TV Time!

So I have been asked many times in the past year or 2, how can I keep track or organize my movies and TV shows that I stream?

Years ago, many years ago we had the TV Guide we picked up at the local store or had it delivered, I use to love doing the crossword puzzle in the back each week. This guide was our bible for the TV. It showed what was on, what time and what day, who was in it and a brief description of the show.

Now for me, so much has changed. I no longer have cable, I stream everything I watch and my main channels that I stream from are Prime, Netflix and Hulu. The problem is I can never remember where I watched what show. I have no idea when new episodes will be airing, forgetting times and dates of those shows.

So what’s a girl to do? I started researching apps to help me keep track of the shows I have watched, shows I want to watch, movies as well and reminders of when all the magic happens!

From the TV shows you watched years ago to movies in theaters now, TV Time is the tool you need to help organize ALL the shows and movies you love. This APP is for MAC products.

Benefits: (it’s free)

• Keep track of what you’re watching now – all in one place
• Build a complete library of what you’ve previously watched
• Create a to-do list of episodes and movies to watch later
• Receive alerts when new episodes and movies are available
• Discover where to watch shows and movies – across all platforms
• Get personalized recommendations based on what you’ve watched
• Cast your vote with ratings, emotions and favorite characters
• See what other fans are saying, spoiler-free
• Dive deeper with quizzes, polls, articles, and podcasts
• Never miss an episode or new release again with TV Time!

All these types of apps let you know that they may track what you are watching, but trust me if you have cable they are already tracking you on there as well. The TV Time app is for MAC products only but I have heard HOBI is for Android users as well as MAC users. Please research your app before purchasing or downloading any app.

Another option for keeping track would be a spreadsheet. While this is a bit old school it will keep track of what you have watched, what you would like to watch, where you watched it (Channel) and time/date. You would not be reminded when a new episodes are airing, or be able to read reviews.

There are many options out there if you are looking to organize your TV TIME. Sort of like Goodreads keeps track of all I read, they give recommendations and reviews, this would help with tracking and organizing your TV TIME!

(I have no affiliation with TV Time nor do I receive and compensation for promoting them)

Happy Organizing!

Are YOU Ready!!??

It is almost SPRING!! ( A girl can dream, can’t she?)

On March 14, 2021 at 2:00am  we Spring Forward!!  YAY!!! 33 Days till spring.

Yes I am about 4 weeks early with this blog post but boy we have been getting so much snow this year in the Northeast, I am just itching for warmer weather….and soon! So why not start with spring indoors by getting ready for it. This way by the time spring comes you will be ready to focus on getting your yards beautiful!

That said,  to me spring is a rebirth of our mental, physical and spiritual growth, spring is a rebirth of the flowers and trees and ..well…you get the picture. I love spring, I feel reborn in spring, I was born in March and I think it’s why I love spring so much.

Spring is the season I love best to organize for, I redo my winter clothes to my spring and summer clothes. Oh boy, it’s like going shopping all over again, you get to see all the pretty things you had to store away for the winter. Flip flips come out, sundresses and shorts. Ok, this is where my organizing skills come in, now dear ones it is the time to toss toss toss!! Now to some spring cleaning. Let’s take a room at a time!

Clothes Closet

• When you start bringing out all those pretty spring and summer clothes and shoes, and I will include bags too! Don’t put back anything you aren’t going to wear or what doesn’t fit you any longer. Let’s be realistic, if you haven’t worn it in 2 seasons you won’t.

Kids Closets

• Do the same with your kids closets as you did with your own, start getting rid of clothes that doesn’t fit your children any longer. You can donate or give them to a friend whose children could use them. As for toys, think of donating them as well to a place that will put them to good use.

Kitchen

• You know you have small appliances that you could do without, that you never use, that you will never use. Think of donating to a place where families who have gone through hard times could pick up these items up and start over again. It’s a tax deduction for you! Get rid of chipped dishes, glasses that don’t match and outdated food!

Linen Closets

• Please get rid of old sheets and towels. Faded and yellowing white sheets, frayed towels, mismatched towel sets. You can find great bargains on some beautiful fluffy towels, don’t you deserve that? (Donate old towels and sheets to animal shelters)

Bathrooms

• Go through all your old medications to make sure the dates are still good. Bring old medications o your local pharmacy for disposal. What’s lurking under your bathroom sink? Time to get rid of all those old creams, hair accessories, etc.

Living Areas

• Where ever you are keeping those old newspapers and magazines, it’s time to condense. Have you thought of getting magazine subscriptions and newspapers via online? It might be a less expensive option and less papers hanging around. DVD’s, it’s time to pack up all the ones you aren’t watching anymore.  You may be able to turn those into cash! Try selling the DVD’s online. What about books? I get all mine on my Kindle White Pages. I get my magazines on my ipad. Easy to take along with you!

Donating? Try GoGreenDrop.com. They pick up for free, just call or go online to schedule your pick-up!

Remember…one space at a time so as not to get overwhelmed by the process.

Wishing you a wonderful almost spring. Happy Organizing!

Lisa
Professional Organizer / Productivity Consultant

The Paper Weight Diet

So I was working with a long time client of mine (no names) but she will know who she is when she reads this and hopefully gets a chuckle!

And, as we were working on the last of her papers to be shredded or filed we were talking about different diets and what has worked and what doesn’t, when she turned to me and said there should be something called the Paper Weight Diet for people who keep too much paper! BRILLIANT!

Is paper weighing you down? I am giving you the ingredients of a Paper Weight Diet:

• The taming of your papers start from the minute you receive your mail. This is when the decision is made to either keep it or toss it, if you are keeping it then where is it going to go?
  Is this long term paperwork? Or does it have an expiration date? Every piece of paper that you are going to keep needs a destination, a home, where does it belong?

Recipe:

• Gather all your ingredients – all papers, yes from everywhere!
• Lay all ingredients out in front of you – Start making separate sections for each of the categories you have
• Start cooking – Create folders for each of the categories you created
• Your finished product – Start filing your paper work into the folders in your file cabinet

Please remember to use products that you will enjoy working with, make your space YOU so you will want to maintain it and keep it updated. Keep the papers you keep lean. Check out my Pinterest Board to tame your paper Clutter!

I couldn’t live without a paper weight diet, it keeps my head from spinning and knowing where to find everything keeps me stress free, lord knows we have enough stressors in our lives..no? Me and this wonderful client have gotten rid of much paper work and making a home for what is truly needed.

Happy Paper Weight Dieting!

Explore, Draw, Write

I picked up this set of books the other day. I found them in Home Goods and they were packaged as a set, so the only book I saw was “write” and I thought I could always use a small book with me for notes, so I bought it. I thought it was a set of 3 of the same book. Plus I love Rae Dunn and these were created by her. Bonus!

To my surprise when I got home and opened it the other two books said explore and draw!

I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do with them but they intrigued me so much that I thought why not!

I laid them out on my desk and stared at them for quite some time. I began thinking how did I want to use them. Work? Personal? Or a mixture of both?

I have a journal I write in daily that I do my brain dumps in, I don’t draw or doodle in it, I don’t explore in my journal so I thought it might be fun to add in those features to my day.

I will be honest with you it has been fun to draw, trust me I am no artist, and it has been fun to write things down to explore, it made me think of things for me personally and in my business of things that would be great to explore, places to go to, see, locally or when I begin to travel again and some restaurants to try.

The explore journal is quickly becoming my favorite journal as I have begun to add photos to it. Moving to our new home this November was something so BIG for me, I added the move postcard that I sent to family and friends of me and Sunny. I will keep adding to my explore journal as I go through 2021. I am excited for what is to come.

I have been using the draw book for work as well, how I would design or organize a room. What would I put in it, how would I lay it out. What items would I use. It added a dimension to my brain dumps! I will be organizing my garage this spring and already sketching how I want the bins to be, ordering products I will need, yes the draw book is an excellent add for my projects.

So, my question to all of you would be, how creative can you get…what would you Explore, Draw, Write in your books?

Tactile

Ok I admit, I am a tactile person, I also admit I could not get used to the electronic version of a planner I set up for me for this year and I did order my trusted Planner Pad once again for 2021.

You just have to go with what your natural instincts are, you can not force a new style of planning your day if you are not that person. I gave it a try, I gave it the 6-8 weeks needed to put a new process in place and it did not work.

I am a tactile person, I need the physical of writing down my plans, my day, my schedule, while I do think electronic is a simpler way to go, it isn’t and won’t work for me. I get pleasure of the physical writing down of an appointment or a chore or errand and crossing it off my list.

Testing the electronic method has taught me well for my clients and asking them to get use to a new way of planning, yes I still agree putting in new processes are important when is comes to some routines to streamline your day but when the heart of your day relies on a planner you have to know which works best for you.

So, I am still using my google electronic calendar and syncing it up with my paper planner, which gives me the best of both worlds and travel with my electronic calendar while still using the paper planner for everything.

Are you a Paper Planner or Electronic Planner person? Which has served you best? What brand are you using?

Mind Over Matter

I can’t tell you how many times people have come up to me and say “I get it, being organized truly does make me less stressed”. Or like someone texted me last week saying “My husband doesn’t get it, he thinks I am just a neat freak”

I do believe there is a connection for some of us that truly makes us feel better when our life and homes are in order. Mind over Matter, said to describe situations in which someone seems able to control events or solve a physical problem by thinking in a focused way about it. There are a few variations of this term but this is my favorite.

For me everything begins with planning, making a list, following a plan. Can I be spontaneous? SURE! I love a last minute dinner out, meeting with friends, shopping days, but for the most part I plan everything.

I look forward to setting up my week, to color coding events, to scheduling clients. I truly never leave “most” chores for later, later is a word for me that means piling up of items, whether that’s papers, house chores, work calls, emails, etc. I usually have a set time of day that I respond to emails unless it’s urgent, yes I make my bed every morning, I wash or put dishes in the dish washer right after I am done with that meal, this process for me works and it rarely ends up having a back up of doing these things, I think putting things off only makes the chore harder to complete and more time consuming.

So I guess mind over matter is how I work, thinking through the physical problem and focus on a solution. Not only for the clients I work with but in my day to day as well.

I prepare my next day the night before, yes I just said that. I prepare my clothing, what I will be having for dinner, my calendar is set on Sunday nights for at least the week ahead and into the following week, yes everything I do gets set into that calendar, from personal to business. For me, this calms me, everything that is in my head is down on paper my “brain dumps” makes for a clear head ..no?

Some say it is too much work to do so much planning, but think about it, aren’t you already doing all this in your head? Why not start the day with a clear head instead of running around wondering what to wear at 6 or 7am, or what to prepare for dinner. or wondering here do I begin when I sit down at my desk? These things are already planned out for me so my only thoughts are of getting the small tasks done.

Mind over Matter …

Virtual Organizing

So the year has started off and we are in week two of 2021. My business shift went from 85% in person home and office organizing and 15% virtual organizing to just about 100% virtual during this pandemic.

While virtual is a great option for most office organizing projects and presentations, I am a very hands on organizer who loves coming into your home or office and do the shuffling, purging and hauling away myself. So my business life has changed a great deal.

Virtual is a bit more difficult for larger home project such as garages, attic, basements. I can certainly give you suggestions for each of these projects but it will be you doing the hands on.

Virtual will work for large or small home businesses, corporate clients and for Zoom presentations and lunch and learns via Zoom! You can pick a topic for your group and we can do a great 1 hour presentation. Topics such as email etiquette, going paperless, best methods of filing, creating boundaries, time management are great topics for groups.

Let’s talk about virtual organizing for a bit. I have many clients in many cities like Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, I also have clients in New Jersey and Connecticut. Long standing clients do not mind getting on a Zoom session to tweak their paper piles as they know how I work and how virtual organizing can be so helpful in keeping on track and moving forward with organizing projects.

How it works:

I use Zoom to connect with my clients virtually to get projects going or to complete ones we had started before Covid, you can connect via desktop, ipad, iphone or any mobile device to get a zoom session started. What I like about it is that clients can visually show me what’s happening in their spaces and I can walk them through the steps necessary to get it under control, we do this together on the Zoom call. I may leave homework for them to do to complete areas or start new ones before our next Zoom session. In between sessions I am always in contact with my clients to see how things are progressing and if they have any questions or concerns. Follow-ups are very important to maintain and keep momentum going till the project is done.

I will set up a time to talk before our session so we aren’t spending too much time on going over your needs. Once we get the scope of the project known we will continue to work together to get it done!

So, while reading this blog did you think of a room, a space, a drawer, a closet, a desk, garage, basement … that could use some tender loving care of some purging and organizing?

Please feel free to visit my contact page to schedule a 1 or two hour session with me.

For corporate presentations please contact me directly. 917.887.8672.

Questions? What are you waiting for? Contact me for your virtual session!!

Now What?

I wonder how many of us bought 2020 planners that were never used, or not used to it’s full potential. I am one of them. The bigger question…did you purchase a 2021 planner?

I did switch up from a paper planner to a digital planner and still getting accustomed to it. Seems I have plenty of time to learn it.

So, another big question…Now What? Do you have a plan for 2021?

Have things changed for you coming into 2021? New home? New career? New Job? Different priorities? New baby? Maybe a new health regime? Better eating habits? New hobbies?

So let’s think of all the areas we want to focus on in our lives. The below are my main headings followed by what I do under those headings every week:

Self: reading, walking, journaling
Relationships: my family, my friends
Clients: scheduling clients into calendar, connecting with clients new and old
Business Development: connecting with clients and colleagues, networking
Social Media: Blogging to all social media platforms, making new connections
Paperwork: filing paperwork, entering client data in CRM, paying bills
Errands: cleaning, food shopping, etc

My suggestion would be to make your own main headings and what you would like to do under each of those heading every week. Then add them to your planner. Remembering that your week may change, things come up, so be flexible and be able to rearrange your schedule. This is why an electronic planner makes it easy to move things around.

Need help getting started? Email me LisaGessert@organizing.buzz

It’s Ok

…and some days it is ok… to not be ok….

it’s ok …
to not make the bed
to not empty the dishwasher
to skip a shower
to let the phone ring
to not put away the clothes
to cancel an appointment
to not get dressed

I call days like that “re-set” days. When I reset myself, give myself a break. In the past two years I gave myself quite a few “re-set” days. They were necessary, it set me back on track. I don’t allow myself to get caught in the cycle of those days, I let myself have them and then get right back on track. “re-set” days aren’t a place to stay, you visit them and move forward.

Sometimes I even schedule “re-set” days. I end up at a quiet place for lunch, read a book, walk the beach, take a drive, journal.

We all need the days when being organized or following the routines do not apply. Sometimes we all need a break from the day to day, to calm our minds to get past a bad time, to “re-set”. So… it’s ok … sometimes to let it go.

So, that all said, taking a break from things, well it is ok, once in a while. Maintaining your routines is also important, routines keep us on track, keeps our world spinning and making sense.

I want to also take this time to wish everyone a very Happy New Year 2021. I usually pick a “word” for my new year, this year there will be no words, there will be only “Action”. I always say don’t just “say” you love me “show” me that you love me, I am going to show myself that I love me by taking action in 2021. Action in moving forward in life, eating well, working out, making friends, exploring new places, dancing to the music and MAKING it a better year by taking action.

Have a Healthy, Happy, 2021!!!

6 Ways to Keep Your Days Humming…

Do you think routines are bad?

Do you think you need to be on more of a routine?

Here are some suggestions…

1. Creating drop zones are still my favorite tip and favorite way to make sure I find things quickly. Create a front hall drop zone for items such as your keys, your coat, your shoes and more
2. Every morning starts the night before, preparing your clothes, your shoes and your lunch the night before makes getting ready in the morning a  breeze, a grab and go morning.
3. At the end of each day prepare your desk for the next day. File away your files, prepare your calls and set your next day chores the night before.
4. Are you starting the day with doing something for YOU first? Journal, run, take a walk or meditate. Starting the day with something for you sets a great tone for the day.
5. Emails, emails, emails can be a HUGE routine buster. block out a certain time to address emails.
6. The use of a daily planner, whether that is paper or electronic is huge in keeping you and your day in check. Find one you love and stick to it!

There are the people who feel setting up and following a routine just isn’t fun. Too much work. Then you have the folks who stick to their routines and wouldn’t have it any other way. I believe once you set up your routine and really get use to it life becomes so much easier.

So, if you think a routine would help you to stay on track and help you create more time for the things that are more important and fun for you then create a plan you can stick to… remembering it takes at least 6 to 8 weeks to get use to a new routine!