28 Aug 2024

Back-to-School Bliss: Decluttering and Organizing Tips

by | posted in: Decluttering, Home Improvement, Lifestyle, Planning, Productivity | 0
Pic of Desk with books and shelves

As the summer days wind down and the crisp scent of autumn fills the air, it’s time to gear up for the new school year. A fresh start often means a fresh space, and decluttering and organizing can help you and your family feel more prepared and less stressed.

CW Organizing is here to guide you through the process with these helpful tips:

  1. Start with a Clean Slate
    • Purge Unused Items: Begin by going through your child’s belongings and removing anything they no longer use or need. Consider donating items in good condition or having a garage sale.
    • Organize Supplies: Gather all school supplies, such as notebooks, pens, and folders, and sort them into designated bins or compartments. This will make it easy to find what you need when it’s time to hit the books.
  2. Create a Functional Workspace
    • Designate a Study Area: Choose a quiet, well-lit space for your child to do homework. Ensure there’s a comfortable desk and chair, adequate storage for books and supplies, and minimal distractions.
    • Organize Books and Papers: Use bookcases, shelves, or filing systems to keep textbooks, notebooks, and loose papers organized. This will help prevent clutter and make it easier to find what you need.
  3. Optimize Storage
    • Utilize Vertical Space: Maximize storage in your child’s room by using shelves, over-the-door organizers, and under-bed storage containers. This will help keep things tidy and free up floor space.
    • Label Everything: Label storage containers and shelves to help keep things organized and easily accessible. This will make it easier for your child to find what they need and put things away after use.
  4. Incorporate Habits for Ongoing Maintenance
    • Daily Cleanups: Encourage your child to tidy up their belongings at the end of each day. This will help prevent clutter from building up and make it easier to maintain an organized space.
  5. Regular Reviews:
    • Periodically review your child’s belongings to ensure they still serve their purpose. This will help you identify items that can be donated or discarded, keeping the space clutter-free.

By following these tips, you can create a more organized and functional space for your child to learn and grow. Remember, decluttering and organizing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Take it one step at a time and enjoy the feeling of a fresh start as the new school year begins.

Need more personalized help? Contact CW Organizing today for a free consultation!

Visit https://cindywezenbeek.com/contact-us/ to get started. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips and inspiration.

13 Jul 2024

A Day in the Decluttering Zone: Confessions of a Professional Organizer

by | posted in: Decluttering, Home Improvement, Lifestyle, Planning, Productivity | 0
Photo Courtesy of SaltWire

In a recent interview with SaltWire Multimedia, I shed some light on what a typical day looks like for someone in my field. It might not start with a corner office view, but it definitely involves prep. Just like everyone else, I pack a lunch, grab a water bottle – gotta stay fueled for conquering clutter! But instead of a cubicle, my destination is my client’s house, where I’m ready to transform their space.

“We just declutter, organize whatever the project is,” I tell people. Whether it’s a clothes avalanche in a bedroom or a paper mountain exploding in a home office, my team and I work alongside our clients. Our mission? To create functional, calming spaces that reflect their needs. Picture a kitchen where everything has a designated spot, making meal prep a breeze, or a home office free of chaos, allowing for laser focus.

But my passion for organization goes beyond individual clients. I’m a proud Silver Leaf Member of the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC), a group that’s boomed since its humble beginnings 25 years ago. In fact, I’m honored to serve as the current POC President  and have been a board member since 2018.

“It’s grown immensely,” I say with a smile. “We started as a tiny group of six organizers meeting a couple times a year, and now we’re over 450 members strong!” This growth reflects the increasing demand for our services. People are recognizing the power of organized spaces – it’s not just about aesthetics, but improved mental well-being and productivity too.

The POC’s mission is clear: to empower people drowning in clutter and raise awareness of professional organizing as a legitimate industry. “There’s a misconception that we’re perfect, with spotless lives,” I explain. “But that’s totally untrue. We have systems and expertise, but trust me, real homes get messy.” We’re not there to judge; we’re here to guide you through the decluttering process and create systems that work for your unique lifestyle.

So, if you’re feeling defeated by clutter, don’t despair. Professional organizers like me are here to help you reclaim your space and create a more organized, stress-free life. Imagine the satisfaction of walking into a room that feels calming and clutter-free, or the joy of finding what you need exactly when you need it. With a professional organizer by your side, that dream can become your reality.

Get in Touch

Visit https://cindywezenbeek.com/contact-us/ to get started. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook and Instagram for more tips and inspiration.

Watch the full interview with SaltWire Media here:

Healthy Superfood Chocolate Bark
24 Dec 2023

Superfood Chocolate Bark

by | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle, Mental Health, Recipes | 0

Healthy Superfood Chocolate Bark.

Chock full of hearty ingredients to satisfy any sweet tooth without the guilt.

 

Ingredients :

Dark chocolate: The chocolate I use ranges from 70% cacao to 90%, but I most often use 85%. You can use a chopped chocolate bar or chocolate chips – both work.

Oil: You can use any oil you like. I typically use avocado or coconut oil. The oil prevents the chocolate from becoming too dry and brittle as it sets.

Mixed dried fruit and nuts: I use pecans, pistachios, and dried cranberries, dried goji berries, dried coconut flakes. If you have them, dried blueberries and dried cherries add that extra bit of antioxidants to this treat.

 

It’s best to use unsalted nuts. If you like salted chocolate, you can always sprinkle it with a few grains of sea salt, allowing you control over how salty it is.

 

Instructions :

  1. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl.
  2. Melt it in the microwave in 30-second sessions, stirring after each session.
  3. Mix in the oil.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate into a wax-paper-lined 8-inch square pan and immediately sprinkle it with the toppings.
  5. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and freeze it until the chocolate is set, for about 30 minutes.
  6. Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut the chocolate into four large squares or eight small ones.
  7. I often cut it into four large squares and then cut each square into two triangles.
handmade swan christmas ornaments
24 Dec 2023

Christmas Swan Ornament Craft

by | posted in: Crafts, Family Activity, Healthy Lifestyle, Mental Health | 0

Here is a great Family Craft to make on Christmas Eve or any time over the holiday season.

 

Christmas Swan Ornaments :

 

  1. To make, paint a mini pinecone white and let it dry completely.
  2. Roll the end of a white pipe cleaner around itself to make a little head for your swan.
  3. Cut the pipe cleaner about 1” below the head you made and attach it to one end of the pinecone with a dot of hot glue. This will create your swan’s neck and head.
  4. Cut a small triangle out of gold craft paper and attach it to the side of the pipe cleaner head to make your beak.
  5. Cut two small wing shapes out of felt and hot glue them onto the side of the pinecone to make your wings.
  6. Add a looped piece of string to the swan to create an ornament for hanging!

 

self care
7 Sep 2023

Back to School Self Care

by | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle, Mental Health | 0

With the First Week of School underway, we thought we’d offer some tips in the coming weeks to help you and your kids cope.

It can be challenging to step out of the lazy days of summer and into busy routines again.

It can quickly become overwhelming for everyone and lead to stress.

First we’d like to offer a list of tips for maintaining your mental health :

 

  • Prioritize Sleep
  • Build a Daily Stress Relieving Activity
  • Find a Physical Activity you like to do.
  • Know where you can go when you are struggling
  • Get Organized
  • Take Breaks when you need them!

Stay tuned for our next blog when we explore these tips further.

This will help everyone in your household to organize healthy and happy routines.

31 Jul 2023

Summer Bucket List

by | posted in: Uncategorized | 0
Earlier this month, we mentioned the concept of Magical Mystery tours and flexible road tripping.
While magical mystery tours can be fun and relaxed, sometimes it’s a great idea to pre plan some summer activities :
Make a summer bucket list of places you wish to visit, and get online. Work out how far away they are, opening hours, activities and age appropriateness.
Here in Nova Scotia there is so much happening in August and so many great destinations to explore.
In HRM and surrounding areas :
Free by donation or inexpensive places to visit :
  • Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame
  • Maritime Command Museum
  • Cole Harbour Heritage Farm
  • Scott Manor House Museum
  • Shearwater Aviation Museum
  • William Ray Quaker Whaler House
  • University Art Galleries
  • HMCS Sackville
  • York Redoubt National Historic Site
  • Emera Oval. ( bring your kids’ bikes )
  • Point Pleasant Park
  • Public Gardens
Annapolis Valley and areas :
Free, by donation or inexpensive :
  • Oaklawn Zoo.  ( one of the best family zoos in Canada in my opinion ) visit the many animals for a relaxed afteroon.
  • Greenwood Aviation Museum
  • Kingston Farm Market
  • Wolfville Farmer’s Market. 
  • Hennigar’s Farmer’s Market – Wolfville
  • Stirling’s Farmer’s Market
  • Noggins Corner Farm Greenwich
  • Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens Wolfville
  • Fort Anne in Annapolis Royal
  • Port Royal ( just up the road from Annapolis Royal )
  • Stroll Along Main Streets in Wolfville, Berwick, Kentville and Annapolis Royal for interesting shops and cafes
Beaches, so many beaches and they are all free.
Events in August 2023:
Halifax Busker Festival ( multiple locations ) August 2-7
Natal Day Weekend Festivities (multiple locations) August 4-8
Seaport Cider and Beerfest and Fizzfest (Halifax Seaport) August 10-12
Sealight Skylight Festival ( The Deanery Project) August 12th
Great Outdoors Comedy Fest featuring Jerry Seinfeld ( Halifax Garrison Grounds) August 11-13th
Clam Harbour Beach Sandcastle Competition ( Clam Harbour Beach Provincial Park ) August 13
Halifax County Exhibition August 16-19
fruit popsicles
30 Jul 2023

Healthy Fruity Popsicles

by | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle, Recipes | 0

Healthy summertime popsicles are easy as can be. The biggest challenge will be deciding which ones to make.

Start with whole berries, blackberries and blueberries sliced fruit like Strawberries, Oranges, Pineapple, Mango, and Kiwi.

Add your fruit to molds. There are a wide variety of popsicle molds to use. Silicon molds are our go to for their ease of use and durability.

Then decide your base, for creamy popsicles, used Greek Yogurt, or Coconut Milk, for more fruity, icy popsicles you can use Water, Coconut Water, Orange or Apple Juice.

You can also puree fruit and even vegetables together for a more condensed frozen treat.

You can enjoy them with the natural sweetness from the fruit, or add 2-4 tablespoons of Maple Syrup, Sugar, Honey or Agave to add some healthy sweetness.


Ingredients

Berry Lemon
½ cup orange juice
1 ½ cup fresh berries
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon zest
2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar

Rainbow Fruit
1 cup sliced fruit
1 ½ cups coconut water
2 to 4 Tbsp honey or sugar


Berries and Cream
1 ½ cups fresh berries
2 Tbsp honey or sugar
1 cup full-fat plain Greek yogurt
½ tsp vanilla extract

Coconut Lime
1 14-oz can full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup lime juice
2 Tbsp lime zest
¼ cup honey

Sneaky Spinach
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup fresh spinach
¼ cup honey
2 bananas


Instructions

Mix: Mix your ingredients and pour into molds according to the popsicle you want to make:

Berry Lemon: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.

Rainbow Fruit: Distribute fruit into molds. Combine coconut water and honey, then pour into molds, tapping on the counter to remove air pockets.

Berries and Cream: Puree berries until smooth (add a touch of water or juice if needed to get things moving). Stir together yogurt, honey, and vanilla. Spoon berries and yogurt into molds in alternating layers.

Coconut Lime: Stir together all ingredients. Pour into molds.

Sneaky Spinach: Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into molds.

Freeze: Insert popsicle sticks and freeze until hard, at least 4 hours.

Unmold: Run mold under warm water for a few seconds to loosen, then remove pops from the molds.

Thai Coconut Chicken
30 Jul 2023

Thai Coconut Grilled Chicken

by | posted in: Healthy Lifestyle | 0

Ingredients :

  • Chicken Thighs (boneless, skinless if possible)
  • Canned Coconut Milk
  • Limes
  • Sriracha or Sambal Oeleck (thai hot chili paste)
  • Brown Sugar
  • Vegetable or Olive Oil
  • Ginger
  • Garlic
  • Salt
  • Cilantro

    • Instructions :

    Make marinade :
    In a medium bowl, whisk together coconut milk, lime juice and zest, sambal oeleck, brown sugar, vegetable oil, coriander, cumin, tumeric, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, and season with salt to taste.

    Reserve a portion of marinade: Measure out 1/3 cup of marinafe mixture (leaving plenty of garlic and ginger behind) and reserve separately in the fridge for later use.

    Place chicken in resealable bag or bowl. Pour marinade over chicken and put in fridge for 1-6 hours to marinade.

    When the chicken has had time to marinade, preheat Heat Grill, until it reaches 400 degrees. Cook Chicken on grill 5 minutes, then baste with reserved marinade often, flip chicken and continue to baste until chicken is 165 degrees in centre. Do not over cook!

    Transfer chicken to plate, with Jasmine rice and vegetable of your choice, and garnish with cilantro.

    Enjoy!

    30 Apr 2023

    Back Yard Vegetable Gardening Tips

    by | posted in: Gardening, Healthy Lifestyle, Home Improvement, Mental Health, Staging your House | 0

    As we head into May, now is a great time to start planting your backyard or patio vegetable garden.

    This time of year the weather is starting to get milder and the frost has thawed.

    Here in Nova Scotia, the best Vegetables to plant in your yard are:

    • Beans
    • Carrots
    • Garlic
    • Leafy Greens
    • Potatoes
    • Tomatoes and
    • Squash.

    Depending on where in Canada you are, the soil and conditions can be very different.

    Here in Nova Scotia, the soil can be very rocky, in some parts quite sandy.  In these conditions, raised garden beds could be a blessing.  However, vegetables and other plants, do grow very well in these sandy soils as long as they are topped with a nutrient rich black soil that include nitrogen, manures, composts, and organic fertilizers for more sustainable growing support. In most areas, garden soil can be bought at your local Hardware store, garden centre or even ordered by the truck load from farms for larger areas.

    There are so many varieties of beans to choose from.  If you have a fenced yard, climbing beans can be great planted against your fence or arches for an ornamental look. Bush beans can be grown in smaller spaces, even an apartment patio without requiring support.

    Carrots are slower to grow, but you can pull some as the season goes on.  Pull some for your summer salad, then leave some to grow larger. Pull some in the fall for harvest suppers or, you could even wait until very early winter when they are full matured.

    Leafy greens like spinach, Arugula, Kale, Bok Choy, and a variety of Lettuces can be planted right away and you should have a harvest ready within several weeks. These can be grown well into the winter and there are a variety of techniques that can help you keep them coming back in abundance.

    Tomatoes are another crop that could abundantly produce throughout the season and with so many varieties you could grow them in your apartment or in your yard. Choose tomato varieties that suit your climate. Here in Nova Scotia, Brandywine, Scotia, Sun Gold, and Sweet Million are the best.

    Squash and Potatoes are plants that require a bit more room.  While you could grow some varieties in buckets and planter boxes, a larger spaced out yard would be ideal for these crops.

    Happy Gardening!

     

    20 Jan 2023

    Some Planning and Task Management Tools to help you

    by | posted in: Planning | 0

    It’s 2023 and a great time to start setting goals, learning some new habits and getting organized.

    As we suggested in our post today, a task manager or Calendar could make planning and organizing your life easier.

    PLAN AHEAD :

    Life can be unpredictable. That doesn’t mean that a little planning doesn’t go a long way. A task manager or just a notebook and a calendar are all the tools you need to think and plan in advance and organize your life.

    Set aside a time to map out your days and plan your weeks. Here are some tips:

    Dedicate an hour a week to planning your week. ( ie: Friday afternoon, Monday morning)

    Plan and schedule in the small things – they add up! ( ie: laundry, cleaning etc.)

    Overestimate how long a task will take you.

    Try time blocking your day.

    Here are some great Digital Tools that we would recommend :

    Todoist
    Google Tasks
    Any.do
    Habitica (this one is also a game for those who are gamers)

    These have free or paid options.

    Of course there are many other free apps like Reminders that come with an iphone and the like.

    If Tech is not your thing, a good old fashioned Notebook, Paper Planner, or Calendar can do the trick and there are so many to choose from. Walmart, Staples and Amazon have many great ones.

    Hope this helps get you started toward a successfully organized 2023.