One way I took care of myself was to go to the annual St. Louis Book Fair. It is sponsored by Macy’s as a fundraiser to benefit local non-profit education and literacy programs. It’s been going on for 60 years. I remember going with my mother and sisters when I was a child.

Because I have way too many books for my current bookshelves (their double stacked already) I have avoided going to the fair for about 5 or 6 years. This year was different. It was time to get back to doing something I love. But it also required making a promise to myself to declutter some of the old books so I don’t feel guilty about buying new ones.

With some birthday money (my birthday was last Thursday) I went to the book fair on Friday. I ended up buying 19 books.  Some were cookbooks (3) and the rest were non-fiction books.  I didn’t even go over to the fiction book section because I still have a few I haven’t read yet.

On Saturday I found a box and started going through one shelf at a time to pull out some books I could get rid of. If you’re a booklover like I am you know how hard it is to let go of them. Since the majority of my books are non-fiction I always feel like I’m giving away a valuable resource. Even with so much information easily available on the internet I still find it had to let them go.

So far I have 23 books in my box. Yea me! Since I bought 5 books last week at Goodwill (first time there in over a year) plus the 19 books bought at the book fair I feel I have done pretty well so far. Even with pulling that many books off the shelves I still don’t have enough room for the new books.  Therefore I will get another box and work on filling that one.  I have four more bookcases like the two below.

My local Macy’s store collects books year round for this book fair. My goal is to have a least 30 and hopefully 40 books to take to the loading dock by next week.  I’ll be paying it forward so those books can be sold next year to help support the education and literacy programs. That way more children and adults will be able to learn how to read all the magic and knowledge that books contain between their covers.

There are lots of ways to pay the love of reading forward.  I remember one year I had a garage sale and because it was cold and rainy there were very few customers. Right before closing up a young woman came in looking for children’s books which I had a few. She said she was going to be a new 1st grade teacher in the fall and was buying reading books for her classroom. I gave her the whole pile of books for free. It felt so good to help out a new teacher that would be able to instill the love of reading to her many students.

So pay the love of reading forward by donating your books to a charity, local school, or a new teacher starting out. If you’re not reading them anymore then they aren’t doing anyone any good sitting on your shelves.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

If you’re planning on having a garage sale be sure to check out the eBook:

“How To Declutter With A Garage Sale”

It will help you from start to finish with clearing the clutter out of your home.

“So much time, and so little to do! Strike that, reverse it.”                                          ~ Willy Wonka

Right now I’m trying to finish up the taxes so I get them out of the way. They are due three weeks from today (April 17th) so it’s time to finish them up if you haven’t already.

A week from this coming Friday is the first Passover Seder.  I’m using my planner ( see last blog post on how to set one up) to help me stay organized. I’ve already purchased some of the food items. I check the planner on a daily basis to see what babysteps I can take each day to help me prepare for my company ahead of time and prevent the last minute panic. I’m still working on changing my lifelong procrastination habit!

Easter is less than two weeks away so if you celebrate this holiday and are having the family over you should also be taking babysteps to prevent the last minute panic.

If you haven’t see up a planner yet I suggest you do it today. It gives you a place to write down all the information and schedules so you don’t have to worry about forgetting to remember to do something. 

Here are some sites to help you prepare for either or both holidays.

Easter:

http://holidays.kaboose.com/easter/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/easter-fun/

http://wilstar.com/holidays/easter.htm

http://www.holidays.net/easter/

Passover:

http://www.aish.com/h/pes/

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/holidaya.html

http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/default_cdo/jewish/Passover.htm

To a lighter load along the way!

Janice

Through experience I have learned how this kind of planner helps lower my stress level and even saves me money. Last week I went to New Orleans with my husband for a few days.  My Travel Planner helped keep all the papers (airline tickets, hotel, emergency phone numbers, etc.) in one place so when I left town I had everything I needed.

I had even researched some places we wanted to visit beforehand. For the Aquarium I found a $3.00 off per person coupon online. I printed it out and put it in the Travel Planner. It saved us $6.00 that morning. That paid for the streetcar ride later in the day to see other attractions.

So whether you are planning an Easter dinner for the family or a Passover Seder creating a planner now will help you get organized and reduce the stress over the next couple of weeks. Here are a few simple steps to create that planner. You most likely have everything you need on hand so take a few minutes today to set it up. It will make planning for your celebration much easier and more enjoyable!

Step 1

You will need some kind of notebook, pocket folder, or file folder to keep everything in. If you have several celebrations or events you are planning for it might be easier to use a small 3-ring binder with pocket folder dividers to keep each event separate. Since I only have the Seder I’m using a pocket folder with clips to hold notebook paper.

Step 2

You’ll need enough paper to create several lists.

• Shopping list for groceries.
• Shopping list for table or household decorations.
• Write out the full menu and any condiments, special seasonings, etc. that you plan on serving. If other people will be bringing certain dishes for the meal make sure you put their name next to that dish on your list. Also make sure they know way ahead of time what they are expected to bring so they can plan accordingly.
• Write out a timetable for the next couple of weeks of what and when you will do things such as cleaning, shopping, polishing silverware, and baking or cooking things ahead of time. You can write this timetable on the notebook paper or print out a calendar (monthly or weekly) to write it on. Here is a site to download a free calendar, either monthly or weekly.

http://www.calendarlabs.com/blank-calendar.php?template=weekly

Step 3

Put copies of the recipes you plan on making into the pockets of the folder. Check all the ingredients for each one and write the things you need to purchase on the grocery list.  If your recipe is in a cookbook you can list the cookbook and page number next to the dish on your menu page. Just make sure you check the ingredients for the grocery list as soon as possible.

Now your planner is for the most part organized and ready to go. Customize it for your particular needs.  If your family dresses up in special clothes for church then you can make a list for each family member and what they will wear. If you need to buy anything new you can plan for a shopping trip now instead of running out to the store at the last minute.

Keep this planner in a place where you can check it daily. If you know you’re going out to run errands check your shopping lists first to see if you can buy some of the things now.  With the cost of gas you don’t want to make any extra shopping trips for just a few items.

If you have any questions or suggestions on creating this planner please let me know.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

I’ll be referring to these sites next week to help me Spring clean my home. With the windows open right now and those daffodils blooming outside my window (picture above) I want to get started already. But I’m leaving for New Orleans tomorrow morning so I have to focus on getting ready for that. My travel planner is the check list I’m using today.

If you’re not traveling this month for Spring Break then check out the sites below to get started Spring cleaning and decluttering your home.

http://www.marthastewart.com/267295/spring-cleaning-checklist

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/spring-cleaning-tips

http://www.ivillage.com/spring-cleaning-tips-0/7-a-330448

http://www.shelterpop.com/2011/03/02/spring-cleaning/

http://tipnut.com/ultimate-spring-cleaning-tips-guide/

http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2011/02/spring-cleaning-tips-on-how-to-get-rid-of-practically-anything.html

http://www.housebeautiful.com/decorating/organize/spring-cleaning-tips#slide-1

Don’t forget that St. Patrick’s Day is this coming Saturday. If you’re looking for a parade near you check out this site. It has parades listed world-wide.

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

For more ideas on celebrating the holiday check out these sites also.

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

 http://holidays.kaboose.com/saint-patricks-day/index.html

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

Happy Spring Cleaning!

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

That means I struggle to get those little messes like the dinner dishes and clean laundry put away in the evening. So the next morning I’m cleaning up from the night before. Not a good way to start a day!

So when Daylight Savings kicks in I get excited because I know my house will be cleaner each morning and I can start the day with a smile on my face.

This Sunday, March 11, is when we move those clocks forward one hour. I change the clocks before going to bed on Saturday so I’m not late for any activities I have planned on Sunday.

Put some spring in your step and take advantage of the longer days to get the evening chores done in the evening. You’ll have more energy and motivation when you start the mornings out fresh. You’ll never miss that lost hour of sleep!

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

If you enjoy multiple crafts like I do that can add up to a lot of supplies. Over the years my interest in different crafts have changed. Many times those supplies get stashed away in a container, not seeing the light of day for a long time.  If this has happened to you it may be time to declutter some of those supplies.

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

Unused supplies and unfinished projects are a red flag telling us it is time to make some tough decisions.  Here are few questions to ask yourself when trying to determine if you should keep them or not.

• Do you love this kind of crafting?
• Is this unfinished project due to you not liking this particular project or the kind of craft?
• Did you used to love this kind of crafting but are no longer interested?
• Do you feel bad about wasting good supplies and don’t want to throw them out?

If you have decided you no longer enjoy a particular kind of craft then it’s time to declutter those supplies. You don’t have to throw everything out in the trash. There are plenty of places you can donate them.  This includes those half finished projects as long as you have the materials to finish them. You will be blessing others while at the same time cleaning out your craft area.

Here are some suggestions on where to donate.  I’m sure a few phone calls will give you several local places happy to take those craft supplies.

• Local schools – nursery schools through colleges.
• Nursing homes, assisted living, and retirement homes.
• Women’s shelters – both children’s and adult craft supplies are wanted.
• Certain charities (see below).

Clipart from Clipartheaven.com

If you enjoy sewing or knitting and have a lot of extra supplies/materials there are several ways you can use your skills and supplies for a good cause.  Many charities donate finished projects to help newborns, children, cancer patients, and elderly people. I have done this before by sewing bibs, burp pads, and changing pads for my local Newborns In Need chapter. These small projects helped me clear out some extra fabrics I had sitting around.  If you don’t want to do the sewing or knitting these kinds of charities would love to have your fabric and yarns so their members can make the projects.

It feels good to use your skills to bless others. Here is a site that lists charities that are looking for donations of finished projects.

http://www.craftforcharity.com/charities.html

It’s time to get your creative juices going or pass those supplies on to someone else so they can get their creative juices going. Either way you’ll be clearing out some of that craft clutter laying around the house.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

Then there is St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, March 17.  St. Patrick’s Day may have started out as an Irish religious holiday over 1000 years ago but many people, including all us non-Irish, love to join in the celebrations today. Below are several links to find out about the history of this holiday and fun ways to celebrate it with your family.

March also has several month long events. There is Women’s History Month, American Red Cross Month, And National Craft Month. There is also Poison Prevention Week. If you have small children or pets be sure to check out the FAQ’s at the link below for a lot of good information.

If you are a crafter then this will be a month filled with special sales and classes at your local craft store. Below are some links for some of the major stores where you can find out the specials in your area.

If your craft/sewing area is filled with clutter and unfinished projects it may be time to clean it out before starting any new ones. I’ll be posting an article on decluttering craft supplies next week.  Be sure to check back here or better yet sign up to receive an email when a new post is written. You can sign up here…..

Check out the sites below and start getting organized for the month ahead. Remember that a little planning today makes tomorrow easier and a lot more fun!

Janice

Women’s History Month

http://womenshistorymonth.gov/

http://www.nwhp.org//

American Red Cross Month

www.redcross.org

National Craft Month

This is a great site for projects and links to blogs on crafting.

http://www.craftplace.org/

If you’re into sewing and crafts these links are for the major craft stores.  On the main page of each site you can also link to their Facebook page.

http://www.joann.com/

http://www.hancockfabrics.com/

http://www.hobbylobby.com/

http://www.michaels.com/

March 18 – 24,  Poison Prevention Week

http://www.poisonprevention.org/poison.htm

March 11 (Sunday), Daylight Saving

Make sure you move your clocks forward.  Spring forward, fall back. That’s how I always remember which way to move the clock.

   http://www.holidaysmart.com/z_daylightsavingstime.htm 

March 17 (Saturday), St. Patricks Day

http://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day

http://www.st-patricks-day.com/

http://holidays.kaboose.com/patrick-history.html

It could be you had great expectations of what you would be able to change and accomplish this year.  After almost two months not much progress has been made so now you’re beating yourself up.  STOP THAT RIGHT NOW!

You do not deserve a beating.  What you do deserve is some self-compassion.

It’s hard to change some habits.  It’s hard to stay disciplined and motivated especially if our resolutions are very general and vague.  It could be you need to change the way you think about your resolutions and the actions you want to take to accomplish your goals.

Have you ever found yourself being so motivated to do something that you didn’t even think about what you had to do, you just did it? What was it that made you so motivated to begin with?

A few weeks ago I found myself motivated enough to clean up an area of my finished basement without all the stress and procrastination I had been using to avoid it. I had invited some friends over for Super bowl weekend.  Our finished basement has a big screen TV on one side of the steps and on the other side is a table and old kitchen cabinets lining the walls.  This is my sewing and craft area.  It also had become a dumping place for many things that I didn’t know where to put them or I was too lazy to put them away in their proper place.

Anyway, I knew I would be highly embarrassed to have my friends see this mess.  After all, I write about decluttering/organization and here was this disastrous mess!

Hey, I’m the first to admit I’m not perfect but this mess was just plain out of control. So to avoid any embarrassment I was highly motivated to clean up the mess before they came over.  The storage room has a door I can close so a lot of the stuff went in there. Now I’ll need to tackle that area but at least my friends didn’t see it! An added benefit is now I can actually use the sewing area to sew things.

I was talking to a friend recently and she too found motivation to clean up her finished basement. Her husband was babysitting their young grandson one day.  He later told my friend that he would love to play with the grandson in the basement area but it was too messy and not safe for him. That motivated her to finally take the action to clean up the area.

We both found a motivating factor that made it easier to take the actions needed.  Mine was having company over and not wanting to be embarrassed by the mess.  Hers was having a safe and better place for her grandson to play.

Sometimes it’s hard to come up with a strong motivating factor.  Just wanting to have a decluttered house probably isn’t going to motivate you to take action.  Having company over for a holiday dinner might be.

So instead of beating yourself up for not taking actions on your New Year’s resolutions try to find a motivating factor that will make you take the actions needed. Start small with something like cleaning off the dinner table so the whole family can sit down together.  Getting your kitchen cabinets organized could eliminate frustration when asking your family to help prepare the meals. It will be easier and more fun for them if they can find the right bowl or pan without having to dig through a messing cabinet.

As much as we should be motivated to do things for our own pleasure or safety I find it usually is easier to take action if the motivating factor involves the pleasure or safety of someone else, not just myself. I’m not sure if this is human nature, cultural, or family upbringing.  It really doesn’t matter.  The more you take action to declutter and organize your home not only will your family benefit, you will also reap the benefits.

It’s a building process. The more actions you take the more you will want to continue to take actions. Discipline by its self is the hard way. Find a good reason to motivate yourself to take one particular action. When that is done find another good reason or motivating factor to take another action.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

Well, what I found under my sink even surprised me. Not only did I have a lot more clutter than I thought, I found a few missing things. Here is a picture of the container I keep the sponges, brushes, and gloves in.

Here is another picture of how it looked after I decluttered.

Now here is a picture of what I found in the original mess.  I would save the old gloves (ones that were stretched out and hard to hold dishes) to use for other non-dish cleaning chores. I guess I collected them more than I used them.

Most of these sponges were pretty worn out and stained. I use old sponges to clean up messes from the floor and other non-dish cleaning. I don’t think I need that many!

Yes, this is a jar of Poppy seeds. The funny thing is that about 3 weeks ago I went over to my mother-in-law’s house for dinner. I was in charge of baking homemade bread. My husband wanted poppy seeds on the bread but I couldn’t find any in the house. I usually keep them in the refrigerator. Of course I didn’t even think to look under the sink. I have no idea how they got there!

You never know what you may find when doing a 5 minute decluttering tip.  If you have Facebook please go “like” my page. I’ll be adding new tips on a regular basis. I certainly need to do them myself!

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice

I’m narrowing these tips to ones that can be done usually in 5 minutes or less. Many times we overestimate how long something takes to do so we don’t even start the project.

Well, if you spend 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there decluttering before you know it you’ve made a big dent in the mess. I learned from Flylady.net that babysteps will add up quickly.

Sometimes it’s hard to know what can be done in such a small amount of time. That is why I’m researching for as many small tips as I can find.

I’m going to be putting these tips on my Facebook Page, CutClutterWithScissors. I’ll also have occasional blog posts listing several of these tips.

Here are a few tips to get you started. I think I’ll go do a few of them myself right now.

1.  Clean out old sponges and outdated cleaning products from under the kitchen sink.  This can be done while talking on the phone or waiting for your coffee or tea to brew.

2.  Clear out old leftovers out of fridge and throw out any expired foods from the fridge and pantry. This is a good habit to get into the day before trash pick-up.

3.  Throw away old cosmetics, lotions, and other unused items.  They can harbor bacteria over time. Old shampoos and soaps can be used to clean toilets and bathtubs. They are a lot safer than the harsh chemical cleaners.

4. Declutter a junk drawer. Organize like items in small containers with or without lids. Small ziplock bags also work well. Snack and sandwich size work best.

If you have a 5 minute tip you use please share in the comment section. Thanks.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice