From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
How To Organize Your Home Office For Today’s Work Experience
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More and more people are finding ways to work from home, because of the current situation with Covid, or to replace a 9-to-5 job or to supplement the family’s income. One of the best things you can do to help improve your chances to succeed is to establish a home office. Not only is it a tax write-off (be sure to check with your accountant as to what you can and cannot deduct), but it is also a way to help stay focused, organized. and professional. In this article, we will explore How To Organize Your Home Office For Today’s Work Experience
There are affiliate links within this post. However, all opinions and ideas are my own. Clicking on and using the links to purchase products does not increase your cost at all. I appreciate your support.
The type of business you are running will dictate the type of office you need. Will you be having clients meeting you in your office? Will it be your workspace? Will it be a multi-purpose room? For example, if you have a business based mainly on a computer and the internet, you will not need as much space as you would for a craft production or product distribution business.
There are several challenges one must consider when exploring How To Organize Your Home Office For Today’s Work Experience because today’s work experience can become a bit complicated with Zoom meetings, Skype, and Team interactions as well as network connections, etc. However, with the right planning and organization, one can thrive from a home office.
First, you need to choose a dedicated space as your office. Whether it is a closet turned office or a guest room that serves two duties, you must have a quiet space dedicated to your work. You should eliminate anything from the room that isn’t directly connected to your business (unless it is a multi-purpose room, such as a wall that serves as the family library) or a bed for guests. The fewer distractions you have, the better. It also helps reduce unnecessary clutter. Store things in boxes or move them to another room if possible.
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Second, although many do not use many tangible files, some things must be filed away in old school files. There are many nice filing systems – from the traditional filing cabinets to hanging folders that can attach to the back of a door. Sort through all the papers in your office. Decide what you need to keep and what can be thrown away. When in doubt, set up another folder or box for things to look at again later. Once you establish a filing system, keep up with it on a daily basis. It is too easy to become overwhelmed if you do not. Color-coded systems work nicely. One-color for tax-deductible related items, another for invoices to clients, other expenses, etc. Then you simply place the papers or receipts in the appropriate color folder.
Third, the workspace is often the most difficult to keep organized, but if you have a handle on the paperwork, it helps reduce one area of clutter. Make sure the workspace is large enough, and comfortable. Whether you have to sit or stand to the work, make sure the surface is at the correct height. This will help reduce back strain and allow you to work for longer periods of time, thereby increasing your productivity.
Fourth, there are many nice desk organizers that allow you to keep items close at hand but out of the way. If you only keep the items you need most often on the workspace, it will also reduce clutter. Keep the rest tucked away in storage units in your desk drawer, shelf or box. There are drawer organizers that can be customized to meet your needs.
Fifth, if you use a computer, and who does not, make sure you have enough space for the computer itself, the monitor, printer, scanner, and any other hardware you may need. Many companies produce multi-purpose units that combine those features into one machine, which takes up much less desk space.
Sixth and final, do not forget to organize the computer itself. There are many organizational software programs that can help you track appointments, clients, and your work. By using these programs, you can keep on top of things and waste less time. Set up special folders in your documents folder, so you can file things away for easy retrieval. Databases and spreadsheets are also very helpful tools in tracking your inventory and other business-related needs.
If you use these six steps, you will have the beginnings of an efficient workspace. As you become more accustomed to working remotely from your home office, you will be able to introduce other practices that will make your work life more efficient and will help you separate your work life from your family life.
So tell me, do you work remotely? Do you have a home office?
Don’t forget to check out my eBook; Organize Your Life in 21 Days. It is available for download and has a variety of small projects to help you take on and complete organizational projects. Some you may not have even thought of. Get your copy today.
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Until next time…I remain in my Element – God Bless!
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From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center – Guest Influencer
How to Organize Your Finances for 2019
You guys know that I have a wide spectrum of DIY and craft interests; however, today’s article is all about organizing a very different part of your life…your finances. I love an organized closet, computer, kitchen, however, organizing our finances is extremely important. Let’s get this new year off to a great start. Today, my new friend and fellow blogger/influencer is here to show all of us How to Organize Our Finances for 2019.
Let me also say, that although Tia’s advice and site focuses on millennials, her advice is helpful for generation X, baby boomers, and all other generations. It is never too late or too early to get your financial plan in order.
There are affiliate links within this post. However, all opinions and ideas are my own. Clicking on and using the links to purchase products does not increase your cost at all. I appreciate your support.
Take it away Tia…
Before a new year starts many Americans focus on deep cleaning their houses. It is said that cleaning your house before a new year starts ensures that you are leaving unnecessary baggage in the previous year. Just like it is important to organize your house regularly it is also important to organize your finances. Check out these three tips to organize your finances in 2019.
- Gather your important financial documents
The first step to organizing your finances is to gather your important financial documents. Your important financial documents include your bank statements, retirement plan statements, credit report, and investment files. It is important that all of those items are located in a safe place that you can access when needed.
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If you do not have a copy of your credit report, you can receive a free copy from all three of the major credit bureaus annually from www.annualcreditreport.com. I pull a copy of my credit report from each of the three credit bureaus annually to check for accuracy.
- Review your financial documents
Now that you have located your important financial documents, it is important that you review them. When reviewing your financial documents, you can check for inaccuracies as well as dissect the previous years spending habits.
According to the Federal Trade Commission, approximately 20% of American’s had a mistake on their credit reports in 2013. A mistake on your credit report can result in your credit score showing up as lower than it should be and can affect the interest rate you receive when getting credit.
Similarly to your credit report, it is possible to experiences errors on your bank account statements. Personally, my auto insurance company charged me triple the amount for my auto insurance. Fortunately, I checked my bank account statement and was able to get the charges corrected. Take this time to review your bank account statements for any inaccuracies and to see if there are any services that you no longer use that can be canceled.
- Set goals for 2019
The last step to organize your finances is to set goals for 2019. Now that you have gathered your financial documents and reviewed them, it is time to set goals for 2019. There are many different financial goals that you can set. They can be regarding saving money or paying off debt to name a few.
It is essential to set SMART goals regarding your finances. SMART is an acronym meaning specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timebound. For example, one of the SMART financial goals you may set for 2019 is to check your credit report every four months and dispute any inaccuracies after that.
Overall, just like you may organize your household, it is important to organize your finances. Your wallet will thank you later, and you’ll have a clear path to reaching your financial goals.
Thank you Tia for this great advice. However, more important than thanking Tia let’s all take advantage of her advice and commit to getting our financial life in order. Let’s all commit to grow financially in 2019.
Tia, you are invited back to drop your financial knowledge here at the Command Center again soon.
Author Bio: Tia is a Certified Financial Educator with over 9 years of experience in the banking, student loan, and investing industries. After raising her credit score 150+ points, she founded Financially Fit & Fabin 2016 to help millennials kick their finances in shape. The site focuses on budgeting, credit, saving, investing, homeownership and making extra money.
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From The Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center – Divinely Organized
How to Organize a Master Bedroom
A refocused & updated repost.
It’s spring. The perfect timed to refresh the interior of our homes. Most times we begin in the kitchen or other living space but not this time. This time we are starting in the room that is usually the last to receive our attention. We are starting with the Master Bedroom! Surprised? 🙂
The master bedroom should be regarded as one of the most important rooms in your home. However, in many homes-like mine, the master bedroom is sometimes ignored while we take care of all of the other spaces.
There is much, much more to organizing a bedroom than simply choosing appropriate furniture. Although properly arranging the furniture and choosing appropriate accessories is important, organizing the space is essential for the purpose of relaxation and restful sleep. Below I have listed several tips that will guide you when you begin the process of organizing your master bedroom.
1. The appropriate stuff
Begin the process by going through each and every drawer and each shelf. Toss, or donate all items that are no longer useful and take all items that belong someplace else to the spaces they belong. Also, remove everything from under your bed and give the area a thorough cleaning. It is always great to do a mini purge on occasion in order to avoid clutter. Next…
- Make use of the space under your bed intelligently.
W
hile we’re under the bed, let’s discuss how useful this space can be. The under the bed area is a wonderful space for storage because it is not visible; however, still very accessible. You may choose to keep just a couple things under there, I suggest such things as gift wrap, or perhaps additional linens, shoes or out of season clothing. Of course items store under the bed should be stored correctly in dust proof containers. There are many to choose from and you can shop them here.
- Art on walls
A room without art is simply incomplete. If you have a small bedroom, place artwork on the wall instead of on dressers or other surfaces. Doing so will make your bedroom more attractive and using your vertical space will help you avoid clutter to give your room a more sleek and put-together look.
- Get your closet/wardrobe under control
Although you may clean your bedroom, you must keep your closet space under control as well. If not, clothing will eventually spill into the sleep and relaxation areas and interrupt the relaxed, peaceful atmosphere of the bedroom. Therefore, I would suggest maintaining an organized closet space. A deep cleaning of your closet can be a bit time consuming and overwhelming in the beginning; however, once the hard part is over, maintenance will be easy. I promise! 🙂 And you could always try one of the convenient and inexpensive closet organizing packages can be customized for as much or as little space as you need.
- Use a Clothes hamper
I would suggest storing your clothes hamper inside your closet or in your laundry area if you are lucky enough to have both your master and your laundry on the same level of the home. Storing the hamper inside the closet will assist you with maintaining an organized space because soiled clothing will not spill out into the bedroom space. Oh happy day!
- A trash bin
A trash can in the bedroom is a necessity. However, I choose to use a small wicker basket as a trash can. Using a small basket means it gets emptied more often which makes the space look neater. Be sure to choose an attractive container as it will only enhance the ambiance of the room.
The key to an organized master bedroom is to do the work. The first purge, cleaning and organizing may take some time and you may need to incorporate the help of a professional organizer. However, after the initial large purge, you will only need to do mini purges on occasion. I live by the one in one out rule. Meaning if I bring in a new blouse I have to donate or toss one of my older blouses. The same applies to shoes, makeup, even outerwear, and pajamas. One in, one out and you can maintain your organized master bedroom space. You can shop this project and find other organization tools here. Happy organizing.
There could be affiliate links within this post. However, all opinions and ideas are my own. Clicking on and using the links to purchase products does not increase your cost at all. I appreciate your support.
Don’t forget to check out my eBook; Organize Your Life in 21 Days is available for download and has a variety of small projects to help you take on and complete projects you may not have thought of. Get your copy today.
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From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center ~ Divinely Organized
How to Organize Scarves
How is winter treating you? Our weather has been up and down since before Christmas. Hitting the 70’s in December and again now in February. We have only had a few really cold days. But the ones we had were perfect for those cozy scarves we all received for Christmas. Amazing. Anyway, I am pleased to say I have used my scarf collection this season, if only for a short time. And once I pulled them out, I noticed that it may be time to change my current for system of storage in order to have easier access to the growing collection of scarves. Add that to the fact that a best friend of mine is currently going through an organization frenzy and wants ideas for organizing everything…scarves included and “BAM”, a blog is born. 🙂
I found a way that has worked for me for awhile, but I am considering changing to one of the other systems in this article. Currently, I tie a loop over non-slip, dual hanging velvet hangers and I can get 6 – 9 scarves on one hanger depending on the thickness. My system even works with infinity scarves and if you are inclined to do so, you can even color code them on each hanger. This method has worked really well for me and saves loads of space in my space-challenged closet. However, I am beginning to think that another of the systems will provide easier access. Of course, hubs likes to remind me that there is nothing wrong with the space in the closet, but there is something definitely wrong with my shopping habit. Luckily, I’m an organizer so I ignore his suggestion to never shop again in this lifetime and find different and creative ways to purge and organize. Go me!!! 🙂
Back to organizing scarves – Since I did a little research for an alternative way to store scarves for my bestie, I decided to share them with you. As always they are budget friendly and easy fixes for an issue you may have as well.
Loop Over Non-stick Hangers – My Method of Choice
This is the method I use to store my scarves. However, I use the no slip hangers and I have the ones that allow you to hang a hanger on a hanger which takes up even less space. The non-slip hangers seem to be longer than regular hangers and as I said, I can get 6 – 9 scarves on each hanger depending on the thickness. You can purchase the hangers here. There are several variations of this method. Some attach towel bars to the wall in the closet and loop the scarves over the affixed bars. As I said, the possibilities are endless. This method is working for me, but I found another that I think is pretty sweet and that is the method using shower curtain hooks.
Shower Curtain Hooks – I am thinking of giving this a try. May be easier to get to different scarves than my current method.
I love the look of this and can you imagine using silver hooks against the black non-slip hangers? B E A U T I F U L! Of course, this hot pink would be pretty against the black as well. You have so many options. Aside from the aesthetics, I like the fact that you do not have to disturb any of the other scarves to take one off the hanger. I think this is an awesome method and one I may try sometime soon. Shower hooks are so inexpensive that this could be an easy and cost effective way of pulling all of your scarves and belts and even your hubby’s ties together. Another technique to consider.
Multi-functional Hangers
This approach to scarf organization seems a bit more cumbersome to me but others love it. The circles allow you to simply drape your scarf and the hanger itself is thin and will not take up much space in your closet. The hangers come in all sorts of materials. From stainless steel to multi-colored. I think what I don’t like is having to tuck each row behind the other. It is not a bad system by no means and appears to be very efficient. You can purchase the hangers here.
In the Drawer Storage:
My final storage solution for scarves is the dresser drawer. If you have space, this is a wonderful out- of-the-way approach to storing scarves. I absolutely love this system. I enjoy any method, when possible, that stores things in an organized fashion but out of sight. And this fits both bills. Of course, we can’t all do that, but when you can I say go for it! These dividers would allow you once again, to color code (my favorite thing) and you can remove and replace the scarves without much upset to the others. I searched but I could not find the exact divider system but I did find a similar one and you can purchase it here.
If you love accessorizing and keeping warm with scarves like I do, and you have a growing collection, I hope you will give one of these organization methods a try. Which system do you think will work best for you or do you have a different system that you would like to share? If so, leave a comment below or drop me an email.
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Don’t forget to check out my eBook; Organize Your Life in 21 Days is available for download and has a variety of small projects to help you take on and complete projects you may not have thought of. Get your copy today.
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Until next time…Organization is my element and it can be yours too
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From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center via Divinely Organized
I Can Show You How To Organize Your Life in 21-Days
I have great news both for you and for me as well. I have completed my first eBook. This is good news for me because it is a dream come true. This is something I have periodically worked on for quite a while now and I finally put my feet to the fire and stopped procrastinating and finished it. Good for you because some of you asked for it and I have kept my promise to pull together a book that would give you step-by-step instructions, insight, and encouragement to organize your life.
I have explained different areas of your life that you can change while only spending 10-minutes a day. And it is not just about organizing your space, there are also guidelines to change your mindset about organization in general and that is key.
This book will show you that organization is not for a select few. You can do it too. Just follow this book for 21-days and you will see just how much you can get done and how the little 10-minute changes can have a huge impact on your life.
Pick up your copy today. I guarantee you will be glad you did.
An Affordable, Easy-to-Use Guide for an Organized Life!
If disorganization is affecting your life and making you feel frustrated and disjointed, it is time to do something about it. Many believe that a disorganized life is only aesthetic, but that is not the case! Disorganization is an emotional issue as well and living in a disorganized space can affect creativity, sleep patterns, and much more. I have written this book with that in mind and will not only discuss tips for organizing your home, but I will also explain why you are disorganized.
Why 21 Days? Because anything you do for 21 days becomes a habit. Why 10-minute projects? Because I want you to start small and not become overwhelmed. Why did I choose these projects? Because they touch every room of your home as well as your car and other areas of your life. And I have written this book with the entire family in mind because an organized family requires the help of everyone in the household.
Once you get into the habit of doing something to organize your life every day of your life, you can then move on to larger projects with confidence.
There are many organization books and resources and some can be quite costly, but this easy to follow, cost effective book gives you step by step instructions for a project to tackle every day for 21 days. This book will make organization easier to dissect and digest.
This book is for you if…
- You are looking for simple, easy-to-follow instructions to begin the organization process in your home.
- You are overwhelmed by the disarray of home or lifestyle and you are tired of false starts to make a dent in the disorganization.
- If you want tips and tricks of professional organizers in one convenient place.
- You know you need to start somewhere but are not sure where to begin.
Get Instant Access and Download Now: Organize Your Life in 21 Days
Begin your personal journey to an organized life today.
Download Your Copy Now for $9.99
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Until next time…Be Well & Be Organized
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From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center/Divinely Organized
Phase II – How to Organize for a Caribbean Cruise
Last week we discussed preparing for a 7-day cruise and I told you that I would take you along for the organization and prep for a cruise we are planning a year out. I realize that may seem like overkill to some but it is a definite process and the prep work can be fun because it keeps the upcoming vacation at the forefront of your mind and helps to maintain the anticipation and excitement of the trip.. On to Phase II – How to Organize for a Caribbean Cruise.
As I said before the first step is to decide where you want to go or at least have an idea of how you would like to spend your precious time vacationing. Once you have a place or activity in mind, the next step is to contact your travel agent. If you don’t have an agent, I know two who are excellent at what they do and their contact information is below. Not sure what to ask your travel agent? Let me try to help.
First Call or Meeting with Travel Agent
- Yes, this is business, but I truly suggest that you try to build a real relationship with your agent. The better s/he knows what you like and dislike, would like to do, and your budget the more helpful s/he can be. Also, getting to know your travel agent will open up a new world of travel knowledge for you and place all that knowledge at your fingertips.
- Make a list of the questions you would like to ask your agent in advance. Although your agent will be full of information and suggestions, have your questions ready just in case they are not a part of the agent’s presentation. Also, asking questions will help your agent know what is important to you. For example, for a cruise as long as ours, you may ask the following.
- Can s/he arrange your transportation to and from the originating port – depending on where you live, that would include flights (for example we live in NC and our port of call to leave on our cruise is Puerto Rico) or it could be something as simple as an Uber to port. It all depends on how much or how little you want your agent to do for you.
- Does the cost of your trip (cruise) include travel insurance? Trust me that is a little expense you want to incur. If you have ever almost missed a flight connection and panicked, imagine how stressed you would be if that missed connection could mean the ship would sail without you. Ask if your insurance would guarantee transportation to the first port so you can catch up with the ship just in case, God forbid, something like this happened. Better safe than sorry.
- What is appropriate dress for your particular vacation? For us the dress code is comfortable, swimwear, sundresses, etc.
- What does the ship allow passengers to bring aboard? (bottled water, a bottle of wine, etc.)
- Does this trip require a passport? (more to come)
- How much is a passport?
- If required, how far out before the trip should one get a passport?
- Since we are planning this trip so far in advance, is there a payment plan? If so, when is the first payment due and what is the payment schedule?
Find a Spot in Your Home to Place All of Your Trip Information
- You will need a drawer, backpack, or someplace where all of your required paperwork is
located in one place. I have a drawer that houses both our passports (Mister needs to get one) and all information/paperwork you will need for your trip. - If you are saving money over time for your vacation, designate a convenient place to drop off your weekly trip savings. For me, I have a hiding place in a room in the house where I hide the money from myself. I drop off my weekly change and any monies left over from my weekly allowance goes into this hiding place and once I’m ready to cash in, I am always surprised at how well I’ve saved just by placing it out of sight. Mister, on the other hand, like to dump his change in a 2-liter soda bottle stored out in the open so he remembers to dump his change. Two very different approaches but with the same result.
“Vacations are no longer a luxury; they are a necessity. In our modern, fast-paced, demanding society, your body, mind, and spirit needs vacation like your car needs oil changes! Preventative maintenance keeps things running…you don’t want to wait until things break down to fix it. Plan ahead and make vacation part of your budget like any other bill. Good planning will allow you to take a great vacation even on a minimum wage salary. They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away; I say a vacation a year keeps your mind clear.”
The Passport Debate
- Do you or do you not need a passport? That is the question. A lot of cruise ports do not require a passport; however, my travel agent firmly suggests that we have a valid passport anyway. It is a great form of identification and my agent’s motto is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
- It sometimes takes a few weeks to get your passport, so I would suggest applying for your passport at least 6-months prior to your trip.
- Mister and I will get a date on our calendar this week to take a few hours together and apply, me for a change in name for my passport, and him to apply for his first one. Yaay!!!
There you have it. Phase II of preparing for our 2017 7-day cruise. Your takeaway – be sure to keep a list of questions to ask your travel agent and a list of things to do is a good list to have as well.
If you enjoyed this article, you may also enjoy this one. And if you are in need of a travel agent who is passionate about travel and ensuring clients have the best experience ever, visit the Travel Diva at http://atraveldiva.com or Mia’s Foodie Travel at www.miasfoodietravels.co. Mia’s Foodie Travels provided the quote this week.
See you soon with the next installment of this series. How is your travel planning going? Follow along and get some good tips during this series and leave your travel tips in the comments section.
Organization touches every aspect of your life…including travel so get organized and Make memories!
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The Creative & Crafty Mind Requires An Organized Space
Organizing one’s craft room can be a very personal endeavor. Basically, it depends on which and how many crafts you enjoy. Crafting/DIYing can be anything from painting and upcycling large pieces of furniture to crocheting and/or sewing and the size and type of crafting one is involved in will determine the amount of actual space required; however, with any craft or DIY project as with any other area of your life…organization is the key.
A disorganized craft space of twisted ribbons, loose buttons and spilled glitter can take the fun out of your craft projects. To prevent this from happening to you, plan to make your craft room well organized, fun and pretty space. Once you have your space divinely organized the next step is to maintain it.
Whether you have a space in your house dedicated to your hobbies or not, you can get your craft materials organized and make them look good as well. If you do not have a different room allocated for creative projects, think about sectioning off part of a room to store your crafts in one place rather than scattered all over the house. Also, if you have a room that is pulling double duty as, let’s say your dining room/craft room, you will need to find a way to make that work without leaving crafting projects out in a disorganized fashion. Read more…
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From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
How to Organize a Project/She Shed
Original Post: Hubpages
How This Project Began:
For over a year now I have salivated over the beautiful and organized She-Sheds. I have had a picture hanging in my office for over a year and a half wishing for the pretty and organized space. My shed is very small (quite a dilemma since I cannot enlarge it because I live in a townhouse), but I thought it could still be organized. It is still not a space where I can store large DIY and paint projects or even work on large projects, but I have turned it into an organized space. Do know it is still a work in progress but isn’t everything always a work in progress with me? That is the fate of a DIYer/Organizer. 🙂
Before you begin this journey with me, you must imagine what the space looked like before the project. The space was full of stuff piled up everywhere. There were no storage shelves, the walls were bare with the studs showing and the rafters were exposed in the ceiling. Oh yeah…and a bare lightbulb was the only light fixture and the floor was a dull concrete slab. It was just a mess.
Read the entire article and see the photos here.
From the Desk of Clearissa’s Command Center/Divinely Organized
Have you taken inventory of you linen closet lately? If you’re like me, you are continually buying pretty towels without purging the older ones. Whether you purchase new towels for a bathroom refresh, you run into a white sale you can’t resist, or you just love the feeling of soft new towels against your skin, the rule of thumb should still apply. When you bring in a new one, an old one should go away.
I had not done a real purge until recently and my linen closet was overflowing. Some of the older towels were actually threadbare. I am so embarrassed. But they, like an old tee shirt, were the softest and most comfortable. Alas, I am the organization diva so they will become rags for washing the car or other cleaning jobs around the house. Others were in great shape but I had long since outgrown the color theme. My daughter was gifted with those. With two children, they will come in handy. That took care of the towels, washcloths and hand towels.
The bed linen was another issue. I had top sheets without matching fitted ones. I was surprised at how 
many twin sheets I still had in the bottom of the closet. I disposed of the twin beds that were in my daughter’s room years ago. Twin sheets? Why? I do have a daybed in my office but one white set and one beige set will do for that. The rest will get passed down to my daughter as well.
I have one queen size bed, guest room, and one king size bed, master. There were not as many sets for these beds but some were really old and the fitted sheets were all stretched out. So they were paired down as well.
During the linen closet reorg, I found a great use for the large plastic zipper bags we get when we purchase comforters. I stored all of my rarely used twin and queen size sheet sets. I threw in a dryer sheet and viola, they will remain dust free and smelling fresh for months. The king sheets that I use weekly are folded and each set is stored inside a pillow case. I also bought a fabric covered storage cube for the king sheet sets. I am proud of the look.
Finally, I used my new labeler to label the linen closet shelves. I realize this may sound like overkill; however, although I love labels, the labels also guide hubby when he is in a helpful mood. This way I can accept his help without going behind his back and putting things where they really belong. But you did not hear that from me. 🙂
The ironing board fits perfectly on the door. Great space saver.
One more small space organized. Is there a small space in your home that you have organized recently?
Remember to share…sharing is caring
A place for everything…everything in its place
From the Desk of Clearissa Coward’s Command Center
Organize Your Christmas Shopping
A Cozy Lifestyle with Clearissa Coward
Grab a notebook. Grab a pen. Grab your phone. It is time to get serious about your Christmas shopping by making your list (and checking it twice). The goal is to Organize Your Christmas Shopping.
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Make a list of the people you will be buying for this year. For me, that is my husband, daughter, 2 grandchildren, my mom, my FIL, and two neighbors. My girlfriends and I play secret Santa and we draw names. That saves money…WhooHoo! Leave space between each person’s name. Once your list is complete double back and write down gift ideas and a rough dollar amount you are willing to spend on each person.
You will need to shore up your budget before you actually go shopping. I find that if you have a set budget it is easier to watch your spending.
Grove Collaborative/Mrs. Meyers Cleaning Products
An example of how to write your list follows:
1. Aunt Fran – Collects lighthouses, loves golf – $30.00
2. Beth – Candles, bath, and body products – $20.00…
3. Joe – Something for his new truck, loves fishing – $50.00
Bring your notebook or your list on your phone shopping with you. It will help you to stay focused on who you need to shop for, a general idea of what you are looking for, and your price range. Making a detailed list like this will prove invaluable in keeping you organized and on budget with your Christmas shopping. As you shop, cross off each person on your list. Be sure to keep an eye open for bargains and grab a few extra gifts – there is always that visitor that shows up that you did not anticipate.
This year, the year of Covid, we probably will not have drop-in guests. However, you may run into a neighbor and want to give them a little gift. So having those extra and inexpensive gifts on hand can come in handy. For extra gifts, I would suggest the following to name a few.
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- A gift basket of candies
- Lotion & shower gel (same fragrance)
- Attractive, reuseable masks (Covid is in the air)
Set holiday shopping goals for yourself and jot them down in your notebook.
1. I will have all cards in the mail by December 10th.
2. All of my major shopping will be done by December 15th.
3. I will not go over budget!
Making lists and setting goals for yourself this holiday will save you time and stress and allow you to enjoy the season for what it really is. Also, because of the Covid situation this year, a lot of stores have great bargains annnnd you can do a lot of your shopping online as to not have to get out into all of the hustle and bustle of shopping for the season.
If you have not started your shopping, start now. While you have time to get on track. The first step is starting your notebook, making your list and creating a plan of action.
After the holidays, store your notebook away somewhere (perhaps with your decorations). It will serve as a great reference when you are ready to start your shopping next year. Look at you all prepared and already creating a plan for next year! 🙂
Happy Holidays, Happy Shopping…and by keeping a Holiday Notebook – Happy You!
Don’t forget to check out my eBook; Organize Your Life in 21 Days. It is available for download and has a variety of small projects to help you take on and complete organizational projects. Some you may not have even thought of. Get your copy today.
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Until next time…I remain in my Element – God Bless!
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Hugs & Blessings,
