Creating Balance

Hi, there, Now that I am back from celebrating an anniversary and two birthdays, I've jumped back into work again. It's time to also start gearing up for, dare I say, the holidays... again. Are they really here again? There seem to be seasons to organizing for some, but here are some tips that you can follow all year round. The holidays bring stuff. Not only do I recommend this around the holidays, I like to recommend all year round that now is the time to spend even 5... minutes a night before bed to straighten up, hang things up, clear off your desk, and put things away so that when you wake up you start your day with a clean slate. Organizing is the catalyst to having more of what you want in life. I'll bet you didn't know that being disorganized dramatically affects health, fitness, and nutrition. Here are some little-known organizing morsels that can get you one step closer to that cathartic feeling of calm, in your home annnnd in your body. Pick one of these and stick to it... *Closets ~ One-year rule Regarding clothing or household items, do you have clothes or items you haven't worn or used in the last year? Ask yourself realistically when and if you will wear or use those items again. Charity is a great way to rid yourself of unused items and help others. *One-in-one-out rule ~ Buy something? Then get rid of something! Every single time. It's that simple! *Linen Closets ~ Put an entire set of sheets into one pillowcase for easy retrieval and access. Reach and locate the entire set all at once! So get yourself organized today, as there is no time like the present!! Have a great Thursday!! Best, Cheryl

Good afternoon, I can't believe that the holidays are around the corner, once again. We say it every year, don't we?? After all of the fun comes the dreaded tax season. If you are disorganized, with life happening every minute, you end up scrambling to get your papers and numbers lined up and in sync for your accountant, which may be you! If you're like me, you are a words person, not a numbers person, and doing my own taxes sounds like being hung by my toenails.... If you begin to organize your life, personal and/or business, it means doing a little bit every day, every week, every month, so that when December hits and it's time to start reviewing and assessing that current year that is about to pass, hopefully there's not thatttt much to do once January 1 rolls around. Here's an organizing morsel that is definitely not rocket science but instead is easy conceptually and can actually be put into place if you are intentional about it. Chunk it down. The dreaded paperwork...give those papers a home and touch paperwork -- bills, mail, invitations, magazines, etc. -- only one time!! Remember, paperwork is simply the mere manifestation of indecision! Being disorganized dramatically affects all of the other areas of your life, as we know, and not necessarily in this order but many times in this order: Health, fitness, and nutrition, mental well-being, and just fun in general!! Lastly, remember that mail is part of this paperwork issue, and if nothing else, have some sort of valet box or any type of box to put your mail in as you walk in the door. Give it a home and tackle the mail later on with it all in one spot. Junk mail goes in the recycle or shred bin, and important mail usually gets either recycled, shredded, filed, stored, or placed aside as a "To-Do" task. Treat it like a game because life is a game! Enjoy the cathartic feeling when you pair down. One of my clients says, "This is better than a vacation!!"

Good afternoon on this Thursday. As I continue to see the devastation in Texas, regarding people and, of course, our other beloved family members...pets, it has had me think a lot about the fact that for those who procrastinate and put off organization, whether it's your home, your health and fitness, or your dietary habits, I would like to perhaps put a positive spin on it and instead express how fortunate we all are to have a home that we CAN organize, how fortunate we al...l are to have warm beds and roofs over our heads, to have grocery stores open at all hours of the day and night at our fingertips whenever we wish to purchase something. I can't help think that some Texans may at some point down the line have a fleeting thought that getting organized or organizing their lives perhaps wouldn't have been so bad after all and might even sound pretty good right about now. Sending BIG blessings to anyone who has been affected or knows someone affected by this horrible tragedy. xo

Hi, All, So it's back to school time for kids! I guess this gives parents somewhat of a break, at least during the day. Ohhh, but then there's homework and dinners to make! Remember, if your home is not organized, most likely, neither will your kitchen and eating habits be. Just think how much your messy home creates a messy life...actually, I see it all the time. ... Many times when I am organizing clothing, there are multiple sizes of that clothing because one may tend to go up and down in their body weight, therefore saving multiple sizes "just in case." I am a firm believer that keeping those bigger sizes around almost subliminally says, "You will gain again." A messy home can translate into sooo many things...messy finances (paperwork is a mess), messy marriage, messy kids (hey, what good are we doing kids who don't learn organizing skills?), messy mindset, and for sure, messy health. They're alllll connected. When one area suffers, so do the others. Consider that you might need help. We all have our strong suits. Get help for those areas where you don't!

Good morning. We left San Francisco last night, incredibly gloomy, dismal, and cold, and now I'm up in Petaluma today staying at a gorgeous little hotel in this very quaint town. The weather is gloomy, and for summertime I think everyone expects warmer weather. I guess life doesn't always go as we expect! Not everything can we control, but we do have the choice -- because it is a choice -- to control our environment our homes and where we live. The chaos in one's home c...reates chaos in our lives. How much time do you spend looking for things you can't find? How does being disorganized affect your morning and the choices you make regarding what you put in your mouth? Just being away and thinking about when I come home to a neat and clean, organized place, ohhh, what a difference it makes. As I said, start small. Every little difference when it comes to organizing makes a dent. If you start now and take on even just one small task a week, just think where you will be by Christmastime! On our way to Napa this morning. Until next time enjoy your day!