Declutter Tips

Storage Sheds – The Un-Clutter Solution

2008-03-18T22:49:00.000-07:00

A storage shed is a light structure (generally made of wood) in a back garden used for storage of tools, vehicles, or useful items and is very often used to pursue hobbies like gardening and light engineering. Storage sheds are available in a variety of designs and materials in the market.

Types of Storage Sheds Based on Material. The materials used for storage sheds are wood, plywood, vinyl, metal, steel and Rubbermaid. The materials have various advantages and disadvantages. Wood is the preferred material as it gives an aesthetic appeal. However wood needs to be treated for ultraviolet protection every year and sometimes treatment is also given for protection against pests and borers. Cedar wood is preferred material. Particle wood and plywood are very popular for storage shed sidings. However they are least resistant to water as they get out of shape after repeated wetting and drying. Hence plywood should be avoided in places where it rains frequently.

Vinyl has the advantage of being maintenance free. However vinyl is lower on the visual attractiveness scale. Metal sidings include aluminum, which is light and when anodized gives a good look and lasts a long time. Steel sidings, though cheap, should be avoided as they rust easily. Metal sidings have the least appealing look. Vinyl coated steel has a long life and gives good strength. Rubbermaid and poly vinyl chloride sidings are maintenance free ,requiring no painting, no rust treatment and no rot or pest treatment. One thing that should be looked into while selecting siding material is that the siding material should match with the main building siding material. A different siding material may give a contrasting look to the storage shed.

Do It Yourself Kits Vs Professional Installation. Storage sheds can be professionally installed as well as self assembled. Usually for easy assembly, the parts are numbered in self-assembly type storage shed kits. Also assembly instructions are provided with storage-shed kits. Self-assembly may save money and can be a satisfying though difficult experience.

Sizes & Accessories. The usual sizes of storage sheds are, 12’ X 24’, 12’ X 30’, 12’ X 10’, 10’ X 14’, 10’ X 8’, 8’ X 6’ etc. It is better to opt for a double door. For those who want to keep light engineering machines, a good foundation is necessary. Other accessories that come with storage sheds are windows, shutters, weathervanes etc. Hooks and shelves increase the capacity of the storage shed by utilizing vertical space. The windows should be so designed that they match with the main building.

Building Codes and Laws. In various states there are laws on sheds like zoning ordinance, building codes, deed restrictions, building permits, siding materials etc. It is prudent to go through these before installing a storage shed.

Storage sheds are available in various shapes, colors, patterns and sizes. They can be customized to suit an individual’s taste. Smaller sheds are called tool sheds. Larger sheds called barns are used to house vehicles, boats and other large items. The prices range from $300 to $4000 depending upon size, material and accessories in the storage shed.

Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of "every day" subjects, always with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often.

A related resource is Sturdy Storage Sheds

Further information can be found at HubbuH

Unclutter Your Life For Good Feng Shui

2008-03-18T22:48:00.000-07:00

So many things in Feng Shui come from ancient ways and rules that might not seem obvious at first. Ironically enough, some of the earliest writings about Feng Shui, almost 2000 years ago, spoke of Feng Shui as being derivable and stemming from things that were almost common sense. Perhaps to the ancient Chinese, for whom Feng Shui had been a tradition for 1000 years already, it was common sense. For us in the west, however, we need a little help.

One thing nearly all of us need is a way to “unclutter” our environment. Clutter interrupts the flow of Chi, or energy, and symbolizes the way our lives will be on edge just as our home is. While Feng Shui does not have many hard and fast rules for “uncluttering” your life, there are some common sense steps to take before good Feng Shui can happen.

We all have stuff that we don’t really use or need. For some reason, we just can’t seem to part with it. Often times, we get rid of the easy stuff in a matter of minutes, but then we just can’t seem to make up our minds on what of the other stuff stays or goes.

We all have our excuses, “..but it’s so nice,” or “..that was really expensive,” “..I barely got any use out of that,” “..hopefully I’ll wear that again someday,” or my favorite, “..I’ll feel so guilty if I throw this out.”

For every item that you can’t decide what to do with, make a note of what excuse you are using to hang on to it. Listen to the voice in your head that tells you to keep it, and make a note of why.

As you start to do this, you should start to get a clear picture of just exactly what it is that is keeping you tied to certain things. You may find that, for example, you have no trouble throwing away greeting cards from last Christmas, but it would take a crow bar to pry that pair of pants out of your hand that you haven’t been able to wear in three or more years.

It doesn’t mean that you are heartless when it comes to the greeting cards, it means that you are comfortable and secure in the knowledge that your friends and family love you. It also means that you are probably not so comfortable with your body image and are having trouble accepting the fact that you simply can’t fit into those pants anymore.

Plenty of other people, on the other hand, might have no trouble throwing out those clothes, but cringe at the thought of throwing away postcards that are 20 years old. I can feel the guilt and inner struggle now as the mind says “it’s only paper, there is no reason to keep this,” while the heart weighs a ton at the prospect of “throwing away” all those friends and family members. The problem is not the postcards, it’s where our own personal insecurities lie.

So many of the reasons we hold on to clutter have to do with memories of past events, or the hope of usefulness in the future. Holding on to things gives us a sense of hope, or a sense of reminiscing. Both of these make it harder to live in the now. If you fill your closet with clothes that are too small, you remind yourself every day that you are not the size you want to be, and that you are not happy with where you are now. You remind yourself that you still have hope for losing that weight and being skinnier some day. Every day, as you reach for an article of clothing that is not one of the “goal” items, you get a small sense of failure.

Imagine the toll these little message put on you day after day. You wouldn’t look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are a failure every day, would you? I certainly hope not. The message here, though, is closely related if not the same. When you hold on to things that represent what you wish for, and are unhappy about presently, it brings bad energy to your self every day. When your closet contains clothes that fit your body, your life, and your personality, every wardrobe choice becomes a positive step towards a good outlook on the day, and on your life.

It is difficult sometimes to make the decision to be clutter free, and sometimes even more difficult to make that decision a reality. At every item you can’t seem to let go of, listen to the voice in your head and learn to discover the real reasons why you hold on to things that seem to have no use or purpose. Learn to let go of these things and enjoy the here and now. The good energy will begin to flow better, and the path to good Feng Shui will have begun.

Charles Chang is a Feng Shui enthusiast and author. He enjoys helping others with feng shui through his articles and website.

Give Yourself A Spring Clean - Unclutter Your Mind

2008-03-13T05:18:00.000-07:00

GIVE YOURSELF A SPRING CLEAN
Do you know that the clutter in your home says something about the clutter in your heart and mind? Are you collecting dust or dreams? Does your living room mirror the mess you hide from yourself? Let's see what needs to be aired and re-arranged in your life in this article.

Your daily life is a reflection of your inner world. Knowing this, it’s very interesting to investigate the state of your home. Take a closer look at your house and try to link your rooms and objects in them with the state of your physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health. Time for a Spring clean?

Let me offer you a hand with some cleaning tips:

1. What area is a mess?
You can go to each room in your house to check what screams “I need cleaning now!” or if you know your home well, you just close your eyes and you can picture the bedroom where you always stumble over piles of clothes or your kitchen full of dirty plates and cups. If several rooms are a mess, just pick one untidy place that frustrates you the most. If you do not care that this room or area in your house is a mess, choose a particular spot that frustrates you. Mess isn’t good or bad, it’s only a place for focus if you feel it should not be a mess.

2. What does this area resemble?
Once you picked the area that obviously needs a big sweep, take a moment and ask yourself: “What meaning does this spot or area in my house have?“. For example: your kitchen can be a place for nourishment, socialising or perhaps feeling safe. Your bathroom can resemble a place to relax, to refresh yourself or to be creative. Each area will have a different label for every individual, even if they live in the same house. Your bedroom might feel like a place to rest to you, for another it might be the place to watch television in order to educate themselves on a topic. Your garden might be a sanctuary for you to meditate while planting new flowers or perhaps it is a place to get some exercise by mowing the grass. Or maybe it is both depending on the activity and mood you are in. If a place has more than one value or meaning to you, just focus on the association that is the strongest for instance: I use my garden more to find peace of mind than to exercise.

Write down what you discovered for example: my kitchen resembles a place where I relax my mind by cooking.

3. Why is this area a mess?
Now we take a closer look at the clutter in this place. Ask yourself: if my kitchen resembles relaxation of my mind but it looks a mess, what do I feel is not tidy, in balance, sorted out in my mind as well? Perhaps you discover that you are not taking enough time to relax in your life, or that you feel stressed. Or when you feel irritated by rusty knives or the broken juicer you will see that your tools to relax need some polishing. Suppose you spend less time in the kitchen than normal and eat more take-out meals: does it link with the amount of spare time that you reserve for yourself to relax?

4. Clean up tips
Once you discover what area in your life needs a tidy, you have a place to start sweeping out the dirt. You can clean the messy area in your home and also feel that your mind is reacting to this action. To stick with the kitchen example: by cleaning out the kitchen you might feel that you alleviate your stress. You can also start by focusing on the stress and work on those issues and then you feel your kitchen needs some attention too.

Be prepared that once you start cleaning, sometimes the mess gets worse: we have to take out stuff to air; we need to re-arrange furniture, just keep going. It’s like rinsing a pan: the water gets dirtier but after the scrubbing you will find a shiny, new surface.

5. Plan
Make arrangements so you can finish your task well: plan your Spring clean, buy tools, tell others that you want them out of that room or let them join you, take a break and then reward yourself for finishing the job.

Working on your home is working on your soul. The state of your heart and mind will become evident by checking your house. What room do you visit most? Perhaps you spend little time in your study room. If this resembles a place to nourish your mind, perhaps it is time to follow a course?

If you like this exercise you can go deeper and check the items in your home:
What items do you keep? Objects that reflect the past or future? Are you focused on the people and moments that have gone or on creating new contacts and experiences? What colours do you use and what do they reflect in you?

Focusing on the mess in your home can teach you about your emotional, physical, spiritual or mental state. At the same time you can focus on the area in your home that makes you very happy, relaxed or energised. Spent more time there to find balance.

Good news
Who knows what you will find under layers of dust or in the piles of paper? A sparkling new you! Wouldn’t you be willing to spend time to discover that?

Let me know what treasures you found during your Spring clean. Please feel free to send me an e-mail if you need support to clear your heart and mind!

Marianne Korten runs a personal and professional development company Soul at Work in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Corporate clients and individuals improve their conscious communication and creation skills with her expertise and support. Through coaching and training services clients gain greater self-confidence, balance, trust and skills to create the (business) life they want. Popular topics by demand are: public speaking skills, networking skills, career changes, mind-body-soul balance and finding your personal mission and vision. International companies and expatriates benefit from her background in the international meetings industry, of working with a variety of cultures and her personal skills as a certified coach, trainer, speaker and columnist. Sign up for her free E-Newsletter on: http://www.soul-at-work.com

How To Unclutter The Content Of Your Website

2008-03-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

To the search engines, content is king. However if your whole site is cluttered with content, it can look really boring and might scare your visitors away.

identify Your Audience

Do you really need to unclutter the content of your site? The answer to this question will depends on what type of web audience you are targeting. There are usually 2 types of internet users. The first type of user knows what they are looking for and they arrive at your site with a purpose. They can be easily satisfied if you make information searching in your site as simple and quickly as possible. The second type of user arrives at your site without wanting to achieve anything, ie they just happened to stumble upon your site while surfing the internet. Majority of the internet users belong to the second category. If you want to sell something to them, you need to make them stay and listen to you which will require more effort.

Empower the Cursor

The mouse cursor has the ability to change its appearance as it passes over important areas of the screen. Changing the mouse arrowhead into a pointing finger or something else helps the visitor to identify a clickable link (the default style in all web documents). Rollover effects such as changing the font effects, background image or color when mouseover also help to differentiate between texts and links.

Do Not Abuse The Header

Most websites are designed to have a standard header(banner) and footer. Using a standard header on all your webpages gives your site a consistent look which is considered as a positive thing in Web Design. However, because the header catches the most attention, many webmasters love to throw in tonnes of graphics and information in it, making it look really bulky. A typical example is the use of Google Adwords in the header. We want our visitors to stay in our site longer, so the emphasis should be on the content not the header.

Furthermore, many people now have Google and Alexa Toolbars installed. Some even have other types of toolbars. This means that if the header takes up too much space, your visitors cannot read your content without scrolling.

Organize Your Content

It is a good practice to group all related infomation into their respective categories. When the user enters the category page, provide summaries of different ideas in just a few sentences with links to the extended versions (an example is www.sitecritic.net/design_ideas.php). In that way, the user can choose to browse and read what they want by clicking on the appropriate links. In fact, many portals such as MSN, BBC, CNN are designed in that way.

Implement Pagination

A direct way to prevent content clutter is to keep the length of the body to a minimum. Letting the readers see the whole page without scrolling motivates them to read the text. If you have alot of things to tell, separate them into different pages. If you look at the articles in devshed website, you will see that all the long articles are split up into different sections.

Use Images

Images break up monotonous text. Numerous studies show that most people are more likely to read a story if there is an image accompanying the story. An image also leaves a more lasting impression on us because our eye is more easily drawn to familiar pictures rather than words. However, if your site is full of images, then text can break up the monotonous images. One caution when using images is that you have to keep the file size as small as possible without losing the image quality so that it will not affect the browsing speed.

Empty Spaces Are Useful

Negative space are areas that are intentionally left sparse. An empty space might not seem interesting but it provides a good boundary for different blocks of ideas. A typical example is the use of new paragraphs. People will be confused if you join all your ideas into one big chunk of text. Negative space also creates a good contrast for the text. Contrast helps to show the connection between design elements, establishes the flow of story or directs the eye to important areas of the web page. Like images, negative space provide breathing space for the eye. Intelligent use of negative space is the key to uncluttered a website in a cluttered environment. If you noticed, you will see that most blogs today are designed with alot of negative space because they have alot of text. One has to becareful though, that too much space makes your site looks really empty which is not good.

Hid Unwanted Information

Tailoring a website presentation based on individual preferences is another way to reduce clutter. Unimportant or inappropriate information can be filtered off by setting up a preferences area whereby the user is questioned about specific needs or interests. Once the information is recorded, there can be a script setup to display only the areas or topics that are important to that viewer.

Many softwares nowsadays offer wizard utilities whereby the user arrive at what they want by answering some simple questions. The same concept could be applied to web design. If you are running an ecommerce site for example, instead of showing all your products to your viewer at once, you could ask them a few simple questions, narrowing down and displaying only the product information that the viewer might be interested. This technique can been seen implemented in many web hosting sites.

Conclusion

With the emphasis of content in Search Engine Optimization, it is important to display your content so that it does not bore your readers. Keeping your readers happy is important to make them stay and use your services.

http://www.sitecritic.net is formed by a group of web addicts, mainly volunteers from all over the world. Our goal is to create a community of web designers and developers who share the common interest in bringing out the best in creatiing effective web sites. More website reviews can be viewed at Sitecritic.net Website Reviews

Wardrobe Closets Help De-Clutter Your Life

2008-03-12T05:16:00.000-07:00

Is your bedroom a magnet for clutter of piles and piles of clothes? Many people think they clean up their clutter by moving it around from room to room. On the other hand, just burying it in a closet does not really help either. All this does is just make the clutter grow. Investing in a wardrobe closet will help to alleviate some of the clothes clutter in your bedroom.

Before you can invest in a wardrobe closet, you must take charge of your clutter. Take all your clothes out of the closet and wherever else they are kept and sort them into three piles. Start with your favorite clothes, these go into the first pile. The second pile should contain the items that you do not wear. The last pile will contain the clothes that you do not love but still wear.

The most important pile is the first pile. Match everything up, such as bottoms go with what particular tops and so on. You could have a pair of pants that goes with several different tops, that is a good thing. The idea of this exercise is to make sure that everything has something to match with it. If something doe not have a match, is there anything in one of the other two piles that is a match. If not, then you will have to set it aside and maybe find a spot for it in your closet. Once you have put together several outfits, these can be set aside for inclusion in your new wardrobe closet.

How many outfits or combos have you now? Do you have enough to last a week? This will be your core wardrobe and should be kept grouped together for easiest access in your wardrobe closet. Next, group together the items that do not have perfect matches or items that you will just not wear that often but still like.

You may find that you have quite a few items left over. Take these items to consignment store, donate them to a local charity or hold a yard sale. The idea is to downsize so that your home is not cluttered with clothes that no one wears. Also, you are trying to get organized so that a wardrobe closet will fit nicely in your bedroom and that it will contain your most wearable clothes.

If you just cannot part with some clothes and there is not any room in the wardrobe closet then pack them up in storage bins and store them out of the way in the basement, garage or storage rental space. This principle of downsizing can be applied to other items besides clothing. This can be also be done for large shoe collections as well. In addition, you can perform this function in any closet or room in your house to complete your entire home de-cluttering project.

Remember, you can do all this. You do not need to hire a professional to de-clutter your home. Take your time and complete one room at a time. You may find that you need more than one wardrobe closet; however, you will be glad you took the time to de-clutter your life.

Our site provides information on wardrobe closets, PODs storage, bedroom closet organization and various other types of closet designs and storage systems. Let us provide all your storage information

Home Organization Tips - 5 Fast And Easy De Clutter Ideas

2008-03-11T04:41:00.000-07:00

Are you embarrassed to have family or friends over because of your cluttered and disorganized house? You are not alone! Many people struggle with basic household organization and continue to do so everyday. In fact more than one out of four Americans remarked that they would like to be better organized in a study done by the National Association of Professional Organizers. You can carry on living this way and feel down on yourself each time you look around or panic each time someone knocks on the door, OR, you can take some simple steps to having a clutter free living environment. The objective of organizing isn't to make your home spotless but rather to make your everyday life more calm and functional for your whole family. Here are a few simple home organization tips and ideas to get you started right now!

1. Put things Back Where You Found Them-

Have a "home" for every item, and make sure it is put back if it is removed. Always put things back in their place when you are done with them and especially before you move onto something else. This will not allow things to pile up and look overwhelming to sort through.

2. Snail Mail-

Deal with mail as soon as you walk in the door with it. Immediately toss or shred anything you don't need such as credit card offers and other junk mail! Take care of any bills you receive right away so you eliminate the risk of losing it or forgetting it and ending up with late charges. (23% of adults say they pay bills late (& thus incur fees) because they lose them! National Association of Professional Organizers)

3. Don't Let Dishes Pile Up-

After dinner take the time to clean up the table and do the dishes, make sure everyone helps out so it will go a lot faster. This should be especially easy if you have a dishwasher, but don't forget to run it before you go to bed!

4. Dirty Clothes-

Have a place for everybody to put their dirty laundry (not on the floor!), and space permitting have them put it in designated pile (whites, colors, etc.) to save time later on. Also, do the laundry in smaller segments when one pile gets big enough for a load to avoid Laundry Overload later on!

On a side note, sort through your clothes and get rid of or donate anything you don't wear anymore to a local charity. This includes clothes that are no longer in fashion, no longer fit, or clothes you haven't worn in at least a year. (We wear 20% of the clothes we own 80% of the time. The rest hangs there, just in case. National Association of Professional Organizers)

5. Enjoy Your Clutter Free Home-

Light some candles and sit down to watch a movie or read a book. Enjoy your new functional and calming environment. Not only is your home now more immaculate, it is far more calming and even healthier. You can do this, and once you see how much more relaxing your home is you will never want to go back to how you were living before. Who knows, maybe you'll invite your friends and family over for a get together now and be proud not ashamed!

The National Association of Professional Organizers reports that about 80% of the clutter in your home is a result of disorganization not lack of space and approximately 80% of what we keep we never use. If you are ready to take action regarding your clutter problem visit this great site for more information and tips. If not now, then when?

Link- More Home Organization Tips

I use all of the above mentioned tips to improve my home organization at home. I love to come home to an organized environment after a long day at work, it helps me to keep my sanity and enables me to relax without feeling I need to get so much done. I hope that soon you can feel the same when you walk in your door

Do Yourself A Favor And De-Clutter Your House!

2008-03-10T05:28:00.002-07:00

Do you remember the last time your house got a thorough cleaning and de-cluttering? Do you remember how beautiful it was and wonderful your felt when you would walk from room to room, knowing you had accomplished so much. This remembering is the key to getting and keeping the motivation necessary to get the job done. It's also the motivation to keep it that way.

If you can just get the clutter cleaned out (which can be very big job) you can very easily maintain that level of de-clutter. At the de-cluttered point it takes a very minimal effort to get it to the original de-clutter state.

Set aside a time every day and visualize your house de-cluttered and then take all the actions necessary to get it into that de-cluttered condition. Each time you get your house in that pristine condition, take the time to admire how it looks, enjoy every minute of it, memorize how it looks. Always keep that memory in your mind, daily. This is the fuel that keeps your de-cluttering drive alive. Always keep that drive alive. You will be very glad you did. Do you remember how your house looked when you first moved in and everything was in its place? Work daily to keep it that way. Do all of the necessary small things that don't take long now, but grow to monstrous proportions when they build up and build up. You owe it to yourself to keep your surroundings free of clutter. You owe it to yourself to keep everything clean and neat. It is so much easier to do it little by little, than to have it pile up and then try to tackle it. Think of some things you could do right now to start the de-cluttering process. Now, go do them.

For more tips and tools on de-cluttering your life go to http://www.De-ClutterU.com - from Diane McLain

Change Your Life - De-Clutter Your House

2008-03-10T05:28:00.001-07:00

Have you ever had this dark cloud hanging over your head? You can't quite put your finger on what it is. You look around but you don't really see the problem? You just feel "blah". Each day it seems to get worse. Your mind seems cloudy and foggy. Have you ever thought that the problem with your motivation is the clutter in your house? Clutter weighs you down and clutters your mind.

Have you ever had this experience? Your children are happily playing in a room while you are cleaning a different room. By the time you are done cleaning and de-cluttering that room, all of your children are now playing in the "clean" room. Have you ever wondered why? Don't you think it is in our nature to want things clean and de--cluttered? We all have a desire deep inside for our lives and surroundings to be neat, clean and de-cluttered. Don't you agree?

When our lives and surroundings are not neat and de-cluttered it costs a shadow over our minds and actions. That's why our children gravitate to the clean and de-cluttered rooms. Clutter can definitely take its toll in our everyday behavior. Clutter changes your mindset. It can even make you have the feelings of depression. Well, have you had enough? Do you want to make a change in your life? You can and you should. Start right now. What action could you take this minute to start de-cluttering your house? What five things could you do before your head hits the pillow tonight, to clear your house and your mind of clutter? Do it. Do it right now!!

For more tips and tools on de-cluttering your life go to http://www.De-ClutterU.com - from Diane McLain

De-clutter into Self Storage and Make 1000's of Pounds More When You Sell Your Home - Free Guide

2008-03-08T03:26:00.000-08:00

You choose, would you rather have lots of buyers competing and bidding for your house or no real interest and the occasional low, derisory offer? Your home is your biggest financial asset and yet many people throw money away by not planning for the sale of their homes. That can add up to £1000's of pounds. Take any street and you'll find huge differences in the sale prices of seemingly identical houses. What's the secret? Preparation, Preparation, Preparation and Self Storage. Renting a self storage room is the easiest way to quickly and cheaply de-clutter your home. The golden rule is to help people buy into a lifestyle, to imagine themselves moving effortlessly into your house and creating their own home. Creating a sense of space is the key to your success.

Thinking Ahead

People are moving home more often than ever before and are planning for a lifetime of regular relocation. If you are likely to move quite frequently it's worth keeping this in mind when you make your house your home. Try and strike a balance between creating the perfect home for you and the most appealing house for future buyers. This is not always easy, but by using our tips, you won't go far wrong.

Anticipating Your Sale

So many sellers appear to have rushed into the sale of their house. They have not planned for their sale, nor taken the simple steps to get the best price for their house. Everything seems to come at once and panic can quickly set in - no wonder it's one of the most stressful events in our lives.

Keep your house well maintained - you'll get more pleasure while you live there and it'll be in its best condition when you come to sell.

Give yourself the time to complete the actions in this report. They could add £1000's to the value of your house.

Take some fabulous photos of your home, on a sunny day when your gardens at its best and set against a clear blue sky.

Spring and Autumn tend to be the best times to sell.

Presenting Your Home

Kerb Appeal

First impressions count, so the approach to your front door should be clear and welcoming. Your front garden should be neat and tidy. Cut your lawn, trim any hedges, turn the soil and weed your flower beds.

Give your front door a fresh lick of paint and polish/replace your door furniture.

Some pots with flowers add a splash of colour and brighten up the welcome to your home.

Check your windows, do they need re-painting? Are they sparkling clean?

Hide your dustbins

Keep toys and tools out of sight.

The First 30 Seconds

It's true, houses sell in the first 30 seconds of viewing. A buyer will make a judgement immediately and if it's negative, they're unlikely to change their view.

Clutter will always put buyers off. It's worth repeating - clutter will always put buyers off.

A buyer only has a short time to get excited about your house and imagine themselves living there. Clutter makes this much harder - most people cannot see beyond your clutter. It's what they remember about a house. Try it yourselves when you visit a house for the first time - what attracts your attention, what do you remember?

Buyers want to see your house, not your stuff.

Hallway

Your buyer has entered your house having been won over by the outside appearance. Make sure their first impression is one of space.

Remove all your coats, hats, shoes, wellies, prams, toys.

Clean your doormat.

Are your walls and doors clean? If not give them a wash or a fresh coat of paint.

Open all the doors from your hallway - it'll give an impression of space and light.

Mirrors can be good in halls to increase this feeling of light and space.

Check your light bulbs are working and consider a higher wattage if your hall is dark.

Are there any house odours? It's one of the first things a buyer will notice. A fresh clean smelling home sells, but avoid overuse of air fresheners. Open your windows every day to let fresh air into your house.

Smoking is another no-no, as its smell lingers in furnishings and fabrics. Smokers should redecorate and not smoke in the house while they're trying to sell. This may be difficult, but it can make all the difference in ensuring a quick sale.

Lounge

So many living rooms are a magnet for clutter, this starts with too many chairs, sofas and tables. If you can barely move, your buyer will feel it's a small cramped room. Remove excess furniture, particularly from near the door, creating a sense of space and ease of movement.

Make sure the buyer can get to the window - for some reason most will make a bee-line to your window

Open the curtains fully, letting in as much light as possible.

Remove net curtains.

Ruthlessly remove clutter, family photos - you may love them, but they're a distraction to a buyer. It's much better to see clean, clear surfaces.

Books, CDs and papers scattered around don't work for buyers and too many ornaments are a put-off.

Don't hide stuff behind doors, open them fully, so that this important room looks at its best.

Dining Room

This room tends not to be used so much and becomes a dumping ground for piles of stuff. You know what to do - remove it and show a spacious room.

Kitchen

The crucial room, many buyers will conduct a forensic examination! Help their imagination, an olive oil bottle, fruit bowl and plant on the windowsill help people buy into a lifestyle. Look at how kitchen manufacturers advertise in magazines, try and recreate that look and feel in your kitchen.

De-clutter your kitchen completely. Buyers should see plenty of gleaming surfaces.

Make sure your walls, doors, cupboards, floor and all surfaces are spotless, re-paint if necessary. Banish all dirty dishes.

It may be a bit of a cliché but coffee, fresh bread and cake smells, all work with buyers. Be subtle.

Don't have a pungent curry the night before, the cooking smells will still linger.

Spending a little money on the kitchen will usually always pay itself back.

If the walls are dark, consider painting them white or an off-white colour.

Old, bashed cupboard fronts should be painted or replaced.

If the units are in fairly good condition and only look dated, just replace the doorknobs, handles and taps. Another economical trick is to fit good solid worktops on to existing units.

Dark flooring can be transformed with a light-coloured vinyl or laminate flooring.

Similarly dark or patterned tiled splash-backs can be painted or tiled over with cheap white tiles.

You'll be surprised with the results; you might not want to move!

Bathrooms/Toilets

You might not notice your limescale encrusted taps any more but your buyer will. All they're thinking is, would I want to bath, shower or sit on that? Ever been into a hotel bathroom that's not sparkling - feels grubby, doesn't it?

Rejuvenate your taps, they must be gleaming.

Replace washers on dripping taps.

Baths, sinks, shower trays, shower screens and any tiling must sparkle.

Buy a new shower curtain.

Towels folded and not dumped on the floor (it happens). Fluffy new ones look good.

Remove any kids' toys - they're clutter to a buyer.

Make sure the room is dry and well aired.

Remove your excess shampoos, shower gels, body scrubs, razor blades etc.

Toilet seats down please!

Green leafy plants work wonders and are a cheap quick fix.

Spending a little money can transform a bathroom.

A light airy gleaming room is what we're after.

White bathroom suites are what everyone looks for. If yours is coloured, oops, but I'm not suggesting you change it. Do try and lighten the room though.

Freshen up the walls if necessary, white is good.

Dark tiles can be covered with cheap white ones. If they're already white re-grout any cracks or where the grouts gone brown.

Re-seal around the bath.

Carpets can quickly deteriorate in bathrooms, is yours fresh or should it be replaced, preferably with a light coloured vinyl?

Use bright light bulbs.

Get a huge, frameless mirror to give the impression of more space.

Bedrooms

How many bedrooms has your house got?

How many are actually bedrooms? You aren't alone if at least one is full of boxes, your old exercise bike, suitcases etc etc. It's all got to go. Make it easy for people to see spacious rooms and to imagine themselves living there.

Clear the clutter, make each room feel as spacious as possible.

What are your duvets and bedding like? Not everyone likes patterned and frilly, keep them simple. Ditto curtains.

Beds made and no clothes on the floor please.

Buyers may want to see inside your wardrobes, so a clothes clearout will make them look more spacious.

Kids' bedrooms - do the best you can!

Storage Cupboards

As you know by now we all accumulate so much stuff and your buyers are no different. They want to feel they can fit all their things into your house. Crammed full cupboards make this really difficult to imagine. Empty or barely used cupboards give the sense that a house has a huge amount of storage space, a massive attraction to any buyer.

Light

We've all been in dark houses - there's something depressing about them, they just don't feel welcoming.

Houses bathed in light immediately feel more spacious, warmer, more welcoming and lift our spirits. They lift a buyer's spirits too!

Make the most of any natural light - ensure your windows are sparkling. Open your curtains fully, use tie backs and even consider removing them if that gives you more light.

Get rid of those net curtains and blinds.

Move any large furniture or lamps that block natural light.

Make sure all your lights and light bulbs work.

Put higher wattage bulbs in your light fittings.

Use uplighters and lamps to lighten any dark corners.

Spotlights in the kitchen and bathroom always work.

Do use dimmer switches to get the lighting just right.

Leave lights on during a viewing, to help brighten any darker rooms.

Dark walls, curtains and carpets all absorb precious light - consider changing them. It will help to really brighten your home.

Buyers prefer natural colours to bright, bold shades. Magnolia is still the best selling paint and can transform a dark room quickly and cheaply.

A large mirror on the wall opposite the window will lighten a dark room.

A cheap light coloured rug can hide a dark carpet.

Back Garden

Think of this as another room, a haven, and present it accordingly.

A neglected garden is an enormous turn-off - it will seem like a massive undertaking to a buyer to put right. Similarly if you have a garden strewn with toys, with worn out grass and evidence of your pets, you mustn't leave it that way. A little investment and effort can literally add £1000's to the value of your house.

Re-turf/re-seed the lawn. Feed your lawn a couple of weeks before viewings start, the grass will look fantastic. Weed the borders, add some shrubs, have a few pots. Clear any evidence of the kids and pets.

In the summer have the doors open, so it feels like an integral part of your home.

Patio furniture helps buyers think of al fresco eating, or sipping a cold beer or cool glass of wine on a balmy summers evening.

Pets

We're a nation of animal lovers, but buyers may not warm to your pets. You may be immune to their presence, but is there any pet smell in your home? Ask a friend for an honest opinion. A fresh clean smelling home sells; a whiff of pets won't or will drag the price down.

Say goodbye to the cat litter tray when a buyer is viewing. Remove the pet food bowls. Keep Tiddles and Rex outside. Make sure you've removed pet hairs from every surface.

Kids

You've got them; your buyer may have some too. Just don't let them dominate the house with their stuff while you're selling. They're little clutter bombs.

Get a friend to look after them when your buyer is viewing or all of you get out of the way and leave it to your agent to show buyers around.

Guarantees

Keep these ready for inspection. Long-term warranties covering timber, damp-proofing and your roof. Shorter-term guarantees covering on-going repairs and any servicing invoices, for your boiler for example.

Why Bother?

How many weeks or months would you have to work to earn £1,000, £2000, £3,000, £5,000 or £10,000+ Tax Free? You could earn that with a few days spent preparing your house for sale.

Remember the golden rule is to help people buy into a lifestyle, to imagine themselves moving effortlessly into your house and creating their own home.

Creating a sense of space is the key to your success.

Good luck with your sale.

Steven bounces into work at Kangaroo Self Storage located in Dundee and Glasgow in Scotland. Many a customer has hopped into Kangaroo with the de-cluttered contents of their house and been amazed at the difference it has made. A lot have then jumped for joy at the sale price they've got for their home.

Visit Kangaroo Self Storage or hop in and see us yourselves.

Kangaroo Self Storage solves their customers storage problems offering trusted, caring and secure storage for businesses, householders and students.

De-Clutter As Foreplay

2008-03-06T04:20:00.000-08:00

What if less clutter would make your partner more interested in sex? Would that be enough motivation to get you to de-clutter your space? You have to find reasons that motivate you enough to catapult you into action. Sex is usually a pretty good motivator. We all have different stuff that drives us, maybe sex is the driver you need to dig in and clean up that mess!

Think about it, how can you have sex on that table with all those piles..? Okay, maybe you could brush the stuff onto the floor but that might not be too enticing to someone when they think that they are going to have to deal with it after. It's not too relaxing to have messes all around when you are trying to relax and enjoy some intimacy with your partner. Many enjoyable otherwise relaxing activities are compromised if you have to deal with a cluttered, disorganized living space. Clean it up and get organized.

Look around and think about parts of your house that might affect your sex life. Maybe you could use that as a starting point to figure out where you want to start your de-cluttering project. Look at your bedroom, maybe there are parts that could use some serious clean-up or maybe it just needs some general organization to make sex more desirable. Perhaps there is a way you could organize it so that you can add some romantic amenities, like candles, incense or essential oils. You might have a nightstand that has so much junk on it that there is no room for any of those nice romantic things or sex enhancement toys that might spice things up between you and your partner. Be creative in cleaning up the clutter in relation to spicing up your sex life. Think about spaces that might be interesting to have sex if there was the space to do so.

Remember although you tolerate the piles, the junk and the disorganization, it might drain you mentally to where you aren't in the mood for intimacy. Maybe your partner is really turned off by it and would really be sexually motivated and encouraged if the environment were nice, clean and organized. You might not know until you give it a try, so what have you got to lose? I can almost guarantee that the de-cluttering certainly won't make for less sex so go get 'em and see what you can get out of it!

For more tips and tools for de-cluttering your life, check out http://www.De-clutterU.com and for more relationship communication visit http://www.relationshipdesignquestions.com

Clean and De-Clutter Room By Room

2008-03-05T04:47:00.001-08:00

There is a certain aspect of home selling that has become ever more important as buyers become more and more choosy about the homes that they view and purchase. Home staging, the process of cleaning and improving the visual impact of a home has become a bit of a rage across the country. Now, more than ever we are seeing home staging services cropping up and doing wonders for the home selling industry. However, home stagers can come at a hefty price. That being said, the service they provide is impressive and does help the home to show better, the question is; can you do it yourself?

Well, there are certain aspects that can easily be done by any home owner. However, there are a few that cannot. What you can do is take care of the initial steps yourself as they are not difficult and only take a bit of time and effort. The first step of this process is always the cleaning and de-cluttering of your home. Cleaning is self-explanatory. Clean your home from top to bottom, every room, every corner, every closet. Surfaces should shine like they never have before. Try to think about your home being featured in a home magazine, how would you want it to look? That is essentially what is going to happen, the only difference being is that your home will be appearing online where it is available to seen by far more than the average readership of any magazine.

Clutter is the number one enemy of good home shows. Buyers do not want to see piles of your stuff lying around. This kind of thing gets in the way of buyers getting a feel for the home. It does help them get a feel for who you are, but that is not what you want them to buy! Your home should be an entity unto itself without the encumbrance of your property getting in the way of a buyers viewing experience. Each room in your home likely has a few things that could get in the way of a proper showing. When preparing your home for viewing it is good to pursue a minimalist concept but not to the point of making the rooms look sparse or cold. It is a delicate balance that can be difficult to achieve but don't let that get in the way of taking the project on yourself!

Sanjog Gopal is a CPA & REALTOR specializing in the Arizona real estate market. My background as a CPA ensures that I am ideally suited to provide elite service in all aspects of home purchases and sales. For more information contact me anytime or visit me on the web at http://www.azresidence.com

Junk The Junk - 10 Tips To De-Clutter

2008-03-05T04:46:00.000-08:00

After the dust has settled from a separation or divorce, and the belongings have been split, it's a good idea to sort through the belongings which remain in your living space and de-clutter. In other words, you should junk the junk.

De-cluttering is important for a variety of reasons. It can help improve your attitude generally (who wants to live in a messy environment where you can’t find your socks if your life depended upon it!). It can help you to live more efficiently (you’ll save time in the morning if you can find clean work clothes which means you can get to work earlier, and in a sane state of mind). Further, after a separation or divorce, it’s particularly important to rid yourself of unnecessary belongings which can evoke painful memories.

Try following the 10 tips below to help you in your Quest to De-clutter:

If conquering an entire closet is intimidating, de-clutter in baby-steps. Select 1 shelf in your closet, and Just Do It.

Don’t rush yourself. If you feel you are not emotionally prepared to empty your ex-husband’s used golf clubs, re-schedule the de-cluttering session for a period of time in which you feel ready to tackle the task. It took me a year to clean out my garage.

Before you begin, help yourself to stay motivated by putting on your favorite music, and a 30-minute timer

Schedule the de-cluttering session for a convenient time. For example, if you have 2 young children, you should probably schedule the de-cluttering session for a time in which the children are in pre-school or at a friend’s house.

If you are de-cluttering a drawer, you may want to begin by simply emptying the drawer, so that you can see everything that you have to go through. Then, work through the clutter in a systematic fashion. Make executive decisions about each and every item.

Have the de-cluttering tools ready. For example, if you are de-cluttering your closet, you should have at least 1 bin marked “Donation” and 1 bin marked “Junk”.

Gather your resolution and be strong. You may like that jacket that you haven’t worn in 5 years, but the fact is, if you haven’t worn it in 5 years, chances are high that you will never wear it.

Consider your options. If a clothing or sports item is in excellent condition, consider selling it at a consignment shop.

Brace yourself for some tears. You may dig up painful memories along with the clutter. Accept that you may experience some emotion, and understand that the de-cluttering is an important process in your healing and journey forward.

Plan a celebratory event when you finish the de-cluttering session. For example, celebrate the re-organization of your family room with a specialty coffee (don’t forget to put your feet up on the pillow and give yourself a mental pat on the back).

Terri Mann is a divorce lawyer and is the founder of http://www.womandivorcesupport.com where divorced or separated women can find free divorce articles about dating after divorce and more

De - Clutter And Make Money - Host A Garage Sale

2008-03-04T04:37:00.001-08:00

Summer is the time to take off the layers of clothing under which you've been hiding and show your sexy self. If you window-shop, you'll find lots of colorful sandals and swinging skirts beckoning your way. If a cash shortfall and a cluttered closet are stopping you from buying cute summer-wear, it's time to host a garage sale. You can de-clutter and make money by organizing a successful garage sale.

If you are going to host a successful garage sale, you need to remember 10 tricks of the trade:

o Talk to your neighbors!
Ask your neighbors whether they would be interested in organizing a garage sale on the same date as your garage sale. Ideally, organize a community-wide garage sale. More garage sales in your area means that you will have more visitors, which will result in you selling more of your inventory faster, and for more money.

o Determine whether there are any legal requirements.
For example, in many municipalities, you need a license to host a garage sale. This can cost money, but you can split the cost with any friends who want to sell their items, at your garage sale. Alternatively, if you host a community-wide garage sale, the community association may itself pay this cost.

o Gather together the merchandise that you wish to sell.
Ask family, friends co-workers and basically any person you can think of, whether they wish to sell any items at your garage sale. Shoppers want a variety of merchandise, so try and stock up! One man’s junk is another man’s treasure. (Personally, I thought nobody would want my scratched, burnt frying pans, but I succeeded in selling them at my recent garage sale- the delighted buyer informed me that the cast iron frying pans would be perfect for camping). Notwithstanding the foregoing, as a general rule, you should be choosy. Don’t take broken toys from your friends or toys that are missing the “essential parts”, likewise, don’t accept torn or stained clothing, defective house ware and so on.

o Advertise your garage sale.
Place an ad in your local community newspaper. Make sure your ad falls into the property advertising section. In addition, on the day before your garage sale, place signs along the closest roadway, and draw an arrow to point traffic in the proper direction to your home.

o Give yourself time to organize.
Garage sale shoppers start early: if you advertise that your garage sale starts at 9:30 a.m., you better plan on opening your garage, ready-to-go by 9 a.m. because you will have shoppers dropping by your house to peruse your goodies by 8:45 a.m. Therefore, start organizing for your garage sale at least 3 days previous and have your garage completely organized the evening preceding the sale. In the morning, pull your tables out onto the driveway, and you can begin.

o Display your prices.
Select prices for different groups of merchandise and display the prices on easy-to-see price stickers. You can have fun with bartering the final price, but you do need a starting point for the negotiations. Make sure that your starting price is realistic: not ridiculously high, but not too low, either, because you want to make allowance for reduction in price due to the bartering process. Also, make “buying in bulk” more attractive by offering a volume discount (for example, 1 book is $1.00 but 3 books is $2.50).

o Presentation is key.
Make sure that your merchandise is organized in an attractive and logical fashion. It can make a big difference. (I was trying to sell pants in a garage sale: nobody looked at them. I then moved the pants out of my dusty garage and placed the pants on an attractive table on my driveway. Within ½ hour, the pants were sold.)

o Create a busy appearance.
Invite family and friends to visit you during the course of the day. It will make your day run faster, and more importantly, it will make your garage sale more attractive to prospective shoppers.

o Involve your children.
You might think that you have to ship off your children to spend the day with a friend, because they will be bored. You might be surprised… assuming the children are of an age where they do not require constant supervision, gain their interest by involving them in appropriate aspects of the garage sale. For example, have your children place the stickers on the merchandise, or have them place the change into the change-purchase at the back of the garage.

o Lastly, keep refreshments handy.
In particular, keep fresh, cool water nearby and appropriate snacks to keep your energy and spirits high.

Terri Mann is a divorce lawyer and is the founder of http://www.womandivorcesupport.com

Are You Scared of 'De-clutter'?

2008-03-03T04:03:00.000-08:00

If you’ve lost sight of your carpet, can’t find your clean clothes in the pile on the floor, and don’t remember if that basket holds trash or important paperwork, it’s time to de-clutter. If you need a hammer and nails but have to wade through old toys, paint cans, and things that have gathered dust in your garage to find them, it’s time to de-clutter. Have you given up having family dinners because you’ve lost the dining room table under the accumulated mess?

Do you shudder when you open your refrigerator because it’s a constant reminder that you’ve neglected it? Are you afraid when you need something the kids borrowed and you are forced to search through the endless clutter in their rooms to find your belongings? Do you have to clean out your seat into an already overloaded trunk just to give a co-worker a ride home?

People continually add to their daily stress because of the clutter in many, if not all, areas of their lives. Then they finally get a day off work only to once more ignore de-cluttering in favor of going shopping, running errands, or taking the kids somewhere to have fun. So, the clutter continues to build. They may feel they sacrifice enough of their time already and work too hard to spend their precious off-time decluttering. Yet this may be the one area that could simplify their busy lives. Gaining control over clutter can relieve stress. Sometimes a person will attempt to de-clutter their homes by cleaning and clearing only what can be readily seen by any visitors. This is similar to the child who shoves everything under the bed or into the closet in an attempt to fool mom and dad, or at least to get them off their backs temporarily.

People become frustrated every day because they have lost something because of lack of organization. They have shoved so much junk into lockers, closets, and into their drawers that they feel the situation is hopeless. Busy families will literally stuff a dresser so full it finally breaks the runners on the drawers, handles are pulled off from tugging open an overstuffed drawer, and the bottom will give way.

Kids lose athletic clothing, tennis shoes, and socks for lack of organization. Parents lose their ties or are late to work because their suit was wadded into a pile and wrinkled. They forget to clean their uniforms. They misplace important papers. Clutter can affect grades at school, relationships, self-esteem, and careers. Have people stopped visiting because your home has become so cluttered that it’s unsafe, a germ haven, and smelly---all because you need to de-clutter? You can learn to de-clutter. You must reprogram your thinking process and reassess your priorities. It will help you regain your sense of overall well-being. It’s never too late to learn better habits.

Kurien Abraham is the owner of DiscoverOrganization.com where you'll find easy solutions, ideas, and tools to help you get organized and simplify your life. Visit www.DiscoverOrganization.com for more information and sign up for a free Home Organizing Mini Course.

De-Clutter Your Life And Improve Your Confidence

2008-03-03T04:01:00.000-08:00

A lot of people carry around with them a lot of “baggage” or “clutter” in their minds.

When I say this I mean that they are still holding onto things that they say they should do but don’t, the person who they had a row with but both are not speaking to each other – but both want to, the coulds and shoulds in your life that hold you back – you need to let go, but you don’t.

These people carry around with them a lot of emotional attention that you could be doing without and focussing on something more productive instead!

Are you like this?

If you are, I bet it had a negative influence on your confidence and self esteem.

The approach

Take a look at your life and get rid of this baggage by asking yourself a series of questions and by completing the following exercise.

In effect, what we are doing is making certain tasks “complete”, drawing a line under them and moving on.

Another term for this is “psychological completion” or just “completion”

The following set of questions can be taken at one sitting or over a number of hours/days.

By writing the answers down they become more formal.

Get to it and watch your confidence soar!

1. Putting up with!

• Make a list of 10 things that you are putting up with at home
• Make a list of 10 things that you are putting up with at work
• Make a list of 10 things that you are putting up with in any other area of your life
• Make an action plan to get rid of/communicate these things that you have been putting up with

2. Unfinished matters!

• Make a list of things that are unresolved/unfinished in your life
• Make an action plan of how to reduce this number!
• Do you need to clear the air with anyone? If so, just do it! Life is too short!
• Did you ever say that you were going to call someone or keep in touch with someone yet have done nothing about it? If yes, call them or send an email to them today
• Let go of as many coulds, woulds, shoulds, maybe, oughts as you can. Write these down.

3. Your standards!

• Write down the standards that you have been saying to yourself that you should have; let go of these and write down a list of the standards that you are going to have in your life from this day forward.
• List 5 people who you admire the most. Identify their greatest qualities, behaviour and how they lead their life. What standards so they have? What standards could you raise starting today to be more like them?
• Respect that other’s standards will be different from your own. Think of 5 close colleagues or friends – what are their standards and how are they different to yours?

By completing these exercises you will be able to focus more on the here the now and the future.

You will now be able to let go of some of the things that have been taking up your valuable attention units – those things that knock your self esteem.

You can contact Ron at http://www.ron-mills.com

Edinburgh Life Coach Ron Mills holds an Advanced Diploma in Professional Coaching (Distinction) awarded by The Coaching Academy Europe's largest coach training organisation and is also a Certified NLP Practitioner (Neuro Linguistic Programming)and Timeline Therapy Practitioner.

In addition he has undertaken further intensive training in Corporate and Executive Coaching.

You can contact Ron at http://www.ron-mills.com

Spring Into Action: Now Is The Time To De-Clutter

2008-03-01T03:58:00.000-08:00

First the snow drops poked their delicate white heads above the ground, silently signaling the crocuses to follow suit. Then came the daffodils and now, the majestic tulip. As a wave of vibrant colour and budding green spreads across the landscape, windows get pulled open and people welcome a fresh breeze through what might have become a stale, stuffy environment.

Is it any wonder, with the anticipation of warmer weather, that we feel drawn toward certain seasonal chores? Just the other weekend, for example, I pulled open our sliding patio doors and dragged out the six kitchen chairs, a stool, some plants and a couple of small rugs.

With the kitchen and dining room floors cleared of most items, I was finally able to do a thorough sweep of the area. Hello dust bunnies! Inspired by my actions, my partner spontaneously decided to squeegee not only the outside but also the inside of the four, large basement windows. What a difference! Like wiping both the inside and the outside of the windshield of your car, you don’t realize how dirty something is until you clean it.

So it is with clutter. We grow accustomed to the piles and boxes left unpacked, and they become part of the landscape. We tolerate them, walk around them, and move them to clean, until finally we don’t even notice them.

If, like me, you don’t have enough closet space to house all of your clothes, you might store your summer gear in large totes during the winter months. Well, yesterday I decided that I had had enough of winter, and I dragged out my tote and did the seasonal switch. Pulling the large, bulky sweaters down from my closet, I exchanged the blacks and dark browns for beige, light blue and, gasp, short sleeves!

Now is the time to be honest with your wardrobe: donate items that you didn’t wear this past season, ones that might be a bit too tight or itchy. If you look at it, and it doesn’t make you feel good, you’re not going to wear it. Whether it was a gift or a great buy, if you aren’t wearing it, release it so that someone else has the chance to wear it and appreciate it.

Contrary to what many people might think, we are not physical beings here on earth to have a spiritual experience. Rather, we are spiritual beings temporarily on the planet experiencing a physical dimension. Like the myriad of flowers and bushes that are appearing in our yards and along the sides of the road, now is the time to let go and grow.

Alison Roberts is a Professional Organizer with limited storage space in her basement apartment. She is inspired by the natural cycles of the seasons to take stock of her possessions and to re-evaluate what still has value in her life. Feel free to check out http://www.clearoutclutter.com for more articles and free de-clutter worksheets

Spring Cleaning: 5 Steps to De-clutter Your Life

2008-02-29T03:18:00.001-08:00

Hooray for spring! As we move into spring and prepare to put away our winter boots, bulky sweaters and those nasty winter blues; it is also a good time to start thinking about clearing the clutter from our lives as well. Clutter is one of the biggest challenges people face when trying to be organized. The external environment we create for ourselves is often a fair reflection of our internal environment, thus, when our lives are filled with clutter, we end up spending too much of our time managing the small stuff, and we never have time to manage the things that really matter. Here are 5 ways to spring-clean the clutter from your life.

1. Breakdown the project, and lose the all or nothing approach
Start with one room at a time, or one area at a time. It is unrealistic to say that you are going to complete an entire house in one day. By doing that, you set yourself up to fail by having unrealistic expectations. It is best to decide on a starting point and decide on the length of time you will work on the project. For example, “I will organize the den area of my home starting Saturday morning at 10am; I will work on the project for 2-hours”. After the allotted time has passed, make a decision about when you plan to resume the project and congratulate yourself on the progress made.

2. Collect like items
Put like items together; put all the clothes in a pile, all the papers in a pile, all the shoes in a pile and. Collecting like objects, helps to break the project down into smaller pieces; by doing this, the goal of completion becomes more of a reality. Once you have the room separated by like items, you may want to continue breaking the piles down even further by continuing to separate items that go in the same area.

3. Label everything
Labels, Labels and more Labels, by labeling boxes, containers and even the outside of drawers or cabinets you are defining a place for things to go. This also makes staying organized easier over the long haul, as everything in your home or office has a home, a consistent and appropriate place where that object is normally kept. Some items that you use every day, may be on display and/or readily available for frequent use. Other items like holiday decorations or out of season clothing, can be stored until needed. When you begin to see that there is actually a place for things to go, you gain more confidence in your ability to continue the project and also your ability to keep the area clean.

4. Use it or lose it
This is one that may be difficult for some to wrap their hands around, so for all you pack rats out there, here it goes. The rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it, looked for it or needed it in a year, it probably has very little or no value in your life. For important papers, the general rule of thumb is 3-5 years, but it is important to use your own discretion when deciding how long you should keep an important document.

5. Make it a family affair
Enlist the help of the entire family, pick a day, cut off the TV, cut on the radio and make it a fun family project. By doing this, you also make others accountable for their actions that may have led to the clutter and it also gives you the opportunity to spend some quality family time together.

The idea of clutter is overwhelming but the sooner you get started; the sooner you'll achieve your goal.

Personal challenge for the week: Define an area of your home or other personal space, and use the steps listed to begin the process of removing clutter from your home and your life.

Journaling exercise: What are some things in your life have you neglected because of clutter and disorganization. What are some things you plan to do too eliminate the disorganization and clutter from your life so that you have more time to focus on what really matters? (The plan needs to be realistic and concrete, actual steps and things you will do to become more organized) For example, I plan to wake up 1 hour earlier than usual, so that I can spend time preparing for my day. I will do this so that I won’t feel so rushed and will have time to enjoy some well-deserved personal time for myself.

Wanda Austin-Williams is a Clinical Therapist and Personal Life Coach. She is the owner and founder of Total Essence Counseling & Life Coaching Service in Ann Arbor Michigan. Total Essence Counseling and Life Coaching focuses on helping people live authentic, healthy and purposeful lives. Wanda is also the author of a weekly ezine entitled, Live Joyful, Live Purposeful. For more information about Total Essence, email totalessence0@lycos.com or check us out on the web at http://www.totalessence0.com

De-Clutter Your Life - Keep the Good, Let Go of the Bad

2008-02-29T03:17:00.001-08:00

It's Autumn. Everyone is busy. Activities have revved up at work, school, church, etc. It’s easy to fall prey to outside pressures, schedules and responsibilities. You are so busy that you don’t have time to think about what you really want and whether you are getting the satisfaction from what you are doing.

Your thoughts might be, “If I can just get through this weekend, then I can focus on next week. Then I can begin thinking about next weekend,etc.” You keep moving, moving, moving without thinking about the meaning behind your activities or whether you’re really enjoying them! In the end you feel drained and not very satisfied!

In the Life Coaching world, one of the first steps to help improve your life is “de-cluttering”. What are the things in your life that drain you of energy and prevent you from doing what you really want to do? You put up with, accept, take on, and are dragged down by people and situations that you may have come to accept in your life rather than try to fix them. Now is the time to identify those things that drain your energy and focus on the positive activities.

Draw a line down the middle of a page. On one side put “Energy Drainers At Work.” On the other side put “Energy Drainers At Home.” This is an opportunity to identify and label the things, people or situations in your life that are dragging you down. As you think of more items add them to your list.

You may or may not choose to do anything about them right now, but just becoming aware of and articulating them will bring them to the forefront where you’ll naturally start eliminating, fixing or resolving them.

Good luck in your “de-cluttering” and take time to be grateful for the good things.

Mary Kay has over 20 years experience working in helping professions such as individual, couples and family counseling; 9 years in employee assistance consulting and 5 years in small business.

Mary Kay has a master’s degree in Educational Rehabilitation Counseling and receives ongoing training as a Life Coach through the Institute of Life Coach Training.

Her personal and professional philosophy is that this is your life, not anyone else's. There is no single "right" way to live, only a right way for you. Once you identify your deep personal values and design your life around them, it’s easier to honor your life, and feel good about the choices you make.

Areas of expertise include:
• Professional women wanting more balance in their lives
• Couples wanting to reconnect and have more fun in their relationship
• Women looking to create a new life or career for themselves.

Taking Care of You: De-Clutter

2008-02-27T03:13:00.001-08:00

De-Cluttering our lives can be an extremely liberating exercise. There are many types of clutter than can hinder us having the quality of life we want and deserve. There is clutter that is in our minds as negative self-talk. There is the clutter that physically exists in our homes, cars, offices, such as old newspapers waiting to be recycled, stacks of magazines you will never read, old clothes that are destined for the good will because they no longer suit our style or size, etc. There is another form of clutter often referred to as “tolerations” that refers to all those nagging little things that drain our energy every time we encounter them. This type of clutter can encompass the other two types and also includes things such as the broken toaster that only toasts one side of the bread, the whistling kettle that no longer whistles, that phone call you’ve been meaning to make for two weeks. This type of clutter or tolerations, fill up time and space in our lives by their very existence. When we are able to reduce and then eliminate most clutter, we have so much more energy for what we really want in our lives.

So, what are you tolerating in your life right now? What broken down things, messes, eyesores, unsatisfactory conditions and circumstances, and behaviors (yours and those of others) have you been accepting and living with could you change or eliminate to immediately improve your quality of life? What has been draining your energy unnecessarily under the guise that “that’s just how life is?” All these little annoyances add up to cost you big chunks of your time and energy and are well worth eliminating.

Take some time this month to de-clutter your life. Make a list of your top 10 tolerations that could be eliminated by the end of this month. Take action and eliminate these things from your life. Cross items off your list as you eliminate them. Make a second list of your top 10 big tolerations that may take a while to eliminate and get working! Share your list with a friend for support and encouragement or email it to me at ruth@coachruth.com and I’ll support your intention.

Ruth Hegarty is a confidence coach who helps people increase their personal and professional confidence for greater self-esteem, happiness, and success.

Contact Ruth at ruth@coachruth.com or 617-846-3824 for a free 30-minute coaching session. Visit her website at http://www.LeapofConfidence.com.

Declutter Checklist - The Secret To Staying On Top Of The Clutter

2008-02-26T04:29:00.001-08:00

Being organized is vital as you try to keep your household clean and in good running order. Just as businesses use checklists to make sure that things get done, you too can use one to make sure you stay ahead of the clutter in your home. A thorough checklist and calendar system can help keep you accountable to your chores, and give your family the nice home they deserve. These three tips will show you the importance of checklists and the accountability they can foster.

Declutter Checklists. A good checklist should include every room of your house, and every major surface or item in the room that requires cleaning or straightening. You can create a separate checklist for each room, or a list for each type of room. For instance you could have one list for all your bathrooms, and another for all your bedrooms. You should also keep track of the supplies you use for the cleaning so you can buy more when your supply gets low.
Calendar System. There will be checklists that will need attention every single day, and others that will need completion only once a week or once a month. It is always a good idea to schedule your time for running your checklists, if you can. This allows you to control when and how long you work on the chores. Do not beat yourself up if you miss an appointment on your calendar, just pick up that checklist at the next available time you can fit it in.
Chore Charts. It is a wonderful idea to get your children involved in the chores from an early age. You can use a chore chart to both remind them of their chores, track their progress and reward them for good work. These values will help your children throughout the rest of their lives.

Approaching your housework in an organized manor will make it both more complete and easier in the long run. You do not have to create checklists like NASA or anything, just use them to remind you of all the items that need attention, and so that nothing is left out. These checklists will help you to stay accountable to yourself and your family, and help you provide them with the beautiful home you want them to have.

Shock: Most people have a clutter problem.

There are three things you can do about your messy house:

You can ignore it, and keep on feeling bad about yourself.

You could set it on fire, but that might get you arrested.

You can choose to deal with it, and begin to enjoy your home again.

Declutter Fast will show you how to get your home in order fast, so you can start feeling better about yourself. Even if Declutter Fast does not work for you, at least you will have done something.

Update: Declutter Fast now includes a 3-Year, Money-Back Guarantee of Satisfaction. No questions asked. How can you lose, try it today.

The Top 5 Tips To Declutter Your Home

2008-02-26T04:28:00.001-08:00

Having a cluttered and messy home can severely impact upon your visitor's impressions of your home. The piles of dust-collecting items and dirty clothes are a representation of who you are as a person and what kind of lifestyle you lead. By following the tips below, you will soon find decluttering your home an enjoyable part of your daily routine.

Tip #1 - Always declutter

Whether you are in your cleaning session or not, it's extremely important to always pick up items to ensure a clean environment. Leaving items around (such as a sock on the floor) will promote others to follow suit.

Tip #2 - Reward yourself

If you're finding it hard to maintain a regular decluttering routine, try rewarding yourself through any means in which you find appropriate, such as a treat for every room you successfully declutter.

Tip #3 - Collect and label bags

Gather a number of garbage bags and label them according to what kind of items are laying around your home. Examples include "give away", "throw out" and "return to where it belongs". This organization will ensure that you are not constantly going back and forth, which could potentially confuse and put you off-track.

Tip #4 - Never leave rooms unfinished

Once you start decluttering a room, you should always finish it before moving onto another. Doing so will allow you to clean at your own pace.

Tip #5 - Plan

If you have time, try to plan where you are going to declutter and what order you are going to work your way throughout the house. You should work in the order which seems most logical according to your home's layout.

Still finding it hard to declutter? Stop stressing! Declutter Your Home offers free tips, guides and more to help you declutter and improve your living space.

Simple Ways to Declutter Your Home

2008-02-20T01:49:00.002-08:00

A messy home can make your life seem unmanageable. We all view our homes as an extension of ourselves, as do others. When they are a mess, it can be downright embarrassing. Take heart, for there is hope. The war against clutter goes on forever, but you can start winning the daily battle. Here are some simple, but powerful concepts that you can use to fight the clutter in your life.

Sort the mess
This works best if you divide up the areas you want to declutter into logical divisions. Use a set of boxes and begin to sort items into functional groups. Constantly look for items that could be discarded, donated or sold. Make special areas or boxes for these items.
Everything should have a home
After you have sorted everything in an area, look at the collections you have created. Try to resist stacking items where you used to, just because that is where you always put them. If you do not have adequate storage for your items, take a look at your local office supply store or department store. There are hundreds of novel products to create storage space in your home. Nothing should be without a home when you are done.
Put things away
This is probably the hardest step to follow, but it is the most important in your daily fight against clutter. Sometimes you just do not feel like putting things in their proper place, but that little extra effort will go a long way to boost the appearance of your home. When you take those daily steps to stay organized, you will find after a while that it will become almost automatic. It is so much easier to keep a home decluttered when it is well organized to begin with.

When you look at your cluttered home as a whole, it can seem bigger than you. But when you break it down, and follow these simple ways to declutter your home, you may find that it is not as difficult as you first imagined, and the feeling of a clutter free home is very satisfying.

Home organization methods that really work.

Do you feel like putting a match to your mess and walking away? It does not have to be that way.

Declutter Fast will teach you:

How To DeClutter in One Day
The Painless Four-Pass Method of Decluttering
Emergency Decluttering - When Clutter Must VANISH Now!

Declutter your home the easiest way possible - experience the exhilaration of order in your life!

How to Declutter a Bedroom - 4 Simple Tips

2008-02-20T01:49:00.001-08:00

A messy bedroom can negatively affect many aspects of your life. The bedroom is where you begin and end your day- if it is a mess, it may be difficult to fully relax at bedtime, and can make waking up a nightmare. Use these easy tips to make your bedroom the relaxing place it should be.

The Bed --Your bed should be the focus of your bedroom. Make your bed everyday. It can help to minimize clutter by not using your bed for anything else during the day, like for your dirty clothes. Also try to minimize the number of pillows and layers of blankets, as they can make it take longer to make your bed, and tempt you to skip making it some days.
The Dresser and Nightstands --Your Nightstands can be a problem point for clutter. Try to keep the drawers as organized as possible, and if items routinely collect there that belong elsewhere, either remove them daily, or find a place to put them in the nightstand or room. Do not use your dresser for items it is not meant for. A little organization can help here too.
The Closet --A closet is for clothes and shoes, not for storage. If you have items besides clothing in your closet, it is time to find them another home. You should utilize your closet to its fullest, so you do not use the rest of your bedroom for clothing. A good closet organizer can help you maximize space in a smaller closet. Regularly purge clothing you no longer use be donating or selling it. Also put a basket or hamper in your room where you usually throw your dirty clothes. More than one is acceptable, if it will keep your dirty clothes off the floor.
Everything Else --If it does not belong in your bedroom, it should not be in there. Your bedroom is for sleeping, not for doing projects, or running a business. The worst clutter comes from items that have no business being in your bedroom. Removing these items will return your room to being a place solace, and may even help you sleep better.

A clutter free bedroom can be a real blessing in your life. It can seem like a large task to clean up your room, but getting started is the hardest part. Once it is done, you will be amazed at how much you will enjoy your like new bedroom.

Shock: Most people have a clutter problem.

There are three things you can do about your messy house:

You can ignore it, and keep on feeling bad about yourself.
You could set it on fire, but that might get you arrested.
You can choose to deal with it, and begin to enjoy your home again.

Declutter Fast will show you how to get your home in order fast, so you can start feeling better about yourself. Even if Declutter Fast does not work for you, at least you will have done something.

Update: Declutter Fast now includes a 3-Year, Money-Back Guarantee of Satisfaction. No questions asked. How can you lose, try it today.

5 Steps to Declutter Your Home in 10 Minutes or Less

2008-02-13T22:39:00.000-08:00

This may come as a surprise but you can make your home look immeasurably better in under 10 minutes. I'm not saying that you'll have a spotlessly clean home, or that there won't be mess, but by concentrating on certain areas of your home you can make an impression without too much effort on your part.

1. Go in the kitchen and wash the dishes.

By washing the dishes you are removing clutter from the sink. It shouldn't take more than 5 minutes if you don't get distracted. Just stack the dishes in the drainer and you're done. It'll take even less time if all you need to do is stack the dishwasher.

2. While you are there, wipe down the kitchen benches.

The trick here is to do only what you can see, and put away things that are easily stored. Don't go crazy here and try to make it immaculate. There's no need since you're only after tidy, not perfect.

3. Tidy the living room.

Not all of it! I want you to stand at the door and see where the biggest, most distracting pile of junk is. Get some bags and make short work of it. Throw out what you don't need and put away the rest. There's no need to go overboard here. Don't spend more than 2 minutes on this task. Do it fast, and don't think. That's what really slows you down.

4. In the bathroom, clean the wash basin.

Don't think. Just put away the things that shouldn't be there and wipe it down. It will take you no time at all. Two minutes tops. Time it and see. Again, you aren't aiming for perfection, you want less clutter in the area.

5. With the minute you have left give yourself a pat on the back. Your house may not be perfect, but at least its a little better.

These steps won't give you a spotless home, but in 10 minutes you can give the place a little shakedown. All it requires is some elbow grease and not a lot of thought. Planning is what really takes the time, after all. So if you want less clutter in under 10 minutes give these steps a try and you'll be off and running.

Join me in my journey to declutter the lazy way at my blog

3 Ways a Lazy Person Can Declutter

2008-02-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

I've got a confession to make... I am a bit of a slob. Cleaning is not high on my list of priorities, and so I am afraid my home will never make it into Home Beautiful. I tell people that I like the lived in look, but the truth of the matter is that sometimes I look around my home and I'm a bit uncomfortable about it. So, I have been trying to find easy, and non-regimented ways of cleaning my home. I will share three with you now.

1. Do the dishes before you go to bed.

Notice I didn't say to put them away or anything radical like that? Making sure you wash the dishes is good for health reasons, if nothing else. Gone are the days when I would let them stack up and do them in one go. Thankfully, this is just a small job and it doesn't take that much time to do. It did take me over a week before I was doing it regularly, I admit. But at least now I have a coffee cup clean for breakfast. You may think this is not a lazy way to declutter, and the whole thing about doing the dishes every night implies regimentation, but in this case, the benefits outweigh the time taken. Coffee in the morning is essential, after all.

2. Fold up the washing as you get it off the line, or out of the dryer.

Again, notice I didn't say iron the clothes or put them away? This would be ideal, but for the more relaxed among us, at least if you fold the clothes they are easier to iron if need them.

3. Declutter one part of the house per week.

Who has time to declutter every day? Let's face it, energy levels go up and down. Interest levels in cleaning go up and down as well. It's not the most absorbing task, after all. Don't spend more than 10 minutes on this, and try hard to not think while you are doing it, it'll help when you throw all of those "valuable" items into the trash.

It riles me a bit, I will admit, when people think I'm lazy for not cleaning or decluttering fast enough. Sure, right now, there are papers strewn all over the spare bedroom's floor because I was looking for a specific item, but eventually, I'll clean that up. Sometimes it's easier, especially if you don't like regimentation, to take things in stages. Small, manageable stages, and build up slowly. For the lazy cleaner it can be a godsend. So, if you want to declutter a little bit at a time, try these ways and see how you go

My Favorite Declutter Technique

2008-02-12T04:51:00.002-08:00

Decluttering can seem like such a mammoth task that there's a danger you'll never manage to get started. It depends on your level of clutter, and on how much enthusiasm and determination you have for the declutter task, of course. But clutter is a low form of energy, which means that you don't have to spend much time in amongst it before it drags you down. So to extend the mammoth metaphor a little further, it's like the stone age challenge: how do you eat a mammoth? ...One bite at time!

I've undertaken plenty of decluttering in my time and am fortunate enough to get a buzz from it and to positively relish the liberation factor. But I do recognize that it can be hard work and involve painful decisions. So the technique that I present here is designed to make your decluttering as simple, painless and effective as I know how.

All this technique involves is identifying the area you want to declutter and sorting everything in that area into piles. For example, if it's your wardrobe you want to deal with, find all the T-shirts and put them into one pile. Then find all the socks and put them into another pile. Then all the jackets. And so on...

You can use the technique with just about any category of clutter - toiletries and cosmetics respond particularly well. And it works for papers, magazines, gadgets, crockery, you name it...

When you've sorted out your piles of items, you have a much clearer overview of your clutter and the chance to ask yourself some questions about it...

* What have you simply got too many of?

* What's so old it's not worth keeping?

* What are you ready to let go of?

* What's genuinely important to keep?

* Have you realistically got space to store all the things you want to keep?

As you review the piles and answer the questions, sort the contents into new piles...

* Items to keep and store tidily

* Items to throw away (actually you don't need a pile for this one, you just need a trash can!)

* Items to sell

* Items to recycle. And so on....

Once you've got your new piles, do with them what you intended. By that I mean store the storage items away tidily, get the garbage items into a trash can outside of your home or take them straight to the garbage dump, get the for sale items on sale, take the recycle items to your local recycling center.

It's often tempting to postpone this last step of getting the clutter out of your home. But if you don't do it, the clutter's still there in your space. So go on, finish the process and you'll feel fabulous!

Click here for your chance to Declutter Your Way To Creativity. Mary McNeil is an experienced declutter life coach and her 30-day e-course is jam-packed full with the knowledge and experience she's gained over years of one-to-one coaching with her clients on their clutter issues

My Favorite Declutter Technique

2008-02-12T04:51:00.000-08:00

You can use the technique with just about any category of clutter - toiletries and cosmetics respond particularly well. And it works for papers, magazines, gadgets, crockery, you name it...

When you've sorted out your piles of items, you have a much clearer overview of your clutter and the chance to ask yourself some questions about it...

* What have you simply got too many of?

* What's so old it's not worth keeping?

* What are you ready to let go of?

* What's genuinely important to keep?

* Have you realistically got space to store all the things you want to keep?

As you review the piles and answer the questions, sort the contents into new piles...

* Items to keep and store tidily

* Items to throw away (actually you don't need a pile for this one, you just need a trash can!)

* Items to sell

* Items to recycle. And so on....

Declutter Ideas for Wild and Crazy Toddlers

2008-02-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like a small tornado living in your home to turn even the most well-organized house upside down. Toddlers are energy in motion and causing clutter is their birthright. I have been blessed with four toddlers throughout the years and each one of them was adept at making messes and causing chaos. They were also completely void of any declutter skills.

Until they were trained. But we'll talk about that more below!

If you are tired of attempting to clean your home dozens of times each day, here are some tried-and-true strategies for living through the toddler period with grace and calm (and a mostly decluttered home).

-- The best defense is a good offense.

Toddlers are humans developing at an astonishing rate. They are remarkable creatures and possess a zest for living unmatched by any other age. All that development requires a good deal of stimulation. Toddlers are discovering the world around them each and every minute and the smart parent places items in their toddler's world that are safe, enjoyable and sturdy.

You'll have less discipline problems from the get-go if you provide toddler-approved clutter and remove temptations a toddler is not ready to handle properly. Which brings us to the next point.

-- A home is first of all a place to live in, not just look at.

You may have beautiful collectibles, fine furniture and elegant decor. But you didn't decorate your lovely home to please a toddler and that's who is spending the most time there during this season in your life. So go with the flow and put away those collectibles, trade out those expensive decor items that are placed down low in your rooms and consider slipcovers for your fine furniture.

Here's the real deal: toddlerhood goes by almost as fast as a toddler moves, so you'll have your lovely home back in no time. However, you can never get back the memories of this precious time.

Knowing this, ask yourself a question: what kind of memories do you want? Remembering how exhausted you were each day from chasing your pint-sized darlin' out of every corner every minute or sweet memories of enjoying your growing baby explore the world you are lovingly providing him.

Only you can decide.

-- Provide storage that can declutter naturally.

Consider getting a large decorative basket that can accommodate your toddler's toys and then show her how to play the pick-up game each and every time she is done playing in a room. In fact, get a basket for each room your toddler spends time in.

No fussing is necessary, just pick up toys alongside her and help her learn an important skill she'll use the rest of her life.

The key here is consistency and patience. And here's something to think about; if you want teenagers that help out around the house, this is how you train them. When they're toddlers.

-- Change out the fun and keep the interest level high.

It's tempting as a parent to think that more and more toys will keep a toddler busy for longer periods of time. However, all that strategy accomplishes is lowering your bank account and creating clutter in your home.

Instead opt for a reasonable amount of toys (less is usually better), and rotate through them. For instance, put a handful of toys in your decorative basket this week and put the other toys in a box in a closet. Then every couple of weeks, get the box out and rotate through the toys. You can also trade toys with other parents to leverage the fun.

This is a simple concept. When toys go 'stale' they move into the box or into another toddler's house for a mini-vacation and when they return, those toys look remarkably brand new in the eyes of your toddler.

So what's the bottom line? With a toddler in your home, you may not be able to keep a spotless house at all times, but that misses the point, doesn't it? Instead, use these declutter tips to maintain a reasonably easy-to-care for environment that's high on usability and rated tops in toddler satisfaction.

Colleen Langenfeld has been parenting for over 26 years and helps other moms enjoy mothering more at http://www.paintedgold.com Visit her website and grab easy declutter tips today.

Declutter Your Car and Feel Wonderful!

2008-02-10T23:21:00.000-08:00

One of the easiest and best ways to declutter your life is to start with your car. This has many benefits:

- It makes you feel good immediately

- It's easy to declutter a car, compared to decluttering a home

- It encourages you to declutter more areas of your life

- It impresses other people! You'll be surprised how much!

After all, what really belongs in your car? Very, very few items belong in your car.

Driving should be a serene and safe experience - not a time to get down on yourself because of a messy car. Decluttering your car takes only minutes, in most cases.

Decluttering your car is very habit-forming. Here's how to start.

Get a box and a trash bag. Throw out all trash, such as old receipts that you don't need, old cups and food wrappers, and any junk mail. Don't worry about vacuuming the car. That will happen later when you wash your car. Just get that trash out now.

Next, put everything that is in the car - and I do mean everything - in a box. Empty the entire car of "stuff."

Yes, the spare tire, tire changing tools, and children's car seats can stay! Those are not clutter problems but necessities!

Wash your car or take it to be washed and vacuumed, inside and out. Now it's clean and clear of all items. It looks great.

Now it's time to put back just a few special items in your car. Here's what:

First, a flashlight and jumper cables. Then, make sure you have your car insurance information and registration papers in a safe place.

I recommend keeping these things in the car:

- scissors and tape! These two items can really come in handy, especially when you need to wrap a last-minute gift

- 2 pens and a pencil, plus 2 envelopes

- extra straws for drinks

- your sunglasses!

- a power cord, the kind that plugs into your lighter

- your favorite CDs or cassettes - but no more than 5! Change them every month or as needed.

Most of the items listed above can fit in your glove compartment or in a small caddy.

But wait! Are there other "must" items you need to keep in the car because of your work or family? Not to worry.

For anything extra that needs to be in your car, use a special box that you keep in your trunk or in the very back of the car. A sturdy colorful plastic box works best. This will keep the extra tems "contained"! That will contain both YOUR sanity as well as your safety.

That's everything! Anything else in your car should be there because you planned it. Driving will now be a far more pleasant experience!

Train your school-age children to put their backpacks in the trunk when you pick them up from school. That is both a space-saving habit and a matter of safety. You don't want heavy objects flying in the car in the event of a sudden stop!

Now here's the hidden payoff. You'll be amazed over and over again at how many people will marvel at your clean and clutter-free car when they see it. Why is that? It's because most people allow the junk to just pile up without ever even trying to declutter. Every time they see their junky cars, it stresses them out a little more. This is so needless! Having a decluttered car feels fantastic.

If you ever need extra supplies in your car for a special purpose, such as a trip, it's no problem - just provide yourself with another special box or bin to hold the extra items - and everything will stay orderly and easy to reach.

The secret is to make sure everything stays in the SAME AREA. Don't allow items to creep all over the car. Confine the items to one designated area, such as the trunk or the rear of the car.

What if your school age kids don't want to clean out their messes in your car? Perhaps they are leaving candy wrappers and books and "stuff" in the car and want to make it their "spare" bedroom?

Here's a solution for that: good-naturedly say, "I'm not going to open the front door until you clean up your candy wrappers and get your CDs off the car floor!" Smile, but let them know you mean it. They may groan, but they'll get their stuff out of your car!

Make sure children's car seats get wiped down with a damp cleaning cloth often. When you can't vacuum the car seat, a small whisk broom makes cleaning a car seat very easy.

We all have so many errands and spend plenty of time in our cars. Make riding in your car a source of pleasure for you.

From author Mimi Tanner: Discover how to declutter your life! Go to http://www.declutterfast.com/, and get unique decluttering tips that will make an immediate difference in your life.

Declutter Fast Review And Decluttering Tips

2008-02-10T23:11:00.000-08:00

Your option for selecting a starting point, especially if you can only work in short spurts, is to select a little concentrated area that you can declutter quickly and will not overflow into other areas of the house. A shelf, a cabinet, a drawer or one box is a good place to start. Another option is to divide up a larger room up into small pieces and tackle one area at a time. This is a small trick I learned from Declutter Fast, and it works well.

After you have chosen where you want to work, get your tools together. The most important tools are containers for the stuff you will be moving around. Cardboard boxes are also good for stuff that will be moved areas of the house. Make sure you also have a large and tough garbage bag for trash. Gloves are usually a great idea for obvious reasons. I always wear gloves because spiders are a big fear of mine, and when cleaning out stuff, spiders are almost sure to be present.

The following are categories for containers:

• Garbage can
• Stuff that you will be giving away to friends, family, or goodwill
• Stuff that you can sell (Declutter Fast has great suggestions for this, such as eBay)
• A recycling bin – cardboard, paper, glass and plastic are three of the most recycled items
• Stuff that you will be keeping
• Things that you have not yet decided about, make sure to keep this container small
• Things that you are going to keep, make sure you keep this organized.

After you are organized and have all of your containers and game plan together it is time to get started. If you don’t love it, use it, or need it then do something else with it. You would be especially surprised how much money you can make off of your junk, and Declutter Fast has a great game plan for sorting out which of your stuff goes in the correct places.

After you have packed your stuff, do not just let it all hang around for long on the trip to the dump, recycling, or goodwill. Not only are the boxes of things clutter in themselves, but it is way too easy to start pulling stuff back out, make sure you do not do this! If you have to get rid of large or a bunch of large boxes, some charities will do a pickup, so take advantage of that if it is available.

If your local community has a special time for putting out large items at the curb for pickup, take advantage. Make sure that you get all of your stuff in your car or right by the car so that you do not just stack them somewhere and procrastinate with taking care of all of your stuff. You did all of the hard work already, so make sure you take advantage of the fruits of your labor and finish off the easy part!

My name is Breanna and I use to be the WORST organizer in the world. It wasn't until I read some information on organization techniques and tricks that I finally got it together. A great organization book, and a book that I did a review on is here: Declutter Fast Review If you have problems with organization, or you have so much stuff you don't even know what to do with, you would be surprised how much the information will help you. I hope you enjoyed my article.

How to Declutter Fast

2008-02-09T00:53:00.001-08:00

far too many of us have to deal with a cluttered household. Of course one we first moved in to the house it does not seem as though it is a cluttered at all. Sure we may have some boxes lying around and maybe in various stages of being packed or unpack, but what we have is a clear vision of a very tidy house. Soon they'll, because we are all busy, we tend to compile things that we don't really need. These could be tanks such as newspapers, magazines, trinkets that sit on shelves and don't really do much more than collect dust, and other things similar to this. At times we may want to de-clutter fast, not really wanting to take the time to go through every single thing, and every single pile that we have laying around the house. Here are some tips to help you to de-clutter fast, especially in an emergency situation.

It doesn't matter if you are going to de-clutter your house quickly, or slowly, the principles are fairly the same as far as how you will start out. Every project has a beginning, the same and is a journey of 1000 miles begins with one step, and your first step should be at the entrance of the room. Quickly work your way around the room in a wave like fashion finishing each section to the same degree before moving onto the next. Take along with you several boxes. One of the boxes will be for things that are going to be stored, another is for things that you do not need and they will be thrown away, the third will be for things that you are unsure of and that can be stored temporarily. Why did you make your circuit around the room then begin again with a more thorough sweep of the area. Put the storage and the to be looked through boxes in a safe area until you have the time to look through it thoroughly.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download.

How to Declutter a Home

2008-02-07T22:15:00.001-08:00

there is a saying, that was even made it to us home that says there is no place like home, but at times our home may not be as comfortable and relaxing to us as we would like. This is due largely to the fact that we all tend to accumulate things that we do not need. Many of us end up with piles of things that lay around the house and do little more than collect dust.

Most of us have these piles of unneeded things with very good intentions, thinking that at some time we will actually go back through several months worth of newspapers and see if there is anything worthy of being cut out and saved, yet what we are actually robbing ourselves of it's a comfortable, relaxing environment that we all need in order to be rejuvenated and ready to face the world again. Here is an easy way to de-clutter a home and gain back the environment that we wanted in the first place.

Never start to de-clutter a home from the middle of the home, this will only cause you to end up with a larger mess that you started out with, and will not produce the results that you wanted. When you start to de-clutter a home you should start at the entrance to the room that you are working on at work your way around the room without jumping ahead.

This will serve two purposes. First it will allow you to accomplish things in an orderly fashion with out biting off more than you can chew at one time, and second it will give you the motivation necessary to continue to de-clutter because you can look behind you and see what you have already accomplished. You should also set a timer for the amount of time that you would like to work, and when that timer is done you should stop working until the next time. By working your way around the room and not working longer than you are able you will be able to accomplish the most good in the shortest amount of time.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download.

Declutter Tips to Help Get You Going

2008-02-06T21:20:00.000-08:00

Do you feel as though your life is becoming out of control because of the clutter that is around your home? Many of us like to have things, and at times these things can pile up to the extent that they just become clutter around our feet.

The house that we live in should really be a haven away from stresses of the world, and the place where we can go home to and really enjoy ourselves and relax, yet many times clutter robs us of the important thing even if we do not fully recognize it at the time. If you are tired of living in the clutter and want to take control of your home again then here are some declutter tips to get you started.

The first thing that you should try to do is to only accomplish what you can do at one time. In other words, you should not try to declutter your entire bedroom all at one time, you should rather strive to declutter one part of your bedroom, such as your dresser, closet, or a single side of the bed. By doing this you will be more motivated because you will be able to see what you have accomplished.

Another thing that you should do is to start giving attention to one item every day for a short period of time, and not try to work all at one time on the entire house. This is a great organizational tip as well has been one of the best declutter tips that I can give you. If you are diligent, and stick to a schedule no matter how small that schedule may be you will find yourself making progress, and will be motivated to continue.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download.

Declutter Help - Stop Stressing Over Cleaning

2008-02-05T21:50:00.001-08:00

I have seen a lot of people with clutter in my lifetime. Sometimes it is just piles of newspapers and magazines that make their way into our lives, at other times it becomes much worse and it seems to take over a room and spread throughout our homes. The worse I saw was one home where you couldn't even walk through the room, it was stacked from the floor to the ceiling, wall to wall and there was just a walkway through the room to get into the next room. If you want to get rid of the clutter and need some de-clutter help then here are some suggestions to help you to get started.

There is a saying that Rome was not built in a day, and that is surely true. Look around your home, pick a room to start and then start in that room. Don't even worry about the rest of your house until you get to that area. Then take your first room and break it down into micro projects. That way you can accomplish one thing before you move onto the next and you will be in a much better position to keep going. Not only that, but you can look at what you have already done and see the progress as a motivation to keep going.

Another bit of declutter help that I can give to you is to break your projects down into bits of time. Don't try to do a whole room, thinking that you are going to be able to do it all at one time. More than likely you will have to stop part way through the project and will be left with a bigger mess than when you started. Think in terms of mini projects and work your way across the room in a wave, looking back at what you have already done and keeping motivated to see the end.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download

3 Steps To Declutter A Bedroom

2008-02-04T21:25:00.001-08:00

It is a difficult thing to live in a cluttered house, and for many of us clutter has become a way of life. If the mess that is in the rest of your house has crept into your bedroom is it time to learn how to de-clutter a bedroom, and take control of that part of your house.

I don't know about you but I have a hard time getting a good night's sleep when I know that the bedroom is cluttered. If you don't know what I'm talking about, it's similar to the change in feeling that you get when you clean out your car. It's like you are driving a while new automobile and it can be a very pleasant experience. Here are 3 steps to declutter your bedroom so you can get that feeling in there as well.

First, you need to prioritize what you are going to do. There are big parts to the clutter and small parts to the clutter. I usually call this part of the process making a little pile of crap out of a big pile of crap. Throw out what needs to be thrown out and try organizing the clutter into smaller manageable piles. Getting this done first will let you see some progress and help motivate you to finish the job.

Next, you want to attack the room like a wave. Start in one corner of the room and work your way around systematically. You won't accomplish much if you try to piece the room together all at one time, and as you work your way across the room looking at what you have already done can be very motivational.

The final phase will be to finish up any loose ends. There are always some things that are left over, and especially if you have a problem with procrastination will this be an issue. Make sure that you finish what you have started, and then come up with a system to keep it that way.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download

Finding Declutter Assistance Can Make Cleaning Easy

2008-02-03T21:42:00.001-08:00

One of the things in life that can really suck some of the life out of you is having too much clutter. Sometimes it gets so bad that it seems to take over our lives, and we spend a lot of negative thought energy worrying about how it looks and what we are going to do about it. We all have clutter to some degree or another, but if it is something that has taken over your life then it is time to take control of the situation once and for all. Here is some declutter assistance that I can offer to you.

First, you need to assess the situation realistically. If you have a lot of clutter and it is spread throughout the house in some fashion or another then you are going to need to break the project down into some mini projects. You might even find that you need to break the mini projects down into micro projects. Start somewhere, typically I like to start at the entrance into the room and work my way around the room in a systematic way. That way you can look behind you and see the progress so that you can give yourself some motivation when needed. That way if you don't have any help you can give yourself this declutter assistance and a moral boost when needed.

Another thing that you are going to need to learn when it comes to managing clutter is time management. If you tackle too big of a job and then run out of time you will probably end up with a bigger mess than what you started off with. Make sure that you are not biting off more than you can chew. Start with one drawer, or one countertop, or 10 square feet, and set a timer. Tell yourself that you are going to spend a half hour, or an hour, or even 15 minutes if that is all that you have and then do it. Stick to the schedule, and keep doing it in small manageable blocks of time and you will soon find that you have accomplished much.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download.

How To Declutter Your Kitchen

2008-02-01T22:14:00.000-08:00

If you tossed out everything which doesn't belong in your kitchen, how much simpler would it be to serve dinner or simply grab a snack and kick back with a favorite TV show? De-junking can improve ANY kitchen area, big or tiny, well or badly laid out.

First, let's talk about de-cluttering.

Most of us have plenty of things hanging out in our kitchens which could be removed with no great loss. How about food? Foods you tried and hated, foods that you thought you would try, but never did, foods beyond their best-before date, can all be tossed out and never be missed. Occasionally we hang on to worn-out equipment or supplies long after they have ceased being usable - frayed towels and cleaning cloths, and cleaning supplies which are used up or no longer usable are good examples. Pots and pans with broken handles, burned-out areas, or cracked coatings are also good candidates for the junk pile.

Other things just don't belong in the kitchen, especially if we're tight on space there. Cleaning supplies you use elsewhere, stuff belonging to other people or other rooms, and things used only at the holidays could all be stored elsewhere to free up kitchen space. Unusual equipment you haven't used for more than a year also comes under this heading: if you will really use it again some day, store it somewhere else, otherwise: get rid of it!

Then there's the stuff that just seems to accumulate when our backs are turned. Gadgets and small appliances are a common offender here. Have you got small appliances you never used, or used only once and then never again? Or that are broken and almost certainly won't be fixed? How about "As seen on TV" gadgets that never operated as you'd expected? Many of us also have many duplicates of equipment such as can openers, utensils, china and flatware: pick the pieces you love the most to use, get rid of the ones you will really never use, and keep the 'just in case' or 'guest' pieces outside the kitchen. Oh, and we mustn't overlook the plastic tubs (and their covers, which never seem to match up) and glass bottles that we keep because they are SO USEFUL! Absolutely, they are, but how many of them do you really have room for? More are arriving all the time!

Sadly, lots of us also have shelves full of recipe cards and cookbooks we never look at. The illustrations were - and still are! - so alluring, but we just never had time for making the meals. Will you - ever? No? Then perhaps someone else should have the opportunity to benefit from them.

With all that gone, maybe you now have room to breathe and move in your kitchen. Going forward, try not to let the clutter gather again, as it will try to do. It's much quicker to organize the stuff you really need and use, once the unwanted stuff is out of the way.

Robin Gray facilitates local organizing courses in coastal BC, Canada and writes on organizing and decluttering homes, including kitchens, at Declutter First!, the decluttering and home organization site

Declutter Your Desktop

2008-01-31T21:45:00.001-08:00

Decluttering’ has become the new buzzword recently but it is usually talked about in the domestic sense. It is also important for an efficient office to be clutter free. Is your desk hiding beneath your paperwork? Do you have a pile of business cards are propping up your monitor? Are your invoices mixed in with your receipts? Are you wasting time because you can’t find that all important piece of paper when you need it?

Sound familiar... it is relatively quick and easy to declutter your desk space or indeed your whole office if necessary.

Firstly set aside some time, a couple of hours if things are really bad, preferably a time when you will be bright and fresh – so if you are a morning person get onto this task as soon as you arrive at the office. You need to ensure that you will have no distractions and this means no calls, visits or emails. See this time as an investment in your business, if the working environment is clutter free it will help you focus when you are at your desk. You know what they say ‘a clear desk means a clear mind.’

Where to start? Now this is the hardest part. Set up a shredder nearby or a bin for shredding if you have one. A black bin bag or recycling bin will also be necessary for rubbish and of course you need some space for the ‘to keep/file’ pile. Whether you choose to file as you go along is totally up to you and may depend on the state of your desk. If you have a business card holder then put all of the business cards in it, if you don’t have one but have a pile of cards then buy a special card holder and file them immediately. You may decide to tackle the ‘to keep’ pile after you’ve finished sorting the desk, just make sure you do it straight away.

A great idea if you have a scanner is to scan all the paperwork you need to keep and then pack the originals away for archiving or you could add them to your rubbish pile if you don’t need to retain original documents. Setting up an electronic filing system is very simple and you will also be able to back it up or you could burn it to CD. You will be happy in the knowledge you can retrieve the information quickly but you are also cutting down on the amount of paper stored in your office.

Okay now that you have three piles it should be easy to make some real progress – rubbish (hopefully you are recycling paper), shredding and important paperwork to keep. Don’t be afraid to throw things away, if you haven’t used something for a few months then the likelihood is that it isn’t essential for your day to day work. As you start to progress you will notice you gain momentum. This is great news and why no interruptions are so important. Now look at your lovely clear desk and smile, isn’t it great to be able to see it again? The challenge is keeping it clutter free, implement a daily declutter at the end of each day and you’ll be amazed how easy it is.

Samantha Cannell is the Director of Versatile Assistant, a Virtual Assistant and Freelance PA business providing PA support to busy professionals particularly those working in the financial services industry. To find out how a virtual assistant can help you transform your business visit http://www.versatileassistant.co.uk

3 Ways to Declutter a House

2008-01-31T21:44:00.001-08:00

There are many of us that would love to realize the happiness that can come with organized living but we tend to live in homes that are simply overcome with clutter. If you have the problem of hanging onto things more than you should, and if piles of unknown objects and forgotten memorabilia are overwhelming your home then here are 3 practical ways to declutter a house.

Pick a spot and start your declutter system. I often start at the entrance to a room when I go about starting to declutter a room. Then I work my way around the room in a wave, not going back and not jumping forward. This has two nice effects, it helps you to be organized about your organizing, and if you need some motivation to keep going you can look at what is already done.

Timing is everything when trying to declutter a house. Many of us start to declutter a room and we get so deep into the mess that when it is suddenly time to stop we are left with a bigger mess, and no motivation to jump back in. It is better if you were to set a clock for a designated time and then to work at top speed until that clock went off. That way you accomplish the most in the time allotted and you don't get overwhelmed with doing just one more thing before you quit.

Search and destroy is the method that many people use when the are going to declutter a house. Take a couple boxes with you, one for anything that you are going to get rid of and the other for things that you are unsure what you are going to do about. When you are done, or when the second box gets full then go back through it and look at each item objectively to see if you really need to keep it. If you don't then put it into the other box.

If you find that clutter is taking over your life and your home it's time to remove the mess and take control again. Download our Special Report at http://www.how-to-declutter.info/

How to Declutter an Online Special Report, Now Available to Download.

Declutter Your Home - Just Rubbish Disposal Or A Feel-Good Technique

2008-01-30T21:49:00.001-08:00

I have recently been hearing more and more people mention the word “declutter” and wondered what all the fuss was about. Is this just a fad, a bit of rubbish disposal, a reaction to our modern excesses or a necessary remedy to make our lives more enjoyable and livable? Being interested in doing a bit of “decluttering” myself, I decided to carry out some research and found there is a ground-swell of anti-clutter thinking building up across the country. In the UK there is even a trade body called the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers! So what is all the fuss about? It seems that we now have larger amounts of disposable income and a distinct lack of time to use it. The result of these two factors is that we purchase lots of unnecessary items and have no time to either use them or throw them away. Another factor is our innate tendency to hoard things. Our reluctance to throw things away, even if we rarely or never use them, results in a build up of rubbish that slowly but surely consumes our living space until we reach that breaking point when the declutter urge begins to nag!

Everyone has a different declutter urge threshold, with some people unable to cope with even a small pile of old newspapers, whereas others will reach the point where they can hardly move from room-to-room before the urge to take action kicks in. It seems that there are various locations that merit a bout of decluttering and there are a range of drivers that spur the declutterer into action. Let’s deal with the locations first of all. The normal location is the family home. Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and garages are the usual culprits. For bedrooms, clothing is the main clutter contributor. For those of use who can’t resist a little retail therapy, there can easily be a rapid build-up of unworn clothing, but garments are one of the easiest items to clear out. Whatever you do, unless your old clothes are worn-out, damaged or dirty, don’t throw them away. You have a perfect opportunity to donate your clothes to charity during your decluttering. Many people recommend using the “one year” rule – if you haven’t worn an item of clothing during the last 12 months then you are highly unlikely to wear it again – just clear it out! If you have children, then toys can also start to take over a room if not kept under control. If you don’t keep your toy-count in check, your children will soon have too many toys to be able to find their own favourites. Another opportunity to recycle beckons, so whatever you do don’t just throw them away. Donate them to friends with younger children, sell them at a car-boot sale or even on Ebay. In the kitchen, old utensils can be thrown away for hygiene reasons and in the garage, throw out all those old tins of paint and rubbish that you moved out from the house last year.

If you have mountains of rubbish, it may be worthwhile hiring a skip to make the job easier. Another location that really benefits from a good clear-out is the office – either your desk at work or your home-office. You’ll be amazed at how much paperwork people can accumulate over a short period of time. I’ve known companies that have had periodic office reorganisations, purely to make people have a regular clear out of their work space. So what are the benefits of all this decluttering? If you have tried it even once you’ll know exactly what I mean by the sense of satisfaction and achievement that can be attained from all of this. If you haven’t ever set aside time for a spot of decluttering, then I can only suggest that you try a small test run. Plan to spend just one hour, in one room and see how far you get – and see how good you feel!Another favourite technique is the 15-3 sprint. Take a rubbish bag and for the next 3 minutes, try to fill it with 5 items to throw away each every minute. If you reach 15 in the allotted time you’ve done well and just see how good that feels. You may even be tempted to repeat the exercise every day. You may have a few guilty feelings about being wasteful and disposing of perfectly good things, but these will be more than compensated for by your sense of achievement, your satisfaction in being able to let go and the cleaner, lighter space you have created. You’ll feel more relaxed in your home, you’ll be able to find things more easily and you’ll know exactly what you have. In fact the fewer things you have, the more you will cherish and use them. So go on, have a good old clear out today.

Marcus Brooks is a writer and publisher of home improvement and property advice. His constructive advice, commentary and time saving tools cover a wide range of subjects. His latest initiative on skip hire can be found at http://www.skiphiredirect.co.uk

Get Rid Of Your Stuff - Declutter Your Life

2008-01-30T21:48:00.000-08:00

How much stuff do you have in your house that you don’t really need or use?

It’s probably taking up more than physical space, how does it make you feel emotionally – overwhelmed, frustrated, disorganised, even lethargic.

Step 1 – Get Ready.

Create a List. Go through each room in your home and make a list of all the areas, drawers, cupboards that need clearing. Sort this into small, medium and large. Pin it up where you can see it.

Step 2 – Get Set.

Get four boxes label them – Rubbish, Charity, Sell, Undecided.

Step 3 – Get Clearing…

Go through each room – take just 15-30 minutes and tackle the small areas first, then when you have time the medium and large areas.

Work on one area each day and tick them off your list. Either put things away where they belong or place them in one of the four boxes. Place the Undecided box in a cupboard, attic or basement and come back to it in six months. If you haven’t needed anything in it in that time – throw it away.

Clothing – when did you last wear it, does it fit, do you absolutely love it? Anything you haven’t worn for two years – put in a bag and take to your local charity shop. Only buy things that make you look good as you are now – not when you lose those few pounds.

Paperwork “handle it only once” or in reality twice. First when it comes through the door. Is it for action/junk or filing? Action –deal with it immediately or put it an ‘action’ folder/tray and deal with it in the next 2-3 days. Filing – tackle this on a weekly basis. Junk – straight into the bin.

Reduce the junk mail you receive – ALWAYS tick the box on any form to opt out. Sign up with the mailing preference service to opt out of unsolicited mail http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/.

Magazines – how often do you read them all. Tear out and keep any articles that are of particular interest. Read them as soon as you can. Cancel subscriptions for those you no longer read or value.

Things you no longer use – gadgets, sports equipment, etc., unwanted gifts, impulse buys - things you bought but don’t like or don’t use. Either sell them, pass them on or give them away.

Decluttering questions to ask: Do you love it? Do you use it? Does it make you feel good? Learn to say no, so you don’t clutter up your life with things that aren’t important to you.

Get into the habit of setting aside a few minutes each day or a block of time each week to keep areas tidy and clutter free.

To avoid clutter accumulating – when you buy something think first – do you really need it? If you find it hard to let go, each time you buy something new, get rid of something so at least it’s not increasing.

Notice how you feel after you’ve cleared out an area – whether large or small. You should feel a sense of achievement, satisfaction, relief and/or a burst of energy.

Step 4 – Reward Yourself.

Create small rewards for your effort as you go through the process, i.e. buy yourself a new item of clothing for clearing your wardrobe out,

See what you can do to create your own clutter-free existence and see what it brings in for you.

Why not join me for a Free Integrity Day to help get rid of your clutter.

Clare works with individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively. Learn how to prioritise, plan and delegate, organise your perfect life, organise it effectively and enjoy the process. Spend your time doing what matters and stop worrying about the things that don't.

Sign-up for her free monthly newsletter at http://www.clareevans.co.uk or send an email to claresnews@aweber.com and receive free tips on managing your time.

Clutter: Declutter Your Life By Keeping It All Simple

2008-01-29T21:42:00.001-08:00

*Feeling overwhelmed?
*Too much to do at work?
*Too much to do at home?
*Projects piling up?
*Too many social functions to attend?
*Paperwork piling up?

Then this “simple” concept is for you.

Simple to say, simple to talk about, not so simple to do.

Henry David Thoreau said it this way –

“Simplicity! Simplicity! Simplicity! I say, let your affairs be as two or three, and not a hundred or a thousand; instead of a million count half a dozen, and keep your accounts on your thumb-nail.”

Beautiful!

If you have never felt the sense of release that comes from decluttering, then you must take steps now to do just that! I have written articles and coached people on how to declutter and organize their physical space. I like to start my coaching with a new client by having them experience the huge benefit of physical decluttering. It is a tangible demonstration of the benefits that come by decluttering other parts of your life.

Once you experience the benefit of lightening your material load, it's time to focus on lightening your other loads.

Everything in your life takes up a certain amount of energy. The more you have packed your schedule, the more commitments and obligations you have, the more work projects you have taken on – the less energy reserve you will have to deal with unexpected crises, and the less time you will have for those unexpected, inviting opportunities.

Many people have the mistaken idea that a super busy, overbooked schedule is a sign of a successful person. What that person is missing, is the time to look up, look around and see key opportunities. This alone should be incentive for you to become very selective about how you invest your time and energy.

Successful people plan reserves into their schedule and into their lives. It reduces pressure and stress, and allows for you to available when God presents the truly best opportunities to you.

Put some “legs” on this concept right now.

List 10 areas in your life that are currently overwhelming.

Now, list 10 ways you can simplify your life.

Now - pick your first action from the list and do it.

Start experienicing the freedom that comes with keeping it all simple.

Visit LifeHouse Coaching to sign up for "Blueprints for a Dream Life" and receive Edi Sowers' f*r*e*e* weekly articles, coaching tips, and special offers. Edi works with women business owners who work at home and face the arduous challenge of balancing their personal and professional priorities in order to build their dream life.

Declutter Your Mind And Free Yourself

2008-01-28T21:48:00.001-08:00

We are constantly rushing around and our 'to do' list gets longer and longer. It is like a running commentary in our heads. That long list of jobs is never ending, the pressure is mounting and we begin to feel like our heads are going to explode because it is all too much sometimes.

When this happens you really do need to stop and take a step back and think carefully about what you are doing and why you are doing it. There is a lot of talk out there now about decluttering our homes to make our lives more simple. Of course, it is true that if you get rid of clutter you begin to feel more in control of your life.

But what about your mind?

You see, how can we begin to sort our homes out if we have so much going on in our heads that is holding us back and slowing us down? It comes down to the same thing. It's all about clearing your head so you can spend more valuable time on more important things.

At times the weeks go by and we have so very much on our minds that we can never really focus on anything. Then we feel like we have 'lost' time, this time will never come back. So we need to take action and reclaim some of that precious time for us.

So, how do we go about decluttering our mind?

1. Write a diary

I know we don't all like to write, or feel we have no time to write but if you do have lots of anxieties or worries, then writing them down can help you put everything into some sort of perspective. It clears up space in your mind so you can then use it for more satisfying things. Try to set aside some time each day to write a few bits down. It will help in the future when you look back at when you did certain things.

2. Make a list

Declutter your mind by writing things in a list rather than keeping everything stored in your head. This way you won't have to remember everything all the time.

3. Let Go Of Negative Thinking

This is very easy to do and it is a bad habit! It is draining. Not just for you but for everyone around you. Some events in your life can cause you to think negatively and it can take a lot of time and hard work to change your outlook.

It is you and you alone who is in charge of what goes through your mind. However, we still allow ourselves at times to become so engrossed in negative thoughts. You need to try very hard to let go of these negative thoughts whenever possible as it will relieve your mind of too much stress.

4. Just Say 'No'

If you already have a lot going on then don't be tempted to add to it. Some of us just can't say 'no'. If someone asks something of you just ask yourself if you can really take this on now. Saying 'yes' all the time does become a habit and then you are stuck with doing it so start to train yourself to say 'no'.

5. Get On With It!

Did you know that it is amazing how quickly you can do something once you finally commit to doing it? Believe me, thinking about doing something often uses up much more energy than actually doing it!

6. Avoid Interruptions

At times we feel like we are getting nowhere because we are constantly being interrupted. We all have cell phones these days so we are accessible 24 hours a day! Why? What on earth did we do before they came along? Our mind will overload in no time at all so try very hard to avoid where possible.

These are the main tips that we can try to use daily. Every little bit helps. Remember also to take breaks now and then. We all deserve a break. No one is going to give us a medal for working ourselves to the ground. Taking even a few minutes 'time out' from a task will help you to clear your thoughts and then you can come back more refreshed and ready.

By following simple tips like these your head will no longer be full of clutter and too much information. By writing things down and taking action as soon as you can, you can declutter your mind and then you will have more opportunity to think about much more productive and enjoyable things.

Ayla lives in London, UK. She is a Primary School teacher and author of 'Your Unique Guide On How To Organize,Declutter & Simplify Your Life', where she examines the emotional side of clutter as well as many great tips on how to get your home and family sorted once and for all.

Visit http://www.organize-declutter.com and sign up for her free declutter tips newsletter.

Declutter Your Home in 11 Easy Steps

2008-01-28T21:47:00.000-08:00

Feeling overwhelmed at the thought of organizing your home? Start on a smaller scale instead and it will be a whole lot easier.

For example, instead of starting with the entire house, commit to starting with one room.

Follow these 11 steps, and you're well on your way to an organized home:

1. PICK A ROOM -- ANY ROOM. Decide on what room to start on. Write it at the top of an 8 1/2 x 11 inch sheet of paper. This will be your Action Sheet. Example: BEDROOM A

2. CHOOSE AN ENTICING REWARD. Designate an appropriate reward to give yourself on the Dumping portion of the job. The reward concept serves as your motivation, so be sure to choose something that you'd really enjoy! Write this reward on your Action Sheet. Example: Treat yourself to a massage or go out for a nice dinner -- whatever it is that you love to do. Write it on your Action Sheet.

3. SET A DEADLINE. Set a specific Dumping Completion Deadline for this one room. Write it on your Action Sheet. Example: DUMPING DEADLINE: APRIL 30

4. SCHEDULE TIME TO DUMP. Schedule 3 specific dumping dates (one hour for each). Hopefully this will be enough to complete the dumping portion of the job. Write it on your Action Sheet. Then, post the Action Sheet in a prominent place where you are certain to see it every day, like your bathroom mirror. It will serve as a reminder of your goal, deadline and pending reward. Example: DUMPING DATES: APRIL 18 from 8-9A, APRIL 21 from 8-9A, APRIL 24 from 8-9A

5. KEEP YOUR APPOINTMENT. When the 1st dumping day arrives, keep that appointment, just as you would any other important appointment. Bring a bunch of large garbage bags. Play your favorite music in the background.

6. TIME IT. Set a timer for 1 Hour -- one that sounds off when the hour is up.

7. SORT THROUGH IT. Pick up one item at a time, and start dumping. (If you come across items you want to give to charity, designate a special bag for those items) Whatever you are going to keep, just put to one side of the room.

8. DO IT UNTIL THE TIME IS UP. Continue doing this until the timer goes off. If you prefer to continue, keep going. Otherwise, stop and follow the same procedures for your next two scheduled dates. Don't let the garbage bags sit there. Make sure they are thrown out now (or donated), or on Garbage Day at the latest.

9. CELEBRATE. Once you've managed to dump everything you don't want or need in that one room, it's time to celebrate. Take advantage of that reward you designated.

10. KEEPING IT ORGANIZED. Now that everything in that room that you wanted dumped is gone, you're ready to begin putting everything you are keeping back in an organized manner. Be very careful not to put anything else in this room that you don't want.

11. REPEAT. Repeat this process for each of the other rooms in your house.

Get Organized Now!

FREE Idea-Pak and E-zine filled with tips, ideas, articles and more to help you organize your home, your office and your life at the Get Organized Now! Web site!

Maria Gracia, owner of http://www.getorganizednow.com and author of the book, 'Finally Organized, Finally Free' can help you organize your home, your office and your life. Visit her Web site at: http://www.getorganizednow.com

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Decluttering Christmas

2008-01-27T22:01:00.000-08:00

It has been said that less is more. This holiday season in the spirit of generally simplifying my life I thought I'd see if that's true. So what better way than to declutter what for most Americans is the jam-packed pinnacle of all holidays? Christmas.

Christmas in particular can use a lot of decluttering. Two thousand years after the blessed event we celebrate, we've managed to turn the season into the Olympics of gifting, baking, mailing, decorating and travel. We've made it a month-long sprint of parties, shopping and shipping deadlines. We even kill trees for it. I for one can live without fruitcake, egg nog, and a fresh evergreen in my living room once a year.

Decluttering the holidays means decluttering your life by eliminating excessive or unnecessary holiday activities you have been conditioned to do, and taking more time instead to celebrate the holidays as your heart desires.

But I admit, decluttering Christmas came for me this year out of necessity rather than reflection. Due to a cluster of December business trips - for both my husband and myself - further complicated by a mid-December weekend cruise we're taking (I just won it and it's a "use it now or lose it" deal), capped off by the fact that we'd be spending the entire week of Christmas and New Year's with my husband's family in a foreign country, I knew back in November there simply would not be time to accomplish all the Christmas and holiday rituals I usually undertake. All told, out of December's thirty-one days, I would be home for fourteen. And did I mention we have a ten year old daughter (who still believes in Santa) and a dog?

So when contemplating how I would "get it all done", I quickly realized the limited options available:

1)Don't sleep and go crazy from sleep deprivation 2)Cut back on sleep, thereby resulting in greatly increased crankiness and diminished holiday enjoyment 3)Try to get it all done but don't. Feel frustrated and guilty. 4)Do only the holiday things I enjoy and that are important to me, skip or short-cut all the rest, and damn the consequences.

Not liking options one through three, I sanely selected number four. No sooner had I made my choice for happiness over obligation than the universe conspired to help me at every turn. In fact, it conspired so well in my favor that this has been one of the most enjoyable holiday seasons I can remember. Even with limited time I have had enough space to do what I love and enjoy, and then some. And that, more than altruistic intentions or principles, is the main reason I'll stick with this approach for years to come and am inspired to share it with you.

So here's what got kicked to the curb, what didn't, and some tips for how you can do the same:

1.Gift Shopping. I love playing Santa with my own kid and giving presents to the other children in my life. Since I'm not very crafty, this necessitates shopping.

Online ordering from Amazon and other established Internet retailers made this season's shopping easy if not effortless. Better yet, this year due to the economic downturn retailers aggressively couponed and discounted merchandise pre-holiday, so while I did make one four-hour jaunt to the local mall (and paid the price with a killer migraine by the end of it) the 50% off coupons, free $10 gift cards, and other assorted perks made it worth the trip. The take-away: plan ahead and get it all done in as few visits as possible.

Here's another idea: A few years back my siblings and I - all grown, married adults - decided to do away with our annual "Secret Santa" gift exchange. After all, how many more electronic gadgets, designer handbags and home d?cor items did we need? Instead, every Christmas we contribute a minimum of $100 per couple toward a charity of choice. We take turns selecting the worthy cause of the year.

2.Decorating. Since we knew we'd be celebrating Christmas elsewhere, this year we agreed (with our daughter's blessing) not to put up our artificial tree. As a result, I placed about half the normal decorations I usually do around the house. Without the usual complement of d?cor and the tree, our home feels much airier and my husband, himself a minimalist, comments daily on how he likes having fewer Christmas decorations around.

And best of all, instead of taking up an entire weekend, the holiday decorating (including putting up outdoor lights for a two-story home) took four hours total. The focal point of the few decorations we did put out is the nativity scene. How nice to truly have Jesus at the center of Christmas instead of an ornamented tree. The fewer decorations somehow are more subtle and valuable reminders of the holiday.

Declutter Christmas at your home by actually decluttering your home of its usual holiday d?cor. Instead, if you have quite a bit of stuff, rotate what you display from one year to the next. Then every year it will seem like you have something new.

3.Baking. Usually I enjoy baking at this time of year. I like going to cookie exchanges and making my favorite recipes, many of which were my mother's. Yet this year due to schedule conflicts I couldn't attend the events I was invited to and certainly wouldn't be having any visitors. So why bake? Precisely.

Yet one still craves Christmas cookies, so what to do? Here's a great short-cut that will give you the best of both worlds. The grocery stores are loaded with pre-made Christmas cookies they normally don't carry at any other time of the year. BUY a few of your favorite varieties. Add to your selections one or two Nestle or Pillsbury "break and bake" cookie packages and pop those in the oven for 15 minutes. There you go, plenty of variety, fresh-baked goodness, and minimal time spent in the kitchen. That's a treat if you ask me.

4. Christmas Cards & The Inevitable Holiday Newsletter. I love having sent holiday cards, but hate the process of doing them. Luckily I have above average computer and administrative skills which have come in handy for automating this somewhat dreaded task. I've essentially reduced this into a labeling and envelope-stuffing process by computerizing the Christmas card address list, then computer-printing all return and address labels. I personally sign the cards, but of course you could order pre-printed ones to streamline things further.

Yet in being faithful to doing only what I love, I didn't want to skip the cards this year. They're the chance to reach out and touch the many friends and family I seldom have the opportunity to see. It was important to let them know they're in my thoughts even though they're not in my ZIP Code.

In the age of the Internet and digital photography, automating Christmas greetings has never been easier. If you want a completely hands-free process, computerize your list, then upload it and your favorite family photos to the Kodak, PhotoWorks or Snapfish Web sites and they'll do the mailing for you. Or save some trees and send free email greetings from Hallmark.com.

5. Visitors and Visiting. This one's easy. Visitors? Don't have any. If you must, ask them which hotel they'll be staying at while they're in town. Or instead, go to them. Better yet, if budgets allow meet in the middle but keep it fun. The more fun you make the destination, the simpler all the other Christmas rituals will be. As an alternative to busy city winter travels or sleeping in twin beds in the guest room, plan a family vacation to a favorite surf or ski locale. This approach minimizes gift craziness as well since it's difficult to haul everything around. Think about it, no one has to cook either, and you might be left with a tan or a massage rather than stress and dishes to wash.

Decluttering Christmas has not only been an incredible gift to myself, it has also taught me that less is absolutely more at holiday time. When I don't buy into all the "should do's" dictated by modern society and reinforced by the consumerism of Christmas, I am able to enjoy the celebration at a deeper level. Correction: I am able to enjoy the celebration, period.

This year we'll be with my husband's family in Mexico, and although I'll miss seeing my own family in the states, I'll be spending the holiday with people I love dearly in simple, uncomplicated relaxation. We'll be at a family home out in the middle of nowhere, away from television, cell phones and the Internet. Best of all, we'll be far away from the hyper-commercialization of Christmas in the US. If that's not a gift, I don't know what is.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Karen Talavera is a keen observer, critical thinker and aspiring book author with a passion for writing, learning and teaching. She lives in South Florida and sounds off frequently on her blog of the same name, Sound Off. Read more of Karen's writing at http://worldwidesoundoff.blogspot.com .

5 Tips on De-cluttering for Success

2008-01-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

If we are surrounded by clutter and disorganization in our lives it makes an excellent breeding ground for negativity, negativity is what brings about feelings of low self-worth and low self-esteem which hinders us in life and is the basis for us being unsuccessful in what we choose to do. It is essential therefore if we want to succeed and make the most out of life that we de-clutter from time to time and remove any excess obstacles and belongings from our path, keeping our lives open and free flowing. Here are some simple points to remember to keep your home and life clutter free.

1 Replace old with new

This applies to anything which you bring into your home be it clothing, utensils, furniture or any other item, if you continually buy and bring new items into your home then very quickly you are going to be over run with items which usually end up being packed in cartons and put in the basement. Even if you pack items and put them in the basement it is still clutter, clutter that you could do without so get into the habit of throwing things away or giving them to charity when you buy new.

2 Don?t keep unnecessary things

In order to keep your home clutter free it is essential that you don?t keep anything which is not essential, items belonging in this category include junk mail which appears through your letterbox, flyers, old newspapers, magazines, letters or trash from your car. Letters that you don?t need can be shredded immediately, the same for junk mail, while any trash from your car should be collected daily and disposed of immediately. It is surprising if you get into the habit how much junk you can eliminate building up in your home on a daily basis just by taking care with items such as this.

3 Throw anything away that you don?t like

Never hang onto items simply because you were given them as presents, while this may sound harsh it leads to unnecessary clutter, if you don?t like something then don?t keep it, give it away to someone who likes it or sell it but don?t hang onto it.

4 Have a goal

When looking around your home have a goal in mind when de-cluttering, for example treat each room separately and say to yourself ?I aim to de-clutter this room by 25%?. If you start out with a clear goal in mind you will feel more in control, organized and feel you are accomplishing something. You should divide the clutter into three piles, those items you can sell, the ones which are trash and those that you wish to give to charity, starting out with a clear plan and goal in mind makes de-cluttering your life so much easier.

5 Never procrastinate

Be harsh with yourself and don?t feel guilty about throwing something away or giving it away, once you start de-cluttering don?t give it a second thought and remove something from a pile and change your mind about getting rid out of sentiment. If we stop and think about every item in this way it sows the seeds of doubt and negativity that leads to disorganization and a home full of items we don?t need.

Alan Kintel is a writer that concentrates on helping people better themselves, for cutting edge information you NEED to know about yourself before you try to change your life check out his website at http://someofthebest.info

The Secret to Decluttering Your Space

2008-01-24T22:07:00.000-08:00

Is there really a secret to getting decluttered? Is there hope for the piles that lie in every corner of my home? Can I dare dream that I will open my closet one day and not have the contents fall on my head? I believe that there IS a secret to organization and decluttering and I?m willing to share it with you?anxious to share it with you, because it can change the look of your home, the atmosphere of your space, and the stress level in your life.

I propose that it all comes down to one main concept: whatever you?ve got, it needs a spot. Now don?t be deceived. While it may sound way too simple, there?s a lot of punch in that little statement. What were you looking for?an algebraic formula? What you need is a simplified idea that you can apply to every single aspect of cleaning, organizing and decluttering your home or space (it could be an office or apartment). The simpler, the better. It?s like a mantra that you chant as you wander through your halls, rooms, and closets. Start applying it little by little, and you will see miracles happening right under your nose. The sweetest payoff is that the more little piles that you clean, the more motivated you are to keep cleaning. This little phrase will dramatically change the way you feel about your home, it will energize you to do countless other projects, it will decrease your stress level, and it will change your home from a tornado to an oasis.

Just waking up and looking at the piles in our homes begins a day with stress. It creates feelings of unfinished business, endless projects and chore lists a mile long. This is depressing, discouraging and downright disheartening. I believe that you have all of the tools that you need to break down these stress-builders in your home.

Pick one room at a time, one pile at a time. Start slowly and I promise that you will gain momentum?probably sooner than you think. As you attack your first pile, remember the motto: whatever you?ve got, it needs a spot. Designate ONE pile as your goal for that day (or evening) and concentrate on completing that one task. Don?t make your goal too lofty. You will be encouraged when you accomplish what you set out to do.

Never underestimate the power of an empty spot. You will be absolutely amazed at how energizing it is to step back and gaze upon the now EMPTY spot in your room that you just cleared. By simply emptying ONE spot, you will be motivated to clean about ten more. But be careful, keep your goals attainable.

Invite a friend over for tea and tips. What you need is a second set of eyes and a discerning mind that isn?t your own. You need a friend who you trust to spend an hour or two with you, sip a cup of joe, and help you decide what to move, what to keep, what to give away, what to sell and what to do with what?s left. The power of another?s suggestion is very strong. It keeps you focused, keeps you motivated, and keeps you on task. A friend can also offer arbitrary advice that is invaluable when it comes to getting rid of our ?stuff?.

Embrace the nitty gritty. Alright, get ready to dig in with both feet. You will be handling everything from big pieces of furniture to tiny scraps of paper. And sometimes the smallest item can of greatest value! Understand that your piles may have a whole bunch of nothing that can be thrown out, or that you may unearth something of buried importance. Either way, your determination and full focus (inspired by visions of huge amounts of space) are of vital importance.

Complete one small task that makes a big difference. This concept has saved my sanity time after time. Here are my two main examples. One, if your bed is made, your room looks clean. There can be piles of clothing here or there, but if your bed is made, your room looks clean and neat. There is a feeling of order and structure to the room. Two, if your kitchen counters are clear, your kitchen feels clean. There can be dishes in the sink, coats hanging on the bar chairs, and last night?s dinner casserole still sitting on the stove. But if your counters are clear, there is a sense of space, order and cleanliness. My kitchen counters are the bane of my household cleaning, because they collect EVERYthing. It is my constant battle to keep those cleared. But, when I do, I immediately feel less stressed and able to handle other chores or projects. Find the spot in your room that makes the biggest difference and keep it clean!

Okay, let?s get practical. Here?s what this really looks like. I have a pile of papers on my desk that are a thorn in my side. So I set aside one hour to dedicate to this menacing pile. Here is my plan of attack:

1. Go through each piece of paper and separate it into piles?things that I need to keep and should be filed, trash, papers that I need to respond to by either phone or mail, papers or coupons that go directly into my purse, and miscellaneous. I now have 5 smaller piles, and it?s only been 10 minutes! Okay!
2. Throw away the trash?down to 4 piles!
3. File the papers that I already have a file for, and make a new file for the rest. (This assumes, of course, that you have a file system and office supplies for additional files.)
4. Put the papers that go in my purse IN my purse (see how easy that was?)
5. Place the remaining pile on my workstation/desk area.

Okay, I still have that last remaining pile on my desk. But the whole task only took me 20 minutes and I set aside 60! I have time to have a cup of coffee, read a magazine and STILL respond to some or all of those silly papers. Everything is now in its spot! And you should see my desk! It?s beautiful!!! I?m ready for the next pile?

Here are some other practical tips on creating ?spots? for everything else. In your bedroom, you need bins and boxes and baskets for your closet and under your bed. You have to create a spot for things like clothes that don?t fit anymore, clothes that need to be ironed, hats, shoes, sundries, ?things? on your nightstand, etc. If you have a designated spot for anything that you find in this room, all it takes is for you to put it in the spot. The key is creating a spot?a bin under the bed, a shelf in the closet, a coat tree in the corner, an extra dresser or lingerie chest if necessary.

In your kitchen, get a recipe box; put your bread baskets in a corner of a closet; clear the top of the refrigerator; invest in Tupperware! In your bathroom, get cute baskets at WalMart or Target for your hair stuff; hang your hairdryer on a wall hook; purchase a small shelving unit with a door for extra storage. In your garage, there?s only one answer?BINS AND SHELVES! This involves a small investment, but it is well worth it to walk into your garage and see all of your stuff labeled and in bins. Are you getting the picture? Whatever you?ve got, it needs a spot!

In order to avoid clutter, you also need to have space between your pieces of furniture. Don?t line it up like ducks in a row. Have a piece or two and then some space. This also applies to your kitchen counter and backsplash. The day I learned this amazing concept was the day that space came alive on my kitchen counters. You don?t have to fill every single corner or wall or counter! Get rid of superfluous furniture, appliances and knick-knacks. You will be amazed at how clutter-free your home will feel. Space is directly related to levels of stress. The more space you have, the less stress you have. Don?t get me wrong, a house should feel like home and have warm touches and personal flair. Just find the balance between a museum and a zoo!

Does this all seem too simple? The best ideas are simple ones. If it was too complicated, we wouldn?t feel capable of completing it. You CAN organize and declutter your home, as long as you take one small bite at a time. For additional ideas on getting your home under your control, check out www.domesticqueens.com. This is my personal website, and it is a resource for women who want to have a home that is a haven of rest, not a source of stress. Have fun decluttering and destressing!

Pam Keller is the author and designer of http://www.domesticqueens.com, a website dedicated to women who run their homes. The website serves as a resource for motivation, tips and suggestions for organizing and decluttering your home. It also covers menu planning, effective list-making, internet shopping and cleaning tips.

DeCluttering Blueprint: Step 5 - Organizing Your Bedrooms

2008-01-24T22:06:00.000-08:00

If you?ve been following the DeCluttering Blueprint series, you?ve noticed the process for eliminating clutter is the same regardless of the room or space you?re working on. In short, you always begin by defining the purpose of your room and then follow-up by identifying the major categories to be kept in the space, sorting all things into those major categories, and finally, editing each major category of item down to what you love and what you use.

The next part of the organizing process is to put your room back together and that?s where the real problem solving comes in. Thus, the remaining articles in this series will be devoted to smart, space saving solutions to help you arrange, contain, and organize your rooms and belongings?starting with your bedrooms.

Create a restful, organized bedroom using a combination of the materials and ideas that follow:

Your Closet ? Make dressing fast, convenient and pleasing.

Closet organizing kit ? This type of unit will maximize your space plus it can be customized for your organizational needs. Before you purchase such a kit, measure your closet area and count the number of suits, pants, shirts, dresses, sweaters, shoes, and purses you want to keep in your closet. Go to a home improvement store?look at the finishes and components and buy the one that best fits your needs.
Closet rod doubler ? This little device will double your hanging space for short items and it?s a breeze to install.
Under-shelf basket ? This is a plastic coated wire basket that slips onto a shelf to provide additional storage.
Shelf divider ? This gadget slides over the front edge of a shelf to support stacked items and prevent the piles from spilling over onto each other. It?s great for sweaters.
Stacking shelf ? A great solution for those places where you don?t want to add permanent shelving. Buy one or more units to add storage and make the most of your vertical space.
Over the door multi-pocket unit ? A great way to stash shoes, hosiery, belts, jewelry and scarves. Pick one with clear plastic pockets and you can readily identify the contents.
Hanging canvas shelves ? This tool attaches to your closet rod and adds multiple shelves for sweaters, t-shirts, jeans, etc. They?re also great in kid?s closets for organizing various sports gear or clothing for each day of the week.
Pegs ? Adding a couple pegs or a peg board to your closet will make it simple to keep your bedroom tidy. Just slip your pj?s, robe and other frequently used items on them and off you go.
Hamper ? Every bedroom needs a laundry hamper. If you have space in your closet, hang a canvas bag on the rod or on a hook to make it convenient to toss dirty clothes in the appropriate place.
Lighting ? Good lighting helps insure you won?t pick up one brown shoe and one that?s black. It also makes it easier to assemble an outfit. You can add lighting without wiring by attaching Stick and Click lights which require only 3 small batteries.
Stool ? If you have ample closet space, try adding a stool so you can reach upper shelves and sit down and put your shoes on. Even better, go for a stool that does double duty: get one that has storage plus seating.
Hangers ? Wooden hangers not only look great in your closet--they hold the shape of your clothes better. Consider the type with a ribbed bar to hold pants as this arrangement prevents slippage.

Your Bed ? Make your bed the focal point of your room and use it for storage if you?re space challenged.

Position ? Place your bed so that you have clear sight of the door; at the same time avoid placing it directly opposite the door or on the same wall as the door.
Linens ? Use the best quality materials you can afford and coordinate them with a soothing wall color.
Platform - If your room is small consider investing in a platform bed with drawers or cubbies and baskets. You can get a lot of small items in these compartments.
Risers ? Another option for the space challenged bedroom is to put your bed on risers and utilize plastic under-bed containers with a lid and wheels for shoes, linens, out of season clothing, etc. If you opt for this solution be sure to use a bed skirt to keep your storage out-of-sight.

Your Media ? Go ahead?watch TV in the bedroom but hide it when you don?t care to see it.

Deluxe solutions ? Conceal your TV in a pop-up cabinet placed at the foot of your bed. Or, splurge on the latest invention?a custom cabinet that rotates your TV 180 degrees so when not in use you only see bookshelves. (The hardware for this solution is called Reversica Gyre and holds up to 600 lbs.)
Armoire ? Tuck your TV inside this type chest and you won?t have to look at it unless you want to. If you?re working with a small budget consider an unfinished armoire and paint it yourself; it makes matching your d?cor easy. Armoires also offer additional storage for folded clothing.
Dresser ? If purchasing one of the aforementioned items is not in your budget look around your house for an unused dresser. Set the TV on top, build a box around it, and then add doors on the front.

Your Nightstand ? This item needs to be utilitarian, i.e. it should hold an alarm clock, book, and glass of water.

Light ? Instead of putting a light on your nightstand, look for lighting that mounts on the wall?newer options mount like a picture.
Common household items ? Your nightstand need not be traditional?you can use a chair, bench, end table, small dresser or shelf mounted to the wall. If you want a nightstand on each side of the bed, keep in mind that they do not have to be identical.

At the end of the day?all that matters is that you feel your room is cozy and practical. Ready for more organizing inspiration?watch for the next edition of the Decluttering Blueprint?coming soon.

Pam N. Woods is co-author of a bestselling book, Create the Business Breakthrough You Want: Secrets and Strategies from the World's Greatest Mentors; endorsed by Ken Blanchard & Dr. Stephen Covey. She is a respected authority on personal effectiveness who has mentored hundreds of executives, managers and professionals over the last three decades. Now, through her business, Smart WorkLife Solutions, she is helping individuals at home and at work to declutter their space, their schedules and their lives.

Pam?s website is a resource with information and services to help a diverse population of individuals organize their office, home and life. If you want to save time, boost productivity and reduce stress visit the Smart WorkLife Solutions website today.

See http://www.worklifecoach.com or these specific pages: Free how-to articles or Organize your office, home or life.

Conquering Your Inner Clutterbug: 7 Tips for Decluttering Your Life

2008-01-23T22:36:00.001-08:00

If you're feeling overwhelmed by the stuff in your home, you're not alone. Here are seven tried and true tips for cutting the clutter and getting your life back.

Clean out the closets. Most people actually wear only 20% of the clothes they own. That means that 80% of what's clogging up your closet and dresser is stuff you never wear anyway. Set aside 4 hours one weekend to take everything out of your closet, try it on, and toss anything that doesn't fit well or flatter you, and stuff you haven't worn in the last year. The only items that goes back in the closet are the ones you truly like. As for the rest of it, take it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army for a hefty tax deduction.
Ditch the dailies. Do you really read that newspaper every day? Reduce your subscription to Sundays only, and just watch that pile of unread papers disappear.
Stop maxing out on magazines. It's hard to say no to a 4-year subscription when it costs approximately 11 cents, but it's only a good deal if you're actually going to read the magazines when they come. Pick one or two mags you really love and cancel the rest. Then, gather up all of your back issues and drop them off at the local hospital. Their patients and visitors will thank you.
Love your local library. While you're on a roll with reducing your reading materials, paw through those paperbacks gathering dust on your bookshelf and donate them to your library. You'll get back your shelf space while helping a chronically underfunded public institution -- and bringing home another tax deduction.
Nix the knickknacks. Think of it this way: The more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to dust. If you don't like those candlesticks Aunt Maeve gave you, take them to Goodwill. Running out of space for picture frames? Pick just a few favorite photos to leave out, put the rest into albums, and Freecycle the leftover frames. Got a thing for porcelain figurines? Unless you have a nice china closet for them, probably best to pack them up for protection -- and to clear some breathing room.
Master your mail. I know you're tired at the end of the day, but fight the urge to just drop the mail on the counter and sigh, "I'll deal with it tomorrow." That stuff piles up fast, and the bigger the pile, the harder to sit down and deal with it. From now on, as soon as you get through the door, sort the mail into three piles: Trash, Shredder, and Keep. Then, open all of the Keep items and toss the empty envelopes and inserts away with the Trash. When the tottering mound of junk turns into a neat little stack of paper, you'll feel a lot better about what you find in your mailbox.
Tame the toys. And don't think you're exempt from this one if you don't have kids. Pet toys, electronics, and personal care products (do you really use those fancy hot rollers enough to leave them on the bathroom counter all the time?) take up a lot of space. Head over to Ikea for a couple of those snazzy woven baskets to stash Fido's bone. Lose the dozen remote controls and get a universal remote that handles everything. Simplify by either storing, donating, or Freecycling stuff you just don't use that often.

With a little bit of determination and just a few hours, you can turn your stressed-out space into a peaceful clutter-free zone. Ahh, now doesn't that feel better?

Kristen King is a freelance writer-editor and consultant from Northern Virginia, and the host of b5media's http://www.LivelyWomen.com, a daily blog dedicated to helping women live whole, healthy lives. Visit Kristen online at Lively Women or at her professional website, http://www.kristenkingfreelancing.com

Declutter, Declutter, Declutter

2008-01-23T22:34:00.000-08:00

One simple way to get a increased sense of well-being is to declutter your life. What that means is just to remove all those things that you don?t really need.

Since clutter and procrastination is closely tied together I?ve started using the Make a small deal with yourself-technique. Here?s what you do:

Promise yourself that you?ll work on something for just 5 minutes. After those 5 minutes you can do something else if you want to. But make a note on your schedule when you will come back to the task and work another 5 minutes with it. Not matter how unpleasant a task may be, you can often talk yourself into working 5 minutes on it.

And the thing is, you often don?t have to schedule another 5 minutes that day. Decluttering often takes just 5-15 minutes. And when you have done your first 5 minutes you?ll most likely feel that you should just get it all done. The important thing is to get going. Often it starts to feel good going through all that old junk and cleaning it out. If not, then break it down into 5 minute parts.

If there is a lot of clutter everywhere don?t get overwhelmed and fall into procrastination-mode. Do 5 minutes in one room a day. Or start by doing one small task a day. Declutter your old receipts or your old magazines. Do it every day and pretty soon it?s all decluttered.

I?ve found it helpful to put all the stuff you want to get rid of on the floor in the middle of the room. I put it all in piles and start going through it. The messiness of it all makes it easier. You just want to get rid of that annoying pile.

Get a couple of boxes or bags. Put the things you want to save in one of them, the stuff you want to sell/give in another and get a trashcan for the junk.

Use your trashcan liberally. If you?re unsure if you should throw something away, think about how much you have used it in the past. Then think about how much use you?ll have from it in the future. Then you?ll probably want to throw it away.

Declutter your workspace
I find it very satisfying to remove old coffee-cups from my desk, sort my stuff and throw out what I don?t need. A decluttered and ordered workspace brings clarity and order to the mind. Avoid putting post-its all over your screen and desk. Use a program that collects all those thoughts and reminders. I use My Life Organized (use a quick Google-search to find it and other programs referred to in this article).

Using 5 minutes a day to keep your workspace clutterfree not only makes you happier and more efficient. According to a series of interviews that Brian Tracy cites 50 out of 52 managers would not promote a person with a messy desk. Even if the person was doing a good job. They couldn?t trust a position of responsibility to someone who couldn?t keep himself organized. Take a look at you workspace and see what it might reflect about you as a person.

You might want to look into the Getting Things Done-system (often refered to as GTD). It will keep you better organized and reduce the clutter in both your physical workspace and your inbox. The book you want to get is called ?Getting Things Done? and is written by David Allen. The GTD-system can also be used to increase productivity and reduce stress in the rest of your life.

Declutter your home
One way to have a more clutterfree home is to bring less stuff into the house. If you buy a lot of things on impulse and then just use it one time you might want to reconsider that habit. Pause and think before you put something in your shopping-cart.

Don?t bring junk-mail into your home. I?ve started to move that kind of mail directly from the mailbox to the nearest garbage can.

Give away all the stuff you don?t need. Or to take a couple of minutes to check Ebay. Whatever things you?ve collected throughout the years could actually be something people are willing to pay a surprising amount of money for. Got old furniture no one uses? Put an ad in the paper for it.

Take 5 minutes to do the dishes, take 5 minutes to fold the laundry and put it where it?s supposed to be. Don?t let these things pile up. Getting those small tasks done will bring you a sense of relief.

Use boxes to store magazines, toys and other random things that otherwise just lies around. If you have a system with written or mental labels then it will be easier to keep things organized and in their right place.

Declutter your computer and online habits
Declutter your RSS-feed. Just keep the ones that really gives you value. Remove the rest.

Declutter your bookmarks. Go through it and remove bookmarks you never use. Organize the rest into categories. It will make it a lot easier to find what you are looking for.

Remove bookmarks that you click impulsively but really doesn?t provide much value. These can be real time-hogs and easily break your concentration countless times each day. If you use FireFox I recommend downloading PageAddict. It tracks how much time you spend on different sites. It might not be something you want to know, but in the long run it might be very helpful to know.

Shut of your Instant Messengers to avoid interruptions.

Don?t put of answering emails for days or you might forget them. Clean out the ones you don?t need.

Defragment your computer, remove the programs you never use, use a program like Ad-aware to remove spyware. And clean up your desktop, delete what you don?t need and organize what you need in folders.

Declutter your life
TiVO your favourite TV-shows and fast-forward through the commercials. Limit the number of shows you watch and only watch the ones you?ve decided on in advance. Cancel subscriptions of magazines that you never get around to reading anyway.

Always carry a pen and paper. Write down every important thought. Getting it out of your head not only frees your mind to think about more important things. It also reassures you that none of those excellent ideas and must-dos are forgotten. Consider transfering your notes to a program like My Life Organized to keep all your thoughts in one place.

Time is one of your most valuable resources. Don?t do something or keep something just out of old habit. What value does this thing or habit hold for you today? What would the impact in the future be if you did it/kept it? If the habit or thing doesn?t hold much value or won?t have an important effect on your future then consider removing it from your life. And fill that space and time in your life with something better.

Learn to say no. If you constantly say yes you?ll be out of spare time before you know it. Much of your time will be spent doing things for others that you may not really want to do. And stress and unhappiness will ensue. Think about a suggestion and before you say yes ask yourself; do I really want to do this? What is the value in doing this? Do I really have the time to do it? Sometimes you have to do it anyway, but not always. You might want to be kind and helpful to people. But being overstressed and eventually burning out will not help you or anyone else.

Ask for help. See what advice your friends and co-workers have to give. If you know or meet someone who keeps their workspace, home or other part of their life clutterfree ask how they do it. Try their advice and see if it works for you too.

Making decluttering a, for the most of the time, small but significant habit doesn?t just increase your productivity.

A couple of minutes a day let?s you rediscover those pieces of interesting stuff you forgot in the piles of junk. It can make you money. It allows you experience the joy of giving and others the joy of receiving. It helps you shed layers of confusion.

And as your outer world influences your inner world your mind becomes calm and clear.

Check out Henrik Edberg's blog called Personal Development with The Positivity Blog. It covers topics such as social skills, productivity, wealth, health and how you can live a happier and more positive life.

Take Time to Declutter Your Life

2008-01-22T22:09:00.000-08:00

When you think of clutter, do you think of stuff or disorganization around your home? That is certainly one definition of clutter, but clutter is so much more than that. Clutter can be unfinished projects that are hanging over your head, or tolerations that you put up with in life. Clutter is unhealthy relationships, bad habits, negative thoughts and destructive emotional states. Basically, clutter is anything that interferes with living your best life and being your best self.

Why care about the clutter? Clutter is an instant energy drain. Whether it's messy closets, a bad attitude, a job you don't like, or unpaid taxes, they all interfere with living a joyful and fulfilling life. When you get rid of the clutter, you love yourself enough to grow and be your best. You know the old saying, "Out with the old and in with the new". Addressing the clutter in your life opens the door for new and exciting things to happen. Every time I say goodbye to something that is no longer aligned with my best life, a new opportunity magically appears.

There are four major areas of our lives that clutter tends to accumulate. Let's address each of these areas individually.

Physical Environment
Your physical environment consists of your home, office, and automobile. Decluttering your environments includes tossing out the junk and organizing what you wish to keep. When you walk into your space, are you nurtured by it? Is it clean and decorated in a way that brings you peace and happiness? Decluttering your environment means that everything in it is in good working order. Right now, my vehicle needs several repairs and it affects me. My air conditioner doesn't work. The driver side's window doesn't open, the electric locks make a loud grinding noise, and the fuel injector pump is going out. Does my car run and get me around? It does, but it's annoying to have these loose ends not taken care of. I don't enjoy driving my car. How are your environments? Do they enable you to live healthily and happily?

Health and Emotional Balance
Your physical and emotional health is all about you. Decluttering yourself physically and emotionally means you are taking the steps to eat right, exercise regularly and take care of your mind and body. You are addressing any health concerns and keeping regular checks ups with your doctor. Decluttering forces you to address stress in your life and do whatever it takes to live a peaceful existence. Maintaining emotional balance includes managing your thought and emotional life - doing your best to keep your mind positive. It means you are intellectually stimulating your brain, fostering creativity, and avoiding the things that are damaging to your mental state, like overworking or watching too much TV. When you've decluttered yourself, you look and feel good.

Money
Decluttering in the area of money requires us to maintain healthy financial habits. What is a healthy money manager? A healthy money manager has addressed all her emotional issues with money. She is comfortable handling money, and uses her money wisely. Decluttering requires you to address overspending or living in the dark when it comes to your financial picture. Having healthy financial habits means you are saving money for both short term and long term needs. You have a will that addresses all your assets, including your children. People in a healthy financial state understand the value of giving and not holding too tightly to money. Bills are paid on time, and debt is non-existent, with the exception of a mortgage. A healthy money manager is educated in wise investments or has a reliable and trusted financial advisor. Money is a tool that is necessary for you to live life in the way that is important to you.

Relationships
Relationships in your life include your family, friends, co-workers, and boss. Decluttering in the area of relationships means you are addressing any relationship problems and that you generally get along well with the people in your life. You have removed the relationships from your life that regularly drag you down or damage you. Keeping healthy relationships requires us to keep in touch with people by in person, phone or email visits. To declutter your relationships, you need to forgive everyone who has hurt you and put full closure to the relationships that are no longer in your life. Doing your part to maintain healthy relationships requires you to speak truthfully, avoid gossiping, and steer clear of criticizing and judging others. When we've delucttered our relationships, they provide the love and support we need on this journey through life.

Take an honest look at your life. In what areas could you use a little decluttering? What needs to change to help you live your best life and be your best self? Our pastor shared a thought that is worth hanging on to: "If I want my life to change, I must change." I'll take it one step further. "If I want to grow and live my best life, I must grow and be my best self."

Lori Radun, CEC is a certified life coach, speaker and author for moms. To receive her FREE newsletter and the special report ?155 Things Moms Can Do to Raise Great Children?, please visit her website at http://www.true2youlifecoaching.com

How I Decided To Unclutter My Life

2008-01-22T22:08:00.000-08:00

Having returned recently from a trip to Israel I realized that what I wanted in life was really so simple.

My mother in law offered to pay for my sister in law and myself to take a trip to Israel. Well, I certainly wasn't going to say no to that! I have travelled quite extensively, that was - until I married and had children. Don't get me wrong, I love my husband and kids but life was simpler way back when. That was when I remembered who I was and before I sort of got lost in the whirl wind of life.

When I was younger I loved to travel, see the world and experience new cultures and world views. Now I had the opportunity to get back on track and renew some of my life goals- one of them being to see as much of the world as possible.

I was deeply moved in so many ways through this trip but at the same time deeply disappointed. I wanted to see for myself where Jesus had walked and let all those Bible stories come to life. Disappointment number one was so many of those places, in reality, where now replaced by over decorated, ornate, dingy, incense filled churches. To make matters worse, at the entrance or exit - or both - there were people asking for collections or entrance fees to get into a place of worship. This was in both Christian and Jewish houses of Worship. In my culture - this is totally unacceptable.

I don't have the space to write down all else that I experienced but what I came away with from this amazing trip was this. Simply my life and especially my faith. True religion is having a relationship with God and not having to impress him with all that gold and incense. It is so true that the best things in life are free. Surely it 's all about what Jesus taught - "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your might and love your neighbour as yourself".

Gina Hamlyn has always enjoyed researching and experiencing other cultures.

Guide to Organizing Closets - Organizing and Dealing with Clutter

2008-01-20T22:04:00.001-08:00

If your closet is in such a mess that you feel like throwing everything in the trashcan, then it is critical to get a guide to organizing closets, ASAP! Closets may harbor clutter and disarray if left untended. To save yourself from the hassles of finding lost things, you need a guide to organizing closets. It is time to move on from utter chaos to an organized state.

Parting with your old stuff could be a melodramatic experience. You have all these belongings that remind you of graduation, marriage, first baby... Wait! Enough of this! You have to put your foot down once and for all! When it's time to throw out unnecessary things, it's time to throw out!

If you are a pack rat and would like to keep your closets' contents, this guide to organizing closets will show you how to choose which to throw, which to keep, and what to do when you decide to throw them out.

Guide to Organizing Closets: To throw or not to throw? That is the question.

Some people toss everything out when they clean up. When they realize that they actually need an item, they realize that they have already thrown them out. You do not need to be a victim of ?oh-I-threw-it-out!-itis?. You just have to be wise and careful with your sorting. You also have to think about the importance of the thing you are considering throwing. Below are some questions you may want to ask yourself, in sorting out which to throw or keep:

- Is it still important to you?

- Is it still usable?

- Do you want it?

- Does it have sentimental value?

If you answered ?yes? to any of the above 4 questions, then keep it.

- Was it from an ex?

- Does it carry bad memories?

- Is it ugly?

- Do you abhor it?

If you answered ?yes? to any of the above 4 questions, then toss it!

It is important to throw out items tied with bad memories. You have to move on too, and not to mention your goal of cleaning out your closet. It's a win-win situation. You get to toss out bad memory reminders (this is actually symbolic), and you'll have less clutter to cram your closet with at the same time.

Guide to Organizing Closets: You don't really have to toss it to the trash...

The stuff you decide to toss, if they are still usable, can go to a good cause. If you have so much stuff to get rid of, have a garage sale. You'll not only get rid of your stuff, you?ll also earn extra cash. You can also donate your stuff to charity. Or, if you're feeling creative and extra Scrooge-ish, you can recycle your stuff as gifts. Just make sure that they're still in good condition; and if you can, you may modify the look of the stuff so that the recipients of your gifts won't recognize them.

So did you have to enlist the help of the dumpster to clean out and organize your closets? You didn't? What a miracle! And Oprah didn't even get in the picture, except maybe as an inspiration. Either way, I hope you've benefited from this guide to organizing closets!

Michael Lee has dramatically changed countless lives with his powerful self-improvement advice. Get free self-help success secrets and audios now at http://www.20daypersuasion.com/articlelist.html and be the next big success story!

Declutter Your Life

2008-01-20T22:03:00.000-08:00

De-cluttering your physical space can have an amazingly uplifting effect on your mood. Feng Shui experts claim that buildings and furniture store the memories of events in the form of energy, and that by de-cluttering you can clear the energy of historic traumatic events. Whether or not you put any store in that kind of theory, nobody who has ever de-cluttered a space could deny the positive benefits of increasing the physical space in their environment.

However, physical de-cluttering can also have a cathartic effect on people emotionally. When we let go of things we?ve been hoarding for a long time, we often let go of emotional memories we?ve been hanging onto along with them (albeit unconsciously), and so by clearing physical clutter you can clear space in your head and in your heart as well as your home.

Clutter though is not only physical. We can also have mental and emotional clutter blocking the flow of energy in our lives, and clearing this out is guaranteed to help improve our emotional wellbeing. Examples include undone/unfinished tasks; people/activities that drain you of energy; remaining angry at people; busyness - filling up your schedule with activities you feel duty-bound to do, and leaving no time to nourish your soul and refresh your body.

Some tips for clearing your physical clutter:

? Look at your home and identify the areas that need decluttering. Break it down into small tasks that can be tackled over a period of time, rather than one big project to be done in a day. Start small with everyday areas like the kitchen table and build momentum towards the areas you avoid because the idea of tackling them is just overwhelming.

? Go through your stuff and for each item ask yourself Do I love it? Do I need it? Do I use it? If you can answer yes to any of them, it stays. If it?s no to all, then it goes.

? Divide everything into four piles: Keep, Recycle, Donate and Dump. As soon as you?re done, remove the items that aren?t staying straight away and deliver them to their new destination.

? Once your big clear out is done, avoid a new build up by clearing out little and often.

Tips for clearing your Mental/Emotional Clutter:

? Make a list of anything you?ve been procrastinating over, and ask yourself why you have been putting it off. What can you tackle and what can you let go of? When you?re clear on what you definitely has to be done, make a plan and get to it.

? Stop worrying. There is nothing constructive about worrying ? it won?t help you avoid the outcome you?re worrying about and it?ll destroy your ability to enjoy the present. When a worrying thought arises, quash it straight away and sing along with me ?Everything?s gonna be alright, everything?s gonna be alright?? Focus your energy on what you?d like to happen instead.

? Follow through on promises and commitments. When you?ve said you?ll do something but you keep putting it on the long finger, it drains you of energy. If you can?t or don?t want to see them through, then be upfront about it and withdraw your promise.

? Let go of anger and forgive. When somebody hurts you badly, it?s a normal response to feel anger, and to not want to forgive. But anger is bad for your health, both physical and emotional, so it?s actually in your interests to let it go and forgive the other person. Forgiving them doesn?t mean you have to welcome them back into your life with open arms, it just means letting go of the memory of what they?ve done to you and the feelings that go with it. Maybe the other person doesn?t deserve forgiveness, but don?t you deserve to move on and leave the pain behind?

? Say no to people and activities that drag you down. Instead, surround yourself with people who uplift you and do things that make you feel great!

As with your physical clear out, don?t make this a once-off project or an irregular purge. Develop clutter free habits in every aspect of your life, and you will enjoy an easier flow through life on a continuous basis.

Life Coach Hilda Carroll specialises in helping clients to enjoy the journey, realising the ability to BE happy now rather than postponing it till they achieve their goals or life improves. For a copy of her free ebook, The Steps to True Inner Happiness visit http://www.thehappinessbusiness.com

Decluttering Your Playroom - Ideas For Playroom Storage

2008-01-18T21:43:00.002-08:00

A designated playroom is a great way to give your child plenty of room to play, but playroom storage that looks attractive and still allows easy access to toys can be hard to find. The best playroom storage options offer simple ways to organize toys so your child can easily find what he is looking for without pulling out a million other toys. Ideal playroom storage also makes it easy for your child to return toys to their proper place so the playroom doesn't have to hide behind closed doors!

There are a lot of creative ideas for functional and versatile playroom storage. Many playroom storage ideas are also creative decorating ideas! A simple section of garden trellis can be refinished in any color or design. Add wooden pegs or drawer pulls before hanging it on the wall. This is a perfect storage area for dress up clothes, especially purses and hats. A few simple hanging coat racks can serve the same purpose.

The right playroom storage for small toys is usually a very difficult decision. A simple divided bookshelf is perfect for storing much more than books! Separate the shelves into a variety of different sizes and use colorful and unique containers to store small toys, like doll accessories, toy cars, or blocks. Remember to label toy containers with pictures and words to make it easier for your child to clean up.

Hanging shoe holders make great playroom storage tools! These versatile holders can hang over the door and work well on the outside of closet doors, or may hang on a nail anywhere on the wall, depending on the selected style. Shoe holders can be used to store small doll accessories, collections of race cars or small stuffed toys, or even arts and crafts supplies.

You can create a special area just for arts and crafts and use the table as storage for the supplies. Hang fabric that matches your playroom around the edges of the table, reaching to the floor. Keep your supplies in plastic containers and stash them under the table for a simple and attractive playroom storage option.

Try storing bigger toys in homemade playroom storage boxes. Let your child decorate sturdy, oversized cardboard boxes with paints, markers, wrapping paper scraps, stencils, etc. When the boxes are finished, use them in the playroom as toy boxes for dolls, stuffed animals, or big cars and trucks.

Stuffed animal collections often grow quickly and are usually rarely played with, yet it is hard to give away cherished teddy bears from the infant years. There are several playroom storage ideas to keep stuffed animals out of the way. Mesh laundry baskets can hold several stuffed toys and can be hung from a peg on the wall to keep them out of the way. Toy hammocks that attach to the corner of the wall are also a cute way to store stuffed toys. Outgrown cribs, toddler beds, or playpens can become home to all these beloved friends as well.

Gary Clay is an expert on Playroom Storage and owner of stylish kids store MonkeyShine a retailer of quality toybox, bookshelves, clothes hooks and more.

Five Easy Steps to De-Clutter Cords and Cables

2008-01-18T21:43:00.001-08:00

After the holidays, cables and wires are often a site for sore eyes amidst the influx of new high-tech toys, gadgets, and accessories. Thankfully, homeowners can utilize a few quick steps to restore function and design to their living rooms and home offices.

Supplies:

Cable Ties(also known as Wire Ties)
Cable Tie Installation Tool
Electrical Tape or Heat Shrink Tubing
Adhesive Back Mounting Bases
Surge Protector

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Start by unplugging and detangling all of the cables and cords.
Apply electrical tape or heat shrink tubing to any frayed cords and pull the cables together to a single meeting point.
Use the cable tie installation tool to fit a cable tie around the meeting point.
Every four to six inches, fit cable ties or wire ties to ensure the cords stay together. Using adhesive back mounting bases can help hide the bundle by attaching it to inconspicuous nooks in the desk, shelf, or entertainment center.
Plug the cords into the surge protector.

Plastic and nylon cable ties wire ties and are available in a variety of size and color options. Try a sleek black cable tie for an entertainment center and a fun, fluorescent color to clean up the cables from the computer in a child?s bedroom. With all the options available, homeowners can create an organized and inviting room in a matter of minutes.
CableTiesPlus offers a wide variety of cable tie products ranging from miniature to extra heavy duty types. The ties are available in lengths from 4 inches to 48 inches in various colors. Cable Tie installation tools are available for lightweight and standard applications.

Rick Ferguson
Cable Ties
http://www.cabletiesplus.com

New Year?s Resolution: "De-cluttering" Our Lives

2008-01-17T21:50:00.002-08:00

If I have to pinpoint the most important resolution to make for the New Year -- it would be this-finding ways to de-clutter my life. Stress as we know it does not only come in the form of mental anguish. Much of it is experienced through the clutter we have in our daily lives: unnecessary commitments that are standing in the way of doing what we really want to do. What we need to learn is how to de-clutter our lives so that the road to what we really want becomes clear.

Most of us have a vague notion of what we want; but being able to define it clearly is another matter entirely. Do we want money, fame, achievement? Do we want to create something that we feel proud of, a legacy that we can leave behind as the one ultimate creative act we can strive towards and materialize?

And even if we have our goal defined, we are often side-tracked from it by the countless details in our lives. A goal or project demands time, uncluttered time and this is the most significant aspect of creating. You need space and time. Private space and private time. If there is a dream or vision you are re-visiting on a regular basis, then it is time to make this dream a reality. This means it is time to de-clutter your life, give yourself the private time you need to make that goal possible.

How do we de-clutter our lives? Get rid of things and activities that do not a) create a bond between you and your family b) encourage or enhance your private space( which includes the space your have cultivated in your relationship with God/Spirit.) It is also important to understand that creation of any kind affirms our relationship with our Creator. And whatever it is that you wish to create, be it money, fame, achievement or the one ultimate creative act, your work will be that much more meaningful when you place it within the grace of the Creator.

Now the elimination of clutter becomes easy. What can we identify as clutter? Do you need to make another trip to the mall? What about the nightly hour before the television set? Taking on extra hours or extra responsibilities to please the boss? The less than necessary party invitation?

There are responsibilities we cannot eliminate, however. The children's hockey games and music lessons. But there is a way to "renovate" this clutter as well. How about bringing your project to the hockey rink and creating private space there? Bringing your project to the waiting room of doctor's offices, music lessons and making private time there? It was the time I had during my son's weekly music studies in Toronto that allowed me the private space to complete a book.

The most debilitating excuse we can have is that we have no time to pursue our dream. We hear that often enough. But if we put our mind to the task, we can find some precious private moments in the clutter. And if we give thanks for these moments, they will be appear more frequently in our lives.

A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com or learn how she lost her weight at http://greatbodyproteinpower.com

New Year's Resolution: "De-cluttering" Our Lives

2008-01-17T21:50:00.001-08:00

Most of us have a vague notion of what we want; but being able to define it clearly is another matter entirely. Do we want money, fame, achievement? Do we want to create something that we feel proud of, a legacy that we can leave behind as the one ultimate creative act we can strive towards and materialize?

And even if we have our goal defined, we are often side-tracked from it by the countless details in our lives. A goal or project demands time, uncluttered time and this is the most significant aspect of creating. You need space and time. Private space and private time. If there is a dream or vision you are re-visiting on a regular basis, then it is time to make this dream a reality. This means it is time to de-clutter your life, give yourself the private time you need to make that goal possible.

How do we de-clutter our lives? Get rid of things and activities that do not a) create a bond between you and your family b) encourage or enhance your private space( which includes the space your have cultivated in your relationship with God/Spirit.) It is also important to understand that creation of any kind affirms our relationship with our Creator. And whatever it is that you wish to create, be it money, fame, achievement or the one ultimate creative act, your work will be that much more meaningful when you place it within the grace of the Creator.

Now the elimination of clutter becomes easy. What can we identify as clutter? Do you need to make another trip to the mall? What about the nightly hour before the television set? Taking on extra hours or extra responsibilities to please the boss? The less than necessary party invitation?

There are responsibilities we cannot eliminate, however. The children's hockey games and music lessons. But there is a way to "renovate" this clutter as well. How about bringing your project to the hockey rink and creating private space there? Bringing your project to the waiting room of doctor's offices, music lessons and making private time there? It was the time I had during my son's weekly music studies in Toronto that allowed me the private space to complete a book.

The most debilitating excuse we can have is that we have no time to pursue our dream. We hear that often enough. But if we put our mind to the task, we can find some precious private moments in the clutter. And if we give thanks for these moments, they will be appear more frequently in our lives.

A runner for 27 years, retired schoolteacher and writer, Mary is helping people reclaim their bodies. Nutrition, exercise, positive vision and purposeful engagement are the tools used to turn their bodies into creative selves. You can visit her at http://www.GreatBodyat50.com or learn how she lost her weight at http://greatbodyproteinpower.com

How to Get Out from Under All that Clutter

2008-01-16T22:59:00.000-08:00

Clutter is one of the most irritating words in the English language. It's synonymous with stress, because just looking at it can give you agita. The physical clutter soon becomes mental clutter.

The problem is getting rid of it. It's a huge job, so you keep putting it off. But the more you put it off the more clutter you accumulate, making it an even more humongous task to face. Here are some tips, excerpted from my new book "400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...and Forever!," that will help you break the cycle.

Throw something out every day.

You've got too much stuff in your house. Office. Garage. Attic. Useless clutter that's weighing you down, getting in the way, obscuring the things you really need. Be realistic. If you're not going to use it, lose it. Every day, find one thing you don't need and toss it. Or give it away. Or sell it at a consignment shop. In time, the clutter will begin to vanish and space and order will magically appear in your home...and your life. Stick with this. It really works.

Take ten minutes a day to neaten up.

Here's another effective do-it-by-degrees strategy. Supplement your regularly scheduled cleaning by spending a short time each day neatening your home. Use those few minutes to clear a cluttered surface, tidy a child's room, clean out a drawer, dust a long forgotten place, put something away...or whatever obvious need is staring you in the face. You'll be amazed at how much this small attention to neatness can accomplish over time. And how organized and productive you'll become. And when you do get around to more intense cleaning, the job will be that much easier. You're probably awake at least 16 hours each day. Take just ten minutes of that time to tidy up.

Store things out of the way.

Take an extra moment or two to put things back where they belong. Why? Because you can bet that wherever you put them temporarily, they will soon be annoyingly in the way. So you end up moving the item two or three times, when you only had to do it once! More than that, things left out tend to reproduce (I swear they do) and multiply to the point where work surfaces and living space soon disappear. Nip those stragglers in the bud and haul them out of sight.

Don't buy what you already have.

This may sound obvious, but there are probably several duplicated items in your home right now...and you don?t even know it. Or you do know it, because it was easier to find it in the supermarket than fish it out of your cluttered house. So before you go shopping, check to see that you don?t already have what you think you need (the rear of the refrigerator, cabinets and closets are good places to start). Make a list of infrequently used possessions and where they're kept. Over time you can save a lot of money, and spare yourself a lot of clutter, just by keeping track of what you've already got.

Clean out your closet.

Why start each day on a sour note by having to confront an overstuffed, messy closet? How can you possibly figure out what to wear if all your clothes are crammed in and piled up like that? Free yourself of this stifling encumbrance. Go to your local home center and get closet organizers, racks and shelves that'll help you make the most of your space. Give away what you no longer need. Enjoy the convenience of having everything sorted and easy to locate. Wake up each day feeling relaxed, organized and in control.

These should put you well on the way to a clutter-free, stress-free home. For more ideas, go to pickmeupbooks.com where you can get a free stress tip each day.

G. Gaynor McTigue is a member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA). His sixth book "400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...and Forever!" has just been published. To learn more contact 203-254-7789, jerrym321@aol.com or visit http://www.pickmeupbooks.com

How To Get Out From Under All That Clutter!

2008-01-13T21:58:00.002-08:00

Clutter is one of the most irritating words in the English language. It's synonymous with stress, because just looking at it can give you agita. The physical clutter soon becomes mental clutter.

The problem is getting rid of it. It's a huge job, so you keep putting it off. But the more you put it off the more clutter you accumulate, making it an even more humongous task to face. Here are some tips, excerpted from my new book "400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...and Forever!," that will help you break the cycle.

Throw something out every day.

You've got too much stuff in your house. Office. Garage. Attic. Useless clutter that's weighing you down, getting in the way, obscuring the things you really need. Be realistic. If you're not going to use it, lose it. Every day, find one thing you don't need and toss it. Or give it away. Or sell it at a consignment shop. In time, the clutter will begin to vanish and space and order will magically appear in your home...and your life. Stick with this. It really works.

Take ten minutes a day to neaten up.

Here's another effective do-it-by-degrees strategy. Supplement your regularly scheduled cleaning by spending a short time each day neatening your home. Use those few minutes to clear a cluttered surface, tidy a child's room, clean out a drawer, dust a long forgotten place, put something away...or whatever obvious need is staring you in the face. You'll be amazed at how much this small attention to neatness can accomplish over time. And how organized and productive you'll become. And when you do get around to more intense cleaning, the job will be that much easier. You're probably awake at least 16 hours each day. Take just ten minutes of that time to tidy up.

Store things out of the way.

Take an extra moment or two to put things back where they belong. Why? Because you can bet that wherever you put them temporarily, they will soon be annoyingly in the way. So you end up moving the item two or three times, when you only had to do it once! More than that, things left out tend to reproduce (I swear they do) and multiply to the point where work surfaces and living space soon disappear. Nip those stragglers in the bud and haul them out of sight.

Don't buy what you already have.

This may sound obvious, but there are probably several duplicated items in your home right now...and you don?t even know it. Or you do know it, because it was easier to find it in the supermarket than fish it out of your cluttered house. So before you go shopping, check to see that you don?t already have what you think you need (the rear of the refrigerator, cabinets and closets are good places to start). Make a list of infrequently used possessions and where they're kept. Over time you can save a lot of money, and spare yourself a lot of clutter, just by keeping track of what you've already got.

Clean out your closet.

Why start each day on a sour note by having to confront an overstuffed, messy closet? How can you possibly figure out what to wear if all your clothes are crammed in and piled up like that? Free yourself of this stifling encumbrance. Go to your local home center and get closet organizers, racks and shelves that'll help you make the most of your space. Give away what you no longer need. Enjoy the convenience of having everything sorted and easy to locate. Wake up each day feeling relaxed, organized and in control.

These should put you well on the way to a clutter-free, stress-free home. For more ideas, go to pickmeupbooks.com where you can get a free stress tip each day.

G. Gaynor McTigue is a member of the American Society of Journalists & Authors (ASJA). His sixth book "400 Ways to Stop Stress Now...and Forever!" has just been published. To learn more contact 203-254-7789, jerrym321@aol.com or visit www.pickmeupbooks.com

Decluttering Blueprint: Step 3 - Organizing Your Kitchen

2008-01-13T21:58:00.001-08:00

If your kitchen isn?t living up to your expectations, give it a makeover for convenience and pizazz using the steps below.

Take stock of your kitchens purpose. Is it for cooking, baking, eating, and storing food? If so, move all the items that are unrelated to the purpose of your space (such as papers, magazines, tools, etc.) to other, more appropriate rooms of your home.

Identify the major categories of items to be kept in your kitchen. For example:

Cookware ? skillets, saucepans, stew pots, and lids.
Bakeware ? cookie sheets, pie pans, cake pans, and muffin pans.
Appliances ? coffee maker, toaster, food processor, bread machine, and mixer.
Kitchen tools ? vegetable peeler, egg slicer, thermometer, cork screw, manual can opener, box grater, cutting board, rolling pin, strainer, and sifter.
Utensils ? spoons, forks, spatulas, tongs, whisks, pastry brush, and grilling utensils.
Dinnerware, glassware and flatware ? plates, bowls, cups, glasses and silverware.
Pantry items ? spices, herbs, dry goods (flour, noodles, etc.), canned and bottled items (soups, Worcestershire sauce, etc.), and vinegar and oils.
Refrigerator and freezer items.
Cook books.
Under the sink items ? waste basket and cleaning products.

Sort everything in your kitchen into the piles that represent the major categories identified in step #2. Start with all surface items, and then move to the objects stored in drawers, cabinets, and your pantry. If you have an extraordinary amount of items to sort, you might want to get a large box for each category so your piles don?t get mixed up.

Weed out and organize each category. Be determined to eliminate everything but the items you love and use. Reduce multiples of any single item and dispose of old, seldom used and unwanted items by pitching them, giving them to someone else, selling, or donating them. Then put the remainder of items into sub categories, i.e. when organizing pantry items--put all spices together and all dry goods together, etc.

Decide where to store each category. Consider the size of each category, how frequently you will be accessing each category, and where in your kitchen you will be using each category. For example, put dinnerware close to your dishwasher and cookware close to your stove. Then, double check your plan ? is there convenient and sufficient storage space available for each category?

Purchase containers, space saving fittings and accessories to make your kitchen as convenient and pleasing as possible. Many kitchens suffer from a shortage of space so using items such as the following will maximize your space and make it more functional.

Pull out cabinet organizers make it easy to keep like things together and provide easy access to items in the back of your cupboard. (Available at many home improvement stores.)
Steel expanding shelves double space in your shelf area. (Available at Bed, Bath and Beyond.)
Wall rack systems free up counter space and make it easier to grab needed utensils when cooking. (Available at Stacks and Stacks, IKEA or home improvement stores.)

Put all items into their new container and/or space. And, enjoy your reward?a kitchen that functions well day in and day out!

Please check back soon for the next installment of the Decluttering Blueprint.

See http://www.worklifecoach.com or these specific pages: Free how-to articles or Organize your office, home or life

Decluttering Blueprint: Step 2 - Planning

2008-01-12T01:28:00.000-08:00

Now that you have curtailed new clutter from entering your home as outlined in the Decluttering Blueprint: Step 1, you need to tackle what you already own. To begin, make an assessment of your current situation and then create a decluttering plan using the steps below.

1. Take an inventory of the rooms in your home. Put a check mark beside every space with clutter.

Kitchen _____
Living Room _____
Family Room _____
Master Bedroom _____
Kids Bedrooms _____
Guest Room _____
Master Bath _____
Other Baths _____
Dining Room _____
Office _____
Laundry _____
Basement _____
Garage _____
Other _____

2. Define the purpose of each room. For example: if your bedroom is exclusively for sleeping and dressing--the papers, photos, and toys belong some place else. If the laundry is for washing clothes and has to double as a mudroom, the tools and dog food need to live elsewhere, etc.

3. Make a list showing the order in which you?ll organize each room. This will help keep you focused on one room at a time. Tip: If you don?t know where to start, begin with the room that causes you the most stress or the place where you spend the bulk of your time.

4. Schedule time on your calendar to organize one room at a time. Your most important appointment is the one you make with yourself. And, for most people, it?s the only way they can take care of personal affairs. So it goes with organizing, if you really intend to start, stick-with, and finish organizing each room, you must plan chunks of time you can devote to each space.

In general, you will need approximately 16 ? 24 hours to thoroughly organize a single room. The bigger the room, the more stuff in it, and the greater number of purposes it has, the more time it will take.
Schedule blocks of time that fit with your lifestyle. For example: you could devote a weekend to tackle a whole room or you can schedule an hour or two a few evenings each week. Do what makes sense to you but keep your commitment with yourself just as you would with anyone else. You deserve to live in an organized space.

5. Get clear about the reason you?ve decided to get organized now. Reminding yourself of this motive will keep you going when you start to feel your interest waning.

What has a lack of organization cost you? Stress, missed deadlines, forgotten appointments, disagreements with family members?
Now relate your goal of organization to one of your core values like beauty, pleasure, or feeling a flow of energy in your space. Connecting your goal to an important value will make it easier to honor and achieve.

6. Get the resources you need. List all of the things you anticipate needing to make this goal a reality. For example:

Information on how to organize. (Coming in future Decluttering Blueprint steps.)
Support from family members to either help you or not interrupt you when you are working on this project.
Garbage bags to corral trash and collect items to be donated.

7. Set up a support structure. Who can you share your progress with? Perhaps it?s a friend, a partner, or an extended family member. Ask them to help keep you focused and remind you of your motivation throughout the organizing process.

8. Define your reward. Yes, you get a reward! Any time you go after a big goal it?s important there be an acknowledgement of the time and effort you?ve given; even if it?s acknowledging yourself with an evening out with friends, an afternoon at a spa or what ever you deem important and pleasurable.

9. Determine the next project. Go back to your list, identify the next target of your organizational plan and schedule time in your calendar.

10. Keep going! Organizing is easy but it isn?t effortless. That said, you can do it and you?re worth it.

Check back soon for more steps in the Decluttering Blueprint.

See http://www.worklifecoach.com or these specific pages: Free how-to articles or Organize your office, home or life.

Decluttering Blueprint: Step 4 - Organizing Your Family Room

2008-01-10T22:13:00.000-08:00

Is the gathering area (a.k.a. family room, living room, den, great room) in your home chaotic and cluttered? If so, try the following prescription to create a calm, comfortable and orderly space you?ll love to relax in and entertain family and friends.

Pin down the purpose(s) of your room. Is it your intention to use the family room as a place to watch a movie, curl up and read, play with the kids, take a short nap and gather with friends? Whether you have the foregoing functions in mind or something different, move objects unrelated to the purpose of your room (shoes, clothing and the ironing board) to other more appropriate quarters of your home.

Specify the major categories of items to be kept in your family room. For example:

Reading - books, magazines and newspapers
Media ? TV, VCR, DVD, stereo, videos, CD?s, DVD?s and remotes
Toys ? dolls, action figures and vehicles
Games ? board games, puzzles and cards
Collections ? photos, baseball paraphernalia, etc.

Sort everything in your family room into piles that represent the major categories identified in step #2. Begin with all surface items, and then move to objects stored in baskets, drawers, and cabinets. Smart tip: If you haven?t edited your belongings for a number of years, you will find it easier to sort large quantities of things by using a large box to hold the contents of each major category; the boxes will ensure your piles don?t spill over and get mixed up.

Cut out the clutter and organize what remains. Working with one category at a time, evaluate each item using the following rules: don?t keep anything you don?t love or use; reduce multiples of any single item; recycle all but the current issue of magazines and newspapers; dispose of broken and unwanted items by pitching them, giving them to someone else, selling, or donating them. Then put the remainder of items in order. For example, eliminate: duplicate pictures, out-of-focus pictures, and unflattering pictures. Then arrange the pictures you want to keep by date or theme, such as home, family, school, vacations, etc. Smart tip: As you?re weeding out clutter from each major category, let go of 20% more stuff than you have room for, that way new acquisitions will have a ready made home.

Arrange your room for comfort and functionality. When you have one space that serves multiple functions, consider setting up your room in zones - each to accommodate a different activity. For instance:

Reading and gaming. Place a game table and chairs where you have a good light source, it makes a great spot for perusing the paper and playing board games. The same table top can also double as a place to set out snacks when you have friends over. Mount shelving or spot a bookcase on an adjacent wall to house books and gaming materials.
Watching TV. Pick a good place to locate your TV and hide electronic gear in cabinetry if you don?t want to see it. Coordinate the arrangement of key seating pieces so you can readily see the screen (and take advantage of the view, if applicable). Position a magazine rack nearby and toss a throw over a plush armchair so you can cover up and catch a cat-nap when it?s chilly.
Playing. Tuck toys into baskets or storage ottomans that blend with the aforementioned zones. These types of containers offer an ideal way to store distracting clutter and make the family room a welcoming adult space after the kids have drifted off to dreamland.

If needed, use containers you have around your home to accessorize and containerize items that are easy to access. Family rooms are a magnet for books, papers, magazines, and supplies that get piled on the floor and table tops. However, you can organize these items with budget friendly solutions you likely have around your home.

Shoe boxes of the same size and color can be used to corral photos, letters, CD?s and more. Using multiple containers with the same color and symmetry will elevate the ordinary into an appealing collection.
Fruit crates, baskets, and sturdy totes can be used to hold books, magazines and newspapers.
Pottery, glass jars, and mugs are good holders for pens, clips, rubber bands, and push pins.
Ice cube trays, muffin tins, box lids, and cutlery trays make great drawer organizers.
Vintage luggage and picnic baskets stacked on top of each other work well as side tables and make for durable, attractive storage.

Slip items you want to confine into their new vessel and place them where they?ll be pretty and practical. That?s it! You now have a family room that?s organized, easy to clean, and makes smart use of your space.

Stay tuned?the next addition of the Decluttering Blueprint will be released soon.

See http://www.worklifecoach.com or these specific pages: Free how-to articles or Organize your office, home or life

Decluttering Blueprint: Step 1 - Getting Started

2008-01-10T22:12:00.000-08:00

Are you drowning in stuff you don?t use, you don?t love, or you don?t have a convenient place to store? It?s time to tackle your clutter!

I know what you?re thinking??Yes, but?I don?t have time to get organized and my space is so overwhelming, I don?t know where to start.?

Being organized isn?t an add-on to what you currently do; instead it?s replacing a poor habit with an effective and an efficient behavior. Thus, it takes less time to be organized than to be disorganized. And second, getting started is easy?just follow the Decluttering Blueprint; you will get all the guidance you need to change your thinking, change your actions, and create a home you?re proud of.

Start decluttering now with these 5 simple strategies to curtail the volume of non-essential items (clutter) you bring into your home.

1. Always take a list to the supermarket. Consumer experts report two-thirds of the purchases we make at the grocery store are things we didn?t intend to buy. For example:

The aroma emanating from the bakery can make you feel hungry and when you?re starving you buy more food. Solution ? Shop after you?ve had something to eat and buy only the items on your list.
Children?s toys are purposely positioned on lower supermarket shelves so your little ones can grab items and put them in your cart. Solution ? Schedule grocery shopping when you can go alone and buy only the items on your list; you?ll save time and avoid any fuss with toddlers.
Supermarkets are arranged to entice you to buy more. For example, the dairy section (an essential area for most families) is in the back of the store. The purpose of this layout is to draw you deep into the store with the intention that you?ll buy more along your route. Solution ? Take the shortest path to the dairy section and buy only the items on your list.
Research suggests the longer you?re in the market the more you?ll buy. Solution ? Don?t go down every aisle. Shop only in aisles that have the goods you need, buy only the items on your list, and get in and get out as quickly as possible.

Buying items that aren?t on your list often results in duplicates and clutter. In addition, it?s not the best use of your assets (time and money).

2. Say ?No? to family or friends who want to give you their hand-me-downs. If the people around you are offering items they no longer need or have room for, ask yourself these questions:

Do you love the item?
Do you have a convenient and attractive space available for the item?
Will you use the item enough to bring it into your home?

If you can sincerely answer ?Yes? to all three questions?by all means accept the article. Otherwise, it will be just another piece of clutter.

3. Steer clear of spur-of-the-moment purchases. Impulse buying typically short circuits the opportunity to flesh out where you?ll keep an object and how much you?re going to use it. Think twice about:

Bringing home vacation souvenirs.
Signing up for magazine subscriptions and book or DVD clubs.
Late night buying on QVC and eBay.
Shopping in the mall or specialty stores.

These are just material things?you may find them appealing but it isn?t likely you need any of them. Save your money for paying down debt, building a strong financial foundation, and doing good in the world.

4. Reduce the amount of junk mail you receive. Did you know that in the course of one year you can receive as much as 500 pounds of junk mail? Don?t let this stuff steal your space or your time reading it any more:

Join www.stopthejunkmail.com. It is a fee based service that allows you to stop junk mail (such as catalogs, coupons, contests, etc.) delivered to your mailbox by the US postal service.
Or, visit www.obviously.com/junkmail if you?re a DIY type and want a free guide to reducing unwanted advertising.

If after applying this strategy you still get a trickle of junk mail, immediately dump it in your wastebasket or recycling bin.

5. Inform gift givers you would prefer a gift certificate, gift card or a charitable donation in your name, if they want to acknowledge a special occasion. You probably have gifts you have never used and will never use taking up space in your home. But you hang on to them because you don?t want to offend the gift giver. If this sentiment reflects your thoughts, it?s time to reframe your thinking. Keeping gifts you will never use aren?t an asset?they?re a liability. They rob you of your space.

Send gifts you aren?t using to a charitable organization and let someone else have the opportunity to enjoy them.

Practicing these strategies for a period of 21 days will help you form an important decluttering habit. At the same time, you will find that incorporating this thinking into your life will save you time and money and give you the confidence needed to tackle the next steps of the Decluttering Blueprint.

See http://www.worklifecoach.com or these specific pages: Free how-to articles or Organize your office, home or life.

A Little Decluttering, Cleaning And Neutralizing Can Help Win Over Buyers

2008-01-10T02:46:00.001-08:00

Setting up your house to sell, or home staging, is the process of preparing a home for sale, regardless of price or location. Staging focuses on simple steps to make your home appeal to the largest number of prospective buyers,without spending a lot of money. Creating an ideal home for buyers can be as simple as painting the walls, rearranging furniture or clearing the kitchen counter tops.

It's essential to present your house in the best possible light. Remember how you felt when looking for a home, and how many you passed over because they didn't look good? You have to look at your home with a buyers' eyes!

Even though it's your home and you still live there, it's a good idea to get used to the fact that your house is now a product. It has pluses and minuses, as well as competition. To be competitive, your house should be priced right and look better than the others.

Probably the single most important thing you can do to prepare your home for sale is to declutter. Houses are filled with objects we love and treasure. Look in just about every home and you'll find a shelf stuffed with favorite books, a mantel loaded with trinkets or a wall covered in family photos. But when it comes time to sell a house, those items we cherish may look like just plain clutter to prospective buyers. Your personal items make it difficult for prospective buyers to imagine themselves and their trinkets and family photos filling the mantels and walls of the home.

Since you're going to be packing to move anyway, get a head start by making your rooms look larger and box up and store non-essential items. By removing some of the clutter, the focus shifts from the "stuff" in the room to the room itself. Specifically, lighten the load on bookshelves by packing up books, DVD's, CD's, etc. Remove items from kitchen countertops and magnets and photos from refrigerator. Pack up trinkets and family photos from all rooms. Clean and neaten closets, cabinets and pantries.

Neutralizing your home is also essential in creating an environment in which potential buyers can easily envision themselves moving into your home with their own furnishings and taste. Removing old wallpaper, and restoring walls to neutral colors goes a long way in ensuring your house will appeal to a larger number of buyers for a minimal investment. Neutralizing worn or colorful carpet can be costly, but replacing it before trying to sell your house will make for a faster sale and often bring back more money in return.

Cleaning from top to bottom is another key element to getting your home ready for sale. In addition to the basics, it is recommended that carpets are shampooed, door hardware is polished, and windows and baseboards are cleaned.

Take care of all general maintenance items both in and outside of your home. Remember to oil squeaky doors, tighten doorknobs, replace burned out light bulbs, re-caulk the bathrooms if necessary and repair leaky faucets or toilets.

Finally, never truer is the statement "you never have a second chance to make a first impression" than when trying to sell a home. The outside of the home is one of the most important areas because it is what the buyer sees first. A clutter-free yard and well-maintained house are essential in luring the buyer inside. From the moment a potential buyer drives up, they should see a manicured lawn with no debris in sight and clear gutters and downspouts in good repair. It's always recommended to spruce up your flowerbeds and add fresh mulch.

In total, there is much that can be done by a motivated homeowner to get his home in top condition for sale. Minimal effort put forth in preparing your home for sale will surely be rewarded with a quick sale at the best possible price.

Tina Lutrario is a Raleigh Realtor having extensive knowledge of the Raleigh market, she will also provide you with the specialized service and attention to detail you deserve. Whether you're a first time homebuyer, a growing family or an empty nester getting ready to downsize.

De-cluttering and Organizing Your Home with 7 Simple Secrets!

2008-01-10T02:44:00.000-08:00

1. Out with the old, in with the new!

To minimize what goes into your house in the first place, remember this simple rule: If you bring in a new item then one has got to go! For example when I buy new clothes I look at what I have before I go shopping. This way I don?t wind up with 4 white v-neck t-shirts. When I come home from my shopping trip with a pair of jeans, 2 blazers and a sweater, I look at what will now go out the door also. That may be the old items I?m replacing or simply just other clothing items otherwise my closet would become a disaster quickly. The same is true for furniture (unless you?re filling a new home or simply don?t have ANY furniture), as well as other household items like candlestick holders, napkins etc?

2. Keep it out of the house!

One thing I coach my clients on is keeping a clutter-free home, by refusing to bring some items inside the house to begin with. Junk mail, flyers, trash from the car, and unwanted items are just a few items to avoid. In order to avoid this, I sift through my mail and flyers near the garage where the recycling and trash are. Then I can immediately get rid of what we don?t need. I do the same with the garbage in our car. If we get fast food, or take home bulletins from church, the minute we get out of the car next, be it at a gas station or at home, the garbage goes! You can simply say no to friends, family or neighbors that want to burden you with junk. If you really don?t want the item they give you but they insist you have it, toss it as soon as you get inside or find someone else to give it to that will like it. This may sound cruel but so is the pushiness of some people in our life to have us take what we truly don?t want. Email works the same. As soon as I open my email the first thing that I do is highlight all the junk and hit delete. Once trash is out of the way I can focus on the important messages. Also, it frees me up from heaps of junk messages that use up my storage space. Think about what items you could eliminate like this.

3. Don?t keep items that you really don?t like!!

This probably sounds bvious but you would be surprised at the amount of clients I have worked with that actually keep items they think are ugly or just don?t fit any room in their home! Don?t hold onto old furniture or keepsakes that have been handed down to you just because a loved one gave them to you. Simply give the items to someone that you know who will actually like and want them. If that is not an option then donate them or sell them on ebay and make some money while you are at it! It is good to be proactive in this area also. I myself almost got stuck with a heap of antique furniture as my grandmother was getting ready to move to a retirement home. I had to just say "I would love to, but I simply can?t. This eliminated a lot of lifting, transporting and storing of unwanted goods just to appease her.

4. Don?t store other people?s items in your home!

While we?re on the subject of ?storing? items, it is never a good idea to store items for friends, relatives or neighbors. They often have the best intention to come back and pick them up but they sometimes don?t. This leaves you stuck with someone else?s unwanted stuff. If you are currently in this situation, call up these individuals and tell them you are doing a ?spring cleaning? and simply cannot hold onto their belongings anymore. Tell them to come over and get it within a few days, and if they don?t you can let them know that you?ll donate them to Salvation Army on their behalf. This is not being rude, after all they left THEIR stuff at YOUR house! This is simply reclaiming your home, life and letting you get free from clutter.

5. Have a measurable De-cluttering Goal!

It is important to have goals in anything you wish to achieve in life. Organizing and getting rid of clutter in your home is no different. I know that the piles can seem daunting but when you have a goal you will not only feel in control, but you will have direction and a sense of accomplishment when you are finished. For example if you are looking to clean up your basement or even a closet, have a goal that you want 25% of the items to be gone. Those items need to leave the house for trash or donation unless it is a piece of furniture, or valuable item. If they don?t then all you have done is allocated clutter to other areas of your home. Maybe your goal is to get rid of 40 pieces of clothing/shoes. Whether in increments or as an entirety have a goal as to what you want the end result to look like.

6. Start Small!

Most of my clients have called me to help them because the feeling of being overwhelmed by clutter was too much for them, more so because they had no idea where or how to start. This need not be complicated nor make you overly exhausted. If a full room is too much for one day, spend one hour per day or a particular part of a room such as all of the dresser drawers as day 1, and what is under the bed as part 2 etc. Starting small allows you to feel a sense of relief, but often times you?ll find that once you get on a roll you won?t want to stop until the room is done. You?ll surprise yourself! Put on some of your favorite music and get started!

7. Karla?s step-by-step secrets to organize any room.

I will let you in on my secrets of organizing because anybody can do this, you need not be a Rocket Scientist! Firstly, pick one room at a time like the spare/guest bedroom. Make 4 piles in that room. One pile is for trash, another pile is for items you don?t want but wish to donate, and the third for items that truly belong elsewhere in the house like oven mitts or CD?s, and the forth is for items you wish to sell online or at a garage sale. If you were planning a garage sale anyway you can add the items for donation to this. Then get some garbage bags and take the trash to the curb. This will not only make you feel less overwhelmed but give you more space to work and walk. From here you can decide if you want to display certain items, or if they are to be filed or stored away neatly. All of these items can be labeled with a marker and masking tape or label maker (This is a great investment). Then take all of the items that did not belong to their appropriate space and distribute them accordingly. This need not be complicated, just pace yourself and take your time during each step.

Have fun! I know that the time you put into your home will give you such an amazing sense of accomplishment. It will brighten your spirit and give you the desire to not only tackle other areas in your home, but keep them that way!

Karla Davis is the President of Restoring Order. She is a Professional Organizer, Life Coach, Author and Interior Decorator. She specializes in organizing homes, office spaces and has over 10 years of experience and success within inside/outside Sales and Marketing.

Please contact Karla for your Professional Organizing/Interior Decorating or Coaching needs at:

Karla Davis
Restoring Order
P.O. Box 684
Goldenrod, FL 32733 U.S.A.
W: (407) 284-1705
kruzycki@hotmail.com
http://www.paulnkarla.com

How to Detach From Your Clutter So You Can Let It Go!

2008-01-09T02:46:00.001-08:00

?The surest way to detach from one outcome is to reattach yourself to a more empowering outcome: serving others, replacing a bad habit with a good one, or focusing on the present.? - Stephen Shapiro, Goal-Free Living

This is true with decluttering as well. It is much easier to let go, when you have a clear vision of what you want in it's place. Clutter is often a result of being stuck in or unable to let of the past. It could be emotional, or just not taking the time to clear out stuff you don't need.T o help you emotionally detach from your stuff, so you can let it go, it helps to focus on

The empowering present and future results you will achieve
How having less clutter will serve you and make your life better
Keeping only the treasures and things you really need in the "present".

Here are some examples of the positive outcomes you gain from clearing clutter:

A better family life with less fighting and stress
More time to spend on things and people you really love
Improved relationships
Able to invite people to your home or office without embarrassment
More energy (clutter actually physically drains energy and can lead to depression)
More money (clutter usually results in buying duplicates of things you already have)
Higher self-esteem (you feel better about your self when you are in charge - not your stuff)
Less stress
You'll be able to find what you need when you need it
Better health (less stuff to collect dust & dirt)
It will be easier to clean your home
You will have less mental clutter so it will be easier to focus on your present and future goals and get things done!

To help you detach emotionally from sentimental items, try meditating on the following thoughts.

Things are NOT people! When you toss or recycle something someone gave you, like a card, a souvenir, or a toy, you are not throwing away the person. The same is true of duplicate photos. You aren't getting rid of the person when you get rid of the extra photos.
People don't expect you to keep everything they give you for the rest of your life. They give you things to make you happy, and if having too much stuff is making you unhappy, they surely would want you to pass the things on.
Keeping old clothing from an era in your life so you can remember it is a sentiment many of us share. I have a hard time with this too! But you can learn to let go of clothing too! One way is to take photos of them instead of keeping the clothes themselves. The thing about old clothing is that is needs to be cleaned regularly and stored properly or it will start to rot, turn yellow, attract moths and other bugs, collect dust mites and maybe even get moldy or mildewed. It also can be really bad for allergies. Why put yourself through this? Isn't it better to pass on clothing to someone who can use it rather than take your your time and energy or just letting it rot?
Often people want to pass things down to their kids. This can be a good thing, but many people hold on to way too much on behalf of their kids. I've seen whole basements full of "stuff my kinds might want in 25 years" Trust me, they won't want all their old baby clothes! Maybe a couple really cool games, but be choosy! Set space limits on how much you will keep. Give the rest to someone who can use your unneeded things now.
Often people are afraid they will miss things. To counteract this fear, remember, things can be replaced, but you can't make more time. And you can't easily make space in your home without letting excess, unused things go. And if you do miss something, it usually passes in a moment and there is no harm to you. You don't need that much to survive! If you find yourself missing an inanimate object so badly it interferes with your life, you should probably seek counseling to get at the root of the issue.

Letting go isn't easy, but if you stay focused on your present needs and priorities, and learn to view your things with less emotion, you will be much happier. Mastering the art of letting go of your stuff is a wonderful way to build your self-esteem, gain peace of mind and feel in control of your life!

Ariane Benefit, M.S.Ed., is an organizing consultant, life coach, speaker, and author of the popular Neat Living Blog at http://www.NeatLiving.net which provides free organizing tips, home makeover photos and much more. Her mission is to help people transform their lives by helping them create organized homes and offices that support them in living productive, happier lives. Her passion is helping families conquer the chaos and stress that keeps them from enjoying their life together. She provides simple practical organizing solutions that work for real people who just want a neater, simpler, less stressful life ? not a perfect one. She can be found on the web at http://www.neatliving.org

Tips for Dealing With Paper Clutter

2008-01-09T02:44:00.000-08:00

Are you drowning in a sea of paper? Are you deluged by a torrent of catalogs? In the never ending battle against paper clutter, there are three must-have tools you'll need to win the war. Take note before you go into battle--

Shredder

I can't possibly emphasize how great these are. Get one that is rated to shred staples, credit cards, and compact disks. It's so gratifying to see all those odd bits and pieces go bye-bye. Afterwards, you can dump it in a recycle bin. If you're like me, you probably have old installation discs from various and sundry computer programs that are obsolete. Trust me, Windows 3.1 is not making a comeback. Then there are the CDs you've saved who knows what on. Shred them as well, and you won't have to worry about someone digging through your trash and finding private information. A shredder equals peace of mind. Just make sure to shred the discs separately from your paper trash if you plan to recycle.

Multifunction Printer Scanner Copier

These machines are cheaper than ever. If you watch for sales, you can get a good quality, brand name machine for around $50. Even when they're not on sale, a nice one is $100 or less. For three products in one that's a bargain. If you don't need to have the original document but still need a copy, scan it and save a copy to your hard drive. It's also a good idea to make a backup copy--one on your hard drive and another somewhere else like a USB or ZIP drive. Make sure you name the electronic document clearly so you can find it easily. It's probably a good idea to set up electronic folders on your computer for different things like Income_Tax or Utility_Bills 2004. You can plug the numbers into a spreadhsheet and track your costs over time. If you're the type that feels guilty when you toss your kid's refrigerator art, go ahead and scan that too. At the graduation or wedding you can do a slideshow retrospective. Your child will love you for it.

File Cabinet

If you're thinking of the old-fashioned metal file cabinets found in offices, think again. These days file cabinets come in various wood tones to match your home decor. This trend started because of the popularity of home offices. As more and more people were able to work from home, they wanted office equipment that fit in with their home surroundings and manufacturers have obliged.

Go ahead and get some hanging folders and file folders. If there is a page in a catalog you want to keep, tear off the cover of the catalog and the page you want to keep. Staple them together, and file in your file cabinet. Toss the remainder. When you're ready to order, you'll know what catalog it came from.

? 2006, Clara Myers. Are you struggling with clutter? Check out the Orgnaization 2.0 Blog at http://organize-yourself.blogspot.com for tips and suggestions on how to organize yourself.

Declutter Your Home- Just Rubbish Disposal Or A Feel-good Technique?

2008-01-08T01:29:00.001-08:00

I've recently heard more and more people mention the word "declutter" and wondered what all the fuss was about. Is this a fad, a load of rubbish, a reaction to our modern excesses or a necessary remedy to make our lives more livable? Being interested in doing a bit of "decluttering" myself, I decided to conduct a little research and found there is a ground-swell of anti-clutter thinking building up across the country. In the UK there is even a trade body called the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers!

So what is all the fuss about? It seems that we all have huge amounts of disposable income and a distinct lack of time. The end result of these two factors is that we buy loads of unnecessary stuff and have no time to either use it or throw it away. Another factor is our innate tendency to hoard things. Our reluctance to throw things away, even if we never use them, results in a build up of rubbish that slowly but surely consumes our living space until we reach that breaking point when the declutter urge begins to nag! Everyone has a different declutter urge threshold, with some people unable to cope with even a small pile of old newspapers, whereas others will reach the point where they can hardly move from room-to-room before the urge to take action kicks in.

It seems that there are various locations that merit a bout of decluttering and there are a range of drivers that spur the declutterer into action. Let's deal with the locations first of all.

The normal location is the family home. Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and garages are the usual culprits. For bedrooms, clothing is the main clutter contributor. For those of use who can't resist a little retail therapy, there can easily be a rapid build-up of unworn clothing, but garments are one of the easiest items to clear out. Whatever you do, unless your old clothes are worn-out, damaged or dirty, don't throw them away. You have a perfect opportunity to donate your clothes to charity during your decluttering. Many people recommend using the "one year" rule - if you haven't worn an item of clothing during the last 12 months then you are highly unlikely to wear it again - just clear it out! If you have children, then toys can also start to take over a room if not kept under control. If you don't keep your toy-count in check, your children will soon have too many toys to be able to find their own favourites. Another opportunity to recycle beckons, so whatever you do don't just throw them away. Donate them to friends with younger children, sell them at a car-boot sale or even on Ebay. In the kitchen, old utensils can be thrown away for hygiene reasons and in the garage, throw out all those old tins of paint and rubbish that you moved out from the house last year.

If you have mountains of rubbish, it may be worthwhile hiring a skip to make the job easier.

Another location that really benefits from a good clear-out is the office - either your desk at work or your home-office. You'll be amazed at how much paperwork people can accumulate over a short period of time. I've known companies that have had periodic office reorganisations, purely to make people have a regular clear out of their work space.

So what are the benefits of all this decluttering? If you have tried it even once you'll know exactly what I mean by the sense of satisfaction and achievement that can be attained from all of this. If you haven't ever set aside time for a spot of decluttering, then I can only suggest that you try a small test run. Plan to spend just one hour, in one room and see how far you get - and see how good you feel!

Another favourite technique is the 15-3 sprint. Take a rubbish bag and for the next 3 minutes, try to fill it with 5 items to throw away each every minute. If you reach 15 in the allotted time you've done well and just see how good that feels. You may even be tempted to repeat the exercise every day.

You may have a few guilty feelings about being wasteful and disposing of perfectly good things, but these will be more than compensated for by your sense of achievement, your satisfaction in being able to let go and the cleaner, lighter space you have created. You'll feel more relaxed in your home, you'll be able to find things more easily and you'll know exactly what you have. In fact the fewer things you have, the more you will cherish and use them. Go on, have a good old clear out today.

Marcus Brooks writes on a variety of property and home improvement subjects for the UK skip hire company www.skiphiredirect.co.uk

Declutter Your Home? Just Rubbish Disposal Or A Feel-good Technique?

2008-01-08T01:28:00.000-08:00

I?ve recently heard more and more people mention the word ?declutter? and wondered what all the fuss was about. Is this a fad, a load of rubbish, a reaction to our modern excesses or a necessary remedy to make our lives more livable? Being interested in doing a bit of ?decluttering? myself, I decided to conduct a little research and found there is a ground-swell of anti-clutter thinking building up across the country. In the UK there is even a trade body called the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers!

So what is all the fuss about? It seems that we all have huge amounts of disposable income and a distinct lack of time. The end result of these two factors is that we buy loads of unnecessary stuff and have no time to either use it or throw it away. Another factor is our innate tendency to hoard things. Our reluctance to throw things away, even if we never use them, results in a build up of rubbish that slowly but surely consumes our living space until we reach that breaking point when the declutter urge begins to nag! Everyone has a different declutter urge threshold, with some people unable to cope with even a small pile of old newspapers, whereas others will reach the point where they can hardly move from room-to-room before the urge to take action kicks in.

It seems that there are various locations that merit a bout of decluttering and there are a range of drivers that spur the declutterer into action. Let?s deal with the locations first of all.

The normal location is the family home. Kitchens, living rooms, bedrooms and garages are the usual culprits. For bedrooms, clothing is the main clutter contributor. For those of use who can?t resist a little retail therapy, there can easily be a rapid build-up of unworn clothing, but garments are one of the easiest items to clear out. Whatever you do, unless your old clothes are worn-out, damaged or dirty, don?t throw them away. You have a perfect opportunity to donate your clothes to charity during your decluttering. Many people recommend using the ?one year? rule ? if you haven?t worn an item of clothing during the last 12 months then you are highly unlikely to wear it again ? just clear it out! If you have children, then toys can also start to take over a room if not kept under control. If you don?t keep your toy-count in check, your children will soon have too many toys to be able to find their own favourites. Another opportunity to recycle beckons, so whatever you do don?t just throw them away. Donate them to friends with younger children, sell them at a car-boot sale or even on Ebay. In the kitchen, old utensils can be thrown away for hygiene reasons and in the garage, throw out all those old tins of paint and rubbish that you moved out from the house last year.

If you have mountains of rubbish, it may be worthwhile hiring a skip to make the job easier.

Another location that really benefits from a good clear-out is the office ? either your desk at work or your home-office. You?ll be amazed at how much paperwork people can accumulate over a short period of time. I?ve known companies that have had periodic office reorganisations, purely to make people have a regular clear out of their work space.

So what are the benefits of all this decluttering? If you have tried it even once you?ll know exactly what I mean by the sense of satisfaction and achievement that can be attained from all of this. If you haven?t ever set aside time for a spot of decluttering, then I can only suggest that you try a small test run. Plan to spend just one hour, in one room and see how far you get ? and see how good you feel!

Another favourite technique is the 15-3 sprint. Take a rubbish bag and for the next 3 minutes, try to fill it with 5 items to throw away each every minute. If you reach 15 in the allotted time you?ve done well and just see how good that feels. You may even be tempted to repeat the exercise every day.

You may have a few guilty feelings about being wasteful and disposing of perfectly good things, but these will be more than compensated for by your sense of achievement, your satisfaction in being able to let go and the cleaner, lighter space you have created. You?ll feel more relaxed in your home, you?ll be able to find things more easily and you?ll know exactly what you have. In fact the fewer things you have, the more you will cherish and use them. Go on, have a good old clear out today.
Marcus Brooks writes on a variety of property and home improvement subjects for the UK skip hire company www.skiphiredirect.co.uk

How to de-clutter your home

2008-01-07T03:43:00.001-08:00

How to de-clutter your home

Organizing a house is not a one time job but has to be done on a regular basis. So decide what time suits your lifestyle and do this work regularly. The golden rule to de-clutter is discard the things that you don't need now or in near future. Don't hold on to useless things. Assign duties to all members of the family because it's tough to do it single handedly. Teach children to clear the mess they create and keep their rooms neat and clean. This will inculcate good habits in them and they will grow up to be well organized and responsible individuals.

Organizing bathroom countertop
Put items that you need on a daily basis, on the countertop. Rest should go inside bathroom cabinets. Buy decorative boxes for the countertop to store things. Install storage products like see-thru boxes, plastic drawer units inside your bathroom vanity.

Organizing kitchen
Remove the items that you don't need often from the countertop and store them in your kitchen cabinets. Store like items together like tea and sugar. Use drawer dividers to organize utensils. Store all your spices on Lazy susans.

Another idea is to buy beautiful storage boxes and storage bins like wicker baskets to store and organize things.

Daisy simpson
Read more about home improvement topics like wall murals, bathroom vanities, kitchen designs .

How To Declutter Your Child's Bedroom

2008-01-07T03:42:00.001-08:00

Tired of a constant mess and a child's room that looks like a tornado has gone through it? If you find yourself overwhelmed by your kid's clutter don't get angry - get smart!

The first step to conquering your child's clutter is to teach responsibility and the basics of organization and how to declutter his possessions.

Resist the urge to wade into his mess with garbage bag in hand and take over. It's tempting. I tried it once (actually more than once) until it hit me like a truck as I sat in the middle of my son's disaster that I wasn't doing him a favor by taking over. Instead, I was removing his responsibility and letting him off easy.

You see, I would routinely pick up after him. And what a big mistake that was - so much so that when I occasionally asked him to clean his room (in the hopes of averting a cyclone that I then had to deal with) - he panicked. He became overwhelmed just thinking about the task at hand. He didn't have a clue where to begin nor did he have the required skills to break down the whole of the task into 'do able' chunks.

It wasn't until my own 'light' came on that I realized it was my job as a parent to teach him how to declutter and then how to maintain his newly organized room. In other words, it was I who needed to lay the foundation in which he could build upon.

To me, organizing is second nature. But for my ten year old son, it isn't. But over the years he has learned how to effectively declutter his room on his own. He now actually relishes passing along his outgrown toys and clothing to other children who can really appreciate them. He also does a daily room clean-up and has discovered that a basic level of organization and cleanliness is pretty easy to maintain.

By knowing that everything has a place he can now keep everything in its place. This was accomplished through a joint effort. Together we looked at the big picture that was his room and started trouble shooting. It wasn't until we found a place for everything that he felt he needed and wanted in his room (and a place for everything that got stacked outside his bedroom door in the process) did the whole task go much smoother.

Decluttering your child's room is only the first step. After you declutter the room you need to organize it. To learn more about how to organize your child's bedroom visit http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net/organize-kid-rooms.html

To effectively organize your child's room you first need to go down to their level and view things from their perspective. Consider your child's space, storage, furniture and possessions from his or her height.

Foster a sense of ownership and encourage responsibility by giving your child as much storage space as possible. For some great storage ideas visit http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net/kid-room-storage.htmlSherrie Le Masurier is an organizing consultant and freelance writer. She is a member of the Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) and is co-owner of http://www.decorating-kids-rooms.net a site geared to organizing and decorating children's rooms.

Decluttering Your Children's Rooms

2008-01-07T03:41:00.001-08:00

Children's rooms can be a challenge to keep clean and organized. Most children don't mind the mess, and in fact seem to enjoy the obstacle course that their mess creates. Take advantage of your child's adventurous spirit and organize the room by giving them tasks they like to do and enjoy. Make the mess in your children's room work for you. Instead of frustrating yourself cleaning the room by yourself, find a way to involve the children in the clean up process. Use your children's love for fun, games and adventure to find ingenious ways to organize their room.

Children like to throw things: Create a corner basketball area in your children's room with a hoop hung over a toy chest. Reserve this toy chest for soft toys like stuffed animals. Children can practice taking basketball shots to the toy chest while putting their toys away.

Children love games. Make a game out of putting away toys. Buy color storage bins and have your children keep toys away by matching the color of the toys to the colors of the toy bins. Don't use bins with lids, they become a part of the clutter that you are trying to get rid off.

If you have children sharing a room, purchase toy boxes for the children. Have a friendly competition to see who fills the toy boxes the fastest. Toy boxes can be used to store toys that are bulky, like your child's collection of legos, or puzzles.

Shoe bags hung over the door can store small toys. The advantage of the shoe bags is that children can see through and they can see the specific toy they are looking for. A child will rummage through a toy chest looking for a toy taking everything out before settling on what they want. This creates a mess. Therefore, see through containers in your children's room can be invaluable.

Children bring a lot of papers from school. You can use toy boxes to collect the projects that are worth saving for memories sake. At the end of the school year go through the toy boxes and create a memory book of some of your child's achievement from the school year.

Create a wall of art to display some of your child's artwork. Make it a monthly task to change out the artwork. Store the rest of the art work in toy boxes, then monthly go through the box and keep the pieces that are worth keeping.

Storing stuffed animals in your children's room can be a challenge. In our home, the population of stuffed animals tends to increase exponentially. At the end of the year, the children pick out a couple of stuffed animals to donate to the doctors office Christmas tree gift program. This make them feel good. You can set up a small indoor tent in the children's room for play and storage purposes. You can find these tents online at an affordable price. Store the stuffed animals in the tent when they are not being played with. This cleans up some of the clutter. We also place blankets in the tent. The kids enjoy this as they see the tent is the stuffed animal's home.

We present a wealth of resources and products. Find out at http://www.symphonytoyboxes.com.

Seven Steps To De-clutter Your Home For Sale

2008-01-07T03:40:00.001-08:00

Your home may be in good condition and well built, yet simple clutter will create a perception of chaos, confusion, and disorder. The purchase decision is an emotional and intellectual response, based on a level of trust in your home. When buyers see clutter, they assume that the home has been neglected, with more to fix than meets the eye. This perception undermines your home's market value.

De-cluttering is an essential part of your preparation, and is virtually cost free. This activity is goes hand in hand with moving. Before you put your home on the market, have a garage sale, throw some things out, and box stuff up. Your move will be easier, and you will create an open, spacious, simplified look that buyers love. If you need support, a local home staging service can work with your furniture and create a whole new look. When it comes to selling your home, less is truly more.

1) Front Yard

De-cluttering starts with your front yard. Make sure the yard is mowed and edged, and remove toys, junk piles, empty flower pots, etc.

An evenly cut yard is pleasing to the eye. Fertilize the grass a month or two ahead.

Overgrown, woody shrubs give an old, tired look. Trim or remove them.

Do not allow shrubs to cover windows. They block light on the interior, and give an appearance of crowding on the exterior.

Coil hoses and place any tools inside the garage.

Find a place to store extra cars or boats - other than the front of your house.

De-clutter flower beds. Mulch is inexpensive (about $2.00 per bag), and does wonders to simplify garden beds, especially in winter when plants are thin. Add flowers on the porch or in beds if weather permits.

Too many flowerpots are distracting - use a few large pots with healthy plants.

Never have empty pots or dead plants sitting around.

Dried wreaths may be used on doors in winter, for a simple focal point.

2) Entry

The buyers' first impression is critical, and shapes their attitude throughout the showing.

Invest in a brand new welcome mat.

Stains, scratches and dirty spots create distractions to the eye, and are a form of clutter. Clean, paint, and eliminate as many of these as possible.

Pay close attention to your front door. Is it dirty, darkened by mildew, or in need of re-finishing? Fresh paint or stain will make a huge difference.

Consider having your whole house power washed to remove stains, spider webs and other clutter.

The foyer should be clear of shoes, coats, or excess items on the walls.

Create a single focal point in the entry with an attractive table or painting.

3) Living Areas

Rooms should be sparsely furnished to appear larger and lighter.

The garage or an off-site storage room can be used to hold extra pieces of furniture.

Move large pieces of equipment - drums, telescopes, exercise equipment, etc. - to the garage or off-site.

Do not allow furniture to block windows, doorways, or traffic patterns through rooms.

Do not allow wires to cross traffic patterns.

Choose one or two elements as the main points of interest in a room - wood floors, a view, a table or piece of furniture, a nicely made bed, etc.

Too many personal collections and photographs are distracting for buyers.

Buyers must be able to imagine their own family in the home.

A few decorative items or photographs on tables are fine, but reduce these to just a few nice pieces.

Remove hunting trophies. They can be overwhelming in a small room, and may bother some buyers.

Large plants often take up too much space. Allow only a few healthy plants in the house.

Bookshelves add a warm touch to a room, but be sure that they are not overloaded.

Place books so that the backs are even. Lay some books horizontally, and leave open space for art objects.

Open window blinds and leave on a few lamps for pleasant lighting.

4) Kitchen

The kitchen is the heart of the home and plays an important part in attracting the heart of a buyer. This is an active area that usually needs special attention.

Clean, evenly finished cabinetry is a must. Add new paint or stain, if necessary.

Benjamin Moore Paints has a product called "Howard's Restore-a-finish" that works wonders on scratched or worn cabinets.

New cabinet pulls are an inexpensive item that can help tie the room together in terms of colors and finishes.

Remove purely functional items - such as baking pans, small appliances, vitamins, phone books, plastic bags, etc.

Do not have notes or photos on the refrigerator.

Clear the counters completely, then add back a few decorator items.

Choose decorative pieces that contribute to a warm, elegant, organized look.

Some suggestions: Flowers, fruit, cookbooks, wine, bowls, antiques, new dish towels, small designer appliances, etc.

Often the area under the sink needs organizing and cleaning.

Never leave trash containers out in the kitchen.

5) Bathrooms

It is important to de-clutter bathrooms to give them a touch of elegance or romance.

Keep in mind that you will give up some privacy during the marketing period.

Start by removing everything from the counters.

Remove any toilet brushes or cleaners that are visible.

Put items that you use daily - toothbrushes, soaps, razors - in a container, and place the container inside in a cabinet.

Decorate with fresh soaps, flowers, bowls, photos, or designer bath items.

Invest in new towels and fold them carefully.

Never leave medicines, money, x rated magazines, jewelry, guns, or personal possessions of this type on display.

6) Bedrooms

Bedrooms should appear restful and serene. Sparsely furnished is best.

Use your best covers, or invest in new ones if yours are worn.

Clear off bedside tables, and add back just a few books or nice items.

Bedside lamps add a warm ambience for showings.

Remove excess paintings or photos from the walls.

In some cases, old curtains do more harm than good. Take them down and clean the windows for a fresh look.

Children's bedrooms usually need to be simplified. Take down posters and box up toys. Avoid an overcrowded look.

7) Closets

Organize your pantry with everything facing forward. Remove excess food and containers.

Relieve your closets if they are stuffed. Pack items that are not needed.

The laundry room often functions as a spill over room with junk on the shelves. Clear everything out, and have just a few soap boxes visible.

Often sellers have organized their homes to express themselves - their travels, collections, interests, favorite colors and unique tastes. However, when selling a home, the goal is just the opposite. It is to create a clean, simple background that many different buyers would like to move into.

Excess items and clutter confuses and distracts buyers during showings. They should not be required to ?look past? your possessions. They are there to see if your house fits them, and their emotional level response is a strong factor in their decision. Warm, clean, simple, spacious, well lighted, neutral - and uncluttered - these are the keys to getting the best price for your home.
Roselind Hejl is a Realtor with Coldwell Banker United in Austin, Texas. Her website - Austin Texas Real Estate - http://www.weloveaustin.com - offers homes for sale, search MLS, buyer and seller guides. Let Roselind help you make your move to Austin. Top 25 Residential Agents - Austin Business Journal

Get Rid Of Your Stuff! Declutter Your Life

2008-01-07T03:39:00.001-08:00

Do you have drawers full of clothes you don't wear? Rooms full of junk taking up space? Are you a bit of a hoarder? How much stuff do you have in your house that you don't really need or use? Now's the time to have a good clearout and here's how to do it.

It's probably taking up more than physical space, how does it make you feel emotionally - overwhelmed, frustrated, disorganised, even lethargic?

Step 1 - Get Ready.

Create a list. Go through each room in your home and make a list of all the areas, drawers, cupboards that need clearing. Sort this into small, medium and large. Pin it up where you can see it.

Step 2 - Get Set.

Get four boxes label them - Rubbish, Charity, Sell, Undecided.

Step 3 - Get Clearing...

Go through each room - take just 15-30 minutes and tackle the small areas first, then when you have time the medium and large areas.

Work on one area each day and tick them off your list. Either put things away where they belong or place them in one of the four boxes. Place the Undecided box in a cupboard, attic or basement and come back to it in six months. If you haven't needed anything in it in that time - throw it away.

Clothing - when did you last wear it, does it fit, do you absolutely love it? Anything you haven't worn for two years - put in a bag and take to your local charity shop. Only buy things that make you look good as you are now - not when you lose those few pounds.

Paperwork "handle it only once" or in reality twice. First when it comes through the door. Is it for action/junk or filing? Action -deal with it immediately or put it an 'action' folder/tray and deal with it in the next 2-3 days. Filing - tackle this on a weekly basis. Junk - straight into the bin.

Reduce the junk mail you receive - ALWAYS tick the box on any form to opt out. Sign up with the mailing preference service to opt out of unsolicited mail http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/.

Magazines - how often do you read them all. Tear out and keep any articles that are of particular interest. Read them as soon as you can. Cancel subscriptions for those you no longer read or value.

Things you no longer use - gadgets, sports equipment, etc., unwanted gifts, impulse buys - things you bought but don't like or don't use. Either sell them, pass them on or give them away.

Decluttering questions to ask: - Do you love it? - Do you use it? - Does it make you feel good?

Learn to say no, so you don't clutter up your life with things that aren't important to you.

Get into the habit of setting aside a few minutes each day or a block of time each week to keep areas tidy and clutter free.

To avoid clutter accumulating - when you buy something think first - do you really need it? If you find it hard to let go, each time you buy something new, get rid of something so at least it's not increasing.

Notice how you feel after you've cleared out an area - whether large or small. You should feel a sense of achievement, satisfaction, relief and/or a burst of energy.

Step 4 - Reward Yourself.

Create small rewards for your effort as you go through the process, i.e. buy yourself a new item of clothing for clearing your wardrobe out,

See what you can do to create your own clutter-free existence and see what it brings in for you.

Why not join me for an Integrity Day to help get rid of your clutter.

Clare works with busy, stressed individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively. Create balance. Prioritise, plan and delegate, to create your perfect life, organise it effectively and enjoy the process.

Sign-up for her free monthly newsletter at www.clareevans.co.uk.

Get Rid Of Your Stuff! Declutter Your Life

2008-01-07T03:38:00.001-08:00

Do you have drawers and closets full of clothes you don't wear? Rooms full of junk taking up space. Are you a bit of a hoarder? How much stuff do you have in your house that you don't really need or use? Now's the time to have a good clearout and here's how to do it.

It's probably taking up more than physical space, how does it make you feel emotionally - overwhelmed, frustrated, disorganised, even lethargic?

Step 1 - Get Ready.

Create a list. Go through each room in your home and make a list of all the areas, drawers, cupboards that need clearing. Sort this into small, medium and large. Pin it up where you can see it.

Step 2 - Get Set.

Get four boxes label them - Rubbish, Charity, Sell, Undecided.

Step 3 - Get Clearing...

Go through each room - take just 15-30 minutes and tackle the small areas first, then when you have time the medium and large areas.

Work on one area each day and tick them off your list. Either put things away where they belong or place them in one of the four boxes. Place the Undecided box in a cupboard, attic or basement and come back to it in six months. If you haven't needed anything in it in that time - throw it away.

Reduce the junk mail you receive - ALWAYS tick the box on any form to opt out. Sign up with the mailing preference service to opt out of unsolicited mail http://www.mpsonline.org.uk/mpsr/.

Magazines - how often do you read them all. Tear out and keep any articles that are of particular interest. Read them as soon as you can. Cancel subscriptions for those you no longer read or value.

Things you no longer use - gadgets, sports equipment, etc., unwanted gifts, impulse buys - things you bought but don't like or don't use. Either sell them, pass them on or give them away.

Decluttering questions to ask: Do you love it? Do you use it? Does it make you feel good? Learn to say no, so you don't clutter up your life with things that aren't important to you.

Get into the habit of setting aside a few minutes each day or a block of time each week to keep areas tidy and clutter free.

Step 4 - Reward Yourself.

Create small rewards for your effort as you go through the process, i.e. buy yourself a new item of clothing for clearing your wardrobe out,

See what you can do to create your own clutter-free existence and see what it brings in for you.

Why not join me for an Integrity Day to help get rid of your clutter.

Clare Evans works with busy, stressed individuals and small business owners to help them plan and organise their time more effectively. Contact her now for more details or to book a free phone consultation. http://www.clareevans.co.uk

How To Really Declutter Your Home For Buyers

2008-01-07T03:36:00.000-08:00

Your real estate agent has come to your house to assess what needs to be done to sell it the quickest. The word, "declutter," continues to come up. You assure your agent that you are a very neat person and that everything will be clean when the potential buyers come to view it. Many sellers encounter the same situation each day. What agents wish their clients would understand is that decluttering is more than just keeping the baseboards dust-free and the countertops wiped down. Try some of the following tips and wow your real estate agent, and especially, your buyers.

With pen, paper and clipboard in hand, tour the outside of your home, then the inside. As much as possible, pretend that you don't own the house and even that you've never seen the place. You will quickly see what your real estate agent meant by decluttering when you use this new perspective. Write down anything which is the least bit offensive to the eye, including unruly hoses, toys in the front yard, a busy mantle above the fireplace and newspapers stacked up in the laundry room. The list will seem longer the more times you go through the process. However, the more you notice, the more prepared your home will be for eagle-eyed buyers.

The biggest stumbling block for sellers preparing their home for the market is their lingering attachment to their house. From repainting a room neutral, to taking family photos off the wall, sellers must accept that their time in that particular house is coming to an end. To counteract this mental block, take your most personal items out of rooms first. Get plenty of clear plastic tubs, or boxes to store your items. Treat the decluttering process as if you are preparing a model home for viewing. In order to sell your home, you have to give the buyers room to imagine their personal belongings. Little forward-thinking daydreams about decorating your new abode should also counteract those strong attachments.

A good round of decluttering will often leave you with a pile of boxes and bins to contend with. Although stacking them up in a closet seems like a nice, out-of-the-way option, this may not be the best choice. Consider that closet space is often one of the key selling points for a home. Closets should look as impeccable as possible. This will aid greatly in creating a spacious feeling. If the closets are crowded and messy, the buyer may think that your home is just not big enough, even if it has the square footage they want.

Your garage is the most acceptable place for storage in the mind of the buyers. Of course, not everyone has this luxury. If you can convince a family member, friend, or even a neighbor to let you store those boxes and crates, then take advantage of the opportunity. However, if you really need or want your storage items in the house, then try to stack them up in the least conspicuous place you can find. A playroom or basement can usually stand to have a few of these bins stashed in the corner. Better yet, think about renting a temporary storage facility to house these things.

Despite all your efforts, be prepared to hear your Tampa Bay Florida real estate agent tell you that you still have too many belongings cluttering the house. If this happens, just remember that they're on your side and that they're the expert. Also, remember that a well-decluttered house is your quickest ticket to a "Sold!" sign.Bob Lipply is a licensed broker associate with Remax Realtec in Palm Harbor, Florida. He has many years of experience in selling Tampa Bay Florida Real Estate and has helped many families relocate to Florida and find their dream homes. Visit his website at http://www.lipplyrealestate.com or contact him direct at 1-888-423-5775. e-mail address is info@lipplyrealestate.com

Defrazzle and De-Clutter!

2008-01-05T04:12:00.000-08:00

My theory on housework is, if the item doesn't multiply, smell, catch fire, or block the refrigerator door, let it be. No one else cares, why should you?

Erma Bombeck

Ahh, the fresh breezes, the delightful birdsong, new buds in the garden, and sunny, cloudless days - Spring is here! What is it about Spring that makes us want to clean? Well, I think it's more that we perhaps like the idea of Spring Cleaning until we get started, pull everything apart, and then get demoralized about the mess we've just made cleaning up! Cleaning is not my strong point. When I get a clear run at it I do a pretty thorough job and actually enjoy it, but what mom gets a clear run at anything? How can you cope when the urge hits (besides simply ignoring it!)? Here are some tips

* Write up a plan - realize that a thorough Spring clean will take some time. Divide your house into blocks and give yourself ample time to complete each block. My house is a 4-level split, so one block is a level. I take three months to thoroughly clean each level. * Organize childcare - Once your plan is complete, choose the day of the week that you will really dedicate to the task (I like every second Saturday) and arrange for the kids and your husband to be out of the house for at least 8 hours.

* Prepare food in advance - make sure you have something light ready to eat quickly at lunch time, and supper prepared in advance (crock-pots are great for this). Drink plenty of water to keep your focus sharp and energy high.

* Have the right tools handy - Put everything you need in a caddy or bucket to save time and energy running up and down stairs for tools. Use toxin free products so you aren't getting tired and fuzzy-headed from overexposure to chemicals. Use aromatherapy (like citrus oils) to keep you feeling positive as you clean.

* Put energizing music on the stereo- pick something that makes you want to sing and dance as you clean. * Turn off the phone - Put your answering machine to good use, and check the calls when you're done.

* Start (and continue) small - Don't rip the whole room apart when you start. Just do one shelf, one drawer, one small section at a time, so that if you must stop before you're completely done, you won't have an overwhelming mess to pick up.

* Put things in their place as you go - Stop every time you complete a section to put misplaced items away where they belong.

So, now that you have a plan for "sane" decluttering and cleaning, have at it!

Darlene Hull www.mom-defrazzler.com

Darlene Hull is the creator of the free "Mom-Defrazzler tool" - 52 Tips for Moms to get from Chaos to Calm in One Year and the "Merry Moms" newsletter, a weekly humour e-zine to help moms defrazzle with laughter. You can download this tool and newsletter on her website at www.mom-defrazzler.com

Declutter for Sucess

2008-01-04T00:46:00.000-08:00

by: Janet Ilacqua

--Ralph Waldo Emerson

One of the fastest ways to increase the success of your homebased business is to do a thorough house cleaning. Sounds silly? It works. By clearing out the physical clutter and debris in your working area, you will correspondingly clear out mental clutter that prevents you from manifesting abundance. In addition to this, by disposing of unneeded items that no longer serve you, we are making space that can be used for new items to replace them. The important point is that you focus on developing new and more effective ways of doing, finding new markets, and streamline your working area so as to get the maximum results from your freelancing.

Decluttering Checklist

Here are some guidelines for clearing the clutter from your life:

1. Check your computer. Delete duplicate files and files that you havent used in a year. If you have a mass of documents in the My Documents folder, this is time to organize them and classify them under folders. Devise a tracking system for your queries. Review your ideas and see which ones can be developed into good articles. Delete the rest.

2. How much of the contents of your desk haven't been used in over a year? Out they go. Be ruthless. Remember, you're holding in mind that your success is on it's way and you need to make room for it.

3. Check your bookcases. You can extend the one-year rule a bit here, but you must be realistic with yourself. Are you actually going to make use of these items in your work? Throw away what you must, sell what you can and give the rest to charity.

4. Start bringing a higher level of order into your life. Are there people to whom you owe a letter? Have you balanced your checkbook? This is the time to either create or refine your "to do" list and make it stick. Carry it around with you and add to it as you think of new items. You will find that many of the items that you add to your list will directly affect your level of success. The reason for this is that success flows in the presence of order. Just as water is disturbed into rapids in the presence of major outcroppings of rocks, so is the flow of success disrupted by the disorder of cluttered schedules, incomplete duties and broken agreements. You may note that it is very rare that a prosperous individual allows their affairs to be chaotic.

All of this doesn't have to happen in one weekend. In order to make it work effectively, daily progress should be happening. Choose one cabinet to clean out per day or one letter to write. Make your progress towards greater order a tangible thing that you can recognize. The results will be well worth it.

Janet K. Ilacqua is a freelance writer based in Tracy, California. She specializes in academic writing and ghostwriting of books and manuals for individuals and small businesses. For more information about her services, check her website at http://www.writeupondemand.com.jilacqua@aol.com

Decluttering for Success

2008-01-04T00:45:00.001-08:00

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in, forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day, you shall begin it well and serenely..."

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the fastest ways to increase the success of your homebased business is to do a thorough house cleaning. Sounds silly? It works. By clearing out the physical clutter and debris in your working area, you will correspondingly clear out mental clutter that prevents you from manifesting abundance. In addition to this, by disposing of unneeded items that no longer serve you, we are making space that can be used for new items to replace them. The important point is that you focus on developing new and more effective ways of doing, finding new markets, and streamline your working area so as to get the maximum results from your freelancing.
Decluttering Checklist

Here are some guidelines for clearing the clutter from your life:

1.Check your computer. Delete duplicate files and files that you havent used in a year. If you have a mass of documents in the My Documents folder, this is time to organize them and classify them under folders. Devise a tracking system for your queries. Review your ideas and see which ones can be developed into good articles. Delete the rest.
2.How much of the contents of your desk haven't been used in over a year? Out they go. Be ruthless. Remember, you're holding in mind that your success is on it's way and you need to make room for it.
3.Check your bookcases. You can extend the one-year rule a bit here, but you must be realistic with yourself. Are you actually going to make use of these items in your work? Throw away what you must, sell what you can and give the rest to charity.
4.Start bringing a higher level of order into your life. Are there people to whom you owe a letter? Have you balanced your checkbook? This is the time to either create or refine your "to do" list and make it stick. Carry it around with you and add to it as you think of new items. You will find that many of the items that you add to your list will directly affect your level of success. The reason for this is that success flows in the presence of order. Just as water is disturbed into rapids in the presence of major outcroppings of rocks, so is the flow of success disrupted by the disorder of cluttered schedules, incomplete duties and broken agreements. You may note that it is very rare that a prosperous individual allows their affairs to be chaotic.
All of this doesn't have to happen in one weekend. In order to make it work effectively, daily progress should be happening. Choose one cabinet to clean out per day or one letter to write. Make your progress towards greater order a tangible thing that you can recognize. The results will be well worth it.

--Ralph Waldo Emerson
One of the fastest ways to increase the success of your homebased business is to do a thorough house cleaning. Sounds silly? It works. By clearing out the physical clutter and debris in your working area, you will correspondingly clear out mental clutter that prevents you from manifesting abundance. In addition to this, by disposing of unneeded items that no longer serve you, we are making space that can be used for new items to replace them. The important point is that you focus on developing new and more effective ways of doing, finding new markets, and streamline your working area so as to get the maximum results from your freelancing.
Decluttering Checklist

Here are some guidelines for clearing the clutter from your life:

1.Check your computer. Delete duplicate files and files that you havent used in a year. If you have a mass of documents in the My Documents folder, this is time to organize them and classify them under folders. Devise a tracking system for your queries. Review your ideas and see which ones can be developed into good articles. Delete the rest.
2.How much of the contents of your desk haven't been used in over a year? Out they go. Be ruthless. Remember, you're holding in mind that your success is on it's way and you need to make room for it.
3.Check your bookcases. You can extend the one-year rule a bit here, but you must be realistic with yourself. Are you actually going to make use of these items in your work? Throw away what you must, sell what you can and give the rest to charity.
4.Start bringing a higher level of order into your life. Are there people to whom you owe a letter? Have you balanced your checkbook? This is the time to either create or refine your "to do" list and make it stick. Carry it around with you and add to it as you think of new items. You will find that many of the items that you add to your list will directly affect your level of success. The reason for this is that success flows in the presence of order. Just as water is disturbed into rapids in the presence of major outcroppings of rocks, so is the flow of success disrupted by the disorder of cluttered schedules, incomplete duties and broken agreements. You may note that it is very rare that a prosperous individual allows their affairs to be chaotic.
All of this doesn't have to happen in one weekend. In order to make it work effectively, daily progress should be happening. Choose one cabinet to clean out per day or one letter to write. Make your progress towards greater order a tangible thing that you can recognize. The results will be well worth it.

Bio: Janet Ilacqua is a freelance writer living in Tracy California. Her specialities are academic and inspirational writing. For more information about her or Ilacqua Associates, check www.writeupondemand.com

Letting Go: De-Cluttering Your Life

2008-01-04T00:44:00.000-08:00

"One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach. One can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few. "
--Anne Morrow Lindbergh

While our family was vacationing in Hawaii over Christmas, my daughter and I did some beachcombing in search of the perfect seashell. From a distance, everything brought in by the tide looked like debris. But an occasional unbroken shell appeared amidst the driftwood, seaweed, and shell particles that washed ashore. We both found ourselves awestruck by the beauty of each single shell we found.

Sometimes our lives are like that. We have so many beautiful things around us, and their beauty can get lost amidst all of the debris surrounding them. Too much of a good thing becomes clutter. The challenge is to identify the keepers and let go of the rest.

My mother -- who will be 70 years old this year -- has lived in Phoenix since 1963 and has decided to move to Seattle to be closer to her children and grandchildren. As I write this article, she is in Phoenix preparing for her big move. It's not easy for her. She'll be moving into a lovely but small condo, and she knows that she cannot bring everything with her.

This move represents much more to my mother than simply moving her possessions across the country. It represents 39 years of experiences, friendships and familiar comforts that she is preparing to leave behind. Moving under such circumstances makes it even more difficult to let go of some of her possessions. And yet, she is doing just that. She feels burdened by all that she has collected over the years, and she's ready to lighten the load and let go.

Several years ago I was struck by how much letting go one of my elderly clients (I'll call her Katherine) was faced with when she moved from Florida to Seattle to be closer to family. Katherine was grieving many losses: the loss of her husband of more than 50 years (he had died the previous year), the lack of sunshine (we have the liquid kind in Seattle), the loss of friends and familiar places, and the loss of the home where she had raised her children. Although she had already let go of many of her possessions, Katherine had brought more with her than she could possibly fit into her small condo. As we unpacked her things, it was apparent to me that Katherine was not ready to let go of one more thing in her life. So I suggested that we unpack what she could not do without and store the rest to revisit in one year. A year later, Katherine called me back to help her sort through the things she had placed in storage. She was in a much better frame of mind to decide what she wanted to keep and what she was ready to let go of.

DROWNING IN CLUTTER?

Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity; From discord find harmony; In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
--Albert Einstein

Here's my definition of clutter: anything you own, possess, or do that does not enhance your life on a regular basis. If you agree with my definition, then you acknowledge that clutter goes far beyond things in our physical environment. Although the focus of this article is on physical clutter, remember that clutter can also include activities, thoughts, or even people in your present life something to think about!

As an organizing and productivity consultant, I frequently get calls from individuals who are drowning in clutter. They have no idea where to begin or how to dig out. I begin by asking some questions to clarify what is most important to them. Although my clients recognize that clutter creates a huge drain on their time, energy, and budget, the de- cluttering process still looms as a formidable task. There are two parts to de-cluttering: letting go of the clutter, and containing what's left so you can find what you need when you need it.

Complicating the de-cluttering process is all the emotional baggage attached to a person's stuff. I've found some common causes of emotional baggage in working with serious packrats:

1. The individual is old enough to have lived through the Great Depression. Having experienced a time when they had to make do with very little, many learned not to throw anything away. Although keeping everything may have served them well many years ago, their circumstances have changed and the mindset of let's keep it all in case I need it no longer serves them.

2. The individual has experienced a severe loss in his/her life, and their possessions are filing a hole in their heart. Once they begin to see this correlation and work through the pain of that loss, they are better able to let go of some things in their environment. This type of packrat is more able to let go of something if they can give it to someone who needs it more than they do.

3. The individual is a highly creative and energetic person. All of their stuff represents an opportunity. What makes them very successful at what they do (creative, right- brained activities) also makes them very lousy at organizing their surroundings (analytical, left-brained activity). Their internal dialogue often says, I better not thrown that away, because I might do something with it someday. Of course, if they cannot lay their hands on it, it will never be of use to them, anyway. This type of individual needs to partner with someone who has the organizing skills that they lack, so they can let go of what they truly don't need and have a system in place so they can find what they need when they need it.

4. The individual has struggled with depression or physical illness/injury. Sometimes these struggles can derail people and they lose the desire to care for themselves and their environment. Their internal dialogue says, What does it matter? So what, who cares!

If you identify with any of these types of emotional baggage, and if you are tired of the clutter, contact me at orgcoach@gte.net. We can schedule a complimentary coaching session to discuss your path to a less cluttered life.

Do you question the value of investing the time and resources necessary to de-clutter your life? Consider the costs of not doing so:

1. How much time and money are you spending NOW to maintain what you have? Are you spending money to store things you never or rarely use? Have you moved into a larger home or office, only to fill the extra space with more stuff, thus requiring a move to yet a larger space? Imagine what it costs in time and money to do this! Is it worth the investment?

2. How much does your clutter cost in peace of mind or missed opportunities? Imagine what it would be like to reduce your stress level. Imagine what you could do with the time, energy, and space your clutter is currently taking up!

3. If your home or office burned to the ground, what contents would you want to replace? If you would not miss it, perhaps it's not worth keeping in the first place.

4. Who says you have to keep all those things? Is it something that enhances your life? Do you like it? Does it bring you joy? Is it useful to you now? Note that what is useful may change as your life circumstances change. For example, if you've moved from a home to a condo, all of that lawn & garden equipment may no longer be useful to you.

5. Do you want to be remembered for the possessions in your life, or for who you are? You can't take it with you! Those who will someday inherit your possessions will thank you for de-cluttering your environment rather than passing it on for them to deal with after you die.

LETTING GO OF PAPER

These before and after photos represent 3 days of work with this client. We filled a large dumpster and converted what was left into the Paper Tiger filing system for easy retrieval.
HIDDEN URL: http://www.orgcoach.net/find5sec.html

In every productivity survey taken over the last 20 years, managing paperwork always falls in the top ten time-wasting activities of managers. Paper management serves as one of the biggest drains on productivity, both in the office and at home. To calculate what disorganization costs you or your company, visit
http://www.orgcoach.net/whatitcosts.html.

Here are some startling statistics that support the value of investing time and resources to get organized:

The average U.S. executive wastes six weeks per year retrieving misplaced information on desks or in files. At a salary of $75,000 per year, this would translate to 12.3 percent of total earnings, or $9225. Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/trimthefat.html for free tips on managing paper flow. This includes instructions for creating an outstanding tickler file system, as well as the Paper Tiger filing system endorsed by Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. that guarantees you'll be able to find anything you file in 5 seconds or less. Hidden URLs above:
TICKLER:
http://www.orgcoach.net/companystore/tickler_file.html FIND ANYTHING: http://www.orgcoach.net/find5sec.html

Office workers spend 40 - 60% of their time working with paper. Despite visions of a paperless office, most experts believe that 95% of all information is still transmitted using paper.

The average American gets 49,060 pieces of mail in a lifetime, one-third of it junk. The Direct Marketing Association Mail Preference Service is designed to assist in decreasing the amount of unwanted national non-profit or commercial mail you receive. If you'd like to receive less advertising mail at home, visit http://www.the-dma.org/consumers/consumerassistance.html.

80% of filed papers are never referenced again; 50% of all filed materials are duplicates or expired information.

60% of materials going to storage have no retention value and should have been destroyed at the office level. In case you missed National Clear Off Your Desk Day on January 14, you have another crack at it! February is National Archive Your Files Month. Contact me at orgcoach@gte.net if you'd like assistance.

LETTING GO OF CLOTHES

We wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time.

Recently I had a conversation with a client about letting go of old clothes. She had decided to get rid of everything that no longer fit her. Once she got started, she also decided to get rid of old shoes, handbags, and accessories that she never wore. Although it was difficult to let go of things she had paid so much money for -- especially if they were in good condition -- she began to feel relief as she cleared from her closet the things she had not made use of in years.

Hanging onto clothes we no longer use can have hidden costs. For example, keeping clothes that are too small can become a subtle form of punishment for not losing that last few pounds. Keeping clothes because you paid so much for them can be another form of punishment. And hanging onto clothes that have sentimental value can keep your energy stuck in the past instead of making that energy available for you to use in the present. In addition, it's difficult to see the things we like when the closet is stuffed with things we don't like or can no longer wear. I always chuckle when someone opens a closet teeming with an overabundance of clothing, and exclaims, I just don't have anything to wear!

Here are some questions to ask yourself as you go through your closet:
Does it fit? If not, what are the chances you'll wear it?
Does it need to be repaired or cleaned before you can wear it? If so, either do it or get rid of it! If it requires something to go with it (a skirt, shirt, pants, etc.), do you have something that matches? If not, either buy what you need to wear with it, or get rid of it!
Do you feel good about yourself when you wear this? Is it comfortable?
Does this clothing represent who you are at this time in your life?
If you have not worn it in the past year, what is the benefit of keeping it? If you decide to keep something for sentimental reasons and you don't plan to wear it, consider storing it somewhere else.

As you consider these questions, challenge yourself to begin letting go of the clothes that no longer serve you. If you're concerned about what it cost and it's still in good condition and in style, sell it through a consignment shop. Another alternative is to donate your clothing to a non- profit organization and take the tax deduction for the in- kind contribution. There are plenty of men and women in who could use the clothing you no longer need. Visit http://www.orgcoach.net/taxdeduction.html to find links to a number of non-profit organizations that take such donations.

A friend told me about a group of women who get together once a year in a friend's home for a boutique party. They go through their closets, bring their unwanted clothes to the party host's house, and make piles of shirts, skirts, dresses, pants, jackets, accessories, etc. They spend the first hour trying on the clothing and socializing. Then they draw numbers. The person who draws #1 gets first pick, #2 gets second pick, etc. Once everyone has picked the clothes they like, the leftover clothing is donated to a women's shelter. It's a great way to connect with friends, get new clothes without spending any money, and donate to others in need.

What's cluttering up your life? Whatever it is, it's zapping your precious time, energy, thoughts, and space and it doesn't have to. There's no time like the present to let go of those things that no longer serve you to hold on to.

CERTIFICATES NOW AVAILABLE!Do you have a friend, colleague, or loved one who would like help to de-clutter their life? I offer gift certificates that can be redeemed for products and services. Visit my Company Store for some ideas, or contact me at orgcoach@gte.net to ask about special package prices for combined products and services. Mention that you read this newsletter and you'll get a 10% discount on each gift certificate you purchase between now and Valentine's Day.

SETTLE FOR MORE -- WORK WITH A COACH! Here are some of the benefits: Clarify your priorities Review of what is working and what is not so you can make adjustments Create weekly action plans to keep you "on purpose" and moving forward with intention Hear yourself think (through reflective listening) and gain clarity about what you choose Get encouragement and support when you feel discouraged Sort out your options when you feel stuck or not at choice Brainstorm and bounce ideas off of someone who is not attached to the outcome Build in accountability, without judgment, for following through with your intentions My connections with the coaching community provide me with knowledge about areas of expertise held by many trained coaches. If my coaching style or areas of expertise are not a good fit for you, I can provide names of other certified coaches for you to talk with. We get what we settle for. It's never too late -- or too early -- to settle for more. When you are ready to settle for more -- professionally or personally -- click here to request your complimentary sample coaching session. OTHER WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN HELP Create a system to manage paper-based and electronic information so you can find it in 5 seconds or less -- guaranteed! Create a tickler file system to help you remember what requires action and when Time management -- learn how to better manage your time to focus on what matters most Click here to view Q&A about coaching. Click here to read client feedback about coaching with me. Read the December 2000 Working Woman magazine article about Kathy and her client.

Our web site has received the Internet Clinic Award,
based on the following criteria: Interactivity Friendliness Reliability Quality Uniqueness Neatness
Click below to read more about this award.

Get my FREE Organizational Assessment tool. Click here to e-mail me and arrange for your complimentary consultation.
Calculate what disorganization costs you or your company. Executives, CEOs, and Managers: Read about our Paper Tiger Productivity Quick Start program. Consider donating items you no longer need -- an old computer, cell phone,
children's shoes and coats, clothing and household items, or even a car -- and get a
valuable tax deduction in the process. Click here for more information.

PAAUWERFULLY ORGANIZED MISSION: To help busy executives, professionals and entrepreneurs de-clutter their schedules, spaces, and minds so they can focus on what is most important.

Table of Contents for Past Issues Company Store
Paauwer Tools is a free newsletter published twelve times per year. To subscribe to this newsletter, send a message to PaauwerTools-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. To unsubscribe, send a message to PaauwerTools-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.comWe appreciate your forwarding this to your friends and colleagues you think might benefit from reading it. Your recommendation is how we grow. Anyone can subscribe. We request that you keep the broadcast intact, including the contact and copyright information.Paauwer Tools may be distributed or reproduced in other online publications, as long as the entire issue, including copyright and subscription information, is included. If you wish to reproduce the contents of this newsletter for another publication, please include the following resource box:Kathy Paauw, a certified business/personal coach and organizing/productivity consultant, specializes in helping busy executives, professionals, and entrepreneurs de-clutter their schedules, spaces and minds. Contact her at orgcoach@gte.net or visit her website at http://www.orgcoach.net and learn how you can Find ANYTHING in 5 Seconds --Guaranteed!

E-mail your comments, questions, and suggestions for future newsletter content to me. I'd love to hear your thoughts!Warm regards,
Kathy Paauw,
Paauwerfully Organized
425-881-6627
orgcoach@gte.net

Lessons from the Ultimate Declutter

2008-01-04T00:43:00.000-08:00

The Chinese say if you want to make big changes in your life, move 27 things in your home.

Imagine the change you can create by moving thousands of things. You can use the potentially stressful situation of moving house to consciously design your new life.

1. If you want to simplify your life, move to a smaller home. You will collect things to fill the available space. Moving to a smaller living space inevitably means making choices about what is going with you.

2. You always have more stuff than you think. When you start to fill boxes to move, you are certain to not have enough boxes. Be prepared to be horrified at the amount of stuff you have. There is a saying in Feng Shui there is no hiding from Feng Shui eyes. There is also no hiding from the view of everything you own sitting in boxes in front of you. Now you know what has been affecting your life.

3. Even if you've been vigilant with clutter, you will still be surprised by how much you have. All those nooks and crannies that don't usually register on the clutter radar screen will burst forth to grab your attention when you move.

4. Packing and moving stirs up all your emotions - you need to be kind to yourself. Sleep well, eat well, take time for renewal. Moving house is ranked right up there with divorce and unemployment as top stress creators. If more than one of these happens at the same time the effect is multiplied.

5. Part of the moving process is celebrating all you're grateful for in what you are leaving behind. All the gifts, the lessons, the environment that has sheltered you and been such a big part of who you are, and were....

6. It's like the New Year its a great opportunity to reassess your priorities and get rid of all sorts of physical and emotional baggage. Moving house to another area gives you the opportunity to decide who you want to give your new phone number to, and what you want to carry forward into your new life. It's also a great opportunity to begin new self care and work practices.

7. Moving is a cure-all for Feng Shui challenges as long as you don't choose a home with similar energy blocks. You will create an environment that will support you in whatever is next for you in your journey.

8. You won't get rid of all your clutter as you pack - that's too many emotions flying around to expect yourself to be objective. You are certain to transport clutter to your new abode, and you need to be vigilant about dealing with it once you've settled in. Don't let yourself get used to those boxes of clutter in your environment. After all - this is a great opportunity to make a new start.

9. Let others support you in painting your new home, moving from your old one, and taking you to lunch to celebrate this transition. Celebrations mark life's milestones.

10. Making Feng Shui changes fast leads to major energetic shifts. Moving brings about more changes than most people can comfortably deal with. Often we're moving because of other changes in our lives. Go easy on yourself. You won't always be your 'nice' self and you will sometimes feel exhausted when it seems you haven't done much. The more you can make space for what you're feeling, the easier this transition will be.

Bonus Tip: At the end of moving day, pour a glass of your favorite beverage, order a meal to be delivered, put your feet up and take a deep breathe - it's time to celebrate YOU have arrived!

Vicky White is a Certified Feng Shui Consultant and Life Coach who works with clients both locally and internationally. Get your FREE 7-part e-course Your Secret Weapon: Powerful Feng Shui Tips To Give Your Business The Competitive Edge at http://www.LifeDesignStrategies.com/

What Ideal Team Work Looks Like: Decluttered

2008-01-04T00:42:00.000-08:00

Declutter your work team and results will flow.
I got a new website designed, up and running last week. Yes, last WEEK. And it was no cookie-cutter either. Im well-organized, but the speed with which Nancy, the web designer, worked was amazing.

No sooner did I send her something, than it was up on the website. Actually she was simultaneously working on two websites for me. Things were flying back and forth.

DRAG CREATES DRAG

I was reminded of something my friend told me when I was working on my dissertation. He said do what the chair asks immediately, get it back as fast as you can. It baffles them, he said. Most students prolong it indefinitely. When someones working fast, then they dont have time to obsess. Its catching, you know?

That was good advice! Taking forever to do something creates a force field with a lot of drag in it.

Back to Nancy. Well, shes a friend, too, and I became concerned. Didnt she have any other business? Eventually I had to ask, Do you not have any business, Nancy?

Yes, she emailed back. Im swamped.

Small wonder when shes so professional, speedy, accurate but shes also creative.

Okay, I thought, Im going to ask. Nancy, HOW DO YOU DO IT?

Thanks for asking, she wrote and then sent me this list. At the top it said, Im glad you asked why I have so much time. I try to teach this to others [shes also a coach].

I HAVE SO MUCH TIME BECAUSE

Im in good health; therefore Im very active and need little sleep. I eat to live rather than living to eat, so my meals are simple and I dont consume a lot of time shopping or grazing during the day I am well-organized I can focus and concentrate like you wouldnt believe; there are no distractions in my world There is no clutter in my life and there are no so-called obligatory functions There are no draining people in my life I dont own a tv and do not waste any time in passive activities As an introvert, I conserve energy by being with people as little as possible and only the nice ones or loved ones when I do choose to interact socially I have constant variety in my life so when I am innervated by one project, I switch to another and my energy returns I love my workall of it, house, garden, daughter, friends, counseling, web design, teaching, walking my dog; the idea of work has been well integrated in to my daily life, like a monk I am a high energy person (that is a great gift from God) I dont smoke, drink, eat white sugar or white flour I play hard when I play

And you can quote me! she added. Im glad you asked. What a great sense of personal power we get when were doing something well that we love to do.

Nancy continued, The way Ive worked on your website is my typical way of interacting with web design clients and a typical response time. I really set the pace when I do a website with someone and am terrific at wrapping it up, too. Some people have trouble completing things in life or they bottom out in the middle when it gets hard. In me, they have a steady pace setter who has the will to complete the project and the know-how, expertise and experience.

Getting things completedone of my mentors used to say, The pregnancy is wonderful, if only the baby didnt have to be born.

Nancy continued, While doing this, I have supervised the remodeling of the house, got H&M off on the cruise, fixed dinner for my roommate and visited with her, and done many coaching sessions.

I give my friends and clients the impression that I am serene and unruffled (or so they say) but you wouldnt BELIEVE what I accomplish in a day. I recommend good mental and physical health habits and the elimination of toxic people and television.

MY WORK IS MAJESTIC

The most amazing thing about this experience with Nancy was her passion. She emailed me at one point: A website is a majestic thing and deserves the full attention of someone who knows how important it is to get your message across.

One of the things shes best at is getting who you are and putting it into the web site. I think this is because of the focus. Shes into the other person and the project, not self-concerns.

BLAMING & SHAMING

In this team project, there were changes in direction, call them snafus. The name Id chosen was being use so the logo had to be changed. Great! Nancy emailed. How about this? The photos she originally chose turned out to be too expensive. How about these? she replied, sending 3 new ones.

Ive worked on many teams, and the biggest time-waster and energy-drag is those disgruntled sighs, rolling of eyes, throwing hands up in the air, labeling things as mistakes and assigning fault. Comments such as Why didnt you tell me beforehand There was a miscommunicationYou said you wanted If youd said that in the first place Subtle or blatant, they accomplish nothing and exhaust us.

Change it, fix, it, keep it flowing, was our motto. We didnt waste time analyzing, blaming, naming, shaming.

Are you overwhelmed? Many of my coaching clients and friends are. You can take some tips from Nancy, on how to declutter, and heres one from mewhen you surround yourself with people like this, life sure goes a lot easier! Declutter your project team!

My website? I wish we could still be working on it. How often do you say that when youve finished working on a project with someone? How often can you say It was a pleasure working with you and mean it?

Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, GLOBAL EQ. Emotional intelligence coaching to enhance all areas of your life - career, relationships, midlife transition, resilience, self-esteem, parenting. EQ Alive! - excellent, accelerated, affordable EQ coach certification. Susan is the author of numerous ebooks, is widely published on the Internet, and a regular speaker for cruise lines. For marketing services go here.