Guest Blog Post at The Work at Home Woman!
Recently, I had the privilege to write a guest blog post for, The Work at Home Woman. This is a great website and I highly recommend you check it out! 
The article, Get Your Home Office Organized, is about giving your desk a makeover. Something we all should do from time to time! Just this past weekend, my husband and I cleared our office and recycled 2 bags of paper! No matter how organized you are, you always need to do a purging session every now and then!
When you get busy, and in our case we both share the same space, you must maintain the organization by taking time to file, purge, and rework your system. It makes a difference. It felt so good to get the office back to working for us and not against us!
Happy Organizing!
Learning From The Olympians!
The Olympics have come to a close. For the last 2 weeks my family watched in anticipation of what was going to happen next. We even bought the Olympic Wii game for Valentines Day! We had a lot of fun playing the different sports and winning gold medals from time to time. Pretending what it must feel like to be Lindsey Vonn or Shaun White.
There is something magical about the Olympics. There was not one medal ceremony where I did not shed a tear. It didn’t matter what anthem was being played. To see the athletes faces was priceless. They beamed with pride and accomplishment.
There was not a personal story of an Olympian that did not touch me. These athletes are amazing. It’s impressive to see the dedication and commitment they put into their sports. I can barely get myself to exercise 30 minutes a day, and these guys are working out 30+ hours in a week. Amazing. We saw perseverance at its finest. These athletes never gave up. Many had obstacles to beat, injuries to nurse, but they still went on to compete. And some went on to win. Amazing.
What struck me most about these athletes were how positive they were. They were happy people, fulfilling their lifelong dreams. There was a sparkle in their eye, passion in their voice. They were people living in the moment.
What can we learn from these athletes?
I may not win a gold medal anytime soon, but I wonder if I put in the time, the dedication, the commitment, the passion, the heart into my job as a mother, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a professional organizing coach, or any other role I play… I wonder what that would look like? I wonder how it could change my life, the lives around me? I wonder what kind of difference it would make?
What about you?
The lessons we can learn are countless. Persevere, don’t give up, believe in your dreams, when you fall stand up tall and with grace, stand proud. Inspire others, work hard and achieve. Live in the moment. Win your gold medal!
Congratulations Team USA! I am proud to be an American!
Your Main Entrance
There are places in our homes that can become what I call “dumping grounds”. Things get put there. It can be anything; keys, papers, toys, books, it doesn’t really matter. If there is room, the item gets placed there.
An entryway, can become a dumping ground very easily. They can become piled with mail, brochures left on the door, coats, shoes, you name it and it could be there.
This is what “Clear Your Clutter” by Karen Kingston says about the entryway:
“In Feng Shui, the main entrance to your home represents your approach to the world as you look out, and your approach to your own life as you look in. Just as people enter and leave through this doorway, so too does energy. If the area is cluttered in any way it can restrict the flow of opportunities coming to you and hinder your progress in the world. This is a very important area to keep clear. Clutter near the main entrance creates unnecessary struggle in your life.”
Now this gives your clutter at the entryway a lot of deeper meaning than just clutter. I agree with the importance of keeping it clear. The entryway is the first impression of your home to your visitors. But more importantly it is how you are welcomed everyday into your home. Coming home to a space which is not cluttered is more relaxing than not. It can set the tone of how the rest of your evening is going to go.
Here are simple ways on keeping the area clear:
1) Evaluate your space. What do you like about it, what troubles you? Ask yourself what first impression are you giving off to guests? When you enter, do you feel welcomed? If not, then what changes can you make? Maybe adding a table by the front door or a picture on the wall that you enjoy.
2) If you have a table by the front door, make sure to designate it’s purpose. Do not allow things that do not belong there. If it’s purpose is to hold keys and wallets, then place a small decorative bowl or basket on the table.
3) Place a large vase with flowers or decorative pieces on the table to prevent piles from getting stacked. If something is already there that is suppose to be, the likelihood of the other stuff staying is not as good.
4) If you have a lot of coats and shoes, decide what the right amount is in the space to eliminate it from getting too crowded. Only put in the space the items you wear on a daily basis, everything else should be put somewhere else.
Happy Organizing!
Letting Go!
“The process of clearing clutter is all about letting go. Not just letting go of your belongings-that is only the end result. The most important thing is learning to let go of the fear that keeps you holding on to them after it is time to move them on their way.” Clearing Your Clutter With Feng Shui”, by Karen Kingston
Letting go. This is difficult for many of us. Our belongings can take a life of their own. How many of you have kept something just in case you may need it someday? Or you kept something because it was a gift from your mother in law? I bet there are some nodding heads right now.. Because it’s true. We have many excuses of why we keep what we keep. 
In the chapter of Letting Go, there are two key points I want to share, they include Just Passing Through, and Let go of Fear.
Just Passing Through- “Just because you own something, it doesn’t mean that you have to keep it forever.” This is so true. In our lives, I believe we go through different chapters. Life is always changing and it does not look the same from chapter to chapter. If something does not fit you, you no longer like it, you never did like it, then give yourself permission to let it go.
Let Go Of Fear- The book states people hold on to clutter because they are afraid to let it go. They are afraid there may be consequences or regret later on. It can be very emotional to let items go. What I love most about this section is this: “Love and Fear cannot exist in the same space, so everything you are holding on to through fear is blocking you having more love in your life; clearing it allows more love to start pouring in. Fear stops you from being who you truly are and doing what you came here to do; clutter clearing brings you greater clarity about your life purpose.” She goes on to say it gives you freedom and this is the best gift you can yourself. I love this! This is really something to think about. Looking at this process as a gift to yourself and to your family is truly a great way to see it. This attitude can be the motivator that keeps you going!
Why do you keep what you do? Have you ever gotten rid of something and then regretted it later?
Next Post: Your Entranceway – the importance this one space has in your home!
Happy Organizing!
What is Clutter?
The book I will be talking about this week is called, Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui, by Karen Kingston. For the next 3 posts, I will be discussing certain aspects of the book. I will share what is written and then you give some of my own insight.
Clutter. It’s a very common term in the organizing world. We talk about clearing clutter, conquering clutter, cut the clutter and so on. If you have ever studied Feng Shui, you will see the word clutter come up many times. What is clutter? What does this term mean to you?
In the dictionary clutter is defined:
clutter |ˈklətər| noun a collection of things lying about in an untidy mass : the attic is full of clutter.• [in sing. ] an untidy state : the room was in a clutter of smelly untidiness. verb [ trans. ]crowd (something) untidily; fill with clutter : his apartment was cluttered with paintings and antiques | luggage cluttered up the hallway. ORIGIN late Middle English (as a verb): variant of dialect clotter [to clot,] influenced by cluster and clatter .
In Clear Your Clutter, there are four categories of clutter:
1) Things you do not use or love
2) Things that are untidy or disorganized
3) Too many things in too small a place
4) Anything unfinished
I really like how she has defined these categories. They make sense to me. These categories can be a great guide for you when deciding if something should stay or go. Do your things belong in one of these categories?
I am a true believer that for everything there is a place. I believe we should only keep what we love. You can have too many items in a small space, and your home is much easier to organize and stay organized if you have less stuff.
I have said this before and is worth repeating, organization is not about perfection. It looks different for everyone. What I might think is clutter is not for someone else. They love what they have and have a place for it, then it works.
“Clutter” is not a word I use often. I never want to give the impression the items you own are of no value and should be thrown away. Sometimes the word can feel that way. When we are always talking about getting rid of it, clearing it, what have you. If the items are something you love and bring joy into your life then it’s not about getting rid of it, as much as it is finding a home for it that works.
My goal for clients is to help them make tough decisions. To help them build systems to maintain their organization and ultimately live in a happy and peaceful space.
With using these 4 categories, what can you do to “clear your clutter”? Do you relate to one of the 4 categories more than the others? How do you define clutter?
Next Post: How To Let Go!
Happy Organizing!
