What I Learned From My 4 year old Daughter!
December 30, 2009 by Nikki · 2 Comments
Last night after dinner, my daughter wanted to play a game with me… So here she comes down the stairs with her HI-HO Cherry-O Board Game…
I go to get it set up and she stops me.. “No mommy, I want to play like this”…. And I said “No, we need to play the game right and set it up this way”… After a couple of exchanges of going back and forth… I stopped myself and realized, why do we have to play this one way?
What am I teaching her, if there is only one right way to do something? What is the goal we are trying to achieve here?
All we want to do is play together, connect with each other, and have a good time!
What was she teaching me? Not only is there more than one way to play a game, but it was a good reminder that in life we need to be flexible, accept and be open to change, it can be a good thing, and open ourselves to new and different ideas…
Needless to say we played HI HO Cherry-O three different ways last night… and it was great! She won every single time.. That Lucky Girl!
I understand and agree that there is a time and place for structure. There is a time where breaking the rules just isn’t acceptable. I understand at some point she will need to understand what it means to win graciously and how to lose the same way… I figure with her older brother and her friends, she will have plenty of times to learn those lessons…
But last night, while playing with her Mommy, she was the Champion of HI HO Cherry-O three different ways!
The Hit List!
December 28, 2009 by Nikki · 1 Comment
Last week when I was sick, I wrote a post about having a Master To Do List available. A place for you to get a handle of the many things to do.. a place for you to check off as you completed each task! I must confess, typically I did this either on my computer or just on a piece of paper…
Until now…
Shortly after I had written that post, I was reading a blog post ( Helping You Get “To Do” Done Better: Free Applications Every Small Business Must Have!) from my dear friend, Megan Strand. In her post she references Pete Wright.. Another dear friend of mine and the mastermind behind this website! Megan and Pete introduced me to The Hit List!
Wow… What a fantastic tool! Anyone who has a list of things to do, which we all do, can use this! It’s a fantastic way of organizing your to do’s by projects with sublists, due dates, everything you might need. I really like the feature of having a folder for things you want to do but are on hold right now. It’s a great way to keep your thoughts, ideas, and tasks all in one place! You can focus on what’s due today or work ahead on other projects. There are different kinds of tags and smart folders, which I am still trying to figure out. But so far … so good! I absolutely love this tool!
The best part it is FREE to download in its beta edition.
I highly encourage you to check it out.. and if you have any tips on the tags and smart folders, please share… I am still trying to figure that part out!
Happy Organizing!
Packing Christmas… Welcome New Year!
December 26, 2009 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Christmas has come! And now it is gone! I had a wonderful Christmas! With two children in the house it is always a magical time.. Seeing Christmas through their eyes is a great gift! But here we are now… The end of December! And I personally am ready to get my house back in order. Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas, I love Christmas Decorations.. But as you may guess, I am not a big fan of clutter. And right now I feel a little overwhelmed by all of this Christmas stuff… My house looks like a Toronto came through it!
So like many of you, I am spending the next couple of days cleaning, packing up, and organizing my house back in order.
Here are some great tips on how to organize your Christmas Decorations..
1. Group into Categories- Group your decorations the way it makes most sense to you. Here are some suggestions: Outdoor decorations, Tree Ornaments, Holiday Cards, Decorative Items, Linens, Wrapping Items. Another way to group is to put your decorations the way you have them displayed, for example; all decorations in the kitchen go into one box, all decorations in living room go into box B and so on.
2. Take a picture of how you decorated and put it in the box with the decorations. This will make decorating next year very easy!
3. Obtain appropriate containers- So many stores are having great sales on storage items, and they have great products just for lights, wreaths etc. But before going out and buying a bunch of new product, take inventory of what you currently have. So many times we buy what we do not need. And make sure to measure and only buy containers you can move easily when filled with items.
4. Pack up what you Love and what is not Broken- If you found items you did not use this year and do not plan on using them again, this is the time to donate. Don’t waste the space. Check the lights, there is no sense in packing up lights that no longer work.
5. Label your Containers- It will make it so much easier to decorate and find that special something you are looking for next year.
Happy Organizing!
Creating Holiday Traditions!
December 22, 2009 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
One of the things I love about the Holiday season is remembering the past! I love going to my parents house and seeing christmas ornaments on the tree that I created as a child! Or talking about Christmas memories we shared as a family during different times in our lives. The smell of homemade sugar cookies cut out like Christmas trees with green frosting and red hots as ornaments! All of these things and more mean Christmas time to me…
Now that I have my own family and Christmas is a big deal around here with 2 small children, it’s been really fun for my husband and I to create new traditions for our family. But we do this in a simple way, a way that is not stressful for anyone. Because really what is tradition? It should be something done as a family, everyone having fun, and creating lasting memories! And in our house they do not have to be expensive ravish gifts or dinners, no actually quite opposite in fact…
Here are some of our traditions in our family….
1. We drive around the neighborhoods and look at all of the Christmas Lights – listening to Christmas Music of course!
2. We bake cookies for Santa and leave them out with a glass of milk and carrots & apples for the reindeer!
3. Everyone gets to open one gift on Christmas Eve.
4. We attend Christmas Eve Church Service.
5. We watch several different kinds of holiday movies and TV shows from the day after Thanksgiving through New Years.
6. We make Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows.
7. I dedicate one day to baking and make plates for family, friends, and neighbors.
8. My sister, my mom, and I go Christmas Shopping one night together and enjoy a nice long dinner together.
9. All the gifts from Santa are wrapped in different wrapping paper.
10. Each person unwraps one gift at a time. So we can really see and appreciate what each person has received.
What do you do to make lasting memories for you and your family? Share your ideas … I am always open to new ideas and creating new memories!
Happy Holidays!
Organizing and You!
December 21, 2009 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
How Can TCO Help You? We Want to Know!
With the year wrapping up, I am doing a lot of planning for the next year. I am thinking of different ideas for the website, for the blog and other aspects of my business. I want to hear from you!
Do you need tips on keeping your shoes straight? How about tools you can use to keep your closets in order? Need some ideas on managing paper and keeping the bills organized? What are you looking for? Why did you come to an organizing tip blog? Whether you subscribe to this blog or this is first time you have visited…I want to help!
The TCO Blog and my newsletter are both services to you! If there are areas of home organizing that have you particularly stumped, send me a note!
You can comment on this post, you can send me a note on my site, you can send me a direct message at nikki@takecontrolorganizing.com, or send me a direct message on Twitter@TCOrganizing. Let me know! And I’ll keep working to make this site a destination for organizing tips and tools that help you keep your house in order!
As always…. Happy Organizing!
Feeling sick – Feeling a little out of control!
December 20, 2009 by Nikki · 1 Comment
I am going on my second day of being sick.. It is only a cold, but it still keeps me from doing what I need to do before the upcoming Christmas Celebration! What I am feeling is a lack of control! Something I am not comfortable with… So much to do and no energy to do it!
Being sick really puts a damper on things. For me- the world stops! (I watch reruns of Friends and Everyone Loves Raymond!) Luckily I have a great husband who will pick up the duties of the kids and dinner, granted it was pizza, but I didn’t have to go get it!
Yesterday I made the mistake of taking Nighttime Tylenol medicine in the morning! Of course I did not realize this until it was time to go to bed and I was looking for the nighttime medicine and found what I had taken earlier! Ooops…. No wonder I slept so much yesterday!!
OK, so today, I am feeling a bit better and I have my medicines corrected! Although I still do not have a ton of energy, I was thinking of ways that I could feel better about all of this sickness stuff… So what I decided to do is a write a Master To Do List... Of everything I want to accomplish between now and New Years Day… I love lists! They help me organize my thoughts, my priorities, and I can visually see what has to happen! 
If I am realistic in my list and write it all down, I will have more control of this situation! I may not get it all done, but at least I have a place to check off the things I do accomplish, and feel good about that! I think just getting it on paper rather than in my head will really clarify my goals and prioritize!
And hey… look I can check off – Write Next Blog Post! I would say that is a good start!
Happy Organizing!
Thinking Inside the Box!
December 17, 2009 by Nikki · 1 Comment
Just this past weekend, I had the privilege to go on a girls only retreat! Myself and seven other women left our husbands, kids, and other daily
responsibilities behind us and went to the beach! It was so good for the soul and exactly what each of us needed during this time of busy schedules and holiday chaos!
When we woke up on Saturday morning we did a gift exchange. The rules of the exchange was it had to be holiday related. It didn’t matter what holiday, and the price limit was somewhere around $30.00.
Being the Professional Organizer I am, I quickly jumped from Santa’s and Snowmen to how do you store these Santa’s and Snowmen! So To Think Inside the Box…. my gift contained one large clear storage container filled with one medium storage container to hold tree ornaments and one small storage container to contain ribbons, bows, etc. and a wrapping paper organizer! The gift was a hit… We were able to “steal” gifts from each other 3 times and this gift was taken, stolen and taken back from the original owner!
Sometimes instead of the traditional it is a good thing to think outside the box or in this case.. inside the box!
Happy Holidays! Happy Organizing!
The items I purchased for the gift exchange included: (You can find these items and other Holiday Storage at the TCO Holiday Center)
Makeover Your Kitchen for the Holidays!
December 15, 2009 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
Hosting a dinner for the holidays? Or maybe expecting company to stay with you this season.. Does your kitchen need a makeover? Now is the time to do it! The kitchen is going to be a very important place during this time! How much better will you feel if your kitchen is under control and you are not wasting your time trying to find items you know you have but can’t find! Take Control Now... It will no doubt benefit you on your big hosting night!
Here are a few tips to get your kitchen ready for the Holiday Season…
1. Clean out your cupboards! You will be surprised how quickly this can be done, and what a difference it makes… Start on one side of the wall and move around the kitchen until every single cupboard has been sorted and organized. Donate any old dishes, coffee cups, glasses, etc. that you no longer use, and anything broken- get rid of. As you are sorting through, neatly place back into the cupboard.
2. Go through your drawers! Get rid of any duplicates or gadgets you no longer use. Keep only your best measuring spoons, vegetable peeler and so on. Throw out items that are broken or missing pieces. Donate the gadgets you no longer use or maybe never used in the first place!
3. Clean out your Refrigerator! OK many of you may do this already on a consistent basis, but some may not, and now is the time to do it! Go through and get rid of any leftovers to old to eat. Check expiration dates on salad dressing and other condiments. Clean the refrigerator, it’s always amazing to me how much better a refrigerator looks right after you clean it!
4. Go through your spices! When was the last time you did this? Well maybe it’s time! Toss out old herbs and spices. If they no longer smell and you have had them for some time, replace them. Keep the jars and buy new spices in bulk, you will save a lot of money. Any spices you do not use very often, buy in small amounts.
5. Review my posts on organizing your junk drawer and organizing your pantry! This is a great time to get these projects done!
6. Get out the serving dishes, food storage containers, extra pots and pans, anything you may need during the meal you are hosting. Make sure you have enough of what you need, clean and set aside out of the way somewhere. Just having them out ahead of time, will save you time the day of the meal.
Having a clean and organized kitchen will make any meal easier to prepare… You will know where your items are when you need them! I suggest you organize your kitchen as soon as possible! As the Holidays approach us the more stress comes… Make this a priority! You won’t regret it!
Happy Organizing!
It’s time to Wrap the Gifts!
December 8, 2009 by Nikki · 2 Comments
That’s a Wrap!
I have created a few tips to help organize a perfect gift wrap center just for you! There are several different ideas depending on your preference, time, and space available! Take an idea and make it your own… If you have any other creative ideas, please share! There is never just one right way to get a project done!
1. Set up a station – Maybe this is in a craft room if you are lucky to have one, maybe it’s a desk, or a closet, whatever space you have available in your home where you can keep all of your supplies in one central place. This may be a mobile station where you roll it away into a closet and bring it out when it’s time to wrap! There are many fantastic ways to hold your supplies, I have samples in my holiday store. Pick what works best for you, but the most important thing is to have everything all in one place.
2. Take inventory of the supplies you have and make sure to buy plenty extra so you do not run out of tape in the middle of wrapping your gifts! Examples of your inventory should include: Wrapping paper, bags, paper for bags, gift tags, pens, scissors, ribbons, and bows.
3. If you have a lot of gifts to wrap, you may want to consider setting up a schedule and breaking it down into sessions. Rather than trying to do it all at once, or waiting until the very last minute.
4. When you are ready to wrap, make sure you have a flat surface, and plenty of room to spread everything out. When you are in the middle of wrapping, make sure you lay your scissors down in the same place all the time. I learned this the hard way… I have spent many minutes just looking for the scissors I just had!
5. Get your children involved and have them help wrap the presents that are from them. Create a new tradition. Put on your favorite Christmas music, make hot chocolate and cookies, and make it fun!
6. Another idea is getting together with friends, same concept as above, however instead of hot chocolate maybe it’s your favorite glass of wine! 
7. One tradition my family has adopted, or I should say my husband and I, is we use a different gift wrap for the presents from Santa. Not only is it easier for us to know which ones need to be hidden until Christmas morning, but the kids get a kick thinking it is really from Santa!
8. Have Fun!
Happy Organizing!
Quick Holiday Shopping Tip!
December 7, 2009 by Nikki · Leave a Comment
This weekend I spent most of Sunday, shopping with a friend of mine. We both had our lists ready to go and planned out our adventure as we went along. It was so much fun, and together we conquered most of the gifts!
One really useful tool I wanted to share was having an envelope in my purse labeled -Christmas Receipts. It was very handy to stick the receipts in the envelope throughout the day.
And then when I got home, I wrote down the gifts that were bought and the amount using the receipts. It was easy to see where I was within my budget and having everything in one place, took a lot less time than trying to find the receipts in the individual shopping bags, plus there were no receipts which mysteriously disappeared!
Happy Organizing!
