You’ve Got Mail

Now what?

Don’t let that mail pile up! Attacking your mail each day only takes a few minutes.  Really…follow me!

#1 Pick up mail

#2 Open mail, separate by category (55 seconds)

Here are my categories:

• recycle (all envelopes, marketing stuffers, junk mail)
• shred (credit card offers)
• publications to read
• bills to pay

#3  Place piles in their “homes”  (1 minute, 5 seconds)

I traveled to:

• paper recycling bin in laundry room
• magazine basket in living room
• “to shred” box in office
• “action, bill ” center in office

See, literally minutes.

Having “homes” and a process set up will help you do this in minutes as well.  Clutter is delayed decisions.  When people don’t have a system, they will tend to leave items, like the mail, where they land.  Entry tables, stairs or kitchen counter tops become overwhelmed by mail piles.  Take a few minutes to set up a system.  It will be worth it!

Stay-cation this Year?

Have you heard the new vacation term this year?  Stay-cation?

Stay-cation is taking time off, being on vacation but staying local.  When I grew up it was no big deal and it was just called “day trips.”

Many people are staying home this year because of the lacking economy.  But just because you are not going some place by plane, train or automobile you can still have a great time.  I am sure. there are so many places in your own area that you never venture to.  I live in Boston and we had never done many of the “history” tourist tours such as The Battle of Lexington & Concord and the Mayflower until we had a cousin from Texas come visit.  So glad we did!

Think of the places you have always said “Oh, we should do that some time” or “that is an interesting place.”  It can be a museum, a beach or simply an area of the city that you have never explored.  Visit some relatives you never have time to see.  It is up to you.

Some may be taking time off and will work on their “to do list.”  Sometimes getting things done around the house can take a weight off your shoulders.

To make the most out of your “stay-cation” have a plan.  You don’t want Sunday to come and you feel like you just wasted time and didn’t either do anything fun or get anything done.

• Make a list of what you would like to do.
• Plug it into a calendar.
• Hop on line to check out any hours of operation that may be applicable to your activity.
• Go on line and research the many “free” fun things to do.  Your local library may also have passes to various museums and attractions.
• Make a list of what you may need and shop.  This can be extra sunscreen for the beach or a laundry list of materials you will need from Home Depot for home repairs.

Most of all, enjoy the time off.  Try and unplug yourself as much as possible from the various technologies that suck up your time and stress you out on a regular day.

Have fun!

Travel Clutter

Are you getting ready to venture off for your summer vacation?

Remember, a vacation is time to relax, spend time with friends or family and explore.  You don’t have to spend this precious time buying souvenirs for yourself and those at home.

I grew up doing that.  Even a vacation going to Cape Cod (a little over an hour away) I would spend time finding the right t-shirt for this one, the right mug, nick knack or piece of jewelry for the other.

I have to admit last year when I was in Hawaii I realized I spent to much time shopping for the gang at home.  I like popping around the various stores, but I did not like the feeling of “have to” while on vacation.  This was totally self inflicted.  My parents would have preferred I save the money or  spend it on an activity there.  And it is not like I have never brought them back anything from Hawaii…I’ve been there 6 or so times!

While organizing kitchens I find shelves and shelves full of mugs and glasses from various vacations.  Sitting there, collecting dust and taking up valuable “prime real estate” in the cabinet.  Lots of  T and sweat shirts from various places can be found in closets and dresser drawers.  Again, many not worn but kept as a “memory” from a trip or a trip that someone else took.

You don’t have to keep a mug to remember your trip.  You don’t have to keep it just because someone else gave it to you.  If you love mugs and use them great, but if they are kept as a memory you can let them go.  Do you remember the fun time?  Do you remember the island or country you visited?  Do you have photos or video from the trip?  If you really want to buy something as a  remembrance, buy 1 nice thing that you will cherish and use or wear.  Every time you do, it will remind you of that special place.  Trying to jam items into your kitchen cabinet or dresser drawer because there is too much travel clutter WILL NOT remind you of that fun time!  Don’t inflict this on family and friends if you are the traveler.

If there is something that you cannot let go,  decide if you use or where it.  If you do, keep it in your main space.  If you do not and you are keeping it as a memento, then it should be out of the prime area, and put in your keepsake box.

Happy travels!

Don’t Waste Time!

Bad news:  My cat has gotten into everything today.  He thinks everything should go in his mouth or be a toy.

Good news:  I took a piece of paper out of his mouth, and it was from my desk.  A quote I love but have not looked at in a while.

“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time”

by Mason Cooley

Thanks Sam the Cat for reminding me of this important lesson!

Freedom from Clutter

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July weekend is perfect to spend quality time with friends and family and celebrate our country.  Celebrate the people who  have sacrificed for us and our democracy.  The “land of the free”…free is such a powerful word.

If clutter or disorganization is a cause of distress for you, you can start now, in the spirit of freedom, to declare your independence from clutter.  Taking the time to tackle these challenges will help free you not only from physical clutter, but emotional clutter as well.

• Commit the time
• Create goals
  
• Make decluttering a priority
• Enlist the help you need
  
• Refer to this blog for tips on specific areas
  

Remember…

Organizing is a Process not an Event

You can start small with  1 drawer, the kitchen counter or the bathroom vanity.  Edit out what no longer benefits you and create a home for what does.  Free yourself from the clutter.

But first, have a great weekend…I am wishing you and yours a very happy and safe holiday weekend.

Cable Clutter

I just found a unique, decorative way to hide cables.  Very creative, very cool, but not for everyone.  See link to post below…

There are much more basic, easily purchased options at your local office supply store or on line.  It is great to use these cord covers for aesthetic purposes.  Having cords here there and everywhere under your desk or by other equipment can be distracting and you can feel the stress of the “clutter.”  Click on these links to see how to control that cable clutter:

Above baseboard

Cable Zipper

Cable Control

Decorative Covers

But you don’t want to just hide them.  You want to mark your cords so you know what they belong to.  You can do this with a sticker or a label.  Just make sure it will stick well.  If you want sturdier pre-made option, see these products below.  You can also look at these as examples and see what you have at home that you can use to get same result.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this.

Kable Flags

Cable Id

Picture Id

Have fun wrangling in all those cords.

Beat Cable Clutter With Beads

Beat Cable Clutter With Beads

Shared via AddThis

Junk Mail Gets Digital – Media Money with Julia Boorstin – CNBC.com

Junk Mail Gets Digital – Media Money with Julia Boorstin – CNBC.com

Shared via AddThis

Furniture + Organzing = New Furniture Line by Ty Pennington

I cam a across a line of furniture that I though was pretty neat (no pun intended) and thought I would share!

The line,  from Howard Miller has been created by Ty Pennington from “Extreme Home Makeover.”  The line has various styles of furniture but goes beyond your usual basic cabinets.  Organization was in mind when they designed these pieces.  Using space efficiently, some secret storage space too!  Also, you can customize your finish and component features.

Click here to see the collection and learn more about this collection.

But remember, edit what you have and determine your storage needs before buying any container!

Old news is No news…

Last night I had a good newspaper catch up night.  I was bound and determined to have all the newspapers that were backed up be in the recycling bin by end of the evening.  Last week was a busy week and I did not get through them all.

Many people keep their newspapers  for weeks and months on end, thinking that they will get to them.  But even if they did, the information is old.  Do you want to spend your precious time in June reading about the Inaugural (happened in January) or who won the Kentucky Derby (last month)  about the Swine flu outbreak (a month or so and it changes every day?)

Many people I know just keep getting the daily newspaper because it is just something they have always done.  But it adds pressure to the day.  The stack sitting there saying “read me, read me.”  Here are a few tips to make getting the newspaper a less stressful experience:

• Think about how much you really sit and read it.
• Consider subscribing to less days per week.  Perhaps Thursday – Sunday.
• Each day remove sections you know you will not read and put in recycling right away.  For me it is auto, sports and classified.
• At the end of the week, recycle anything you have not read.

I still enjoy flipping through the newspaper, especailly the “local” one.  I hate the thought of newspapers coming to an end as we know them.  But that said, narrow down what you read, and spend quality time with it.

Off to the recycling bin….

School is Out!

Many school systems are either out for the summer or will be with in a few short weeks.  Some kids will be staying home and others are off to camp or a combo of both.

But mom or dad…you are not done yet.  There is a little wrap up yet to be done.

Now is the time to go through the kids paper and artwork from this year.  Many families don’t make the time and this can be a yearly or multi-year collection.  Take the time now and go through them.  You’ll be amazed at how much you have kept is no longer of interest (aka trash or recycling.)

When choosing the “keepers,” think about when you moved out.  What would you have wanted to take with you?  You can let the kids help choose too.  What we may think is important  to them, really is not.  It is important to us.  Keeping a few from each year that are creative, funny, representative of a milestone or a super achievement is fine.  Keeping every math test is not.

The same goes for art.  Remember you can photograph artwork easily.  This takes up less space and you can keep a digital, printed album or print and frame.

Create an “archive” area that is free from the elements to store.  Create container for each child.  Store “keepers” by year.  Each year end it is good to look through the previous years to edit out ones that may not be so important now.

Also, think about how you managed the kids paperwork this year.  What worked, what didn’t, what backed up?  Use these lessons for creating a better system for the Fall.

Wishing all the kids out there very fun and safe summer!

Licensed to Drive?

In an effort to save money by the state of Massachusetts, the Department of Motor Vehicles will no longer be sending reminders to drivers that their license is up for renewal.

Without peeking…can you accurately tell the date and YEAR that your driving license expires?  I can’t!

If you live in Massachusetts, take a minute, pull it out of your wallet and put the expiration date in your calendar.  If you don’t live in Massachusetts, it is a good idea to do it as well in case your state makes similar cuts or changes to policies or if your reminder gets lost in the mail.   You won’t want to have to go through the pain of  “sorry officer, I didn’t  know…”

Don’t let “I’ll never get stopped” keep you from doing this either.  A recent study here  showed that there were over 20% more people being pulled over on the highways as a way to increase state revenue.  So with these changes, it is more likely that you will be pulled over, and more likely that you may not have an up to date license.

It is a good idea to review the other documents or  licenses that need renewal.  Put the expiration dates on your calendar. Actually, putting a flag in your calendar earlier as well will help you schedule time to deal with the renewal.

• Professional licenses
• Passport
• Business licenses
• Car Inspection

Off to get my passport renewed…

Over Abundance

Love the line from the new Microsoft ad I saw last night…  so relates to our life, our space, our clutter…

Less is the new More!

Love that!  How simple but profound!

Have a great weekend!

Don’t Just Organize, Keep P.E.A.C.E. In Your Life

I love the saying, “Organizing is a process, not an event.”  How true.  It is not something we do on a Saturday and it is done.  It takes ongoing maintenance to keep things in order.  Regularly making sure things are put away.  Re-evaluating systems to make sure they are working.  Donating or tossing items that no longer have a purpose in our life, are broken or damaged, etc.

It is much easier to put things away if items have a “home.”  I tell clients to do a sweep once a day for 15 minutes.  Put away anything that is left out, or has not been put away from coming in the door.  Working this habit into your day will help you maintain your organization.  I am more of a morning person.  My first priority of the day is to put on some yummy strong coffee.  As it is brewing, I do my “sweep.”  Some clients with children have the kids spend 10 minutes before they go to bed to put things away and make sure their book bags and backpacks are ready to go for the morning.  Pick a time that works for you and work it into your schedule.

Don’t want to be overwhelmed with a disorganized space?  Think of having “PEACE:”

Put

Everything

Away

Conquer

Every day

Peace out!

Organize for Summer Fun!

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start to Summer.  In my head Summer is Memorial Day through Labor Day, not the actual seasons on the calendar.  Are you “ready” for fun?

• Find, try on and wash bathing suits.
• Consolidate all sunscreen in one area. Throw away any lotions that have expired and re-stock.
• Take a tour of the garage, basement or shed. Put like items (beach chairs, bikes, summer sport equipment) together for easy access.
• Toss or donate any summer equipment you will no longer use or is broken, rusted, etc.
• Create a beach bag – place toys, first-aid items, even fresh towels in canvas carry bags. Keep in car,  garage or other handy, easy access space.
• Check current supplies of any first-aid items – band aids, Neosporin, sunburn remedies.

Many clients ask me if suncreen lotion expires.  Take a look at your lotion and see if it has an expiration date.  If it does, great the answer is right there.  If not, here are a few suggestions:

• Some lotions have a number “12, “24” which indicates how many months it is good for.
• If it is just about gone, be safe and get a new one.
• You can try when you are going to be in the sun for a limited amount of time and check to see if it is still providing protection.
• The Mayo Clinic says it should last 3 years…learn more about what they have to say about sunscreen here.

I am wishing everyone a wonderful holiday weekend.