This evening I sit down at my desk and feel fairly satisfied that I’ve been getting some things done.  I still have a mountain of work to do, but I’m tackling [...]]]> How is your January going?  Have you been able to accomplish any goals?  Are you feeling happy about a particular place in your house?

This evening I sit down at my desk and feel fairly satisfied that I’ve been getting some things done.  I still have a mountain of work to do, but I’m tackling it a bit at a time.  Last week it was getting some of that accounting done and brought up to date…and there were some photos to scan and categorize…oh, and I had to set up my new phone.  All of this is getting me closer to being organized and reducing the clutter on my desk.

This upcoming week…well, more accounting, but I think I will dust off those records (I mean LP’s) sitting under my desk and see if there is any real value in me keeping them.  Don’t I have all these songs in MP3 anyway?  Time to check and clear those things out!!

We’re mid way into January, so keep up your good work!

Not only does my house get a good cleaning [...]]]> There is nothing like hosting a party to get you to clean up and ‘shine’ your house for the incoming guests.  I love having parties, I enjoy when friends come by and bring new people with them!  But it’s the preparation that gets me motivated.

Not only does my house get a good cleaning (well, the entertaining areas for sure), but I do what I call a ‘Shine’ to finish it off.  That would be me going through and making sure there are no finger prints on walls, and that every cushion is perfectly in place.  I take a critical eye and look at everything on display.  Are there items that I can put away for a while that will help  the space look less cluttered?

Recently I had an open house where I displayed my gallery of paintings (I’m an artist also).  So to create the gallery, not only did I need to remove many of the paintings that were not for sale, but also much of the knickknacks where I needed to set up easels and paintings.  Putting things away for a while helps give me a new perspective of my home.

Of course there is always the cleanup after the party to contend with…but I do think it’s well worth it.

In the spring, my mind turns to not only decluttering and clearing out my home, but also cleaning up and getting a breath of fresh air in my house.  A great project to get you going is to tackle that bedroom.  Sunday is perfect because it gets you ready for the week coming up [...]]]>

In the spring, my mind turns to not only decluttering and clearing out my home, but also cleaning up and getting a breath of fresh air in my house.  A great project to get you going is to tackle that bedroom.  Sunday is perfect because it gets you ready for the week coming up and you can start off with a fresh clean bedroom.

So get the sheets off the bed, and start the laundry.  Vacuum down that mattress, and even flip it over and rotate it….always a good thing to do.  Make sure you vacuum it again after you flip it.  But don’t stop there.  I have all my laundry in piles getting it out of the bedroom and taking turns in the machines.

Move your bed and tables and give your space a good vacuum.  Don’t forget those insignificant corners!  baseboards are magnets to collect dust and all sorts of other little beasties.  Use a damp cloth to wipe down surfaces.  I don’t use a lot of cleaners…quite often I will resort to good old water and vinegar.

This is also a good time to take stock of what is lingering in your bedroom that shouldn’t be there, or things you are ready to get rid of.  Perhaps you can even go through that wardrobe and clear out items that you haven’t worn for a while (or maybe shouldn’t wear).

Even your windows get forgotten.  If you have blinds, put that brush attachment on your vacuum and give t

hem a go.  That vinegar and water will work great on the glass.  Don’t forget the window sills that collect dirt, use a damp cloth to clean them up.

Getting your bedroom clean will not only give you a great sense of accomplishment, but it helps keep those sick days down.  Happy Sunday…enjoy!!

Roll up those sleeves and get to it.  Here is a nice way to start off your Monday on the right foot, with a tidy desk, and a clear [...]]]> It’s Monday morning and it’s time to get to work….but is your desk piled with papers so high that you’d rather just go back to bed??

Roll up those sleeves and get to it.  Here is a nice way to start off your Monday on the right foot, with a tidy desk, and a clear idea of what needs to be done NOW.

1.  First just go through your desk and pile all the papers together.  Move them in to one or two piles if needed.  Use the floor if it helps clear off the top of your desk.  Don’t sort them.  Just pile them quickly…keep your momentum going.

2.  Get a cloth and dust off, or wipe off the desk.  Remove any unnecessary trinkets keep your desk for work-related items only.   Okay, maybe a picture of the kids or hubby can stay.

3.  Start with a small pile of papers and go through each one.  What can you recycle, what can you do right away quickly, and what needs more time and attention.  If you can file something or put it away, then do that now.  It’s good to keep getting up and moving around when you are so energetic at the start of this sort.  If you have note that you are keeping for reference have a page or something on the computer that you can put that information.  I use Evernote.  It’s a great way to have all sorts of information at my fingertips without covering my workspace with post-it-notes.

4.  Have a pad of paper by your side to write down those bigger tasks that need more attention.  List them and then put them in a separate pile.  Once you have gone through your piles of paper, and hopefully they are diminished greatly, you can take a closer look at your list.  Pull out your highlighter and mark the tasks that are time sensitive or most important.

5.  Now start going through those highlighted items one at a time.  Start with the most immediate that you can get completed or on it’s way.  If it will take several steps to complete, you can make note of where you are at, so that when you come back to it you will remember what to do next.

Good luck and have a great Monday….

Today’s organizational/declutter your home tip came to me from [...]]]> The great part of having set up this site is some of the feedback I receive from friends, subscribers, and even occasional readers. The tips you keep sending are phenomenal and help make this endeavor worthwhile. So to get on to today’s idea here we go!

Today’s organizational/declutter your home tip came to me from a friend who was talking to me about the 31 Days to Declutter and how he has stared to use an event to help reduce his buildup of “collectible” items…..  So here I am passing it on to you.

If you celebrate Lent, you are probably very aware it starts today.  Now traditionally Lent is a Christian holiday, but it doesn’t matter what belief system you may have for you to follow this.  If you’re curious about Lent, it is the time when Christians prepare for Easter and is a forty day period leading up to Easter itself.  It is supposed to be a period of time where Christians reflect on what they have done wrong.  Again though, you don’t have to be Christian to follow this tip, I’m just providing some background.

What my friend is doing is for every day of Lent is choosing five things to remove form of house.  It could be clothing, or books, or anything that simply doesn’t belong or has surpassed it’s usefuleness.  So if you are planning to start the 31 Days to Declutter, but want to have a head start, this could just be what you need.

It’s always fun to try different things to get yourself motivated.  Let us know if you will participate in the Lent purge and if possible send us a picture of the first five things you are letting go of!

So for this first day of Lent I’m getting rid of the following…

1. Body suit that doesn’t fit my daughter
2. A schwhack of nasty ziplock containers (I think they multiply in the cupboard)
3. A teddy-bear jar
4. A Supertramp CD (ripped onto my computer)
5. the socks I wore today with the big hole in the heel…(is that cheating?)

Michelle and I cannot believe it. We are in the final stages of having the last minute edits done, the final touchups and all the little tweaks that need to be completed. We’ve put together the video above just to give [...]]]>

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Michelle and I cannot believe it. We are in the final stages of having the last minute edits done, the final touchups and all the little tweaks that need to be completed. We’ve put together the video above just to give you a few glimpses inside the book.

Could you please also take a second and share this with your friends and family, because the more people that know about it the more we can help. We have some handy buttons on the left side that allow you to share it on Facebook, Tweet it out or even email it to a friend, so anyone you can send it to would be appreciated. Enjoy,

Karen & Michelle