“What Should I Be But Just What I AM”?

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012 by admin

Edna St. Vincent Millay“What should I be but just what I am”?
—Edna St. Vincent Millay

Be your best at whatever you do. I was clearing clutter from the living room and I thought I would come back and finish later when I remembered my mother saying “if a job is worth doing it is worth doing well”. And besides when would I have time to finish if it wasn’t right then.

Do you ever find yourself clearing clutter and you stop right in the middle of it just because you want to—not because there is something else you need to do? This can be an avoidance behavior or just a bad habit. Do you ever do this? And if so what do you tell yourself to finish the task and what gets you motivated to finish?

Clutter Control Breezy With One Tip

Monday, February 27th, 2012 by admin

Monday’s Clutter Control Focus:
I have a cute little jar from my friend in North Carolina that I use for my cotton balls. I refill the jar from the plastic bag they come in as that is not attractive. I keep the jar on my counter.

As I refilled it last week I put on my list to buy more as there were no more in the plastic bag it came in. Our focus this week is to buy (or put on your shopping list) one item that you are about to run out of—before you run out of it.

Wasn’t that simple? This isn’t about clutter control as much as it is about just being organized by having what you need when you need it.
What do you need to put on your list?

Free Giveaway On Organizing Product Review

Friday, February 24th, 2012 by admin

Organizing Product Review and FREE Giveaway

As you know I am partnered with SMEAD office products. They send me a new product every month. This month it is an Income Tax Organizer.
If you would like this organizer leave a comment on this blog saying why you love tax time (or don’t love it). I will be drawing the lucky winner on Wednesday, February 29.

The organizer has 6 pockets, a printed checklist and notes area on the inside cover. It includes labels for tax subjects and blanks. The color is green/moss.
This looks like a nice organizing product to tame paper clutter.

4 Timely Tips For Clutter Control

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012 by admin

Little know Facts:

Today is Ash Wednesday—-Traditionally, in the days leading up to Lent, merry makers would binge on all the meat, eggs, milk and cheese that remained in their homes, preparing for several weeks of eating only fish and fasting.
In France, the day before Ash Wednesday came to be known as Mardi Gras, or “Fat Tuesday.”
The word “carnival”, another common name for the pre-Lenten festivities, may also derive from this vegetarian-unfriendly custom: in Medieval Latin, carnelevarium means to take away or remove meat.

So what does this have to do with clutter control? Nothing, I just thought it was interesting as I have never understood what Lent means.
That is how many of us are with clutter control. We don’t understand why we have clutter. When we take a look at it and write down what is working and not working for us it becomes easier to practice clutter control.

Things such as:
•Homes for everything
•Not bringing clutter into our homes in the first place
•Not keeping every single thing we are ever given
•Using a planner
What are your favorite ways to practice clutter control?

“The Easy Organizer” To The Rescue For Clutter Clearing

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012 by admin

Clutter Clearing Show ‘N Share:
This is me reading my entire book on galley sheets. My editor said it is the editorial thumbnail of my book. I am without make up but I have a full tummy from breakfast. (As you know food is very important to me). In about two hours I will have my snack of cheese and an apple. I have 14 days to review my entire book.

I learned from my last book that after I have written the book it is not done and ready for publication yet. I am now reading every word for clarity of instruction and for my voice. Then it goes to someone else to be proof read again. The design is being worked on by someone else and the color scheme is not final.

This is similar to clutter clearing. When we think it is all done, it isn’t, there is always more tweaking to do. We are not the only ones in our homes responsible for clutter clearing—anyone who lives with us is also responsible. If they don’t know this then it is time to show them and educate them on what clutter clearing means and how to do it. Sounds like fun times ahead doesn’t it?

I like the name F+W (my publisher) has chosen for the name of my book—“The Easy Organizer”. As you may know I do all of the writing they do everything else—color planning, the name, the size, the price etc. It will be published in August of this year.–Thank you to you who have asked.

Getting Rid Of Clutter The Easy And Simple Way

Monday, February 20th, 2012 by admin

Monday’s Getting Rid Of Clutter Focus:
My daughter who works for the CDC (Center for Disease Control) travels to Africa for work about ever two months. She has brought me back some beautiful custom made dresses from different countries there.

The ‘sad’ thing is I have never been able to wear them because they have been too small. But I have kept them because maybe someday I can wear them, she brought them all the way back from Africa, they were custom made and ya-de-da-de-da—you know what I am talking about.

Anyway yesterday I tried one on that has been hanging in my closet. It is beautiful. It is now too big but I wore it all day as I was lounging around the house. I am going to shorten it and continue to wear it in the house.

I was thinking this would be a good focus—look in your closet or drawer and select one (only one) article of clothing that has just been taking up space but is never worn and either decide to wear it or donate it. It could even be something as small as a pair of socks. (or mis-matched socks you’ve been hanging on to).

Doing this is one tiny step in getting rid of clutter the easy and simple way.

Choose To Get Rid Of Clutter With This…

Friday, February 17th, 2012 by admin

Get Rid Of Clutter Product Review:

This is the coolest product—I was in my client’s home and we were chatting about organizing solutions for her cluttered closet. (Her words, not mine). She said she knew she needed to get rid of the clutter but didn’t know what to do with all the things that needed to be kept in the closet such as back packs her children brought home from school.

This is the solution she came up with, a back pack rack from Amazon. I declare if someone needs an organizing product all they have to do is search and low and behold there will be a solution to get rid of clutter. I didn’t even know this was ‘out there’, thank you Rebekah.

How Does Your Clutter Grow? Discover How To Get Rid of Clutter

Thursday, February 16th, 2012 by admin

How does your clutter grow? Discover how to get rid of clutter by having a home for everything. Click here to find out more how Marilyn can help you get rid of clutter in your home and life.

Tough Brain Teaser: Harder Than Getting Rid Of Clutter?

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 by admin

“If 1 red valentine equals 3 purple valentines, and 1 purple valentine equals 4 white valentines, how many red valentines are in 24 white valentines?”

I know this is Wednesday and it is the day I have a thought but because it was Valentine’s day yesterday I am shaking it up a bit as this was such a fun (did I say fun?) brain teaser. (I am math challenged; I am the person you can thank for calculators).

Do you look at getting rid of clutter this way? “If I put this here will I be able to find it, I will just set this down here for a minute (and before you know it has become a pile of clutter), I will keep this skirt because I am sure I can fit into it someday, I will keep this bowl because I may need it someday—AHHHHH before you know it you not only have a brain teaser but you have a whole lot more clutter to get rid of.

The answer is…(did you skip ahead for the answer?) 1 red=3 purple, 1 purple=4 white, 3 purple=12 whites=1 red, 2 REDS=24 WHITE

Smart Answer To Clutter Control

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 by admin

Clutter Control Show ‘Share Tuesday:

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

AFTER
I love seeing before and after photos. How about you? These pictures say it all—as you can see some serious clutter control happened.

Things had been shoved into this cupboard, likes weren’t together and bowls and pans were kept that were never used.

It was a simple thing to donate items that were never used and others that were used but only because they were there, not because they were liked.

Do you have some clutter control that needs to be done and it is as simple as getting rid of some things you don’t like but you just hang on to?

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