Advice
Welcome to our advice section. Every week I answer new questions submitted
by readers on Organizing, Image, Fashion and Event Planning.
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in San Diego's “The Coast News" or read the archived columns
below.
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12.09.04
Less is more for holiday décor
Dear Kathi,
Every year as I unpack my holiday decorations, I am overwhelmed by
the enormity of my decorating task. I always feel that I need to have
all of my decorations in place immediately after Thanksgiving. What
would be a good plan of attack for this endeavor?
Sophia, Carlsbad
Sophia,
Realize that you don’t have to hang all of your decorations
every year. In fact, you are not ever obligated to create huge displays.
You don’t have to use all of your decorations just because you
bring them out of storage.
Subtle, well planned decorating schemes can be far more effective
than mass decorations applied with less thought. Consider placement
and use only the decorations that apply to your new theme.
Do you own over six boxes of holiday decor? If you keep adding additional
boxes to your collection each year, this year might be a good time
to purge a few items.
Perhaps your grown children would like to take the old decorations
that have meaningful significance? If you have been using the same
decor for 20-30 years, let your kids continue the tradition or donate
them to someone else less fortunate. Loosen up and let go! You will
feel liberated and the holidays might be a breath of fresh air this
year.
A great way to keep your decoration collection manageable is to buy
the amount of plastic containers that you won’t mind storing
year after year.
As the holidays wind down, pack and store only what will fit in your
pre-designated containers. Get rid of the overflow and next year you
will be facing a less daunting decorating task.
Create a method to distinguish your holiday boxes. You can purchase
red/green plastic tubs or simply encircle each unmarked box with holiday
packing tape. This will enable you to find your holiday boxes in a
snap.
Store your holiday boxes high and out of the way in the hard to reach
storage areas. This saves the easy access space for your more frequently
used items.
Don’t get bogged down in the details and enjoy the holidays.
Dear
Kathi,
I work with several projects at a time in my home based office. Typically,
each project is in progress for 3-4 months. In the beginning, each
project is easy to manage. As it grows, the project becomes extremely
large and squeezes into every empty space available and gets mixed
in with my other pending projects. Knowing where one begins and another
ends is a challenge. How can I keep each project in it’s own
space?
Miles, Leucadia
Miles,
You have a few options. Choose the method that best reflects how you
function on a daily basis.
If you are a systematic project developer and usually work in sequence,
try organizing each project into a filing system. Keep each project
contained within it’s own file drawer.
Develop a file folder system and create the same tabs for every drawer/project.
For example, each drawer can be divided into separate hanging folders
labeled project outline, pending, research, resources, and completed.
Use whatever headings clearly define the stages of each project.
If you work visually, a file system might not be the best way to organize
your projects. Visually oriented people tend to rebel against filing
folders into drawers. Out of sight, out of mind is a reality for visual
thinkers.
Try this option: contain each project in a basket or small bin. Each
bin can have separate dividers, folders or envelopes similar to the
file cabinet system. These bins will enable you to see each project
as it develops without the necessity of opening a drawer.
Both methods are effective. Choose the one that best matches your
style and work process.
Kathi is a professional organizer, image consultant and event planner
based in San Diego California.
Please
submit your questions to:
advice@addspacetoyourlife.com
.
San Diego Professional Organizer
