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April 12, 2013

Paintball And Other Outdoor Sports

My family is big (see about me) and we have produced lots of boys and one girl.  Through out the years our garages have been full of…..

balls, bats, mitts, tennis rackets, surfboards, wetsuits, skis, golf clubs, snowboards, skate boards, bikes, bowling balls, ping pong tables, exercise equipment,  and more.

Without a doubt those items helped create wonderful memories and were well worth the cost.

But the time has come to reevaluate what is being used and what needs to be passed down to kids, grandkids or given away to other family members that could use them.

The two big questions to ask yourself when making the big decision, keep or not to keep is….

1.When was the last time this item was used? 

2. Could someone else be using this and creating new memories?

Many of these sports are seasonal. It is possible that a year or two went by with no use and then that third year the snow was good and you could finally get out the skis and snowboards. The problem we had is our wood skis were so old and new stuff had been invented so we would end up renting the new stuff while the old stuff stayed on top of the garage.  But, we kept them.

If your stuff is real old you might be up against new technology. The newer stuff may make you better or at least look better.

Talk to friends and family that have kids that may be interested in your sporting equipment if you haven’t used in years. You could also post in the classifieds or you may be lucky enough to have a second hand sporting good shop in your area. They sell things on consignment.

If you haven’t used in 5 , 10, 15 or even 20 years or more, why are you keeping the stuff? Remember, most of you have the proof with photographs and good memories. The stuff is now just  taking up space and the chances of using again are slim.

The more you give away, the less you will buy.

Giving away changes your spending habits. Instead of buying the latest and the greatest think about renting sporting equipment. It’s cheaper and with new technology it might even make you better at the sport.

 

Filed Under: Clutter, Garage, Life, Minimalism, Outside, Recylcing Leave a Comment
April 6, 2013

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

I don’t know anyone who collects mirrors. Having said that, why did I have so many mirrors in my garage? I guess, over the years I’ve replaced a few and just could not bring myself to throw out the old ones. That is how they ended up on the walls of the garage.

No matter where you were standing in my garage you could look into a mirror. Before getting in the car to go to work I thought it was clever to have a mirror there, just in case I forgot to apply some lipstick.

These mirrors still did the job but I didn’t need that many and besides, someone out there might like to have them.

As I was getting them ready to go I noticed a broken vase that I had on the front porch with the cracked side against the wall. This was going to be an easy decision. The fake flowers were put into the charity pile but then I had to get rid of the broken glass.

How to dispose of broken glass.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7565096_dispose-broken-glass.html

The goal is to give away without breaking the glass and if you need to dispose of broken glass, whether it is a mirror or a vase, you need to be careful. Follow instructions.

There are many interesting superstitions when it comes to mirrors. The one that most of us have heard over the years is, if you break a mirror, it brings 7 years of bad luck.

Years ago I toured the Queen Mary and I remember only one fact from the tour. The guide said there was a pink tint to the mirrors to hide the green faces from being sea sick.

The only mirror that I might be interested in buying, is the mirror that makes you look thinner.

Look around your house and garage. How many mirrors are there? How many do you use? How many do you really need?

Simplify your life today by getting rid of things you don’t use!

 

 

 

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April 5, 2013

Too Much Stuff

Here is what I posted a year ago…

 

Do you feel unhappy at times? Do you feel crummy but don’t quite understand why? You might start going down your mental list and think to yourself… there is no reason to not feel good…but you just don’t.

You normally feel this way when you have a dentist appointment but you don’t so why do you feel this way?
 
Maybe things are going OK but sometimes you feel overwhelmed,  understaffed, overworked and underpaid?
 
Is it possible that there could be a simple explanation as to why you feel this way at times?
 
Are you tired of putting away more laundry, doing more dishes, filing more paperwork, or reorganizing the garage only to realize you are spinning your wheels with no real results?
 
Hi, my name is Kathy. That is Kathy with a K and I am from California.
 
I am not a writer but there are things I want to write, especially when it comes to the key to happiness, which I believe is quite simple.
 
Say goodbye to clutter and get organized!
 
This will be an exciting journey. Join me!
 
We  have too much stuff!
 
I am taking a year to go through every area of a house. After much research I can summarize what all of the experts say on this subject.
 
DECLUTTER. Get rid of you don’t use, need or enjoy.
 
How simple is that?
 
Here we go………
A year has gone by. Wow! What a difference a year makes.
Year two is about to begin…stay tuned!
 
 
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April 1, 2013

Frivolous Fawn Hair Dye

Hair DyeIt was always a choice between;

1. Wash out

2. Semi permanent

3. Permanent

Choosing the right color was always the real problem. How did I end up with so many boxes and bottles of hair dye? Well, in the summer I thought I would go for the lighter look and in the winter, the darker look. When the two for one sale happened, I bought extra. Then just in case I wanted something exciting for the month I would buy something with a red tint. That is how it happened.

 

It’s time. Take out all of the hair dye boxes and bottles including bottles like Frivolous Fawn. If they have been there at least 6 months and you don’t plan on using in the next month, then toss.

This won’t take much time.

If you buy from the beauty supply store and mix your own then you probably already know that once the color and developer are mixed, you will have to throw the extra away. It stops working after 30 to 45 minutes.

Just for the record, my hair has been every color you can imagine. I still can’t decide what color I like the best but for now I know I don’t want to be grey. Or is it gray?

Filed Under: Bathroom, Life Leave a Comment
March 30, 2013

The More You Give Away The Less You Will Spend

This statement appeared in a blog I recently posted and several of you were confused and a few of you disagreed. So I will try making my case with the following story.

A few years ago I made a trip to the Burbank Airport to pick up my mom. Traffic can be hard to gage so I left in plenty of time and as luck would have it, I sailed through with no traffic. Close by the airport is a BIG store with everything a house could want, along with a little food court. With an hour to spare I headed over there to get a coke and walk through the store.

I don’t know what they teach in marketing school, but it works. As I walked through that store, I wanted to buy. The bargains were unbelievable and if I didn’t buy I would never have that opportunity again. Why, you ask?

Because the sign said so.

Tblue duvethat is when I spotted a blue duvet with a touch of yellow for $19.99. What a bargain! After all, changing a bedspread is kind of exciting plus it was new, clean and affordable. It was fun buying and I couldn’t wait to get home to put the duvet cover on the bedspread to enjoy the new look.

I picked up my mom at the airport, dropped her off at her home, went straight back to my house and remade the bed with my new purchase. It wasn’t until I remade the bed that I realised the new duvet didn’t match the bed skirt so I made a quick trip to BBB to buy a bed skirt that would match. Ouch, this was costing a little more than I wanted it to but at least the first item was on sale.

The duvet cover was washed several times throughout the year and it was such a hassle to put on that I decided one day to stick it up with the rest of the sheets and use the original bedspread. I had every intention of using it again, just not that week. The week turned into months and the months turned into a year.  Since then, that $19.99 duvet cover and new bed skirt have been stored.

Every time I go to change sheets and see that duvet cover I get mad at myself for buying it in the first place.

I really started to seriously declutter last April and the more I give away, the more I realize that I don’t need more. Therefore, I buy less.

My Three Big Mistakes.

1. Passing Free Time With Shopping. If you have free time don’t spend it shopping. Save money!

2. Impulse Buying. Impulse buying is never smart.

3. Allowing Myself To Be Tricked By Clever Marketing. Am I really that gullible? Really?

Getting rid of what you don’t use makes you more aware of what you don’t need to buy. You don’t need a duvet to be happy. Lesson learned.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Bedroom, Clutter, Finances, Life Leave a Comment
March 26, 2013

What To Do With Trophies

trophiesI have kept my son’s trophies and ribbons for many years and it is time to take them out and make a decision.

Fortunately or unfortunately there weren’t that many.

Just for the record, I know there were more than 4 but I’m not sure where they ended up.

Let’s ask the same three questions.

1. Do I use them?

2. Do I need them?

3. Do I enjoy them?

Number 3 is the most likely when it comes to trophies and ribbons. If you have them on display and you enjoy them, then keep.

If they are stored in a box in the garage then think about donating.

Most of these trophies that are awarded for kids sports have a label attached by sticky glue that is easy to peel off.

If you donate I recommend peeling off your kids name.

Take a picture then Recycle and Donate.

 

Filed Under: Clutter, Garage, Gifts, Life, Outside Leave a Comment
March 23, 2013

Shoes and Plantar Fasciitis

 If you think these shoes look like they might be painful to wear, you would be right. The time had come to go through all of my shoes. Like everything else in my closet, I keep picking and choosing the same things over and over. It’s that 80/20 rule that comes to mind. Eighty percent of what I wear comes from twenty percent of my clothes, including shoes.

One of the reasons it was time to go through my shoes is that I had developed plantar fasciitis. I’ve been pretty healthy so far but when this thing hit it was really painful. Shockingly painful! I think it was more painful than labor because it was a constant pain and to walk was torture. Especially walking first thing in the morning.

My husband happens to be an expert in this field and has published many papers on foot related problems so I knew eventually the pain would go away.

WALKING

The experts will tell you that walking improves physical and mental health. It helps with weight loss, reduces stress, and improves sleep.

It will increase your energy and that gives you that extra energy to organize.

How can you say NO to that?

Of course walking is easier if every step you take isn’t painful. If you are suffering from foot pain, go to a professional. A professional will give a diagnosis.

TIME TO GO THROUGH OUR SHOES

Do I use it?

Do I need it?

Do I enjoy it?

Be honest. If you have a pair of pretty high heels that you haven’t worn in 10 years, them maybe it’s time to declutter.

You may have work shoes that you don’t enjoy but you need and use them for work. Go through each pair. The decision is yours. Declutter your shoes and enjoy a more organized closet.

FOOT FACT…It is estimated that the average person takes eight thousand to ten thousand steps a day and covers about 115,000 miles in an average lifetime.

That is a lot of walking. Take care of your feet!

Filed Under: Closet, Life, Outside Leave a Comment
March 15, 2013

What To Do With Pretty Boxes

Or maybe not so pretty. I saved this box for years. Not sure why. It held coins for awhile, but for the most part, it was empty. Every year at work we get candy, cookies, cheese and crackers from vendors, thanking us for the business and every year they come in the prettiest packages. Whether it is a weaved basket or a pretty box, it is so tempting to keep around after the goods are gone. I’m thinking this is where this box originally came from but I actually don’t remember for sure.

 

Keeping boxes are a trap.

They usually hold things we don’t use. Marketing people continue to come up with ways to hoard stuff. At least if the boxes are the clear plastic ones then you can see what’s in there. But if you have boxes you can’t see through and are not labeled then it makes it hard to know what you are storing.

Boxes are the organized hoarders best device. Don’t fall for it.

Take today and look around your house at all of the boxes. Ask yourself two questions.

1. Do I know what is in the box?

2. When was the last time I used the contents of the box?

IT’S ALL ABOUT HONESTY

If you haven’t used in years then think about donating.

If you want to make an effort to get organized please don’t go out and buy a bunch of boxes. You are setting yourself up for failure. Yes, there are things we keep in boxes that are used through out the year. Like holiday decorations and stuff from your jewelry box.

In determining whether or not you should keep stuff in the pretty boxes, use the same system as before.

Questions.

1. Do I use it?

2. Do I need it?

3. Do I enjoy it?

If you empty and/or declutter the contents of the box using the system then consider getting rid of the box itself.

Pretty or not you don’t need that many boxes.

 

 

Filed Under: Christmas, Closet, Clutter, Garage, Life, Minimalism, Recylcing Leave a Comment
March 12, 2013

Who Is That In The Picture?

Pictures can be wonderful and they can be depressing. (weight and hair)Your home has hundreds of them. If they are in order they tell the most amazing stories that are worth passing down to each generation. If they are not in order, now is the time to tackle them.

My brother David loves taking pictures. I only remember him being in trouble 2 times growing up. The first time was when we made a trip to Baskin Robins and he ordered vanilla ice cream. My mom didn’t think it was worth spending 35 cents on vanilla when he could get that at Thrifty Drug Store across the street for 5 cents. I don’t remember how it ended but I know David wasn’t happy.

The second time he got in trouble was when my mom gave him a camera and a roll of film to take to camp. We were excited to get it developed and when we picked them up he had taken 36 pictures of grass and other scenery. We were expecting to see people,not just scenery. Again my mom and I thought…what a waste of a roll of film.

Fast forward 40 years and he is still taking pictures of scenery and it is truly amazing photography. The two differences now are they are digital and there are thousands of them.

Most people I know use digital cameras  but that doesn’t automatically mean you have them in order. In fact, now that we all use digital we take more pictures than we used to. There are so many ways to organize these but like everything else, it gets put on the back burner for another time.

Slides

Starting with old slides from our parents and grandparents. There are places including Costco that will transfer onto Cd’s and/or print them.

Older pictures that are fragile

Old pictures can also be scanned and with a little photo shopping you can transfer onto CD’s to preserve them.

Newer pictures

About 20 years ago I went to my first creative memory party and I was hooked. I have several albums with stickers, stamps and colorful paper that tell stories. We love looking through those albums but unfortunately this last decade is unaccounted for. That is because we all switched to digital.

Digital pictures

Shutterfly and other companies make it possible to do bound books online by uploading the digital pictures and this also gives the opportunity to write down stories as well as identifying people in the pictures. I am currently going through photographs that belonged to my grandmother. Most of them don’t have any details written on the back side to say, who, what, when and where. That’s a problem.

Printing Digital

Most computers and printers can print right from the camera or you can take out the little card and insert into computer. If you can’t figure that out then take down to FedEx Kinkos and use the machines to print. You can ask for help, just go when it’s not crowded.

Who in the world is that?

Think how sad it will be if in 10, 20 or 30 years from now your great great grandchildren have to throw away photographs because there are so many and none of them are marked or in order.

Do your family a favor and organize all of those boxes of photographs that could potentially tell the most amazing stories!

 

Filed Under: Clutter, Life, Relationships Leave a Comment
March 8, 2013

What To Do With The Clutter On Top Of The Refrigerator

The only reason the top of my refrigerator looks like this, is because I have a 3 year old that visits me a lot. The house is already baby proofed, but he still manages to find things he shouldn’t have. When I see him going for one of those, I quickly grab it and stick up high, where he can’t reach.

This morning before going to work it caught my eye. Everything up there does have a place, even if it is the Goodwill bag. So for today, this was going to be my project.

Timing myself is something I occasionally do, and it took less than 10 minutes. No doubt, in another month it will be cluttered with new stuff and I will again be decluttering that area. My rule for me is when I declutter an area I donate and/or at least toss something in the trash.

I spotted something in that mess that I haven’t used, ever, it was a set of glass coasters for the living room. The attraction for 3 year old was that fact that they were glass and shiny. Someone out there would really like to have these so they went into the goodwill bag.

I’m often asked by women… Where should I start? My answer is usually… Start with what bugs you the most. This morning for me it was the top of our refrigerator.

Done, Success, and it didn’t even take a full 10 minutes!

Filed Under: Clutter, Kitchen, Life Leave a Comment
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