Organising Recycling and Organising Tips:

Organised for Christmas 2012

Yes you are reading this right Christmas 2012, it’s not just around the corner.

But what you do now will save time when we come around to that silly, busy season again

Recycle unwanted egg cartons to store and to protect expensive and loved decorations

 It saves untangling miles of fine wire and money because they are all cushioned and protected.

Add a label and store in the back of the cupboard because they wont be needed for another 12 months.

 Tip: Only store items which are regularly used at the front of the cupboard.

Australian Made Christmas

Christmas quickly approaches, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Australians with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods and merchandise, produced at the expense of Australian labour.

There is no longer an excuse that, at gift-giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by Australian hands. Yes there is.  It's time to think outside the box. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?

Gift Ideas: Bamboo towels and tea towels tied up in a bow.

Use tea towels instead of wrapping paper, they can be used over and over again

Everyone gets their hair cut, so how about gift certificates from your local hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed?

Small, Australian-owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the dollars on a flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mown for the summer, or games at the local golf course.

There are bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half-dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast cafe. Remember folks; this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Australians with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by an Australian worker?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mum? Mum would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.

Everyone wants more TIME in their day so why not the gift of TIME. Engage the services of a Professional Organiser, let them handle your “to do list” so you can get  on with what you LOVE doing

Gift idea:  Professional Organiser handles your tasks, giving you TIME.

My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.

OK, maybe you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewellery, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner-operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip.

How about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre?

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly folks, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of lights, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you do have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, garbage man or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining Australian pockets so that China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about us Aussies, encouraging Australian small businesses to keep plugging away, to follow their dreams. And when we care about other Australians, we care about our communities, our environment and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.

THIS is the new Australian Christmas tradition.

After all ... isn't that what Christmas is about?

Phone Clutter

With over 16 Million Phones cluttering the cupboards and drawers that’s a lot of clutter

Phones that are no longer used can be recycled, donated or passed on at many places.

Technology is moving so quickly, how can we keep up with all the accessories, chargers, cords that come with your phone. Save some time by adding coloured tags to cords, back of phones, ear pieces so you to see which cord goes with which phone.

Rather than wasting time fishing around a drawer full of cords, charges and ear pieces, small tags or dots saves time and when it is time to recycle your phone and accessories it’s easy to identified. It can all be put together to either pass them on, donate or recycle

Here’s some place to recycle or donate your old phones

http://www.mazumamobile.com.au/how.php- Earn some money from your old phones

http://www.mobilemuster.com.au/- Recycle unwanted phones

http://mobile4charity.com.au/index.php?page=0- Help out QLD flood victims

How can De cluttering your car protect our environment.

Carrying your STUFF in or on your car increases your fuel consumption plus adds to the wear and tear on your vehicles. An infrequently used item such as roof racks, tow bars adds weight and adds to the wind resistance, making your car work harder

When planning your travel remove unnecessary items to lighten the load and include the things you really need, rather than adding a trailer or roof rack.

Unsecured items can be very dangerous in a traffic incident, imagine a tool box flying from the backseat towards the headrest and windscreen. Too scarring to think about!

A regular de clutter of your car could save your life

Look after your car and it will look after you.

My own car which I have owned since new now has 443 000km on the clock. I am constantly asked “when you I going to update your car”. New cars come with a carbon foot print, my car “touch wood” is still like new, it has never broken down. Still original shock absorbers, exhaust etc. the car is serviced on time; tyres, water and oil are checked regularly.

Correctly inflated and aligned tyres will extend the life of your tyres, save money and reduce the production of tyres.

 It only takes a little time to organising and de cluttering our cars but the benefits is huge

Reuse Old Socks

We have a use for all those odd socks.

Thanks to Jode from North Fitzroy for sharing this wonderful Recycling and Reusing ideas with Eco Organiser.

Old cotton socks make wonderful cleaning and polishing clothes.

Slip them onto your hand and you have total control to clean and polish. 

And thanks to Dorien in Echuca for her tip on using old socks and save our backs a little.

Next time you need to move furniture around or restyle a room with smooth floors, place a clean woollen sock under each leg and slide the furniture.  

Thanks so much, let’s keep sharing our ideas to protect our environment

Use the 10 R’s to Eco Organise Your Office

The benefits of an Organised office  not only that we are helping out Mother Nature but it will greatly improve productivity, reduce waste, energy and improve our work/life balance.

Research

When considering new or second hand office equipment a little RESEARCH can save a lot of headaches, save time, money and energy.

What’s its energy rating?

Can it be serviced locally?

What are the costs of consumables?

What’s included and not included in the warranty?

What’s the reputation of manufacturer?

Does the current work space need to be reworked to fit it in?

Refuse

REFUSE to sign up to all E Newsletters on offer, unless they are truly relative to your vision or task.

Allocate a set time to read E Newsletters and do not deviate from it.

This will increase productivity and keep you focused on the tasks ahead.

Add a water filter to your office rather than buying water for the office.

Make concerted effort to ban the plastic water bottle.

Reuse

Once you have opened your mail, REUSE the envelope.

Small envelopes can be used for shopping lists.

Large post packs can be relabelled and used again.

Use ceramic cups instead of disposable ones.    

If possible add a compost bin to the kitchen, food scrapes could be used feed a garden or taken off site to feed some ones chooks

Rework

REWORKING your current office footprint to accommodate changes such as

changes to staffing levels is a better alternative than moving premises; it will certainly save time, money and energy.

This is where a Professional Organiser can help to better utilise the space

Restyle

Before you purchase more storage solutions spend some time de cluttering as you may find you don’t need it.

Consider RESTYLING existing features with a fresh coat of VOC free paints

Reupholster existing furniture rather than purchasing new.

How can I improve the natural lighting?

How can we cut back our energy costs such as heating?

Tip:        

Look at different window treatments to keep the heat in for winter and out for summer.

This will help reduce your energy costs and give the space a new look and feel.

Rethink

When choosing an office space or investing in critical items RETHINK 

How will this space be used now, in five and ten years?

Will it accommodate my plans?

Who will use this space?

Is it close to public transport?

Where are the majority of our clients and suppliers?

Is there sufficient bicycle parking and can we add showers?

Does it have good solar access?

Can we add water tanks?

Reduce

REDUCE the clutter

A cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind.

Clearing clutter creates space and clarity.

Reduce our dependence on cars by car-pooling.

Switch off lights and computers when leaving the office for the day

Unplug any devise on stand by

Set photocopiers and screens to energy saving modes.

Set printers to double side print

Tip: Check out www.goget.com.au and www.letscarpool.com.au

Reinvent/Renew

This PVC once contained ear cleaner, it has been REINVENTED to house business cards

Refill

Consider REFILLING consumables such as ink cartridges and detergents

Investigate buying in bulk and refilling

Share the bulk buying with other to improve your buying power

Make your own eco-friendly cleaning products

Refresh

To REFRESH your office open windows instead of using artificial scent.

Fresh air stimulates and clears the mind.

Bring fresh flowers into the space, they add natural smells, add colour and interest.

A couple extras

REWARD your team and where possible RECYCLE on site.

The Green Thing

A recent email I recieved

How true is this!

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic

Bag's weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and

Explained "We didn't have the green thing back in my day.

That's right they didn't have the green thing in her day. Back then, they

returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store.

The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and

refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn't have the green thing back her day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator

in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and

didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.

But she's right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's nappies because they didn't have the

throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts "wind and solar power" really did dry the clothes.

Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not

always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house not a TV in every room.

And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the

size of the state of Queensland. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred

by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you.

When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up

newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the

lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by

working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills

that operate on electricity. But she's right, they didn't have the green thing

back then.

They drank from a bubbler when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup

or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens

with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades

in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade

got dull. But they didn't have the green thing back then..

Back then, people took the tram or bus, kids rode their bikes to school or

rode the school bus, instead of turning their mums into a 24-hour taxi

service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of

sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized

gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space

in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But that old lady is right. They didn't have the green thing back in her

day...they lived it!

Organise to Reduce your Carbon Foot Print.

Think about the true cost of not being organised.

It affects our professional & personal relationships, financial situation, physical, mental, environment and emotional health

Paper is one of the biggest contributors to household clutter, because we don't like dealing with it we tend to put off, which can lead to bigger problems.

If your career or family life is running in over drive, your home needs to function at the same speed.

Q. Do you have time to look for things?

Q. Can you afford to pay late fees or miss appointments?

Quick Steps to Organise

STOP adding to the paper clutter, dedicate some time to sort through what stays, what goes and how it can be disposed of responsibly- share with friends, donate or recycle

Did you know the average Australia home?

Blows $1226 a year on items that are purchased but never used

84% of the people surveyed brought products to help them cope with clutter

One in five built a shed or garage to keep things

One in eight had moved house to accommodate their stuff

And 25% have about 7 boxes they have not unpacked from the last time they moved house.

From The Australia Institute

ACTION Deal with all overdue accounts and handle any important notices.

RETHINK all the paper and packaging that comes into your home, such as magazines, newspapers, wrapping and packaging.

Ask yourself       Do I need it?

Do I want it?

How will it make me feel?

Who can I this share with?

Does the local library have a copy?

What can I re-use the packaging for?

The average household throws away 13000 pieces of paper a year, most is packaging and junk mail.

Maintain your space by spending 5 minutes every day to sort, file and de clutter.

Creative Storage

An area for storing that is often overlooked is vertical spaces.

I' m big believer in utilising our walls for storage. Here's an example I found which is inexpensive and easy to make. This hanger doesn't require a lot of skill to make, it would be a great project kids to a make

This is a lovely worn piece of driftwood which has undergone mother- natures rough and tumble of the ocean to leave it nice and smooth, so no splinters for fingers or snagging your clothes.

Just by adding a few hooks and screwing to the wall you have an original coat rank.

Thanks to mother-nature no two could ever be the same.

Orderly Fashion

For long term storage, ensure fabrics can breathe. Plastic can cause fabrics to sweat, so remove dry cleaning bags and keep winter clothes in lightweight cotton or calico bags at the top of your wardrobe.

A sprinkling of cloves in a handkerchief will keep moths and silverfish  at bay.

Stuff handbags with old tea towels to retain their shape, then wrap separately in old pillowslips.

As published in February 2011 Home Beautiful 

Reincarnate your Boots

I live in elastic side boots, but when the elastic gives up the ghost, they can live on as the Aussie Clogs or Crocs, simply cut away the backs, I use them all the time when I just want to slip outside to get the washing off the line, pick herbs or fruit from the garden. I cannot see them on the catwalks of Paris but fine for around 

the garden.

Organise for Success in 2011

How many of you have decided this is the year to

"To Organise My Life"

"De clutter my wardrobe and kitchen"

"Go back to school"

They all sound like great ideas

Well this year I have taken on part time study which requires at least 16 hours per week to enable me to finish in 2 years. And along with running my fantastic business, a household and a B&B, I am training for my first half marathon.

So I too need to Plan for Success.

Here's how I am going to tackle this.

My first step is to answer these questions.

Why do I want to add the extra activities?

What do I need to change or do to find the extra TIME?

Who will support me though this?

When will this start and finish?

Let's make it Happen

ü  Look after No 1, you cannot achieve anything if I you do not look after yourself.

I know for some people this is the hardest thing to do, but believe me you are no good to your family and friends if you are sick, rundown or stressed

ü  Write it down. What, How, When and Who.

It's just like writing a business plan & include SWOT Analysis (Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats)

ü  Let go of what's not important and try the D word…Delegate. I have never seen a roof fall in if the bed is not presented the same as an Adair's shop window, or if a different coloured toilet paper comes into the house.

ü  Regularly review your plan; it's not set in concrete more like play dough. Mould it to fit

ü  Don't try and tackle everything at once, work on one area at a TIME and complete a section before moving onto the next project.

ü  Reward your successes, make sure you put aside TIME for yourself, friends, family and loved ones

ü  Believe in yourself, you are the star of the show, so make it shine.

The future depends on what we do in the present- Mahatma Gandhi

Reuse Your Linen & De Clutter Your Space

Are your cupboards STUFFED with linen from Nanna's glory box and you simply can't get rid of them, and you do not use them in your everyday life.

Or is your craft box BURSTING with fabric off cuts that "one day I will make a patchwork quilt".

Have you ever thought to use them to line your drawers, rather than the paper alternative?

This not only saves our precious trees and no printing inks will be used.

You will be saving yourself some money and freeing up space in your cupboards.

For a scented liner simply wash with a few drops of your favourite essential oils

Combine your chores.

Cleaning the oven has to be one of the things I HATE doing.

You get dirty and it takes so much TIME.

Here's one way around this.

Once you have finished cooking your Sunday roast, muffins or whatever, place a baking dish with a good amount of water and a few drops of Eucalyptus or Tea Tree oil in the oven.

Leave for 30minutes then allow the oven to slightly cool before wiping oven with a damp cloth.

It may take a couple of times to clean your oven, but you are not using chemicals to clean an appliance that you cook food in and there is very little effort involved.

Make this a regular habit and no more TIME spent with your head in the oven with chemicals and face masks.

Re-use that Green Bag

As a Professional Organiser I come across alot of reusable green bags, stuffed at the back

of a cupboard, not doing much.

Once I came accross 35 in one kitchen...all of which we reused.

I hear people say they forget to take their cloth bag to the market so they buy another or take a plastic bag.

How about these little tricks.

Using a cloth or reusable baghang oneover the head rest of theseat in my car.

It can house all youressentials, extra tissues, business cards and shopping bags.

As it is on displayyou see it every time you get into the car.

Also for those times you take your push bikehave another bag in your basket.

Make homes for them whether it is next to your keys, under the bench, in the car or garage.

Keep them visual and in your face until it becomes second nature when picking up your wallet you automatically grab a cloth bag.

Once you have used them put them back in their home for the next use.

If you are using a cloth/calico bag they can be washed and used many times over.

In 2006 Australians used 3.9 billion plastic bags.

Source:ABS

Reincarnation & Restyle your STUFF

We all love a makeover either ourselves or our homes. I am constantly looking at ways to reduce my carbon footprint and I love adding to my RRRR'S.

We all know Reduce, Reuse and Recycle but in the world of Eco Organiser I have discovered Reincarnation.

According to the Oxford dictionary. Reincarnation: rebirth of a soul in a new body.

My sofa recently underwent reincarnation.

Working with a very simple pattern I was able to recover my lounge, and finish it all off with bright new cushions at the cost of $80.

Not only has it saved $1000's by not buying a new sofa, one less tree was cut down to produce the timber frame, no foams/wadding were produced for padding, and there was minimal transport involved.

Once you have made the decision to become organised you will rediscover things you have not seen in years or things you have spent TIME looking for. Before you discard them think about how you can restyle them or bring them back to life.

Working Harder?

Time to think Smarter

So you have a really busy week coming up.

I know our working days can start earlyand finish late but with a littleplanning it can make all the difference.

Here are a couple of tips to help you handle the rush.

1. Always have your clothes prepared the night before.
   Do you have time to stand in front of the mirror and decide what to wear?
2. Have your bag/briefcase packed the night before with car keys close at hand.
3. Before leaving the house take one of your preparedmeals out of the freezer to defrost or set the slow cooker.
4. One of my favorites: Dont sweatthe little things. If your bed is not made with army precision are the walls going to fall in?
5. Learn how to delegate.
6. Public Transport users- Use this time to either create your shopping list & meal plan, catch up on reading or sleep
7. Public Transportusers- Buy a weekly ticket, this will savequeuing for your ticket
8. Make sure your car has plenty of fuel.
9. Ask for help
10. Reward yourself

Detox Your Home

My local shire now hosts permanent Detox Your Home facilities at each transfer station. At these facilities you can dispose for free, gas cylinders, paint, motor oil, fluorescent tubes, and all types of batteries (car batteries, ordinary household batteries and mobile phone batteries). You should never pour them down the sink or put them out with your kerbside collection as they can cause long term damage to the environment. 

All collected material is recycled or treated based on the chemicals or materials they contain.

To reduce waste chemicals at home and the need to use such facilities, look for less hazardous alternatives, buy only the quantities you need and reuse leftover chemicals.

More information about reducing chemical use in the home can be found by using the Victorian State Government website on Sustainability link at the bottom of this page.

Check out your local council for great ways to DETOX your home

A Moving ExperienceI recently received a call

Julie: " I need your help, I have just got a job in Far North QLD"

Tanya: "Congratulations, that's great"

Julie: "Yes........but I have to be up there by the end of the month".

Tanya: "Ok, let's get SORTED

Tips:Sort and Declutter, Sort and Declutter

Ask yourself

Do I want to use my precious time to pack up things that I do not use anymore?

Do I want to pay to move things I do not use anymore?

What is the cost to our plant to move all this un used stuff from one place to another?

• Shop around for good second hand cartons, and ask if they will buy them back?
• Fruit shops have an abundance of polystyrene boxes, they are great for moving plants, garden and shed tools.
• Ask your green grocer they will generally give them away
• Rather than buy wrapping products why not use your linen/towels to wrap your precious items.
• Save up the newspapers or ask the neighbours or your local café to keep some copies.
• Arm yourself with marking pens, tape and note pad.
• Mark your cartons well, so you can easily find things when you get to your destination.

Moving On

• Ask friends for referrals to a reputable moving company.
• Pack in manageable sized boxes, there is no point saving money on moving yourself if you are paying out to fix your back
• Make sure you have enough food and beverages for yourself and helpers.
• Make it fun by playing your favorite music
• Have a meal organised for your first night

Happy unpacking

The 3 R's

Reduce

Reuse/Refill

Recycle

Whenever I am out shopping I always check out the packaging. I ask myself, can it be recycled, how could I use it when it's empty?

I recently asked my beautician if she would refill the cosmetic bottles with her fabulous natural blend. Great she said yes! www.mayaspa.com.au

This is another product I can add to my refilling list

• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Dish-washing detergents all refilled at my local health food store.

The savings will not only show in your pocket but our planet will benefit from less bottles being produced and no cost to our environment to recycle.

The Makeover

I believe Organising and De Cluttering doesn't mean throwing STUFF out. I get a real kick out of finding another purpose for something, giving it a 2nd chance. I love restoring, repairing or recovering to bring tired, or out of date furniture back into vogue.

I recently had a faded lounge recovered for a client at the cost $1500 to buy a similar new lounge would cost $5000 - a saving of $3500.

The saving was not only in monetary terms, but also its carbon footprint. No tree was cut down for the frame, no foam was produced for the cushions. Plus by using a local person we kept the money in our community.

With a little bit of effort each year I reinvent my outdoor setting, this year it going to be flashy red. It was brought 5 years ago for $100.00 1 table, 2 chairs and 1 bench seat - and still going strong.