Get-ting Organized.

For some reason I've got ORGANIZATION on my mind! Maybe it's the fear of how I'll manage everything when I have a little one around (One day in the not so far future hopefully) or just knowing how much freedom I would gain by feeling put together.  Lately, I've gained new knowledge in this arena so I thought it would be helpful to share the good news I've found with you!

Who likes to feel like they can get things done effectively and efficiently? I DO!

I was introduced to these two websites recently and I've begun re-organizing my life. (I will post pics to PROVE :) ) 12mintuestogo.com and jenniferfordberry.com

Courtesy of 12minutestogo.com:
Set your timers for 12 minutes.
Do as much of the task as you can.
When the timer goes off, STOP! You're finished for today!

Sun (11/7) 52 Pick-Up

12 min - Today's task is a "52 pick-up"! Don't worry about the timer. Concentrate on things that are out of place - kids' books, paperwork, toys, laundry, etc. Count each time you put something back where it belongs, and when you get to 52, STOP! The trick to this is to put things away EXACTLY where they belong, not in a "holding area". Try to touch each item only once!

Mon (11/8) Pamper Yourself

12 min - Today's chore is to PAMPER YOURSELF! Spend 12 minutes doing something special for yourself.. Enjoy your “day off”!

Tues (11/9) Pantry Round up

12 min - Go shelf by shelf through your pantry take all of the items out, wipe out the shelf and put them back in an organized fashion. Do as many shelves as you can in 12 minutes.

Wed (11/10) Kitchen Counters

12 min - Give your counters and stove a good wipe-down today. Shake the crumbs out of your toaster too.

Thurs (11/11) Kids' Closets

12 min - Today let’s tackle our children’s bedroom closets. If you have more than one child, pick the one whose closet is in the worst shape. Go through the closet and pull out clothes that are too small, out of season or that need to be mended. Pick all those stray hangers out from in between the clothes and move them all to the front of the closet so they’re easier to find next time you need to hang up clean clothes. I keep a Rubbermaid storage bin in the bottom of each of my kids' closets. When I come across something they've outgrown I toss it in the bin; when it's full I label it and it goes into storage.

Fri (11/12) Arts and Craft Supplies

12 min - Those of us with kids all have a stash of scrap paper and random crayons and coloring books floating around. Get them out of their various storage places and let’s get organized! Involve your kids with this task if they’re old enough to help. Fish out any broken crayons and dried out markers (I’d love to hear if someone has a use for broken crayons!) Put all the useable, clean paper in a neat pile and toss anything that’s already been used and doesn’t have sentimental attachment. Put all the decent crayons, markers and pencils in a container of your choice (pencil box, Ziploc bag, etc. – it doesn’t matter as long as they’re all together). Stack the coloring books together, and make a separate pile for the paint-with-water books, and another for stickers. I like using gallon-size Ziplocs for keeping these kinds of things together.
The second website is from Jennifer --I've started learning a few things from her so far:

How to Master time management
How to Make your kitchen efficient
How to Permanently organize closets and drawers
How to Deal with your finances
How to Reclaim "dumping grounds" like the guest room, garage and basement
How to Declutter the kids' rooms
How to Organize your travel plans--and the vacation photos and souvenirs
How to Entertain with joy