How to Make Life a Little Easier

I love flowers, but I don’t like the cost, the mess and the waste when they die, so I bought some fake peonies, which look beautiful. I put them in a pretty vase with some moss and voila, I have flowers year round!

This is just one way that I make my life easier. I have other ways in which I simplify my life.

I own a Swiffer, a Dustbuster and a mop with a flat washable cover that cleans hard to reach spots. When I want to a quick clean, I vacuum (invest in a good one with bags: cuts down on dirt flying all over the place when you empty it), use my Swiffer and Swiffer duster, the Dustbuster is for the corners of my house that my vacuum won’t reach and I mop with no water on my hard wood floors with Method floor cleaner. It smells like almonds. No muss, and no fuss.

I also get my groceries delivered by Peapod. I live on the third floor of a walk up and I don’t have a car, so this is an excellent solution. They bring your groceries, toiletries and whatever else you need, right to your door.

As I said, I don’t own a car. This is sometimes a pain, but it’s much cheaper to take public transit and I live in a city, so it’s pretty easy to get around.

When I want to send someone a card on a particular date, I use Punchbowl. I have a free address book with my free account and the cards are beautiful. I don’t always have time to make a card, or go to the store to buy one in time.

These are just a few ways that I make my life easier and more carefree. What are your ideas for simplifying your life?

Spring Cleaning

 Some rights reserved by Viperalus

It’s that time of year again! Time to get things in order. Out with the old and in with the new! It’s time to declutter and get things in order.

It may seem like a daunting task, but you can do it if you do it in small blocks of time. Set a kitchen timer for 30 minutes and start in one corner of a room. Have some boxes or bags handy for trash, things to keep and things to donate. As you work, have a dusting cloth in hand so that area can look clean and bright when you are done.

Make it a fun experience, by playing music that you like and maybe light a nice smelling candle. It doesn’t have to be drudgery. Think of how nice it will be when everything is in place and you can see countertops and find things that you’ve lost in the clutter.

What do you do get your home in order?

Giving Away Gets Rid of the Clutter

What if clutter was ruling your life and you didn’t even want to go home to face it?

When I feel like I have too many things, I start to look around and decide what I can subtract from my life. I don’t have the time or energy to sell on Ebay or Craigslist, so I donate to my favorite charity. Once I give away the “stuff”, I feel like a load has been lifted.

So much of what we keep is stuff we no longer use or need, like old kitchen appliances, books we have finished and don’t plan to reread, old clothes, and even gifts we don’t really like or use. 

What if you could subtract from your clutter and do a good deed while you are at it?

It is so important to take stock of your own happiness, versus the dollars and cents approach: “I could get $20 for this,”. Maybe you could, but only after a lot of your valuable time and effort has gone into it. I suggest that you value your time and the health of your environment by culling the things around you that give you angst and giving them to someone who may really need it and an  organization that may really need the funds.

What things in your home need to be subtracted for your own well-being?

Shop In Your Own Home to Declutter

Often, when I work with clients, and even sometimes in my own life, I buy something new, when I already own it. I’m talking about things as mundane as tape, Qtips, and lip gloss. 

Before shopping at the store, take stock of what you have. The best way to do this is to take everything out of a cabinet and take stock. It could be in your pantry, your bathroom, or closet. Often, you will find duplicates, or near duplicates of something you already have. Those duplicates can be labeled and stored, or tossed, so you can better find the things that you need. Maybe you only really like one of five mascaras. You can toss the rest.

Valentine’s Day isn’t Just About Sweethearts

Valentine’s day is usually thought of as a day for couples in love. Well, I challenge that. It can also be about things you love, or are passionate about.

Here’s my list in no particular order:

1. Smashbooks

2. Dear Friends

3. Organizing

4. Michael’s and Target for art and organizing

5. cottontail bunnies

6. the almost end of winter

7. volunteering for literacy

8. My Mom, Dad and Stepmom

9. baked potatoes with greek yogurt

10. movies 

What are your loves?

Saving Memories in a Scrapbook

Do you have a bunch of greeting cards, photos and ticket stubs that you don’t know what to do with?

A great way to put all of these memorabilia together in a fun way is to make a scrapbook. The latest trend is to put together a Smashbook. Here is a video of how it works:

I’ve done it and it’s loads of fun. You can make your own DIY Smashbook with a glue stick, some colorful envelopes, sticky tabs and an empty journal. You can find pictures and decorations online and print them out. I like BrainyQuote.com for fun quotes to put in.

Is this something you would like to do?

Recent Challenge: Organizing Greeting Cards

Some of us still send greeting cards and it’s important to have a system, so you can find all of your cards for specific holidays, like Valentine’s Day.

The first thing to do is to sort your cards into piles for each holiday, like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Get Well, etc.

After you’ve finished making those piles, set up a filing system. Mark each folder with the name of the holiday and then file your cards away.

Now the next time you need a card for a special occasion, you know where it is.

What project do you want help with?

A New Year and Some Resolutions

It’s the beginning of a new year and I’d like to say that everything is perfect chez moi, but I decided it was time to get rid of some old things: donate, and toss other stuff. I took everything off the shelves and regrouped.

BOOKS

Books I don’t read anymore are getting swapped on Bookins.com and also some were donated to a local charity in Chicago. One special book from my childhood is getting repaired by a professional. It’s not just about getting rid of things, but also about treasuring what you do have.

PICTURES

Pictures are getting put up on the wall that have been gathering some dust. It feels like a new place!

FILING SYSTEM

I bought a filing system and put all of my important papers away, while shredding the rest. I found so much that I had been looking for! I’m almost ready for tax season.

MAINTENANCE

I was running low on silverware. After a few moves, I didn’t have a full set, so I bought some on sale from Target. I got light bulbs and replaced the burned out ones. I even polished my pots and bans with SOS pads and Barkeeper’s Friend. 

RETURNS

I had a few things that needed returning after the holidays and I crossed that off my list too.

So now my shelves are all organized and I know where everything is. It’s such a good feeling! What are your resolutions for your home?