How do you Organize your books?

by , on
Jan 19, 2022

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here.

How has your January been? Have you been joining in on GO Month?? It has been a lot of fun!!! One thing that is NOT listed on the Go Month Printable – is organizing your books/library!!

Are you an avid reader??? Do you have a favorite genre? Or do you read anything and everything? 

I think I fell in love with reading in about 4th or 5th grade… Started out with R.L. Stine Fear Street books (I still have a collection of them!!) which were cheesy scary stories… from there – I moved on to Dean Koontz (I collect all his books – in his name – as well as in his other pen names) – again, more scary stories – but for adults instead of tweens.  I also collect Nicholas Sparks books.  I was in 10th or 11th grade when my cousin lent me “Message in a bottle” to read… I tell you – I have NEVER cried so hard from a book or movie or anything in my life.  I bawled.  Seriously!!  

Typically I do not save books.  I like to share them and pass them on.  In my family my grandmother tends to buy books at the local goodwill.  After she reads them she sets them aside… Once she has a good little pile they get passed along either to my mom or to me… and then we pass it on… eventually the bag gets back to gram and she gives them back to goodwill.

I have friends and clients who will collect and keep every book they have ever touched and on the other hand I know some people that do not hold on to any books….  There is a wide divide when it comes to keeping books.

For those that do keep books – storing them, showcasing them, organizing them… there are so many ways to do all of those things…. As always – the trick is finding out which way works best for you (you are going to hear me say that way too many times – FYI).

Are you a visual person? Organizing your books by their visual presentation may be the best way for you to keep track of your books…. How would you visually organize your books? Try:

Hard Cover vs Soft Cover

By Color

By Stacking books

Arrange by height and size

Separate and display your favorite books

Separate books you haven’t read

That is just a few ways that you can organize your books in a way to visually have separation or distinction between the books…. For those of you who are more analytical…. You may want a more systematic approach.  Try:

Organize by Genre or topic

Alphabetically by Title

Alphabetically By Author

Chronological order

Fiction vs nonfiction

There are numerous ways that you can organize your books… try a few out and see what works best for you.  Personally – I…well … I use a couple methods… I separate by Author…. Then I put them in chronological order from that Author.  I do that with the few authors that I collect.  All other books are grouped by Genre… and then I have a few of my favorite books stacked together….. This works for me.  If I am looking for a book I will find it very easily with my method.  You may find this bizarre and prefer to keep your books in color order.  This is also great! There is no wrong way – only the right way for you!!

Well… that’s it for now!! Stay warm and I’ll talk to you later!!

Tips and Tricks to Organize your Computer….

by , on
Jan 3, 2022

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here.

Happy New Year!!!!  Hope it was a Healthy and Happy one!!

So here we are… a new Year.. a new Month… and a new Day!! What are you going to do to celebrate this fresh start? What will you organize? What resolutions have you made?

Organizing drawers…closets…rooms in my house… for me that is pretty simple… but for some reason – keeping my electronics organized is a WHOLE other ball game!! My phone.. My email… my computer… ipad… It always gets crammed full of things… So I thought what better way to start the year – than starting it with neat and tidy electronics!!!

That is what I will be focusing on this month!!

I was reading an article and it made me laugh… it gave a list of items… Your desktop has a million icons, your document folder is filled to the brim, you can’t find files…and a few more… These are signs that your computer is not organized efficiently

And unfortunately…I could relate to some of these items!! Which got me thinking… I really need to sit down and organize my computer! So here we are!!  (click on the underlined text above to read the Article).   Now it goes a little more in depth with file naming and organizing… but it is a good read!

Let’s do it… let’s organize our Computers!!

First things first… we will Purge!! 

As Elle Woods would say… the Rules of Haircare Organizing are Simple and Finite!!  I am sorry for that… but sometimes you can’t argue with Legally Blonde!!  We will Purge out anything we can!!  We will remove any and all duplicate files that we have.  We will empty out – and by this I mean – temporarily file away and/or throw out unneeded files in – our “download” file folder.  

Next is figuring out a proper way to organize your folders.

Everyone is different.  There is no right or wrong way… just a “right way” for you. You have to find and build a system that works best for you! 

Is this a personal computer or a work computer? Or is it combined? Will you have personal files… Will you separate your business files by project or by client?  Will you keep “like with like” – all digital files together, all family files together, all business files together….These are all things you have to ask yourself when trying to create a system that will work for you.

My computer is both personal and business.  So I have a plethora of folders!! But creating the right folders and keeping them organized is where it gets tricky for me!!

I have read that it is best to have a few large main folders and a ton of subfolders within them, I have also come across the notion of having one folder on your desktop and within that folder having everything else – that way your desktop remains free and clear.  And I won’t lie-there is a big part of me who likes this idea and thinks I will have to try it!!

Another thing to think about is your naming and filing system.  You don’t want to have super long file names, but you also want to make sure they are easy to find.  For my Business files – I name everything with a date first.  2022-01-03_File Name.  This works for me and is my preferred method of file names.  You need to find which way works best for you!

But…. You need to be consistent with the file naming!!  Don’t change up the way you enter it…don’t forget to put a 0 in front of your single digit month.  These are silly little things but can make a big difference when you are trying to search for something!

Something you may be forgetting about… that you really should take advantage of…. is your Taskbar! Make good use of it! Pin the items you use the most.  Keep your most used folders pinned there for easy access!

The MOST important thing to do… and the one thing that I am …. Horrible at remembering to do…. Backup your computer!!!  Seriously… I don’t know why I haven’t learned by now… There have been a few occasions when my hard drive crapped the bed and I lost everything… I had some things in the cloud and some things in other places so I was (thank god) able to scrounge around and find things… but it was a pain in the butt and no one wants to spend time doing that!! Backup your computer!!!!! Can’t say it too many times!

Lastly – after you have combed through your files and they are in a pristine and organized manner… empty out your trash – or if you are nervous about it, wait a week.  See if you find yourself looking for something that you accidentally tossed.  After a week or two – if you don’t find yourself digging through the trash – get rid of it!

You can use these steps for your phone, tablet/ipad, etc…. 

How do you keep your computer organized? Do you have any tips or tricks you would like to share?? Let us know!!

Well… that’s it for now!! Stay warm and I’ll talk to you later!!

January is GO Month – Lets get ready to Organize!!

by , on
Dec 16, 2021

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here.

Are you all ready for Christmas?? Are your presents all wrapped and ready to go? Ya – me neither!!  This year I am a little less organized… a little less prepared… oh well…it happens!! No reason to stress! I will get everything wrapped… and everything will still turn out great!!

January is almost here – and with January comes “GO Month”!!!

Which is perfect for me since I am feeling a little un-organized and out of sorts!! What is GO Month you ask!?!? Why it’s Get Organized Month!! LOL.  Yes, I am serious! NAPO (National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals) initiated this as a way to help inform and educate non organizing professionals on ways to help organize their homes and lives as well as increase their productivity.  Seriously- think about it – I did a post earlier about the domino effects of organizing – and it really is legit.  When you are organized you are often: Happier, Healthier, and Productive.

GO Month is celebrated all month long!! I use the term “celebrated” loosely 🙂 

So I thought….I would create a monthly chart of small Projects/things for you to tackle during the month of January to keep up with GO Month!! We can call it the January Organizing Challenge! Who’s with me?!?!?!

 

8×11 January Go Month by Angela Caddy

Each day of the month you can do one small project to help get your home and mind organized.  I plan to join along with Social Media posts as I tackle the daily projects and I hope you will join in! Tag me in your posts and add the hashtags!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas, and a Healthy and Happy New year!!
Stay warm and I’ll talk to you later!!

 

 

Things you didn’t know about organizing your fridge for the Holidays!

by , on
Nov 1, 2021

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here. 

Today we are going to talk about cleaning out your fridge… Sounds like fun right??  Well… as it turns out-next month hosts a day… November 15th and that day happens to be National Clean out your Fridge day!  I swear they have a day for everything!  

But figure – it makes sense that they would host it right before the holidays! Now is the time to do a full clean out on that fridge!! Purge and clean!!! Don’t get me wrong – I clean out my fridge weekly (Clean it out Wednesday night as that is the night the garbage goes out!!), I toss any uneaten leftovers, I wipe down any spills that I see…but that is about it… I am not always the best at checking expiration dates (I swear this trait runs in my family!!!)… but if I see something not looking right I will toss it.

So let’s do this!!! Let’s open up our fridge and see what we have inside shall we?!?!?!!  Just like my post about the 8 steps of Organizing…. What was step 1?? Pick a space and stick with it – That is what we are going to do…go shelf by shelf, one at a time… 

We will begin with the Purge!!!
Start by throwing out any expired food you see.  Toss out anything that you will not use before it is expired-better yet, if you know of a family or friend who would use it-ask them if they want it (some may think this sounds weird – but my friends and family are close and will share pretty much everything lol).  If you have unopened items that you never got around to using – but most likely won’t ever use – look into donating it to a food bank.

Do this for EACH shelf, drawer, rack, etc in your refrigerator AND your freezer!! Then move on to the next phase….Cleaning!  Ya – this part is not exactly super fun.. But once your fridge is cleaned and organized you will feel so much more happy!! Ok – wipe everything down… your drawers, your shelves, etc… scrape that gunk that is in the back corner that you didn’t know had spilled.. Clean it up good so we can move onto the fun stuff!!

We are spick and span clean and now its time to Organize!!! Hold up – don’t go putting things right back where they were.. Believe it or not, but some thought needs to go into the organizing order of operations!! 

There are so many tiktok videos of beautifully organized and color organized refrigerators out there… but one thing I have noticed.. They don’t always take into consideration where they are putting items/vs how pretty it looks.  Yes… where you put items really does matter!! And I am not just talking about veggies and fruit in the crisper drawers.

Think about it in Zones… your fridge has a few of them… 

Zone 1 – The Door: this is obviously not the coldest place in the fridge as it gets blasts of warm air anytime the door opens.  This is where you want to store condiments.  Soda.  Juice.  Butter.  Items with preservatives go here… things that will not spoil quickly.  I know that there is an egg compartment in the door, but please… use it for your butter and DO NOT store your eggs here!!  Your milk does not want to be stored in the drawer either.  You may drink a lot of it and use it up fast – but tell me.. What sounds better to you… a glass of cold-ish milk or an ice cold glass of milk??? Exactly.

Zone 2 – The Top Shelf.  This is also one of the warmer spots in your fridge (with the door as the warmest).  This is where your leftovers should be kept.  This is where foods that have already been, OR do not need to be, cooked should be placed.   The temperature in this area tends to hold steady.  

Zone 3 – Middle shelf.  This shelf stays pretty cold (typically you will get colder as you go down each shelf). This is the area where you want to store your dairy.  Your milk, cheeses, eggs can all be placed here!

Zone 4 – Bottom shelf.  This is typically the coldest part of the fridge. This is where you want to store your raw meat and your fish.   I have a designated bin in my fridge and in this bowl goes frozen meat that is being thawed.  If for some reason there is a hole or puncture to the frozen packaging – any spills or leaks of thawed meat juice is contained in the bin and allows for easy clean up and no contamination!!

Zone 5 – The Crisper Drawer – Where you keep your Fruits and Veggies.  Now you don’t want to put all fruit in one drawer and all veggies in another drawer.  Your fruit and veggies can be combined – what you want to look out for is the amount of ethelyne each produces – that is what you want to combine by….keep high ethylene producing produce away from other produce that does not produce as much.  This gas will promote faster ripening (and over ripening!!).

There we go – that wasn’t so bad was it?!?! Just think, now you have so much room to store leftover stuffing and pumpkin pie!!!!

What is your favorite Thanksgiving Leftover??

Get Organized Week

by , on
Oct 1, 2021

Hello Everyone, Angie from Architecturally Organized here. 

Sunday October 3rd kicks off “Get Organized Week” aka GO Week!!  Not to be confused with Get Organized Month -which is held in January (which is sponsored by NAPO). Go Week has been around since the early 90’s!  It is a week-long event to help everyone stay organized (Sunday Oct 3-Saturday Oct 9th)!! Why am I just learning that this is a thing? That’s another “new thing” for me that I learned this week!!! (Sidebar/Sidetrack  – the other new thing I learned this week –  I just posted on Tiktok about it – I love the Doors (band) and now that we are getting into the halloweenie spirit I like to watch movies to put me in the mood – So I watched Death Becomes Her… and saw a clip when Bruce Willis falls in the pool – well they have Jim Morrison standing there about to get in the pool… How did I never notice that it was supposed to be Jim standing there?!?! I was dumb founded!). 

Anyways – So here we are – This starts the busy time.  We just had a birthday-the fellows oldest just turned 17, his youngest is about to be 14, I will be…. Hush your mouth!!! But I will be turning another year older…Christmas shopping will begin soon (I start early and buy little stuff here and there throughout the year-but now comes the times for christmas lists and the heavy hitters), Halloween and trick or treating will be here … then you go to bed and wake up and it’s time for Thanksgiving and then you blink and it’s Christmas…. So… let’s get ready for all that! Let’s get organized and prepared for all the fun that is in store for the next few months….

So – being that this coming week is GO Week I have a few small projects for you to attack… to help you be organized and on your toes for the holidays ahead and the new year to follow!!  These small projects.. Well.. they are things that you don’t normally think about… they just get tossed to the side because it’s stuff that you think really isn’t too important…But…when you need something from them… you are usually scrambling trying to find the info/item.  These are mostly quick projects that won’t take too long.  I have 7 listed – one for each day of GO Week!!  

  1. Organize your contact list.
    Yes it is a silly thing and it may not be the most exciting… but make sure you have up to date addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, birthdays, anniversaries, etc for your friends and family. And – if you don’t already do this – give your contact list a boost by adding notes by the contacts – things they are into, possible gift ideas for future reference! This will help out when the time comes for gift giving and card sending!

  2. Organize Christmas wrapping and tags.
    Go through all of your gift bags, wrapping paper, and tags.  Take an inventory of what you have and how much.  If you can – hold out till after the holidays to buy any new items (things will go on sale and be cheaper and then you’ll be ready for the next year), if you have to buy stuff-don’t go overboard – just get what you need and wait till after the holidays so you can restock while its on sale!!

  3. Organize your holiday decor!
    Hear me out -You don’t have to get nitty gritty with this (unless you want to of course), for now – just macro organizing…. This is me assuming that you already have everything organized into separate containers for the holidays… Now is when you take the time to just pull out those containers… maybe pop the lid off and take a peek inside.  Make sure that the label and content match….lastly.. Like with like…make sure all the Christmas boxes are together, all the Easter containers are stored together..etc Now – when you put them back in their storage locations – put them back in a way that makes it easy for you to grab what you need when you need it… Just think – when December comes and you have to pull out the decorations they will be all ready for you and you will be glad you did this!!
  4. Organize (and clean) your refrigerator.
    Seriously!! The holidays are just around the corner!!!! Empty this baby out!!! You need to make room in here for all the yummy leftovers and pumpkin pies and stuffing.. And I can go on and on.  Clean it out – it will make you feel better!!

  5. Organize your Baking Pantry.
    Again – Seriously… (OK – Seriously I have been watching too much of Grey’s Anatomy-this is my first time binge watching it and they say Seriously A LOT!!) If you do a lot of cooking and baking for the Holidays you will want this purged, organized and want to have a good understanding of what baking essentials you have on hand – and what you need to buy for the upcoming festivities!!

  6. Organize your Food Storage containers.
    Will you be hosting any Holiday Dinners this year?  Well – even if you aren’t – take the time to go through your food storage containers.  Make sure they all have lids and that the lids close properly.  Depending on how much space – store them with the lids on or with them off.  Toss away containers that are cracking.  And Don’t forget to set some aside for friends and family to take leftovers home with them after your gathering!!

  7. Organize your planner/calendar/to do list.
    Everybody needs to have a good grasp of the days, weeks, and months this time of year.  Make note of what days the holidays land, When kids will be out of school, what days you have off from work, When trick or treating is, when you are celebrating with family outside your home.  Plan out when you will start your holiday baking.  When will you finish up your Christmas shopping? When will you start wrapping presents?  All things to just jot down and ya know – kind of get a grasp on things because… well, if you thought this year went by fast… well the next few months will fly by in the blink of an eye!!

So there you go – a week’s worth of projects that: 

  1. A) won’t take an enormous amount of time. 
  2. B) will help you out in the long run.  
  3. C) are small and won’t overwhelm you.

These projects are not exactly glamorous, but by tackling these projects it will allow you to make the most of your time when the holidays do arrive!!

What are some goals or “to do’s” that you set for yourself before the holidays?

Theoretical Thursday – Strength – Utility – Beauty

by , on
Sep 16, 2021

Happy Thursday everyone!! Welcome back to Theoretical Thursday!!
Theoretical Thursdays are the days that we will be talking about Architecture, Organizing and the many different components, connections, traits/etc that Architecture and Organizing have in common.

Last time we discussed Hierarchy, Circulation, and total area. This week’s post we will focus on Strength, Utility and Beauty. I am sure most of you are familiar with Leonardo da Vinci… he was a great…well everything. He was an artist, an architect, an engineer, a sculptor-he was everything. Some of his well known pieces are: The Last Supper, Mona Lisa, and the Vitruvian Man to name a few.

I want to focus on the Vitruvian Man. This man is said to be perfectly proportioned. He is the outcome of Leonardo following the principles of Vitruvius. Vitruvius may not be as well known to some as Leonardo is – hence starting with Leonardo. Vitruvious was an engineer, architect, and author. Firmitas, Utilitas, and Venustas (“strength”, “utility”, and “beauty”). These three adjectives were the ideal puzzle pieces that every building should have – that was Vitruvius philosophy and these principles were adopted across the board.

How does strength, utility and beauty fit in with organizing?

Well right off the bat… Strength… makes sense right? Be it – in buildings or closets – we want materials and products that will hold up… that won’t bend, twist, or deflect. Let’s say you are in the middle of organizing – anything – you don’t want to pile a flimsy box on top of a flimsy box do you? No. Why not? Because that flimsy box is eventually going to squish from the weight on top of it. We want durable and long lasting storage solutions.

Utility – yes please! This goes not only for the space we are organizing but also regarding the products/items that we are organizing with!! What is the point of organizing a space other than to have it function properly?? What is the point of buying a particular silverware divider if it doesn’t organize your silverware in a way that functions properly for you? That may be a silly example – but I don’t think so – there are NUMEROUS types of drawer silverware organizers out there – but you need to find the product that will allow the drawer to function in a way that works best for you. For me – Utility is a major part in organizing.

Beauty – Let’s face it – we all want to look at pretty things lol
In a paragraph above I asked what was the point in organizing other than having it function properly – well the other answer to that question is Beauty. We want it to be pleasing to look at. Sure we could use cardboard boxes to organize all of our stuff – but who wants to look at that? That is why you can go to The Container Store, Homegoods, etc and find beautiful baskets and storage solutions that make you WANT to look at your closet, cabinet, etc.  For some people – that is why they color coordinate their closets, books, shoes… They want it to be organized and to be aesthetically pleasing.

In big ways and in small ways – Architecture and Organizing are joined at the hip. We will continue to learn and expand on that as our journey continues!!

End of summer organizing…5 Small Projects to help say goodbye to Summer and hello to Fall! And a Giveaway!!

by , on
Aug 18, 2021

This year has been flying by so fast!! We are already past the middle of August, which…in my book means the summer is almost over. Granted we have over a month till the Fall Solstice….. But once the first week of August hits … well…. for me – growing up the first week of August was the County fair…and when the week was over… and the fair was packing up… it was always a big bummer because that was it… school would be starting soon and summer as I knew it was over… lol.. So dramatic!!!  To be honest – with the heat that we have been getting hit with…. I am looking forward to Fall!! 

So in honor of getting ready to say goodbye to summer and hello to fall, I have put together a few little Organizing Projects that you can easily do on your own that will help you get you ready for pumpkin spice and everything nice!

Swap out our clothes!!

When I was little I remember my gram storing away her winter clothes…. And up until my 30’s – it was never something I really did… and to be fair – for the most part I try to keep most of my wardrobe wearable year round – however there are things like big bulky sweaters that do not need to be worn when it’s over 90 degrees.  

Now is the time when I start pulling those items out of storage so that I can wash them and get them put away as well as go through my current closets and drawers and donate items that I do not wear anymore and toss things that are … too “worn in” lol.

Start gathering up all the swimsuits and beach attire and put them away as well as getting out the coats and get them washed and ready for use!

Fall Menu Planning, Fridge Purge and Panty stock

Now is also the time to start bringing out the comfort food!!!  I cook different things in the fall and winter than I do in the spring and summer.  Hello meaty stews and pot pie!! Take some time and take inventory of what you have on hand.  Go through your fridge, your freezer and your pantry.  Take notes of what you have in stock and what you are going to need on hand (example: I rarely use beef broth in the summer time – though it often gets used in the winter for different soups and stews, so I always make sure to pick some up this time of year as I know I will be using it).  

https://www.tiktok.com/@architecturallyorganized/video/6996787810820820230?lang=en&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

Attack your Central Station (Your document catch all area)

Is it your desk? Your kitchen counter? You’re dining room table? Where do you throw your bills, your important documents, your kids’ school work?  Time to Organize that area!!  

If you have kids- they are going back to school shortly… So all of last year’s work – time to go through it and only keep what you really need – if you are super sentimental – take a few photos of some of the paperwork – but discard the rest.

Purge and shred documents that need to be destroyed, Put everything else where it belongs and get ready to start the season with everything in its place!!

Clean and Swap Decor

I Spring clean… but I also Summer, Fall and Winter clean. In my head – it just makes sense to do a nice thorough cleaning before each season.  I have season decorations up and this just works great for me.  I take down my summer decorations (think fake flowers, kitchen dish towels, table linens and such) – they get washed and put in their designated totes.  Then everything gets a good deep clean.  Everything is dusted, windows are washed, furniture gets moved and vacuumed – the whole 9!! Then it is time to pull out the next seasonal decorations and put them up!!!

Outdoor close up…

Time to give a good clean to your outdoor patio furniture as well as get ready to close the pool!  I know it doesn’t sound like fun – and besides it is “outdoor furniture” … trust me.  “Next Year” you will thank you!!! Take the time now to give everything a good clean before packing things away that way when it’s time to set everything back out you will have less work to do! 

I won’t lie, I love when fall comes around… I love when the days are warm and the evenings are crisp.  I love hoodies and a good campfire.  I love cozy socks and having the fireplace roaring.  

So – you tell me – What do you do at the end of Summer that helps you keep organized?   Now that Summer is ending, there is a good chance your house/garage/attic/etc is in a bit of disarray…I thought- maybe I could help with that and try to make the end of summer not as depressing.

I am hosting an End of Summer Giveaway!!!
(See below on how to enter!!) 

I will pick two names on the last day of August (the 31st) and those (2) winners will receive a 3 hour
zoom/ facebook video chat Virtual Organizing Session. 

The Virtual Organizing sessions will consist of:
Session 1 (1 hour): discussing your problem areas and what your goals are for the space.  You will show me around the space.  You will show me what works for you, what doesn’t work for you and any inspirational ideas that you may have.  After the session is over I will then make a program that works for you and your needs. 

Session 2 (1 hour): During the second session we will go through the program and you can start the work.  I will be with you for the beginning stages so that you can ask any questions.  Once our hour is up you will continue the program on your own.  Once you have completed the program we will schedule our session. 

Session 3 (1hour): We will discuss how everything works for you.  We will discuss any issues you may be having and any new ideas or thoughts that have come to you while you were working.  We will discuss other options that may work better.

Below are ways to enter.  You can have only 1 entry or you can do any or all of the options below (up to 7 total entries) Obviously the more your name is in the pot the better your odds of getting chosen. 

  • 1-Like the Blog Facebook Post that announces the blog and the Giveaway.
  • 1-Share the Blog Facebook Post that announces the blog and the Giveaway.
  • 1-Like Architecturally Organized on Facebook
  • 1-Follow Architecturally Organized on Instagram
  • 1-Follow Architecturally Organized on TikTok
  • 1-Join our mailing list-DM me your email address
  • 1-comment on blog and answer the question “what do you do at the end of the summer that helps keep you organized?”

(if you already follow any of the pages – please let me know -comment on the post that announces the giveaway and you will still receive an entry) 

The Domino effect of Organizing…aka 6 Benefits of being organized.

by , on
Aug 14, 2021

I don’t know about you – but I know that I tend to feel…. Lost? Unfocused? ( I am not sure what the right word to use is) when my living spaces and work spaces are not organized.  When my desk is a mess I feel that I can not concentrate on the tasks that I have to complete.  

I take time out and clean up/organize and then I feel I can concentrate on what I am doing …. Once I feel I am fully focused my mood  gets better and I feel more productive and energized… and so on… Guess what that is?? The Domino effect of Organizing.  Check it out!!

Organizing will save you time.

You have just spent 10 minutes looking for the tape.  You are now running late to that Birthday dinner.  You thought it was in the junk drawer, apparently it wasn’t.  It takes time to organize your house, but once it is…you will no longer be wasting time looking for things.  When you organize a space everything has its own “home”.  A place to find an item and a place to put an item back.

And this leads to …. 

Organizing makes clean up a breeze.

Even if your house feels like it’s upside down, it doesn’t take long to put it back upright.  In most cases, when my house is in disarray – I can have it picked up and ready for company in 15 minutes or so (including vacuuming) because I already had it organized.  Everything has its “home” – so all I have to do is fold some blankets, put things back in their rightful places, throw some dishes in the dishwasher and we’re good to go. 

So if it saves you time and makes cleaning up a breeze… guess what that means? 

Organizing can help reduce stress

Think about it… You now know where everything goes so you no longer need to worry about that pile of stuff that has been waiting to be put away because you had no idea where to put everything-when your house is organized you do not need to stress where to put it because it will already have a home waiting for it – or at a minimum a designated spot. Remember that tape you were looking for? You won’t need to worry about finding it because you will always know where it is… like I said…one less thing for you to worry about!!

Guess what less stress can lead to??

Organizing can help increase your productivity!!

You are now less stressed.  Your mind is no longer dwelling on that tape or the pile of things that only the lord knows where you are going to put it…you have more confidence knowing where things are at.  Now you have made some space in your head for the other things that you should be focusing on.  You have time to focus on work, or your family work schedule.  You are more able to manage your deadlines and family activities!!

So where are we?? Cleaning your house is a snap of a finger, you are feeling more productive and getting more work done and on top of that you are feeling less stressed…. What does that lead us to????

Organizing helps give you more “ME” time!!!

Do I need to say anymore???  I don’t, but I will.

With all this free time you have saved (extra time not cleaning the house, extra time not looking for odds and ends and tape, extra time not working because you are so productive….) now you have time to focus on YOU!!!  Work on that craft that you have put aside, soak in the tub with some wine, read that book…. You have more YOU time so eat it up!!!

Remember this is the Domino effect we are working with…. So now that your house is clean, and you are so relaxed from the soak in the tub, you don’t have a worry in the world… you better believe that….

Organizing can help you sleep better!

Think about your bedtime routine… What does it look like?? Can you fall right asleep right away  or are you up tossing and turning and overthinking things? When you have less stuff on the brain and you are more relaxed you tend to have a better night’s sleep. Now, I am not a Doctor or a Sleep Specialist – but this is my experience.   

So there you have it…. A few of the benefits from Organizing your house… who couldn’t use some more me time??? And think – that is only the positives of organizing your house – we haven’t even talked about taking organizing into your daily life!! But that is a post for another day!

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