The Clutter Diet Blog

The iPod Revolution-- Organize Your Music!

I just have to write an ode to my favorite gadget, the iPod. I took a trip this weekend to get away and do some writing, and I just marveled once again at how I had my entire music collection clipped to my waistband. I was able to enjoy anything I wanted without having to worry about which CDs to pack.

For those of you who haven't converted over, just do it! I am sorry for every second I wasted wondering if I should buy one. I also tried another MP3 player before I got my iPod-- it was the Dell DJ. I am pretty faithful to Dell since I live in Austin, but sorry, Michael-- the iPod is just a far superior design.

Some people have gotten iPods but haven't experimented yet with Playlists-- this is one of my favorite things. Imagine all of the music you associate with a certain mood organized into a list that you can play anytime you want. I have a Playlist called "Retreat." I have put all of the cool women artists in that list that make me feel relaxed, empowered, and introspective: Bonnie Raitt, Norah Jones, Sarah McLaughlin, Joss Stone, and Sheryl Crow, just to name a few. I also have a Playlist for when I feel like dancing, and several others.

Please comment on your favorite iPod tricks, your Playlists, etc!

Could your family find your important papers if you were gone?

A recent Parade magazine in the Sunday newspapers had a wonderful article about getting your finances organized in the event of an emergency. Click here to read the article on Parade's website.

We often help people organize their papers, and this issue is one I would love to address more directly with our clients. I have seen it happen-- someone has passed away and important documents, even cash, are either hidden away or just unknown. We once found over $5000 in cash and undeposited checks in the home of a client's parents who had passed away, and these items were in very unpredictable places.

This article recommends creating a one-page cheat sheet showing the whereabouts of all your financial information, such as bank accounts, investment accounts, life insurance policies, birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, and beneficiary designation forms.

You need to make copies of this document and give it to a close, trusted friend or family member nearby, along with sending it to a trusted person outside your geographic area who is not subject to the same natural disasters you would be.

Closet Confessions

According to an Oprah.com poll quoted in O Magazine's September 2006 issue (4034 respondents), here's what people confess about their closets, with my comments in blue:

The majority of respondents estimate they own 100 items of clothing.
This is WAY underestimated! My guess is 2-3 times that much.
60 percent say they have not seen the back of their closet for months.
The back? How about the floor?  One of my clients said that she knew there was a problem when she threw something in there and something threw it back.
10 percent purchase new clothing at least once a week.
This is probably about right. What bothers me is people buying things they already have (another black turtleneck, another white shirt) because they don't know they have it.
Jeans were ranked 1st as most difficult article to buy (by a landslide).
OK, what about swimsuits? :)
31 percent own approximately ten pairs of jeans.
Our experience shows some of these are "skinny jeans" and some are "fat jeans" and some were purchased and just did not work out.
12 percent own more than 50 pairs of shoes.
The Container Store says the average woman owns 40 pairs.
24 percent say they look in their closet every single morning and say, "I have nothing to wear."
69 percent wish and pray for more closet space.
Taking some time to get organized can help you find a lot more space and see what you have so you can choose outfits better and shop more effectively.  If you are a member, log into our Knowledge Base to get some guidelines on how to approach your closet!

Welcome to the Clutter Diet Blog!

Hello and welcome to the Clutter Diet blog!  This blog complements our 52-week membership plan at www.clutterdiet.com, and also provides a place for me to give additional tips and thoughts on organizing to people who are not members yet. ;)

I am the creator of this program, which is based on the concepts of successful weight loss programs like Weight Watchers. Membership to The Clutter Diet^SM provides education, accountability, and support from our team of Professional Organizers to help you achieve your organizing goals.

Please comment and let me know what you think!