Too Much Clutter? Why It Could Be Costing You

I love January because it is my best time for de-cluttering and organizing my home and getting a fresh start. The colder weather keeps us in doors more, so not only do we notice more clutter, but we have the time to actually do something about it. Weekends are perfect for major de-cluttering and organizing sessions, but I try to fit in at least 15-30 minutes a day, each day, during the week, in order to make some real progress on our clutter. A few days ago, I attacked my food pantries. Yesterday, I started following Peter Walsh’s 31-day challenge … Continue reading

Turning the Corner in 2013

I’d love a life makeover in 2013. Where do I sign-up for that? Actually, I’d settle for a personal chef, chauffeur and housekeeper, paid for by an anonymous donor. Then again, what busy parent wouldn’t treasure professional help to get through the chaos of everyday life? Unless some miracle takes place between now and the stroke of midnight I will likely be tackling the same chores I do every.single.day. throughout 2013. That’s the cold slap of reality. Fortunately, I’m not letting it get me down.  Rather, I am planning to turn the corner in 2013 and help myself lighten the … Continue reading

Getting Organized for the New Year

If your New Year’s resolution includes getting organized in 2013, you are not alone. When the clock strikes 12 on January 1st, I am vowing to better manage all aspects of my life. Of course, that’s the same resolution I made in 2011 and 2012. Hopefully, the third time will be the charm. I’m a busy mom, just like millions of other parents in the world, and more often than not, time gets the best of me. Actually, it haunts, punishes and kicks the life out of me. Hence, my New Year’s resolution. If you are looking for affordable ways … Continue reading

Value Your Time – Part 2

This is the second part of my series on dealing with time issues in your home-based business. In my last blog, I discussed tackling time-wasters and distractions. In today’s blog, I am going to address the importance of valuing your time. What I mean by this is placing greater importance on how you spend your time instead of trying to be superwoman or superman. I’ll be honest. I am not impressed when someone rattles off how busy they are. My eyes start to glaze over when someone goes on and on about how they never have time for fun, enjoyable … Continue reading

Research & Presentation (Part 2)

If you missed Part 1 of Research & Presentation be sure to read that here. At any rate (where was I? Oh yes!) I was talking about note taking and the dual-crucial skills of Structure and Importance. Now, note taking is just one area where these two skills are important. It turns out that they are important for a wide variety of activities (both in school and in the “real world”). One of those areas is for giving a presentation. Today I’ll be talking about prepping for a presentation. You know that whole saying about first impressions? If you’re thinking … Continue reading

The Five Minute Bedroom Pick up

The bedroom can be one of the most neglected areas of the home. Since it isn’t usually a room that is in the general flow of the household or a place that company gets to see, it can get pretty cluttered. This is a shame, because a cluttered bedroom isn’t peaceful or serene for sleep. Here are some tips on having a five minute bedroom pick up. Make the bed Making a bed actually takes less than five minutes. Making the bed is important, because it establishes a routine for the bedroom pick up, and it is amazing how neat … Continue reading

How to Organize Home E-Mail

Being organized can make your life a lot easier and your home more pleasant to live in. Having a chaotic e-mail system can put a lot of stress on your and waste hours weeding through things. It can also cause issues if you do electronic banking or miss important notices and appointments. Here are some tips on how to keep all of your e-mail organized. You should treat e-mail the same way you would traditional mail. All e-mail should fall into one of three categories: Delete, To Do, Archive. First start with setting up folders to reflect the above categories. … Continue reading

De-Cluttering Boot Camp: Making Room for Your Goals and Dreams

When you de-clutter what exactly are you making room for in your life? Why are you de-cluttering in the first place? Of course it is nice to have more space and have things organized. This makes day to day living a lot easier and calming. But the funny thing is that when you get rid of your stuff, when the burden of all of that clutter is gone, you may find that it leaves a space to be filled. This is not space in the physical sense necessarily, but more of a space to fulfill your goals and dreams. Our … Continue reading

My Spring Cleaning the Master Closet 2

Come with me and help me spring clean my master closet. Add your tips in the comment section. I’m going through clothing right now, but there is more ahead. So, we are still in my master closet, and regarding clothing, I also got rid of items that needed repair. Since I hadn’t bothered to repair anything in years, there was probably very little chance that I would have the motivation to do so any time soon. Maybe it is wasteful not to repair the skirt with the pulled out hem, for example, but it is just as wasteful to leave … Continue reading

Updating a Garage

Want to make your garage more useful and even more attractive? Whether you want a relaxing place of your own to work, an organized space for your things, or a fun place to play, the following updates are well worth the effort. As a bonus, a nice garage will help raise your property value. Update the garage floor with a custom look. You can do this in one of two ways. First, try an oil-based paint made specifically for concrete floors. It is easy to apply and comes in many different colors. You can also create checkerboards or other patterns. … Continue reading