Around the House

Organizing Checklist for December

 

We are approaching the end of the year but this is a busy month for everyone. Some organizing strategies for this season have already been covered in the previous months. Here are some final reminders and tips to help you through the holidays and the end of the year.

• Children and adults should take time to donate any items that are no longer useful. Many families will be forced to shop at thrift stores for holiday gifts and donating toys and clothing can be a blessing you will never see.
• If you have not done so already, immediately send cards, packages, newsletters and email messages.
• Begin traditions with your family if you have not already begun them. For young children, simple activities such as baking cookies or decorating packages are best. Older children can help with community or church events. The family can purchase gifts for an "Angel Tree", read the Christmas story together, watch a favorite Christmas movie, etc. Keep it simple.
• Take pictures of family and friends and the decorations you chose as a keepsake and reminder for next year.
• Be flexible on the big day and welcome any help offered. Don't sweat the small stuff and keep the mood light and happy.
• Avoid the after Christmas sale unless you absolutely immediately need the items. Avoid the long lines, parking problems and traffic jams. Items that need to be returned can usually wait for a few days.
• Resist the urge to buy more holiday decorations just because they are on sale.
• Keep a journal of what worked and what didn't, the gifts you gave and any changes you would make in the future. Keep a list of clutter free gifts you can give next year. (A list can be found in my book on pages 103-105.)
• Keep the collection of all the lists, ideas, recipes, pictures, evaluations, etc. related to the holiday in a manila folder or create a folder for them on your computer.
• Plan the holiday clean up when others are there to help you. Make it as much a part of the traditions as decorating.
• As you take down the decorations, consider purging what you can. Eliminate as much permanent storage as possible. Make sure all items are clean and in good repair. Try to maintain only those things with special significance or that cannot be replaced. Donate or pass on the others.
• Consider color coding holiday containers and label with the contents.
• If you have space, hang bows in bags on hooks to maintain their shape.
• Set a family goal to make the holidays even more meaningful next year. Adopt a charity, volunteer in the community, participate in your church holiday program, etc. Write down your decision and make plans for it next year.

First Impressions: An Organized Entrance

The appearance of the entrances to our homes becomes important to most of us during the holidays. Many decorate the exterior windows and almost all of us place some type of decoration at and in our doors and entrances. Making this area festive gives a welcoming appearance so appropriate for this time of the year. To maintain that hospitable impression throughout the year does not require so many decorations but only a clean and organized appearance.

While your home may have several entrances, those most often used are also the most important to have orderly and attractive. Often within those spaces, several activities may take place that require items with a good arrangement. Here are some tips to consider.

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• Provide a shelf, a small table or chest if the area has enough space to place containers for small items, hats, gloves, etc. Cover it with a plain or decorative washable fabrics or small quilt to give a warm touch to the entrance and cut down on dusting and polishing.
• Provide containers to drop off incoming papers as close to the entrance as possible. This may be the incoming paper box, a basket or other small container that will hold items until they can be sorted later that day
• Place hooks, small pegs or containers for keys.
• If shoes are removed when entering, provide a basket, crate or box for them to be contained. Otherwise they will move around and get misplaced. This could also be in the garage or a closet at the front door.
• Include placement of hooks or pegs for children’s coats, backpacks or book bags or other totes. These are easy for children to use.
• If a closet is available, hanging shelves or open shoe bags can be used for hats, gloves and other small items.
• Use wooden or other sturdy hangers in coat closets.
• Add space above the top shelf in the closet with additional shelves or stacking containers.
• Provide a container for items to go out the door as you leave. A box or basket for envelopes to be mailed, books to be returned, etc. will help remind you to pick them up as you leave.
• Place an umbrella stand near the door for rainy days.
• Outdoor mats will help clean shoes before entering the house.
• A washable rug near the door will help dry wet shoes and keep dirt from being carried further into the house.
• Attractive plants and decorative containers will help beautify the space. If you have access to fresh flowers and enjoy arranging them, they are the a great way to provide a welcome into your home. A simple bouquet in a mug or vase is all that is needed. You do not have to be a professional florist to make it attractive.
• Keep the walk, steps and porch clean. Wash any glass on the door. It gives a sparkling good first impression.

 

Whether large or small, the entrance sets the tone for the rest of your home. Keeping it orderly and functional as well as attractive will give it a welcoming invitation to come inside. If you have any questions or comments please contact us through our website: www.OrderlyPlaces.com or by email: maryfrances@OrderlyPlaces.com We would love to hear you stories of your organizing journey.

Accessorizing

One of the last and most enjoyable steps in the decorating process.

Beginner Basics

• Odd-Number Rule- Group uneven number of pieces together; three or five usually
• Include larger pieces with smaller ones to add drama to an arrangement

  

 

• Use both symmetrical and asymmetrical balance to visually organize objects
  • Example: Matching lamps at either end of the table or mantel visually ground a collection of vases arranged asymmetrical in its center.
  

    

• Use The Designer Formula: Shiny, Matte, Tall and Flat.
  • Example:  Tall shiny candlesticks, a round vase and a matte finish plate.
• Repeat a color in at least three objects in three areas of the room
  • Examples: Lamps, Pillows, and an Area Rug.
• Leave unequal space between objects in a group- it allows each one to be seen clearly and provides needed rest points.
• When adding or changing present accessories around, start out fresh- that is by removing all accessories and then studying your room. Start with one piece and then add one by one.

     

 Novice Mistakes

• Under accessorizing a room
• Trying to pick out everything in one frenzied shopping trip
• Using accessories that are too small or all the same size.

If you have and questions about accessorizing your home or office or are intrested in finding the right accessories for your home call us at 595-5131 or e-mail as at unusualdesigns@verizon.net

 

Organizing and Gift Giving

Americans are generous people. We love expressing our appreciation and celebrating with gifts. The commercial market has maximized that spirit by making the most of every holiday including Grandparents Day (It is in September.) with appropriate cards, etc. We love to give and we love to receive.

It is very important to teach children to be generous in giving but also gracious in receiving. Every gift should be acknowledged with a thank you note. The sooner the notes are written the better, but no matter how long after receiving it, it must be acknowledged.

Once we have thanked the giver, the dilemma of what to do with gifts we do not need or want can become a space problem unless it is consumable. If it is from children or parents, especially in-law children or parents, it must be given a place of honor for a significant amount of time or put in place for their occasional visits. (For good advice on relationships with in-laws, I recommend Just Call Me Mom by Mary Tatem.)

Gifts that we do not use and want or do not have the space to display can be returned for credit or donated to a good cause. One young military wife who was working on getting her home organized, donated gift baskets of cosmetic items to a young girl down the street who wanted to be a cosmetician. The teenager was thrilled to get them and the young wife was delighted to pass them on to someone who wanted them. There are many charitable organizations as well as friends or family members who may need or want those items we choose not to keep. Since they would be new, selling them is an option, too. Moving them out is the best way to free our minds and spaces.

Letting those close to us know we would like gifts that do not clutter in the future is a good idea. If they are aware of our organizing journeys, they will be respectful of our wishes and not be offended.

In fact, we can set that example ourselves and give others clutter free gifts. Some examples are coupons to favorite stores or restaurant; baskets of fruits or jellies and jams, candy, homemade soup mixes, cakes, cookies or muffins; assortment of teas or coffee; car wash coupons; fishing or hunting license, rounds of golf or membership to a pool, zoo, museum or theme park. Regardless of the gifts received or given, they represent thoughts from the heart. And those are the most important gifts.

A Little Energy Geekiness and Just in Time for Christmas!

                As an energy geek, I love my toys.  I have a lot of energy saving toys like a thermal imaging camera, hygrometers, smoke sticks, home energy monitors, and a combustion analyzer to name a few.  I love playing with my toys.  The home energy monitor is a great toy to teach you how to save money because it shows you what you are pulling off the grid in real time.  My monitor is from TED (The Energy Detective) and it cost me about $200 a few years back.  It came with some great software that allows me to hook it up to my computer and produce some graphs.  I have one qualm with my monitor and that is that my computer has to be up and running in order to use the graphing portion of the software.  That means it has to be up and running, which means it is on even though I am not using it.  In other words, I am wasting energy to save energy.

                 I have found a solution to my problem, and just in time for Christmas!  And, of course, it is from Apple.                  Apple has proven itself as a company that completely changes the playing field in whatever field it chooses to enter, whether that is music, computers or cell phones.  Now Apple is indirectly completely changing the field of thermostats. 

                Two former employees of Apple,  Matt Rogers and Tony Fadell, have teamed up together to use the same type of engineering design that they learned at Apple and apply it to the field of energy conservation with their new firm NEST.  The NEST Learning Thermostat has all of the features that make Apple products so appealing to the masses.  It is simple, incredibly user friendly (something not many people say about their thermostat) and the best part is that it’s software is upgradable over time.  That means that this already incredible thermostat will do even more in the future which is mind boggling to think about.

                The design of the thermostat is a simple circular touch screen with no other buttons, very reminiscent of the original iPods with the single circular button controls.  To raise or lower the temperature in the house you just grab the outside of the round thermostat and turn clockwise or counter-clockwise.  Each time you make an adjustment the thermostat remembers what day of the week and time of the day that you made the change to learn what your preferences are for particular days and times.  No actual programming on your part.  No endless series of menus to flip through to simply change the temperature for Saturday morning at 8 a.m.  This is sheer brilliance.

                To make it even better, the thermostat has a little green leaf that appears on the circular face to tell you when you have made a selection that will help you save money.  Nothing like a little feedback to help you make better choices.  This amazing little device is also equipped with an occupancy sensor which knows when you are coming and going so it can make adjustments to the temperature for you.  It even learns at what time you typically go to bed and makes adjustments for that as well.

                Have guests coming in from out of town in the middle of the day and need to warm things up at your house for them?  No problem.  Just access your NEST thermostat from your cell phone or office computer and change the temperature remotely.  You have a nice cozy house to greet your guests and you didn’t have to run home to do it.

                But the greatest feature of all, this thing is a mini energy monitor without the hard wired computer connection 

                I love things that help me save money.  I especially like devices that save me money without even having to think about it ( Nest claims 30 % on your energy bills).  Check out the video for yourself at www.nest.com.  I know you will be impressed, I sure was.  These things can be preordered now for $250 and Best Buy will begin shipping them next month.  So, you think there will be people lining up at midnight to get new thermostats like they do for Apple cell phones?  I think I might just have to do that. 

Organizing Your Head and House

 

There is a relationship between the things around us and those in our minds. And I might add they can affect our bodies, too. The better organized the things in our homes, the easier it will be for our minds to remember where they are and where to return them. And when items are in their appropriate places, the space is safer for moving about and accessing them when we need them.

The reverse is true. How many times have we thought about where an item might be but could not find it because it did not have a permanent home. In fact, we may have created a bigger mess tossing other things around while looking for that one thing and created an unsafe environment by creating obstacles in pathways around our houses. And, continued frustration and stress will eventually take its toll on your physical body in the form of high blood pressure, etc.

While being organized is not a cure-all for a confused mind or health problems, it can make our days go by with fewer problems. We will not spend frustrating minutes or hours looking for items we need, we will not have to dodge items while walking around our homes, and we will not spend money on duplicate items because we couldn't access what we needed.

In the past few decades with a better economy, two incomes, the increase in electronic gadgets and lower priced consumer goods, we found ourselves loading our homes with so many things that we could not find room for all of them. Rather than remove those things we no longer used or enjoyed, we kept them because "we paid good money for them, we might need them some day, or they were a gift." The results are too many items for the space we have. In the past we may have opted for a bigger home with more space, but our present economy has made that option more difficult if not impossible. The only reasonable solution then is for us to deal with our clutter.

Getting and staying organized is a process, not an event. It takes work, that four letter word we often avoid. And it takes commitment, patience and change. None of those are easy to embrace but the results are worth it. Being organized frees up the time we would spend looking for misplaced items, it frees our finances from purchasing items we don't have space you keep, it frees our spaces so we can safely enjoy them and invite others to spend time with us. But most important are the personal feelings of accomplishment and the examples we set for those around us.

There are resources for help with organizing. Books, web sites, blogs and professional organizers are available with tips, strategies and creative solutions for organizing homes and offices. Getting started is the most important step. The team at Orderly Places has information to help the process begin. www.OrderlyPlaces.com

Understanding the Differences between Designing and Decorating

 

Designing vs. Decorating
 

Which experience do you want?

There is a difference between the two. Decorating only touches the surface of your project. It is just a piece of the pie, without the design part leading and dominating the process. Decorating has a tunnel approach and concentrates on the frill and fluff. It’s the ending to the process, not the beginning.

Designing is responsible for the Interior Design which is the most important aspect of the Design Process), function and decoration of your space.

Designing embodies these Aspects:

• A plan for your space 
• Visual presentations
• Knowledge of Styles, Materials and products that are used to create and furnish your room 
• Knowledge of how Texture, Color, Lighting and other factors combine and interact
• Understands structural requirements of plans and safety issues to name a few 

 Designing considers the whole pie and decorating only ¼ of the pie

Here are some examples of Designing , you will see different textures, colors, fabrics, and styled materials that were put together to give  each room  the "designed" principle.

- Notice the textured walls, the usage of a piece of art rather than a regular painting, and the blending of fabric incoporated in the furniture and winbdow treatments.

 

- Designing invloves all the detail the was put into the tile in this fireplace

 

Want to see more designing pictures go to Unusual Designs and see want type of designing fits your needs.

Organizing Tips for November

Ready or not, the winter holidays are coming quickly. Here are a couple of reminders plus more strategies to get you through the next few weeks.

Have packages for mailing out of town ready to send. Some overseas deadlines occur in November. Even packages to domestic locations should be ready to ship by the end of the month.

Now is the best time for online shopping. Almost all stores are offering free shipping and the selection is better now than later. Be sure to save receipts until after the holiday so items can be returned if necessary and to validate any charges on future credit statements. It is a good idea to keep this in a special envelope, folder, box, basket, etc.

Last month we reminded you to purchase holiday cards if you are particular about them. Now is the time to address and get them ready to mail. Email greetings can wait until December.

And I can never stress this point enough: If you choose to send a holiday newsletter, remember to keep it short and sweet. The shorter, the sweeter. No bragging is allowed; keep it newsy with love and appreciation for the input the recipients have had in your lives.

If you begin your holiday decorating early, be selective as you pull out the boxes of decorations. Pass on those items that you no longer like or use to save space and time. Permanent wreaths for the door can have the bow and a few leaves or flowers changed each season and will not have to be packed and stored. I purchase the inexpensive wreath decorations for my permanent vine wreath each season and toss them after use. They are normally dirty or faded anyway.

Stand alone decorations specific to the holidays take lots of time in packing and unpacking each year and require more storage space. By simply adding decorative bows, etc. to lamps, candles, house plants, etc., you can make your home festive without needing extra storage bins and space after the holidays.

In addition to the kitchen organizing we suggested last month, spend some time going through the kitchen equipment. Now is a good time to donate or sell those pots, pans, small appliances, tools and utensils you do not use. If you have not used an item in the past year, it should not be taking up valuable real estate in your kitchen. Consider storing it in a more remote place in the house if you cannot part with it. A good article on selecting basic pots and pans was written by Pat Caudill on his Facebook article: https://www.facebook.com/#!/CookingForLife.biz Check out his website: www.CookingForLife.biz.

Avoid shopping on Black Friday unless you absolutely must go and be sure to stick to your “needs” list. Going into the stores with their displays of special pricing, etc. is an emotional trap waiting for your hard earned cash. And all that stuff you don’t really need will clutter your house. After years of getting up before dawn to hit the sales, I have learned it is much smarter to just stay home that weekend, get more sleep and decorate. If you love the adventure, if you only buy what you need and is on your list, and if you don’t mind crowds and insane traffic jams and parking, go for it and send me your stories! maryfrances@OrderlyPlaces.com

"Filling Your Room with Furniture"

Need a change and don’t know where to start? Ask yourself certain questions to help you Access your needs and the Function taking place in the space.

 

For example, if it is your Dining Room-

•     Do you entertain a lot?

•     How much seating do you need?

•      What atmosphere do you want?

•       More casual or formal?

 

 Ask Yourself

·         Do you want all new?

o   So are you starting with an empty room?

·         Are you looking to replace a piece or two filling in an empty or sparse area?

When needing to fill the whole room, you can choose to only buy the essential pieces at the best quality you can afford and acquire other pieces overtime. It gives your room an evolved and layered look. Don’t purchase complete sets. To get a designer look you must Mix it up. Introduce different accent pieces that co-ordinate with your other furniture.

 

                                                                            What You Need To Consider 

·         Traffic Patterns: Points of entry and exit.

o   You want to be able to move comfortably through your room making sure you have enough space between your furniture.

·         Focal Point: Every room should have one

 

 

 

 

 

 

Layout/Floor Plan 

·         Draw your room and pieces of furniture to scale.

o   The most frequent mistake made is getting furniture too large or small for the room.

o   Drawing it to scale is a must!

·         Having a floor plan allows you the flexibility of moving the pieces around to see possible or multiple configurations for your room.

 

 

 

The design process is very multi layered. It takes time and effort. A professional Interior Designer can make the process much easier and headache free for you.

We would love to know how you filled your room with furniture, you can contact us by stoping by our store, Unusual Designs in Newport News, VA, through our website alwaysunusuldesigns.com, or e-mail us at unusualdesigns@verizon.net. We hope our information is useful when decroating your home.

Unusual Designs

Organizing Your Holiday Event

It is not too early to plan for your special event during the holidays. Special occasions demand organization because they break into our daily routines. Here are some organizing tips to help make the holiday events less stressful and more successful.

Schedule ahead. The closer you get to the special dinner, party or gathering, the more detailed the schedule. Once you have decided on a date, send out a "save the date" invitation to those you want to come. Our schedules have become so busy that waiting until the holiday festivities begin may be too late. About 2-4 weeks ahead, send out the invitation asking for a response. Phone calls are more personal but take more time. If you have a large gathering, this may too time consuming for you. If you mail invitations, you may need to follow up on those who do not respond.

Planning the menu, decorations, etc. should be scheduled in writing on your calendar/planner. Break down each task and work backwards from the date of the event, allowing sufficient time to get it done. The week before the event should be broken down into the preparation needed for each day. The big day can be divided into tasks for each hour working backwards from the time of the event. All planning should be done on paper or a computer file so you can make notes as you go.

Be flexible. Murphy’s Law is especially enforced during the holidays. The grocery store will not have the ingredients you need and no white candles will be found to replace the one you broke. Even if no substitutes can be found or made and there is no time to wait, remember life will go on. Try to see the bigger picture, adjust your plans and move on. Be creative and try something new or out of the ordinary. It may give you surprisingly great results.

Focus on people. Don’t get so caught up in the mechanics of the event that you ignore those you invited. If you can hire help during the event, it will allow you to focus on those you attending. After all that is the purpose of the occasion. If needed, you can enlist the help of a family member that will not be offended, and do not be too proud to accept offers of assistance from those attending--just don't abuse their willingness to step in. Relationships are more important than food, gifts and decorations. Be sure to ask questions of everyone to get them involved in the occasion.

Keep a record. Take notes as you plan and prepare. Record the menu and any thoughts about it as you prepare the food and afterwards. Make note of the preparation time, the amount left over, etc. Take pictures of the decorations you used as a future reference. This will help in planning the use of permanent decorations and those you may need to add in years to come.

Keep a copy of who you invited, those who were able to come, the schedules you made and any adjustments to them, and your evaluation of the entire event. All of these will save time in planning future events or remind you never to do it again! Save all of these in a folder on the computer or place them in the file cabinet so you can refer back to them.

Holidays can be hectic but planning ahead and organizing the tasks can help make them more enjoyable. If you have comments or questions, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us through our website, OrderlyPlaces.com or by email, maryfrances@OrderlyPlaces.com.

 

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