How Essentialism can improve your life

My latest read was the book “Essentialism: The disciplined pursuit of less” by Greg McKeown. I absolutely love the philosophy behind this book and I think it goes hand in hand with the principles of the KonMari Method.

Amazon describes Essentialism as “more than a time-management strategy or a productivity technique. It is a systematic discipline for discerning what is absolutely essential, then eliminating everything that is not, so we can make the highest possible contribution toward the things that really matter.
By forcing us to apply more selective criteria for what is Essential, the disciplined pursuit of less empowers us to reclaim control of our own choices about where to spend our precious time and energy—instead of giving others the implicit permission to choose for us.
Essentialism is not one more thing—it’s a whole new way of doing everything. It’s about doing less, but better, in every area of our lives. Essentialism is a movement whose time has come.”

Read related blog: Time Management Strategies from Organizing Professionals

Things that I have learned from the book:

Vision is crucial to making better decisions: This overlaps with the KonMari philosophy and learning to craft a vision for myself and my “ideal lifestyle” a couple of years ago, I completely agree with the validity of this statement. If we don’t have a goal in life we can’t make a plan. So it is important to have a vision for our lives and know our guiding values and things we want to prioritize our time for.

Less but better: Being Busy is the badge of honor for most Americans. But what price do we pay to be busy all the time? Feeling overwhelmed and overworked, but not being closer to happiness. Because by the time we have figured out that being busy all the time does not necessarily make us successful, it also makes us less happy. We can learn to take back control by choosing fewer obligations and being able to do better work. If it’s not a definite “yes” it should be a definite “no”.

Learn to set boundaries: Saying “no” does not come naturally in a world where we are taught to oblige. It could be thought that it is culturally unacceptable or even rude to decline a request. However, the book mentions that research has shown that people will actually have more respect for someone that is very selective of their time, than for someone that just says yes to everything. One great strategy to learn boundary settings is to delay the decision. One can say “let me check my calendar and get back to you”. That gives you time to think if this task aligns with your goals and values.

Read related blog: How to organize your time for happiness

Organizing your time is just as important as organizing your belongings. This book really hit the nail on the head for tips on how to live an authentic life. There are many tips and tricks on how to minimize distractions and great illustrations on the concept of focus and productivity. This is definitely a great read for anyone who feels stretched too thin between life and work and wants to become more centered and happy.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas. Disclosure: Some of the links provided on this page are affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through.

Guest Blog: Managing Your Kids’ Distance Learning Worksheets

Laura Sinclair

Flourish Organizing

Laura Sinclair is a professional home organizer and certified KonMari Consultant in Houston, TX.  As the owner of Flourish Organizing, she helps people to declutter and reorganize using Marie Kondo’s method of tidying.  She especially loves helping people create simple organizing systems for their papers.  Find out more at https://flourishorganizing.com/about.html

 

As we prepare to go back to school, many students will be distance learning.  Begin by arranging desks and work spaces for each member of the family.  Then, think about how you will handle school papers.  Young students will need parents to help with things like printing worksheets and turning in assignments online.  If you’ve got multiple children, this further complicates the task.  As a parent, how will you manage all of the handouts and worksheets for your elementary-aged child?

 

Inboxes:

Photo Credit: Flourish Organizing

First, focus on one child and think about the categories of worksheets that you will have to manage. Likely, there will be papers that you give to your child for the day and then papers that they give back to you after school. Set up a physical place for this. You need an inbox and an outbox (or an inbox for you and an inbox for your child).  For example, each morning, you place printed worksheets in your child’s inbox.  At the end of the school day, your child returns all completed work into your inbox.  If you have multiple children, you will probably need an inbox and outbox for each.  This inbox should also be separate from your personal paper inbox so that you don’t mix up your child’s papers with the mail and such.

Once you get papers back from your young student, you will have to sort through them:

1. Scan and turn in any papers that the teacher has requested.

2. Store the completed worksheets - both those that were turned in online and those that were not. Hang on to them for a few weeks just in case the teacher asks for something or your child needs it again. Every once in a while, you can probably recycle the whole lot.

Photo Credit: Flourish Organizing

Storage:

There are a variety of ways that you can store their completed worksheets.  The easiest is to just keep them in chronological order.  You can designate a specific drawer for each child’s completed papers.  At the end of the day, simply open the drawer and drop all of today’s completed papers on top of the pile.  The benefits of this method are that they are out of sight, they are all in one spot for easy access, and they are generally in order by date.  Another option is to have a paper tray, basket, or tub for this.  A third option is to use a binder to keep all of the recent papers for each child.  Make sure to have a hole-punch close by to make it easy.  If you’re using a binder, I would recommend putting all new papers at the front and keeping them in chronological order. Don’t make things unnecessarily complicated; keep it as simple as possible.

Extra Worksheets:

At this point, you have turned in work online and temporarily stored completed papers. What’s left? There may be worksheets that they didn’t get to today or that were only partially completed. Decide what you will do with those papers; give them a home.  If they are far and few between, you could simply put them back into your child’s inbox with tomorrow’s new printouts.  If they stack up quickly, you could create a paper tray, drawer, or spot at your child’s workspace for these unused worksheets.  Your child would have to go through the stack if their teacher asks for an older worksheet that they hadn’t yet completed.

Again, keep things as simple as possible; don’t complicate things unnecessarily.  However, if you have enough extra worksheets that they need to be separated by subject, then you can add another layer of organization.  Create a set of drawers or paper storage trays that are labeled with each subject, such as math, reading, and science. If your child needs an older worksheet that was not completed for art class, then they could find that paper in the “art tray.”  At the end of each day, your child would have to put away incomplete worksheets in each subject spot in addition to putting completed work in your inbox.  This is an extra step.  Model and help them do this until they can manage on their own.

 Everyone’s needs are different. This is just one model for paper flow. Take some time to think about what categories of papers you will have for your child and then give each a “home”. Remember:  No loose papers! Every paper belongs somewhere, even if it’s a pretty tray. Then train your kids to put away all of their papers each day. Having simple paper routines can go a long way to keeping your child’s workspaces decluttered and feeling a bit more in control.

If you need more support, consider hiring a professional organizer or a one-on-one virtual organizing coach.  

Guest Blog: The Ultimate Closet Design and Organizing Guide

Rocio Espinoza

Rocio is a SEO Marketing Specialist and does Content Marketing at Porch. She is passionate about wellness and fitness, and her hobbies are reading, writing, and music.

Since we’re spending more time at home, now is the perfect opportunity to gain control of your closet. No more clothes shoved in, no more unsuccessful searches for that tie or belt. An organized closet is a thing of beauty and functionality, and it’s within your reach.

It doesn’t matter if your renovation project is for a small apartment closet or a spacious walk-in closet – it’s yours, and it can become a joy-inspiring space instead of a source of can’t-find-it stress.

Designing an organized closet involves discovering what your needs are and then fitting a combination of hanging rods, dresser drawers, shelving units, and other components into the space you have available, like a puzzle, in an appealing and useful configuration. Not all floors or walls are created equal, so there will be lots of measuring and customizing to your space. Through the frustrations and triumphs, you’ll have created a customized storage space just for you, a closet that will serve you well. We have some great tips to make this project successful.

How to Get Started

One of the first things you need to consider is existing space. Is the closet already there? Are you planning on making it bigger? Are the kids gone, and you’re thinking about turning that small bedroom into the walk-in closet you’ve always longed for? Look at the big picture first and then jot down a quick sketch of what you’re envisioning. This fast drawing is a starting point as you begin assessing your needs, wants, and budget. It won’t be your final draft, and the design will evolve as you consider all the factors.

Designing your own closet organization system is the perfect opportunity to end up with exactly what you want, as long as you’re flexible when it comes to cost and other factors. If you share the closet with someone else, seek your partner’s input as well. With some persistence and a good game plan, you can design the perfect closet. Grab your measuring tape, pencil, and paper or computer design program, and let’s get the ball rolling.

Assess your Needs

Take stock of your needs, your skills, and your budget. Is this project something you can tackle yourself, or something best left to a professional? Browse design publications, home improvement websites, and Youtube videos for inspiration and advice. No closet organization design is the same. Visit your local home improvement store or a business that specializes in space organization. This will give you good ideas for potential configurations and trends. 

Take Stock of your Clothes Inventory

Take a good look at your wardrobe. Does your current space give you the room you need, or do you need to enlarge the actual space? Are all of your clothes essential, or do you have ensembles that you haven’t worn in ages that are only taking up valuable “closet real estate?” Count your shoes – how many do you have, and how will they fit into your dream closet? Don’t forget accessories, like belts, ties, scarves, hats, and jewelry.

Measure, Measure, Measure

Before you start designing, building, or ordering pre-built components for your organized closet, measure it all. Measure your emptied closet space, including the height from the floor to ceiling, and the width of each wall, taking into account molding at the bottom of walls or crown molding at the top. Make note of any features that would affect the placement of shelves or drawers, such as electrical outlets, light switches, ducts, doors, windows, or vents. As you start designing on paper, include the precise dimensions. Drawing on graph paper is very helpful for this.

What are the measurements of your overall floor plan? Don’t forget to take into consideration any space taken up by closet doors. Measure the closet dimensions at both the front and back, top and bottom because walls, ceilings, and floors are seldom exactly level and plumb. This will affect how well your configuration fits into the space.

Zone Out

Think of your closet as having “zones” – rods to hang clothes, shelves, drawers, shoe racks, whatever your needs are in that space. It may help to use a roll of blue painter’s tape to mark the outline of those zones: a drawer system here, shelves there, a ceiling-to-floor shoe rack against that wall. The painter’s tape releases from walls and flooring easily so you can tape, remove, and re-tape as your design changes.

Will your future closet space hold lots of items that go into drawers, like socks, underwear, shorts, or lingerie? Or, do you have more hanging clothes, like shirts, skirts, suits, and slacks? Are you a “fold shirts and stack” kind of person or a “hang it all up” person? Your preferences dictate what your closet configuration will look like.

 Get Hung Up on your Hang-up Storage

One important decision you’ll make is how far up from the floor you’ll place hanging rods for clothes. Do you want storage on the floor underneath? How high is comfortable for you to reach while hanging clothes without grabbing a stool to stand on? When measuring to hang rods, add at least a few inches at the top for getting the hangers on and off the rod. Go through your wardrobe and tally up how many clothes already hang low, like dresses, suits, or winter coats. You’ll need to make room for these low-hanging ensembles. Also consider whether you prefer to hang slacks full-length, requiring a higher rod, or draped over a hanger, which can hang on a lower rod.

Open Shelving or Drawers?

Do you like open shelving, drawers, or both? Some people prefer drawers for a neat, streamlined look. Awkward stacks of sweaters or workout t-shirts can be tucked away into drawers. Or, you may prefer shelves to display shoes or handbags. Shelves also offer quick access for those late-for-work, dress-in-a-hurry mornings. This is your closet, so it’s your choice within your budget. Keep in mind that drawers are typically more expensive than shelves.

Do you want hanging storage for accessories like belts or ties, or do you roll or fold for storage in a pull-out drawer? You’ll want to keep paper nearby to jot down notes as you delve into your specific organizational needs.

Jewelry Drawers?

When designing your custom closet, consider where you’ll store your jewelry. Do you enjoy displaying your necklaces or rings, or prefer to keep them safely tucked away? You could even include space for a safe for expensive pieces or other valuables. You may already have a cherished jewelry armoire or hanging organizer that you can configure into your new closet decor, or you may opt for new jewelry drawers with custom dividers. Make this closet your own.

Illuminate Your Space

When dreaming up the perfect closet space, don’t forget about lighting. No one wants to fumble for clothes and accessories in the dark. If this is a walk-in closet or more than a small space, consider having lighting installed. This might require hiring an electrician, so include that in your budget. Browse online for on-trend lighting options. If it’s a small space, you may be able to install battery-operated lighting.

Some Important Things to Consider

Before you start shopping, ordering, or building, know how the sections fit together. Can you anchor the cabinets or rods into wall studs? How will you attach the shelves to the drawer units?

Are you building some or all of the components yourself, or buying sections from a home improvement store or a specialty store? You may find that a complete, pre-assembled system works better for your unique space and costs less than buying the materials and crafting yourself. You can also order specific components and assemble and install them yourself. Keep your budget in mind as you consider all the different types – and prices – of closet systems.

Design Trends

Peruse websites and stores to see the new trends and configurations in custom closets. There may be on-trend features, like rollout shelves or lighted closet rods, that you’ll want to incorporate into your own space.

Once you’ve settled on the components, it’s time to consider the material. Do you prefer an ultra-modern look, a traditional look, or something in between? Love the sleek look of metal? Clean, white lines? Will you choose the look of wood, such as oak, pine, or cherry, to match your existing bathroom or bedroom decor? Does your dream closet include a mirror or perhaps a chair for dressing convenience? Special touches will add to the unique charm of your haven of organization.

It’s time to start drawing designs. Do you prefer your drawers on the right side, center, or left side? You’ll want a design that satisfies all your personal closet needs, and one you’ll be happy with. Armed with exact measurements, shop around to find what meets your designed needs. If you’re on a budget, check Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, second-hand stores, and other sources for used components that you can incorporate and then paint to match the other sections for a unified look.

Declutter and Donate

Once you finish installing your custom-designed system, it’s time to move your belongings back. Then, step back and admire your new space. It was worth the time and effort, wasn’t it? When you’re repopulating your closet, take advantage of the opportunity to declutter. Go through your wardrobe, including shoes, ties, suits, and handbags, and consider how often you’ve used those articles, enlist help from a professional organizer if you need to. Are there items you haven’t worn in several years or can no longer fit in? Give them new life elsewhere by donating gently used items to a thrift store or a homeless shelter.

A Place for Everything, and Everything in its Place

Now that you have the closet of your dreams, keep it that way. Make sure you keep it clean and organized. Once a day, go through the closet and pick up any stray clothes, wandering shoes, or wayward accessories. Retaining everything in its place can become a healthy habit and makes finding just what you need so much easier. Dust the surfaces and banish cobwebs and dust bunnies. Taking care of your organization components will ensure years of dependable, beautiful function.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas. Disclosure: Some of the links provided on this page are affiliate links, which means at no additional cost to you, I will earn commission if you click through.

Time Management Tips from Organizing Professionals

Time-Management is one of the most rewarding skills you can invest in, both in your personal and professional life, but what exactly is time management? Time management is the coordination of tasks and activities to maximize the effectiveness of an individual’s efforts. Essentially, time management is enabling people to get more work done in less time. Here are some useful Time-Management tips from organizing and management professionals.

Sandy Park

Tidy with Spark

Write it down.

Ever since a young age I wrote a to-do list. The act of extracting lists from my head onto a structured list on paper made perfect sense and seemed essential to getting things done. But inevitably as the lists grew more complete, my system of list making needed modification. This is when I started to group like tasks and items together. Batch processing is not a new concept, but for my note taking and list making process, it was a game changer. 

Instead of shifting from unlike tasks to another losing focus and all the economies of scale of starting over with a new task, I grouped like items together, batching them up so that I would benefit from being in the frame of mind of completing a similar task.

For example, any emails that need to be sent or read were grouped together. I would answer emails one right after the other and then move on to the next subcategory on my list of making phone calls. Grouping all calls together allowed me to knock out all the calls in one sitting. All return calls or appointments are handled together, whereas longer length calls to a friend or a family member are reserved for a later time when I could devote more time to the task at hand.

Batching up tasks on my to-do list saved a great deal of time for me and organized my day in a way that was manageable and productive.

Annmarie Gustafson

Annmarie Gustafson

Prioritize with Time Blocking.

Have you ever noticed how much harder you’ll work to fit something into your schedule if it’s something you really want to do? Chances are if you’re starting up your own business, the things you’ll tend to work on first are the fun, exciting tasks that you want to do. When it comes to the repetitive administrative tasks or projects you find boring, you’ll procrastinate doing them for as long as possible. Somehow though, it all still gets done.

The only chance we have at any semblance of work-life balance, is to decide how much time we are willing to devote to each of those things, in an ideal world, each week. Time Blocking is one of the best ways to put into perspective how much time you actually have each day to get things done. Initially, you may be surprised at how much or how little “free” time you have. You’ll begin to more closely analyze how you’re spending (or wasting) your days and figure out what should stay and what can go.

My favorite benefit of Time Blocking is that it eliminates any guilty feelings. If you tend to think, “I really should reply to that email,” or “I probably need to take a break and go play with the kids,” you’ll be freed of those pesky, interrupting thoughts. You’ll know that there is a time set aside for doing all those things, but right now, you’re working on whatever is in your current time block.

Of course there are hundreds of ways you can get started with Time Blocking. You can use an app, your digital calendar, a pencil and paper, or a simple spreadsheet.

Flavia Roman

Alter Decorum

Don’t leave  what you can do today for tomorrow.

Once I’m done utilizing an item, I put it back where it belongs. I maintain a certain organized household balance by returning all objects where they belong, and by making sure everything already has a designated place. 

I keep my bathroom vanity neat by depositing some of my skin care and dental products in the order of which will be used.  This way not only the vanity will always look organized, but also my next skin or dental routine will save me time by not having to search around for the products that I’m supposed to be using.

I prioritize based on what needs immediate attention by assessing the benefits that I might be getting from accomplishing a certain task.  Each benefit always improves a different aspect of my life.

Alexandra Kozak

Living Simply PGH

Rest.

I let myself rest. Or at least do something I want to do. Whether that’s a calling a friend or working out, it’s important to build time into your day to decompress. Most of us feel compelled to make sure our day is as productive as possible, which can lead to feelings of guilt over taking a break. But these short rest periods can help reset your focus and recharge your energy to continue to tackle your list.

Set a timer if you need to. I schedule my workouts as if they were meetings. This holds me accountable but also ensures this break is built into my day. I also use my Apple watch to remind me to stand at least once every hour. That gets me away from the computer and walking around. It helps so much to just get up and stretch.

Annie Allen

Annie The Organizer

Set a specific time for responding to emails.

 Email management. We often get side-tracked while reading and responding to emails, wasting valuable time and getting off-task.  An interesting article catches our attention, a seemingly quick response becomes a research project and before you know it, an hour or two has been lost on emails. It’s important to schedule email time each day; put it in your planner.  

When viewing email, determine what is urgent vs. important - urgent emails require immediate action whereas important emails can wait 24-48 hours or a stated deadline. If emails generate a new task or action, consult your planner and determine if/when you can complete that task; put the new task in your planner rather than dropping everything and completing it right away.  

Set an alarm five minutes before your allotted time is up, so you can begin closing down your email session and not lose track of time.  The same idea applies to managing social media accounts; schedule a specific time to connect, post, respond to all social media.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

How to organize your Stamp Collection Step by Step

One box might not seem like a lot to organize, but when it comes to stamps it can be overwhelming, especially if you have a lot. It does not have to be. There are many ways you can organize your stamp collection and here is some guidance for a step by step tutorial:

1. What is the goal?
Make sure you have a vision for what you have in mind for your stamps. Do you want to display them in a special way? Do you want to have them in order so you can navigate and have easy access to them when you need to or are you planning on selling/auctioning them off?
Once you have decided what type of “life” you want to have for your stamps you can move on to the next step.

2. Preparation
To be able to effectively organize and store your stamps you do need a few things. First you need to make some time to organize and just that. No doing two or three things at the same time, you will get distracted from your goal and it will feel like you will never get done. The best time to organize is when you are by yourself and have no distractions (turn your phone on silent). Second, find a clear space that you can use for sorting. Once you gather all your belongings it can feel overwhelming to see how much you have and how much work you have to get done. Remember it will always seem worse before it gets better. It’s part of the process. If you don’t have a proper storage system for your assortment yet, I suggest to get a pocketbook and stamp storage sheets.

3. Gather all your stamps in one place
Make sure to get your entire stamp collection from all the corners of your home, if they are scattered. Collect them on a flat, hard surface such as the dining table. You might have to do this in sections if you have a large amount of stamps. I suggest to work in blocks of 2-3 hours per session to not get too overwhelmed. Also keep an open mind about hiring help if you feel like it is too much work or have a hard time doing this without guidance. A professional organizer can counsel you through the process and show you how to efficiently organize your belongings.

4. Sort
Start anywhere you would like and sort into categories; keep, duplicate, discard. For the keepers, you can sub categorize these as well by collection, date or value. The duplicates can be stored in a separate pocketbook or stamp sheet protector. The ones that you don’t want to keep anymore you can either sell, trade or discard.

5. Storing your Stamps
Once you have finished sorting and kept the ones that spark joy, it is time for proper storage. Like I mentioned in the introduction, Pocketbooks or stamp protector sheets are best for Stamp storage. They come in different sizes and colors, so make sure you pick something that reflects your style. Put the pocket book somewhere where you have easy access to it. Collections are often sentimental items and should be displayed so they can give you joy every time you see them.

6. Discarding the rest
If you are planning on selling all or some of you stamps check out your local stamp collector shop or auction them off online

Now that you know the basics you can go to your favorite philatelic store and get some quality supplies and stock them with your beautiful collection. When you treat your items with respect you will get great pride and joy out of them and it makes collecting so much more fun when everything has a place.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

How knowing your tendency can help you achieve your goals

Ever wondered why you can get some things done but not others? How do other people get fit, organized or stay accountable? Knowing your personality type and tendency can help make a difference in accomplishing the tasks that lead you to your best life.

Last month I read the book “the four tendencies” by Gretchen Rubin. In this groundbreaking analysis of personality type, bestselling author of Better Than Before and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin reveals the one simple question that will transform what you do at home, at work, and in life. Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I respond to expectations?" we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively. (Amazon)

I took the quiz and discovered that I was a “Questioner” which was not surprising to me. According to the definition on her website , “Questioners question all expectations, and they respond to an expectation only if they conclude that it makes sense—in essence, they meet only inner expectations. They’re motivated by reason, logic, and fairness. They wake up and think, “What needs to get done today, and why?” They decide for themselves whether a course of action is a good idea, and they resist doing anything that seems to lack purpose. Because Questioners want to make well-considered decisions and come to their own conclusions, they tend to be intellectually engaged, and they’re often willing to do exhaustive research.”

This describes my personality to a T. When I did my 10x10 challenge project I did not do it, because it is on trend or because it is something minimalists are doing. I researched the benefits of having a capsule wardrobe and wanted to see if it would work for me. I found the idea for the challenge online and thought I should try it out, because I want to (inner expectation) stop buying clothes and use what I have efficiently for environmental and economical reasons.

What is your tendency? Find out by taking the quiz here:

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

My ten by ten wardrobe experiment

Have you ever opened your closet and felt like you have nothing to wear, despite owning tons of clothes? I’ve been there! Last year I came across a couple of minimalist fashion Instagram accounts with the hashtag 10x10 Challenge. It got me interested in trying it out.

What is the 10x10 Challenge?

Basically you get to pick out 10 pieces of your wardrobe (not counting underwear, shoes or accessories). Then you Mix and match the ten items you have picked out for the next ten days.

What I loved about it:

It literally only took me 5 minutes to get dressed in the morning. Since I had limited options, I did not feel overwhelmed by the choices, but had enough to choose from (casual to business). Also for an experiment it is not too long of a commitment. Ten days is long enough to get into a habit and short enough to decide if a capsule wardrobe is something to consider long term. I was able incorporate a couple of “fancy” pieces I usually don’t wear but it gave me the opportunity to have to wear them and I really felt good about myself wearing those beautiful pieces even on an ordinary day.

Things to consider:

This reminded me of streamlining your wardrobe and creating a “basic wardrobe” with some accent pieces. This is easy and saves time picking your clothes. When shopping your own closet instead of buying new things, you save the environment from adding more trash to the landfill and save cash by not going shopping for new clothes all the time. Also owning less clothes will help you organize your closet more efficiently and and practically. Once you get used to the accessibility of your items you might want to implement the concept of minimizing to the rest of your home and life as well.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

How to organize your Kitchen step by step

Organizing your Kitchen can seem daunting, especially if you have a large space and many cabinets that are filled. The first step is to take a big breath. Then Imagine your perfect lifestyle. What will a tidy home enable you to do? What does your kitchen look like? How long does it take you to find things and put them back? Now that you have a vision, get started!

First we take out all the items from the cabinets. if you have a small kitchen you could take everything out at one time. However, If you have a big kitchen, time or physical restrictions I recommend only working on a couple of cabinets or set a time limit for no more than 2-3 hours per session. The kitchen is a big job, so don’t hesitate to hire your help.

The process:

1. Gather all items in one space (kitchen, counter, table or floor)

2. Joy check your items: Ask “does this spark joy”, how often do i use this? Is it broken, What’s the purpose for this? Do not hold on to items because they were “a good deal” or because they were gifted to you. You want to surround yourself with only things that spark joy for you and support you in your desired lifestyle. For Items that do not spark joy, say thank you and either put them in a donation box or discard them if they are broken or expired.

3. Sort items: If your items spark joy put them aside by category. For example cooking pots and pans will be stored together, spices or small appliances etc.

4. Put Items back into the empty space after you are finished joy checking all of your belongings. Items you seldom use such as the rice cooker or a toaster should be stored on the top shelf on in the cabinet, while things you use frequently should be stored where they are easily accessible. Store likewise items together and use (cardboard) boxes or plastic bins to keep then separate.

5. Lastly, sell you unwanted items at a yard-sale or with this app locally or drop them off your donations at your favorite non-Profit. Then take your discarded and broken items to the trash.

Once you have organized your kitchen and given every singe item a home, You will find the things you are looking for and your family members will know where to put things back. you will save time and clean less. Ideally, you do not want to have anything sitting on your counter tops except for 2-3 appliances you use every day. A clean and organized kitchen is the center of the home and should not give you anxiety, but a sense of peace and pride as well as gratefulness to have everything you need available when you need it.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

My five favorite Products for home and office organization

Organizing your home can be fun and energizing, but having the right equipment in hand can also save you space and make all your hard work look even more pleasing. Here are my top 5 picks for organization products:

1.Drawer dividers:

Drawer dividers are great for separating anything from file folded clothes to kitchen products and office supplies. they come in many different materials such as plastic, clear acrylic and bamboo. they are versatile and adjustable to the size of your drawers. Make sure to store similar items together to quickly find what you are looking for. This also gives you an opportunity to stage your belongings just like this underwear drawer.

Buy dividers here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2TBV0A/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tidyclosetsd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01L2TBV0A&linkId=ae7188bc24c875d2bd6c7107feb56fd3

2. Velvet hangers:

Velvet hangers are great because they not only save space, but also make your hanging clothes look more uniform and upscale. The velvet material that covers the hangers makes them non slip and perfect for even the most silkiest of materials. Make your closet look like you are walking into a boutique with this easy upgrade. Learn how to organize your clothes efficiently here>>>

Find hangers here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07N1F5Y71/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tidyclosetsd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07N1F5Y71&linkId=36c242c43c46eddaeb6d526c6bfcaef4

3. Wire or wicker baskets

these are great for kitchen and bathroom organization. Wicker hides products you don’t want to while and clear or wire baskets do. These are great for pantries, open shelves and cabinet storage. They come in different sizes, shapes and heights. Make sure to measure your cabinets/ pantry before buying these. You can mix and match your baskets or buy all the same kind to make it look uniform. You can be creative in how you want to display your storage containers this way.

Buy baskets here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079W4LBLN/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tidyclosetsd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B079W4LBLN&linkId=043a3bb0ef7e7b3fd941dd401a400a72

4. Clear food containers:

For closed containers clear glass or plastic ones are great for pasta, rice and flour storage. They remove the busy labels from your view and you can see, what and how much of things you have. Once you have assigned your food items a fitting container make sure to use labels on them as well so you don’t mix up ingredients.

Find food containers here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07ZP3L7JN/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tidyclosetsd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B07ZP3L7JN&linkId=8a20ea727fb84b4b90d9f0ba56939eac

5. Drawer inserts

These are great for small things in the office, crafting items or beauty supplies. Sort like wise items together in the containers and place in drawers. this ensures that every item has separation and a place to be. Ready to get your office organized yet? Read more here>>>>

Find drawer inserts here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06Y5HFTK4/ref=as_li_qf_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tidyclosetsd-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B06Y5HFTK4&linkId=2c89c4b26b63c92654b6ab8dfb2e7cb0

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

How to Organize Your Home Office for Good

Guest Blog: Melissa Bryan from Mrs. Melissa Bryan Home & Office Solutions is a professional organizer who shares methods to keep you and your family happy, healthy, and organized. You can find her tips and tricks along with a healthy dose of large family living on her website www.mrsmelissabryan.com or check out her Facebook page for where she shares her daily stories and words of inspiration. If you are a fan of inspiration, be sure to find her on Pinterest

Lessons from Marie Kondo on eliminating paper clutter once and for all

Recently, I tackled a home office for a friend. She has a beautiful home and is herself a very organized person, but her home office had gotten out of control. After building her new home, several boxes from different family businesses had finally all made their way to the home office from storage. This created a large collection of papers and left the family without a space where they could work and enjoy. How can you organize your home office for good?

I must admit that while I do not have several businesses that I run from my home office, my own space had gotten shabby and in disarray. It is so easy to set that stack of mail down and plan to get to it later or to collect everything for the accountant and become distracted. Lots of us do this right? Keeping your paper clutter controlled can be done without creating a panic attack I promise. What you need is a good plan.

If you have read the book by Marie Kondo “The Life-Changing Art of Tidying Up”, she goes into detail about the order in which one should tidy. I am not an affiliate, but you can get her book here.  By breaking down the categories of clothing, books, papers, miscellaneous, and sentimental, she provides a simple road map to a truly tidy home. Regarding paper she says,

““MY BASIC PRINCIPLE FOR SORTING PAPERS IS TO THROW THEM ALL AWAY.””

— –MARIE KONDO, THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP

Organizing your home office for good begins with getting everything in one place

 Carry ALL paperwork to one central location. Drag it all over to your dining room table if you have one or your living room floor and group everything into one space and dig in. This will help you avoid the pitfall of having duplicate items in multiple spaces. Be sure to start with your office paper clutter and save sentimental papers for after you have completed this challenge. Sorting office papers are much easier to be objective about.

The paper clutter plan – you can do this!

Sorting – Create a now, later and forever method of sorting.

• Now papers are your bills. Organize your bills in the front of your cabinet or folder and toss once paid. Subscribe to online bill pay when available. This service will save you money on stamps, time, and late fees. Go paperless on bank statements. Many banks and cell phone companies will reduce their fees for using this feature.

• Later papers are for taxes and business paperwork. Organize those into totes or clear plastic containers and label. One should be for the current year and one (or several) for the previous years. Shred the rest when possible.

• Forever papers are important documents like birth certificates, social security cards, or contracts. I highly recommend creating a family binder. If you need an idea on how to create this, check this one out https://rockitmama.com/family-emergency-binder-free-printables-to-create-your-own/ I grab mine every time I need to file a shot record or sign my kids up for school. Even doctor’s visits may require some of this important info. Keep this where you can just grab and go.

Create a now, later and forever method of sorting.

Scan important documents into a digital format.

This method will help you to eliminate accruing paper clutter in the future. Simply scan, dispose, and go. Use a similar process for receipts; keep them in a coupon organizer until you can scan them or snap a pic with your phone and email it to yourself. Adobe has an app that makes this really simple. I know someone who uses his wallet for this. You should see the size of it!

Dispose anything that doesn’t go into one of the three categories

When you have gone through the now, later, and forever categories, you will have determined what is really needed and what can be disposed of. Tax records should be kept for 7 years. Neatly place in a tote with the years labeled on the outside. Dispose of anything you can or shred documents with sensitive information. Use this as some therapy time! Shred the stress away and recycle it! Keep a separate trash can in the kitchen for recycling. This will keep everything tidy unlike those bins that some cities provide.

What do you do with your neatly sorted piles? Organize what is left into a file cabinet or expandable file folder with labels designating each category. Your important documents should be organized according to individual and placed inside the family binder. Organize your bills according to when they are due or set them in the first file of your cabinet.

Sentimental Items

Admittedly, this is the hardest part for yours truly to get rid of. Hold those sweet child drawings and ask yourself, “Does this item spark joy?” If it does, it can go into one of the clear plastic bins. Try to limit yourself to only one bin. If you have multiple child coloring book drawings, don’t beat yourself up over tossing it. It is my preference to keep the pictures with hand prints.

Photos need to be sorted too. Be sure that you know at least one person in the photo. I inherited photos from family and felt that I had to keep these photos of a distant uncle that I had never met. Store the photos you keep into a photo box. This is the thing I personally struggle with most. No judgement my friend.

Maintenance – keeping your home office organized for good

So, how are you going to keep your papers organized for good? Find a space in your home to designate as your drop zone. This space could be a bowl, basket, or tray. After you have removed the junk mail, set the remaining mail in its place. Wherever you choose to keep it, dedicate only one place for it. Set a weekly alarm to remind yourself to take care of it and pay, file, scan, or trash it.

Enlist help if you need it for tackling this project. Accruing papers is easy thing to do. Be brutal in your conquest for a tidy home office. Create the habit and practice it daily. 

How to organize your clothes

Before you start organizing you must ask yourself why. What is the goal of organization? Do you want to minimize your distractions, have more time for playing with the kids or maybe you just want to be able to find your keys in the morning. I got you! But I invite you to look further down the road and imagine your ideal life! If you want to stay organized for the long run you need a long term goal to be able to create everyday tidy habits. Some of my clients envision their ideal lifestyles such as traveling more, working less (or changing careers), going back to school or spending more time (really being present) with loved ones. Once you have figured out your long term goals and ideal lifestyle then you are ready to get started.

We start by organizing our clothes because we want to learn to make easy decisions before we make hard ones (It is easier to decide about a stained shirt than it is about grandmas old china). Making good decisions about your belongings will train your brain to make good decisions about your life.

Step 1: Gather all your clothes in one place (the bed or bedroom floor are great)

The reason we want to do this is to see how much we really own. For many of my clients surprise it’s often much more than they anticipated.

Step 2: Touch every single Item and ask if it sparks joy!

Yes I know it sounds cheesy, but we have been trained to make decisions based on other peoples opinion all the time. We have to re-learn to make decisions based on our own well being and happiness. So, if you touch your favorite shirt you will feel happy and warm and you will have an emotional reaction to it. Make your decisions based on how your clothes make you feel and if these items are something you would want to wear in your ideal life.

Related: Minimalist Closet: Practice Minimalism with Your Wardrobe

Step 3: Sort you items into a keep, donate or discard pile

If the answer to the question “does it spark joy” is yes, keep it. If the answer is no, make sure you thank the item (yes gratitude is important to let go and to appreciate what the item has done for and meant to you in the past). Then either donate it if it is in good shape or discard it if it is stained or ripped or too old to be reused.

Step 4: File fold your clothes to save space

When you are finished sorting, my advice is to fold as much as you can. Most modern fabrics don’t wrinkle anymore and folding will safe you tons of space. The neat thing with file folding is, that you can see every single item and are able to pull them out from the dresser, without making a mess. Here is a tutorial on how to fold your clothes vertically:

Step 5: Store items back in the closet

Folded Items should be stored in a dresser, from light to heavy. Lighter items such as bras, panties or socks should be stored in the top drawer and heavier items like jeans should be stored on the bottom. When hanging up items make sure o hang them up in an angle from long to short or sort them by color.

Step 6: Discard your trash and drop off your clothes donations at your favorite non-profit or second hand store

I recommend to make a donations drop of the same day you finished organizing your clothes, or the bags might be laying around in your home and becoming a nuisance for weeks. Also do not leave them in the garage or they might be forgotten forever. The sooner you can take the responsibility to donate/ discard them is when you have finished the clothes category of organization.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

I am challenging you to a 10 WEEKS OF DECLUTTERING CHALLENGE!!

Is Corona virus leaving you stuck at home? Now is the time to get organized and stay that way. Join us on our 10 week spring de-cluttering challenge, where we as a community get organized together. No matter if you live in San Diego, Antarctica or Germany, this is for everyone that is willing to give it a try.

During these 10 weeks you will:

Figure out what your ideal lifestyle looks like
learn to decide what sparks joy and what does not
learn to let go with gratitude
organize in an efficient and practical way
create a effortlessly tidy home
be able to apply these principles to all aspect of life

Pre-Organization: Create a Vision for your ideal Life
WEEK ONE: CLOTHES: (timeline 3-6 hours)
WEEK TWO: Books: (Timeline 1-4 hours)
WEEK THREE: Papers/Office supplies (Timeline 4-6 hours)
WEEK FOUR: Bathroom/Beauty supplies (Timeline 3-6 Hours)
WEEK FIVE: Electronics (2-4 Hours)
WEEK SIX: Kitchen (Timeline 4-8hours)
WEEK SEVEN: Cleaning Supplies/Linens (Timeline 2-3 hours)
WEEK EIGHT: Toys/Pets (Timeline 2-4 hours)
WEEK NINE: Hobbies (2-6 Hours)
WEEK TEN: Sentimental's (Timeline 2-4 Hours)
Post-Organization: Permanent Storage Solutions

This Challenge will start on May 4tth. I will guide your through all the categories and give you helpful tips on how to de-clutter and organize efficiently and permanently.

If you would like to accept this challenge and get your home in order once and for all come join our 10 Week Challenge Facebook group to participate via our online platform.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

Organizing a schedule while being confined at home

With many San Diego schools, businesses and events being cancelled, we are now getting the gift of time. Time at home with our kids, time to finish the one or two projects we have started or maybe even to organize and deep clean our homes.

Here are some tips from a local San Diego professional organizer and KonMari Consultant on how to handle scheduling and hire help during the social distancing period.

1. Set yourself (and your kids) some goals for the day:

   Clean out the fridge or getting your daily steps in by taking a walk, make sure you give yourself a goal to accomplish to feel productive. Your kids should have their goals too; finishing homework, doing their chores and maybe work on a project together (maybe learning how to prepare a meal?)

2. Make sure to get some sun:

   One hour per day should be set aside for outside time. Play some soccer with the kids or take your bike out for a ride. Research shows that going outside is good for your health, lowers depression and it gives us a break from these overwhelmingly negative news on TV.

3. Time out for screens:

   Make sure to turn off the screens and read a book that you have been wanting to read or play a board game with your family. Puzzles can be a great alternative for activating your memory and increasing focus.

4. Support small business:

   Especially in times like these it is more important than ever to keep supporting small business. Even though we can’t physically go into crowded places and attend events, we can still order a to go meal from a local restaurant, buy a gift card from a local store online or take advantage of online classes/ virtual sessions offered.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

3 Ideas on how to make de-cluttering fun

Getting organized when you feel overwhelmed can be hard. Finding time to start, when you are busy is challenging. An organizing marathon is not for everybody. If you are like me, challenges make it fun. Get together with a friend or join an online community like the KonMari+Dave Ramsey Facebook Group to find motivation, inspiration and accountability. Here are some ideas and fun challenges to help you enjoy the process.

1. Make a vision Board of your perfect lifestyle and hang it up in your closet to remind you of the why.

   When you have a visual of the things that you value and desire, you are more likely to think about them. Make sure you create your vision board around how you want to feel in all areas of your life such as home, career, relationships, money, travel or personal growth. Once you know what’s important to you, you can delegate your time into achieving your goals. Visualization can be one of the most powerful exercises you can do and there is research to prove t too. Psychology Today reported that a study looking at brain patterns in weightlifters found that the patterns activated when a weightlifter lifted hundreds of pounds were similarly activated when they only imagined lifting.  In some cases, research has revealed that mental practices are almost effective as true physical practice, and that doing both is more effective than either alone.

2. Play the Min-Game Challenge!

   The rules are easy. You have 30 days to de-clutter and it starts with one item on day 1, then two items on day 2, three items on day 3 and so on. The further you get into the moth the more challenging it gets. At the end of the Month you have gotten rid of about 465 items! The great thing about this challenge is that it does not take a lot of time and once you get into it, it is hard to stop. There is also a whole community playing this game online and sharing their progress, you can find them on Instagram with the hashtag #minsgame to join.

3. Make Money!

   It does not matter if you are moving, just moved in or have lived in your home for a couple of decades, making money is always helpful. Many of my clients plan to hold a yard sale at the end of their organizing journey. Make sure you set yourself a date and advertise it to hold yourself accountable. Through the process of de-cluttering your home you might even come across some unused gift cards, gift certificates or even checks that have not been deposited. The thing to remember is to price your items that they will sell. The money is already gone and you have decided that all these items are going, so remembering that all of it is going to donations afterward anyways, should give you a realistic outlook on money goals. Any money you make is going to be a profit.

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

My story

I have a confession to make!
I wasn’t always super organized. Before I became a Professional Organizer I had my own struggle with clutter. Don’t believe me?
This is my story:

I am originally from Germany where I grew up in a 700sqft. home with my Parents and a Bernese Mountain Dog. We only had one car and no Garage. I rode my bike to school everyday and we did not have dial up internet until I was a teenager. It was a simple life where we spend most of our free time outside with friends when the weather was good. We never bought a lot of stuff, we had everything we needed.

When I came to San Diego as an adult I experienced the freedom of making my own money and being able to purchase whatever I wanted. Also there was always something on sale. I started to accumulate lots of stuff as well as debt. I was under a tremendous amount of stress, being a working mom and full-time student, juggling career, family-life and self care. Even though I loved my job, there was no potential for growth or promotions possible. I felt burned out in my career and overwhelmed with all the stuff at home that I had to maintain, clean and take care of.

When I came across Marie Kondo’s book “the life-changing magic of tidying up” I just wanted to organize my home to get my mind clear. When I was going trough all my belongings, I found so many things that still had tags on them. I found items that were never used or have forgotten I even had them. I used shopping as a temporarily fix for happiness. With the help of the the KonMari Method™ I discovered what I truly valued in my life by asking the question “does it spark joy?” and the WHY behind every single item I owned.

I purged about 80% of my belongings including a car. I felt lighter, calmer and happier. My husband and I had paid off all of our consumer debt by selling unwanted stuff and learning to say no to spending temptations. After experiencing what an improvement this lifestyle change has made for my home, my family and my mental health, I quit my job and became a certified KonMari Consultant, so I can help others become more organized, productive and happy. Through the process of de-cluttering the KonMari way, I learned that my true values are my Family, Education and Travel. So now, I spend my time and money accordingly. I would have never been able to to figure this out on my own, I was so distracted by all the clutter, physically and mentally.

My KonMari journey has led me to my true potential. I became better at organizing, as well as more confident in making decisions that help me live a joyful life on my terms. I no longer engage in activities that don’t spark joy or hold to things because of feelings of guilt. I only make time for people that treat me well and I try to be very intentional about what I bring into my house.

I feel very grateful for the roof over my head, running/clean water and a fridge that’s filled. I really learned to appreciate the ordinary things in life, like having an afternoon tea with my husband or playing board games with my 6 year old.

The KonMari Method™ is about having or creating a vision of your perfect lifestyle, regardless of your current circumstances. It’s like creating a roadmap to happiness. Once you have figured out where you want to go you just have to follow the steps to get there. Marie Kondo’s Philosophy is applicable to all aspects of life and therefore learning to make decisions about joy, happiness and gratitude is an essential skill that will lead you to succeed in organizing your home and your life.

If you have finished your tidying Marathon I would love to hear your story! Send me an email or contact me on Social Media! If you enjoyed this blog post please leave me a comment.

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Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas.

Try a yearly Theme instead of a New Years Resolution

Haven’t set a new years resolution yet? Maybe you don’t want to make one this year, because the previous years it just didn’t work out? Try a “Yearly Theme” instead! I listened to the Cortex podcast the other day, where they mentioned the idea of a yearly theme instead of a New Years Resolution. The reason being, there isn’t a way to fail. it’s the idea of thinking and creating habits to live your “ideal life”. The hosts of the Cortex Podcast discuss their own experiment with the past yearly theme they have had for themselves: “the year of less” which is a really interesting way to approach decision making and habit forming, especially if a “yearly theme” is a new concept for you. For me, i decided my yearly theme for 2020 will be “intention”. My goal is to put more intention in my time, work, schooling and relationships. If you decide to set yourself a Theme for 2020, I would love to hear about it!

Copyright © 2020 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and Business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and surrounding areas..

10 Last Minute clutter free gift ideas

The best gifts are not gifts. The best gifts are fun (giving and receiving), don’t bring clutter, involve experiences and create memories.

1. For moms: Massage or Spa day
2. For Kids: Zoo pass or museum tickets
3. For Music lovers: subscription to Pandora
4. For the working mom: Food delivery subscription or House Cleaning service certificate
5. For the Health conscious: Gym membership or yoga class pass

6. For the person that doesn’t want anything: Make a donation in their name to their favorite Charity
7. For Seniors: Handmade Coupons for IOU’s: lunch dates, trip to the library, bingo night etc.
8. For the book lover: library card
9. For the adventurous: Horseback riding and wine tour, paintball tickets
10. For the Crafty: Tickets to a arts and crafts workshop/class

Copyright © 2019 by Janine Morales, Professional Home and business Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego, CA.

4 Tips on how to have clutter free and joyful Holidays

1. Be a role model- De-clutter your own stuff first and make sure your kids see what you are doing and start a conversation about the purpose of de-cluttering (ex: getting rid of worn clothes, making room for things that fit better and donating good items to people that can’t can’t afford new things). Don’t go though your kids room and de-clutter your children’s room without them present. Make sure to include them, ask them what their favorite toys/ clothes are and which ones they would like to pass on to children that don’t have toys (don’t just make it about them, but also include reasons of giving, kindness and responsibility). Also do not get sentimental if your child is ready to let go of their first stuffed animals but you are not. Teach them to thank their belongings and say goodbye, which is a great ritual for letting go with gratitude and you might even want to take your kids with you when you your drop off the donation box at Goodwill, SalvationArmy or your local second hand store.

2. Do not keep gifts that don’t spark joy- Once you have received a gift or a card, it has fulfilled it’s purpose. Say thank you and appreciate the gesture. You are free to donate the item and not hold onto it because of feelings of guilt. Remember you only want to own items that support your perfect lifestyle and make you happy.

3. Make a list before you go shopping- If you buy gifts make sure you know exactly what you are buying and for who.For children I reccomend asking what they want or have them write a list to Santa and share that with your family members/friends, so they actually get something they really wanted, not just a bunch of plastic junk. I am also a big supporter of consumable and experience gifts. For example a bottle of wine and some home made cookies for the host of the Christmas Party. I also love experience gifts, as they are usually more memorable that material ones. Take your kids ice-skating or your loved one on a dinner cruise. For your friends how a bout an escape room experience? Groupon has some great deals for Things to do in your neighborhood.

4. Lastly, donate money to your favorite charity/church, volunteer or take part of a toy drive to support the community, because after all giving is always feels better than receiving and according to AARP lowers stress, boosts self confidence and decreases depression.

Copyright © 2019 by Janine Morales, Professional Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and Imperial Valley, CA

Notes: If you are in need of motivation or guidance in your KonMari™ journey you can find a Certified KonMari™ Consultant in your area on the official KMI webpage

Organize your time for happiness

I saw this quote on Instagram this month and it said “it is No!vember, a time to say “no” to people, places and things that drain your energy”. I can’t agree more with this, because it has the philosophy of the KonMari Method™ written all over it.

Marie Kondo is a big advocate of creating a vision of your perfect lifestyle. By doing so, you will have a guideline on how to make decisions. This does not only apply to your household items, but ultimately to your precious time on this earth as well. Our lives are always so busy, time flies by as our kids get older, our bodies age and we always keep pushing our timeline of happiness forward. I’ll be happy when I lose 20lbs or when I get that promotion or marry or have children or whatever it may be. There will never be a right time to be happy. The right time is now. The right time is today. You just need to make a little time for it. Start a gratitude journal and write down all the awesome things that happened today. Schedule a weekly call with your mom or a friend. Set that dinner date that you have been putting off. Do the things that make you happy and practice gratitude. I personally keep a colorful Family Calendar with everyone’s tasks and schedules written on. I also make sure there are fun things planned to make memories with the family and scheduled time for self-care, may it be a massage or a wine night with the girlfriends. Just remember to prioritize the vision of your perfect life in mind and saying “no” will come a little easier.

“Keep only those things that speak to your heart. Then take the plunge and discard all the rest. By doing this, you can reset your life and embark on a new lifestyle.”-Marie Kondo.

Copyright © 2019 by Janine Morales, Professional Organizer and Certified KonMari™ Consultant in San Diego and Imperial Valley, CA

Notes: If you are in need of motivation or guidance in your KonMari™ journey you can find a Certified KonMari™ Consultant in your area on the official KMI webpage

How to make room and teach mindfulness for the holidays

If you’re a mom and are dreading that the upcoming holidays will completely clutter up your kids room and home, here are my top 3 tips to kick clutter out and invite peace to your home.

1. Making room for “Santa’s List”

   Once a year before Christmas and or Birthday’s my son and I will take 2 big moving boxes and fill them up with “donations” for the kids that don’t have toys, and trash, for the toys that are broken. We do this to make room for new things to come. It’s a refreshing exercise that teaches your child to be grateful for the things he/she is keeping and the one’s they are deciding to toss, as well as get excited for the new things to come. The more room we make, the more space for the new (which does not mean it has to be replaced by physical stuff by the way).

2. Talk about experience over stuff

   When I ask my son what he wants for Christmas or his Birthday I usually add the words “to do”. When you ask the question “what do you want to do?” rather than “what do you want to have” you will re frame the assumption that it has to be something material. A friend of mine told me that grandma got her 4 year old son a gift certificate for the local YMCA for Christmas and in the weeks and months to come he still told everyone at the pool proudly that his “grandma got him swim lessons for Christmas”. Experiences often have a longer lasting memory in addition to the relationship factor.

3. Amazon wishlist’s

   Of course I understand that grandma wants to see her grand child unwrap a gift and see his/her surprised and happy face, that’s what the presents under the tree are all about. I believe balance is everything and to make grandma happy, I suggest creating an Amazon wish list for things such as toys or things your children are asking for through out the year. This list can be easily shared and items can be mindfully purchased knowing that it’s something they have wanted and not just the latest black Friday junk.

Copyright © 2019 by Janine Morales, Professional Organizer, Certified KonMari™ Consultant, San Diego and Imperial Valley, CA

Notes: If you are in need of motivation or guidance in your KonMari™ journey you can find a Certified KonMari™ Consultant in your area on the official KMI webpage