I am an “organize junkie”

After twenty years my husband still can’t believe my love of browsing stores such as kitchen supply, office supply and general organizing supply stores.  I’m also an avid collector of actual paper catalogues that offer organizational types of products.  Even though I already have all sorts of organizing systems and methods, I’m still in search of that perfect “organizing product or system”.  And each spring seems to be the time that this eccentricity in me to re-organize cupboards, closets, pantry and every other storage area in our house comes to the surface. Steve, my husband, usually hides until I get it out of my system.

Recently, I took a trip to the Container Store.  There wasn’t anything in particular that I was looking for, but knew that I would find just that perfect solution to one of my organizing projects.  I found a better organizing system for my jewelry; plus I found a few other items just for fun.  I’m particularly drawn to small gadgets either for the kitchen or office.  Things that I never knew that I needed; but when I see them, they make perfect sense. 

Having managed two trans-Atlantic moves, I’m rigorous about not having any extra items in our house.  I’m quite firm about the rule that if it isn’t used within a year, it should be donated or thrown out.  This is a totally foreign concept to my husband, who is a hoarder and his filing system consists of stacking papers, yet he always knows where everything is.  I have to admit that it is probably pretty ruthless on my part but since he is a scientist, he sees the logic in my rule. 

Here are just some of my routine de-cluttering projects:

Kitchen cupboards: Since I’m an avid coupon user, I usually have to buy more than one of any item. This means that we have 3-4 tins or packages of one item in our cupboards. I’m constantly trying to check the labels to make sure that I move the older items to the front so that we use those first.  Extras that don’t fit into the cupboards go on to shelves in our garage.

Closets: I go through our closets twice a year and donate items that we haven’t worn (at least those items from my husband that I can sneak out of the closet or those that I can pry away from him.)

Bookcases: This is one that I agonize over only because reading is a passion for me and I go through books quite quickly.  I don’t read them more than once but I just don’t take the time, as I should, to go through our books and donate the ones that we’ve read.  This is one of my projects for the next few weeks. Last year, a friend was sending books to troops who were recovering from injuries from the wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan so I sent two big boxes of books to them. I can’t think of a better way to clean out my bookcases!

Bathroom: I try and get through our bathroom cupboard and drawers a couple of times a year – especially my makeup drawer.  Why do I always end up with at least 2-3 tubes of lipstick that’s the same color but I never wear?

Office: Here’s where I really love my little gadgets!  I have a USB hub, lots of colored post its and colored highlighters, tabs, folders, you name it and I have it.  I love color coordinating all of my projects. And I’ve recently found some cable tidy devices that hopefully will help keep my cat from chewing on my computer cables.

Garage: This is an area where my husband and I don’t agree.  I’d love to have a perfectly neat and tidy garage while still being able to keep my car with room to get out.  At the moment, my car fits perfectly, as does his when we switch (big difference in size).  But I’d really love a whole wall of pegboard to hang “stuff” that always accumulates in a garage. This is one of my goals for this spring.

Declutting, throwing out or donating unused items and reorganizing gives me a sense of order in my life – a sense of control and achievement!

Do you need to have a “declutter” session or reorganize any area of your home?  Take it a step at a time but make it a priority.  It will lift your spirits and give you a sense of accomplishment.

Good luck with your organization endeavors!

Keeping Motivated to Exercise

This coming Monday (April 7^th) is World Health Day.  It’s the 64^th anniversary of WHO (1948) and this years’ theme is Aging and Heath.  We all have aging in common, and let’s face it - it’s better than the alternative. What better time to access where you are since we are now a quarter of the way through 2012.  Can you believe how quickly the time is going by?  How are you doing on the healthy goals that you set?  Still exercising?  If you are like most people who set an exercising goal for 2012, you’ve probably let it slip by now.

Due to recent jaw surgery, I had to stop exercising for a while.  “A while” was actually 5 weeks because before the surgery, in addition to working very long hours, I had a major sinus infection plus throat and ear infections that I was trying to kick.  Then following the surgery, I had another couple of weeks when I couldn’t exercise. Since exercising isn’t my favorite activity anyway, it would have been all too easy for me to just stop entirely.  But as soon as I had the OK to take it up again, I forced myself back to the gym.  I’ve been going again every morning and have increased my workouts gradually during the first week so that I’m now even beyond where I was before.  I’ve also started a weights class twice a week.  While I love lifting weights, I have trouble staying motivated if I have to constantly work out on my own so I find taking a class with others helps the time pass more quickly and it helps to keep me motivated.  I’m hoping that it will also help me get motivated to resume my weights on the days that I don’t have classes.

Following my surgery, I set myself a goal of walking a minimum of 3 miles a day and if I have the time I do 5 miles – that’s my goal for the day, every day for 4 weeks.  This isn’t just slogging along because I do intervals and inclines on the treadmill, increasing the speed and inclines to challenge my body when I can.  I’m not sure why I chose these distances or 4 weeks but it’s just a goal that I set.  These miles have to be in addition to any other exercise that I get throughout my day. 

Setting and tracking my goal helps motivate me to complete my goal. My husband gave me a Fitbit pedometer as a gift a few months ago so I’ve been wearing it faithfully.  It connects to my computer so that I can also log in the foods that I eat and calculate the calories that I take in.  Once you see the calorie in calculations versus the calories that you burn during your activities, the ratio in versus calories out all becomes much more real.

There are still days when I could so easily find a hundred excuses to not go to the gym.  That’s why I go first thing, very early, every morning. I am determined to accomplish my goal so I force myself out the door and once I get going, it’s not so bad.  I always feel better for having done it. 

So, are you still working on your healthy goals?  If the thought of going to a gym makes you cringe, there are so many other activities that you can do to keep active.  If you are bored with your usual exercise, try something new such as a new activity or a new class.  It will keep your body challenged and refresh your attitude.

 Join me by continuing your healthy goals for the rest of 2012!