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Each month in my monthly newsletter I share organizing tips to use in
your home. Try some projects alone or ask for help from our friendly
professional staff.
It's not the size of the space that matters; it's how you organize the things you have in it.
Cheers!
Pierrette Ashcroft |
TIME SAVER
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Streamlining Bill Paying
 Your time is valuable, so why write checks every month for so many bills? Also, there is the cost of postage.
Nearly all bills can be automatically paid by your bank or automatically charged to your credit card.
Bill organizing steps:
Sign up for electric and natural gas budget plans and pay them through
auto-debits from your checking account. This avoids shocking payment
increases in peak-use months.
Credit cards:
Auto-pay from checking a monthly amount that meets your financial
goals. Set up other accounts -- cell phone, cable TV, etc. -- for
auto-pay from a credit card.
For those wedded to checks, use a bill payment basket
or bin. Store bills vertically in two groups: pay on 15th or 30th. Keep
supplies nearby: letter opener, stamps, address labels, pen, checkbook,
calculator.
Open new bills daily, keep only the bill and return envelope. Write bill's due date, such as 3/28, where the stamp will go. |
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ASK PIERRETTE:
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 Question:
I
enjoy cooking with new recipes but don't have the best system for
storing and then quickly finding one for meal planning. Can you help?
Pierrette:
I
think one of the most convenient ways to organize them is in a
three-ring binder with plastic sleeves. It is easy to flip through them
and splatters can be wiped off.
Sort them the way you look for
recipes. Could be by category and alphabetical order: appetizer,
dessert, main dish, salad. Or it could be by main ingredient: beef,
chicken, fish, fruit, vegetables....
Group short recipes by
adhering two or three to one sheet of computer paper. When possible,
clip a dish photo to display by the text. Leave space to add the
recipe's source, date of inclusion, any adjustments that improved it,
whether someone raved about it ("A+ from Aunt Joan").
To mark my favorites, I use colored flags on pages.
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| TIDY TIME
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Clutter Awareness Week is
March 15 - 21
 Everyone has clutter somewhere, so this designated week is a helpful deadline to focus on it.
Walk
room to room with new eyes to find growing clutter: on the kitchen
counter, where unopened mail and unread magazines sit, by your usual
telephone seat, a nightstand, a bedroom chest of drawers.
5 tips to help you clear away clutter:
… Ask a simple question room to room: Do I need it, use it or love it? Think before buying new items. Do you really need it? Where will you put it?
… Start small, such as one drawer. Build confidence by planning to finish one project before starting another.
… Keep everything in its logical place to reduce clutter and make it easy to find. Deal with new mail immediately. Fold laundry pronto.
… Try to leave nothing stored on floors. Shelves and hooks along walls encourage tidiness.
… Identify furniture that can do double duty. If buying a new ottoman or coffee table, choose one that opens to store pillows or a blanket for snuggling.
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PURSE PLANNING
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Carry Only What You Often Need
 Some
people gradually increase their purse size rather than pause at times
and ponder what they actually need to be hauling with them daily.
Start
by emptying your usual purse. Put daily essentials together: credit
card or two, paper money, driver's license, auto and health insurance
cards, car/house/office keys, cell phone, eyeglasses.
Makeup, lip balm, a tissue pack are handy in a small makeup pouch.
Short-term items: receipts, coupons and recently collected business cards may be stored in a slim wallet.
If
you switch often between purses, a transferable purse insert is a great
option. Keep most of your daily essentials in the insert: credit card,
paper money, license, auto and health insurance cards. Also, remember
the Extra chECK rule: Eyeglasses, Cell phone, Keys must always be transferred.
When
packing a larger purse with no insert, store often-retrieved items --
cell phone, credit card, keys, eyeglasses -- in easy access pockets or
one side of the purse. A snap or Velcro loop for a keys ring is
especially handy.
Ideally, on a weekly basis you should remove
recent receipts, others' business cards, expired/unneeded coupons, etc.
and either process them into your records system or dispose of them.
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Gift Certificates
Available
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Are
you trying to shop for that hard-to-find recipient? Or do you need a
gift for a new mom, a housewarming gift or have anyone on your list who
could use an extra set of hands? What would be more appreciated than a
gift certificate for help from a professional organizer. You decide the
dollar amount and the recipient can decide the services that they want.
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A gift for others... peace of mind
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Pierrette
Ashcroft, founder of getOrganizedDC, has more than 20 years of business
experience organizing events and providing innovative solutions in
homes and offices. In 2007 she was in the first group to receive
credentials as a Certified Professional Organizer, CPOÆ, earning her a
top distinction in the organizing industry. She continues her education
and training and recently became a Certified Relocation and Transition
Specialist™ (CRTS). As a senior move manager she takes the worry
and work out of the move process by helping seniors and their families
with their needs for a seamless and successful transition.
To learn more, call or write for a free telephone consultation at: 202-537-9705 or pierrette@getorganizeddc.com. Or visit our Web site.
The
hardest part of organizing is developing an attractive plan. We are
happy to help you with challenges large or small. Expect efficient and
reliable service from our staff, who promise to keep your personal
information confidential. Read what our clients are saying about us.
Enjoy your organizing projects this year! |
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