Bakersfield Life

Crawl Out From Under Chaos

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Jessica Miller is a successful Bakersfield businesswoman. She’s friendly, highly-motivated, and cares deeply that she provides her clients with the best service possible. But Jessica had a major problem. She spent so many hours growing her business and servicing clients that she couldn’t find enough time to establish an effective record-keeping system. She also didn’t have time to do basic housework. The pattern repeated itself for several years.
She experienced a moment of truth a few months ago. Jessica was always stressed and could never relax because her entire house was buried in slips of paper with information that needed to be input in her computer. She decided to make a change – she hired a professional organizer who helped her develop a system to manage the paper, and she has another contractor come into her office each week to input data. She also hired a housekeeper so she can focus on the work she loves.
Now, Jessica knows right where to find important information and she has the time to enjoy life more: she loves writing encouraging cards to family, friends and customers. She also sleeps better at night because work and life are finally in balance. While Jessica’s name has been changed to protect her reputation, her situation is real.
You may be like Jessica. Or, you may have an impeccable house – except for the one room where you throw all the mail. Or perhaps you keep paperwork in a safe place but the rest of your house always looks like a tornado whirled through. Don’t despair. Like Jessica, you could soon create order from the chaos, and reclaim your family and leisure time to enjoy your home to the max.

Get organized
“The main benefit to being organized is that you have more time with your family,” said Mary Ryan, professional organizer consultant and owner of You Never Know Tomorrow. “If you don’t manage time wisely, you lose it.” There are only 168 hours in a week. How do you want to spend them?
If you think organizing and cleaning will take time away from your family, consider this: if you don’t spend 10 minutes filling the dishwasher on one night, you’ll have to spend double that time the next night just to catch up, Ryan said.
Organization is about dealing with change, said Debra Blackmon, owner of Blackmon Design. “Psychologically, those of us who don’t like change tend to avoid organizing,” Blackmon said. She recommends the book When Change is Your Company’s Middle Name by Carolyn Masters. Though it’s written for businesses, “it has great exercises to help remove the fear of change and help understand the dynamics of change.”

Deal with paperwork
Ryan offered tips for homeowners looking to tidy up or de-clutter. Her first suggestion: stay focused and finish one project before you move on to the next. If you don’t finish everything on your to-do list today, don’t stress about it. Just put the leftover items on tomorrow’s list and prioritize importance.
If you’re buried in paperwork and want to solve the problem yourself, Ryan suggests that you start by sorting into three categories: file, review and trash. Throw away junk mail and keep it out of your house by discarding it the day you receive it. Remember to file bill stubs for one year (seven years for business-related bills.) If you want professional help tackling the paperwork, Ryan can go to your home or office and establish or update your filing system. She can then teach you how to maintain it or go back periodically to do it for you.
Once you decide which paperwork you need to keep, Blackmon suggests corralling it in filing drawers or cabinets. But, baskets with lids could also work and may fit more into your decorating style. Jessica Miller now keeps her paper in wicker filing baskets in a closet of her office. For larger items, crates on wheels that fit under tables or beds might do the trick.

De-clutter
If clutter is giving you ulcers, a little planning can go a long way toward solving the problem.
“Have a basic strategy to conquer chaotic clutter,” Blackmon said. “Here are the three fundamental steps all clutter-busters use to reduce chaos in a home.”
Start your organization process from scratch. Take everything out where you can see it and access it – but just one room at a time!
In the space, break down everything into manageable groups of like items, creating a list of the system you’re using, so you can duplicate the organization again. Decide what type of container could provide the best accessible storage or display for each group – be sure to measure as you go.
Reassemble the space using the new components.
If you like displaying collectibles, think clustered displays so your surfaces will still look uncluttered in-between. If the items are small, you can group them on beautiful trays, Blackmon suggests.

Plan ahead
What if you’ve mastered paperwork and clutter but your home is still chaotic? Time to plan ahead, Ryan suggests. You can multi-task, for one thing. Load the washing machine and tidy up while clothes are washing. And get your child/ spouse/ roommate involved. Everyone uses the home so everyone can do some task to help clean and maintain it. “Kids watch and learn from us. Teach them to help when they’re young,” Ryan said.
If your children’s clothes are picked out each night – and offer two outfits for children who want to choose – you won’t be searching for socks while the school bus drives away. Don’t have time or desire to cook every night? Plan a couple healthy meals then make enough to freeze portions for other nights, Ryan suggests.

Move the furniture
You can also consider a one-day interior redesign. The technique helps homeowners “radically improve the use and look of existing rooms by rearranging the belongings they already have,” explained Cheryl Rogers-Tadevich, owner of Design by Cheryl. “It could be as simple as restyling some accessories or repositioning an oversized chair, but the difference can be night and day,” Rogers-Tadevich stated.
Redesign can be helpful for the success of merging households after marriage or when you move into a new home and want the optimal furniture arrangement. It can also help to turn a cluttered area into usable space, she explained.
“Proper space planning can alleviate a congested feeling,” said Tracie Taylor, owner of Passionate Designs. “Use simplicity (with decorations and furniture) but pay attention to detail to have elegance and luxury of life.”
Remember that colors set moods, Taylor said. Do you want your home to feel romantic, casual, peaceful or energetic? Different colors will accomplish those results.
Follow some of these tips and you’re sure to be enjoying quality family time in a relaxed environment before you know it.