Snuggie

I'm sitting in my new Snuggie on a very cold night and appreciating all I've got. We had our Christmakkah celebration and there's no shortage of overpriced, underperforming electronic gifts floating about. The remote control cat mouse is the biggest disappointment. Next year I'll write a list of things I would like help with around to house and drop bigger hints about a gift certificate to the sushi bar. A quote I've used when plugging a friend's Mary Kay products is "The best gifts to give are the ones that go away!"

Contact Chris

I Googled myself yesterday and saw that this blog comes up much more than my business website. So for the seeker, my website is www.homeorganizingmadeeasy.com and my phone number is 443-834-8590. I sent out holiday savings cards to my clients and neglected to put my

contact information. Oops! Goes to show you that it's progress not perfection! I've been having a wonderful December of introspection and puttering. I got a chance to do the Work with three people this week. Four, if I include myself. I had gotten all snarky comparing my business to another business that is not at all personal and lends itself to expansion. I love having the word 'snarky' and I love having the Work to eliminate the snarkiness! Thanks again Byron Katie.

Before and After

Here are my first Before and After shots. Thank you to Patricia for getting the pics up!!

The After might not look like much but this cupboard has frosted glass doors with clear stars so it looks fine. This is reality here not HGTV.

Containers

Okay, so a friend scared me off of getting my Ikea baskets. News flash, Ikea's China plant is not even a light shade of "green". So instead, another friend came over and I covered boxes with contact paper. The weird part of that is that one box held my mothers ashes. They are also in a can and well, the box was redundant. I know that she would have loved a part of her being used in a creative project. She lives on. So now I need to do the Before and After shot! I mentioned that my friend came over to illustrate that I use the 'body double' technique for myself as well as with clients who can't get their paperwork done on their own. Left to my own devices I would be cleaning the house or running errands, having ADD and working for ones self is truly a challenge!

So Thankful

Had a wonderful time on Thanksgiving. We traveled for the first time in many years. It was nice to have the family together. My college boy adds such joy to the household and five people in a hotel room is always fun. Even when we got back I took a break from the computer. Living a balanced life takes conscious effort. Tomorrow I have painters coming to paint the kitchen and some trim. There comes a point where even I can admit that it ain't going to happen without help. If I can I will zip up to Ikea to get the containers for the bathroom cupboard project.

The Organizer Fairies

I sorted out the bathroom cupboard and was happy with it until my daughter said "It looks the same". It's true that tweaking an already organized house doesn't have the same 'wow' factor but it was lovely to rid myself of perfumes I never wear and get all my lotions in one place. The real problem is that I haven't tricked it out with great new containers from Target, Ikea, or the Container Store. I promise I will do that in the next two weeks and take Before/After photos. I've been bumming a bit because I've been working with a great couple who can't really afford my services. Many times my clients are in the position that they can't afford organizing help but they can't afford not to get help. It leaves me getting them started and rarely getting to the pretty part that motivates someone to put things away. It is frustrating. I wish I could clone myself and charge no money. Yes, organizer fairies, that's the ticket.

Working

I've been working a lot this past week and weekend. I'll be in high gear to tidy up after I finish work today. I have two motivators: My Crafty Moms group is coming over tomorrow and we are going out of town for Thanksgiving. I learned long ago that coming home is so much nicer when the house is tidy. Once again my client's budget ran out before the work was done. I will stay in touch and hope they can have me back soon. I get really fond of my clients. They invite me into their business and share their private stuff (physical, financial and many times emotional) and then pay me to be brutally honest with them. Reality can be harsh and I guess I serve as a buffer. It's always the same issue, not enough time or space. Which reminds me of my new favorite quote from the king of time and space: "The most important decision every person will ever make is whether or not to believe that the universe is friendly" - Albert Einstein.

Pilly PJ's

I did it! When I went upstairs last night, the last thing I wanted to do was to organize my pajama drawer, but I committed to do it so I dumped everything out on the bed. I had been stuffing that drawer for months telling myself it was necessary because my winter PJ's are bulky. That was bull, of course. I found two shirts I was missing and I got rid of a number of things including a bathing suit top that makes me look like a grandma and the winter PJ's that are, in fact, too small and too hot. It fascinates me that I have been squeezing my butt into those bottoms since I got them and I never considered getting rid of them until I put them through my purging filter. Oh the unasked questions. Do I love it? Does it fit well? There's something about putting my things into the "clinical" setting of organizing that lets me see them as what they are... objects. My "sexy" nightie doesn't feel so sexy when I see the pills and tired lace. I deserve to have something that makes me feel good and that old thing doesn't cut it any more. I love being able to open my drawer and see what's inside. Good riddance pilly PJ's!!! Tomorrow I'll do the cabinet in the bathroom.

Accountability

I took a teleclass on teleclasses today. I think I'm overwhelming myself thinking about doing too many things...classic client behavior. I like to think I am my own best client. Along those lines I'd like to commit myself to an organizing challenge. I was interviewed for an article in local mag and it won't be out until the spring. The writer told me to expect a call from the photographer because they'll want a picture of me in my organized home. Yikes! Now my house is quite organized but I'm imagining the opening of drawers, closets and cupboards. I am in no way an anal PO who has been organized since birth and can't imagine "how can they live that way!" Oh no, I slide down the slippery slope as soon as life gets too busy. I have to employ every technique that I teach and that's what I'm doing now. This blog is my "accountability partner". I commit to organize one small area every day from now until that photographer shows up at my door! Tonight I'll do my pajama drawer.

My Work with The Work 11/09

Yesterday I did some Byron Katie work with a client. The stressful thought we worked on was “I am a loser because I can’t keep up with my household paper work”. It was the same stressful thought that Client A used three weeks ago and had such positive results. Client B was tired and didn’t like the process but she came away thinking she could investigate an equally troubling thought for her which was “I am a loser because I get tired so easily”. Client B is really cool. Always open to trying new things. Exposing and eradicating the persistent negative thoughts has become my new mission in any attempt at behavior change. The Work by Byron Katie is four questions and a turnaround that you apply to any stressful thought. As soon as I figure out how to add a link, I will. I have used the method with great results on myself and am embarking on my own research in using it with the chronically disorganized people I work with. Stay tuned for immediate results for Client A and a follow-up with her 11/23/09.

Click here to Byron Katie's website

First Entry

Whew! My own blog where I can spout off my gems of wisdom and my adventures in the world of organizing. Stay tuned for posts about people you can relate to and see pictures of transformations in short amounts of time.