Clutter Hacks
It's That Time
Valentine's Day Goodies
By
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
By
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
By
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
By
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
By
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:
Read the rest of this post »
Tuesday Tip: Celebrate Your Way!
By
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.
3 Quick Tips on Decluttering - How to Declutter Your Room in 15 Minutes!
By
Your visitors are ringing at your doorbell rather enthusiastically, and you find yourself in a bit of a panic. If you are in a rush to organize and declutter your room quickly, read further for some quick tips on decluttering.
So here are 3 quick tips on how to declutter your room in 15 minutes flat.
Tip No 1: Bin It
People trip over stuff lying around on the floor. It may be items of clutter, it may be magazines, old newspapers, the children's toys or play things. Whatever the item is in question, you'll need to remove the culprit off the floor.
Scan the floor of your room and take 5 minutes to remove any clutter off the floor. If its rubbish or junk, then place these items straight in the bin for disposal.
Read the rest of this post »
Painless Holiday Shopping and Gifting
By
There’s only one way to take the speculation out of gift-giving: preparation! If you wait until the last-minute to figure out what to get whom, you’re going to waste valuable time in the process.
One manageable way to stay on top of your gift-giving game is to create a list of must-know info about each person. This includes:
- Favorite colors, brands, and sizes for clothing
- Favorite stores, hang-outs, and restaurants
- Favorite authors and magazines
- Favorite music, TV shows, and movies
- Favorite foods, wine, and beer
- If they have any collections, hobbies, or special interests
- Etc.
Read the rest of this post »
Happy Thanksgiving!
By
As each day comes to us refreshed and anew, so does my gratitude renew itself daily. The breaking of the sun over the horizon is my grateful heart dawning upon a blessed world.
~Terri Guillemets
Be Grateful.
Happy Thanksgiving All!
How to Select the BEST Planner for Your 2011
By
William Penn, the founder of the great state of Pennsylvania, once said: “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.”
Does that sound like a day in your life?
One of the cheapest, easiest ways to solve your time management problems is by using a personal planner. (And just to be clear, this does not include “using” it as a coaster, doodle pad, paperweight, or otherwise unrelated purpose!)
Here’s a look at the different types of planners, and how you can pick out the best planner to suit your personality and lifestyle.
Read the rest of this post »
Tuesday Tip: Fast AND Juicy Turkey?
By
Save yourself a few hours of cooking time by using Reynolds Oven Bags. A 20 lb turkey cooks in just 3 hours! How's that for savings? And it comes out more moist than any turkey I've ever had!
Happy Cooking!
Checklist for Home Maintenance
By
Now is the Perfect Time for 'In Home' Maintenance Projects! The weather isn't really good enough to do much outside and with the days getting dark early, we tend to get depressed by just sitting around. By the time we are finished eating supper at night, we feel like it is almost time to go to bed.
This is the perfect time to get some 'in home' projects done so that we can enjoy the good weather when it gets here.
The first tip:
Get plenty of light in the house, it will help to make the days seem longer, give you that extra boost to get something accomplished and will improve your disposition. Darkness is gloomy and lets depression take over…thus; we get the 'Winter Blahs'. Make life brighter by adding more light to your life.
Read the rest of this post »
Tuesday Tip: Lose the Mothballs
By
Do you store clothing seasonally but hate the thought of mothballs? So do I. Here are a couple of great alternatives:
Cedar:
These cedar aroma blocks are nature's most effective way to protect and refresh fabrics. They can be used in storage chest and boxes, garment bags, drawers, sweater and shoe containers, closets and luggage. The natural cedar will absorb moisture and unpleasant odors and repel unwanted pests! Give them a light sanding to renew their scent and effectiveness.
Read the rest of this post »
Tuesday Tip: Cat Litter and a Tube Sock?
By
The weather is changing and the leaves are turning amber and red. Our first fall storm blew through, and with it the realization of a minor home repair I wasn’t aware I needed; window calking.
My son’s bedroom window has a small leak in the top of the frame that drips onto the windowsill. When it dries out, we can fix it. But until then, here’s a great tip: Fill a long tube sock with scoopable cat littler and place it on a plastic bag or tray on the window sill. The litter absorbs a LOT of water, the sock keeps it from being messy and the plastic protects the sill. And an added benefit: the soft surface absorbs the dripping noise!
Got any wet weather tips for us? Leave a comment!
Your "Lucky 13" for a Safe Halloween
By
Sure, Halloween should be spooky. But your friendly neighborhood witches and ghosts need to stay safe while they're out scaring up a storm.
It's easy to do with a bit of planning (and batteries for those flashlights!), and by passing along important advice to kids about how to avoid accidents and other bumps in the night.
Read the rest of this post »
Do You Suffer from Cobbler's Children Syndrome?
By
The word “cobbler” comes from a bygone era and quickly conjures up visions of Charles Dickens and not so much modern times. But the fact of the matter is — despite living in the 21st century — you may suffer from Cobbler’s Children Syndrome (CCS) all the same.
Simply put, CCS describes a situation where a cobbler spends so much time repairing shoes for all the villagers, that he has neither the time nor inclination to do the same for his own family. As a result, his children have the worse shoes of all the children in the village.
Now, I doubt YOU are a cobbler in the strict sense of the word, but the irony of this syndrome can play out in many situations.
Read the rest of this post »
Get Rid of Clutter - Transform Your Life
By
It's often hard to keep the momentum going after you start an organizing project. Reason being, unless you are a professional organizer or self-proclaimed organizing junkie, organization can seem…boring…pointless…overwhelming…difficult.
Does this situation sound familiar to you? Then it's very likely that when you think about getting organized, your natural procrastination mechanism kicks into overdrive.
You are not alone! In fact, one of the most popular questions about organizing is: "How do I get/stay motivated?"
Read the rest of this post »
Clutter-Free Holiday Countdown
By
It's hard to believe that the holidays are just around the corner! And I don't know about you, but I find it's tough to pull of a stress-free holiday season without a lot of planning. Thankfully, I found this post over at Simple Organized Living!
Here's part of the post:
We’re official counting down to Christmas here at Simple Organized Living…yay!
And since this site is about ALL things “simple” and “organized” I’ve come up with 100 clutter-free holiday planning tips, tools, ideas, and resources to share with you over the next 100 days.
Read the rest of this post »
Top 10 Tips For Emergency Preparedness on a Budget
By
As some of you already know, September is emergency preparedness month. As I was doing some research on the topic, I came across a great website with some fantastic info on this very subject: FoodStorageMadeEasy.net. Here is a portion of one of their emergency preparedness posts:
Top 10 Tips For Emergency Preparedness on a Budget:
This list was put out by BeReadyUtah.gov but we have included our own links and comments in italics along with it.
1 - Plan for specific disasters:
Read the rest of this post »
What the Heck is MDF? and Other Questions Answered
By
I do a lot of online shopping and research. In my investigations, I’ve discovered that there are a myriad of terms that retail websites use, and they expect us to understand what they mean. Well, sometimes we don’t. And that’s why I’ll be bringing you a series of posts explaining some of these terms so you can be an educated online shopper. Today we’ll be talking about wood.
Anything claiming to be made of solid wood is just that – solid wood. Easy enough. But what about items that say they are made from particle board, pressed wood or MDF. Do you know what those are?
Read the rest of this post »
Are You a Grasshopper or an Ant? And Why It's Good to Know…
By
Once upon a time, there was a Grasshopper enjoying a beautiful summer day. He was hopping about, chirping and singing to his heart's content.
In the middle of the Grasshopper’s delightful afternoon, an Ant passed by, struggling to carry an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.
"Why not come and chat with me," said the Grasshopper, "instead of working so hard?"
Read the rest of this post »
Eliminate Your Growing Clutter…Weeds!
Let’s start by defining clutter.
That’s what being a Rik Rak Sister is all about after all. I’m just making sure that we’re on the same page before we get to the meat of the matter.
Clutter - n. A confused or disordered state or collection; a jumble; a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter
That’s according to some on-line dictionary I found. But I don’t need to mince fancy vocabulary with you. Let’s get down to brass tax and say what it really means…
Clutter = all the crap that’s in your way.
Read the rest of this post »
5 Tips for Cleaning Your Computer
By
By now, I’m sure you’ve either thought about or started some spring cleaning around your home or office. But have you considered your computer?
If you think about it, your computer has a lot in common with an office; it has a desktop, files and file folders, pictures and decorations. If your office is cluttered with piles of paper on your desk and disorganized files and sticky notes everywhere, you’re not going to be very productive and your office won’t run very smoothly.
Make a date with yourself to clean up that computer and save yourself a lot of time and headaches. The first two should be done weekly to keep you PC at top speed.
Don’t be intimidated - these are surprisingly easy to do!
Read the rest of this post »
S.I.M.P.L.I.F.Y.
By
It's something which we all aspire to do. But it's one of those things that is often easier said than done, especially in today's fast-paced world.
Not only do we have to deal with the outside factors that the world throws at us, we also have to deal with inside factors as well — namely, ourselves.
Read the rest of this post »
Spring Cleaning Checklist
By
Is the thought of spring cleaning overwhelming to you? Don't know where to start? StacksAndStacks.com has a great Spring Cleaning Checklist to get you started. There's even a list of cosmetics and their expiration dates to help you de-clutter and clean you bathroom!
Uh-oh, It's Spring Cleaning Time!
By
Happy Spring! This is a great time of year—the days are longer, the colors are brighter, and we tend to have a lot more energy!
It's also the time of year that many of us look around and actually want to get our physical environments in shape…and that means getting rid of clutter!
So many adults with ADD are plagued with clutter. Our desks are covered with papers. Our sinks are full of dishes. Our floors and counters are covered with "stuff."
Where Does Clutter Come From?
Read the rest of this post »
Kermit Was Wrong - It IS Easy Being Green!
By
We all want to do our share to help preserve our environment. Some of us just aren’t sure what we can do to help or where to start. Others of us feel that it takes too much time and effort to do anything significant. However, all it takes is a bit of planning and thought and you can recycle and reuse without much effort at all. Before you know it, it will be second nature.
Here’s a great project to help!
Find a sheltered are (garage or carport) to place some plastic boxes or bins. Make sure it’s a convenient location so you will be more likely to use them. Use bins or boxes that can easily be lifted and placed in your car, and that have a clear, visible place for a label. Divide and assign your bins as follows:
Read the rest of this post »
Conquer Spring Cleaning (and Organizing!)
By
Spring has sprung! Which means it's officially time to start up your annual spring cleaning overhaul. Here are a 4 ideas to jump-start your efforts:
(1) Update your files.
We all have the looming April 15 tax deadline ahead of us. (At least the Americans do!) This is a great time to sort through not only your financial paperwork but also other documents in your files. Clear out the old stuff, back file what is necessary in storage, and shred whatever you don't need to keep.
Read the rest of this post »