Professional organizer Barbara Reich: On organizing your child's world

“Just after I finished clearing the decks, my son Jacob would set out his stuff and play with them until they’re all over the floor. Then I’d wade my way through the chaos all over again.” — me, recalling an Ingrid Callot indignant moment.

If you have kids at home, you know exactly what I mean. You also understand how difficult it is to keep everything in order, especially if you’re a sentimental mom. But getting rid of sentimentality, when organizing kids’ stuff, is one advice that I’ve picked up from Barbara Reich, author of Secrets of an Organized Mom.

Image Source: thebeoples.blogspot.com

“You absolutely have my permission to throw those greeting cards away! Only save the few with those special notes inside. I’d suggest getting a small letterbox or clear large envelope so you know what’s inside,” Reich shares in the Today Show.

Reich also introduces her four-step system of avoiding unnecessary clutter. It begins with purging, followed by designing and organizing, and ends with maintenance.

Image Source: noordinaryhomestead.com

I agree with Reich when she says that being overwhelmed should not stop you from starting to get organized. Identifying problem areas of your children’s small world and spending time on those areas are simple steps to make progress. Once you get started, you’ll less likely to get any more overwhelmed.

Image Source: homeorganizeit.com

Hi! I have more tips on how to keep your home spic-and-span. Follow me on Twitter!

Me, myself, and I: Ingrid Callot talks about the importance of ‘me time’

“With all the chores that I have to do, I can’t even find time to clean my nails, Ingrid Callot! I can’t even go out of the house!” one of my friends exclaimed when I asked her the other day if we can go out for dinner. Although inviting her to go out always freaks out this friend of mine, I still asked her anyway, in the hopes that she finally knew how to set aside time for herself.

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Seattlemag.com

As a mother and wife who does various things on the side, I know how overwhelming it can get to wear different hats sometimes – no, wait -- all the same time. While some married women, particularly those with kids, never fail to blame settling down as the cause of longer having time for themselves, I, Ingrid Callot, just cannot make sense out of this ‘reason.’

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Drshannonreece.com

First off, ‘me time’ is important because everyone needs to stop and break their routines once in a while. According to this CNN article, breaking a routine is beneficial for a person’s overall well-being. It reduces stress, gives people time to think, and recharges them. With these benefits, women can do all their responsibilities better without feeling shortchanged.

Moreover, ‘me time’ doesn’t require doing it alone. It may refer to time spent with friends, and joining activities and pursuing hobbies for joy and fulfillment.

It also doesn’t have to be done for a whole day or for a long period. So I advise women to simply have at least two hours to themselves before starting their daily routine. Reading a book, gardening, exercising, or just walking around the community can make moms and wives feel better and more energized.

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Teenvogue.com

More updates about Ingrid Callot can be accessed from this Facebook page.

Something sweet for your avian visitors: Ingrid Callot on attracting hummingbirds

For Ingrid Callot, there’s something so enchanting about having birds in the garden, much more seeing hummingbirds hovering over it and feeding from a hanging feeder basket. Read about what she does to attract hummingbirds in her garden.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Spiritbloggerkids.wordpress.com

My family and friends love to stay in my garden—a haven for birds, especially for hummingbirds. The sight of these tiny, feathered creatures in my garden makes me feel so lucky and my home naturally pretty. Attracting birds, when done properly, can do a lot of favor to the bird population. I can’t emphasize enough how significant this is to avian life since most of the country’s wildlife habitats have gone private and millions of acres every year are lost to commercial or residential use.

For Ingrid Callot, maintaining a garden gives her a sense of serenity and pride as it does not only beautify her home but also keep her healthy inside out.

Sad, but true. That’s why I do what it takes to keep hummingbirds close by.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Calloways.com

Having hummingbirds in my garden is also a great way to teach my young son Jacob and his friends the value of nature. I’m sure many moms would want to do the same for their kids. So here’s a little something I’d like to share to you if you want hummingbirds making regular visits in your yard. It’s all about this simple yet optimal food formula: cane sugar (1 part) + water (4 parts). This recipe replicates the nectar of various wildflowers, so it should work. A word of caution: Never replace sugar with honey since honey ferments quickly when added to water causing hummingbirds to die.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Leader.co.uk

Did you know that hummingbirds are the world’s tiniest birds and they can either flash or hide their bright colors when they need to? Get updates from Ingrid Callot from her Twitter page.

Ingrid Callot Shows You How to Keep Your Accessories

Hi there, I’m Ingrid Callot. I’m a wife, a cosmetics representative, a blogger and a mother. Recently I’ve had trouble with my accessories collection. I have around thirty different kinds of belts, and after getting dressed belts I tried on will be strewn across the floor or on the bed. Jewelry also puzzles me. I used to keep every piece in an old shoe box in a corner on my dresser, but after I get dressed you’ll find all kinds of bracelets, cocktail rings and necklaces just littering my dresser.

From http://dallasvintageshop.com

Friends who come visit will say, “The Ingrid Callot I know wouldn’t have allowed this mess to happen.” I realized that I needed to act on all this chaos. It’s okay to keep collecting all these accessories, but I had to be able to store them right. On an organizer spree one day I found things that solved my storage problems incredibly.
Unlike a regular hanger, a belt hanger keeps belts from slipping because the hooks on it allow belts to hang by the buckle, saving a lot of space on your closet’s hanger rod.

From Bob Hiemstra via realsimple.com

A hanging jewelry organizer hangs nicely on your closet’s hanger rod and keeps necklaces, bracelets and earrings of all shapes and sizes. The transparent material lets you see the jewelry even while in storage.

From http://www.organize.com

For larger and bulkier bangles, you can turn an old wine bottle into a bangle tower.

From http://craftrecyclables.blogspot.com

It’s amazing how creating space makes everything so much better!