Feng Shui Your Space...

Thanks to Hillary "Flowing Water" Price*, we now know that Feng Shui means...
"pick your junk up off the floor"!
(in plain English)

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I love that! While the jury may still be out as to whether a mirror placed in an entryway will keep evil from entering, people truly are affected, either positively or negatively, by their surroundings.

Did you know...

Organizing your home is not the same as cleaning it?

A poorly organized environment can prevent you from accomplishing tasks?

A cluttered living space will keep you and your loved ones from enjoying daily activities?

Clearing your clutter and organizing your environment will help you:

Reclaim Space

Restore Lost Time

Increase Productivity

Eliminate Stress

Probably the most gratifying moment that comes from organizing your space is when you realize that you (and your family) actually enjoy spending time at home! Home is a refuge from the outside world. It should be a safe, cozy, comfortable, productive space for every person that resides within it's walls.

Whether you're a single person in a studio apartment, a busy mom with a houseful of kids and pets, or downsized empty-nesters--your home is supposed to be your sanctuary! So...if your domicile feels more like a refugee camp than a refuge, it's time to take action!

Tips to Organizing Your Space:

• Choose one space. Don't overwhelm yourself by thinking everything has to be done at once. Just as it took time for your space to evolve to its current state, it will take time to change it.

• Break it down into manageable tasks. Step back and look at your space. Write down each task that needs to be tackled in order to accomplish your goal. For example:

Family Room Organization Tasks:

1. Kids' Toys
2. Movies
3. Loose Papers in Computer Area
4. Organize Book Shelves

• Analyze each task. Identify the reasons the space is unorganized. Start by asking yourself questions:

Q: Why are the toys in the family room causing the space to feel cluttered?
A: They are always scattered around the room.

Q: Do the toys need to remain in this space?
A: Yes. The children are still small and need to be closely supervised in a central space.

Q: Can I be more selective with the number/size of toys in the room?
A: Yes. I can remove some of the toys.

Q: Do they have one set space in the room to play?
A: No. They are spread out all over the space.

Q: Is the storage kid-friendly so that access and clean up is easy?
A: What storage?

• Make a "Plan of Action." This is where your problem solving skills come into play. Think of it as a puzzle that needs to be solved. You've identified the problem now determine the best solution. Remember to KEEP IT SIMPLE! Not only should your solution be effective, it should be easy to execute and upkeep!

STEP 1: Move kids' area to far corner of family room where I can still see them, but we aren't tripping all over their toys.

STEP 2: Sort toys: Throw away broken toys and donate toys they've outgrown.

STEP 3: Remove at least half of the toys. Place them in their bedrooms or other area in easy to access storage bins.

[Like us, children can also be overwhelmed with clutter causing them to lose focus on play. They also have a tendency to quickly lose interest with familiar toys. Rotating their toys every few weeks or months will keep them satisfied and occupy their time more effectively than having access to all of their toys all of the time. Hopefully, you will find yourself spending less money on new toys and being more selective of new toys you do purchase!]

STEP 4: New table/chairs for train, games, coloring.

STEP 5: Clear plastic containers for small toys, games, etc. which can stored on shelves.

STEP 6: Large storage bin for big toys.

STEP 7: Utilize existing shelves for toy storage.

• Gather your supplies. Don't start your task until you have everything you need to accomplish it...from beginning to end! Scratch out a quick list on a sheet of paper:

1. Boxes [for sorting toys: Label "KEEP" and "GIVE AWAY"]
2. Garbage bags [for trash and broken toys]
3. Storage containers/bins
   

• Get started! Crank the music, brighten the room by opening windows or turning on lamps, recruit a friend for help and moral support. Stay positive...you can do it!

• Check this task off your list and congratulate yourself on a job well-done! Keep working down your list in the same manner until the project is complete. By the time you've completed your first project, not only will you have an organized space and sense of accomplishment, you'll have greatly improved your creative problem solving skills! Now your ready to start the process all over again in another area of your home!

Let's not make it more difficult than it has to be. Creating a peaceful environment in our homes doesn't require yin or yang, a waterfountain on our wall, or a sandpit and rake in our den. All it takes is some common sense, follow-through....and plenty of storage containers.


* Hillary Price is the creator of "The Art of Business" comic strip.

Homeseller's Secret Weapons

How do you sell your house in this real estate market?

According to Ann Sample Lineberger's article in the Connecticut Publication, "The Home Monthly," you turn to stagers for help. She states, "In order to sell a home quickly and without price reductions, sellers need to present their homes at their best. You have to do more than keep your home clean when you put it on this [buyer's] market."

Well-staged houses will help the seller by minimizing flaws, allowing a buyer to visualize how a house can be used to their full advantage. The article also states that, "In the current market staging is critical." Houses from every segment of the market will benefit from staging. Smaller, less attractive homes will become more appealing, and larger homes will meet the very high expectations of the buyer.

"The goal of staging is to present a home as spacious and functional, while revealing its charm and amenities...it has to be inviting in a way the appeals to many." Even decorator-designed homes can have a strong sense of style that needs to be neutralized to appeal to all potential buyers.

Home Staging is a Wise Investment

Surveys have shown that well-staged homes sell more quickly and closer to the asking price than un-staged homes. "An investment in staging is always less than your first price reduction."
As professionals in the field we will create a more appealing, neutral environment by:

• rearranging your furniture to create a balanced flow;
• accessorizing for style;
• organizing storage spaces, including closets and cabinets;
• removing clutter.

Items removed for staging will be packed up for the move into the seller's new home!

We Can Help You "MOVE" Forward!

For more information on home staging or other organization and design services, visit our website newlifedesignsvcs.com or call us at 727-992-2887.

Manage Morning Madness

"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"

That's what one advertiser calls it anyway. While we can all relate to that sentiment in some ways, many of us dread the chaos that seems to creep back into our lives with the beginning of a new school year.

Start conquering the chaos by eliminating the stress and tension of a hectic morning routine. Here are some strategies to help you successfully manage your weekday morning madness:

Be Proactive, Not Reactive!

• Don’t allow turmoil to rule your home.

Starting your day on the wrong foot can have a lingering effect on the entire day. Regain control of your morning by recognizing the problems that have been disrupting your morning routine, and decide to solve them.

When you step up to regain control of your circumstances, you are also becoming a positive role model for change in your family’s life.

• Build your child’s problem solving skills.

Involving your child in the problem solving process boosts her self-esteem, and makes her feel like part of solution rather than part of the problem.

Turning a negative situation into a positive family activity will also cause your child to be more cooperative and enthusiastic when it’s time to put the solution into practice.

Tip: End the struggle over bathroom time for good. On a weekend morning, have your children time each other as they go through their usual bathroom routine. Compare all of the times and decide on a fair average time for daily bathroom use.

Your children can then create a daily bathroom schedule and post it proudly on the bathroom door. Keep a timer on the vanity, so they know when their time is up.

Keeping track of their time in the bathroom is also a simple way to help your child develop important time management skills.

• Don’t give up!

If your new routine is off to a rocky start, you may need to “tweak” it a little bit to make it easier to follow.

It takes time to develop new habits, so don’t be too hard on your child (or yourself) if it takes a few weeks to fall into a new routine.

Tip: Take your slow riser shopping for an alarm clock. Build the excitement for this new activity by allowing your child to choose a fun and interesting clock that appeals to him.

Place the clock in a location that will cause him to have to get out of bed to turn it off in the morning. Don’t forget to pile on the praise when he is successful!

Empower Your Child!

• Help your child learn to be independent.

Create a morning routine that allows your child to be self-reliant. Even primary-aged children can feel good about accomplishing tasks on their own.

Ask yourself whether you are still performing tasks for your child that they are able to do on their own.

• Set your child up for success.

Provide a kid-friendly environment that will enable your child to be self-sufficient.

An intermediate-aged child can get a bowl of cereal or toast a bagel, as long as everything she needs is in reach.

Tip: You don’t necessarily have to rearrange the cupboards in your kitchen. Perhaps a sturdy stepstool or simply placing bowls on the counter the night before will do the trick. Pouring milk from a heavy gallon into a smaller, lighter pitcher will decrease the chance of messy spills.

• Lay on the praise.

Be sure to praise your child (and yourself) lavishly when he has been successful in following any part of the morning routine.

Your positive enthusiasm and approval will encourage your child to continue practicing his responsibilities daily.

Tip: Set out clothes the night before. This is a good tip for the teen-age daughter who has to try on everything in her closet before finding the perfect outfit.

Young children can choose from one specific drawer that has been organized with several matching outfits…an effective way to deal with the strong-willed child who insists on wearing her favorite "sparkly" long-sleeved turtleneck with a pair of shorts and cowboy boots!

Stay Positive!

• It takes time to form new habits.

Be prepared that implementing a new routine will take diligence, time and patience. Just remember, the reward of restoring peace in your home by sticking to your new routine is well worth it!

You can be certain that the changes you make today will have a lasting effect on your entire family.

Tip: Give each child a basket or bin for school papers. As soon as they get home, have them place all school papers in their own basket.

Don’t wait ‘til morning! Take a few minutes that evening to review graded work, sign planners, fill out permission slips, etc.

• They're watching you...

As a parent, you set the tone in your home. If you are feeling frustrated and defeated, so will your children.

Set a positive example for your children by facing each challenge with a good attitude and determining to be successful no matter what.

Tip: Keep a large calendar in a central area (perhaps near the school bins?) to record important dates, such as field trips and awards ceremonies.

Use the calendar to record activities for the entire family, this will allow everyone in the family to coordinate their schedules and keep track of important upcoming events.

Be encouraged! Frustrated mom feeling guilty all the way to work for losing your patience after the fourth attempt to pry your son out of bed this morning...

Take heart! Harried dad trying to regain your composure after a morning of playing bathroom referee to three uncooperative adolescent girls...

...with a little planning and perseverance, you CAN regain control of your morning (and your sanity).

Best Wishes for a Very, Merry School Year!