How do you eat an elephant?

One bite at a time!

This idea applies to time management and organizing your life. Recently,  I've been chatting with friends about organizing and the number one frustration that I hear is "I have no idea where to begin!"

Well the answer is simple! One step at a time. Ultimately, the BIG goal is to have an organized home/life. Thinking of where to start can overwhelm most of us!

So the solution is to start small. Here are a few tips:

• Begin with a small project....and I mean small. One pile of paperwork that has been sitting on your desk for months.
• Take the pile of the desk and wipe down the area it was sitting. Just having a clean surface will help you feel like you've accomplished something. (Trust me on this!)
• Make two piles one a shred/toss pile and the other a keep pile.
• Go through the pile and immediately shred/toss paperwork when done. (My ten year old loves to shred so she assists me with this process.)
• Either file "keep" paperwork immediately or make a neat home on your desk labeled "To File".
• Another effective way to start small with an organizing project is to set a timer. Here's how:
• Pick a room/project to organize.
• Take a trash bag and your damp cloth to wipe down surfaces.
• Choose a reasonable amount of time that you can devote to this project with minimal distractions. (If the kids are coming home from school in an hour then do 45 minutes.)
• Set a timer and when the timer dings....STOP...you're done! Finito!
• Take your trash out and before you walk out look at what you've accomplished in a short amount of time....pat yourself on the back!

Try incriments as little as five minutes and try and avoid longer sessions more than an hour. Too many distractions can pop up the longer you go.

Getting started...

So as I've said we moved into a new home last month. In the midst of this gigantic move...with five people it WAS truly gigantic! The first project I chose was my own bathroom area. Friends and family kept coming by wanting to look at our new casa and as our tour rounded the corner into the Master Bath area I'd find myself apologizing for the box of tampons and other personal products sitting there in plain view for all to see! Oy!

So, here is what the before photos looked like~

Not to mention the counter top which had my most used products scattered about which made it "easier" to find things as I got ready in the mornings.

And the medicine cabinet that hardly had anything......

So I decided to jump in! The entire project took me less than an hour! Here are the steps I took:

1. Remove all items from the cabinets and counter tops and wipe everything down with a damp cloth.

2. Group all like items on bathroom floor culling out old products and trash (make sure to have a trash bag nearby.)

3. Place most used items in medicine cabinet for easy accessibility. This is is the result:

4. Start grouping other items and placing them underneath cabinet. and in drawers. I am a big fan of utilizing baskets that you receive as gifts and using them for this purpose. It makes it easier to keep like items together.

 

Note~the shelving in the back right of the photo is the only item I purchased for this project. It's a 3-tiered shelf I purchased ($14.99) from The Container Store for organizing cans in your kitchen cabinets. Works great for under bathroom sinks too!

5. Once everything is grouped in like items: hair products, lotions, first aid items, lint rollers, etc it's rather easy to then make a home for them.

6. Lastly, the counter top I feel should be clear except for a few small items. I think the perfume bottles are pretty enough to display.

Stay tuned for further updates on this project! I have a few more ideas and will share soon.

Current time on project:45 minutes
Current $$ spent: $14.99

A little about me....

Hello and welcome to my blog!

My name is Janel Ashurst and I am a very proud mother of three...four if you include the dog! ;-)

My life is busy! I currently work outside of home and am building my new dream career as a professional organizer!

I am thrilled for the experience of sharing my business and helping you!

My experience began in the trenches as a former military spouse with 8 moves in 13 years under my belt and learning how to fit a household into many different spaces.

Several years ago I found myself a single mother and downsizing my life was essential. I managed to do it proudly and efficiently!

Since then I have met the love of my life, Jorge and joining our lives together was yet another feat in organizing! Taking his belongings and merging them with mine.....to make "ours" took a lot of time, culling through boxes, and finding a place for everything. We are still a "work in progress" but who isn't?

I found through these life experiences how much I LOVE to organize! It is like putting random pieces of a puzzle together to create a comfortable and wonderful environment!

One Organized Mama was created after much thought and consideration to take my passion and create my own business!

I am thrilled to watch my business grow and even more so to see my clients happy with the progress we create together in their homes and lives!

If you live in the Las Vegas area One Organized Mama can assist you with any of the following areas of your home or life:

• Organizing any room (garages/closets/storage/kitchens/children's rooms and more!)
• Organizing paperwork and creating an effective file system
• Time management techniques (meal/grocery planning, creating a schedule, etc)
• Creative ideas to incorporate into your home (fun and creative labeling systems)

Meghan, Scout, and Baby James in background

The 3 Musketeers!

Contact me anytime with questions about organizing and time management techniques!

Thank you for your support!

-Janel
702.498.1636
oneorganizedmama@gmail.com