Clutter and Migraines

        
Here's an interesting article from USA Today Weekend about the correlation between clutter and migraines:

"It turns out that the same clutter that's distracting to most of us could be downright painful to people who have migraines. Scottish researchers studied the effect of 'visual noise' on people who have migraines. 

When compared with folks who didn't get migraines, those who did were more likely to have trouble searching for and pinpointing a specific object when it was surrounded by other visual distractions. 

The clutter might even provoke migraines by triggering whole clusters of nerve cells to become overactive, just like a muscle spasm. 

Cutting the clutter not only helps migraine patients; it also relieves stress for everyone."

More on clutter and health:

When Clutter is Unhealthy

Clutter in Your Car = Danger

Statistics: The Health and Mental Health Benefits of Spring Cleaning

Three Steps to Decluttering

Reduce Christmas Stress by Organizing Now, Part 1 - Expectations

    

Can you believe it's 86 days until Christmas!!?!! That doesn't seem very long to me. I'm updating a series I do every year to help you destress Christmas.

Thinking Through Your Expectations

As you anticipate the holidays, think through your expectations. Talk with your family members or those with whom you will be spending the holiday season. Ask what is important to them as you celebrate at Christmas - activities, traditions, food, spiritual emphasis, giving, service opportunities, etc. This is the time to determine what is important.

- Make a list of all your traditions, from decorating to Christmas caroling. Keep the ones you love (forget about impressing other people), and cross off the ones you don't. It's easy to feel a need to incorporate all the traditions you have ever done, which becomes unwieldy. To continue a tradition is ridiculous if no one wants to do it!

- Be flexible when things don't fit your expectations. Christmas Day doesn't have to happen on December 25th, for example. When we lived in Kenya, we worked with an expatriot medical team who gave their staff Christmas Day off. So we celebrated Christmas as a team on another day.

- Enjoy the moment rather than compare it to memories or expectations. Be present and relish what is happening. And if it's not exactly what you had hoped for, do what you can to make it pleasant. Be other-centered rather than self-centered.

- Keep a sense of humor. I like things to match and I appreciate beauty. However, my son-in-law secretly placed a very ugly decoration on the tree one year. I did manage to resist my urge to snatch it off the tree, and we left it on the tree for giggles. It has now become a tradition.

- Be realistic!!! Know what you can handle and what you cannot. Be kind to yourself and live within your limits. Consider the limits of your family members, too. Each year is different. One year we were moving right after Christmas and our holiday preparations for that year were very few.

Other years I had themes - stars, hearts, trees, etc. But after a few years, the number of decorations was getting out of hand, so I stopped that tradition. Don't hesitate to limit activities so you can enjoy the season!!

Be intentional about Christmas this year by thinking through expectations of your own and those of your family members and friends. Give yourself permission to make your Christmas celebration personal, meaningful, and realistic.


More on celebrating:
Get Started on Your Christmas Cards
Three Steps to Planning Your Child's Parties

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Thinking/Feeling

    

This is the third in a series about personality type and organizing. As a facilitator for Myers-Briggs personality type and as a professional organizer, I often see the effects of personality type in the way my organizing clients like to organize. It also explains some conflicts when people try to organize together!

Today we're going to look at how people make decisions - a huge part of decluttering and downsizing. People take the information they have gathered through sensing or intuition (see the previous post in this series) and then need to make decisions about that information. This is done either based on objective fact (thinking) or based on values and/or how the decision will affect people (feeling). 

We use both thinking and feeling. Your preference is just that - your preference as to whether you use thinking or feeling most often. If you base your decisions on logic or objective fact, it doesn't mean you don't feel. And if you base your decisions on values and how your decisions will affect others, it doesn't mean you don't think.

Can you see the conflict brewing? Let's take Mary and John. Mary trusts her rational analysis and impersonal logic and wants to get rid of the doilies Aunt Trudy made for them as a wedding present.  They don't use them and the doilies don't really go with their decor. 

John thinks about how Aunt Trudy will feel if she discovers they got rid of the doilies after all the work she put into them. And he's picturing how nice it would be to pass them on to their children someday as heirlooms. 

Two different perspectives, neither wrong or right. Just different.

John may feel that Mary is too blunt or even harsh when making decisions based on thinking. Mary, on the other hand, may feel that John is being irrational or too sentimental when making decisions based on feeling.

Uppermost in Mary's mind is fairness. Combined with bluntness, it can come across as cold and unfeeling. Harmony is uppermost in John's mind. He is very compassionate and diplomatic. Can you see how John could give in to Mary just for the sake of harmony, when he really doesn't agree with her opinion? 

However, if Mary crosses a values line with John, he may come out fighting, which is surprising to all since he is normally so bent on harmony. 

Applications:
- The person who prefers thinking needs to realize that logic, analysis and objective fact may not be the only factors upon which to base a decision.
- The person preferring thinking needs to understand that it's okay to love a possession or be attached to it.
- The person who prefers feeling must realize that just because a special person gave a gift, the gift doesn't need to be kept. That person will still be special whether or not the gift is kept.
- The person preferring feeling needs to understand that in order to downsize or declutter, discarding some sentimental items may need to take place.
- The person preferring thinking needs to try to be diplomatic and compassionate when sorting with a person who prefers feeling.
- The person who prefers feeling needs to try to be objective and logical when sorting - whether alone, with a person who prefers thinking and especially with another person who prefers feeling.
- Both types need to communicate honestly so that both views and opinions are heard. They need to realize that they make a good team - looking at both sides of a decision before making it.
- If necessary, work out a deal with one another that is a win-win for both parties. 
- If a person has trouble letting go of a treasured possession, he/she could take a picture of it or give it to someone who will treasure it, too.  The treasured item can even be visited on occasion.

More on personality and organizing:

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Introversion/Extraversion

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Sensing/Intuition

Overwhelmed by Unfinished Projects?

Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence

Low-Cost Closet Storage Air Fresheners

      
There's nothing that ruins the ambiance of a home than foul odors! What's the point of organizing our closets (and our homes for that matter!) if they don't smell good? With four teenage girls and scores of their shoes, we are ripe for odiferous aromas wafting through our house! LOL! 

And it seems that houses just smell musty after a while. I've heard that plug-in air fresheners are fire hazards, and we are not allowed to have aerosols in our home for safety reasons. So I've been looking for ways to keep our home smelling fresh in light of these limitations. How delighted I was to discover this article by Closet Pages!

"Additions you make to your closet storage system don't have to be just gadgets, hooks and organizational structures; sometimes, it's little things that can make all the difference - like closet storage air fresheners.

Many closet storage spaces do not have air vents, which leaves the air stale and uncirculated.  As much as we don't want to admit it, this causes musty, stagnate odors where your clean clothes are stored.  Luckily, there are great inexpensive closet storage air fresheners that can solve this problem quickly, easily and at a low cost!

We've done some research of our own to see which common and not so common odor solutions work best as air deodorizers and closet air fresheners for closet storage spaces.  Some can be purchased and others are quick DIY projects, but either way, they'll get the job done.

Here Are 5 Great Low-Cost Closet Storage Air Fresheners

Activated Charcoal

That's right... activated charcoal;  a simple and seldom thought of solution for odors.  Activated charcoal acts as an odor absorbent.  Although, many retail stores sell pre-made activated charcoal air freshener solutions, they can get a little pricey.  If you choose to buy a pre-made charcoal air purifier or freshener, go for the simple, less costly ones, they all work well.  You can even find them in small sizes for pet areas and refrigerators and use them as closet air fresheners too.

You can also make a charcoal closet air freshener by purchasing tubs of activated charcoal at home improvement stores, garden shops or pet supply stores.  Put a cup of the charcoal in a thin cloth bag, place the bag in an inexpensive bowl or Tupperware container without the lid, hide it in the closet storage space and presto!  These closet storage air fresheners work in as little as a day!

Cedar

Yes, cedar has been a staple in many closets for years, it's a great air freshener for many areas including storage spaces.  You can purchase cedar chips or shavings from a pet supply store and hang them in cloth bags in your closet or purchase cedar closet storage accessories that act as closet air fresheners as well.  Cedar garment hangers, cedar shelf liners, cedar blocks, cedar sprays and cedar drawer liners are just some of the products this air freshener can be bought as.  It also works great at covering pet odors.  The cedar solutions are the most well known closet air fresheners and it's got a great reputation because it works!

Baking Soda

Have that old box of baking soda towards the back of the refrigerator that you often forget about? If you do, you probably know that baking soda absorbs odors and moisture.  Baking soda-filled bowls, pouches and products can help act as closet storage air fresheners.  Baking soda-based air fresheners can be bought in the store, but you can make them at home too!  Fill a porous fabric, filter or dryer sheet with baking soda, tie it up with some string to make a pouch then hang it up in the closet!  This is a simple and inexpensive solution, just be sure to check the baking soda every few weeks as is may need to be replaced a few times a month for best results.

Another closet storage air freshener idea for baking soda is to sprinkle it on the carpet then vacuum it up for odor elimination from the ground up.

Essential Oils

Essential oils are concentrated liquids that contain the fragrance of a plants, flowers and other such naturally occurring aromas.  Essential oils are used in soaps, perfumes and candles; why? Because they smell great!  They're a great way to freshen closet storage areas and there are dozens of aromas to choose from.  For closet air fresheners, try just dabbing a few drops on the light bulb in the closet or even soak some cotton balls in the oils and hide them in the storage space.  When the oils are heated with the light from the bulb or room temperature, the fragrance is released and the smell will fill your closet.  So, even if the closet light is only on a few times a day, that's enough to jump start the essential oil closet air fresheners.

Vinegar

White vinegar naturally dissolves odors.  No one particularly likes the smell of vinegar, but vinegar's odor dissipates quickly making it a great air freshener.  Many people will fill a small cup of vinegar and place it in the closet while others will make a vinegar+water combination that can be sprayed in the air, on the carpet or on musty clothing.  An empty spray bottle can be purchased at a local drug store.  Fill the spray bottle with a 1 part vinegar to 1 part water ration and lightly mist the musty areas.  White vinegar not only makes for a great air freshener, but can also be used to clean up around the house or help rid carpets of pet odors.

One More Closet Air Freshener Idea: Plants

Yeah... this article is called "5 Great Closet Storage Air Fresheners" but there is one more that needs to be mentioned: Plants!  Plants take in carbon dioxide, release fresh oxygen and can also filter out other harmful toxins in the air.  Plants can be placed in (naturally) well lit closets, living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms and entry ways.  They are great closet storage air fresheners, but will also clean the air in the entire house if taken care of properly.

Tips: Closet Storage Air Fresheners

• Some of these closet air fresheners eliminate odors while some simply add a fragrant smell.  A combination of solutions will work the best.  Perhaps one that dissolves the odor, then another to add a sweet scent.
• Never burn candles or incense in small confined places such as closets.
• Test any substance or any closet air fresheners on sample carpet or fabric to ensure that no harm will be done to the items in the area.
• Potpourri can always be used as well in conjunction with other simple household closet air fresheners; citrus and vanilla aromas are most popular.

Over all, the mix of activated charcoal and essential oils was a Closet Pages favorite, but we found each air freshener to be useful.  Closets are tricky places to get rid of odors since burning candles or incense in a small enclosed space, such as a closet, is NOT advised and is a fire hazard.  There is less of a variety of closet storage air fresheners than more open areas of the home with outlets, but these do it yourself simple closet air fresheners will do the trick and make your wallet happy."

More on odors:

Vinegar - 10 Ways to Save Your Clothes!

Get Organized Month - Organize Your Shoes

Three Steps to Clever Cleaning

Another Idea to Help Your Kids Get Organized

    
Looking for a way to organize your kids, especially in the morning, in the afternoon, and at bedtime? Try using dry erase boards!

To get your kids involved, have them list the things they need to do at these critical times of the day. By thinking of and writing down those items, they are more invested in the process, hopefully. If your child is too young to read or write, have them draw pictures.

When each item is accomplished, it can be checked off. At the end of the day, the check marks can be erased and the list is still in tact. 

A nice tool for disorganized or forgetful kids. 


More on organizing kids:

Helping Your ADHD Child Get Organized

Getting Organized for School - Organizing Homework

Getting Organized for School (and life!) 2010 - Getting Enough Sleep

Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room

Organizing Lawn Care - Fall Projects

     
We're already seeing leaves fall from the trees. It doesn't seem we are going to have very pretty fall colors due to the dry summer we had. Last year our next door neighbor's red maples were so beautiful - I'll be sad if we don't get to see them in all their glory! 

Fall is a wonderful time to get your lawn and garden ready for the winter and spring. We are doing some major weeding at our house today! Here's a post from the past on that subject:
Plan ahead now to get that wonderful garden and lawn in the spring! Especially, if you're planning to put your house on the market next spring, this will give you a head start on your curb appeal.

My husband just put Scott's Turf Builder Winterguard on our lawn to beef up the grass over the winter. It comes in varieties that get rid of weeds and other pesky problems. For some reason crab grass has become very obnoxious this year in our lawn.

Another suggestion from Scott's: don't bother raking your leaves. Go over them two or three times with the mower until they are dime-sized. Next, feed your lawn. And the nitrogen and microbes will take care of the recycling. Sounds good to me!

Scott's website has helpful information, including a schedule for lawn care according to your zip code.

This is also the time of year to plant those tulips, narcissus, and other bulbs that look so inviting in the spring. A couple of years ago, we dug up our entire front garden, mapped it out, and planted perennials so we would have blooms the entire spring and summer.

One of those perennials, however, took over much of the garden and I'm not happy with the color, either. And not enough tulips and narcissus came up. So we're going to redo it again. I'm not so sure I would be motivated to do it again so soon, but we are having the drainage system redug because it is leaking into our basement. So if we are going to have to dig up the garden anyway, we may as well be intentional about it.

By now, I know what I like in the garden and what I don't want to see again. I've also learned what grows well here and what doesn't. A lot of it is trial and error, isn't it? I had the idea that once we mapped it all out, it would all grow just as we planned and I would love it. But some didn't come up and some grew too much and some I'm tired of. It's a lot of work, but it sure pays off when flowers pop up each year and it makes our house look so cute!

What do you do in the fall to prepare your lawn and garden for spring?


Related Posts:
Using Your Snow Shovel Year Round - Another Gardening Tip
Winterizing your Garden
 

Decluttering Seminar

    
I will be giving a seminar on Decluttering on Saturday, November 13 from 3 - 4:30 pm at the Kent Free Library. We will be discussing creating a vision for your room, sorting, managing paper clutter, maintaining your new look and more!  

Kent Free Library is located at 312 W.Main Street, Kent, OH 44240. There is no charge for the seminar, but call to register - 330-673-4414. 


More on decluttering:
Three Steps to Decluttering

The #1 Cure for Accumulating Clutter

Starting Small with Clutter

How to Avoid a Clutter Explosion When You Walk in the Door

I'm Honored to Receive the Top 50 Freshmen Advisor Award!

   
Isn't it nice when life is difficult and something comes along to encourage you?  Recently we've had some trying days as foster parents of four teenage girls, and my father's health is failing, making for some hard days.

Several things have happened in the last week to encourage me, one of them is being given the Top 50 Freshmen Advisor Award by Accredited Online Colleges. 

"The Freshmen Advisors Award recognizes the top web thought-leaders that offer young students advice that advances the college life experience. Your website has shown commitment to assisting college freshman on their (organizational) transition into college and this award is intended to commend your efforts."

They are referring to my book Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student which helps students determine their passions, priorities and gifts which will act as filters for new and present activities.

Thanks for sharing in my encouragement!


More on college:

Organizing For College - Dorm Room

Review - AgendaWorks Planner

Review of Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student

When to Find Organizing/Decorating Items on Sale

     
Everyone's watching their pennies these days, but don't let that stop you from reorganizing or redecorating! Here's a list of when different items go on sale (not just organizing/decorating items), so you can plan your strategy! Thanks to Happy Hacker BBS II for this list:

JANUARY: Christmas decorations (up to 90% off in some cases); Linens; Bikes; Outdoor gear; Furniture; Winter coats (up to 75% off in some cases); CDs and DVDs; Cookware; Swimwear; Toys.

FEBRUARY: Winter clothes; Houses and Condos; Humidifiers; Small Consumer Electronics; MP3s and digital cameras; Treadmills.

MARCH: Video games; China; Computers.

APRIL: Electronics.

MAY: Towels; Athletic apparel; Cordless phones; Small appliances; Mother's Day materials.

JUNE: Tools; Father's Day materials; Computers; Swimwear.

JULY:  School supplies; Computers; Furniture; Swimwear.

AUGUST: Pool toys; Sandals; Patio furniture; Air conditioners; Camping equipment; Dehumidifiers.

SEPTEMBER: Summer clothes; Inflatable pools; Gas grills; Shrubs, trees, perennials.

OCTOBER: Lawn mowers.

NOVEMBER: Baby products; Toys; Halloween items.

DECEMBER: Christmas items (after Christmas Day); Wedding dresses; Cars.

Isn't this great information?



More on saving money:

Reorganize and Decorate with Little Cash or Carbon Footprint

When a Bargain is Not a Bargain

Swap Parties - Decluttering, Saving Money

Three Steps to Decluttering

Short on Space for Bathroom Towel Racks?

        
If you're short on horizontal space for towel racks in your bathroom, here are a few ideas:

Coat racks

 

Coat Hooks

Over-the-Door Hooks

Do you have some space-saving tips?

More on the bathroom:

Magnetic Paint - An Innovative Space Saver!

Better Homes and Gardens - Inexpensive Storage and Organizing Solutions

Clever Cleaning

National Preparedness Month - Are You Ready for an Emergency?

     
September is National Preparedness Month. A couple of years ago I wrote a series on being prepared for emergencies. Rather than reposting all those, I thought I'd just put up the links for your convenience. 

- National Preparedness Month - Making a Plan

- National Preparedness Month - Determining Potential Emergencies

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #1: NOAA Radio

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #2: Landline Phone

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #3 - Water 

 - National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #4 - First Aid Kit

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #5 - Additional Supplies

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #6 - Food

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #7 - Medications and Medical Supplies

- National Preparedness Month - Emergency Kit #8 - Emergency Documents

- National Preparedness Month - Evacuation Plan

- National Preparedness Month – Evacuation from Work, School, Daycare, and Neighborhood Communities 

- National Preparedness Month - Wrapping It Up: Surge Protectors, Utilities, and More

It's quite a lot to do, but it's a great feeling to be prepared!

More on preparedness:

Getting Organized for Tornado Weather

An Emergency Entry on Your Cell Phone

Can Your Loved Ones Find Your Important Documents?

Memories, Small Spaces and Double-Duty Storage

  
This past spring I helped organize a client who lives in a very small space. She is very sentimental, so she needed a way to keep her sentimental things around her while using her space well.

One item she found while shopping is a picture frame that doubles as jewelry storage. If you look carefully at the picture, you can see that the picture frame swings out. Behind the frame are hooks for necklaces, and storage for earrings and rings. This particular frame comes from J C Penney.

My client has numerous grandchildren and is continually collecting little gifts for them. A trunk that has been handed down in the family now stores those gifts, making them accessible, but hidden. As a result, pleasant memories are associated with this trunk in a couple of ways.

A wall-hung coat rack which belonged to her dad now serves as their entry way coat closet, since their house does not have one. An ottoman in the living room opens up to reveal extra storage.

Thankfully, my client's house has a large attached garage. Those things which are used occasionally can be stored there, and don't need to take up real estate in the house.


More on storage:
 Color-Coding Your Storage

Containerizing Your Kitchen

Don't Make the #1 Organizing Mistake

Three Steps to Decluttering

  

Creating Buffer Zones in Your Day

Don't you hate it when you show up for a meeting or appointment, only to find that it is running late because earlier appointments ran late? I know I do!

When you are the one in control of the schedule, here are some ideas to keep this from happening:

- When scheduling appointments or projects during your day, plan in some buffer zones. This means adding an extra few minutes to allow for these activities to take longer than expected.

- Don't fall into the trap, though, of relaxing your efficiency since you've planned in extra time. Try to finish in the time you estimated without the buffer zone.

- If you end up with a few extra minutes between appointments or projects, have a ready list of to dos that take short snatches of time. These will refresh your brain since you're changing focus for a few minutes between appointments or projects.

- Always carry something with you to do should you be kept waiting. Or if the person with whom you are meeting is chronically running late, call ahead to see if he/she is on time.

By adding buffer zones to your schedule, it's less likely you'll keep others waiting by underestimating time requirements. And you'll reduce your own stress because you're not constantly running behind. 

What a difference a few minutes makes!


More on appointments/projects:

A Dozen Tips for Efficient Appointments

Scheduling Appointments

A Dozen Ways to Take the Stress out of Big Projects

Three Steps to Time Management at the Office

  

Getting Organized for School 2010 - Online Homework Help

           
I'm reposting this very helpful information for those who have school-age children:

Mary Meehan in her article School Rules: Tips for Parents offers some homework resources for kids:

- "Infoplease is a free reference site including an encyclopedia, dictionary, almanacs and a "Homework Center" that covers English, math, history, geography, science and social studies. Plus it has a "Skills" section to help improve study, writing, speaking and research abilities. 

- Need help with homework or a school project? Discovery Education provides "Homework Help" to students in all grades with links to loads of sites. The links are conveniently organized according to subject. 

- Homework Spot offers links to Web sites grouped by grade level.

- Scholastic's "Homework Hub" offers free tools, tips and activities arranged according to grade and subject. In addition, it provides an online store offering Scholastic brand products. 

- Homeworkhelp.com offers live, online tutoring with personalized programs for fourth to 12th grade students. Users must purchase levels of membership ranging from $30 to $175.”

Source: School Rules: Tips for Parents by Mary Meehan, Dow Jones MarketWatch.

Related topics:  
Getting Organized for School - Backpack Checklist 
Getting Organized for School - Creating a Hub 
Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom
 

Getting the Most Bang Out of Your Produce Buck

I love having fresh produce available at local farmer's markets! I'll hate to see them go. I came across the following article regarding fresh produce, which I thought might be of interest to you. I learned a few things!

Fresher Doesn’t Always Mean Healthier

"Frozen foods can be not only cheaper but healthier - especially when it comes to fruits and vegetables in the winter and spring months. As Birdseye realized, fast freezing means more nutrition: One study found that vegetables such as green beans and spinach lose 75 percent of their vitamin C after being stored in the fridge for a week. 

And at Arizona State University, an analysis found that ready-to-drink orange juice has less than half the vitamin C of frozen OJ and loses all of its C within 4 weeks of opening the package. So freezing really does help foods retain the vast majority of their nutrients. 

Additionally, food processors pick "fresh" produce when it's still unripe, and then it sits on trucks and boats during its long journey-sometimes thousand of miles-to your supermarket. 

But produce intended to be sold frozen is picked at the peak of ripeness - which means it has more time to suck up nutrients from the sun and the soil. So not only are frozen foods higher in nutrition to begin with, but they also don't lose nutrients sitting in trucks and then in the fridge."

More on produce:

Getting the Maximum Mileage out of Your Veggies

Organizing the Pantry

My Ongoing Quest: Not to Go to the Grocery Store

Hassle Free Dinners