Spring Giveaway Ends Tomorrow

Last chance to share your “clutter hot spot”. Tell me…what area in your home is so cluttered you can’t stand it! Or what area gets cluttered even though you try to manage it? Where does it seem to pile up – too quickly and too easily?



Top 3 so far:

Laundry/Mudrooms

Home Office

Kitchen Counter



Let me know what’s a challenge for you, here, in the comments section of the blog. I’ll enter you in a drawing for Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier. Hurry, the giveaway ends Saturday 4/30!



Why am I giving away Thieves Waterless Hand Purifier?

This is a product I dig – for many reasons. With summer coming, and more time outdoors, it’s a must-have to stash in your purse or diaper bag. It’s also a convenient size to keep in your desk drawer or car. It smells so good – it’s got essential oils like peppermint and cinnamon – very fresh and uplifting. It’s gentle, and won’t dry out your hands like most hand sanitizers, which makes it great for kids. It’s part of Young Living’s Thieves line of products, which naturally protect the body against bacteria.

The hand soap is also a favorite too. I think my husband might love it more than me sometimes! He can't stop talking about how much he loves it...for months now. You can buy refills too, so that cuts down on plastic consumption; it's an environmentally conscious product.



For those who don’t know, I sell Young Living Products. I became an independent distributor a few months ago, but I’ve been experimenting with their essential oils for years. I've found several oils that can be used for enhancing feng shui and space clearing. Plus, the Thieves line has cleaning products that smell and work great too. Having a clean and nice-smelling house is GOOD feng shui!

If you’re curious about their products, check out the website. Email or facebook me with questions or products you’re interested in.



I’ll be drawing and announcing the winner soon – stay tuned.

Clutter Hot Spot: Laundry Rooms and Mudrooms Part 2

By Jessica Hoelzel

I’m a big proponent of letting things be what they are. Laundry and mudrooms were designed to store things and are allowed to get messy from time to time. (Hence the name “mud” room.) They’re a transitional place, so let them be that.

Set up a “command center” to keep things in control. Sort things out right away instead of letting them accumulate in miscellaneous piles. If you have countertop space, great, use it to your advantage. If you don’t, consider hanging something on the wall, behind or over a door to use vertical space.

Don’t get let anything get too comfortable, though. This is the transitional place – for things to get set temporarily, then move on, but not pile up. When I say temporarily, I mean they should be gone through and dealt with at least once a week.

What comes into every person’s homes is different, so I can’t solve for everyone here, but some “command center” suggestions:

Recycling Bin
Absolute MUST HAVE. Don’t let junk mail get past your entry. Some even toss it in the garage, not permitting it to enter the house. Be strict and realistic about what you actually will read, use, and need to keep.



***Remember, postponed decisions lead to clutter. Be your own gate-keeper for what you want to let into your life.***


Baskets
For mail, things to return, things to put away elsewhere in the house. Have a time once or twice a week (should only take 15-20 minutes) to empty, putting things in their proper homes.
Lined Makati Baskets from The Container Store

Stacking trays

For mail/papers (one for each family member, or one for each project/committee, or one for “Bills to Pay”,“To File”, “Action Items”, etc.). These can also go in cupboards if you want to keep them out of sight.

Landscape Letter Tray from The Container Store

Wall or Door Hanging Paper Sorters
If you have limited or no counter space, use your vertical space.
3-Tier Mesh Wall Sorter from The Container Store

Hooks
Get things up and off the floor. Command hooks are removable; make sure to get the hooks strong enough to hold the weight you need.

Shoe racks
Get shoes up and off the floor too. Use vertical space.
9-Pair Convertible Shoe Rack from The Container Store

And as always, PURGE, PURGE, PURGE before you attempt any organizational efforts. You need to get down to the nitty gritty of what you absolutely need to have in that space. THEN figure out how to best organize it.

Clutter Hot Spot: Laundry Rooms and Mudrooms Part 1

Clutter is like the tide: it comes in every day, whether you want it to or not. It slows down sometimes, but it never really stops. And unless you find a way to deal with it as quickly as it flows in, pretty soon you’ll be drowning in clutter.

- Lori Baird, author of Cut the Clutter and Stow the Stuff

By Jessica Hoelzel
 
It’s no surprise – The Laundry Room or Mudroom has ranked highest on the list of top clutter trouble spots so far. Organizing your laundry room or mudroom should be high on the list of priority places to rejuvenate this spring.

(For those who haven’t heard, I’m giving away a Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier this month. Those who share their top clutter trouble spot will be entered into a drawing, for a chance to win it. Ends April 30, so get leave your top clutter trouble spot in the comments section of this blog post today!)

Laundry and mudrooms are often adjacent to the garage, and the place we commonly enter our homes. As one reader commented, “it's a drag having this be the first thing I see” – and I agree.

From a feng shui perspective, entries are very important because they transition us from the outside world. If we’ve had a hectic day, or are overwhelmed just by the chaos and distractions that surround us on a daily basis, we need to come home to a calm environment.


Our first instinct might be to drop what we’re carrying and deal with it later. But taking 5-10 minutes (or less) to sort things out, hang things up, will save us precious time later, and create a more intentional transition.

Stay Tuned for More

Part 2:  How to Set Up a Command Center to Control Clutter in Your Laundry Room or Mudroom

Decluttering is the First Step Towards Good Feng Shui

By Jessica Hoelzel

When someone asks me how they can enhance their home’s feng shui, my first piece of advice is always “Declutter.” What does that mean? Well, it means remove the things that are getting in the way of your good feng shui. It means either 1) Put them away, in their homes, 2) Create a home for them or 3) Get rid of them. Having good feng shui is having a path for the energy to flow into and around you home. Having too many things makes the energy get stuck. Since your space reflects your life, YOU can then “get stuck”.

Get yourself “un-stuck” this spring by giving the things you don’t need or love a good fling. That’s right, let them be on their merry way, out of your life so they don’t keep you back, or limit you in any way. What you have in your home should “move” you, rather. And that is just what we need after a long winter.


It’s time to move on, it’s time to get goin’. What lies ahead I have no way of knowin’. But under my feet baby, the grass is growing.

- Tom Petty

Spring Fling Giveaway: What’s Your Top Clutter Trouble Spot?

Share what area in your home drives you crazy, the place that you just can’t seem to get a handle on. Tell me about it here, in the “Comment” section of the blog. I’ll enter you in a drawing to win a Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier. Ends April 30.

SPRING FLING: Time to clear clutter and get organized. Share and be entered to win a Thieves hand purifier

By Jessica Hoelzel

Ready, Set, FLING! Although a couple inches of snow are predicted overnight tonight in Minneapolis, spring is, actually, here. We’ve had several warm days, 70’s even, to prove it. So let’s get rockin’. What projects do you have in mind? Where are those trouble spots that you JUST CAN’T STAND anymore? Let’s get to those. Time to fling out the old and refresh.

Share Your Ideas and Be Entered to WIN

Tell me what areas you’d like to tackle here, on the comments section of the blog. I’ll put you in a drawing to win a Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier from Young Living® Essential Oils. So, you can clean your hands after digging yourself out of the clutter! This stuff smells divine, and won’t dry out your hands like most hand sanitizers.

Here are some questions to give you clarity on WHAT CAN GO:

Is it ugly? Fling it

Is it falling apart? Fling it

Does it bug you? Fling it

Does it make you sad? Fling it

(Obviously, even if important things like tax doc’s bug you or make you sad, you have to keep those…sorry to say. But, hey – find a storage box to keep them in that does make you happy.)