Nice 'n' Tidy

Organising your home or office so you can spend your day doing.... not searching.

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Mornings!

What does it take to get you, out of bed in the morning? A warm shower? A fresh cup of coffee?  Do you often find that is your morning ritual that is making you run late? Here’s why....

You need to plan each day and account for your own habits. 

For example my alarm is set for 6:30am, do I really NEED to get up at 6:30am? No, I can wake up at 6:45am and still be on time for work. So why do I set my alarm for 6:30am.... to account for the mornings when I feel like I need a “sleep in” Most mornings I will use that 6:30am alarm to get up, take a shower and have a slow start to my day but then there’s those mornings (like this morning) where I take the 6:45am option for extra sleep.

Now there’s no harm in having that extra 15 minutes sleep BUT you can’t do your usual routine and have a leisurely morning. Some things must be changed. For me, I skip styling my hair and throw it into a braid, I also don’t have time to make a cup of tea for breakfast so I have to grab an Up & Go out of the fridge to have on my drive to work. 

Note: I have a rule that I do not respond to texts, emails or Facebook while I’m getting ready in the mornings. That is a dangerous worm hole of procrastination.

I find it also helps, if you’ve had a big night and you know you’re going to need the extra sleep to lay out what you’re going to need for the next morning. It doesn’t take long to set out some clothes, pack your work bag and lay out your makeup and by doing it the night before (no matter how tired you are) you can save yourself so much time in the morning. Hey! you might even save your self time enough to stop and get a coffee on your way to work.

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Ready to DANCE!

November..... how did we get to November already? It is crazy how fast the years fly, we’re already at the end of another school term which means it’s  concert time! You look at your planner and you’ve got dance & choir concerts, karate break up and a mired of school activities. How can you be best prepared for this crazy time of year....? 

Preparation! It’s daunting I know, it’s a little time consuming yes but it the long run it’ll save you the tears come concert day. I find having a designated concert bag is the way to go, pre packed with all the things you know you’ll need for the day. Inside a concert bag you might find:

1: Uniform inc.. shoes & socks

2: Costume for dances

3: Hair Accessories, this includes extra bands, bobby pins, u-pins, hair brush & hair spray.

4: Make up, as little or as much as required.

5: Snacks & Water (x2) 

6: First Aid Kit - Just a little one with band aids and Panadol (and let’s face it the Panadol is for us.)

7: Last but not least CONCERT TICKETS!

Now all of the above is what I find most commonly comes in handy for me, you may have more, you may have less. I also make sure I have a list of the uniform and costume items I need this enables me to tick each off as it goes into my bag then I know it’s coming to the venue with me. 

Another handy hint always allow yourself plenty of time to get to your venue on these days, there’s so many things that can cause us to be late.. reluctant children, petrol running low, flat tyres give yourself a little extra time so you’re not stressing if the unexpected should occur. It’s better to be there playing eye spy in the car then having a panic attack at home.

For more tips or to book a consultation email: [email protected]

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Guess Who's Back

What an interesting year it has been for me! I resigned from my full time office job in order to be a singing teacher.  Which in turn has lead to a very big adjustment for me and for Nice’n’Tidy.

I thought I would get back into the swing of things by writing about some things I have learnt from working as a teacher. I work with students from the age of four to adult, and whilst the adults tend to behave themselves that’s not always the case for children. I’ve learnt that children respond best to results and rewards.  So here is a little something that may be able to keep your house and kids in order.

  Visuals for Kids

It’s fairly well known that getting kids to do chores or even follow a simple routine can be a struggle. After all kids are just like us, they don’t want to wash the dishes, clean their rooms or brush their teeth; there are far more interesting things that can be done with that time. However kids thrive on routine, it provides them with a sense or structure, security and helps them to develop self discipline. To make the process more interesting you might like to create a rewards chart. On this chart write their weekly routine including activities such as: 7am Get dressed, 8am School, 4pm Homework, 7pm Wash dishes.  The most important thing to remember when creating a rewards chart is COLOUR! (Think of your favourite childhood book, I bet it was brimming with colour) I like to keep things colour coded, ensure an activity is the same colour every day, and for our younger kids put a picture of the activity next to the word so they can understand their schedule. As for the rewards aspect of the chart allocate a section within reach of your child to put stickers on. You can pick up a cheep pad of stickers from your local $1 store. Let your child pick their own sticker and place it on the chart, this will give them a wonderful sense of accomplishment and pride.  

Good Luck!!!!

  For more tips & hints or to book a consultation: [email protected]

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Back to School

It’s that time of year again when all the kiddies go back to school. (Much to the relief of their parents) This can be a particularly stressful time for both parents and children; it’s a time of change and the beginning of something new. (Be mindful that it may be just another year for you but for your child it’s another step in growing up, no matter what the grade.)

To make this transition easier on both parent and child it’s best to have a plan in place. Think of all the things that both yourself and your child(ren) do on a daily basis and create a chart for both morning and evening of what needs to be done, you may like to include a rewards system for a full week done with no hassles.

For example include activities like:

7:25am Wash face & brush teeth

7:50am Pack school bag

or

4:00pm Home work

6:00pm Bath & brush teeth

6:30pm Bedtime reading

Children often respond well to having structure around their day; and not only does implementing a system like this provide structure it also instils effective time management skills. 

(Below: A picture of me looking far too cool for school on my first day of grade 1)

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Making a list and checking it twice

Are you pulling your hair out come Christmas morning? Do the kids have a meltdown once the excitement of opening presents is over? Christmas can be an extremely stressful day, so why not alleviate some of the pressure and create a Christmas To Do List. This list should include all the things that you need to do in the week leading up to Christmas.

It could include things such as:

Cleaning the house. (Have the kids clean their rooms for extra Santa brownie points)

Shop for Christmas food. (Allow a little extra of the necessities to get you through the public holidays.)

Cook/Bake anything you can in advance and freeze. (eg: rumballs, shortbread.)

Wrap all the presents (If you haven’t already) and place them under the tree.

Get into the laundry basket and wash and iron all the clothes, towels, bedding ect…

Ensure the dishwasher is empty so you: a) have clean plates & b) have room for dirty plates.

It might also be an idea to plan some activities for the afternoon so the kids have something to look forward to. This doesn't have to be anything particularly active; it might be as simple as all sitting down to watch some classic Christmas movies.

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Twas the 2nd Month before Christmas

Did you know there are only 8 & ½ weeks until Christmas!

You may have seen all the Christmas decorations up in your local shopping centre and thought to yourself: Gee that’s a little premature. That was the same thought I had two weeks ago when I walked into David Jones and saw their Christmas selection all set up and sparkling at me, but upon further thought I’ve decided this is the perfect time to start my Christmas shopping. Rather than leaving it all until December and sending myself broke for the fifth year in a row I decided to get cracking now and spend the money over a couple of months.

So as I do, I made a plan. I sat down at my computer and created a spread sheet including the names of each of the people I have to buy a gift for, how much I wish to spend on each and ideas of what each person may like. I’ll be using this as a guide over the next couple of months to keep track of my spending and ensure everyone has got a great gift for Christmas.

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The Element of Fun

“In ev'ry job that must be done there is an element of fun. You find the fun and snap! The job's a game.” – Spoonful of Sugar; Mary Poppins (1964)

  Oh how those lyrics ring true, tiding your space does not have to be a chore at all, you simply need to find the fun in it. For example I like to watch a good TV show as I sort my stuff, this allows me to be productive yet distracted enough to not feel weighed down by the task at hand.

I know of others that reward themselves once they reach one of their goals, eg: Once I have folded all the washing I will spend 10 minutes with a cup of tea and a good book. Any little trick that help you find the fun in organising your space will encourage you to continue and more importantly make the task seem less daunting in the future.

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Dish It!

I’ve said it before I’ll say it again, I LOVE to SHOP and what’s one thing every stylish lass needs... accessories!  By this reasoning I must be super stylish as I have hundreds of necklaces, bangles, rings ect.... I used to be able to house all of them in a jewellery box however it didn’t take them long to outgrow their home. I thought about it for a while and decided the best way to store them would be to purchase some shallow dishes and place my cheaper accessories in these on my tallboy. With my plans all set I headed out to buy some dishes; I paid a visit to my local second hand store and found just the thing! Crystal dishes; at a couple of dollars each these pretty little dishes are a perfect way to keep my shiny things tidy. After browsing the op shops I decided to take a trip to Kmart (my favourite place on earth); it was in their kitchen wares I discovered another little gem, a knife and fork rack! Who would've thought a knife and fork rack would make such a perfect bangle holder.

For more tips or to book a consultation email: [email protected]

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Space Saving Ideas #1

Hang it!

I was recently asked by a client what she could do about storing all her belts. I suggested that she hang all her belts and perhaps even her bras and scarfs as well. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and it’s working like a charm. You can buy all sorts of fancy gadgets to hang ties, belts ect... however I much prefer to use think I already own where possible. So I use just an ordinary old trousers hanger. (You know the one with four or five rods on the one hanger.) I can hang the scarfs over and each rod lifts out so I can put it through the belt buckle. Give it a go; you may be pleasantly surprised with the space you save.

For more handy tips or to book a consult email: [email protected]

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Re-train your Brain

 It’s a simple decision to change your environment. You may wake up one morning and decided it’s time for a good ole spring clean, this is the easy part; the hard part is retraining your brain so that your new clean space isn’t a complete disaster zone within 48 hours.

When I’m working with clients I like to execute three very important steps.

1.       Take before and after photos.

2.       Document what irritated the client about the state of the room.

3.       Create a task list of things to do daily.

Now I have briefly spoken about these topics before however I can’t stress enough the importance of each of these steps.

Taking before and after photos:

·         Provides a visual of the task ahead.

·         Allows you to plan

·         Is a poignant reminder of the space that was.

Document irritants of the untidy room:

This is a valuable source to check when re-designing or re-organising your space and a reminder of the frustrations you’ve previously endured in that particular space.

Create a daily to-do list:

In terms of re-training your brain this final step is vital, daily reminders are the key to keeping a space tidy and clean. These tasks should be small and simple and either written somewhere that you can see at a glance or kept electronically.

Some examples of this type of task are as follows:

·         Put away laundry

·         Makes bed

·         Wipe down bench

·         Sweep floor

When next having that good ole spring clean think: new habits will create a new space.

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Don’t get your knickers in a knot!

I’m a girly kind of girl and as such I own more undies than I could ever possibly wear. I have something for every possible occasion, in all different colours, patterns, styles and fabrics. Until recently I had them all in one draw, in no particular order and stuffed in there to the best of my ability. As you can probably imagine this was incredibly impractical when it came to finding the perfect pair for whatever occasion or mood I was in. I decided something had to be done! So I trotted off to my local shops to see what they had in the way of draw dividers.  I managed to pick up a plastic divider from the $2 shop that works a treat. I roll up all my knickers and sort them by style and colour into the fantastic little separate sections with in my draw.  I have no trouble now picking the perfect pair.

  Now I’m not about to flash my undies draw on the internet however please enjoy the above artist’s rendering of my undies draw, before and after.

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Time Management Tips #1

Like many people my working week includes 6am wake up calls. No one really enjoys waking up at 6am, and many of us will hit the snooze button to try and get an extra ten minutes shut eye. It’s old new but this will make you late for the rest of the day.

I have a fairly simple solution to this problem ...... trick yourself!  Set your alarm for 5:50am then you can hit snooze (just once) without feeling guilty. If you’re extremely good at falling back to sleep (as I am) you can even fool yourself into getting over an hours sleep-in if you set your alarm for 4:50am and another for 5:5oam. This won’t work for everyone but I personally love hearing the alarm go off and then realising I can sleep for another hour.

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Kitchen Tips #2

Do you have issues with a messy pantry? Cans here, there and everywhere? Packets of this and that sprinkled through out?

Well if this is you I have a very simple solution ............. Baskets. I have a slight obsession with baskets. I use them in every room, they are so cheap (I buy most of mine from Kmart) and they make any space instantly neater.

I use baskets in the pantry to store all like items together. (eg: Soup packets, spices, sauces, condiments.) You'll find storing items this way will allow you to locate the things you need with ease, all the while keeping for pantry sparkling clean.

For more tips or to book a consult email: [email protected]

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Strike a Pose!

Motivation is key when embarking on any new task, but it is also what keeps you going midway through when you’re surrounded by clutter and can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I like to take photos before I start de-cluttering my space as a source of motivation.

Taking a photo serves three purposes:

  1: Provides a visual of the task ahead. – Often having a visual of what needs to be achieved can make the task seem a little less daunting and will also give you time to reflect upon the reasons why and how the space got that way.

  2: Allows you to plan. – I’m a pen to paper kind of gal, so I like to print out my photos and scrutinize the mess with a pen in hand. I sit down; take the time to assess the photos and circle the areas that I am displeased with. Sometimes I make notes on how I will resolve an issue with space or storage, even jot down a few items I’ll need to buy in order to achieve my goals. (DON’T FORGET: Throw out the papers once they have served their purpose and you’ve de-cluttered your space.)

  3:  Is a poignant reminder. – Store the soft copies of the pictures on your computer or phone so you can reference them at anytime. This will remind you of the mess that was and the things you’ve achieved and will also motivate you to keep the space tidy.

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Forward Thinking .......

Now this is something that is not for everyone. It's not easy for everyone to know how they will feel or react in the future but it is something that can be learnt and become habit. Forward thinking is, in a way; an action that saves me so much time daily. For example each night I lay out my outfit for the next day, which means come the next morning no thought is required. (This is particularly important as I'm not the greatest morning person.) Another classic example (and an area that I still fail in) cleaning off my bed BEFORE I go out. So many times I have gotten ready for a night out; make-up laid out, hair products and straightening iron all on top of my bed spread and left it there with the intention of cleaning it up once I've returned home. Now I know each and every time how completely stupid doing this is, because as I return home (in a slightly less sober state) the last thing I want to do is clean my room, therefore all the stuff ends up on the floor as tomorrow's problem. This is why forward thinking is so important to a clean and tidy home; you need to evaluate how you may react or feel to a certain situation in the near future rather than how you feel in the present. In long run forward thinking will save you time and in turn money.

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Everything Old is New Again

Ok time to admit it.... I have a problem, I love LOVE LoVe clothes, and I shop almost as much as I breathe. I buy new outfits every season and get bored of last season’s clothes FAST! Therefore I have an abundance of clothes that are still very fashionable I’ve just grown tired of them. I’d say I’m fairly good at judging when an item has had its run; but unless the garment is spoilt or torn I can’t justify throwing it away.  That’s why when the dreaded cupboard re-haul comes around each season I sort into three piles:

Donate: I bag up and give to a local charity or friends.

Bin: Ripped, stained or faded items are thrown out.

Keep: All the gems that made the final cut.

Now I love fashion but as a result of a love of an ever changing thing; I love it on a budget. This means I find clothes to mix ’n’ match from stores like: Kmart, Coles, Cotton On ect.... You’d be surprised what you can create with a good eye (for what something will look like) and a low budget. However this means resale value is NIL, but unlike me you may have some beautiful designer pieces that just no longer suit your style. If this is the case you may like to set up a fourth sorting pile.

Sell: Items in this pile you’ll sell on Ebay, Gumtree or the likes.

This will give you some extra cash to splash on more beautiful clothes and also send your beloved items to a new home where someone will love them just as much as you have.

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Clean as you go

    There’s nothing better than a Nice’n’Tidy house that both looks and smells clean. Sometimes the greatest reward for your tidying efforts is that lovely fresh feeling you have once the space is sparkling clean and in pristine condition. Best way to achieve this feeling is to clean as you go. Once you have begun your spring clean and you’ve cleared a surface, clean that space whilst it’s clear.

Remember to work from top to bottom when you’re cleaning, this stops dust from falling onto the spaces you’ve just cleaned, I like to run a cloth with some multipurpose cleaner on it over the surface once it’s dusted to pick up any particles left by the duster. Also wipe down objects that gather dust. (eg: folders, albums, photo frames, keepsake boxes ect...)These are just some of the cleaning items I like to keep on hand when I'm organising:  

·         Multipurpose Cleaner

·         Windex

·         Gumption

·         Eucalyptus Oil

·         Paper Towel

·         Duster

  For further tips or to book a consultation email: [email protected]