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Organizing in a Large Family

July 31, 2014/0 Comments/in Newsletter/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Helpful Organizer Newsletter – July 2014

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Side Notes:*** My website has a brand new look. Please check it out and provide me with some feedback. I’d love to hear what you think.

*** I’m sorry to report that the Leaning Connection, where I’ve taught classes for the past 6 years has closed. However, I’m still teaching at Tri-County in Franklin, MA. Visit my website for a complete class list and details.

*** Start with Sort is my first tip that I taped with DoubleACS, a public access TV station in Attleboro, MA. It was a fun and exciting experience.

*** Maybe Box is my second tip that I taped with DoubleACS, a public access TV station in Attleboro, MA. What do you think?

Hi Janine,

Happy summer! I hope you’ve been able to enjoy this lovely summer weather that we’ve been having. My organizing clients have been keeping me pretty busy this summer, but I was able to squeeze in a vacation. I just returned from a trip to Canada, where I caught a rainbow in Niagara Falls. If you’ve never been to see these magnificent falls, I definitely recommend it.

Large Family

Niagara Falls was one of our vacation destinations, and Toronto, Canada was another. I have a sister who lives up there. You may or may not know that I have several sisters. In fact, I come from a very large family. (If you’d like to know just how large, email me and I’ll share the double digit number with you.)Growing up in a large family taught me many valuable organizing lessons. I’d like to share some with you.

Lessons Learned:
1. Be responsible for your own stuff, because it could easily get lost in the shuffle.
2. Make room for what’s important, because there isn’t enough space for surplus or unnecessary things.
3. Everyone has to pitch in and do their share, because one Mom (no mater how super) can’t do it all, and shouldn’t have to.
4. Put things back where you found them, because the next person who needs it, will want to be able to find it.
5. Accumulating more than you need or use isn’t possible, because there is no room.

I’d be happy to hear the organizing lessons you’ve learned from your family. Please share.

From,

Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®
(508)-699-6652

If you’d like to share this email message with someone, please click on the Forward email button below. Thank you and happy organizing in summer of 2014!

Organizing/Sharing Information

July 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Jot down any notes, dates, ideas, or information that you want to discuss with your spouse and children in a small notebook and keep it next to the dinning room table or kitchen table. I keep my notes next to the kitchen table on the counter. This helps jog my memory and reminds me to address the issues before, after, or during dinner time.

Organizing E-mail

June 1, 2014/0 Comments/in Tip of the Month/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Read your E-mail with your calendar, date book or planner (whether it’s paper or electronic) right next to you so you can immediately jot down dates, notes and reminders. This will make it easier to delete those E-mails, since the information will already be noted in your calendar.

Repurposing Containers

May 21, 2014/2 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

Would you consider purchasing containers as the “fun” part to organizing? You wouldn’t be alone. Containers are multifunctional and practical. They serve important functions in organizing. They provide boundaries for stuff. They hold and keep like items together. They prevent pieces and parts from getting lost or misplaced.

I recommend being creative and resourceful when it comes to containers. Instead of purchasing, I advocate repurposing containers that we already have in our space. It’s very economical and environmentally conscious.

Here are several ideas for repurposing the zippered bags that blankets, comforters, and sheets come in.

Store manuals and instructions
Keep by washing machine for stray socks
Use as wet bag for beach towels and bathing suits
Store games and puzzles that have squashed boxes
Keep in car for muddy shoes or wet clothes
Store camping equipment
Use as container to collect items that need to be dry cleaned
Use as sports bag for uniforms, equipment and footwear
Store comic books or other books
Keep in suitcase for dirty clothes

Ideas for the small zipped pillow case bags:

Travel first aid kit
Cd’s or Dvd’s
Take out menus
Travel bag for toiletries
Pencil case
Proud member of NAPO

What containers have you repurposed? Please share.

Repurpose & Organize

May 21, 2014/0 Comments/in Blog Posts/by Janine Cavanaugh, CPO®

I’m often asked by a potential clients if they can purchase any organizing products in preparation of our work appointment. My answer is usually no. (The exception is when we’re working in a brand new space.) The reason for my “no” answer, is that in the process of organizing we uncover, discover, locate, unearth, and find plenty of items that can be re-purposed as suitable organizing products. Re-purposing items in our spaces allows us to be more economical and environmentally conscious.

Here are a few examples of how I re-purposed products in my home:

1. Re-purposed coffee mugs holding
brushes, razors, and pens
2. Re-purposed notepaper boxes
holding ziplock bags and garbage bags
3. Re-purposed bread container holding
measuring cups and small baking tools

Proud member of NAPO

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