OverHall IT!
Vol. 6 Issue 4
Just reading this newsletter won't get you organized...
YOU must take some action!
Organizing Newsletter for Your Life - OverHall IT!
Circulation 7,458
Vol. 6 Issue 4
Publisher: Janet L. Hall mailto:janet@overhall.com
http://www.overhall.com
(c) OverHall Consulting 2005
Administration information located at end of newsletter
Help Me Help Others Heal Their Environments and Get
Organized - Please forward my newsletter onto those you know
who might need or like OverHall IT!
IN THIS ISSUE
1. Welcome and Happenings
2. Events
3. OverHalling and Balance
4. Tips for Organizers & Feng Shui Consultants
5. Organizing Tips and Tools
6. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
7. Guest Article
1. Welcome and Happenings
The month of March literally "flew by" for me as I was on a total
of 8 planes traveling to FL to develop three web sites, then to
NY to fly to Puerto Rico for vacation. I flew Jet Blue for the first
time and I'm here to tell you if you ever get the chance to fly
"blue" DO! The best plane I've ever been on with leather seats
and a TV for each seat.
If you missed our tape liquidation sale you still have some time
left to order as I have about 16 sets left, which you can read
about at
http://www.overhall.com/tapeliquidation.htm Thanks to
the many subscribers that already ordered their Super Bundles.
In April I'm back in MD and you can catch me at several events
I'll be speaking at. Please see Events below.
Give me as a gift for Secretaries Day (April 27th) or Mother's
Day (May 8th). Call me for details on organizing, space or time
planning or Feng Shui. 1-800-687-3040.
Don't forget to visit our bookstore at
http://www.overhall.com/books.htm Here you'll find
recommended reading on topics for organizing your home,
children, classroom, photos, scrapbooks, documents and Feng
Shui, Space Clearing, Time Management and Change. I even
located two books on staying organized and informed for cancer
patients, click the Health section.
Thanks for your support and for being a subscriber,
Janet L. Hall, The Organizing and Feng Shui Wizard
Now, on to the articles!
2. Events
April 20, 2005-Charles County Office of Aging: Options for
Senior Housing, Waldorf, MD. All day event. Call
301-638-4420 for more information. I'll be speaking on
organizing.
April 23, 2005-Southern Maryland Alternative &
Complementary Health Fair, Prince Frederick, MD.
9 AM-4PM. Free lectures throughout the day. Call
410-535-4606 for more information. I'll be speaking on Feng
Shui your bedroom. Free Admission
April 28, 2005-Charles County Chamber of Commerce 2005
Working Woman's Day, Charles County, MD. All day event.
Call 301-932-6500 for more information. I'll be speaking on
Feng Shui your office.
May 3, 2005 Feng Shui Gardening. Turn Your Life Around -
Harmony and Balance Workshop
http://www.overhall.com/harmony_balance.htm - Live in
Solomon's Island, MD ($20)
November 4-6, 2005 FSII Conference (open to all). Feng Shui
and the Power of Intention, St. Augustine, FL. Please visit
http://fengshui-ii.org/fengshuiconference.htm
3. - Top Ten Organizing and Time Challenges People Face
Part 3
By: Janet L. Hall
1. Paper. Includes mail, reading material and files
2. Bedroom. Includes laundry, clothes, drawers and closets
3. Children. Includes their schedules and their bedroom and toys
4. Shopping. Includes food, gifts and cards
5. Kitchen. Includes organizing, meal planning and cooking
6. Spending time with family, children, friends and self
7. Appointments. Includes medical, school, parties and events
8. Tools
9. Car
10. Maintaining home systems and cleaning
Today we'll be addressing the number three challenge, children:
=> Get your children (and yourself) on a schedule and routine.
Review your child's (and yours) lifestyle, activities and stress
levels (when they are up or down, more responsive or not).
Schedules will include many routines, such as a morning routine
of waking, bathing, dressing, eating, etc., an afternoon routine
and an evening routine. Don't forget to add the adult routines into
your schedule. Developing routines and putting together
schedules will help you and your child put things in order and
know what needs to be accomplished (or expected of you and
them) for the day. Check out my ebook, 70 Tips for Get Your
Children Organized Before and After School at
http://www.overhall.com/organizingchildren.htm
=> Sort through all their clothes and take inventory of what they
have, what can be given away and what they might need. Set up
a daily or weekly "clothes wearing" and laundry day system.
=>Sort through all their toys and take inventory of what they
have, what can be given away and what they might need. Set up
a toy storage area and a toy rotation system if needed.
=>Decide what school papers and/or art work will be kept and
where. These types of papers are considered mementos. Set up
a box or file for each child. I recommend placing an under bed
storage unit for these papers to be placed into...easy and
convenient.
=>Decide what is expected of your child, such as making their
bed in the morning, putting their school bags in a certain location,
and putting their toys and clothes away. Create a chore board or
check out I Did My Chores at
http://www.overhall.com/ididmychores.htm (on sale this month
in
our specials at
http://www.overhall.com/organizing_special.htm )
=>Spend time with your children: eat meals together and plan at
least one relaxing family activity a week, a trip to the park, bike
riding, game night, etc.
=>Give your children some down time each day from you, their
activities and their chores. Take some down time for yourself
too.
When it comes to children one should learn to be somewhat
flexible with routines, schedules, and their clutter. While this
takes practice in training them (and yourself) how, when, and
where things should live and be stored or contained. Within a
week or two of consistent training (depending on age of child)
your child and you should be well on your way to having less
chaos, clutter and stress in your lives. It will take some action,
guidance, and patience on your part to do this...so what are you
waiting for? Let's get your children and their stuff under control
once and for all! For organizing children products please check
out
http://www.overhall.com/organize_children.htm
============
Janet Hall is a Certified Professional Organizer,
Certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author
and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. Organizing By Phone and in person
at http://www.overhall.com
Copyright (c) 2005 OverHall Consulting
P.O. Box 263, Port Republic, MD 20676
All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy,
or distribute so long as this copyright notice and full information
about contacting the author is attached.
Have You Gotten Your *Tickle* for the Day?
Check out the secret organizing tool that ALL organized families
and successful people use on a daily basis at
http://www.overhall.com/tickler_file.htm
4. Tips for Organizers & Feng Shui Consultants
Check out the two upcoming conferences for organizers and
Feng Shui practitioners. Early Bird Specials for both and lots of
great speakers are planned with new information.
November 4-6, 2005 FSII Conference (open to all). Feng Shui
and the Power of Intention, St. Augustine, FL. Please visit
http://fengshui-ii.org/fengshuiconference.htm
5. Organizing Tips and Tools
OverHall Special:
Check out our special and save $3.00 on the I Did My Chores
http://www.overhall.com/organizing_special.htm
(Please refresh your screen if you have visited this page in the
past).
A must have for every home: If Something Happens to Me.
Check it out at:
http://www.overhall.com/if_something_happens_to_me.htm
E-books and Books:
Got clutter and debt? Check out my ebook I co-authored with
Paula Langguth Ryan, Effortless Freedom From Clutter and
Debt: Your 20 minute Roadmap for Creating a Perfectly
Balanced Life, at:
http://tinyurl.com/pbb1
An associate, Ron Mueller, is the co-author of
"It's How Much You KEEP, That Counts! Not How Much You
Make". It's the ULTIMATE Tax-Reduction System For Small
and Home-Based Businesses! Reading one chapter has already
helped me and I'm sure it will help you also. Check it out at:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=137136
Jeffrey J. Mayer, president of Succeeding In Business, and
author of many books, has an ebook, "Winning the Fight Against
You and Your Desk," that I highly recommend. This inexpensive
52 page ebook is jammed packed with time saving tips so you
can get more done in less time. I urge you all to download this at
http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=25003
Software and Downloads:
Get this inexpensive Spam Filter at
http://spamarrest.com/affl?930907
If you've been wanting a web site and aren't sure how to build
one check out my latest multimedia CD, FrontPage Show and
Tell. You will see my screen and hear my voice telling where and
why to click to build your web site. Introductory Special at
http://www.frontpageshowandtell.com
6. Jokes, Quotes, and Anecdotes
~~"Make a memory with your children,
Spend some time to show you care;
Toys and trinkets can't replace those
Precious moments that you share.
Money doesn't buy real pleasure,
It doesn't matter where you live;
Children need your own attention,
Something only you can give.
Childhood's days pass all too quickly,
Happy memories all too few;
Plan to do that special something,
Take the time to go or do.
Make a memory with your children,
Take the time in busy days;
Have some fun while they are growing,
Show your love in gentle ways."
--Elaine Hardt
~~"Cherish your vision and your dreams as they are the children
of your soul; the blueprints of your ultimate achievements."
--Napoleon Hill
7. 11 Tips to Conquer Your Child's Clutter
By: Aby Garvey
November and December are by far the busiest months for my
family and me. On top of the normal holiday merriment, BOTH
my children have their birthdays. Not only does this test my time
management abilities each year, it also challenges me
organizationally. By the time December 26th (finally) arrives, my
kids' rooms and closets are literally bursting at the seams,
overflowing with birthday trinkets and Christmas treasures. Yes,
it's an organizers greatest nightmare!
On December 26th, while everyone else was flocking the
Christmas sale isle, I was perusing the storage and organizing
section of Wal-Mart looking for the perfect solutions for my
kids' closets. I'm pleased to say I successfully conquered both
closets (and lived to tell about it!) Here are some tips and
strategies that worked great for my kids, Collin age 6 and Kailea
age 4.
Tip #1: Have a goal for getting organized.
I've found with my kids, "Mommy's losing her mind with all this
clutter" isn't a terribly compelling motivation to clean up. Create a
goal your child can understand and relate to. For my kids,
helping other children was very motivating. A local Children's
Charity called to say they were going to be in our neighborhood
just as we were getting ready to organize their rooms. (Lucky
me!) My kids were both very excited about giving their things to
children who didn't get many new toys for Christmas and kids
who needed clothes to wear. By having a set time for the pick-
up we had a deadline, fueling our motivation even further.
When you set out to tackle your kid's room or closet, call
charities in your area to see if they'll pick up your items. Also,
consider adding an incentive for your child by promising a special
treat like a trip to the ice cream shop or a movie rental.
Tip #2: Use a simple sorting system.
One by one, I picked up items off the floor and cleared out the
closet. I held up each thing and simply asked my kids "yes or
no?" The "yes" items went into a keep pile, sorted by type. (Cars
together, dolls together, etc.) We put "no" toys, books and
clothes into a bag for charity. (Collin was so into giving his things
away, he even wanted to wrap them!)
With your child, set a target number of "no" items. Get really
excited when your child hits the magic number. Remember to
keep the enthusiasm going during the process by saying things
like "just ten more and we've reached our goal!"
Bonus Tip: Keep some sentimental items for yourself.
If your child really gets on a roll, he may put some things in the
"donate" bin that you're not quite ready to part with. Get a
keepsake box for yourself. Set a limit, either quantity (keeping
only a certain number of items) or space (say to yourself "I'll
keep things in this bin only and when it's full, I'm done") to make
sure your keepsakes don't get out of control. It's best if your
child doesn't catch you pulling things out of the donate bag. (We
wouldn't want to stall progress, now would we?)
Tip #3: Tackle the project in steps.
If your child's room looks like Collin's did, you might be tempted
to tackle it all at once. (Or not at all, in which case give me a call.
;) ) Unless you're willing to do a lot of the work yourself (or your
child is an organizer in training), consider spreading the project
out over several days. You might start with the floor on day one,
the book shelf on day two, and one shelf of the closet on day
three, and so on. Whether you organize your child's room in one
step or over a series of days, be sure to take lots of fun-filled
breaks with your little one. Play with some of those long lost toys
you've found under the bed or have a nutritious snack to fuel
your energy.
Tip #4: Group toys based on how your child plays.
In our house, Lego's are "toy garbage." Collin uses Lego's with
his garbage truck so it makes sense to store these toys together
or at least near each other. In a nutshell, ask your child what
makes sense to him or her, then honor it (even if it doesn't make
sense to you.)
Tip #5: Keep your child involved.
Collin was putting his matchbox cars into a car carrier with
compartments for each car. This is great, but very time
consuming. I asked him to imagine he had cars all over the floor
of his room and it was time to clean up. Would he rather dump
the cars into a large bin or put them one by one into the car
carrier? He chose the bin. Having had a say in the decision, he'll
be more likely to put his cars away.
Tip #6: Let your child do the tasks he enjoys most.
Collin is learning how to write, so he wanted to make his own
labels for his bins. I resisted the temptation of "perfect" labels
and instead let Collin make them. Involving your child in favorite
tasks is another way to give him ownership in the process.
Tip #7: Focus on progress.
Make a big deal out of all the progress you make along the way.
Try really hard not to focus on how much there is left to go
through or do. Comment often on how much is done, all the
great decisions your child has made and so on. You can also
encourage him or her by saying things like "look what we found"
or "look how much we've gotten done already." Keep it upbeat
and fun!
Tip #8: Keep large items in the toy box.
Putting only larger items in your child's toy box prevents smaller
toys from sinking to the bottom (a.k.a. never-never land.)
Another option is to group smaller toys together in containers
before storing in the toy box. Toy boxes seem great in theory,
until you have to go on a hunt for your daughter's missing pink
Barbie shoe. I can guarantee you it will be on the very bottom of
the box. (And when you do finally find it, the shoe will be the
only item left in the toy box.)
Tip #9: Label, label, label!
Once everything has a home, use labels to show where
everything goes. I started to say, this will make clean up a
breeze, but we are talking about kids and cleaning bedrooms. I
will say this: by labeling where toys and clothes belong, it will
disarm your child of the classic "I don't know where anything
goes" excuse. Have you heard that one before?
Tip #10: Store toys strategically.
Keep favorite toys in reach, allowing your child easy access for
play and clean up. On top shelves (those out of your child's
reach), store things you'd like to supervise your child while using,
such as:
- Games or puzzles requiring adult assembly.
- Fragile or keepsake items like china tea sets and collectible
books.
- Toys with lots of tiny pieces you would rather not have mixed
with other toys with tiny pieces.
Tip #11: Make sure your child understands the system.
You may have noticed I didn't mention Kailea much in the
article. Well, truth be known, organizing isn't exactly her thing. I
did a lot of her room on my own. This made it even more
important for me to tell her exactly how I had organized
everything and show her where her things go.
Since she can't read, I labeled her toy containers using packaging
from her toys. I showed her the labels and asked her what she
thought went in each bin or drawer. By going through this
process with her, she now knows exactly what goes where. The
other day I asked Kailea to clean her room. She said "Mommy,
I don't know where everything goes." I told her to get started on
her own and put away everything she could by herself. When she
got as far as she could, THEN I would help her finish up. Before
she knew it, she had put EVERYTHING away, on her own.
Talk about proud! She was absolutely beaming.
I hope you and your kids enjoy similar results! Just remember,
have fun and don't forget the ice cream!
===========
Aby Garvey is a professional organizer and the owner of simplify
101, inc. Her mission is to help you create time and space for
what matters most in your home, business, and life. She
publishes a monthly organizing and time management ezine. Visit
her web site at
http://www.simplify101.com .
So you want to be a Professional Organizer?
Check out my one-of-a-kind system, The Wizard's Professional
Organizers System that will give you a jump-start on your
organizing career at
http://www.overhall.com/professional_organizers_system.htm
NEED a speaker for your next event? Download my speaking
packet at:
http://overhall.com/Seminars.htm
Harmony and Balance to all,
Janet L. Hall, CPO/CRMS (tm), FSII/FSIA
The Organizing and Feng Shui Wizard
Let me work my "magic" on your Clutter, Life, and Environment!
http://www.overhall.com
"If your current life isn't working for you... get an
"OverHall"!"
Janet L. Hall is the owner of OverHall Consulting, and
Organizing By Phone, which is based out of Southern Maryland
and can be reached at 800-687-3040 or 410-586-9440, or e-
mail her at mailto:janet@overhall.com
Janet can "OverHall" your office, home, and computer clutter
and can deliver a customized speech or seminar for your next
event.
Copyright (c) 2005 by OverHall Consulting
P.O. Box 263,
Port Republic, MD 20676
All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy,
or distribute OverHall IT! or any articles by Janet L. Hall so
long as article(s) is kept intact, this copyright notice, and
full information about the author is attached.
ISSN # 1533-0702.
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Here in OverHall IT! it is my hope to help you stop juggling
areas in your life around and help you "OverHall" the areas that
might have become cluttered, ignored, or put on the back
burner. I want to help you bring back into focus the things that
are important to you. I want the chaos to stop for you and help
bring you some structure and hopefully some useful advice and
systems so you can accomplish the most important task...running
your life!
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