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Memories, not Clutter

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Sometimes when things happen during the journey of our lives we need to take a step back and look at what really is important.

This was one of those times for me. I hope my words can help inspire you to look around at your home and life and see what is important and what is clutter.

Decluttering Tip Newsletter – Memories

Volume 2, Issue 12
March 24, 2009

Yesterday I sat down to write this newsletter and no ideas came to mind. What tip could I write that would help you? Because of the way I was feeling I wanted something meaningful.

The reason I felt down was because an elderly gentleman I knew passed away over the weekend. I remember when I first met Hank and his wife Doris last September. He had come into the chemotherapy room and sat down in the chair next to mine. He was scared and clueless as to what to expect. Since I was on my third treatment I felt like an expert and answered many of his questions.

Three weeks later when I came into the room for my next treatment Hank and Doris were already there. They waved me over to come sit in the seat next to Hank. His chemotherapy took six hours while mine only took four. While you are sitting in a room lined with recliners, IV poles, a nurses’ desk, and no TV for four hours it is easy to get to know the person next to you.

I love to bake but don’t need the calories so I baked the day before treatments and took the cookies into the doctor’s office. I always saved a few for my snack and some for Hank and Doris. He particularly liked a chocolate chip oatmeal cookie I made. I gave his daughter the recipe so she could make some for him.

Now, you may ask “what does this have to do with decluttering”? Actually, a lot. We get so caught up in our “things” that sometimes we put more importance on them than we do on our relationships with people. We surround ourselves with more and more things in the hope they bring us happiness and fill the emptiness around us.

But can those “things” smile back at you when you offer them a special treat? Can they be music to your ears like a room full of laughter can? Can those “things” fill your heart with compassion so you can reach out and help lift the spirit of someone in need, thus lifting your own spirit?

Sometimes we surround ourselves with clutter to keep from having those human connections. It is painful to lose someone we love. It is painful to lose someone we just got to know and would have loved to have had the chance to know better. But a brief encounter can touch us deeply and leave us better for it.

Every time I bake those simple chocolate chip cookies I will remember Hank’s smile. We helped each other get through the tough times of sitting in that uncluttered room while chemicals designed to treat cancer (Hank’s) or prevent future cancer (mine) dripped into our veins.

So instead of filling your home or life with clutter try to decorate your rooms with the smiling faces of family and friends. Allow their laughter and yours to fill your home with music. Let their love and friendship keep you warm and fill the empty spaces in your heart.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

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Poison Prevention Week

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This week has been designated to raise awareness about the dangers of many products in the home that are poisonous and how to keep your family safe.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/National-Poison-Prevention-Week-2009/

Over 2 million poisonings are reported each year with close to 90% of them happening in the home. It is well worth taking a few minutes to look around your home and do everything you can to prevent a poisoning. Here are some FAQ to help.

http://www.poisonprevention.org/faq.htm

There is now a national phone number you can call if you have questions about a possible poisoning. 1-800-222-1222. This number can help you determine what to do. If someone is showing signs of illness always call 911.

This site has lots of other helpful information.

http://www.aapcc.org/DNN/

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

~ Benjamin Franklin

Happy St. Patrick’s Day

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

www.twitter.com/jlscissors

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Organize Your Home Office Day

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Today is “Organize Your Home Office Day”. Everyone has a home office whether it is for work, personal, or both. Below is a copy of my free weekly newsletter I send to my subscribers. I don’t normally post it on this blog so if you are not a subscriber please sign up on the right sidebar to receive future newsletters. The link for the March monthly newsletter is also posted on the right sidebar.

Decluttering Tip Newsletter – Home Office
Volume 2, Issue 10

Today is “Organize Your Home Office Day”. It would be nice to be able to take a whole day to organize your office. I don’t have a whole day for it and I doubt you do either. So I’m suggesting a “Organize Your Home Office Week”. By doing a little each day you will have your office decluttered and running efficiently by the end of the week.
If you work out of your home you probably have an office set up in a spare room or at least a corner of a room. If your home office is for personal use then you may not have a permanent office set up. It doesn’t matter. You can still organize your “home office” to help tackle that paperwork as efficiently as possible.
The easiest way I find to have an efficient and decluttered office is to break it into zones. There are three main zones and they will work whether you have a permanent office or a portable office. They are your “Active” zone, “Semi-Active” zone, and “Inactive” zone.

ACTIVE ZONE
This area will be the desk or table you sit at and do your work. You’ll want to have all the supplies you use on a daily basis within arms reach. This would be the pens, notepaper, envelopes, stamps, bills, calendar or planner, phone, stapler, and any other items you find yourself using. Look at your desk area and if there are things you rarely use then think about where else you can store them. Free up this space for the items you use daily.

If you have a portable office then you will need to have a box, briefcase, or some way to store these items so it is easy to set up your office when you need to and put it away when you are finished.

SEMI-ACTIVE ZONE
This area should be somewhere nearby where you store extra office supplies, file folders, reference books, computer software, backup disks, etc. When you need a certain file or reference book you don’t want to spend a lot of time searching for it. If you don’t have a lot of storage area for office supplies you can store them together in a box in a closet or even under the bed. If everything is kept in one place then you can easily find the extra copy paper, printer ink, staples, or pens. Unless you go through your supplies very fast because of your type work or have a large family, don’t stock up too much. It will become clutter. Inks and pens can dry out. Paper and envelopes can turn yellow.

File folders you use on a regular basis need to be in this semi-active zone. If you have room for a file draw or cabinet then keep it in this room or near the area. Remember, this is for active files only so you shouldn’t need a wall full of file cabinets. Portable file boxes can be used if you don’t have room for a permanent file draw.

INACTIVE ZONE
This is where you will keep all the inactive files that you don’t need to access more than once a year. Old tax returns, old bank statements, canceled checks, etc. These can be stored in the back of a closet, under a bed, or in an attic. I don’t recommend storing papers in a basement unless it is a finished area that you know is not damp.

This week focus mainly on the active zone and the semi-active zone. When these two zones are organized you will find you can get your work done more efficiently.

Decluttering and organizing the inactive zone would be a good rainy day weekend project. It won’t affect your daily work like the other zones but is still important in the long run.

To a lighter load along the way.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who may benefit from this tip.

Janice
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Spring Cleaning

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It’s March so there is hope that spring is right around the corner. It’s cloudy, windy, and mild (68 degrees) here in the Midwest. A typical March day.

When the calendar changes and the temperature rises I start thinking about spring cleaning. Years ago spring cleaning meant cleaning the soot from the coal furnaces, fireplaces, and candles off of the walls and furniture. Opening the windows so the fresh air would get rid of the stale smells from winter was all part of it.

Today most homes rarely have soot build up to worry about. Usually it is more the build-up of clutter from a long winter of hibernating. I know, hibernation is about animals, not people. But the part of the definition of it is: inactivity, conserving energy, slow metabolism. How much does this describe our winter habits?

So when warm weather hits we become more active, look around at our homes and see the clutter that has built-up over the winter. Time to spring clean those piles of magazines, extra throws on the couches, stacks of DVD’s, video games,and books that kept us busy on the cold long nights.

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I’ve opened the windows to air out the house. In the evenings I will start going through the magazines in the magazine rack that is now overflowing.

Spring cleaning doesn’t have to be done all in one weekend like people use to do. One small project each day will make a big difference by the time the end of March comes.

Let me know what projects you are doing to spring clean your home. Please leave a comment.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Wants Vs. Needs

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Wants vs. needs seems to be the catch phrase of the day. Actually, I think that is a good thing. Do you know the difference between your wants and your needs?

We have been convinced by media and advertising agencies that we need to have all these things in order to be happy. There is nothing wrong with wanting things to make us happy. The line blurs when we start looking at these wants as needs. We know the difference. It’s not easy to face.

With the economy the way it is now this is a good time to look at all the things you own and label them as “wants” or “needs“. If you are working on decluttering your home these labels will make it easier to let go of some of the clutter.

Needs keep us alive and safe. Food, shelter, basic clothing are a few of these. Depending on where you live and work, reliable transportation may be a need. Beyond the basics everyone’s needs will depend on their circumstances.

The wants are the big fancy cars we buy on credit or the big new home we can barely afford. Do we really need a TV and computer in every room of the house? Do we wear all the clothes that are stuffed in the closets and drawers? What about all the toys taking over the house or the piles of books, DVD’s, and video games?

Wants enrich our lives but too many of them create clutter in our homes. Before you go shopping again think about what you are buying. Is it a need or is it a want? There is nothing wrong with buying it for either reason as long as you recognize why you are buying it.

Go around your home and practice labeling your items as wants or needs. Just think how good it will feel to bless others with some of your extra wants. Donate them to a local charity so others can buy a few wants at a price they can afford.

Janice

 

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