The Blogs • Page 27 of 63 • Helpful Organizer

Categorizing is the Best First Step

December 1, 2018/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Whether you have a bit of clutter, or a full blown mess, the best first step to organize it is to sort and categorize. Separating items into groups of similar things is the easiest way to start any organizing project. Creating categories in which to sort items is always the first action I take when starting any organizing project. For example five categories used for clutter that had collected on a client’s table are; unopened mail, papers to address, stuff to read, items to address, and items to be put away. Categorizing the clutter allowed us to address each of the 5 groups one at a time. This moved the organizing process along successfully. So, the next time you feel stuck or unsure of of where or how to start an organizing project remember categorizing is the best first step.

Less Possessions

November 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

As the holiday season approaches I’d like to encourage us all to find greater pursuits in life than material possessions. Instead of spending time shopping and acquiring more stuff, please consider these alternatives.

Value people, wellness, and kindness over possessions. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, food bank, homeless shelter, or nursing home. Donate gently used coats, hats, gloves and warm clothing to charities like Cradles to Crayons and Salvation Army. One amazing charity that I donate to is a local program called Clothes to Go. (Contact me for details.)
Define ourselves by what we do, how we think, and who we love, rather than what we buy and own. Make it a priority to spend quality time with family and friends. Volunteer our time or resources to those in our family, neighborhood, and community that need help. One way that I’ve been giving back to the community is by delivering Meals On Wheels every Wednesday morning. It’s very rewarding.
Once we’ve covered our basic needs, our happiness has very little to do with the amount of stuff we own. So, share the wealth with those who could use some help, especially our veterans. A worthwhile program in which I’ve participated is organized by Soldiers’ Angels.
Value experiences over material possessions. Spend time cooking healthy meals as a family. Start a holiday tradition to hike or walk after the family feast. Play games together. Share photos and family stories with loved ones.
Embrace the JOMO = joy of missing out. Limit technology overload by establishing email, text, and screen blackout times. Live in the moment and savor it.
Be grateful and express your gratitude. Share what you’re thankful for in a gratitude journal.
Purchase consumable products and intangible things instead of something that takes up space. Ideas can be found on my clutter-free gift idea list.

Reduce

November 1, 2018/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Reduce the stuff we use to maintain other stuff. For example, reduce the number of cleaning supplies we have. If we took inventory of all that we have on hand, what would be our total? How many other products in our homes serve only to maintain something else we own? Can we reduce the amount we have of laundry items, auto care products, tools, and home improvement supplies? Remember the less we have the less we have to organize.

Shopping Guidelines

October 30, 2018/0 Comments/in Newsletter/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Celebrating

10 years in business

in 2018!

I apologize for not sending out a newsletter in July. I was traveling and the summer just flew by. However, I did write some blog articles that you may find inspiring and interesting. Please see below.

Recent Blog Articles:

Question: Have you ever experimented with minimalism? Please share.

Quick Links

Website
Email
NAPO-NE

Hi ,

How are you? Can you believe it is already the end of October? Summer has come and gone, and once again we are gearing up for a cold, snowy New England winter. Time marches on and with winter comes the gift-giving-season. Are you ready? Would you like to do things a bit differently this year? If so, I have a few organizer friendly shopping guidelines.

Make a list and check it twice (like Santa).
Set limits on number of gifts to give each person and dollars to spend per person.
Always shop with your list and have a specific purpose for each purchase.
Buy gifts that get used up instead of things that take up space. A few examples are bubble bath, art and craft supplies, and sweet treats.
Use technology as a gift-giving inspiration and acquire downloads of books, movies, and games.
Purchase gifts of experience like movie passes, sporting event tickets, zoo memberships, concert tickets, and ice cream shoppe gift cards.
Check out my list of clutter-free gift giving ideas.
Store gifts in one spot, so you can easily see what has been purchased.
Update your list each time you make a purchase.
Schedule time to wrap gifts so you don’t have to stay up till 3:00AM the night before the big holiday.

If you have other shopping guidelines that have worked for you in the past, please share them with me.

Giving Resources

Looking to clear out some stuff before adding more during the holidays?

Here are a few giving options for toys:

Cradles to Crayons helps families and children in need.
Project Smile works with police and fire departments
Daycare centers
Domestic and homeless shelters
Children’s Homes
Social Services
Hospitals and doctor’s offices

Here are two on-line giving communities:

Happy 2018!

I’m truly grateful for you and your support of me and my business. Thanks for helping me make it to my ten year anniversary. Wishing you all the best in the final two months of 2018 and a happy and safe holiday season!

From,

Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652
logo square

If you’ve worked with me in any capacity, I’d be grateful for a review. Simply click on this link and answer 3 questions. Thank you and happy organizing!

Define Minimalism

October 15, 2018/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

How would you define minimalism? I asked this question at the beginning of a presentation I gave recently at Brown University in Providence, RI. The answers I received were varied, but most of them included the concepts of intentionally having less stuff, and living a meaningful life with less material possessions. This was consistent with what I found while doing research for this presentation, and reading how established minimalists defined minimalism. I found three definitions that I could easily relate to, one by Joshua Becker, one by Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus, and one by Miss Minimalist, Francine Jay.

After reading these definitions I was inspired to come up with my own personal definition of minimalism. This is what I came up with:

Minimalism is a lifestyle choice in which we focus on:
…minimizing consumption by shopping less, buying less, using less.
…embracing limits through reducing, reusing, recycling.
…protecting our environment and natural resources with voluntary simplicity.
…finding greater pursuits in life than material possessions.

This definition became the outline for my presentation on embracing minimalism. It also inspired me to adopt a more of a minimalist lifestyle. I’ll be sharing my ideas, tips, and experiences on aspiring to be a minimalist in future blog articles. I hope you stay tuned and get inspired as well. If you’re interested in having me share my presentation on embracing minimalism, please contact me.

Below are some resources on minimalism that I’d like to share. I hope they encourage you to make changes in your life, like they have encouraged me.

Joshua Becker’s website, books, and blog
Joshua Fields Millburn’s & Ryan Nicodemus’ website, books, and blog
Francine Jay’s website, books, and blog
Courtney Carver’s website, books, and blog
Patrick Rhone’s website, books, and blog
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Becoming a Minimalist: Your Guide to Living a Great Life With Less Through Minimalism by Kimberly Wilson
Minimalism: How Living on Less Means Living More Life by Addison Fenn
The Simple Guide to a Minimalist Life by Leo Bubauta
You Can Buy Happiness (and It’s Cheap): How One Woman Radically Simplified Her Life and How You Can Too by Tammy Strobel

ORGANIZING

Follow Me