Decluttering

Company Coming – Time To Clean!

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I find it interesting that when I am cleaning the house to have company over I notice things that are in my “blind spots” the rest of the time. For example, I have white baseboards which of course have the tendency to show dirt. Most of the time I don’t even notice the slight darker color on the top of them.

I had company over for the Superbowl yesterday and while vacuuming IMGP0746-1_edited-1 all of the sudden the dirt on the baseboards seemed to have a spotlight shining on all their dirtiness. Would my company notice my lack of housecleaning skills? I couldn’t take a chance. So I got a damp rag and wiped the baseboards clean.

 

This happens anytime I have company over. The problem is I don’t have company all that often so those “blind spots” have a tendency to be neglected for too long.

Of course if I followed Flylady’s zone cleaning each month the baseboards wouldn’t get so bad. Unfortunately, after 8 years I still have a problem following some of her routines. I’m good with most of them but I’m not perfect nor do I expect to be. I’ve learned what works for me and believe everyone needs to figure out what works best for them. That’s why there are so many different ways to declutter and organize your home. Sometimes you can read a suggestion and know it will work for you. Sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error. The key is to never give up.

Yes, I beat myself up a little for not having the house perfectly clean. Did my friends notice? They never said a word and I wasn’t going to bring it up. After all, they are my friends. They weren’t about to pull out white gloves and check for dirt on the baseboards.

Maybe I should just plan on having company at least once a month. That would help me keep those “blind spots” clean.

Janice

Website/blog:  CutClutterWithScisors

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If At First You Don’t Succeed

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It’s a new month. It’s a new week, if you count Monday as day one. January is gone but February is here! If you didn’t get done what you wanted to last month, oh well. Don’t get down on yourself. Start fresh this month with working towards your goals whether it’s decluttering your home, organizing papers, or building routines.

“It’s not how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up.” ~Anon

I like the quote above because it tells me that if I didn’t get done what I wanted to last month then all I have to do is to give it another try. Of course the quote below by W.C. Fields makes me laugh about sometimes being bull headed and not quitting something when I should.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Then quit. No sense being a damn fool about it.” — W.C. Fields (1879-1946).

Life is like that – sometimes you got to just keep trying till you succeed and sometimes it’s time to quit and try a different direction.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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“Go Organize” by Marilyn Bohn – Book Review

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Marilyn Bohn’s new book “Go Organize – Conquer Clutter in 3 Simple Steps” uses what she calls a ‘Lights On Organizing System’. This system helps you determine what is clutter and what is not by comparing items to light wattage.

The three simple steps are Searchlight, Spotlight, and Greenlight. There is a wattage scale on page 15 that helps you evaluate how you feel about your stuff. If you dread going into a room because of the clutter then that space will have a very low wattage of 1-2 on a 10 point scale. If you love everything in a particular room then that would be considered a very bright wattage of 9-10 on the scale. The goal is to have your rooms at the 7 watt level most of the time.

The first two chapters explain how to evaluate each room (Searchlight) by using the wattage scale. Then Marilyn explains how to make a plan of actions (Spotlight) to address each problem area. After that you are ready to take those actions (Greenlight) to declutter and get organized.

The rest of the chapters go through different rooms of the home with tips, solutions, and examples of how to use the 3 steps in that specific room. “Go Organize” gives you a different way to look at your clutter. The more angles we can look at our stuff the easier it will be to recognize what really is clutter.

The book is available at some local bookstores or on Amazon. You can get more information by clicking the link/picture below. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a new way to get organized.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Small Actions Can Help You Get Organized

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It’s hard to believe this month is almost over. January was “National Get Organized Month”. Have you been organizing your desk, office, or home? If you’re like me it’s takes a lot longer than one month to get organized.

I’ve been working at it for years and it’s an ongoing process. It’s like floating down a river in a raft, sometimes it is calm and sometimes you hit the rapids. When the papers and other clutter enter your home faster than you can put them away then it’s time to take small but quick actions to help you get control.

If the paper piles on your desk or counter have been piling up with bills from the holidays, tax papers, children’s school papers, etc. then you need to take a few minutes and organize them. You’ll feel better and more in control. Check out my article on Divide and Conquer Paper Clutter.

If you still haven’t put away the holiday decorations now would be a good time to do it. Take one room at a time or set a timer each day. Before you know it they will all be put away.

If all the new toys your children got for the holidays are still laying around everywhere it may be time to free up some shelf space for them. Go through their old toys and get rid of the ones they no longer play with.

When you hit the rapids of disorganization then think of what small actions you can take immediately to help you navigate the rough waters. Those small actions will add up.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Hidden Roots Of Clutter

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Why do we have clutter? That’s a tough question. Sometimes it’s as simple as setting up a system or routine that makes it easy for us to control the clutter. Sometimes it’s as complicated as deep psychological reasons. Since I am not a psychologist (although I did take about 12 hours of psychology courses in college back in the dark ages) obviously I can only help by suggesting systems, routines or simply looking at clutter from a different perspective.

So what are some of the simple hidden roots of clutter and how do you find them? Well, the best way is to play detective.

  • Do you have a problem with paper clutter and lost bills? It could be because you don’t have a system set up to deal with paper. You need a place to put your bills as soon as your receive them so they are in one place when you sit down to take care of them. No more lost bills.
  • Do clean pots and pans stay in the dish drainer because the cabinets are so full it’s a real hassle to put them away and then take them out again? The root of this clutter is either too many pans, too little cabinet space, or an inefficient and unorganized cabinet. Figure out the root cause then you can find a solution to change it.
  • Is the bathroom counter filled with bottles, brushes, razors, hairdryers, etc. because the underneath cabinet is filled with old stuff? Cleaning out the old and unused items can clear up some space. If you lack storage space maybe some baskets or shelves put on the wall can corral some of the items.
  • Books, DVD’s, toys, and other things are cluttering up the family room. Are there too many items? Too little storage? Inefficient storage? Rarely used items mixed in with daily used items? Again, figure out the root cause then you can find a solution.

Once you figure out the hidden roots of the clutter then you have a direction to help point you towards a solution. Clearing out the old unused items makes it easier to organize what is left. If this is hard for you to do then look inside yourself to see the hidden reason you can’t let go of things. Once you know why then you can start working to change it.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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