Don’t let that mail pile up! Attacking your mail each day only takes a few minutes.  Really…follow me!

#1 Pick up mail

#2 Open mail, separate by category (55 seconds)

Here are my categories:

• recycle (all envelopes, marketing stuffers, junk mail)
• shred (credit card offers)
• publications to read
• bills to pay

#3  Place piles in their “homes”  (1 minute, 5 seconds)

I traveled to:

• paper recycling bin in laundry room
• magazine basket in living room
• “to shred” box in office
• “action, bill ” center in office

See, literally minutes.

Having “homes” and a process set up will help you do this in minutes as well.  Clutter is delayed decisions.  When people don’t have a system, they will tend to leave items, like the mail, where they land.  Entry tables, stairs or kitchen counter tops become overwhelmed by mail piles.  Take a few minutes to set up a system.  It will be worth it!

Have you heard the new vacation term this year?  Stay-cation?

Stay-cation is taking time off, being on vacation but staying local.  When I grew up it was no big deal and it was just called “day trips.”

Many people are staying home this year because of the lacking economy.  But just because you are not going some place by plane, train or automobile you can still have a great time.  I am sure. there are so many places in your own area that you never venture to.  I live in Boston and we had never done many of the “history” tourist tours such as The Battle of Lexington & Concord and the Mayflower until we had a cousin from Texas come visit.  So glad we did!

Think of the places you have always said “Oh, we should do that some time” or “that is an interesting place.”  It can be a museum, a beach or simply an area of the city that you have never explored.  Visit some relatives you never have time to see.  It is up to you.

Some may be taking time off and will work on their “to do list.”  Sometimes getting things done around the house can take a weight off your shoulders.

To make the most out of your “stay-cation” have a plan.  You don’t want Sunday to come and you feel like you just wasted time and didn’t either do anything fun or get anything done.

• Make a list of what you would like to do.
• Plug it into a calendar.
• Hop on line to check out any hours of operation that may be applicable to your activity.
• Go on line and research the many “free” fun things to do.  Your local library may also have passes to various museums and attractions.
• Make a list of what you may need and shop.  This can be extra sunscreen for the beach or a laundry list of materials you will need from Home Depot for home repairs.

Most of all, enjoy the time off.  Try and unplug yourself as much as possible from the various technologies that suck up your time and stress you out on a regular day.

Have fun!

Are you getting ready to venture off for your summer vacation?

Remember, a vacation is time to relax, spend time with friends or family and explore.  You don’t have to spend this precious time buying souvenirs for yourself and those at home.

I grew up doing that.  Even a vacation going to Cape Cod (a little over an hour away) I would spend time finding the right t-shirt for this one, the right mug, nick knack or piece of jewelry for the other.

I have to admit last year when I was in Hawaii I realized I spent to much time shopping for the gang at home.  I like popping around the various stores, but I did not like the feeling of “have to” while on vacation.  This was totally self inflicted.  My parents would have preferred I save the money or  spend it on an activity there.  And it is not like I have never brought them back anything from Hawaii…I’ve been there 6 or so times!

While organizing kitchens I find shelves and shelves full of mugs and glasses from various vacations.  Sitting there, collecting dust and taking up valuable “prime real estate” in the cabinet.  Lots of  T and sweat shirts from various places can be found in closets and dresser drawers.  Again, many not worn but kept as a “memory” from a trip or a trip that someone else took.

You don’t have to keep a mug to remember your trip.  You don’t have to keep it just because someone else gave it to you.  If you love mugs and use them great, but if they are kept as a memory you can let them go.  Do you remember the fun time?  Do you remember the island or country you visited?  Do you have photos or video from the trip?  If you really want to buy something as a  remembrance, buy 1 nice thing that you will cherish and use or wear.  Every time you do, it will remind you of that special place.  Trying to jam items into your kitchen cabinet or dresser drawer because there is too much travel clutter WILL NOT remind you of that fun time!  Don’t inflict this on family and friends if you are the traveler.

If there is something that you cannot let go,  decide if you use or where it.  If you do, keep it in your main space.  If you do not and you are keeping it as a memento, then it should be out of the prime area, and put in your keepsake box.

Happy travels!

Bad news:  My cat has gotten into everything today.  He thinks everything should go in his mouth or be a toy.

Good news:  I took a piece of paper out of his mouth, and it was from my desk.  A quote I love but have not looked at in a while.

“Regret for wasted time is more wasted time”

by Mason Cooley

Thanks Sam the Cat for reminding me of this important lesson!

Happy 4th of July!

4th of July weekend is perfect to spend quality time with friends and family and celebrate our country.  Celebrate the people who  have sacrificed for us and our democracy.  The “land of the free”…free is such a powerful word.

If clutter or disorganization is a cause of distress for you, you can start now, in the spirit of freedom, to declare your independence from clutter.  Taking the time to tackle these challenges will help free you not only from physical clutter, but emotional clutter as well.

• Commit the time
• Create goals
  
• Make decluttering a priority
• Enlist the help you need
  
• Refer to this blog for tips on specific areas
  

Remember…

Organizing is a Process not an Event

You can start small with  1 drawer, the kitchen counter or the bathroom vanity.  Edit out what no longer benefits you and create a home for what does.  Free yourself from the clutter.

But first, have a great weekend…I am wishing you and yours a very happy and safe holiday weekend.

I just found a unique, decorative way to hide cables.  Very creative, very cool, but not for everyone.  See link to post below…

There are much more basic, easily purchased options at your local office supply store or on line.  It is great to use these cord covers for aesthetic purposes.  Having cords here there and everywhere under your desk or by other equipment can be distracting and you can feel the stress of the “clutter.”  Click on these links to see how to control that cable clutter:

Above baseboard

Cable Zipper

Cable Control

Decorative Covers

But you don’t want to just hide them.  You want to mark your cords so you know what they belong to.  You can do this with a sticker or a label.  Just make sure it will stick well.  If you want sturdier pre-made option, see these products below.  You can also look at these as examples and see what you have at home that you can use to get same result.  You don’t have to spend a lot of money to do this.

Kable Flags

Cable Id

Picture Id

Have fun wrangling in all those cords.

Shared via AddThis

Shared via AddThis

I cam a across a line of furniture that I though was pretty neat (no pun intended) and thought I would share!

The line,  from Howard Miller has been created by Ty Pennington from “Extreme Home Makeover.”  The line has various styles of furniture but goes beyond your usual basic cabinets.  Organization was in mind when they designed these pieces.  Using space efficiently, some secret storage space too!  Also, you can customize your finish and component features.

Click here to see the collection and learn more about this collection.

But remember, edit what you have and determine your storage needs before buying any container!

Last night I had a good newspaper catch up night.  I was bound and determined to have all the newspapers that were backed up be in the recycling bin by end of the evening.  Last week was a busy week and I did not get through them all.

Many people keep their newspapers  for weeks and months on end, thinking that they will get to them.  But even if they did, the information is old.  Do you want to spend your precious time in June reading about the Inaugural (happened in January) or who won the Kentucky Derby (last month)  about the Swine flu outbreak (a month or so and it changes every day?)

Many people I know just keep getting the daily newspaper because it is just something they have always done.  But it adds pressure to the day.  The stack sitting there saying “read me, read me.”  Here are a few tips to make getting the newspaper a less stressful experience:

• Think about how much you really sit and read it.
• Consider subscribing to less days per week.  Perhaps Thursday – Sunday.
• Each day remove sections you know you will not read and put in recycling right away.  For me it is auto, sports and classified.
• At the end of the week, recycle anything you have not read.

I still enjoy flipping through the newspaper, especailly the “local” one.  I hate the thought of newspapers coming to an end as we know them.  But that said, narrow down what you read, and spend quality time with it.

Off to the recycling bin….