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Tips To Make Your Home Smile At You

Entering a home or a room in a home should be an experience, I've always said. And, I don't mean a bad experience either! I'm referring to the kind of experience that provides a good 'ole feeling; a feeling that makes you smile, whether it's inwardly or openly. That kind of feeling is what you might experience as you walk a path along a beautiful botanical garden, or enter the room of a glamorous hotel suite, or visit an art gallery with stunning art, or any number of places or spaces that would bring a smile to your universe.

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Cutting Clutter One Box At A Time

The common thing about clutter is, it's just a bunch of unrelated stuff tossed together in heaps or boxes or bags. As unsightly as it becomes, it still continues to grow if left unattended. At that point, the stuff is then difficult to confront. Some people don't actually see it anymore.

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Master Bedroom Gets Makeover

Sometimes we just get tired of looking at the same old room and wish it to have a whole new look. It could that we are tired of the furniture, or the way the furniture is situated in the room, or even the decor, or lack of decor. The decision to convert the look of a room is often prompted by something, like adding one piece to the room. That's what happened to one couple after buying a new bed.

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National Spring Cleaning Week

Press Release from California Closets

California Closets Encourages Homeowners to Get Organized During National Spring Cleaning Week

New Survey Conducted by California Closets Finds Better Home Organization Alleviates Disorganization Frustration

It's National Spring Cleaning Week and California Closets®, the leader in custom home storage solutions and an authority in design, encourages homeowners everywhere to take part in this week as a way to de-clutter their homes and ultimately relieve stress in their day-to-day lives.

A recent California Closets' survey of homeowners revealed people have the desire to get organized, but don't know what direction to take to achieve effective and lasting results. In fact, 38 percent of women said that after organizing their closet on their own, it only stays organized for three months. By taking just a few small steps during National Spring Cleaning Week, it's possible to make lasting changes that will free up time to enjoy the months ahead.

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Celebrity Takes Drastic Measures To Get Rid of Clutter

In the news tells how Jennifer Aniston is selling her Beverly Hills mansion to get rid of clutter and get a fresh start in a new place in New York.

The pad is on the market for a whopping $42 million. Aniston bought the property in 2006 for $13.5 million.

But Aniston insists she isn’t offloading the property because she’s short of cash — she’s desperate to de-clutter.

“I couldn’t sleep,” she explains, “and I sort of had one of those moments where I went, I really need to simplify. My life needs to be simplified … clear out the clutter. And along with that thought came, ‘I should sell my house’.

“I had the realization that this is just too much for me. I’m not this person.”

Read full article “Jennifer Aniston Wants to De-Clutter Her Life“.

We wrote about a similar story where a couple moved to a small apartment in a effort to minimize their clutter in “How A Couple Went From Messy To Minimalists“.

It seems the new vogue in dealing with clutter is to move! Well, I must admit, it certainly gave me a fresh start too, and I didn’t have clutter! It was just chance to sort through my stuff and re-evaluate it. And, that’s always a good thing :)

Consumer Reports Tells How to Get Rid of Practically Anything

In a KABC news story, it gives guidelines and resources on how to dispose of items that clutter your home, and how to get rid of hazardous items.

If you’d like to clean up the clutter in your home, Consumer Reports can tell you how to get rid of practically anything. A good place to start is with old computers and TVs. “They can contain hazardous compounds, so don’t just throw them out,” said Consumer Reports’ Kim Kleman. Stores like Staples, Office Depot, and Best Buy will recycle old gear, although there can be a small fee. And they also take old cell phones.”

Read the rest of this article “Getting rid of all the clutter in your home” and watch the video to find out more about where you can dispense your clutter!

And please leave a comment to share any resources you know about too!

Why Buy When You Can Borrow?

Need a ladder, sewing machine, food processor, shovel, entertainment servers, sleeping bag, a gorilla costume, or any whatevers, but won’t use it much so don’t want to buy one?

Enter NeighborGoods …

LA-based business NeighborGoods is one of the pioneers of this space, offering an easy to use social network that helps you borrow and lend out all kinds of things.

As a professional organizer, I must say, this is a fabulous way to get what you need without adding more clutter to your space!

I personally have borrowed a high-end professional video camera, a ladder, and some entertainment dishes. I’ve met some great people in the process too, and feel more connected with my neighboring communities.

Try it – it’s free. But, for $5.00/year, you become a verified member, and I do recommend that.  Let me know your thoughts and/or experience with NeighborGoods …

How A Couple Went From Messy To Minimalists

This story could be an inspiration for “mess makers” who live with clutter. I don’t come across this very often, but this couple decided to make a change and moved to a different apartment to do it.

The couple changed their ways and one of them says, “we define our home as being a place where you feel very much at peace.”

You can read the whole story and how they went “From messy to a minimalist mix of modern and retro.”

It’s quite a story. Do you have one similar? Leave a comment and tell us!

Online Tools To Organize Stuff

I found a goldmine of resources and tips at Mashable.com on how to organize just about anything online. There are organization applications and social networking applications to help us be better organized. There are tools for organizing the web, Organization applications for organizing lists, school work, events, etc., and more.

What have you found online that helps you stay better organized?
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Optimizing Kitchen for Hassle-free Cooking

I came across some helpful tips from Curtis Stone, star of the reality cooking show “Take Home Chef ” about organizing the kitchen in a news story.

If cooking is a hassle for you, it may be time to do some reorganizing.

It’s a good read for advice on optimizing space in the kitchen so that cooking can be fun and well, yes, relaxing.

Leave a comment about your kitchen woes …

That ‘Ole To-Do List

One woman’s to-do list helps her get things done, according to a recent news story “Her To-Do List Keeping Director of Center Busy“.

A few tasks on her daily “to do list” are making sure programs don’t overlap one another, taking care of finances, tracking program attendance, entering new member information into the computer, purchasing supplies and decorating the lobby.

What’s on your to-do list today?

Organize Your Files Month

February marks the National Organize Your Files Month!

This is a great time to archive those 2010 documents and get your papers organized for taxes. Some time ago I wrote an article about Organizing tax papers which might just help you sort it all out.

Contact me if you need a hand!

Daily Routines of Interesting People

I once wrote a commentary about routines and daily routines of people after being inspired to see how people spend their time – February is Time Management Month by the way!

Check out my post called “Daily Routines of Interesting People