Worry Free SUMMER TIME Events!

Written by Just Get Organized

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a worry free – SUMMER TIME EVENT –  use Our party planning checklist!

So everyone’s over at your house. The yard is packed. The food and salads are numerous, enticing and delicious. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and everyone is having a great time. Except you, of course. (Well someone has to barbecue, serve, pour drinks, clear up, swat flies and in general run the operation).

Now for the good news! With a little planning, everyone can enjoy the BBQ – even you! Just follow the steps outlined in the BBQ party planning checklist below and you’re sure to remain stress-free! Don’t believe us, try it out!

 

4 Stage Party Planning Checklist

Stage 1: About a Week Before

Task	Click box to Check
Make up a guest list, and send out invitations (or just call everybody up)
Plan the menu, and make a shopping list of everything you need to buy. If vegetarians are among your guests, plan for them as well.
If friends and family will be attending, see if you can allocate some of the work (Find volunteers to make salads or prepare deserts, for instance. This will leave you basically free to just attend to the grill)
If you use a gas grill, check to see you have enough propane (having a refill on hand is always good policy). Likewise, if you use charcoal, make sure you have enough coals.
If you need to rent or borrow any equipment, make necessary arrangements.

Ready to move on to stage 2 of your party planning checklist?

Stage 2: 2-3 Days Before the BBQ Party.

Task	Click box to Check
Start preparing everything a few days before the event. Make a list of things you have to get.
Food and beverages (Alcoholic and non-alcoholic, as required)
Paper plates, napkins and towels, and plastic utensils if you’re planning on using them. It’s usually a good idea to get slightly more than the number of guests you’ve invited.
Any special decorations, tablecloths, meats, seafood or anything else you may need.
If any foods you’re planning can be made ahead of time and frozen, such as snacks and mixes, now’s the time to get started.

Ready to move on to stage 3 of your party planning checklist?

Stage 3: The Day Before

Task	Click box to Check
Get the ice you need for the drinks
Pick up all the perishable and last-minute items you need
Don’t forget condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, relish & pickles, etc. Prepare your salads, and call to remind your designated salad makers. Or just pick up prepared salads at your grocery store.
Decorate party areas and arrange the tables and work area
Thaw any frozen items

I think you’re doing pretty well so far. And now your planning is about to enter it’s final phase:

Stage 4: The Day Of

Task	Click box to Check
In the morning set out the plates, utensils, and BBQ tools. Keep all the tools you’ll need handy so you wont have to desert your post and run inside to get something. Accidents can happen when the grill is unattended.
If you’re grilling any vegetables, now is a good time to prepare them and wrap in foil, if required. Remember that corn and potatoes should be on the grill about an hour before the meat
Set up a drinks table, and let everyone come over and help him/herself. I like to fill a large plastic tub with ice and canned drinks, which is extremely efficient in keeping people out of the house and out of the fridge.
When your friends start arriving, try and delegate serving and clearing up duties. You may also like to get some of the parents to arrange games for the kids – this keeps the kids occupied and out of your cooking area. To make it more interesting, why not have some small prizes handy for the winners?
Set up a large trash container (or two) in your cooking area, with a large plastic sack inside. Encourage your guests to use them to dispose of their paper plates and cups. I also like to keep a couple of rolls of paper towels handy – always useful.

Well, how about that? Isn’t it amazing what a little party planning checklist – and a little delegation – can do?

Now you can take it easy and enjoy yourself as well.

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Thanks for reading Our Blog post today! Enjoy some summer-time fun in the sun with your family and friends!

From Our Book Shelf…

Have you ever wanted to just sit in a comfy chair on a Sunday morning and just read something that tells you exactly what to do with your life to make it more enjoyable?

Our advice for reading this fantastic book, is to read it as early in the day as possible. That way you can implement the techniques you’ve learned and have a full day of organizing fun! Trust us, you will need all day!

You can find this book online HERE:

http://www.amazon.ca/dp/1440302634 

You can find it as an eBook as well, for UNDER $10!!!!

Remove the Mess, Add Meaning

Simplicity isn’t about what you give up. It’s about what you gain. When you remove the things that don’t matter to you, you are free to focus on only the things that are meaningful to you. Imagine your home, your time, your finances, and your belongings all filling you with positive energy and helping you achieve your dreams.

It can happen, and Organized Simplicity can show you how.

Inside you’ll find:

• A simple, ten-day plan that shows you step-by-step how to organize every room in your home
• Ideas for creating a family purpose statement to help you identify what to keep and what to remove from your life
• Templates for a home management notebook to help you effectively and efficiently take care of daily, weekly and monthly tasks
• Recipes for non-toxic household cleaners and natural toiletry items including toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo

Start living a more organized, intentional life today.

We all need some organization in our lives, whether you think you do or not. Organized Simplicity can help you in many ways than one. Immerse yourself in this fabulous book! It’s one of those books that you can go back to for certain things many times, not just a one time read!

HIGHLY recommended! 🙂

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful day!

10 Best Organizing Items to Buy at the Dollar Store!

Written by: Just Get Organized 

 

Dollar stores are one of the best places to buy organizing supplies. You can organize your kitchen, your bathroom, your closets, your garage – even your vehicle can get organized with supplies available at most dollar stores.

Most of the organizing products found in dollar stores are actually of decent quality, which makes these stores the first places you should check when you want to get organized.

Not all organizing supplies are created equal, though. Here are 10 of the best organizing products available at dollar stores:

1. Baskets & Bins

Baskets & bins are some of the best organizing tools that you can use to get organized, and dollar stores sell them for a few dollars or less. They are available in a wide variety of sizes, colours and designs, so you are sure to find some that fit your style. Don’t think that dollar stores only carry plastic, either. They also have fabric, wicker, and metal bins and baskets.

 

 

 

 

2. Drawer Organizers

There’s not much worse than opening up a drawer and seeing it crammed full with stuff, making it almost impossible to find what you’re looking for. At dollar stores, you can find drawer organizers that will help get all kinds of drawers organized. Organize your cutlery, your small kitchen tools, clothing, toiletries, craft supplies, food and more!

 

 

 

 

3. Desk Supplies

You can find a ton of desk organizing supplies at dollar stores that you will help you to organize your paper piles, pens & pencils, stationary, rubber bands, paperclips, thumbtacks, sticky notes and all of the other desk supplies you have taking over your work space.

 

 

 

 

4. Jars

Jars are a fantastic organizing tool, and dollar stores have many of them. Small jars, medium jars, large jars – they have them all. Use them to organize spices, food, craft & scrapbooking supplies, ribbon, small items (nails, screws), markers or crayons. The possibilities are endless!

 

 

 

5. Bukets

Dollar store buckets can be used to organize so many things, such as cleaning supplies, toys, toiletries and food. You can also use smaller buckets for organizing craft supplies, small bathroom items (cotton balls, q-tips), and for various small food items in your kitchen (granola bars, k-cups).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

6. Hooks

When it comes to getting organized, one of the best things you can do is get everything off of the floor and off of your surfaces. This is where hooks come in handy, and thankfully, dollar stores have a wide variety of them available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Ice Cube Trays

Although they are perfect for making ice cubes, these ice cube trays are handing for more than just forming freezing water into cubes. Use them to organize all of your very small items, such as jewelry, small office supplies (thumbtacks, paperclips), beads, makeup and of course, all of those small items in your junk drawer.

 

 

 

8. Shoe Organizers

Shoe organizers can be used for so much more than just organizing shoes! Stick one in your car to corral kids items and in your pantry for small packages. You can also use them to organize cords, toiletries, craft supplies and so much more!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Binders & File Folders

Get your papers organized with binders and file folders, available at almost every dollar store. Most dollar stores even have page dividers for binders, which makes it even easier to organize the papers that you put in your binder. File folders are great for coupons, receipts and other small papers.

 

 

 

 

 

10. Mesh Bags

These little bags are extremely inexpensive (usually $1 for a package of 2 or 3 bags) and can be used to organize so many things. I use them in my purse, the diaper bag, and in my laundry room (I put detergent samples in them). They can be used for other organizing tasks, too, such as food, toys (especially bath toys), clothing, makeup and much more!

 

 

 

 

Organizing stores are expensive, and although they do have some pretty nice stuff, you don’t need to pay their high prices to get organized. A quick trip to your local dollar store will leave you with a ton of good quality organizing supplies!

What is your favourite organizing product to buy at dollar stores?

Thanks for reading!

Lose the F.A.T. in Your Office!

Written by Anne Gideon, Professional Organizer

Tired of those piles of paper, missed appointments and lost documents?

Well, you need to ‘Just Get Organized’ once and for all.

When it comes to paper, the saying “Out of sight, out of mind” is the fear of some people.  The opposite is just as true “Insight, in mind”.  Clear the clutter and eliminate the distractions.  Working with a cluttered desk can lead to procrastination, important calls being missed, bills going unpaid, vital records misplaced and mostly, distract you from the things that matter most to you.  Some studies suggest that as much as 1½ hours per day can be wasted because of a messy desk – YIKES !!…………What would you rather do with that extra time?

Have items you use everyday within arms reach of your desk chair.  Less frequently used items or papers can be filed and stored away in file cabinets and cupboards.

Getting clutter-free and organized contributes to a sense of balance, control & harmony.  Your productivity & efficiency increases.  Amazingly, you begin to see what is most important to you!

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know exactly what to do with each piece of paper that crosses your desk?  Instead of shuffling paper from pile to pile, integrate handling paper only once.  Paper can only go in 1 of 3 places. The analogy below can help you through this process:

File – papers that need to be referenced in the future

Act – read, pay, call, discuss, write, etc.

Toss – unwanted, outdated or irrelevant papers

6 Must-Have Organizing Tips for your Office

 

1.  Incorporate a small recycle bin, shredder and waste basket beside your desk to handle unnecessary paper.  Open your mail over the recycle bin – get rid of envelopes and unwanted flyers immediately.  This will cut down on paper by at least 50%.

2.  Have only ONE calendar – Use it for recording both personal and business events to avoid missing an important appointment or event.

3.  A file cabinet is a must.  You may already have one that is empty or stuffed with items and papers you no longer need or use.  Integrate a file system that you can easily use.

4.  Set-up your desk in an L-shape for greatest efficiency.  Clear your desk at the end of each day.  Think of your desk as only a “working” surface not a “storage” surface.

5.  Avoid having small pieces of note-paper everywhere.  Keep your ideas, messages and shopping list in one place by using a coiled note book.  Simply cross out when the task is complete.

6.  For tax returns, according to the Government of Canada, you need to keep your supporting documents for six years from the year you filed it, including the current year.  Have the receipts and documentation to support your claims ready in case you are selected for review.

Professional Organizers can develop easy to maintain systems that work for you.  Organization is a skill that can be learned !!

Goodbye Clutter! “Just Get Organized” Once and for all!

Written by Anne Gideon, Professional Organizer of Just Get Organized

 

Are you tired of clutter in your home?  Is having too much stuff causing you stress? Feeling overwhelmed by lack of control and balance in your life?

Then you need your home decluttered and organized once and for all.

We all lead busy and stressful lives.  This can catch up to us in that our homes end up being disorganized and full of clutter.

Being cluttered and disorganized makes us feel tired because our to-do list keeps growing out of proportion. Each task takes longer to do because we can’t find the most important items at our finger tips. We have to scramble over piles of stuff to find one important piece of paper.

Having tons of stuff also weighs you down and tires your mind. You would feel so liberated and light if you let go of the items you don’t love, need, or use.

It’s the fastest way to simplify your life.

Once you let go of all unnecessary clutter, the next step would be to organize everything to make your home and your life efficient again.

Most people have good intentions to organize themselves.

They buy the bins, the magazines, and books on organizing and try to organize their home themselves.  But after months and years of trying, their home is still full of clutter, and disorganized. And they end up feeling more stressed and more frustrated by trying.

So, what is the solution?

Professional organizing.  Professional Organizers will come into your home and offer an amazing life-transforming service. By turning your disorganized space full of clutter into an enjoyable home again.

There are many advantages of using the services of a Professional Organizer.

One is that we are not emotionally attached to your clutter. We can offer objective encouragement to clients to get rid of things that are not needed and are blocking time and effort from important matters in their life.

The second is time. Instead of taking months and years, Professional Organizers can declutter and organize your home in a matter of days.

Your home may be cluttered and disorganized and you may not have enough time to organize your home because of your busy life.

But your home do not need to stay that way, you can say goodbye to the stress, the feeling of being overwhelmed and just simplify your life.

Your home, and thus your life, can receive an instant makeover with the services provided by a Professional Organizer.

Imagine coming home from a hectic day to an organized space where you can relax and enjoy time for yourself and your family.  That is the result of having your home decluttered and organized once and for all!