Workout Gear, Contained

Did you commit to getting fit this year?  One way to help stick with your new plan is to get organized.

I attend a 6:00 am fitness boot-camp three days a week, quite the challenge for this night owl. Organizing my workout gear the night before means I can keep my head on the pillow till the last-minute. I arrange my workout clothes next to the bed, stacked in the order I’ll put them on. This lets me dress in the dark without waking my husband who is a light sleeper.

I set out my shoes and a bottle of water next to my phone on our kitchen table so I can scoop them up as I head out the door.

In the car, I’ve staged the rest of my gear: an exercise mat, gloves since we spend part of the time outdoors year round and a towel. I also have tissue on hand and a water bottle. I used to use a tote bag, but I found the bag too short for my exercise mat. Instead I use a lightweight, collapsible laundry hamper. It keeps the mat contained and upright and allows me to see everything I need.

If you’ve made the commitment to get fit, congratulations!   Regular exercise adds years to your life, and improves the quality of your overall health.  Taking a few minutes now to get organized will make it that much easier to get moving.

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You’ve read them, displayed them and enjoyed the updates and photos.  Soon its time to put away the Christmas ornaments or the menorah, and you find yourself wondering what to do with all those cards.

You could save them.  If you’re a sentimental fool like me it’s hard letting them go.   Assuming you get 30 cards a year, you’ll have a collection of 300 by the end of the decade.  Double that and…well you get the picture.  Consider this instead:

Recycle

You have my permission!  Statistics state that 80% of what we file is never accessed again.  The idea behind the greeting is just that (to say hello, share a few updates, and carry on).  Odds are you’ll never look at those cards again with an equally good chance that you’ll run out of storage space.  Another option: package and mail the front of your cards to St. Jude’s Ranch for Children recycled card program.  They accept greeting cards year round, including birthday and thank you cards.  Please note that they cannot accept Hallmark, American Greetings or Disney cards).

Re-purpose

After savoring your beautiful cards, turn them into gift tags.  I purchased a Creative Memories tag maker and 1/8th inch ribbon from a craft store.   Simply punch the unused portion of the card, as seen below.

Re-purpose Old Christmas or Hanukkah Cards

Reminisce

In recent years a number of holiday cards are photographs.  It can be fun year-to-year to compare photos of children as they grow or your friends changing hairstyles.  I’ve created a Reminisce Box for those beloved holiday photos.  I enjoy thumbing through it once a year as I add the current batch of pictures.

Whatever you do, it’s great to have a plan in place now so those cherished cards don’t become clutter in your life.

“I just like to smile.  Smiling’s my favorite!” – Will Ferrell as Buddy in the movie Elf

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 Storing rolls of gift wrap year after year is a hassle.  Their awkward shape and size take up precious storage space.  Open rolls are easily damaged, rendering them useless come wrapping time.  It’s easy to forget what you have on hand, so you purchase more and you end up with the same problem.

Here are a few year-round tips for making your wrapping simple and stress free without buying and storing ready-made gift wrap: Make the “wrapping” part of the gift.

If you’re giving a book, an e-reader or a magazine subscription, why not purchase a tote bag to go with it.  Instead of a bow, attach a purchased or handmade book mark.

Gifting a beautiful sweater, scarf or other wearable item?  Why not wrap it in a ChicoBag in your friends favorite color.  This handy bag can be carried in a purse or pocket to have on hand any time you shop.

Start a family tradition of wrapping children’s gifts in the Sunday comics.  If you have a fashion-conscience teen, wrap a small book, CD or gift card in a glossy magazine cover.  High-tech gadgets can be wrapped in the colorful electronics inserts in the weekend newspaper.

Young children can turn art projects into gift wrap, always a hit with grandparents or a favorite teacher.

Quick and Easy Gift Tags

When bringing a hostess gift to a party, grab something that’s already “wrapped,” like a box of beautiful chocolates, an interesting bottle of wine, or a prepackaged candle. No additional wrapping required.

If you want to add a personal touch, consider making a variety of gift tags ahead of time.  Keep a few on hand in the glove box of your car for gift-giving on the go.  Store the rest in a convenient spot in your home.

I purchased a Creative Memories tag maker and 1/8th inch ribbon from a craft store.  This quick and easy punch is fun to use for creating beautiful tags.

This year I’m making bookmark gift tags from bright paint samples.  Old Christmas cards also make great tags.  Simply punch the unused portion of the card, as seen below.

Turn Leftover Holiday Cards into Gift Tags

Leftover scrap-book paper, last year’s wall calendar, postcards you purchased but never sent, all make wonderful gift tags as well.  Challenge yourself to use what you have on hand.

In the end, you’ll save time and money.  Let your creative juices flow.

“I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping.” -Steven Wright

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If you’ve already boarded the B.Y.O.B. train, congratulations!  You’re ahead of the game.  If not, here are some things you can do now to get organized.

In-home scavenger hunt:

It might surprise you how many reusable bags you already have.  Over the years I’ve received bags at conventions, company functions, or as thank you gifts from various organizations.  Not all bags are created equal, but for now, pull together everything you’ve got and assess your collection.  You’ll need bags for the grocery store as well as the mall.  If more than one family member does the grocery shopping, a second  set for the alternate car (or bike) will prove handy.  Large totes work well for light-weight shopping.  Smaller totes will be more useful for hauling canned soups or tins of cat and dog food.

Scout the deals:

Savvy businesses are offering free or inexpensive tote bags, in most cases under $5 and many under $2.  Reusable bags can be found at all the major grocery chains and many of the mom-and-pop stores offer them as well.  If you are in business for yourself, you might consider your own promotional give-away.  If you prefer stylish bags while you shop, here are a few designs I’ve collected on Pinterest.

Haul out your sewing machine:

Anyone with a machine and basic sewing skills can put together a simple canvas tote in about an hour.  I’ve seen totes made from blue jeans, thrift-store finds and fabric remnants.  Let your imagination be your guide.

Free patterns and tutorials can be found at Tipnut.

Putting them to use:

It can be challenging at first remembering to bring your bags when you shop.  I’ve found that if I return my totes to the car as part of the shopping and unloading routine, then I’ll never be without.  Chances are you already take the following on shopping errands:

• A shopping list
• coupons/discount cards
• gift cards
• reward cards
• a purse or wallet.

Add tote bags to that list and you’ll never be without.

Maintenance:

A few health concerns: When shopping for uncooked meat, fish or poultry be aware of the potential for spreading food-borne bacteria.  Bags used for uncooked meat should be washed regularly in hot, soapy water. You may want to color code your shopping bags (red for meat and fish, green for produce, off-white for frozen food, etc.) to prevent cross-contamination.    This will simplify the unpacking chore at home as bags will already be sorted.

 Do you B.Y.O.B?

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Blog Posts:

Gather visual ideas to accompany a blog post.  Rather than sight multiple links, each item on your pin-board cites the original source.  Readers can click on the picture as well as the link to the originating site. This creates traffic for other bloggers, as well as your own.  I recently blogged about the plastic bag ban in my community, then linked to my Pinterest Board for a variety of reusable bag ideas.  I included different styles and price points and even a pattern and tutorial for do-it-yourself enthusiasts. I titled the pin board B.Y.O.B. =Bring Your Own Bag.

Sharing Ideas:

If you have an interesting visual you want to share with your community, this is an excellent place to post. I’m helping my sister plan her Halloween costume and together we created a pin-board that allows both of us to post and share ideas such as makeup, wigs, costume pieces for sale on eBay, etc. I’ve created another board for our annual Halloween celebration. The board features decorations, carving ideas, recipes and other fun sites, so that all my ideas are in one place when I plan the party several months from now.

Collaboration:

Certified Professional Organizer ® Allison Carter created a Group Board with over 2,000 followers. Professional organizers post and share organizing ideas. Because you can comment, re-pin, share or simply “like” an idea pinned to group boards, I see potential for multiple collaborations: team-building, university class projects, work-place collaborations or book clubs.

Planning:

Many pinners are planning weddings, parties, graduations and other events using boards. You can gather ideas for invitations, party favors, flowers and food and as well as venues and gift ideas.

The Greenest of Gifts:

I created two or three pin-boards as virtual gifts last year for family and friends. My sister loves the color purple. She also enjoys playing guitar and cats, among other things. I created a pin-board with all of her favorites (in purple of course) and named it PRPL68. She loved it!  No wrapping or shipping required.  The gift is there for her to enjoy for years to come.

A Few Things:

Pinterest requires a Twitter or Facebook account. You can easily share your pins with friends and followers, as well as linking your account to your Facebook Timeline.

“Expressing passion for a hobby is just as easy as browsing for your next purchase. But what’s even more addictive about the site — a collection of collections — is that it’s just as much about the users as it is what they’ve posted.” – Mashable

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The art of saying no

The art of letting go is a close cousin of the art of saying no. Often we perceive value in an item because it’s presented as a free gift or a gift with purchase. Cosmetic counters are notorious for offering a “gift with purchase” which in reality simply encourages you to spend more than you planned. Only buy what you need, pocket the difference and move on. The same is true for free samples: the vendor wants you to try and buy their product.  We bring home the samples along with our good intentions, but then toss them in a drawer and the clutter mounts.

Gift bags are a staple at trade shows and holiday parties.  Filled to the brim with t-shirts, plush animals, clever gadgets and brochures, vendors spend thousands of dollars on these giveaways.  We accept them because they’re free.  More often than not, they end up in the back of a closet because they don’t really add value to our lives.

If you have trouble saying no, take some time to practice.  Role-play with a friend or use the mirror.  Imagine someone pressing a free brochure into your hand, and then imagine yourself politely handing it back to them with a “No, thank you!”  Resist the urge to explain yourself.  A polite no should suffice. 

Saying no gets harder when it’s someone you know.  A friend selling candles and cosmetics at a home party, for instance or someone anxious to share a new brochure.  Practice the art of saying no.  Be polite, gracious and firm.

The art of letting go

Now round up all those freebies robbing you of storage space and commit to letting them go.  Donate, recycle, or toss those gifts, gadgets and goodies.  Then let them in the door, no more.

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We are drowning in stuff.  Living in a consumer-driven culture means we are inundated with new and improved products that we “can’t live without” on a daily basis.  The most common complaint from potential clients is “I am completely overwhelmed!”

Ads once relegated to newspapers and magazines spread exponentially.  We are manipulated from every corner of our life.  A simple trip through the grocery store can feel like an assault on the senses.  Coupons jut out from the shelves, large graphics stare up at us from the floor,  carts need maneuvering  around displays sitting in the middle of the aisle.  For several years, we were treated to movie previews at the cinema but now they’ve included ads for TV shows, video games and cosmetics.

Have you seen any ads on the internet lately?  How about that billboard you see on your daily commute?  Once fixed, many of the billboards now rotate electronically to double or triple your ad saturation while you sit idle in your car.

Is it any wonder we’re overwhelmed?

The old adage, less is more, is true.  Streamlining our lives and letting go of the non-essentials is critical to our physical and mental health.  It requires a two part approach: reducing what we consume in the first place, and sorting, purging and organizing what we already have.

According to Dr. David S. Kantra:

Clutter has seemingly become a national epidemic. During the last 30 years the size of the average American home has grown 53%, from 1500 square feet to a little over 2300 square feet. With 800 extra square feet of space in our homes, one would think we would have more than enough room to spread out and be better organized. Not so. During this same span of time, self-storage facilities were originated and have, according to the Self Storage Association (yes, there is an association devoted to storage units), grown to over 35,000 facilities nationwide. Obviously, we have begun to buy and hold on to items so much that we’re requiring more and more space to accommodate our clutter.

In his article Chronic Clutter Syndrome, Kantra explains his theories behind our need to consume.  It’s an important first step to understand why we allow clutter to gather around us.  In part two of this series, I’ll address some of the ways in which we can all learn to stem the tide. 

The post The Art of Letting Go: Too Much Stuff appeared first on Organized at Heart.

Sort books:

Gather all your child’s books in one place.  Sort the titles into three categories:

• Keep on the shelf
• Save for sentimental value
• Give away

Books that continue to hold your child’s attention should be kept on a reading shelf.  A few books will have sentimental value, but are no longer age appropriate.  Create a manageable collection and store in a memorabilia box in an out of the way place.  Then give away the rest. Teachers love receiving donations for the classroom library.  A school in need or your neighborhood ‘friends of the library’ program will welcome donations as well. 

Sort clothes:

The old saw about kids growing like weeds is true.  From birth through the teen years, children regularly outgrow their clothes, shoes and sporting equipment.  Unless you have a younger child to hand them down to, consider donating to a local charity or to a friend with younger children.  A good rule to follow before donating any clothing: if it’s stained or torn, toss it or explore textile recycling in your community.

Rearrange bedrooms:

This is cleaning and organizing in disguise. If you let your child choose a new color for a fresh coat of paint, you’ll have another excuse to move and clean under the bed. 

Empty out the backpack:

 You never know what might be lurking at the bottom of the pack.  If you’ve not done so already, ask your kids to empty out their pack, and decide then and there if you can reuse it for one more year.  If your child is a “scrape the pack along the curb” kind of kid, you’ll probably need a new one in the fall.  Otherwise, wash your backpack by hand and hang it to dry for the following year.  Retain the supplies that you can and toss the rest (broken pencils, dried out markers and the like). 

Remember, summer is about slowing down the pace of our often over-scheduled kids.  Approach these tasks in bite-sized pieces.  Make it as fun as possible.

One more thing: if you do a Google search under “August is Kids Get Organized Month,” you’ll find that I just made it up. 

You’re welcome!

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