Spring Into New Year's Action...begin right here, right now

Why wait for Spring to get started. If you are motivated and inspired, then why not start today?

One of my favorite movies is "Under the Tuscan Sun." The protagonist, Frances, has purchased a house in Tuscany and in a moment of panic and overwhelm she says, "The trick to overcoming buyer's remorse is to have a plan. Pick a room and make it yours." I do not have buyer's remorse, but I DO understand the feeling of overwhelm. Whether you feel a sense of dread over post holiday clean up, or feel overwhelm due to life changes, I propose that you pick a room or a space in your home that is not being used to its best ability and consider changing it to make it your own.

Whether you have 15 minutes or 15 hours at your disposal, there are small tasks and projects that will make a tangible difference to your comfort and use of your spaces. Take those increments of time and repeat often until you feel and see the change that make a difference to you. Block out time on your calendar and commit to creating an environment that works for your life as it is right here, right now.

First step is choosing one space or room in which to work your magic.  Let me share what I am doing in my own spaces in hopes that it will help you to visualize.  I found myself with New Year's Day completely open and at my disposal. I wandered through my house, room by room and found one space calling to me for change. The space felt heavy!  Despite pretty furniture and freshly painted walls, beautiful art and good lighting, it was missing something. And, I acknowledged that no one spends much time in this room. Even guests will gravitate to the family room, which although always a bit messy and dusty, has an air of comfort, a welcoming quality. My daughter weighed in on this and with her careful honesty shared her thoughts on what would make the unused room more inviting. Real estate is too valuable to sit empty as they say; so I listened with an open mind!

Step two is to move and use existing materials. I urge you not to rush out to bring more into this space. Live with it and look for things in other parts of your home that will make this newly repurposed space work even better. You probably have many treasures that make your heart sing.

Step three, keep only those things that bring a smile to your face, or serve the purpose you choose for this particular space. This goes beyond de-cluttering and cleaning. This is about creating a new energy in your surroundings. Remove unwanted items from the room. Period! These items go into one of three places, the garbage, the sharing pile, or the recycle pile. Do not bring them back into the room. If they belong somewhere else in the house, put them away! The space will begin to feel different, more open and lighter. At this point in the process, I like to sit for a minute and savor this feeling before moving on to the next steps.

Step four, look at the space from several angles while positioning the furniture. No one likes to sit facing away from the door or entry. I am currently working on the room that you enter from my front door. Adjusting the seating has already made a difference to how the room feels and I noticed that my son came in, sat, and chatted with me few times over the course of the afternoon. He had helped me schlepp the heavy pieces and is now a stakeholder in the success of this project.

Step five, finishing touches may include dusting and cleaning the floors and windows and  a little paint touchup on newly exposed walls or baseboards. No time like the present. And if you have put your label maker to good use, the paint cans in your garage will be easy to sort through and this little refresh will take but a few minutes. More on labeling later.

For now, Happy New Year and let's do it it with less stress.

Negative Space is Incredibly Positive...The Power of Pausing

There is power in pausing.

Pauses are as important in life as they are in art. Breathing, we inhale, and breathing, we exhale! Yet, sometimes we need reminding not to hold our breaths. Rushing around from thing to thing, we forget the importance of the pause. In life, as in art, the negative space is a critical piece of the whole. Just as the negative space defines the boundaries of the art composition and draws attention to it, and just as the silence in music, or the stillness in dance, draw attention, we are given the opportunity to pause and reflect and to give thanks in those moments. The art is richer, the dance more meaningful, the music more poignant.

As Thanksgiving approaches, it occurs to me that there is something rather special about this particular holiday. Despite, all of the frenzy and excitement looming in December, Thanksgiving is a day when most of us pause to enjoy our families and friends.

What if we were to take that idea and weave it into our daily lives...into our personal and work lives and into our personal and work spaces? What if we remembered to take small breaks to loosen tense shoulder muscles, to play with the dog, to look out the window, to sit with a cup of tea without multitasking? Would we get less done, and feel more behind? Or would we actually feel energized and more connected to ourselves and those around us? Would our experiences change, would our views broaden and our eyes see more? I say yes!

For me, decluttering is another form of pausing. Removing things that no longer suit me, no longer make me happy, or no longer serve a purpose, is mentally cleansing. It leaves a visual pause, or negative space in my surroundings, and has a calming effect on me. Clear your desk at the end of your work day and notice how this impacts you the next time you sit down to work there. Clear the clutter from your purse, your wallet, your car, and savor the emptiness.

Pause to reflect upon what you have accomplished today. If you were to make a list, you would be amazed at how many things you do every day. I am grateful that I can do so much for myself. Ask anyone who has been ill or recently injured, and they will tell you how much they have taken for granted.  I leave you with this thought. The pauses, or negative spaces in our lives, invite us to focus upon how we view our days, our accomplishments, ourselves, and for that I give thanks.

*photo of painting, "The Dance Examination," by Edgar Degas

Holiday Thing Management...making peace with your things requires a little courage and a little creativity

There are signs everywhere that the holidays are upon us. And, I LOVE it! But there is a real danger in becoming overwhelmed and overloaded by our THINGS, especially at this time of year!!! As all of the pretty ornaments and holiday themed decorations and wonderful specialty items go on display, we are tempted to throw caution to the wind and bring yet more into our homes, sometimes without thought as to where they will live for the other 11 months of the year, or whether we really even need them.

The need question is simple to answer. But there will be no judgement from me. I just spent an hour at Crate and Barrel sighing over this year's Christmas tree ornaments and even bought a few. What it is different for me this year, however, is that I have a plan and a place to keep them after the holidays.

Last year, I sorted through every box and bag of decorations that had collected over the years, and shed myself of quite a few things that I no longer really cherished or needed. There will be more of that as the boxes come out again this year and I will take another critical look and shed a few more things.

Here are a few ideas for keeping holiday thing management under control:

1. Share/give away/throw away one item for every item that you bring into your home...okay one for every two or three things if you have the storage space and are building your collection. But, be honest, be brave! And, remember that sharing is a blessing!

2. Consider Coco Chanel's motto of less is more and take the last item out of your cart and put it back onto the shelf.

3.  If a THING calls loudly to you, and won't stop, consider it for someone on your shopping list; wrap and label it for that person immediately so as to remove the temptation to keep it for yourself.

4. Decorate early in the season, savor the ambience longer, and move on to the other elements of the holiday that you enjoy!

5. Consider experiences as a part of your holiday to-do list: The Boat Parade of Lights, Christmas Card Lane,  a party or potluck with friends, a trip to Starbuck's on the first day that the red cups arrive! You get the idea. I celebrate Christmas; so am focused there. But the same encouragement holds true for Hanukkah or other Winter holidays and holds true for Thanksgiving and Halloween as well.

6. Find a buddy to make the task of sorting decorations more fun and then return the favor. Have lively music and delicious refreshments on hand.

7. As you sort through your boxes of holiday treasures and decorations, remember that gently used or never used items can be wrapped and given to toy drives and other charity events. Be creative and generous! And do it early in the season so that others have more time to savor their new treasures.

8. Finally, as you make your way through the holiday season, repeatedly ask yourself the tough questions: Why am I keeping this? Why am I buying this?

No, I don't need four plastic pumpkins for trick or treating.  My children no longer trick or treat. The flip side of this record is, yes, I DO need an extra string of lights. Do NOT wait until two weeks before Christmas and expect to find twinkle lights lining the shelves of your favorite stores.

Or, you could consider using fewer lights! For me, this is one place Coco and I disagree. More is more when it comes to twinkling lights in December! Just remember to consider where you will shelter them the remainder of the year.

Cheers!

Garage Sales...the good, the bad, and the ugly

What is it about springtime weather that brings out the declutter bug?

Rather than allow clutter to remain inside the house, I allow it to find its way into the garage for final review. (garages serve as basements/attics in California, don't judge!) That said, the garage needs to be usable and it was groaning from the strain of holding too much stuff!

For several weeks, I have worked my way through the house, inch by inch, drawer by drawer and corner by corner. A growing pile of usable items collected in the far corner awaiting the much advertised annual community garage sale.

I was outside and organized before my first customer arrived and by 10 am. vowed to never, never, NEVER host a garage sale again. Ironically, as I was putting things haphazardly into boxes and bags several very interested buyers appeared and eagerly poked through the bags looking for buried treasure.

My total earnings were $27 and some priceless pearls of wisdom which I will share with you now.

1. Messy is better! People like to treasure hunt.  

2. Smile and set no expectations except to meet some very interesting people.  

3. If you are at all attached your treasures and have found purging and editing your home difficult, DO NOT have a garage sale. You will be tempted to keep things you have not even missed until you see them again on the sale table.      

4. Load the car with the remaining items from your garage sale and head straight to your favorite  charity.      

5. Better yet, schedule home pick up (AMVETS is my favorite) on a regular basis, as you have a bag or two ready to share, to avoid *purger's remorse.

* definition of purger's remorse: regret over the removal of an item from your home and subsequent reintroduction to your home with said item.  

Treasures...Keep those cards and letters coming...and going!

Ever need to stay home while work is being done to a part of your house? Did you set aside a special project or task, easily interrupted, to occupy you so that you were available for the potential myriad of questions from the soul who chose to assist you in refreshing your home? My advice is this: have a stocked fridge, the coffee or tea kettle ready, and a clear work space. And if you are visually hypersensitive, as I am, then know what soothes you during the disruption to your visual senses. For me, I am calmed by Mozart, deep breathing and objective family members who remind me that this disruption is temporary.

Painting the master bedroom and bathroom seemed like a brilliant idea, especially on paper when I scheduled it a few months ago. Amazing how a simple, fresh coat of paint will cheer up a room! I am fortunate to have high, sloping ceilings in my bedroom, and although I could do this task myself, do not relish the idea of tottering on a ladder craning my neck for three days at such a lofty height!

Sunday was spent pulling everything out of my room to make space to move the large furniture into the middle of the room come "paint day." This could have taken an hour, but...those of you who know me, know I cannot simply remove things without peering inside the drawer, the box, the trunk. So I spent much of Sunday looking through my personal things, sorting, purging and reminiscing.

Yes, I can be very organized. But I am also sentimental and have a little trouble letting go of treasures! Mine includes boxes of cards and letters that have collected over the years never to be tossed or dismissed. Today I read through about 100 cards and letters sent years ago. Yes, I sat in the midst of my office, crammed full of the overflow from my bedroom, and poured over old messages and pretty cards.

There are several from my Nana, and many from mother's cousin who has faithfully written to me a few times every year with her beautiful, recognizable penmanship. Despite having never met her in person, I feel a connection through these many letters.

These treasures reminded me yet again of the many blessings in my life...friends and family, moments and events, weddings and  births, and thank you's for long since forgotten gifts of self. Saying thank you is such a simple task and yet so meaningful to the recipient. I have a happy heart tonight as I write a few thank you's of my own. I am saving a few of the cards and letters for myself, setting aside a few to share with friends and family to remind them of long past memories, and recycling the rest! They have served a beautiful purpose, a walk down memory lane, and now safely stashed in the "blue recycle bin" for the next collection. Perhaps, they will serve to save a tree!

Travel/Packing...and then she said, "Packing is my favorite part of vacation!"

My daughter is incredibly organized in thought and action. And she love, love, LOVES to pack! Go figure.

As for me, it is the the most challenging piece of travel plans whether I am going away over night or for a week at a time. I am guilty of taking too much. And, because I dread it, I put it off until the last minute and end up taking too much. I am a work in progress. Even the most organized people have their achilles heels.

Let me share with you the first and most important pearl of wisdom which has made travel packing more bearable for me. Whenever possible, DO NOT wait until the last minute to pack!! 

Secondly, I have found it helpful to replenish toiletries and essentials upon my return from a trip. Sounds obvious, but there are so many things begging for your attention upon returning home and the empty shampoo bottle, missing razor, and the item you wish you had thought to bring go unnoticed until the next trip when, in the rush, they are left out and you arrive to your destination without them.

Yes, you can always buy them where you are going, but expect to pay too much and to settle for a less than favorite brand or to do without. Not the end of the world which has much bigger problems than hairy legs, but let us not forget the butterfly effect. A happy ripple in the pond of life is preferable to irritability!

Finally, make a list that you can keep with your luggage or in your phone. Add to it, delete from it, take photos of outfits that travel well. And, use it faithfully when packing!

Here are a few of my favorite things for travel:

      Hanging organizer bags with pockets (Container Store, Target)

      Mini lotions and potions (The Body Shop has amazing sales on these)

      Individual laundry soap packets (a huge fan)

      Water bottles

      Baggies

      Travel set of super essential items...i.e., tooth brush and comb

      Packing cubes (Container Store, Amazon)

      Extra memory card and charging cables for my camera gear

Happy travels!

Garages...last night I dreamed my whole house was clean!

As much as I would love to continue working inside the house, the garage needs me more. And, lucky for me, there is a community-wide garage sale on Saturday. So for the next few days, I will clear a path through the garage deciding what to set outside for this timely event. One man's discards are soon to become another's treasures. This will eventually create more space for, dare I say it, my car. Now that would be a feat in southern California given the lack of basements and attic space.

Having a few cupboards in the garage gives me overflow pantry space and emergency supplies. Good to take inventory of expired items and what is missing. Keeping paper, sticky notes and a pen handy will save time in the long run. I don't know about you, but I tend to become easily distracted. Remember the book, "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie?" Well, if you send Jen to the kitchen to make a list, she is going to want a cup of tea, and then remember that she didn't eat lunch and before you know it, the list is long forgotten. So... my rule of thumb is to keep supplies at arm's reach to stay on task! Pockets are also a good idea.

You might be surprised at what you will discover about yourself as you clear the clutter. I have learned or should I say, remembered that photographs are one of my favorite art forms. I have stopped along the way to reframe photographs taken by my family and have created wall collages in my office, in the hallway, and a few other places in the house. My desk and countertops are clear leaving me more space to work. Not only do they bring a smile to my face, but cleaning them is a breeze!

If you aren't using Swiffers yet, try them!!!! Another favorite staple of mine is "earthquake putty." I put a little dab on one back corner of each picture frame. The picture frames are stable which adds to the sense of order and calm.

I am heading back to the garage now and will let you know what else I discover.

Hallways, Entryways, & Alleyways...when the cat has her ears flicking backwards, best you pay attention!

I have a cat named Gabby who prefers that the house be calm and orderly. So you can imagine how disruptive the process of clearing and decluttering is for her.

My office is now a beautiful, organized space and Gabby is lounging near the window...content! Not so yesterday!! What I no longer wanted in my office work space had accumulated in the hallway and down the stairs into the entryway.

My task or should I say, my priority yesterday was to make sense of the piles, and then move them out of those walkways or out of the house if possible. Every time I passed Gabby I knew there was more work to do since her ears are a telltale sign of disapproval.

Today she is happy and I can walk through the house without tripping over anything but my own feet. The entry is as it should be to suit me...shoes, a key basket and a few things to take on my errands. The hallway is open and ready for the next project. Sorry Gabby...I am not finished with the house, but for now, it feels calm and orderly, just the way we like it!

Stuck for ideas on sharing unwanted or no longer needed items? Here are two of my favorites.

   1. AMVETS-will pick up household items that can be lifted by one person               Call-1-877-990-VETS or check out www.teamvets.com

   2. Carmel Mountain Vision Care-collects usable, discarded eyewear for Lions Club Optometrics 9320 Carmel Mountain Rd., Suite E, San Diego, CA 92129  (858) 484-1500