Lately I’ve read several books (see below) about negative thoughts versus positive thoughts. Many times we don’t even realize how negative we can be.
Every day I write out a “to do” list on a white board. I tend to lose focus through out the day and this list helps bring me back to the tasks I wanted to accomplish that day.
But the problem is I rarely finish everything. Continue reading
Posted in Organizing, Planning, Simplicity
Do you remember being taught the fire drill of Stop, Drop, and Roll? This short statement is drilled into our brains from the time we are little to help us know what to do in case our clothes ever caught on fire.
The idea behind this is to condition our brain with a routine to fall back on. This can prevent us from going into panic mode and not thinking clearly. This same idea also is what saves us from running into traffic to chase a ball or cross the street, “Look both ways first!”.
We condition our brain with “fire drill” statements to help protect our physical well being. But many times we tend to neglect Continue reading
Posted in health, Holidays, Simplicity
I pulled out my greeting card list to get started with addressing the cards. Wow! I didn’t realize it was such a mess.
Addresses were scratched out. New ones written to the side. My niece got married. A new last name plus a husband’s name were added. A few names are scratched off because either they passed away or I no longer wish to send them cards.
It’s time to update my list on the computer and print out a new copy. I set this list up many years ago. It has been a great organizer when tackling the task of sending out greeting cards.
It’s set up in such a way that I can make sure the Hanukkah cards are mailed on time. Hanukkah starts this Saturday, December 8. Once those are done I’ll start on the Christmas cards.
This list is also set up in a way where if I run short on time it’s easy to prioritize who I want to send cards to and who will be left out this year.
Below is an excerpt from the holiday tip eBook on how to create the greeting card system I use.
Take a few minutes to set your list up today. You’ll then be well on your way to getting those greeting cards out on time.
From the eBook “Tips To Simplify And Organize Your Holidays”
The first step is to look at your address/phone book and write out all the names and of the people you want to send cards to this year. Be selective. You don’t have to send to everyone. Write these on a separate piece of paper or type them into your computer. Don’t worry about the addresses now; you’ll work on those in the next step.
If you already have a list from last year then just add any new names or scratch off any you don’t want to send cards to anymore. Remember, you don’t have to send cards to everyone. Now review each name and decide if you can cross off a few more.
This step will take a little time to set up depending on how many people you have on your list. But the time is well spent by helping simplify the task of sending out greeting cards this year and many years to come.
1. Label a separate sheet of paper with the categories listed below. You can also do this on the computer at this time or after you have completed the handwritten copy.
2. Now write the name of each person/family you want to send a card to under the appropriate category. Do not add the addresses yet. You are just dividing the names right now.
3. Once all the names are listed in their categories you will want to mark next to the name which kind of card you want to send. A Christmas card, a Hanukkah card, or a Seasons Greeting card. A generic Seasons Greeting card can be sent to most people if you aren’t sure about their religion.
4. Now you can make your final list with the addresses included. You’ll do this by making a separate list for each group and each kind of card you are sending. For example:
Customize for the people on your list. Several categories can go on the same page if you only have a few people in each. You might want to include first names of the family members on this list. This will help if you like to personalize the inside of the cards.
This is now your master list. It will help you prioritize who’ll you’ll sent cards to if you don’t have enough time to get to them all. If you want you can even list the names in each category in order of importance. You may want your sister who lives out of town on the top of the list and your 2nd cousin you rarely talk to, on the bottom of the list.
If you didn’t put it on the computer yet now would be a good time. It will be a lot easier to update the copy on the computer before printing it off each year. Step 4 explains how to make the list portable and why.
Your master list will help you determine what kind and how many cards you’ll need to buy.
1. If you have cards left over from last year be sure to check them out before shopping.
2. Look at your categories and determine how many of each kind of card you will need.
3. Subtract the number of left over cards you can use in each category and this will give you the minimum number of cards to purchase.
4. Try to find boxes that are close to the number you need with maybe a few extra. You really don’t want to store boxes of unused cards each year.
1. To make it easy to keep track of which ones you’ve addressed and to make it portable, you can put the printed sheets in plastic page protectors. Check off each name with a dry erase marker once the envelope is completed. When you’re completely done with addressing the envelopes you can take a damp tissue to wipe off the marks.
2. Start with the most important category for you and work from there. Family, friends, co-workers, etc.
3. Sign the cards at this time and put them inside the envelopes. Don’t seal the envelopes now because you may want to insert a newsletter, photo, or write a personalize note right before mailing them.
4. If you make the sheets portable (see number 1) then it’s easy to take the addresses, cards, and envelopes with you while waiting for your child’s dance lesson, music lesson, etc. to be done. You can also address them while watching TV in the evenings.
This is where you will insert a newsletter, photo, or personal note.
Stamp the envelopes and mail them at the proper time. Here is a list of suggested dates the United States Postal System puts out for the latest days to mail cards and packages.
Dec. 17 is the busiest mailing day of the year. Buy your stamps now and plan on mailing your cards and packages before that date.
If you found the above tip helpful you can find 24 more tips in the eBook “Tips To Simplify And Organize Your Holidays”. It’s only $2.99 and is available for your PC (PDF), Kindle (Amazon), or Nook (Barnes & Noble).
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
Posted in Calendar, Holidays, Organizing, Planning, Simplicity
As we go about our hectic daily lives have we lost some of the lessons 9/11 taught us? With the election coming up are we focusing too much time and energy on the petty differences and not what’s really important?
Two years ago I wrote a post about remembering 9/11/2001. I’ve reposted it here because it’s a good reminder of how we should be grateful, caring, and have empathy for our fellow man/woman. Read the post below and then look back at how you may have treated others in the past week or so.
Remembering 9/11
We go about our days getting irritated by the little things such as someone else’s car accident causing heavy traffic making us late for work. Or we’re behind someone in the grocery store line who doesn’t have enough money and has to decide what to put back, slowing everything down. Now we have to rush to get home so dinner can be served on time.
It’s when we remember tragedies like 9/11 that we put the human factor back into our thinking. Instead of being irritated about being late for work, be grateful you weren’t the one in the accident. Have empathy for the people who were. Their lives will be forever changed, whether it’s only a bad memory of a minor accident or a life changing event due to major injuries or even death of a loved one or friend.
That person in the line at the grocery store may just be unorganized. Or they may be struggling to put food on the table for their children after a job loss or other financial struggles.
We never know what is going to happen to us nor do we know what other people are going through. In the days, weeks, and months following September 11, 2001 most people in this country showed more empathy towards their fellow man/woman. The little irritating things became unimportant. Family, health, friends, a sense of community, caring about others, pride for our country, became the important things.
Unfortunately we seem to have forgotten these things. Since that time we have become a country of people divided on both sides of the fence with a them vs. us attitude. Whether it is the war, health care, the economy, or any other area we are affected by or have an opinion on, maybe it’s time to at least try to see what the other side is seeing. Step into their shoes for just a moment.
We don’t need another 9/11 to remind us of what is important. Just remembering, truly remembering, the feelings we felt that day and beyond can help us get back to recognizing what makes this country great – it’s people caring about each other in spite of their differences.
Janice
Posted in Calendar, Graditude, Simplicity
I was reading a blog post from “Be More With Less” where she talked about doing experiments on how to live with fewer things. She said to look at these experiments as temporary.
This seemed to hit a cord with me. The definition of experiment is: a test, trial, or an act or procedure for the purpose of discovering something unknown.
The unknown could be to see if you can live without the clutter. Of course everyone’s definition of clutter is different. Many times the fear of having nothing left after we clear out the clutter keeps us from taking actions. A temporary experiment with decluttering might just be the way to discover those fears are unfounded.
I decided to give it a try. Somehow my clothes closet has grown smaller over the past several years. I thought it would be a good place to set up an experiment. I will be tackling only one section at a time to avoid that dreaded overwhelmed feeling.
I decided to take everything off the 3 foot rod where most of my tops are hanging.
I piled them on the bed and then separated them by winter, summer, and all those T-shirts that have accumulated from special events or vacations.
I packed away the winter clothes in under-the-bed boxes. I didn’t do any decluttering yet. I’ll deal with it this fall.
I put all the extra hangers in another closet then put the summer clothes back in my closet. I did get rid of 6 summer tops but I know I need to declutter more.
After hanging up the summer tops from on my bed I realized I had 13 more clean tops hanging in the laundry room. I hadn’t brought them upstairs yet (not in this picture). So needless to say my closet will still be crowded.
My next step is the “experiment”. I pulled all the vacation/event T-shirts out of the closet (they are in the above picture) and hung them up in a closet in another room. I always think I’ll wear them to work out in the yard but I never do. I might even see if there are any other tops I can put in the other room.
I marked my desk planner to make a decision on Sept 7 when the summer is winding down. Maybe by then I can accept the fact that I can live without them and give them away.
Summer is the time we naturally “lighten up”. Take advantage of this time to experiment with different areas that are cluttered in your home. Pack away books, trinkets, and other items on your shelves. Live with the uncluttered summer cottage look for several months. Then decide if you miss all those things.
Remember, the experiments are temporary. You’re preforming the experiment to see if you can live without so many things that clutter up your home. You aren’t required to get rid of anything just yet. Of course if there are things you can get rid of now then go for it! That will be less to deal with later.
If you have ever preformed an experiment like I described above I would love to hear about it.
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
Posted in Clutter, Decluttering, Organizing, Simplicity
December is one of the most hectic, crazy, and hopefully fun months of the year. There are the holiday parties at the work place, schools, friends’ parties, and family gatherings. Then there is the shopping for gifts plus the shopping for groceries for meals and baking. Don’t forget there are all the decorations to put up to create that festive mood in your home. Plus sending out all those greeting cards!
Whether you celebrate Christmas, Chanukah, or both there are a lot of preparations for the holidays.
Along with all these activities comes a lot of stress. The expectations are high. Usually these high expectations come from long standing traditions, many which we don’t even know where they came from. Maybe it’s time to lower those expectations and create some new traditions that fit our lifestyle of today.
It’s not always easy to change a tradition without feeling guilty, especially if it’s been handed down for several generations. If you enjoy the tradition then go ahead and keep it going. If you don’t enjoy it you probably experience un-needed stress to keep it going. Maybe it’s time to question why!
Here is a little story about following traditions and not knowing why. I’ve heard many times in different ways. Some call it “Grandma’s Cooking Secret”.
A young newlywed was cooking a brisket. Her husband asked her why she cut off both ends of the brisket before putting it in the roasting pan. She replied that was the way her mother always did it. She later asked her mother why and her reply to her daughter was because her mother had always done it that way. The next time they were over at the newlywed’s grandmother’s house she asked her why she always cut off the ends of the brisket. The grandmother replied, “because my roasting pan was too small”.
Snopes has several variations of this story. They will make you question why you follow some of your traditions.
Start some new traditions this year that fit your current family, not past generations. You’ll be starting new traditions to pass down to your children. And let them know why you are doing things your way. Be opened minded about your children wanting to create some of their own new traditions.
Change is sometimes hard to accept. If you’re not happy with a new tradition then you can always go back to the old one next year.
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
P.S. Don’t forget to get the free Holiday Tips eBook. If you are already a subscriber to this blog then you should have received an email with the link to download the eBook.
If you aren’t a subscriber then go here to sign up and receive the eBook now.
Please share this blog post using the “Share the knowledge” links below so all your friends can get this free eBook to help them simplify their holiday’s!
Posted in Family Fun, Holidays, Organizing, Planning, Simplicity
From the news reports about Black Friday and Cyber Monday people really got an early start on the shopping. The numbers were up from last year. People are in a buying mood and gift giving mood. That is all part of the holiday spirit.
I was reading an article in my local paper that talked about ways to enjoy happier holidays by spreading that gift giving to help others not so fortunate. It doesn’t mean just buying things for others it also means giving your time, your compassion, and your friendship.
It can also mean giving your unused things that are gathering dust and cluttering up your home to someone who can use them. Many churches and synagogues have coat drives, food drives, and toy drives at this time of year. You’ll feel happier knowing your unused things will make holidays a little brighter for someone else.
Here is a list of many things you can do to make the holidays a little happier for others. Get your family involved and you may find yourself creating some new traditions of giving.
There are lots of little things you can do that don’t take any extra time on your part. But they could have a big impact on both the recipient and you.
There are lots of other things you can do to help give the holiday spirit to others. If you have any suggests to help brighten someone’s holiday spirit, please share in the comment section. Thanks.
For it is in giving that we receive. ~ Francis of Assisi
No one has ever become poor by giving. ~ Anne Frank
Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. ~ Khalil Gibran
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
Posted in Calendar, Graditude, Holidays, Simplicity
I changed the banner above to reflect some of the colors and events that happen during September. Every year there is the Great Forest Park Balloon Race here in St. Louis. There are some neat photos on the site but I think my photo is pretty good also. I plan on going to this year’s race this Sat. and hope to get some more great pictures.
Anyway, all the photos above were taken at Forest Park over the last couple of years during the month of September.
Now is a good time to get out your cameras and head to a local park. As nature creates her collage of changing colors you just may capture that great photo to print and hang as a fall decoration.
With the days getting shorter and cooler it’s time to change the decorations inside and out. The mums, pansies and other cool weather plants are showing up at the garden centers. Dig out the tired leggy summer plants and plant up a few of the fall plants. Just adding a couple of pots of golden or purple mums by your front door will brighten the entrance.
Towards October the gourds, pumpkins, and colored corn will be at the stores. These make clutter free decorations because you either compost them or throw them away after the season is over. If you decorate for Halloween and/or Thanksgiving these kind of things will blend right in with your other decorations. In fact, with the natural, seasonal items you’ll need fewer items that need to be stored for 10 plus months of the year.
In my last blog post I told you about my Halloween eBook. It is now available on Amazon for the Kindle and on Barnes and Noble for the Nook. On my sales page I have the link for Amazon already up but I’m waiting for the link for Barnes and Noble. It’s also available as a PDF for your PC. In the chapter on decorating I talk about some of the ideas above. If you decorate for Halloween then it’s not too early to purchase the eBook. Start with the fall decorating and build on that.
Learn more about what the eBook has in it here: http://organizebythemonth.com/how-to-have-a-fun-safe-and-decluttered-halloween-2/
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
Posted in Family Fun, Home, Simplicity
After three years of the same theme I have decided it was time to clean up and simplify the look of my blog. The brighter cleaner look makes me want to write more about decluttering and organizing. It’s motivating to share those tips on a simple looking blog. I hope you find it easier to read also.
I’m still working on tweaking it to make it more user friendly. I’m always open to suggestions if you have any.
I did want to let you know that the picture in the header above is of the Grand Basin in Forest Park, St. Louis, MO. This is keeping with the theme of vacationing in your own town. I’m lucking to have this park and many others around to take advantage of during nice weather.
Of course St. Louis is in the middle of a heat spell like most of the mid-west and southern states. That’s when indoor options or cooling water options work best. If you’re trying to keep those out-of-school children busy be sure to check out your local museums, bowling alleys, swimming pools, or movie theaters.
There is always the sprinkler in the backyard to help keep them cool, active, and out of trouble for a little while. It’s clean and simple. Just don’t run the sprinkler in one place for too long or the clean part will end up a muddy mess!
Please let me know how you like the new look of this blog. If you don’t already get blog post updates in you email you can sign up here.
Janice
P.S. If you are planning a garage sale this summer you’ll want to get this eBook first. Learn how to use the garage sale as a tool to help you clear out a lot of clutter from your home. Check it out here: http://cutclutterwithscissors.com/decluttering-with-a-garage-sale-ebook/
Posted in Calendar, Decluttering, Garage sales, Organizing, Simplicity, Vacation
I wrote the following post a couple of weeks ago before I had technical problems with my blog. It seems that this post did not get restored from the back-up so I’m sending it out again. If you read it the first time it was sent, thank you. If not, then here it is again. The link sent with the original email is not longer working for this post.
I’m still trying to get the email notices set up correctly. Thank you for your patience.
Post originally sent 4/10/11:
I’m sitting on my porch in the late afternoon on an April spring day writing this blog post. The birds are talking up a storm. A gentle breeze is tickling the newborn leaves on a nearby tree.
I’m trying to relax and enjoy the moment. Life is all about the moments but so often we miss them in the pursuit of taking care of the things that should be done, have to be done, or need to be done.
As Willy Wonka said: “So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it.” We rush through our lives trying to take care of all those little things we feel are so important. But how important are they in the big scheme of our lives?
Right now I’m replenishing my soul by enjoying the moment of this Spring afternoon. I’m working hard to not feel guilty because I’m not taking advantage of the nice weather and cleaning out the perennial beds. Or spaying the weeds in the lawn. Or pruning back the wayward branches on the shrub roses. There are so many things I could be doing or should be doing but instead I’m sitting here just taking in the sights and sounds of my back yard.
So many of us have been brought up to believe that we are lazy and selfish is we take time for ourselves. So we keep ourselves busy doing all those “shoulds”, “have to’s”, and “need to’s” so we can feel like productive people.
It’s time to stop the madness! We aren’t perfect! We aren’t machines! We are living beings. We are suppose to rest, renew, and replenish. Not work ourselves into a grave. We need to be more like nature and learn from her.
Get outside and take a good look at the trees, grass, shrubs, and flowers. The leaves aren’t all perfectly shaped. The shrubs don’t grow the same length branches. The yellow dandelion blooms amongst the purple violets in a sea of green velvet grass. We may consider them weeds but you can’t deny the beautiful picture they paint.
If we can look past natures’ imperfections and see the beauty she offers us then why can’t we look past our own imperfections and see the beauty we have to offer the world? Have we set impossibly high standards for ourselves?
Take the time today to enjoy the moments that are offered to you. Take the time to see the beauty in yourself. Not only do you deserve it you have a duty to show your beauty to yourself and the world. Nature does it everyday.
To a lighter load along the way.
Janice
Posted in Calendar, Graditude, Simplicity
Have you ever found yourself thinking; "Wow, if I had a garage sale I could makes lots of money and get rid of all this stuff!" I know that thought has crossed my mind more than once. This eBook can help you make that happen.