I wasn’t surprised with the results of a 2009 Office Depot survey in which it was concluded that in today's economy organization is no longer nice to have, but a need to have for working moms. According to Office Depot's "CEO of the Home" survey, 87% of the working moms polled said they wanted to be more organized this year, 65% said that being well-organized is very important to helping their families save money (which 84% are trying to do), 58% said that they’ve forgotten to pay a bill on time and half cited that they have lost important information or an important document at home. And my favorite: 82% of working moms fail to take enough time for themselves and 62% lose touch with friends or family. HOWEVER, four in ten women have trouble
keeping organized. This doesn’t sound like very much fun to me – especially now that I’m on the brink of becoming a working mom. Then I realize, thank God I’m an organizer. I can do this. It may involve a lot of lists, but I can do this.
(Speaking of, I will soon post some adorable mom list pads that are both functional and stylish from my favorite organizational retailer.) 
This got me thinking. No wonder our home life is suffering at the hands of the working world. Organization is not something we learn at home, home economics is no longer viewed as an adequate nor necessary course in school, and yet there has never been a time when these skills could be more useful. Our energy is expended in so many directions as our responsibilities outside of the house expand and oftentimes we get more caught up in what we ‘should’ be doing rather than what we are actually doing. And I’m just talking about being a working woman without a child. As an expectant single mom, the fact of adding another being to the equation has made me truly appreciate and understand how essential it is to be organized if I want to enjoy this process at all. There are so many components involved in motherhood as I am learning, and I am literally awestruck at how some families have five and six and in the case of my grandmother eight children and manage with a smile. For the most part.
So mamas and friends, my interest in writing this blog is to impart any tips, suggestions, advice, and inspirations I have learned or will uncover during my journey that can help you, too, to simplify or enhance your life. To me, organization is all about choices. The less time we have to spend on the mundane and necessary aspects of life, i.e. the paying bills, running errands, buying soap, doing laundry, the more time we have for that which matters to us. I call that Choice Time. Minimize the mundane, maximize the joy. I believe the clearer we get on what we allow into our home, the clearer we become on how we want to live our lives.
So......if this concept resonates with you, my first suggestion before baby arrives is to begin the decluttering process. Ideally, you can do this in your second, and from what I've heard 'golden', trimester, since during the first you're most likely feeling nauseous, exhausted and grumpy. You can follow my guidelines, if you'd like, as they are simple and clear. The first question I pose to my clients while sorting through their belongings is: do you love it, do you use it, and if you knew where it was, would you use it or love it? If the answer is no, you probably don’t need it in your home.
TIP # 1 – Start small.
1. Give yourself fifteen minutes using a timer and a drawer.
2. Ask yourself the three questions.
3. Then toss, donate or recycle what you don’t use or love.
4. Organize that which is left -- by category.
5. Say Adios for the day! Reward yourself. Take a walk. Take a bath. Indulge in a craving --- Treat yourself!
Serena and Lily's - 
