the life changing magic of tidying up – a book review
Before you accuse me of “sour grapes” regarding the hoopla surrounding Marie Kondo's best-selling book, hear me out. I think this is much more a case of brilliant marketing than of a brilliantly-written organizing book. Just look at that title: Life-changing: Many...
Did You Save or Did You Spend?
Do you ever get caught in the vicious clutter-creating cycle that goes something like this: You buy something you really don’t need and probably won’t use You tell yourself it was worth it because it was on sale You have no idea where to put it when you get it home/it...
One Right Way? Nah.
There's a saying, "There's more than one way to skin a cat." Yes, it's a graphically horrifying phrase, especially given the "lolz kitten" craze that threatens to collapse the internet with its sheer magnitude. But it's a saying that goes back 200 years and I'm using...
‘Tis the Season to be Organized! Fa la la la la…
It’s officially here. Are you enjoying this holiday season, or have you let the hub-bub and hoopla get the best of you? When it feels like there’s more to do than time to do it in, prioritize. What MUST you accomplish, what would you LOVE to get done, and what will...
A Helpful Holiday Menu Tip
I don’t know how holiday meals work at your house, but around here we do NOT mess with tradition! It actually makes things easier because I know exactly what we’ll be eating – no new recipes to learn, no new ingredients to buy – therefore, I computerize my shopping...
The Procrastination Diet (chocolate allowed!)
Sometimes, even an organizer needs to tweak the way things get done. Many people don’t realize I have a propensity for procrastination because I’m organized. I'm a great juggler, adept at prioritizing and meeting deadlines. But. That doesn’t mean I enjoy scrambling...
A Love Affair With Stuff
Here’s an interesting NY Times article on clutter with a different spin on it. I think the author has, to a degree, taken a tongue-in-cheek approach, but I get it. Clutter and “stuff” isn’t an issue… until it is; until the stuff accumulates to the degree and in a way...
Saying Goodbye To “Stuff”
When looking through piles of stuff to make keep-or-go decisions, I often ask my clients, "Is it relevant to your life anymore?" Sometimes we hang on to things simply because we have the space. It's easy to delay the decision-making process when keeping the stuff...
Baby Steps
It’s a fact: clutter can be overwhelming. Whether it’s a four-day pile of unopened mail or many years of paper piles, there comes a point when the idea of tackling it becomes daunting. Maybe it’s just the spare closet filled with clothes you may or may not wear, or...
“Password” is a bad password.
Does the idea of changing all your online passwords overwhelm you? Take a deep breath and remember my mantra: Baby steps. If you have dozens and dozens of online accounts for things like banking, investing, shopping, playing, music, watching movies, social media… set...