Perhaps you have a pile that looks like this? Fear not, you can turn this into organized digital photo albums to share with friends and family using a service called Scan My Photos. Several years ago, I owned 12+ photo boxes. After I sorted and purged lots of bad photos, only the very best went to a few archival quality albums. Thousands of pictures were thrown away....yes, in the trash. Even baby pictures and wedding photos! Once upon a time, I did traditional paper scrapbooking. I said goodbye to that hobby and hello to family travel where I learned to take fewer photos. You only need a few tell the story. Digitize and Share Digitizing my paper photos allows me to share them with friends and family. Recently, I scanned 200+ family photos. Afterward, I posted them to Facebook and the entire family commented on our favorite memories and which cousins resembled the aunts and uncles. Something that can't be done with photo albums or …
How to Improve Your Sleep with a Clutter-Free Bedroom
We travel a fair amount. Often sleeping in a spare bedroom and living out of suitcases. But when we return home, I sleep like a baby! Clutter and Noise While away, we often sleep in rooms with clutter and little free space. Excess furniture lines the walls of the room. Knickknacks cover the dressers, affording no room for our stuff. Often the knickknacks rattle during the night and I can never find the culprit. And with all the furniture and our suitcases, a trip to the bathroom in the dark is treacherous, to say the least. Having time away is something to look forward to, but I realize how blessed we are to have a clutter-free home. A clean and calm space to come home to every night. Additionally, we find our home to be a place of rest, with a bedroom that feels like a true sanctuary. The bedroom is uncluttered and peaceful. We can close the armoire doors and block light from the television. In the future, we plan to remove the TV …
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How to Increase Margin and Improve Organization in Your Home
Want to know a secret? Organizing isn’t about the stuff. It’s actually about the margin between the stuff. The more space, the better. I create margin in every space I declutter and organize. Eliminate the excess and keep the essentials. Margin represents 37% of a page of written work. Margin makes spaces look more attractive. As a decluttering coach, I help clients create margin in their crowded and cluttered spaces. Empty Flat Surfaces Consider the kitchen. Are you fighting to store a large piece such as a griddle or the Instapot? Open all the cabinets, take a step back, and find prime real estate for the items you use most and store them accordingly. This means getting rid of lesser-used items and rearranging. Margin also means empty flat surfaces such as clean kitchen counters. With clean counters, I unload groceries, cook dinner, and pack lunches without cleaning the kitchen first. Create a Playroom Not a Toy Room Margin also means creating a …
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How to Declutter and Recycle Old Electronics
Our electronics become obsolete quickly as technology is constantly changing. And yet, we have a tendency to hang on to old phones, printers, and cords. When I declutter homes, I often find unidentified cords neatly coiled and unopened. Just in case we need them, right? If a cord is unknown and unused, it is highly unlikely you will use it. Simple Steps to Declutter and Organize Electronics Inventory Write a Household Electronics Inventory of devices you use at least once a month. Here's a sample list to get you started. iPhone iPad MacBook Laptop Desktop Computer Printer Scanner Kindle Wireless Headphones Bluetooth Speaker Gaming System DVD player (I doubt it) Collect the Cords Aggregate all the cords and chargers that go with these devices Choose a central location for the family to access. Label each cord with a Sharpie or label maker. Keep charging cords in a basket. Use rubber bands to wrap cords neatly. …
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5 Fun Things to Do on Black Friday Instead of Shopping
Truth be told, I have wonderful childhood memories of Thanksgiving and Black Friday. Our routine included grandma’s cooking times two! For many years, my mom was an intentional Black Friday shopper. As a busy working mom, she capitalized on the day off and finished most of her shopping in one day. Would you like to create a simple Christmas? Learn more in my Christmas Workshop and 3 Digital Downloads. Check it out here! Coffee, Dessert, and Flyers The Black Friday tradition began with the “newspaper flyers”. They arrived Wednesday, unlike modern-day Black Friday advertising. After dinner, Grandma Ruth served apple, mincemeat, and pumpkin pie. She poured coffee as we broke open the cellophane package of ads for Friday's sales. The next day, my mom dutifully packed turkey sandwiches and carried a hand-written list with her Christmas Club envelope. This was money saved weekly from her paycheck which created the gift budget and not a …
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9 Ways to Shop Smarter for Clothing
Do you have a closet full of clothing but nothing to wear? Have you tried shopping for new clothes only to find items unworn with the tags still on them? Or maybe you're holding on to things hoping you will fit into them again in the future. This is pretty common with the closets I declutter and organize. Learning to shop smarter is key. The very first closet I organized was my own. But it requires maintenance and good shopping habits to keep it that way. All my clothing fits in one closet. Every season and yes, socks and underwear too. Getting ready is a breeze because my entire wardrobe is in one place. And when the seasons change, I can transition to the appropriate clothing easily. I no longer drag bins of clothing up and down the stairs to perform the seasonal swap. This saves me two weekends a year. And my guest bedroom closet is ready for guests instead of filled with extra clothing. But this was not always the case, I've come a long way and learned to shop …