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.)

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 #4

Small Items That Make a BIG Difference

Do you ever get overwhelmed when you go shopping for things to help you get organized? With all the products out there, which ones will give you the most bang for your buck? Here are a few pretty inexpensive little things that can go a long way to create order. Put your own fun, personalized spin on them.

1. File Folders

Sort out your papers, label and keep them at your fingertips in a tray, basket or desktop file holder. Choose designs that complement your décor and your personality.

OfficeMax® has some neat designer sets: http://www.officemax.com/catalog/search.jsp?freeText=designer+file+folders

2. Magazine Butlers

Not just for magazines – also perfect for keeping pocket folders with important papers handy. Also great for notebooks, or any reference guides printed in a magazine size. Choose a set of three in a design that makes you happy. Or mix it up with a set made up of different graphics or coverings. The less expensive ones are printed cardboard, a little more spendy are the heavy-duty cardboard ones covered in linen or faux leather. Label the outside. My favorite thing about them? They can either face front, making it easy to grab things, or turn them around and you hide what’s inside. Place on countertops, shelves or your desk.

The Container Store® has a variety: http://www.containerstore.com/shop/office/literatureOrganizers/magazines


3. Photo Boxes

Not just for photos either! These can be used in virtually every room of the house, for a multitude of small “things”. Think craft and art supplies, office supplies, random electronic components, greeting cards or sentimental items, makeup, whatever you can get to fit. And most come with a place to label. Separate your things out by category. Easily store and access what you need. Stack them in cupboards, in closets or on shelves.

Find a style that suits you at Michaels®: http://www.michaels.com/Recollections-Photo-Craft-Storage-Boxes/sb1441,default,pd.html?cgid=products-scrapbooking-storage&start=5

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 #3

Feng shui your closet and make it an organized place to start your day.

Our bedroom closets – whether we’re lucky enough to have a walk-in, or make do with a reach-in – are where we prepare for our days. What we see (and feel) when we retrieve things from them can affect our moods and energy levels, therefore impacting how we go about the rest of our days. If your closet is a mess, or filled with items that aren’t perfectly “suited” for you, your days may not start off very pleasantly.

Eliminate the visual clutter and chaos that can put you in a sour mood. Get rid of the things that don’t resonate with you, or don’t reflect you authentic self.

Step 1: Get sets of matching hangers
Ikea has wooden hangers for a nice price http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/40115122. But if you’re going to need a lot, and your budget is even tighter than that, find plastic hangers at Target® (online at http://www.target.com/) Buy all the same color and style. Or check out the variety and deals at http://www.dollardays.com/wholesale-hangers.html.
If you know what Life Area of the Bagua your closet’s in, you can choose hangers in a corresponding color to support that area. Choose purple (the color for Wealth) or green (representing Wood, the element for Wealth) if your closet sits in the Wealth area of your home, for example. By doing so, any intentions you have around attracting wealth can be working for you – on a conscious and subconscious level.

Step 2: Remove all hanging items from your closet, re-hang and put back in one-by-one
Lay your things out on your bed, or hang from a portable rack. As you pick up each item to place on a new hanger, ask yourself:

- Does this fit?

- Is it in good condition?

- Is it me?

Remember this basic feng shui principle while you are doing this: Your Space Reflects Your Life. If your closet is a jumbled mess, what does that say about your life? If you can put this space in order, the order of other circumstances in your life just might fall into place too. It’s remarkably so, because everything is energy.

If your closet is full of things that you “used” to wear or that you “hope” to wear someday, but they don’t fit, give yourself permission to let them go. There is no sense living in the past or the future.

Having only what represents who you are, right here, right now in your life can create a nice space for you to start your day. What you’ll see when you open those closet doors is a space that’s put together. A space that fosters authentic beauty. And if you can connect with that on a daily basis, how good will you feel?

Now if this task sounds like drudgery to you, create the space (and mindset) for it to be fun. Blare your favorite upbeat music. Or choose some music that will soothe your soul, and help you let go. This is your time to rejuvenate the space where you dress and get ready to face the world every day. Make it great.