Organizing Your Magazines!
I love to read magazines! I receive magazines on a monthly basis, topics ranging from organizing to home to money to scrapbooking…My son even gets a Lego Magazine! We have plenty of them around the house and with the help from slickdeals.net, often times we can get them at really great prices!
The downside to loving to read… is the paper clutter that accumulates in your home! This is often a problem I see with my clients as well as something I have to keep at bay in my own home!
Here is a 4 step plan on how to contain and best organize your magazines!
1. Decide where incoming, unread, current magazines are going to land when they arrive. Having one spot will eliminate any from getting lost and will save you time from searching for your most current issue! And remind you to take the time to read if you start to see this space filling up! This location could be a magazine holder in your office, your living room, or a basket somewhere. Just make sure this is the only item kept in this space. Keep your magazines separate from your other mail.
2. Decide where magazines are going to go if you are currently in the middle of reading one! This could be on a nightstand in a bedroom or a coffee table in a living room. Limit the number of magazines in this space. You don’t want it to look cluttered. Keep 2 to 3 at the most.
3. As you are reading, if there are articles you would like to save, clip and place in a file or a binder. Separate your articles by category. For example for all new recipes to try- place in a cooking binder or file, for decorating and organizing ideas, place in a home file or binder for future reference. You do not need to keep the whole magazine. Clip as you read! This way you will not forget where the article was.
If you do have certain magazines you like to save for whatever reason, organize by title, year, and month with magazine holders, (Container Store) placed on a shelf. Be realistic on how many years you need to save and for what reasons are you saving them for. So much information can now be found on the internet. Only keep the ones that really give you the most value! 
4. When you have completed the magazine – recycle! Have a bin or a basket for these to land. This way you know you are through with them. If you like, give them to other people to share or take them to your local library, doctors offices etc.
This is a system which works great for me… What works great for you? Do you have challenges with your magazines? What are they? I would love to hear your ideas and comments…
Happy Organizing! Happy Reading!
Simplify Your Life!
I love this statement….It screams to me! (Imagine the casino signs on the Las Vegas Strip, this particular bright flashy light is yelling Nikki Over Here! Over Here!) This is what I try to do in my life everyday, this is what I teach my clients to do !
There is no doubt we live in a hurried society. We have busy schedules and there is always something We Have To Do. In the last few years, my life has come into perspective in ways I never expected. We all have stumbling blocks, we all have mountains to climb! I have had to learn to simplify my life, mainly because what I had expected didn’t happen and what I never expected did! Don’t get me wrong there are still times where I run around wondering where the time has gone and I do have stress, just ask my husband and my closest friends!
During these times I have to Stop, Breathe, and Remember. What am I remembering? Below are my top 5 favorite ways I simplify my life!
1. Set your Priorities – Write them down. Who and what is most important to you? What do you value most in life? What is on your bucket list? If you start to lose perspective use this list to determine how you are filling up your days, use at it as a guideline. Is what you are doing today getting you closer to your goals? Are you doing what you value most? Fill your days with these priorities.
2. Know when to say NO- We can all make ourselves feel guilty.. Someone asks us to do something and our first response is Yes, sure I can. Wait, how does this really work into your schedule, how does this relate to your priorities. Set limits. You can’t do everything. If you are committing and not giving it 100% than don’t commit. You are not as effective anyway, which is no good to you or to what you said yes too! When saying No, be polite but clear. Do not feel the need to apologize. You value your time and setting limits honors this.
3. Do what you love- Find time for yourself, stop doing everything you have to do and do what you love. Make it a priority! I just read an article in Redbook, about clearing a space just for you… In this space, have what you love – flowers, tea, a picture that is inspiring to you etc. Once you have your space the way you want it, do in the space what feels best, maybe read a book, read an article in a magazine, journal, or just meditate and be. Even if it’s just for a few minutes each day, take this time to be yours.
4. Plan- I like to plan. I feel more in control. However I have learned to be flexible too. It’s a fine balance. Create a master list of things you need to do. Break it down, by either a timeline, or from easy to big. Be realistic for your daily to do list. It should only contain items you can realistically get done that day. I have learned this the hard way! Set yourself up for success not disappointment. 
5. Clear your clutter – A cluttered home often means a cluttered mind. We can’t truly relax and let go if we have a bunch of stuff around us. Take a few minutes each day to clear the clutter – especially in those special places where we want to relax and wind down. What’s the first thing you see when you enter your home? Make this a clear, organized space. First impressions count to you too. Clear your nightstand or your dining room table. Start small, take as much time as you have, you will see the difference, and most importantly you will feel it.
What do you do to live a simple life? What are your challenges? What are your reasons to slow down? I would love to hear from you. I think this topic is worth exploring and writing more about. Tell me what you think!
As always… Happy Organizing!
Staying Motivated- Getting through the Organizing Process
You have had enough! It’s time to make a change. You are tired of wasting time and money looking for items you know you have but can not find! You want your home to be organized! On the weekends instead of working on projects, you would like to spend time with family and friends… Having Fun! Your timeline…. yesterday!
You are Motivated, Committed, and Excited!
Now you’re in the process… but wait there is a mess here and here and here! This is taking up a lot of time and going much slower than you expected. Your still spending your weekends cleaning and organizing. Now you have turned your motivation into frustration. You are again feeling overwelmed and maybe even a little disppointed in the process. These are all very normal feelings.
Whenever we are changing habits, changing lifestyles, it is going to take us through a whirlwind of emotions. Especially if letting go is a difficult thing for you to do in the first place. Our lives get is disarray for many reasons and when you are going through the process of getting to a better place for yourself it can and will be difficult. Getting organized in all aspects of your life, takes time, takes energy, and takes patience.
As a Professional Organizer here are some ideas to keep you on track, keep you motivated, committed and excited about your projects!
Understand the process – There is no quick fix if you have multiple projects in your home. Go over your goals and understand really what it is you are trying to accomplish. Understand organization does not have to look perfect. Being organized means you are able to find your things in your home without wasting time. It means being happy and content with your space. This looks different for everyone. Understand this will take longer than you expect and it will take a considerable toll on you not only physically by the hard work but emotionally as well. Work in time intervals that are best for you. Work when you are feeling your best and most motivated.
Embrace the mess – It will get messy! True fact to clear out a room or a closet – you have to make a mess to sort and clean out. You will be taking everything out, touching everything and making piles. Try not to focus too much on it and just know there is an end in sight. Messes mean progress! You are one step closer to your goal. I do suggest to get your donation items out of your house right away. Instead of piling them up in a corner, take them straight to the car and go that day.
Track your progress – Prior to working on a project, start a tally sheet and track your time. Start with the day and how many minutes or hours you worked that day, and write down what you did. Sometimes seeing it on paper is better than seeing the mess around you. Track how many donation bags you gave away. Take before, during, and after pictures. This is a terrific way to visually track your progress.
Celebrate your successes – No matter how big or small they are. Celebrate the 10 minutes you worked on a drawer today. When the whole room is finished, celebrate then too! To assist you in seeing what is being done, write a master list of all of the projects you want to accomplish, and then break this list into even smaller pieces. When you are done with something, cross it off the list and celebrate!
Avoid multi tasking – Our society has taught us that multi-tasking is this great skill to have. In organizing – not so much! Work on one space at a time! It is too easy to feel you are not accomplishing your goals if you have several spaces being redone at the same time. Start, Finish, Move On.
I hope this gives you some encouragement and motivation to keep going. Don’t give up! If you need support, ask for it, either by a professional, a spouse, a friend, a sister, whomever. It is worth the hard work, the sweat and the tears. It is a process, be patient, do the work and it will be done!
Happy Organizing!
Sorting Halloween Decorations!
It’s October, It’s Fall, It’s almost Halloween! The beginning of the Holiday Season! My kids reminded me at least 10 times this last weekend to get the decorations up! Here are a few tips to keep in mind when sorting through your decorations…
1. If you haven’t already, I highly recommend getting bins that are color coded for each holiday. It was very nice to go into my storage space and know the black and orange bins had Halloween decorations rather than going through several random boxes.
2. As you are deciding what to put up, think about what you didn’t put up last year, and have no interest in putting up this year. These are the items to donate! And now is the time to do it, while the season is still in season.
3. If you have items you do not want to put up but you do not want to get rid of them because of sentimental purposes, consider taking a picture of the item. This holds on to the memory for you without actually having to hold on to the item.
4. If you have children in your home and you have extra decorations, let them decorate their rooms or a special space in the home just for them. I did this with my kids and what a hit! I found my son sleeping with a plush pumpkin last night!
5. Final Thought in Review—Just because you have it doesn’t mean you have to put it up! Pick the items you like the best and have the most meaning. Donate the rest!
Happy Organizing and Happy Decorating!
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