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 |  The world from a short person's POV - not Australia or New Zealand. |
Random thoughts, pointed comments, and whatever else crosses my mind 
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| "When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hang on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." Harriet Beecher Stowe So you have adopted the idea of organizing your space and accomplished many goals along the way. You look around and walk through each room admiring how neat and tidy each area has become. You pat yourself on the back as you quickly find items you need for any particular task. You are ready for any event whether it is weekly shopping, attending children's games, making appointments on time, or completing long overdue projects. But now the question/fear is how do I maintain this new lifestyle or will I just fall into the same old habits of collecting things I don't need, putting items just anywhere to get them out of site, forgetting to pay bills on time, fill out necessary forms, make/keep appointments? To help you keep on track, here are some ideas of activities you can do on a regular basis with very little time that can help you keep up with all that is going on in your house and your life: Take FIVE MINUTES and pull down anything that is outdated or no longer needed on your message center. (You do have one, don't you?) Put away anything you left out on the bathroom countertop but toss anything that is over six months old or next to empty. Take note to replace it if necessary. Hang up clothes where they belong. Set aside any item that needs mending or stain treatment. (Put them in the laundry or where you keep mending supplies.) Return coats, shoes, and sports equipment to the mudroom or another designated closet. And most of all, MAKE UP YOUR BED every morning or when you get up depending on your schedule. This gives you a clear signal that you are ready for whatever the day may bring. Whenever you close the kitchen down for the day, take time to wipe off the counters, set up the coffee pot, and turn on the dishwasher. Take TEN MINUTES and review your calendar making sure you are ready for tomorrow's activities. If the laundry is on your list of "to do's" sort and start a load. Take a quick look in the pantry and realign cans/bags, tossing anything that is stale or past the expiration date (meaning shelf life, not sell-by date). Make a note of items for your shopping list. I like using the chalkboard on my pantry door (chalk paint). This makes transferring items to a list to take with you shopping quick and easy. If you plan meals for the week, review recipes and take note of anything you need to pick up while you are out. Update your shopping list on your phone or tablet. Wipe down appliances and put away dishes. Sweep hard surface floors. Take FIFTEEN MINUTES and sort items in your message center. Put the info you need to keep in files or binders, updated phone numbers, pay bills, toss any papers you no longer need. Review jewelry storage and set aside items that can be donated or discarded. (If the piece is important or of sentimental value but needs repair check to see if you can find someone to do the work for you.) Remove clothes from the dryer, fold and put them away. The family should be trained  to help with this task. Since all of you write, you could review and edit a piece you are working on or review someone's writing (always appreciated), answer the question on the day or respond to emails. You can also review and respond to emails from friends on other sites or send a comment on someone's blog (hint, hint). Consider vacuuming carpeted floors and picking up the living room/family room and dining room. Return items to their homes.I hope this is a helpful reminder of little things you can do to keep you and your house organized and running smoothly. Next, I'll suggest things you can do with more time. |
| "Don't dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer. " Denis Waitley Here are some tips for staying organized: Desk -This no place for clutter. You can lose track of important "to do" items like paying bills or turning in responses to school/organization activities. Besides, it can make it more difficult to work on projects or be creative. At the end of the day, take a few minutes to "tidy up" this area. Put papers in designated trays or folders or file them away. Take a few more minutes to review your current "to do" list and prepare one for tomorrow. If necessary transfer items not completed today to tomorrow's list. Make sure your calendar is up to date and review upcoming events. Kitchen Junk Drawer -Assign a drawer in your kitchen for all the little miscellaneous items you use on a daily basis and make sure the rest of your family know where these items are to be housed. Items would include pens, clips, sticky notes, small tools, small flashlight, and even a few bandaids and antiseptic cream for minor accidents. Message Center - I highly recommend painting the inside of the pantry door or an open wall in this area with chalk paint (remember the chalk) for keeping track of food items and cleaning supplies that need to be replenished and items needed for a particular recipe for the week. Use this info to make your shopping list, and always take a list when you go to the grocery store. The reason to do it in the pantry is that it will help you keep an inventory without using a computer spreadsheet or other app. Extra Storage - Baskets and even shoe boxes are good instant storage solutions for belts, scarves, and socks in the bedroom. Larger ones are good to house throws, animal toys or small toys for children in the family room. You probably can't expect your pet to put their toys away at the end of the day but hopefully, you can get the children to put their toys and games away at the end of the day. Make sure you have a designated place for them and the children know where their things go - easy access is the key! Routines - It is a good idea to always make up your bed first thing in the morning or depending on your schedule when you first get up. This is a "little" reminder that your day has started. I think it also tells you that you are in charge of your day. For most of us, it is very helpful to establish routines that add to how our day functions. For example, rinsing dishes off after use and putting them in an empty dishwasher makes kitchen clean up go quicker at the end of the day. And yes, it is a good idea to see that the kitchen is clean and dishes ready to wash after the last meal of the day. I promise, your day will go smoother if you can walk into a clean, organized kitchen at the beginning of your day. You don't have to be the only one to see that this is a daily routine (unless you live alone). Other family members can take part as well. (I cook almost all the meals and tidy up as I go; then my husband sees that all the dishes and cookware are in the dishwasher, turns it on to wash at night and sets up the coffee pot to come on in the morning as one of the last things he does at night.) I very much appreciate walking into a clean kitchen with the smell of coffee brewing in the morning. Laundry routines are also helpful since doing laundry can take up a lot of your time. Family routines will differ based on the number and ages of family members. Still, it is important to find a system that works for you. For one or two people in a household, you can probably use one laundry basket, sort when doing the laundry and pick a day and time that works best for your schedule. For more people of different ages/with different activities, you will probably need a hamper for adults and one or more for children. When you do laundry depends on your schedule and the amount of time you can devote to this task. Of course, you can also be doing other tasks while the clothes are washing or drying. Just make sure you complete this task once you start it. That is, don't let clothes set in the dryer, hang or fold them as soon as they are dry. Having a rod for hanging clothing in the laundry room is a must in my opinion. Adults and older children should be responsible for putting their clothes away. They should also be responsible for telling the person doing the laundry if clothing is stained or needs to be repaired. For many, you can't wait a whole week and then accomplish this task in an hour or so. If that is the situation, designate days/time for individual loads, especially if some clothes require special care. Next, I'll give you some ideas on keeping your system working for you so keep reading, please. |
| Dancing from My Soul Here are my thoughts on the Justin Timberlake song "Can't Stop the Feeling": Dance is uplifting, spiritual, healing and just plain fun. These ordinary people prove that moving the body in rhythm to music is just that. Dance doesn't have to be choreographed or structured to have meaning or beauty. When people hear and experience the rhythmic sounds of music and express the feeling with movement, they bring joy to themselves and to others. It is hard to see them dance and not want to join in. And in this kind of movement, there is joy and in that, there is healing in the soul. |
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Fire dancers!!! Wow! What fun! You really are in Paradise! So happy you for you! 
But I wish I loved it. That would be SO HANDY! So, I've been working on positive self-talk regarding cleaning. I smile when I say these things and I say them out loud if I'm alone or in my head if I'm not. I say things like, "I love to clean. Cleaning is fun. Cleaning makes me happy. I enjoy a tidy space." Blah, blah, blah...
Sure, it's dumb, but if it works, it doesn't matter. 
). 
I'm the prime example of someone who needed her own advice over 40 years ago.