Have you ever pictured what your week was going to look like but when you got to Friday you wondered what happened? That’s me this week. I had so many plans and projects. I’d even written a few blog posts – in my head. And somewhere in my posts, I was going to drop a hint or two about my Friday Give-Away!
Like Forest Gump explained so many years ago, life really is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.
This week, I didn’t get what I hoped for. I’m still trying to figure out what happened. I don’t know if I had too many things to do, or if I didn’t organize my time and my to-dos well. Although I got a lot done, I didn’t complete all I needed and wanted to accomplish.
Ever since summer ended and school started, I’ve felt like I’m trying to catch up and like it’s not going to happen any time soon. Honestly, I feel like my life’s chocolates are melting, and I’m not enjoying them as much as I’d like to.
It’s kind of ironic. Me needing help organizing my time and my life. You see, it fits perfectly with my Friday Give-Away, and I wasn’t even trying to drop hints. Today’s give-away is all about getting organized by making the most of the time and tasks God has given each of us!
introduce you to my good friend, Karen Ehman, who is the author of “The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized”. You will have a chance to win her book, a $10 gift card to buy some time-saving, life-organizing tools from Target and a box of chocolates in today’s give-away!Karen recently shared with me why she wrote this book:
Even though organizing my “stuff” and managing my time came pretty naturally for me, I was completely thrown for a loop when I became a mom. It is one thing to get all your ducks in a row. It is quite another to keep them that way when you have a family. Just as soon as you line them up, along comes one of your kiddos (or your hubby!) knocking them all down again!
I wrote this book to walk alongside other women, helping them to understand their unique situation–their season of life, the stage of their kids, their personality type–all of those components that go into finding an organizing style that “fits” them. Then from there, I help them set the bar where they want it set.
Karen, what is unique about your book?
I don’t offer a one–size–fits–all method because I’m convinced we all view success in organizing differently. One gal may HATE a junk drawer with an assortment of items tossed in. Another thinks such a drawer is a staple of life. The second gal might really be driven nuts by dust, but not by clutter such as unfolded, clean laundry. On the other hand, her friend might not mind a thin layer of dust on her furniture but cannot stand having unfolded laundry in view. This book helps gals decide what organization looks like to them and then helps them to get there.
Also, being a women who manages her time well and organizes her home and office isn’t an end in itself. It has to be about something more. I like to teach women how to take care of the ‘have tos’ of life–the cleaning, menu planning, grocery shopping, laundry, errand-running and such, so they can actually get around to the ‘want tos’ of life—connecting with God, spending time with their husbands and kids, hanging out with that friend or pursuing that passion. This book helps them get there!
What will women gain from reading your book?
Again, the key to good organization is not a one–size–fits–all method. It is a unique plan that considers personality type, lifestyle, income level, and family schedule. I offer a simple step by step process to help women recognize their own personal style of managing their households successfully and develop a unique plan that gives them the freedom to:
- manage their time wisely
- de–clutter and organize their homes
- plan menus, shop more efficiently, and become more comfortable and creative in the kitchen
- get children involved in pursuing an ordered life and home
- avoid the trap of over-commitment
- use practical tools to assist in organization
Getting and staying organized means more time for the important things in family life—concentrating on cultivating a close, personal relationship with the Creator, drawing His word into every aspect of living, and ultimately tying their children’s heartstrings to God.
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If you would like to win a copy of“The Complete Guide to Getting and Staying Organized”, a $10 Target gift card and a box of chocolates, today’s your day!
You can enter to win by clicking on the word “comments” below and let me know your biggest organizational challenge. I’ll share mine on Monday with some photos. I’ll also be back later to list some other give-aways and links below this post so you can visit and enter to win other Friday Give-aways over the weekend.
If you would like two chances to win, leave a comment and a link to any give-aways you know about that go through the weekend. I’ll be back Monday to announce my winner and share my biggest personal organizational challenge.
After you enter to win by leaving your name, email so I can reach you if you win, and your organizational challenge by clicking on the word “comments below, be sure to visit Karen’s blogwhere she’s also giving away a copy of her book as well as a $10 Target gift card and some dark chocolates!
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Ugh! My desk (which includes mail) is my biggest organizational challenge. And, I'm a clutter bug and a book-o-holic…bad combination!! 🙂
denise – [email protected]
My largest organizing challenge is my craft stuff. I have so much that I know I will use. But I have to pare down.
Lets see… I have lots of organizational challenges but, my biggest organizational challenge is my bedroom. It is the catch-all room for all the clutter in the house. I've been working on cleaning out 1 room a month. I think it is going to take me longer than the 13 months I had initially planned ;-).
I could stand to be more organized. A friend and I have often talked about trying to help each other get organized. I think this book would help.
I could stand to be more organized. A friend and I have often talked about trying to help each other get organized. I think this book would help.
SOCKS and school papers. I had four boys in 6 years so all of their socks are pretty close. With daily life, soccer and dress socks, it seems impossible to keep them all organized. Then there are those papers. To keep or not to keep x's 4. http://www.monicahawkins.com
Mail, mail, and more mail!
My biggest challenge is our garage. Our basement is now finished and I can begin cleaning and storing now that the drywall dust is gone (almost-not sure all of it ever goes away!).
My biggest challenge is the end of my kitchen counter. It has become the family dumping ground. [email protected]
Paper clutter!
Please sign me up!
My biggest organizational challenge is all the paperwork/newspapers and magazines that pile up. I can't throw all the magazines out because I may want something in there later! ugh! But where do I put them? Oh and books. Love them and can not get rid of them!
Oh hallelujah – sign me up….my dear hubby would love to see our house and me get organized!!! I think I'm just an organized messy and he laughs at me all the time! Please enter me in the contest…
thanks
My clothes! It seems they pile up and once I get them all clean at once, I can hardly find room to put them all way. They pile up on the dresser and floor and its a constant battle.
My biggest organizational challenge is finding a place for everything – but at the same time getting rid of the non-essentials. I'm in the midst of a big decluttering. But I'm finding that I'm creating more of a mess than what I had before.
My biggest challenge is the kids papers from school. I want to keep some of them but never find the time to go through and decide which ones to keep and which ones to throw. As a result I have piles of their papers on my scrapbook table.
ps I love your new blog header. It makes me feel like we're sitting face-to-face. I love to see your gorgeous smiling face.
hugs!
I just met Karen at She Speaks and am already in love of her and in awe of her love for God and she practically walks it out. If anyone ever needed this book it's me!!!!!
My week's been exactly the same as yours it seems. When is your book's release date?? I can't wait =)
I am not sure I can name just one thing for my "biggest" organizational challenge. I am going to name two: one is that I am seriously the only one in my family who CARES what the house looks like or whether things are organized; and two is that things get way out of control when I have to work long hours and I can't be personally overseeing things. Then when I have a day off, I can't relax, but have to take care of the messes! [email protected]
There are clutter issues in my home. Letting go of items not used anymore would be helpful to every member of the family. Secondarily, finding appropriate, permanent homes for what is lying out in the open. This has been an ongoing issue in my family as my husband won't throw away junk mail until he is ready. [email protected]
My biggest organizational challenge is getting rid of stuff. I can set up a system, but then I just keep adding to the basket until it is overflowing and I can't find anything. This applies to closets, drawers, you name it. God bless!
[email protected]