9 Organizing Ideas To Organize Holiday Photos
We love looking back at photos of our family Christmas memories—how about you? Some years my five daughters would “pose” for pictures taken from the back showing their long hair. The bonus of these pictures was we didn’t have to wait for makeup to be applied. (If you have girls you know what I mean). Other years they would sit on the couch and hold their feet in the air to show their cute Christmas socks. Here are some organizing ideas on organizing Christmas photos: 1. Get your photo album now—don’t wait until after Christmas. 2. Start sending those photos taken with your digital camera now, no need to wait until a roll is full. 3. When you get your photos back as you are looking at them, throw out any you don’t really like. It is okay to get rid of pictures that make someone look ugly or it is blurry or you just hate it. Don’t keep a photo that you will gag every time you see it! This will cut down on the amount of organizing and journaling you will have to do later. And it saves space in your photo album. 4. When you get the photos developed take a few minutes and put them in the album. By doing it a little at a time it will seem to go faster. 5. If you don’t have time to organize them within a couple of days, label them with an acid free pen made especially for labeling photos. You can also separate them by activity and put them in labeled envelopes so when you are ready to put them in an album part of the work is done. 6. The albums where you slip in the photos are great as it is fast to slip the photos in and they hold the memories in a dust free environment. The photos are all together so you can enjoy them now and not have boxes stored somewhere in your home. You can embellish the pages with stickers and other mementos. 7. The albums where you slip in the photos have glue between the sections for 4″ X 6″ photos. To put a larger picture or memento on a page simply loosen the glue and slip the photo in taking up the two spaces. Or with glue dots or double stick tape put the photo over the plastic. 8. As well as putting photos in your child’s book, make a Christmas photo album with the entire family. 9. If you have boxes of past photos don’t overload yourself with the project of getting them all done right away. Stop feeling guilty about having them in boxes instead of albums!! Work your way back through the years when you have the time, or when it is not holiday time and you can schedule a time to put them in albums. Start with the most recent photos first and work your way back through the years. It is fun to look back at the albums that include photos of what each family member is doing on Christmas Eve, decorations in our home, concerts attended, and places we volunteered to mention a few. When the girls come home at Christmas that is a favorite thing they do—they get out the albums from the past 15 years and pour over them, laughing and remembering. It doesn’t have to be a hassle to create family holiday memories. Marilyn’s Bio Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.
13 Organizing Tips To Make Traveling With Children by Plane A Breeze
With preparation and organization traveling with children can be a pleasant experience. Here are some organizing ideas and organizing tips to make your holiday traveling easier and less stressful. Pack everything the child will need or want in a carry on bag that can be used in the airport and will clear security. It might be a favorite toy, simple electronic gadgets, and favorite foods. If they are old enough to understand explain what to expect when arriving at the airport starting at the ticket counter, proceeding through security and then the wait before boarding the plane. Because many airlines charge for checked bags make the best use of children’s carryon bags by using a larger ones for them. By doing this you may be able to check fewer bags. If your child is old enough let them have their own carry on with treats, books, music, phone etc. This will be their personal item that is allowed—like a lap top or a purse for an adult. It will be most helpful to you if their carryon is a backpack that the child carries. Bring an empty water bottle for liquid, juice, water etc. that you can fill up after you leave security and before you board plane. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has the following tips for easy and safe travel with the minimum of hassle: Parents or guardians of children with disabilities should… Inform the Security Officer if the child has any special needs or medical devices. Inform the Security Officer if you think the child may become upset during the screening process as a result of their disability. Offer suggestions on how to best accomplish the screening to minimize any confusion or outburst for the child. Ask the Security Officer for assistance during the process by helping you put your and the child’s carry-on items on the X-ray belt. Know that at no time during the screening process will you be separated from your child. Know that if a private screening is required, you should escort and remain with your child during the private screening process. Tell the Security Officer what are your child’s abilities are. For example: can the child stand slightly away from equipment to be hand wanded, walk through the metal detector, or needs to be carried through the metal detector by the parent/guardian. Know that all no time should the Security Officer remove your child from his/her mobility aid (wheelchair or scooter). You are responsible for removing your child from his/her equipment at your discretion to accomplish screening. Know that if your child is unable to walk or stand, the Security Officer will conduct a pat-down search of your child while he/she remains in their mobility aid, as well as a visual and physical inspection of their equipment. TSA can even pat down children. This is something that could be practiced at home in anticipation of your child having this experience. Role play with the child doing a pat down so they will know what to expect if it happens to them or a family member. With organization and planning you can have a happy and pleasant travel experience during this busy holiday season. The TSA is currently allowing 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) in carryon luggage (go to tsa.gov for updates). You can have as many 3 ounce or less bottles/containers as will fit in a quart size zip plastic bag, but do not exceed 3 ounces per bottle/container. Exceptions to the 3 once rule: Declare larger liquids: Medications, baby formula, breast milk and food, are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces and are not required to be in the zip-top bag. Declare these items for inspection at the checkpoint. The TSA offers the following guidelines you can choose to follow that will speed up the security lines. 3-1-1 for carryon = 3 ounce bottle or less (by volume) ; 1 quart-sized, clear, plastic, zip-top bag; 1 bag per passenger placed in screening bin. One-quart bag per person limits the total liquid volume each traveler can bring. 3 oz. container size is a security measure. Be prepared. Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line. Practicing 3-1-1 will ensure a faster and easier checkpoint experience. If you are in doubt, put your liquids in your checked luggage. Remember to call the airline to find out what time they recommend you check in at the airport. Each airline and airport may vary. Happy and safe traveling! Marilyn’s Bio Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.
4 Organizing Tips To Make Room For Everything In Your Home
Messy rooms, disorganized closets and jumbled junk drawers (I think of them as resource drawers) add unneeded hassle to our already hectic days and lives. Organizing our possessions, treasures, and ’stuff’ does give us peace of mind and a feeling that we can accomplish other things in our lives. It also helps us in time management as we can find what we need faster without having to search when we need something. Can you use some organizing tips to find room for your “stuff”? Do you ever feel you just don’t have enough space to put things? If you had a bigger place you would be organized? Even small spaces and homes can be organized. Here are some organizing tips of places to use for storage. Under the bed: If the bed is low, buy (for around $10.00) raisers that raise the bed up about 8 inches. Or you can use cinder blocks and raise it about 12 inches. Then under the bed plastic storage boxes made for this purpose are perfect. Some come on wheels. In the closet: Plastic boxes can hold out of season clothes and be placed on the top shelf. If the closet is deep they can be stored on the floor. A doublet, which is a two tiered rod, can maximize space in a closet. Many organizing stores carry these, including The Container Store. Use tie racks that can also be used to hang jewelry or scarves. Shoe racks come in a variety of models. Over the door, on the floor, and hanging racks. Under the sink: There are racks that fit around pipes or removable shelves that can hold twice the amount of things to go under the sink. On the other side of the sink the kitchen trash bin can be placed. When it isn’t in plain sight it reduces both visual and floor space clutter. Donating useful but no longer needed items; getting rid of unwanted things and organizing what you do need to keep makes our personal spaces free of clutter. Our homes are then welcoming havens instead of uninviting places that make us want to stay away. Marilyn’s Bio Marilyn is a professional organizer who works with women and seniors in clearing clutter and providing organizing tips. Clearing clutter helps those she works with to have less stress in their lives and feel more joy in living. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find organizing solutions. You will find fun stories and free organizing tips in her blogs, articles and videos.
5 Organizing Tips To Light Up Your Life
I love organizing tips. Even before I became a professional organizer I was always reading organizing tips to see how I could do something faster, and more efficient. Here are three favorite organizing tips from my friends that can also help you to be organized. Edna does three things on Friday Read more
Clutter Control In Your Car Using 5 Simple Organizing Tips
Do you feel you practically live in your car? Americans spend an average of 2 ½ hours per day in their cars. They are often command centers when we run errands, act as a shuttle driver to take children to school, chauffeuring to sport activities, music practice, or running back to school to take forgotten homework. Read more
3 Tips to Organizing Clutter for the Holidays
When you think of clearing clutter what do you think of? I know from my experience as a professional organizer many of us think of getting rid of things but this is just part of organizing clutter. I was given some plates for Christmas that are for everyday use that I love. I put them in the cupboard but I rarely ever used them. Read more
11 Tips On How To Declutter Your Desk
Several years ago before I became a professional organizer I was talking to another organizer and she was apologizing for not calling me back, she had misplaced my phone number on her desk. I laughed and said I didn’t know organizers ever had paper clutter/cluttered desks. I was only partially joking and I have had to eat those words this past month. I am now on a roll. I have been organizing everything in my home that wasn’t organized. It sure does feel good. But I know that to stay organized I have to keep up on general clutter including paper clutter every day. Every time I use something or get something out—like a book, clothes or putting the laundry away I need to put the items back where they belong as soon as I am through with them. To actually stay organized and not get lost in paper clutter it is a constant effort, but doing it a little at a time doesn’t make it seem like organizing. My desk has been an office armoire. Now I have a desk top with more room to spread out. I started to spread out when my daughter and son-in-law gave me their old desk. I started tossing things on top instead of taking care of them at the time I had whatever it was in my hands. I like drawers that I can put things in and this has been a challenge since this is just a table top desk. I solved this organizing problem by using a filing cabinet drawer that is next to my desk to organize my paper work. I have separated the paper just like I would if I had drawers where I could lay down my paper work. I used hanging folders with labeled manila envelopes to separate my projects. This has eliminated a lot of paper clutter. I could purchase a metal separating file to put my paperwork in but I chose not to. This would be very good for someone who likes to pile papers. How to declutter my collection of pen? I am using a mug to hold pens. My computer screen was too low so I used a book to prop it up. But I don’t like looking at the book so I put a card I like in front of it. It will work until I get something different for the screen to sit on. I do a lot of writing so I decided I would treat myself with flowers on my desk because they make me feel special and happy. I broke my cardinal rule; I was taking notes of things I had to do on little pieces of paper. I was converted years ago to not doing this. I don’t know what got in to me! I was misplacing phone numbers, appointments, and other important things. I know better than to do this. I shaped up and every note I had taken if it was important I put in my planner. I made a master to do list in my planner and then I wrote the activities on different days that I thought I could accomplish that task. This along helped with paper clutter pile up. I had been looking over my tax file and instead of filing it away when I was finished I just left it on the desk. It was one more thing adding to the clutter. It is hard for me to work when there is general clutter and paper clutter on my desk, my mind wanders so I spent over an hour getting it organized one evening. What a waste of time, if I would have just kept up with it I wouldn’t have had such a large project. To keep general clutter and paper clutter from living on your desk, designate a place for all paper work. As much as possible only handle it once. Make a decision where to put it the first time and put it there. Create a filing system that works for you. Designate a container for an in box so when others put things on your desk they know where to place it. An organized desk saves the time and frustration of missing appointments, not being able to find important information and the cost of not being as productive. Marilyn’s bio: Marilyn is a creative organizer who helps women, seniors and their families create space and end clutter in their homes and offices by setting up custom made systems. Marilyn invites you to visit her website http://www.marilynbohn.com where you can find solutions to your organizing needs. She offers free tips in her blogs, articles and videos for your home and office organizing solutions.