Make the Holidays Stress Free

The holiday season is upon us! While this can be a joyous time of year, it is also a busy and stressful time. The preparations alone can be over-whelming from gift buying, decorating, holiday get-togethers, entertaining and many others. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan offers these suggestions to help you have an enjoyable and stress free holiday season.

1. Create a Holiday Planner. No need to reinvent the wheel every holiday season. Take some time initially to create a holiday planner (either manual or electronic) to organize and document all of your holiday activities and then reap the benefits for years to follow. Set up the planner by categories that represent the activities that are important to you. Some categories are:

Where’s the Cream Cheese?

Cleaning the refrigerator is an unpleasant task, but organizing it can be fun! The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan suggests the following to help you organize your fridge:

• Add a double level lazy susan to a shelf for the small containers that usually get lost in the back of the fridge, like yogurt or condiments.
  

Gift Giving Season

It is the gift giving time of year. These simple tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will help your family get and stay organized as you give and receive during this season.

1. Create a central location to store gifts so that you’ll always know what you have on hand. It is okay to have 1 bin of gifts to keep in the house for special last minute gifts instead of stored around the house.

2. Keep gifts small, simple, and practical.

Television’s, and Laptops, and Smartphones! Oh, My!

The constant influx of “new” and “better” electronics has left many people feeling overwhelmed by the sheer “stuff” of it all. With that in mind, the National Association of Professional Organizers, Michigan Chapter, offers these three helpful hints.

Get Organized to Minimize Morning Madness

Getting your children up, dressed and ready for school each morning can be challenging. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some simple suggestions to help you be more prepared.

Taking Charge of Change

The process of organizing at home or at work involves changes to your life. Some changes are easier than others. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some insights so you can master the changes needed to make your life run more smoothly wherever you are.

Time Management Strategies for the Digital Age

Do you find yourself thinking?

“I’ve Got the Technology. 
Now Give Me Back My Time!”

If you are disappointed, frustrated, or downright infuriated at how much LESS time you have now, despite all of your gadgetry and apps, make time for this special event:

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan proudly welcomes

Best-Selling Author and Internationally Renowned
Time Management Expert

Harold Taylor

Getting and Staying Organized with Kids

If you are a parent, you know how difficult it can be just to get your kids to school on time, let alone maintain a tidy home. However, organization is key in accomplishing all that needs to be done and enjoying the journey as a parent. These super simple tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will help your family get and stay organized.

Five Steps to Organizing Household Papers

It’s the time you spend looking for that lost school permission slip, the unpaid bill, or the receipt you need for your income taxes that can motivate you to organize your household paperwork. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some insight on organizing household papers in five easy steps.

School Homework

Homework can be one of the toughest areas for many students. Remembering to bring homework and books home and then get it back to school is a huge process for some students. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some tips to help your child organize his/her homework.

School Bags and Backpacks!

It’s time for your children to head back to school! The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some tips to help your child select a school bag this year.

Top 5 Hoarding Myths and Truths

Hoarding gets a lot of media attention these days, and people have turned to the professional organizing industry for assistance. Why professional organizing? Because most people think that hoarding is a type of disorganization—which it’s not. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share five common myths about hoarding.

What gift will you leave your children?

Downsizing. It’s a word we use to describe the process most seniors undergo when they leave their family home of many years for smaller quarters, be it another house, condo or independent living community. In reality downsizing shouldn’t be a one time event that we wait until we are seventy to do. Instead, it should be a life style we all practice, regardless of age. The National Association of Professional Organizers, Southeast Michigan Chapter (NAPO-MI) wants to share some tips to help you start the downsizing process.

5 Survival Tips for the Chronically Disorganized

Chronic disorganization can negatively impact an individual’s quality of life on a daily basis. This can be due to past or current disorganization. Often, past attempts at organizing have been unsuccessful for creating long term success. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan (NAPO-MI) wants to share their top five most helpful tips for individuals that are chronically disorganized.

Start Managing Your Time – The Basics

Your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. Life is, indeed, getting more and more complicated as years go by. As your schedule gets busier and there is more and more information to remember, your stress level increases. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share five tips to help you better manage your time.

Six Simple Tips for Staying Organized on the Road

Love travel, or hate it, we all know that it can be a challenge to stay organized while traveling. However, being organized on the road can make travel so much more enjoyable. These six simple tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers, Southeast Michigan Chapter (NAPO-MI) will help you stay organized for business trips, weekend getaways and the big family vacation.

Tackling Clutter at Home

Is decluttering at home a dreaded chore for your family? Why not try one of these simple organizing tips from the National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan to help make the chore a little less dreaded?

Organizing Tips for Busy Moms

Many young moms often wonder how to keep it all together. The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan wants to share some simple suggestions.

• Always keep diaper bags stocked with diapers, snacks & an additional outfit. Reload the diaper bag each night so you’re prepared for the next day.

• Keep bedtime consistent each night because children thrive on consistency and regular routines. Professional Organizer, Cindy Greenleaf of New Leaf Organizing, LLC suggests that you “encourage your children to pick up their toys every evening before going to bed. This simple routine teaches consistence & responsibility”.

• Assign a different color to each of your children. Purchase laundry baskets, towels, cups, bowls and plates in each child’s color. When it is bath time, everyone knows that Bobby has green towels & Mary has red.


Staying organized with small children can be easier than you think. For additional tips on getting organized, visit http://www.napomichigan.com/.


Article submitted by Chapter member and Director of Membership, Kathy Tucker.

Does your home need gastric bypass?

If your house was a person, how would you rank it?

A.) Slim & Trim
B.) Needs to lose a few pounds
C.) Gastric bypass is the only answer

Collection or Clutter?

Personal collections can vary from the common – photos, postage stamps or tea cups, to the unusual – carousel horses, antique fire trucks, or clothesline memorabilia! For many people, however, there is a fine line between a meaningful collection and messy clutter.


The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan (NAPO-MI) would like to share simple guidelines to keep your collection at its best:

Can Your Car Fit In Your Garage?

The U.S. Department of Energy reports that 25 percent of people with two-car garages don‟t park any cars in their garages.

If your garage holds everything except for your car or if you can’t find an item when you need it, now is the perfect time to organize your garage! The National Association of Professional Organizers, Southeast Michigan Chapter (NAPO-MI) wants to share some tips to help you organize your garage.

March Meeting: Eileen Koff visits Michigan Professional Organizers

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will host a program entitled “Green and Orderly” on Thursday, March 17, to promote eco-consciousness and new trends that could propel the organizing industry into new avenues. This program will feature Eileen Koff, CPO© of To The Next Level in Long Island, NY, who has spearheaded green organizing techniques throughout Long Island.

Let the Sunshine In!

After a long, cold winter, it’s nice to see the sun’s rays beaming through the windows. Most often, along with the sun, comes more energy and motivation. Why not take that energy and start getting rid of the “stuff” you had laying around cluttering areas in your home through the winter and do some general spring cleaning?

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan (NAPO-MI) wants to share some tips on organizing this spring.

Filing System Tips

Everyone should have a working filing system, whether it is a plastic bin, accordion folder or a filing cabinet. The National Association of Professional Organizers, Southeast Michigan Chapter (NAPO-MI) wants to share some insight on organizing your papers.



1. Keep it simple. A file system should be easy for you use.

Organization Makes It Easier to Keep Your Balance

“Balance” is a self-care buzzword these days. We’re told that everybody needs it, and if you don’t have it, you’d better get it! Like many buzzwords, though, balance is an appealing concept that is relatively simple to define but difficult to achieve.

February Meeting: Author Julie Subotky Visits Michigan Professional Organizers

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will host a program about time management on Thursday, February 17, 2011. The program will feature Julie Subotky, author of a new book, Consider It Done: Accomplish 228 of Life’s Trickiest Tasks (Crown) which will be on bookstore shelves this month. Ms. Subotky founded her business (also named Consider It Done) as a lifestyle management and personal concierge service more than a decade ago. Her client list now includes many high profile celebrities as well as corporate clients.

Organizing Tip of the Day #23

"Gather all of your membership/reward cards, ie. grocery and drug store, and punch a hole in the upper left corner of each. Then, attach them with a ring (like a key ring).  Keep them in your purse or vehicle so they are available for quick use every time you need them.  No more hunting in the bottom of your purse!"

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Membership, Kathy Tucker.

Organizing Tip of the Day #22

"Give yourself a break and don't worry about what happened in the past. Right now you can give yourself credit for getting organized, handling the clean up and having the courage to ask for help. So give yourself a break and let's move on. We can handle this."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Michael Ann Rose.

Organizing Tip of the Day #21

"Always keep a bag or box in the bottom of your closet for donations."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Carolyn Anderson-Fermann.

Organizing Tip of the Day #20

"Think 'vertical,' always looking for ways to use the space along the wall for an appropriate type of storage unit, such as a shelf."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Rita Wilhelm.

Organizing Tip of the Day #19

When you are surrounded by too much stuff, you just can't see all the good stuff you really have.



Look around your work area. I bet there are at least five things you could pick up and put them away where they belong or just toss them. Look for dusty stuff if you're struggling...
 

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter President Angie Weid.

Organizing Tip of the Day #18

"When you consistently put items away each time you're finished using them, you will spend less time searching for those same items later!"

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Marketing, Ann Marie Moore.

Organizing Tip of the Day #17

Line something up today.  Whether papers, forks, or shoes, the act of creating a straight line with the objects around you will make your space feel more organized.

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Vice-President, Trish Krebs.

Organizing Tip of the Day #16

"Keep a tote bag by the door.   Articles to read, phone calls to make, notes to write, etc. all goes into that bag.  Whenever you have to wait  -- at your children's soccer game, a doctor appointment, or commuting to work -- you'll be able to make the best use of your time!"

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Professional Development, Marti Murdock.

Organizing Tip of the Day #15

"Keep unwanted catalogs out of your mailbox and recycle bin by using www.catalogchoice.org. This is a free site which tells each company to stop sending catalogs to you. Works great!"



Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Ann Anderson.

Organizing Tip of the Day #14

"If you are finding it hard to stay focused on a project, write out the specific task you want to be working on and post it."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Susan Hunsberger.

Organizing Tip of the Day #13

"The evening before garbage pick-up is a great motivator to clear-out clutter around your home.  Focus on old papers, broken items or food that is no longer fresh.  This is a simple routine to prevent clutter from piling up."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Secretary Susan Carmody.

Organizing Tip of the Day #12

"Keep a donation box for every family member in their closet. When they come across an item that no longer fits, it goes right into the box. Everything is ready when you get the call that the donation truck will be in the neighborhood."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter member Karen DeClark.

Organizing Tip of the Day #11

"Winter is a great time to do an annual purge of your files. As you watch TV, pull out a handful of files from your drawer and weed through the contents of each folder. Remove all of last year’s bills (archive if necessary) and whatever else is no longer current. Place a binder clip on the file you end with each night so you can quickly pick up where you left off. Stick with it and you might find some things you’ve been looking for – like potential tax deductions!"


Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Administration, Cynthia Gentit.

Organizing Tip of the Day #10

"Zip lock type bags are one of the greatest organizing tools ever invented. From the smallest to the largest sizes for containment, visibility, mobility and cost effectiveness. And they can be re-used too!"

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Michael Ann Rose.

Organizing Tip of the Day #9

"Prioritize your organizing goal and break it down, one organizing project per month.  For example you may want to organize your closet in May when you are switching your winter/fall wardrobe to spring/summer."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Immediate Past President, Betty Huotari.

Organizing Tip of the Day #8

"Keep items in the room you will use them.  For example, keep:

• clean sheets for the bed in the bedroom where they will needed. 
• spare garbage bags in the garbage container.

This saves time and they’re always handy exactly where and when you need them."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Cindy Greenleaf.

Organizing Tip of the Day #7

"Every Sunday, take 10 to 15 minutes to review your calendar and prepare for the week ahead."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Carolyn Anderson-Fermann.

Organizing Tip of the Day #6

"Have family members do a 10 minute pick-up before they go to bed each night. This keeps the clutter from piling up and makes for a less stress-full morning."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Karen DeClark.

Organizing Tip of the Day #5

"Open the mail next to the trash/recycling bin/shredder.  This allows you to quickly process your mail, most of which will be junk, on a daily basis."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Rita Wilhelm.

Organizing Tip of the Day #4

"Clear out your magazines! Who knew these innocent little reads could cause such headaches as they pile up around you!"

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter President, Angie Weid.

Organizing Tip of the Day #3

"Think of your counters as 'temporary storage areas'; use the space, but make it a habit to clear the space when you're finished using it."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Marketing, Ann Marie Moore.

January Meeting: Organic Marketing Ideas for Organizers

The National Association of Professional Organizers in Michigan will host a program about Organic Marketing on Thursday, January 20, 2011 to to promote three-dimensional marketing practices and winning strategies for professional organizers.  This program will feature Sandi Maki of InSights Group in Brighton, MI.

“Sandi’s tic-tac-toe marketing method gets win-win results,” said Marti Murdock, Director of Professional Development for the Chapter.  “And, she’s committed to helping solo-preneurs create their own brand presence.” 

Organizing Tip of the Day #2

"Files, not piles."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member Theresa Brune.

Organizing Tip of the Day #1

"When taking down your holiday decorations, toss or recycle the burnt out light cords. Do the same with the items which were not used for your decorations this year and donate them to a charity."

Organizing Tip Submitted by Chapter Member and Director of Membership, Kathy Tucker.

January 2011 is the 7th annual Get Organized (GO) Month!

“Getting more organized” is consistently one of the Top 10 New Year’s resolutions made by Americans year after year.  That’s why seven years ago the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) declared January as Get Organized Month^SM. 


Make 2011 the year you stick to your New Year’s resolution and finally organize your home, office or life! To help you stay motivated throughout the month, the Michigan Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers will post an organizing tip on our blog each weekday in January.