click on the funnies.

thursday

yes, i should be posting about the book but it's thursday. you know what that means. after a week of organizing people's chaos, i just love what happens on thursday night. i take the garbage out! sure all week long i am emptying recycling, dumping the trash. but thursday is super special. it is the night my neighbors put their bins out on the sidewalk right in front of my house. during the week i have to take the trash to the room below our house. i usually fill those bins up by wednesday with the left over crap from my clients. i then have two more days of my own junk that just must go. i don't know why but i love seeing the laundry bins and the garbage bins empty. yes, i have written about this before but hey i am indulging my thursday night happiness.
thank you garbage pick up people

the book - part one

when i first started organizing people's homes i thought that i was acquiring good information to write a book. the problem with that thought is...i don't know how to write a book. so i made an outline and started to write. i wrote a small bit about each client i had worked with and what i thought could be learned from the experience. and then one day i just stopped writing. i didn't know what the point of the book would be and i didn't know how to tie the stories together to make them interesting enough for someone to read.
well i think it is time for me to re-visit the book writing and i will start by posting some of those old writings here. maybe, just maybe it will inspire me to put this thing together into an actual book. hopefully i will hear what my voice is trying to say.

here goes...

my intro:

this book is dedicated to all people who want to help others get out from underneath their clutter - body, mind souls and to those who are still underneath.

so why this book? when i decided i was going to pursue starting my own business i researched professional organizing. there are many books out there designed to give tips on how to be organized. i think of for the most part we all know what it means to be organized. it's pretty simple. reduce the total amount of stuff. put like with like items. for every one item that comes in the home, one item should go out. 

but organizing is way more involved than that. my goal is to take you on my journey working with a variety of people with a variety of challenges.  perhaps you will see yourself in one of the scenarios and can learn a little about what would help you. or you just might enjoying reading about people's stories. 

 of course i will also include tips, favorite products, etc. but what i want to share with you is really what it means to be in this business. i mean let's face it, we just have too much stuff. look at tv there are already competing television shows for this market. this is a growing business. thanks to the internet you can buy things in bulk, super cheap and you don't have to carry it home. nowadays you can have it delivered to your house for free. the consumer market is big and the stuff accumulates. 

gonna give myself a high five!

Every once in a while I will take a peek at my reviews on Yelp. It is always a surprise to see a new one posted. This is the most recent post from a few days ago. Thank you to my client who took the time to write this. I am feeling grateful.

 12/2/2013

Andrea knows how to get things done!  She is amazing.  I am still in awe of what she was able to accomplish in one visit.  We had what seemed like a sea of boxes in a big room that weren't looked at for years.  She made the process easy and invigorating.  She is a hard worker and knows how to make her clients feel at ease.  I was grateful for her integrity, compassion, and her professional work ethic.  It was truly a pleasure to work with Andrea.  I highly recommend her without any reservation!

sticky note says it all...

rest

i read a Facebook book post by my sister-in-law Leslie about the
 importance of taking a day off. She had a deal with her Mom that a couple times a year if she was getting straight As she could take a day off from school and just do nothing. She would stay in her pjs all day and do what she wanted. In Leslie's case she liked to read. Now as an adult she no longer gets grades but remembers the importance of the day off. So yesterday she did just that. While she was lounging around at home, I was busting my hump doing a house reorganization. It took me ten hours and it turned out great (see the photos below).
Today I woke up with sore back, sore legs and what looks like the beginnings of a head cold. I had scheduled to take an exercise class for 8 am but when I woke up, I kept thinking about Leslie in her pjs yesterday and how nice that must have been. So with out too much hesitation I clicked on the fitness website and...cancelled my morning class. That is a hard one for me to do but as the cancellation registered I let out a big sigh and settled back into my bed. I can't stay in my pjs all day as I have work to do but for right now I will enjoy a couple extra hours lounging in my bed.

Enjoy the before and after pics!

kindness

it is easy to be kind to the fun, upbeat, outgoing people. it is not so easy to be kind to the dark, scowly, frowny people. i know someone who falls into the latter of the two categories. when i say i know him, i mean we chat while drinking coffee outside of the local coffee spot. there was a long time when i would see him and his dog (let's be honest that is why i first started talking to him - the dog). once i got my own coffee machine i saw him less and less. i have to refer to him as "him" because i don't know his name. anyway, months went by with no sightings and then just last week i ran into him and his dog. i checked in with him to see how he was doing. his response, "i haven't told anyone but my dog is dying". now to get a frame of reference, he walks the dog every day at a local park where pretty much all of my neighbors with dogs walk. one of my friends knows this guy and pretty much said he doesn't like him. i understand. no one wants to reach out to the scowly, frowny non communicative person. i remember when i first met this guy. he didn't say much. but every time i saw him i would say "it's nice to see you". some how is ice thawed a bit and he let me in.
and now his dog - his friend - his family is dying. sad. i am reminded once again to extend myself to all people with kindness.

want to organize your room?

ok i have said this before and i' m saying it again. one easy step to organizing your room is...

MAKE YOUR BED!

having a made bed just changes the look and feel of your bedroom. from there you just may pick up the  room and put somethings away.

the list

it seems that this time of the year is when we are at our busiest. it is the time of the year that i most live off of my to do lists. "making a list, checking it twice"...that is SO me. i can't tell you how much satisfaction i get from crossing off items on that list. right now i am feeling so ahead of the game - christmas shopping? done. christmas card photo? done. cards? ordered. airline tickets? booked. yep, i can say i am feeling pretty good to go. and the most important one. bills? PAID.

which one do you feed?

An old Indian Grandfather said to his grandson who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice.

"Let me tell you a story.

I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do.

But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die.

I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued...

"There is a battle that goes on inside us all. It is as if there are two wolves battling inside each of us.

One is Good.

He is joy, peace, perseverance, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, empathy, generosity, truth, and faith.

He does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way. He saves all his energy for the right fight.

The other wolf is Evil.

He is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, and ego.

The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside of us, for both will try and dominate our spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked...

"Which wolf wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather smiled and quietly said...

"The one you feed."

(author unknown)

SAY NO TO THE HEAD COLD by Meghan Cahn

1. GARLIC IT UP
It’s time to start channeling your inner Mario Batali and cook up some Italian cuisine—or anything with loads of garlic. The potent bulb contains the compound allicin, which is known to have antiviral properties that may prevent colds and the flu, explains Keri Glassman, nutritionist and author ofThe New You and Improved Diet. So go ahead, grab another piece of garlic bread!

2. SWEAT IT OUT

The sauna offers more benefits than just relaxation—taking a little steam time on the regular can help ward off sickness.
"Part of the body’s natural detoxification process is through the skin and sweating regularly is really important," says Robin Berzin MD, Curator ofHealth Interactive. "A passive sweat, like a sauna or steam room, actually helps the body release toxins from deeper tissues just as well as going for a run." Yet another reason to treat yourself to a spa day!

3. SLEEP IN

We all love to sleep, but hardly any of us get enough of it. Snoozing a little longer or going to bed a little earlier to get the proper seven or eight hours will not only make you more energized, but also keep you from catching a cold. Glassman suggests keeping your bedtime consistent too—being well rested a regular basis helps your immune system better fight those pesky germs

4. SIP SOME SOUP

You know you’re supposed to eat soup when you’re sick, but having the chicken noodle variety when you’re healthy can actually make it so you won’t have to. “Chicken soup has natural anti-inflammatory goodness from the chicken and vegetables,” says Glassman. “This strengthens your disease fighting cells and prevents viruses from hanging around too long in your nose and throat.” Time to breakout your mom's old recipe—studies show the canned soup is not as effective as a homemade.

5. GET CULTURED

"The probiotics found in yogurt help bolster your immune system by increasing the number of white blood cells in your body," says Glassman. Check the ingredients at the grocery store and make sure “immune support” is listed as one of the yoghurt's benefits. Lactose intolerant? You can buy a probiotic at the drugstore to take daily. Go for one with multiple strands of bacteria—yes, some bacteria is actually good for you!

going with my gut

i hope i did the right thing. i just took my own advice and turned down an organizing job. i am trying to listen to my gut and take only the jobs that i want. of course now i wonder if i am screwing with my business karma. everything about the job was not for me but...second thoughts.
decision made. i just need to stick with it and keep the faith.

take some time to celebrate

the day after the bird day...still thankful.

let's just say it is 1:06 pm and i am still in pjs with a blanket on my lap and i am watching the movie happy gill more. so far i have eaten a veggie fritatta, donuts, and toast. i have had 3+ cups of coffee. oh and i also squeezed in watching a few episodes of the roseanne show.
later i will take a yin yoga class.

ahhh. i feel so great, calm, rested and relaxed.
holiday. celebrate.