Whether you are a working mom, a stay at home mom or a mixture of the two, we all have one thing in common! We spend most of our waking hours trying to take care of other people and we leave very little time for ourselves!

From the time the alarm goes off in the morning until your head hits the pillow at night can you count how many minutes you have had to yourself? To be the best wife, mother, boss or employee you can, make sure you take time for you!

Giving yourself at least 30 minutes each day can be such a stress reliever and help you stay focused on what is important! Try soaking in a bath, going for a walk, reading your favorite book or just going for a drive on a scenic route!

How much “me time” do you give yourself and what is your favorite way to spend that time?

Whether you are decluttering your kitchen or your closet, here are a few simple questions to think about while you are sifting through your stuff. Sometimes decluttering can be an emotional process and asking yourself these questions will help you determine what’s worth keeping and what’s letting go.

1. Do I Love It? … I forgot about this award I got when I was in college…should I take a picture of it and let it go, or do I want to display it?
2. Do I Need It? … Are You kidding me, part with my hair dryer? Never!
3. Will I Ever Use It? … These black boots are cute, but I haven’t worn them in 6 years!?
4. Is It A Duplicate? … Wow, I really have three melon ballers?
5. What Is The Worse Thing That Will Happen If I Let It Go? … Ok, I’m letting go of two of my melon ballers. If I have a big melon decorating party I will just have to borrow a few more.

What questions do you ask yourself when decluttering?

Summer is approaching and if you are like us school may already be out! Here are a few ways you can get your summer organized now so you are ready for the fun!

Create a summer fun bin with outdoor toys like water guns, bubbles and sidewalk chalk! These are definitely favorites in our house.
Stock up on bug spray and sunscreen, keep them in an accessible location so you don’t forget to use them when the kids go out. Sunscreen can lose effectiveness over time. Some have expiration dates while others don’t. Sunscreen can last one to three years but I say, when in doubt throw it out!

Now is the time to go crazy with the labels! Label all of your pool gear so that you can easily find your belongings when it is time to leave. Don’t forget Mabel’s Labels Tag Mates for your towels!

Thanks everyone who submitted questions for Ask the Organizer! I will be answering them throughout my regular posting schedule. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask! Here is this month’s Q and A.

I have all my children’s artwork and schoolwork and am having a hard time parting with it…any ideas on what to save? I have tried the “save 2 a year” thing and can’t quite pare it down to that.

Oh dear, I wouldn’t be able to pare down to two a year either… in fact I save quite a bit and it takes up very little space! I sit my kids down at the end of the year and we pick out our favorites. Then we take pictures of them and let the physical paper go. Once I have enough art saved up for each child I will have a book printed out for them to flip through. How thrilled will they be to see their art published!

Here are a few guidelines to help you wade through the artwork madness…
1. If it was painted by your child, keep it.
2. If it was pre-cut pieces that your child simply glued together, toss it.
3. If your child used his or her imagination only, keep it.

As for the schoolwork, I scan the big reports the older kids do every year and maybe a couple of “great job” papers. For the younger kids, I simply save a coloring and writing sample from the beginning and end of the year to see how they have progressed.

Sometimes the kids might have a hard time with the purging of the papers in the beginning, but taking pictures of the artwork lets them know that all is not lost. This activity will help your child build that “it is good to let go” feeling.

Hello lovely Mabelhood neighbors! I have been sharing organizing tips here for some time now, and this week I thought I would do something a little bit different. I want to hear from you! Do you have a nagging organizing problem in your home or office? Do you have a persistent paper pile or old pictures stacked way too high?

Share your questions in the comments and I will feature the answer in a future post! We have covered topics like laundry, playrooms and even motivating your children to clean, but there is so much more!

Do you have any problem areas you would like to Ask The Organizer about?