Clutter Hacks
It's That Time
The New Year
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I'd like to start my New Year with Clutter Control Freak fresh with ideas from YOU! What are your biggest organizing challenges? What are your favorite organizing tools? What would you like to read about on Clutter Control Freak Blog? Let me know in a comment.
Quote of the Week: On Purposeful Living
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We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year's Day.
~Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Happy New Year All!
Reflecting on 2011
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I like to think that reflecting on the year past is the same as tying a nice ribbon around a package - finishing it all off nicely
It seems to me like I can't get on with the new year properly unless I reflect on what went well, what didn't go well and most importantly, what I want from my life for the next year.
Do you agree?
Well then, let's get to it.
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Holiday Planning Overlooked
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When it’s time for holiday planning, we tend to think only about preparation. Planning menus, sending parting invitations, shopping for gifts, and digging out the decorations. I find myself so overworked getting ready for holiday gatherings, I forget about the aftermath. Particularly when it comes to my extra dishes. I’ve never had a proper way of storing them, so they tend to just get thrown in a box that gets stacked with other boxes in the garage.
Bad planning like this leads inevitably to the catastrophe I encountered last week.
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Spice Up Your Holiday Table
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Mixing up dinnerware is a great and easy way to create an interesting table top. Try using dinner plates from one set of china paired with salad bowls from another to create layers of pattern or color. Have a set of basic white dishes? Switch out a few pieces with dinnerware in a bold pattern and instantly create a one of a kind look!
From fine china that has been passed down through the family for years to a flea market find with a fun pattern to brand new plates with a modern shape, by pulling different elements onto your table top you can create a look that suits your style.
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How To Leave Work Earlier
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I have recently moved my office into my home. I'm actually enjoying the integration of "home" and "work" life. It's not the distraction that I thought it would be. As a matter of fact, my biggest problem is working too long and late into the evening.
Today I received an email from Marcia Francois - to my rescue again!
Try these suggestions for organizing your day and not over-working yourself:
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A Legacy of "Stuff" (Part 4)
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In the previous 3 blog posts (Part 1, Part 2 & Part 3), I wrote about what to do with the stuff of loved ones who have passed away, and how important it is to communicate with your friends and family about the stuff that YOU might leave behind.
So the questions to start with is: what you are leaving behind and why the heck are you hanging on to that?
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Start Your School Year Off Right!
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Many of you who read this blog have children or teens going back to school this time of year. Now is the perfect time to put together a Family Command Center.
Some time back, I gave some helpful Tips for a Family Command Center. Stacks and Stacks has a new product that is a great first step in creating your own command center.
It's the White Dry Erase Monthly Calendar - by Brewster Home Fashions. This is truly a gem!
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A Legacy of "Stuff" (Part 3)
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In A Legacy of "Stuff" (part 1) and A Legacy of "Stuff" (part 2), we discussed what to do with the "stuff" left behind by someone who passed away. It was hard to write and hard for you to read. Now let's move into an even MORE difficult area — the stuff that WE will leave behind. (By the way, I can't find any material already written on this subject. Apparently, everyone else also thinks it's hard to write about.)If you plan to leave something to the next generation or to your friends, do some very good communicating with them now to see if they would want it. If not, realize that your cherished items might be more burden than bounty to people you love. Most of all, let them know what is important or valuable, so they don’t decide everything you own is clutter, and toss it out.
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A Legacy of "Stuff" (Part 2)
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This week we continue with the difficult subject of being overwhelmed with the "stuff" left behind by a loved one who has passed away.
(You can read Part 1 here.)
The struggle is that we are trying to find practical ways to survive having someone's lifetime-of-stuff joining our own lifetime-of-stuff, while also trying to survive all the emotions that come with this deep painful loss.
Based on the huge number of emails I received after Part 1, last weeks post resonated with many of you. One woman told the story of how for seven years, all of her parents' belongings were stacked to the ceiling in her basement - furniture, clothes, stuff. So much so that they could not even make a path through it all.
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Quote of the Week: On Motivation
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Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him.
~Aldous Huxley
Don't let circumstances get you down this week. Look at them with new eyes and make the most of them.
Have a great 4th of July weekend!
Do You Have Enough Time? Today's Clutter Video Tip
Great advice on owning up to your own choices in organizing your time - thanks Lorie!
Your Kids Understand the Economy Too
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As parents, we sometimes don't give kids the credit that they deserve when it comes to understanding things. Those little ears are always open and they absorb a lot more than we think. Everywhere you go, someone is talking about the economy, they are hearing about it in school, their parents conversations and believe it or not, they do listen to the news!
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Give Dad a Relaxing Gift This Father's Day
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Wondering what to get Dad this Father's Day?
Try the Vintage Bonded Leather Recliner with Ottoman!
Stacks and Stacks is running a $100 OFF special on this fabulous chair through Father's Day!
Dad can kick back and relax on this Euro style motion chair, designed with his ultimate comfort in mind. This is a stylish and comfy reclining chair that features a 360 degree pinion swivel with multiple reclining position adjustment. And it comes with an angled ottoman for lower leg support!
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To All the Moms Out There!
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Happy (belated) Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I hope your day was relaxing, or exciting, or whatever makes you a happy mom!
I was greeted with a wonderful bouquet of roses, a box of chocolates, and a delicious strawberry pancake breakfast in bed on my awesome little bed tray! My gang is the best! Thanks, Guys!
Here's to moms everywhere!!
The Shame Trap: Don't Get Caught
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I spoke with a woman recently who was had reached her breaking point. She had misplaced her mailbox key in her cluttered apartment. When her mailbox was full the post office simply stopped delivering her mail. Cards went un-received and bills went unpaid. This was the tipping point to a downward spiral of shame.
All of us have special talents and giftings in our lives. Some people are naturally blessed with the gift of organization. Most of us, however, are not. This isn’t something to be ashamed of.
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Personalized Mother’s Day Gifts
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What better way to make mom feel special? A personalized gift is a classy way to go! From apparel to serveware, we’ve got something for every mom out there.
Note: Because these items are personalized, you will want to order a few weeks in advance (Mother’s Day is May 8, 2011). And, you will get bonus points from Mom for thinking ahead.
For the Spa-Lover: Personalized Comfort Robe. Ultra soft cotton velour, available with single letter or monogram.
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Speaking Spring
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Springtime is finally here! Although it’s technically been spring for a few weeks, the weather didn’t seem to think so. But finally things are warming up, we are getting out into the garden and enjoying this beautiful season and all it has to offer. Inside the home, too, we are changing with the seasons - I call this “Spring-izing” the home.
Here are some wonderful ideas and treats to welcome this new season into your home.
With springtime, my mind naturally drifts to textures and colors.
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Spring Cleaning Tips From Rita Emmett
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Happy Spring (cleaning) time!! Are you ready to start your clutter-busting journey but don't know how to begin?
When I first started, I knew I didn't have the discipline or organizational skills to get rid of my stuff, so I asked my clutter-free friends for help. (You don't want to ask your totally cluttered friends for help because they will just tell you to keep everything, right?) Different friends helped in different ways.
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Get Organized for Tax Season in 5 Easy Steps
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In the words of Dave Barry, "It's income tax time again, Americans: time to gather up those receipts, get out those tax forms, sharpen up that pencil, and stab yourself in the aorta."
Filing taxes = huge pain. We all know it. We all go through it once a year. And while there's no way around tax season, there is a way to make the process less stressful.
P.R.E.P.A.R.A.T.I.O.N.
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Web Accessibility For All - We've Got It!
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Stacks and Stacks is doing something new to reach out to seniors and the disabled!
We have a new icon on our website that offers a link to a web accessibility tool for seniors and the disabled! The tool is absolutely free to download and free to use, and can help people with impairments navigate the internet and our website.
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Quote of the Week: On Love
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In honor of Valentine's Day on Monday:
Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving.
~Kahlil Gibran
Have a great weekend!
Valentine's Day Goodies
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The Gals over at GetButtonedUp.com have the cutest free printable Valentine's Day cards!
Check it out and make someone's day on the 14th!
Quote of the Week: On the New Year
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Another fresh new year is here . . .
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt, and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest . . .
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!
I have the opportunity
Once more to right some wrongs,
To pray for peace, to plant a tree,
And sing more joyful songs!
~William Arthur Ward
How to Stay Motivated in 2011
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Here is a great article by Lesley Alderman/Real Simple.com to help you stay on track when it comes to those New Year’s Resolutions:
9 Secrets of Motivated People: Real-life strategies that will help you to actually accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself this year.
New year, new you. It’s the perennial January catchphrase that holds such conquer-the-world promise. And then, well, you get sidetracked with conquering your to-do list. But even the loftiest resolutions (running a marathon, writing a book) don’t have to fall by the wayside come February. Staying motivated―and achieving what you set out to do on that bright New Year’s Day―is surprisingly possible. Just follow these nine mantras, provided by researchers who study motivation and backed up by women who have used them to realize their biggest ambitions. Read the full post here.
Tuesday Tip: Avoid Impulse Buys
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If you're like me, you are a sucker for that feel-good impulse buy item when you're out shopping.
Here is a great tip to help you avoid those impulse purchases: Keep a wish list in your purse or wallet. When you're tempted to buy something you want but don't need, add it to the list. Wait a few days and then go over your list. Once the "impulse" is gone, you can decide if you truly need, love, or have-to-have any of the things on your list. If so, treat yourself! If not, throw your list away and congratulate yourself! You just prevented clutter and saved money!
Christmas Tree Storage Options
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It’s never too soon to start thinking about Holiday Storage! And while traditional pines and firs are still the favorite in many homes, artificial Christmas trees are becoming more and more popular every year, because they are cleaner, safer and more cost-effective over the long run.
Keeping your tree in tip-top shape year after year starts with a great Christmas tree storage container.
But which one to buy? There are so many choices - here is a list of some things to keep in mind when purchasing a tree storage container:
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Tuesday Tip: Celebrate Your Way!
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Create your own holiday traditions! Decide what’s important to YOU and your household and celebrate accordingly. Don’t be pressured into following society’s or extended family’s expectations. And don’t get so caught up in details that you forget to celebrate the real meaning of the holiday - everything doesn’t need to be perfect.