Are You Ready To Dip Your Toe Into The Organized Pool This Year?

The holidays can be a joyful time of fun and cheer, but the season can be stressful and exhausting too. Between shopping, entertaining, decorating and celebrating, it can be hard to stay on top of all your to-do lists. Having your home organized ahead of time is a great way to eliminate some of the . . . shall we call it, festive frenzy!

Making a List & Checking it Twice. One of the most important things you can do to keep your holidays organized is to have a list of all the big and little things, such as, cleaning, shopping, meal preps, activities, and decorating. A list not only ensures you don’t forget, but checking each item off the list gives you a feeling of achievement and that you have clarity in the holiday chaos. Next, add all items to your calendar so you don’t overlook anything. Guests arriving? Holiday music concert? Holiday work dinner? Add it to the calendar. Many families find an electronic calendar that can be shared with family members keeps everyone on the same page. An organized holiday is a Peace & Harmony holiday!
Do a Deep Clean & Pre-Decor. Before bringing out all the holiday decorations, do a thorough pre-decor cleaning. It’s so much easier to clean before you pull out the holiday decorations and make getting ready to entertain all that much easier. If your home has already been deep cleaned, it shouldn’t take long to run the vacuum and dust off the furniture before guests arrive. Perform a quick home walk through and jot down all the rooms that need to be cleaned and what needs to be done specifically in each room. This is a great time to enlist the help of your family or to hire a cleaning or concierge service for a one-time cleaning. Got clutter? Now’s a great time to sort through the piles and move out anything preventing you from properly cleaning and organizing. This includes mail piles, counter clutter, kids’ toys, and clothes, decide which items to donate or toss.
Meal Plan & Prep is a Must. Whether you’re hosting big holiday meals or events, doing holiday baking or having guests stay with you during the season, plan out all the meals you’ll be preparing. Don’t forget to count quick breakfasts, snacks, and lunches along with the main holiday meals. Add these meals to your main checklist and note the foods you’ll need to purchase (especially if there are allergies). Print off any recipes you’ll be using to have them at quick reach so you can cross-check the ingredients needed against your shopping list. Double-check your pantry and freezer to see what you already have so you don’t buy double. This is a great time to clean out, clean and organize your fridge and freezer to make room for incoming holiday foods.

Peace Harmony & Being Organized!

XO Cheryl

#WellnessWednesday

Posted on October 2, 2019 by Lifestyle by Design

Health Benefits of Being Organized

Just what are the benefits of being organized?

It’s potentially a long list, but I’ve narrowed it down to what has affected me and my clients the most.

Read on for what I consider the benefits of having an Organize & Simplify Life, at home and at work.

Less stress. Above anything else, this is the number one reason to burn calories to stay on top of things. Here’s a great example: one of my clients is making a concerted effort to keep their office neat and tidy, the client works from home and the office is in their dining room. We added a bulletin board and have a designated home for everything: inbox, keys, wallet, office supplies, charger cables, and more. Now, when they need something, they know exactly where it is. This fact reduces stress and allows them to …
Relax more. I once saw a plaque at HomeGoods that read, “Organized people are just too lazy to search for stuff.” Yeah, that’s cute, I’m the “lazy” one mentioned in the punchline. Less time spent running around equals more time Just, more time to do what I want to do, like …
Spend time with your family. Getting clean and clear professionally and personally means you’ve got more time to spend with the ones most important to you. For example, my workday ends at 2:00, as I drive home. I know that I’ll be spending the next six hours with my animals, art, and writing until my husband comes home. That’s easy to do when I take care of all my “work stuff” before then.
Be ready for an emergency. I’m sure you know how this goes: life throws a wrench into the works that interrupt your plans in a major way. Being prepared ahead of time lessens the shock. For example, I have designated an “emergency” office and a very -portable setup ready. That way, if my Internet goes down at home, or a renovation crew happens to set up outside my window, I already know where I’m going to go to work and what I need.
The overwhelming seems manageable. I don’t care if you’re talking about work, the kids, or home management, but it’s an awesome feeling to have every project outlined, and every action step that stands between you and your project is completed. When you do this, you’ll be able to look at a daunting to-do list and feel like you’re on top of it and capable of doing what needs to be done.
Improved health. The stress I mentioned earlier, which even I feel when things start to get out of control, does not promote good health. There are numerous studies that demonstrate a link between sustained high levels of stress and a variety of health problems. Read this → Why disorganization causes stress
It’s the little things. Just turning over a single load of clothes per day makes all the difference. Little things like making sure the kids put their jacket and shoes away each day after school improves your family’s ability to easily function with purpose.
Greater productivity. When you know where things are, what your goals are, and take care of the piddly “busy work” as it appears, you’ve got significantly more time and energy for the big goals in life.

An organized life takes some doing, and you’re going to slip up. No one is clean and clear all day, every day! But when you strive to do the best you can, you’ll experience the benefits listed above … and more. May you experience the best of an Organize & Simplify Life.

Peace Harmony & Wellness!

XO Cheryl

Check out How to work with me for information about how my process works in order to help you create an Organize & Simplify Life!

Contact me to schedule a complimentary consultation today! (860)961.6824 or cchomeconcierge@gmail.com

#Wordlesswednesday

Posted on September 11, 2019 by Lifestyle by Design

Wordless Wed 4

How To Organize Your Life Without Feeling Overwhelmed

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Lifestyle by Design

Clutter is not just the stuff all around you

Do you sometimes feel like you don’t know how to organize your life?

Most people look at their clutter, feel tired and overwhelmed, and then go back to ignoring it as the piles get larger and larger.

They think let’s ignore it because it has become unmanageable plus it’s an easier choice. As the piles grow, they feel more overwhelmed, more exhausted, more stressed. But for a variety of personal reasons, they choose to ignore it still.

Soon, they pay money to warehouse the clutter somewhere, toss it all without giving it any thought, or live with it because they’ve developed a hoarding situation. Hoarding is a clear case of not making decisions, because it’s too emotional, too hurtful, or you just don’t know where to start.

Most people give up before they begin because organizing their space feels and looks like such a huge job. The trick is to take the overwhelming feeling out of the process. We do that by focusing on taking one step (zone=area of home or office) at a time:

Pick a zone to start with, such as closets.
Select one item of clothing at a time and choose whether or not you still like, use and need the item in your hand. (I say to myself “have I used this is the past 6 months?)
Choose a Home to keep that item and place it there.
Repeat these steps with the next zone.

Figure out what’s important to you. Is it your health and well being, happiness, family, work, friends? Awesome! Knowing what’s most important to you is a valuable tool in helping you get and stay motivated to organize your life without feeling overwhelmed.

As always, if you require additional support and guidance, hire a professional you feel comfortable working with. You can contact Cheryl @ CCHC for a free 30 minute consultation to help you get started with your organizational journey.

Peace & Harmony ~ Cheryl

let's create clarity (1)

How To Fold The Right Way

Posted on January 9, 2019 by Lifestyle by Design

Marie Kondo’s New York Times Best Selling Book: The life changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing ~ She now has her own series on Netflix, In a series of inspiring home makeovers, world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo helps clients clear out the clutter — and choose joy. I agree with about 75% of Marie’s method of tidying up, but I do not thank all my possessions that I use . . . does that make me ungrateful?

Peace & Harmony ~ Cheryl

Contact me if you need help tidying up!

How To Tell If It’s Wednesday . . .

Posted on December 5, 2018 by Lifestyle by Design

The Boston Advertising Agency of this commercial was looking for authenticity – so they chose Mary Fiumara, the mother in the commercial, that lived on Prince Street in Boston and the little boy is Anthony Martignetti who also moved to Prince Street from Italy a few years before being chosen for this commercial. Mary was a second mom to everyone in the neighborhood, Anthony said in an article after Mary’s death at age 88 in 2016 – that she would ask him everyday “How you doin’ Anthony?” “can I buy you want an ice cream?” A real South Side of Boston Mom.

When planning a marketing campaign – sometimes the most simple and truest events in life become the best experiences for others to watch. In 1985 Prince Pasta Company tried to recapture that same experience – with failure! It has to be real – it has to be authentic, has to hit you in the heart – enough to share and talk about it. I believe it failed because it did not have the two people that shared a neighborhood, that have that care and concern for each other. My take away from studying this concept of marketing, don’t just look for all the pretty, the glamour, and the luxury of an image or a setup. Yes, it is beautiful to look at, but mix in – The Real – The True – The Simple that speaks to hearts and makes people want to share – just like they share all the cute puppy and baby sleeping images – that’s the real life.

Wednesdays have always been “Prince Spagetti Days” in our house growing up – what about yours?

Peace & Harmony ~ Cheryl

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What Are You Waiting For?

Posted on November 4, 2018 by Lifestyle by Design

Concierge Service is a surprisingly Low Cost solution that can meet a Variety of Needs with a One Stop Boutique of services – One company to research – One company to pay – One familiar company that knows your lifestyle.

What are you waiting for? Nothing gets done while you wait ~

“Talk to the counter”

vintage concierge

Peace & Harmony ~ Cheryl

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Category Archives: organizing

Are You Ready To Dip Your Toe Into The Organized Pool This Year?

How To Stay Organized This Holiday Season