Renew Your Space: June 2010

Organized Finances

Have you ever stopped to look at just how much you are spending month-to-month, and had an epiphany? Mine was soon after I began my Nutritional Cleansing and I wanted to see how my grocery bill stacked up after I began purchasing the products. I was always under the impression that these sorts of programs were expensive and that I would be making an investment in my health, but I discovered that I was actually cutting my grocery bill in HALF because I was no longer indulging in packaged foods.

What an eye-opener that was! It led me on a little project with my overall monthly finances - I created an Excel spreadsheet & tracked all of our expences for three months. Not only had we spent up to $800 in food and dining out one month, but I also found that our entertainment expenses were staggering.

I felt like such a glutton! But I could clearly see where and how I needed to clean up my act.

I recently worked with a client who was struggling with their family expenses, and I quickly supplied them with my new tracking system. They were amazed how much money they had been throwing away by not having a budget in place, and began to set limits on the allowances they were supplying to their children.

Organizing your finances can be a simple task if you follow these three tips:

Learn to Track

Create a spreadsheet or find an easy accounting software program like Quicken or Money to help you track for a few months.

Implement a Budget

Identify the categories that are holding you back & limit yourself or your family members to a more reasonable allowance.

Set Obtainable Goals

Once you implement some rules for your spending, set a few goals to shoot for in the future, including savings. You should be able to make adjustments along the way and develop some new habits. You will be amazed at how much control you really have over your finances and feel the freedom!

If you would like more tips on Organizing your budget, check out my new eBook "ReneW Your Budget" at my website http://www.renewyourspaces.com/.

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Blog Schedule Change & Something New!

Hello my Bloggy friends ~ I have been contemplating my schedule and since my work has dramatically increased I think it is a good idea that I cut back on my blog posts a little. I love being able to post two blogs a week full of tips and Organizing bliss, but it's been a challenge keeping my own life in balance.

So with that, something's gotta give... However, I am going to change things up a little - I've decided to join in on the fun and eye-pleasing "Sundays In My City" as seen in the ever-popular Unknown Mammy's blog. I just adore these posts - she lives in the beautiful San Francisco (my old stomping grounds) which is like eye-candy to me!

I live in the sleepy little town of Ventura, California, about half way between Santa Barbara and Malibu. I love living here - there are a million things to do and see, so close to the LA city lights and over-flowing with surfers. I think that you will too. I plan on adding a little twist of local finds, decorating and architecture, since it fits so nicely with my Organizing business.

My new schedule will change this week. I will no longer be posting every Tuesday & Thursday, to instead post tips on Wednesday and local flavor on Sundays.

Have a great week!

Did you know that hiring a Professional Organizer doesn't have to be expensive? You can get similar benefits by doing it all Virtually! Check out my Virtual Online Organizing packages and let me help you Renew Your Space to free up time, efficiency and clarity.
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Vanity to Love

If you are lucky enough to own a vanity table, setting it up can be easy and useful once you learn the basic steps to keeping it organized. I once had an antique dressing table that had several drawers on each side and one large drawer in the middle. The varied sizes taught me how to divide my products and learn how to contain smaller items.

1. Gather all of your products and group similar items together.

2. Divide them into type (i.e. Hair, Bath, Cleansing, etc.) and dedicate a drawer to each group.

3. Find small containers or trays to seperate smaller products such as lipsticks, eye pencils, mascaras. Some trays can be found that expand to fit your drawer. These are perfect for narrow or low-lying drawers.

4. If your drawers are odd-shaped, search for containers that can be used for dividers. Household baskets and lids can be perfect to house these items and keep them from rolling around in the drawer.

5. Stand your bottles and taller products up in deeper drawers.

6. Place your makeup brushes in a cup or pretty container where they are easily accessable and kept clean. Here is a video on how to make one yourself.

7. Store your makeup in groups according to the color, style or brand of your preference. You can actually create an inexpensive makeup caddy out of regular office supplies.

8. Keep your prettiest items on top - a shiny mirror is great to display makeup sets or perfume collections.

Whatever you have available to store your products can be set up in the same fashion. I am now stuck with a condo built-in, but I can keep it organized just the same. How do you store your makeup and bath products?

I will be doing a review very soon for CSN Stores ~ it has (somewhat )something to do with vanity... for my desk that is :) I have chosen a desk lamp, something to bling up my office space, so stay tuned - I have a feeling I'm going to have a lot of great things to say!

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Boating Safety

Happy Summer everyone! You wouldn't know it was summer by looking out my home office window... They call this time of year June Gloom in our neck of the woods, (which is nothing, as compared to May Grey). But I'm not complaining - coming from the coldest, windiest areas of the Oregon Coast for three years, I will take the warm fog for a couple of months.

This week got away from me, and before I knew it, I realized that with my list of 101 Things and my sweet Feature ~ my readers have been without Organizing tips for quite a while. I have been busy with clients this month which I am thrilled about so the blog has to take a back seat. Y'all did suggest that I share a little more about my life so there you go :)

Since it is now officially Summer, I thought some of you might be enjoying some water sports & venturing out in your boats soon (I did recently and it wasn't pretty, as I am new to the ocean sailing scene here). So here is a great LINK that I'd like to share with you for boating safety and a video on Cold Water survival. Just some important things to educate your family on before you head out on vacation.

What are your plans this summer? Any boaters out there?

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Tickled Pink

Hello my beautiful friends :) Today is going to be a great day ~ Not only is it FRIDAY, but my good friend Holly at 504 Main has given me her Tickled Pink tiara to wear today!

Holly is a multi-talented author, cook, crafter and mom ~ she has one of the most popular

addresses on the block, so be sure to hop on over there and tell her hello for me!!

For those of you who have not met me, I am Rene W. and my blog is my little haven to share

Time Management / Life Balance tips from my Organizing Business, ReneW Your Space

So today I think I will tell you what I am so tickled pink about

My dog Roxy for starters ~ she is my baby! She is seven now, but she's still my little princess :)

And the one who sparked the whole idea to open a Dog Boutique on the Oregon Coast four years ago.

(Would you look at that - she stole my crown!)

I know, I know... A dog boutique? But I thought you were a Professional Organizer!

See how nice and Organized it was?

Well, an entrepreneur has to get started somehow, and what a ride that was! I still give back to the local shelters, a portion of my proceeds and that tickles me pink more than anything. But what I wanted to do more than anything was to get people organized. This year was one of ReneW ~ I closed that door and opened up a brand new one to my passion of Design and Improvement. But I am my own best client - after learning how to pare down from a five bedroom home to a temporary two bedroom condo ~
trust me, I have enough content to write books for years to come.

(Yes - That is a patch of grass I had to plant for my dog!)

I am tickled pink that Summer is finally here and now that I have moved to Southern California,

I am wondering where the sun has been... (I'm talking June Gloom!)

Summer (July-October) brings back the glorious sun and with it, my favorite

PINK sunsets to photograph ~ So I thought I would share some from my previous life...

This was taken in Cannon Beach, Oregon

Black Rock Ceremony at Kaanapali Beach - Maui

Sometimes the Oregon Coast made me blue, so I ran away back to where the sun lives :)

But getting back to my ReneWed sense of self, discovery and pupose, this blog has brought together my passion for helping people get organized and find their way out of procrastination. And now I need to find more pink sunsets in my warm Ventura town.

Some more things that I get all tickled pink about...

Closet Systems

Not so pink but....

Pantry Storage

Office Space ... ahhhhhh

I am so easy to please ;-) Have a great day everybody & thank you so much for stopping by!

Now tell me what you're Tickled Pink about today...

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5 Tips to a Balanced Life

How do you keep it all going when there is just so much to do? In a 24 hour day, there are a million things that need to be done, but do you have a plan? Maintaining a consistency of life balance takes a lot of work, and I can give you a few quick tips on achieving it.

The first thing I have my clients do, is to describe to me their ideal day:

1. What key goals do you need to accomplish in a regular day?

2. How does your work play into it? Do you have specific work duties that may cross over into family time? And vice-versa; Are there family commitments, (i.e. church, sports, vacations, doctor appointments, birthdays…) that may cross over into your work time? Schedule these out first and work around them.

3. Now write down your “Must Do’s” – what must be done in order for you to manage your family activities and household chores effectively? Are your meal planning and workouts fitting into your schedule, or is it time to re-adjust a few things?

4. Then think of your “Want To’s” – Do you want to enjoy some reading time, or a bubble bath after work? Where can you fit this into your schedule?

5. And finally, play – Sometimes we just need to call in well, or have a date night with our spouse. A weekly family outing is always at the top of my list!

How do you balance it all? Is there a schedule that you’ve developed over time that runs like clockwork? If you need a little push in the right direction, feel free to sign up for my free newsletter or check out my more in depth eBook on Life Balance.

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Kitchen Organization

The kitchen is an ever-changing atmosphere, with new gadgets, recipes and foods sifting through as the seasons change. We often get bogged down with too many tools and containers and before we know it, we’re running out of space and feeling overwhelmed.

Some of the biggest challenges I have seen while organizing clients, is the constant fight with their Tupperware drawer. You know what I’m talking about… those ugly mismatched bowls, and lids that don’t fit anymore. Do you really need to keep those 15 recycled butter tubs? Yep – I’m talking to you :) We all have done it – probably learned it from our moms. But one of the most efficient products I’ve found for this little problem has been the famous “As Seen on TV” Smart Spin. I love this – it has a little carousel that houses three sizes of containers & the fourth section keeps the lids all neat and tidy. I suggest buying a couple (maybe two) larger containers for those picnic outings and leftover pasta, but that set pretty much steals my heart.

Dedicating cupboard shelving is half of your solution. Many people aimlessly place their kitchenware in parts of the room where the flow is unnatural. Just by giving it a little forethought, you can easily create a workstation that will help you out in busy times. Identify the easiest area for guests to grab water glasses, where family members can reach the plates without stepping in your way & where heavy baking pans can be grouped together for easier access.

Using a labeling system may seem over the top, but did you know when viewing a labeled shelf, your family will be more likely to put items back where they belong? It is worth the extra effort. Grouping like items together is not only visually appealing, it makes it easier to remember where you put something. I love creating a “Coffee Station” for customers – hanging small hooks for their coffee mugs, purchasing canisters for their flavored coffees or teas and storing all of their coffee paraphernalia in one cupboard.

For those of you who, like myself, may need a little inspiration in the refrigerator department, you may want to check out my post Keeping Your Refrigerator Clean. This is a challenge we all face – I won’t even try to pretend my fridge has it going on all the time, but I have to constantly keep an eye on it or it grows out of control very quickly. One item that I cannot live without is the dry-erase board on my refrigerator door. Whenever I run out of an item, I immediately write it down and I never forget what I need when I’m ready to run to the store.

Take a good look at the items you’ve contained in your kitchen by pulling everything out and evaluating what you’ve got. It doesn’t take long when you work section by section, and this is a great time to wipe out your shelving. Chances are, there are some items in there that you haven’t used in years - old cookware that needs to be purged and the charity down the road would be happy to take them off your hands. Out with the old and in with the new!

Did you know that hiring a Professional Organizer doesn't have to be expensive? You can get similar benefits by doing it all Virtually! Check out my Virtual Online Organizing packages and let me help you Renew Your Space to free up time, efficiency and clarity.

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How Do You Like Your Labels?

I found the most amazing organizing tool on the Martha Stewart Website today. What she calls - Organizing Clip Art, which are printable labels to spice up just about anything. These are so cute, and very easy to create. Here are some of her ideas:

Colorful luggage tags... Stand out in a crowd of identical luggage with a whimsy tag. You can laminate these to keep them strong and last for many miles.

Spice Labels... Keep everything identified in a uniform look.

Recipe Cards...

How CUTE are these?! Let your kids personalize their lunches with adorable name tags.

For moving or storage boxes... List your inventory right on the box.

Refrigerator or freezer bags... Great for identifying sauces and discover how long your food has really been stored in that freezer.

Book Covers... These can be used for your Control Journal, Folders, name tags, even on Stationery!

I personally think that the key to getting and staying organized is with a good labeling system. You can get creative and put some of your personality into it without looking rigid. We all need a little gentle nudging to stay on top of things, so trying this may set a habit that will stick with you. When opening a cupboard that you have identivied for only baking goods, you will be less tempted to shove something in that isn't baking related if there is a label screaming at you in the first place! Why not? It's worth a try, right? Here's the LINK to Martha Stewart's clip art.

Do you use a labeling system in your home? Is it working for you? Come back and let me know what useful creations you found for this organize clip art... I can't wait print out mine :)

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How To Create An Efficient Filing System

Do you find yourself at a loss for organization in your home or work office? Beginning with an efficient filing system will work wonders with productivity. All you need is a few tools and some scratch paper to outline the perfect system for you.

1. Begin with a list of your most important files. You want to keep it simple, but list all of the important areas (i.e. Car Maintenance, Medical Records, Budgets, etc.)

2. Purchase a box of manila file-folders for each subject.

3. To streamline your files, using a label-maker will give your files a crisp, clean look and make them easy to identify.

4. Use hanging files to section off your files: These will come with small tab inserts that make it easy to section out your files. For instance, you will want to categorize all of your home files together, such as Bills, Contracts, Insurance. If you have a label-maker, you can print and insert directly into the tabs.

5. Keep hanging file-folder tabs neatly placed to one side. This keeps it uniform and easier to find what you’re looking for. I generally place the tabs to the left, and then use manila folders with tabs on the right.

6. Designate one hanging file for items “To Be Filed”. This is good if you can be disciplined and not just cram everything in that one pocket and forget about it.

7. If you’re a visual learner, color-coding might be the way to go. By sectioning your subjects off with a different color: Home, Medical, School, Cars, Pets, etc., you may find that you get more motivation to keep your files updated.

8. Pick one day of the week, every two weeks or once a month, depending on how much filing you have, and put it on your schedule. This way it will never grow out of hand, and you will always find Aunt Mable’s famous cherry pie recipe right when you want it!

Did you know that hiring a Professional Organizer doesn't have to be expensive? You can get similar benefits by doing it all Virtually! Check out my Virtual Online Organizing packages and let me help you Renew Your Space to free up time, efficiency and clarity.

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