Advice on Organization

Someone on one of my many mama-boards requested info on getting, and staying organized. I responded with the following message, and thought it might be helpful to whoever else might need it...Good luck!


Hi *****,

I would suggest not being so hard on yourself, for starters. In the grand scheme of things, organization probably isn't way up there on the list of the most important things, ever.
With that being said, take it one step at a time. My mother - an extremely organized person who has rubbed off on me immensely- has always said in times of overwhelming frustration "How do you eat an elephant? -- One bite at a time". Start with one corner. Just the corner. Even if you have to place things from that corner into another one, just empty that corner! Focus on your mission - to organize that one corner of that one room.
As hard as it will be, try not to get side-tracked! Dedicate a specific amount of time to this task – say, one hour, depending on the size of the mess. Over-estimate to be fair and not put unnecessary pressure on yourself. Get someone to watch the kids or keep them entertained to better ensure your success. After your timer or alarm goes off, stop. Relish in your humble progress. It’s a great start, trust me! The next time you have another hour, go at it again. Be a monster and relentlessly attack the hell out of that darn corner.
When you're taking something from that corner to wherever it's supposed to be (ie, trash, bookshelf, etc.) DO NOT pick up trash along the way, or a book to tag along to the bookshelf. Your mission is that one corner and nothing else until it is clear and organized.
I think you'll be surprised at just how quickly you can get it done. From there, work on just one more task. If you've accumulated a pile of legos, work on getting those legos put away - and nothing else, until the pile is cleared. When you've accomplished the majority of one room, don't give up! Don't take a break if you don't have to - but DO take a break if you're getting overwhelmed! There's no sense in organizing for peace of mind if you're driving yourself nuts in the process!
If storage is a problem, try Wal-Mart, The Container Store, or Ikea. Most places will provide customer service, if you go in and tell them what you need to contain and in what type of space. These days, there’s a cool container for just about anything. Try to keep in mind that the less you buy, the more you can store – instead of purchasing a bunch of pretty little wicker baskets, just get a plastic drawer set for a fraction of that price and stick it in a closet. Even Dollar stores carry those things now, so don’t be afraid to be “cheap” and compare prices – even for “cheap” items!
Dedicate a bag or box specifically for donations. Don't be afraid to fill more than one...in fact, the more you fill, the better off you'll be. In my opinion, we all accumulate so much STUFF that we don't truly NEED! As a crafter, I'm a good example - I have lots of arts and crafts JUNK that I haven't touched in forever. While I may have the best intentions for that junk, if I haven't touched in - let's say a year, to be fair - then it's probably useless. If it takes up too much space, it’s an unnecessary burden. Same goes for clothing, shoes - you name it.
If I could just lose some weight I could fit back into countless clothes. But if I get rid of them (via donations), I could clear my closet space, realistically, with newer, trendier, prettier, more appropriate clothing for my age. I may have loved those shoes, but since I haven’t worn them since I worked outside the home 2 years ago, I can give them away to someone who could love them again – now. You’d be surprised how a decent pair of shoes (even gently worn in) can help someone out, or make them feel better. If I need to work outside the home again, or dress professionally for whatever reason, I probably need to shop for a more appropriate size and newer style to really look nice, anyway.
I know this is a long post, and thanks for reading so far, but it’s seriously do-able…by YOU! If you can’t shop for a replacement wardrobe, consider selling your clothes. The types of stores that buy clothes (though I must admit, are stringent in their selection), can give you store credit (or cash) to turn around and shop right there – and they’ve got some nice stuff, too! I might go so far as to say that once you start shopping there, you’ll find it hard to pay full price, even for name brands, at department stores – knowing there’s a hole-in-the-wall shop just chock-full of the same trendy stuff at half the price!
And one more thing – when donating, I highly recommend choosing a shelter or advocacy group in your area. They are SO easy to find online, and usually have easy access for donation drop-offs or pick-ups. That way, you know someone won’t have to BUY your stuff, like at a Goodwill. It’ll actually go straight to someone who needs it, now. And you’ll be so much better off, clearer and de-cluttered!
As far as setting up routines, pick a chore - like dishes, and start a new routine that works for you and your family. Try to get EVERYONE involved. My family loves piling the dirty dishes next to the sink. I even seem to not mind adding to it. Since I can't stand finding the dirty dishes that my son "washes", and my husband can't be counted on to do it regularly, I've opted to utilize my dishwasher – because someone put it there for a reason. I have everyone rinse their dishes after using them, and throwing them into the dishwasher. I read somewhere that using dishwashers actually tends to use less water than hand-washing them, which is just another reason to love that big hunk of appliance under my counter. So we fill it all day and run it at night. You'll want to invest in a decent detergent, but that's a nice trade-off for the time spent and aching feet and/ or back, scrubbing and scouring, weakened nails and smelly sponges! The Dollar Stretcher has a nice blog on that subject: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/02/02dec09b.cfm. I've heard that those powerball things are effective, but you can read more on that at: http://housekeeping.about.com/od/takingcareofdishes/tp/dishwasherdeter.htm. And while you’re at it, check out: http://natural-products.suite101.com/article.cfm/washing_dishes_for_pennies.
I don’t know anyone (except for that guy in American Psycho – pun unintentionally intended!), who doesn’t have clutter. You will have off-days and there will always be a pile of something – clean or dirty laundry, trash, dishes, etc. Just take one thing at a time, and remember that you’re not alone! I’m not an expert, but I do know organization! Please let me know if you ever need help!! In the meantime, I hope this helps.


Best Wishes,


Angelica

Well, we've been homeschooling for a few weeks now - and we're all still sane. I'm actually proud to admit that we sometimes even enjoy it! While we're still so lazy since our little internal clocks are all off and we're starting and ending our days later than we should, I know that admitting it is at least the first step in the right direction. We just have to get to bed early that first time, I think, and the rest will fall into place, thereafter. Unfortunately for that plan, it's Friday, which means no early bedtime for sure! Fridays are our homeschool half-days, so we're all "T.G.I.F.!" until noon, when we're then free to enjoy our weekend.
Homeschooling with a toddler is certainly challenging, but I can usually just get Lorenzo started on his 'assignment', then devote my energy on keeping Milla entertained until she remembers him. And she is all about her brother these days! She knows he's called "Lorenzo", and "brother", but for some reason she's resorted to addressing him as "Bob"! And she doesn't just say "Bob", she yells it, and makes sure to keep yelling it until he's right there next to her, offering his full attention.
Lorenzo is working well, and not giving me too much of a hard time, though we do have our long talks often enough. I think he gets his pessimism from his dad...darn New Yorkers/ Russians, with their perpetually disgruntled characters! Actually, we're all trying to keep our homeschooling adventure FUN, albeit challenging. Otherwise, and as I threatened Lorenzo, what's the difference from the ps we took him out of?
In the past few weeks, we've learned more than ever - particularly about each other, I think. Lorenzo hated writing, so we discovered why - he was holding the pencil upright, pressing it down and into the paper. Well, of course this would make anyone's writing experience tedious and painful! So, we've re-trained him to rest the pencil on his hand and guide it gently (and painlessly) with his fingers. How his teachers allowed him to learn this way is beyond me, although it just entered my consciousness this week, so I'm none the wiser! In any case, now Lorenzo can write a whole 2-page report without complaints!
It's also staggering to find out just how much our dear son does NOT know. Much of the math we've been doing has been what I would consider to be general review, although he has learned more about working with fractions since we've begun. However, he was completely oblivious as to how to divide 2-digit numbers...then again, he may have just needed some extra attention that day. Other than that, it just seems that he either has a terrible memory, or has really not learned - or retained - that which we cover in our lesson plans. This spans over our entire curriculum, from Science to History, and especially Geography!
All in all, I am reminded and encouraged to know that I am doing the right thing by taking his education into our hands. Not to mention, the added bonus of reviewing all those myriad tidbits of information which my aging and idle brain has hidden away or deleted altogether! I am so excited to expand our world history timeline, so eager to start a new science experiment!
In my spare time, I search for any and all educational and organizational resources online and otherwise. It's become my new hobby. Unfortunately, the jewelry-making which I so enthusiastically began over the holidays has taken it's place on one of my back-burners. With the exception of a spur-of-the-moment birthday piece I made last weekend, I am beginning to wonder if I don't need to schedule a specific time for my creative endeavors, alone.
I can only take this little life of mine one day at a time, and thoroughly enjoy spending my days with my favorite people. Vadim goes to work in the early afternoon, which reserves the morning for us (and gaming!). My new correlations job is done anytime and as I am able, which ends up being all throughout the day and particularly late into the night, after the children have gone to bed. It's in those quiet moments of solitude that I can't help but feel gratitude at my fortune. Who knows what's in store for me - where I will go, and what I will do next? Maybe I will finally return to pursue my degree? In the meantime, I am just amazed at what a wonderful life this has turned out to be...and I hope my dad can see us now.