Your Life. Organized.

Greetings From Sunny Los Angeles!

On the road again... I just can't wait to be on the road again...

I LOVE TRAVELING! At this very moment, I'm sitting in a lovely apartment in Santa Monica on a gorgeous sunny 70-degree day enjoying seeing the tops of palm trees out the window as I write. I'm here because I flew to Los Angeles earlier this week for the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards! The event happens this evening and besides throngs of faaabulous organizers in attendance, there will be a red carpet, Hal Sparks will be hosting, Christopher Knight (my very favorite Brady) will be attending, and I'll be presenting an award on behalf of Office Depot. I'll be wearing my New Little Black Dress for the first time (complete with self-stick boob holder-uppers) and some fabulous shiny black peep-toe sling-backs. (photos will be forthcoming, I'm sure). I'm confident that as in past years, NAPO Los Angeles will pull off a fantastic event and a great time will be had by all!

Learning To Love Cleaning

Creating an organized life means, among other things, taking control of your space. When did you last clean your toilets? How about your sinks? Mirrors? Floors? Whether you own or rent, live in a studio apartment or a large home, cleaning is a regular necessity. I'm willing to bet that with few exceptions you probably don't look forward to cleaning? Yet, like it or not, housecleaning -- like organizing -- remains a lifelong maintenance task. In the spirit of enjoying your life as much as possible, how do you reconcile the fact that you have to do something you dislike over and over again for all of the forseeable future? (Man, that sounds grim) The way I see it, you have only a few options...

You'll Put Your Eye Out, Kid!

Guest blog post by John Robitaille

I felt ripped off. I was as let down as Ralphie was in A Christmas Story, when he found out that Little Orphan Annie’s secret message was “a crummy commercial”. I eagerly read my horoscope yesterday expecting to get some insight into my inner self, or some hope that my day would turn out better than it started. But all it said was to ponder this great quotation, “You will never experience a traffic jam if you go that extra mile.”

Having never heard this quotation before, a quick search on Quotations Page produced this variation: “There are no traffic jams when you go the extra mile” and credited Anonymous. (You would be amazed at the number of quotes credited to this person). I’m surprised there is no mention of them in our history books!! Now I’m not really sure if I believe in horoscopes, but I like to read them as part of my morning routine (actually, I’m only checking them to see if this will be the day that some mysterious stranger brings me a million dollars). Once I got over my initial irritation at receiving such a ridiculous horoscope, I decided to do as it said and “ponder” this quotation. I literally thought about a traffic jam on the freeway. Traffic jams occur when too many people try to do the same thing at the same time. Most freeways today were built alongside older winding roads. They were designed to alleviate traffic and eliminate traffic jams. The irony today is that these older roads are virtually...

Quote of the Week: Crippling Resentments

Each Wednesday, I share with you a quote that inspires me, in the hope that it will also inspire you.  Here is this week's quote:

"When you hold resentment toward another, you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and get free."

Catherine Ponder
Author of Dynamic Laws of Prosperity

Raising Organized, Capable Kids

Vicky and Jen's fabulous weekly podcast, What Really Matters, features yet another episode (that's 18, so far!) of The Big O tomorrow afternoon. Join us as we help your kids learn important organizing and life skills so they're fully prepared to leave your happy little home nest one day!

Tune in to hear us laugh and chat about everything from keeping kids' rooms clean to whether to tie allowance to chores, and why you shouldn't stress if your little ones are just a mess! Listen anytime by clicking here and be sure to visit the companion page to get a list of age-appropriate tasks your kids can do to help keep your house clean and organized.

Uncommon Gratitude Can Change Your Relationships

If you struggle with negativity and your relationship with your spouse or partner is strained, try something different today. Try uncommon gratitude. Here's how it works: Thank your spouse for small things that you'd normally take for granted, and see what happens. I try to practice uncommon gratitude with Christmas Boy every day.

For example, I thank him for taking out the garbage, scooping the cat litter box, unloading the dishwasher, for buying dinner, and this evening I thanked him for driving the two hours home from our mountain house. What I've discovered is that it helps me stay in the the mindset where I notice all the small things he does. But it also lets him know I appreciate him on a daily basis, and he appreciates me in the same small ways every day. It's a simple way that we express our respect and gratitude to each other, which brings us closer.

 We all want (and need) to be appreciated and acknowledged for the things we do, especially by those we're closest to, so when someone says a simple and unexpected "thank you", it's a wonderful little treat. So today, try thanking a friend, or your spouse for doing what they'd normally do anyway... taking out the trash, driving you to dinner, cleaning up the breakfast dishes, or anything else they do without being asked. It will make YOU feel good because you'll be looking for positive things to be grateful for, and it will make THEM feel great too!

The Check-Out Line: Taugg Wall Art

Welcome to The Check-Out Line, where I review products (and services) that are designed to make your life easier. I give you my opinion and my opinion only. You decide for yourself. You can see my past product reviews here. This week, I'm reviewing Taugg Wall Art.

Quote of the Week: Decisions

Each Wednesday, I share with you a quote that inspires me, in the hope that it will also inspire you.  Here is this week's quote:

"It doesn't matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off. You cannot make progress without making decisions."

Jim Rohn
Author and Speaker

Hoarder Dies In His Own Trash: No Film at Eleven

Every day you can scan the newsstands and see magazine after magazine offering articles on decluttering, organizing, and simplifying your life. That's great stuff and all, but every few months clutter makes the serious news at 6 and 11. Recently, it came from England. In a bizarre case, a 74-year old man living in an elaborate network of trash tunnels in his home, apparently got disoriented and lost, dying of dehydration in the piles of trash. You can read the whole sad story here.

Improvising Your Way Through The New Year

Guest Blog Post by John Robitaille

The television show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” was a huge success over the past few years and helped launch the careers of Drew Carey, Wayne Brady, Ryan Stiles and Colin Mochrie. The show, which originally started on British radio was quickly converted to a television program; first in the United Kingdom and then brought to the United States by the ABC television network. In case you're not familiar with the format of “Who’s Line is it Anyway?”, the show consisted of four performers who made up scenes and created characters in a series of improvisational games based on random topics suggested by the audience. The show brought improvisational comedy or “improv” to the forefront of the American public.

The word improvisation according to Wikipedia is “the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or new ways to act.”

Now while others are out there making (and then breaking) their New Year’s resolutions, I’ve decided that instead, I would improvise my way through this New Year. No, it doesn’t mean that I plan on slacking off or just drifting from moment to moment…