Extra Organized

Once-a-week lunchboxes

It's that time of year in Australia when students are back at school. My children attend a small school with no canteen, so I need to pack lunches five days a week.

Here's the system I use to keep lunches sorted for school and work with minimal effort.

The best part is that it takes about thirty minutes to organize it all on a Sunday afternoon, and then only a couple of minutes to toss the components into lunchboxes each morning (good for my slow-to-start brain).

On Sunday afternoon, I:

• Make and freeze enough sandwiches for four days (the fifth day is for a special treat or convenience item such as canned tuna).
• Cook a lunch dish such as quiche, sausage rolls, risotto or soup, which goes into the freezer in individual servings. The risotto and soup go straight into soup mugs which transfer from the freezer to the microwave to the table—so convenient.
• Containerize enough snacks to last the week. I like a dark chocolate/seed mix, so I make up seven containers worth. The kids like more variety, so I put together a basket stocked with grain chips, sultanas, and muesli bars, along with cheese sticks or yoghurt pots in the fridge, and maybe individually wrapped slices of cake or muffins in the freezer.

Now, for the easy part!

In the morning, the kids grab their lunchbox, take a sandwich from the freezer, choose a snack, and add a piece of fruit and a drink bottle. The kids love the independence of filling their lunchboxes themselves, and I don't mind what they put in, because I've pre-chosen and prepared it all.

Do you have any tips for organizing school or work lunches?

Recycling magazines (with a twist)

For a while now, I’ve regularly subscribed to magazines. However, a busy year combined with a desire to spend time on what means the most to me has meant I’m often frustrated when a new magazine arrives in my mailbox and I know the previous issue is still in my reading pile, unread.

An idea came when I browsed a back issue of my favourite (no longer published) magazine, Notebook. I have two complete years of this high-quality magazine on my shelves. I don't want to give them away, but at the same time they aren’t being read (and if a possession is not an actively used or enjoyed part of my life, I question whether I should keep it).

Anyway, flicking through the past issue, I felt like I was reading a fresh, new magazine.

I decided that once my current subscriptions expire, I’ll pull out a Notebook magazine from the relevant month, and work my way through my collection, month for month. Of course, I can still buy my favourite new magazines, but only when I have time to read them.

By doing this, I will make good use of what I already have, stop bringing in new material that I feel pressured to read and make space for, and save money. I read widely, and magazine topics tend to be recycled, so I’m not worried about missing new ideas in my areas of interest. It feels a bit like I’ll be re-reading a favourite book.

How do you manage your magazine collection? Do you keep and re-read them, or pass them along as soon as you have finished?

Rotating cleaning tasks

The approach I take to cleaning our home is based on a (mostly) weekly routine. I like this system as it means I don’t continually look around the house for jobs that need doing—they have their set days—and because I can cap the number of hours I spend cleaning.

However, not every task needs to be done weekly. For example, I’m overdoing the mending if I do it every week, but I’m underdoing it if I leave it to once a month.

The solution I came up with is to rotate these jobs within my weekly routine across a fortnight or a month.

Here are the cleaning chores I apply the rotation principle to:

Floors and bathrooms: I alternate quick and deep cleans. One week, the bathrooms get a quick wipe-over, and the floors are thoroughly vacuumed and mopped. The next week, I buzz the handheld vac over the floors and only mop the wet areas, while the bathrooms get a good scrub.

Sheets: I change pillowcases every week; but in cooler weather, one weekend I change our sheets, and the next weekend I change the kids’ sheets, and so on.

Other jobs (see photo above):
Week 1: Garden
Week 2: Iron
Week 3: Mend
Week 4: Window sills
Week 5: Skirting boards

The key is to find the right balance between over-eagerness and procrastination.

Do you use a similar, or different method to manage those jobs that don’t need to be done each week? Are there other tasks you like to alternate?

Recording memories

I’m a firm believer in throwing myself into creating memories over capturing and storing them. I once saw a tourist take in an entire boat tour of the stunning Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge in Australia’s Northern Territory through his video camera. Sure, he would have been able to re-live the experience by watching the footage, but he never gave himself the opportunity to drink it all in with his own eyes, with no barriers between himself and the world.

But then again, perhaps I’m just lazy with photos, videos, and scrapbooks! I have, however, found one special way to record memories.

It’s a Quotes Book, a simple exercise book where I record gorgeous family gems like these:

• Luke (age 6): I had a bad dream last night. We were on the beach and a few crocodiles came up to us. One of them tried to get me, but I said "Go and get Jessica, she has more fat on her."
• Luke (age 5) [staring at a honey pattern on his toast]: That's an emu running with an aardvark behind him.
• Jessica (age 7): Obi-Wan is in Star Wars. He's good at giving people a beauty.
• Jessica (age 6): It's important to look after the environment, and to look after animals. Dead birds you can't help.
• Jessica (age 6) [as I was doing her hair for school]: Hurry up, Mum. A speeding bullet is going faster than you.

What’s your favourite way of recording and highlighting memories?

A fresh start

A shiny, crisp, new first of January is always exciting. For those who have enjoyed the previous twelve months, there is anticipation for an even better year ahead. And for those who have faced difficulties, there is hope that life will improve.

What would you like for 2012? I'd like it to be an adventurous and satisfying year for you, filled with time and space for the people, experiences, and possessions that mean the most. Perhaps this also might be the year you (and I) learn to more easily let the rest go.

Rather than resolutions, I like to think about life shifts I want to make, whether that’s spending more time with those I love, getting fitter, writing more, or taking on a new hobby.

It's easier to steadily bring elements of our lives into alignment with where we want them to be, instead of trying to faultlessly follow a long list of meticulously planned goals. When we focus on life shifts, we realise that a non-linear path is okay. We know we will get there in the end, and can more readily accept the obstacles and slip-ups, as well as the victories, along the way.

Likewise, I think about what I can do less of. I remember someone asking me about my goals for the year in early 2011. I replied that I didn’t set goals, but if I was to set one, it would be to do less and enjoy what was already in my life.

If your life feels overfull, you might prefer to pare back in 2012 rather than adding in more new things. Cutting back on clutter and overcommitments will free you to enjoy your treasured relationships and possessions.

What life shifts would you like to make during 2012?

Merry Christmas

I’d like to wish each of you a peaceful, joyful, and organized Christmas.

Thank you for welcoming me to blog-land this year. I have had a great deal of fun putting together posts on organizing each week, and I have appreciated the time you have taken to look at my blog, or to leave a comment.

I look forward to continuing to share my passion for organizing with you.

All the best, Kim

Shopping at home: Books

As a voracious reader, much of my discretionary money is spent on books. Over the last few years, my library has extended beyond my ability to read it all.

So, instead of buying books (new or secondhand), or even borrowing from the library, I'm focusing on enjoying the books already in my collection.

I began by shopping my shelves and setting aside a small selection of books I really want to read. These have gone into their own section in the bookcase so I can quickly choose one.

At the same time, I culled any books I was no longer interested in, or that I didn't want to read again. I decided that for a book to stay on my shelves after being read, it needed to be one I was willing to read a second time (or be an excellent reference book).

There were some volumes I was undecided about. To help make a decision, I looked at reviews on an online bookseller. I could quickly see whether a book might be worth reading, and I discovered some hidden gems this way.

I now have reading material for months to come without having to buy more.

How do you manage your home library? Could you shop for books within your own bookshelves?

Time your tasks

Household tasks are repetitive and labour-intensive (but of course can be very enjoyable).

Doing each job at the right time is an ideal way to achieve maximum impact.

Here are some ideas:

• Before the weekend: do a general tidy; wipe down outdoor furniture; clean and restock the kitchen; and empty rubbish bins so you can relax and enjoy your home on Saturday and Sunday.
• Prepare for the upcoming week on Sunday evenings. Start fresh with an empty in tray, clear surfaces, and pre-made lunches and snacks.
• Combine meal preparation: make the next day’s lunches while you cook dinner; or prep dinner while you organize lunch.
• Double a recipe when you have time, and serve the leftovers on a busy night.
• Shop for groceries when the supermarket is quiet, while your children are at school, or when your partner is home (oh, how nice when two of these coincide—shopping without kids in an uncrowded store—parental bliss!).
• If you work outside your home, shop during your lunch hour using parcel pickup, and collect your groceries on the way home.
• Wash floors before you leave the house so they dry while you're out. 
• Put on a load of washing in the evening, hang it out the next morning, then fold and put it away in the afternoon.
• Wash sheets in the morning, let them line-dry, and then return them to beds later the same day to save folding and storing.
• Ask your kids to tidy their rooms just before pocket money is due :)

When is the ideal time for you to complete each of your household tasks? Choose one you could improve this week.

Organize a supportive environment

“To simplify my environment so that a vacillating will is kept in the ways that I love. Instead of pulled this way and that in response to the suggestion of the crowd and the line of least resistance.”
Marion Milner

Milner, a British author and psychoanalyst writing in the 1930s, was perceptive of the influence our surroundings exert on our behaviour. She wrote about her seven-year journey exploring what made her happy in her recently reprinted book, A Life of One's Own.

I love this quote from the book because it represents an excellent strategy for focusing our attention on what is important to us.

We can set up our surroundings to closely reflect our priorities, and remove anything that distracts. If we have only what we use and love—arranged in a functional way—there is no detritus to wade through to get to it.

Our minds are designed to constantly absorb and process what is going on around us. This is not a flaw; we just don’t want to miss anything that might be important. One problem, though, is that faced with more options and decisions than ever before, we often only have time to skim the surface.

And here’s the result: When too many things pull on our attention, we feel overwhelmed and can end up doing nothing, or something meaningless, as the urge to procrastinate kicks in.

But what if we could minimize or remove these distractions until we are left with only the best?

Imagine walking through your home and being reminded of what you love to do: a well-stocked bookcase and comfy reading chair; a clear table-top with favourite board games nearby; or a hiking pack ready to go.

Just as important are the elements missing from this picture: the bag of neglected knitting; the unused tennis racket; or the stack of unread magazines—each will make you feel guilty if they are sitting in your prime living space.

Here are some ways you can streamline your environment so you can dive straight in to doing what you love:

• Set up clearly defined zones and supplies where you can indulge your interests. Do the same with each person living in your home.
• Pass equipment and materials from old interests along to someone who will use them.
• Choose quality over quantity: a couple of relaxing ways to spend each evening; one or two activities for your children per week; two big projects rather than twenty.
• Write down a shortlist of favourite activities for unexpected blocks of open time.
• Create an inspiring atmosphere where it’s easy to enjoy your favourite things: uncluttered surfaces; candles ready to light in the evenings; your most-loved music playing; a movie you really want to watch in the DVD player; one or two interesting books by your bed.
• Highlight important projects: place a file holder next to your desk to hold high-impact work and keep on your desktop only what you are currently working on. Toss or file completed paperwork regularly so it doesn’t dilute your priorities.
• The outside world will try to pull you in many different directions: limit television viewing to pre-chosen programs and avoid the ads; set a search strategy before you log on to the Internet; and don’t browse catalogues indiscriminately.
• Release any fear you might have about missing out: when you divide your attention and time in too many different ways, what you actually lose out on is richness and depth. Sampling life is nowhere near as satisfying as going deeply into your relationships and interests.

Your aim is to look around and see that every activity and possession contributes to something you are actively interested in and engaged with.

How have you set up your home to help you focus on what is important?

Organizing is a journey with a destination

Organizing is often described as an ongoing process. After all, there are always cupboards to be decluttered, lists to be rewritten, and routines to be adjusted.

Organizing is never completed. Or is it?

Without an end point, organizing can be an obsessive activity where we continually re-sort, re-evaluate, and re-arrange. These are important things to do, but unchecked can take up large amounts of time and energy.

We can spend our days organizing the same things in the same way, never getting anywhere new. Getting our filing system perfect, books alphabetized, or family timetable planned to the minute are ways we minimize instead of maximize our efficiency.

Being extra organized is not about doing more; it’s about doing less. It’s choosing some destinations: core relationships, activities, and possessions we can spend ourselves on, while letting go of the rest.

How easy it is to walk the path of least resistance and use ourselves up on non-essential busyness, leaving us exhausted and burned-out.

I love a good paradox, and this is one of the best: by using our resources on what we love rather than on what doesn't really matter, we are actually renewed. Engaging with the challenging and important in our lives boosts our energy, inspires our creativity, and nurtures our relationships.

Here are some ways you can reach destinations with your organizing:

• Narrow your priorities to only four to six. Use organizing to create space for them, and to make them happen. Don't waste time organizing stuff that isn't important to you, unless it's to get it out of the way.
• Pare back dramatically to cut down the amount you need to organize. Declutter not only possessions, but other life areas too. Keep going until you see results: clearer rooms; a saner schedule; and time for what you love.
• Don’t organize for the sake of it. Ask yourself why you want to better manage your laundry, buy that storage unit for the office, or re-write your to do list. When you know why you want to do something, you can find its critical path (the simplest, most straightforward way of getting it done), and you can solve that particular organizing problem for good.
• Look for patterns. Is there a hitch in a system, a set of toys you are always picking up, or an unused set of silver you polish every year? Fix or delete these things so you don’t have to keep dealing with them.
• Set limits: a block of time for cleaning; a number of items to declutter each day; a maximum number of evenings out.
• Keep perspective: aim for good rather than perfect.
• Once you organize something, live with it for a while. If it works, you have arrived!


Parts of the organizing process can and should be finished. If you have time for relationships, some space in your schedule (even a little), knock tasks off your to do list, use the majority of your possessions, and keep your home consistently (not perfectly) clean rather than fluctuating between mess and order, then organizing is working for you. But don’t worry if this isn’t the case—try some of the ideas above to see if you can finalize some stale organizing issues.

What destinations would you like to reach with your organizing?