Organizing Tips

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Clearing Book Case Clutter

Like many avid readers, you may have too many books for your bookshelves. Perhaps the books are piled up on the floor, table, or in a closet as well as on the bookshelf. But, books mean a lot to you and you couldn’t possibly get rid of any, right?.

One viewpoint you can follow is to only keep as many books as there is space on your bookshelf. How would you do this?

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Here are some suggestions to holding on to relevant information, while creating more space:

– Give away or recycle old reference books that contain outdated information.
– Give away books that you know you will never read or reference again. You can always find the information on-line, via audio-books, as e-books, or at a library.
– If you’ve any books that are on digital format and paper, recycle the paper version.
– If there are recipes, photos, or any crucial information you’d like to hold on to, then scan these pages and store as digital files on your computer.
– Only keep books that you love and that are useful to you.

Once you have gone through this process, you can organize your books into categories by subject; like fiction, non-fiction, history, poetry, cooking, art, gardening etc…

DONATE YOUR BOOKS: More Than Words is a youth-led online and retail book selling business in Waltham, MA that provides paid employment for young adults who are in the foster care system, court-involved, homeless, or out of school to prepare for meaningful careers. https://mtwyouth.org/   Phone: 781-314-9330  (More Than Words accepts gently used donations of paperback and hardcover books, CDs and DVDs in their original cases, records, and video games. Books can be any genre as well as foreign language books. They also gladly accept textbooks, but do ask they be 10 years or newer.

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

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How to Identify Clutter

Crosspoint image

Have you tried to let go of clutter, but not sure what things might be considered clutter?

Many years ago in the apartment I used to live in, I displayed dried herbs, dried rose stems, and a couple of straw hats on one wall in my kitchen. I loved how they looked, so I periodically added more herbs, dried flowers and hats. One day a friend made a comment on how crowded the wall looked, and that I might want to think about removing some of the items on display. Later that week, I took an objective look at everything I’d tacked there. There was too much stuff on the wall, and the stuff had gathered some dust and cobwebs. It didn’t work for me anymore. So, I decided that it was time to let go and get rid of everything. I moved the hats to the attic and threw out all the old dried arrangements. I now had a clear slate, the room looked much bigger and brighter, and I felt lighter. I put up a lovely framed cross stitching of kitchen herbs on the wall. While still living in this apartment, I never added anything else to the wall, and whenever I looked at the framed cross stitching, I felt really good.

Here are some tips on identifying clutter:

– Have you ever used the item?
– Are you saving this ‘just in-case’?
– If you broke it, would you replace it?
– Does something you’ve held on to still work for you?
– Is it actually useful? Do you have duplicates you’ve never used?
– Are their items packed and organized but never used?
– Do your nostalgic keepsakes bring you pleasant or unpleasant memories?
– Do you have clothing you haven’t worn during the last year?
– Is there an updated model or improved version of this?
– Does it still match your interior decorations?
– Are you holding on to this because you’ve were going to give it to
someone else, but haven’t yet done so?

Having read this post, take a good look at some of your stuff to determine what your clutter is. I’d be interested in hearing what clutter you’ve discovered and what you decide to do with it.

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

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Rainy Day? Get Rid of Magazine Clutter

Too many magazines!

It’s been raining a lot for several months now. Take advantage of those rainy days and get rid of your magazine clutter!

Gather up all the magazines you currently receive. Pull together the catalogs that have been laying around taking up space. Maybe they’re in boxes, on shelves, or piled on the floor or tables. Do you truly read and enjoy all of them? Are they a good use of your time? Or, do you let them pile up thinking you will read them when you have the time, but never do.

First, make sure the recycle bin is near where you are sorting. Then, begin by going through each magazine/catalog and put the different subscriptions into their own piles. Once you do this, take those that are over a few months old and toss them into the bin.

Even if you are itching to hold on to some of the past magazines/catalogs, don’t. Just keep a few of the most recent and relevant magazines and up-to-date catalogs. If there are a few of them that are so nostalgic that you can’t let go, that’s okay.

To cancel magazine subscriptions, call the magazine’s subscription office ASAP to stop receiving those you no longer want.

To cancel your catalogs: http://www.catalogchoice.org/

For each current issue you receive in the mail, toss old issues.

I think you’ll feel a bit lighter when you do this. Let me know the progress you’ve made on letting go.

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

Get Rid of Magazine Clutter

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Hidden and Visible Storage Ideas

clear container drawers under desk            Portable letter file tote

Does it seem that your home or office has no space left to store things? Here are some ideas on how to take advantage of hidden or visible storage spaces.

  • Under your Desk or Table: If you’ve room under these furniture pieces, keep a small file cabinet on wheels for storing items you don’t use regularly. The wheels will make it easy to pull out the cabinet for accessing your documents.
  • Around your Window: There might be space around and above a window where you can install inexpensive shelves. You could purchase wall shelving and brackets to attach on your own, or hire a professional to create built-in shelving. Storing items up and around the wall will make the room look neater and bigger.
  • Inside your Closet: If you have clothing hanging in the closet, add a two drawer file cabinet, or low book shelf for extra storage under the clothing. Hang a ‘multi-pocketed over-the-door shoe bag’ for storing miscellaneous small items.
  • On the Wall: If you have a small bookcase with nothing on the wall above it, add a couple of shelves, or hang a cascading letter file tote on the wall near the desk.

Do you have any storage ideas you’d like to share with my blog followers?

To schedule a complimentary 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

Hidden and Visible Storage Ideas

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Non-Toxic, Eco Friendly Cleaning TIPS & RECIPES

non toxic cleaners

Have you been too busy to do your spring cleaning?  It’s never too late to do so. However, most commercial cleaning products you use on a daily basis are made with toxic ingredients, which can be harmful to your home, you, your children and pets, as well as to the environment.

Read the labels on containers such as bathroom disinfectants, furniture polish, glass and toilet bowl cleaners, and in bold text you will see Poison, Warning, Danger, and Caution. Instead of bringing these toxic ingredients into your home, consider going ‘green’ (non-toxic) with your cleaning products, and create them yourself! You will save money, time, and natural resources by using environmentally friendly cleaning methods for your home or office. By using vinegar, borax, baking soda, and nice smelling essential oils you can create various safe cleaners to use on windows, mirrors, sinks, toilets, tubs, floors, etc. (these products can be found at your local supermarket.)

GREEN TIPS

  • Clutter accumulates dust, so clear out the clutter and save time cleaning.
  • Don’t buy smelly, toxic air fresheners, but bring plants into your home for better air quality, open windows, or place dried herbs such as lavender or orange rinds in an attractive bowl to freshen the air.
  • In warm weather to save electricity, and get some fresh air, hang your clothing on an outside line to dry.
  • Use a micro-fiber cloth to dust the furniture, and any hard surface instead of toxic furniture polish.

GREEN RECIPES

  • Glass Cleaner: Mix equal quantities of water and vinegar, or club soda in a spray bottle to clean. To avoid streaks on the glass or mirror, wipe with a lint-free cloth or a paper towel (use sparingly).
  • Floor Cleaner: In a spray bottle, combine a 50/50 mixture of white vinegar and water, and add a couple of drops of peppermint or lavender oil for a pleasant scent.
  • Bathtub and Sink Cleaner: Sprinkle baking powder on the tub or sink surface, scrub and rinse.
  • Toilet Cleaner: Sprinkle 1/4 cup borax (can find in your supermarket’s cleaning aisle) or baking soda, plus a few drops of essential oil (antiseptic tea tree or eucalyptus oil) into the toilet, scour, leave for a few minutes, scour again, and flush once or twice.

If you lead a busy lifestyle, and prefer not to make your own cleaning products, you can purchase them in local health food stores, Trader Joe’s and usually in generic grocery stores. Just be sure that the container’s ingredients consist of natural fragrance from essential oils, are derived from plants, and are free of phosphates, phthalates and chloride.

Do you have any Green Cleaning Tips or recipes?  I’d love to know.

If you live in the Boston area, and would like a FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation to discuss your clutter issues, contact me at clutterclearercoach@comcast.net

Non-Toxic, Eco Friendly Cleaning TIPS & RECIPES

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Clearing the Clutter Indoors and Outdoors

Weedy Garden area
Garden area cleaned up

Modern life is so complicated, why not enrich your life by simplifying it? So many of us are burdened by a disorganized home plus an untidy garden. By clearing the clutter and beautifying these spaces, you can gain more control of your life, leaving more time for the things that truly matter.

To achieve these goals:

• Take an assessment of your home and garden needs
• Create an action plan
• Carry out the action plan indoors and outdoors
• Hire side-by-side coaching by a Professional Organizer (if needed)
• Hire a Professional Gardener to provide on-site gardening maintenance instruction (if needed)
• Come up with organizational systems that are easy to implement and use

By clearing the clutter indoors and outdoors you will realize the connection between a cluttered environment and a cluttered life. Your end result will be a serene home and a peaceful garden, and the strategies to maintain them both. You will feel more peaceful and much freer.

Are you ready to do an assessment and create your action plan? Go for it!

To schedule a FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net

Clearing the Clutter Indoors and Outdoors

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Duplicate Buying

duplicate soaps

‘Do not trouble yourself much to get new things, whether clothes or friends…Sell your clothes and keep your thoughts.’ – Henry David Thoreau

How many of you go to the grocery store, hardware store, clothing store, etc., and buy an item you think you need, and then get home and find that you already have at least one or two of the same item?

I’ve done this before. I’ll buy a bag of popped popcorn and realize that I already have two unopened bags on the pantry shelf. This could be a good thing, as when I run out of the first bag, I’ll already have more popcorn. The same goes with the soap I buy. I think I need another package of soap and then find I have some at home.

If you do this kind of buying, chances are you are spending money you don’t need to spend, plus the items are taking up space on a shelf that could be used for something else.

Can you identify with this? Do you have a ‘what if I run out’ way of thinking behind buying in quantity? Are you afraid there might be a shortage and you won’t be able to get what you need? Don’t worry, stores are well stocked, plus most items can be purchased via the internet.

Or, ‘do you have so much clutter that you don’t know what you have’ on the shelf or in the closet because things are stocked so tightly, or piled up and covering up stuff underneath. And, once you buy the item you think you need, you find it at home and exclaim “I didn’t realize I already had this!”

To conquer this habit, the next time you are going shopping, take a photo on your phone of the pantry shelf or closet. While at the store, refer to this image and be aware that you already possess the item. Or, to keep track, keep a written/typed inventory of the things you buy regularly, and put a check next to each item you finish or use up. Or, tackle your clutter and let go of excess stuff so you aren’t Duplicate Buying.

Let me know if you buy ‘extras’ and how you control this habit.

To schedule a FREE 1/2 hour telephone consultation, contact Judy at
ClutterClearerCoach@comcast.net