Nuts & Bolts

Need to organize all those thinga-ma-bobs driving you screwy? Here’s a low cost, easy solution!

Attach glass Ball jars underneath a table or shelf.  Nail the lids to the underside of a surface near where you store your tools, then twist the jars into place. Put like size nuts & bolts in one and wood screws in another.  Attach an empty jar so that when you are working on a project you can keep all the hardware for it in one place.

Think Clutter Doesn’t Effect You? Think again!

When things are feeling a little out of whack for me, I look to feng shui to see how I can use the its energy to help make changes in my life.  While we can talk about the physical cost of clutter, Karen Kingston’s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui lists several ways clutter affects you energetically:

• it can make you feel tired & lethargic
• it can keep you in the past
• it can congest your body
• it can adversely affect your body weight
• it can confuse you
• can affect they way people treat you
• can make you procrastinate
• can cause disharmony
• can make you feel ashamed
• can depress you
• can put your life on hold
• can create excess baggage
• can dull your sensitivity and enjoyment of life
• can cause extra cleaning
• can make you disorganized
• can be a health & fire hazard
• can create undesirable symbology
• can cost you financially
• can distract you from important things

If you feel out of sorts, consider dealing with your clutter first and foremost!

Check out Karen Kingston’s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui if you want to learn more.

Gabriele Amersbach is a certified Feng Shui consultant in Raleigh whom I have personally worked with. Check out more on her site: www.luckypath-fengshui.com

To find a feng shui consultant near you. http://www.fengshuidirectory.com/find.htm

Clutter & Feng Shui

I first heard of Feng Shui while living in Los Angeles.  I had someone Feng Shui my apartment because it just didn’t “feel” right.  Maybe you have never heard of Feng Shui, but I bet you can “feel” the difference when you walk into a cluttered room and then into an organized room!

Feng Shui is the art of balancing and harmonizing the flow of natural energies in our surroundings to create beneficial effects in our lives.  Clearing clutter can be considered one of the most powerful transformative aspects of Feng Shui.  When clutter accumulates it represents energy stagnation.  Clutter begins as as a symptom of what is happening with your life and then becomes part of the problem because the more you have of it, the more you will attract.

Check out Karen Kingston’s Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui if you want to learn more.

Gabriele Amersbach is a certified Feng Shui consultant in Raleigh whom I have personally worked with.  Check out more on her site:  www.luckypath-fengshui.com

To find a feng shui consultant near you. http://www.fengshuidirectory.com/find.htm

What clutter can you clear today?

Green Thumb Just Got Greener!

Get Your Green Thumb on & Be Green!

Lowe’s Hardware Stores Now Accepting Used Plastic Plant Pots For Recycling

https://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=201510789873910

Thanks once again to Linda Leighton!

Habits for Highly Organized People

Being organized is not about being a perfectionist!  One, it’s unrealistic and two, it’s no fun. Yeah, Martha Stewart looks all put together but she has a huge staff to support her!

Here are some habits to consider in helping you be more organized:

Walk away from bargains. Or run.  Ask yourself if you already have something similar or if you will really use it.

Erase the term miscellaneous. This allows you to throw too many things together.  Take the time to sort items into specific groups.

Zen Maintenance. Schedule regular sessions to keep up with everything. If you don’t schedule it, it might not happen. If you do it regularly it will start to be done more quickly.

Love the imperfect you. And never will be. Prioritize and put the best effort into what is important to you and with other things simply get the job done.  Buy cookies for your son’s homeroom (instead of baking)  and put more effort into helping with homework (or whatever the priority is.)

You don’t need the best of everything. If you have found something that works for you, stick with it!  You don’t need to try every lipstick or gadget that is out there. If it works for you then it is what is best for you.

What habit can you start today to help you get more organized?

Putting Away the Boots!

Just about time to be done with boots for the year!

I keep my boots in one area of the closet where they are kept year round.  You might want to store them on shelves or in a cubby or in a container in the closet or under the bed (although that is bad feng shui!).  Or repurpose plastic bedding containers–they are clear and big enough to fit bulky boots.  Whatever you do, make it easy to store and retrieve.

Also would be great to prepare them.  You can use lanolin (the oil found in sheep’s wool) instead of traditional petroleum based solvents or sprays. You can find lanolin at most pharmacies!

Save $$$ on Home Improvement Projects

Spring is around the corner and a good time to schedule those home improvement.

Habitat for Humanity ReStores are a great resource of materials ranging from cabinetry, lighting, hardware. I have heard stories of some amazing finds!

You can also receive a tax write off for donated items.  Call the store or check out the website for guidelines.

Saving money & resources is a win win for everyone!

http://www.habitat.org/env/restores.aspx?tgs=MTAvNS8yMDEwIDI6MjY6MTggUE0%3d

Sip Smart

• Americans buy an estimated 29.8 billion plastic water bottles every year.
• Nearly eight out of every 10 bottles will end up in a landfill.
• It is estimated that the production of plastics accounts for 4 percent of the energy consumption in the U.S.

By making a simple switch to a BPA-free bottle will save you money & be better for the earth.  You can buy one for each family member in his or her favorite color.  (I recommend coordinating backpacks, school supplies, bath towels, toothbrushes, etc. for children).

http://www.waterbobble.com/

http://www.evergreencanteen.com/Brands/CamelBak

http://www.nalgene-outdoor.com/

Commitment Phobe? No problem!

Need a pair of skis for a weekend trip or an entertainment system for a party? Instead of buying….

Check out a low-commitment version of EBay:  www.zilok.com

Hunka Hunka Burning Junk

Handsome men hauling your junk away–for free!

Dedicated to bettering our environment, Garage Brothers find new homes for our client’s unwanted items. Whether it be through sales, recycling, or donations to various charities, they do whatever possible to ensure that as little as possible is added to our landfills.

http://www.freegaragecleaning.com/