You’re,

Probably in your jammies or you slept in workout clothes 

You’ve got “rooster” hair and raccoon eyes and you don’t smell like a rose 

You played Candy Crush Saga until midnight, or one

It’s amazing how the time just flies when you’re havin’ fun 

I received this email from a SHE (Sidetracked Home Executive) and it’s so inspiring I had to share it with you. I think we can take some advice from Heddy and I‘d like to thank her for sharing it with us. I’d love to hear about the fun you’re having! We do need to have more fun!

Dear Pam,

I let my inner child play MOST of the time because "I" never had a childhood.

I figure if all the email forwards from friends are "regrets" about not playing more and worrying too much, and not burning the pretty candle and wearing the special underwear, then "I'M not THAT girl!"

I'm NOT going to wait until I'm old to wear purple and if you haven't read that poem, Google it! [Pam here: Sorry to interrupt Heddy, but I included it in this blog.]

"I DO use the good china and I often eat my dessert first"

I wear my pearls ALL THE TIME, even when I'm jackhammering, or so I was reminded by a
Home Depot employee who looked at me with awe and admiration. I hadn't been aware of it, but I DO use the good china and I often eat my dessert first. I mean, it's NOT just a bumper sticker about life being too short...it IS and I dance in the rain (often naked) because I can. Ok...I'll admit it was on 7 fully fenced and VERY private acres, but hey, it was great when I COULD do it because now that we're living in suburbia it's not likely to happen without me being arrested, so...NO REGRETS! I DID IT! 

And I continue to DO the things that others only wish they could.

It's so much fun getting to know some of you on a personal basis through the consultations I’m now doing through the summer. I’ve learned so much about how alike we all are in our SHEness (Sidetracked Home Executive-ness). To learn more about a consultation please go to www.cluborganized.com  then to the Get Organized tab.

I recently talked to a very fun-loving and brilliant SHE named Pat, who emailed an update a few weeks after our talk. She has been gracious to let me share her thoughts. 

She said, “I enjoy creating a mess. That's part of the trouble I had a long time ago; I couldn't understand why I should clean up such tiny messes, when it felt so fun to clean up a big mess. Unfortunately, after a while I just kept putting off the cleaning up until it was too big a mess to clean up!”

When I read that comment, it made me think about the Ta Da affect we SHEs love. I thought about what Pat said about liking to make a mess because it’s fun to clean up! I liked it too. I remember when Mr. Cranky (my first husband) would go on the road (he was a traveling salesman) I’d let the house unravel. It was soothing and relaxing to have him gone. He’d be gone four days at a time and that’s enough time to create some very big messes that verged on scary!

Give it up

When my sister and I got organized, we both discovered we had to let go of the need for a Ta Da moment. There’s no Ta Da in a little clean-up, so we have to get used to mini Ta Da moments.

1. If your home is immaculate and running like a well-oiled clock.

2. Your family begs to help with household chores.

3. You’re happy with your weight.

4. You’re wealthy and debt free.

5. You have a team of professional housecleaners who come and clean daily.

6. You are ecstatic with your marriage.

7. Okay, I thought of another one, you’re never late.

If these reasons aren’t yours, read more. Disorganization affects every area of your life; your finances, your health, your relationships, your stress level and I’m sure you can think of more ways it affects your life.

A Little Organization Goes a Long Way

Getting organized just enough to please you, is the goal. The only reason to get organized is so that life doesn’t get in the way of YOU. When you’re disorganized, you let life run you as you stomp out fires caused by your disorganization. But a little organization goes a long way. Just getting in the habit of looking at your calendar every evening and then again in the morning will increase your level of organization tenfold!

What can be discouraging is trying to get organized when you’re in a huge mess and you don’t know
where to start. That’s like trying to waterski under water. If you’ve ever waterskied you know getting up is the part that takes the most effort, but once you’re on top of the water that’s when the fun begins. It’s exactly the same with being organized in your life. Once you’ve established just a few good habits and you get into a routine that serves you, you’ll glide along with ease. It’s the establishing part that takes a little extra effort. 

Where Should You Start?

If you really want more happiness, start by stopping your complaining. 

Most people don’t realize how often they complain because it has become a habit and, like all habits, it tends to be so familiar that it becomes invisible (like that box of stuff in the entryway to take to the donation center).

Studies show that complaining can be brutally harmful to your health, efficiency and life in general. That’s because complaining is negative and it takes a toll on your energy and your happiness. People who are always complaining tend to have poor health, are disorganized in their jobs and at home, and have relationships that are not good and don’t last very long. And they aren’t that much fun to be around!
 

This is a photo Terry took in Cancun when we were there on vacation. As you can guess, everyone left the beach because of the on-coming storm. Grumbling about inclement weather is probably one of the most common complaints and maybe it's because we can't do anything about it. Here in the state of Washington it rains a lot, and most Washintonians do not own an umbrella or rain boots, we just know how to dash and we're Olympic at finding shelter.

10 Fun Summer Activities for Kids

As a parent, one thing I always tried to do when my kids were young was to create a sense of wonder and magic in their lives. I rarely heard them say, “I’m bored!”

Summer is the perfect season to make fun childhood memories. My mom was a master at creating memories for my sister and me. Thinking about why my summers as a kid were so special, I have renewed admiration for what my mother put into planning our summers.

She was a BOP (Born Organized Person). She always had a daily agenda for the summer months and it included household chores first and then fun. Attention moms, use fun activities you plan as a reward for getting the mundane household responsibilities accomplished every day.

How it Feels When You Stop Procrastinating

One of my dear Club Organized members wrote a wonderful blog for me to share with you. Do you see yourself in it?

by Greta Heddy

My daughter says she's the queen of procrastination. In that case, I'm the Queen Mother. I even put off things I want to do. The things that I'm afraid to do, or don't want to do, get put off even longer.

Here's a short list of some of the tasks I didn't want to do from the recent past, with the number of months I procrastinated doing them in parentheses:

    - switching bills to my husband's name at our old house and taking over         the phone bill (4)

    - opening some of the bills from my daughter's appendectomy last fall (8)

    - signing up for a free membership to a gym though my health insurance       (2)

    - putting away boxes from my move (5)

    - changing doctors to get better care for my shoulder (1)

    - taking my car to the dealer because the fix they did last fall didn't work        (1)

    - starting various healthy habits: eating correctly (4); getting enough               sleep (2); exercise (years)

I'm not here to tell you how to get yourself to stop procrastinating. I'm not going to tell you about the negative consequences of putting things off. You know these. I'm going to tell you how it feels when you finally do the things you've been avoiding.

Great ways to put joy into boring household chores.

Have you ever noticed that most household tasks are rather mindless? You know, how much thought goes into chopping vegetables for a stir-fry? Not much, except maybe to keep your fingers out from under the knife. Making the bed? Not much. Folding clothes? Not much. Scrubbing the kitchen floor? Not. Vacuuming? Ho hum.

If you really want to make it fun, so it will get done, these tips will help.

1. Listen while you work

Llistening to audiobooks is one of the best ways to actually enjoy housework. The time virtually flies.

Listening to music also helps and the faster the tempo, the faster you’ll get the job done. Try putting on some Spanish music. OLE!

2.  Watch a movie

I still iron. I love that pressed look, but I don’t love to iron, unless I watch a movie while I do it.

I set up the ironing board in the family room, pick a movie I’ve seen before (so I don’t have to keep looking up like I would if it were the first time I’d seen the movie) and before I know it I have it all done and my room smells like fresh laundry.

3.  Race against time