We have chatted about dragons before. I just love the idea of those creatures, but if there was one outside my window right now peering in my window I am sure I would shriek and run out of the room. This thought by Chesterton (an English writer) makes it seem that dragons are a good thing.

I have a dragon that dodges me from time to time and it is procrastination. I don’t usually have a problem with clutter control around the house but I do put off doing other things I need to get done. (Like writing blogs and keeping on top of my in box). The way I dodge that dragon is to reward myself.

Saturday I sewed on a quilt I am making for 45 minutes and then I worked an hour on the computer, then I sewed for another 45 minutes and then I did yard work. It worked like a dream, the dragon was gone and I got a whole lot done.

How are you at beating your dragons? And what is your trick for defeating them?

Getting Rid of Clutter

This space is a work in progress. I want to show you what a big difference it makes in getting rid of clutter by putting even a few things away where they belong. A major move is going to happen in this room soon but he wanted to get clutter under control so he could find things now and not lose important things in the move.

Getting rid of clutter is easy when:

•You identify a space you want to clear clutter
•You decide what you want the space to look like after getting rid of clutter
•You find homes for everything that makes sense to you so you can find it later
•Label bins and containers so you don’t have to keep taking the lids off to see what’s inside.

Are you in the mood for getting rid of clutter now summer is almost here? What are you going to get rid of or put in its place? I just went through a small box that holds sewing supplies. I combined likes that were in different plastic bags, I took things out and put them in other places as it no longer made sense to keep those items there.

Ahhhh, it feels so good to know what I have and to know it is all organized. No one else sees it but I know it is organized.

By the 20th century Memorial Day had been extended to honor all Americans who have died in all wars. Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

As a marker it typically marks the start of the summer vacation season.

Thank you from my staff and from me to all the service women and men who work to keep freedom alive in the world—all over the world. May this holiday be a safe and happy time for you and your family.

Because I can’t sing on key—you know the old joke “I can’t carry a tune in a basket”; my song has to be something other than singing.

I wish to sing by sharing organizing tips with you my dear readers and I work hard at making your lives better when I inspire and lead by example in getting rid of clutter.

This week I looked around my home and I decided I wanted to have fewer things out. In my sewing room I took several of my pincushions off my table and tucked them out of site. Later they will be in the light again and others will have a respite. It feels good to have more space.

What are you going to sing about? Getting rid of clutter? Gardening? Less time spent on the computer?
Visiting with friends spending less time on the phone or doing something nice for yourself?

Clutter Control

A picture says a thousand words so without typing much about clutter control I just had a lot to say.

Needless to say this cupboard had gotten out of hand. Don’t you just love to look at the difference? Now everything that is important has a home and can be found quickly.

Clutter control is all about control—after making homes for everything then put items back in their homes. We all like to come home at the end of the day and relax and just BE home. Look at your things as though they like to go back to their home after they have been out and about being used.

Do you have homes for everything in your home? Do you have something that doesn’t have a home? If so what do you plan to do about that?

Edna, a faithful blog reader who also frequently leaves comments is reading a book called, Organize Your Mind, Organize Your Life by Paul Hammerness M.D. and Margaret Moore with John Hanc. She shared the following with me to share with you. It is inspiration for clearing clutter in our homes and in our lives.

•“Create a vision for change—-Neuro scientist at the MIT show when people reflect frequently on what their positive future will look like they are more likely to make choices in their long term interest rather than short sited ones.
•Appreciate that the past is your friend and focus on how it helps you go from here.
What do you want your room or space to look like? Look ahead to how you want it to look and what function you want it to have. Then you will have a better idea on clearing clutter in that space.

What’s the best thing that will happen when you’re more organized?

The quote today is from Wolfgang who is a professor at the University of Vermont according to Wikipedia.

Clearing clutter is hard to do all if we have the mindset that it all has to ALL be done right now!

When in truth when we do it a little at a time we don’t get burnt out and we look forward to clearing clutter another day. I’ve said it before and I am saying it again—set your timer when organizing and when it dings take a break and pat yourself on the back for what you have accomplished.

Is your arm tired from reaching back and patting yourself on the back? I hope so because I want you to constantly praise your efforts to clear clutter.

This is just a fragment of the road we hike up before we take off up a narrow trail on the mountain. You can’t tell it in this photo but the green leaves have come out at different times. The mountain didn’t all of a sudden turn green. Each different type of tree turned green in its own good time and then other trees turned green until the entire mountain is covered in beautiful green trees and grasses.

We are like the greens on this mountain. When we are getting rid of clutter we work at it a little at a time and we get one area organized, then another and another. What a beautiful lesson from Mother Nature, to get rid of clutter a little at a time until we reach our reward of an organized home and life.

This flower represents our reward for getting rid of clutter—it is beautiful and happy spaces. (Does anyone know if this is Utah’s state flower–the sego lily?)
What is your favorite happy space? One of mine is cuddling up in bed with the electric blanket on under the flannel sheets reading a good book.