Doing a Seasonal Clean up/Clear everything including you mobile and laptop,

Hello and welcome to another Organize4thebetter post, which is dedicated to helping you become organised and in the process helps me stay on track too. 

This time of year, aswell as Spring and autumn I like to have a clean up, and that includes going through my wardrobe, going through items in my room that I no longer need and also includes clearing items off my phone and on my Laptop. 

Often laptops and mobiles phone can be clogged up with photos, notes and APPs that it then comes up with a message to tell you, your storage is full. 

The best way to store photos is to add them to your Google Photos and then they will always be there, to go back to and then they won't use up your memory.

I have been doing that in the last weeks, and I even make sure that I regularly go through my Pinterest Boards, and today I am going to go through more of my Google photos to have them sorted out too. 

Having a clear out, really helps with your mood and mind. 

Also changing up your wardrobe and put some outfits together and create a Pinterest board for your own personal fashion and outfits. 

I like to do this for my weekly Look Book Blog I write see link :https://carrriesversitilefashion.wordpress.com

I like to organize toiletries from what is the oldest to the newest. If there are items that I don't like, then get rid of them and then keep the ones I do like.

I will often go through my make up, if there are pallets I never use or have not used recently and didn't like them, then disposed of them. The same with Perfumes and even jewellery I never wear. I just clear away and like to update these items with new products, and it just makes me feel relieved letting some items go. 

There are a lot of people who like to do a reset and so do I, even though didn't realise, I do. 

It is good to have a clear out and you'll be surprised of what you find that you do still like but has been buried under other things, that you don't like. 

So lets get decluttering and in with the new and out with the old. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Organizing your kids at Christmas

Hello and welcome to another Organize4thebetter post. I suppose I could add this to my parenting blog I write on Wordpress.com https://theparentingadventurestipsandtricks.wordpress.com 

However I wanted to write this post on here as getting kids organized at Christmas is a key ingredient of keeping them busy and entertained and prevent them from becoming bored, whilst you help with the cooking or chat with family or friends you haven't seen in a long while. 

Christmas should be a time where kids are excited and ready to receive their gifts they have asked for. 

If your children haven't written their Christmas list, then get them to do so. There is still time and actually I thought all the shops would be shut as was told there would be another Lockdown, which there isn't. 

Many shops are still open, and I usually get many of my gifts from Very, but I bought a couple of bits from Boots today, and got my son some bits from very for Christmas and something for my mum and her husband. 

There are some really nice homewares and clothes for kids on there, and don't just check their Christmas collection of products but check out their Clearance section too. 

So to be creative get them to make a poster using coloured paper to create their Christrmas list, and make pillow cases into stockings. My mum did that for us one year and I loved it. 

Have them write their names on their posters and put up on a wall, like in the hallway near the front door or in their rooms. 

When it comes to the day, nominate a child to help you distribute the presents like my Grandad Skinner used to do, and children to help set the table. My Nan Skinner at one time had the children on one table and the adults on another. 

If you are creative then teach the kids how to make funny shapes with reusable napkins which are much more cost effective than disposable napkins. 

Create some games for after Dinner that they can play, once they have finished admiring and using many of their Christmas presents. 

The other thing you can do as a family is do Secret Santa. Have all the names of all the kids in a hat or a bucket and pick out a name of who they have to buy for, but keep it a secret until the big day. 

If you want to give their school teacher a gift then you can do this. Usually the mums who organize this at my son's school, put together a handmade gift with all the kids names and message to the teachers and collect money donations to give flowers or chocolates to their teachers.

Some schools may have broken up today, and so it will be too late to create Christmas cards for their school friends if they haven't done so already, but they can draw on their cousins or siblings wrapped up presents with a personalised message included. 

The one thing I like to buy is Henry a new Christmas book, and I am going to do the same this year and get it from Works who do a great deal on their children's books. Usually 5 for £5 or something like that, and yes I am going to get him a new Christmas book and will continue to do this for all the kids I hope to have in the future.

Anyway this will be the last blog until Post Christmas, which is next Friday. 

Have a wonderful Christmas and will write another blog post on this site as we get near to a new year.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X

P.S: Please check out my JustGiving page where I have set up to raise money for the charity Tommy's who support and raise awareness of Stillbirths and Premature births. All donations are welcome:

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Organising my life to end this year in a bang

I want to the rest of this year to end with a bang, going on the fact at the beginning of this year I was not in a good place, and would like many things to happen.

Never stop organizing your life, as this helps stay on track of what you planned to achieve at the beginning of the year. I always like to write this kind of blog, because if I feel like I am falling off the rails, it gives me a chance to rein myself in, especially if I feel like I am trying to do too much again and recuperate. 

I have come to realise that it isn't about how much you can do at the same time, but focusing on one task at a time. I do organize my life into main three categories, Home, Work and Play. So I can focus sometime on my home, like do laundry, have a tidy up and any other errands, what work I want to get done and have some time listening to music, do a bit of reading or go for a walk outdoors some where.

I don't even consciously do it, I just work it out that way so I do get errands, work and some chill out time, like walking and talking, I just got into the habit of doing these three main things without thinking.

Having good positive habits on a daily basis helps you overall wellbeing, and when it becomes a habit that you don't even have to think about, you know you have organized your life well, and can keep going. 

However even writing is like my down time too, but when you have been writing all day it can make you tired, aswell as reading, and as humans with thrive on variety, rather doing the same thing all the time. Mix up your days too, but keeping to these main categories, and will help you in the long run. 

So I am going to do a bit more work, then do some reading and then have a well earned cup of coffee or a hot chocolate. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Unless the Queen visits, then don't be worried if for one day you have a messy home

There are times where I can be super productive and other times I am not, and can be miss unorganized, where I have clothes over my chair I sit on when on the computer and bags with stuff in them all over the floor. 

I have sometimes fooled myself that I am like Martha Stewart when I know I am not, however I do believe that if you live in a mess it can stress you out, so I do try to declutter, but I no longer false myself to do it but clear it when I am ready to, and there is nothing else to do. 

When I think of being organized I think of Mary Poppins who in the film she clicks her fingers and everything falls into place and tidied away. If I had that power I would be run down on offers by others to tidy their homes too, but as I wasn't given such a skill I have to make do with being the messy cow I so often am, do my best in the process to be somewhat organised, without pilling on the pressure. 

I will get it done, I know I will but as soon as I feel like "If I don't do it now I am a bad person or it will be the end of the world" like saying "Bullocks to it, and do it tomorrow".

So now I will rein myself in as when I am full of energy I will then give myself 16 things to do and then forget that I am only one person and who am I kidding?

I do like to do lists, but often I won't always make a list on paper but in my head, and as long as it gets done then so be it, and remember that it is not how much I do, but what benefit it gives me. 

If it makes you happy then do it, but never false yourself as you are more likely to put it off and it isn't about multitasking either, it's about given yourself time to breath and take in what you see, and if you aren't happy with your home then change it, but don't feel like, as I have done, done it because of someone has done it. Materialistic items isn't always going to make us happy, but making a space our in is, because it is your space and how you like it that matters. 

I think especially with social media seeing pictures of people with the perfect home that we now have to have the same, and adds pressure to ourselves. Never compare and unless the Queen visits, then don't be worried if for one day you have a messy home, because life is about living not tidying.

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Organizing my weekends

As I have most weekends to myself I make sure I make the most of them. 

I try to incorporate my work, any training I feel I need to do to help me with my work, plan for the week ahead using google calendar as I now have two I work from, my personal calendar so I put in my workout time, if I need to pick up Henry in the week and personal tasks. I even use this to set certain reminders like, wash hair, shave legs etc. Then I have my other one where I put in when I will be working, by block scheduling a time frame of when I want to do my work through the days and the week. 

I usually plan week to week, rather than planning my weeks well in advance as being a mum and having such a hectic lifestyle sometimes, I find things get changed and other things crop up, so I plan my weeks and weekends as they come. 

I am going to try a new APP that I discovered by watching MuchelleB and it is called Notion see her video in this linked below: 

How I Organise and Plan my Life (Using Notion)

Once I have used it I will post my own view on what it is like to use, as I do like to try different ways to see if it suits me okay. 

I make sure I give myself time to chill and relax, as sometimes I often have to catch myself, as I do find I rush a lot when I am not realising it, and blow myself out. 

Fitting in time to clean and tidy my room I find helps me reset for the week ahead and catching up on tasks I am unable to do when Henry isn't with me, as he takes up a lot of my time, like he should. 

Soon we will be back to school and I have already started to plan for that, by getting uniform ready, seeing if I can get Henry into any of the afterschool clubs this year and look for a new school for Year 3, as it has be recommended, because Henry needs 1 to 1 support, for him to go to a smaller size school.

If you didn't know my son has ADHD and so needs help with concentration. 

Anyhow, I am going to get on as I have a few more posts to write and a new book I am writing, WATCH THIS SPACE, and so I wish you a happy Friday and please check out for more blogs at the weekend. 

All my posts can be found on my Blog Network, https://carriesblognetwork.squarespace.com  

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X

Toiletries, Hacks and good cleaning products

Hello and welcome to another Organization blog. In this weeks post I am talking about toiletries, some hacks and good cleaning products I'd recommend. 

So talking toiletries, I have changed my storage for my toiletries I am currently using, and I have rucksack full of items in my wardrobe as I do like to stock up on some items, like body sprays, scrubs, roll ons, sanitary items and shower gels.

The current products I am using is stored in a cool bag I bought from TK Maxx as I was trying out a hack that I thought of, because at the moment in the UK we have a massive heatwave, so I thought I would put all my toiletries into my cool bag with a freezing block to see if that would help keep them nice and chilled, but it didn't work. 

So I am going to do some research and see what else I can do. I could put them in a fridge but the two fridges we have where I live is full of food, as I share them with the rest of my family, as I am now living with my mum and step dad. 

Continuing on about hacks as I am real lover of them, I watched this video by Emily Norris who was trying out some hacks she saw on TikTok to see if they worked.  

Please check out the link below to watch this video:

https://youtu.be/duiRLPqQvDo

To keep a room clean I would say to invest in a good polish, Micro cloths, a eraser sponge (they are magic), antibacterial spray and I know some say they are bad for the environment but I love them because its just helps with a quick clean, and that is antibacterial wipes. 

I don't think the Cordless vacuums are that great because the one I used to use when I lived in Epsom would cut out after 5 minutes and steam cleaners I have found don't last long either. 

The mop which you can attach a bottle of Flash floor cleaning spray is good, but I find that they can pick up some of the dirt on a floor but not all. I think the old fashioned way a sponge mop and bucket is still a winner my opinion. 

You can also use natural items to clean your home, example cut a lemon in half and dab it into some salt and rub it all over your sink and sink top and really helps to get rid of limescale, and you just rinse it off and wipe over and can make sink areas nice and shiny clean. 

Also you can use a toothbrush to clean your tiles. When I worked as a Housekeeper for a hotel, we would use a toothbrush to clean the soap dispensers in the rooms, and another hack use a pillow case to wipe mirrors and glass. 

So it is almost the weekend and this weekend we have new beds arriving bunk beds for me and my son Henry to sleep in. This will mean some changes but I am not going to worry too much now and think about having another free weekend to do what I like. 

If you have any hacks and cleaning items you'd like to recommend to me then please do so. All comments can be left below. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X 

Organize your to do's lists

I have many ways in which I write down all my To do's and they rarely stay the same, it is what is accessible at the time. 

One way I do it is I will type up a word document or make a template and then upload to google docs so then I can access it on my phone when I am out, and can view it anywhere, or I will use my to do list APP which you can download and install from Play Store, and there are quite a few out there, or I will use a template from excel. 

If you find that you start to think about tasks you need to do as you put your head down on your pillow to go to sleep, then do a brain dump before bed time and then organize the list in the morning and go through how long you think each task will take and how important each task is. 

I am often guilty of putting the things I know I need to do, but don't want to do at the bottom of the list, but from my experience this only causes more anxiety so I try to get these tasks done first and then go onto others afterwards.

I do have a planner but I tend to jot the weekly things that always get done or if I am going somewhere or having a meeting with someone. 

I organize my blog writing and my books into my bullet journal I created using a notebook, and my finances into my financial planner. 

From my own experience keeping my finances separate helps me to stay on track better with bills I have to pay and what needs to be paid, how much I have spent and money left, and I don't lose sight of these things. 

A to do list is a type of plan of action and the key thing when doing them is to break them down. One way is to circle items that need to be done first and making these into an A list, then B list and then C. 

It's not about how much you do, it is what you do that counts and how it makes you feel once they are done. 

So less tick of our to do's and then at night make time for quiet time and for yourself. 

Many thanks for reading, 

Carrie X