Do you have a pet? Zoey is our only pet at the moment! The kids used to share her kennel for fun. But, we no longer have the kennel out so the fun is over! :) Is your pet organized? Or, should I ask, are you organized for your pet?? Why not make that your goal this week. Here is my step-by-step...

1. Gather every single animal/pet thing that you own in one spot (the kitchen or living room floor).
2. Sort toys in one pile, snacks in one pile, leashes, meds, grooming supplies, paperwork, etc.
3. Purge. Do you really need to keep every rabies tag? Why do you need the giant kong that your dog never plays with - even though you paid a lot for it? Do you see what I mean? PURGE and only keep what enhances your life and/or the life of your pet!
4.  Assign a home for each category. Where is the best place to store each category? Where will you use it? Where is there room? How can you find it easily AND put it away easily?
5.  Set Limits by containerizing. When the container or shelf is full you know it is time to purge. Do the toys need a toy box? Be green and use a container you already have. Could the meds and grooming suppies be stored in a clear plastic bin on a shelf? Could you add a hook - in a very convenient location - for the leashes. The limit comes when the hook is full - get rid of an old leash or the collar that you are not using any more! One file in your file cabinet will set the limit for each pet's paperwork.  
6. Maintain every time a naturally reoccuring event occurs. For example, every annual vet check up or monthly grooming appointment should be a reminder to tie in maintenance!! Dedicate 30 minutes to quickly repeat this process!

Soon you will be a PRO and your pet will love his/her special spaces! Don't forget to donate your purged pet supplies to an animal shelter of your choice!

GO "Get Organized" Month 2012 was a big success. Nine local professional organizers got together and partnered with Goodwill, Habitat ReStore, ProShred and Harvesters! The highlights...

People donated food and filled the two buckets above PLUS gave $577 in cash donations!

20 cars donated to the Habitat ReStore's truck...

Lots of cars (80+) donated to Goodwill...I learned so much about Goodwill and the work that they do! First, that they have wonderful people working for them! Joyce, Wendy, Larry, Felicien, and all the rest were so happy! They want your donations!! They sell cloth by the bale so there is NO reason to throw out any kind of fabric like old socks, rags, etc. into the landfills! They recycle metal. They WANT those things! Also, please bring them all of your old (working or not working) electronics. Here is a car load that was dropped off!

And, some more details about their electronics programs...

The Kansas City mayor, Sly James, signed a proclamation. January is officially GO Month!

ProShred had the most awesome guys working. JR and Ira made it fun! They shredded about 4000 pounds of paper and had 82 cars come through.

Wes Edwards, from Transitions Photography, was there taking all the photos. He even held the signs for awhile! He is the one that took our amazing family photos, too! Check them out here!

It was a cold day...32 degrees. But, it was wonderful hanging out and serving the community!

When is the last time you cleaned out your closet? I mean really cleaned it out!

I was just skimming through my new subscription (I bought the subscription for a fundraiser!) of Real Simple magazine and read this...

"A build up of dust can attract moths" Ewww. If it attracts moths in your closet then what does a build up of dust do in the rest of your house? If you are disorganized then it is harder to clean and keep the "build up of dust" from accumulating! How much does disorganization affect our health? More than most people think! What about our mental health?

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state unequivocally that 80% of our medical expenditures are now stress related."

~The Centers for Disease Control

Disorganization, dust, moth-attraction, stressing about it all - affects our health...but it doesn't have to!

The article went on to say, "Once a year haul everything out and do a thorough cleaning." Pull all the contents out (while sorting them of course!), dust the EMPTY closet, wash the walls, vacuum the crevices, etc. If you do all that you should purge half of your clothing, reorganize all of it, and then treat yourself to some new hangers or shelf dividers!! Okay, and a new outfit!

Just imagine...waking every morning and walking into your closet only to be refreshed and energized just by the look of it (clean, organized, fresh hangers, new paint!). What a way to start your day!

Imagine...picking out your clothes and NOT having to look past all the things that you haven't worn, that do not fit, that need mending, that are wrinkly or dusty, etc. You are just looking at what you kept - the things that looks good on you, that you wear, that you love and that are cute and stylish! The energy, the joy, the confidence you would feel every morning!

I wouldn't be surprised if your family would find you sneaking away just to catch a glimpse of your closet...you might even get a shiver down your spine!

If we should do this to our closets every year, for the benefit of our health, we should do this in every area of our homes! Our health would thank us!

What one area would you most like to get organized...and get clean? Start today! Divide it into 30 minutes tasks or designate a 4 hour chunk of time and go at it with a vengeance. Why not call a friend, or a professional organizer, to come in and help? Just START today!

Here's to our health and our happiness!