Get Organized GIVEAWAY

By Kate Riley December 17, 2010

Greetings and happy weekend!  How are you?  I do hope you’re enjoying this holiday season!  I’ve been running around doing all sorts of holiday related things, but the one thing I’ve been neglecting is my dreaded paperwork!  I’m pretty good at staying organized most of the time, but paperwork is my weakness.  I cannot be alone in the ‘paperwork piling up everywhere’ scenario, but I can tell you, I’m looking forward to that down time after Christmas to sort that daunting pile.     

Being organized helps me get more done, and devote more time to my family and I’m made serious efforts this year to make it so!  It helps me think clearly, remain focused, and always saves time.  Don’t you find that to be true?  I have adopted some strategies from my sponsor Simplify 101 which truly help.  Have you visited their site?   The founder Aby Garvey is an organizing and productivity expert!  I love her motto, “More Fun, More Done”.  Having an organized home is one way to make more time to be creative too.

my home ideasSource

Just in time for the upcoming New Year, I have an exciting giveaway for you!  January is organizing month, so Simplify 101 is offering three winners their choice of any of their four upcoming workshops

Here are your choices:

Quick and Simple Clutter Control

(Two lessons in quick clutter elimination, starts January 4th)

How to Achieve Your Goals

(Four lessons in turning dreams into reality, starts January 6th)

Organizing 101

(Six lessons about simple organizing, starts January 25th)

It’s About Time

(Six lessons in time management, starts February 17th)

From the comfort of home, you pace yourself with online material and/or downloadable lessons each week.  You can listen to the lesson online or download it as an .mp3 file as well.  For those of us on the go, I find this DIY approach to learning on your own time is so convenient, rather than attending some seminar at a set time and away from home.  You can ask your instructor Aby specific questions and even post photos of your problem spots.  The online classroom is there to support you!  See for yourself just how they all work with this tour.   

If you’re in need of more inspirational tips, check out Simplify 101’s Organizing Article Directory with over three dozen helpful post for everything from closet organization to spring cleaning to staying organized with kids (I need that!).  You can also sign up for weekly tips with Simplify 101’s organizing newsletter, like this trick for minimizing holiday clutter after you bring out those seasonal decorations.  

simplify 101 more fun

Finally, if you’re tired of searching through piles of paperwork for that same document and you’d like to create a time saving central resource for your home, anyone can get their hands on a free copy of Aby’s How To Create A Command Central Binder.  With kid schedules, meetings, and lunch menus, don’t all of us moms need one of those?  

Now for the giveaway, three winners this time! 

Don’t you want to get organized in the New Year?  

Simplify 101 will make sure you do!

Eligibility for three winners to pick their choice of online workshops with Simplify 101

1)  Tell about your biggest organizational challenge in a comment.  Is it your closet or your junk drawer?  Do you struggle with time management or too much clutter?  Share where you need organizational help! 

2) For extra chances to win, link to this giveaway on Facebook, and/or tweet about this giveaway on Twitter, then leave additional comments telling where you mentioned this giveaway (FB or Twitter).

Three winners chosen by Random.org.  Giveaway ends Monday December 20, 2010 at 8 p.m. PST.

Good luck and have a fantastic weekend! 

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272 comments

  1. There is a lot of great, helpful info here. I am constantly trying to organize and NEVER feel organized. I’ll check some of this information out. Thank you!

  2. Procrastination! My house is never cleaner than when I have a deadline to meet. I have the best goals but getting my butt in gear and my head de-cluttered has been a life long challenge for me. I think this is the most amazing New Year’s giveaway!

  3. My office is my largest challenge!!! I think it’s the dumping ground for the house, and everything ends up in there. Not good for the creativity! And of course my procrastination and crafting ADD doesn’t help the situation. Ha!

  4. My biggest challange at organizing field at the moment is to try to stay on top of the household. We have been making home renovation about a year now in the home we currently live at. That makes life hectic – as there are not enough space and cupboard for everything you have to search items day by day… hah fun!!!

  5. My challenging spot is my breakfast bar, as my family seems to think that this is the “collect all”. I am of the mind that everything should have a place, but it’s difficult to train my family to think this way, and would love suggestions to overcome this, or organize differently in order to attain my goal. Thanks for the chance to win!

  6. Paper! I can’t seem to get rid of enough of it! It’s everywhere! Also, clothes. I seems that since I moved into bigger digs I have been more disorganized. LOL

  7. Clutter on the kitchen counter. Stuff from work, mail…pretty much anything ends up there. I can take the time to clean it one day and the next it seems to be piled high again!

  8. Umm..My entire house is my biggest challenge! Nothing has a place so nothing gets put away and I can never find anything!!

  9. My sewing room is my biggest challenge. I can’t seem to find a place to keep the clutter out of sight. We use the outside entrance all the time and seem to put things down and never put it up.

  10. One of my biggest organizational problems is my sewwing items. My fabric and project ideas are all over my 3 season porch (which I haven’t been using recently since there’s no heat). Any time I want something I have to bundle up and go dig it out. My second is the ‘later’ pile on my kitchen counter that is ALWAYS there. And lastly is my time management. Can’t seem to get much of anything done since I had my third baby!

  11. my biggest challenge is mainly I am overwhelmed. We moved (unplanned-short notice move) whille I was literally taking finals….then going into a semester of student teaching. Now that I’ve graduated. I have: stuff everywhere, that does not go together….a lack of storage units to put that stuff into….lack of funds to purchase containers….VERY little time to sort through stuff…and a husband who doesn’t want me to get rid of anything.

  12. Clutter and paper! Especially paper on the kitchen counter-I feel like if it’s out of sight, its out of mind and I might forget something important!

  13. How long can a comment run? :) I so need this. I’m being buried by, well, everything. James Bond is a HUGE pack rat and constantly bringing stuff home. Oh, and we homeschool, which is an organizational challenge all on its own.

  14. OK my biggest organizational challenge is ME. I try really hard to get organized and I’ll spend the time to sort (keep, give, toss) and then it lasts maybe 48 hours. I recently re-did my closet with the elfa system. I went from one shelf and one pole, which I felt was the reason I never actually hung stuff up b/c I couldn’t find it NOPE I think its just me. I’ve been trying to get organized at home and at work. I recently was promoted and am now at such a higher level, I can’t afford to be disorganized. I could lose very vital information. So, I’ve determined my biggest issue is me. Now what??

  15. My biggest organizational problem- my husband! Kidding! I can’t get a handle on mail, magazines, bills, and general paperwork. I always have piles everywhere!

  16. My family is my biggest issue. If they didn’t live with me I could keep a perfectly clean house! I need more space as they come through the door to hang coats, bookbags, etc.!

  17. I’m pretty good with time management, clutter happens to be the bane of my existence. Our garage has become a dumping ground for all things unneeded, unused and/ or broken. I could use some serious motivational assistance to tackle that area of our home.

  18. Gosh I feel like I could use every single one of them! I am so disorganized most of the time, and time management and I are not good friends at all. But I also could use the one on achieving your goals!

  19. Paper clutter would be my biggest challenge. Add to that procrastination, and I’ve got myself a huge mess. I’d love some good organization tools.

  20. I lost my home to a fire in 1993 so it was easy in the beginning but now the overflow of stuff ,just plain stuff , is starting to clutter my life again .

  21. Paper just seems to breed in my house!!! I would love some help in getting a system of organizing it all! There is so much that needs to be purged. Thanks for the opportunity to win this cool giveaway.

  22. My studio-I am a collage artist, and have a collection of ephemera that is overwhelming! I need to corral and organize-some how! But I’d also like the storage to be see through-so I can be inspired by glimpses of possible components!

  23. Great Giveaway just in time for the New Year! :) Keeping all of my crafty stuff reigned in is currently my biggest challenge…besides the kids’ stuff, of course. :) Thanks for the offer!

  24. MY biggest challenges are space (we rent a 1 BR apt.), time (I teach full-time Kindergarten Autistic Support), and money (We live off of my salary alone). Help!!

  25. My biggest issues is too much clutter and getting over childhood saving pattern that my mom and dad gave me…..dont’ throw anything away…….I have hidden clutter in closets and drawers that are overflowing but also clutter in the house and storage room. uggh……I am much better thanks to my hubby not being a saver at all but it is just so hard and sometimes I just get so overwhelmed by all of it.

  26. Oh boy, where to begin! Clutter is definitely my problem. I thought acknowledgement was the first step, but it doesnt’ seem to be getting me anywhere! Our guest room is a joke right now as is our own room – I throw things in there and close the door when we have people over – oops! I’m in desperate need of organization because we have the happy need of changing the guest room to a big boy room to make room in the nursery for baby boy #2! My husband would be so happy if I won!

  27. I struggle with clutter! Books, papers, craft stuff, laundry and toys. OMW. I told someone recently that I feel like we are a couple piles short of a hoarding show. They thought I was kidding. @@ Would love to win!

  28. seems like I need a few of those classes. But I really need to learn better time management. Not just for myself but for the sake of my family. Where does the time go so quickly?

  29. Paper clutter seems to get me every time. I have piles in distinct places but I can’t get a handle on it.

    Thanks for the giveaway.

  30. This is a great give away – so thanks for the opportunitiy to win! I have had a really bad year (family berievement and some other challanges thrown) – I run two busineses and a home (I work from home) and have got seriously behind on paperwork especially. I could do help with both time management and organising my paperwork (business and personal/home).

  31. My biggest organizing challenge is a toss up between my office (I work from home) or my craft room! I just cannot find a way to be a “neat” crafter, as I’m stuffed full of craft items that spill over everywhere including into my office which is next to my craft room. help! Suzie

  32. My craft room is the disaster room of the house. Everything that doesn’t have a home, seems to end up there.

  33. I am almost ashamed to say this but my whole house is disorganized. I am such a hoarder of stuff and we recently moved countries so I have almost no furniture, as there is no room in the budget now for that. Most of my things are on the floors but I know that I can throw away many of the junk I have kept over the years. I would be grateful for any sort of guidance and this would be a great prize to win. Thank you for the opportunity!

  34. Where do I start? Office, mess. I had a summer cleaning party with my husband, is there such a thing as a winter cleaning party, b/c I am in need of that too! Papers, good storage for photo gear and project planning, that would sum it up, and that cleaning party too!? Thanks for opportunity to admit my weakness and a possible chance to win a helpful hand! Happy Holidays!

  35. My biggest challenging at organizing is junk drawers and my son’s bedroom
    His room is very small, and small closet space.

  36. We just moved to a 2 bedroom apartment from a 4 bedroom house and my challenge is that I have a 4 bedroom house’s worth of stuff in a 2 bedroom apartment!

  37. All the random nooks and crannies are my organizing nightmare. That corner in the kitchen, the side of my desk, etc…I need one of these classes!

  38. I would say my craft room and my laundry room are always disorganized. They are in constant use and its hard for me to make things tidy and organized.

  39. Since my office now has to become the nursery for baby #2, my office has to be downsized to the dining room nook…so this is soooo perfect!!

  40. My biggest organizational challenge is my kitchen. It seems I’m always trying to figure out where to put things and how to keep things in there neat and tidy. I am a mother of 2 children, one is a pre-teen and the other is a newborn. Between caring for them time is not on my side. I would love to win this giveaway. I need help!

  41. My biggest challenge is PAPER!!! Especially the things I don’t want to throw away, but I don’t know what to do with, such as magazines i want to read later or things I’ll need but not until three weeks from now. Thanks for the suggestions and the giveaway!

  42. Paper, paper, paper. Piles of it EVERYWHERE – mostly in a vast assortment of random containers. “I’ll just put this pile in here so it looks neat until I can get back to it to sort and purge.” Unfortunately, the “get back to it” part rarely happens, so I have stashes of paper everywhere, It’s crazy!

  43. My biggest challenge is the mail! Sorting it, paying the bills, filing it away etc! Particularly the filing away part lol.

  44. This sounds like exactly what I need! I am overwhelmed by the clutter in my crafting studio and I could use some time management to find the time to fit my hobbies in without feeling guilty. I love your blog by the way and visit almost daily since I found it a few weeks ago.

  45. I would say my worst areas are my sewing and crafting areas. I am constantly cleaning up, but always have multiple projects in process. I also have a very messy office/desk. I get it about 75% organized once a year and then it is all downhill from there. I need help!

  46. I have a serious clutter problem. I can’t keep things put away in their correct places and the places they are suppose to go get messy.

  47. The toughest thing in my home for me to deal with is my husband’s office. He’s in law school so at any given moment, it looks like a paper storm hit. I’ve resigned myself to ignoring it, but I know even looking at it stresses me out. In frustration, I’ve made him giveaway te extra desk and computer we had in there, but it didn’t help because there are still papers everywhere. Ugh.

  48. I need the most help with organizing my digital pictures! They’re everywhere on my computer and I’m running out of room. Online storage sites help to a point, but then even they run out of room and I refuse to pay for online storage. Yikes!

  49. clutter! It’s basically taking over my life. Not paper clutter, like mail, newspapers etc. I luckily take care of that in due time.
    It’s my craft stuff. I have some in the kitchen, some in a another room that really has no name, except “the blue room” (the room serves no purpose), some more craft stuff stored in an enclosed porch (cold in the winter, hot in the summer) more craft stuff in the basement, and yet even MORE in the garage.
    Sometimes I can put my hands right on what I need. However, I know I have tons of items that could inspire me to do projects IF I could just find them. I have decided to get organized in 2011!
    This would be ohhhh so helpful!

    thanks for a chance to win a very nice prize!
    gail

  50. Clutter on the kitchen counter and in our master bedroom (where no one will see it) are my biggest problems. All the paperwork!! Help me!!

  51. I would LOVE to be a part of any workshop that Simplify offers!! I have visited her sit/blog before and Aby always has great ideas!! My problem area is paperwork… as a homeschool mom it seems there is never the right amount of time to purge and sort. Also, I could use help with clutter!! I have a hard time parting with stuff!! :)

  52. Clutter is my main problem. I’m one of those people that has a hard time throwing things away because I might need it in the future. I get it from my grandmother who still has things from 50 years ago, but she didn’t have a lot of money, so she has a lot less crap then I do! Please help :)

  53. I struggle with every single thing you mentioned! I recently left the corporate world, to be a full time stay at home mom. Prior to leaving my job, I had all kinds of excuses as to why my house was the way that it still is. Now, that I am home (and have a bit more time) I don’t know where to start. I don’t know how to manage out my days or where to start getting rid of things. Help!

  54. I have the most trouble with the kids’ papers that I have saved through the years and done nothing with!

  55. We moved and had a baby in the same week. I cannot seem to get organized. We still have boxes everywhere and in storage.

  56. My kitchen has a junk drawer that is created by habit for some reason. I keep cleaning it out to only have it end up back where it was. Then I have a pretty great master closet with container store closet system that I can’t seem to keep in order. I also have a great area in my kitchen that I desire to turn into office space but just can’t seem to get there. HELP! I love organization and strive to get there but can never seem to fully accomplish this but everyone on the outside looking in seems to think I am :-) Accept those that live with me and raised me.

  57. I have been dying to try out one of Aby’s classes!!! For me, time management is definitely my challenge. I hop from one task to another, juggling way too many balls at a time. I’d love some tips on how to better manage this!

  58. We have a spare bedroom (with no bed) which has become our junk room. Yet I still manage to have clutter everywhere else…especially on the kitchen table and bar area.

  59. Our desk is the biggest challenge. We have plenty of file storage space but trouble purging paper. Would love to “catch up” and keep up with the deluge of paperwork before the new year.

  60. Mail (and husband) clutter. It’s in the kitchen, at the computer desk, anywhere there is a “landing strip” stuff gets tossed down and left for me to search through. Drives me bonkers.

  61. My biggest problem is clutter in the master bedroom and on the kitchen counter… and the kids toys… and kid closets…OMGosh…we haven’t even got to the garage!!!

  62. My dinning room table kids come home from school this is the first room they enter if they come up stairs and they drop everything.

  63. Our dining room table is a catch all for misc. things. also counter clutter. I just don’t seem to put away things after I have finished working with them.
    need to give a home to many things. even if I get organized, the routine of clutter comes back in a few months.

  64. Ugh – clutter. I don’t have lots of storage space & I have a really bad habit of just leaving things around when I’m done with them. I’m worse than the kids!

  65. I am terrible with mail and reciepts. ugh, it all piles up and then I throw it in a drawer. I never know whats ok to throw away. I never need any of it. but I’m afraid to throw the junk away.

  66. My biggest problem is closets. My sons is a wreck, my craft closet is a mess and I don’t even want to open my hall closet. Also, my pantry is a mess too, but I’m hoping to fix that this weekend. I think it is mostly the clutter that is my issue. I have the time, but I just don’t know what to do with it.

  67. Ugg. Right now my biggest problem is time management–so much I want to get done, so much that never gets done and I feel like a failure! I have taken two of these courses now (for getting organized and for paper clutter) and they are AMAZING and so helpful! Seriously!!

  68. My biggest challenge is flat surfaces. They attract mess like no one’s business & it drives me insane. thanks for the opportunity!

  69. I’m trying to unclutter but it can be overwhelming. Letting go of things I paid for and loved at some point is hard!

  70. My biggest problem is keeping up with the clutter from our 3 five year olds. I just never seem to get on top of things. I never use to be like this. Most of my life is a cluttered truly so picking just one is tough. I keep thinking things will change once kindergarten starts in September. Let’s hope. An intervention would be a blessing. :}

    Shelley

  71. Paper is a big issue for me! I’d love to learn a good way to keep things I need handy with out having stuff lying about.

  72. My biggest problem are my closets! Yikes…….I tend to stuff things in every closet. The house looks good, but my secret is the messy jam packed closets. Any help would be appreciated!

  73. My whole life is a challenge right now. My husband just finished school. He was so busy he never went through a thing that he’s kept over the years and so we had to move it all cross country (and he’s a pack rat!) Needless to say we have a lot of clutter to go through!!!

  74. Paper! Bills are under control but it’s all those papers that “might” be relevant at some point in the next month. I’m afraid to file them and forget how I filed them…

  75. paper work….i never know what to do with things so they get stacked on my kitchen counter

  76. the mail is my enemy… never know how to keep it organized and situated with bills and statements, etc etc! HELP… i need a workshop!

  77. My husband and I share an office/craft room, as you can guess it is a disaster. We could definately use some help with the papers and crafting trinkets! I would love this giveaway!

  78. I feel like I could use this in EVERY aspect of my life!! Organization is just not my thing…but it is my new years resolution.

    love your guts
    mandi

  79. I have a huge paper problem! I homeschool and work from home so there is MASS amounts of paper around the house on a daily basis. I am literally drowning in it!

  80. Paper problem here! Receipts, bills, ideas I’ve torn out of magazines/printed off from websites, etc….it’s all over the place

  81. We have a formal dining room- turned into an office, and it is the hub of all my craziness in the house! Mail, tools, pictures, plants, lots of things end up there. I can’t even see the bottom of my desk, which is a hassle when I need to find anything or pay bills. Not to mention it has sucked my creative energy because I am always thinking I need to clean the office. I clean it & it’s a mess again. It’s very discouraging. It really needs to be organized in a way that I can keep it neat and use it as it is purposed for. Also you can see the office from the kitchen & living room so I can’t even shut the door & ignore it. Haha

  82. HAH, this is great. For my husband’s sake (“Mr. Clean”, who would say I’m unorganized in just about every category there is), I just had to post a comment. To be honest, I don’t even know what happens.. one minute our little house is clean & tidy, the next, total chaos ensues. Ruh roh…

  83. We just moved to California and have given up the luxury of storing junk in a basement! We don’t want to just stick things in the garage and so we’re working hard to organize THE WHOLE HOUSE. But I don’t know where to start! There’s piles growing everywhere and I find it’s the little things that just don’t get put away. Where does one put their husband’s collection of wires anyways (really, the man collects wires/cords/anything that looks like it comes from a computer)?! WE NEED HELP!

  84. My biggest organizing challenge is our garage and “attic”. After my mom’s passing I inherited lots of different things my parents had accumulated after 34 years of marriage. I now have loads of “stuff” to go through and organize!! It is so overwhelming that my husband and I just have learned to ignore it….waiting for that “one day” when we will declutter it all!! Would love the motivation as well!!

  85. Clutter!!!! I need help badly. Hard to get rid of stuff due to sentimental reasons or thinking the kids will want it in when they move away. I’m determined to tackle this early on in 2011 and winning would be that extra kick in the pants I need!

  86. I don’t have a lot of storage in my house, so I would love to learn how to organize and find a place for everything without a lot of storage space.

  87. I can use this big time. I am still looking for my son’s birth certificate and passport. I have very important papers that are in places that I don’t know where. It literally takes me hours to go thru everything to find my stuff. I lost my high school and college diplomas. I need HELP.

  88. My desk and the mail piling up are my worst areas. Also, just general clutter. I need a lot of these. Not sure how I would choose, but I would love to have the chance.

  89. I’m guilty of hoarding miscellaneous items in a junk drawer…that and time management!

  90. I can’t even talk about my closet right now…it’s kind of scary…that’s all I’m saying. As always, thanks for the great giveaway!

  91. I am like some of the others. I feel like I have a clean house sometimes for it to go to dirty in 5 seconds with 2 small kids. I need help everywhere. I pile things and it drives my husband crazy and it is starting to really drive me crazy too!!!!! I need some help PLEASE! :)

  92. My biggest organizational challenge is my daughter!!! Does that count? She really needs help! I would be so grateful. If I can’t use my daughter – I suppose the area that is the greatest struggle for me is the crafting spot I have. We live in a very small home and I’ve made a beautiful little nook for crafting. People tend to stash everything there and it gets out of control very quickly. It never seems to be organized!

  93. definitely my junk drawer!!! I have alot of things lying around the house that sometimes when I get frustrated I just want to be tossing things away!! :(

  94. I am an organizational mess!!!!!!!!!! So much so, that I just close the doors to the messes because it seems like a mountain I can not climb. So, I just read blogs, watch the Nate show and TLC to learn as much as I can. NOW…I must apply:) Merry Christmas.

  95. On the whole I consider myself fairly well organized except when it comes to my war with paper. Between mail and flyers coming in on a daily basis I can’t seem to win. Every Friday I dedicate an hour or two to purge, sort & throw away just to turn around and do the very same thing the following week. YIKES!!

  96. I have a really bad clutter problem. It’s a war between magazines, mail, coats, shoes and stuff I just don’t need! I always say “I’ll read that later” or “I may need that for something” that small pile turns into recycle pile quickly!!

  97. My biggest challenge is definitely in the office – too much paper and unorganized resources. My desk has been a mess ever since we moved months ago and it definitely hampers my productivity.

  98. It is all the incoming paperwork, how to keep it out of site but still accessible when needed. I also have a problem with my walk-in closet becoming a dumping ground. One problem at a time I guess!

  99. What a wonderful give-away! I would love to take the Organizing 101 course. We are in the process of closing on a new house, and I can think of no other gift that wold be more meaningful right now than the tools and knowledge to move in, get things organized from the beginning, and be able to keep our new home beautiful and inviting for our family and friends. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed for this one!

  100. Thank you for the chance to win the Organizing 101 course. I have posted this article on my Face Book page, and I know my friends will also be interested in learning more about getting and staying organized at home.

  101. My biggest Challange ismy Office/Excercise room.. But it is all the Pictures I have of our son of course and I have not finished painting so not put in frames and when that is eventually done OMG I will seriously still have tons of pictures and also poems that I use to write (before Child) giggles. So I needserious help in organization…Ouch

  102. I have a terrible time with organization – it used to be ‘easy’ but the challenges of chronic illness have tumbled my strategies like a pile of junk mail! I need help in most areas, but developing a flexible cleaning schedule is probably my biggest issue right now!

  103. Paper is my problem….always! And sadly enough I have taken Aby’s Paper Clutter class. It was fabulous. I just wasn’t the best pupil. I would love to retake it or either the Time Management class.

  104. I wish I didn’t suffer from all of those organizational challenges, but I do. The less kids I had, the more organized I was with our time and our stuff, but as our number of children has grown to 6, I find that I have forgotten how to stay on top of it all. These workshops would fantastic. Any of them.

  105. I love keeping organized, but I’m about to move from business owner, to stay at home mom, so I’d love some tips on how to keep organized in the home!

  106. My house has become donation central since my hubby and I casually mentioned we wanted to have a garage sale. Junk has taken over my wet bar area (we temporarily converted it into a storage space), garage and hall closet! This clutter is cramping my type A style!

  107. I suffer from small space syndrome… with 2 kids and a husband to add to the mix. Thanks for the opportunity! I went and downloaded the binder thing too!

  108. I need all kinds of organizing help! I get one room cleaned out somehow it’s back to clutterville not long after!! I need some help from simplify 101!

  109. I just always want more time! I always wish I could be doing 2 things at the same time to get more done. As the mother of 5, I rarely have time to get to all my own things. They all sound great…but the time management really speaks to me right now!

  110. I have been on a huge “how can I get organized?” kick lately, as we moved from a three br house to a 2 br apartment (lost a whole bedroom, an attic, and a garage for storing things!) So glad to simplify, but also so at a loss for ideas on how. This could not be more timely :)

  111. my problem is *prevention* of clutter. i have such bad habits with consumption and after studying abroad and carting all my stuff around once i got back to the states and started moving from apartment to apartment, i’m fed up with it! i’m pretty sure that me and my stuff could sustain a small village through a nuclear holocaust. so, in 2011 i’m determined to buy nothing new. but a workshop would REALLY help me get to the root of my organization woes! i’m pretty good at organizing, but learning to just say NO in the store would really be the best help for me!

  112. I fall under the time management problem. My goals seem to go on hold to survive with just keeping up. I love putting off paperwork, too.

  113. I don’t have any closets and I am always having problems with where to put things. I have 3 kids and they keep accumlating more things. My kitchen also is so tiny and I never know where to put anything. I could use advice on anything.

  114. Major to do list issues here! I have lists everywhere – would love a central location for them all, preferably electronic!

  115. Where don’t I have clutter issues, my office? my mud/laundry room? my kitchen counters where EVERYTHING accumulates? hmm, what about my closet, the one with the bad design? Yup, perfect candidate here :-/ I’d love some thoughts, pointers or maybe just a match (umm, kind of kidding on that one, although it sure would ease the clutter/organizational issues!).

  116. I have clutter, in the junk drawer, the laundry, my garage, and anywhere I can hide things for later… AAUUUGHHH… I reval in the thought of being organized. I also work out of my home and do not really have an office space, it is just kind of mixed in!! yikes! I need some ideas of how to seperate!!

  117. My island is clutter central. Just when I get a hold on it and can see and enjoy at least 3/4 of it, BAM the next day’s mail goes on it and everything else too… Laundry is something that eludes me too. I try to do the ‘put it on the bed’ trick so it gets done before bed, but nope! It gets thrown back into the laundry basket to wait to get folded… oh a class like this would be nice. Time management is a struggle too actually. Blog reading and facebook updates consume [and waste] my time which leaves little time for everything else ;) The cure to that is shutting the computer off, but then I think of all the things I forgot to do when it was on!

  118. I am a mother of two (SUPER busy) children, run my own graphic design company from home, have another part-time job as an administrative assistant, have a starving student husband who takes 10 classes over the average “full load” each semester, who also has another part-time job. Needless to say I DESPERATELY need time management training. I feel like I am just surviving in each one of these roles and not succeeding as I should be. HELP!

    (p.s. I had to stop 3 times while typing this comment to put out other “fires” from my many hats!)

  119. My house is disorganized because I do not have a set place for my work. I have several areas where I do work and have paper work. I want to set up a workplace that has a desk where I dedicate to doing all my work.

  120. Quick and Simple clutter control is what I need. I struggle with paper, magazines, mail. It’s all over the place.

  121. My biggest problem is my desk/work space. I need a better filing system…..the entire family’s papers, school work, etc. gets piled there!!!

  122. Oh how I hate the clutter that always seems to grow around our “mail” station!

  123. My biggest problem (and I have many of them) is my walk in closet. We have an older farmhouse and my husband opened up a wall to make US a walk in closet. Unfortunately, there’s no room for him and I can’t see the carpet–except for a few places. I need help.

  124. My clutter nemesis is paper!! I hate paper clutter and it’s everywhere! Mail, bills, coupons, school notes, kids artwork, invites, etc., etc. I have piles all around me that need organizing! I’m sure one of Aby’s classes can dig me out of the paper clutter I am surrounded by. Thanks for the opportunity to win.

  125. My clutter area is my home office. I recently turned a spare bedroom into a home office/”me cave” and I just can’t figure how to organize it….how to design my flow in the space. I DREAM of it being a space where i can go to work professionally as well as a place for my hobbies and relaxation.
    Any help is much appreciated!

  126. Household paperwork! it ends up EVERYWHERE! And we just have not come up with a great system or any system for processing, filing, dealing with mail, bills, paperwork, contracts, etc etc etc.

    HELP!

  127. I have WAY too much clutter! Between junk mail, real mail, art from school, blah, blah, blah…it’s everywhere! I try to be organized but it isn’t working for me.

  128. My biggest organizational challenge at the moment…keeping our ENTIRE house organized! There are four of us living in a small apartment!

  129. Paper, paper…everywhere! Oh, and the junk drawer too. :( I have been wanting to learn some organizational skills for a while now…this giveaway is perfect!

  130. I definitely struggle with time management… I also struggle with paper clutter. If I file things I forget about it so it piles up… Too quickly!!!

  131. my biggest struggle has to be stuff/paperwork on flat surfaces, like the kitchen counters, or the table or anything. Just can’t seem to keep it clear. I love Aby’s site and her workshops :)

  132. My biggest problem is actually following through on the commitment of staying organized. I can organize but I usually hate how I do it and it fails so than I feel like I fail at doing something right…no pity party just admitting my problem!

  133. My biggest organizational challenge is PAPERWORK!! Bills, receipts, important papers, etc. I just can’t seem to keep it under control and have piles everywhere. HELP!!

  134. All of the above! Papers seem to be in perpetual chaos. Where to store/file them, how long to keep them, what to shred, what to toss. Receipts, coupons, warranties, kids’ schoolwork…the list goes on. Though I agree with many others, I seem to get a handle on things around the house and then it only take an hour and everything is back to chaos. Argh!

  135. My biggest problem is toys, toys, and toys. I need help with getting rid of all the toy clutter.

  136. I have two problem areas. Like yours paper is one and the other one is my fabric storage in my sewing room. Always looking for ways to improve in that area.

  137. Right now my biggest challenge is setting my goals and figuring out how to follow through with them.

  138. receipts!!!!! paperwork in general!!! i set up organisational systems and cant follow them through due to lack of time. :(

  139. My biggest challenge is paper. Actually, I refer to the paper piles in my home as my arch enemy. I would love a plan of attack and maybe even a secret weapon to tackle the chaos forever. Thanks for the help!
    God’s blessings,
    Sarah :)

  140. conquering the clutter ALL over my house is my biggest problem right now.
    since my daughter moved back home (WITH HER DOG) after moving away one year for college, it has been a huge clutter nightmare!! and it doesn’t seem to matter what i do to clean or straighten it up…UGH…i need help!!!

  141. My biggest challenge is definitely Paper clutter. Starting with when it enters the house (receipts, bills, magazines, invitations, etc) to what to do it with it in the interim (you don’t want to forget that birthday party!) then when to get rid of it (mostly with bills, etc). I feel like there needs to be multiple systems in place but then that just gets overwhelming.

    My second biggest challenge is a storage closet we have. It’s a great idea in theory but do to the fact that there were no pre-existing shelving or rods, we have tried to slowly create our own system. It seems more cluttered than ever now.

    Have a merry Christmas!

  142. Clutter control! I hate having piles of mail and magazines on my counter. Oh, and the kids toys, too.

  143. The ONLY things in my house that are well organized are my alphabetized DVD collection and my sock drawer! I need some help.

  144. My closet is the biggest area of clutter. Mostly because there is too many clothes. I’m 8 months pregnant so it’s summer and winter clothes plus summer and winter maternity clothes. And about 50 pairs of shoes. AND my husbands clothes which are usually just thrown in a pile. I clean it out once every 3 months but it never stays organized.

  145. My art supplies create a constant black hole of clutter in our guest bedroom/my work space. The clutter makes me avoid the room which in turns means I don’t use my creativity nearly enough even when I have the time. I need some help creating a sustainable way to organize that space!!!!

  146. My biggest organizational challenge is the incoming mail. I just can’t seem to get a system that works very well that I can stay on top of. It collects on my counter in the kitchen and it makes me CrAzY!!!!

  147. My biggest organizational challenge is my desk area. i recently bought some ikea boxes and put some stuff in there, but the rest of the office supplies (tape, pens, etc) are all stashed in a shoe box in another room!!!

  148. My biggest problem is the moving boxes around several areas of the house from when we first moved in two years ago. Im tired of looking at them but dont know what to do. Oh the help we need.

  149. The bane of my existence is our home office, more specifically, my desk. It is the area that gets laden down with all our mail and school papers, and everything that makes this house go.

  150. My biggest organizational problem is my large countertop. We gutted our kitchen (yes, we did it all ourselves) and installed new cabinets and a large, 5 foot peninsula. While I thought the counter would be great for cooking, turns out it’s only great for catching mail, and holding it for a month. I need clutter help!

  151. I’d like a way to organize things you use on a daily basis but are ugly without having to resort to a huge junk drawer!

  152. Hello Kate! My clutter problems are kids toys and craft projects I’m constantly cleaning up. Ugh.

    I also want to tell you I posted your amazing and glamorous holiday mantle (linked back to Centsational Girl, of course), on my blog APPLESandRUBIES! Hope you can come and visit! (And I have a jewelry giveaway for YOU to enter on my blog as well!)

    A Very Happy Holidays to you!

    Loretta

  153. I have issues with paper, crafting and kid stuff clutter! I can’t ever seem to get everything organized into functional spaces….HELP!
    Amber

  154. The neverending pile of paperwork is where our organization falls completely apart! The rest of the house is low on clutter, but hand me a receipt, and I don’t know what to do with it. Help!

  155. Our office needs HELP! Last year, we finished a beautiful re-modeling job of our home and I now have tons of storage, but I just can’t seem to get the time/energy/ gumption to get the office properly organized! I feel sorry for my four kids who have to go in there to use the family computer for school work!

  156. My biggest problem is the piles of stuff in my house. I seem to breed stuff so for me it is controlling what comes into my house and dealing with it at the time and not wait until I have another pile of headache!
    Thanks and love both your sites!

  157. As far as clutter goes, I am not too bad. There are the stacks of magazines that I am going to go through.. one day, or the ever growing pile of fabric and crafts that I never seem to get to. I think my husbands clutter is worse and I tend to shove or pile it where it will annoy him the most! I know, very mature of me. But my biggest problem is me. I think I need a life coach. Setting and achieving goals would be a big deal for me.

  158. I need some serious help tackling clutter. I’d like a place for everything and everything in its place, but I just can’t seem to make it happen!

  159. My biggest challenge is the paperwork clutter. My stacks just keep growing and growing. I need help organizing all this!

  160. Time management! Besides piddling away time online… (ahem, as I search through blogs…), my biggest challenge is our kitchen counter space right by our garage door. It’s a drop zone for everything from keys to coats to cups to piles of paperwork. It’s horrible and such an eye sore, but I can’t figure it out for the life of me.

  161. I REALLY REALLY need help with time management. I start each day and each week with certain goals and am disappointed when I get to the end of the day and week and I have not completed the tasks. I could use a little help in the paperwork clutter realm too. Thanks for having the giveaway. I LOVE your blog.
    Hugs from Texas, Tara

  162. My craft room is my biggest challenge! It serves multi purpose as an office, library, scrapbook room and clutter collection site! I need help with dividing the space and optimizing storage. Love your blog.

  163. Where to start? Well, all over really. I begin to clear the clutter only to be overwhelmed by the projects I want to do which in effect create the clutter I want to eliminate. The easy solution would be to do the projects right? Well, where to find the time between the housework, working non traditional hours, running after a toddler… and excuses, excuses, excuses! It’s exhausting and disheartening but despite it all.. I do love my life! I just wish I could get a better handle on it!

  164. Amoung my many problem areas is My sewing room. It is my biggest challenge. I take up the enitre room and two closets in my house simple because i am not sure how to organinze everything effectively.
    I have issues with clutter but its not everywhere in my house just in its designated piles in certain rooms (the kitchen counter, 1 drawer in kitchen, shelf in the extra closet) . I literally have empty drawers and and empty closet for fear of not using the space effeciently. its crazy.

  165. I just graduated college, so there was very little time for me to organize. I just feel like everything is chaos, so winning this giveaway would be AMAZING for me!

  166. I was just talking to my husband about these workshops! Our tough spots for organization are paper and the kitchen counter getting cluttered with it. But the time management stuff looks great too! I’d love to win this – thanks for the opportunity!

  167. Paperwork is my biggest challenge. I have read Aby Garvey’s posts and she is great! Thanks for doing this giveaway!

  168. While I have organizational needs in every room, I am really ready to tackle the paperwork monster!! Thanks for the timely givaway… and have a blessed Christmas!

  169. My kitchen counter is the biggest issue- it ends up being the dumping ground for everything in the house! Drives me bonkers!

  170. I have a toddler and another baby on the way soon. I work full time so when I get home the last thing I want to think about is my house, so quick, easy ways to keep my life organized would be extremely helpful! Clutter = stress!

  171. I was soooo excited to read about your giveaway!! Yesterday I took a picture of my husband’s dresser and was going to send out an SOS. I wonder if my husband is the only one that has a cluttered dresser. We have been trying to think of ways to keep it decluttered. This is not the only spot. We have many clutter problems around the house. I would love to receive tips and ideas from Simplify 101. I will keep my fingers crossed.

  172. Paperwork is my biggest organization issue. It starts on my large kitchen island, then spills over onto the kitchen planning desk and eventually makes it’s way to our upstairs office. I can only imagine how many times it gets handled before it finally finds a home. Mix in all the kids stuff with that and I am regularly overwhelmed.

  173. I love cleaning and am an organization freak… so all of these classes just sound great! But I would say my biggest problem would have to be what to do when you just don’t have room (I have a baby on the way and no room for the little one….)

  174. I am organizationally challenged. It’s sad, but true. It looks like a hoarder lives in my craft room. :( I need a little help…

  175. My biggest organizational challenge is my desk! I don’t know if I need more storage space or if that is just an excuse for my piles. Help :)

  176. I need help with organization, time management, clutter, you name it! I am going back to school in a few weeks and need the help!!

  177. My kitchen counter!! It is the drop spot for everything from papers, bills, notes, messages and odd items I pick up around the house. It has become my “things I need to do and get to” pile. It gets out of control all the time. What to do? I can’t seem to get a better system, try as I may. ANd I may TRY!

  178. My biggest challenge is that there is clutter eerywhere! Every closet, every cabinet, piles everyehwere. I need to find a place for everything!

  179. My biggest challenge is our basement. It becomes the junk room where everything is tossed. Would like to use it for a family room but can’t get it organized enough to do so. Help!

  180. My biggest challenge is clutter, especially paperwork clutter. It always seems to pile and get unmanageable.

  181. My biggest challenge is organizing ‘important’ documentation… I just let it sit around.. pile up.. then throw it in the closet. I’m a failure. I need help in organizations – that’s for sure!

  182. All of the above is my issue. :) Especially paper clutter and finishing home improvement projects. Great giveaway! Thanks!

  183. I really want to win this for my mom, she is what I would call a hoarder, but not as bad as the hoarders you see on TV. She clings on to things because of sentimental value (ie: snowsuit from the 80’s that isn’t useful anymore because of holes, she still has it because it reminded her of playing in the snow with us kids) and they fill up her whole house. She purges on an annual basis but it’s still not enough. She doesn’t keep everything organized. I truly believe if she took classes on organizing, she would be able to walk into all the bedrooms in her house, freely.

  184. My garage. During renovation it has become the place to stick things to get them out of the way :(

  185. I am a newlywed and I moved into my husband’s house “as is.” I’ve come to find that clutter and disorganization do not phase him and because we own a house that is a bit large for two people, I can’t seem to get anything organized. We’re hoping to add to our family soon, so it’s very important that I get organized now! Our biggest challenge is purging things we don’t need from closets and creating a shared home office space that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.

  186. I live in an older house with very little storage…so closets are overfull. I also don’t have a place to do my sewing, so I bring it to my dining table, but then when it’s time to put it away (mealtimes or when little ones come over), it gets taken to our bedroom which is already full as the drop-off zone for many things that don’t have their own home. Very frustrating!!

  187. I enter my house straight into the living room, so that’s where stuff mostly accumulates. I need help there.

  188. I need major help with time management. Working full time and taking care of a 3 year old by myself all week pulls me in all different directions and I just haven’t gotten it all to work together. I have all these goals to be organized, and I just haven’t been able to do it.

  189. My linen closet is a mess! Always has been and I just can’t figure out how to solve the problem. Help!

  190. Oh boy… clutter, paper, time management, etc, etc! We have a small house, and we’re definitely not making the best use of our limited space!

  191. Our mail situations is the biggest issue lately. Paper EVERYWHERE… in the living room, on coffee tables, on the kitchen table, on kitchen countertops… Thanks for the opportunity!

  192. I’ve always struggled with time management and with making sure I’m spending time on the right project rather than the one that’s “screaming” loudest.

  193. I need HELP tackling my bedroom/walking in closet/craft room/ storage room/guest bedroom….ugghh…worst room in the house! Thanks for the opportunity!

  194. My biggest challenge is storage space. I don’t have enough room to put what I have. My closests are stuffed as are my cabinets. I have full junk drawers also. I really need room.

  195. I realized this weekend that I need help with time management- between working full time, and trying to keep everything at the house done and tidy, and keeping everyone fed, I never have a spare moment. Oh! I could use help with just trying to figure out how to get everything done!

  196. I need help keeping my husband on a “clean schedule”! Ha! It’s actually true, but my biggest problem right now is that my “don’t know what to do with this stuff” travels from space to space. So while one room is being cleaned, the other is a disaster. If one of the desks in our house is being organized, the other suffers. No wonder I feel like the whole house has never been cleaned at once! And I throw lots of stuff away too! Thanks!

  197. Paper clutter is my nemesis. But, I think the time management class might be the one I need. I am too easily distracted and often find that I don’t complete the things I wanted to complete in a day.

  198. I have a really hard time staying organized because I dont really have a specific location that I keep stuff. My boyfriend is a realtor and uses the home office as his “at home office”,although he has an office at his place of employment also. I feel as though I dont really have anywhere to get organized. I often have little stacks of paperwork, bills, etc all over the house. It’s frustrating and can get messy.I need to figure out how we can both utilize the office space, so I can re-claim my organizational skills. I need help!

  199. I need help! Paperwork is bad, but our closets and bathroom cabinets are the worst. Yikes! I need help in not getting overwhelmed. Every time I think I will tackle one, I just shut the door.

  200. wow – i have a hard time being organized in every way. My house is an unorganized mess. I think the quick and simple organization class would help me immensely.

  201. my biggest challenge right now is my closet! it’s huge, and it’s a mess and I need help! I just love the idea of getting it organized and starting out a new year. Thanks for the chance to win and happy holiday’s!

  202. Oh, I need help with so many things… I think the worst is my entry way. We have a table that just gets covered in stuff. I never know what to do with it. Papers galore.

  203. I really need help with all the paperwork piles, especially the stuff my kids bring home from school. Thanks!

  204. Totally need help with time management – juggling me time, kid time, school time, hubby time – it’s a challenge!

  205. My problem is clutter – especially on the kitchen counter and my office area! With kids in 2 different schools and new papers coming home daily, it’s hard to keep everything neat and organized.

  206. I have a reverse organization problem! I am so afraid of clutter and I don’t have a system to deal with it so I just throw away, give away and recycle! This ends up costing a fortune since I could be “Shopping my house” but I’ve gotten rid of everything! Help!

  207. My biggest problem definitely is clutter! Then I go crazy, throw it all away and kick myself a few hours later….
    I could definitely use this.

  208. I love the Simplify workshops! i need the time management workshop to figure out all these to do lists and what i should be doing in my day to day routines!!

  209. Paperwork is my nemesis! I just moved and have boxes of papers everywhere. I’m not sure what to throw out and what to keep, and how to organize the ‘keep’ pile.

  210. I’m in a weird position… I live in a townhouse with 3 other girls… so pretty much I’m just living out of my room— my linens, my dvds, books, coats— even food and laundry detergent that I don’t want my roommates getting into, all the things that most people would spread though an entire apartment alone, I have to cram into one room. AND I’m a nester— I’m saving all these things (linens, towels, dinnerwear) because I know one day I WILL have my own place and have space and need for all these things… but until then, I desperately need to learn how to make the best use of my space (and probably get RID of some of the things I have been hanging onto.

    I currently have EMPTY drawers. EMPTY! Just because I don’t know what’s the best way to use them… so things end up on my desk, floor, bed because I can’t commit to an organizational system. C’mon Random.org, pick me! :D

  211. Papers, papers, papers. Do they ever disappear?! And what to do with overflow/off-season items. Help!

  212. My challenge is my desk. I want it to look elegant, organized and stylish. But trying to achive this is extremely difficult. I need help organizing the daily papers that come from home, children and business.

  213. I could use a lot of organizational help. My office/sewing/craft room and closet are in total chaos. Trying to mesh all three into some sort of organization seems overwhelming and I just shut the door. Would love to receive the help.

  214. Ugghhhh just thinking about clutter gives me a headache and gets me in a bad mood. My biggest challenge is our office. We have tons of papers, boxes and office supplies everywhere. I definitely need the help.

  215. I loooove to organize and still have to 2 spots that are just my nemesis. The tray by the phone in the kitchen where all the kids school/sports papers get piled and my small office desk where I work from home. 2011 is my year to change that!

  216. Paper is definitely the challenge, especially with my daughter having just entered school! Would love that workshop, but I have to admit, I am also very interested in the “Achieving Goals” workshop … what a great area to focus on!

  217. My junk drawer and pantry need some serious HELP!!! I would LOVE to take one of these workshops!!

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