Simply Back to Basics Organizing & Coaching

A New Year

2012-01-09T13:02:00.000-05:00

Maybe you noticed that I have not posted much in the last 12 months. That has been both intentional and necessary. At first, it was simply because I had taken a short maternity leave to help my newest daughter and the rest of our family adjust to life as a family of six. Then, more and more happened and I sum it up here, along with my strategy on managing.

Many people are similarly affected by their own life circumstances. Some are even disabled by the sheer magnitude of what is on their plate. I hope by offering this personal experience I can help someone, even in a small way, begin to take tiny steps towards healing.

It begins with a prayer:

God grant me Serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The Courage to change the things I can
And the Wisdom to know the difference.

Marty & Cindy, Thanksgiving 2011

I cannot even bear to write this, but writing is my healing, my processing, my outlet, so I will. On December 18, my beloved brother, Marty, died suddenly from heart failure. The earthquake that this has caused in my family and in his community is unimaginable. He was the rock; the caretaker and inspiration of literally, thousands of people, through his family, his pediatric career, his music, his running, his advocacy and his gentle nature, and we are all left bewildered and numb by the loss of such an amazing person.

I cannot change it. I cannot bring him back. It is so final. So awful. My heart aches for myself, my husband and my children, but also for my parents and sister, who are deeply scarred, and for my sister-in-law and her family who are trying to piece together a devastated life.

I cannot change it. We drove our family to Georgia for the funeral. We spent two days traveling down and two days back. The service was a beautiful tribute and was attended by about 1000 people. We are still recovering from the emotional and physical exhaustion of this difficult journey.

In reality, we are recovering from a year of exhausting events, starting with the adjustment of our 7 year old daughter, Shanna, our 4th child, home from China on December 13, 2010. It was a rocky and painful process for her, as she learned to trust that our love was real and permanent. That she was safe with us and that we would not leave her. The first six months were really tough and Eric & I were stretched, but Love Never Fails (as I learned in a workshop with Heather Forbes) and Love Prevailed. Our daughter is thriving in every way and is a complete blessing to us. In February, my mother-in-law was diagnosed with cancer. In May, she came to live with us and we provided hospice care until she died in July. Her husband suffered, too, with Parkinson's and severe grief, requiring a change in living situation. Their house sold in two days and had to be completely empty by July. In late summer, my stepfather, who had gradually declined in health and independence since having a heart attack in April, moved into nursing care, which was both a blessing and a sorrow for my mother. He died in November, and now Marty has died in December, completing a full year of emotional and traumatic events. I cannot change it. I cannot change the impact of each of these events on the people I love.

So what CAN I do?

I can make sure my family is fed, both emotionally and physically. I can physically connect with them each day and put a nourishing dinner on the table each night.

I can keep order in my home and our routines. I can do the laundry, empty the dishwasher, keep the environment uncluttered so our brains can think. I can rely on the routines of our life, and forgo extras right now. I can keep it simple.

I can help my children make time for school work. I can sit quietly by them while they do what they need to do. I can help the little ones learn their sight words and their math facts.

I can be the buoy to my extended family. I can offer my home as a gathering place. I can support from afar through Skype and phone calls. I can encourage connections and I can applaud steps towards rebuilding independence. I can reflect healing.

I can pace myself. I have responsibilities outside our home. I have a business and clients to serve. I can return to them as I am ready, and not before. I can hope they wait for me. I can encourage them to seek other solutions if they cannot.

I can remember the Serenity Prayer. I can recite it over and over in my mind if I lay awake at night. I can work within my circle of concern (Steven Covey) and make a difference there.

I can appreciate the joy of life. I can be thankful for the blessings I have. I can stop and watch a flock of birds circling in unison in the sky and I can wonder at the beauty of the world.

Yes, things are difficult and I am strong. I am flexible and I won't break.

"It's going to be alright". Marty always said that to us and I can hear it now. It's going to be different but it's going to be alright. Because life cannot help but go on amongst the tough stuff.

Happy New Year

Alert: National Drug Take Back Day October 29, 2011, 10-2

2011-10-17T12:56:00.000-04:00

If you have expired, unwanted or unneeded prescription or OTC medications in your home, take them back to a convenient dropoff location near you. Many sites are available. Left in the trash or flushed down the sink they can contaminate the water supply or get in the hands of children and others who should not have them.

Click here for Buffalo Area (Erie & surrounding counties)

Click here for National sites (outside of the Buffalo Area)

Helping Older People Get Organized

2011-04-11T14:08:00.000-04:00

Recently, I offered to help my dad clear out his attic, which had housed treasures and stash for almost 50 years. He agreed, although I am sure he was ambivalent about it. I had offered help on previous occasions and he wasn't ready, yet.

In my mind, I established 3 goals of the project. The first was to begin. Yes, I said, simply to begin. I knew that it was an overwhelming task and one that was sure to bring up many memories and feelings. If he could simply begin the task of clearing out, that would be huge. The second goal was for Dad to feel good while he was doing it. I wanted this to be as positive as possible. I did not want to race through and force him to purge. I had waited a long time for him to be open to the idea and I wanted him to feel good about it so he would want to keep going. The third goal was for it to be a family effort (kids and grandkids) so Dad would feel supported and we would all be connected through the experience. I shared these goals with the family at the beginning of the project.

I am happy to say, that after about 4 hours, we met all three goals. We emptied nearly 2/3 of the attic; an awesome start. Dad's energy level and enthusiasm amazed me. Several times I asked him if he wanted to stop and he didn't even though I warned him that his muscles were going to hurt the next day (and I was right-- they did!). My third goal of family involvement was also met. It gave me great satisfaction to see my older daughter taking care of the younger two so we could work and to see my 16 year old son and 80ish Dad working side by side up in the attic. An huge airplane that my Dad had made around Matthew's age was uncovered, badly in need of repairs and lovingly passed on to Matthew for the job.

The airplane Dad made as a young man.

My approach when working with clients is basically the same.

1. Help them to begin.
2. Help them to feel good about the process.
3. Engage them in the process and support them along the way.

Of course, I apply organizing skills and principles during each session and if the three above goals are met, the whole project goes smoothly.

For help with any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619

Buffalo, NY, E-Waste Collection Event: 4/16/11

2011-04-11T13:58:00.000-04:00

E-WASTE COLLECTION EVENT

On Saturday, April 16, 2011 from 10:00 am-2:00 pm, Buffalo ReUSE will offer an opportunity to safely dispose of old TVs, computers, and other electronics at our retail store, located at 298 Northampton St. This event is held in honor of Earth Day and in partnership with Sunnking, a local electronics recycler.

In addition to reusable building materials and unwanted household items, Buffalo ReUSE will accept the following e-waste on April 16th:

ACCEPTABLE

Computers & Laptops
Printers
Keyboards & Mice
Monitors (CRTs) all sizes
Televisions
Microwave Ovens (non PCB)
Copiers
Typewriters
Fax Machines
Cellular Phones & Pagers
Audio & Video Equipment
Telephone Equipment
Laboratory & Test Equipment
Circuit Boards (any kind)
Cables/Wire
Any item with a circuit board
Batteries (charges may apply)
Most home appliances (NO REFRIGERANTS)

NOT ACCEPTABLE

Refrigerators
Household Hazardous Waste Materials
Liquids
Yard Equipment
Small Gas Powered Equipment
Mercury containing devices
Items leaking fluid
Radioactive materials
PCB containing materials

Additional E-Waste Day activities include building material recycling, worm composting, Tool Library tours, and Patchwork Garden sign up. Raised Garden Bed materials & Rain Barrels will be available for purchase.

Buffalo ReUSE is a 501©(3), non-profit organization working to keep valuable building materials from our landfill. Buffalo ReUse operates a building material resale store – open to the public six days a week – Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm and Sunday 12–4pm. The Buffalo ReUSE store is fully stocked with doors, windows, plumbing, tubs, tile, cabinets, furniture, fixtures, and more. Buffalo ReUse accepts unwanted and reusable building material donations at the 298 Northampton St location. All donations are tax-deductible. Pickups can be scheduled by calling (716) 882–2800. Sorry, pick-ups not available for e-waste event.

For more information, please call Buffalo ReUSE at (716) 882–2800 or email at info@buffaloreuse.org .

Source: http://www.buffaloreuse.org/Events/EWaste

National Medication Take Back Day: 4/30/2011

2011-04-11T13:46:00.004-04:00

Unused and unwanted medication (prescription and over the counter) pollutes our water stream when flushed down the toilet or improperly disposed of in the trash.

Also, an equally big concern is that each day, approximately, 2,500 teens use prescription drugs to get high for the first time according to the Partnership for a Drug Free America. Studies show that a majority of abused prescription drugs are obtained from family and friends, including the home medicine cabinet. In an effort to address this problem, DEA, in conjunction with state and local law enforcement agencies throughout the United States are holding National Take Back Days to provide a venue for persons who want to dispose of unwanted and unused prescription drugs.

The next National Collection Day is April 30, 2011

Click here to access sites near you, using your zip code

Click here to access sites near the 14221 zip code

Simply Back To Basics in the News

2011-03-06T21:30:00.000-05:00

Linda was featured this morning in the Buffalo News. Read the article here:

A Time & Place for Everything

Adoption Update

2010-12-23T08:15:00.000-05:00

On November 26 my family and I left on our journey to Southern China, Guangzhou City, where we met and adopted our 9 year old daughter, Shanna. We returned safe and sound as a family of 6 on December 11.

I wanted to share some photo highlights of our trip. Thank you all for you patience while I am on my "maternity leave". I am so thankful for the time off, as there has been much to do to since we returned home, especially in the midst of the holiday season.

My whole family is doing great. The children have all gotten to know and love one another and it is rewarding to watch them interact on all levels. Shanna is a delightful child, full of joy and promise. She is a fast learner, and though she speaks Mandarin, she is learning English very quickly. She loves books and dolls, puzzles and all sorts of fun. She will start school on January 3rd and cannot wait!!! She asks me every day when we put her little sister on the bus "Shanna school??" I was a little afraid of how I would feed her, but she seems to be happy with the American dishes and is learning to eat things like raw carrots, cheese sticks, mashed potatoes, etc, all textures and tastes that are new to her. She eats well with chopsticks and is slowly switching over to fork and spoon. She is very proud of herself for learning all these new skills.

Having four children in the house fills up every corner, so from an organizing and time management perspective, it has been a challenge and as I always tell all of you, it is a process, not an event (for example- I woke up at 5am to get this post finished and make the final menus for Christmas Day dinner and the next day brunch-I have to hurry before tiny feet pad down the stairs!).

Unfortunately, my basement flooded while we were gone, and the carpet had to be ripped up, so that created even more chaos. I am following my own advice and focusing on the most important things that need to get done, (laundry, meals, school preparations and things with deadlines). One of the most helpful things I did was to box up anything I do not need in the here and now and stack it in a corner so I can deal with it when I have a minute. I labeled each box so I knew what was inside and I only put things in that I knew I would not need to see for 6 months or I simply did not know where to put. I collected my 2+ weeks of unopened mail in a clear, shallow bin and opened and sorted it as time allowed. Despite all of these strategies, there is still much that I just have to let go of, and I hope that it helps those of you who can relate to this know that even with the best of plans and ideas, it is still challenging to stay organized. Hang in there, do what you can and have a positive attitude. Call me if you need help! I am looking forward to contacting the people on my waiting list mid-late January.

So here is a photo tour of our trip:

Packing to go!! Space bags!!
Actually these are not brand name, but click here and see them. They worked out great and were much cheaper.

It took hours to get everything in the right place!

But somehow we did it.

Boarding for Beijing!

Somewhere over northern China/Russia. 14 hours of flying- Newark to Beijing over the North Pole!!

Shanna being brought in by a nanny to the Center of Adoption Affairs just before we met her.

Greeting her for the first time. On my birthday!! 11/29

Proud Mei Mei- little sister!

First Kiss!

Loves BaBa Daddy!!!

And GeGe (guh guh) Big Brother.

Getting to know each other and looking through her backpack.

Proud Jia Jia (geeuh geeuh) big sister.

Do I look happy???

Our new family of six, plus Ni Ni (long i) Grandma

It's like a pile of puppies on Daddy.

Traditional Chinese Dresses.

Fun walking around China.

They just love being together. The beds were narrow, but the girls were fine with that.

A photo with our Guide, taken on the grounds of the hotel.

At a park.

Dancing is a very popular activity for older Chinese people in the park. They retire around 60 and gather to play cards, dance and play music. They welcomed us in and taught us their moves!!

Many people bring their birds in cages to the park for fresh air and companionship.

A beautiful statue to pose with.

Giggle girls- more typical.

Serious girls-less typical.

Proud Mom.

Almost done with all the steps. Consulate is the last stop to get the visa home for Shanna. When she arrives in the US she is a full US citizen!

The long trip home. Only 12.5 hours this time because of tail winds. Still long.....

Waiting in Newark for the flight home. Tired, but very happy.

Finally home. Loving everything.

Cake made by our dear friends who had a party for us the next day.

The kids and Eric look great. I need a nap!!

Fun at home with Bitty Babies!!

Fun in the snow- Quite a change from tropical Guangzhou which has a climate like Florida.

Getting to know the gerbils- she calls them "me louw shoe" which means "Mickey Mouse"!

The joys of family. They cannot be measured. Every child deserves one.

Recycle Your Computer Equipment at Goodwill

2010-10-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

Do you have an old computer sitting around because you are not sure what to do with it?

Below is a quote taken from the Reconnect website, describing their program available across the US. On the site you can put in your zip code and find locations accepting used equipment near you.

Good for the Community
Good for the Environment
Good for You

"Reconnect is a residential computer recycling program that offers you an easy, convenient and responsible way to recycle your used computer equipment. You can drop off any brand of used equipment (in any condition) at participating Goodwill donation centers in your area. It's free, and you'll get a receipt for tax purposes. What's more, you'll be helping protect the environment and benefiting your community at the same time." Reconnect disposes of all electronics in an environmentally responsible way.

For dropoff locations and hours in Western New York, click here.

Please keep in mind that while they take precaution to safeguard information by cleaning hard driving using industry standards, the only way to truly be sure that your information is secure is to erase the hard drive yourself before donating it. I asked Eric Vaccaro, President of American Micro, Inc, a full service computer installation and repair in Williamsville, NY for advice on erasing the hard drive. He suggests using a disk-wiping program.

"Basically what these programs do is run algorithms that overwrite the drive many times with dummy data. There are usually different algorithms to choose from, but I usually use a department of defense standard one, which runs for three passes over the drive. No one can read your data after this.The process cannot be run in windows. The program is provided in a file called an .iso image. That image is then burned to a CD and that CD is put into the computer while it is booting up. The program then runs at bootup before windows loads." Eric currently offers this service for $75.

For those of you who are interested in trying it yourself, or learning more about how this works, you can watch a video about Active @ Kill Disc and download a free version of Active @ Kill Disk. A professional version is available for $30.

Prior to using any disc wiping program or donating your computer, make sure that you have backed up all data to another source.

For help with any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619

What Can We Learn From the Garden?

2010-09-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

Click here to see this garden last spring

Did you ever look at a garden in the prime of the fall? Gardens grow and change so much over the course of the previous season. Taller plants migrate in front of shorter plants and more aggressive varieties crowd out more timid growers. Beauties that may have been showy in earlier weeks turn leggy and straggly. Collosal weeds take hold and surprise us with their presence and vigor. Such is the typical garden. This is a natural process.

Our lives and homes are the same way.

Without warning an active household can suddenly take on the appearance of an overgrown garden at the end of the season. One day, you might look at your kitchen, hallway closet, entryway, kids' room, garage, etc., and say "How did this get so bad??". Well, the answer is something I say to all my clients: "Organizing is not an event, it's a process." Just like the garden. Everything grows, accumulates, dies, needs to be replaced, cleared, renewed. Don't fret when its time to purge, sort, and reorder. Rejoice! It's a time for new beginnings and to see things in new ways. Who knows what joy will grow when given the room to spread?

For help with any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619

"Yes" and "No"

2010-08-16T12:20:00.000-04:00

We have demands on our time. We only have so much time. Time is a container and tasks are the items we need to fit into our container. Some of us have very empty containers compared to the amount of tasks that we have in them, but most of us have tightly filled containers with large and tiny tasks packed together so very little room remains.

In order to maintain balance and productivity (not have our container spill over the top) we must be cognizant of how much we have agreed to put into our container. Many things may be beyond our choice, such as time at work, cooking and cleaning, but we often add in other things that pressure us and add stress, under the guise of hobbies, kids activities, social commitments, volunteering, etc.

I can't tell you what to say "yes" or "no" to, but I can suggest that when you say "yes" to something, you balance it with a "no" to something else (and don't feel badly about it). Just like a "one in, one out" philosophy for your belongings, your time deserves the same disciplined treatment. Just like an overstuffed drawer is difficult to use; an overstuffed life is just as hard.

For help with time management or any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619

Unwanted Medication Disposal; Saturday, August 7, 2010; 9am-1pm

2010-08-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

"The Erie County department of Environment and Planning and other local agencies are encouraging people to bring in their expired, unused or unwanted prescription and over the counter medications to the Erie County Law Enforcement Training Agency from 9am-1pm Saturday for proper disposal.

The Training Agency is on the Erie Community College North Campus at 6205 Main St., Amherst.

Medication discarded incorrectly can cause environmental hazards, including endangering water supplies of local municipalities. And unwanted medication left in the house increases the chance of accidental poisoning and the potential for misuse, according to information from the county Department of Environment and Planning."

(Taken directly from the Buffalo News the week of August 1, 2010)

Packing & Preparing to Leave for College

2010-07-14T14:05:00.001-04:00

College packing is just like any other major project. If you start early and do a little bit at a time, it doesn't need to be overwhelming.

Here are a couple of helpful resources that I found

Packing for College Checklist
on www.CollegeAnswer.com The Planning for College Destination (Copyright 2005 by Sallie Mae. All rights reserved.)

What to Pack for College- What to Bring and Not Bring

By Kelci Lynn, www.About.com

And if you are just beginning the College Search and would like some assistance sorting through the options and maximizing your financial options, Lori McGlone of Coast to Coast Educational Consulting can help. Her business guides students through each stage of college planning-financial and admissions, individually adapting to meet the needs of all types of students.

For parents who are sending their kids off this year, Lori suggests encouraging students to engage in wellness activities, such as athletics or clubs, similar to what they were doing in high school, to help them build their social networks and relationships and feel connected to their school.

Talking to your children about how credit card companies will target college students with offers and try to get them to sign up for credit cards without their parents knowledge. This can be dangerous and expose kids to problems with debt which can be difficult to reverse. Openly discussing it and encouraging them to work with you if they are considering a need for credit can prevent many problems.

Contact Lori at Lori@coastedconsulting.com or (716) 881-4296

For help with any organizing project, Simply E-mail or Call Linda! 716-631-5619

Erie County Prescription Drug Drop-Off - June 19th in Clarence, NY

2010-06-17T21:11:00.002-04:00

This information was taken directly from the Buffalo: Mom's Like Me website. (Please note: the site says the drive ends at 11am and it actually ends at 1pm).

"Do you ever wonder how to safely dispose of unused or expired prescription drugs? Throwing them in the trash or down the drain where they can contaminate land and water is not an option.

On Saturday June 19th from 9:00 to 1:00 pm you can drop off unused prescription medications in the parking lot of the Eastern Hills Mall near the main entrance. This event is sponsored by the Clarence Central School District in partnership with Erie County. Numerous community organizations are contributing resources and manpower. All county residents are encouraged to drive through and drop off their unused drugs to the pharmacists on hand in an anonymous process. You won't even have to get out of your car. For more information call the Clarence Youth Bureau at 407-2162."

For help with this or any organizing project, Simply Call Linda! 716-631-5619

You’ve Got Junk Mail!!!

2010-05-17T14:22:00.000-04:00

When you come home after a hard day, the last thing you want to see is a pile of junk mail waiting to be sorted. Many people will stack the current day’s pile on the previous day’s pile and postpone this arduous task to a more conducive time (like never) and the stacks quickly multiply. Important mail (letters, bills) can get lost in this overwhelming sea of paper clutter. I posted about this topic before and it can be viewed here.

Here is one important step you can take today to take back control of your mailbox.

Visit DMAchoice.org and register for an account. You can add multiple names/addresses to one account. Through that account you can request the removal of your name from the three major credit bureaus marketing lists (so that you get less of those pesky credit card offers) and e-mail solicitation lists. Also, you can request specific companies and catalogs remove your name. If you click on the How it Works button on the "Give Your Mailbox a Makeover" page, it will walk you through how to get started.

Opt-outs completed online remove you for five years (you can print out and mail a permanent one, if you prefer). I redid mine because I couldn't remember how long it had been and I figured it could not hurt. It took about 15 minutes and it is well spent. Due to my previous opt out efforts, I receive very little junk mail, but I am hoping to receive even less. It takes about 90 days from the date of removal to see results, so be patient and hope to see less in the summer!!

Good luck!!

For help with this or any organizing project, Simply Call Linda! 716-631-5619

Living with (some) Chaos

2010-04-12T10:09:00.002-04:00

Click here to see this garden in the fall

I just love the springtime. It brings me such joy to shake off the winter blues and bask in the warm sunshine. I love to uncover the garden and get it ready for the bulbs and shoots that start to poke their way through. Along with the springtime weather outside comes a big change inside the house, too. Suddenly, there are shoes and jackets everywhere as people start to shed their bulky layers for sundresses, tee shirts, and shorts and shoes for bare feet. And the delivery of a huge pile of dirt in the driveway gives way to the reality that some of the inside chores are going to suffer as that pile gets moved and dealt with. The constant traffic from the front door to the back door, through the kitchen results in dirt, clothing and general tableware strewn about from our children who are helping themselves because we are busy. Laundry piles up and dinner is delayed. Adding to the mix include the "extra" children that we encourage to gather at our home on the trampoline or swingset. It puts a smile on my face to see them all enjoying the weather and reviving forgotten activities, as I push my wheelbarrow full of dirt to and fro.

Typically, my tips tell you how to conquer the clutter and order your world. This one is just going to tell you that if you feel like you are living in chaos, that sometimes the best thing to do is to enjoy it! The moments pass so quickly, and despite being a "perfectionist" I have come to realize that tolerating a certain level of chaos is not only possible for me, but even healthy and freeing, and especially for the rest of the family! I know I will pull it back together eventually (and having an underlying system to the household helps with that), and this enables me to have some disorder, even over several days or weeks as things transition from one season or holiday to the next.

Enjoy the Spring!

For help with developing an "underlying system" to your chaos, or any organizing project, simply contact Linda! 716-631-5619

Unwanted/Expired Medication Drop Off Drive

2010-03-22T13:17:00.000-04:00

This information came right off of a flyer, given to me by another fellow organizer, Linda Birkinbine. I just wanted to share it with my readers.

Saturday, April 10th from 9am-1pm
Sister's Hospital, St. Joseph Campus (in front of Caritas Building)
Buffalo, NY
For more info call (716) 858-6800 option 3

Accepting controlled substances, expired, unusable, unwanted household prescriptions or over the counter medications. Please bring medications in the original labeled container (blacken out personal information).

Recent news about the detection of prescription drugs in drinking water has caused concern about the impact on human health. Also, storing expired and unwanted medications in your home increases the risk of accidental poisoning and teen drug use. Keep your family safe and help protect our water by disposing of medication properly through pharmaceutical collections.

Managing Adult ADHD through Professional Organizing and Coaching

2010-03-09T13:09:00.000-05:00

Maybe you know someone who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; either diagnosed or not. For children, there tends to be a plethora or tools and services at their disposal, but for many adults who have it (and may not know it) simply managing daily life can present a trying set of circumstances.

How does ADHD interfere with optimal functioning, from an organizing perspective?

Adults with ADHD tend to be highly energetic and creative people who love to start projects and involve themselves in several different causes/arenas at once. They thrive on the excitement of chaos and the fast pace of life. Unfortunately, they can't always keep up with the details of the pace that they set for themselves and find that they have misplaced important items or missed important deadlines. Despite really wanting to be successful, they often cope by engaging in more distracting/avoidant behavior, which fuels the cycle of feeling overwhelmed. Often people like this try inventing "systems" but the systems only work for a short time and they then implement a "new" system, on top of the old and so on and so on. Sometimes people are three or four layers deep before they realize there is a problem and by then, they have no idea what is wrong.

Although ADHD is called an Attention Deficit problem, it seems to me to be more of a combination of overfocus on certain things (and tuning out other things) and an inability to perceive essential from unessential detail. This combination creates a situation where someone might spend hours organizing their calendar but forget to stop and make dinner for the family. Often times people like this fail to percieve the passage of time and are shocked when they find that many hours have gone by. These people are sometimes unfairly judged as scattered or lazy (because they don't follow through) but they are usually trying their hardest with their systems, but they just aren't working.

This type of person is an ideal candidate for coaching sessions with a NAPO Professional Organizer. Organizers can very quickly identify personal learning styles and strengths and tailor a system that can work. Often clients know what they need and an organizer will help them discover how to get it; through assessment of the environment (home or office) and the client's strengths and challenges, with the goal to maximize productivity and work flow. The organizer will also discuss personal priorities and commitments and assist clients to make sound and realistic choices about how to spend their time.

Organizers will save their clients time, money and effort by helping them choose products that will complement their needs, rather than pile up in the closet because they looked good but didn't work. Many clients will benefit most from an ongoing regular weekly, bi-weekly or monthly sessions with their organizer to handle daily personal tasks, especially scheduling, paperwork and financial record keeping. Training goes on during the sessions so that over time the person learns to self-monitor and become more independent with their organizing. This is a good approach because systems may need to be tweaked over time as the client tries things out to see how they work. Open feedback is very important so that the organizer is aware of pros and cons of any intervention. As with any change, new habits are hard to form so the coaching model is an ideal way for the habits to become firm over time. As new habits and skills are developed, coaching sessions are slowly stretched out so that success is maintained.

For help with managing ADHD, Coaching or any organizing project, simply contact Linda! 716-631-5619

I HATE meal planning!

2010-02-11T17:31:00.000-05:00

"Hate is a strong word" I tell my kids. Truth be told, I would rather clean the bathroom AND go to the dentist, than plan meals each week. However, no one else has volunteered to take on this job for my family of five, so I am always on the lookout for ways to streamline the process and make it easier for me. Plus, I like to cook healthy, complete meals and don't like to use a lot of prepared foods.

I have written about meal planning before- See Four Quick Tips for February 2009. Recently, I learned about www.BigOven.com from a Professional Organizer friend and checked it out for my own personal use. It is really a neat concept. It is software that you download onto your computer-as of this writing, it was free to try for 30 days, then approx $30 for unlimited use. It not only has many recipes that others have contributed, but it is a container for any recipes that you find on the internet and want to import and keep in one spot. Big Oven has tag indexing that lets you customize and search on any keyword such as bread, chicken, Mexican, simple, winter, etc. There is a "new recipe" window which helps you type in your own recipes quickly and easily, AND it has a calendar meal planning tool which allows you to drag recipes onto the calendar and then add the ingredients you need for each recipe to a printable shopping list, which groups things according to grocery aisle. With the ability to print meal plans, recipes, and shopping lists, Big Oven has really thought of everything.

In my opinion, the menu planning system has a few limitations; for example, you can see all the meals for a chosen time period in the "print view" but not in the "planning/drag & drop" view, which makes it difficult to see what you already chose for that week. Also, I would like to see a feature that allows one to save meal plans to use over again from month to month, or year to year (as for holidays). Despite this, it is an awesome and useful tool that has really added efficiency to my planning. I print out the recipes I like and display them in an 8x10 plastic frame while I am cooking. It makes it a little easier to see while cooking, and is a necessity if you don't have a laptop on the counter. I file the hard copy of the recipes in a binder marked favorite recipes. Recipes can be printed in a variety of formats, including full page, 4x6 and 3x5 index cards. Rather than retyping many of my own recipes, I simply search on the name of the dish and see if someone has already entered a similar one. Many times I find the exact or near exact recipe. I made Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie last week and it was spectacular. My husband said it was "Restaurant Quality" and all three kids cleaned their plates. So while meal planning is a task I like to avoid, doing it successfully and easily is well worth my effort. I encourage you to try Big Oven for yourself to see if it might be something that you can use.

I have also posted about www.Tastebook.com, Hassle Free Dinners, and www.supercook.com all of which I still highly recommend.

Happy Cooking!

For help with meal management or any organizing project, Simply Contact Linda! 716-631-5619
Get it Together! Keep it Together! Let Linda Help!TM

Find Small Ways to Simplify Your Life

2010-01-18T09:26:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year!

January is National Get Organized Month. It's an ideal time to rethink what is important to us and to take action to change things to improve our efficiency, productivity, space, or simply to reduce the "clutter" in our lives, be it relationships, excess commitments or excess material goods.

I hear from many people that they "just don't know where to begin". I know that feeling. Even professional organizers may struggle when facing a large personal task. Breaking it down into small, manageable pieces is what we do when helping clients, ourselves (or our family members) to accomplish their visions. Matching the expectations and goal to the client (those "getting organized") is very important, too. I have a very good friend who shared with me her recent experience. On New Year's Day she announced to her family of five that they were each going to clean out the Top Drawer of their dresser. I was so impressed with her restraint at not asking (expecting) them to do the WHOLE dresser (which is what I might have done). She instinctively knew that would be too much to expect at once, so instead she set a reasonable goal, they each accomplished it and they were all proud of their success.

I am always looking for ways to rein in my own High Expectations. I am a classic Over Achiever. By nature I complicate my life by adding in when I should be holding steady, or subtracting. I also have realized over the years (as one good friend and organizer recently reflected about herself and it rang true for me, too), despite being good at many things, I am NOT a good juggler. I like to have long periods of intense focus on projects, but obviously, as a wife, mother to three kids, home owner, business owner, pet owner, daughter and a multitude of other undefined roles, it is NOT an option NOT to be a juggler. So over the years I have learned (and am still learning) to make careful choices about where I spend my time, and try to stick with things I like and can blend well into my life. For example, rather than volunteer for lunch monitor in the Elementary School (which quickly learned I did NOT love), I am typing this tip from the comfort of the tiny High School store, where I have a brief, busy time in between the period changes, and relative peace during the 40 or so class minutes and can do some work. It is fun for me to see the kids and their enthusiastic personalities. I get to see the current hair and fashion styles. I cleared up some business with the PE teacher, I read the school newsletter and learned that course selections were taking place now (no, my son had NOT told me) and got to see my son just a few minutes ago. Yes, it is a great volunteer match for me and I am happy to be able to help out in this way.

During 2010, find small ways to simplify your life. E-mail me at simplybacktobasics@gmail.com and let me know how you do it. If I get enough responses, I can post a list of successes. Or just comment on this post. I will cheer you on!

Cheers to the New Year and Get Organized!

For help simplifying your life, or any other organizing project-Simply Call Linda. 716-631-5619.

Holiday Stress? Can a Professional Organizer Help?

2009-12-11T13:37:00.000-05:00

My friend, Dr. Elvira Aletta, owner of Explore What's Next, recently asked to interview me for her blog. We even created a video of the interview. Follow this link to the interview:

Holiday Stress? Can a Professional Organizer Help?

Ask Linda: Tips for Coping with Change

2009-12-01T12:51:00.009-05:00

Dear Linda,
I have been a stay-at-home mom for many years and have recently gone back to work about 30 hrs/wk. I have 4 children ages 9 to 17 and a husband. I am really overwhelmed with my new work commitments in terms of how I am not able to keep up with the household like I used to.
I would love to hear what you consider your top tips that you would give to a mom in this situation.
Overwhelmed in Ohio

Dear Overwhelmed,
This is a common problem and can be precipitated by factors, including work-related changes as you have experienced, but also many others, such as adoption/birth of a child, marriage, divorce, death, illness, moving, injury, illness, etc. Here are some strategies to help anyone cope with the impact of drastic change.

Keep things simple-have realistic expectations.
Say "No" to everything that is not essential or directly related to everyday survival (for as long as necessary until things are really under control-which can be short or long term.)
Create a Google Calendar with a sub-calendars for each person in a different color, to coordinate the family schedule and to dos (can view/print any range of dates).
Inspire the family to help with specific cleaning/household tasks (breaking down tasks into manageable pieces, printed on index cards) with a reward of a family activity or trip (or hire cleaning help).
Plan meals a month at a time to make dinner expectations easier. This can be simplified by using a calendar (I have one on Google called Dinner) and having one leftover night and one pizza night a week, and filling in the other areas with favorite, simple meals.
Get the most important areas of the house organized first: Kitchen, Laundry room, Cleaning supplies, Enter/Exit areas/supplies, and kids' homework station.
Consider hiring a NAPO organizer to help you get through the rough spots and get back on track.

These things may take a while to master and implement-again be realistic. Good luck!

For help with coping with change, or any other organizing project-Simply Call Linda. 716-631-5619.

Organizing Digital Photos & Videos

2009-11-12T12:59:00.009-05:00

Around the holidays we take more photos and we love to share them with others. Or at least we would if we could. E-mail them I mean. Well okay, find them, I mean. Well, I mean get them off the camera. And for that matter, FIT them on the camera. Okay, it's just too overwhelming and I can't be bothered with it! GRRRRR......

Sound familiar?

Picasa to the rescue.

It is free software-from Google.
It is super easy to use-both to import from your camera and to organize and view your photos and videos. Albums, folders and tags are available for your use in fine tuning your organizational system.
With it, you can do so many things easily-including e-mail photos, upload to Blogger and Youtube, print, create collages, gift CDs, upload and order prints from your favorite online provider and much, much more.
It has a very good editing program for red eye, light, color, crop, etc.
If you don't know how to do something, Google Help is incredibly helpful and straightforward.
I am an avid family photographer (with almost 10,000 digital pictures). I have tried many other programs and found this to be an awesome product. I felt it was important to share my experience with you!

I just downloaded the newest version (currently 3.5) and discovered an amazing upgrade. Picasa now has "name tags" with which you can easily label the people's faces in your photos, and then it magically searches for photos with similar faces and labels them as well. There is a handy "confirm" button that allows you to be sure it has done the job correctly, and if not, you can reject that item. What fun! Finally, an easy way to keep up with photos.

Here is a version for Mac computers, although I don't have personal experience with it.

For practicality, I am also going to share my techniques for downloading. When "importing" into Picasa (from camera or media card), a window will open asking where you want the photos downloaded to.

You can use the My Pictures folder, which tends to be default. Within that folder create another folder called @1 (Put in your Family Name) Photos. (The @1 allows that folder to rise to the top in the dialogue box, even if your name does not begin with A! This makes it much easier to see.)

As you import photos, create a new folder each month labelled with year first, then month; i.e. 2009-11 (November). This will line up your folders of photos in such a way that they can be viewed chronologically within Windows. Within each month you may make subfolders if you like of different events, however, with the tagging feature and the albums, this may not be necessary. Usually, viewing through Picasa is the way to go, but sometimes working with other programs you may need to find them in the Windows environment and arranging them by date is just so much easier.

Have fun with it.

As always, if you need help with this or any other organizing project, Simply Call Linda; 716-631-5619.

Have you heard about Freecycle???

2009-10-12T14:26:00.009-04:00

Freecycle is a great way to declutter your home by giving your things a new life in someone else's arms. Money cannot be exchanged in the process of freecycling. The benefit is feeling good that you have cleared your clutter without contributing to the landfill and that you make someone else very happy. Plus, it's a lot of fun when you get cool stuff for free. I have met many really neat, generous people in my short two months of freecycling. I am amazed at what people are sharing and it seems to be contagious!

Here is how it works. Freecycle is a Yahoo! group with chapters all over the United States. From the main site www.freecycle.org, one can search for a group in a particular city/state. Once the group that you want to join is identified, simply follow the steps to join the group. You will need a Yahoo! id and password, and will have a chance to set one up at that time if you do not already have one. An e-mail will be sent to the group moderator, and once you are approved as a member you may participate. Then the moderator of the group will send you a great summary of all the rules and inner workings of the group and I recommend you read this carefully.

As a member, you may post your items right away, and you can also respond to the offers of others. If you want to post an item that you are wanting, you will need to wait 2 weeks.

The way it works is when a member posts an item, an e-mail is sent out to all the group members on the list serve. In Buffalo, there are approximately 14,000 members, according to Freecycle. Because of this massive audience there is a huge potential for someone to want just what you have to offer. Within a short while, someone (or several someone's) respond to your e-mail and express interest in your item. You have the power to decide who you ultimately share your address info with (for pick up of the item) and people use various criteria for this. You also decide if you want to continue to communicate by e-mail or by phone.

It is a very high volume e-mail list, with about 100 messages a day. There are some suggestions for dealing with this on the FAQ section of the Freecycle website. I have found it pretty easy to highlight and simply delete all of the e-mails that I don't want. Because of the standard format (described below) it is really easy to see what interests me by just looking at the subject of the message. I only open those that appeal to me.

When posting an item there is a general format to follow. In the Subject of the message it would read:

Offer: Williamsville; Large box of audiotapes for children and adults (about 50)

then in the body a little more detail/description:

Many titles for children, songs and story books, and also classical music
and piano music. some are taped, some are original cassettes. They are great
titles. I have switched to CDs and no longer need them.

I find it important to state "Please include name, phone number, date and time of pickup" in the body of the message, to simplify communication with people who reply to the post.

I was skeptical at first, but now I find myself a little addicted. I find it fascinating that such a culture is out there and again, I can't say enough about how people are sharing the most interesting things. Last month, I gave my entire crib/mattress set along with a bunch of miscelleaneous baby things to a young mother about to give birth who could not afford to buy her own things. I felt really great about that. I have since given away several things and it has given me great pleasure to do so. I find I am looking around the house for more to give. I know it is not for everyone, but it may be for you!! Try it out and let me know what treasures you share!

If you need help with this or any other organizing project, simply call Linda.

Linda Groat, MA
Simply Back to Basics
Linda@simplybacktobasics.com
(716) 631-5619

Buffalo Recycles & Reuses

2009-09-18T10:56:00.004-04:00

Upcoming Events:

Computer/Electronics, Textiles and Bicycles Recycling Event Announced!

Saturday, September 26, 2009 9:00 am to 1:00 pm

Erie County Community College's South Campus in Orchard Park.

Accepting Computers * Monitors * Keyboards,/Mice and computer accessories * Modems * printers * Cell Phones/MP3s/PDAs * Fax Machines * VCRs * CD & DVD Players *Game Systems * TVs * Rechargeable Batteries *Cables and Wiring * Fluorescent Bulbs

Read more..

Community Drop-off for Unwanted Medications and Pharmaceuticals

Saturday, Sept. 19 from 9 am – 1 pm
Kenmore Mercy Hospital (back parking lot)

Accepting controlled substances, expired, unusable, unwanted household prescription or over-the-counter medicines. Please bring medications in the original labeled container (blacken-out personal information).
Read More.....

Before you recycle, you may want to check out Freecycle Buffalo, where a Yahoo Group of almost 14,000 people are sharing their treasures. I have been participating in the group for over a month now and am amazed at what people need and what people give away. It's a very generous and appreciative group.

Good Links:

Buffalo Recycles

Department of Environment and Planning

The Family Meeting; An Essential Component

2009-09-08T11:08:00.005-04:00

Last month, I described a method of keeping track of your family's appointments with color coding calendars and a weekly organizer in my tip It's Back to School Time Again.

This month, I want to share that no matter what calendar you decide to keep; the Family Meeting is an essential piece of the organizational package. Without open, ongoing and regular communication the best laid plans can easily fall apart.

The family meeting is described here, but it just as well pertains to couples and even to individuals planning their weeks.

One family member reminds anyone who keeps a personal planner accurately enters their upcoming appointments onto the main calendar. (It's usually me, and I usually have to make sure my personal planner is "synced" to this calendar and vise versa.)

If a weekly dry erase calendar is used, on Sunday afternoon, one person copies all upcoming appointments from the main calendar onto the weekly calendar.

Sunday evening gather the family around that table at a set, weekly time. Each member should bring their personal planner/agenda to the meeting. (It may be helpful to have a special folder labeled Family Meeting, to keep any notes that you want to remember to discuss).

The meeting agenda follows a format that my husband & I learned in a couples communication course called PAIRS and includes the following items:

sharing appreciations and gratitude for things family members did in the last week
a review of the upcoming week's schedule (at the beginning of the month, briefly review the upcoming month, too).
any new information that people need to share
any concerns/questions that people have for the week or just in general
any wishes or hopes that the members have for the future
dessert and/or allowance given

This process will likely take about 20-30 minutes of time each week, and for those with kids, they may express some griping at first, but hopefully, with time, practice and that reward at the end, they will come to find it is a useful way of keeping the whole family "in the know".

I would love to hear feedback from you if you are implementing these suggestions in your family. Please return with comments anytime.

If you need help with this or any other organizing task, Simply Call Linda!

It's Back to School Time Again

2009-08-04T13:57:00.009-04:00

It's time to begin thinking about preparing the kids for the school year. I came across a website that had many good articles and information on it. It's called Mom's Homeroom, and is described as a vibrant community of real moms sharing tips for helping kids succeed. Here is a Link to an article called "6 Ways to Get Organized for Back to School". Check out this Video too, of 4 mom's discussing their approach to the end of summer.

I had a really busy schedule this summer with the kids in all kinds of activities, usually overlapping each other. I had to be on top of things to keep track of it all. I do have a large family calendar, as is recommended in the above mentioned articles, but I found that it did not always get looked at by those who needed to see it. I finally decided that it was just too cluttered with all the info, so I decided to purchase a dry erase weekly planner, (I bought mine at Office Max). Either my daughter or I copy the info onto the board, using each person's colors as are on the calendar. Here is a photo of our Activity Central. I keep checks that are needed for weekly activities here, as well. So far the system is working really well. I initially bought TUL markers, and then had to replace them with Expo, as several of the markers dried out already.

Enjoy the rest of summer! If you need any help with organizing, please call Linda!

Keep up with Simply Back to Basics-Simply

2009-07-09T13:51:00.013-04:00

I follow a few blogs. I enjoy reading them, but I always have trouble keeping track of them and I never seem to remember to check in to see if there are new posts. Today I found a handy tool that I wanted to pass along, which will simplify my own "blogging" and may help you keep up with yours.

This tool is part of IGoogle. For those of you who do not know about IGoogle; it is a customizable home page and requires that you establish a Google account; if you don't have one, it will prompt you to obtain one. Here is a screen shot of the page you will see if you follow the above link. Beneath the "Sign in" is a link to click to "Get started".

Once you have your IGoogle page, you can add all kinds of customized gadgets to suit your needs. The one I mentioned above is the Feed/RSS which allows you to add blocks on your page that show the latest updates on your favorite blogs.

Here is a picture of my home page. The blocks on the center and right side are Blogs that I read/follow and the pluses represent recent posts. I can tell instantly if I am up to date. If I hover over it, I see the text of the post. If I click on any of the links, it will immediately take me to that page so I can read more.

To get this feed gadget, go to the right hand side (upper) of your IGoogle page and click on "Add Stuff". Then go to the left hand side and click on "Add feed or gadget" (you may have to scroll down to do so). Then type the site name/URL that you want to follow, such as, www.simplybacktobasics.blogspot.com in the box and enter. It will automatically add it to your home page. (You may need to actually visit the site and copy/paste the actual URL for accuracy).

If you want to add my blog to your page, you can simply click this button on my blog .

I hope this quick tip helps you to stay on top of your blog reading. It can be really fun to keep up with many different ones, but it requires a strategy so it does not become an entity of its own!

I just added my friend's blog, Explore What's Next. She is an incredibly interesting lady and an amazing psychologist/life coach. I am so excited to have this tool to help me stay up to date on her postings.

If you need help with this or any other organizing project, simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

Adding More Storage

2009-06-11T14:42:00.009-04:00

Sometimes, no matter how much you sort, organize, label and purge, your space just doesn't meet your needs. In this situation, the only thing to do is to add additional storage space. I recently chose to do this in three areas of my home; all areas of high traffic and multi-purpose use. I invited Kimberly Rusin of California Closets to meet with me in my home and help me design better storage for a back hall cubby, a front hall closet and a home office/computer area for my living room. The latter was especially a challenge as I wanted it to be formal enough to blend in with my decor, but practical enough to serve as a major workstation for a family of five.

I used my tip Five Steps to Organizing Any Room to decide what kinds of activities each space would address, and I had that in mind prior to Kimberly's arrival. I was not disappointed. Kimberly was very quickly able to assess my needs and make specific suggestions to maximize our space with a beautiful blending of attractive functionality. She was enthusiastic, professional and knowledgeable.

The installations were scheduled a few weeks later. My husband took down the previous closet innards himself and gave each area a fresh coat of paint prior to the installations (this could be done by a painter/handyman, instead). The closets were installed together, and the office several weeks later, due to the custom design and ordering. Installation for each took just a few hours and everything was spotless when they were through. Kimberly's follow-up customer service was excellent and she worked with me afterward to be sure that I was completely satisfied.

This is the Greg, one of the installation guys!

The front closet now serves as storage for all of our outerwear (except what we use daily, which hangs by the garage door); cleaning products; vacuum cleaner; a selection of favorite board games; snowpants (off season shrunk in Space Bags); a variety of projects; my tool box; folding chairs; my collection of seasonal tablecloths and flags; a step stool; and the ever important DONATION BOX! Can you believe that all fits? Yes, it does, even with a spare shelf!

This picture was taken without the closet doors on, because it was easier to see everything before we put them back on.

This picture is of the shelving on the left side of the closet. It goes all the way to the ceiling, but it's impossible to take a picture of that due to the opposing wall.

The back hall closet serves as storage for swim clothes, goggles, sunscreen; off season mittens, hats, scarves; beach towels; picnic gear (blankets, coolers); educational/art supplies for my daughters; and a neat pull-out valet bar to hang long for guests. This little cubby was a wealth of untapped storage.

The office/computer desk provides a place for homework; current home and business files; active and extra office, school and computer supplies; computer games; my label maker; and the phone. The desk has a shelf on top which allows the monitor and printer to be raised up about 4 inches and wires to run underneath. It allows the keyboard to be tucked away when it is not needed, which is surprisingly often. Because the keyboard is not under the desk (Kimberly's recommendation), it is easier to sit at and I don't have to back up my chair all the time to use the keyboard. I opted out of the suspended computer holster, as I had other peripherals that would have to sit on the floor anyway and this was neat enough for me.

This photo is with the upper storage closed and the next shows the doors opened, so you can see the ample storage space. There are 5 cubbies, designed for each family member to keep school/work related projects and items. The last photo shows how well the design and colors blend into the decor. Any picture can be enlarged by clicking on it.

When all else fails to get a space working for you, don't hesitate to call in professionals. (California Closets is a national franchise.) If you need help with this or any other organizing project, simply call Linda, 716-631-5619.

10 Minutes At a Time

2009-05-12T09:10:00.008-04:00

At any given time, I have about 20 projects going at once. Some are BIG, some are Small, some are Urgent and Important, some are Important, but not Urgent. And admittedly, some are a probably neither all that Urgent nor Important, but just things I would like to do. In addition to the everyday things that are expected such as cooking, cleaning and general home care, getting even one project completed can be a significant challenge, let alone a whole variety of projects.

I was recently lamenting over this mountainous hurdle with my colleague and fellow organizer Ann Michael Henry of Mise En Place, who said that she advises clients to tackle their big projects 10 Minutes at a time. Rather than approach the whole project at once (ie: weeding the entire garden), work on it for 10 minutes and attempt to get a specific section of it done, even if it is only 1/10th of the garden. She stressed the importance of allowing oneself to feel proud and accomplished when the 10 minutes are done. After the initial 10 are up, one can decide to go another 10 or go on to something else. I thought this was a very helpful frame, as it releases one from the pressures of having to do the whole thing in one sitting, which is pretty impossible for me with a busy family of 5 (yet, I continuously expect myself to be able to do so).

I tried her idea this weekend, and worked on several projects for 10-30 minutes each. In this way, I was able to finish a framing project I had been working on for months, decide about some excess furniture that had accumulated and was no longer needed, rearrange the remaining furniture and prepare for a Mother's Day dinner at our house. I used her frame of doing it in small chunks and remembered to tell myself that whatever I accomplished in each 10 minutes was great progress and that I could go on to something else that needed my attention, if I chose to.

Even writing this tip is an example of five 10 minute segments of time. Three took place while my daughter had OT this morning and the last two are happening while she is napping this afternoon.

My sister, Sue, has given me permission to share that she has accomplished the cleaning out of her entire home in exactly this manner, over the course of many months. She had never really done much purging before, mostly accumulating and by her own description, she was afraid to get rid of things but was smothering living with them. Several changes in her life and attitude (see last month's tip Thinking About Change? Change Your Thinking!) resulted in her being able to begin to let things go. She easily got overwhelmed when she thought of the enormity of the task before her, but breaking things down into smaller chunks, doing it frequently, and only spending a little bit of time, each time was the key for her.

Judith Kolberg, a very well known organizer, owner of Fileheads and author of Conquering Chronic Disorganization and ADD-Friendly ways to Organize Your Life, suggests a similar visual-tactile adaptation of this idea. She encourages overwhelmed clients to hold up a paper towel tube to their eye and focus it on one spot in the room and begin there. She says to only organize the space the falls within the small circle of the tube before beginning the next space. I have used this technique myself and with clients and it also works well.

My 10 minute window is running out for this project, and I need to move on to the next, but as usual for help with this or any other organizing task, please contact Linda!

Thinking About Change? Change Your Thinking!

2009-04-16T07:40:00.005-04:00

Often times the simplest ideas are profound and powerful. My friend and colleague, Linda Birkinbine of Keep it Organized (Buffalo, NY) shared this wisdom with me, which she learned while attending a Professional Organizer's Conference in Canada, last year.

Instead of saying "I want to ______________, but I am afraid" switch it around to say "I am afraid, but I want to ______________".

Doing this switch does two things. First it re-frames the thought into "possibility language". Instead of hearing the barrier last, the brain processes the "want" thought as a possibility that can be realized. Second, it moves the person to action by allowing the fear of change to be set aside for the moment, and a step forward to be made. These are powerful thoughts and can be taught to and learned by those of us who find that fear often gets in the way of change.

Another really great, simple idea comes from Peter Walsh, author of Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat, and It's All Too Much. He says, when feeling stuck and connected to clutter from the past, ask yourself;

Are the best moments of your life behind you or ahead of you?

Honest response to this question can often reveal a shift in thinking that will free you to move forward in your desire to achieve the vision of the life you want to have now.

Happy Organizing.

Follow-up to my February Tip: Four Quick Kitchen Tips:

2009-04-13T20:47:00.003-04:00

My friend and client, Pat, tipped me off to the amazing Wegman's grocery list maker. On their site, you can find recipes you want to make, and add all the ingredients on the recipe to your list, then remove what you have on hand already. You can choose the store location you want the list to be printed for, customize quantity and notes for each item, view the price per item, and sort the list according to department or aisle. You can also choose to print any recipes you have chosen and a layout of the store. Lists can be saved, copied, e-mailed or deleted! I have been using it for the last several weeks and have found it to be easy to use and very efficient. Thanks, Pat!

Preparing for the Unexpected

2009-03-12T14:22:00.006-04:00

Last month our community suffered a terrible tragedy. The crash site of Flight 3407 was only 10 minutes from my home, and because of their proximity to the site, one of my best friend's family was displaced from their home for more than 3 weeks. This kind of disruption is difficult at best and immobilizing at worst. And of course, the losses that were endured by all of the families with relatives and friends on that plane, as well as the family whose home was hit, goes beyond measure. When things like this happen, we feel powerless to do anything to help ourselves feel better. And while it is unlikely that most of us will experience a disaster of this magnitude, we are may be more likely to experience the sudden illness of a loved one, or some other circumstance which requires us to have important supplies and information at our fingertips.

In the moment of an unexpected emergency we react automatically, without thought or hesitation. For example, my friend told me that in the moment of the crash she was so shocked into concern for her children's welfare that she ran throughout the house with knitting yarn wrapped around her feet in a kind of winding Dennis the Menace path. She was not even aware this was happening until much later. Due to time pressure or shock, we may not be able to think clearly or have time to plan the right course of action. It is only after something like this happens that it reminds us how important it is to have a list of items we may need to gather quickly and get out with. Professional Organizer's are familiar with the importance of this issue and can help you with information, resources, and hands-on help. This 2006 Press Release from NAPO Organizer, Liz Canavan, provides a good summary of important things to think of when planning ahead. Although it is overwhelming to consider planning for every possible contingency, organizing your irreplaceable documents may be a great place to begin, and Liz encourages people to do a little at a time. Also see my November 2008 Tip: Permanent Record Storage for details on that project.

Although many of my readers live in New York, I am going to point you to a resource Liz mentions, called Ready Colorado, which has a website filled with information about emergency preparedness, along with checklists and personal profiles that you can print out, complete essential information and make it available to family and friends. I have added it to my list of Things to Do Someday!

Lastly, I have an Important Words form on my website that helps users to keep track of all of those pesky passwords and user names. With all the different requirements each site has, one can easily end up with a hundred words. This form makes it a little easier to remember. Keep it filed in a safe place where others won't see it, and place a copy (update it periodically) in a fire proof file box (which you will hopefully get to organize your documents) or with a trusted relative/friend. This is not only helpful in an emergency, but just for everyday use. I use mine all the time.

A little preparation goes a long way.

Four Quick Kitchen Tips for February!

2009-02-12T21:00:00.003-05:00

It feels like I spend most of each day in the kitchen. That may be exaggerating, but it sure feels like it. I have to admit, cooking is not really one of my best skills. It is especially difficult when the day is busy and the kids need my attention after their own long days. I am always looking for ways to simplify things for myself. These are a few ideas that I have discovered that have made my life easier and I hope they help you, too!

Be sure to also visit last year's Four Quick Tips for February!

When you are stuck for dinner ideas, try www.supercook.com. On this site you can list ingredients you have on hand in the kitchen and it will give you multiple ideas for recipes to consider. A really cool feature is that you can enter the number of servings you want to make and it will adjust the recipe accordingly with a quick click! If you sign up with a username and password, you can save your recipes. A few nights ago, I made Ranchero Omelettes! They were delicious. I typed in cheese and eggs, and it offered me many choices. It said I also needed beans and salsa or diced tomatoes and I had those! It was so easy.

Next time you clean out your refrigerator and freezer, try getting out your label maker and labeling the shelves or doors. Clean up is so much easier, finding things a breeze, and it's easy to tell when you are out of something or have doubles!

I really like my Hassle Free Dinners program. It is something I bought at the National Association of Professional Organizers conference two years ago and it is a great program. It was developed by a Home Economist, turned Professional Organizer. It comes on a CD (the only hassle is having to print off the recipes) and includes a complete meal for every day of the year, broken down into 52 weeks and color coded by day. Following each week is a shopping list of all the ingredients needed for each meal, also color coded, so if you only want to make a few of the meals, you can tell what and how much to buy. Each recipe is quantified for 2, 4 and 6 servings. What I like about it is that the meals are easy and healthy. There is a great variety, and she puts things together in unusual ways. For example, this week we had Italian Bean Salad, which had tuna, red onion, Cannellini beans, balsamic vinegar, oil, parsley and grape tomatoes, all mixed together and served over lettuce greens with hearty bread. Very yummy.

For anyone shopping at the Williamsville, NY Sheridan Dr. Wegmans, visit my website Organizing Toolbox page, scroll to the bottom under "Other Useful Forms" and see my Wegman's shopping list. It is organized by aisle and has many commonly purchased items. I make copies and put a new one each week on the refrigerator. When I run out of an item, I circle it on the list, and others in the family can easily add to it, too.

Beating Back the Inbox, Part 2:

2009-01-10T14:58:00.004-05:00

Last month I wrote about setting up rules to deal with the mass of incoming messages to your e-mail inbox. This month I will describe a method of organizing the box into folders to deal with messages efficiently. It will work best if you set up the rules first (see last month: Beating Back the Inbox, Part 1), then the folders. Here is how to set up a folder in Microsoft Outlook.

On the File menu, point to New, and then click Folder.
In the Name box, enter a name for the folder.
In the Folder contains box, click the type of folder you want to create.
In the Select where to place the folder list, click the location for the folder.

It is best to put major categories in the Personal Folders sections, and then you can create subfolders if you want within those categories.

You can add any of these folders to you “favorite folders” box, by right clicking and then clicking “add to favorite folder”. It will now show in your Favorites box.

Below is a screen shot of my favorite folders. I have created the following categories in my favorites:

@1 Action: This is where I put anything I need to act on. I only put things here that I cannot complete in two minutes or less (these I try to do when I am reading my e-mail), and I force myself to ALWAYS make a note in my planner that the item needs attention. In addition, I usually check this frequently (every couple of days) so I don’t forget about anything.

@@@Print Me: This is where I put items that I need to print in the future (this is useful if you have a remote printer). I go through this folder about once a week.

@1 WAITING FOR: This is a folder for items that I have replied to or requests I have sent out that I am waiting for a response on. If I get messages related to an internet order or other project, I put them in here. If I have asked someone for something I BCC myself (just put your e-mail in the BCC box and it will send a copy to you without showing up on the other person’s message) and then I put my copy in my WAITING FOR file. This is a great way to remind myself what I have asked others for (and when I asked). Subfolders could be created for multiple people. I go through this folder about once a week.

@Maybe/Someday: This is where I keep things that I might do someday, or really don’t have time to decide about right now. Once in a while I go through this file and delete what I no longer need. This is a great way to put things “out of sight” but not lose them, and definitely not print them, unless I need to.

I have another folder (not shown in my favorites), called “FOR FUTURE REFERENCE”. This folder is where I keep information that I want to have long term, but don’t use often. I created subfolders for Work and Home; and inside those, further broken down by broader topics. These can get overloaded just like regular hard files in a cabinet, and would benefit from occasional purges.

I hope these ideas are helpful to you in organizing your Inbox. For personal attention with this or any other task, simply call Linda.

This article may be reprinted or reposted on a non-exclusive basis provided Linda Groat's name and contact information is included.

Beating Back the Inbox, Part 1:

2008-12-04T09:18:00.014-05:00

Do you open up your e-mail and find countless new messages? If you belong to a few list serves or online groups, the daily chatter can sometimes be overwhelming. Also, if you shop online, the websites you use like to fill your box up with lots of advertisements and sales.

An easy way to deal with those pile ups is to set up folders to receive the messages according to sender, and to create a "rule" to automatically place incoming messages into the appropriate folder so you can deal with them later. If you have one person who constantly sends you jokes or other forwarded messages, you can create a rule for messages from that person and you can review these message when/if you have time.

Here is a screen shot of my folders that I set up in my Inbox. I use Microsoft Outlook 2007.

Shown are folders for several list serves that I belong to, and a categoryI created for Shopping Offers/Newsletters and other stuff (non-urgent items which I can review and discard in bulk at a later time).

Here are the basics on how to do it, using Outlook 2007. This information was obtained from the following link on www.office.microsoft.com . If you follow the link, you will see additional information on other variations of creating rules.

How to Create a rule from a message

You can create a rule directly from a message. For example, you can create a rule to move messages from someone to a specific folder.

Right-click the message that you want to base the rule on, and then click Create Rule on the shortcut menu.
In the Create Rule dialog box, select the check boxes for the options that are already filled in with information from your selected message.
Select the Move the item to folder check box.
Click an existing folder or click New to create a new folder to store the messages.
To add more conditions, actions, or exceptions to the rule, click Advanced Options, and then follow the rest of the instructions in the Rules and Alerts Wizard.
Tip To run the rule as soon as you create it, select the Run this rule now on the messages already in folder check box on the last page of the Rules and Alerts Wizard.

All the messages in your Inbox, or any folder that you choose, that meet the conditions and exceptions associated with the rule are moved to the specified folder. To test your new rule, open your new folder. Were the correct messages moved?

Using Google G-mail? G-mail uses labels instead of folders, and filters instead of Rules. Click to learn about Labels and Filters.

Using Yahoo Mail? Click here to learn about Filters.

I also create folders for items that I need to keep or follow up on and manually move messages into them. I will expand on those folder uses next month.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy Winter Holiday Season and a Happy New Year!

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If you need help with organizing, simply call Linda!

This article may be reprinted, shared, forwarded or re-posted on a non-exclusive basis as long as Linda Groat's name and contact information is included.

Previous month’s tips can be viewed at www.simplybacktobasics.com and at www.simplybacktobasics.blogspot.com .

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Permanent Record Storage; Not Urgent; but Important!

2008-11-08T15:12:00.008-05:00

One of the things I usually find when I help people organize their home records is that many do not have a permanent home for their most important documents. Birth/marriage/death certificates, life insurance policies and passports are often mixed in with bills, car repair records and appliance manuals. Renting a safety deposit box is certainly one option for keeping these documents safe and provides secure storage in the event of a fire or theft; however; there is the added yearly cost and the need to go somewhere else to access any needed documents.

Another convenient option is to purchase a fireproof storage file box, like this one available from Target. The price here is listed about $100; however; I have purchased it at my local Target for around $45. It accommodates hanging files in a built in frame, which is very handy for finding what you need. It can be locked, if desired, and stored in the basement or a closet. It will protect documents for a specified amount of time from fire, and flood-proof boxes are available, as well. Be sure to check the label of the box before you purchase to make sure you get the one that will best meet your needs. Once you have purchased the file box, you can organize your records. Internal file folders are not necessary if you are using hanging files and will add bulk to your files. Just use one hanging file per topic. Print labels using your label maker to make it look sharp and professional. Here are some suggested organizational groupings.

• Adoption Papers

• Certificates (here you can group Birth Records, Marriage Certificates, Death Certificates, Business Certificates or DBA, Tax numbers, social security cards, professional certificates, jewelry appraisals, diplomas, loan payoff statements, automobile titles)

• House Deed/purchase information

• Important Stuff (passwords, copies of wallet contents, personal letters/Momentos)

• Letters to Children (written when they are small to be opened at some future date)

• Life Insurance Policies

• Passports

• Evaluations & Reports (psychological/education testing records)

• Resumes

• Trusts

• Wills/Health Care Proxy/Living Will/ Power of Attorney (for yourself and any other family members you may need to assist)

This list is merely a guideline and will be different depending on each person’s circumstances, but it gives you a starting point. I will never forget how about 10 years ago, I found that I was missing my husband’s car title, two years after its purchase, because I was purging my files and setting up my permanent record files and realized it was not there. It turned out that the dealership never sent it to us, but I would not have known that had I not been purging the unneeded info and sorting things out.

Wishing you all a very Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving Holiday!

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If you need help with organizing, simply call Linda!

This article may be reprinted, shared, forwarded or re-posted on a non-exclusive basis as long as Linda Groat's name and contact information is included.

Previous month’s tips can be viewed at www.simplybacktobasics.com and at www.simplybacktobasics.blogspot.com .

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Simply Access Your Credit Report!

2008-10-08T05:39:00.012-04:00

In order to stay on top of your personal credit, you need to see what is on your report. Inaccuracies can include incorrect names, addresses, social security numbers, erroneous accounts, etc. Also, you may have opened accounts you no longer need or want. In order to monitor your credit, you need to access your Credit Report on a regular basis. If you find problems, information can be disputed and corrected using the process detailed by the credit bureau. The following information was obtained from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse Website, and you can visit the site for more details.

“Thanks to the federal FACT Act, consumers nationwide are now able to get a free copy of their credit report annually from each of the three credit bureaus - Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion (FCRA sec. 612 (a)(1)(A)&(B)).

To order your free reports, you can call the official toll-free number, (877) 322-8228. You can also go online to www.annualcreditreport.com where you can order your reports directly. Or you can print out the form and mail your request. https://www.annualcreditreport.com/cra/requestformfinal.pdf

The World Privacy Forum has released a study that indicates that privacy-conscious consumers may be better served by ordering their credit reports by phone or mail rather than online. See www.worldprivacyforum.org/calldontclick.html for more details.

For more information about access to free credit reports, see the Federal Trade Commission's Facts for Consumers at www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/credit/freereports.htm.

You are not required to order all three credit reports at the same time. If you wish, you can stagger your free reports over the course of a year by ordering one report every four months. This way, you are monitoring your credit reports on an ongoing basis. But if you are an identity theft victim or are shopping for credit, it is best to order all three at one time.”

Immediate access to online reports can be obtained by going to www.annualcreditreport.com and completing the questions for each of the three bureaus. I would recommend filling out the form by mail, unless you require immediate access, as it can be difficult to print out the reports (they can be very lengthy, depending on your history and likely will use up lots of ink). I tried to copy and paste mine into Word Docs, but they were not formatted properly and it was very aggravating. Also, online reports can only be accessed for 30 days from the date of the request, and once you access online, a hard copy will not be sent unless you pay for it (approximately $10-15 each). Anyway, all said, it seems easiest to order it by phone or snail mail and then you have a nice hard copy to refer to.

Too Many Credit Offers Cluttering Up your Mailbox?

Don’t forget you can register at www.OptOutPrescreen.com; the official website for the Consumer Credit Reporting Industry to accept and process requests from consumers to Opt In or Opt Out of firm offers of credit and insurance , or call 1-888-5OptOut (1-888-567-8688) to opt-out of these offers.

Too Many Solicitors Interrupting Your Dinner?

Here’s a GREAT tip…. If you get annoying calls from pre-recorded solicitors, try pressing 3 during the message. Many times it will delete you from the database (you have to answer the call to make it work). I tried this with the auto dealership where I bought my car (but no longer go to – and haven’t for about 8 years) but which insists on calling me every so often to “remind” me to bring it in, and imagine my satisfaction when I heard “Thank you, you have been removed from the database”! Now I am waiting for those calls so I can PRESS 3!!! Incidentally, when a "live" solicitor calls you, you can politely thank them and request to be removed from list, which also seems to work, but isn't as much fun. :)

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If you need help with organizing, simply call Linda!

This article may be reprinted, shared, forwarded or re-posted on a non-exclusive basis as long as Linda Groat's name and contact information is included.

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Downsize your “To Do”!

2008-09-10T14:15:00.006-04:00

For me, September always seems like the busiest month of the year. This year is no different, and in fact it feels busier than ever. Adjusting to new schedules, schools and activities, as well as the end of the summer celebrations and picnics takes mental and physical energy. With the addition of Megan Ling to our family, we seem to have so much more to remember and prepare for. She now has preschool and 4 different types of therapies so we have lots of appointments. Also, I have started back to work, organizing clients again, so life is very busy. My spare minutes for tasks like tip writing (or really any activity that needs devoted attention time) are so limited. Plus, I acquired an additional cat (this makes a total of 3 in my house), as I offered a temporary home to kitten in need.

My expectations are constantly challenged due to all of the demands on my time. I know that many of you can relate to this and are in the same position; although your “To Do” list may have different items on it.

So my tip for this month is that it’s okay if you allow yourself to make a choice to let some things go for the time being, to avoid overload. For the last several years I have been practicing the skill of simplifying my expectations and obligations. Dropping obligations means to really examine the types of things you are filling your schedule up with. If you look at them honestly, you may find that the activities you have filled your time up with are not really filling your heart with gladness and joy. If you find you are dreading going to something or dragging kids with you to these activities, it may be time to explore their place in your life.

Parents are often surprised to hear me say that children DO NOT have to participate in outside activities in order to be happy and successful. In fact, running kids around to too many activities can interfere with their ability to find ways to entertain themselves and get along with others. Many kids benefit from unstructured time to explore their own interests and friends (along with a healthy limit on media time). John Rosemond’s books can provide lot of further reading ideas and information on this topic.

Having lots of ideas and goals is terrific and can be very motivating. However, if you consistently find that you are falling short of your goals and feeling behind. It may be time to reevaluate, downsize.

I have several home projects and activities that I would love to accomplish, and there are numerous outside committees and groups I could give input to. But right now I know that is not and cannot be my priority. I realize that this is not the time, and so I have let go of the pressure on myself, which feels a lot better.

You can do it, too.

If you need help with organizing, simply call Linda.

This article may be reprinted, shared, forwarded or re-posted on a non-exclusive basis as long as Linda Groat's name and contact information is included.
Previous month’s tips can be viewed at www.simplybacktobasics.com and at www.simplybacktobasics.blogspot.com.
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Ready, Set, School!

2008-08-04T14:39:00.003-04:00

For some of us, summer is a time we relax our expectations a bit and things run on a looser schedule. Rules may become a little lax as we allow our kids time to enjoy the endless stream of activities, friends and parties. Teens, who begin to age out of summer camp programs, may have become accustomed to sleeping in and more computer/TV/Wii time than usual during the school year.

It’s great and necessary for kids to have a chance to relax and set their own schedules. Towards mid-August though, it’s time to reign in the kids and begin to prepare for school.

Here are a mixture of ideas from myself and fellow organizer, Monica Premo of Practically Perfect in Warner Robins, Georgia, (478-918-7399) about how to prepare for the year ahead.

In the month before school starts:

· Get the school calendar and put the start date on the family calendar.

· Avoid scheduling vacations and social commitments the week before school starts and try to limit extra activities the first week of school, so that you have time for the deluge of paperwork and any emergency supply shopping trips.

· Encourage the kids to call their friends and see who their teachers are. Even if their friends are in a different class, they will have a little time to adjust before school starts.

· Tour ahead of time if the child will be attending a new school. Transitions from elementary to middle to high school are tough because it’s all new. Some schools may allow children to set up their lockers ahead of time, which is a big help.

· For preschool and elementary students, visit the playground.

· Start holding regular family meetings on Sunday nights, where everyone brings their planners and reviews the upcoming week. This helps with family expectations and communication about activities, appointments, testing dates, transportation and many other important issues. Chores, behavior and allowance can be addressed, too.

· Consider limiting access to media time (Computer/TV/video/Wii) by setting up and every other day limit, a certain number of minutes a day, or certain open/closed hours of availability.

Physicals and Medical Records

· Be sure your child has received all of the required shots and had a physical, if needed. Get the required forms from your school and bring them with you to the doctor.

· Prepare any allergy information for the school and have your doctor sign it at the annual physical.

· Make a copy of the completed immunization record, physical report and allergy/medicine forms and keep them in your medical records or school file.

Supplies and Clothes

· Set up a time with your kids to help them put their names on their supplies and set up the binders, etc. Homemade printed labels off the computer are easy to use and make everything look crisp and neat. Kids may enjoy designing their own with special graphics.

· Locker shelves are a must for middle/high school. They really help keep binders and books in reach and organized.

· Go through closets to purge clothes that don’t fit. Make a list of what is needed. Less in the closet makes it easier to choose outfits.

Transitioning the Week Before School Starts

· Get back to the school bedtime schedule. If there’s a big difference in the summer and school bedtimes, you may want to push it back 15 – 30 minutes a day for several days to ease them into it. Do the same thing in the morning to get them up. Post the bedtime schedule in a visible location.

· Re-establish the school chores if they differ from the summer ones. Your lifestyle changes from summer to school as do the chores, so realign the chores to accommodate the new activities and schedules.

· Decide how you’re going to handle lunch and snacks. Set up a lunch-making station with napkins, pre-packaged snacks, lunch bags, etc.

· Make a list of lunch and snack items to add to your weekly grocery list.

· Write checks for school lunch and/or breakfast.

· Pick out clothes for the first day of school.

· Figure out the bus routine and post the pick-up and drop-off times. Just for fun, have a “Hooray, it’s the First Day” party with your neighbors and bring muffins and juice to the bus stop the first day or celebrate after school with cupcakes.

The First Week of School

· Be prepared to fill out LOTS of paperwork. Set aside extra time in the afternoon or evening to do so. Copy the forms before sending off to school so you can easily use the same information next year. File under SCHOOL.

· Make sure all of your emergency contact information including e-mail, phone numbers, and persons authorized to pick-up your child, are up to date.

· Have a special snack after school and ask how everything went. This is important for middle- and high-schoolers, too.

· Make a list of each child’s schedule, teachers and their e-mail addresses.

· Mark all school holidays, test and report card dates on your family calendar.

Have a wonderful year!

Perfectionism causes Procrastination!

2008-07-09T09:32:00.001-04:00

The easiest way to get things done is to “Keep it Simple”. For example; I received a 20” x 30” poster collage of our trip to China as a gift from my thoughtful sister-in-law. It was on its way to our house even before we arrived home. I loved it and immediately tried to find a frame to hang it. This was not as easy as I first thought because it was slightly larger than a standard poster frame. I got stuck there---with all that I had to do, it was not, and could not be a top priority to frame the poster. I laid it flat on the dining room table (you may remember that technique from previous tips J) and I tried not to pile things on top of it.

After a couple of weeks, I found a similar sized poster we had already framed and decided we could use that frame and flip the poster inside over and use the back as a mat, but even that task proved too time intensive so then it laid on that framed print for another few weeks.

Finally, this past weekend, I had a burst of insight. A little voice inside my head said “just hang it up!” I listened. I dusted off the poster, got some blue fun tack and stuck the poster to our sliding closet door in the hall between the front door and the kitchen; a pass way we use a hundred times a day, and the way all visitor go through to enter the house. I hung it low enough for Megan Ling to get a good view and showed her how to get a stool to look at the pictures up higher.

We have enjoyed that poster so much and have looked at it every day. Someday, it will have its frame and be hung in a more permanent place of honor, but for now we can enjoy it the way it is.

Keep it simple and get it done. Good doesn’t have to be perfect.

Joy takes up A LOT of Room!

2008-06-10T12:08:00.007-04:00

Well, I did it. I went to China with my family of four and came home a family of five! My sweet daughter, Megan Ling was received into our family on May 13^th, as natural as can be. She seemed pleasantly curious about us at first, and then positively happy, which gave way to joyful as we got to know each other more and more. She is easy going, loving and gentle, and is quickly learning the ways of our lives and routines.

Here we are with our guide in Guangzhou, headed to Hong Kong, then home.

And a photo of my three children dressed as Chinese royalty.

And a photo at home taken yesterday of Megan Ling and her brother baking brownies! Things are going just great for us.

Slowing life down to include an active toddler was a necessary and normal piece of this whole journey. It took me a full week to find enough time to get through the pile of mail that accumulated while I was gone. It took another week to simply put away all the things from my trip and the various post trip activities. I still have yet to vacuum any room but the kitchen, let alone dust or clean bathrooms (except for the most cursory of clean ups). I am telling you all of this because I suspect this rings a bell with many of my clients and readers.

Typically, people I work with are not inherently disorganized; but rather what I call “Situationally Disorganized”. What this means is that “something”, a significant or life changing event occurs and impacts life in such a way that it is difficult to recover while life continues to pile it on. These events can be both positive and negative (or a mixture of both), such as a new job (or increase in old responsibilities), marriage, separation, loss or addition to the family, a move, illness, injury and many others. It can subtly start when people allow their boundaries to gently erode as they over commit to too many causes. When this kind of pressure builds, most people start to pile things up. I know I started to use my dining room table; first, before the trip to China for packing, then after for disbursement to the rest of the house. This can become a problem in several ways: one, it makes it tough to find what I buried underneath. Two, it is hard to stop doing this because it is so tempting to just keep piling. And three, it is just plain hard to dig out.

So what is the answer? I know of no ultimate solution, but here are some things that worked for me:

First, Phone a friend: I accepted the help of the wonderful friends who offered an hour of their time. I did not abuse it and I thanked them dearly. My mother-in-law came and helped me skim the top off the dining room. She helped me sort things into piles (I used a clear rolling cart with three wide drawers to do a gross sort of my three kids belongings) and move them into the right owner's room. Two of my friends offered to entertain Megan Ling for an hour or so while I got some personal and business tasks done. It takes discipline on my part to stay focused during the precious time. One of my friends is in my backyard right now with her, as I write this post.

Second, hire help if possible: I have someone who helps me clean, but I decided not to have her come while I was home for the summer with Megan Ling. I have since changed my mind and asked her to come back once or twice a month even while I am home. It is a luxury and a pleasure and I am grateful that I can take advantage of it. This investment allows me to focus my energy on my family without the added pressure of having to do it all myself. It also allows me to let go of the responsibility for a perfectly clean house every minute. I can keep up in-between visits and I know Rebecca will be here soon.

Third, say “No”. This is the hardest for me. As I wrote last time, I think I can do everything and have trouble keeping it in check. I am trying to be realistic and let go of any goals that are not in the immediate future or absolutely essential. I will always struggle with this. I so admire my daughter, who achieves her expectations and sets realistic goals for herself. She is an excellent student and is responsible for herself. She does not start months in advance or stress over her goals. She is very private about it and disappears to her room and comes out hours later with a completely redone bulletin board or a handmade picnic set for her Webkinz or an I Love NY Project. She is learning and mastering her own pace and somehow, she keeps it realistic. I strive to emulate her. She is the first to tell me “Mom, you need to relax” and I try (not always successfully) to listen to her suggestions.

Fourth, do a little at a time and be patient. Chip away at your projects. Set small goals that you can achieve. Settle for imperfection-good enough. Put your energy where it really matters most. This is where Megan Ling has helped me the most. She is a constant reminder of what is really important. All else pales in comparison to her need for me. I can let everything else go because she needs me now. For others, the important things will be different, but deep down; each person can know what their true purpose is, if they listen to their heart. It speaks, sometimes loud, sometimes soft, but it speaks.

This is a long post. I hope I haven’t lost anyone but I certainly understand if you don’t have time to finish reading in one sitting!

If you need help with organizing, simply call Linda

(I am taking a short break from organizing until September 2008 to be with Megan Ling

-thanks for understanding).

********* Don’t forget to Drop off your hazardous waste at the upcoming collections********

Saturday, June 21, at ECC South on Rt. 28. (Orchard Park, NY)

Click Here for directions to ECC South.

Call 858-6800 to hear a recorded message with details on accepted items.

Make Room in Your Life for Joy!

2008-04-30T14:39:00.001-04:00

Sometimes when we are too busy, and our minds too cluttered, it is easy to ignore the deeper needs of the heart. I am an especially high energy person and my typical MO is to say yes to way more than is humanly possible to do in 24 hours. Sometimes my “yes” is outward to others but many times it is a more subtle “yes” and internal, to myself. I may not even realize that I have extended myself well beyond my comfort level.

We all do this to varying degrees and every once in a while it is important to take stock in what we have committed ourselves to and make sure that our energies are being spent in the right places. I did this very thing 2 ½ years ago. I was working as a full-time School Psychologist, at a job which I held for 16 years. I loved what I did, and the children I worked with, however, the stress and pace were increasingly difficult for me to manage, given the needs of my young children, my husband’s work schedule and my perfectionistic/anxious personality style. I knew a change was in order. After many aborted attempts, I finally mustered up the courage to walk away from my secure job and change my life. I did not know what I would do next, but I knew I wanted to have more family time and a flexible part time schedule.

What I learned during the next few months shocked me. I found that with the extra space in my heart and head, I was able to hear a voice telling me to read about adoption. I did, and I felt immediately drawn to adoption from China. My husband and I decided to take a leap of faith and begin the application process to adopt a little girl. I would never have imagined that all the busyness of my daily life was hiding this deepest desire, but there it was. I could not and would not ignore it. That was the beginning. In May, I will board a plane for China, and fly across the world to unite with my daughter, a beautiful 3 ½ year old little angel, named Ling. I cannot wait.

While your joy may not be as dramatic as a transcontinental adoption, it is equally important and meaningful to your life. Whether it is a walk through your garden, developing a hobby, lunch with a friend or a total life alteration, it is essential to make space in your life to allow your deeper desires to surface. You just may be surprised at what you find!

Simply Back to Basics Organizing & Coaching

A New Year

Alert: National Drug Take Back Day October 29, 2011, 10-2

Helping Older People Get Organized

Buffalo, NY, E-Waste Collection Event: 4/16/11

E-WASTE COLLECTION EVENT

National Medication Take Back Day: 4/30/2011

Simply Back To Basics in the News

Adoption Update

Recycle Your Computer Equipment at Goodwill

Good for the CommunityGood for the EnvironmentGood for You

What Can We Learn From the Garden?

"Yes" and "No"

Unwanted Medication Disposal; Saturday, August 7, 2010; 9am-1pm

Packing & Preparing to Leave for College

Erie County Prescription Drug Drop-Off - June 19th in Clarence, NY

You’ve Got Junk Mail!!!

Living with (some) Chaos

Unwanted/Expired Medication Drop Off Drive

Managing Adult ADHD through Professional Organizing and Coaching

I HATE meal planning!

Find Small Ways to Simplify Your Life

Holiday Stress? Can a Professional Organizer Help?

Ask Linda: Tips for Coping with Change

Organizing Digital Photos & Videos

Have you heard about Freecycle???

Buffalo Recycles & Reuses

The Family Meeting; An Essential Component

It's Back to School Time Again

Keep up with Simply Back to Basics-Simply

Adding More Storage

10 Minutes At a Time

Thinking About Change? Change Your Thinking!

Follow-up to my February Tip: Four Quick Kitchen Tips:

Preparing for the Unexpected

Four Quick Kitchen Tips for February!

Beating Back the Inbox, Part 2:

Beating Back the Inbox, Part 1:

How to Create a rule from a message

Permanent Record Storage; Not Urgent; but Important!

Simply Access Your Credit Report!

Downsize your “To Do”!

Ready, Set, School!

Perfectionism causes Procrastination!

Joy takes up A LOT of Room!

Make Room in Your Life for Joy!

Good for the Community
Good for the Environment
Good for You