Janice

Carpe Diem

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Yesterday was beautiful weather after 11 straight days of the heat index being over 100 degrees. With it being a Sunday I decided to “seize the day”. We went to a local park. Forest Park is to St. Louis like Central Park is to New York. It’s a park that was established when the 1904 Worlds Fair took place.

With all the stress going on with the economy and our cluttered lives, it is good to take some time to enjoy the outdoors in a pretty setting. Here are some pictures.

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The Baseball All-Star game is being played here in St. Louis this summer. That’s what this small arch is all about.

Carpe Diem, Seize the day!

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Summer Clutter

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Before I talk about summer clutter I want to first apologize to anyone who may have sent me a comment during the last couple of months that didn’t get posted here. It seems that all comments ended up in the spam folder and I forgot to check them. After 15 days the blog company (WordPress) automatically deletes the spam so any legitimate comments before that time are lost. I’ll be checking the spam folder daily so please feel free to leave a comment or share an idea or suggestion. Thanks.

Now, to get to the summer clutter.

Today I was going through the Target weekly ad and noticed some items that are destined to become clutter. First there was the ad for the ingredients for s’mores. I love roasted marshmallows squeezed between crisp graham crackers with melted Hershey bars oozing out. What caught my attention in this ad was the 4-pk s’more skewers. What happened to the wire hangers or long handled BBQ fork? Unless you have s’mores several days a week why would you take up the drawer space to store such a specialized item?

On the next page I saw an item called a Bubble Generator. It’s a battery operated bubble blower. What happen to the small bottle of soap solution with the bubble blowing wand? When my boys were small they loved to go outside and blow bubbles. They would see who could blow the most bubbles or the biggest ones. There is no challenge with a toy doing all the work.

On another page I did see an item that was not clutter when my children were young. It is the Wham-O Slip ‘N Slide. They spent hours in the summer heat running, giggling, sliding, and cooling off with that toy. It was also an easy toy to pack away when they were through with it for the day. Just roll it up. That was a good thing because if it was left on the grass too long you ended up with a large brown area in the middle of the yard (it happened a few times).

Sometimes the specialize tools and toys can actually take the fun out of the activity instead of adding to it. If they are not fun over the long haul they sit on the shelf and become clutter.

Do you have summer items that have become clutter? Please share your story in the comment section. (I promise I will check for legitimate comments daily.) By sharing our experiences we can all learn to avoid adding clutter to our homes.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Struggling with Clutter

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Decluttering Tips – What area do you struggle with?
Volume 2, Issue 23
June 23, 2009

This past year I’ve written about many areas where I struggled with clutter. Most of my readers seem to have the same problems. But I was curious. What areas do you struggle with?

Over the years I have read lots books, researched online, and talked to many people about how to control clutter. I’m always willing to share my knowledge (this newsletter, website, blog). I am also always looking for new ideas and ways to control the clutter in our lives.

I have come up will several questions and would love to hear your opinion on them. Please leave your answers, ideas, suggestions, in the comment section.

Here are the questions.

1. What areas do you struggle with and would like some tips on? Kitchen, clothes/laundry, children’s toys, paper clutter, sporting goods, garden/lawn tools, holidays, gifts received/given, or any other area.

2. Do you like receiving the newsletter or would you prefer a more interactive media like my blog where you can post comments or ask questions? This way you can also contribute ideas from your experiences.

3. Do you like my monthly newsletter with the website links for different holidays and events going on during the month? You can always check out the current month newsletter on the sidebar of the blog.

Decluttering is an on going process. Life doesn’t stand still. My home always needs constant decluttering and organizing to keep it under control. Than being said, it rarely gets more than 15 minutes away from being clean, not perfect, but respectable.

Please a comment on the above questions. This way we can help each other learn to have a lighter load along the way.

If you would like to receive the blog updates in your email box please sign up on the side. This is a separate sign up from the newsletters.

Thank you,
Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Summer Heat and Mowing the Lawn

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From an early age we are told to finish what we start. And many times this means completing one task before starting another. Sometimes it just can’t happen that way.

It’s hot out here in the Midwest. And it’s suppose to rain again. The grass loves all this rain. Heat, rain, high humidity, and wet tall grass that needs mowing is not my idea of summer fun. But it has to be done.

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So today I decided to apply the 15 minute strategy to mowing the lawn. First I did the front which is a lot smaller than the back. Then I came inside, drank plenty of water to replace all that came out as sweat, and cooled off for a while. I worked on an article I was writing, again using my 15 minute strategy and a timer.

A little while later I went out and mowed both sides and part of the back. I’m back on the timer and blogging here. I’ll go out in a little while and finish it up.

Some days are just 15 minute days. And sometimes I am totally amazed how much can be done this way. I wish I could finish most tasks in one continuous stretch of time but I don’t function that way. Using a timer helps me hyper focus on the task at hand. A “to do” list helps me stay on track and reminds me to keep going back to the tasks I start so I can eventually finish them.

The timer beeped so it’s time to move to the next task on the list.

Have a good day.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Travel Clutter

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Decluttering Tip Newsletter – Travel Clutter
Volume 2, Issue 22
June 17, 2009

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When we travel, especially for vacation, we encounter two forms of clutter. The first is what we pack to take on our trip and the second is what we buy to remind us of the trip.

How many times have you thrown extra clothing into the suitcase just in case you may need it. If you pack this pair of pants then you have to pack that pair of shoes. After all, the other pair of shoes that are packed for the other pair of pants won’t look as good with this pair of pants. On and on it goes until before you know it you need another suitcase to carry all the extra clothes. Traveling on vacation shouldn’t be a fashion show. It should be about comfort, convenience, and simplicity. Less really is more when it comes to packing for vacation. Less time spent worrying and dressing just right means more time site seeing or relaxing.

A simple way to pack what you need and only what you need is to write out what you plan to wear each day. You will have day clothes and evening clothes. There should be plenty of overlapping. One pair of shoes should be worn with multiple outfits. Shorts or pants can be worn more than one time. Just wear a different top.

Once you have written down what you plan to wear for the whole trip you can create a master list of clothes and other items. This master list will help you pack only what you need. It’s like going to the grocery store with a list so you don’t forget anything or buy too much that is not on the list. Make a list for each person in you family to help everyone to pack light.

The second form of travel clutter comes when we start buying or collecting souvenirs to remind us of the good times we had on the trip. The coffee mugs, wall plaques, sea shells from the beach, and T-shirts, all have a tendency to end up in a drawer or storage closet. If you use them and they remind you of the fun, that’s great. If not, then they become clutter. Take pictures instead and put them in a scrapbook (digital or hard copy) to be enjoyed later. Those are less likely to become clutter.

Keep your suitcases packed lightly going and coming back home. Focus on the sites and sounds and fun times of your trip, not your wardrobe or souvenirs.

How do you travel lightly? Please share your ideas and suggestions in the comment section.

Feel free to forward this tip to family and friends who might benefit from it.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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