What is it with the junk drawer? Everyone has at least 1, but probably more! Why do we have them?  Is it because we just don’t know what to do with that little random thing? Is it because we don’t feel like putting things back where they belong so they end up in the junk drawer as temporary storage? Sometimes I wonder if there is any rhyme or reason to what we hang onto.

Mostly, I see the junk drawer as a place of miscellaneous storage… which by itself is not such a bad thing. However, once the junk drawer can no longer be contained and grows into more than one, it’s time to make a change. Have you noticed that you can’t find a darn thing in the junk drawer?  I wonder why…..you need some organizing of that space.

The first thing I did for mine was to ask what was the purpose of my junk drawer? Is it to catch the stuff that winds up on the kitchen counter? Is it to make life easier by putting items in there that you would otherwise need to go into other areas of the house to find? ...

As a new entrepreneur I have been fortunate enough to spend  my first summer home with the boys in 10 years.  I am home unless I am out working with an organizing client. Some weeks, I am gone more than others. Try to find the balance in that! Well, I realized after about 3 weeks of not getting anything work related done unless it was outside my house I needed to make a change. I was going crazy watching another day go by and work piling up. As an entrepreneur it’s all on ME to get my work done. Since I’m a professional organizer I did what comes natural….

I made a SCHEDULE!

Yep, it had to be done. There was one for me and one for the boys. Yes, I know you are probably one of the bleeding hearts out there that says summer should be for the children to have fun. Well, there was still PLENTY of time for fun in the schedule. My high schooler was given work to do from the school and not me so he had things to do. My middle schooler however, needed a little work in math to keep the ...

            Once upon a time not so long ago there lived a woman who was married with 4 children who hid from just about everyone she knew that she was a closet clutterer. (GASP!) Do you know her?

-She stashes things into drawers, closets, under the beds and in her bedroom when company comes over.

-She can’t find anything once the company leaves

-She drags out the stuff she stashed only to add more to it

-Everyone thinks she is so organized

-She forgets to pay a bill every now and then because she misplaced it

            Do you know her? I do…very well. She was me!!!!!! I was the closet clutterer, it’s out in the open and I have nothing to hide anymore. It wasn’t something I was proud of, obviously I was embarrassed by it. I didn’t know what to do about it.  Until one day….

            I saw my son stashing stuff under his bed! It actually hit me that he was learning this from me! There was so  much stuff under his bed that it was sticking out because there was no more...

It only happens once a year but when it does it is AMAZING!  What I’m referring to  started out yesterday with a simple question, “Mom, will you help me fold my stuff?” Even though it was my day off from organizing paying clients, there’s never a day off at home! However, this is the kid I nagged all throughout the school year to clean up his room, hang up his clothes, make his bed, etc. Then I remembered, he did the same thing last summer with the purge and completely rearranged the furniture in his room without any help! This is his purge season. He emptied out his dresser drawers and the closet. He knew what to do, sort into 3 piles: Keep, throw away and donate. He even knew what types of things needed to be thrown away. Anything with stains or holes went into his trash pile. I really only folded the items he was keeping. The kid did it all! In a little over an hour the task was complete. My son told me how hard it had been to concentrate all through the school year in his room with...

ORGANIZING FROM THE INSIDE

It's everything from how we talk to ourselves to how we let others speak to us. It can be the emotional stuff we've been carrying around for years. It's kept us from living our fullest self.  

DEVELOPING A PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT

This is truly important in defining who you are instead of who people have told you you are. It moves you to a place of empowerment. 
Must begin to create a mission statement by answering these statements:
I am happy when __________.
What matters to the most is _______.
I want people to know me for________.
The qualities I wish to possess are _______.
The things I won't compromise are ______.
The people I wish to emulate possess the following qualities _______________.
My perfect day would consist of __________.

Then you must write this out in a paragraph by combining all of these statements. I want you to use pen and paper, old school. Then you must read and edit. Make 3 copies. Place one beside your bed to read before you go to sleep...

I like to use words of inspiration to carry me through any challenging situations I may find myself in. Please consider using them in your life as well. 

"Success is high you bounce when you hit rock bottom." George Patton

" You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face." Eleanor Roosevelt

"People often say that this or that person has not yet found himself. But the self is not something that one finds. It is something that one creates."  Thomas Szasz

"Expect the best; convert problems into opportunities; be dissatisfied with the status quo; focus on where you want to go, instead of where you are coming from; and most importantly, decide to be happy, knowing it's an attitude, a habit gained from daily practice, and not a result or payoff."  Denis Waitley

" I don't want to get to the end of my life and find that I lived just the length of it. I want to have lived the width of it as well. " Diane Ackerman

Let me start by saying, Cheers! A wine tasting is a wonderful way for you and your guests to try out new  wines. A tasting affords people the chance to get out and socialize. Having an event like this is a lot fun. It  should not be a stressful thing. I am giving you some simple tips on hosting because I know you can be a terrific host.  Let me start by dispelling a few myths- -You don’t have to know a lot about wine, you don’t even have to know anything! -You don’t have to get all fancy unless you want to! -There is no wrong way to do one, for goodness sake the wine police will not take you away! -You don’t have to be rich to host one!  So, now you know you can do this, let’s learn how…

1. I want you to pick a date to host your event

2. Figure out what you would like to drink. If you are a beginner wine drinker I would like to make a couple of suggestions to you. Start with a white wine. I would recommend Moscato(very sweet), Riesling( make sure to get the sweet one), or a white win...

"I'm so busy."

"I'm too busy."

How many times have you said these words? Me, about a million! I used to say it so much it seemed to be my mantra.

Having a mantra like that brought out the worst in me. As today's society encourages this "busy" mentality as if it's a badge of honor, I got sucked right into it. I am sharing a bit of my story in hopes that you can avoid my mistakes.

Truthfully, I got a little temporary ego boost from all of my "busy". Let me describe my "busy"- I was a Religious education teacher at our church, a Creative Memories Consultant, PTA President (2 years), on the Prinicipal's Advisory Council, Superintendent's Advisory Council and decided to go back to work full time while getting my 2 boys to all of their activities while my husband worked a job that was always more than 40 hours! I don't tell you these so you can pat me on the back but to share with you my insanity. Maybe you are thinking, 'that's not too bad"? Well, for me it was too much! Now, I know my ...

Do you have it?? Do your kids have it? The school year can be a relief for everyone, kids, teachers and parents. However, leading up to this is what I call  the fever. It involves dashing here and there trying to put an end to every activity, running yourself into a haggard mess!

It really is no surprise the end of the school year will come. After all, we have a calendar that says so! What amazes me is how surprised other moms I know can get at the busy-ness. **Mental note: be prudent by avoiding overbooking your child(ren). All of those wonderful activities your child(ren) participate in have a year end component to them. This, in my opinion is usually the most underestimated aspect of all. This is where it can get OUT OF CONTROL CRAZY!

I am proposing that this year is your chance to take a stand and defend yourself against the fever!! Here is how I propose you do it...

1. Get a visual system for keeping track of you child(ren)'s schedules. I recommend using a calendar, either in you...

It's that time of year as a parent when you say, "I don't have enough hoursin the day!" It's all about going here and going there until you drag your tired self home and fall into bed. It can seem endless, one day blurring into the next. I am hearing this a lot right now with all of the children's activities and end of the school year fast approaching. Sometimes, you just feel like yelling, "Stop the world I want to get off!"

What is it that can be done to make this time of year be less chaotic??

1. The first thing you can do is determine YOUR priorities. From this point on it becomes PRIORITIES FIRST as your mantra. Take the time to decide on your top 3. The additional things on your list move to the back up list and can be prioritized as well.

2. Be realistic with your time. This means you have to stop underestimating and move into an overestimating mindset. This will require practice but I can tell you from first hand experience it has saved my behind numerous times. This type of t...