Click for Clutter!!

I want to tell you about a really neat adventure that Darryle is on for 2009. She is determined to clear out her clutter, so she has made up a blog called, "Click for Clutter."
She is taking pictures of the things that she isn't using and
can't decide what to do with. The readers then vote for each item for either *Keep...*Toss....*Give to Me. If you want her to give it to you then you have to write why you would like to have it.
She has a date each item is going to end.
How fun is this for others to follow! How cool is this that Darryle has such determination to clear out her clutter.
Check out her site Click for Clutter!

I Won an Award!!

I won this "Your Blog is Fabulous" award from Elizabeth who has Two Little Lambs Blog. Make sure you go see her blog...it is so cute! I am thrilled as this is the first award I have won! Thanks so much Elizabeth for thinking of me.

This Fabulous award comes with a few rules: Put the logo on your blog or post. Nominate at least 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.
Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.
I'm sharing this love with....

1) alidotes Ali has become a great blogging buddy and has a great blog and family!!

2) Hot Chocolate Caramel Mocha Oh my gosh is this a cute blog...Stesha has done a great job
and you will want to have a cup of coffee while you read it!

3) Go Graham Go Felicia has been wonderful to talk to. She has a great blog with giveaways and
tips!

4) Peanut Butter & Pickles Review Lacie introduced me to the real world of blogging! Just a
post on a forum I was on and then I was asking her a thousand questions. Guess what
she answered them all!! Great review site with lots of giveaways!

5) Crafty Mama of 4 Kim has a great blog. The colors are great and its fun to look at. She has
been featured on the Walmart 11 Moms as a guest blogger and also just wrote up a very
nice review for me on the console caddie. (Plus she helped me be able to use the link
feature just recently!!

6) Barefoot-Mommy Krissy has a really good review site. I won the cutest Chatter Chix gift
from her!!

7) Life Down Here Lindsey Joy is living in Panama as a missionary with her husband and
daughter. She is designing blogs on the side and does a fantastic job!! I found her
through Lacie at Peanut Butter & Pickle Review and she did all three of my blogs!
She was wonderful to work with even if you are technology challenged like I am!

8) Lil Momma's Haven Karen I just recently met via blogging and twittering, but she has
4 children and included in that four are triplets. Two boys and one girl just like me!

9) Clutter Control Nicole has this cute site with organizing tips! Love those!! Yeah organizers!

10) Mom of 2 Dancers Ginny has a great little blog with the cutest little girls. She has a review
site and other great resources.


For this award I must list five addictions:

1) Chocolate and sweets!!
2) Most recently blogging and twittering
3) My Family!
4) Love the Biggest Loser
5) Organizing!

Insert for file drawer.

File drawer "Before"

Storage bin I found

2 bins in, you can see space below it

Finished drawer.

My husband cleaned out his desk the other day. His desk is just as I say, "his desk". He would prefer me not to organize it for him (Ok...he won't let me organize it for him). His idea of what goes in an office desk is not my idea of what goes in a desk drawer. (Fishing lures and screwdrivers?) He did clean out a lot (although if you look close you can see that he missed a circle stencil on the ground behind the drawer...I didn't see it until I looked closer at these pictures) But guess what...it is his desk and not mine...so it has to work for him...not me! Just as organizing for anyone, if it doesn't work for the person who is going to use the space, then it there isn't a chance it will stay that way.
He wanted to use this file drawer for storing his "stuff". He asked me if I knew of something they make for a file drawer so that he can layer it. Of course I tried to talk him out of having to left off one bin to get to the others....but to no avail. I was in Office Max yesterday and happen to see these bins made for just this purpose. You can actually use them in the front of a file drawer or a portable file bin. They were $4.99 each and were on sale (buy two and get one free). So I got 3 for him. He is thrilled. You do have to left out the top bins to get to the things on the bottom, but that is how he wanted it.
As an organizer I can offer my suggestions and attempt to show my clients how things can work more efficiently for them, but in the end the organizing system has to work for that individual and not me. And this worked for my husband.

A Vision Board

You may say to yourself..."What the heck is a vision board?"
This is just a board that you can make that you can see visually see your goals and what you would love to have your space look like. Also the other dreams and goals you have in life. (Like one of hers is to go on a trip)
This is one that one of my clients did on her own. I was so impressed. This is someone who is an actual hoarder..but she is so motivated and is determined to get out from underneath it!
You can look through magazines or look on the web and see a room or idea you like and would like to mimic and cut it out. Of course you probably won't end up with the exact room...that's not the point. The point is to have a goal and a vision. Then when you are going through that space you can say to yourself, "Will this big pink stuffed elephant really fit into the vision I want for this room or can I finally give it up to a someone who will love it as much as I have?"
One of the visions my client has for her home is to have a paperless home. She is a wiz on the computer and has a scanner and plans to scan all of her paperwork to save it. She saw this in the newspaper and I think she will actually be able to achieve it.
Even if you don't put it on some kind of bulletin board or magnetic board, you can still do the same thing and just put the pictures in a notebook or even just write them down.
Give it a try!

What if you are NOT ready to Organize, but everyone else says you need to?

This can be tough. What if your husband or wife, friends and family are telling you that YOU NEED help? You may not think you are ready for that step.
First of all you have to think honestly to yourself.....
1) Are you happy with how your house looks?
2) Are you proud of your house?
3) Are you embarrassed to have people in your house?
4) Can you find what you need when you need it?
5) Are you ready for a change?
6) Are you ready to stay in the situation you are in?

These are several things that you can ask yourself....and be honest with yourself. You don't have to tell anyone your answers.

If other people are telling you have a problem...and you don't feel you are ready...you need to ask yourself...why?
Why do you want to keep your home the way it is? If you aren't proud of it...if you can't have company over because you are embarrassed.....then why aren't you ready to make a change?
Change can be scary. It can be hard...and that is usually the reason that we are resistant to it. We are scared of things that can be hard. We are scared of things that make us face reality. No one likes to do that. Plus it just seems too overwhelming to us to handle.
When you do realize you need help...then to reach out and get that help is the hard thing....once you get going...it will feel wonderful. It will feel like a weight has been lifted and you can breath.
Imagine if your mother in law or friend decides to drop in at on you at the last minute and you have no problem saying ...."Come on in and sit down!!"....without embarrassment! That would be great wouldn't it?
Think about it!

(I originally ran this post in Oct. 08, but felt it was so relevant for the beginning of the year, I wanted to run it again.)

New Year - Fresh Start - Goals

So did you do it yet? Have you sat down and made a goal list?
I did mine this morning. I made myself a form last year when I had so many different projects going - so that I could keep track of things. I used that form and just filled in things I wanted and planned to do this year.
Try and take even 5 minutes at some point today to make out your list of goals.
Keep this list some place where you can access it throughout the year.
If you have a notebook that you keep track of daily things or a drawer where you do your bills, but it feels great to be able to mark things off your list as you go.
I am a list maker and love to mark the things off...I feel like I have accomplished something!
I tend to be visual. I want to see things on paper that are floating around in my head. It makes things more concrete to have it in writing.
One of my goals is to develop a blogging directory. I have gotten a couple to make a list of all my blog sites, passwords etc. But I just haven't found one that I really like and has everything I want. I want a place to jot down which contests I have entered and which blogs have added my button to their sites, also which sites are reviewing my pouchees and a list of products and the sites they come from that I plan to review.
I am sure many of you computer gurus have everything listed somewhere on your computer. I use the bookmarks and folders for e-mails..but I still want something more organized and concrete to flip open and see. (Call me old school!)
If any of you have any other suggestions as to what would be valuable to add to this kind of directory..let me know - maybe I will come up with a new product for all of us to use!