Attendees at Sister Spokesman’s April 1 “Organizing Your Life” event got a jump on spring cleaning by learning tips to re-organize and repurpose their closets, schedules and life. The event, held at Sabathani Community Center in Minneapolis, featured expert life coach Julie Loomis, who discussed strategies for eliminating clutter, organizing laundry and making better use of time. Attendees chimed in with questions and tips of their own.
Entertainment was by provided by Renee Day, who sang uplifting renditions of “Stand By Me” and “I Did It My Way.” The afternoon was rounded out with dancing, networking, shopping and prize-giveaways.
Next up: Sister Spokesman’s “May Make-overs” event Saturday, May 6, at the Woman’s Club of Minneapolis.
Below, find organizational tips from Julie Loomis (as shared in the handout provided at the event), and more photos by Olivia Crutchfield.
Organize Your Life Tips – By Julie Loomis, Life Coach
- Go paperless with everything possible.
- Open and sort mail as soon as you get in the door. Recycle or shred right away
- If you aren’t going to sort mail right away, keep the mail together in a tray or basket in a centrally located area so they don’t get lost in the shuffle.
- Keep one statement from each of your monthly bills so that you have all the important phone numbers and info.
- Setup automatic payment on everything possible. (Note: This generally doesn’t make sense for variable/occasional things like doctor bills etc., but should be feasible with regular monthly bills).
- Create a list or tracking system that lists each vendor, amount, date or record once it’s been paid for the month.
- Call to discontinue receiving store catalogs and other junk mail.
- Establish a filing system with these categories: utilities, vital docs, insurance, health insurance, medical, vehicles, banking, credit cards, loans, mortgage, investments.
- Purge your old filing – however, look at everything so you don’t throw out something important!
- Merge your remaining filing into your new system.
Tips for Organizing Clothes and Laundry
- Use the same size/style baskets throughout the house.
- Keep one basket for each category of laundry (darks, lights, delicates, towels) and sorts clothes into the baskets as they become dirty. You will be able to see when it’s time to wash a load because the basket will be full.
- Sort hanging clothes by sleeve length, and then sort by color within each of these categories.
- Keep all of your empty hangers in one spot so you won’t waste time looking for hangers. However, for things like jackets and sweaters you won’t wash, keep the hanger in the same spot so it goes back in the same spot.
To downsize your wardrobe try:
- Turning all of your hanging clothes so the hangers are facing the opposite way. As you wear things, put them back into the closet the normal direction. After enough time goes by, you will have a clear picture of what you actually wear and can let the other pieces go.
- Or, pulling an entire category out of the closet, for example, long sleeve shirts. Then pick your absolute favorites, the ones you wear often and that fit you nicely and put those back into the closet. Repeat this for each category, leaving the mediocre pieces out. Live with your closet like this for a while and see if you end up needing or wanting any of the pieces you left out. Consider a few “maybe” pieces and get rid of everything else.
More info: www.JulieLoomis.com
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