, folders and if you want sub folders . Pens and markers.  I have one big one pocket kind then I keep same topics in it .
e.g.: like all credit cards or all different bank accounts so you can get to the one file you want with out taking them all out yet they are all in one place if you need them all too.
You have your cabinet your folders you like an meet your needs ; now we need to sort out your files. Any thing that is 7 years or older *other than tax returns and all related to the tax return* you should burn. YOU can shred it too if that is easier. Burning make sure that it cant be found in any way in the garbage.
sort by every day an yearly and by just need to keep on file
you need to mark the folders with what you is going to be in it and put it in the file cabinet in a order that you under stand .. make sure some one other than you can figure out your system just incase. it is simple work but takes time to go through every thing. it is worth it in the end.
every day is monthly bills
yearly could be insurances or subscription's
just keep on file would be the deed to your house or car papers any thing that you proves you own some thing.. Wills, medical records of your last wishes.
I wont lie this is a  job that needs your attention on a yearly basics and needs to be kept up neat as well in a safe place . you never know when some one other than your self will need to get a hold of your paper work to help you out.

The long weekend

When you think of that last getaway this month think light.

 My example is for a hot weather getaway.

A 6 day get away 2 of those days travel days. 

Find a fun getaway bag nothing to big. 

Here is a tip just pack 2 shorts an 4 tops that are interchangeable so you can have more combinations if you want different outfits on the same day. 

The travel days you can wear the same out if you just wear it for travel. 

(If you can't just plan to pack a second travel out fit)

 Try to pick the a pair of shoe that you that you can wear with all the out fits..

 Lady's if you can't do one pair of shoes try to keep it to two pairs. 

You can try an use trial size bathroom supply's an go light on the Make up 

A waterproof mascara will pop your eyes..

Good moisturizer adds that glow to  your skin.

Have a fun trip. 

For women only !

Makeup !! 

We use it ,we buy tons of it and don't use most of it . So how do we get organized in this area ? Well the system is still the same; sort it out in keep,toss, and give away! In this case I would only give away unopened stuff.. Most make up doesn't expire unless it has sunscreen in it. All old open make up should be tossed !! I have been told a three month life spand but it doesn't expire!?! This where I get in trouble "it's still has a lot left in " it but I can't remember how long it's been since I bought the stuff. My best one is it's been so long they've discontinued the product any way. Through it out. Purge!!!! 

Sort it out as to face cleaning and moisturizing products. And makeup. Simply stick to basic. Find  a good safe product that cleans an  find a good moisture. Lady's there are countless other products that do this and that, streamline to what you really need from what you are told you need . No matter how good or bad our skin is ; putting to much product on our skin over and over again can't be that good. 

(disclaimer this is just what works for me ) less is best ! I tend to keep up with keeping my face clean if I don't have to go through a ton a steps to do it. Make up is to enhance the beauty we all have. Stick with colors that look good on you,don't buy the latest and greatest it may not be a good look on you . Get help from a friend or someOne who is not trying to sell you some thing, but really wants to see you look your best too. I will not say what to keep as far as make up. That is so individual no two make up bags should be the same. I know some who can get by with just lipstick others the bag is more like a train case. And all the ones I between. I m somewhere in between for sure but in the summer I tend to lean more towards just lipstick haha.

Storing the stuff I find for me a basket in a drawer or cabinet works best. That way everything is at my fingertips. I keep what I use cleaning to make up all in the same place but in their own separate basket cause in the morning you normally wash your face and apply your makeup and at night it's normal to just wash your face. It's all in one place easy to get at but you just use what you need at the time of day it is. If you are in to make up bags clear plastic allows you to see everything with out having to dig for it. Find what works for you , you may have to try a couple of different ways till it flows and you get in to a good routine. Here's to all that make up we don't need because we find at the end of this less really is more and we find the beauty we knew was there just under all that extra product! 

Travel plans

Here' what you can expet this summer as you make plans to travel. 

You will need shoes, clothes,and all the extras to make you feel great on that trip oh an let's not for get bath room supply's.. 

So let's get organized. 

Let's see if these tips make it easy : for a road trip , flying tips next time!

Put all the shoes your going to take in zip lock bag. They sell these where they sell most zip lock bags

The plastic zip bags that the comfort bedding comes in make nice shoe bags as well and they'd have a handle on them too. 

Pack only what you will use,leave behind all the extra "I might need stuff " same in the bath room stuff as well..

If you have a trip with different weather temps AND causal to very dressy clothes needed. Start with what you wil need for the dressy event ( I get dressed in the out fit and lay out what make up I would wear an what I would put on my hair  than I set all that a Side to be pack.) Than I pick two warmer out fits and two cooler out fits .. I pack a bathing suit always never know when you might get to take a swim. 

I have a truck so I put the shoes in a tupper tub in the bed of the truck ( which has a cover on it, love it. Like having a big trunk ) 

I pack all bathroom stuff in a travel over night pack any shape or kind I put that in the bed of the truck too. 

This time i left all the clothes on their hangers an laid them in a duffle bag . Unpacking made easy too!

Any thing not on a hanger I put at the ends of the duffle bag. I just laid it in a pile when I unpack 

Add a laundry bag of your choice and do wash as needed /wanted. This goes in the bed of the truck 

Don't for get the food snaks and drinks of your liking and your all set this goes in the back seat. 

Hope the tips help keep your vacation organized an relaxed. 

Enjoy 

ON THE MOVE : the finish line !

Well I made it through the packing,the move, the not having a house for a little while. Here is a few tips that got me through. When packing I sorted out the things that I would not need and packed them first. Pictures, decorations, nic nacs, stuff like that. The things that I would need to set up house right away I packed so I could get to them easily . Last I packed suit cases with the things I that I would use all the time durning the transition.. 

Have to say it worked well ! We moved right before Christmas ( hard time to move if you are like me and like to decorate ) all my stuff was packed but I knew I would need to wrap gifts so when we packed our storage locker we had the gift wrapping at the door of the locker and yes I wrapped gifts at the storage locker on the floor in the cold..but it was the making of memories that will always be with me and my husband.. 

Only you can answer what you would need to make it through the transition so that's what you put in your suit cases. The same with what you need to set up a house right away as well as what you can wait to live with. 

One thing is for sure unpack every thing! than sort through the things in your new space ;what doesn't work,or fit in the space. repack and give away to some one or take to good will. I know some don't unpack a box cause of what's labeled on a box that happened to my mom and she found the dishes she was missing. My guess is that it fit in the box at the time of packing and every one thinks they will remember what they packed in every box .. May be so if you pack every box but if you have help that many not !!!! So unpack it all you will thank me in the end when you find that thingnambober doohickey that your looking for and need to make some thing work that you do want.. 

It has been a long process but a good one. Now until next time I find some thing to organize ...

Have a great day.