NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

A Neat Romanian Approach to Clutter-Free Living and Recycling

I was delighted today when Mirona Iliescu from Bucharest, Romania and author of "Cheeky Cheezy Blog" took time to write a post inspired by one of my posts on clutter clearing.  I love the simplicity of the approach she shared which she calls "being a fairy"

"When I one day see that I've too many clothes or too many crayons, the same solution comes handy: I sort them quickly and put aside any item than I can live without. I then take all those items to my block's lobby, preferably during quiet hours.

By next day, all items are gone to their new homes. Old people live in this block of flats, and so do young students. Who knows what kind of spark a magazine or a salad bowl could bring to someone else's life? I know. Because one morning, instead of all the items, I found a big, healthy, red apple. One of the best thank you's ever."

How cool is that?  Leaving an apple as a thank you is seriously classy.  We put things out like furniture out on the curb now and then and it's usually gone in a couple hours.  If not, we donate it.   Kinda a cool to know that someone in Romania is preventing clutter in a very similar way.  But I can't imagine anyone here ever leaving a Thank You!

I love the way she phrased her strategy:

"I've a high sense of ownership for all things I gather, yet have learned to easily let go in a way that pleases my heart...

Letting go is remarkable pleasing to the heart...I couldn't have said it better myself!

 

What items get lost in your home most often?

Take the new Neat Living survey!  It's over there in the right hand column : )  I'll give you all a month to vote and then provide tips for keeping the top 5 items from getting misplaced again.  : )

Clearing Clutter - Part 1 - Understanding How Clutter Affects You - Whether you Realize it or Not

What a great holiday weekend!  Sunday we had gorgeous weather and luckily that was the day we had planned a nice cookout with friends.  It was wonderful.  Monday, it got up 96 degrees here in Bloomfield, New Jersey!  Alan and I both had the day off so, instead of going shopping on Memorial Day, we took the opportunity to declutter and catch up on all our "postponed" decisions.  Yes, even professional organizers gather clutter when we get really busy like the past couple months have been. 

I know it's time to make time to clear the clutter when my TO READ tray can't fit anymore stuff to read.  And, when my TO PROCESS basket can't hold more mail because it has started to become my TO READ.

So we cleared out all the junk mail from the past few months, 3 large shopping bags full of catalogs, magazines, flyers, etc.  I even found a few left over from Christmas!  And this is even though we recycle 2 shopping bags full every week.

We also caught up on all the TO DO's that required both of us to work on and by the end of the day, when you would think that we would be tired, we both felt amazingly refreshed, proud of ourselves and really peaceful. 

It still amazes me how much weight and stress is lifted from your shoulders when you clear clutter.  How much more easily you can breathe when your to do list shrinks.  And to be honest, because Alan & I cleared our clutter together, it felt kinda like we had a date! Seriously, we had a chance to connect, talk, and make decisions on things that affect our life together. And we had some fun too as we found things that made us laugh, took breaks to play with the cats, etc.  In the hustle of everyday life, we don't get a chance to spend a whole day together very often.

As our reward, we relaxed during the evening. As we cuddled up and enjoyed watching a couple shows we had Tivo'd on The DaVinci Code, we both marveled at how good we felt because we had accomplished so much.  We could truly relax because stuff wasn't hanging over our heads anymore. 

So that got me thinking about all the ways clutter (defined by Webster as "disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectivenesss") affects you and you don't realize it till it's gone.

Here are 10 ways excessive clutter can affect you and your life:

Clearing Clutter - Part 2 - Reviews of The 5 Best Books to Help You Let Go of Clutter

Welcome to Part 2 of the Clutter Clearing Series! 

My List of The Very Best Books to Help You Let Go of Clutter - They all get 5 Stars!

Summer is almost here and if it gets too hot to actually physically clear your clutter, perhaps it will be a good time to read a book by the pool and get yourself motivated and ready to clear your clutter by Fall! 

In spite of the fact that I LOVE the following books, I realize they won't be enough for everyone to dig out of their clutter situation.  Some people need someone there to help them stay focused and get the job done.  I know it helps me tremendously to have someone there.

These books will help you understand why you need someone there and if you do hire an organizer, will help you get the most out of your investment in working with a professional organizer!  Seriously, the closer you are to "ready to let go" - the more you will accomplish during and in between sessions with an organizer. 

So without further ado - Here are the BEST books on clearing clutter

Karen Kingston: Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui

To learn more about clutter, how it affects you and ways to start preparing yourself psychologically and emotionally to let go of the everday clutter that's holding you back, I highly recommend starting with Karen Kingston's book. "Clearing Clutter with Feng Shui"    It's inexpensive, brief, gets right to the point and best of all it really does help you change the way you look at your stuff forever.  It helped me convince my husband to partner with me in letting go of stuff when we got married and had to merge 2 homes full of stuff.  He read the book reluctantly, but then loved it. Now he enjoys clearing clutter as much as I do!  If you can only buy one book - this is it.

Fugen Neziroglu: Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding - - Why you hold on to stuff and how to stop!

If you think you might have issues with hoarding, check out the best of the very few books on the subject "Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding"   I give it 10 stars in helping me to understand and help my clients.  Here is just one of the many touching reviews on Amazon by people suffering with clutter who have been helped by this book.

"Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding saved my life! It's the first book I have read that accurately addresses why I hang onto things and why I can't let them go. I have had to deal with clutter all my life. I have felt shame and been hard on myself until I read the book. The invaluable insights in this book have helped me to clear the clutter. Once I know why I'm hanging onto something it's much easier to let go of it! Other organizational books have not worked for me because the books assume I have no emotional obstacles to becoming organized. This book is a must-read! I am very pleased with this book and recommend it to anybody, hoarder or non-hoarder, who has difficulty with clutter and organization."  (by Gwendolyn Thompson)

If you can get more than one book this summer, these are at the top of my list as the very best books to help people overcome clutter & disorganization by getting to the source of the issues:

Marilyn Paul, Ph.D.: It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys

Marilyn is awesome.  She is a self-professed "recovering chronically disorganized person".  She grew up thinking that a neat home or desk meant you spent too much time organizing and not living life.  But she learned the hard way the very steep price to be paid for chronic disorganization and found a path out of the belief system that that held her back from getting organized.  Her book is deeply insightful and has helped so many people change their lives. Here is a excerpt of a review by a real person whose life she has affected.

"I can't express how differently I feel about my "chronic" clutter and disorganization after reading this book. I have used organizing methods and "tip" books before...many of them quite good, but the new regimes would only last for a little while. This is the first book that has truly gotten to the "why" of my cluttering tendencies, in a genuine, non-judgmental, humorous, and compassionate way that WORKS...

The result has been a completely organic shift in my behavior that has been completely effortless. It IS a process...my life hasn't become neat, clean, and fully organized overnight! But the small beginning steps have made a truly dramatic difference. My whole attitude has changed. I see progress every day and am so optimistic now that I know it is only a short matter of time before other areas of my home--and life!--will follow suit. "

This is what I mean when I talk about finding your personal balance between NEAT and LIVING.  It's not about being perfect all the time, it's about developing habits that help you be "neat enough" to "enjoy living"!

The next 3 books reviewed here will help you clear clutter AND get organized!

Clearing Clutter - Part 3 - Why Clutter isn't ONLY your Fault

WHY CLUTTER ISN'T ONLY YOUR FAULT

In many ways, it's not your fault you have a lot of clutter.  You'd have to spend a lot of time researching to really understand how the corrupt corporate marketers of the world use marketing and psychology principles to manipulate your basic human drives and get you to aquire the stuff they are selling.  And you almost have to be as devious as they are to believe the lengths they go to to deliberately reach out to your kids.  It's hard to imagine people would use kids on purpose to get you to buy tons of stuff to keep them from nagging you.  (Yes, that is an actual explicit strategy marketers use.  They call it the NAG FACTOR")

And you'd have to be a super human to resist the social pressures that cause us all to accumulate stuff far beyond our real needs. I became a professional organizer partly because I wanted to be part of the backlash against the culture of out of control addictions to acquisition and debt that caused me to grow up in an extremely cluttered home and get into big trouble with debt early in my career.

How I Got Out of $25,000 in Debt

This is my story of overcoming debt, simplifying and letting go of clutter.

I also got my first credit card in 1978.  This was when they first started to be accepted by America.  It was so easy to spend and there was no one to teach you how to deal with credit cards.  I ended up in the late 80's having to fight my way back from over $25,000 in crippling credit card debt. That was a real lot of money back then.  Back then, interest rates were 18% and up. There were no 0% interest offers.  My interest charges alone were over $700 per month.

The way I finally learned to manage and control debt was when I worked for Arthur Andersen. As a project manager in an accounting firm, I learned all about budgeting and finance.  It was a revelation.  I took that knowledge home and created a budget spreadsheet in Excel that finally helped me manage my own money.  Instead of filing bankruptcy, I sold nearly everything I owned and moved in with a roomate for a few years.  But between that and the discipline of a budget, I finally worked my way out of debt.  The experience not only scared me, it helped realize I could let go of stuff and live with a lot less.  I learned to always live well below my means and keep money in the bank or mutual funds. I still to this day refuse to carry a balance and live fairly frugally and simply.

But not everyone gets to go work for an Accounting firm and learn what I learned.  That's what I love about being an organizer!  I get to help people take back control of their lives and their homes.  To help them learn to recycle and donate stuff they don't need.  To learn how to shop strategically instead of impulsively.  I get to be part of the resistance to the culture of "stuff" and part of the movement toward creating sustainable more spiritually fulfilling lifestyles.  My dream would be to work myself right out of a job! 

Not everyone can afford professional organizing services but most everyone can afford a book!  : )  So here are my offerings to save you time weeding through books to find the truly inspirational and great books that help you understand where clutter comes from on a cultural level and why clutter isn't just your fault.  It's not just something wrong with you. Our culture and business practices have serious flaws that have led us to led to an epidemic of clutter and waste that is simply unsustainable. These books don't just whine about the way things are but also offer suggestions and ideas on how to get back on track and make things better.

Scott Simon: Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic

"We are a nation that shouts at a microwave oven to hurry up." If you can relate to this quote, you may already have Affluenza.  The definition of affluenza, is "a painful, contagious, socially-transmitted condition of overload, debt, anxiety and waste resulting from the dogged pursuit of more." It's like a virus that feeds on our desire to be more, have more, and have life be as easy and convenient as possible.

It feeds on our desire for novelty.  We love new beautiful things!  So we buy, buy, buy.  We can't just leave beautiful things in the store when they are so cheap and easy to take home, right? We stop thinking about what it will really take from us to own the thing, not to mention dispose of it down the line.

Affluenza is not only crowding our homes, it's threatening to destroy our environment.  We simply can't continue to live an economic system that profits from promoting the ultimately unsustainable lifestyle centered around the aquisition of things.  This book explains the symptoms of affluenza, how it became an epidemic, and what we can do about it.  According to the authors,

• The average American spends more than $21,000 per year on consumer goods
• Our average rate of saving has fallen from about 10 percent of our income in 1980 to zero in 2000
• Our credit card indebtedness tripled in the 1990s, more people are filing for bankruptcy each year than graduate from college. 
• We spend more for trash bags than 90 of the world's 210 countries spend for all their consumer good needs.

This books explains the historical, political, and socioeconomic reasons that affluenza has taken such strong root in our society, and offers practical ideas for change. They provide examples of people who have already opted for simpler living.

For more great resources, ideas, & example, check out these free blogs by amazing women who are also driven to help others live a more enjoyable life free of the bonds of clutter.

Frugal For Life

It's not about your stuff!

Juliet B. Schor: The Overspent American: Why We Want What We Don't Need

By the author of 'The Overworked American' and 'Born to Buy', this book delves deeper into the marketing, brand consciousness, and breakdown of neighborhoods, and many other factors that have led us to a society based on consumerism. She also describes the backlash Simplicity movement, in which people focus on living and enjoying life rather than working at jobs they hate to support a lifestyle of spending and acquisition.

If you want to understand the factors that influence you constantly so that you can choose your life rather than be unconsciously moved to compulsive and impulsive shopping and spending, this book will shock and surprise you and then ultimately empower you. 

Joel Bakan: The Corporation : The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power

I love this book.  And the documentary of the same title is extraordinary. As I've said many times now, clutter is a direct result of out-of-control, impulse spending. Much of this spending is spurred on through extremely manipulative marketing designed to make us want things we don't need.  But why are corporate marketers so aggressive about this? - purely to make a profit for their coroorations. Social ethics and moral responsibility are so often NOT part of a corporation's identity.  Their morals only exist where we have legislated them.

They don't want us to think before we buy anything. Do they really care if they are destroying the environment?  I'm not advocating that everyone become a radical.  Corporations have done a lot of good in the world.  But the bigger they grow, and the more they market to children using amazingly devious tactics, and the more we start seeing schools and public art centers being named after corporate sponsors (e.g., the Garden State Arts Center is now the PNC Bank Arts Center), and the more corporations like Coke and McDonalds are fighting tooth and nail with school districts to have the right to take over school cafeterias, the more we have to start wondering: just how far will their desire to manipulate us go?  what will stop them?  What will the limits be?   

This documentary explores the development of the corporation, it's marketing tactics, it's social and environmental impact in the most chilling way of all.  Using real video segments of interviews with CEO's, top marketers, and even top business professors.  It's utterly amazing and enlightening the things they have to say. 

They examine how corporations influence world wide politics, schools, our health and our food supply.  I wish everyone could see this movie or read this book.  I can't remember when I've been as deeply affected by a movie as this. 

And now, it's time for me to get back to work!  If you got this far, thanks for reading this. If you've read any of these books, I'd love for you to add your thoughts! 

All the best,

How to Donate Books, Magazines and other stuff by Sending CARE packages to Soldiers

Here's another great way to donate some of your spring cleaning castoffs. Especially the books and magazines you just can't throw out

http://booksforsoldiers.com/  Here you can apply to become an official volunteer. Once your application is approved, you will be able to send troops books, DVDs, games and relief supplies. They get over 1000 requests a month from soldiers for penpals as well. Get started today and get your family, company, civic group or place of worship involved with supporting our troops.

There are lots of other things soldiers could use like DVD's and CD's, stationery, small electronic games, & more.

FIND OUT WHICH SOLDIERS NEED WHAT!

Many parts of the military are not accepting mail that isn't addressed to a specific person as a safety precaution. But now, thanks to www.anysoldier.com you can browse a list of soldiers' names, click to see where they are stationed, and what items they personally could use!

http://anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/

What a great way to celebrate Memorial Day. Clear some clutter AND help out a soldier in need too. (This would be a great project to get children involved in.)

SENDING EMAIL TO "ANY SERVICE MEMBER"

Even though many parts of the military are not accepting mail that isn't addressed to a specific person, you can send email messages to Navy personnel! Here is the link to that - I'm sure they'd love to hear from you! Especially those that don't have family to write to them.

http://anyservicemember.navy.mil/

Happy Memorial Day!

How to Donate Your Old Computer

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR COMPUTER FOR DONATION

Don't let your computer end up in a Dumpster!  Donate it!  But, before donating your computer, first make sure you clean all files off your hard drive.  Don't just delete them because the files aren't really gone forever.  Even reformatting the hard drive isn't enough today.  Your files have secret hiding places that can only be removed completely by using "sanitizing" software like "Eraser" http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser/  a free tool which is recommended by techies like Ben Smyth at HCI Blog.... http://bensmyth.blogspot.com/2005/02/how-to-donate-your-old-computer.html 

For everything you need to know on donating computers, I urge you to read  Ten Tips for Donating a Computer by TechSoup.org.  For example, here is their comprehensive list of disk cleaning utilities.

Commercial Windows Disk Cleaning Software
Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities and System Works
Paragon Disk Wiper
Webroot Window Washer
Tracks Eraser Pro
Wipedrive

Freeware Windows Disk Cleaning Software (all available at Shareware.com)
Eraser
Active@ Kill Disk: Hard Drive Eraser
Disk Cleaner
Sure Delete
BCWipe (shareware)

Macintosh Disk Cleaning Software
Wipe Info feature in Norton Utilities (using this, you can delete single documents and files)
iClean
SuperScrubber

WHERE TO DONATE IN MANHATTAN

You can now donate your old computers to Kenyan schoolchildren!  The NAPO-NY chapter has partnered with Manhattan Mini Storage and the "Help Kenya Project" to make usable computers available to Kenyan school children & villagers. After preparing it, just take your computer to any of the following Manhattan Mini Storage locations:

401 E. 110th St/First Ave
510 W. 21st St/Tenth Ave
220 South St.

For more info call Lenny Lazzarino at Manhattan Mini Storage at 212-631-5910

OTHER PLACES TO DONATE / REFURBISH COMPUTERS (EXCERPT FROM TECHSOUP) http://www.techsoup.org/products/recycle/articlepage.cfm?ArticleId=524

Refurbishers
We estimate that there are approximately 400 nonprofit and school-based refurbishers in the U.S. It's important to know that most Goodwill and Salvation Army locations around the country are no longer able to accept computer donations due to the cost of disposing of electronic waste.

• The largest listing of non-commercial refurbishers in the country can be found at the Microsoft Authorized Refurbisher (MAR) Program Web site.
• The National Cristina Foundation lists a network of refurbishers online and at 203-863-9100.
• Computers for Schools also operates a network of non-commercial refurbishers online and at 800-939-6000.

Recyclers
Several commercial computer recyclers, such as Metech, Envirocycle, and Earth Protection Services accept donations in various locations around the country and make sure equipment is disposed of properly. Find additional listings for commercial recyclers at:

• ElectronicsRecycling.org
• The National Recycling Coalition's listing of Electronics Recyclers
• The National Safety Council's Electronic Equipment Recyclers Contact List
• The Electronic Industries Alliance listings

Living Simplified - A simplenomics view

Neat Link I discovered today... Simplenomics... I love the concept...ideas on simplifying just about everything!  Great sense of humor too!  Enjoy!

Link: Living Simplified - Simplenomics.

Neat Resources for Creating & Marketing Your Blog

I often get asked by friends and other professional organizers

1) what is the difference between a blog and a website?

2) why do I do both a blog and a website? 

There are many differences, but I suppose only people who have created and maintained a website themselves really get just how different the two are.  For me, my website is a basic brochure of what I do.  I update it often, but it is much more cumbersome to update than my blog.

In thinking more about it, one list can actually answer both questions. Here are a few of the differences between blogs and websites...that also explain why I love to do both! 

Keeping up with Technology - The easy way

If you need to keep up with technology, but don't want to spend a lot of time doing it, and don't want to read lots of techie talk that is over your head you need David Pogue.  I've been getting his weekly newsletter for years, but now he has a blog too!  His writing style is so easy to read and he usually explains everything in plain English.  He tells what things will do for you, rather that go on and on about technical specs you may not care about.  (Though he does also include those for people who care the tech specs.  : )   I personally love the mix. 

Link: Pogue’s Posts - Technology - New York Times Blog.

Clutter-Free Gifts for Mother's Day

Looking for a great gift for one of your favorite mom's this year, but don't want to create clutter for her? The key to giving gifts that don't become clutter is to really pay attention to everything they say they need, wish they had time for, would like to do, etc. Take notes!  Keep a gift idea file on hand and you'll always be able to offer gifts you know she will love. There is no more treasured gift in the world that the one that is given with love and real attention to a person's needs and wants.

Here are a few neat, simple, and clutter free gifts she is sure to love.

1. Give her a unique skill you have to offer. For example, I know how to make websites, and am a fairly good photographer. So for the 70th birthday party of a very special mom I took over 250 digital photos. Then I made a website with about 40 of the best photos and emailed the link to all the attendees. Before the party, I bought a small photo album that had pages with quotes and space to write on the left and photos on the right...it was under 10$. I brought the album with me and had all the attendees write a message on a page in the album. After the party, I inserted pictures of people where they had signed. The gift was priceless. She absolutely loved it!  What skills do you have to offer that could help her out? 
2. Give your children's Art. If the mom you are giving a gift to lives far away and doesn't get to see your children often, have them make a special card or piece of art work for her.  Or, gather up a collection of their best artwork, scan it into the computer and make a PowerPoint presentation or slideshow to send. Or put it on a public website like Flickr.com and email it. If she doesn't use e-mail, you could also make a little booklet and mail it to her.
3. Volunteer to babysit for free!  Combine this with a gift certificate to the movies, or a dinner out and you've got a gift any busy mom will LOVE.
4. How about a coupon for a trip to a Museum or other special place she likes and lunch or dinner out. Or perhaps a daytrip to a nearby city, or a picnic in a favorite park! Again, make sure it's something she really likes to do.
5. Give a gift certificate to get a massage. Take the time to find out who her favorite massage therapist is. Few people want to go to a massage therapist they didn't choose.
6. Make a favorite dinner or desert and deliver it to her.
7. Help her get organized. If you are good at organizing, and you know she's been wanting help organizing, give her a day of your time to help her get organized - like cleaning out a closet or a garage. Or perhaps get her a gift certificate from an professional organizer you know she's worked with or would like to work with.
8. Nature. If she's admired your plants & garden, make her a plant with cuttings from your favorite plant or a bouquet from your garden.
9. Tickets! Tickets to a favorite event like a broadway show, movie, concert, game, etc. are always appreciated!

Also Consider these great gift ideas!

If you are still looking for a unique and clutter-free gift idea for your best friends and family, consider some of my favorite products of all time.

Clear Kitchen Clutter & Eat Healthier with the Vitamix!
FREE SHIPPING: Save $25 - savings only available if you click this special link

REVIEW: Read how I use my VITAMIX here!

COUPON: Get 33% Off! Mrs. A's is Offering Neat & Simple Readers 33% off!

See my review of Mrs. A's Coupon Organizer!

If you have a clutter-free gift idea - please share it with us!  Just click on "comments" below. : )

Happy Mother's Day!

Organizing with Shoe Organizers: They aren't just for shoes anymore!

Here's a little fascinating tidbit, nearly every family I help organize has at least one plastic over the door show organizer and sometimes 2 or 3 of these in their home, but they're not using it!  Sometimes because they don't like using it for shoes and I agree, I don't like it for shoes either.  But often they got thinking they might find a good use for it someday.  So I was delighted to find this article on the www.momready.com  site which has great tips and pictures showing how she used the shoe organizers to organize WRAPPING PAPER, HOUSEHOLD PAPERS, BARBIE & RACING CARS, STUFFED ANIMALS, SOCKS & UNDERWEAR, ARTS & CRAFTS SUPPLIES, COLD WEATHER GEAR, & TRAIN TRACKS. I'm curious what other neat ways people are using these ubiquitous tools. 

How do you creatively use shoe organizers to get organized?  If you have a photo email it to me at abenefit@neatandsimple.com and I'll share it here with full credit to you and a link to your website or blog!

Link: momready - Organize : Shoe Racks: They aren't just for shoes anymore!.

Clutter is Natural, So is Tooth Decay : )

I know.  Yuck!  But it's true!  And clutter is a lot like tooth decay.  If you brush your teeth 3 times a day, your teeth will be in great shape!   And so it is with clutter.  You have to keep up with it.  But how?  It seems to come in to our lives faster than we can get rid of it.

For more insights into clutter and how to conquer it, Stephanie Roberts has written one of the best conquering clutter books out there.  (The other is "Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui" by Karen Kingston (see my book list to the left.) 

These books changed my life and in the process have helped me help other people transform their lives forever.  (Try saying that 3 times fast : ) 

So in keeping with my current focus on clutter, I just wanted to share with you this book excerpt that Stephanie that has generously made available for free here.

CLUTTER IS NATURAL
by: Stephanie Roberts

Living in clutter does not mean that you are a slob or an undisciplined failure. It means that

you are human, and your origins are showing. Way, way back in the farthest branches of your family tree, your ancient ancestors lived a somewhat more hand-to-mouth existence than we do. Stocking up was a smart thing to do when the antelope might not roam your way again for a while, and surviving a cold winter depended on how big a stash of firewood and dried berries you had in the back of the cave.

The urge to acquire is instinctive and completely normal. But the kinds of circumstances that could lead primitive man to use up the provisions he'd stashed away are no longer much of a threat to us. I am a big fan of Costco, eBay, and 24-hour convenience stores, but we don't really need them, and the effect on our closets and garages (not to mention our waistlines!) has been catastrophic.

There seems to be an agreement in our culture that life was "simpler" back whenever. Yearning for simplicity makes us believe that our clutter is against the way things should be. What was different in the past was they didn't have credit cards, mail order catalogs, and the Internet. Most people only bought what they needed and could afford. When was the last time any of us did that?

In the span of just a few generations the cost of goods has gone down dramatically due to mass production. Take a moment to think about how much a basic T-shirt would cost if it were knitted and stitched by hand. How many would you own then? What if you had to make it yourself? Would you be so ready to think you need another one in a slightly different color or cut, or maybe with a little Lycra in it?

A common lament about contemporary social norms bemoans the scattering of the nuclear family, the lack of a sense of community, and the loss of spirituality in daily life. We feel disconnected, stressed, empty, and we have been trained by mass media since early childhood that having more things will make us feel better. At some point someone told us "you can't buy happiness," but we didn't listen, because everyone likes new toys and buying things makes us feel secure, which is almost as good as feeling happy.

So we shop and shop and buy more things for our homes (and our cars, and our cell phones) until we're drowning in stuff. And then we shop for things to help us manage the other things and get them organized and neatly stored. Usually all that results from this is an over-abundance of misused, unused, or wrong-sized containers that metastasize into their own variety of clutter.

Combine a new "pre-approved" credit card offer in the mailbox every week, buy-in-bulk warehouse stores, easy internet shopping, and cable shopping networks beaming bargains into your television set 24 hours a day with the hard-wired delusion that giving in to these temptations is a good idea, and our once life-preserving impulse to stock up goes into overdrive. The problem isn't that we are completely lacking in judgment or self-discipline. The problem is that the primal parts of our brains, where the compulsion to stock up while it's available resides, is not programmed for a world in which more than we could ever possibly need will still be there tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.

Once we recognize this, it becomes possible to acknowledge the instinctive urge to acquire and to use the more rational parts of our brains to remember that although we live in the midst of the greatest availability of consumer goods ever known in the history of mankind, lucky us: we don't need to buy it all today.

Conquering clutter happens in small increments on a day-by-day basis, not in one great to-the-death campaign. It starts with recognizing that clutter flows into our lives every day. Take a moment to think about everything that came to your home or office in the mail this past week. And the things you brought home from the store. And the library books, videos, and DVDs rented (and that will need to be returned in a few days or weeks, another task made more difficult by clutter).

If you have school-age children, you may feel like you need a bulldozer to deal with all the papers and projects that arrive home with them every day. Not to mention the happy meal toys. Then there are the take-out food flyers slid under your door, the lawn-service brochure stuck in your mailbox, the sale inserts from Safeway and Home Depot that sneak in with the newspaper.

The prospect of dealing with your existing clutter is exhausting enough. When you think about the fact that the incoming flow of clutter is not going to stop you may feel an overwhelming urge to just lie down on the floor and admit defeat -- assuming you can find a large-enough area of uncluttered carpet to occupy.

Don't give up before you start! That feeling of overwhelm can actually become the energy source that propels you to get out of this mess and stay out of it. When you feel overwhelmed, allow yourself to be with that feeling and explore it. Hidden beneath the fatigue and despair is a deep desire to be free, to become the highest expression of your true self, to live your dreams and share your unique talents with the world. Tap into that desire, and you will have the energy you need to conquer your clutter.

The secret is to give up on the misguided notion that you can do it all at once in one massive effort. Accept that it took time for all this mess to accumulate, and it will take time to winnow it out. Instead of waiting until you have the time and energy to begin, start now. Begin slowly. Proceed gently. Tackle one small area at a time. The clutter will dwindle and your energy will grow. You will one day triumph over the mess. You will live in a tidy and organized space. You will fall back in love with your home, and incoming clutter will be powerless in the face of your conscious, caring attention to your physical environment.

© 2003 Stephanie Roberts

[exerpted from "Clutter-Free Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]

Stephanie Roberts is the author of "Fast Feng Shui: 9 Simple Principles for Transforming Your Life by Energizing Your Home", a #1 most popular feng shui book at Amazon.com. Get her book "Clutter-Free Forever!" e-book and Home Coaching Program

Where to Donate Household Goods, Clothing, Books & More in NJ

FYI, The Morris County Library has posted this awesome and detailed page of places to donate items in New Jersey. 

So start clearing out that clutter from your garage, basement, & attic and give your things to someone who can really use them!

http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/donate.html

Why Do You Blog?

I found a cool blog today that raises the question of why people blog.  There are sooooo many reasons.  Personally, I have found it rewarding in many ways.  And trust me, it's not money. I've yet to make any money from it.  The real value of blogging in is the sharing.  And of course by helping others, I help myself too!

It’s a great way to keep track of the books I read, blogs I love, best websites, projects I've done, places to help clients donate stuff and more.

One of the unexpected side benefits is that I’ve found some really cool people who blog and share incredible ideas and experiences.  And I've even made friends I now connect with in real life.

Check out Robyn Tippins reasons for blogging....I agree with them all and couldn't have said it better myself.

Link: Practical Blogging.  Why do you blog?

What do wheat & organizing have to do with each other?

One of the most pervasive, yet least understand health issues today is the affect that wheat and gluten can have on your health.   New research has identified that wheat and gluten play a significant role in ADD, Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, Migraine Headaches, Autism, and other neurological and behavioral disorders. And of course, people with those conditions have difficulty organizing.  That's how wheat and organizing are connected.

If you decide to follow a gluten-free or low gluten diet, it also takes a good deal of reorganizing your pantry, shopping, and meal planning habits.  I know because I eat gluten-free 95% of the time. 

It all started for me when my doctor gave me the book "Going Against the Grain"  I was a bit skeptical at first, but I decided to give it a try.  (At 46, you start feeling your age and are ready to try stuff like this.)  So, for six weeks I didn't eat any wheat or gluten.  All I ate were meat, fish, vegetables, potatoes, rice, popcorn, fruit and chocolate.  (this was before I gave up sugar) : )   

Anyway, the difference in my health and energy levels was amazing.  My joints stopped aching, I became less moody, more energetic, more regular, and felt like I had become 15 years younger.  And that made it possible for me to clear my head, clear clutter and make the decision to evolve my career and become a Professional Organizer! 

If you are at all interested in the topic and whether or not Gluten may be contributing to your or your child's he;alth issues, check out this free TELE-seminar being hosted by Liz Lipski and Dr. O'Bryan on May 17. 

Sign up on Liz's website at http://www.innovativehealing.com/teleconferences/index.html

_____________Description from her site_________________

In this teleseminar, Dr. O'Bryan will tell how countless people with neurological and behavioral conditions - including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, Multiple Sclerosis, migraine headaches, and childhood developmental conditions, such as autism and ADHD -- also have sensitivities to wheat.

Some of the points to be covered:

• The history of medicine’s understanding of wheat/gluten sensitivity
• The diversity of symptoms patients may have as a result of wheat/gluten sensitivity
• The effectiveness of treatment for the various presentations of wheat/gluten sensitivity
• The difference between Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance including the difference in treatments.

Dr. O'Bryan points out that, over the years, both the average American's consumption of wheat and the occurrence of neurological, learning and behavioral problems have been on the rise. "Only recently," he says, "has the evidence shown that there is an undeniable link between the two."

He says: "Up to 90% of my patients who complain of these kinds of neurological and behavioral problems also have documented elevated antibodies to wheat, indicative of wheat sensitivities. The connection is undeniable. When these people stop eating wheat, their symptoms invariably diminish."

Dr. O'Bryan is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the National College of Chiropractic. A Diplomate of the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners, a Board-Certified Diplomate of the Clinical Nutrition Board of the American Chiropractic Association, and a Certified Clinical Nutritionist with the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists. He is a member of several professional associations, including the Institute of Functional Medicine, the International and American Association of Clinical Nutritionists, the American Chiropractic Association and the International Academy of Preventive Medicine.

Link: Liz Lipski - Innovative Healing.