The Clutter Diet Blog

This Week's Clutter Video Tip: Make Dinnertime Stress Free with Organized Recipes

Each week we are posting a one-minute-ish quick video tip on something useful and practical that you can apply right away! Here is our third video about organizing your recipes. (Click here to watch on YouTube if you can't see the embedded player.)

PLEASE HELP: "LIKE"-ing, sharing, and commenting on these Clutter Video Tip videos on YouTube really helps me a lot to get the word out about the information we have to offer. If you like it, please go to YouTube and take only a few seconds to Like, Share, and/or Comment. (Tweeps can use #ClutterVideoTip hashtag for tweeting). Here is the direct link on YouTube if you'd like to comment there: Clutter Video Tip: Make Dinnertime Stress Free with Organized Recipes. Thank you in advance!

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

What to Do With Your Broken, Weird Stuff You Don't Need

By now my regular readers will know that, as Ambassador of Goodwill's Donate Movement, I love to talk about donating gently used clothing and household items, because donating is recycling and philanthropy all at once, and everyone wins! But what happens when you have objects that are broken or just plain strange or random, and you can't really donate them to nonprofits like Goodwill®?  Well, have you ever used Freecycle.org? It's a free online service that allows communities to locate homes for objects that are often similar to those in Rudolph's "Island of Misfit Toys." (Just because I am feeling playful-- here is a YouTube link to the part from Rudolph's special about the misfit toys.)

For example, I just gave away two broken vacuum cleaners on Freecycle, because I couldn't donate them like I normally would. They are probably easy to fix, but when I weighed the time and expense of repairing them, I was probably better off just buying a new vacuum cleaner. So instead of wastefully throwing them into the landfill, I offered them up on Austin Freecycle and arranged for someone to come and pick them up from my porch. Someone who knows how to fix vacuum cleaners, clearly.

Freecycle.org doesn't exist everywhere, so you'll need to check the site to see if there is an active Freecycle community where you live. Joining means signing up to receive emails about what is being offered and requested. Click the screenshot graphic here to see a larger, readable view of a typical day's messages on Freecycle. You can see everything from moving boxes to old particle board shelves to an airline dog crate being given away. Again, useful stuff that can't usually be donated to Goodwill.

On Freecycle people preface their subject lines with "OFFER" (things to give away), "WANTED" (requests), and "PPU" or "TAKEN" to indicate to the list that the items have been claimed (PPU is "Pending Pick Up"). In my email screenshot you can see someone requesting a TV antenna, some outdoor fabric and some fence pickets.

The Downsides:

• Freecycle is a great resource, but it can be time-consuming to manage and does create potential clutter in your inbox. If you sign up, I recommend using a nonstandard email address that you check apart from your daily routine, or otherwise having Outlook or Gmail automatically move those messages to a folder of their own. You can also adjust your settings in Yahoo Groups to reduce the volume.
• Someone may not show up to pick up your items. I just got royally stood up by a guy who was supposed to take my broken treadmill, and now I will need to bring it to a scrap metal yard myself instead. (Can't bear to throw this giant machine in the landfill.) The better strategy is to arrange porch-pick-ups so you are not bound to a specific time commitment that messes up your day.

I believe it's best for the community in general if you donate to Goodwill whenever possible, since it's an easy decision that benefits everyone involved, including the local economy and job market, and it's certainly much less time-consuming. If you are unsure about what can be accepted by Goodwill, read my previous post on Donating Do's & Don'ts, or you can visit the website of your local Goodwill member agency. But if you can't donate it, Freecycle is a great option, and you get to decide exactly who gets to have each particular item if that is important to you.

Have you tried using Freecycle? What do you think? And what else have you done with your misfit items? Share in the comments!

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

But I Don't Wanna! 5 Reasons Why You Should Make Your Bed

We had our monthly member "freestyle" Q&A webinar last Tuesday night, when our members can send in photos and questions and get live consultations (no additional cost, included in our membership program). Always such a blast! One member asked me this week,

"Why should I make my bed every morning?" 

Here are 4 good reasons why, plus one more:

• You can start your day off on the right foot with one super-easy success. You just did something right-- what an easy win! You can feel great about how you're keeping up with your clutter maintenance in your house first thing every single morning. It takes no more than 3 minutes to make up a king-size bed, even with lots of decorative pillows. Time it-- that's a fact. 
• Leaving something undone gives you the subconscious message that this room can be let go a little, so you do. One unmade bed leads to laundry on the floor, dishes not put away, and then everything goes downhill from there... Have you ever heard of the "broken window theory" in urban sociology? I wrote about it previously here. When people take more ownership in their neighborhoods and attend promptly to vandalism and disrepair, the neighborhoods stay more stable. When they let small things like broken windows and graffiti go unattended, crime is thought to be more likely and neglect becomes the norm. Maintaining something good is much easier than recovering from something much worse.
• Making your bed gives you a large, smooth work surface for working on projects like folding clothing or organizing drawers or packing/unpacking for a trip. Better yet, when you start a project on a bed, you have to finish it because later you'll need to sleep there! It's good incentive.
• You're setting an example for your kids. Do you want them to grow up seeing that you take care of yourself and your belongings and spaces?  Or do you want them to see disarray as normal?

And finally, the best reason of all... the one that I wish I had said to my caller on our webinar:

Because you deserve it.

It feels good to make your bed and walk in and out of your room the rest of the day and see that you did that nice thing for yourself. When you get into the covers at night, they feel fresher and more inviting and more comfortable. I talk with my members about this concept of my "Future Self," in which I do things now that I know my Future Self will later appreciate, as a favor to "her." (I wrote a blog post about that previously here, called "Have I Lost My Mind? You Decide.") Let yourself enjoy the fruits of your 3 minutes of easy labor every time you walk into the room later that day and when you climb in to sleep that night.

When you make your bed, you are giving yourself a little gift. And you deserve that.

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

This Week's Clutter Video Tip: Find Hidden Storage with Helper Shelves

Each week we are posting a one-minute-ish quick video tip on something useful and practical that you can apply right away! Here is our second one about finding hidden storage space. (Click here to watch on YouTube if you can't see the embedded player.)

PLEASE HELP: "LIKE"-ing, sharing, and commenting on these Clutter Video Tip videos on YouTube really helps me a lot to get the word out about the information we have to offer. If you like it, please go to YouTube and take only a few seconds to Like, Share, and/or Comment. (Tweeps can use #ClutterVideoTip hashtag for tweeting). Here is the direct link on YouTube if you'd like to comment there: Clutter Video Tip: Find Hidden Storage with Helper Shelves Thank you in advance!

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

Got Drugs? Old Ones, I Mean?

Organizing bathrooms means you usually have to organize medications. I have seen and organized many drugs throughout the years in clients' homes (most legal, and I pretended not to see any illegal ones...), and there is a huge problem of how to dispose of them safely when no longer needed.

I wanted to draw your attention to the DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) National Take-Back Initiative. United States readers can take their unused drugs for safe disposal this Saturday, September 25th to various drop-off locations. Read here about the event and search there for a collection location near you.

Please note they are taking only pills, not liquids. Here are the guidelines from the DEA site:

• The program is anonymous.
• Prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications, i.e. tablets and capsules accepted.
• Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted.
• Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative.

The advice I have heard is that you're not supposed to flush drugs down the toilet, as it pollutes our water supply and can't always be filtered out. They say you can liquefy pills by shaking them up with a little water and putting the bottle in the trash. They also say if you have liquids you can solidify them with cat litter or salt and then put them in the trash.

But it's much safer to dispose of these drugs, particularly controlled-substance drugs, with a program like this one. Check also with your local pharmacy for information on more frequent collections in your area-- some pharmacies do this on a regular basis.

More medication organizing tips:

• Make sure you look at expiration dates-- my chemist friend says they really do mean what they say and you should get new ones when they expire.
• Keep paper handy to write down a list of any medications you need to replace, and don't forget ancillary items like first aid supplies that might also be required.
• Destroy prescription labels before discarding so they can't be used for unintended refills by someone else (and to protect your privacy).
• Use "S-M-T-W-T-F-S" pill sorters to organize the medications and supplements you take on a regular basis, instead of dealing them all out each day.
• Use small bins, even drawer dividers work well, for grouping each family member's own medications and supplements on a shelf. 

Please be responsible with your drugs! :) Do you have any medication organizing tips or stories? Share in the comments!

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

Are You Improving? Ten Little Ideas to Be More Organized

September is National Self-Improvement Month. What are you currently doing to improve yourself?

I have a friend/mentor who tries a new self-improvement habit every 30 days, a new focus for each month. He sees how much it improves his life or not, and if it's good, he keeps doing it. I love this idea!

Here are some small habits that you can try for a month to improve yourself in the organizing realm:

• Putting your purse, keys, wallet, briefcase, phones, etc. down in one place right when you come in the door.
• Taking everything in from the car each evening when you get home and putting it away.
• Running the dishwasher each night and emptying it each morning (assuming it's full, of course).
• Planning menus each Sunday and actually following the plan.
• Checking the laundry each morning at breakfast time and moving it to the next stage.
• Ending each day with a clean desk and having your top 3 priorities set for tomorrow.
• Doing the big important thing for your morning first before getting "sucked in" with e-mail or calls.
• Doing "Clutter Patrol" of the common areas of the house before bed.
• Clearing kitchen counters each day.
• Hitting your inbox target number every day or at least every Friday afternoon. (Mine is 20... some people like to get to "Inbox Zero"-- what is YOUR number?)

What will you try for the next 30 days? And don't worry, you don't have to start on "The Perfect Day." It doesn't have to be the 1st of the month or a Sunday or Monday. Just start...

Share in the comments what you're doing to improve yourself, organizing-wise or not! Me-- I am drinking at least 2 cups of (decaf) green tea per day for general good health and cancer prevention.

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

New! Clutter Video Tips on YouTube: Be More Productive on the Phone

Each week we are posting a one-minute-or-less quick video tip on something useful and practical that you can apply right away! Here is our first one about being more productive on the phone. (Click here to watch on YouTube if you can't see the embedded player.)

What would make me truly, deeply happy:  If you like these, please take just a nanosecond to "LIKE" these Clutter Video Tip videos on YouTube and share them via Facebook and Twitter (Tweeps can use #ClutterVideoTip hashtag for tweeting). Here is the direct link on YouTube if you'd like to comment there: Clutter Video Tip: Get Organized and Be More Productive on the Phone Thank you in advance!

Follow me on Twitter for my Daily #ClutterTweetTip: www.twitter.com/clutterdiet, and see our weekly #ClutterVideoTip on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/clutterdiet

Oh, Fudge: Four "F-Words" to Help You Organize

I have written a regular column for the Connections for Women website for years now, and I just wrote this article below for their September edition. I hope you like it.

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One of our constant messages to people is to think about your organizing projects comprehensively... don’t just “clean it up” and expect it to stay that way. For lasting results, you need to start by thinking through your goals for your project and end by thinking through what maintenance tasks will be required to keep the area looking nice and working well.

Whether you’re working on a closet, garage, kitchen, or bathroom, when you are approaching an organizing project, you want to look at the four “F’s” of your room (yes, we have four “F” words!): Features, Function, Flow and Frequency.

Features: What is the “skeleton” of the room? Which features are changeable and which are not? Notice the furniture, plumbing, walls, closets and doors. Think about everything differently… what if you removed a door and left a closet open? What if you had a different piece of furniture?

Function: Another question we always ask is, “What functions are happening in this space?” Think about the functions you would like to happen here, such as exercising or studying, that you might want to add once the space is improved. Let’s take the case of a normal utility room. You might be surprised at everything that is going on in that tiny room! There are all the steps in caring for your clothing (sorting, washing, drying, folding, and ironing), plus possibly pet care needs, recycling, and storage of utility and cleaning items for maintaining the house. Each of these functions needs a dedicated zone for its supplies and required space.

Flow: How do these features and functions relate to each other? Are there any obvious patterns here? Are there any “logjams” where clutter seems to be aggregating? Why? The kitchen, mudroom or front entryway may have a logjam of clutter from people coming in and out of the house. You might notice the “chain of custody” of the items—where did they come from? Can you stop the inflow of new items in some way? If you can’t stop it, can you create a better system to accommodate it?

Frequency: How often do these functions occur and how important are they? If you exercise three times a week, the treadmill has earned its position in the room. If you exercise once or twice a year on that treadmill and otherwise use it to drape clothing over, it probably needs to go. Frequency has a bearing on where you place objects in the room, as well. Frequently used items go in the most accessible spaces.

Professional organizers have other questions and methods that we use to assess spaces, some of which I discuss in my book, The Clutter Diet: The Skinny on Organizing Your Home and Taking Control of Your Life. It’s amazing what a difference it makes to start with a little strategy instead of plunging ahead blindly! If you are using other, more unsavory "F words" with regard to your current organizing projects, you can get affordable help from our team of experts online at clutterdiet.com.

We've Come a Long Way, Baby

Recently on a radio interview I was talking about how most of our Clutter Diet® program's members are women, even though men frequently tell me that they need help with organization too. I told the interviewer that despite how far we've come in gender equality, the perception still seems to be that, if the house is messy, the woman of the house is often the one silently judged as "not a good housekeeper." I do see that women in general feel this pressure and are more likely than men to seek help from professional organizers for their homes.

But we definitely have to appreciate how far we have come in the last 50 years-- just watching Mad Men will bring that lesson home every time. I recently went to the library with my teenage sons to show them how hilarious some of the advertising is in old magazines. I used to do that for entertainment in college (my university was in a very sleepy town...) and my friends and I would laugh hysterically at some of the stuff we found. This expedition was no different! My boys and I spent hours in the library stifling our guffaws at McCall's magazines from the 30s, 40s and 50s. It is definitely that "cringe" type of humor, like when you watch David Brent or Michael Scott on The Office... because it's really not that funny if you think about it. Here are some choice examples we brought home (click on images to see them full-size):

It's amazing when you think how much convenience food we have now... frozen meals, even shelf-stable meals that we can reheat... not to mention fast food drive-thru windows. I guess it's easy for us all to be our husbands' pals now!

HUMILIATING!? I guess it implies you don't have enough servants to do your dishes for you--? When is the last time you heard anything about dishpan hands, by the way?  I remember "Marge--You're Soaking In It" from the Palmolive commercials growing up, but don't recall hearing anything about this for years.

Poor Alice-- she's standing right there! And doesn't that woman on the left look like Drew Barrymore? I have some more of these and I will save them for a future post if you readers like them. Yes, they are REAL! I did not Photoshop these in any way.

Another related thing on my mind recently... on my trip to Italy there was an exhibition in a museum about "hope chests." Does anyone still do that? I did have a hope chest that my grandmother and mother started for me when I was in elementary school. They saved up Betty Crocker points from box tops and bought me place-settings of silverware and dishes for birthdays and holidays. I suppose it made me more fetching. I would love to hear your comments about this to find out if people still know what "hope chests" are. Maybe they have gone the way of the dowry.

What do you think? Do women still bear the majority of the burden of household organization and cleaning duties, or at least the perception of being judged for it?  Do you think women still judge each other on their bathroom tissue?  Do tell, in the comments!  And if you want help getting your home organized, we offer an affordable online program that costs less than a pizza, where you get direct access to our team of organizing experts 7 days a week. The best part is that we can't see your humiliating dishpan hands.

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Sorry, That's Just My Policy

I'm sure you've been frustrated before by some store clerk who stood behind a "policy," not giving you what you wanted... something like a 14-day return policy or a receipt-required policy. Your teachers in school probably had a policy for make-up work when you missed class, and your employer has lots of policies about vacation time and other circumstances.

Policies are simply decisions declared in advance to cover situations that arise later. Companies, schools, and government agencies are not the only ones who can have policies... what if you had some policies of your own? You can!

Dana, the winner of our Good Housekeeping clutter makeover contest (see Dana's amazing before & after photos here), told me when we were working together that she has a policy between her friends and family about cellular phone calls. If a call gets dropped (which happens all too often, as we know), they have established that the one who originally placed the call is the one who calls the other person back. I think this policy is brilliant! How many times have you and your friends crossed over each other trying to call back and getting each other's voice mail?

That "original caller" phone policy is an example of a generally useful policy that helps everyone involved, but personal policies can also be used to protect you and help you say no. When you're frustrated with the store clerk for not accepting your merchandise return, the clerk has a much easier time saying no because it's the policy's fault, not his own. Why not have your own policies to hide behind? Here are some ideas:

• Have a policy that you simply do not buy from, accept, or donate to anything offered or requested in a phone solicitation. Now you've already decided to say no when any telemarketer calls. Also make it a point to ask them to remove you from their lists.
• Have policies with your kids about various contentious issues that keep coming up. If your parenting style permits, you can work on the policy together to come up with appropriate consequences that everyone agrees upon. You can have policies on things like homework time, TV/video game/computer time ("screen time"), snacks, driving, or dating. If you've made the decisions in advance, nobody can argue with the consequences that will result.
• Roommates can have policies about borrowing clothes, having guests, or sharing food.
• Spouses can have policies about spending, such as not spending over a certain dollar amount without asking the other spouse. This policy can help you when a pushy salesperson is trying to get a decision from you (whether you're male or female)!
• Have policies in your house about removing shoes at the door or not eating outside of the dining areas. Some people I know only permit eating elsewhere in the house if a tray is used for the dishes and food.
• Have policies about school fundraisers for what you'll do, how much time you'll spend, and what you'll buy. (See my previous post about school fundraisers and the value of your time here)

In my book we talk about "Allowed" Clutter-- the mental, communication, and time clutter that results from not being able to say no to interruptions and requests and the like. Call them policies, call them "house rules," but definitely call upon them to help you in sticky situations! What decisions could you make ahead of time to help you get through something awkward or difficult? Share in the comments!

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