Announcing an All New Website

WHAT’S NEW ON THE SITE

My morning commute.

This year I had a wonderful spring! As we move into summer, I celebrate the launch of a new website for Simply Organized Life™. This was one my big goals for 2015.

There will always be a few more small updates to be made, but it’s a lot more organized and convenient for readers. Here’s a brief overview of the highlights:

You will find the Productive Lifestyle Scorecard™ on the Start Here page. When you fill out the Scorecard on-line, I contact you personally to schedule your complementary 30 minute Discovery Session™ via telephone, Skype or Facetime.

You can also find the latest upcoming seminars and service packages listed. And now that I am back to blogging fairly regularly, you can look for specific organizing tips right here in all of my blog posts. Don’t worry, there’s a search box to narrow your results.

I hope you find the new website useful. Working toward and reaching annual goals, like a website overhaul, is so much easier with an Organized Mindset™. What does that mean?

For over 10 year now, I have been giving seminars, working with clients and sharing my organizing wisdom with readers. I feel called to this work and the longer I do it, the more I realize that getting and staying organized is about our mindsets.

In the next post over at Simply Organized Life, I will share 5 tips that can help us develop an Organized Mindset™. I would love to hear what you think!

Please note that all future posts will be at Simply Organized Life. 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here. 

Simplify Your Life (Part 2 of 2)

Living a simple life is easier said than done these days. Many of us are overwhelmed by the vast amount of information and stuff in our lives. We crave organization and simplicity, but often do not know where to start.

Here are some easy ways to simplify your life. With these tips, I hope you will find getting and staying organized a positive experience. 

1) Create Empty Space

This is meant both literally and figuratively. Carving out empty space in our homes, offices, schedules and minds can be very freeing. For the month of May, pick one small area in your home or office that you can empty out. Be careful not to overbook your calendar and leave some empty space, just for you.  

2) Limit Distractions

There are so many ways to limit distractions in daily life, but we overlook most of the them or perhaps feel the need to be distracted or "busy". Some of the distractions I try to avoid include: multitasking, text messaging, recreational shopping, television and magazine subscriptions (although I am a huge fan of the free magazine exchange at my public library). 

3) Learn to Say "No"

This one is particularly difficult for those of us who are people pleasers. I have seen it over and over again, where wonderful people (mostly women) take on too much at their own expense. Taking on too much can run you ragged and leave little time to maintain organization at home or work. 

If you need help simplifying and organizing your life, please contact Carolyn to schedule a complementary telephone consultation. 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Spring Clean Your Clutter" at Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. on May 10, 2013. Register now with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. Bring a friend to this seminar and you both will receive a free 1 hour consultation with Carolyn via telephone. Just introduce yourself on May 10th to sign up. 

Simplify Your Life (part 1 of 2)

Photo Credit:  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann

It seems that finally spring has sprung here in Michigan. Today was the first day I sent my children off to school without winter coats, although they insisted upon wearing their hats and mittens, perhaps feeling naked without them after a long winter. 

I look forward to washing and packing away all our winter gear in the days and weeks ahead. I want to simplify and create space for the new season.

Spring and summer are always such busy times that can make us feel disorganized, stressed and overwhelmed. A little simplification can go a long way in helping us enjoy our warm weather days more. 

I would love to hear what you will do to simplify your May! 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Spring Clean Your Clutter" at Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. on May 10, 2013. Register now with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. Bring a friend to this seminar and you both will receive a free 1 hour consultation with Carolyn via telephone. Just introduce yourself on May 10th to sign up. 

Establishing Positive Routines

Carolyn presenting her popular seminar "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" One of my "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life" (sign up here for a free copy) is having positive routines. Establishing and keeping positive routines is not always easy, but the benefits far outweigh the inconveniences.  Great routines can help you be more rested, get where you need to be on-time, keep up on household duties and achieve your personal and professional goals. I hope you will find these tips useful in evaluating your own daily routines.

Take a good hard look at your current routines:  note what is working and what is not working. Are you rushing around every morning, creating a stressful environment for everyone in your wake? Or is sleep deprivation making you a bit, shall we say it? Crabby?  Many families struggle with the morning routine, which really starts with a good evening routine and getting enough sleep. Here are some tips for establishing a stress free evening routine: Have a set bedtime on most evenings for both yourself and your children. Plan for any evening activities to finish a least an hour before your bedtime.  At that time, start winding down by planning for the next day, taking care of loose ends and getting ready for bed.  Lay out your clothing for the next day, so that it is quick and easy to get ready. Some may even want to prepare breakfast for the next morning.  We all have more to do than we can accomplish most days. Jot down those unfinished tasks on a notepad or in your calendar for another day.  ​Before evaluating your morning routine, make sure you are planning for the day ahead the night before. Then look at exactly where the morning routine could be improved up for a smoother start to your day. If you need help establishing your routines, contact Carolyn for a complementary consultation and consider purchasing the Simply Organized Life routine worksheet.  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life"and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here.

Mom 2 Mom Consignment Sale in April

Guest blogger, Anna Mae Trievel from Ann Arbor with Kids and Fun with Your Kid, shares her recent post on an upcoming Mom 2 Mom sale. 

The Spring Mom2MomConsignment Sale will be held at Liberty School in Saline on Saturday, April 13, 2013 from 9a-2p. The Mom2Mom Consignment Sale is a department style sale with items divided by type rather than by seller. Clothing will be sorted by size and gender making it easier for the shoppers to find what they are looking for. 

Admission is $1 prior to noon and free after noon. Sellers and volunteers receive admission to a pre-sale the night before. 

As a shopper, I like that Mom2Mom Consignment sale is sorted by department and that they verify the condition of every item. It will be so much easier to just shop from an entire section in my daughter's size than to visit multiple sellers to determine who is selling items in her size, the condition, and prices. Check out some tips for Shoppers at sale.

Recently I was sorting through some of my daughter's old toys with the intent to donate them. However, as I was sorting through them to create an inventory list for tax purposes, I realized that many of them were still in very good condition. I also knew that I have several boxes of my daughter's old clothes to sort through in our upstairs closets. So, I have contacted Mom2Mom Consignment Sale about being a seller. There are only a few sellers slots left, so if you wish to sell, you should contact them soon.

Past Mom2Mom Consignment Sale

As a seller, the Mom2Mom Consignment sale allows you to prepare and drop-off your merchandise and not man a table for the sale. As a seller, I love that I can prepare my items ahead of time and drop them off for the sale without having to sit there for the entire sale to sell my items. While they may have more rules on condition, labeling, and presentation of your items than other sales, the convenience of not being there on the day of the sale is worth it for me.

Anna Mae Trievel writes the blog Ann Arbor with Kids about family events and activities in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She recently launched Fun with Your Kid to provide information about events happening across the country or region, product reviews, travel experiences and more.

Holiday Shopping Tips

With Valentine's Day tomorrow, I thought this was a great time to share these holiday shopping tips originally published on Valentine's Day 2006. 

Here are a few brief tips to avoid the stress and rush of last minute shopping:

1) Birthdays---Write all important birthdays of loved ones in your calendar. This can be done once a year if you purchase paper calendars. If you use an electronic calendar this only needs to be done once. Set a time once a month to shop for cards or gifts.

2) Weddings/Showers/Etc.---When you receive the invitation, take a moment to mark your calendar and RSVP. While you have your calendar handy, set a time to shop on-line or in store for a gift. For best selection on gift registries, shop soon after you receive the invitation.

3) Major Holidays (Christmas/Hanukkah/Etc.)---Shopping year round can be a great way to reduce stress and spread out the expense, but only if you keep the items in one place AND keep a detailed record of what you purchase for whom. I have worked with many clients that forgot about their year round purchases and ended up shopping at the last minute anyway.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Do you need to conquer the clutter in your closet? Carolyn will be presenting "Conquer Your Closet" through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed on Friday, March 15, 2013. Register with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed. 

Organize Your Medicine Cabinet

Be sure to dispose of expired medicine properly.

It is that time of year when illnesses are going around and I know too well how important it is to have the proper medications accessible. In the spirit of planning ahead and keeping your family safe, I encourage you to organized your medicines in three easy steps:

 

1) Gather All of Your Medicines in One Place

It is best to have one place where you can store all of your medications safely. Pharmacists recommend cool, dry, dark places that are out of reach of children and pets. The other advantage is not having to search all around when you are sick.

 

Time Yourself:  This step should take about 15 minutes depending on how scattered your medicines are.

 

2) Sort

Less is more. Keep only those medications that you currently use and have not expired. It is best to dispose of (see below for disposal guidelines) expired medicines as they loose their effectiveness over time. If you have a lot of medications you can sort them by type (i.e. pain reliever) or family member and place in simple labeled cardboard boxes or bins.

 

Time Yourself:  This step should take about 15 minutes depending on how many medications you have.

 

3) Dispose of Medications Properly

Because medications can get into our water supply and in the hands/paws of children/pets, proper disposal is a must. Many communities, including Washtenaw County, have "take back" programs where you can take both prescription and over the counter (OTC) medications to pharmacies for proper disposal. If your community does not have such a program it is currently recommended that medications be wrapped in duct tape and several layers of plastic bags to prevent crushing in garbage trucks.

 

Time Yourself:  This step should take about 15 minutes depending on how far you live from a participating pharmacy.

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Would you like to learn how to keep your family organized? Carolyn will be presenting "Organize Your Family" through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed on Friday, February 8, 2013. Register with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed. 

More Goal Setting Tips

Carolyn speaking to Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Academic studies have found that as many as 88% of people who make New Year's Resolutions will break them. While that statistic is rather discouraging, let's focus on how we can be part of the 12% who succeed in 2013. 

Here are some simple strategies to achieve your goals in 2013:

1) The Fewer the Better

Rather than setting several resolutions at once, it is better to focus on one or two obtainable goals at a time. 

2) Put it on Paper

Writing down our resolutions and viewing them daily keeps our attention on the task at hand. 

3) Break it Down

Break down your goal into doable tasks that can be scheduled on your calendar. 

Do you want 2013 to be your year for personal success? Through organization I help clients find the time to achieve their personal and professional goals. Please contact Carolyn to schedule a complementary telephone consultation and be your best in 2013. 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Would you like to learn how to keep your family organized? Carolyn will be presenting "Organize Your Family" through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed on Friday, February 8, 2013. Register with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed.  

Goal Setting for the New Year

Carolyn presenting to MOMS of Northville, Michigan.

I love the fresh start that a new year offers. Over the last 12 months I have been writing a lot about goal setting, both in general and my own personal journey.

One year ago, I printed out the first page of this goal setting template from the blog Money Saving Mom and created goals for six areas of my life. Accomplishing many of the goals on that sheet has been a great source of happiness.

Speaking of happiness, in 2012 I read and was inspired by both of Gretchen Rubin's books on happiness. In 2013 I am excited to make my own "resolutions chart" breaking down my goals into daily, weekly and monthly tasks. So far, this is proving to be a great tool to move me toward my goals. 

When it comes to New Year's Resolutions, getting organized consistently ranks among the top 10. For the last 9 years, the National Association of ProfessionalOrganizers, which I am a Golden Circle Member, has sponsored Get Organized Month.

If you have resolved to "get organized" in 2013, I would love to have a conversation to discuss what that means to you. Getting and staying organized takes a bit of work, but with proper goal setting is easier than you might think. 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Would you like to learn how to keep your family organized? Carolyn will be presenting "Organize Your Family" through Ann Arbor Rec and Ed on Friday, February 8, 2013. Register with Ann Arbor Rec and Ed.  

Holiday Tidy Up

Carolyn makes a holiday return at REI in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

A big part of being organized is planning ahead. I see planning ahead as a little gift to myself to make things easier in the future.

As we wrap up from the busy holiday season and look forward to the potential that a new year brings, here are a few things that you can do now to be more organized in 2013:

Holiday Tidy Up:

1. When you are ready, pack away holiday decorations in a manner that you would like to find them when it is time to decorate again.
2. Have you sent thank you notes for gifts received? Remember, done is better than perfect. So if you can only muster an e-mail thank you, that is better than no thank you at all. 
3. Did you travel over the holidays? If so, empty and pack away the luggage now.
4. If you have received gifts over the holidays, make sure each and every one of them has a home. Return (or thoughtfully re-gift) any items that were not just right and be sure that gift cards/certificates do not get lost in the shuffle.  

Here's to a happy (and organized) 2013!

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Would you like to learn 5 simple strategies to keep your New Year's Resolutions? Carolyn will be presenting "Simply Organize the New Year" at this year's Women's Health and Fitness Day, a free healthy lifestyle event on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Register at the Women's Health and Fitness Day website.  

Packing Up the Holidays

This is republished from an article originally posted on January 2, 2012. 

66 quart clear bins work great seasonal decorations.

In a previous post on accepting imperfection during the holidays, I mentioned that my husband is a get it done sort of guy. 

We used to leave our Christmas tree up beyond New Year's Day, but the last few years my husband likes getting a real tree earlier in the Advent season and by New Year's Day the tree is starting to look a little sad. I think he also likes to pack everything up during the holiday break when we feel less rushed with other every day tasks.  

No matter when you choose to pack up the holidays, here are some tips for packing and storing seasonal treasures such as Christmas ornaments, menorahs or other holiday items to avoid damage and allow for easy access. 

For seasonal decorations that will be stored in a basement, attic or garage I like to use 66 quart or smaller clear plastic storage totes (see above photo). If you already have similar sized totes or boxes, please use what you have before buying any additional items. I find that totes larger than 66 quarts become too heavy and do not fit easily on most shelving units. Cardboard boxes also work just fine, but will not protect from moisture, bugs or rodents. 

As you pack up from the holidays, wrap each item individually with bubble wrap, tissue paper or newspaper. Use what you have on hand. I like to reuse the boxes and bags that many of our ornaments came in. Always label both ends of the tote, preferably with a removable label so that the box can be re-purposed if need be in the future.

When you are packing up the holidays, think of Stephen Covey's Habit #2 from the bestseller 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,"Begin with the end in mind." Pack up your holiday decorations in a way that you want to find them when the holidays roll around again. 

Here's what Wendy Eggleston of Dexter, Michigan had to say about how we organized her holiday decorations:  "It was so nice going down to the basement and pulling out the organized, labeled bins to decorate with." 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Would you like to learn 5 simple strategies to keep your New Year's Resolutions? Carolyn will be presenting "Simply Organize the New Year" at this year's Women's Health and Fitness Day, a free healthy lifestyle event on Saturday, January 12, 2013. Register at the Women's Health and Fitness Day website.  

Pesky Paper Clutter

Speaking at Multiple Births Canada National Conference, Oct. 2011

Since founding Simply Organized Life in 2005, the question I am most asked is "What to do with all those pesky paper piles?"

After a busy summer filled with lots of activities outside the home, I found myself with some sizable paper piles in my office. I made the piles go away and am only left with my current project folders on my desk. Here's what I did: 

1) Set Aside the Time

Being a professional organizer, I know how to handle paperwork and (gasp) actually enjoy it. However, several rounds of house guests and our busy summer schedule kept me away from my home office where the paper piled up. At the first opportunity, I scheduled time in my calendar to deal with the paper on my desk. 

2) Just Do It

Paper piles can be pretty intimidating. It is much easier (and more fun) to check your e-mail, surf Facebook or do just about anything other than sorting through the papers. What I find works for me is to set a timer for a short amount of time (say 15 minutes) and just starting dealing with the paper pile top down. If a bill appears, I pay it. If project papers appear, I schedule time in my calendar or create a project file. Most people can handle those types of action papers, but what about those pesky papers that you *might* need to refer to in the future? 

3) Put it Away 

Everyone needs a system for those little bits of paper that we want to refer to in the future. The thing is that if we cannot retrieve those papers when we need them, what is the point of keeping them? 

I utilize a combination of paper files, like the family binder I referred to in my "Get Organized for Back to School" post, and am slowly shifting to a paperless system for other things. For my children's artwork I either take a photograph or scan the items. These things are stored by month and year with our digital photos. For other things, like interesting magazine articles or websites, I scan and save to Evernote, which I can then search at a later date.  

Source:  www.evernote.com

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "5 Habits for an Organized Office" at Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. on October 12, 2012. Register now with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed. Please note that Carolyn was not compensated by any vendors for this blog post. 

Get the Garage in Order

Source:  http://magazine.ucla.edu/features/the-clutter-culture/index1.html   

If you cannot fit your car in your garage, you are not alone. A full 75% of families in an anthropological study at UCLA could not park a car in their garages. If a similar study were conducted in the Midwest, the numbers might be slightly lower due to our cold winters and the fact that most Midwestern homes have basements.  At any rate, I am sure we can all find unwanted clutter in our garages after a busy summer. Here are a few quick tips to get your garage in order before the weather turns cold: 1) Start with the Big Stuff Take a look around your garage and see what are the largest items taking up space. Determine if these items deserve their own zone (see below) or if the items need to move on. Unwanted items can be sold, donated, recycled or trashed as a last resort.     2) Create Zones Creating zones in your garage--or any area of the home--is a great way to reserve space for big items (like your car) and to be able to find those small items when you need them.   Some common zones found in garages include a place to park cars, a gardening bench, tool storage, bicycles and kid stuff. The key to keeping any of these zones tidy is to only allow related items in each zone.  3) Utilize Wall Space One of the best ways to keep an organized garage is to utilize the wall space. This gets things off the floor and out of the way. While expensive garage systems with slat walls and cabinets are nice, there are a lot of cheaper options that will not cost you a bundle.  One of the cheapest and easiest ways to utilize the wall space in your garage is to hang items by two long nails. I learned this trick from my Grandfather and Father, who were quite organized in their day. Another "old timer" favorite is the peg board utilizing hooks and other accessories. Just remember to thoroughly sort and purge your items before buying any organizing tools.  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Easy Organizing for Busy Families" at My Urban Toddler in Saline, Michigan on September 26, 2012 (childcare is available, check with My Urban Toddler for details). Register with My Urban Toddler by Wednesday, September 19, 2012.

Storing Manuals

Photo Source: Carolyn Anderson-Fermann

When it comes to getting and staying organized there are no hard and fast rules. 

Take today's subject of storing manuals: you can store manuals with the product, in a box or in a file folder. These are just three options and they are all correct. 

And, if you want to think out of the box completely, who says you even have to keep a paper manual? Some new products, such as the iPhone or Kindle e-reader, do not even come with a manual. It is all on-line if you need it. 

The important thing to remember when storing manuals, particularly for big ticket items, is retrieval. Will you be able to find what you want, when you need it? 

While it was not very fun at the time, I recently had a great opportunity to test my method for storing manuals. In February of 2008, I wrote a blog post about storing the manuals for our home water pump and tank. The photo above shows the water tank for our home and the manuals in a plastic sleeve taped to the wall. 

A couple of weeks ago, my family awoke to no water. It was a good thing that I had the manuals for the pump and tank taped to the basement wall. The manuals included the following information: the well company's contact information, installation dates and warranties for each item. 

It turned out that our tank had failed and was still under warranty. Our water was running again by 10:30 a.m. that morning. 

The thing about being organized is that it makes our busy lives just a little bit easier. Are you tired of living in clutter and chaos? Of not finding what you need when you need it? Let me guide you on what I like to call your "organizing journey". 

Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. To receive a free copy of Carolyn's "Secrets of a Simply Organized Life"and a monthly subscription to the e-newsletter "Your Simply Organized Life" sign up here. 

Get Organized for Back to School

Photo Source: 
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/08/01/frugal-back-to-school-shopping/ 

I love the idea of a fresh start. If things have gotten cluttered over the summer, back to school is a great time to make a fresh start in your home. Why wait until January 2013? Here is what I am doing with my children to prepare for back to school before Labor Day rolls around: 1) Update the Family Binder If you do not have a family binder, or even know what it is, now is a great time to set one up. The family binder functions as one place where you can store all of those important papers that you will need to refer to in the future.  My family's binder is simply a three ring binder (that I already had) filled with babysitter information, school class information and information related to activities such as swimming or soccer. I like to use and reuse Avery's erasable tabs, so it is easy to switch from year to year. Take the time now to clear out the old and make room for the new.   2) Update the Calendar By now most schools will have their annual calendars posted on-line. While more detailed calendars are forthcoming, take the time now to post all those holiday breaks and random days off into your personal calendar.  Transferring the school, church or activity calendar into your own calendar as soon as it is available is a great habit to get into to make sure nothing slips through the cracks.  3) Start the Schedule Shift Most of us let our schedules slide a bit in the summer. If your kids have turned into night owls over the last two months, now is the time to slowly shift bedtimes earlier.  Carolyn Anderson-Fermann is a public speaker, organizing expert and founder of Simply Organized Life. Carolyn will be presenting "Get Organized for Back to School" at My Urban Toddler in Saline, Michigan on August 17, 2012 (childcare is available, check with My Urban Toddler for details). Register with My Urban Toddler by Friday, August 10, 2012.