Rubbermaid’s Easy Find Lids System: Efficiency Meets Versatility

Earlier this summer I was asked to review Rubbermaid ‘s Easy Find Lids System. The company sent me a twenty-piece All-In-One sample pack of four different food storage containers: Easy Find Lids, Lock-its, Produce Saver and Premier containers. All summer-long I put these products to the test, and I have to say I am pleased with the products.

I am impressed by how neatly the pieces stack together. In my small kitchen efficient use of space is vital. The square bases stack together nicely. The lids stack together, and then the lids snap to the bottom of the base containers. The lids and bases are interchangeable because a lid fits bases of different sizes. Hmm, how much time is saved by eliminating “hide and go seek” with food container lids?

The most valuable thing the Produce Saver containers has saved is my nerves. You know how it is; you start to put together a recipe that uses the produce you picked up a couple of days ago, only to find out it is has started to go bad. I hate that! But the produce I kept in the Produce Saver containers did last longer, so I didn’t have to worry about the state of my dinner ingredients…or my frustration level.

The Premier containers end another one of my frustrations: stained food containers. We like spaghetti. I usually make enough for leftovers, and usually it’s easy to spot which containers are used to store the spaghetti. They’re the ones that are an interesting shade of orange. The clear bases of the Premier containers did not stain, and they remained nice and clear after repeated use.

Another tough challenge is the transportation of soup to a potluck. Would the Lock-its lid stay on the base without leaking - despite being jumbled about? Yes, it did! The lid snapped on the base easily but stayed securely in place until it was snapped off. Happily, I did not need the strength of a weight lifter to get the lid on or off the base of the Lock-its – or any of the other products, for that matter.

The bases for all of the containers provide a good degree of visibility so it’s easy to identify their contents. I like to use a water-soluble marker to date the sides of the containers so I don’t have to guess the age of the contents. The marker quickly wipes off without staining the container.

If your house is like my house, food containers are used for a lot more that storing food. These containers store craft supplies very nicely. I put pony beads in one container, string in second container, plus scissors and needles in a third container. Then I snapped all three containers together, which made it easy to carry them to a scout meeting. Lock-its containers keep play clay pliable for a long time and did not leak the ooze that we created from starch and borax. I especially like the added visibility the Premier lid’s transparent panel provides.

Efficient space-use, durable, easy-to-use, versatile and effective – I believe that the Rubbermaid containers meet every need I could possible have in a container. Oh, did I mention they are affordable? In fact, if you visit www.easyfindlids.com you can get a coupon for your purchase.
The Rubbermaid site (www.rubbermaid.com) has all sorts of great product information, online shopping, and their “Adventures in Organizing” blog. Shop online to save yourself a trip to the store, and you’ll save10% on your new products when you enter coupon code 0902.

Stump the Organizer! Organizing A Home Library

"What do you suggest for organizing books? I have a room that is stacked with books. I love my books so don't suggest that I get rid of any of them."

Why not dedicate the room to your own library, complete with comfy chair and reading lamp?

Let's address the stacks. It sounds like you need book shelves and lots of them. This may sound obvious to some, but countless times I've seen people struggling with how to get five bookshelves-worth of books into two bookshelves. Line the walls floor-to-ceiling with shelves, if need be.

The organization of a book collection should support browsing and the ability to access a specific volume quickly - which is how public libraries are organized. Libraries typically organize fiction by the author's last name and non-fiction by categories. You may want to do the same. Categorize the non-fiction books by topics that makes sense to you. Imposing the Dewey Decimal System or the Library of Congress Classification System on a home library is a little like shooting a fly with an elephant gun. Not to mention your classification may differ from the library classification systems. For example, the Dewey Decimal System classifies some of my organizing books as "home economics," others as "psychology," and some as "business." In my mind, they are all "organizing books."

Do you still have a lot of books within the sub-categories? Alphabetize non-fiction by author or title within the sub-categories. Only organize to the point where it's helpful in locating specific books and browsing, but no further. Dedicate a shelf or a few to each category. Labeling each shelf with a category name will make it easier find a specific book or an area to browse.

With your books physically arranged on shelves, half of your organizing project is complete. The important project of cataloging your collection is yet to be done. The benefits of cataloging are

• having an inventory that is suitable for the insurance purposes (think about how much money have your spent on your collection),
• reducing or eliminating duplicate purchases,
• and making informed decisions regarding the management of the collection.

Software can definitely make the job of cataloging much easier than it would be if done manually. Book Collector (www.collectorz.com) and Readerware (www.readerware.com) are two software options that automatically populate your inventory database with comprehensive information on each book. All you have to do is scan or swipe a book's barcode and the software uses the barcode to fetch the data from different websites. Additionally, these software applications will track book loans and download your inventory list to your iPhone so you can access it anywhere. The cost of these software applications is under $45.

If you don't mind a little manual entry, the website Library Thing (www.librarything.com) provides a unique combination of cataloging with a virtual bookclub. Enter the book's author, the title or the ISBN and the website fetches comprehensive information about the book from different websites which is then used to populate your inventory. The website offers social networking with other site members so you can chat about your latest read or get recommendations for the next. Joining Library Thing is free but there is a $10 /year fee - or $25/ life - to catalog over 100 books. It's an amazing amount of functionality for the cost.

Books are well-loved by many, including myself. Loving something is a reason to keep it, but treat it like you love it. Give it a place of honor and take care of it. You can have more space and energy for the things that are important to you by letting go of the things that you no longer love and no longer serve you.

One post script: the sites www.collectorz.com and www.readerware.com also have cataloging software for other collectibles such as music and dvds.

Organize Your Breakfast?

In keeping with the theme "Morning Zoom," I asked Angelina Bertani if she would kindly contribute a post on how to get a fast and nutritious breakfast together. At the end of the post you'll find more information on Angelina and her website, which you'll want to visit after you read her ideas.

Yes that’s right, here are a few tips from Angelina Bertani, CHHC.


Why eat Breakfast?

1. How you start your day affects how you feel and think all day long, essentially if you don’t eat, you will not get as much done in your day.
2. Breakfast is like setting the thermostat in our bodies
3. Breakfast will assist your weight loss and reduce binges and cravings in the afternoon

There are a few places that you might be in regards to breakfast…

1. You are ravenously hungry shortly after breakfast (within 1 ½ hours). You are not having a substantial breakfast. It also may not be the correct type of breakfast for you. Some people need more protein for breakfast and others do better with a more carbohydrate rich breakfast. A good quality breakfast or lack there of is making you hungry instead of satisfying you. A good breakfast will last you at least 2-3 hours

2. You throw something in your mouth on the way to work. Like a balance bar? You may feel like there’s little time to spare. When you plan out a substantial breakfast you’ll actually be more productive and focused thourout the day so that you get more done. It’s important to learn to make time for breakfast.

3. You are not usually hungry for breakfast. Many clients who report that they have no appetite before 11am have adrenal fatigue. To support the adrenal glands through food one of the things that will help is to eat a small breakfast despite your lack of hunger, over time it helps to rebalance the body and strengthen the adrenals.

4. You unsure of quick and healthy breakfast options, so you just don’t take the time. Don’t worry I have just the thing for you below…CHOICES!

5. You find yourself eating the same things over and over and you’d like to know some more exciting choices that are easy. Don’t worry I have just the thing for you too! Join me at an upcoming cooking class www.pure-nourishment.com


Smart Breakfast Options …in less than 5 minutes

o Smoothies – use frozen fruit to make several smoothie concoctions at
once – put in fridge or freezer and use through the week

o Homemade muesli (see recipe at end of blog) or whole grain cereal

o Make a batch of oatmeal or steel cut oats for the week and just heat up

o Sprouted grain English muffins or Ezeckial bread with almond butter and banana

o Fast Scramble - scramble 2 eggs with some baby spinach, hand-crumbled
mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes

o Yogurt, fruit, and nuts – (Try Fage brand Greek yogurt)

o Hard-boiled eggs (make a few at a time and keep them in the fridge), plus
a piece of fruit – or with/on sprouted grain English muffin or bread

Angelina Bertani, Holistic Health Counselor, Anxiety Free Weight Loss Coach, Author, Speaker, and Founder of Pure Nourishment, LLC. If you're ready to jumpstart your health, get your F*R*E*E tips now at www.Pure-Nourishment.com.

Thank you so much Angelina!

Stump the Organizer! Backpack Organization

"What can I do to prevent my daughter's backpack from becoming a cluttered mess?"

The backpack's purpose is to carry study material, homework and extracurricular items to and from school. However, many people - not just students - regard backpacks as a permanent home for things. From this perspective a backpack's design must include many sections and pockets to properly house items and be "organized." Once an item is put in the backpack it is "put away," and nothing else needs to happen to it. The "permanent home" perspective results in a stuffed backpack and things being forgotten. But if you consider backpacks as transition tools, the backpack requirements are much simpler and there will be a greater likelihood for order.

• Smaller is usually better. The backpack should be just big enough to carry what is needed in the next 24 hours and not the contents of the locker.
• Keep the design simple. Often two pockets or sections are enough in a backpack. The smaller pocket holds the small stuff like the pencil case and the lunch bag, and the bigger pocket holds the books and binders. Adding more pockets than what is needed will result in items getting lost.
• Empty daily. Once the contents are out of the backpack it's easy to see what needs to be done and what needs to be put away. As homework is being completed, put it in the backpack. Once at school, put items in the locker and hang up the backpack. If your child has difficulty remembering what to pack in her backpack, attach a small laminated checklist to the backpack with a binder ring.

Dedicating the backpack to transporting items rather than housing them reduces clutter and lightens the load the student must carry. The student's back will thank you. Parents, as a twist read this article again substituting "briefcase" for "backpack" and "office" for "locker."

Morning Zoom

Are you always running late in the morning? Adopting a few organizing and time management strategies can help you start your day in good time.

Look ahead: Check the next’s day’s agenda at night and do as much as you can to prepare for the day.
• Pack what is needed for the next day in the backpack or briefcase and put the bag by the door.
• Choose an outfit and make sure it is in a wearable state. You may be spared a wardrobe malfunction in the morning.
• Pack the lunchboxes and make put them ready-to-go in the fridge. Consider getting a coffee maker with a timer. Waking up to a brewed pot of coffee is wonderfully motivating.

Eliminate distractions. Focus on getting ready and eliminate anything that prevents you from leaving on time and in good spirits.
• Don’t answer the phone. If you are concerned that the message will have immediate impact on your day, then you can always check voicemail before you leave.
• The computer and the TV are notorious for holding people’s attention hostage. Turn the TV off and get the news from the radio.
• If checking email is a must then use a timer by the computer to keep the session brief. Actually, you can use a timer with any activity to prevent time from getting away from you.
• Checklists are also useful for keeping you focused. A checklist posted on the door at eye level can help you remember what you need to take and what needs to be done to secure your house.

Simplify. Make things as easy as possible, and develop a morning routine that gets you and your family ready while leaving the home in a reasonable state.
• Put things away when you are finished with them. If you feel too rushed to put things away then wake up ten minutes earlier.
• Collect fast and nutritious breakfast items together in one spot. Skipping breakfast is not a time saver. Your plummeting blood sugar will interfere with your work.
• Streamline the morning shower by gathering the personal care items that you use daily into one basket.

The morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Starting the day in a calm and prepared manner will empower you for the rest of the day.

Stump the Organizer! Organizing A Lot Of Information

I can tell we are truly in the frenzied "Back to School" mode. There were no questions for the Stump the Organizer! post this week.

But visitors to my booth at the Spirit Seeker Summer Expo had some very good questions for me. Here is one of the more thought-provoking questions:

"I collect information. My interests are very diverse. How can I organize my information so I can find it?" In this gentleman's case, almost all of his information is paper.

Many people are naturally curious and collect information like this gentleman; however, we are living in a time when information is increasing in an exponential rate. In other words, information goes stale - or becomes misinformation - very quickly. "Simplify" is the best organizing principle to apply to the situation. Eliminate the paper that is a likely candidate for becoming obsolete soon.

Think of the billions of resources that are available on the internet. A well-constructed search can retrieve more information than we could possibly acquire in our own physical sphere. Google is one of the most popular search engines. To search scholarly works you can use Google Scholar.

That being said, sometimes there are unique and irreplaceable documents that are part of a collection and need they need organizing. Another organizing principle to apply: store items according to how they are used and accessed. The salient question to ask yourself is "What am I going to think about when I need this particular piece of information?" The answer to the question points you to the "keywords" that you would use to do a search on the internet for the information.

The keyword concept can be applied to the physical world as well. For each document think of several keywords to describe it. Build an index that assigns a file number to the document's title and captures the relevant keywords as well. Use your favorite spreadsheet software to create the index (Excel or Google Docs, for example). Make sure that you create a "Date" column as well so you can enter the document's date of printing. Label the physical file with the file number and put it in the file cabinet.

When you want to access all of your documents that contain a particular key word, refer to the index that you created and you will find the pertinent file numbers to retrieve from your file cabinet. The files are loading into the file drawer in sequential order by file number. Organizing the physical files by file number makes it easy to add files - just go to the next file number in the sequence - and delete files - just leave a hole in the file number sequence. But you will not be able to find specific files without the index.

A word about the date column. It's good to know how old the information is. After all, if a document is really old, you may want to question the validity of its information. Additionally, the date column can be useful in identifying very old files when it's time for a file-purging project. I like to format date as "YYYYMMDD." This format allows me to search for dates less than a chosen date. For example, if I want to locate all the files that are older than ten years I would search the spreadsheet column for dates less than "19990808."

For those of you who do not want to create your own index, there is a software solution: "Paper Tiger." Paper Tiger is highly regarded as an excellent organizing tool. You can find it at www.thepapertiger.com. I could write another page listing the benefits of Paper Tiger, but I'll let you just visit their site.

In the next few days I will be posting some information for getting your students ready for school. Two local papers recently printed articles I wrote for "Back to School." Your can either pick up the Java Journal and the Spirit Seeker at your favorite establishment or visit them online at www.spiritseeker.com and www.javajournalonline.com, respectively.

Stump the Organizer! How To Organize Recipe Clippings

This week's question is from Betty:

"I like to clip recipes from magazines and the newspaper. Last year I saw an episode on one of those organizing shows where the organizer said clippings should be stored in a three-ring binder. But it seems like my clippings never make it to the binder and worst I don't even feel like trying out any of the recipes because of the disarray. What am I doing wrong?"
Betty, thank you so much for sending me this question.

I think your experience exemplifies one of the guiding principles of organizing: organizing strategies and tools must be individualized. So the short answer to your question, "What am I doing wrong?", is "nothing."

There are two "flavors" of recipe clippings, in my experience: "tried it and loved it" and "want to try it." The first thing to do is to separate the former group from the latter. You'll be able to find a loved recipe faster to make it again if it's not mixed in with the untried recipes. Let's face it, there are a lot more untried recipes than there are tried recipes, and the number of untried recipes increases regularly.

The simplest way to keep the number of untried recipes under control is to limit the size of the collection, and the easiest way to do this is by the size of the container. Promise yourself that you will clean out the recipe clippings if the container gets full. What to cull? The recipes that seemed like good ideas at the moment but upon reflection there is no way you'll make them, let along eat them. Recipes that are really old and still haven't been tried are also candidates for the recycle bin.

Considering the volume of new clippings, it is best to use simple containers. The sections of an accordion file provides some organization by category. Put the newest recipes in the front of each section so when it's time to cull recipes you can focus on the oldest ones. Some folks may not like "digging things out" of the accordion file though. Another solution, but a bit more restrictive, is to put the recipes in a magnetic sheet photo album. Use the glue-on tabs to organize the collection by categories. There really isn't a way to easily distinguish old recipes from new recipes if the photo album is used, though.

At the NAPO Conference this spring I saw a new product called Recipe Nest. Recipe Nest is a attractive binder-sized box that holds your recipe clippings. Dividers organize the collection by categories. Just toss in your clippings. Plus the box is ingeniously equipped with a clip on the front and a built-in easel on the back - so your recipe is easily read during a cooking session. One Recipe Nest for untried recipes and another for tried recipes and your entire clippings collection can be organized with a minimum of effort.

Back to the three-ring binder that Betty tried: I think the three-ring binder is a possible storage solution for the "tried it and loved it" collection. Add subject dividers to create recipe categories. The plastic page protector allows both sides of a recipe to be viewed. Artistic folks can decorate the binder. But if the binder leaves your artistic side unfulfilled, consider making a scrapbook of favorite recipes.

One of my clients created a tribute scrapbook to her grandmother complete with the grandmother's recipes from the "old country." The grandmother's handwriting in her native german added to the charm of the scrapbook. Photos and little momentos were part of the scrapbook of course, but the use of grandmother's apron as a scrapbook cover was brilliant and touching.

Typically the number of recipes that make it to the "keeper" collection is relatively small so this group lends itself to more complicated methods of storage. But recipes get clipped for trying pretty freequently so a fast, simple way to store them makes sense. The underlying organizing principle is the frequency of use is partially driving how an item is stored. Personal preference is also a factor, which is why organizing must be individualized.

The bottom line: Betty, don't feel bad about that binder! Maybe it should only be used for the recipes you love.

Clear Spaces To Be At The Spirit Seeker Expo This Weekend!

Exciting News! Clear Spaces will be at the Spirit Seeker Magazine's Summer Expo this weekend: July 31, August 1 and 2. The expo's theme is Connection, Celebration and Expansion. The Center for Spiritual Living hosts the expo the first night which is dedicated to workshops (we will not be at that venue). Saturday and Sunday's events will be held at the Orlando Gardens at the corner of Dorsett and McKelvey in Maryland Heights from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Please visit the expo's beautiful website: http://spiritseeker.com/expo/index.html. The lineup of speakers, musicians and vendors looks very impressive.
The Clear Spaces booth will feature information about our organizing services and the Letting Go and Lightening Up class series. There will be an ongoing "Stump the Organizer!" session for your organizing questions, organizing demonstrations and one lucky visitor will win a free organizing assessment package!
It promises to be a fun and informative weekend. We hope to see you there!

Stump the Organizer! How Do I Store and Organize Hats?

Here is this week's excellent question: " I have many hats. Of course the usual baseball caps and winter hats. But also many very nice hats for special occasions. Their boxes take up so much space! What else could I do?"

A hatbox is a dust-free way way to store a hat so that it maintains its shape. Unfortunately hatboxes are bulky and opaque so you can't see what it holds. If you have a really fine hat, a hatbox may be the safest way to store it. Take a digital picture of the hat which can then be attached to the side of the box. Store hats that you don't wear frequently on a high shelf. It is possible to nest hats in a hat box. Just remember to attach pictures of all the hats to the box.

I once organized the walk-in closet of a fashion-savvy elderly woman. She could not climb step-ladders, but her housekeeper could. We used the digital pictures to create an index of my client's extensive hat collection. The index was hung up like a poster in the closet. Each hat box was assigned a unique letter that was cross-referenced with the picture on the index. It was easy for my client to tell the housekeeper which box to remove from the high shelf.

Knit hats and berets are best stored in a drawer because they easily stretch if hung. A cedar block will prevent your hats from becoming a moth's lunch.

If hatboxes are just too bulky look to store fixtures for a solution. After all, a millinery store has lots of hats to store and display. A floor hat rack from Display Warehouse holds twenty hats in about a two-foot footprint.

The Jokari over-the-door cap rack holds eight caps on easy-to-access hooks. A loaded rack takes up very little room so you can put several on your door. Organize.com carries the rack – as well as some lovely hat boxes. Organize.com also carries the Stratford Hook. The Stratford Hook is a special coat/hat hook that will support the crown of a hat so that the hat lies horizontally on the hook. Several of these hooks on a wall could create an artistic display of a hat collection, and even further your enjoyment of your hats.

Stump the Organizer! Dealing With Toy Clutter

It's Thursday and time for "Stump the Organizer!" This week's question comes from Bonnie who has five year-old twins.

Bonnie emailed this question: "My children’s toys are everywhere! We thought making a playroom was the right thing to do but they hardly use it. Our house is small and there isn't a lot of room in the twin's bedroom. What can we do to keep the toy clutter from taking over our house?"

Young children want your company. I suspect the reason the toys are everywhere is your children follow you throughout the house with their companions, the toys. On the positive side, it's a whole lot easier making sure your children are happy and safe if they are following you. To keep the toy clutter from endangering your sanity follow these guidelines.

• *Set up some areas as toy-free zones. There is no reason for toys to be in the adults' bedroom, the formal living room (assuming there is an informal family room) and the foyer. There may be other areas in your home that are not conducive to play. Setting limits allows you to keep control on the amount of toy clutter.
• *Set up a small amount of toy storage in each kid-friendly room. Shelves, bins, storage ottomans, ans baskets are useful to hold toys and keep the surroundings clutter-free. Keep the storage simple so it's easy for your children to access and use. Keep the number of toys relatively small to avoid overwhelming your children with options - and to limit the amount to pick up. Turn-about is fair play: you can set up a special adult area in the playroom. A comfortable chair, good lighting and a table provide you a place to work on a small project or read a book while your children play happily supervised.
• *Establish a routine for clean-up. Some children can, and will, put one toy away before they get out another one with gentle reminding. Some children need to get a lot of toys out at the same time, and will need a specific clean-up time - such as before lunch. Make clean-up as fun as possible by singing a song (that clean-up song sung by the purple dinosaur served our family well) or making it a game.

Usually the best organizing solution goes with the flow rather than fight a natural tendency.

Thank you Bonnie for the question. I hope this provides you with the information you needed.

Do you have an organizing question or issue? Either email your inquiry to Denise@clearspaces.org or post it right here on the blog. Check here every Thursday for answers to your questions. You'll get information that you can use right now.

Stump the Organizer! How Do I Organize Shoes?

This week's question is "How do I organize shoes?" There are almost as many ways to answer that as there are types of shoes. For many people it's a good idea to sort shoes by frequency of use - everyday wear versus special occasion wear. Shoes that are worn daily need storage that allows quick and uncomplicated access.
My three favorite ways to store everyday shoes are the two-shelf shoe stacker, the tilting drawer shoe cabinet, and the under-the-bed shoe basket on casters. The two-shelf shoe stacker looks like a shrunken bookcase. It's easy to get shoes in and out of these stacking shelves plus everything is visible. Each shelf holds three large or four small shoes. You can stack multiple units - I've stacked up to four together - but a tall assembly should be attached to the wall for stability and safety. Label each shelf with a category such as work shoes, athletic shoes, casual flats, etc.
The tilting drawer cabinet is a stylish way to stash your shoes. Each drawer tilts forward to reveal one or two shelves between which shoes are placed. Depending on the size of the cabinet and shoes, you may be able to store two to four pairs of shoes between the shelves. Because these cabinets offer concealed storage they can be put out in the open. I have used these cabinets by front door because the top of the cabinet offers a nice "landing pad" for keys and mail, not to mention a place to swap the outside shoes for the inside slippers.
If the shoe collection is small and closet space is tight, then an under-the-bed storage basket offers efficient use of space. The casters make it easy to pull the basket out. Avoid the lidded bins for everyday shoes. Taking the lid off everyday is an extra step that our rushed lives don't need. The squishy under-the-bed shoe containers are difficult to use and not sturdy enough for everyday use. But for special occasion shoes a lidded bin may work just fine.
For the collection of really fine shoes consider storage that will protect your investment while providing accessibility. I like translucent shoe boxes that open like drawers or boxes with translucent drop-fronts. Both types of these boxes stack nicely on a shelf and the boxes do not need to be moved to gain access to the shoes.
In my experience, shoe racks made of bars do not hold flats well and require more time to delicately place the shoes than I can muster. The hanging pocket-type organizer requires a fair amount of careful placement as well (maybe I'm just a klutz!) and they get dirty easily. I love the hanging pockets for organizing craft supplies, mittens, scarves and a world of other things - just not shoes.
Remember, ventilation is important especially for everyday shoes. Putting athletic shoes in an airtight container will produce unpleasant memories of the high school locker room when you fetch you shoes.
If you have a clever or unique way to organize your shoes, I'd love to hear it. Just post your comment here!

Organized for Travel

Asking yourself just three questions will help you prepare for and organize all of the details of travel:

1) How are we getting there and where will we stay?
2) What events do I need to plan and pack for?
3) What supports need to be planned for in my home and office?

Capture your answers to these questions in a paper-filled binder with subject dividers labeled “Travel,” “Events and Packing,” and “Home and Office.” Use the subject dividers with pockets and you’ll have handy places to organize your travel documents too. The binder is easy to pack so all of your notes and documents will be quickly accessible during your trip.

It may be easier to print one of the great packing lists already available on the Internet rather than create your own packing list. Slip the list into the your binder, but bear in mind that you still need to plan your outfits. This is where your list of events comes in handy.

Pick out clothes that are appropriate for the events and activities for each day of travel. Make sure you can mix and match items so you can pack less. Three tops and three bottoms take up little space, but they will yield nine outfits when everything matches. Use the top of the bed to lay out the clothes with the accessories to create your outfits, and take notes in your binder. Clear plastic bags are classic tools for organizing clothes and accessories in your suitcase.

When it comes to planning your home and office support systems, think about what will happen to your pets, plants, mail, newspapers, appointments and work while you are away. Planning for all of the things that enter our lives on a daily basis may actually take more time than planning your travel itinerary! Allow yourself enough time to plan for and set up your support systems. Keep any documentation that pertains to these support systems in the pocket of the subject divider.

Planning and organizing prepares you for the adventures of travel and prepares your home and office for your absence. You’ll spend less time stressing and more time relaxing – which is the point of vacation after all!

And speaking of travel...

There were no questions for "Stump the Organizer" last week, which actually worked out well for me. We just returned from a trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan. What a beautiful - and chilly - place!

What organizing challenges have you perplexed? Send me your questions through email or by posting a comment here.

Just a reminder that the Letting Go and Lightening Up Class starts this Saturday, and yes there is room! Letting Go and Lightening Up is an approach that enpowers you to get organized and stay organized. Each of the four classes in the series focuses on a unique area. Between classes you put the lesson plan into practice, and if you need a little help you can make a support call to me. Go to my website to enroll today: http://clearspaces.org/workshops.aspx.

Reminder: Last Day to Enroll at the Early Bird Rate!

Today is the last day for the early bird discount on the upcoming Letting Go and Lightening Up class series. Normally the twelve hours of class time (4 classes that are 3 hours each), the comprehensive workbook, and support calls cost $300. But you will get $50 discount if you enroll today. Enroll with a friend and you each will receive another $50 discount, bringing the cost of the class to $200!
The classes enpower you to let go of the clutter in your mind, your home, your office and your life. The first class meets on July 11. The class will meet on the second Saturday of each month with the final class meeting on October 10 -- you can be organized by the holiday season! You can get more information about the class and enroll on my website: http://clearspaces.org/workshops.aspx.

Tomorrow is Thursday which is "Stump the Organizer" Day! You can post your questions here or email me at Denise@clearspaces.org. I am looking forward to hearing from you! I will be on the road for most of the day but I will answer your questions as soon as I get an internet connection.

Stump the Organizer!

It's Thursday and it's time to post your organizing questions. Thanks to Cindy for posting her excellent question about meal planning. If you missed Cindy's question and my response, it' here: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=30422473&postID=5685808849892372046 This afternoon I am headed down to Boy Scout camp to enjoy family night so I'll answer questions on Friday morning.
Don't forget about the upcoming Letting Go and Lightening Up class series. You can save up to one-third of the price if you act before July 1. Here is the link to my website to find out more about the class http://clearspaces.org/workshops.aspx. If you ever heard a friend say "I wish I could get more organized!" this class may be the answer she's looking for.

Freedom from Clutter!

I am really looking forward to my next Letting Go and Lightening Up class series that will begin on July 11. We had a wonderful time in our spring series, and feedback indicates the class really had a positive difference. The upcoming class series will help the participants get organized by the holidays.

How many holidays have you spent rushing around trying to put things in order, not to mention dealing with the extra tasks of holiday preparation? This year can be different if you enroll in our upcoming class.

The Letting Go and Lightening Up Class Series focuses on dealing with clutter in four areas: the mind, the home, the office and our lives. Letting go of the clutter in our mind is the essential first step to making decisions about the rest of our clutter. A student in the last class series called this the "peaceful power" step!

If you could use more "peaceful power" and less clutter in your life enroll in the next Letting Go and Lightening Up class series. . Complete your enrollment by July 1 and you will save $5o. Bring a friend and you will each save another $50! I expect the class to fill up quickly so don't delay your enrollment! Visit www.clearspaces.org.

Got Organizing Questions?

It seems that organizing is on many people's minds these days. It's pretty common that I am asked questions about organizing in social situations.

Sometimes people know exactly what they want to do and how they want to do it, they just need a little validation. Validation can be really motivating. It can eliminate the fear that you are doing something wrong, or that there must be something unusual about you because you prefer to work in a way that's different from how your neighbor works.

Basically I've been asked just about every type of organizing question that I can think of. But I'm sure there's more out there. Let's hear them!

Every Thursday I will post the "Stump the Organizer" article. Post your organizing question on this blog. Based on the number of questions I get, I will either directly answer your question in the post or I'll summarize the questions to provide an efficient answer through a post.

So what's stumping you? What organizing question do you have that, when answered, will get you going on your project?

Got Hazardous Clutter?

St. Louis County Residents! Do you have old paint cans, cans of insecticide, broken thermometers, florescent light bulbs, and other nasty stuff in your home?
Rejoice because you can get rid of that nasty clutter this Saturday (6/6/09) in an environmentally responsible way. St. Louis County will be at the South County Mall between 8:30 and 3:00 to take that clutter off your hands. Go to the parking lot south of Dillards and Sears. Visit http://www.co.st-louis.mo.us/DOH/waste/waste_mg.html for more information.
I'm sure my followers outside of St. Louis County are wondering where they can dispose of their hazardous items. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources may provide you with the information you seek. Go to http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/hhw/hhw.htm for more information.

The End Clutter Team Rocks At NAMIWalks

Saturday morning I woke up early to the sound of rain hitting the window. It was not the weather that I expected nor hoped for the NAMIWalks event. But I'm a Scout, so I put on my walking shoes, grabbed my poncho and headed out the door.
End Clutter team member Bev and I met on the Muny lot. Considering the hundreds of people at the event, it was pretty amazing that we linked up.
Thank you Bev for your company. We had a wonderful time talking about horses, houses, and all things organizing. The time really flew. I can hardly believe we walked three miles!
At the end of the walk I toured the information tables. The Bipoloar Journey (sponsored by AstraZeneca) was very interesting. The booth featured informational videos on diagnosing Bipolar Disorder and their campaign "SPEAK and Be Heard...Living With Bipolar Depression." You can visit their link for more information: www.speakaboutbipolardepression.com.
I also found out that a St. Louis company is doing research on mental illness. Mid-America Clinical Research LLC is in need of volunteers for clinical trials. Here is their link if you are interested: www.mac-research.com.
I'm not associated with any of the companies mentioned here and their research. Nor am I endorsing them - I am just offering you the information.
The last booth I visited was sponsored by NARSAD Artworks which is a nonprofit corporation that supports the mentally ill (www.narsadartworks.org). As the name implies, NARSAD Artworks sells beautiful posters and cards created by artists who have been dealing with mental illness. They also offered silver ribbon pins that are the symbol for the Anti-Stigma, Campaign for the Brain. If you want your own silver ribbon pin, visit www.SilverRibbon.org.
I want the thank everyone who sponsored me and the End Clutter Team. Together we raised $221 for NAMI! If you missed the NAMIWalks event but would still like information on the works NAMI does, please visit www.namistl.org.

Clear Spaces Announces The Next Organizing Class Series

Are You A DIYer Who Wants To Get (and Stay) Organized?

Join Professional Organizer and owner of Clear Spaces, Denise Lee, on Saturday, July 11 for the beginning of her 4-class series, “Letting Go and Lightening Up – In Your Mind, Your Home, Your Office and Your Life.” By combining organizing systems with life-guiding principles, Denise will help you make conscious choices about what to let go of, what to keep and where to put it. All materials, a comprehensive workbook and a snack are included. The classes will meet the second Saturday of the month with the last class meeting on October 10. Be organized in time for the holidays!

Space is precious - enroll by July 1!

KICK-OFF CLASS:
Saturday, July 11
1:30 – 4:30 P.M.
Subsequent classes meet the second Saturday of the month, same time.

WHERE:
Vitality Unlimited Spa (www.VitalityUnlimitedSpa.com)
29 West Moody Ave.
(in the rear meeting room)
Webster Groves, Missouri 63119


INVESTMENT: $300


TO ENROLL:
Call the Denise at 314-956-2282 or email Denise@clearspaces.org

For more information:
visit www.ClearSpaces.org or www.LettingGoandLighteningUp.com

Clear Spaces Participates in NAMIWalks

In about two weeks I will be participating in the NAMIWalks for the Mind of America, NAMI’s signature walkathon event that is being held in St. Louis, MO at Upper Muny Parking Lot in Forest Park on May 30, 2009.

One out of four families is affected by mental illness. Many of the people I work with face the challenge of mental illness. Sadly some of the challenge is getting affordable, quality treatment and dealing with social prejudices.

I would like to ask you to come and walk with me or to donate to support my participation in this great event. Visit my personal walker page to sign up: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/STL/ClearSpaces. It features a link to my team's page where you can see who else is walking with me. There is also a link so you can donate directly to me online. Donating online is fast and secure, and I'll get immediate notification via e-mail of your donation.

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the largest education, support and advocacy organization that serves the needs of all those whose lives are touched by these illnesses. This includes persons with mental illness, their families, friends, employers, the law enforcement community and policy makers. The NAMI organization is composed of approximately 1100 local affiliates, 50 state offices and a national office.

The goals of the NAMIWalks program are: to fight the stigma that surrounds mental illness, to build awareness of the fact that the mental health system in this country needs to be improved, and to raise funds for NAMI so that they can continue their mission.

NAMI is a 501(c)3 charity and any donation you make to support my participation in this event is tax deductible. NAMI has been rated by Worth magazine as among the top 100 charities "most likely to save the world" and has been given an "A" rating by The American Institute of Philanthropy for efficient and effective use of charitable dollars.

I invite you to take action and be part of the positive change that NAMI is working for. Please join the Clear Spaces team or donate by clicking here now: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks09/STL/ClearSpaces.

If Your Spice Tin Has Rust It’s Time To Toss It

Has spring inspired you to begin a few spring-cleaning projects? While you are in your kitchen, take a look at what is lurking on your spice shelf. Spices can sit benignly on the shelf for years. They really don’t spoil per say, but they do get old.

Identifying old spices is easy if the manufacturer has stamped a “Best By” date on the side or the bottom of the jar. Instead of a “Best By” date you may find a product code on the jar itself – this is not the number on the label by the UPC. Product codes can be translated into manufactured dates on some of the company sites.

McCormick uses both the “Best By” date and the product code. The McCormick website (www.mccormick.com/Spices101/) has an abundance of fun information about spices and herbs. Plus there’s a gadget that allows you to enter the product code along with the city of manufacture to get a manufacturing date. Durkee’s website (www.durkee.com/homeuse/) has an FAQ page that tells you how to translate their product code into a manufacturing date. If you are in the Greater St. Louis Area and buy Schnuck’s store brand spices, you can figure out the pack date with the algorithm they kindly provided to me.

The first number is the year.
The letter represents the month, where “A” is January and “M” is December
The next two numbers is the day of the month.
The last letter represents the shift.

So Schnucks would represent April 1, 2009 (first shift) as 9D01A.

In the absence of “Best By” dates use the guideline below for freshness.

Ground Spices 2-3 years
Whole Spices 3-4 years
Blends 1-2 years
Herbs 1-3 years
Extracts 4 years – except for vanilla extract which lasts indefinitely

If the label is faded or there is rust on the tin, odds are your spice is way past its prime. If you use your own spice jars you will need to rely on the signs of aging: faded color, lack of aroma, and diminished flavor.

Toss old spices but before you rush out and replace them, consider if they are really needed. After all, the spice got old because you did not use it very often.

To make your life a little easier going forward, use an indelible marker to put an expiration date on your new spice bottles. I use “exp” before the date so I know it’s an expiration date. If you fill your own spice bottles, put a piece of tape on the bottom of the bottle before writing the expiration date on it. Spice Islands provides a spice registry on their website (www.spiceislands.com). Enter the product code in the registry and the site will return the “Best By” date. Additionally, the site accumulates the names of every spice you enter in your own spice library. In one glance you can see your entire inventory of Spice Islands spices, and quickly peruse the recipes that use your inventory.

With age spices lose their flavor, aroma, color and vibrancy. Do you really want to add dusty flavor to food that you worked hard to bring to the table? Purge your old spices and herbs, and your taste buds will thank you.

Canine Capers

I take old sheets, towels and blankets to the Animal Protective Association of Missouri (APA) on behalf of my clients. The soft fabric helps make the homeless pets at the APA more comfortable. My clients feel good that the fruits of their decluttering are making a positive contribution to the world. You can also help the APA at two upcoming events.
On April 4 from 1:00 to 3:00 there is a Dog Easter Egg Hunt in Hanley Park (that's at 610 West Hanley Industrial Court in Brentwood). Registration begins at 12:15 and is $10 per dog. Be sure to keep your pup on a leash and remember the clean-up bags! I know my dog Koa is looking forward to finding some eggs and sharing treats with some canine buddies. The money raised by this event will benefit the APA and the Mid-County YMCA's youth programs.
You and your dog can work off those treats at the April 26 "The Fast and The Furriest 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk" in Tower Grove Park. Visit www.apamo.org or call 314-645-4610 for more details.

Declutter, Do Good

Hello my fellow St. Louisians, I have a challenge for you. Grab an empty box and a timer. For the next twenty minutes tour your home looking for things that you don't use but felt like it would be a "waste" to get rid of them. That french-press coffee maker that you never used - in the box. The pressure-cooker that you received as a gift - in the box. That terracotta animal that can be coated in seeds that grow - in the box. We're going to give those items a purpose. Put the box in your car and drop it off at the Fairfax House at 9401 Manchester Road (in Rock Hill) between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. on April 18 for an upcoming rummage sale.

The Rock Hill Historic Preservation Commisson is sponsoring the rummage sale that will be held on Saturday, April 25 between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. The sale money will be used to fund the restoration of the Fairfax House. Your contribution will help to preserve our local history.

The Fairfax House was built in 1841 when Rock Hill was being settled. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and the Missouri Preservation's 2008 Most Endangered Historic Places list. The house is beautiful in its simplicity but it needs a lot of work if it is to survive.

Home Centers You Can’t Live Without

Do you dump the mail on the closest horizontal surface when you walk in your home? Is your coat draped over the closest chair to the door? Do school papers migrate from the backpack to a stack on the kitchen counter? Many of the homes I visit are troubled by the same challenging transitions. Transitions can create chaos unless you have systems in place to handle them.

The “launch pad” is the answer to “where to put it?” when you walk in the door. The launch pad should have a place to catch your keys, mail, coat, and purse when you first walk through the door. Add a shredder plus a recycle can and you have a very functional spot to catch everything including the dreaded junk mail. Now you will be able to shred and recycle that junk mail immediately. The launch pad elements are so simple that finding attractive pieces will be easy.

Use a table or a short shelving unit with proportions that fit the entry space. Use the tabletop to hold a basket or a tray for the mail. A smaller tray can catch keys or attach key hooks above the table. Tuck the trash and recycle cans under the table, and you will be able to remove the junk mail from the incoming mail before it even hits the mail basket.

If you do not have a coat closet, a coat tree or a coat rack is a necessity. Actually, I’ve set up coat racks in houses with coat closets. Hooks are much easier to use than hangers so people are more inclined to use them. It’s a simple solution for children and hurried adults who hate hanging coats. Use the coat closet to hang the coats that aren’t worn on a daily basis to avoid overcrowding the coat rack.

The “communication center” is the answer to how to broadcast schedules, phone messages and important snippets of information to everyone in the family. A message center, a calendar and a family satellite file are the bones of the family communication center. Set up your communication center in a place where family members frequent and everyone can see it. The kitchen is great location because usually every member of the family is there several times a day. But a mudroom or a family room may provide the best spot for your family.

Blackboards and whiteboards are great message centers. Unlike notepads the boards don’t get lost! Make sure the board has a ledge or clip to hold your writing instrument so it’s there when you need it. I also enjoy how these boards bring out the artist in family members who like embellish them with doodles or witty observations.

It’s a testament to our complicated lives that there are so many calendar choices. If you have younger family members you will probably need some sort of physical calendar in your communication center. In order to learn about time management, children need to have the tools to do so in an accessible manner. Seeing a calendar and discussing plans and schedules help children learn how to manage time. Post your weekly menu plan on the calendar and you might just spare yourself from hearing “what’s for dinner?” over and over again.

The busy adults and teens in the family may be better served by a web-based calendar that everyone can easily access and update from any location. A web-based calendar can save a lot of phone calls of the “what are we doing on such and such a date” variety. Look for a web-based calendar that interfaces with other scheduling software, such as Outlook, so individual calendars can be merged into a composite. I like Cozi (www.cozi.com) because there are all sorts of other handy features in addition to its calendar. Google calendar is another choice. Both of these web-based calendars are password protected for security, and you can print your calendar if you need a hardcopy.

The family satellite file collects the stacks of paper that come from the children’s schools, clubs, and sport teams. Minimally a parent inbox is needed. All papers go into the parent’s inbox so the parent can review them daily (yep, daily), and take the necessary action. Some of those papers contain information that will likely be referred to in the near future by both the parent and the child – like a sports team schedule. In this case it may be useful to set up a satellite file system that is part of the communication center and is accessible to the children. The system keeps the papers handy, models organization and keeps the household’s main reference file safe from little hands. Set up a file for each child. As soon as the need for the paper is over, recycle the paper. The physical container for the satellite file should be relatively small and easy to access such as a vertical sorter, a narrow desktop file box or a set of desktop drawers that sit on a counter.

The home centers discussed here are designed to structure transition points and minimize chaos. Remember, “transition” is the operative word when it comes to these home centers. The papers and items are only meant to rest there for a short period of time so that you can transition to other things.

Got Shredding?

Mea Culpa! The shredding date is April 18 NOT March 18!

The BBB is sponsoring a shred day on Saturday, April 18 from 8 a.m. until noon. Grab that box of paper that needs to be shredded and head over to the southeast corner of the Galleria parking lot (the corner closest to highway 40). This shredding event is free!

Why shred? Identity theft is a growing problem in this country. People do and will go through your recycle bin to grab a pre-approved credit card offer or the volumes of checks that the credit card companies send us. Protect your identity and your credit rating by shredding.

The Show, The Workshop, The Logo

What a week it has been! On Presidents' Day I was a guest on Great Day St. Louis. Carol Daniels, Niecy Nash and I talked about getting the clutter out of our heads as the foundation for successful organizing. Here is the link to our segment in case you missed it: greatday
Thanks to host Carol Daniels who made me feel so at ease. It was a lot of fun. I was surprised to learn how cold a TV studio is. I was freezing! But on the other hand, I didn't have to worry about a shiny nose!

Decluttering the mind is the focus of the first class of my upcoming workshop "Letting Go and Lightening Up." I am looking forward to a wonderful workshop. The people who have enrolled so far are so interesting and have a variety of gifts to bring to the table. Want more information? See www.clearspaces.org/workshop.aspx

Another exciting development: we will be getting a new logo! Talented artist Tim Sternau has been working on a logo that captures the spiritual basis of the Clear Spaces mission: to help people live healthy lives with peace and meaning through organization. When the new logo is unveiled there will be a celebration! Look for it.

Clear Spaces Featured on KMOV

Is there mayhem in your life? Perhaps your TV can help. Denise Lee, owner of Clear Spaces, will be a guest on KMOV's Great Day St. Louis on Monday, February 16. We will discuss Denise's upcoming organizing workshop, Letting Go and Lightening Up. Joining the discussion will be the celebrity host of Clean House, Niecy Nash (www.niecynash.com). Tune in to what promises to be a fun and high energy show on KMOV channel 4 at 10 a.m. on Presidents' Day(www.kmov.com/greatday).

Hey Buddy, Want A Good Deal On Elfa?

Most of my clients know that I am a huge fan of Elfa systems for a number of reasons. Elfa is strong, attractive and - with some many components - hugely flexible. Elfa introduced a freestanding unit last year which is perfect for the renter or someone who loathes drilling into brick or stone.

January is an excellent time to buy Elfa because The Container Store offers a 30% discount. What you may not know is the 30% sale will end on Friday, February 6 BUT if you buy an Elfa system during this time you may be eligible to purchase additional Elfa components until Presidents' Day. You will need to save the coupon and receipt from the original purchase to receive the extended discount.

So if you're not sure about how much you want to get, you have a week to try out your new Elfa system before adding some other components! Like I said - flexible.

Get Organized! Part Two

Last month I wrote about strategies for engendering lasting behavioral change as a generic framework for achieving any resolution. This month we’ll look at some strategies that specifically govern physical space. Although many of the strategies that will be discussed here also apply to time management, I find that covering these two aspects of organizing separately leads to a better understanding of each of them. It’s a little like eating a meal with small bites versus big gulps. The former leads to better digestion and is an overall more pleasant experience!

Then there’s the whole subject of maintenance. Maintenance is the key to keeping your environment organized. When done well, maintenance evolves with changes in our lives. Maintenance is a big subject and also deserves separate coverage.

1) Zone areas for use. Sure, the kitchen is for cooking, the office is for working and the bedroom is for sleeping. Within each room dedicate certain areas to specific activities. For example, in your kitchen you have a food preparation area, a food storage area, a cleaning area, a baking area, and -- if your kitchen is like mine -- a homework area. The activity determines zone.
2) Everything needs a home. Items that don’t have homes end up here, end up there, and end up everywhere! Items should be stored according to the activity they support and frequency in which they are used. In other words, put items in their appropriate zone. For example, all the items that you need to pay bills can be kept together and bill paying will become a relatively easy task.
3) The frequency of use determines where in the zone an item should be stored. Map each zone with a target of concentric circles. The bull’s eye is at the main activity center. To illustrate, the bull’s eye of the kitchen’s cleaning zone is the sink. Items that are used frequently in a zone should be stored at the bull’s eye. The dish detergent and the dishrag may be kept at the sink in our example. Items that are needed often, but not everyday, can be stored in the zone that is in the next “concentric circle” of space. For example, the cabinet under the sink is in this circle of space. Infrequently used items can be stored farther away from the bull’s eye so they do not impair access to the items you use frequently – which may be the very back of the under sink cabinet.
4) Every item must pay “rent” by being useful or emotionally significant; otherwise they are “squatters.” If you don’t like an item in your environment, you will think of that dislike every time you look at it. Negative emotions exhaust your energy. Plus the disliked item distracts attention from the items you like and impairs access to useful items.
5) Label everything. By labeling a space you declare what belongs and – just as important – what does not belong. OK you don’t necessarily need to go crazy with the label maker, but at least put a mental label on things. For example, I label the dining room table as the place where we eat; therefore, the daily mail does not belong there. In this example, I would argue that the daily mail is “homeless” and needs a place of its own to be stored. Obviously, I would not slap a physical label on my dining room table. But I probably would put a physical label on a series of containers so I can distinguish the contents of one from another.
6) Functionality must come first and then consider form. An organizing tool might be really cute, but if it doesn’t work with the way you think and you live it is clutter. I do believe that it is important to find items that are aesthetically pleasing, but if you start the search at what is functional for your lifestyle it will be easier to find something that you like. Just like aesthetics, functionality is very individual.

These half-dozen rules of organizing are fairly general, and you can apply them when organizing any area. Undoubtedly there are tricks and tips that can help in specific areas, but you are now in a good position for realizing that resolution to become more organized.

Are You Ready To Get (And Stay) Organized in 2009?

Exciting News!

Join Professional Organizer and owner of Clear Spaces, Denise Lee, on Saturday, March 7 for the beginning of her 4-part series, “Letting Go and Lightening Up – In Your Mind, Your Home, Your Office and Your Life.” By combining organizing systems with life-guiding principles, Denise will help you make conscious choices about what to let go of, what to keep and where to put it. All materials, lunch, and a snack are included. Space is precious - enroll today!

KICK-OFF CLASS:
Saturday, March 7
1:30 – 4:30 P.M.

WHERE:
Wired Coffee Cafe (www.WiredCoffee.net)
3860 South Lindbergh Blvd.
0.5 mile south of Watson Rd.
Sunset Hills, MO 63127

TO ENROLL:
Call the Denise at 314-956-2282 or email Denise@clearspaces.org

For more information visit www.ClearSpaces.org or www.LettingGoandLighteningUp.com

Get Organized! Part One

Is “get organized” on your list of resolutions for the New Year? If so, you’re not alone. “Getting organized” is one of the top ten resolutions that people make every year. Maybe “getting organized” is a perennial item on your resolution list.

You’ve heard me say this before: organization is more about behavior than it is tools. Oh tools are important – the wrong tool for the job can certainly make things difficult. The right tool can make a job easier and more fun. But tools by themselves will not make you organized.

Since behavior is at the crux of organization, getting organized will take time – it is not instantaneous. Why? It takes time to change behavior. To create behavior change we need strategies that encourage that change. Those strategies provide the framework for other changes that we wish to make.

The framework is generic in that it does not specify what is being changed. So if your resolution is to “get organized,” the organizing strategies are the “what” of the change. Concentrating on a generic framework for change may strike you as a digression. But in reality, creating a framework for behavior change allows you to approach any goal with more confidence, more focus and a better chance for success.

The steps that make up the framework are summarized below. Rather than think of steps in a linear fashion – you’re finished when you have accomplished step six - look at it as a circle. Once you have accomplished step six, take your changes to the next level and go to step one again.

1) Visualize the change. Visualization provides the direction needed to make changes. I often ask clients to create a collage of pictures that represent the look and feel of the goal they are pursuing. The collage – often called a dream board – helps bring focus to a goal and make it more tangible. When it is hung in a place that the client frequents it provides a constant reminder of the what the client wants to accomplish.
2) Write down your goals and visit that list often. Written goals have a much better chance of being actualized. Writing provides a way of formalizing goals. It doesn’t matter if you write your goals in a diary, a personal planner, or a poster as long as they are in a place that you refer to frequently. Because my goals shape how I spend my time, and I manage my time with my planner, I personally feel the planner is a fantastic place to record my goals.
3) Break the goal down into smaller goals with milestones. Change takes energy. Try to change too much at the same time and you will exhaust yourself. Refer to step two. Small goals make it easier to incorporate change, and as such will increase your likelihood of success. Reasonable milestones for achieving small and large goals can “light a fire” under us to motivate us toward success.
4) Track the changes. That which we measure tends to be reinforced. Check marking a calendar, putting stars on a chart, and keeping a journal are simple and effective ways to track your behavior. Choose what works for you. A word to the wise: if you have never tracked your behavior or used a journal before, you may want to spend a few weeks just doing that. Create the habit of self-reporting before engaging in any other changes.
5) Reward progress. In the beginning frequent, small rewards will help reinforce the changes you wish to make. A small reward might be ten minutes of reading a new book or an extra cup of coffee. Over time you can decrease the frequency of small rewards. Significant rewards at established milestones will help set a certain amount of excitement and help motivate you. A significant reward might be dinner out, a new pair of shoes, or maybe a whole afternoon pursuing a hobby.
6) Ponder, not punish, the setbacks. Life is full of challenges. When things don’t go as you had hoped, analyze what led to the setback. Use the analysis to take proactive measures when faced with a similar situation in the future or to accommodate changes in your life. In your analysis make sure you acknowledge what went right as well as awry. The balance helps combat all or none thinking.

Make the framework for change part of your life, and increase the odds for accomplishing your goals and resolutions. Make this year the best year for you.

Elephants and Planning for the Holidays

When it comes to getting ready for the holidays, there are a few guidelines that will help you get what you want done in a minimum amount of time and with a minimum amount of stress. You may find these guidelines are helpful for managing all aspects of your life in addition to your holiday planning.

“If you want to eat an elephant, take one bite at a time.”

So it is with holiday planning.

1. Everything needs a home – even your notes for planning the holidays. A three-ring binder dedicated to the task is very helpful and inexpensive.
2. Break down big tasks into smaller tasks.
3. Write things down. Write things down. Oh yes, and write things down.
-Use lists when you go shopping.
-Use your calendar to record all events and to schedule time to complete tasks.
-Every day write down the most important things you should accomplish during the day.
4. Think before you act. In other words, plan.
5. On the other hand, avoid “analysis paralysis.” If you think you are prone to over-analyzing then use your timer to limit your activity. Make it a game to get as much done before the bell rings.
6. Work on your tasks every day even it is only 15 to 20 minutes a day. This workbook is a valuable tool for your holiday preparations; however, it will not make the holiday “happen for you” without your participation.
7. Acknowledge your progress, and look ahead to what is up next. Enjoy imperfection.
8. Communicate! Involve your family.
9. Allow for a margin of error. This is crucial to the graceful recovery of plans gone awry. Keep between ten and twenty percent of your time and resources (hint: money) as undedicated. If something takes longer than expected or any unexpected expense crops up, you won’t have to worry.
10. If you start to feel overwhelmed, do a brain dump.
-Take a few minutes to write down everything on your mind.
-Next to each item on your list, write down what the next action should be to take care of it.
-Decide to decide. Either schedule the needed actions, delegate them, or disregard them. Yes, it is OK to decide NOT to do something as long as you are discarding an item that is not crucial to your plan’s success.

The most important tip is to remember why we celebrate the holidays: a time to reflect on our spiritual beliefs and celebrate our families and friends. May peace and joy be with you in your celebrations.

Clear Spaces Is Poised To Transform Lives

Denise Lee, owner of Clear Spaces, LLC, is pleased to announce that she successfully completed facilitator training for the Letting Go and Lightening Up approach on October 18, 2008. Letting Go and Lightening Up is “a life-integrating approach that combines organizing techniques and tools with life-guiding principles.” The teachings are designed to empower the student to identify and clear the clutter in the mind so it is easier to decide what to let go of, what to keep and where to put it.

Letting Go and Lightening Up co-founder Annie Rohrbach blended organizing techniques with teachings from her spiritual counseling training to develop the four-part class series "Letting Go and Lightening Up--In Your Mind, Your Home, Your Office, Your Life(TM)." Since 1999 the class series has transformed the lives of hundreds of students. Annie and her daughter Carolyn, a corporate trainer, created the company Letting Go and Lightening Up in 2002. More information about Letting Go and Lightening Up (LGandLU) can be found at www.LettingGoandLighteningUp.com.

The LGandLU key teachings compliment Clear Spaces’ mission to help others live the life they want to live through better balance and organization. As a facilitator Denise is looking forward to using the LGandLU tools to help her organizing clients make better decisions about their possessions, space and time. Additionally Denise will offer LGandLU classes to the public twice a year beginning in February 2009.

It's That Time Of Year Again: Sending Out Holiday Cards

Sending out holiday cards is a big project by itself. Like any project, there are several ways you can approach it.

You can forget the cards and make a short phone call to everyone on your list (this is a great option if you have a new baby, have been sick, or have just been swamped with life).
o Make sure to use a list of whom you want to contact.
o Limit the length of your phone call so you are sure to get to everyone on your list (use a timer).
o Check people off as you call them. That way you won’t be left wondering if the call to auntie was it a figment of your imagination.

You can hire out the job: www.sendoutcards.com will send out a card with a signature to everyone on your list. Of course you will need to provide them with an electronic list of contacts.

You can send out a family newsletter – more on that later.

You can send out all the cards with a generic closing and signature.

You can write a personal note in each card. Obviously this is the most time consuming method.

If you opt to send cards yourself, get enough for everyone on your list plus ten percent more. Should you make a mistake or miscount, you will still have enough cards. And if you purchased your cards at the end of the previous year’s holiday season, the excess cards will accommodate a growth in your card list.

And remember: holiday postage stamps are available in the US by Halloween.

Now when it comes to managing your holiday card list you have three major choices. You can

-complete a paper copy of your list. Use “name”, “address”, “city”, “state”, “zip”, “sent” and “received” columns. Add a “phone number” column if you are making phone calls instead of sending cards.
-complete an electronic version of your list and use a mail merge program to create address labels.
-mark up your address book. This is a pretty simple solution. You will not have to worry about duplicate entries – which prevents writer’s cramp and saves on time.
o Use a small, red sticky dot on the address entry to mark everyone you send a card to.
o If you wish to keep track of who sends you cards you can add a green sticky dot to the address entry.

Of course we all know the biggest stumbling block to sending out cards is finding the time – especially during the already busy holiday season. Follow these tips to squeeze it in:

-Pick a week to work on writing the cards.

-Divide your card list into five parts. Every day complete one part of the list, and you will be finished in five days.

-Use a pen that is comfortable to use. Felt-tip and roller ball pens write with the least amount of effort.

-Play holiday music to set the tone, and drink hot chocolate.

-Involve the family.
o Pass the cards around round-robin style so each person can sign every card.
o Or divide up the tasks among the family members.
*One person signs and writes a note in the card.
*One person addresses the card.
*One person puts the return address label on the card.
*One person puts the stamp on and seals the envelope.

The biggest secret to getting your cards out is to work on them early – before the holiday crunch. Imagine having your cards filled out before Thanksgiving! You can then mail them when you want and enjoy the last few weeks before the holidays.

Mastering The "Big Dinner"

For many of us the holiday season provides at least one opportunity to host the “big dinner.” Follow these tips and pulling off that dinner can be easy as pie.
1) Plan the menu with dishes that can be prepared ahead of time. Minimize last-minute time in the kitchen, and maximize the time you spend with your guests.
2) Write down the menu along with the locations of the recipes. Create your shopping list. Clean out the fridge and the pantry to make room for the extra food.
3) Write down which serving dishes you will use. Match the dish with the recipe’s volume; two cups of cranberry sauce looks sparse in a two-quart bowl. Simplify things by using sticky notes to label the dishes; don’t rely on your memory.
4) Sticky notes can help you create your time-line. Jot down each and every task on individual sticky notes with the time estimate for finishing the task. Now arrange the sticky notes in order of completion. The sticky notes help you arrange and rearrange the order of the tasks until you come up with a plan that will work.
5) Consider the appliances, temperature, and pans used to prepare a dish when creating your time line. You won’t be able to bake the rolls, desert and side dish together if they all need different temperatures or the pans won’t all fit in the oven.
6) Plan your table setting. Do you have enough linens, dishes, flatware and cups? Will the food be put on a sideboard or on the table? Will you use candles (always unscented at the table)? Will guests be able to see each other over the centerpiece? Will you assign seating or will guests seat themselves? Where will you put the bar? Asking yourself these types of questions help you mentally walk-through the event, anticipating any type of problem or challenge.
Organizing the “big dinner” is similar to organizing any other project: two critical keys of success are planning and writing things down.

Shortcuts for the Busy Life

Do you need a few short cuts to help smooth out daily life? Try these tricks.

Enroll in a menu planning subscription such as www.savingdinner.com so you can skip the weekly chore of planning dinner and creating the shopping list.

How can you capture those spur-of-the moment thoughts quickly? Try Jott’s (www.jott.com) free service that translates your voice into an email. Just call Jott, say your message at the prompt and an email is sent to a destination of your choice – after you enroll of course.

Have you ever wished you had a phone book with you in the car to look up a restaurant or find a store? Use Goog411 and you can leave the phone book at home. Call 1-800-goog411 and the menu system based on voice recognition will get you to the information you need – and it’s free! Check out www.google.com for more information.

Speaking of Google, did you know Google Street-view has a library of photos of streets all over the world? It’s a great reference if you want to see what a building looks like before you drive to a new destination. Go to www.google.com’s maps and click on “street-view.”

Get Set For School

In just a few short weeks the school bells will ring in a new academic year. Now is the time to begin the transition for a pleasant start of the school year.

Routines take a while to establish so start tackling these changes first. Bedtime is probably the biggest change the family needs to make: it may take several weeks to reset your students’ internal clocks to the school schedule. Gradual transitioning allows the child to have an adequate amount of sleep during the beginning of the school year and will reduce some bedtime battles. Most elementary school students need 10 to 11 hours of sleep, while most teenagers need 8 to 9 hours of sleep nightly. Inadequate sleep leads to irritability, impaired focus, and can heighten symptoms of ADD/ADHD, if that is a concern for your family. Transitioning also allows the change-resistant child adequate time to adjust to a new schedule.

Begin the transition by setting up a 30-minute routine of pre-bedtime activities: review the next day’s agenda, pack the backpack and set it out, set out clothes for the next day, bath, pajamas, and a quiet activity – that does not include the computer, video games or TV. Use a checklist to help your child take ownership of her routine. A good pre-bedtime routine help the child slow down and prepare for sleep plus it helps set the stage for a smooth start in the morning. Gradually start the pre-bedtime routine ten to fifteen minutes earlier every few nights. It may take two weeks to adjust going to bed an hour earlier. Consistency is important is establishing the routine so make sure the adjusted bedtimes are followed during the weekends as well.

Transitioning is good for the parents as well. Usually the family’s schedule must adjust for activities associated with the new academic year. Clubs, sports, and extracurricular lessons resume. For teens the summer job may evolve in to an after school job. Is there time for homework and family activities in the schedule?
Family cohesiveness depends on the family communication and time together. Add the school and extracurricular activities to the family calendar now. Reviewing the family time commitments before the school year begins allows for adjustments to be made before those activities begin. It may be worthwhile to talk to a teacher or a parent of an older child to see what you can find out about the upcoming school load and examine the schedule in light of what you find out.

Homework is a reality of school life so insure that there is time in the schedule and a distraction-free place in which to do it. A productive workspace includes adequate lighting, adequate space to do the work, and storage for supplies and papers. Supplies and papers can be stored in a portable file box if the kitchen table does double-duty as a homework spot. For elementary school students the kitchen table may be the best place to do homework. Young students are still in need of adult help to help maintain their focus on their work. Usually by middle school students can regulate their own behavior enough to do their homework in their room.

Studies have shown that organization improves academic performance. It will be easier for your child to focus on her schoolwork if the beginning of the school year begins with anticipation and preparation. Start now to plant the seeds for success.

Organizing A Bathroom

Organizing a bathroom can be a particularly difficult challenge due to the small space and lack of storage. Many of us have experienced how disarray in the bathroom can sabotage the morning with frustration and wasted time looking for personal care items. We all know how a bad morning casts a pall on the rest of the day.

But organization can rescue you! Get out the boxes and let the fun begin. You’ll need a “throw-away” box, a “charity” box and a “keep” box. Empty out those drawers, shelves and cabinets.

Chances are your charity box will not contain as many items as it would have had we been organizing your closet. But here are a couple ideas for filling it: tattered towels and unopened, unexpired cosmetics. The Animal Protection Association and the Humane Society can use the towels to keep their four-legged guests comfortable. Women’s shelters can use cosmetics for their residents who often arrive with just the clothes they are wearing.

We have to chat about medicine and cosmetics. They are often kept way too long for reasons of frugality. Frugality is a virtue; however, ingesting drugs and using makeup beyond their expiration dates is a little like Russian roulette. Someone is going to get hurt. Dispose of expired medicine by filling the pill bottle with water and using tape to secure the cap. Remove the label if it is a prescription, and throw away the bottle. Do not flush drugs.

Cosmetics expire as well; in fact, some have very short life spans based on when they are opened. Mascara will only last two or three months. Even if you only used the mascara once during that time period, get rid of it. Once a tube of mascara is opened, its dark, moist interior becomes an incubator for growing germs. Sunscreen and anti-aging creams and lotions start losing their potency as soon as they are opened so discard these items a year after opening. The separation you see in nail polish and oil-free foundation occurs about one year after opening and is the signal to toss it. You can keep lipstick a whopping two years. Give your brain a break by using an indelible pen to write the expiration date on the bottle/case of the item when you open it.

Now let’s take a look at the cosmetic graveyard: the collection of cosmetics which seemed like a good idea at the time of purchase, but the concept just didn’t work out for you. Time will not change an unflattering color into a flattering one. By getting rid of the unflattering items you now have free space for items that work for you.

After minimizing the items in the bathroom to what is essential, store them with regard to how often you use them. Items that are used daily can be kept in a tray or small basket on the counter. The easy access will help streamline the morning, and the tray makes it easy to clean the bathroom. I saw a wire rack placed on the back of the bathroom door. Brilliant! Each shelf has a dedicated purpose – such as skin care and first aid – and everything is quickly accessible.

Consider other ways to improve access to items by eliminating the steps needed to get to them. Remove the lid to the hamper. Install hooks for the towels to eliminate folding. The arm-style toilet paper bar is much easier to load than the spring-loaded bar and may reduce the number of empty rolls encountered! Store some bathroom cleaning supplies under the sink and cleaning the bathroom will be easy. Disinfecting wipes are the ultimate in easy.

By simplifying and streamlining access to your items getting ready in the morning is easier and calmer. Plus the space is much easier to maintain and keep clean. You may find that you have enough time for that second cup of coffee in the morning.

Clear Spaces Featured on KSDK

Denise Lee, owner of Clear Spaces, and Margie Andersohn, owner of Organizational Specialists, were honored on May 8 to be part of reporter Kay Quinn's story "De-Cluttering Your Surroundings Could Help You Live A Better Life." KSDK has posted the video clip of the story on their website: www.ksdk.com. My blog will not handle the lengthy URL to the story, but if you look at KSDK's home page and scroll down to the Cover Story bar you will see the link. The story looks at how decluttering and becoming more organized helped two local women bring focus and satisfaction to their lives.

And bonus! Renowned organizer Peter Walsh from TLC's Clean Sweep and the Oprah Show was interviewed via satellite in the story as well. How cool its that! You can read more about Peter Walsh in my last blog.

Please take a moment to visit KSDK's site to see this inspirational story. Visit my site at www.clearspaces.org and let me know what you think.

NAPO’s 20th Conference

I spent the second week of April in Reno, Nevada at the annual National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) conference. I returned with both my heart and brain totally full!

To meet so many people who are dedicated to helping others lead simpler, more fulfilling lives is awe inspiring. It was especially exciting to meet some of the legacies of the organizing business, including Barbara Hemphill (author of The Paper Tiger) and Laura Leist (author of Eliminate Chaos).

Peter Walsh, renowned organizer from TLC’s Clean Sweep and the Oprah Show, delivered the opening keynote address “Organizers – Visionaries for Change.” His address expanded on one of the maxims of professional organizing: “It’s not about the stuff.” Walsh believes that organizers can help people move beyond the emotional weight of their clutter to live a life in accordance with their priorities and goals. Although organizers often work individually with people, the cumulative effect of the organizing profession has the potential to be world changing in Walsh’s estimation. It was a talk that filled my heart with joy.

Learning additional skills to deal with the clutter definitely filled my brain. I spent an entire day learning about a filing product called FreedomFiler® (www.freedomfiler.com). Seth Odam, the creator of this product, has looked at our paper stacks in a new way. He has developed a simpler way of filing that greatly reduces the maintenance. In fact, it is a self-purging system. The documentation is kept with the files – pretty much eliminating the questions: “Uh-oh where does this get filed?” and “Where did I file that paper?” I am so impressed with this product that I am in the process of becoming a certified consultant for FreedomFiler®.

As I have stated in the past, tools will not make you organized but they can simplify the process. Some of the new organizing tools that I saw at the conference were the Jakoter® Health Organizer (www.jakoter.com), the Tote Trac (www.totetrac.com), Accountable Kids® (www.accountablekids.com) and Neat Receipts™ (www.neatreceipts.com).

The Jakoter® Health Organizer is a three-ring binder system for sorting and organizing all of your health information. This product makes it much easier for you or a family member to be your health advocate. Advocacy is essential to obtaining appropriate and timely health care in a health care system that is overburdened. Jakoter® offers many other great health organizing products as well. I think this is one niche in the organizing profession that will see tremendous growth as we Baby Boomers age.

Garage organizing is not my forte, but I really liked the Tote Trac system for its simplicity and versatility. Tote Trac stores your bins on your garage ceiling or walls in such a way that they are easily accessible. It accommodates any kind of bin and it eliminates stacking (less lifting!). Each set of tracks holds three to four bins and up to 400 pounds.

Accountable Kids® is a new program for encouraging kids to do their chores, their homework, and generally develop good habits. Since I’m a mom, and I also organize children I am always on the lookout for fun and effective tools. If it’s not fun for the child it will not work. The Accountable Kids® kit comes with a pegboard, reminder cards, reward tickets, and many other tools to reward good behavior. The book and DVD included in the kit make it easy for parents to learn the program.

Neat Receipts™ actually is not new. It is a portable scanner that scans receipts, analyses them, and uses the information to interface with Quicken or QuickBooks. What is new is that it now works with Apple. Yoo-hoo! No more manual entry! Since last year the Neat Receipts company has also released Neat Business Cards™ which scans business cards, analyses them and populates your contact data base.

One of the new services premiered at the conference is Organizing Connection (www.organizingconnection.com), which offers organizing videos on demand for just about every aspect of organizing. I had my two minutes of fame when I was taped for a video on how to use a student planner. Check out the site’s basic organizing video – it’s a fun way to learn the basic steps.

There were so many wonderful events at the NAPO conference that I could not possible include them all here. I am grateful for the tools and education that NAPO provides for us. We are better organizers for them, and we are more prepared to impart positive changes that leave the world a better place.

Can Decluttering Help Me Lose Weight?

You’ve tried the Grapefruit Diet, The Kelp-Cider Vinegar-B6-Lecithin Diet, the Low-Fat Diet, the Low-Carb Diet, and about a million other diets. The results have been pretty disappointing. But recent literature suggests weight-loss may be possible by shifting your focus from what you eat -- to your clutter.

In early February Peter Walsh released his new book,Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat?. Peter Walsh is a highly respected professional organizer and motivational speaker who appears on TLC’s Clean Sweep and The Oprah Winfrey Show. Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat? is Walsh’s third book on organizing. In it he continues the message from his second book, It’s All Too Much: the issue with clutter is not the stuff per se, the issue is it blocks us from the life we envision. That vision not only includes the home, but our bodies as well. Walsh believes that emotional decluttering, physical decluttering and body decluttering are tied together.

Body decluttering is the subject of another book that was first released in 2005. Marla Cilley and Leanne Ely propose in Body Clutter that emotional decluttering is the premise for good self-care. Through her persona, Flylady, Marla Cilley has helped thousands of people declutter their way to a more peaceful and welcoming home. Body Clutter encourages readers to examine their lives and declutter the unhealthy habits and emotions that contribute to poor self-care and over-eating.

For Walsh, Cilley and Ely emotions are inextricably linked to clutter. Experts in hoarding behavior David Tolin, Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee agree. Success in dealing with hoarding behaviors has a firm foundation in the success of therapy. Of course, most people are not dealing with hoarding behaviors. A few piles of papers or an over-stuffed closet may be the extent of most people’s clutter.

While emotional issues may not be the cause of the average person’s clutter, look at the language that is used to describe it: frustrating, irritating, embarrassing and overwhelming. Arguably the emotional tie that we have with our clutter can make it tougher to tackle. But when people deal with their clutter they feel good. The energy that is invested in decluttering can spill over into other areas of one’s life – including health issues.

The president of the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD), Lynne Johnson, was interviewed by New York Times reporter Tara Parker-Pope for her January 1, 2008 article “A Clutter Too Deep For Mere Bins And Shelves.” Johnson acknowledged the link between decluttering and weight-loss and offered her observation that dealing with one’s clutter and dealing with one’s weight are often “…part of the same life-change decision.”

While decluttering your home may not cause you to lose weight, it is a commitment to bettering your life. I believe that when people are unburdened by clutter they find hope, and hope by its very nature is transforming. Hope can empower us to face our challenges with confidence – including the challenge of weight-loss.

Help for Hoarders

There has been an increase in awareness among professional communities and the public that Compulsive Hoarding is a more common problem then once thought. A frequently cited estimate places the number of Americans suffering with hoarding between one and two million. However, it is suspected that this estimate is too low. Hoarders exist all over the world. They come from every economic and educational background. Your neighbor, your aunt, or your best friend could be a hoarder.

According to David F. Tolin, Ph.D., Randy O. Frost, Ph.D. and Gail Steketee , Ph.D. (2007) there are three major characteristics of hoarding:
1) Acquiring, saving, and great difficulty discarding items that seem to be useless or have limited value;
2) Enough clutter so that living spaces cannot be used as intended;
3) Significant stress or impairment of everyday activities caused by the clutter.

Frequently a hoarder may deny or minimize the hoarding problem, much to the exasperation of a loved one. The family and friends of a hoarder may watch aghast as a hoarder continues to add to an already dangerously cluttered house. Well-meaning family and friends might go so far as to clear out the clutter for the hoarder. Their actions are understandable. Hoarders may live in dangerous situations brought on by their hoarding behavior: clutter stacked precariously, unhygienic conditions, structural damage to the living quarters, and obstructed exits. But instead of thanks and relief, the hoarder’s response to their efforts is a bewildering mix of anger and anxiety. Worse, the hoarder may rebound with more clutter than was present before the cleanup.

Why can’t the hoarder just stop collecting and start disposing of the clutter? According to mental health professionals the explanation may lay neurobiology. Compulsive Hoarding is considered part of a psychiatric disorder. But, recently disagreement has risen among professionals as to how to classify Compulsive Hoarding behaviors. Traditionally Compulsive Hoarding has been considered a form of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Some professionals are rethinking this classification because there are aspects of hoarding that do not seem to fit into the characteristics of OCD. Depression, social anxiety disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder are often associated with hoarding. Regardless of how Compulsive Hoarding is classified the question remains: how to treat it?

Seeking the help of a counselor can be the first step toward recovery. Be sure that the counselor is knowledgeable about Compulsive Hoarding – not every counselor is. Some studies indicate that traditional talk therapy is not effective in treating hoarding. But preliminary studies have demonstrated success with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT focuses on changing the faulty thoughts associated with Compulsive Hoarding while simultaneously modifying the hoarding behaviors, which should lead to a change in how a person feels.

Medications may provide some relief for the depression or anxiety that sometimes exists with hoarding; however, in some cases medications are ineffective. Although any physician can prescribe medications Tolin, Frost, and Steketee recommend the hoarder consult a psychiatrist or advanced practice nurse who is an expert in psychiatric medications.

Professional organizers who have special training and expertise in dealing with Compulsive Hoarding can provide hands-on assistance, support and can work collaboratively with a counselor; however, they are not a substitute for a counselor.

The Internet may provide resources in finding help for Compulsive Hoarding.

The National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (www.nsgcd.org) and the National Association of Professional Organizers (www.napo.net) can help you find professional organizers who specialize in Compulsive Hoarding.

Squalor Survivors (www.squalorsurvivors.com) has stories of those who are dealing with hoarding either personally or within the family. You can also find information on Compulsive Hoarding and resources.

Children of Hoarders (www.childrenofhoarders.com) is a website for the adult children of hoarders. You will find support, information and additional resources there.

The Obsessive Compulsive Foundation’s website on Compulsive Hoarding (www.ocfoundation.org/hoarding) provides information and assistance to those dealing with hoarding.

St. Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute (www.slbmi.com) has professional counselors who understand Compulsive Hoarding.

There are several good books on the subject of hoarding which you may find useful. In 2007 Tolin, Frost and Steketee published Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding. David F. Tolin, Ph.D., Randy O. Frost, Ph.D and Gail Steketee, Ph.D. have published many excellent books on the subject of hoarding previously. The Messies Manual by Sandra Felton has provided help for many people. Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save and How You Can Stop by Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D., Jerome Bubrick, Ph.D., and Jose A. Yaryura-Tobias, Ph.D. is another highly regarded book on the subject.

Dealing with Compulsive Hoarding may feel lonely and overwhelming. The good news is that it is treatable. Whether you personally are dealing with Compulsive Hoarding or are involved in a relationship affected by it, there is hope.