Planning

Declutter Before You Shop

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We’ve all heard the saying “Shop till you drop”  But I think a better one is “Declutter before you shop”.  Okay, I know it doesn’t rhyme but it will help keep the clutter under control. If you get rid of the old before bringing in anything new you’ll stay one step ahead of clutter build-up.

Containers014Also if you “declutter before you shop” you’ll know before you go to the store what is needed to fill in your wardrobe or finish your decorating. At the grocery store you’ll already know what ingredients you have on the shelf and what you need. You won’t buy a duplicate of something that can go bad or expire before it is used.

 

So before you start your autumn clothes shopping go through last year’s wardrobe.  Get rid of the clothes you didn’t wear because:

  1. They no longer fit.
  2. You don’t like them.
  3. They are worn out.

Create a list of what you need or want before you go shopping.  This will help reduce the impulse buying (future clutter?).

Before heading to the grocery store get rid of the expired ingredients and put them on your shopping list. Check your recipes and weekly menu and put what you need on the list also.  Then you won’t need to make that extra last minute trip to the store.

So save time, money, and clutter by following the saying, “Declutter before you shop” instead of “Shop till you drop”.  You’ll be glad you did.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

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School Buses Are On The Move!

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The school year has already started for some.  For many others it”s just around the corner.  Whether you have school age children or not the start of the school year brings changes in almost everyone’s routines.  If you are aware of these changes you can plan ahead to avoid any frustration they may cause you.

Hundreds of thousands of school children will be walking their neighborhood streets to catch the yellow school bus at the corners.  Please be aware of them as you leave your home to drive to work or drive carpool.  We want all these children to make it to school safely. We also want them to make it home safely after school.

If you pay attention to pick-up and drop-off times, even if you don’t have children, you can plan accordingly. Allow extra time to get to your destination so you aren’t frustrated when you are slowed down while children are crossing streets or loading on or off the buses. If you are running late you know that will be the day you are stuck behind the school bus with no way to get around it!

Drive safely, teach your children about traffic safety, and hopefully we won’t hear of any tragic accident involving those innocent school children.

Janice

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Vacation In Your Own Hometown

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The 4th of July is over. Back to school doesn’t get into high gear for 4-6 weeks depending on where you live and grade level. So how are you planning to spend the next 4 plus weeks?

This is the time of year where many families take vacations. But sometimes it’s just too expensive to go anywhere. Or maybe one or both parents can’t take the time off from work. That doesn’t mean your are destined to have a long boring summer.

Learn how to vacation in your own hometown!

Get organized by first creating a Summer Planner.

It’s not too late to do that. 

What you need:

  1. 3-ring binder. Size: 1/2 inch thick to 2-3 inches. It depends on how many different things you have going on during the summer.
  2. Dividers to create different sections. Pocket dividers work great so you have a place to put any pamphlets or other info in them.
  3. Notebook paper to write down info.

What to do to set up and organize the planner:

  1. Label all the sections you need or want. Examples:
    1. Vacations
    2. Summer Camps
    3. Local Attractions (Free and paid)
    4. Rainy day activities
    5. Sunny day activities
  2. Start researching ideas for each section. Google you city or one near by and the following topics. Either print out the information you like or write on the notebook paper the sites to check into later.
    1. Museums
    2. Festivals
    3. Parks and special activities and/or events
    4. Mini vacation spots, either overnight or one day vacations
    5. Rainy day projects – art activities, scrapbooking, decluttering, redecorating a room, etc.

Be sure to include your family when researching and creating this notebook. They will be more enthusiastic about partaking in these activities and excursions. Set a day each week to plan out what they want to do and where they want to go during the next week or two. Be flexible with your plans. It’s okay to change activities on any given day as long as everyone agrees. Don’t forget to leave some days each week for good old lazy boring days. We all need those sometimes!

Here are some sites to with more ideas for things to do.

Familyeducation.com – Summer Vacation

Family.Disney.com – Summer Ideas

TheSpruce.com – free summer ideas for kids

 

Janice

 

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Paper Clutter Challenge – Home Inventory List

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For the month of May I’m challenging myself to get my paper clutter under control. I’m going to use the information in the eBook “Cut Out The Paper Clutter” to guide me.

With all the tornados destroying homes in the Midwest and South this Spring I realized it was time to update my own inventory list. So that is where I’m starting.

Please join me in this challenge by following along. Be sure to leave a comment to let me know how you are doing.

Once completed this list will give me peace of mind in case of a disaster. It can also be used as a quick and clutter free reference for important information for warranty purposes. A second copy of this list should always be kept off premises preferably in a safe deposit box.

Creating this list can be overwhelming especially if you’ve accumulated many things over the years.

That’s why I suggest you start with taking a photo inventory first then work towards creating a written list.

Here are some great reasons for taking the time to create this list.

  • Both a photo and written inventory list can help with getting reimbursed from the insurance company in case of a disaster.
  • You get to see your possessions through the eyes of a camera. It doesn’t lie!
  • Both the photos and written list can help you recognize your abundance.
  • The photos can help you see what is clutter and what is not.

Week 1 Challenge

To keep from getting overwhelmed I’m only working on one floor at a time.

I’m happy to report that many of my pictures showed that at least some of my rooms, cabinets, and closets are under control. It will be easy to do the written inventory list later. Not everything needs to be on the written list.

The good dishes in the dinning room will be easy to inventory.

The kitchen cabinets aren’t too bad either. The photo will be all that I need. Nothing too valuable here.

The pantry may not have significant things to inventory but a picture speaks a thousand words. It needs some organizing!

Again not a significant area for a detail written list. However, a good decluttering and organizing will make it easier to know what is worth replacing in case of a disaster.

My next step in this challenge will be to take pictures of the upstairs bedrooms and the finished basement. Then I’ll start the written inventory list. Of course, the more I declutter the less I’ll have to write down.

Now that sounds like a good incentive to get rid of things!

Be sure to check back on this blog for the next report.

You can sign up to receive the updates through email on the right sidebar. ——>

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

The Home Inventory List is just one part of the eBook, “Cut Out The Paper Clutter”. You can see a list of the other chapters here. I’ve also extended the special sale price during the month of May while doing this paper clutter challenge.

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Miracle Friday

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I hope everyone had a good Passover or Easter holiday this past week. Last weekend was a wild one here in the mid-west with all the tornadoes and thunderstorms. Now we are looking at potential flooding.

Many people in the St. Louis area are labeling last Friday as “Miracle Friday” because despite a tornado that took a 25 mile path of destruction through the northern part of the area there weren’t any fatalities or even serious injuries.

People heeded the warning sirens and sought out proper shelter.

I can’t even image coming out of my basement to find my home completely destroyed like the one below.

image

You can view a lot more pictures of the damage on the KSDK news site.

When looking at these pictures I get a renewed sense of what is important in life. Sometimes we put an unrealistic importance on our material possessions. Most can be replaced, the lives of our loved ones can’t.

It’s something to think about when the clutter builds up in our homes and we continue to come up with excuses to keep it.

Of course if a disaster should occur to your home it would help to be prepared to handle the aftermath. That means having the important papers you need to expedite the insurance coverage and replacement of any other important things you may need.

I think it’s time for me to re-evaluate the precautions I have or have not taken regarding my household inventory (needs updating) and other important papers. I need to go over the chapters in my eBook again and make sure everything is ready in case of a disaster.

I have decide to make this a challenge for me during the month of May.  I will work my way through my papers and household inventory and post about it on this blog. Why don’t you join me in this challenge?

Ways you can join me:

Follow this blog and post comments. You can receive updates through email here.

Follow the blog through my Facebook Page along with getting other tips there. http://www.facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors

Take the free e-course on paper clutter:  http://cutoutthepaperclutter.com/ecourse/

Purchase the eBook: http://cutoutthepaperclutter.com/

Together we can clean up our paper clutter and have peace of mind should a disaster ever happen. Of course we pray it never does, but just in case.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://www.facebook.com/CutClutterWithScissors

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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