Jessica Litman - Home Sweet Organized Home: Declutter & Organize Your Busy Family

DECLUTTER & ORGANIZE YOUR BUSY FAMILY

Jessica Litman

The organized mama

I have seen so many people transform their outlook on life simply by organizing their homes. I know it sounds silly. Youre probably thinking, How can I transform my outlook on life with organizing? It doesnt seem logical. But when you understand what organizing does, you can see how transformative and life-changing it can be.

My goal in writing this book on organizing is to show you how you can change your habits to lead an organized life. When you have order in your home, you create order in your life and are able to deal with things that are outside of your control. When you are struggling with life, the order that can be found in organizing is so refreshing. You can simply sit back and appreciate the order you created, even when everything else around you is falling apart.

When you start living with things in order, you end up focusing on other things that really inspire or interest you. You stop focusing on what isnt working. You stop looking at things with a glass-half-empty perspective and begin looking at things from a glass-half-full perspective, which I believe is a much better outlook on life.

Growing up, I was always an organized person. I always made my bed and lined up my dolls and stuffies in a row on my bed each night. My school desk was always tidy. I never had chores because I always kept my room clean. My parents never had to worry about my organizing habits because I had them from birth. My dad is like that and so was his mom. This crazy organizing ability might be genetic.

I discovered that organizing was going to be my lifeline early in life. I experienced some traumatic life events at a very young age. And with those life events, organizing helped me feel in control in uncertain times. I wasnt sure about much, but I knew that when I went to my bedroom, things were organized. I felt calm. I could simply just be. If I didnt have a space that was organized, I am not sure I would be who I am today. That is why I am so passionate about teaching families how to organize and create habits that support order. When you have order, your brain just works better.

As a former teacher, I always thought that brain research was so interesting because it showcased how kids learn and understand information. There is so much information out there on how the brain processes things. My favorite brain-related topic is how organizing and order benefit brain function and brain development in children.

When I decided to retire my teaching hat, the teacher in me never really went away. I think that is true with anyone who was or is a teacherit never really leaves you. The teacher in me helped me teach families how to organize their homes, and that is what I have done for the past eight years through my business, The Organized Mama.

As The Organized Mama, I have made it my mission to help families tackle order in their homes. Because when things are organized, you just feel better.

And no one has time for disorganization when there are kiddos running around, am I right?!

So, if youre a parent who is looking to create lasting organization at home or youre looking to creating lasting organizing habits, youve come to the right place! In this book, I break down everything I have learned from both teaching and organizing so I can share it with you. You will learn how to tweak and change your habits to create the order you want so you can spend more time on things you love doing instead of searching for your things.

Throughout this book, I share different ways that you can organize different rooms in your home in a specific order that helps you stay organized. The room chapters are in the order I feel is best to tidy up your home based on my experience as a professional organizer. In the following chapters, youll also learn various organizing habits that can be used to keep those spaces organized after all your hard work getting them tidy. Some habits can be used interchangeably while others may only apply to one space. Pick habits you know you can stick with because when you make those changes, you can keep your home organized for good!

I also share lists for how you can create long-lasting organizing habits for yourself and your family and keep track of your progress. These are suggestions because not everyones definition of organized is going to be the same. I am rather realistic when it comes to organizing. Not everything needs to be in matching bins. Not everything needs to be color-coded. If you like that, then do it. If not, then dont. But you need to start creating habits that will help you and your family get organized. You have to find things that you will actually stick with instead of just trying to do what the cool kids are doing.

And lastly, at the end of this book, you will find worksheets to help you get organized as you go. The worksheets are there to help you get started, but use them as you feel is needed. I teach my clients how to change small things that make a big impact on maintaining order in their homes. Start small and find areas you can change to create order for the organized home you envision. But be realistic with yourself and your family. Pick the things that you think will work for you. Find things that will support your family in your mission to get organized. These habits will help everyone in your family find order.

With all my years of teaching, Ive learned that you need to break down what to expect for different age groups of kids and what they should and can be doing in terms of organizing. This will help you teach them organizing habits that will benefit them throughout their lives.

I hope to instill in you organizing habits that will help your family maintain order. I have real-life stories of clients I have worked with, so you know this isnt just something my family does. It is something that anyone can do. I also want you to be able to do it. I want you to be able to organize and keep those habits, so your home is orderly and you can feel more in control of your life.

Lets get started.

CHAPTER 1

What Does Being Organized Mean to You?

I have a story for you. Back when I first started organizing, I had a client who wanted help with her daughters bedroom. She told me she couldnt keep it organized because of all the stuff her daughter had in her room. She wanted a plan for all the toys and clothes and desk supplies. So, I created a plan for her daughter's bedroom and got rid of the junk. Gave everything a specific spot for stuff to go. Like all her doll clothes went into a drawer in her closet, and the accessories fit under her bed.