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Yes, You CAN reach your Goals: 5 Steps to success

January 29, 2019

Are you sick and tired of hearing about goals?

Well, as humans the urge to set goals and improve will not go away. See this picture of me at the top of the mountain? Did me and my family get there without effort?

The journey to the Mountain had many obstacles that day. . . .

No, we had to get up early, pack all the ski equipment, pack the food, drive 2 hours to get to the hill, survive a hawk dive bombing our windshield, then put all the gear on, pay for the lift ticket and finally get on the chair lift to the top.

And once we’re at the top comes the fun part—We get to ski down, with muscles burning!

If you are sick and tired of failing at your goals, you are not alone. Statistics show that most people have abandoned their New Year’s goals or resolutions by mid-January. That is a depressing thought! But what about the people that stick with their goals? How do they do it?

5 Steps to Achieve your Goals

1. State your vision

Those who are clear about what they want to accomplish and are SPECIFIC about the details will generally win the day. Our vision that Saturday: spend a day skiing at Mt. Shasta.

Another example: if I say, I want to spend less money this year, is that specific enough? No, you need to create a realistic budget and pick an amount you’d like to save each month.

2. Eliminate your obstacles

What stands between you and your goal? For us, the obstacle to getting to Shasta ski hill was the cracked windshield.

If you don’t know how to create a budget, that’s an obstacle or a hurdle to jump over. You’re in unfamiliar territory and you need a guide. Find an expert to help you. A financial planner, your banker, or a friend or associate who is good at budgeting can show you how.

3. Commit your Resources

Identify the resources you already have, and then what resources you need. Our resources for skiing were the truck we used to drive to the hill and the time and money spent.

For the goal of saving money, you might need to spend a small amount of money in order to save a larger amount in the long run. Is it worth it? Absolutely!

4. Create your SYSTEM

Behind every organized person or result, there is a system in place for everything to run smoothly. For goals, this is a plan with steps in place. Once I do A, then I’ll do B. And once I have the hang of B, I will move to step C. Does that make sense to you? Using the ski trip example: first pick a date, then pack gear, drive, pay and finally ski. Think of a process with logical steps, culminating in reaching the top step, your GOAL!

By the way, what are you going to do with the money you saved? Think of a fun reward to spend part of your savings on. What would motivate you to save? Personally, I love vacations, and it is worth it to me NOT to have the latest fashions in order to travel. It’s all a matter of priorities.

5. Maintain your Success

Just keep on truckin’! When you’re in the HABIT of following a budget and saving money, all you have to do is maintain that mindset for your success.

Motivate yourself with inspirational quotes, checking your savings balance. Or think about what you’re saving for: that great vacation or new house–it will keep you on target to reach your goal!

You see, keeping a goal is not impossible. With commitment, some time and the apropos resources, you CAN set reasonable goals and successfully reach that summit!

RESOURCES:

Did you know getting organized can actually SAVE you money? Click on this link to learn how.https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2016/01/organizing-save-money/

Help for mindset: Read Mindset by Carol Dweck.

Help for habits: The power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

by Jenny Morin

Time to Simplify Your Holiday?

November 16, 2018

Remember the boy scout motto? Be prepared.

I find the earlier I start preparing for the holidays, the more I enjoy the season. Since I’m a Christian, I’ll concentrate on the Christmas holiday. Whatever your religious faith, December is a busy time of year and most people around you vibrate with stress.

If you follow the following tips to simplify the holidays, your stress will be reduced and the holidays will be more fun! Remember a little bit of planning goes a long way.

Why make a list?

  • Tasks not written down often bounce around in your mind, distracting you.
  • You see what you need to do at a glance.
  • Crossing off completed items brings a feeling of accomplishment.
  • A list helps you prioritize your tasks.
  • Your holiday preparation will be more efficient.

Try and set aside 30 minutes at the end of November. Then brainstorm all the things you have to do or want to do before the big holiday.  This can usually be done in one sitting. Then look at your list, cross off a few of your most dreaded tasks, especially time-consuming ones. If it absolutely HAS to be done, it doesn’t mean you have to be the one to do it (the tips will explain). To make it easier next year, save your list on your computer and file it under a folder named CHRISTMAS. You’ll thank yourself later!

10 + tips to simplify the Holidays 

  1. Ask your family what they really care about. Cross everything else off. Get out of the mindset of creating a ‘perfect’ Christmas. It’s amazingly freeing.
  2. Get help. Work together and delegate to family. Ask what tasks they will take on. Make sure to keep each person’s strengths in mind.
  3. Save some time on cards by not sending any, OR by using Sendout cards to do half the work for you! It’s a painless way to send cards to people who are important in your life. With Sendout cards, you make a card online, put in names and addresses, then they send it out for you. No licking envelopes! It costs about $1 per card & stamp. And it will take even less time next year because you’ll have all the addresses entered! My amazingly helpful Sendout cards person: Teresa Ball: Sendoutcards.com/teresaball
  4. Make cookie dough in early December. To save time in December, I’ve frozen butter cookie dough 30 days ahead of time. then I defrost the dough and  baked cookies. To me,they are delicious and I cannot tell the difference between fresh and frozen dough. For some of my recipes and pictures, see my husband Frank’s blog: http://www.frankmorin.org/2018/10/twelve-cookies-christmas/
  5. Outsource. Is there anything you could hire out, like putting up outside lights? Or, can you get someone else to do your wrapping? Here in Southern Oregon, the orchestra kids wrap gifts at Fred Meyer for a donation to their program. It’s a win-win!
  6. Mail any domestic packages first week of December. The lines are shorter, and there’s plenty of time to reach loved ones. Plus, you will have peace of mind. Hint: Send books or movies because the US Post Office has a special “media rate” which is cheaper than the regular postage cost. Even easier: order online and have gifts shipped directly to family and friends. No lines, no waiting!
  7. Keep it simple: For teacher and hostess gifts, chocolate and coffee gift cards are the most appreciated. Take it from me, they don’t need more mugs. I recently read an entire article by a teacher, and the top 2 most appreciated gifts are coffee and chocolate.
  8. Going to a potluck? Make it easy on yourself by bringing a one-pot or crockpot meal. Something you can put together in the morning in 20 minutes like a roast, a simple soup or marinated little smoky sausages will save you time and stress.
  9. A few days before Christmas, prepare everything you can for Christmas dinner in advance. Bake pie crusts, tightly wrap and freeze. Cube bread for stuffing. Make sure you have all the ingredients you need. Don’t forget the crispy fried onions for green bean casserole!
  10. Easy Christmas breakfast: Put together a breakfast casserole that stays overnight in the fridge. Then, you get to enjoy Christmas morning because you just pop it in the oven when everyone gets hungry!
  11. Use gift bags and sticker gift tags whenever possible. They save so much time. Have plenty on hand. They are cheaper when bought in bulk online.

Favorite family tradition: The Christmas Jar

This is our family’s Christmas Jar. All year we save our coins in a cute jar with a nutcracker lid. In December, we count the coins and find a local family in need to give it to. We put the jar and the book The Christmas Jar by Jason F. Wright on their doorstep, knock and run. Most of the time we add a turkey or a ham for their dinner and a family gift like a game we enjoy. It’s the best feeling.

The kids really love this tradition. I love it because it helps them develop compassion, generosity, and realize how blessed they are.

5 fun traditions for Holiday cheer

  • Make cookies together. Probably my family’s most cherished—and delicious—tradition. Click for recipes and photos: http://www.frankmorin.org/2018/10/twelve-cookies-christmas/
  • Lighting candles for 8 days, and having apple latkes.
  • Spend time as a family. Act out the Nativity with costumes using Luke 2 in the New Testament. Include some carols! To make it service-oriented, perform it at a rest home! Bathrobes, towels and neckties make great Shepherd outfits.
  • Go on a tree-hunting adventure at a local tree farm. Find the ‘perfect’ tree or your very own Charlie Brown tree. To find them, type ‘Christmas tree farm near me’ in your browser.
  • Gift matching pajamas to the whole family and open them Christmas Eve or the first day of Hanukkah.

Just for you:  See how many things you can cross off your list with my Simplify the Holidays guide, a free gift!  This guide lists Grants Pass and Medford, Oregon resources for outsourcing holiday decorations, lights, gift-wrapping,  Sendout Card services, and more!  https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/simplify-holidays/

For some Christmas budgeting help: https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2015/11/tis-season-spend-wisely/

And for some helpful holiday tips and a fun Organizer’s 12 days of Christmas poem: https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2017/12/12-days-christmas-tips/

by Jenny Morin

10 back to school tips to save you time and energy

August 21, 2018

Back to School Tips for an Easy Transition

Can you believe it is almost September? It’s almost that time again, for kids, teens and college students to go back to school. If the thought of shopping for school supplies and clothing fills you with dread, I’ve got some pointers to save time and energy.

In the past, I have visited several stores to get the best deals for the long list of school supplies. I don’t do that anymore. It takes too much time. But I think it makes sense to find out which store has the lowest prices on the bulk of things you need, and purchase there.

One way I’ve found to make the back to school easier is to start preparing several weeks early.  Of course, being an organizer, I encourage you to take some inventory first. And that means LISTS!

10 Tips for Quick Back to School prep

  1. Inventory clothing: find out what still fits from last year.
  2. Inventory school supplies: doing a quick inventory of what is left over from last year will save you money, and you won’t end up with 20 pink erasers or 25 one subject notebooks filling up cabinet space.
  3. Make separate lists for clothing and school supplies needed. Does your child need any special sporting supplies, like running shoes or soccer cleats?
  4. Do your research: can you purchase some of your school supplies online and have it shipped, or have an order ready and waiting for you to pick up in the store?
  5. Start to get your kids (and yourself) up earlier to prep them for the earlier wake-up time. Experts recommend using 15-minute increments. Start a few weeks early. That way, you’ll have one week at the actual wake time to get everyone’s internal clocks acclimated. Less grumpiness all around!
  6. Practice your morning routine. Everybody gets up, eats breakfast, brushes, gets backpacks ready, etc.
  7. Speaking of backpacks, make sure and have them loaded with everything but the lunch 1 to 2 days before school starts.
  8. Lunch supplies: Make sure you have a good supply of your family’s favorite school snacks.
  9. Talk about after school routines. Are they going to walk, bike, take the bus or get picked up? This may be different from other years. And talk about getting rides, and checking in with Mom or Dad if after school plans change so s/he doesn’t freak out.
  10. Make a plan for yourself. With children going to school, you may have more time on your hands. Instead of just going with the flow, take time to think about what YOU want to do. Dust off the piano and start playing again? Take a class? Write or paint? Having a plan will keep your mind and spirit active and give you some much needed ME time.

      ~ Jenny

by Jenny Morin

10 Quick Steps for Organizing your Pantry

June 20, 2018

Hello! I’m Emily Morin, I’m writing these pantry organizing tips for my Mom. She’s had me clean and organize our pantry several times, so I know the how-to pretty well. Follow these quick pantry organizing ideas, and your shelves will be shining with glory in no time! And you’ll be able to find what you need quickly and easily with much less wasted food.

  1. Take all the food off the shelves one shelf at a time, starting with the top shelf.
  2. Check all the food for expiration dates and throw out the expired food. Place a trash can just outside the pantry door to make this easier.
  3. With a cotton cloth, wipe all crumbs and dust off the shelf.
  4. If there’s mildew on the shelf, use a 50-50 mixture of water and vinegar to wash it off.
  5. Dry the shelf completely.
  6. Label parts of the shelf with tape or a labeler if you have one, designating parts of the shelf for certain foods (e.g. pasta, soup, crackers, bulk). Put the label on the edge of the shelf so you can see it easily.
  7. On the top shelf, put the food or appliances you rarely use. Keep the frequently-used items at eye-level.
  8. Put the food back on the shelf which corresponds to the labels you just added. Make them organized, but you can be creative with the setup to make it look neater.
  9. Repeat all these steps for the rest of the shelves, going from the top down.
  10. After you finish all the shelves, sweep out the pantry and glory in the beautifully organized pantry you just finished!

I hope these quick pantry organizing ideas help you next time you purge and organize your pantry!

~ Emily Morin 🙂

by Jenny Morin

How to Train Your Kids to Work. Yes, Really!

June 19, 2018

“Your kids are like a well-oiled machine!” Michelle Wilber.

Our sitter told me this after Frank and I came back from a multi-day trip. Apparently, after dinner, our kids got up, did the dishes and put the food away. They cleaned the bathrooms and their rooms on Saturday, as was our routine. This impressed her so much, but honestly I hadn’t thought much of it before then. Doesn’t every family pitch in work together? They should, at least this is what I believe. And it works.

So, I’d like to give some tips for how we’ve gotten to this point in our home.

What I do

  1. Make helping an expectation but keep it FUN!

Pitching in is expected in our home. My mother delegated work to me when I was young on our small farm in Maine, and I do the same with my kids. Some of my jobs included weeding the garden, mopping the wood floors, and cleaning bathrooms.

Her philosophy went something like this: I am not a slave. All joking aside, why shouldn’t kids work to make their home a more inviting place? The Mom and Dad cannot do it all.

I have a friend who was an example of trying to do all the work. She never sat down. I remember visiting her once, and I think she was able to sit down all of 5 minutes in a 2 –hour period. That’s just crazy!

I read some great ideas for making housework fun when the kids were smaller. One idea that works great for competitive families; Have a housework Olympics, and see how fast (and how well) you can complete the Saturday jobs!! The fastest, most complete cleaners win. (Mom inspects each job site.)

  1. Train children from the time they are young

This includes SHOWING them how to do it first. Some easy jobs for younger children include emptying the dishwasher and cleaning toilets (we use a non-toxic cleaner, NOT bleach).

“If you are willing to spend the time with children to train them, to show them how to clean or stack wood, they will come to enjoy it. When the kids are young, they want to be like Mommy and Daddy. They see us doing dishes or using the vacuum, and they want to try it. Let them! Show them how to do simple jobs when their interest is piqued.” From the blog 10 Tips for better Family Time.  https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/?s=10+tips+for+better+family+time

Patience is required for training. They are not going to get it perfect, and it will not be up to your standards. Just remember their coordination and level of detail is not the same as yours!

Teach them to take pride in a sparkling-clean sink and spicket. Point out how good it looks when it’s clean.

I firmly believe that teaching children to work bolsters their confidence and self-esteem. They see they can do a job, do it well, and make a difference in the way their home looks and functions. This method is more effective than constant compliments.

  1. Lower the bar

As my organizing mentor Porter Knight used to say in one of her speeches: lower the bar. Set your expectations lower than you would for an older teen or adult.

Porter had her sons clean the bathrooms. Were they perfect? No. But they were the best her 11-yr old son could do, so it was good enough. Don’t be too picky of they will be discouraged and not want to help next time.

Instead, praise each child’s effort and bite your tongue!

  1. Encourage them

Note: I didn’t say PRAISE; I said encourage. First off, don’t be patronizing if they are older, be sincere and find something you liked about their work. If something needs to be re-done, use the sandwich technique.

I liked how you ——, could you scrub the orange ring by the sink drain a bit more? I am sure you can do it  if you put a little more time in.

But if you sense they are not giving it their full effort or doing their best, definitely ask them to try again. If they still aren’t’getting it, see if they understand what you asked them to do, and provide some more patient training.

Don’t bribe them, but definitely give them a reward or incentive. I have some special chocolate truffles I give the teens when they complete jobs they dislike. They also get paid each month for the work they do, but an immediate reward is quite effective. Everybody in my house likes chocolate. One time we motivated the kids for a big job of spreading mulch on all the flower beds by telling them we’d go to DQ afterward. My kids will do almost anything for ice cream!

  1. My kids are teens, is it too late?

When our kids were young, we lived in Vermont and heard about an amazing parenting program. It is called Parenting On Track by Vicki Hoefle. She insists you can still train teens to work.

“They might whine and complain for the first few minutes, but sit them down and explain:

“Your father and I have done you a disservice. We have been doing everything for you up until now. But if we continue like this, you won’t know what to do when you get on your own in __ years. It’s time to learn how to ______  and ______ so you aren’t helpless when you get your first apartment/ go to college/ get married.

Plus, is it really OK for the Mom or even both parents to do the lion’s share of work in the home? Parents today have less time than ever. It’s important to get the kids involved in keeping the home clean, the family fed, and the yard maintained. It’s the way life works. I don’t know any employers who would react well to the statement: “I’ve never done that, can you do it for me?” (from an earlier blog 10 Tips for Better Family Time.) https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/?s=10+tips+for+better+family+time

Vicki also has a great list of things kids need to be able to do on their own by the time they are 18. One night, when we went through that list with our kids, we realized one of our daughters had never mowed the lawn!  We soon started training her to do that. She was on board.

Also, one great thing about having older children who know how to work is: they can train their younger sibs to do certain jobs (if they have the right temperament and the two kids get along well). Otherwise, you may need to train the younger kids to make it a positive experience.

  1. Pick your battles

This is true for many things in parenting. If a child really doesn’t want to do a job, compromise and assign them a different job whenever possible. If it is something they have to do, like cleaning their room, find out what the issue is. Sometimes they may have no idea where to start, like many of my organizing clients. Just helping them with some ideas or talking about it can stave off a grumpy attitude.

  1. Keep their strengths and interests in mind when assigning tasks.

For example, my daughter Kate loves to polish wood. So she washes the cabinets with soapy water, then dries and polishes the kitchen cabinets with orange oil. Kate takes great pride in doing this job well and seeing the wood gleam when she is done. Some well-earned recognition from me goes a long way, too!

I discovered my daughter Emily likes dusting. This is a job I hate, so when I realized she liked it, she became my main duster! I got her a feather duster, which is fun, and she happily dusts furniture, bookshelves, etc.

Kyle likes to vacuum the stairs, and Jacob loves to clean the pool and do yardwork as long as he has company. We all have our strengths. Of course, my favorite job is organizing drawers, cabinets, the pantry and clearing off counters. J

The best advice I can give: start where you are. If your kids are older and you need help, start training them to do work they are suited to. If they are young, see what they are interested in helping you with, and let them (with supervision). This is a great investment in their future. You will never regret teaching your kids to work. They will contribute to your home, family AND become productive, independent adults.

     And that is important because everyone likes to feel needed.

Resources for parents:

https://www.vickihoefle.com/

Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Kline and Jim Fay

Blog:  www.efficientspacesco.com/?s=10+tips+for+better+family+time

http://monicaswanson.com/category/parenting-and-family/

by Jenny Morin

Is an Organized Garage Possible?

May 22, 2018

Plus, 11 easy things to Purge RIGHT NOW

The right side of the garage, full of tripping hazards.

The left side of the cluttered garage.

It’s that time of year again, when people get the urge to organize their garage. The weather cooperates and it’s easy to get to the dump or the recycling centers. I’ve been working in garages for years. There’s one I am particularly proud of.

The man I worked for, Steve, did not care if his house was organized; he spent most of his retirement time in his garage. Junk and projects had piled up and he was in a pickle, so he called me in.

Soon, we had everything sorted—literally! Metal went to the trailer to get hauled away, all his small tools had a home, and he could now get to his large tools without tripping or having to move a bunch of other large tools which were in the way.

This organized Garage brought to you by Efficient Spaces organizing!

See how easy it is to get to the large tools now.

How did we do this?

Step by step.

First step: Start in one corner of the garage and work your way around.

If the entire garage is full and there is not enough room to move, it is time to call me, by the way.

Second step: As you work, sort like items into piles.

For example, small power tools like drills and sanders can go into a box, or onto the top of a workbench until you find a “home” for them.

Third Step: Purge. 11 things to purge NOW:

  • Unopened moving boxes (check inside first for valuables)
  • duplicate tools
  • old paint and painting supplies
  • empty cardboard boxes
  • expired food
  • seldom-used sports equipment
  • baskets
  • donations
  • stuff you’ve been meaning to sell
  • damaged camping equipment
  • Broken tools

Last summer, I moved an elderly man who, I bet, never made a trip to the hazardous waste drop-offs in his life. This made it MUCH harder for us to clean out his garage. Luckily, I had organized an office in a local paint shop, Drake’s Paints, and the owner let me drop off all of the old latex paints and stains. They disposed of them properly.

Tip: You can dispose of latex paint yourself. If there is a little paint left in the can, put some kitty litter in to absorb the moisture, then dump that into the trash. Use the sun to dry out the inside of the can, and throw it away.

Fourth Step: Find a home for your stuff.

Chances are you still have a lot of stuff left. Now it’s time to figure out where it all goes. That is one of my specialties! If you are DIYer, though, just make sure it is clear to everyone in the house where the new spot for everything is. Some “homes” are going to be the same because wherever you stored the gardening supplies really worked well.

Fifth step: Labels are a beautiful thing!

I don’t know if under-labeling is possible when dealing with teenagers. . . or forgetful adults . . . .

And speaking of teenagers: Involve every able-bodied member of the household in the cleanup. It will help them feel invested and less likely to “junk” it up again.

Most of us use our garage to store the things we don’t want to keep in our house, right? Just don’t let it become the dumping ground!

Remember: Maintenance is the KEY to keeping it clean!

A little bit of maintenance every season change is a great idea, and will save you from doing a HUGE clean-out later.

Happy Organizing!

 😉

by Jenny Morin

Help for your Kitchen: Ideas to Use Now

April 20, 2018

Does your kitchen need help?

Not a helper to chop veggies or a sous chef—I’m talking organizational help. Looking for kitchen ideas? You’re not alone. In the past couple weeks, several friends have mentioned their kitchen needs work. Well, that’s what I DO, so I’m here to help in the kitchen. Think about the issues in your kitchen. What piles up, and where? Are your cabinets crammed with precarious stacks of bowls, pots and pans, and airtight containers?

As I see it, people have two storage challenges with their kitchen. One, it’s a small kitchen and there isn’t enough space.

OR It’s spread out and has many cabinets, so time is wasted looking for things.

Many people have a small kitchen that doesn’t seem to have enough storage. Apartments, starter homes, and older homes tend to have small kitchens with woefully inadequate cabinet space. In my very first kitchen, I could barely open the oven without hitting our small table! At that time, I did not have many dishes or tools, so it wasn’t an issue.

When I moved into my current house, I had the opposite challenge: too many cabinets. Imagine! After I unpacked my entire kitchen, I discovered I still had a double cabinet standing empty on the fringes. This is a good ‘problem’ to have. I ended up putting clear containers for the kids’ school keepers and art there.

With either situation, here is the best solution: establish a ‘home’ for everything in your kitchen.

Find a safe ‘HOME’ for kitchen stuff.

Appliances, dishes and tools can be tricky.

Ask yourself:

  1. Where am I going to use this item? Take the manual food chopper, for example. I love this tool and use it to chop onions often. But it is an odd size. It doesn’t fit in my large utensil drawer and I don’t want it in with my glasses and mugs. I needed it accessible, so I put it on an open corner shelf meant for knick-knacks near the kitchen sink. It makes sense because I generally chop onions about 1 step away from where it is stored. And as a bonus, the kids—who I regularly assign to chop onions—can see it, so they always put it back in the right place.
  2. How often am I going to use this item? A vegetable peeler needs to be handy, within arms’ length of where you use it, whereas a party platter can ‘live’ far from the hub of the kitchen, in one of the ‘fringe’ cupboards or a hard-to-reach area.
  3. Is this a seasonal item? Some things mainly get used in the summer or the winter. I hardly use my blender in the winter, for example, because I have a food processor and a stand mixer. So I put it away in the winter. Items used for summer parties, like popsicle molds, plastic platters and water-dispensing pitchers get put up high during the winter months. With a small kitchen, these items can be boxed in a clear plastic tote, labeled, and put in the garage or basement until their season arrives.

Eliminate these 5 easy tosses:

  1. Airtight food containers with no lids.
  2. Pots and pans or any item that you’ve replaced, holding onto the old one ‘just in case’ or for camping. Hint: Put it with camping stuff!
  3. Any appliance taking up space on the counter that you rarely use.
  4. Duplicates:  Like platters, large bowls, pitchers.
  5. Any item that is cracked or damaged.

Small kitchen storage ideas

If your stuff is overflowing with dishes, tools and appliances, it’s time to purge. Here is some advice.

First:  Take a hard look at what you have.

Do you use this? Is it really worth the space it’s using up? Is there an appliance you keep because you USED to us it, or one received as a wedding gift and feel guilty giving it away? Let it GO!

Second: Purge the items you don’t use or love.

Take them out of the kitchen. Put them into the garage or, better yet, the trunk of the car to get donated. Place them as close to their ultimate destination as possible.

Third: Put like with like.

Put all the small lids (ex.: canning jar lids) together in a small drawer or container. All airtight food containers go together. I store lids in a separate drawer, contained by a few clear boxes to make them easy to find.

Fourth: Do as much stacking as possible.

Mixing bowls, and even glass 13×9 pans can be stacked with a rubbery mat to keep them from chipping.

Fifth: Stand stuff like pot lids and platters up.

Look at my Pinterest page for creative ideas here. It’s much easier to retrieve platters which are standing up and separated by dowels or a partition. https://www.pinterest.com/jennyrossomorin/kitchen-organizing-ideas/

Sixth: A ceiling-mounted pot rack will hold a multitude of pots and pans!

I used one in Vermont, and I loved it. If you need more storage space, look around. Is there an empty bit of wall to install a few hooks?

Seventh: Look inside.

Many people install small baskets inside cabinet doors to hold spices or essential oils. If you don’t want to drill into your cabinets, try sticky hooks. They are very strong and easily removable.

I hope these kitchen ideas help you!

Liked this post? Please share it on your social media of choice! Copy and paste this to share:  https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/blog/

As always, if you need more help, check out my book on Amazon: Get Organized Quick. It has a chapter on keeping counters clear. With over 100 tips on organizing, it is a goldmine of ideas!

Click here for my book: https://www.amazon.com/Get-Organized-Quick-Minutes-Organize-ebook/dp/B01KKY30TS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1524229138&sr=8-1&keywords=get+organized+quick 

Resources: 

https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/rooms-and-spaces/kitchen/8-ways-to-make-a-small-kitchen-sizzle. Photo credit for galley kitchen image.

Pot rack image courtesy Bed Bath and Beyond.

by Jenny Morin

Start downsizing now

March 5, 2018

You will thank yourself later

Have you thought about downsizing? Say you have a 3,000-square foot home with 3 bedrooms and it’s just the two of you rattling around in there. Or, you are the son or daughter of such a couple. Either you or your parents are in the 70s with good health and are still pretty active. Now is the perfect time to start ‘downsizing in place’.

Are you one of those people who likes to plan ahead, or do you wait until things happen to you? The former is called being proactive, the latter is reactive. As Steven R Covey so aptly put it:

We are the creative force of our life, and through our own decisions rather than our conditions, if we carefully learn to do certain things, we can accomplish those goals.    ~Steven R. Covey

The time will come, sooner than you think, when you will have to make some decisions. Is it time to move yourself or your parents into a smaller home or even a retirement community? And when that time comes, will help be needed? Are you willing to spend every weekend purging 20 to 30 years’ worth of belongings? And if you are separated from your parents by distance, how is this even to be accomplished?

Now is the time to ask yourself these questions, start to plan, and start to downsize in place. Do not procrastinate!

Start downsizing today; you will thank you tomorrow!

The first step, even before contacting a real estate agent, is to contact a professional organizer or senior move manager. The good ones will be members of NAPO or SMM. I am a member of NAPO, the National Association of Professional Organizers.

A professional organizer trained in move management can help you handle every aspect of the move, from the estate sale to deciding what furniture will fit in the new, smaller residence. Most organizers will even draw you up a floor plan, showing you how it all fits together, and see to all the little details you haven’t even considered yet. It’s truly a smart ‘MOVE’ to engage an expert in this complicated and stressful time. Having someone guide you through the process and take care of the details brings great peace of mind.

Ideas to make downsizing easier:

  1. Start with the end in mind. Motivate yourself or your parents by thinking about how nice it will be to have this project done. What will your home look like, feel like? Also, think about how much easier the move will be due to your downsizing work.                                        *Begin with the end in mind is Steven R. Covey’s Habit 2.
  2. Focus on what is important to them (or you).
  3. Focus on the memories of the item, not the item itself.
  4. Remind them (or yourself) the amount of space available in the new digs:  Say to Great Aunt Tillie, ‘You are going to have one closet, not three! You can’t keep 30 pairs of high heels!’
  5. Remember there is no Maybe pile; either you can fit it or it is time to let it go.

Also, find a way for grandkids to get involved, especially younger grandkids who are in junior high or early high school. My son Jacob was assigned a ‘heritage project’ to interview his oldest living relative, my grandmother, for a middle school project. She has had a really interesting life. (She still dyed her hair blonde well into her 70s.) My Grandmom and Jacob really connected. It was a blessing for them both. Which brings me to #6:

  1. Help your parents see that it’s their memories and stories, not the stuff they have collected that is important in their golden years.
  2. Go through family heirlooms and photos. What a great activity to get grandchildren involved in family history and connect them to their roots! LABEL the back of older pictures with as much information as possible. If this project is for your parents, ask them to start labeling. Even if they don’t live nearby, you can encourage them with a phone call each week. Professional organizers such as myself often have training in preserving and organizing family photos and will scan pictures so you can share memories easily.

These are all great ideas, and my challenge to you is: pick one of the actions I mentioned in this blog and do it THIS WEEK!  Be proactive, like the productivity guru says! It really will pay off.

Start downsizing TODAY and you will thank YOU tomorrow!

Resources:    Steven R Covey: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. www.brainyquote.com/authors/stephen_covey

https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/services/downsizing/

https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2014/08/stress-moving/

https://efficientspacesco.c.wpstage.net/2017/09/good-advice-letting-downsize/

 

 

 

by Jenny Morin

12 Days of Christmas Tips

December 15, 2017

12 New Tips to make Christmas Prep easier

An early present for you!

This song is all in good fun. When I work with clients, they purge all kinds of funky stuff, which I donate to thrift stores. So, once a year, I celebrate by having a little fun with the 12 days of Christmas poem.  This new and improved 12 days has 12 tips to make your holiday prep less stressful!

On the 1st day of Christmas, my client gave to me: a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Take out one decoration that really inspires you. For me, a homemade advent calendar does the trick. Each pocket has 1 simple activity and a small ornament inside. Keep it simple, silly!

On the 2nd day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Do-ahead tip: take stock of your tape, wrapping paper and tag supplies. If you don’t have enough, put them on your shopping list!

On the 3rd day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Remember the movie Christmas with the Kranks? Don’t get stuck doing last-minute food shopping like Mrs. Krank. Plan the main dishes and the type of meat you’ll have, then include them on your shopping list too!

On the 4th day of Christmas, my client gave to me:
4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Speaking of Rolodexes:  if you haven’t gotten cards out yet, it’s time to do it. One way I make this easier: Use Sendout cards. It’s a painless way to send out cards to the important people in your life. You make a card online, put in names and addresses, then they send it out. No licking envelopes! It costs about $1 per card & stamp. My Sendout cards contact: Teresa Ball: www.Sendoutcards.com/teresaball.

On the 5th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: To keep Christmas a happy, not stressful time, do something for someone else! Notice the decorations still left in boxes. You haven’t used them for several years but they are in good shape. Bag them up and stick them in your car to drop off at a thrift store. Know that another family in town will save money and use them to make a festive home!

On the 6th day of Christmas, my client gave to me:6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Don’t forget the cleaning: we don’t want to find sticky jelly beans staining our couch cushions! Just like everything else, make a plan for when to clean certain areas of the house. If you’re having guests one night, remember don’t spend too much time on the floors, they’re just going to get dirty again! Do a quick clean before and a thorough clean after!

On the 7th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Remember to keep it simple, silly, to KISS. Don’t overbuy, and stick to your list! I avoid the mall as much as possible by ordering gifts online. I find I don’t impulse buy online.

On the 8th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 8 singing fish, 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: If you’re planning to give cookie plates or simple gifts to friends, neighbors and teachers, order the supplies now. This year I’m keeping it simple and using an idea I found through Pinterest. Hint: Everyone, including teachers, loves chocolate. I literally KISS this Christmas with Hershey’s kisses. Here’s the link: https://www.pinterest.com/jennyrossomorin/christmas/

On the 9th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 9 card boxes, 8 singing fish, 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.
Tip: First you get a trickle, then you get a flood right before the 25th. I’m talking about cards! Some easy display ideas: A simple Christmassy clothesline hung over a doorway or on a beam works well. I created my own compact display by tying ribbons to a decorated clothes hanger and using mini clothespins to attach the cards!

On the 10th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 10 pairs of glasses, 9 card boxes, 8 singing fish, 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: For glass ornaments, put delicate ornaments together, and use bubble wrap or brown packing paper to keep them safe (newsprint may rub off on ornaments). Or make your life even easier by investing in a nifty bulb storage container. Craft or home stores carry these.

On the 11th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 11 Eighties albums, 10 pairs of glasses, 9 card boxes, 8 singing fish, 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Don’t forget to make it fun—play music and movies! While you are wrapping or decorating, crank up the Christmas carols or The Messiah by the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square! A great way to store your holiday CD’s is a simple shoe box with a label. You can even store them with your Christmas decorations to save on shelf space during the year. (As long as the temperature doesn’t rise above 90 degrees in your storage area.)

On the 12th day of Christmas, my client gave to me: 12 fridge magnets, 11 Eighties albums, 10 pairs of glasses, 9 card boxes, 8 singing fish, 7 gift bags, 6 sticky jelly beans, 5 silly bands, 4 Rolodexes, 3 rubber chickens, 2 Kleenex boxes, and a pre-lit ceramic tree.

Tip: Christmas is 10 days away. If you’ve planned ahead and made your lists, purchased what you need and done some work, you are in a good place right now. If you are a procrastinator, you’ve waited to get started. Don’t panic. Just pare down your list of tasks as much as possible and outsource. Today is a great time to make some cookie dough, cook up a batch or two and freeze the remainder.

You can even deliver some to friends. I’m sure they will be thankful for you!

In the words of Tiny Tim: And God bless us, every one!

by Jenny Morin
Halloween pumpkins carved

Scary Spaces

October 26, 2017

Scary Spaces

Do you have a frighteningly disorganized space in your house, business or garage? A kid’s bedroom, the laundry room, the fridge? Have you ever opened the door of a room, cringed, then quietly closed the door and snuck away? Many people have a “junk” room in their house, which becomes a dumping ground for anything they don’t know what to do with. And let’s face it—there’s a lot of stuff that fits that description. Scary.

A frightening room

A recent organizing client of mine has just such a scary room. She wants to have her brother come visit her, but the spare room is a junk room, with piles about 3 feet high and a tiny “goat path” which allows one to walk about halfway into the room. She is embarrassed by the mess and called me in to make it orderly again. That’s what I do—I take spaces from scary and chaotic to calm and orderly.

I’ve seen a lot of scary spaces over the years and the first thing I tell my clients is: I’ve seen worse. Then I encourage them, tell them I know how to make the piles disappear. It’s not magic, but the method I use works. We work together on the piles, purging and sorting until the room is organized!

See this cool slideshow I put together of scary spaces that I transformed!

[metaslider id=1757]

So, there is Hope, and that’s why I created this acronym for you this month.

How to prevent scary spaces: (This works to fix scary spaces too.)

Have H.O.P.E.

H is for Home:

Everything needs a home. Assign a “home” to everything you use. Whether it be seasonal dishes, food, craft supplies, decorations, wrapping supplies, cards, mementos, etc. they all need a home. This means a place where that item “lives.” For a clean look, choose a spot that’s out of sight unless you use it every day.

O is for Orderly:

Take time to put things away in an orderly fashion. This can be done daily or even weekly, depending on the area. An organized house doesn’t just happen. After the initial burst of energetic organizing, maintenance is the key to an orderly space. Constant Vigilance!

 P is for Procrastination:

Stop procrastinating any purging and organizing you need to do. If you have piles, tackle them ruthlessly! Remember to be ruthless, not reckless when you purge. Then quickly get those things out of the house and to a thrift store or the trash. I’ve noticed sometimes things that have been discarded end up back in the house. This is why I take all donation items with me when I leave each client’s home or office.

E is for Evaluate:

Be cautious and evaluate where something will fit in your home before you even buy it. Clothing, kitchen appliances, or other toys apply. Thinking about buying a large piece of equipment? Will it fit in your garage or could you rent it instead, or borrow your friend’s? Offer to help them with a project or bring them some homemade bread or get them a gift card as a thank you.

Last tip: Labeling is a good idea if you share the space with your family or roommates. Once you’ve created a home for everything, take a labeler or some sticky tape and a marker, then go label happy! It doesn’t have to be a beautiful, perfect labeling system like you see on Pinterest, as long as you can read it, that’s all you need.

If you’re daunted by a scary space in your home, remember to apply HOPE to your life. The chaos will become order. It’s not magic, but sometimes it seems miraculous when you enjoy the final result: an organized home with everything in its place. Now you can rest in peace.

by Jenny Morin
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