give your home some fresh air

For the past few days, west Michigan has experienced a huge drop in temperature and humidity. (I'm wearing jeans and a light-weight sweater on July 1...glorious!) I actually love mid-60's weather (as long as it's sunny). I also love opening the windows to let the fresh air in. I start to feel couped up with the air conditioning on...but Michigan humidity is not something to mess around with.

If you are craving fresh air in your home, opening the windows not the only way to achieve it. If your home is starting to feel stale or stagnate, another way freshening things up is by doing some light decluttering.

To start, simply set your timer for 15-20 minutes and walk through your home with a box, bag, or laundry basket. Look for items in your home that have gone stale, and place them into your container. Recycle old magazines, toss tired floral arrangements, and pull a few faded sweaters or t-shirts out of your closet. When the timer rings, step back and feel the difference just a little bit of breathing room can create in your home.

Happy decluttering!

monday madness...saving $200 on groceries

I often get questions regarding coupons and if it is really worth the time spent to cut coupons, file them...and then remember to use them each week.

While it does take a bit of organization and dedication, I can assure you that it IS worth it!

Each week, I spend about 2 hours on Sunday afternoon going through the ads, clipping, filing, and printing coupons, and making my grocery lists for each store. Then on Monday, I try to hit the stores. I like going on Monday because the stores are still stocked and they usually are less busy.

Here are some of the deals I got today; you tell me if it was worth my 2-hour investment.

Meijer

Spent: $22.45 -- Saved: $117.24

Here are a few of the things I purchased:

• 6 packs of Huggies wipes (all free)
• 6 boxes of cereal (nearly free after coupons and $4 off 4 boxes at Meijer)
• 3 loaves of bread
• 2 gallons of milk
• 4 boxes of crackers
• 2 packages of cookies (free when you "like" Nabisco on Facebook)
• 5 packages of sausage
• 5 packages of kraft cheese (all free w/ coupons from Kraft)
• DiGiorno frozen pizza (free coupon from Kraft)
• 2 gallons of milk
• Fruit and veggies (from the discount rack
• Dishwasher tabs and shower cleaner (all free)

Rite Aid

Spent: $0.88 -- Saved: $29.00

Walgreens

Spent: $1.82 -- Saved $39.83

Target

Spent: $0.43 -- Saved $12.27

Here are the totals after my morning shopping excursion.

TOTAL SPENT: $25.58

TOTAL SAVED: $198.34

I saved myself nearly $200 for a 2-hour investment cutting coupons and making my lists. I don't know about you, but I would say $100/hour is worth the effort!

What about you? Do you use coupons? Do you feel it is worth your time?

organize your ideas

I often have so many ideas floating around in my head; ideas for my house, ideas for my clients, ideas for dinner, upcoming projects, things I have to do yet, etc. etc. Can you relate? Here are some ideas to take away the feeling of chaos and help you to organize and implement the wealth of ideas you have.

1. Get all of your ideas out of our head. Don't worry about organizing them yet, just do what is called a `brain dump'. Write down every idea--don't try to do more than get them out of your brain and onto paper.

2. Create categories for your ideas. Your categories will be specific to you and your situation but could include home decorating, home improvements, craft projects, social activities, family vacations, business projects, and so on. Don't try to do anything more than brainstorm categories for now.
3. Place your ideas into the categories listed above. Use different colored highlighters to mark each category. Once you have a different color for each category, it's time to go through your list of ideas. Decide which category you think each idea fits into, and then highlight it with the corresponding color. Don't worry if you have ideas that don't fit any of your categories. We'll deal with that next.
4. Create additional categories (as needed). For those ideas that don't fit your existing categories, let them be your guide for additional categories. Some additional categories might include self-improvement, health goals, financial goals, etc. You can make your categories as broad or as narrow as you choose. Making them a bit broader eliminates having too many categories.

5. Transfer your lists to a notebook, index cards, PDA, or computer. Remember this is for you--so make it work for you.

6. Implementing your ideas. Some of your ideas can be moved to a daily or weekly To-Do list and completed in a short time frame. Others might be a bit more complex and therefore require several steps to complete it. In this case, you should break these ideas down into small steps that you can then put on your daily or weekly To- Do list.

As you work through your list of ideas in each category, don't cross them out as you complete them. Instead, highlight each one as it is completed. This will make it easy to see and remember all the things you have accomplished. Also, remember that your lists might change as you complete items and add new ones. Feel free to adapt your category system to best suit your personality and your personal organizing style. This is your document, make it work for you.

simplify your laundry routine

Laundry may be a chore we all face, but it doesn't have to feel like one. With improvements to washing machines, laundry products, and even fabrics, the old rules of laundry don't necessarily apply today. Make this task go more quickly and easily with these simple tips to help you get you out of the laundry room and back to more important things!

1. Stop sorting.

I grew up watching my mom sort darks, lights, and whites on laundry day. If one stray white sock got mixed up with darks or colors, the result was a dingy gray sock.

However, these days, sorting isn't always required. Thanks to higher quality fabrics that aren't as likely to run, you can put together a last minute load of lights and darks without much chance for disaster. And there are new products like Shout Color Catchers. Toss in a Color Catcher and let it "catch" any dyes that run, which you'll see when the load is clean.

2. Utilize your basket.

Another annoying part of laundry is folding clothes and delivering them to their rightful places around your home (or relying on your kids to put their own clothes away). Often times, the clean clothes tend to just stay in the basket, right?

Why not just let your kiddos live out of the basket? If there's room in the closet, give each child his or her own basket and keep the basket in the closet. Does it really matter they grab their shirts from a drawer or a basket? Let go of that anxiety and make putting laundry away that much simpler!

3. Stop ironing.

I’ve pulled my iron out about 4 times in as many years! I don’t like to iron and I feel like it is a huge waste of time so instead, I buy clothes that don’t need to be ironed and I hang and/or fold my clothes while they are still warm from the drier. I’ve also used Downy Wrinkle Releaser which smooths out wrinkles quickly.

4. Be organized.

Laundry becomes much less efficient if your laundry room is cluttered with various detergents, products, and other items. Take time to go through your laundry room and organize it.

Keep detergents you use on a regular basis within reach of the machine and put others away (or toss them!). Have rods put up so you can hang delicates or clothes that can't go into the dryer. Have a small bin on the machine to place coins, barrettes, or small toys that you find. Place a wastebasket close by so you can toss papers and lint away. You'd be surprised how far a little organization will go!

5. Get more use out of your clothes.

There's no reason why you can't wear clothes more than once before washing them. Unless I spill something or get very sweaty, I will usually wear my clothes at least 2 times before putting them in the wash. The same rule goes for our towels and sheets. Obviously, socks and underwear don't get second chances, but jeans, sweaters, dresses, skirts, and shirts sure can!

With a few tweaks to your laundry routine, you will not only simplify this dreaded chore, but you can also save yourself a bunch of time each week!

some thoughts about cards...on my birthday

Today is my birthday! I'm officially a quarter of a century...which makes me sound old; so I think I'll just say I'm 25!

I love birthdays because, for a day, I reconnect with so many people via Facebook messages... and birthday cards. I love getting and giving cards for all different occasions, but I have to be careful because it is so easy to accumulate an enormous amount of "card clutter".

You know; card clutter...when you continue to buy more cards every time you see one that would be perfect for so-and-so...but then you completely forget to give the card to so-and-so when that time comes. Even with the best of intension and the most organized card files, it's still easy to accumulate card clutter.

One thing that I have done to eliminate the amount of cards I have to purchase (and store) is to simplify my categories. I no longer purchase cards for every occasion. Now, I only have 3 categories:

1. Thank-You
2. Congratulations
3. Blank

I feel that Thank-You cards are a must. Whether you are thanking someone for a gift or for a job interview, a card is 10 times nicer than an e-mail or e-card.

These Thank-You cards are one of my favorites.

I just bought them at the grocery store: 10 for $5.00.

These are a little more professional looking...

again, just from the grocery store!

More Thank-You cards from Night Owl Paper Goods...so pretty!

I also keep a bunch of "congratulations" cards around. Of course, I use these cards for graduations, but I also use them instead of having lots of different cards for weddings, engagements, baby showers, new jobs, new homes, etc. etc. All these occasions are reasons for congratulations...right!

This super cute card can be purchased from The Haystack Needle.

Egg Press also has a HUGE selection of gorgeous custom cards.

And finally, I keep a lot of blank cards handy.

I have a variety of colors and patterns, and I use these cards for everything else. I find that people often enjoy a hand written message versus a generic Hallmark greeting. Blank cards are also much less expensive and usually come in packs of 10-20 cards.

Of course, if you want to eliminate all your cards, here are some fun websites you might want to check out. You can create the cards online, and then mail or e-mail them to the recipients... meaning you never have to store another card again!

• American Greetings:
• Hallmark E-cards:
• DaySprings E-cards:
• Blue Mountian E-cards:
• Care2 E-cards:

Want to create personalized photo cards or stationary? These sites can do that!

• Shutterfly.com
• Snapfish.com
• PearTreeGreetings
• Photoworks.com
• Winkflash.com
• PhotoAffections.com

And those sites are just a few of the many online card resources. They are the ones that I have used and like!

What about you? Do you have a store or website you get cards from? Let me know...and I'll add it to my list.

kid's clothes

Schools out...Great!

Your kids are home all day...Great! Except that they seem to instantly create clutter the moment they wake up!

One area that seems to easily spiral out of control is the closets. It is so difficult to keep up with your children's changing sizes, the seasons, school clothes, play clothes, nice clothes, etc. etc.

It might seem overwhelming, but try out a few of my suggestions below and see if you can't make it a fun experience for you...and your kids!

1. Have a mini fashion show: get your children to try on all their clothes and walk up and down the hallway to "show them off". This is a great time to see what fits and what doesn't. Anything that doesn't work should go to charity.
2. Make it fun to stay organized: Install a basketball hoop above the hamper for a fun way to pick up clothes.
3. Implement lots of colored boxes, bins, etc: You could use these colors to sort specific seasons (blue for summer, red for winter) or to sort types of clothing (blue for shorts, red for pants). This is a great visual way to help your kids remember where there clothes belong.
4. Get your children involved in the process: They are SO much more likely to keep there space organized if they get to make some of the decisions too. Ask them what they like and actually listen to their thoughts. It will make a big difference.

Take a few moments this weekend to host your own fashion show and get your kids a little more organized.

attitude improvements

I’ve experienced so many technical problems over the last few days that I actually considered hiring my own personal IT specialist (not really…but almost!)

For example:

• Cell phone: stopped working for no reason at all
• Internet: down for 3 full days with no explanation from AT&T
• Desktop computer: too much to say…but it’s not pretty
• Laptop computer: wouldn’t turn on, wouldn’t turn off, wouldn’t do anything
• Camera: (practically brand new) randomly takes pictures before you press the button
• SD memory cards: not 1, but 2 of our memory cards bit the dust…on the same day…with all our pictures still on them :(

If I could buy a T-shirt to express my feelings...this is the one I would want!

I could go on, but I’ll stop there for now!

Need-less-to-say, running a business out of my home with no cell phone, internet, computer, or camera can be a little…well, um...frustrating to say the least.

How did anyone survive without it all?

So last night I broke down; I had enough! I was on the phone with AT&T for about 35 minutes and FINALLY got the internet problem fixed, only to find that both our computers now had massive viruses because of the aforementioned faulty internet connection (sigh).

I was up until about 1:00am uninstalling programs, installing new anti-virus, and updating both computers. Thankfully the majority of our computer related problems seem to be on the mend. The cell phone and camera are yet to be determined!

As I worked on the computers (and watched the time tick on), I was REALLY feeling sorry for myself. And then I felt bad about feeling bad…and the whole cycle was worsened!

So, as I waited for uploads, downloads, reloads, etc; I searched my newly connected internet for a few ways to improve my attitude. And these are 5 that I really liked.

1. Find a positive response to every situation. Yes, often my first response is negative; especially these last couple of days. But on a positive note, I wouldn’t even be able to run my business if computers, cell phones, and the internet didn’t exist. Yes, I have to maintain them and fix them…possibly throw them out the window and buy new ones, but at least they are available for my use!
2. Act happy, even if you’re not. You don’t have to be happy all the time, but you can try to look happy. Interestingly, studies have shown that the more you act happy, the happier you will actually feel!
3. Look for the good in other people. Rather than seeking to identify the negative traits in the people around you, look for the positive ones. (This was extremely difficult for me as I tried to explain my internet problem with the non-English-speaking AT&T representative…but we figured it out!)
4. Drop the sarcasm. Sarcasm can be a lot of fun, but in the end, it’s just negativity wrapped up and packaged as a joke.
5. Get plenty of rest and eat a good diet. Ok, I have the eating part under control…but I did chuckle to myself as I read the part about “plenty of rest” at 1:00am! I’m usually pretty good about getting at least 7 hours of sleep…and I do know that diet, exercise and rest make a HUGE difference in my attitude.
   

Now instead of my T-shirt...I'll try out this mug!

After last night, I think my husband would be very happy if I started implementing one or more of these ideas. I guess I have nothing to lose; and neither do you! Let’s try to add a little more positivity to our lives.

keepsakes and family heirlooms

I recently worked with an elderly client who had enough “stuff” in her basement to furnish a second home or cottage. She was very depressed that her basement was basically unusable and was frustrated that some of the things had been ruined due to water damage and mold. When I asked her why she was keeping it she said, “I’m saving it for my kids”.

This might sound like a loving gesture…but her children are now all 40’s or older; and they have their own homes, families…and stuff! Most of them live over an hour away, and none of them have appropriate vehicles to cart the stuff back to their homes.

I have seen this situation several times before… and in most cases, the kids don’t want any of their parents “stuff”. They may want one or two keepsake items, but that is it. Unfortunately, my client felt that her adult children should be delighted to have these treasures.

As I sat there thinking of what I could say to help her “get a grip”, I reminded myself that I am one of the most unemotional people I know, and that many people have strong emotional ties to their stuff. If you can relate to my client, here are a few things to think about:

1. Remember that it is just stuff, and it is not the physical objects that you are attached to, it is the memory associated with the objects. There are many ways to preserve those memories even after you get rid of the stuff. You might try taking pictures of it all and creating a scrap book, or you can take scraps of old clothes and make a small quilt.

2. Respect and accept your children’s wishes. Your children are more important than your stuff and you don’t want to strain your relationships over a basement of stuff. Accept that they might not want to keep anything at all.

3. Offer the items to extended family or friends. If your immediate family doesn’t want it, there might be others who will. However, make it casual and don’t pressure them!

4. Sell the items via Craig’s List or Ebay. If you feel your items have real value, you could try selling them and donating your profits to a worthy cause; or split the money with your children. They certainly will appreciate that.

5. Donate the rest of your items to your favorite charity and take your tax deduction. Think of all the people who will benefit from your treasures and create new homes for them.

Handling family heirlooms and keepsakes can be an emotional project, but it is important move the stuff out of your home before your children have to do it for you. I have seen too many situations where the kids just come in with a dumpster and trash everything because any other option is too much work. You certainly don’t want to leave your children with the burden of cleaning out all your stuff.

our garden shed

When we bought our house 4 years ago, my dad promised to build us a shed "sometime". Well, sometime happened last Fall. He finally had the time to build it and I got to customize it to fit all my gardening needs. I originally thought about painting it barn red...but then decided to go with a neutral color.

This spring, I did a bit of landscaping around it and added all the finishing touches. Not only is it super organized, it's also cute, and it adds a hint of country charm to my suburban home!

This is the back wall of our shed. I installed an old kitchen cabinet on the right for enclosed storage. Then I used a bunch of old peg board that we found in our basement. I painted the whole inside of the shed white for a clean look.

I may have gotten a little carried away...but I found some clearanced fabric and made a skirt for my "custom" workbench...more hidden storage!


I think I have enough shovels... I really do use them all.

I found this metal storage cabinet for free by the road and now use it to hold all our pesticides, chemicals, fertilizers, insect repellent, and outdoor games. I also stuck clothes pins to the inside of the doors so we can hang our gardening gloves.

I love pegboard...such an inexpensive (and visually attractive) way to organize large or small spaces

More (free) storage pieces to store camping gear, gardening tools, etc.

Some of my pretty terracotta pots "just for looks" since some are really too small to actually plant in.

I love our shed.
I love all the extra storage.
I love that our garage is now uncluttered.

I love feeling like Martha Stewart as I work in my shed!

an organized garage

The "unofficial" start of summer is "officially" here! Memorial Day has come and gone, which means it's a great time to get your garage a little more organized for the summer.

I have organized many garages over the past few years and it is always because my clients feel completely overwhelmed by the thought of trying to organize such a large space all at one time. One tip that seems to help most of my clients is to break the large area into smaller "zones". For example, you might have one zone for tools, one zone for toys/yard games, and another zone for trash & recycling.

My dream has always been to have nothing except the cars in our garage. But since that is not very practical or realistic, I simply try to keep as little as possible in our garage. Last Fall, my dad built us a big shed in our backyard; which meant that we could move nearly everything in our garage into our shed! So, this is what our garage looks like now:

It looks pretty good and I am happy with the amount of "stuff" we need to keep in our garage.

As I organized our garage, I took my own advice and created 3 main zones to break up the larger space:

ZONE #1: Car & Bike Supplies
I found this locker unit on the side of the road (free) and it fits perfectly between our service door and our garage door. We keep bike supplies (pump, helmets, tools, etc.) in one locker and car supplies (buckets, rags, wax, oil, filters, etc.) in the other. It's out of the way and kind of cute!

ZONE #2: Trash & Recycling Center

I put 2 floating shelves up on the wall outside the door to our house. They serve as our extremely simple trash & recycling center. We use one trash can for trash and the other for plastic, tin & glass. The red crates are used for pop cans and extra trash bags, supplies, etc. The brown bag is for paper.

ZONE #3: Coats, Shoes, & Misc.

I found this cute coat hook/shelving unit at Ikea and thought it would be perfect for our garage. It has plenty of hooks for coats, hats, umbrellas, etc. We use the cubbies for smaller items, and on top, I have a basket of basic tools...and a few decorations (who says I can't decorate my garage!) The 3 ladder-back chairs are from a garage sale and are a great spot for guests to sit and take off their shoes.

That's it, everything else in our shed. We have a pretty small two-stall garage so it's important to keep it clean and organized, otherwise our cars will hardly fit!

If you are thinking about tackling your garage this summer, just take a moment and think about what zones you might like to have, and then work at creating them. Take one zone at a time, and it will seem so much less overwhelming than worrying about the entire garage all at once.

3 reasons to organize your kitchen

Need another reason to organized your kitchen?
I'll give you 3:

1. Save Time - organizing your kitchen means less looking around to find something when you really need it.
2. Save Money - organizing your kitchen helps you save money; if you know what you have on hand, you are less likely to buy duplicate items and will have less wasted food.
3. Save Stress - organizing your kitchen restores order and a sense of calm in one of the main focal points of your home.

Is that enough to motivate you?
Set you timer for 15 minutes and start today!

15 new uses for odds and ends

Have you ever lost one earring and weren't sure what to do with the other one? How about all your old coffee cans or salt and pepper shakers? It's easy enough just to throw them away...but what if there was a fun and creative way to re-purpose these odds and ends?

This thought got my creative juices flowing and I searched around until I found this great link from REAL SIMPLE magazine...I love that magazine!

The article: 15 New Uses for Your Odds and Ends has lots of creative ways to re-purpose some of the little treasures that might be lying around your house right now.

Check it out and let me know what you think...or if you have other similar ideas!

lighten your load in 7 simple steps

Do you crave the peace, calm, and beauty that greater organization would offer you? And yet, at the same time, dread the process of getting there? Here’s the good news: you’re not alone! For many, the mere thought of letting go creates an almost insurmountable obstacle for getting more organized. And yet … letting go of excess possessions—like supplies, shoes, unused gifts, clothing with the price tags still attached, and incomplete projects, along with letting go of old habits and beliefs about organizing—is key to creating a future filled with greater calm, control, and organizational bliss.

So how do you do it? There is no one-size-fits-all solution. The trick is to figure out what works for you. What will motivate you to overcome “letting go” and move forward to the peace, calm, and beauty you crave? The answer may not be has horrible as you might think!

#1: Visualize the finished result:
The more clearly you can describe to yourself the benefits of letting go, the easier it will be to make any tough decisions that come up during the process.

Why do you want to change or get more organized?

What are you making space for?

How will your space look, feel, and function when you’re finished?

What benefits will you realize when you are more organized?

#2: Remind yourself of past successes:
Do you remember the last time you really dug deep, and let go of unwanted and unneeded things? How did it feel afterward? Did you feel lighter? Did you feel more positive? Were you more able to relax? Did you feel more motivated to do things you really love to do?

#3: Prioritize:
Ask yourself: Which belongings in your home are most important to you?

#4: Decide how much is enough:
We all have things we love to have plenty of. For some it’s tea. For others it’s t-shirts. For me it’s kitchen gadgets! When you have too much of a good thing you may start to feel bad about the excess, or you may even forget what you have. How much is enough and how much is too much?

#5: Anticipate and remove your obstacles:

Obstacle 1: I might need it someday”
Solution: Decide when “someday” is. If you can’t come up with a definite answer, then assign an arbitrary date up to six months out in the future. Put the item in a box, write the date on the outside of the box, and move on. If the “someday” (the date on the box) comes and goes and you haven’t needed the item … you are now free to send it off to a happier place.

Obstacle 2: I paid good money for this”
Solution: Accept that the money is spent, and no amount of hanging-on to an item can bring your money back.

Obstacle 3: I could sell this at a garage sale or on Craig’s List:
Solution: Decide if you will actually put the time and effort into selling your items. If not, find a charity you’ll feel good about donating your items to and schedule a day for them to pick up your items. You will still get a tax deduction and you can save all that effort.

Obstacle 4: I received it as a gift
Solution: Realized that gifts don’t (or at least shouldn’t) come with strings attached. I know this one can be hard to swallow… but it’s true.

#6: Create quick results:
If you’re faced with a mound of things to go through, it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Look for ways to create visual results quickly. One way to do this is by grabbing a large box or laundry bin and clear off all your flat surfaces. Now, everything “looks” so much better and you only have to work with the stuff in the box…not the entire room.

#7: Keep building on your successes:
Keep moving in the direction of your goals. Set aside 15-30 minutes a day for tackling a corner, drawer, or shelf. Or block out a couple of hours each Saturday to go through a small space in your home. Little by little you’ll lighten your load and create peace, calm, and beauty in your home and life!

organized office

When we first moved into our home 4 years ago, I set up one of the bedrooms as our home office. We had a spot for our computer and miscellaneous office supplies, but what we really needed was a "multi-purpose room". For example, I wanted a craft area, a sewing area, a gift wrapping area, a project area with tools, etc. etc. My husband wanted an area for his school paper, books, and bags; and an area to watch TV, read, grade papers, etc.

So I had the challenge of turning a TINY 9'x10' area into a room for all our needs...and here is what a little creativity, $27.00 worth of yard sale furniture, and LOTS of paint can do!

A computer desk was a must, and I found this one for $5.00 and painted it black. The drawers house our office supplies (envelopes, stamps, pens, paper, blank CD's etc.) To the right of the desk is a large basket for Dave's school bags and books.

The frame above the desk was purchased for $3.00 from Hobby Lobby (95% clearance b/c it had no glass!). I painted it and put chicken wire in it...and now it has multiple uses. During the holidays, we display all our cards, pictures, and letters. During the school year, we use it to hang schedules, notes, pictures, cards that we need to send, etc.


The next part was a bit trickier because I needed a spot for craft and sewing supplies. I don't do a ton of either activity, but I do enough that I want the basic supplies on hand and easily accessible.

A few more yard sale finds solved my problems.






The yellow armoire ($7.00 + paint) hides all my sewing supplies and the larger craft supplies. I store fabric scraps in the large black box, cards and other craft papers in the 2 blue boxes and all my sewing supplies are front and center for easy access.

The armoire also provides a nice place to "hide" our printer, paper shredder, and the TV (per my husband's request).


The small white cabinet ($10.00+paint) holds smaller craft supplies in the drawer and the the wood crate below.
We also use the lower part of this cabinet to store binders with information for the many committees we are part of.






Now, for the closet!
We have a very small closet in our office but I've managed to create 3 distinct zones in this one closet. You can click on the above link to see how I created a gift wrapping zone, a paper filing zone, and a tool zone to round out our "multi-purpose" room. (oh, and the filing cabinet was FREE on the side of the road!)




All we needed was a big comfy chair for reading and watching TV. I found this one on Craig's List...and while it is not part of my $27.00 office make-over, I did get it for only $40.00 and it's a Rowe brand from Klingman's ...so I think I did a pretty good job!







So there it is, 90 sq. feet of space, $27.00 of furniture, a $40.00 chair, lots of paint, and we have a room that fits all our needs.

tips to avoid "yard sale" clutter

I’m willing to bet, since you’re reading this blog, that creating and maintaining an organized home is tops on your priority list. If your goal is to live in an organized and clutter-free home, it’s important to recognize that one of the best ways to control clutter is to keep it out of your home in the first place. And one of the best ways to do that is by becoming a clutter-free shopper.

This is usually somewhat easy when you’re shopping for groceries or other perishable items. But when you’re shopping at flea markets and yard sales that sell one-of-a-kind things, making smart purchase decisions can be quite a bit trickier. For this type of shopping, you need a simple plan of attack that will help you distinguish the shopping treasures from tomorrow’s would-be trash. Here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip 1: Make a List
The first step to avoiding regrettable purchases (and the clutter that follows) is to make a list of things you want and need for your home.

Tip 2: Take Measurements
To make sure the items you purchase will fit in your home, take accurate measurements of your spaces ahead of time.

Tip 3: Ask, Do I LOVE It?
Think about an item in your home that you absolutely love. Got it? The important thing while shopping is to tune into your true feelings about the items by remembering what you do when you truly love an item. For me, when I rationalize a purchase is when I get in trouble and create tomorrow’s clutter. But when I truly love an item at first sight—this feeling lasts for years.

Tip 4: Ask, Is This in My Budget?
Now it’s time to get rational. Ask yourself if the item is in your budget and if not (and you truly love it), see if there’s a way to rearrange your budget differently to make this item yours. If it’s just too far out of your budget, let it go.

Tip 5: Ask, Am I Willing to Make Space for It?
If you determine a must-have item won’t fit in the space you intended, consider other uses for the item. Could you let go of an item you already own to make room for the treasure in your hand?

Tip 6: Ask, Can I Use It As Is?
Unfinished projects can easily become clutter, so be aware of how many projects are already on your to-do list before bringing home another project. Ask yourself “Can I use this as it is?” or, “Do I realistically have the time to make it usable?” If the answer is no...pass it by.

I do a lot of “shopping” on Craigslist and at various thrift stores and yard sales so I regularly put these tips into practice. Also, since I purchase a large amount of furniture (and only use it for short periods of time), I always consider whether or not I can resell the item for at least as much as the purchase price. If I think it would be easy to sell, then I buy it; if not, I pass it by. It's a fun little hobby and a great way to keep things flowing into and out of my home, without letting clutter build up. If you’re out shopping and you’re on the fence about an item, ask yourself if it would be easy for you to get rid of later, if you find it doesn’t work for you.

With these tips in hand, all that’s left to do is head out there and find some treasures. Happy hunting!

simplify spring cleaning--free give-away!

Simplify your spring cleaning with a micro-fiber towel! And while you're at it...get one for free!

It’s very possible you’ve been using micro-fiber cloths for years. But for me, this is a fairly recent discovery and I'm delighted!

What’s so great about micro-fiber cloth? Well, it picks up dust like nobody’s business, without using any added sprays or chemicals. It’s also very handy during the cleaning stage of any organizing project.

I love my micro-fiber towels because they save me time cleaning and dusting. They also save me money on dusting sprays and paper towels. Finally, they save me a lot of space because I just need 2 or 3 micro-fiber rags instead of piles of gross rags, paper towel, cleaning sprays, etc. Saving time, space, and money...it's a no-brainier for me!

You can find micro-fiber towels at Target, Meijer, Bed Bath & Beyond, Walmart, and lots of other stores near you...or if you want a FREE one, simply leave a comment on why you love your micro-fiber towel or why you would love to try a micro-fiber towel. The winner will be picked at random on Friday, May 14th and notified on May 15th.

Happy spring cleaning!

1 small closet...3 uses

Our home office is one room in our house that we could not do without. The room is just a small extra bedroom; and the closet is even smaller so I knew it would require lots of organization to function at maximum capacity.

We needed the closet to do 3 very specific things:

1. House all our gift wrapping supplies
2. House all our paperwork
3. House basic tools and craft supplies
   

Since the closet is SO small I decided to removed the door to give us easier access to our "stuff". Here it is...all 3 feet of it!

ZONE 1: Gift Wrapping
LOCATION: Top Shelf



I have 4 large white bags that contain all my wrapping supplies:
1. large bags
2. large boxes
3. small bags
4. ribbons & bows.

To the left is a birds-eye view of my "bag filled with small bags!"




Then I have 2 boxes; one that contains a variety of small boxes, and one that contains tissue paper. (Yes, I save tissue paper!)

Then I labeled each bag and box with cute tags that I made from construction paper.



ZONE 2: Paperwork
LOCATION: Filing cabinet and fire-proof safe

In the center of my closet is a large 4-drawer filing cabinet. And if we need to find piece of paper, we know just which drawer to look in!

Drawer #1: Personal paperwork
Drawer #2: My business paperwork
Drawer #3: Hubby's school paperwork
Drawer #4: Craft paper, cards, envelopes, etc.

I use the tabs down the center for our main categories, and the tabs on the left for subcategories.

For example: the main category might be "utilities" and then the subcategories would be each of the different utility companies we work with (DTE, AT&T, Consumers Electric, Allied Waste, etc.)
This system works wonderfully for us.

We also keep a small fire-proof safe on top of the filing cabinet for important documents and information.

ZONE 3: Tools & Craft Supplies
LOCATION: Peg Board

Inside our closet, on the right side, I installed a small section of peg board to house some of our smaller tools and craft supplies.

Our larger tools are either in the shed outside or down in the basement but these are the ones we need to keep on hand for more regular use.

This section of the closet would otherwise just be a bunch of wasted space.

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So there you have it... 1 small closet transformed with virtually no out-of-pocket costs to fit 3 distinct needs in our home office.


Next week I'll post more pictures of our office along with more organizing tips so make sure to check back!

do you feel overwhelmed?

This week I thought I'd share a personal experience so that you can learn from my mistakes. I've been thinking about doing things a little differently in my business and with my website. So I decided to consult with other business owners and website designers to gather some opinions.

Well, as you'd expect, this one said this, another said that, still another said a different thing…multiplied by about 10! There were some great ideas in there but I realized that I'd come to a screeching standstill due to overwhelm and I was indecisive.

But this got me thinking - how many times do we feel overwhelmed because other people feel that we should do things but yet it doesn't feel right for us? Things like volunteering for committees, at the children's school, church, etc.

If you feel this way, here are a few things to think about this week:

- Think about areas of your life where you feel overwhelmed.

- Is it the state of your desk, your wardrobe, your children's rooms, or your business?

- Check in and examine why you feel so overwhelmed.

- Is it that you don't know what to do or where to start?

- Take one small action and see how that sits with you.

- Keep building on that action, step by step, until you build momentum and can see your way out.

new projects to welcome spring

Spring is in the air, and I couldn’t be happier! Here are some fun, quick and clutter-free things to do to welcome spring into your home. Even choosing one or two of these projects will make a difference—so don’t feel like you have to do them all. Remember, every step forward counts!

• Store out-of-season clothing. Now is a great time to wash or dry clean seasonal items like hats, scarves, and heavy coats. Do a sanity check before storing, and donate anything that is worn, torn, or no longer fits.

• Freshen up your home with seasonal colors. Consider getting some low-cost throw pillows or a new area rug for an inexpensive pick-me-up inside your home. (Just remember to donate the old pillows or rug, to keep clutter at bay!)

• Plant flowers, vegetables or herbs in colorful pots on your patio, deck, or kitchen window sill.

• Check expiration dates on sunscreen. If necessary, stock up on fresh supplies of sunscreen, lip balm, and bug spray.

• Declutter your freezer. If you cook seasonally—for example, if you prepare more roasts and soups in the winter, and depend more frequently on salads or grilling in the summer—now is a great time to clean out your freezer. Use up the frozen roasts, stew meat, soup vegetables and anything else you’re unlikely to use in the upcoming warmer months.

What do you like to do to welcome spring?

set some mini goals

Ah, Spring is here! I love living in Michigan, and I love all 4 seasons; but I am ALWAYS ready for Spring to make it's first appearance. This year, the warm weather came a bit early and I am thankful for that. I have already completed several yard projects over the past few weeks and am in the middle of re-landscaping our back yard (it needs it!) I'll post pictures once I am further along.

The only problem with this warm weather is it makes it much more difficult to sit inside cleaning and organizing; I'm sure you can you relate! However, since my job is to motivate my clients and readers to get more organized, I feel that I have to "practice what I preach" and keep my house clean and organized...while still enjoying the warm weather.

One thing that really helps me stay focused is to set mini goals with specific time frames. Some examples are:

• clean out the dishwasher and clear the counter tops each night before I go to bed
• wipe down the bathroom counter each day after I finish getting ready
• de-clutter one area of my closet when I put the laundry away
• clean out the refrigerator when I put this week's groceries away
• never walk out of a room without picking one thing up

Each of these small tasks can be completed in just a few minutes...and if I consistently follow through with my "mini goals" my house will consistently stay organized and clutter free. I will also eliminate time-consuming organizing projects later on when I would rather be enjoying the summer months.

Take a few moments today and set several mini goals for you and your family. Your home won't become magically organized over night, but you will make consistent progress and you'll still be able to enjoy your life!