Election Day Inspiration

This is a video of my daughter age 12, reciting Susan B. Anthony’s speech on women’s suffrage. It’s long, but then … so was the battle for equal rights. 

VOTE TODAY!

Five Fun Facts About Christmas Creep

Holiday decor lines the shelves in early October

 Christmas “Creep” – the term used to describe the perpetual “moving up” of the holiday shopping season (and the squeezing out of Halloween and Thanksgiving) - is met with disdain.  Apparently people abhor Christmas Creep. One study found over 70% of Americans “annoyed or very annoyed” by this perceived phenomenon. But peruse these five fun facts about Christmas Creep, and perhaps you’ll reconsider your thoughts on the subject. 

The Peanuts gang experiences so-called Christmas Creep back in 1974.

Christmas Creep is a Myth

 As a self-described Christmas fanatic, I assure you Christmas Creep is a myth. Some of my earliest memories involve looking for signs of Christmas, and holiday merchandise displayed alongside back-to-school supplies was not unusual. In fact, a full FORTY years ago (1974) Charles Shultz was poking fun at the idea of early Christmas sales in this scene from “It’s the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown.” Holiday sales start early, but not necessarily any earlier than they have for decades.

Halloween still ranks high at my house!

The Christmas Creep Backlash is, well…Discriminatory

I know it’s all the rage to denounce Christmas Creep – to even boycott stores - but why pick on Christmas? This so-called “mashing” of holidays (when the merchandising of one holiday or season runs into another) happens all year. BBQ grills and patio furniture appear alongside Valentine candy. Fall sweaters and warm boots make their appearance right around the 4^th of July!  

Thanksgiving fans can also be Christmas fans.

Christmas Creep is not an assault on Halloween and Thanksgiving

Halloween and Thanksgiving are alive and well! Costume parties, pumpkin patch excursions, and trick-or-treating fill the month of October. Stopping for a long lazy weekend of turkey, stuffing and football is still an American tradition. We are each free to choose when and how we engage in the holiday season, but beginning one’s Christmas preparations early and fully embracing the Thanksgiving holiday are, thankfully, not mutually exclusive.

Early planning makes for a smooth holiday season.

Christmas Creep is a Good Thing

Shortly after the “Christmas already?” chatter comes gasps of “Christmas really snuck up on me!” Consider the first few glimpses of Santa a reminder to get out your planner. The countless details of shopping, decorating, baking and travel can suck the “magic” right out of the holiday season. Use these early days to plan your most important traditions.

Even a hard-core Christmas fanatic like me has to ask: “What’s with the Santa Pig?”

Christmas Creep has a Fan Club

 Scrooge-ish comments aside, Christmas Creep has a huge fan club. These are folks who live one joyful holiday season to the next…people who secretly listen to Jingle Bells in August...people who buy a house because of its “tree-worthy” foyer. Some of these people celebrate the “true meaning of Christmas.”  
I happen to be one of these Christmas Creep fans. 
I make no apologies. 
I love Christmas.

Here we go, friends. Saturday morning, while kids sleep off their trick-or-treat sugar high and parents scrape pumpkin guts off their porches, the holiday season will be upon us. Jump in, hold back, or go with the flow – whatever your style – here’s wishing you a happy holiday season.

So…how do you feel about Christmas Creep? 

Creativity.

Wisdom from writeathome.com

Are You a Nester? 5 Lessons for Cozy Living

Photo by Dan Liu

I’ve got that nesting feeling. That hunker-down, fluff the house, prep-for-the-long-dark-winter feeling. And fortunately for me, I recently picked up a few nesting skills from an expert extraordinaire, and I’m happy to share them with you here.

Photo by Dan Liu

This summer a Robin built her nest on our front porch. She flew by with a twig in her mouth, and I was thrilled to see her craftsmanship right outside my window.  A well-positioned video camera gave us our own little National Geographic show.

Photo by Dan Liu

Robin had two babies. She and her “partner” took turns foraging for worms and watching over the young. She spent what seemed like hours – with nary an iPad to pass the time – sitting on their little bodies.  The babies grew fat and healthy and took flight right before our eyes. The robins left behind a clean and spotless nest. It turns out we can learn a lot about nesting from a Robin.

Nesting, to me, says clean, comfortable, cozy surroundings, devoid of excess and clutter. I think Robin agrees.

Photo by Dan Liu

Lesson 1: McMansions are Overrated

 Does extra space mean extra clutter for you? Robin’s nest was just the right size – a little roomy in the beginning, a little tight near the end – but basically perfect. I wonder sometimes if too much space is too much of a good thing.

Photo by Dan Liu

Lesson 2: Manage the Memorabilia

 Pictures, awards, trophies – they all have meaning; but they can become burdensome, too. When the baby birds hatched, Robin tossed their egg shells to the ground – notwithstanding their gorgeous blue color! Imagine the sentimentality around their first little homes! But Mama Robin knew those shells would do more good to the camellia bush below than cluttering up her nest.

Photo by Dan Liu

Lesson 3: Clean House Daily

 Lots of people “spring clean,” but I do my heaviest cleaning in the fall, preparing my home for the indoor season. Robin kept an immaculate nest. God bless her for – um, consuming – every bird dropping after every meal. Not once did she let up on this necessary chore. Can I hear an “Amen!” that we don’t have to do that?

Photo by Dan Liu 

Lesson 4: Forage Mindfully

 Is your freezer or pantry stuffed with unidentifiable or expired foods?  The Robin was efficient in her “shopping.” She foraged for only one feeding of worms at a time, though the mouthfuls got bigger and grosser as time went on. Refrigerators saved us from our hunting and gathering days, but there’s still something to be said about limiting supply to only what we use in a given amount of time.

Baby birds with their new feathers.    Photo by Dan Liu

Lesson 5: Eliminate Excess

 When I get that “nesting” feeling, I know it’s time to purge. Too much “stuff” is usually weighing me down. Apparently the same is true for the Robin, as she had a regular routine of poking around her nest and discarding little downy feathers no longer needed by her young. What kind of excess is crowding your nest?

Baby birds prepare for their first flight. Photo by Dan Liu

Fifteen days after the twin birds hatched, they took flight and never returned to their tidy little nest. We were fortunate to catch this special moment on film – including nervous mom and dad chirping wildly on the roof next door.

 Dad is now an empty nester.  Photo by Dan Liu

 Our need for order, for cleanliness, for “nesting” is obviously shared by all living creatures. Imagine the comfort and coziness of our homes if we practiced these lessons from Robin.

Any of these lessons speak to you?

Priorities: The Real Ones...

I witnessed a SKID Presentation (Stop Kids’ Impaired Driving) this week. The students of Jesuit High School huddled on rainy bleachers while a graphic drunk driving dramatization played out before them. The reenactment gripped their every sense - ambulance sirens, helicopter vibrations, blood soaked bodies, a sobbing mother – and absolute silence as the Medical Examiner arrived – a sight almost too unbearable to watch.

Hopefully the full-of-life teens will reflect on the message. The adults certainly did – many brushing away tears as they shuddered at the thought.

Organizing, productivity, time management – the desire to be more efficient –they’re all about priorities. And we often experience discomfort, pain even, as a result of disorder. Perhaps these feelings are so powerful because intuitively we know our priorities are out of whack - that we’re spending too much time on the wrong things.

I hadn’t planned on attending the SKID program. I was facing a lengthy list of tasks and projects and was feeling decidedly disorganized. I wrestled all morning with focus.

And then something interesting happened. I watched the SKID demonstration and was reminded of my priorities – my REAL priorities – and the rest of my day was the picture of productivity. Perhaps it’s not the organizing that makes room for priorities; but rather, the focus on priorities that leads us to be more productive. Thoughts?

Inspiration.

Inspiration from Edward Abbey

A "Back to School" DON'T for Summer Lovers

By now you’ve been inundated with Back to School Organizing tips. Many of them are tried and true - a few of my favorites:

• Set up a Homework Zone
• Create an easy Lunch station in the pantry
• Designate a Drop Box for Mom’s papers

And for my not-so orderly friends who are already behind:

Find* and clean out last year’s backpack.

Order school supplies on-line (your local store sold out last week and replaced with Halloween costumes)

*It’s near the back door. Probably contains a report card and half a sandwich.

And here’s my Back to School “Don’t.” Ignore the tip that suggests putting your kids to bed early to prepare them for the coming schedule.  Some say do this for days or even weeks before the first day of school!

My thoughts? Let them play! Summer is this short, precious little bit of time; and the end of summer, with the nights already getting shorter, sometimes even chillier, is even more delicious. We have nine long months ahead of car pools and sports practice, PTA meetings and conferences, homework and studying. There will be rain and snow and plenty of dark, dark afternoons.

So this week - let them play.

Sit outside with your neighbors while the kids shoot hoops or ride their scooters. Eat a popsicle, fire up the BBQ, catch a few fireflies.The kids will get up on the first day of school just like they always have – easily. Kids love the first day of school. It’s just a fun day of school supply sorting, locker finding, and friend reconnecting anyway. They’ll get out of bed just fine. That first evening they’ll be tired. They will eat a nice dinner, load their backpacks, and fall into bed, exhausted. In just one night your kids will be back into the familiar school routine without a single wasted summer moment.Play outside these last few nights. Stay up late if you want! Summer is slipping away.

Today is a special day for Totally Orderly...

Today, literally TODAY, I’m celebrating TEN YEARS in business!

Happy Anniversary to Totally Orderly!

And where was I in 2004? Carpooling my little tots, still sharing an email address with my husband; my mental health career long forgotten.

I don’t know why I thought I could launch a business. I knew nothing about marketing, accounting, or strategic planning. ROI and COGS were acronyms too mysterious to research. But I could organize, and that was enough to get started.  

Fresh from the gate I learned this job was about much more than organizing. It’s about families and respect and values. It’s about success and feeling good and acceptance. My customers, hands down, are the best part of my job.  

And here are Ten Wisdom's & Lessons gleaned from my amazing Totally Orderly customers:

1. Asking for help is a heroic act of bravery
2. The generosity of some people is immeasurable
3. Laughing at one’s self leads to incredible clarity
4. A little order goes a long way
5. The pursuit of perfection is probably pointless
6. Our gifts and talents are meant to be shared
7. Family, friends and experiences trump stuff
8. Everything has energy – choose wisely what lives in your home
9. Self-hatred is extraordinarily painful
10. I’m not nearly as organized as I thought I was

Today I offer a heartfelt thank you to all the customers who have come in and out of my life these past ten years. Thank you for welcoming me into your homes, for sharing your struggles, for exposing your hurts. I’ve learned more from you than you from me – and for this I’m forever grateful.  

Wisdom.

"Everything you want is on the other side of fear." 

- Jack Canfield

Productivity Tips from Dory the Fish

Do you remember Dory from the Disney/Pixar movie Finding Nemo? She was the show-stealing neurotic and forgetful regal blue tang fish with the Ellen Degeneres voice. Her most memorable line, to me anyway, was this mantra: “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming.” She would sing song her way through life, not always knowing the point or where she was headed, but loving the ride just the same.

I felt like Dory this week. I had so much to do, but lacked direction and purpose. All attempts to focus were futile, and the more disciplined I tried to be - (“you can’t do this until you do that”) - the less I accomplished.

My customers frequently seek the formula for productivity. There are plenty – that’s for sure: 

• avoid multitasking
• eliminate distractions
• set a timer
• take small steps
• visualize the end

I can’t argue any of these; they all work. But what about those days when they don’t; when you’re just “swimming” in circles? That’s when I call on the genius of Dory.

I just keep swimming…or moving…or working…or doing literally anything. Because little bits of progress, even if not perfect, or in the right order, or at the right time, are usually better than nothing. I write for a bit, process a few bills, delete an email here or there, maybe run an errand. It’s not textbook time management, but it’s good enough.

Earlier this week I found myself with two hours between picking up my daughter and niece from camp and picking up my dog from the vet. It was hot, traffic was thick, and the last thing I wanted to do was “kill” a couple hours. I had work to do! But the girls pulled me into a fun pet store – the kind that allows snake holding and bunny snuggling and even permits its mascot tortoise to roam freely. The collective animal spirit was working magic on my mood. I was relaxing.  I strolled back to the aquarium section, and there - swimming, swimming, swimming - was Dory the blue tang – or at least her close relative. She was beautiful.  It was just the reminder I needed to keep moving, to keep swimming; but to enjoy the ride, too.  Thanks, Dory.

10 Items Obsolete in 10 Years

In honor of Totally Orderly’s 10 Year Anniversary (2004-2014!), I bought myself a new work bag. We professional organizers love our work bags full of little organizing gizmos and gadgets.  I’ve had at least five bags - one so big my client hesitated to allow me through the door! Another so small I had to ask to borrow a pen. Not impressive. I had a vintage toolbox that proved too heavy, and a bag on wheels with too few compartments.  

This time I settled on a lightweight but roomy black tote with just enough pockets. I found the list of supplies I had created back in 2004, and to my surprise, at least ten were no longer needed – and they were all replaced by a single item – my iPhone! Here goes:

Ten Organizer Work Bag Objects Replaced by Smartphone Apps:

·         Camera – (Gorillacam)

·         PDA – (iCalendar)

·         Calculator – (Calc)

·         Level – (iHandy Level)

·         Laptop – (Tablet)

·         Map to Client’s House – (Google Maps)

·         Handouts/Articles – (Safari – to connect to mywebsite)

·         Photos – (Pinterest)

·         Invoice – (Square)

·         Donation Resources –  (iRecycle)

My bag is so much lighter! There’s still no electronic substitute for paper clips, rubber bands or a good sharpie pen. And I still love a fresh pad of paper. But I don’t miss the rest, and something tells me my work bag will be practically virtual by 2024. What do you think?  

Celebrate Freedom

Happy Birthday America!

Friday Finds: Chalkboard Labels

I'm just crazy about this chalkboard craze. Which is weird, because I don't like the feel of chalk. (Chalk Ink was the answer to that "touchy" problem - looks great, too!)

Anyhow, these Avery Chalkboard Labels are so much fun. 

These are perfect for boxes and bins - and they're removable!

The scalloped edge on this one looks great on containers in the kitchen, laundry room, or linen closet.

These come with a border!

And I can hardly resist these little Avery Chalkboard Tags - perfect on a gift or for labeling baskets. 

Have fun with your chalkboard labels. Find them at Staples or online. They retail for about $5.99-$9.99 (depending on the size).

Friday Find: Time Timers

Recently, I attended the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference. At the Expo, I came across the newly designed Time Timer... a useful tool for anyone who struggles with time management. 

I was thrilled to see their new fashionable line of colored desk clocks and updated Time Timer PLUS. 

For a limited time, the 3" desk clocks come in bright spring colors (personally, green is my favorite, but the blue is nice too). 

The Time Timer PLUS has a new sleek look with a new sturdy handle and enclosed cover to protect the clock face. 

Time Timer PLUS $37.50

3" Desk Clock $29.95

  

Not So Totally Orderly

Photo by Zion, MorgueFile Free Photos

Organizing projects I love: closets, kitchens, a massive pile of paper. Mudrooms are my favorite, and I've never met a playroom that didn't beckon.

Organizing projects I tolerate: garages, basements, sheds  - basically any space that provides safe shelter for  spiders.

Organizing projects that leave me stymied: meal planning, kids’ chores, time and task management. Actually, I don’t mind assisting a client with these challenges; I’m just not very good at them myself. I think I've tried a dozen different ways to consistently get dinner on the table, and I still find myself staring in the freezer at 5 PM.

It’s been ten years since I launched Totally Orderly, and this has become clear: I am not-so-totally-orderly. Oh, I’m orderly in lots of ways. My pantry is always ship shape. My papers are filed just so. But I definitely have my own organizing demons.

So welcome to Not So Totally Orderly – true confessions of a professional organizer who doesn't always see the simple solution. But I’ll search for that easy, good enough, done-but-not-perfect solution – not just because I know my clients will appreciate it, but because I need it, too! 

Tell me - in what ways are you not-so-totally-orderly?

Success at Anything in Ten Minutes a Day

When my daughter was seven, she started piano lessons. It was offered during school hours, with a group, and for an affordable price (no illusions of a Juilliard future here!) Her instructor asked for just ten minutes of practice a day.

Imagine my surprise when she played a beautiful rendition of Pachelbel’s Canon at the Spring Recital, particularly touching since it was my wedding’s “walk down the aisle” song .

Just ten minutes a day.

Imagine what we could succeed at if we committed just ten minutes a day?

Success experts the world over have touted such habits for years.

Jack Canfield, author of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, calls it “The Rule of Five.” Each day he performs five small acts – a phone call, a note - toward a goal. He’s been rewarded with million dollar profits.

This summer I read a book called The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson. He suggested we take small, somewhat painless steps everyday to succeed at any goal! Reading just 10 pages a day equals 3,650 by year’s end!

Kaizen, the Japanese method of making tiny, continuous improvements, is practiced around the world with amazing results.

Financial expert Dave Ramsey has a program called “The Seven Baby Steps.” He says we can get out of debt the same way we learned to walk - one step at a time.

Remember the exercise program “8 Minute Abs?” The idea was that anybody could do anything for 8 minutes a day (so why not get a firm belly in the process?)

Even the Tortoise and the Hare fable reminds us that slow and steady wins the race.

Here are some of my “ten minutes a day” goals for 2011: train my dog, listen (really listen) to my kids, write, enjoy some music - preferably piano, and be silent.

Sometimes our New Year’s Resolutions fall apart because the changes were just too big. What could you succeed at if you gave it just ten minutes a day?

My Not-So-ADHD Dog

Santa left me the most adorable Labradoodle pup this year. He's covered with chocolate brown curls and has amazing green eyes. His arrival ended a five year "I'll never own another dog" phase. My previous pooch, a Lhasa Apso, was described by me, family members, groomers, trainers and even dog therapists as: stubborn, ornery, dominant, aggressive, un-groomable, and un-trainable. I loved her, but when she passed away, I welcomed the break and reveled in my dog-free life.

So when my new pup Dasher arrived on Christmas Day, I was ready for the challenge. And I assumed that it would, in fact, be a challenge. Imagine my total delight when Dasher was "sitting on his mat" the very next day, playing fetch the following day, and mastering "come", "sit", "down", and "stay" before his 8 week birthday.

I'd heard that Labradoodles were smart, but the real bonus is his focus. He actually has drive. He's completely alert and on task during his training sessions. He wants to learn. He's eager to please. And the more he succeeds, the more I'm willing to commit my time.

Dasher has no idea the gift he's become to my family. His attention keeps us all at attention. His drive is driving all of us. Who knew a focused little dog would be such potent medication to a family who struggles with ADHD. Welcome, Dasher! We needed you!

Oh, Spiders...I hate thee...

OK, full disclosure: this has nothing to do with ADHD, Professional Organizing, running the PTO, or any of my other many interests. It's simply about spiders; and I hate them. And since it's Halloween, I feel like venting. They're everywhere. And they're huge. And they have way too many legs.

On the other hand, I like to watch Arachnophobia in the dark, and photograph their webs coated with Autumn dew, and study their mating rituals on Animal Planet. Many years ago, like twenty or so, my family developed an affinity for scaring the living sh-- out of each other. And a well-placed rubber spider always delivered. It started when I was living at home with my folks in a great, big, early 1900's house. There were creaky stairs and creepy rooms, and every corner was an open invitation for a good scare. We'd hide behind doors and place props in the dumb waiter and take full advantage of the dank, dark basement. We screamed like schoolgirls and planned our revenge.

Then came my marriage, and the sickness lived on. Plastic lizards in a shoe was good for a jump, but once he put an army-clad mannequin head on top of the dryer. It scared the crap out of me when I opened the closet door, and then POW! He got me. Another one IN the dryer!

We swore off scaring for years when we had unsecured guns in the house. Then we had kids, locked up the weapons, and the scare tactics resurfaced.

Now, our two kids are in on the act. And no one is safe. There are certain assumptions you make in your own home. Like there are no tarantulas in your sheets, snakes in your cereal, or ghosts in the closet. Not in my house. And it has nothing to do with Halloween. We've gone absolutely crazy with scaring each other. We take every possible opportunity to lurk in the dark, catch someone unawares, or grab an ankle from beneath a bed.

We scream, we swear, we lash out physically. The louder the scream, the harder we laugh. We love it. We hate it. We're all into it.

Happy Halloween everyone. And beware, there are scares around every corner!

ADHD: The Agony and the Ecstacy

Last week I participated in a panel discussion on ADHD. Four of us presented at the monthly chapter meeting of the National Association of Professional Organizers - Oregon Chapter (NAPO Oregon). There was a physician who treats ADHD patients and three Certified Professional Organizers® (CPOs) - one was an ADHD coach, another was the parent of an ADHD child (me), and the third had an ADHD spouse.
The meeting got a perfect score from the attendees (a rare NAPO Oregon success!),and as a panelist, I gave it a perfect score, too; because I learned so much.

Three themes that all four panelists agreed upon:

The Agony - with ADHD comes pain. And the pain is shared with many: he who has ADHD, his family, his coworkers, his teachers, and more. There is self-hatred, frustration, irritation and misunderstanding. Even when treated, ADHD can wreck havoc on a life. As one panelist put it: "The one consistency of ADHD is the consistent inconsistency" - which can result in hopelessness for all involved.

The Ecstasy - despite the hardships, ADHD is a wonderful gift. To spend time with someone who has ADHD is to buzz in their energy, their creativity, their multi-interests, and their new ideas. When properly treated, ADHD can become a person's major asset. Their leadership skills, inventive ideas and extraordinary intelligence can lead to a lifetime of success. I, for one, have sat in awe of my ADHD child. I wouldn't trade his gifts for anything.

It's Pervasive - meaning it impacts every aspect of your life. This is important, because ADHD is still much misunderstood, and everyone thinks they have it. One way to differentiate it from similar symptoms is by its pervasiveness. ADHD rears its head at home, at school, at work, in relationships, on weekends and weekdays. It impacts reading, communicating and understanding. Those who have ADHD live with it every day, all day long.

Those who attended the NAPO Oregon meeting seemed truly interested in this interesting diagnosis. They had non-stop questions, particularly of our physician panelist. Proof positive that even though only a fraction of people have the diagnosis, seemingly everyone is impacted by ADHD.

The Tornado in my Brain

The tornado in my brain: call the client, update the website, write the newsletter, create the agenda, call the painter, cook the dinner, chair the meeting, plan the weekend - you get the picture. This constant onslaught of ideas and projects and tasks used to be like a hurricane in my head - swirling around with an occasional crack of thunder. Then I found OneNote, and quickly fell in love.

OneNote by Microsoft is the perfect answer for those who wear many hats, are over committed, are super creative, like to brainstorm, or have ADHD. It's a software program that allows you to create electronic three-ring binders and stuff them full of all the scraps, notes, pictures, and ideas you can gather - minus the pinch-y rings and three-hole puncher.

I am classically over committed. I have a professional organizing business, am a PTO president, also the NAPO Oregon president, and, most importantly, have a family. So I created four "notebooks" in OneNote - one for my business, one for each board, and one for my family. Within each I have tabs and pages. For instance, I have a notebook for my business, Totally Orderly. Within that notebook I have "tabs" for marketing, social networking, ADHD, website, writing, etc.. Within any tab, I have pages. Under ADHD I have pages for adults, women, children, students, books, blogs, etc. It's so easy!

I use OneNote exclusively for projects in action, but some of my friends store reference items as well. You can post notes, documents, links, thoughts, plans, lists, tables, pictures, scans and more! OneNote is the first program I open in the morning and the last one I close at night. I'm in and out of it all day, toggling between notebooks and making progress in all areas.

Try the free trial of OneNote. Let me know if it's calmed the storm for you!