NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

Neat Living Featured in Psychology Today - UPDATE - BEFORE & AFTER PHOTOS TO ILLUSTRATE TIPS

UPDATE:

I've seen the article in the October 2006 issue of Psychology Today !  It's an interesting take on folks who are obsessively neat.  And no, I'm NOT one of them!  I do like order and neatness, but I'm not obsessed with perfection.  My use of the term neat is meant to be more as in "neat ideas."   

I was quoted in the sidebar "Get Neat Freakier". I was excited to see  Judith Kohlberg: Author of Conquering Chronic Disorganization and ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life  was also quoted in the article!  I love her!

I was less happy to see that one of my answers to Carla's questions was taken a bit out of context and doesn't quite represent my advice accurately.  For example, the sidebar starts out with this:

"Get rid of half your stuff says Ariane Benefit, professional organizer...."

For the record, I NEVER tell people to get rid of half their stuff. 

I kinda cringed when I read that. What I said was that with some clients with extreme clutter we have had to get rid of half their stuff in order to get them organized.  She asked if that was common and I said that many people could live without half their stuff and still be fine.

I feel like that's a big difference, what do you think?  Do you think I was quoted accurately?

My website address www.neatandsimple.com was given as my blog address, but that's okay people can still find my blog.

They also published one of the many tips I gave which really works!  If your drawers are overstuffed, one way to get back nearly half the space in your drawer is to roll your clothing instead of laying them flat in the drawers.  This is one my clients FAVORITE tips.  They go and do this to every drawer they have!

So I thought I'd share a before and after picture to show you how this works.

Here is a kids pants drawer where the pants are folded once and laid on top of each other: (Click images to see them larger)

Here is the AFTER shot.  We folded each pair of pants one more time and lined them up vertically. We also sorted by pant length and color.  Now Mom can see exactly what clothing her son has at a glance and it's super easy to put things away and get them out.  This took less than 2 minutes to do!  It worked out so well, we were able to put shirts in the drawer too!  We freed up so much space that we combined 2 drawers into one, Mom could pick out an outfit by opening just one drawer, and  we were able to take a lot of things out of the closet that didn't really need to be hung making her laundry chores easier! 

Charitable Donations Get Stricter Tax Rules

If like me, donation is your key to clutter-free living , you need to read this article explaining the details of how the tax laws are changing.  Below are a couple excerpts of note.

Charitable Donations Get Stricter Tax Rules
LA TIMES ARTICLE by: Kathy M. Kristof 
August 27, 2006

Soon you'll need a receipt or canceled check for every gift. And those old jeans must be in 'good' shape. 

"The new law, however, requires that taxpayers have a receipt or canceled check for every monetary donation. A taxpayer's written record is no longer enough."

"Under the new rules for noncash donations, which went into effect when the law was signed Aug. 17, a donated item can be deducted in "fair" condition only if it's worth $500 or more, and the taxpayer gets an appraisal to prove it."

Read the full Article at: http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-perfin27aug27,1,6158058.column?ctrack=1&cset=true

Thanks to John at Organizing LA Blog for this news!

Tackle it Tuesday - UPDATE to Sofie's Desk - Home School Organizing Project

             

Back in January, I posted Sofie's Story (fictitious name) about a family that was living in a virtual prison of clutter. I posted BEFORE and DURING photos, but never got around to actually posting the AFTER photos. So my Tackle it Tuesday project is to finally get the update on how the project turned out posted for you!  : )   Here is a BEFORE picture of her home schooling area / dining room which you can click to see larger.

Here's the original post where I posted BEFORE and DURING pictures. http://blog.neatandsimple.com/blog/2006/01/current_project.html   

NOTE: You can also see the full story with lots more photos of the project in our Neat & Simple Living PhotoGallery.  Haven't updated that yet though. That will be another Tackle it Tuesday project! : ) 

Below are several photos from the completed project which were actually taken in March!  The desk is now set up in an L-shape.  Since her desk had no filing drawers and she didn't want to buy a new desk, we

Let's Clear Your Clutter Workshop! Today is Last Day For Early Bird Registration!

LET'S CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WORKSHOP

TODAY August 29 is the last day to get $5 off!
There are only 30 20 seats left, so register NOW! 

Tuesday Evening   September 12, 2006
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm     Place: YM-YWHA, Wayne NJ
Fee: $20 Members / $25 Non-members
Early bird bonus - $15 Members / $20 Non-members (if you sign up by August 29)

Register now to become eligible for a free in-home organizing session with me! 

Visit www.letsclearyourclutter.com for more information.

Painting just got SOOO much easier! - PaintStick

If you hate painting because of the messy paint tray, dripping paint, and pain in the neck cleanup you will love this!  Many people say this isn't easy to clean either, but heck, for $25 it still makes the whole job much easier and faster!   To paint an average room, you only have to stop a couple time to refill the stick. 

Get more details on the PaintStick by HomeRight here

Sign up for my Let's Clear Your Clutter Workshop! 9-12-2006

LET'S CLEAR YOUR CLUTTER WORKSHOP
with Ariane Benefit  

Tuesday Evening   September 12, 2006
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm     Place: YM-YWHA, Wayne NJ
Fee: $20 Members / $25 Non-members
Early bird bonus - $15 Members / $20 Non-members ( if you sign up by August 29)

Register now to become eligible for a free in-home organizing session with me!  There are only 30 20 seats left, so register NOW!   

Call the Y at 973 - 595 - 0100  ext. 228! _______________________________________________________

See Neat Living Blog Featured in Psychology Today!!

I'm excited to share some great news with you!  Neat Living Blog has been featured in the October 2006 issue of Psychology Today! 

Carlin Flora, Associate Editor interviewed me a while back for an article by Amy Rosenberg called:  "A Field Guide to Neat Freaks".  She asked to provide some tips for people who wish to be "Neat Freakier." Can't wait to see the article!  She tells me it will be available on newstands shortly!

Frugal For Life: Many Uses for Toothpaste

Here's one of the many awesome lists Dawn from Frugal for Life has created on creative, simple and frugal uses for everyday things - like toothpaste.  Personally, I have used toothpaste for polishing silver. I keep a tube under my sink just for that. It works GREAT! And it keeps it looking like silver. The silver cleaner I used to use made it look like chrome! : )  I like it to look a little more on the aged yellowish side and toothpaste does that perfectly.   Not only is toothpaste more frugal, it works better!  Long Live Toothpaste!

Enjoy!!!!

^Make vinyl tennis shoes look newer, apply with a rag, rub and wipe off.

^Polish silverware (and gold) with a rag and

Teens that Have Meals with their Families Have Fewer Behaviorial & Emotional Problems!!

According to this uplifting bit of news from the Organic Bytes Newsletter, it's time to clear off that dining room table and set up a family meal schedule!!!   If you have kids, you can make a huge difference in their emotional well-being just by having dinner with them!  That's got to be great news for parents worried about the "Teen" years.

According to a decade long study from the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), teens who regularly have meals with their family are less likely to get into fights, think about suicide, smoke, drink, use drugs, and are more likely to have

Neat Tips for Couples to Communicate and Negotiate Chores!

Marriage and living together is a wonderful but also difficult transition in our lives. We all want our relationships to work...but we also want our homes to be places we feel comfortable in.  There's nothing like fighting over who does chores or HOW chores get done to undermine a relationship and make people unhappy.

Gretchin Rubin from the Happiness Project has come to our rescue with a well thought-out and wonderful list tips for couples to communicate with each other instead of yell at each other.  Her tips are spot on and very comprehensive...you can really tell she's been there.  Negotiating chores around the house requires good communication skills and a few ground rules which she does a great job of summarizing.   

Here are a few of Gretchin's ground rules for couples to communicate with each other rather than talk "at" each other as well as

Tackle it Tuesday - Laundry Room Makeover

The weekend before this past one we finally finished cleaning our basement and put in the final touches on our flood cleanup & Laundry Room renovation project. (See Photo Below) We had a flood down there a few weeks ago when the plumbing backed up.  We had to throw out all the linoleum and carpet and disinfect the floors, then put new flooring & carpet in. 

TIP: In the basement, never tack down the carpet and linoleum! We buy very inexpensive carpet remnants just so that we can easily change it all out if there is a flood.  After all, the water heater, washing machine and a toilet are all down there!) We also keep everything off the floor unless it's in plastic bins.  So, luckily we didn't lose anything but the flooring! All we had to do was cut the wet carpet into pieces, put it in contractor bags and trash it.  Granted it was a nasty job...but it could have been worse!  : )

While were at it, we took the opportunity to get a new utility sink to replace the disgusting one that was there for probably at least 40 years - if not since the house was built 65 years ago.  (Click the photo to see it larger)  So sorry I forgot to take before pix!  : (  But I was just so anxious to get it all done! )

As you can see, we painted the previously all boring white room in a gorgeous blue by Benjamin Moore (809 - Soft Jazz) and painted all the yucky looking pipes white.  (NOTE: To paint pipes, you first have to prime the pipes with a special primer.) They look kinda like art to me.  I love spending time doing laundry in there now!  : )   FYI - We got the utility sink with cabinet & awesome faucet and everything you need with it at Lowe's for around $200.  It wasn't available at Home Depot.  Because we are in a 65 year old house, though, Alan did have to get some additional plumbing pipe fittings and supplies to make the hose and drain pipe work. I'm so lucky he's so handy!!!   It would have cost more than the sink to get a plumber in to do the work.

The storage we have in the laundry room is a wardrobe which is actually a child's wardrobe from Target.  The wardrobe was originally bought more than 10 years ago for the huge bathroom I had in my Victorian apt. which had no storage at all.  I think you can still get similar units at Target.  (p.s. I also changed the knobs to make the unit less child's room looking.)

The counter / folding table was from Caldor (which no longer exists) but you can find this kind of counter height table in lots of places. You can also get tables that fold down from the wall.  I bought the counter / table about 15 years ago for my kitchen when I was in the victorian apartment in Montclair.  These items repurposed beautifully to the laundry room in our new home!    I LOVE furniture that is multi-functional!

Hope you have a great Tackle It Tuesday Project!

http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/blogging/meme/tackle-it-tuesday/

Read more about the background here:
http://www.5minutesformom.com/160/tackle-it-tuesday-update/

Sending Neat Thoughts!

More Organizers Share About Their Process

Several other organizers on Monday also posted about their organizing process and what it's like to work with them!  It must be in the air!  (You can see my post here and my article on the topic in the Neat Living Library.)  Here's some excerpts from their posts! 

Jessica Duquette "How do you know when it's time for a radical change?"

"it's really ok to be NOT READY, it is really NOT ok to beat yourself up about it. When the time comes, when you are ready to make a radical change, I promise, you will know..."

"It's when you finally get fed up with the way things have been, you just can't take another day of the old way, (and here's the clincher) regardless of the cost to you in time, energy or money. Those expenditure issues that felt so critical to your decision in the past, seem to melt away in importance as the issue itself rises up the priority scale. You realize in hindsight that these 'factors' were just fancy excuses, ..."

"Clutter often comes as a result of our taking care of others at our own expense..."

Read more here http://www.its-not-about-your-stuff.com/2006/08/how_do_you_know.html

My Comments on Jessica's Post:

We all have to be really "ready" to make any kind of change. I have a few questions I ask people now before booking an appt to assess how ready they are...I really don't want them to waste money or be unhappy if they aren't ready and they really appreciate that.  Sometimes people want help getting to ready, sometimes not.  Sometimes, people make the call when they have a particularly bad day, but then they get over it.  It's not until the pain is consistently bad enough that they become ready to do whatever it takes to change.  Assessing your own readiness is a key ingredient to getting a good result from working with an organizer. Like Jessica says, you will know when you are really ready, cuz you will make the call AND make the time! : )

Monica Ricci "The Importance of Flexibility"

"While it's true that some organizers can indeed be a little, ummm,  shall we say, results-focused... most of us are quite reasonable people. We understand that you achieve better results by offering guidance and teaching clients these new and important skills in a kinder, gentler, thousand-points-of-light kind of way. I know for me, it's all about maintaining flexibility.

I work with clients according to their work style, their learning style, their time frame and doing what makes the most sense to them. I work hard to get my clients to think positively, to  happily acknowledge what they've accomplished rather than berate themselves for the areas where they've backslid or slipped up. After all, it's all about forward progress and as long as we're always in the process of positive change, that's good news! Getting organized is a process not a singular event.

It's a lot like changing your diet...."

Read More at:

http://monicaricci.typepad.com/monica_ricci_organizing_e/2006/08/the_importance_.html

My Comments on Monica's Post:

Monica's point about flexibility is right on!  A good organizer will offer you options and let you decide.  We advise, but in then end, it has to be a solution you believe in and are willing to try and make work.  When backsliding occurs, your organizer should not berate you and neither should you get down on yourself!  Instead, your organizer should help you look at what was going on and what you can learn from backsliding.  Perhaps there is a way the solution can be modified to fit your style even better? Perhaps there are habits for which you need what I call an "interrupt strategy" until your new habits become more established.  Maybe you need a stronger reminder system?  The point is there is much to be learned from in backsliding.  Flexibility and an open, loving mindset is key to being gentle with yourself.

Brandie Kajino "Organizing is a Process"

Excerpt not available, but you can read her post commenting on Monica's post here : ) 
http://brandiekajino.wordpress.com/2006/08/14/organizing-is-a-process/

Barry Izsak, President of NAPO, "How to Hire a Professional Organizer"

This is a great article by Barry that is published at www.Pendaflex.com He writes:

"Finding a professional organizer is no different than hiring any other service professional. You need to know what services you are looking for and hire the person you feel most comfortable working with. Ask the right questions to make sure that there is a good fit. The right choice for you will be a professional organizer who has the expertise, skill set and personality which best suits you to help you achieve your goals."

Read the full article here:

http://www.pendaflex.com/enUS/Ideas/How_To_Hire_a_Professional_Organizer.html

Wishing you all the best in finding the right professional organizer for you and having a great experience!

I work with clients according to their work style, their learning style, their time frame and doing what makes the most sense to them. I work hard to get my clients to think positively, to  happily acknowledge what they've accomplished rather than berate themselves for the areas where they've backslid or slipped up. After all, it's all about forward progress and as long as we're always in the process of positive change, that's good news! Getting organized is a process not a singular event.

It's a lot like changing your diet...."

Read More at:

http://monicaricci.typepad.com/monica_ricci_organizing_e/2006/08/the_importance_.html

Getting over Procrastination

Dwayne over at "Genuine Curiosity" came up with a great technique for overcoming procrastination and getting the kids and the whole family to tackle a goal they've been putting off.  His goal was to "Reduce clutter and get rid of stuff we don't use any more."  A very admirable goal!  But how to get the family to participate in getting things done???

He came up with a creative way to get the kids involved. His solution was:

"Pick one box o' mystery and process it. ...  Processing means:

• tossing out anything that's trash, broken or unusable,
• putting misplaced things where they belong,
• getting rid of stuff we never should've kept in the first place (how many Happy Meal toys do we really need?)
• sorting and finding a permanent home for anything that looks remotely like a collection,
• putting anything that's still usable into our 'giveaway box' so we can donate it"

I love this idea!  It gets the family working together on a common goal...so they are not only accomplishing a task, they are spending time together!  He reports that his kids actually look forward to it. 

What he did with his family is a WONDERFUL example of how to overcome procrastination! Procrastinating usually has at least 3 dimensions to it.  physical, emotional and mental or logistical. He addressed all 3 in his "box o' mystery"  solution! 

1 - Physical - He chunked out the physical task to simplify it and make it less tiring.  This is critical!!!  If he has made the task a whole room instead of just one box at a time...it may not have worked!

Another factor to consider in the physical dimension is your own energy.  Are you rested? Have you had enough water? Is your clutter itself draining your energy?  If so, you may need to start small and clear a small clutter free haven for your self to gather your energy.  You may even need to go outside for a walk to recharge. 

2 - Emotional - He made the task fun and social by having the whole family work together on it. Not just telling the kids to do it. The subconscious reward for them was having quality time with Dad. 

The emotional side of getting things done cannot be overlooked. You may need to reframe the way you look at a task. What are you saying to yourself about the task? What could you be saying to yourself to make it less stressful? Another way to address the emotional side of an organizing task is to make a list of the benefits of getting it done. You can also get a friend or family member to help!  My husband and I do what we call "clutter dating."  Remember, "joys shared are doubled, and troubles shared are halved" I don't remember who said that but they were so right! Another way to make a task more fun is to add an element of a game or competition to it. Maybe set up a timer and see who gets the most done is certain amount of time.

 

3- Mental/logistics - He broke down the process into steps, set criteria AND made the rules and steps clear to the whole family.  Communication is important here!

Not having a process and steps defined is a BIG reason people get overwhelmed when thinking about getting a job done. This is because when you don't have a steps in mind, and you don't have it chunked it out, you tend to overestimate how long it will take AND how difficult it be. Then you start to panic! Often just deciding where to start, defining the steps, setting a timeframe and taking the first step will set you on the path of getting the whole job done in no time!

Here's the link to Dwayne's complete post about the Box o' Mystery
http://www.genuinecuriosity.com/genuinecuriosity/2006/04/box_o_mystery.html

So what task are you going to break down and stop procrastinating about today?  : )

Tackle It Tuesday - Inspiring Organizing Makeover Photos!

If you are looking for inspiration and examples of Do-it-Yourself organizing makeovers, you will LOVE the Tackle it Tuesday posts on the 5 Minutes For Mom Blog!

Tackle it Tuesday was created by Janice and Susan, identical twins and founders of 5 Minutes for Mom as a way to motivate themselves and others to get their homes under control!  Each week on Tuesday, they post before and after pictures of a project or trouble area that was tackled this week. Many Moms are participating! 
http://www.5minutesformom.com/category/blogging/meme/tackle-it-tuesday/

Read more about the background here:
http://www.5minutesformom.com/160/tackle-it-tuesday-update/

I love this idea!  What a creative use of blogging!  It doesn't have to be a big project...any little thing will do! 

UNDER THE KITCHEN SINK

Even though I did this a while ago, I'm sharing the before and after pix from my under the kitchen sink project!

BEFORE

When we moved in 5 years ago, I used an old dish drainer and a blue basket you can barely see in the back...but the stuff had outgrown the containers and it was a pain to get to stuff!

AFTER

The dish drainer got donated and I got a locker shelf from Staples and a shelf/basket unit from my Neat Living Store to  organize things better! The blue basket now has all my plant watering & feeding stuff.  (Yes, I use an old water bottle : )  And the shelf/basket with drawer is PERFECT for holding sponges and smaller stuff.  I love it! It's really great quality too. And it fits perfectly in my small sink cabinet.  Every other time I had tried to buy a similar unit at LNT or something, I had to return them for being too big.  So be sure to measure first!

You can get the shelf/basket (FREE SHIPPING TOO!) here http://www.organizedshoppingcart.com/product_detail.php?product_id=1107&ref=1123439731

Considering Hiring a Professional Organizer? Some Tips on What to Expect

If you are considering hiring a professional organizer to help you with a clutter problem and become more organized, you understandably may be nervous about it.  It's not easy to have someone come into your home with the express purpose of helping you decide what you can let go of and to suggest new ways of doing things.  You have to be really ready for it! 

To help you get a better idea of what it's like to work with an organizer, I've written a 4 page article "What to Expect When Working with a Professional Organizer" in a very easy to read format including photos that gives you insights and tips on what to look for when interviewing an organizer.

I will be updating this article for my book but it's current available on my new Neat Living Library site!  If you would like to get this article and have access to the growing library of printable resources, you can sign up at www.neatandsimple.com/newsletters

Some of the other resources posted now are detailed articles on

"How to Organize Kid's Toys"
"How to Organize Spices"
"Document Retention Guide"
"Master Grocery List"

I look forward to having you as a member of the growing Neat Living community!

Follow Dawn's Journey to Fixing Her Credit Report! She shares & teaches all!

Dawn's Steps to Order Credit Reports and Monitor Your Credit Score

Dawn over at www.FrugalforLife.com is actually going to take you through her steps as she fixes her Credit Report! 

I've been through this process. It was not pleasant!  But it was definitely worthwhile. I closed a lot of really old accounts that I thought were already closed. Plus I found multiples of accounts and weird addresses making it look like I had a ridiculous amount of credit available to me.  It was like over $500,000 - that makes you a bad credit risk, even if you don't have any balances on the accounts. 

When I closed all those old and bogus accounts, my fico score went way up - over 720!  If I hadn't done this years ago, we might not have been able to buy our house! 

If you have been wondering how to go about this, join Dawn as she goes through the process.  Here is an excerpt:

First item of business is getting my credit score. Personally, I only like to go through www.Myfico.com to get all three as they seem to have more history behind them and seem to be more standardized. Using a score from one of the credit agencies isn’t always a good idea as many times they are off from the fico, and the fico is the more preferred way to check your score by banks and others.

After buying my score, which comes with a report on all three agencies, I quickly go over anything that may stand out as incorrect. But in order to dispute an item, I will need the credit report from the agency itself.

Next step is to ...  read Dawn's full story

Good Luck Dawn!

Neat Calendar for Managing Multiple Calendars All in One! The Busy Body Book!

Here is a really neat idea from Joan Goldner of  www.BusyBodyBook.com! 

This calendar features 5 columns that you can use for every day!  So you could use a column for each family member,  one for meal planning, or for follow ups, goal setting, what ever you want! 

Joan also now has a blog!  She's going to be focusing on tips for managing your time and using the calendar. 

Got a Home Office or Small Business? Here are Neat Tips for Getting Ready for Fall!

Karyn Greenstreet over at The Self Employment Blog for Small Business Owners:
has posted nine great tips for Summer Business Cleanup and Planning to be ready for the September busy season. 

It a great reminder to me to get caught up in my bookkeeping. But I've been putting a lot of energy into getting my website and blog updated to be ready for the possibility of a large number of visitors coming as a result of being interviewed for the September/ October issue of Psychology Today!

Check out Karyn's tips here  http://www.passionforbusiness.com/blogs/2006/08/summer-business-cleanup-and-planning.html

Amy's Shares About Working with A Professional Organizer

Amy is a mom of 4 who homeschools AND writes a blog call Among Women  She has been bravely decluttering for nearly 3 months now in preparation for working with a professional organizer.  She had her first session and generously shared her thoughts. Here are some excerpts from her post that I found particularly insightful along with my comments.

"It's funny, I'll go all over the house finding things to throw away or give away, then say to myself, "I think that is IT. I couldn't possibly give away much more. We are down to the good stuff." Yet three days later, I'll find more things I can do without! The more I give away, the more I like it, and the more I want to get rid of."

This is what I mean when I talk about building your letting go muscles.  Letting go happens in waves...and it can become addictive!

"It's funny, as soon as I started working with someone watching me, I got rid of twice as much as I would have if I were alone. I was embarrassed at the level of JUNK I was keeping. Scraps of paper, a whole drawer full of mostly cut up old fabric. I was keeping it for the girls to make stuff with, but I just don't have the kind of storage space right now to do that. And they rarely used it. It's definitely a case of us having so many little cluttery things that we don't even know WHAT we have."

"I'm realizing, too, that I need to "bloom where I'm planted." In our case, this means that we have a small house for the number of people we have in our family - we may need to own significantly fewer things ...

"I had been telling myself that is was OK if we had a ton of clutter because we had so many people per square foot and we are homeschooling, but if I'm spending my days moving stuff around instead of being with my kids ... then something has to give, and it's got to be the STUFF!"

"God will provide what we need that is lacking, without making us live cowering under teetering mountains of papers, books, and Polly Pocket dolls."

"I worry that having so much less than others will be bad for my girls, but I think if it means I can be mentally, physically, and spiritually present with them much more often, they are hardly going to notice."

This a wonderful example of a courageous and dedicated mom letting go of the fear of not having she needs, a mom clarifying her values and choosing not to buy a bigger house just to hold all the stuff she isn't using anyway.  She is choosing to invest her money and her time in her kids.  And she is right, when her kids feel her love and attention more often, they notice they have less stuff, they'll notice that she is there for them!

You can read the entire post and more about her journey to a simpler life at:

http://amyable.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/08/06/just-some-meandering-ramblings-on-decluttering.html

Recovering from Vacation Hangover

This past vacation it took me about 3 weeks to get back into my routine!  I guess that means I took a REAL vacation!  But I've learned I'm not alone!

Here's a couple neat tips from a post from Gretchen Rubin at the Happiness Project about her re-entry from a great vacation.

"... it’s also a question of re-framing the re-entry.

I used this strategy today. Instead of saying to myself, as I used to do, “I hate dealing with a huge pile of mail,” I thought, “I love sorting through a huge pile of mail—throwing away the junk, looking for fun things like invitations or birth announcements, glancing at magazine covers. In ten minutes I can reduce a huge pile into a tiny stack.”

Instead of saying to myself, “Zoikes, look at this crushing number of emails,” I thought, “I can’t wait to see what’s waiting for me in these emails.”...

Read her full post at:

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2006/08/returnfromvacat.html

And here's an article with some more neat tips for planning a gentle reentry : ) 

Six Tips for Managing a Vacation Hangover

Copyright 2006 Red Ladder, Inc.

I have been talking to a number of business professionals who are all suffering from what I refer to as "vacation hangover." What's that you say? Let me illustrate for you.

You scrambled to get everything done before taking a much needed and deserved vacation. Like most people, you centered vacation around a key holiday like the 4th of July. You escaped to a location where there was no possibility of hooking into any of your electronic gadget - cell phone, PDA, laptop - perhaps even a regular land-line telephone. Seriously. In fact, you enjoyed a relaxing vacation filled with long walks, boating, reading and of course, some great eating. You arrive back home completely unplugged and relaxed and ... WHAM! You are inundated with a backlog of voicemails, emails, and paper mail, both at home and in the office.

The usual, right? Wrong. This time something is different.

What's the deal? You are feeling lethargic and unenergetic. In fact, you wonder to yourself, "Wow! How did I lose my edge in such a short period of time away?" You feel as if you can't complete one task let alone all of the tasks that are dropping on you like spent fireworks from a Disney World celebration.

The result: your stress is up, a headache ensues, and you know in your gut, no amount of Tylenol is going to take the edge off. Congratulations! You are now experiencing a vacation hangover. But don't fret. This is a sure sign that your vacation accomplished what it was supposed to

What to do? Simply follow these success tips.

1. Set-up voicemail message stating you are out of the office. Provide callers with an alternate contact person, and choose the option that does not accept voicemails during that period. This will help prevent a back-log of phone calls that need to be returned when you get back from vacation.

2. Set-up an email response stating when you are out, when you will be back, and when you will be responding to email. This will set expectations for work colleagues and customers that are emailing you and help prevent the need for them to email you repeatedly on the same topic or other topics when you are unable to respond.

3. Schedule a day post-vacation for catch-up and include that as part of your "vacation time out of the office." This allows you a day to ramp up and get caught up before people think you are actually back in your office.

4. Create a task list, prioritize tasks and complete the most critical items first. Remember that it took a week or more for everything to pile up and realistically, you won't be able to tackle everything on your first day back.

5. Schedule breaks into your day so that you can take a brief walk, enjoy a beverage or simply breathe. This will help to extend your vacation and provide short opportunities for you to regroup throughout the day. A good practice anytime!

These tips should help you re-immerse yourself into the work environment. If these don't help, do what I do. Plan your next vacation. After all, it helps to have something to look forward to!

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About the author:

Regina Barr is a management consultant and speaker. Her consulting firm, Red Ladder, Inc., specializes in helping organizations and their leaders develop their full potential through strategic project management, executive coaching and training. Regina also helps companies develop strategies to attract, develop and retain women leaders. For more information visit http://www.RedLadder.com or http://www.RedLadder.blogs.com.

Simplifying - The Journey of A Mom Who Homeschools 8 Kids!!!

Blog tipping is when you "tip" people to a great blog! 

Kim writes a wonderfully thoughtful and spiritual blog called Starry Sky Ranch covering many topics from homeschooling to healthy living to simplifying.

The blog post that introduced me to Kim was this wonderful essay on the irony of how complicated it can be to live simply. As a mom who homeschools 8 kids, she really knows what she's talking about! 

Living a simple uncluttered life in today's world is a constant battle to keep impulses under control and keep values clear.  There are temptations everywhere you turn.  Let's face it, as human beings our instincts are to gather and acquire. It was for survival in the past...and now we have created a society that is centered around exploiting this instinct for profit. (aka rampant consumerism)

We love novelty, and boy have we exploited that!  I'm so guilty of it myself...I want that new Docupen...and I want that shower rod that bows out.  I hear of the latest cool new thing and my instinct is often - I want that!  It's a constant battle to try to only actually get those things I really need. I have to constantly monitor my own impulse to gather stuff and to hang on to it!  I actually cried the other day when let go of a last box of clothing I was keeping for sentimental reasons.  I'm glad it's gone now...but it wasn't easy!!

Now imagine trying to achieve simplicity having 8 children who are susceptible to the same influence?  This remarkable woman has changed careers, changed locations (moved to a working ranch!) and homeschools her kids!  And it's still not easy!

Here are some excerpts from Kim's post on Simple Living that I really loved - the bolding is added by me....or you can read the whole thing at Simplifying.

..."In our quest for saner living we take any number of steps that feel most right to us such as eating more naturally, homeschooling, making what we need, and doing without. What comes next is often bewildering. We no longer are running to the store for milk and eggs, but instead we are called to the barn twice a day or more to attend to our livestock.  Instead of running children to school and back, we are now creating personalized learning programs and checking math problems daily. Instead of spending our hard-earned cash at the box store we are spending our time sewing, cooking, and so on.  Bottom line, they say - simplicity can be 'complicated and exhausting'."

"The flip side is that the energy expended in simplifying is often more satisfying than the time savers we have been told will enhance our quality of life. It is the process of taking care of ourselves and others that is as important as the care items themselves." 

 

  ..."Many of us assume that in order to organize we need more stuff - crates, storage systems, new homes, new wardrobes, new careers.  I have been known to fall into that rut, paralyzed with the *stuff* I have collected and the lifestyle we had created and unsure of how to begin the climb out. Buying more stuff makes you feel as though you are making some progress. We are accustomed to initiating change with purchase. A better step, says the book, is to take inventory of your life and your home and determine which parts of same are contributing to your overall happiness and which are dragging you down. Then begin to cull the latter - ruthlessly.  You may eventually be led to make some of those other changes - in location, in vocation - but you will be in a better position to do so at that point." ...

___________________________________

Her point here is absolutely true.  I had to be ruthless in order to get what I want...a space with great energy that I can function in and be focused on my goals and not have to spend my time dealing with stuff I don't ever use in my way all the time!

Enjoy your visit to the Starry Sky Ranch...she has great pictures too!

What to do with old t-shirts you just can't part with

Do you have a drawer or bin filled with t-shirts from college, travels, concerts, events, etc.?  Do you need to free up your space but you just can't part with your treasured old shirts?  Well, there are some creative ways to recycle them!  And I don't mean by donating them or sending them off to a recycling plant.  A company called Stich'T will help you turn them into useful items!

http://stitcht.com/tshirt_quilts_stitchT/stitchtcustomorders.html

You can have a quilt made in several sizes, a duvet cover, a crib quilt or pillow cases!  You could even take what they make and hang it on a wall. 

If you are a creative & crafty type and can sew t-shirts yourself, you can make your own funky slipcovers for furniture, maybe even throw pillows. 

Stich'T also sells quilts made from vintage t-shirts they've collected from all over the world and sells them.  Just looking at their gallery is really interesting.  I have already donated all my old t-shirts, I wonder if any of mine are "sticht" into their quilt collection??  : )

p.s.  Okay, I did keep a couple shirts, and yes, it was really hard to let the rest go, but I survived!  I still remember every one that I really liked and now, I actually don't miss them - so it was worth it to make life simpler. I love the space even more than I loved them!   

Going Back to School? How to Save money on Textbooks

When I went to college, I was dirt poor!  I had to take student loans and had to stretch that money every way I could.  One way I did that was by buying used text books.  It saved me a fortune!  But there were always some books I couldn't find used in our one and only used book store at the University of Miami.  (That was in the 80's)

Now, thanks to the power of the internet, you can access the national market on used textbooks! 

Here's a coupon link to get up to 90% off on used textbooks at Amazon.

   

You can also get 20% off on new textbooks!

Sarah, a reader wrote to let me know about another brand new resource for saving money on textbooks. www.ichapters.com is a textbook site that sells books electronically and also sells individual chapters. I had many classes that only required reading certain chapters of a book.  Wish this was available then!  Not only is it less expensive, but it's a lot lighter to carry around a printed chapter or an ebook than the textbook itself!

Now that's a Neat Idea!!! 

It pays to be organized when it comes to buying school supplies. You can find information on buying text books and school backpacks for your back to school needs at www.SocialStudiesHelp.com.

3/18/07

True Story: One Family's Experience With the Devasting Effects of Prolonged Clutter

Here is a very sad story of how excessive prolonged clutter and be harmful to your emotional and mental health and in turn, to your whole family. 

From Phylameana lila Desy, About.com http://healing.about.com/b/a/161143.htm
Your Guide to Holistic Healing.

Devastating Effect Of Prolonged Clutter

Reader Response to Quiz : Is Clutter Invading Your Space in a Negative Way? - A reader "C.T." says "I know first-hand the devastating effect of prolonged clutter on the emotional health of individuals and relationships. Depression and individual issues which interfered with facing and dealing with both the depression and the accompanying clutter caused by it, cost me my marriage. Of course, there were many factors, but one indicator of the state of our individual and the health of our communication and relationship has been the clutter --unmanageable and controlling many aspects of our lives-- and our children's.

Missed opportunities for socialization, bringing friends home, hosting activities or holiday events for family and friends have added to an overall state of dissatisfaction and stress over the years. While life has not been ALL negative, the negative effect is painfully obvious. It finally led to repressed bitterness and anger, which was a flashpoint, and an opportunity (excuse)to give up and give in to temptations and distractions outside the marriage in order to feel something different, have distance from the frustrations in the home, and a feeling of entitlement for leaving to look for relief and happiness elsewhere for my husband.

While all things work together to create a total life experience, the prolonged problem, unaddressed has proved devastating to me and my family. The shock and devastation have literally broken many of the bonds of depression--or changed it to a different form--and released a flood of energy fueled by desperation, anger and bitterness which has provided some relief through eliminating the source of the stress--in part, much of the clutter, and in part removing the individual from the situation.

Resulting family changes--divorce and moving out of the home to begin a new life--have finally focused all energy resources available to empty the house of both the bad and the good. Sadly, there was no happy ending here, but with the benefit of hindsight, perhaps a new beginning will establish a lifestyle where we 'surviving' family members are better managers of ourselves and the "things" needed or unneeded in our environment."
C.T.

Notes From Me

If you are suffering with clutter of this magnitude, please call a professional organizer and get the help you need!  You can find a professional organizer in your area using the referral networks of the two organizations I belong to. 

1. www.napo.net. This is the National Association of Professional Organizers. With nearly 4,000 members they have an extensive online referral network and surely can help you find an organizer near you. Everyone I've met through this group is a person who genuinely cares about helping people. They are also very different personalities and have different specialties, so take your time, see what people have to offer, and find the right person for you. 

2. www.nsgcd.org. This is the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization. If your problem has been chronic - meaning it has been most of your life and you have made many attempts to organize on your own but it always comes undone - consider choosing an organizer who is also a member of this organization.  There are around 400 memebers I believe. I love this group. At the conference I met some of the most compassionate and wonderful people I've ever met anywhere. They are devoted to the needs of people like the woman above.  The group provides us members with teletraining classes every week that help us learn how to best help people with the most challenging and chronic situations.  For example, I'm 3/4 of the way toward getting a certification for helping people with ADD!

You can also call me or leave a comment here if you would like a personal referral.  I will do my best to help you find the right person for you.

Docupen – The smallest handheld portable documents scanner in the world

This is the coolest techno gadget I've seen in quite a while.  It's a page / photo scanner you can take with you anywhere!  It holds 8 MB of info and you move the file to your computer via USB.  The battery recharges while connected to your USB port!  This could significantly reduce the amount of paper filing you need to do. 

It also won the PC Editor's Choice Award!  DocuPen RC800 (DPEN-RC800)

POSSIBLE USES

1. This would be a great tool to have to store paper digitally and free up your filing space! For those of you afraid to throw away paper, this may be a great way to create a purgatory for it.  Keep 12 digital file folders labeled by month and add papers according to the month you receive them.  If you don't need the papers during the next 3 months to a year...just delete the contents and start over!
2. When I'm at a client site and we write up their Master Plan and To Do List, instead of making a paper copy, I can just scan it in.
3. Easily Scan in photos from an old photo album.
4. Scan scan in receipts to a digital folder for business tax purposes and not to have a paper filing system.
5. Scan in articles from magazines so you don't have to keep the whole magazine or have files.
6. Scan a single page from a book without having to put the book on your scanning bed.

What ideas do you have? Would love to hear them!

My birthday is next month and this is on my list of presents! If it works as well as it seems to, it will be a great way to cut back on paper clutter in the home office.  To learn more about this scanner and see video demos go to:

http://planon.com/docupen_rc800.php

Best,

Ariane