Exciting news! Many of our Clutter Diet® members talk with us about how their families ruin their organizing efforts. I just read that there is a new pharmaceutical option that will likely be available in April 2011– yes, you heard that right, a drug! The name is Assistrin®, and you'll soon be able to get… Read more »
Household Management
Reform Your Own Health Care- Get Organized!
I don't mean politically organized… I mean literally, personally, getting organized for better health care! Now that we have health care reform legislation passed here in the United States, it's a great time to talk about this, whether you agree with the actual politics or not. (And please, let's refrain from discussing ALL THAT in… Read more »
3 Ways to Turn Your Clutter into Cash!
Wouldn't it be great if you could turn your clutter into some good old-fashioned green cash? According to an eBay/Nielsen survey, the average American household has about $3000 worth of valuable items waiting to be cashed in! Here are three ways to capitalize on fashion mistakes, impulse purchases, and things that have outlasted their usefulness…. Read more »
I Thought YOU Were Going to Do It!
It's a familiar song in many households… "I thought you were going to clean up the dishes!" "Well, I thought YOU were supposed to do it!" Does this sound familiar? If you are a regular reader, you'll probably know that I talk about organizing in terms of Prevention, Reduction, and Maintenance– just like weight loss…. Read more »
A Checklist for Your Checklists
I just read The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right by Atul Gawande, mainly because one of my favorite writers, Malcolm Gladwell, so heartily endorsed it. (book photo from author's site) You may know how I am always going on about capturing information… a checklist is one great way to capture important information and… Read more »
Top Ten Tips for Paying Your Bills Efficiently
It's National Pay Your Bills Week (3rd week in February). I think this means we get to eat cupcakes while we are writing checks this week. 🙂 Given the current economic climate, this subject is more important than ever! You really want to get this process down to avoid late fees and other unnecessary expenses… Read more »
I Confess– I’m Not Ready
Did you know that only 32% of Americans have a family emergency communications plan? And approximately 40% of people have done nothing to prepare for any emergencies? (Source: Emergency Preparedness Institute White Paper, January 2009) The American Red Cross says only 12% of Americans are really ready for an emergency. I am inspired to write… Read more »
5 Tips to Save on 2009 Taxes Before Next Thursday!
Merry Christmas! I hope all of my readers who celebrate this season are having a happy and fulfilling holiday. After this weekend's festivities are over, USA readers will have a few more days left in the year to get a wonderful tax deduction for 2009 by donating household goods! Thursday, December 31st, is the last… Read more »
Windex Here, Windex There, Windex Everywhere?
People often ask me how to organize their cleaning supplies… the main question being whether you should store the supplies together in a central location, or have duplicate supplies throughout the house in each bathroom or on each floor? The answer– it depends! Let's look at some of the factors: Who is cleaning? If you have… Read more »
Are You As Green As the Next Guy?
At the Clutter Diet, we teach that there are three kinds of organizing: Planning, Projects, and Systems & Routines. Most people think about us for Projects, like doing a closet or a garage. But Systems & Routines are really the foundation of home organizing– things like laundry, cleaning, meals, dishes, and maintenance. They keep things moving and… Read more »
