Home Organization

Home Organization

Home Organization - Using a Landing Pad

Home Organization - Using a Landing Pad

Home Organization - Grocery Shopping

Home Organization - Grocery Shopping

Home Organization - Laundry

Home Organization - Laundry

Home Organization - Launching Pad

Home Organization - Launching Pad

Car Organization

Car Organization

Home Organization - Child's Toys

Home Organization - Child's Toys

Home Organization - Child's School Work

Home Organization - Child's School Work

Home Organization - Determine your Level of Organization

Home Organization - Determine your Level of Organization

Home Organization

Home Organization

How to Organize Children's Toys

How to Organize Children's Toys

How to Claim Your Window Tax Credit

How to Claim Your Window Tax Credit

Plan A Stress Free Remodel

Plan A Stress Free Remodel

How To Store Christmas Lights & Ornaments

How To Store Christmas Lights & Ornaments

How To Get Organized For The New Year

How To Get Organized For The New Year

How To Organize Your Kitchen

How To Organize Your Kitchen

How To Remove Common Stains

How To Remove Common Stains

How To Create A Welcoming Guest Room

How To Create A Welcoming Guest Room

Storing Out of Season Clothes

Storing Out of Season Clothes

Basic Bedbug Prevention

Basic Bedbug Prevention

Being Green Will Save You Money

Being Green Will Save You Money

Keys To Keeping Toys Organized

Keys To Keeping Toys Organized

Keeping Your Storage Space Organized

Keeping Your Storage Space Organized

View more ...

Janet Schiesl

Basic Organization

www.basicorganization.com  

571-265-1303

Janet Schiesl is the owner of Basic Organization, a Professional Organizing firm. With fifteen years as a space planning expert in interior design, Janet decided to open a business that concentrated on simplifying the most important space, your home. Basic Organization was founded in 2005 with the tag line “Organize Everything – Simplify Life” which reflects the mission statement used for every client. Janet specializes in working with families and the elderly looking for better time management or wanting to downsize. She brings her experience in space planning to help improve work flow and furniture placement with in a home. Janet is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and is a committee chairperson for the Washington D.C. chapter. She has written many articles focusing on ways to improve your life. She lives and works in Northern Virginia.

Home Organization

Professional organizer Janet Schiesl shares tips for setting up systems for daily and weekly activities, so your day will run more smoothly.

This expert: 272,967 views
This series: 133,979 views

Download to Mobile Device

Print

Transcripts

Hi, I am Janet from Basic Organization. Im a professional organizer, Im also a member of NAPO, The National Association of Professional Organizers. Im here today to give you some tips on how to organize your family.

You need to think of your family like a small business. Whether you have two members or six, you need to organize them just as a business would organize themselves; different people doing different tasks at a different time, but theyre all working together to get the job done. The first thing I would like to talk to you about is a family message center. There are four components to my family message center. The first is a message area, where your family can leave phone messages or write your notes on where they are, and when they will be home, so you know where everyone is.

The second component is a calendar. You want to write down all your familys activities on a calendar, so you dont overly schedule your family, and you know where everyone is or everyone is supposed to be at all times. When your children are young you will do this for them, but as they get older they can participate in this.

The third thing you need for a family message center is a phone list. I put mine inside the kitchen cabinet, that way its great for quick reference, but its out of the way. Every couple of years I type up all my familys phone numbers, friends, my childrens friends, their school phone numbers, our doctors and dentist, the stores I shop at most, and maybe a favorite take out restaurant. Theres always a lot of extra space on the side so we can jot in new phone numbers as we get them.

Another trick I do is I put my childrens school schedule also inside my kitchen cabinet. Its great for quick reference. When they were younger I used to put the schools bad weather policy, because when you wake up in the morning and its snowing, you need to know what the schools policy is.

The fourth thing you need for your family message center is a family file. You can use a drawer if you have the space in your house, but what you need is a file for each member of your family. This is where you keep current paperwork for each member. It may be all that stuff your children bring home on the first day of school, or the papers you pick up at parent night. School information, the teachers emails and phone numbers, that type of stuff, and also their sports schedules, their phone list from Brownies, a class schedule, if they take classes after school. For yourself, you would also need a folder, and there you would put your gym schedule or any activities you do. The last thing you might want in your family file center is a folder for family activities. This is where you drop articles from the newspapers or magazines about interesting things that you would like to do as a family. Great for quick reference when youre looking for something to do on a weekend.

So, the four components you need for your family message center is a place to leave messages, a calendar where you write down all your activities, a phone list that will save you a lot of time when youre trying to locate something, and a family file center where you keep all your current papers for each family member. Thank you.

Thank you for sharing by delforum at 07/15/10 07:19AM Flag

I currently have stacks of papers for no apparent reason. I have been looking for this information all my life.

Nice tips! by lindih at 02/01/10 04:54PM Flag

Thanks! This all makes a lot of sense, but it really helps to have these ideas laid out. I posted a picture of how I incorporated these tips at my house. http://humdrumhero.blogspot.com/2010/02/home-organization.html

(Add Comment)

Wedding Planning - Unique Thank You Notes

Wedding Planning - Unique Thank You Notes

The Drums - Varying the Snare Drum by 8th Notes

The Drums - Varying the Snare Drum by 8th Notes

The Drums - Varying the Snare Drum by 16th Notes

The Drums - Varying the Snare Drum by 16th Notes

The Drums - Varying the Bass Drum by 16th Notes

The Drums - Varying the Bass Drum by 16th Notes

Playing Notes and Tonguing on the Clarinet

Playing Notes and Tonguing on the Clarinet

How to Play Eighth, Triplet Eighth and Sixteenth Notes on the Bass

How to Play Eighth, Triplet Eighth and Sixteenth Notes on the Bass

Learning More Notes and Playing a Song on the Saxophone

Learning More Notes and Playing a Song on the Saxophone

Common Difficulties with Low Notes on the Saxophone

Common Difficulties with Low Notes on the Saxophone

How can I remember my presentation points with minimal notes?

How can I remember my presentation points with minimal notes?

Making Adorable Thank You Notes

Making Adorable Thank You Notes