Paper: Just Pitch It!

By Jessica Hoelzel

Too much paper weighs us down. It is especially burdensome when it overtakes desk or kitchen counter surfaces, and worse, the bedroom. Each piece of paper we receive asks us to make a decision about what to do with it.

Keep your paper burden from being too heavy by pitching it in the recycle bin the first chance you get. Instead of setting a piece paper aside, to figure out what to do with it later, force yourself to make a decision right away. Does it go in the “To Do” or “To File” pile? If you don’t need it, pitch it in the recycle bin.

Work from Home Survey: I Need YOUR Help!

A fact is a fact – if you’re not set up for success in your workspace you’re not going to find it.

As you may have read, I’m working on a brand new program to help people who work from home create a space that helps them meet their career goals. Whether those goals are:

• growing a business
• making more money
• getting more done in less time
• feeling less stressed out

I’m looking for feedback on how I can help.

Do you work from home, or know someone who does?

Click here to participate in my 2-3 minute survey

And I’d be ever-so-grateful if you pass along this link to any work-from-home professionals you know.

Thanks!

Work from Home Poll

Do you work from home?

 

If so, what is your biggest challenge?

 

1. Staying motivated
2. Getting distracted
3. Keeping things organized
4. Separating work life and home life

 

Please click “Post a Comment” below to vote. And thanks!

 

Drawer Organizers

By Jessica Hoelzel

Keep desk drawers neat and tidy with modular organizers like these from The Container Store. Once in place, it’ll be hard to cram and jumble junk in there.

Update: Putting My Life Back Together After Moving

By Jessica Hoelzel

I gave myself until Sunday for completion of this list, and I got most of it done, plus more. Put an organizing and feng shui consultant/perfectionist in a space and what do you get? Obsession with getting things in their places!

There is still much to do, but I feel more settled as each thing gets done, and the rooms come together. Every little bit helps me feel like I’m able to focus better while I'm working, and not have my energy scattered around. When things are settled, I can be settled, because I know, according to feng shui, my space is a reflection of me and vice/versa.

My office space is set up, and I’m pretty pleased with it. At our previous place, I had a huge closet to keep all office necessities. Not so here. Before I found my solution I had stuff, stuff, stuff that was partly out in the open, and partly in makeshift storage in a plastic dresser.

That was not going to work for me. I needed to pull it together and keep it enclosed – partly to minimize the visual distraction of having lots of things set around – and partly because my office space is in an open loft shared with a playroom.

My talented woodworker brother-in-law offered me the solution of the armoire, which was previously designed and used for a TV and electronics. I repurposed it; it’s got room for all the office things I need and good accessibility. Plus, it helps to define the boundaries of the shared space. I absolutely love it!

Update: Putting My Life Back Together After Moving

By Jessica Hoelzel

A quick update on my progress – I got up early and took care of some things before my client this morning!

My list:

Get rid of cardboard so there’s more space in the garage.

Reorganize the garage so the storage is together and recreation stuff is together. (The lovely husband took initiative on this today!)

Unpack kids’ art stuff and store in plastic dresser in entry closet.

Hang things that I know the perfect spot for.

Hang picture and cloches in bedroom.

Unpack photo albums, decide where to store. (Unpacked and ready to get assigned a home. Interestingly enough, in the box of photo albums, which I haven’t unpacked for 3 years, I found my wedding dress, rolled up in it’s garment bag. Now I have to figure out what to do with that!)

Store pillows and blankets in bedroom. (Done!)

Go through tote bag in bedroom and store/get rid of stuff. (Done!)

Put deco items out in bedroom.

Putting My Life Back Together After Moving

By Jessica Hoelzel

Moving is quite the thing. First you take your life apart and then you put it in a box. After that you empty the box and try to make it all make sense. That’s what I’m going through right now.

One of the main principles of feng shui is that your space reflects your life. Whatever is going on in your space is going to go on in your life. Right now I am feeling a bit discombobulated. It’s been a week since we moved, and although I have been spending loads of time trying to put the pieces of my life back together, there is still much to be done.

What’s happening for me is that I, personally, feel unsettled because of all the things unsettled around the house and it’s very unnerving. I like things to have order and I like them to flow. It’s good feng shui. Right now it feels like things are going in every which direction and although progress is being made in certain areas I feel too wonky. Yes, wonky and discombobulated. Can you imagine?

If I were to give myself a feng shui consultation, I would ask, “What are your top priorities? What 9 things do you see as pieces of the puzzle, which when put together would make you feel more at ease?” Then I would ask what a realistic timeline would be. And I’m going to give myself to the end of the week – Sunday.

Here’s my list:

Get rid of cardboard so there’s more space in the garage.


Reorganize the garage so the storage is together and recreation stuff is together.


Unpack kids’ art stuff and store in plastic dresser in entry closet.


Hang things that I know the perfect spot for.


Hang picture and cloches in bedroom.


Unpack photo albums, decide where to store.


Store pillows and blankets in bedroom.


Go through tote bag in bedroom and store/get rid of stuff.


Put deco items out in bedroom.

Chic & Easy Organizing - On the Cheap

By Jessica Hoelzel

Introducing a new series about bringing order and positive chi to your space, at low or no cost! Getting organized does not have to mean that you walk out of Target® or The Container Store® with a cartload of things you think “might” work to tame the chaos (after dropping $150 smackers). Avoid the temptation to grab things on a whim or a hope. Oftentimes, the last thing we need is to bring more “things” into our spaces. You do not have to spend a lot of money to create that sane sanctuary that you so crave, a place that reflects who you are and makes you feel at peace. Plus, less consumption is an environmentally-friendly way to be.
Check in regularly for the latest ideas. And if you have some of your own, please pass them along!

Idea #2
Could you use some extra space? Maybe an empty drawer, cupboard or even shelf would come in handy. How do you gain more space without spending a dime? Pare down and streamline. You’re guaranteed to gain more space when you get rid of a portion of what you have.

Every “thing” you have is a “thing” you have to find space for and manage. Maybe you can take a look and what you have, and part with 1/3 of it. Maybe 1/2 of it. If you have a drawer that’s crammed full, chances are you are not using, and don’t need every single thing that’s in it.

Take pens for example. You can only physically use one pen at a time. So why do you have 46? Keep the favorite ones and chuck the rest. Same thing with an excess of notepads – keep the ones you like the style and size of, and recycle the rest.

It’s okay to let some things go…you’ll feel better, lighter in fact, later.

Chic & Easy Organizing – On the Cheap

By Jessica Hoelzel

Introducing a new series about bringing order and positive chi to your space, at low or no cost! Getting organized does not have to mean that you walk out of Target® or The Container Store® with a cartload of things you think “might” work to tame the chaos (after dropping $150 smackers). Avoid the temptation to grab things on a whim or a hope. Oftentimes, the last thing we need is to bring more “things” into our spaces. You do not have to spend a lot of money to create that sane sanctuary that you so crave, a place that reflects who you are and makes you feel at peace. Plus, less consumption is an environmentally-friendly way to be.

Check in regularly for the latest ideas. And if you have some of your own, please pass them along!

Idea #1

Organize your desk, dresser, kitchen and media area with unique (and free!) finds. Look no further than your own home. Search through you cupboards, on display shelves or the back of the china cabinet perhaps. Or maybe you have a family member who’d love to share some neat vintage treasures. Look at forgotten but well-loved vases, bowls or platters in a whole new way – repurpose them as containers to organize your stuff.

Try This:

For Your Desk

• Hold paper clips, sticky notes and business cards in pottery or glass bowls
• Sort papers or periodicals out in wicker baskets; tie a ribbon with a small tag for a label
• Stand books upright with a heavy item like a vase or urn on either side

For Your Dresser

• Gather chunky necklaces in a clear vase
• Hang earrings with long posts around a china teacup, set studs on the saucer
• Place plates or platters to catch watches, money clips and receipts (rectangle or square shapes are more masculine)

For Your Kitchen

• Put pens in a fun coffee mug or vase
• Keep wooden spoons and spatulas in a glass jar or tin next to the stove
• Have a small basket or bowl near an outlet to catch cell phones and chargers

For Your Media Area

• Stack CDs and DVDs in wooden crates
• Lay remotes on an attractive tray on the coffee table
• Have a hatbox or cloth-covered box with a lid for computer cords and accessories

Good luck on your treasure hunt and pulling it all together. Create a space that makes your heart sing!

Be Intentional About Buying Things

By Jessica Hoelzel

Most of us love a good bargain. Finding deals can be a wonderful way to live a frugal lifestyle. Where we can get into trouble, however, is buying just because it’s a deal.

Do I need this? Hmmm…no, but….

Is there someone I know who could use this? Maybe.

I’ll get it – it’s such a great deal!

I can’t pass this up.
Does this commentary sound familiar to you? Do you buy on impulse, or shop as a hobby – a challenge to find bargain prices? If you do, and your home is cluttered as a result, keep in mind these questions:

Do I love it?
Will I love it tomorrow, next week, in 6 months or a year?
What do I intend to do with it?
Where will I put/store it?
Can I afford it?
Is it a good investment?

Taking the time to stop and think about what your intentions are before you buy can bring you clarity on what you really want in your life. Don’t waste your energy on things that you don’t love, need or have the space for.

Detoxify Your Home

By Jessica Hoelzel

In January we hear a lot about detoxing our bodies. After the consumption of the holidays, and with spring vacations around the corner, it’s natural to want to “clear out”, “cleanse” and “shed the weight”. Well I’m here to tell you that detoxing your home is as important as detoxing your body.

Just as toxins can build up in the body and make you feel sluggish and slow, so can clutter in your home bog you down energetically. The reason for this is that your home is an extension of you.

Clutter in your home – that is, things you don’t use or love, things that have negative associations for you, or things that you need to do something about that have been neglected – stagnate the energy. They hold you back in the past and make you feel stuck.

Removing clutter by doing a clear-out can help create new opportunities for you. Look at it this way – everything you own is tied to you with strands of energy. When you purge things, you release them into the universe, cut their energetic ties and free yourself of their burden.

Doing so regularly is important. It opens you up, and allows for new space, both literally – in your home, and figuratively – as in a space within your self. Not only will this new space make you feel lighter and more energetic, but it will provide an opening for more blessings to come to you. And these, in turn, provide you with new, vital energy as well.

So when you’re thinking about getting an energetic boost this time of year, don’t forget to honor your space with a clear-out. And therefore you honor and restore your self as well.

New Year, New Possibilities

By Jessica Hoelzel

Have you thought about your intentions for the New Year – how you want to live, what you want to be different in your home?

Do you want to view clear surfaces in your kitchen? How about not seeing piles of stuff in the entry when you walk in? Maybe be able to walk with ease on a clear path to your basement? What would it feel like to be able to find what you need in 30 seconds or less?

Organizing is empowering. Clearing out clutter and managing well the things that you have can give you a great boost, moving you in a positive direction for the New Year.

Without a doubt, after the activity of the holidays, starting a new project may seem like the last thing you want to do. Do give yourself a break. Put your feet up. Sip a steaming cup of tea. Hold closely your gratitude for family, for home. Allow yourself to reflect on what your standards are. Not what you will tolerate, but what makes you feel good in your home? When are you most at peace?

To quote Sarah Ban Breathnach, “Creating a comfortable, beautiful, well-run home can be among our most satisfying accomplishments as well as an illuminating spiritual experience.” Take a piece of paper and jot some notes about what an organized home means for you. What does the space look like?

Next ponder what rooms need the most attention. Do a little planning on paper for the next year. Get your calendar, for sure, and slot in some decluttering time. Three-hour sessions are usually about right for bigger projects, before you get burnt out. But you can take 15 minutes a day to transform spaces, too. At the end of a week, that’s almost two hours of organizing!

Maybe the laundry room is your biggest pain right now. Do that first. Maybe the garage needs work, but that would be better scheduled for warm weather. How about weeding out closets or playrooms, to make room for the new things you’ve gotten?

Make sure to include your family. It will make the effort lighter and teach valuable lessons for the future.

Beginning is sometimes the most challenging part, but like my mom’s cross stitch sampler says, “Begun is half done”. Start small and reward yourself along the way. You will gain momentum as you go. Make it an organized new year!

Making Feng Shui Work for Your Work Life: Enhancing Wealth

By Jessica Hoelzel
 
Are you in control of your finances?
If your financial papers are a mess, chances are your finances are too. How do you regain control? By putting things in order. Knowing what you have, and where to access information when you need it will put you in the driver’s seat with your financial matters. Here are a few simple ways to do it:

Open the mail right after you get it, and sort statements into piles: 1) to pay, 2) to file, 3) to do – for if you need to take some other action like make a call.

Have two folders to put your “to pay” statements into, one labeled “Bills due 1st -15th, and one labeled “Bills due 16th-31st”.

Create another file labeled “Taxes”. Put anything you might need at tax time in there. It doesn’t need to be organized yet, just use it as a catch-all for now. You can sort things out at tax time.

Create separate folders for your statements to go into after you pay them, or take any other action necessary. Label!

Convenient places to keep files:1) a file cabinet or drawer
2) a portable file box
3) a box with a lid
4) stacking trays
5) a vertical desktop file holder

If you get all your statements online, you can organize them in a similar way to above, on your computer. Label the electronic files just like you would paper.

Trust me, you will get a sense of satisfaction and control to know you have a handle on your financials. And keep it up!

Making Feng Shui Work for Your Work Life: Enhancing Wealth

By Jessica Hoelzel

Shred ‘Em

Old papers, especially ones tied to the energy of struggle, despair, or loss will hold you down. These need to be released – purged if you will – in order to open up space for abundance to flow in. You’ll want to shred old papers instead of tossing them because of account and other information they contain, which could put you at risk of identity theft if they ever landed in the wrong hands. Check with an tax expert, though, before beginning your shredding party, to make sure that you are keeping records you might need for tax purposes. Some OfficeMax locations now offer secure ShredIt services. Priced very reasonably, you can drop off your papers and pay by-the-pound for them to be taken off you hands. See if yours does here: http://www.officemax.com/storelocator/storeLocatorHome.jsp;jsessionid=u8HzzzuTCUTu62k3F0zH0Q**.atgb2c3-app4.

If you’re like my grandmother, though, you might just enjoy the satisfaction of putting the darn things through the shredder yourself. Although more time consuming when you have a bulk of things to shred, it can be very ritualistic. My grandma may not realize it, but she is doing an actual feng shui adjustment. The act of putting those things through the shredder is allowing her to consciously and unconsciously disconnect from their energy. Whether the ties to them are positive or negative, she is letting go of the past, and clearing out clutter, “zzzzzz” by “zzzzzz”.

Making Feng Shui Work for Your Work Life: Enhancing Wealth

By Jessica Hoelzel

Get Control of Your Finances Before Your Finances Control You

How would you describe the state of your finances? If your answer is “chaotic”, you need to take some serious time to straighten things out.

Adjusting the feng shui of your Wealth area can bring about significant results, enhancing your prosperity and your experience of abundance. However, it will not work on top of clutter and disorder. Don’t let your feng shui efforts will be thwarted by a mess in your office.

Overflowing stacks of paper and files in disarray are an exhibition in loss of control. Unopened mail and misplaced important documents contribute to the loss of your handle on money.

Any financial planner would agree. The top five things you need to have straight regarding your finances are:

Know what you have
Know what you spend
Know what you owe
Know what your goals are
Know your plan for getting there

This means that your papers should be in order, and easily accessible. Stay tuned for hints on how to do it.

Office Feng Shui - Making Feng Shui Work for Your Work Life

By Jessica Hoelzel

Now that you’ve had the chance to dream, let’s put some of those exciting ideas into action. What’s the best way to set action in motion? To plan! You don’t have to create a spreadsheet or anything (although if you want to no one’s going to shame your for it!) but at least put some form to your ideas, so you can have a logical sequence to how to bring your dreams for you space to life.

I recommend placing the feng shui bagua, or “map” over your space before you launch in, so that you have an idea of what you will need for what area. For example, once you locate the Wealth or Career areas, you can choose colors and decorative accents appropriately, knowing the special elements and colors that support them. It will be especially helpful so you can discover if there are any missing pieces of the bagua, and correct for them.

Click https://www.fengshuishopper.com/product_cat_list.php?cid=28 for some books that show that bagua and discuss the details of it.

Here are some things to sketch out in your plan:

1. Are you doing it yourself or hiring professionals?
Feng Shui Consultant
Interior Designer
Painter
Handyperson
Cabinet Maker
Professional Organizer

2. What is your timeline?
3. Do you need to (get to!) go shopping?
Storage containers
Decorative accents
Feng Shui cures
(Jot some notes about ideas you have, of what you think you might want and need.)

Stay tuned – more to come on specific ways to enhance different areas of the bagua.

Office Feng Shui - Making Feng Shui Work for Your Work Life

By Jessica Hoelzel

You can apply feng shui in large and small ways, to enhance your work space and work life. You can do it all at once, or a little here and there as you have the time.

Before you dive in, though, you need to clear out all that clutter! The energy of clutter is distracting and draining. And you’ll need a fresh, clean slate to work from. Click http://day2dayfengshui.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html for my earlier blog post with good tips and tricks.

Next, you’ll need to reflect upon, and get clear about what you need and want from your space:

What do you want your space to look like?
How do you want it to feel?
How do you want it to nurture you?
In which areas do you need support?

Spend some time dreaming about your ideal space. Take some notes. Cut out some pictures of magazines. Put together some ideas and just let them brew. Click http://www.hgtv.com/designers-portfolio/home-offices/index.html for some lovely inspiration.

Whether you have a corner office suite, a cube or a tiny nook in the kitchen, you can enhance it and make it work for you. Click http://www.askthebuilder.com/341_Maximize_Small_Home_Office_Space.shtml for great small office solutions.

Ultimately, your office should be a place that calls to you, a place that you feel comfortable and confident in, and a place where you can thrive. Happy Dreaming!

More to come on enhancing your office with feng shui…Stay tuned!

Are you stuck?

By Jessica Hoelzel

If you are feeling bogged down, frozen, weighted down or stuck, chances are clutter may be to blame. We are connected to everything we own, tied to it with invisible strands of energy. This energy could be light or it might be heavier, depending on our experience and our emotional attachments to it. Like it or not, consciously or not, everything we own and surround ourselves with has an impact on us.

Too many sentimental possessions and general clutter can cause a feeling of oppression, preventing the occupants from moving forward in life.
- Lillian Too, author of 168 Feng Shui Ways to Declutterr Your Home

So if you are feeling stuck, you may want to check out what is going on in the environment around you. Take an inventory of the state of your affairs, feng shui-wise:

What does the environment around you look like?

What does it feel like?

Listen quietly – is it saying anything to you?

What needs your attention?

Once you let go of some things that are no longer serving you, or deal with some things that may have been burdensome, you will feel lighter. You will feel like you can breathe easier, and have the space to move. Clearing clutter gives you the freedom to move again – in whatever direction you’d like to go.

Organizing Kids' Toys After the Holidays

By Jessica Hoelzel

Got kids? Well, then you’ve got stuff. Lots of stuff. Believe me, I know. I have two little sweeties of my own, and even though I am a Professional Organizer AND Feng Shui Consultant that doesn’t mean I don’t struggle with kids’ clutter. The most important thing you can do to get full rein over the clutter? Purge. That’s right. I’m sure your kids got the latest and the greatest as gifts – so what about all that other stuff that they’ve forgotten about? You’ve got to let some go. Think about it this way – by age 10, your child will have been through (the math is easy) 10 holidays. That’s adding stuff into your home 10 times. It sure piles up – especially if you have more than one kid. (And we are not even talking about birthdays, toys as rewards for good behavior, or toys “just because”).

The point is, keep what your kids love (what they DO play with) and store or let go of the rest. If you don’t have a lot of storage, you are going to have to do a lot of the purging.

Use these handy tips to help make the job easier:

1. For every toy that comes in, donate an old one to a thrift store or shelter (when in good shape).

2. Get rid of things your children don’t play with, and toys that are broken, missing parts, or dingy. This will lighten the load incredibly.

3. Have children pick toys to pass on. They will be happy to have a stake in the process. Store them for the next youngest, or share with cousins (but only if they aren’t burdened by clutter!)

4. Store toys for future siblings or generations by age (i.e. 1 year, 2 years…). Keep in sturdy plastic tubs. They’ll be easily retrievable when company comes or when the next child is ready for them.

5. If putting toys in a garage sale, encourage children by letting them keep the money earned, or use it for a fun family outing.

6. If you are getting too many toys as gifts, encourage gift-givers to donate to the child’s college fund or towards an extracurricular activity instead of piling up material goods. The savings will be much more valuable, and it teaches children an important lesson.

And as far as corralling the new stuff – here are some helpful tips to keep things in good condition, and keep the pieces together:
1. Buy clear plastic bins for each “set”. Cut out part of the box it came in to label the outside and identify. Kids love making their own labels.

2. Help kids put things away. Teach them about sorting. A good activity for brain development!

3. Plastic dressers work great for storing dress-up, Barbies, action figures or Little People things. Kids can easily open and close the drawers. (And they fit in kids’ closets because their clothes don’t hang too low.)

4. Put small pieces in plastic storage bags or small food storage containers with lids.

5. Save warranties/instructions for toys in a plastic Velcro wallet. Label the front.

6. By all means, avoid dumping everything together, mixed up into a toy box or bins. You will regret it later!!!