GetOrganised: organising your bedroom

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

This post is the last of the official GetOrganised series and for this post I hope to leave you with some simple practical ways to organise things around your room.We'll look at giving clothing, shoes, accessories, linens and your beauty products a more organised place to call home.

1. Making sense of your loads of clothes
We all have clothing in our closets and drawers that we haven't worn in ages and probably will never wear again. Not to mention the stuff that we have never worn but 'will soon wear' (yea right); or the things you find and say 'OMG I didn't even remember I had this.'

If you want to just make sense of what you have....
In your closet, use hanger dividers (you can buy them or check out this video to see how you can make them yourself) and pretty much just put your clothing into categories: dresses, shirts, skirts, pants, party, seasonal, etc.
For your drawers, simply place different articles of clothing into a different drawer; that way all your tops for example are together and a bit easier to find. If by chance one particular item of clothing cannot fit into one drawer, it may be a sign that maybe it's time to get rid of some stuff....or you need to fold them better.

If you need to figure out what's worth keeping and what needs to go.... 
In your closet, turn all the hangers in one direction and push everything as close to the left side of the closet as possible. Use a  hanger divider or something similar to mark where it ends. Everytime you wear something and it's ready to be hung back up, put it to the right side of the closet. At the end of a set period of time (maybe a month or four months, depending on how you wear your clothing); whatever is still on the left side is what you need to go through to donate, trade or dump.

For your drawers it's a bit trickier...I suggest you go through them one drawer at a time. Divide the contents of each drawer into four piles: 'must keeps', 'possibly keep', 'seasonal', and 'ready to go.' Whatever you are 100% ready to let go of should be placed in a bag and donated, traded or dumped ASAP; while seasonal garments should have one drawer to themself if possible (it helps to eliminate the confusion). Must keeps should have a draw for themself and the 'possibly keep' items should be put in a drawer together. When something from the 'possibly keep' drawer is worn, re-assess whether the item is to be kept or gotten rid of.



2. Keeping shoes together
With two feet, it would be nice to always be able to find both feet of shoes. The problem is that sometimes we take shoes off and knock them to one spot, then somehow one shoe in the pair goes missing....and when you need to wear them (and have no time to search) is when you're tearing the place apart to find it.

Besides maybe just knocking off your shoes into your closet (or where ever your shoes are kept) there are a few other things you can try.

Shoe boxes
Storing your shoes in boxes can help keep suede  and white clean, patent leather scuff-free and pairs together. Boxes also make it lots easier to organise and pile your shoes neatly to one side. This of course though is annoying if you have lots of shoes, because then you may spend way too long trying to find a particular box with a particular a pair...then of course you're going to have to put them all back into the boxes. If you're up for it though, you could label the boxes or get clear ones, then pile them in an order that best suits you.

Shoe racks
This is similar to how shoe stores and 'super-star closets' present shoes. It does make shoes easily visible and quicker to grab, but this may present a problem with regards to keeping shoes clean. There's also the fact that depending on how many pairs of shoes you have, you may need a whole lot of space to lay your shoes out.



3. Storing linens
So you want to change your sheets. You've found the fitted piece but somehow the cover sheet and pillow cases are nowhere to be found....how annoying!

Sheets....
I've tried many ways to keep my linens together and for sheets, the simplest and easiest way to keep linens in order is to use one of the pillow cases to store the other pieces in the set. Fold the fitted and cover sheets as well as the other pillow cases/covers in the set, and place them into the other pillow case.

Towels...
With towel sets, you can either use a bulldog clip to keep the pieces together, or fold/roll the smaller pieces (rag and face towel) into the bath towel.

This way whether it's for the bathroom or bedroom, the sets are already together and easier to find, plus this could even help save space in your linen closet.



4. Give your accessories a home
Belts, bags and jewellery can't enhance an outfit if they are nowhere to be found. How you store then of course will depend on how many of the items you own. Let's say you own a few belts, a couple bags, and almost a store full of jewellery...storage solutions do exist.

Bags...
Depending on how many you own, your bags could probably fit into a draw or two. Otherwise, a coat hanger with multiple hooks is probably the best solution for you. Once you put it somewhere that's easy to reach, you'll be able to easily toss your bags on it without much stress.

Belts... 
Belts can be rolled and piled into the drawer if you have that kind of space available. If not, a coat hanger or belt hanger is another easy option that can make belts accessible. Unfortunately, if you have a lot, the belts can get a bit knotted in the hangers and make it frustrating to get one without taking a number of other belts off. A DIY option is to get magnetic strips and hang the belts by their buckle....of course this would need a pretty strong magnet and the space on a wall or door to place the strip.

Jewellery...
O the joy of having many options to accessorize your every outfit. Of course it's annoying though when your chains are tangled or when matching earrings cannot be found. The solution is a jewellery box of course! But you're grown and the average one cannot be home to your mountain of accessories....so you get a tool box.

Oh yes, a tool box with compartments and all the trimmings is the perfect way to store your accessories.  Besides keeping everything in one place, the box keeps it sheltered from dust and water, a variety of sizes make it easy to find the size you need, and you can place it under lock and key (away from those lovely siblings who borrow as they please). In addition to the toolbox for main storage, consider too getting some ziplock sandwich bags to keep delicate pieces and special sets individually wrapped. This makes them 100% easier to find when you don't have much time to get all dolled up. Also an option is getting a smaller toolbox that you can use for travel. Find one that can lay flat in your suitcase and will be able to hold the specially selected pieces you'll need.



5. Hair and skin products
Lotions, fragrances, deodorant, moisturizers...the works. There's just so much on your vanity and it could almost look like a skin product showroom. Besides the fact that there are so many things in one place, truth is...you use all of them (and if you don't use all of them then a cleanup needs to happen asap).

Containers that are basket woven or made of plastic are simple ways to keep the beauty products in one place. You can choose to get one big container, or use a number of small containers placing the products based on how/where/when they are used.

Another solution would be to get them off the vanity completely whether you'll have a standing caddy, or opt for a shelving unit. This will work if you have the space for it...and possibly the handy skills to get it done. It may definitely be the better solution for you though if you have a lot of supplies to keep in storage.



Let's hope things start shaping up now as you slowly introduce the new methods into your routine. This may be the last of the series, but no worries, there'll be other posts as time passes and I find other ways to help you GetOrganised.

GetOrganised: there's an app for that

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

So this is the fourth post in the GetOrganised series so far, and this post is specially put together for the tech fans. I've been giving different organisation tips without really putting technology in the mix, but since this is the 21st century and there's an app for everything let's consider some of the apps, websites, desktop programs and so on that can help GetOrganised.

Last year when I was hunting for some new apps to try, I came upon this site (dailytekk.com) that had an article about 100 tools, websites and apps that can help make organisation easier. I will admit that I kinda went to a sort of heaven with all the options and possibilities...and I went through every single one (obviously I had nothing else planned for that night).

I tried to select the program that I thought suited me best....and Wunderlist kinda won my heart. I even blogged about it! Since then, the Wunderlist team has done a major upgrade and premiered Wunderlist2 which has some great new features and really helps keep me in check.

If you're not quite sure what to look for here's the top three features that I look out for:

1. must be multi-platform:
This is super important if you have devices on different operating systems. Try finding a program that works with Android, Windows, Mac and everything else!

2. must be able to sync on various devices:
Your laptop, tablet and phone should be showing you the same thing regardless of which device was used when any changes were made!

3. must be user friendly: 
This tool is supposed to make your life easier...not more complex. If you need a full day of training to use the program then it may really not be the best thing for you....imagine how long it will take for you to figure things out if something goes wrong?

Of course it's been a year so some of the things listed on that page have more than likely been updated and are now a bit different. Besides Wunderlist, another option I tried was remember the milk, and although that one never stuck with me, it's loved by many of my friends.

There's also the option of using the calendar app on your laptop/tablet/phone. Not to mention the fact that every device has an app store these days, I'm sure you'll be able to find an app that is perfect for you.

Now with ideas to make life easy, plus app options to get organised on every device you own....I hope things get a bit less stressing for you. 

GetOrganised: sorting out routine tasks

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

We know what needs to be organised, and even know how to make sense of a to do list. But what about those routine tasks that need to get done daily, weekly or monthly?

Routine tasks can be simple tasks like checking email or more time consuming ones like putting together a budget or report. If not properly organised these tasks can take a few minutes, or a few days. Then because these are routine tasks, pushing them back can cause a very much unwanted pile up of things to do.

....yea....you've probably just thought about the 100+ unread emails...if you're anything like my boyfriend you probably have about 200+...and never really plan to read them.

Anywho...what's the solution? First of all you have to make note of what your routine tasks are and how frequent these tasks need to be done. This of course makes perfect sense. With that list, you can now see what tasks you definitely need to make time for on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.

Because the lists will differ for each individual I can only tackle what I believe are generally routine tasks for everybody.

Emails
Depending on what your job entails and how many email addresses you have, the number of email you get daily can range from 1 to 'I give up on keeping track.' Regardless of how many emails you're getting, try to make set times for checking email (twice a day or every few hours depending on the volume of mail) and use folders to organise email that you have already looked at and only need to keep for reference reasons. All other email should be trashed as soon as it can be.
As for new email, the best way to clear up your inbox is to look at your mail in three categories (in my opinion): subscriptions, important mail and personal mail.

1. Subscriptions

Six months ago you thought signing up for mail from 'bestsiteeverblahblahblah' was the best decision. To this day you have never read an email they've sent..or what they send is of absolutely no use to you...so what's the point of having them fill your inbox? Once the subscription is not benefiting you, unsubscribe!
The rule also applies for social media networks that you're going to log into and check anyway. There's no need for you to get an email every single time someone comments on your pic, when you know you're going to be logged into Facebook and see when the notification comes up. For most sites you can adjust what you get mail for and how often you are sent mail. Consider that option if it's that important for you to get an email from social networks...otherwise...unsubscribe!

2. Important mail
Email is popularly seen as the means of communicating with co-workers, classmates, potential clients et al. So your inbox probably has loads of important mail that you've read and need to follow up on, or those you need to read and download documents from, etc, etc. It can be hard to organise mail like this depending on how many you receive on a daily basis and how quickly you can respond.
You probably also have a mobile device that you use to check your mail. And as convenient as it is, these devices can be one of the reasons that important mail gets forgotten! If you read an email and can respond without needing to do any further follow up, then send an answer ASAP! Otherwise, the easiest solution is to use the 'star' option.
After reading an email (assuming you need to follow up but are unable to respond at the time) add a star to it so you can check it again at a more convenient time when you aren't as busy (preferably at the beginning/end of the day). Try to avoid taking more than a day to answer, and when you've done your follow up, remove the star from the email.

3. Personal mail
Photos from the last family event or forwards with cute messages may give a lift to your day, but if you aren't careful you end up spending hours looking at all this and getting no work done. Unless it's related to a family emergency, leave the personal mail unread until you're on outside of work hours. After viewing them, either download what's important, put it in a folder or trash it.


Cleaning
Cleanliness is next to Godliness but depending on what needs to be cleaned, cleaning can be a few hour task or something that needs a weekend. There's no going around the fact that the average person has more to do than they have time for, and sometimes it's the routine cleaning that takes a back seat.
Of course you take the time to wash dishes and do laundry, but dusting, vacuuming, and clearing out your wardrobe does need to have every now and again. The solution is to choose one or two days per week and make them your cleaning days. On these days you can tackle one more area that needs a pick me up, that way the cleaning doesn't pile up and become overwhelming. We'll tackle the cleaning schedule a bit more in another GetOrganised post. Until then, here's a cute printable cleaning schedule from modernstylemama.com


Budgeting
Oh the distress of managing money....distressing of course if there isn't much in your life, but superbly important if you want to make sense of your spending!
No matter how much you make, tracking your monthly spending puts you in a better position to see what your spending habits are and possibly get to better spend money on things you want 'just because'.
Of course in my world the main reason behind budgeting is to save, and since I don't have one set full time job with a steady income, it's even more important for me to know how much is made monthly and how much is spend. I'll admit, I know little about accounts but I've found a way to break down my income and expenses without making me feel totally confused.
I make a list of the incomes and various expenses based on where the money comes from (whether your main job or a special project) and where the money is spent (home, bills, transportation, pets, donations, etc). Since I'm not the best at explaining accounts, here's a sample personal budget I put together. It's saved as a Microsoft Excel document that you can edit and use.


I know these are just three of many routine tasks, but I really hope that breaking down these three helps you get things more organised and helps you better organise the other ones you have.

Now you can break your list into categories and plan out how you'll get your routine tasks done.
Please let me know how the templates work out...especially the one I made for you. Next week I'll give you some great tech-solutions you can use to GetOrganised!

GetOrganised: tackling a to do list

GetOrganised

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

After figuring out what exactly you need to organise, the next thing to do is to make sense of it all.

You have a to do list with probably 100 things and it probably seems really overwhelming....but there are five methods I've used to make sense of my to do lists while making note of the 'asap task' versus the 'soon task' and the 'eventually task.'

NB: It would be a good idea to have at least three different coloured pens for this exercise

1. Use a coloured pen/marker to note the tasks that can be done in 5 minutes or less. These quick tasks are your 'asap tasks' and would include simple things like making a phone call, checking or sending off email, or even rearranging something to make it more accessible later.

2. Use another coloured pen/marker to mark the tasks you need to finish within 7 days. These are clearly the 'soon tasks' and may be tasks like finishing a report, completing the notes for a meeting or purchasing an item. Feel free to also jot down which day of the week the task needs to be completed by. This will help you prioritise the tasks based on due date.

3. It could be assumed that the remaining tasks are 'eventually tasks.' Be sure to look at them twice to see if any of these tasks are linked to tasks in the other categories. You may notice that some of them are very much related and can either be done together, or that the start of one task will be dependent on the completion of another. Maybe you want to prepare a presentation, but that presentation will need the responses from an email and a face-to-face meeting in order to be completed. The email is your 'asap task', the meeting is your 'soon task' and then the presentation your 'eventually task'....all correlated.

4. Delegate what can be delegated and note areas where help will be needed. While all the things you need to do may not be school or work related and would be best done by you, don't feel that asking for a little help is out of the question. If a friend offers to help, confirm that they will be able to assist and complete a task within a set time frame; then note that the task has been delegated. As it relates to getting help, try finding more experienced persons to help with tasks you can't really manage alone. This may give you the chance to learn something new, and may quite likely get the task done quicker and more efficiently.

5. Make changes when necessary. The reality is that as you complete some tasks, others come up whether planned or not. Be ready to make changes to your list (or make a new list each week) as new things to do pop up and as you make progress with various tasks. Sometimes tasks that starts off as 'eventually' become 'asap' for whatever reason. So just be ready to adjust.


So yes, the 'asap tasks' and the 'soon tasks' are sometimes the ones that determine whether or not 'eventually tasks' get done at all. This of course is why it's a good idea to break the list into categories and work smarter to get things done.

Now you're probably also thinking about a location that your list can be kept while you get busy with getting things done....or make note of things to be added. I use a small notebook. It not only reminds me of the things I need to get done, but also gives me the space to jot down other things I need to add to my list for the week ahead. On a Sunday afternoon I sit and figure out the week ahead, making use of the notes I've made throughout the week and using the lists from the week before to see which tasks need to be carried over.

GetOrganised: the basics

For March 2013, each Sunday I'll be helping you to GetOrganised. I'll share tips and tricks aimed at making organisation work for you...noting of course how you could possibly tweek everything to suit your needs.

The first thing about getting organised is figuring out what you need to organise. Makes sense right?

You may think everything is in chaos, but I've noticed that the best way to make sense of everything you need to get done, is to decide what you need to get done.

It can be pretty overwhelming to have lots to do and have no clue where to start...or to even remember what you need to do.

Yes, sometimes no matter how organised you think you are, when sleep hits or an emergency pops up, it can throw you off completely...but then you start over and make sense of what you need to get done.

How do you do this?

Simple! Make a note of all the things you want to organise or improve....we'll call it your spruce up list. It would be good too to put each thing into specific categories (this will make the next step much easier).

For example your 'spruce up list' may look like this:

Home - tidy closet, get rid of old clothes, sort bookshelves
Work/School - finish reports, organise notes, tidy office
Personal - hire assistant, clear up email, plan vacation, pay bills

So you've made your spruce up list. Right now, after making the list and looking back at the many things to organise you may think 'what the heck have I gotten myself into.' But trust me, this super list of many things will make sense soon....very soon.

Feel free to keep adding to this list until you're able to tackle everything one by one. Don't worry we'll be getting to that in the next GetOrganised post.

organisation ahead

Lately, more and more persons have been asking how I manage to get everything done with my many hats...my response is 'I'm organised.'

This seems to be a figment of imagination for some, but as I see more persons talk about their challenges getting everything done (and I overcome my own), I've decided to share some of my organisation tips and strategies that help keep me on track.

I'll make one post each Sunday in March (so that means five posts in total). Each week I'll focus on another method, tool, or area of your life that you can try to pull together with just a little organisation.

Now here's my disclaimer to all readers: 

Don't feel that because I've got these organisation methods and techniques going, then it means I don't have a few spells of disorganisation. I can say though that based on my own experiences and the experiences of others who have adopted these tips and tricks, things stay all organised once you maintain the structure put in place.

To be honest, over the last two months or so, I've been the least organised ever! I assume that it's because I was sick almost twice in a row during Christmas. That definitely caused some setbacks with the things I needed to get done and keeping up with everything I needed to focus on. Fortunately I'm getting back on track using the same methods that helped keep me sane over the last few years!

.......And I'm super excited to share them with you!

I'm also hoping to get some sample docs together so you download and print for yourself.