Decluttering? Where do I start??

5 Ways to Jump-Start a Whole-House Decluttering Effort

Organizing

Organizing is a great way to get motivated. An organized home can help anyone be more productive in the new year. I love organizing but when things aren'r organized for ease they can quickly become unorganized again. I find that this is where I often fail in my organizing efforts in my own home.

In an effort to become more organized this year in my home and in my life, I am putting together some of my favorite inspirational organizing tips and projects. My pinterest board Organize has been put together with the goal in mind to get more organized. If you are looking for some inspiration and some motivation follow my board.

Also I wanted to share a sample here of some of my favorite organizing tips. Below are some of my favorite pins.

The Wrapping Station

Source: craftynest.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

The Laundry Station

Source: decorhacks.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

The Cleaning Station

Source: bhg.com via A. Nieman Design on Pinterest

My New Busy Life

Ever since I started with La-Z-Boy I have been busy busy busy. Part of this is because of my job but part of it too is my own fault. On my days off I have been starting projects around the apartment. I have been on a mission to organize things and get rid of clutter.

I am a huge pack rat and what's even worse is that I have make-shift storage containers. With my addiction to shoes I have gathered a bunch of shoe boxes. Using them as storage boxes are great but they look a little ratty. I have been talking about covering them and putting labels on them but I have yet to get around to it. I am definitely going to put that on my to do list for Wednesday!

My apartment is finally to the point where I can get down to the nitty gritty and really dig into my supplies and sort though everything! I will be pairing down my supply closet this spring and will be selling it in my Etsy shop. I have actually thought about turning my shop into a supply shop because I seem to sell them a lot faster that anything else, but that won't happen anytime soon.

Along with organizing my clutter on my next day off I am going to be backing Amish Friendship Bread. my mom got some from her co-worker and has now given me some to make a share. It starts with a starter bag and there are directions on how to making it over ten days and them split the bags leaving some for yourself to make and some to give to a friend for them to repeat the process. I am going to take pictures on Wednesday to show what I am talking about.

So back to the topic of this blog: my new busy life. I have been keeping myself busy and I love it! I have been finding that when I fill my day with projects I am happier and have an increasing energy day after day! It's like I'm building an energy metabolism, if that makes sense. I will say that I am not too busy though to relax at night and watch some tv with my hunny.

A. Nieman Crochet: Goals for 2009

A. Nieman Crochet

Goals for 2009

1. Get Organized: I would like to have all my yarn organized in a way that I know where any color/ type is located. I would like to have all my tools together and all my shipping supplies together. This will entail me going through all my supplies, from fabric and yarn to tools. They will have to be sorted by categories that are easy for me to remember. I will need to do this early in the year before I start on any new projects.
2. Set up a calendar for finishing projects that I have already started. Some of those projects would include: wash clothes and dish rags, purses, and granny square afghans. This calendar will also include the dates I would like to have my seasonal items done, ie Valentine’s Day, Fourth of July, and Halloween.
3. Write a Business Plan: Now this goal will include a lot of research on how to set up a small business. I do not expect to have a business set up by the end of the year. Because of my financial situation setting up this business will take some time and I am fully aware of that. After my research I hope to be able to set a date.
4. Research ideas for marketing my business. I will look into things such as advertising, craft shows, promotional products, and craft parties. Once I have established a plan for these markets, I will establish a schedule for trial of each.
5. Bookkeeping: I will keep up on all bookkeeping for the entire year of 2009. This will give me an idea of how much I spend and make. It will help me price my products more effectively.

This year A. Nieman Crochet will no longer be just a hobby. It will be a venture that I take seriously and into which I put my full effort and dedication. I am extremely excited about 2009 and hope to make this my best year yet!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Christmas is getting closer and closer and the shopping season will be starting soon( if you haven't already). Getting my Etsy shop ready is at the top of my list of things to do. There are many things that I have been putting off but now the time has come for me to really get organized.

The following is a list of things that I need to complete before the official start of the shopping season.

1. Post all ornaments in my Etsy shop.
2. Re-take pictures of items that have been in my shop for a while.
3. Finish promotional items.
4. Update all adds on Project Wonderful.
5. Promote Promote Promote

Please check back to see how I am doing and to see my updated store!