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What do you want to know?
Each week, I want to do a Facebook Live Video answering one of your questions. I’m a professional organizer, so you can definitely ask me your organizing questions. But you can also ask to see a place in my house I’ve never shown in pictures, or I can talk about any home DIY, craft, decorating, or parenting topic on your mind, really anything …
What if you just want to ask “Does everyone else struggle with <fill in the blank> like I do? I’ve seen a lot of homes and I have a good idea that whatever you’re going through – I don’t think you’re alone. Maybe you just need to hear it.
Ask Away! You can comment on this blog post or contact me.
I can’t wait to hear from you!
From my home to yours,
Mary
My topic covers calendars, planners, smart phones and digital calendar apps. I used to be a very good calendar user. A paper planner that I carried with me to work and home. Then kids – I stuck with a paper planner in my purse, eventually went to a wall calendar. Then I got an iPhone and used Google calendar – I faithfully used my phone to note all appointments and printed out a copy of the Google calendar for the wall/desk at home each month (making additions to the month with pencil when things changed on the digital calendar). Then I got a Windows phone – Google calendar didn’t work with it, so I switched to the Outlook calendar. It got the job done, it had a nice clean format on my phone, but didn’t have a printable version that was decent. So I stopped printing out monthly calendars that my husband and kids could see.
3 years later and I now have an Android phone…I have the option for the Google calendar again (it’s super cute, which of course appeals to me). I’ve had some trouble syncing my Outlook calendar with the Google calendar. I’ve tried the Cozi calendar which also has grocery & to-do lists, etc. and a nicer printable format that can even show what’s for dinner each night.
I can’t be the only person who has the dilemma of switching from paper to digital and now contemplating paper planners again – but after writing all of this out, I’m not sure why I don’t just stick with Cozi. There is no calendar utopia in my mind. But then I see BUJO’s and your awesome planning sheets and I want paper again.
Mary, please talk me down and tell me I should not keep a digital and a separate paper calendar. But could I do some sort of planner with schedules etc. that would compliment my digital calendar?
Thanks,
Michelle
Hello Mary! I have a large collection of seasonal decor including framed needlework pieces, some handed down from my Grandmother and some handmade by me. Currently I am storing them stacked under a bed when not being displayed. Do you have any better ideas for storing framed art seasonally? I am finding it very difficult to access the pieces I need for the next season without damaging any of the frames.
I’ve got your question. Thanks!
Hi, Mary! What beautiful yet functional ideas you have for organizing your home (and life) ! I am wondering if you have any suggestions for scrapbooking storage, tags in particular. I have LOTS and lots of precut tags, measuring all different sizes. I tried using a CD binder (the ones intended for music CDs), but then those filled-up fast and ended-up being too bulky to even use the entire binder, especially when I grouped them according to color. Does anyone sell (or is there some template I can use to create one?) anything w/multi-shaped…containers, or some kind of storage…that would be ideal for my enormous tag collection? Even one in which all of the containers, etc. would be placed would be better than what I’m doing now, which is putting all tags of one color or shape into a sandwich storage bag. I just tend to gloss over them when they’re all lumped together, not wanting to sort through them. I like the “at a glance” type storage in which the colors/shapes/whatever are more organized and, therefore, will be better utilized.
Got any suggestions? Thank you very much for any help you can give me 🙂 !
I will see what I can do to answer this question in a future AMA. Have you considered asking the Facebook group in the meantime? It sounds like you create amazing Scrapbook pages!!
No, I hadn’t thought of asking on FB, but thank you for the suggestion! And, no, my scrapbook pages aren’t anything special. I just LOVE doing it and collect WAY too much stuff 😉 !
Mary,
I used your planner for 2 years and then this past year I tried to do it on my own. Did not do so great. I need to order the pack (disc-bound) for 2018. I cannot seem to find where to order it?
My other question for you is what day do you get groceries? It takes me all day to shop, and put away! I try to do my errand then too. Thank you, Cindy
Cindy – I’m just reading this comment now and I’ve already mailed out the planner you ordered. I am putting the 2018 planner in the shop this week. I’m running a bit behind, so sorry! Email me (mary@maryorganizes.com) and I can give you a discount on the 2018 planner since you’ll already have the first half. Sorry, again, I wish I would have seen this comment sooner.
My husband is giving me a hard time on these challenges. He feels by not cleaning @ the same time, has you tackling the same area twice!! I can see your declutter first, clean later, idea. Doing this leaves you with less to move around when cleaning, I guess. What is tuff for me is that in order to put away the clutter, I have to clean out another part of the house, or section of the room. Any suggestions, I’m loosing control. Also, I’m getting tons of pictures from FB in my email. Is this what is considered the support that I signed up for????
By all means, you should adapt the challenge to fit your needs. I often dust shelves real quick before I put something back on them … but that is very different than deep cleaning. I’m trying to help people focus on the decluttering and not get distracted by deep cleaning and putting their clutter into pretty boxes. I do feel like some of these difficulties you’re experiencing are discussed in a lot of the required reading. I think you’ll benefit from reading that. 🙂
(About Facebook – I have no control over your Facebook settings, that is something you’ll need to adjust. The Facebook group is a place you can ask questions for support and also read other people’s questions and be inspired. Many people find it helpful.)
Thank you for your reply. I actually have done the required reading and it is helpful. Unfortunately, hubby want’s me to deep clean while decluttering. The more I read the challenges, the more I understand them. I’m going to do the BOOT CAMP and see how I do. There’s only the two of us, so you would think that this would be easy. I think when he sees the difference, he’ll understand. (i.e. When our refrigerator died (RIP), I had to clean it out. I put the good stuff in plastic baskets to be rerouted to another refrig, while I tossed anything that was passed the due date, or w/only a tsp. left in the bottle, straight into the garbage can that was right next to me. It only took a few minutes. Hubby now thinks the NEW refrig is bigger in some way because there is so much room in it. LOL.
I think the boot camp will do. You are not alone. There are a lot of people out there who struggle, but you are doing the right thing to keep trying!