Simplified Living Solutions, Clear the path to a simpler life!

Got Clutter?

If you’re like most people, there’s probably a bunch of stuff in your house that you no longer really want or need. Yet you just haven’t taken action on getting it out. Sometimes that’s because you feel overwhelmed at the prospect of sorting through everything to determine what you no longer need. Sometimes it’s the sheer physical stamina that it will take to get it out.

Well I have great news for you! Bales Junk Removal is a junk removal service that we work with frequently to help us remove unwanted items from our clients home. Their motto is “We do all of the work, all you do is point“. The other great thing about Bales Junk Removal is that they make it their business to try to reuse or recycle as much of your stuff as they can so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill somewhere.

From now until September 15, 2010 they are offering a first time ever discounted rate which is a savings anywhere from $25-$100. Simply mention Simplified Living Solutions, Inc when you schedule their services to receive this discounted rate.

Impromptu Jewelry Box

I’m the kind of person that has to see things to remember that I want to do them, or have to do them. I am what they call a visual person. That’s why it is so crucial to me that everything is kept where it belongs. That way I’ll notice things I have to do when I see them laying in a place where I know they don’t belong.

The most recent change I made concerned my jewelry. I have had my jewelry laying in a fancy glass heart shaped bowl on my nightstand for years. Because my nightstand is a good distance from the bathroom where I get ready each day, I forget that I wanted to wear jewelry. I know, I know, I’m not a “girlie girl” naturally.

I finally took the time the other night to untangle all of my necklaces, purge any jewelry I no longer wanted or wear and brainstormed about a better solution, or system, for storing my jewelry in a manner in which I would see it, so I could remember I wanted to wear it.

I have a very small bathroom and I didn’t want the jewelry cluttering it up. What I did was remove the fancy little hand towels that just hang there for decoration and hung my necklaces in their place. This was the perfect solution for my issue. It doesn’t clutter up my space, it’s practical and functional for me. I have children in their 20’s and they both loved the new “jewelry box”.

As professional organizers we create customized solutions for our clients just as I created for myself with the jewelry. There is never a cookie cutter answer for organizing. Each individual has unique needs and challenges. To make things work and remain organized, the solutions must be well thought out. What are you struggling with?

Choosing a Simpler Life

I am a huge fan of Rick Warren. His book, The Purpose Driven Life, was a catalyst for me becoming a professional organizer. The book had a huge impact on my life and was a life changer for me. Following is one of his daily devotionals about Choosing A Simpler Life. I’ve bolded the last 2 paragraphs because they say it all. Enjoy!

“You are the only one who can assume responsibility for your time and clarify what’s really important to you.”

You’d think that living in Southern California means I’m surrounded by people who live a laid-back lifestyle. The truth is just the opposite: Most of the people I know are trying to cram more and more into each day.

For instance, a couple of years ago, I was with a group of friends driving down the interstate. At one point, I looked around and realized most of us were engaged in some activity other than talking to each other. Two people were on their cell phones; another was working on his BlackBerry; and a fourth was focused on his laptop computer.

As a joke, I declared I felt left out. I called the driver, who was sitting right next to me, and we chatted together on our cell phones for a few minutes! The point of our traveling together in the van was so we could grab time to talk face-to-face! Yet we felt pressed to get it all done.

That’s when I realized the truth – we couldn’t get it all done, and God never intended for us to make completing a to-do list the purpose of our lives. The fact is, there are many things we think we must do that really are not worth doing. My point is this: You won’t simplify your life by getting an electronic organizer. You won’t even find it by convincing your neighbor, who makes Martha Stewart look like a sloth, to give you tips about coordinating your activities while still wearing a perfect dress and pearls like Beaver Cleaver’s mom.

Simplifying is really about choices – prioritizing what is important – and then sticking to those choices no matter how tempting it is to add more to your to-do list. In fact, take those tempting activities and put them on a list of things not to do. You are the only one who can assume responsibility for your time and clarify what’s really important to you.

Now maybe you’re thinking, “But I have to take care of the kids,” or “I have to get this report done by Friday.” I’m not naïve about the pressures many people feel today, but it may be that those things – your children, your work – are the priorities you keep on your to-do list, and you move other things to the not-to-do list.

Identity Theft Prevention

Identity theft has been a topic of conversation lately between professional organizers nationally through the NAPO chat. The information and resources being shared seemed like a good thing to pass on to my readers.

Debix offers a new OnCall Credit Monitoring program. Their website boasts that they once again exceeded industry standards to create the only identity protection product offered that can actually prove it works. In fact, hundreds of privacy experts took the Debix OnCall Challenge and nine out of ten preferred OnCall Credit Monitoring over ordinary credit monitoring.

AllClear ID is the first to offer a free identity protection solution – no credit card needed, it really is FREE. If thieves ever steal your identity, licensed private investigators will fully repair and restore it for free.

Check out this website for great FREE identity theft prevention tips.

If you’re tired of shredding everything you come across with your name and address on it to avoid identity theft, there’s a fantastic speedy solution. It’s much faster than shredding and if it’s only the name and address that you want to eliminate, it’s more than sufficient. It’s called an ID Guard Stamp and it’s a regular pre-inked stamp that totally blocks the address on an envelope or magazine.

Make It A Home

Make It a Home is a dream that Jackie Swinnie has had for years. Their mission is to visit the homes of people with disabilities to determine what their needs are to make it a home. To meet their client’s needs, they collect gently used items from wherever they can find them.

“It is a so nice for clients to come home to a warm place as well as for the staff to work in nice surroundings”, Jackie says. “You should see how grateful each and every one is, no matter what their ability, warms my heart”.

If you are interested in donating, or getting on their email “needs list”, please contact Jackie Swinnie at 314-791-5683 or makeitahome@charter.net.