A Likely Story!

Ready To Barter?

Ok, here's the deal. Me = huge fear of heights. HUGE. And I need to swap out two burned out lightbulbs. Also too cheap to hire a handyman to swap out two burned out lightbulbs. I have a ladder. I have the lightbulbs.

You = would like to declutter but can't/won't/don't want to be bothered with it.

Let's talk. Sooner the better.

Signed,

Getting tired of the dark

The Big O

Q: What is the biggest problem you have with de-cluttering or lack of organization in your life?

I need as many examples as possible for a project I've been given.

Thanks in advance!

I'm In

Self Magzine is having a Get Organized in 30 Days Challenge.

I live for stuff like this. Am probably 90% organized as it is, but I've never done something like this as a group activity and I was late to the game for the AT Cure Challenge.

Anyone wanna join in?

Oh God YES!!!

I am in LOVE

Talk To Me (again)

What do you know/think/feel/care about these??

Good. Bad. Indifferent. Love'em. Hate 'em.

Tell me, tell me!

This Just In...

Over the past week I have gone from having:

* 989 emails in my In-Box
* 1745 Sent emails
* a jillion emails with friend's addy's and phone #'s (after my cell died twice)
* and 43% capacity of my Yahoo space...

To....

* 5 emails in my In-Box
* 0 in my Sent
* All my friends addy's and phone #'s attached to their email and noted in my Yahoo address book
* 6 new folders added to my sidebar so I can save emails from 6 new sources (I am the worst email saver in the world)
* 4% used space in my Yahoo account

Yet another area of my life organized.

How Did These Magazines Get Here?

The project du jour today is further tweaking of the library into a nicer, cozier space. Started with one major improvement last weekend (shifted the bed 45degrees so it didn't stick out so much) and after sitting here several nights over the last week, decided to shift the bookcases as well.

Emptied the biggest bookcase, moved it across the room, dusted and re-loaded it with books. Which leaves me with the magazines. Oh wonderful magazines!

Explanatory paragraph. I've had a love-hate relationship with magazines all my life. I love them. And I hate to get rid of them. As much as I have no problem getting rid of clutter, magazines have never fallen into the clutter catagory. How can something you love be clutter? (JOKE!) Yeah, let's not go there, ok? This from someone that moved from CA to FL with collections of REAL SIMPLE and OPRAH from the very first issue published.

And moved the stack yet again from my house into my apt when I separated. And yes boys and girls, one day I did wake up and decide ENOUGH and dumped every single last one in the magazine bin at the Deerfield Beach recyling center. Over 200# of magazines GONE. And the world didn't end.

Which brings us to this moment.

The magazines have multiplied yet again. Unbelievable but true. They basically fall into 4 categories :

#1-REAL SIMPLE

#2-Home decorating magazines...primarily HOME and COASTAL LIVING and the newest addition COTTAGE LIVING with the occasional artsy-fartsy type of magazines, the BH&G How To Series and a couple of issues of BUDGET LIVING. And yes, I know if you're living on a budget you DON'T buy magazines. Humor me, ok?

#3- Chick magazines...SELF, ALLURE, FITNESS, OPRAH

#4- IN STYLE. Mainly get that one for the decorating parts altho the articles on killer beauty products are usually good for an informative read-thru, paying special attention to really yummy smelling lotions.

So I'm sitting here surrounded by 63 of the above magazines and realize I have to send most of them off to the recycling bin in the garage. And I'm bummed.

Have I read them? Yup. Have I enjoyed them. Totally. Is there any valid reason to keep them? Valid, no...not really. It's more a want than a need. Nice to have on hand after a long day at work of being on the phone all day then coming home and wanting nothing more than to vege with the iPod and cozy up with a past issue of REAL SIMPLE or COASTAL LIVING or HOME.

What to do? Magazines are a relatively harmless addiction. I'm not a shopaholic, only hit the mall 3 or 4 times a year, and I don't really accumulate anything else...other than CD's and THAT addiction will only continue to grow and I am perfectly fine with that. These days, would much rather buy CD's over food, alcohol and extra-curricular activities. Actually, the magazines will go in a heartbeat well before any CD's leave the house.

Wait. I think in that last sentence I just decided what I need to do. Yeah...

OK, break time over.

Thanks for listening, Internet...knew I could depend on you to help me sort this out.

Ready, Set, ORGANIZE!

Finally!

After 3 years of saying I was going to do it, I am now officially licensed in the State of Florida and in Palm Beach County to be a Professional Organizer...except my title according to the County Tax Assessor's office is 'Space Organizer'....hey, it's fair and it works for me. Don't think I'll be confused with organizing trips to Mars anytime soon :-)

So what's next?

Getting my portfolio in order, completing my NAPO certification, shopping for business cards and planning my introductory letter. This feels so very right and I am on cloud nine.

Have a great weekend...I know I will!

Life Is NOT A Dress Rehearsal

Hello? Hey you! Yeah, YOU!

This is for you and you alone.

Life is way too short.

Are you spending what little time you have living? Or are you going thru the motions? Spending time with people and projects and things because you 'should'? Or because it makes you so happy you couldn't live without them, those or it? WHAT are you spending your precious time and equally precious life on? Are you making a difference? A wonderful positive difference or just a ho-hum, life is crappy, so-so sort of a difference? Is the status quo killing you but you keep hanging in there, hoping and praying and waiting for things to get better and they never really do but you still keep hanging in there thinking 'today might just be THE day'??

Well guess what? I'm here to remind you that nothing is going to change unless you make it happen. And yeah, I know you know this only too well, thank you very much....but if you know it so well, why are you still in your rut or your purgatory or your so-so comfort zone that really isn't all that comfortable once you think about it...but why think about it because to think about it would mean you might actually have to get off your butt and DO something about it...and God forbid you actually do something about it because it is so so SO MUCH EASIER just to sit there and think 'what if'.

This is your shake-up call, or your wake-up call if you will. You deserve the best...you really do. So please stop procrastinating on doing what you were meant to do or what will make you the happiest...which could be one and the same...and just get off your butt and do it. Today. No questions asked other than are you living your life to your fullest potential. Well, are you????

It's your life...you decide.

On a somewhat related note, filed my paperwork for sole proprietorship for my organizing business. Applying for my Occupational License today, next step is the NAPO certification, then up and running by the end of June.

I am finally pursuing my long-time goal of being a professional organizer. And the only thing holding me back was me.

Please don't make the same mistake with your life...cause life really is too short, ya know??

What is an hour on the internet worth?

Was about to log on over an hour ago. Then I hear this voice in my head shout 'ENOUGH! Aren't you on the damn internet way too much as it is? What could you do with this next hour if you weren't on the internet'?

Hmmm...good question.

So here's what I did...

* Cleaned out my purse, replaced gum and Alleve in their respective places, threw out the Nordy's gift certificate I was waiting to spend...waited too long..it expired 3/15-bummer!, emptied all the receipts I had accumulated this week for filing, organized my $ in descending order.

* Cleaned out and restocked my toiletry travel container...now I am ready to fly to Boston or Paris or Australia on a moment's notice.

* Cleaned out my medicine cabinet and took all the prescriptions and cold medicine-related packaging on the top shelf and stuck it away in a really cute (and empty) toiletry bag. This way, every time I open my medicine cabinet I will look at a streamlined and aesthetic display of products that I use without having to see the Benadryl and Vicks and other non-aesthetically packaged remedies.

* Cleaned out and decluttered underneath both sinks in my Master Bath.

* Washed a load of darks.

* Folded the puppy towels in the drier.

* Re-made the bed in the guest room, vacuumed and dusted as well.

* Washed a load of medium colors.

* Folded the load of darks.

* Put fresh towels in the Guest Bath, washed sinks and cleaned mirrors.

* Washed sinks and mirrors in Master Bath

* Showered and am letting hair air-dry (since it is a weekend)

Wow...not too shabby.

I should try staying off the internet more often....

Yeah...as if!