Guest Blogger: Getting and STAYING Organized in the New Year

I am so excited to feature my first ever guest blogger, Stacy Thomes of Strive to Organize. Stacy is a professional organizer and Super Mom with lots of great ideas to help keep our homes and lives more organized. I'm thrilled she's written this post exclusively for Please Use Your Words.

As we approach 2012 (yes, 2012) we likely have New Year’s resolutions on our mind. We all have behaviors we would like to change and traditionally the New Year is the time to make the declaration “out loud” and commit to making those changes. But, how do we really make them stick? Whether it’s cooking more, eating less, spending more time with family, helping others in need or never being late again, staying organized is the core factor behind all of these behavioral changes.

But how, you ask, do I stay organized? To tell you the truth, it’s a mindset. You have to make the decision to simply stay on top of things, plan ahead and believe that you can do it. And you can. Really.

If you really want to make a change, you have to do some research, on yourself. Take a few moments to ask yourself why you are disorganized, let’s take a look and analyze our behaviors step by step. Try this exercise;

• Write down the main obstacles you come across on a daily basis on piece of paper. Be totally honest with yourself. Too much clutter in your home? Can’t keep up with the kid’s obligations? Always late? Constantly feeling stressed and rushed?
• Now, dissect those behaviors by writing down the reasons you think that is your reality. Why are you always late? Why is there too much clutter? Be totally honest with yourself-no one has to see this. Just do it for you.
• Now write down HOW you can change it. Do you need to hire a professional organizer to come and help do a clean sweep in your home? Do you need to work on your time management and start keeping lists? Do you need to stop over committing to too many events, volunteering and work?  Asking for help and saying NO are often very difficult, but sometimes we just need to. Respect yourself and know your boundaries and ONLY do things you really want to.

Are you done? Great job! This exercise should be enlightening and reveal patterns in your behavior that can easily be tweaked to help you be more productive and less stressed. Just believe you can do ANYTHING you want BUT it is up to YOU to make those changes. Anyone can do this, but like I said, it is all in your mindset. Empower yourself. Make a decision to make those changes, even in tiny baby steps, one thing at a time, and you will achieve your ultimate goal.

Once you’ve gone through this process and highlighted the areas you want to work on, then look for the specific tools that will make this easier. Uppercase Living has a variety of products that work well in an organized home. Their line of Erasable Vinyl (chalk or dry erase) can go anywhere from the garage to the kitchen to the kids’ rooms. You can cut a plain piece to any shape, or use the predesigned items that fit your needs, such as a chore chart to help keep the kids on track, a weekly menu (planning meals ahead means no more last minute pizza delivery), or a family calendar.

With Uppercase Living custom lettering, you can add your kids’ names to bins or tubs so they have one place for their things to go. For a child who is too young to read, a little face is also available. There are also images such as trains, cars, planes, etc. that can help you label boxes or tubs for specific toys. Again, no reading required!

We often spend so much time helping others that we tend to put ourselves last. When we have families that depend on us, taking care of ourselves is of number one importance because if we don’t, our whole family can crumble (and we can succumb to the desire of wine, pills and overall exhaustion!). This year, make a resolution to be kind to yourself. Consider adding an uplifting UL expression somewhere where it will be a daily reminder to go easy on you! If your child were suffering from chronic disorganization how would you help him or her? Treat yourself, you really do deserve it. Cheers to a New Year and a new and improved you.

For all of your organizing needs, contact Stacy Thomes, owner and operator of Strive to Organize located in Woodland Hills, California - http://strivetoorganize.com

For daily organizing tips, visit her on Facebook.

Tackling Kids' Chores With Chalk Wall

  

When is a kitchen cabinet more than just a kitchen cabinet? When it does double duty to help a family stay on top of homework, chores and kids' behavior. 

Let me back up a little. At the beginning of the summer I happened a upon a scheme to reward my kids with stars for playing nicely, doing their chores, making good choices, and all those things I was constantly nagging them to do. Each morning, I posted a handwritten list of tasks on the refrigerator and they crossed each task off as it was completed. For this they received a star or two on my scribbled "star chart," also stuck to the fridge. 

All of a sudden, my nagging stopped. If they wanted to do something and their chores weren't finished, I pointed to the "Jobs List" with a sad look. They knew what they needed to do. And if they decided to misbehave, or fight or hit, or do one of the other things that erodes my patience, they might find their hard-earned stars disappearing with a flick of my eraser. The kids know that when they fill up their stars, they'll get a new toy or a special outing, and they can also use stars to "buy" certain privileges. Things like a special treat, extra screen time and sleep overs with each other can all be purchased with stars. Of course, if they wait too long to start their homework, they might also have to purchase a "Finish Homework After Dinner" pass.

Over the next few months, the star chart became a regular part of our days. I made sure not to overwhelm them with too many tasks or ones that were too difficult or time-consuming, keeping in mind each one's age, ability and attention span. They enjoyed crossing things off their list and watching the stars accumulate, and I realized that I had stumbled into a good tool. So I decided to make the "Star Chart" and the "Job List" a more prominent fixture in the kitchen, and get the scribbled lists off my refrigerator at the same time.

I turned, of course, to Uppercase Living Chalk Walls. Because my kitchen doesn't have a lot of wall space, I decided to use the unused space inside a cabinet door. This particular cabinet is large, and low enough to be accessible to my kids. I used one of our plain Chalk Wall Rectangles (a fantastic value at just $14.95, it's also available in Dry Erase) and cut it in half to get two narrow rectangles. Then I took on the fun task of jazzing up the plain chalkboard with fun lettering and embellishments. Using our MyDesign Suite, I chose a playful font and bright colors for the kids' names and the words "Do this....Now Go Play!" With our Chalk Pens, I can keep track of each child's stars (and easily erase them when unfortunate choices are made) and change out my list of tasks as often as I like. The ugly list is off my refrigerator and has been replaced by a fun and attractive addition to our kitchen (that hides as soon as I close the cabinet). Best of all, I've been able to significantly decrease the amount of nagging I had to do to get my kids to help out with chores. They've realized how quickly these tasks get done and love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a fully crossed-off list. Of course, they're kids and no system can change that. All of us have good days and bad days. But I'm happy to report that the good seem to outnumber the bad in this instance. Chalk one up for Mom!

As Seen On Today's Jen's List

One of our brand new items, this adorable chore chart was featured today on Jen's List. Yes that's DRY ERASE vinyl, right on the wall, with no nails, pins, or damage to the surface underneath. You can choose the color of the lettering to match your decor and customize it in so many ways to fit your family's needs. For example, you can remove the days of the week and make it a daily chore chart. You could also remove the word "Chores" to make it a reward chart. Or remove all the lettering and use it for potty training! The chore chart, like all of our Erasables products, comes in a chalkboard finish as well as dry erase. How will you use it in your home?

Get Organized on the Cheap with Chalk Walls

So, it's mid-March, which means that you're probably beating yourself up about not keeping your New Year's resolutions. Or is that just me? If you're one of the gazillion people who has promised themselves that this is the year you will get organized once and for all, you are definitely not alone. I struggle with this, too, along with many of my friends. And judging by just how popular our Chalk Walls are, so do many of my customers. One of my most popular products, Chalk Walls are most commonly ordered for kids' rooms and kitchens. Not surprisingly, these are two of the rooms in the home that are most in need of organization.

Let's start with the kitchen. This is most families' gathering place and a prime location for an organizational tool to make everyone's lives a little easier. Whether it's a master calendar for the week's activities, a perpetual shopping list (like the one in the kitchen on the Brady Bunch!) or a central place to write down phone messages (no more lost Post-It notes!), a Chalk Walk in the kitchen just makes sense. Many kitchens simply do not have the wall space for artwork. But Chalk Walls come in a variety of sizes that are even narrow enough to go on a refrigerator. They can even be cut down to fit cabinet doors. A small piece on a dishwasher will eliminate the eternal question, "Are these dishes clean or dirty?" And a Chalk Wall on a lower cabinet gives a little one the perfect safe spot to be creative while Mommy is in the kitchen.


Chalk Walls are also the coolest way to keep kids organized and on track, while giving them a blank canvas to express their own creativity at the same time. Changing their minds is as easy as wiping a Chalk Wall clean and starting again. Create a Homework Command Center where your kids can keep track of assignments. Assign weekly chores with the Calendar Kit. Whether you're working on Potty Training, chores or remembering to brush teeth, a Chalk Wall makes a perfect reward chart. My favorite use for Chalk Walls is to surprise kids with funny and encouraging notes; anything that helps us communicate with our children gets an A+ from this mom!

Not only are Chalk Walls a smart organizational tool, you can be a smart shopper and save now using our Buy 2 Get 1 FREE promotion. A friend of mine purchased 3 Chalk Wall Rectangle Panels today: 2 are for her sons' rooms to help them stay organized and the third is for her kitchen. It will either hold her to-do list or her grocery list. The best part of her purchase is that she got the third one FREE! Knowing this particular friend, it won't be long before she orders a Chalk Wall for her daughter's room, another for the playroom and one more for her home office.

How are Chalk Walls helping you to stay organized? Send me a photo and you might just find your home featured right here!

Chalk Wall Tip #1: Use chalk markers, found in craft stores, for a fun addition of color on your Chalk Wall. Clean with a damp cloth or baby wipe.

Chalk Wall Tip #2: On my web site and in my catalog, chalkboard vinyl is designated with black and gray stripes.