Debbie Lillard - Absolutely Organized. A Moms Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home

Absolutely Organized

A Moms Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home

DEBBIE LILLARD

Absolutely Organized: A Moms Guide to a No-Stress Schedule and Clutter-Free Home. Copyright 2008 by Debbie Lillard. Manufactured in China. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review. Published by North Light Books, an imprint of F+W Publications, Inc., 4700 East Galbraith Road, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45236. (800) 289-0963. First Edition.

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Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Lillard, Debbie, 1967-

Absolutely organized : a moms guide to a no-stress schedule and clutter-free home / by Debbie Lillard.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-1-58180-955-8 (pbk. : alk. paper)
ISBN-10: 1-58180-955-7 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Mothers--Life skills guides. I. Title. II. Title: Moms guide to a no-stress schedule and clutter-free home.

Edited by Jacqueline Musser; Designed by Clare Finney; Production assistance by Jennifer Hoffman; Production coordinated by Greg Nock; All photos, unless otherwise noted, are by Alex Wilson/ Digital Vision/Getty Images; by Tim Grondin; Illustrations by Christine Erikson

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Debbie Lillard is a professional organizer and the mother of three young children. After starting her own organizing business in 2003, Debbie appeared on four episodes of HGTVs Mission: Organization. She has been referenced as an organizational expert in articles for The Philadelphia Inquirer and on HGTVs Web site. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. Debbie has a BA in Communications from Marymount University, and worked as a technical writer in sales training for a major telecommunications company before becoming a stay-at-home mom.

Erinn Aloi, A fresh focus photography

DEDICATION

To my family

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to acknowledge all the people who have helped me achieve this life-long dream of becoming an author. My heartfelt thanks goes out to the people who helped me get started in my professional organizing business, namely my friend Mary, who was my first client; the Havertown Moms Club, which was my focus group and the source of many ideas; Nancy Glass Productions who hired me for Mission Organization; and of course, Nana and Grams who were the best baby-sitters I could ask for!

Secondly, I want to thank those who helped me take my big idea and make it a reality including: Dave, the other Lillard author, who kept asking me, When are you going to write that organizing book?; Jamie and Jackie at North Light Books, who believed in my idea and guided me through the process; and my good friend Michele who helped me with editing and proofreading.

Lastly, I must thank my husband, my family and my close friends who have always given me the encouragement and support to do anything I set my mind to. I hope that this accomplishment of mine will inspire them, especially my children, to reach for their dreams wherever they may lead.

Introduction

In my experience as a professional organizer, Ive noticed two things about the moms Ive worked with: first, they need organizing help not because they are lazy, but because they are busy, and second, they are usually very hard on themselves. Lets face it, the job of a mother is multi-faceted. Maybe youre not the most organized mom on the block. But you may be the best cook, or the most fun to be with, or the one who gets involved in your childs school. Recognize your strengths along with your weaknesses. If you need help organizing, youve come to the right place.

There is no right or wrong way to organize. There is only what works and what doesnt work. I have noticed, however, that there are similar habits among people who are organized. I call these my Absolutes of Organizing because they are rules that you absolutely must follow if you are going to be an organized person. You will find my absolutes highlighted throughout the book and then listed in the .

If you enjoy your home and can feel relaxed there, if you pay your bills on time, rarely lose things, can get places on time and have what you need, then your system of organization is probably working. However if the opposite is true and you feel stressed out at home, cant find anything, are always rushing and being late, and have numerous unfinished projects in your house, then its time for a different approach.

There is no right or wrong way to organize. There is only what works and what doesnt work.

If you feel like a mess, then congratulations! Youve taken the first step toward improving your situation. The next step is to find your motivation. This is what will keep you going in the middle of a big project. Do you want to simplify your life so you can relax more? Do you want to arrange your home so youre not embarrassed to have guests over? Do you need to set up your paperwork so you can save money and time? Do you want to get rid of the excess in your life so others can benefit? These are all good reasons to get organized. Write down your motivation and look at it every day. Then read through this book from start to finish.

First, we will organize your time so you can take care of the day-to-day and still have time to accomplish some cleaning out projects. Then we will discuss how to organize your belongings category by category. In some cases you may need to gather it all up from various rooms just to see how much you have. Finally, well organize your home room by room. Make it a game and have fun. Be realistic with what you can save and toss. Above all, realize that organizing is like dieting. You cant do it fast and furious for two weeks and think you are done. You have to incorporate organizing into your daily life if you really want to change the way you are living. Your family is your support system, so include them in making decisions. They will have more interest in helping you keep things organized if they are part of the picture.