Gift Giving- Planned Out

I love to receive gifts.  :)  Who doesn't?

  

I also love to give thoughtful gifts that I found for a steal!  

So, here are a few tips to remember as we embark upon the spring/summer gift-giving time.  

  1- Start with a plan.  

• What birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, etc. are upcoming?  What's my budget? Are there any good sales coming up?

2- Remember that the holiday that just passed is the best time to buy for it next year.  

•  For instance, Easter is on Sunday.  All those cute Easter clothes, baskets, Easter grass, etc. will be on sale by Monday morning.  Remember to save a little holiday cash for a shopping splurge next week and make your dollars stretch even farther.  Who knows, maybe you'll find a cute dress for a niece's birthday or a  beautiful basket to store goodies in throughout the year.  

 3- Keep an open mind.

•  Deals often come in places that you may not have thought of first.  Keep shopping.  Start at the back of the store for sales and look at the lower shelves for clearance items.  

4- How do I remember what I've purchased?

• One easy way is to make a spreadsheet of all the birthdays and gift-giving occasions.  Create a column that allows you to check off that a gift has been purchased.  Be sure to leave room to write in what it was and where you've stored it.
• OR, our smartphones have calendars built in that remind us of important dates.  Keep digital notes on your calendar of what you've purchased.  This way is great for less paper and fast, convenient updating.

5- Where do I keep it all?

• This is where it gets complicated.  Some people are blessed with enormous closets that just beg to be filled with gifts bought at a steal.  Others are forced to cram gifts into small closets or under beds.  
•  Whatever your circumstances are, re-inventory your options, get creative, and re-think the spaces you do have available.  Maybe you can rearrange things in your modestly-sized closet to accommodate all you tokens have purchased for loved ones.  Just remember where you've stored the items!  :)

Don't let a lack of space cramp your gift-giving style.  

Remember to get creative in your space and keep an open mind for deals and storage.  

Then, when you give the perfect gift that you found for a steal, you can smile confidently, 

knowing that you've Got it All Together.

Declutter Calendar Update

Do you remember that

 2012 Declutter & Organize Calendar 

we talked about?

If it has already taken a back seat to other, more pressing priorities, try again!  Tomorrow is March 1^st, and getting back on track towards Getting it All Together is a great way to begin the new month.  

This calendar is great because it’s easy and you only need to take baby steps.  There’s nothing too complex or involved that should take up your whole day.  (whew!)

  

Examples:

• Monday-      Set up a donation station - I love that this is first!  This way you're prepared for future    donations.  (A great idea from January’s calendar.) 
• Tuesday-       Clean off one kitchen shelf  
• Wednesday-  Clean off the left side of your desk 
• Thursday-      Clean off the center of your desk
• Friday-          Clean off the right side of your desk 
• Saturday-       Label boxes in the storage area
• Sunday-         Take a nap

Tomorrow’s job is to “declutter your end table in the living room or family room.”  

Don’t worry about starting with past challenges.  If you try to “retro-declutter”, you may overwhelm yourself and get discouraged.  Just start with today.  Then, if you feel up to it and have the time, go back and get ideas of other places to work on.  The important thing is to keep going— don’t stop.  

Keep your calendar where you can see it and be sure to give yourself a big, satisfying, red check-mark for a job well done. 

Have you started busting the clutter bug in your home?  Start today!

2012 Declutter & Organize Calendar

In January, a friend recommended this  2012 Declutter & Organize Calendar.  So, I decided to check it out. 

It turns out that it's really great!  It recommends doing one small project per day in order to make your life simpler, more organized, and less cluttered.  Sounds good, right?

Examples from January's calendar are:

• Set up a donation station - I love that this is first!  This way you're prepared for future donations.
• Clean out under the bed
• Take a nap- A great idea for a Sunday!
• Declutter your nightstand
• Clear off the top of a nightstand

I really like the idea of doing just one small goal on a daily basis.  That way you're always making progress and at a manageable rate.

Yes, January is already behind us.  But, don't let that stop you from starting today.  Just think what you'll accomplish this year when you take small and consistent steps towards Getting it All Together.