I’m done, I’m done, I’m really done and I’m really excited about the fact that I am done. (Can ya tell?) I am finished hooking this all wool rug. I have been working on it off and on for many months.

As a professional organizer I am always teaching everyone I organize with to go slow and take tortoise steps when clearing clutter. This is so you will enjoy the journey and not get burnt out so you never finish.
Look at these pictures. You can see the progress as I went along. That is just how it is when you clear clutter. By doing it a little at a time and just continuing to organize a room, place or things; keeping your goal in mind it will be beautiful (like my rug if you don’t mind my saying so) when you are finished. Don’tchathink?

What have you done lately to clear clutter–share something you have done by taking tortoise steps and then one day…low and behold you were done?

Happy St. Patrick’s day!

Here is an Irish blessing for ya…….

May your feet never sweat,
Your neighbor give you ne’re a treat.
When flowers bloom, I hope you’ll not sneeze,
and may you always have someone to squeeze!

(I didn’t write this, I promise)

Are you wearing green? If not you better get some on or you’ll get pinched. At least you would if I were with you. That was the tradition in our family and since my heritage is Irish we took it very seriously.

I also take clearing clutter very seriously. Why? I look at clearing clutter as a winning proposition for anyone wanting peace and harmony in their home.

•Clearing clutter saves money.
•It is easy to find things when there isn’t clutter around and piling up.
•If just plain makes us feel good not having clutter in cupboards, closets and on the kitchen counter.
•Clearing clutter gives us something to do when we don’t want to do something else. (Does that ever happen to you?)

So, what do you think? Why do you like clearing clutter from your home or in your life?

On January the 12th which was Show ‘N Share Tuesday I showed how I had gotten rid of clutter in my in box in my office. Edna wrote and asked if I would elaborate a little on how I see it as “fun”. She asked, “Is there fun, before, during and of course after? If it is approached as “fun” is their a more likelihood of completing the desired goal much faster? hum!!!!”

Actually I didn’t approach it as though it would be fun. I set my goal which was to get my in box completely cleared out. I set a reasonable goal of when I thought I could have it accomplished. It took a little longer that I had anticipated, but that was o.k. because I could see progress and any time I am doing something to get rid of clutter makes me happy.

And I found getting rid of clutter was a fun project because of the way I felt as I saw the paper pile shrinking. It was also fun to me because everything had a designated home and so it was easy to take care of it. (I just had to schedule the time to do it).

And to see the end result was fun because of the way it looked, the way I felt and that it was done. I don’t get discouraged if something is taking longer than I wanted it to, I just keep my eye on my goal and sometimes the reward I’ll get when it is done.

A man who watched my web show asked me how my book Go Organize! is different from other organizing books on the market. I thought that was a terrific question and I am sharing my answer with you as well.

1. I teach a simple 3 step system for getting rid of clutter. You’ll fall in love with this system to get organized and to keep you organized.
2. I wrote it as if I were a friend working straightforward with the reader every step of the way.
3. Many people can see the forest but not the trees. In other words they can see they have clutter but don’t know how to get rid of it. I arm you with vital insights on how to get rid of clutter.
4. There are tons of stories which are fun and interesting and instructive all at the same time.
5. The colors, graphics and size of the book are wonderful. The colorful pages are energizing. The size is perfect to carry everywhere and can be tucked into a purse.
6. It rouses your senses as you go from a dark environment to a lights on environment. I show and guide you how to do this.
7. There are much-needed tips and tricks to get rid of clutter.

Oh, and every chapter recaps and gives you the facts you need to keep organized.

We were Christmas shopping and a sign for these boots said,” Burn more calories with every step”. I had to laugh because I couldn’t think that wearing a certain boot would burn more calories just by walking around.

My daughter bought a pair and all day as we were shopping we laughed about her burning off lunch while shopping. At first she said they felt like she had on slippers but at the end of the day they weren’t quite that comfortable. She will continue to wear them before she decides if they are for her.

This is what it says on the box: “It’s no secret. The more lean body mass you build, the more calories you burn. With Earth footwear, the slight incline of our Kalso Negative Heel Technology lets you feel as if you’re walking on an inclined treadmill, and you can actually burn fat and build more muscle without going to the gym. Too good to be true?”

It sounds too good to be true. You can check them out online to see their clinical research and watch their video at earthfootwear.com

No matter how you are clearing clutter in your home or life it’s always fun to try something new.

And remember for clutter control recycle the box if you don’t have another use for it!

Last night we had an adventure in Barns and Noble. I’m signing my book Go Organize! and I’m giving a handy tip on how to best apply this book in your life to keep you ahead of the game.

Do you ever see something so cool you want to buy it but you don’t have any possible use for it? The product I am reviewing today is one of those products. It is a great tool to get rid of clutter. As a professional organizer I have seen a lot of 33 1/3 RPM records that people have been holding on to wondering what to do with them. I now have the answer. (I have no records but this machine makes me wish I did).

When getting rid of clutter either donate the records or use this USB Turntable. This is how it works:

It looks just like a record player and it transfers vinyl records to: I Phone, MP3, I pod or CD’s. The CD’s are compatible to car CD players—how nifty is that?

It is super simple and easy to use. You just put the record on the turntable, plug it into your USB port on your computer and it transfers the sound.

The sound is still the quality it was as a record. It is not quite as clear as if you bought a CD with the same music, but that is why it is nostalgic.

My friend who has used it thinks it is just fabulous. With Christmas just around the corner what a great gift this would make for someone who wants to clear clutter but keep the sound of their music from records.

Have you used one? What do you think of this Fun Find? By the way–I hope your Friday the 13th is a fun, safe day. Are you superstitious?

Check this out! Clutter control would be easy in this small home.

Kitchen and Living Room

Bedroom

Stairs

Shower

Sink

Home

Home sweet home

What do you think of this?

Have you ever thought about the amount of time you waste looking for the perfect lipstick to wear with your favorite outfit? That is if your cosmetics are all jumbled. To simplify and streamline your cosmetics follow these simple steps for clutter clearing your makeup:

•Keep make-up and facial products in separate containers. You can use attractive matching containers or containers you have around your home such as mugs, or shallow baskets etc.
•Take a look at all of your cosmetics and only keep what you use. It is a waste of time to have to search through products you don’t use to find the ones you do use. Bacteria can grow on old cosmetics so toss them and don’t feel bad that you spent money on something you aren’t using. You used it at one time and now you can let it go.

Do you have a favorite way to organize your make-up? Do you think the bacteria that can grow on cosmetics is bad if you are the only one who uses it? Share with us your clutter clearing tips!

A picture is worth a thousand words. These beautiful pictures of Cedar Breaks and Zions in Utah is where I was last week. I wanted to share the beauty with you and to make an observation about pictures.
When you are getting rid of clutter in your home before you start take a picture. Then after you are finished getting rid of clutter in any specific room or even in an area in a room take a picture. We all think we will remember how horrible it was—but truly we don’t. And if feels so great to look at the before and after photos and enjoy the progress we made.

Send me your before and after photos and we will post them here. (No names included unless you give permission).