Episodes

  • 661 - Audience Q&A 3 - The Sunday Basket (Invisible Work)

    661 - Audience Q&A 3 - The Sunday Basket (Invisible Work)
    Jun 20 2025

    I’m sticking with answering your questions about the invisible work we do. And today is all about the Sunday Basket®. I didn’t yet have a name for it. But I’ll never forget the sense of accomplishment from the first time I tried my idea out that became the Sunday Basket®. In 2012, Joey went down for his normal 20 min nap, and I, Lisa Woodruff, actually got a few calls made and checked a few things off my list. The more I did it the more I realized this was something all household managers needed. And now I had a plan to get control of my to do’s and paper. Organization is a learnable skill.

    Delayed gratification = Productivity

    The Sunday Basket® is a box on your kitchen counter to “collect all”. On Sunday, you make decisions. One person asked “How do you know what to do first?” Reality check: you are not going to get all your to-do’s done. We are all overcommitted. When I go through my Sunday Basket®, it’s really a process of elimination; what is the least I can get away with doing. When you only take care of the things necessary, you free up time for you. And this is why we use note cards! You don’t need to do the busy work of rewriting your to-do list, you just decide if each thing on each note card needs to be done by next Sunday or not and you put it right back in it’s slash pocket if not.

    One person noted they spend all their time going through slash pockets and recreating their to-do list. I remember being worried, “What was I going to do when I completed my Sunday Basket®?” It’s important to know what you are freeing up time to do. How would you feel actually completing one of those tasks each week? Then two each week? Then what’s that big reward? Will you get more time with your family? Continue your education? Plan what you will do with all that extra time.

    Sunday Basket® for now and later

    A Sunday Basket® can be utilized in many ways. I answered one question about using it for finances. You can have a whole Sunday Basket for finances where you track and plan your 401K, Investments, and projects or large ticket items that you are planning to purchase. I use my household manager one for monthly tasks including bills. I have a separate one for larger financial planning.

    Another person inquired about all the tips she’s saved and if putting them in her Sunday Basket® was a good idea. If it’s tips or instructions for something difficult to find each time you need to do it, print it off and place them in your Household Operations Binder. And/Or, you could have a whole Sunday Basket® devoted to projects, book tours, getting your PhD, recipes, and life hacks for “someday.” I recommend pink because that’s the color for you, the future, and dreaming. The Sunday Basket® is a great place to store ideas and you will know where to find them later. Then when you have the time from only doing necessary tasks, you have time for something that doesn’t need to be done but that you have been wanting to do.

    We have the Sunday Basket® for your household manager role. And there is the Friday Workbox for work. They both help in similar manners but the slash pockets have slightly different functions. We offer bundles to help you make the most out of you purchase to maximize your organization and productivity results. If you really don’t know where to start, you won’t break customer service’s heart to call and they’ll shop with you. They love to hear what you are working on and suggest the perfect products for you and the phase of life you are in.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • The Sunday Basket®

    • Friday Workbox®

    • Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

    Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!
    Show more Show less
    55 mins
  • Transformation with Carly L.

    Transformation with Carly L.
    Jun 16 2025
    In this episode, I introduce you to Carly L. is married with two children. Carly was looking for paper organization solutions and came across the book “The Paper Solution.” Paper has always been Carly’s nemesis but it was to a point where she couldn’t locate important papers. Her daughter would be starting Kindergarten soon and she knew she had to do something with all of her disorganization. Carly joked she was so disorganized that she missed the Black Friday sale to purchase the Sunday Basket®. Carly grew up in an organized home, but hers wasn’t. She described it as feeling a low level of constant anxiety humming. There was constant chaos of not knowing where things were. She thought other books and checklists were going to help her. But, in fact, Carly has gained so much empowerment from the books and the Organize 365® systems. She passionately explained how we are building lives here. She values how Organize 365® teaches people how to think about organizing. The skills you learn can evolve with the phase of life you are in . It’s not the picture perfect containers that will help get you organized. “Lisa did it and I can too.” If your kitchen cabinet isn’t working where it is and you want it in the laundry room, you just get out your tools and make it happen. That’s what Carly did because she remembered the story I shared of me doing the same thing. You have to make your house work for the phase of life your family is in. Carly said things don’t get organized, you do and systems do. Carly claims you can’t have the Sunday Basket® and not be productive. Carly uses her Sunday Basket® and she ordered the Holiday bundle that came with a Sunday Basket® for Christmas and one for taxes. Carly also takes care of her mother-in-law, and has a Sunday Basket® for her as well as a Medical Binder. When her father-in-law passed, her MIL didn’t know anything a household manager would know. She has poor English and it was difficult to navigate. Now, with the help of the Sunday Basket®, Carly can stay organized with all things concerning her MIL. Then Carly said, I’d like to request a Sunday Basket® for the military. I was excited to spill the beans early to her (in December when this was recorded) about the PCS box we recently unveiled. We talked a lot about the relocation process and all of the paperwork. We talked about the marital roles the military expects. Carly talked about how the Sunday Basket® helps a person to compartmentalize tasks. It’s like a personal assistant reminding you of the things you need to do and will be very helpful for PCS’ing. And she claims a Sunday Basket® will help your marriage. She found she was purchasing duplicate items and couldn’t locate important things. Their home environment is much more calm and she can be the partner she wants to be because she knows where things are. She doesn’t feel like she’s constantly playing whack a mole anymore. It’s functional organization, that you get from the Organize 365® systems, that serves us. She pointed out that even if you are tired, you can do a 15 minute organization task. Carly appreciates that you can jump back into the system anytime. She feels the planning days are magical. Her family is thriving because of routines she has in place. She warned planning is one part but then you just gotta do it! She has gained so much self esteem from everything she has implemented. Carly’s advice is, “Don’t give up on yourself. And if you fail,it’s just like a child, you’re gonna crawl, then you’re gonna walk, and the your gonna be running!” EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Paper Solution® The Productive Home Solution® Home Planning Day Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!
    Show more Show less
    50 mins
  • Audience Q&A 2 - Decluttering and How to Get Started (Visible Work)

    Audience Q&A 2 - Decluttering and How to Get Started (Visible Work)
    Jun 13 2025
    Ok, this is so much fun answering all of the questions that have come in. I decided to organize the questions in the same order in which you would experience in The Productive Home Solution®. In the next 10 episodes, we are going to look at all of the visible work we all do. When it comes to getting organized we want to eliminate the overwhelm and disorganization and get to being productive and organized so you can do what you are uniquely created to do. Decluttering comes first and it is getting rid of what you no longer need. Decluttering is like vacuuming, it’s got to be done over and over. Do not confuse it for getting organized. I’ve seen people over-declutter, then have regrets, and then not like being “organized”. Someone asked “How do you know when you are done?” I say when you have made enough space to start moving things around in the space you are organizing, that’s good enough. You will find in that process that you find more things you want to declutter. Getting organized is totally different; it’s getting your home to a functional state for the phase of life your family is in. Organizing your life is opening up more time to do what you want to do and being more productive. I’d like you to have realistic expectations and just know this will take you roughly three years to get fully organized. The more you do it the more you build those muscles. After we all do our closets and kitchens, which seem to have some universal set up, we don’t know what to do. There are so many variables like our age, the phase our family is in, and where we live that can demand we use our houses in different ways, maybe untraditional ways. A question came in regarding items she’d decluttered. She wanted to get rid of some items but was struggling because they have financial value. You have to decide to donate, have a garage sale/selling online, or toss the items. I explained how I needed money so I held a garage sale and sold things online. There is a whole video about having a garage sale in The Productive Home Solution®. I advised her to start collecting these items somewhere near the garage. This makes it easier if you are going to hold a garage sale or if you will need to put these items in your car for donation drop off. I also talked about claiming your donations on your taxes. And I discussed the mental hurdles of getting rid of items. I know for me it was difficult to admit I was not going back to the classroom, I was not going to be pregnant, and I didn’t want some handed down items. We have to admit that that chapter of our life is finished. I found holding onto those items made me reflective of the past and I really want to be future oriented. By getting rid of those items the negative emotions left and opened up space literally and figuratively for the future. Organization is future oriented. And another person wrote in with questions about combining households and how much she was overwhelmed with all of the boxes in all the rooms, not to mention their storage unit and her mother-in-law’s things, who has passed away. I suggested a few boxes a day. See if there are duplicates and decide which one to keep and which one will be donated or whatever. And never make someone get rid of things of a loved one until the person is ready. It usually takes 5 years for the attachment of the item to the passed person to become less or be gone. And then I addressed cleaning and organizing. It’s really hard to clean a cluttered home. You can lower your standards of what clean means. You need to declutter. And then you can consider a cleaning person if you want so you have more time to organize. Or you can take advantage of the free Household Manager 21 day bootcamp! It was created so you could get a taste of getting organized. You start by printing out the calendar, pick your three weeks, and big black trash bag energy. This is to teach you how to declutter and organize a space. Give it a try and tell me about your transformation! EPISODE RESOURCES: The Sunday Basket® The Productive Home Solution® ^ Garage Sale Episode - Inside The Productive Home Solution® ^ Household Manager 21 Day Bootcamp Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday. Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
  • 659 - Audience Q&A 1 - Lisa Answers Personal and Family Related Questions

    659 - Audience Q&A 1 - Lisa Answers Personal and Family Related Questions
    Jun 9 2025

    Happy Monday! Anna had this great idea for this summer on the podcast; the idea was to address questions from the Organize 365® community. I asked Anna if she thought we’d get any responses? We did. We got 70 questions in the first 24 hours. So, today we’re getting personal answering questions about my family and how I navigate incorporating my business.

    Family Involvment

    The question was asked about what I do when my family members don’t want to participate in organization. I reiterated many times in this episode that I think my view point now is because of my lived experience up to age 53, that I am now. As women, our roles change a lot depending on the phase of life our family is at. I am out of active parenting years, made it through menopause, and just feel less emotional more matter of fact.

    In the brain, schemas are organized patterns of knowledge, or mental frameworks, used to interpret and understand the world. It’s like a repeated skill that you have mastered. So if you always make the kids lunches, organize the schedule for the family, and get the groceries, you likely have schemas for those tasks. But then you ask your husband (or kids) to step in and he doesn’t do it as well as you. He doesn’t have the years of schemas built up that you do. You’re asking the rookie to do, without training, what the World Series player normally does.

    What you focus on is what grows. Focus on what your family does right. I mentioned on a side note that being an entrepreneur has afforded me luxuries that Greg doesn’t have and that makes him a little jealous. You never know the root of the negativity you get from your family. But I know my boundaries and goals and what it will take to accomplish them. And stop doing so much. Allow your family to assume some tasks like those teenage kids. Let them form schemas. OR I just focus on my areas and what I can do. I have accepted that I am only in control of myself.

    What I contribute to my organizational success

    There are 4 things that I can see I incorporated into my systems. Mind you first they were just systems for myself and my clients. From the Franklin Covey Planners I gained the idea of beginning with the end in mind. I liked how the Slob Sisters, who wrote Side Tracked Home Executive, had you write everything down on note cards and then there was a rotation system to keep you on track. Fly Lady had the control journal that I loved. But at the end of the day it was too many tasks eating up my day. I then decided what was the minimum I could get away with doing each day based on what could wait. And lastly, Getting Things Done by David Allen. It was good for executives but I needed something for parenting and a household manager.

    And for my PhDers out there, I explained all about my organization of papers for my school work and now the dissertation.

    With all of the things I do, naturally someone asked about me taking down time and getting sick. I have always been a naturally energetic person. I love to be busy with my hands. Down time for me is doing a puzzle while watching tv with Greg. I can’t even relax at the beach! And as far as getting sick. Most times, you won’t know I‘m sick till I’m back in the saddle. I deny the possibility as long as I can. But I always have peace of mind if I do get sick because I try to be a week or two ahead, in work, to prevent the cascade of everyone else completing their work. Like I’ve said before “I’m where work comes from.” Always in that ready state of preparedness. And you get to choose how you respond to situations. Your attitude is a choice.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • Sunday Basket®

    • Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

    Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media.
    Show more Show less
    49 mins
  • 658 - The Current State of Housing in America

    658 - The Current State of Housing in America
    Jun 6 2025
    49 mins
  • Transformation with Amanda A.

    Transformation with Amanda A.
    Jun 4 2025

    In this episode, I introduce you to Amanda A. who is married with three kids. Amanda found herself with compounding Golden Windows which created a little chaos in her life. She had just started back to work, went to transfer files to her dropbox and stumbled upon an old bundle she’d downloaded years prior - the Ultimate Bundle. It was exactly what she needed and her “relationship” with Organize 365® took off from there.

    Amanda had tried a lot of other organizational systems but none of them seemed to be the solution. When Amanda came across the module about organizing your schedule is when she felt relief. Golden windows Amanda was experiencing were her turning 40, moving to IL., she had a baby, took care of her mom her mom, covid hit. That was the two years leading up to 2021. In 2021, August she went back to work after 4 years, in Nov. her son needed medical help, and in Dec. of 2021 she was able to get a handle of it all that fateful day when she came across the module to organize her schedule. Amanda has ADHD and while she understands getting your life under control starting with the Sunday Basket® consistently for 6 weeks, that wasn’t her.

    We had such a great productive conversation about using the space in your home for the phase of life you are in. Amanda is using her dining room as her office. It’s where everything gets processed anyway so why not? I shared how “Grayson’s Room” upstairs has changed purpose over the years and as recently as a few weeks ago. When I found out Abby was pregnant I re-assessed how we need to be using that space. That’s exactly what Amanda did with her dining room and talking through it, may be Christmas Central too this December.

    Amanda shared about their steak drawer. They made a drawer in their kitchen functional for when her husband or son want to make steak, which is often! Once you decide how you want to use a space, think of any obstacles you may have and problem solve. A cabinet can be used the same as a drawer or vice versa. They purchased their home from a couple who had recently became empty nesters. There were some features they would never use. One was when the beverage cooler went out. She reimagined the space with a mini fridge that now houses school lunch items. Amanda has a lot of Organize 365r products, including The Productive Home solution. She was paralyzed where to start because the members were on a different day that day 1. Amanda was skeptical that a storage space or or laundry room would stay organized. These are the spaces you start with because they stay organized the longest. So she started in their laundry room. Sure enough…she cleaned out the winter stuff, gave items homes, and to her disbelief, it stayed organized!

    Amanda has more perspective by pausing and thinking about how she needs to do stuff. She likes to flit around in the programs and that suits her ADHD but compounds to be organized. And she wishes she’d known that no one is being as critical as she is about her home. She has such bad negative self talk about the state of her home at one time. But now,

    Amanda’s advice is, “You can have as many redos or day 1’s as you need. When starting the Productive Home Solution, you can start where you want. And if you need to restart, do that! Planning day is like that for me every few months. Time to start over.”

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • The Sunday Basket®

    • The Paper Solution®

    • The Productive Home Solution®

    • Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter

    On the Wednesday podcast, I get to talk with members of the Organize 365­® community as they share the challenges, progress, missteps and triumphs along their organizing journey. I am grateful that you are reaching out to share with me and with this community. You can see and hear transformation in action. If you are ready to share your story with us, please apply at https://organize365.com/wednesday.
    Show more Show less
    45 mins
  • Coffee Chat - Customer Appreciation Days are HERE!

    Coffee Chat - Customer Appreciation Days are HERE!
    Jun 3 2025

    Yesssss, announcing Customer Appreciation Days!! This Thursday through Monday at midnight. Boy do I have some great deals for you. If you have had your eye on a product for a while now is your time to get it at 15% off. Also, there will be daily deals too!

    There are videos each day to keep you in the loop of everything Organize 365®. Thursdays deals are geared towards all the new products and “while they last” products. If you feel like you have a handle on your home and work, this is the day for you.

    Friday is going to feature additional deals on the Friday Workbox and coincidentally, it’s also the Live Friday Workbox Planning Day. I’d take a look at the All in Work bundle, the Productivity Pack, and the meeting agenda course.

    Saturday is focused on all of the invisible and visible work that we do in our homes. If you’ve been wanting to really dive into your home now is your chance to get The Complete Home Organization Bundle, The Paper Solution, The Productive Home Solution, and more at a discount. I appreciate you guys!!

    Sunday is of course all about the Sunday Basket®! If you are new to Organize 365® this is a great starting place for anyone to get organized.

    Monday is your last chance to place your order - don’t miss out on these crazy deals.

    Go print off the workbook so you can see all the products, so you can figure out what is going to be best for your summer transformation for what you want to do for organizing your home and paper and your life in the fall.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • Customer Appreciation You Tube Videos

    • CustomerService@organize365.com

    • Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter


    Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media.
    Show more Show less
    5 mins
  • 657 - Boundaries ?

    657 - Boundaries ?
    May 30 2025

    Summer planning round 3, ding ding ding. I share a lot of my life because I am part of the Organize 365® brand. I’ve been podcasting for over 12 years and over that time I have shared a lot about me, my life, and my family. Recently I shared how I wanted to spend the next 120 days upleveling the upstairs of my house. Those plans changed when Abby decided to have back surgery. And once again those plans have changed. And when evaluating my boundaries, I asked to share some news on this podcast I’d been withholding to explain why all the changes.

    My personal life

    A year or two ago I started practicing boundaries. My family has never been upset with anything that I shared but I started thinking they are adults and it’s their news to share when there’s news. I don’t need to share everything. And a year ago I decided to stop sharing vacation/trips with social media and on the app. But then I wanted to share something while I was on a trip and I questioned my boundaries. I’ve decided I have boundaries in place but when I want to share something I will even if it goes against those boundaries. My boundaries are flexible.

    Unexpected golden window

    When Abby’s back surgery got cancelled, I removed the “When Abby has back surgery” google calendar and my calendar was bare! I’d dedicated about 80% of my upcoming time to take care of Grayson and Abby. Now what did I want to do in this unexpected golden window? People often ask “I have so much to do, but when I have a pocket of time, I don’t know what to do first.” I say all you need to do is just pick. I had lots of options when that time opened up on my calendar. I decided I want to make the PhD a priority. You see, Abby had to do some pre-operation bloodwork that revealed she’s expecting. Yes!! Hence the surgery is off. This discovery led to a cascade of changes for the next 120 days. The second thing I decided I wanted to do was revisiting creating an office upstairs in our house. And I created a little bedroom upstairs for Grayson like I’d mentioned before so our house is ready for this next phase of life. Wanna know how I’m gonna spend the rest of this time?

    Italy, a Wedding, and a Baby

    Knowing the baby is coming in December, I want to plan our Italy trip for this fall. It’s been cancelled a few times, and I want to go before Abby needs us with baby #2. More news I’ve been keeping private is that Abby is engaged and they’re getting married in the Spring of 2026, so we definitely need to squeeze this trip in. Pray for me as I plan this wedding. LOL So travel, travel is the other thing I want to do for this 120 days. By the time you listen to this episode I will have just come back from Michigan. Greg and Joey are headed to the Keys. When we head to FL I’m taking Grayson to Disney (secretly hoping it becomes our little tradition.) I’m taking an adult field trip to VA. And I’ll be planning this Italian trip for the fall that we’ve talked about taking forever! So I have a few things keeping me busy.

    I will not be creating any courses or Sunday Baskets® for weddings, vacationing, or any other courses based on the events currently in my life. I’m not a public figure that is going to try to be an expert in everything I do. When I created Organize 365® I chose a subject I was an expert in and a subject that I wanted to talk and teach about until I was at least 80. Teaching others about organization is my unique gift and I’m going to stay in that lane.

    EPISODE RESOURCES:

    • The Sunday Basket®

    • Sign Up for the Organize 365® Newsletter


    Did you enjoy this episode? Please leave a rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Share this episode with a friend and be sure to tag Organize 365® when you share on social media!
    Show more Show less
    48 mins
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup