NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

It's official! Neat & Simple Living Blog is winding down...but it has had a baby!

It's official!

 My exploration of Neat & Simple Living has evolved into Agile Living, Work Design and Productivity!   This blog is six years old and rather than move it, I decided to just leave it here and start fresh.  

The new blog is called "Becoming Agile"   and lives on my new website www.arianebenefit.com. By January 2012 ALL of my new work is going to be exclusively published there.

Has the vision changed? 

My ultimate vision is the same...help people heal chronic disorganization, overwhelm and frustration and design a simpler life that fits.  I'm still working with the same audience of highly creative, gifted, ADHD or ADHDish, highly technical, sensitive people who struggle with the stuckness of procrastination, clutter, disorganization, depression, anxiety and chronic overwhelm.  To embrace all of us without so many labels...I am using the term Neurodiverse Outliers. It just feels better - makes it easier to accept myself as I am, not as a set of labels that focus on what's wrong with me. Over-identifying with the labels reinforces them. Changing the label changes the way you see yourself.  It's powerful stuff.

The Agile Life Design philosophy, mindset, skills and processes is the distillation of everything I've learned about what it takes to have a simpler, less pressured more satisfying life.  The agile approach to designing life, work, systems and relationships that fit together - WORKS.  As I'm working on resources to share the concepts and methods with the world, I'll be blogging the journey.  If you would like to continue with me on this journey

 I warmly invite you to join my mailing list.  

Going forward...the only way to get new content by email is to subscribe to a convenient, single mailing list...no more subscribing to both a blog and a mailing list. YAY!  : )   Thanks to my new email system, you'll have a lot more say in what kind of updates you want to receive from me as well!   

Wishing you much peace and an ever agile heart and mind, 

Sign up here if you haven't already....

 

 

 

My Dream Solution to the Cat Litter Box issue.....

 

I just had to share with you a comment from Kelly in response to my Hate Scooping Cat Litter? post.

Kelly said:

 

Have you ever seen the Cat Genie? It's my dream to have one to deal with Cat Litter. :) BUT the reason I'm asking is because with the Cat Genie system they do have washable granules. I wonder if those would work with your system? Just an idea! Here is the website: http://www.catgenie.com

 

My Response:

Hi Kelly,

 

Thanks so much for the idea!   Yes, I have seen the cat genie!

 

It looks like an awesome idea, but I haven't tried it because

1) it is quite expensive  and

2) our bathroom is too small for it,

3) our basement is finished and it's a no cat zone for when we have people visiting who have allergies. 

4) it has to be hooked up near a toilet or laundry room.

 

The granules unfortunately are too small for the Breeze System - the holes in the breeze are large enough that you can actually see when the pee pee pad needs changing.  If I had a larger house, I might give it a try though. 

 

MY DREAM SOLUTION FOR CAT WASTE

In the future, wouldn't it be awesome if they would design in spaces for the pets?  I would love to have a little room off my back porch where the cats could just go the bathroom naturally - maybe even a little drain into the sewer system where we just hose it down.  Would that be awesome???  : )  So much more eco friendly.   We are actually working on a design for doing that...since we figured out the pet door thing...we figured why not take it a step further and put another pet door or tunnel out to a cat outhouse?  

 

Update - 2- 3- 09

I found a source for Cat Outhouses! It has LOTS of Inspiring Photos

 

 

Got cats? Hate Scooping Litter? Breeze changed my life.

The new "Breeze" system by Tidy Cats really can work! Over the summer, we acquired 3 new kittens - So we now have 6 cats!  Before you start thinking I'm some kind of crazy cat lady...let me assure you we are DONE - There will be no further additions to our CAT family! : )

What triggered this "baby boom" was a stray cat who had a whole litter in our back yard!  We caught the mom, took her to get spayed and released her.  Then, when the kittens were about 8 weeks old, we caught a couple of them and took them to our local shelter.  That's when the trouble began.  The shelter was so full there was no room!!!  On top of that, I was the only one that Coco and his brother would let feed them or hold them.  They were deathly afraid of everyone at the shelter.  Long story short, I ending up adopting one of the cats brought in, but 2 from the shelter so they could make room for more cats!  Coco's brother was able to share a cage with other kittens and I'm happy to say was adopted almost immediately cuz he was SOOO cute!

 

The photo here is of our little Lola Love, she was and still is completely irrestistable!  Here are more photos of all the new kitties I uploaded to Facebook. (They make it so easy to upload photos I can't believe it!)

Along with the new cats, came a need to rethink how I manage and litterboxes and organize to keep them clean! Over the past 30 years of having cats, I have tried nearly every litter box under the sun that promised "no tracking" or "reduced odor". And with 6 cats trust me...odor can be an issue! We had to buy more litter boxes to accomodate all the cats (You should have at least one per cat.)

That's how we discovered the Breeze system.  I am so happy with it I wrote a review of the system on Amazon and thought I'd share it with you here because it contains some neat tips for helping your cats make the transition AND for keeping the odors at bay. 

I'd love to hear about any tips you may have for keeping odor at bay in your home!

   

_______________________________________________

The Breeze system is the first that truly delivered on it's promise to reduce tracking of litter around the house. We still get a few pellets outside the boxes but they are easy to pick up with our hand vacuum. We actually have much less litter tracking now with 6 cats than we did with only 3 cats!  I would not go back to regular litter for all the money in the world!

How It Works

BREEZE Litter System uses specially-designed, cat-friendly Litter Pellets that are 99.9% dust free and anti-tracking. BREEZE Litter Pellets allow urine to pass through to an odor controlling BREEZE Cat Pad in a protective tray. The urine is quickly absorbed leaving solid waste on top for quick, easy removal.

We've been using the Breeze system for 4 months now and here are some tricks we found to make it work.

1. Odor Control

Even though the system does reduce odor, it wasn't good enough for my sensitive nose.  I HATE to smell the cat box!  So, right after they go number 2, we sprinkle Arm & Hammer's "Pet Fresh" or Cat Litter Deodorizer with Baking Soda on it to stop the odor immediately. Pet Fresh is made by Arm & Hammer.  It is made to sprinkle on carpets before you vacuum and is a BIG help in keeping the odors under control. It's really cheap too. Much more effective than Febreeze. )

2. Dealing with Loose Stools. This can be a real mess trying to get them out with a scoop. The scoop works best after they have had a chance to dry out some. Sometimes I can't wait for that though.  I really hate the smell, so I found that using paper towels or toilet paper to pick them up is the easiest and cleanest way to get them out.

3. Dealing with the Urine Smell.  After a while, the plastic pan that holds the pee pee pads starts to retain the smell of urine - no matter how much you clean it, it's there. Solution: Sprinkle Cat Litter Deodorizer with Baking Soda on the pan, then place the pee pee pad in the pan.  This helps a LOT!  We also sprinkle Cat Litter Deodorizer with Baking Soda  on the pellets.

Another less messy way to keep the odor down is Febreeze Spray for pets.  We have found you can spray the pellets directly! 

Our most favorite addition:  The Diaper Genie it is AWESOME. You can scoop the poop into a paper towel, or toilet paper (if you wrap it well), or a bag, wrap and put it in just like a diaper. And there is no more smell! We also save packaging that would be thrown away anyway to wrap the poops as well.  Since we scoop at least 1 or more times a day, we do our best not to create more trash than necessary.

4. Problem: The poop gets stuck to the scoop and to the litter boxes between cleanings. Solution: We keep paper towels and spray cleaner in a container near the litter boxes.  That way we can wipe the box and scoop whenever needed.

5. Keeping the expense down. The pellets and pads can be costly. We have found that if we look out for coupons and sales we can get a 4 pak of pads for about 4 - 5$  (with 6 litter boxes that can add up...so we do look for sales)  The worst place to buy the pellets and pads is Petco - they are triple the price. Best place for us has been Target and Stop & Shop - we stock up when they are on sale. If you scoop often and add pellets as needed, you can sometimes go 6 - 8 weeks before completely replacing all the pellets. We used to change the litter every week and went through so much that we have found this system to actually be cheaper. UPDATE 2009 - We now use Amazon's autoship to buy in bulk!  Our local grocery stores all stopped carrying them!

6. Transitioning: It took us almost a month to transition our older cats.  What we did was add pellets to their clay litter. Every time we scooped the old litter we added more pellets until eventually it was almost all pellets.  We had the Breeze set up right next to the old litter box. By the time the old litter was transitioned to mostly pellets, all the cats were using the Breezes so we donated the old litter boxes to the Bloomfield Animal Shelter. We did have a couple times where they went outside the box, but that was it.  They finally gave in and we have not had an issue for 5 months now.

It wasn't easy to change, but to not have litter tracked all over the house and to not have to scoop pee pee out of the litter is such a god send that it was well worth the trouble. My greatest fear is that they might stop making the refills! I was glad to read that someone said you could use the system without with the pads if you dump the urine every day. That would be not be my first choice, but it's nice to know it works. I was also thinking you could use doggie pee pads if necessary. As for the pellets, I'm going to try "Yesterdays' News" pellets and see if they would work.

Washable pellets you don't have to replace would be awesome for the environment. Trouble is they won't get to make as money off them so I doubt that Tidy Cats will ever make them - but I"m going to be on the look out for something reusable that works!

 

SEE PHOTOS OF ALL OUR CATS ON FACEBOOK HERE

SEE ALL MY POST ABOUT ORGANIZING YOUR PETS HERE

Ways to hide your cat's litter box!

This is a neat idea for a cat litter box!  The trouble is there is nothing to stop the cats from tracking litter outside the box.  And you really can't put it just anywhere because there is no mistaking the horrible smell when your cat uses the box - so I would never put it in a living room.  It would be neat in our 3-season sunroom though because we let the cats hang out there when it's not too cold or hot. But I'm not going to buy a new litter box when we already have a perfectly good one. But if you are getting a new cat and need to buy a litter box, it's worth considering. 

The litter box we recently bought to accomodate our 3 cats and keep the odors down is a new extra large dome clean step Booda Litter Box.  Shown below to the left. We love it and most importantly so do our cats. Of course no mere litter box can stop the odors from our male cat, Alex, when he makes a nuclear waste heap. I have to get up and immediately scoop and flush.  But with the dome and the little pathway built into the box, I don't have to look at it and it really does reduce the tracking - better than anything I've tried so far.  I was sure my cats would crawl through the tunnel to use the box, but they seem to really like the privacy of it.

The new Tidy Cats Small Spaces litter really helps too.  It smells nice and orange. And I don't smell the litter even when I scoop it out now. So I have a new favorite litter, too!

Here's my previous post with more info on organizing cats and pets.

http://blog.neatandsimple.com/blog/2005/12/q_a_how_to_orga.html

PURRfect Contentment, Alex, Part Deux : )

There was a book out several years ago called "Everything I Need to Know about Life, I Learned from my Cat".  One thing I learn from my cat, is that even though getting your To Do's done is important, sometimes you just gotta relax and enjoy what you have already done. 

Taking breaks, stopping to treasure a moment, a smile, or something as simple as hugging your cat (or your child) are the real keys to enjoying life.  Without that, getting your to do's done is a hollow achievement.

Click the photo to see it larger.  And, don't forget to vote in our poll!  : )

p.s. Yes, Alex's tail is huge - He's a Maine Coon.  Hard to believe we got him from a shelter, isn't it?   His owner just surrendered him. 

All the best,

Here's a PURRfect strategy for processing incoming mail : )

With 20 inches of snow on the ground, I'm having a wonderful "office" day catching up on some website stuff, book stuff, mail, etc.  I get so much incoming mail that I keep a fairly large basket on my desk to collect it till I'm ready to process it - usually once or twice a week.  Today, my sweet cat Alex decided he wanted to help!  I couldn't resist grabbing the camera to share it with y'all!  It's just too cute!   

Here's my PURRfect strategy for process incoming mail -  (help from the cat is optional!)

1. When the mail comes in, immediately pull out all the junk and put it in the recycle container.  Except for stuff with credit card info one.  That goes into the TO DO basket for later shredding.

2.  Sort out the bills & financial related statements into the bills sorter.

3. Pull out anything from friends such as cards or invitations to open with my husband.

4. Put the rest in the TO DO basket for later processing.

5. Tempt the cat out of the basket with treats. : )

6. Get the letter opener and pull out the shredder I keep out of the way next to my desk and the wastebasket.  Get out the recycle basket I keep under my desk drawer.

7.  Open and process everything.  Usually 70% gets shredded or tossed.  The rest  gets filed immediately in one of the following:

• Desk drawer financial filing system
• Desktop Active File system
• Monthly Tickler File (shown below) - in the pocket for the month when I'll need to refer to it (e.g., tickets to a show or a brochure / address printout for an event.)  Of course, the event goes in the calendar before the material goes in the tickler file.

This plastic folder is great because it can just sit in my file drawer and I drop papers in it. 

I have a similar kind of folder for my receipts which sorts by category. That one has neat hanging file rails so it hangs in the drawer like a pendaflex hanging folder!  I love it.

If you have any tips or ideas to share, I'd love to hear them. 

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day! 

All the best,

Q & A: How to organize cat, dog, & pet stuff to keep your home easy-to-clean

Question

Hi Ariane,

I'd appreciate your insights -- two or three tips would be fine -- on how dog owners can create an easy-to-clean house. That is, how to create an environment that's easier to keep clean. Any ideas?

I'm working on a short household-hints piece for Dog Fancy magazine, considered the nation's most widely read dog magazine. Since you're an expert on organizing and a cat owner (presumably accustomed to wayward cat hair), perhaps you've developed techniques for making your own household easy to clean and relatively clear of cat fur.

Or perhaps you have a nifty storage solution or two -- like for giant bags of pet food. I look forward to hearing from you.

Best, Sally Deneen
Contributing Editor/ Dog Fancy
www.DogFancy.com

Answer

Hi Sally, Thanks for writing!  Thanks to your question, I have collected a bunch of ideas for dog and cat owners! Here are my tips for creating an easy-to-clean home when you have pets.....

Preparing for Disaster Tips

A few years ago, I was evacuated from my home in the middle of the night because of a fire that broke out in the house behind mine. It was then I learned the importance of being prepared for a disaster.

Having to decide what to take in the moment was like a nightmare come true.  Especially when you only have 5 minutes to decide and gather. I can't imagine what it would have like if the fire were in my own home and I did not have the 5 minutes to pack before leaving.

In about 5 minutes I had packed my photo albums, my laptop, portable hard drives, cell phone, current project files, backup DVDs of all my critical files, vital paper files, and of course my cat. Thank God I had my pet carrier handy! I also grabbed a suitcase and took my most frequently worn clothes

What would you take in a case like this?

Here are a few tips to help you be prepared to evacuate quickly. First, make sure you know at least know what your most important items are and where they are located!

• Make a list of all your important items and information. Keep this list in a safe and handy place.
• Use an external USB drive / flash drive / DVD or other easily portable media as a backup for all your central files. Back up daily.
• Make a video of each room in your house. Zoom in on all the expensive and irreplaceable items. Also include your outdoor furniture and possessions, even your car(s).
• Update the video regularly and store a copy in a remote place. If possible, digitize and upload the file to a website such as Google Video as a backup.
• When you acquire new large purchases, take photos and add them to your list.
• Make sure you scan all irreplaceable receipts and proof of ownership for irreplaceable items like art and jewelry.
• Make sure all your valuables are recorded and covered by your home insurance policy. 

I truly hope you never have a reason to actually need for the items you've prepared but even if you don't ever need them, spending a few hours today to make sure you'll have what you need is a pretty inexpensive insurance policy!

All the best,

note:  Updated in 2009.

Our Kitty Family is Growing!

  Sasha-294X235
Originally uploaded by Ariane NJ.

We have a new addition to our Kitty Family! I'm a serious cat lover. My husband thought we had enough with 2, but I just got the best holiday present ever!

We are delighted to welcome Sasha to our family of delightful Maine Coon longhairs. We adopted Sasha from a local animal hospital where amazingly, this incredibly sweet and affectionate cat had been living in a cage for a couple months! Hard to imagine this little angel had trouble finding a home.

When our vet told us about her, we went to see her, and immediately fell in love. She is 5 years old and her owner got sick and could no longer care for her.

 
This is Sofie, 8 year old, mixed
Adopted from Bloomfield Animal Shelter 3/2002

Our other cats, Alex (below)  and Sofie (left), aren't thrilled, but every day they are getting more used to each other and are even beginning to peacefully sleep in the same room.

Life is good with 3 cats. Even my husband, who thought we had enough cats, agrees that she has just added even more love to our lives.

 
This is Alex, 5 year old pur Maine Coon.
Adopted from Bloomfield Animal Shelter 3/2002

As far as I'm concerned, Sasha is the best holiday present I've ever gotten!  So who knows?  Maybe if we hear of another cat in need of a home, we might have to add another one next yeat !   : )