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The Kitchen Makeover, Part 1

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Your kitchen is the heart of your home, the place where everyone lingers.  It's where you cook and eat, your kids do homework, and friends sit and drink coffee or wine and talk about their lives. But it might also hold too many dishes, glasses, gadgets, and small appliances, not to mention piles of mail, bags and backpacks, and 45 magnets on the refrigerator door. The kitchen is a busy place where clutter loves to accumulate.  We all need to streamline this heavily used area. And what are the benefits? More peaceful mornings as you prepare and eat breakfast, fix lunches to go, and get ready for the day. More clarity in creating a grocery list. More speed in the transition from grocery bag to freezer, refrigerator, or pantry. More ease in meal preparation and clean up. More confidence in entertaining. More time after dinner for family conversation and togetherness. That's a lot to promise, I know, but a clutter-free kitchen can make it possible.  So before you decide you need a
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The Closet Makeover

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There are a few sure signs that you need to declutter your closet: It's full of clothes you no longer wear. You can't find what you need. Your clothes are so packed together they wrinkle. Even if you're not quite to this point, there are other times when anyone's closet can benefit from pruning and updating: The seasons are changing. Your lifestyle is changing – you're going back to work or starting a new career, retiring, having a baby, etc. You're getting ready to move. 5 Steps to a Curated Closet 1.  Gather your tools. Start with a donation box, a garbage bag, and a box for items that need to be cleaned or repaired.  A full-length mirror will let you assess items as you decide what to keep and what to toss.  You'll also need a spray bottle of all-purpose cleaner, a rag or two, a broom, and the vacuum cleaner or mop. 2.  Empty and clean your closet. This will be eye-opening, because you're going to discover exactly how many clothes you own.  You may di
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End Binge and Purge

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Just a note:  Bulimia nervosa is an emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight.  Bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depression and self-induced purging or fasting.  Bulimia is a severe, potentially life-threatening condition, and nothing in this post is intended to dismiss or belittle those who suffer from it. * * * * * I used to have shopping bulimia. I'd go through a period of binge shopping, whether for clothes, home décor, books, kitchen items, or something else.  Then a few months later I'd go on a decluttering jag, have a garage sale or use classified ads, and donate what I couldn't sell.  Then with the money I'd made (and while still paying on credit card debt I'd run up during my binge phase), I'd go out and buy new stuff. The thing is, you're not truly decluttering if you go out to buy more.  You may be making some room so that your house, closets, and drawers don't become overstuffed, b
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Declutter the Easy Way

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If you're new to decluttering, in the middle of decluttering (and feeling a little overwhelmed), or just wanting a bit of a tune-up, it's always a good idea to get back to basics.  Let go of your fear, let go of your guilt, and simply focus on your lovely, peaceful future with a home that holds everything you need and want and nothing you don't. 5 Steps to Declutter 1.  Remember why. There's a reason you decided that you want to live with less.  It's different for everyone – what is it for you?  Some people want more space, time, freedom, or money.  Others are looking for less stress and frustration.  Maybe you want room to entertain, to paint, to do yoga, for your kids to play, or simply to rest.  Knowing why gives your decluttering a purpose.  And if you aren't sure, this and this will help. 2.  Be clear about your goal. Remember that this isn't a mission to organize your stuff.  If organizing worked, you'd be organized by now.  Change your focus fro
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How to Live Well

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There's a difference between living and living well. Too often we equate living well with "having it all."  The big house, the fancy car(s), the designer clothes, the extravagant vacations.  Our Facebook feed looks amazing, but what's the real truth? Maybe we're drowning in debt.  Or we're working ourselves to death.  We might feel inadequate, anxious, and stressed.  We may be ignoring our closest relationships and weakening those bonds.  If we have children, they may be learning to become ever more competitive and covetous.  And in spite of it all, we may still be jealous of those who have what we don't, and still looking for the next purchase to fill us up and make us feel whole, satisfied, and at peace. Why do so many of us choose to live this way, in debt and a hostage to purchases from the past, with a future that looks like trying to dig out of a hole that just gets deeper? I know that some will say that prices keep going up and it's impossible t
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