Blog
Tips, tools and inspiration to support your journey.
The Decision You Keep Postponing
You know the one. It’s been sitting in the back of your mind for weeks — maybe months. You think about it in the shower, in traffic, right before you fall asleep. And then you set it aside again. There’s often a reason we circle a decision without landing. Sometimes...
The Countertop Reset
What does your kitchen counter look like right now? If there’s a little more going on than you’d like — a pile of mail, yesterday’s keys, a mystery charger — this week’s moment is for you. Try this: Set a timer for 10 minutes. Clear everything off your counter and...
Organize Your Digital Photos
Recently I read that "most people" take about 10,000 pictures a year. Say what?!"Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor, it's anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living." - Peter WalshAdding to Peter's excellent quote, I'll include "and...
Organize Your Digital Files
Digital Files pile up just like paper. Take some beginning steps to calmly and comfortably manage them."A computer once beat me at chess, but it was no match for me at kickboxing." - Emo PhilipsAnybody else ever feel like drop kicking their devices off a cliff?!...
Organize Your Passwords
Passwords are the locks on the doors in your digital world. How strong are your locks?!I changed all my passwords to 'incorrect.' That way when I forget, the system reminds me, 'Your password is incorrect.' - UnknownAll joking aside, the average person now has 100...
Organize Your Email
Having email is a must these days, but do you really want to be spend your precious life drowning in it?How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. - Annie DillardDo you have hundreds of emails in your inbox? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Are you...
Organize Your Digital Apps
There's an app for... everything! And we don't need them all.Simplicity involves unburdening your life, and living more lightly with fewer distractions that interfere with a high quality life, as defined uniquely by each individual.. - Linda Breen Pierce, 1947Our...
Our Favorite Containers in Action
Kate shares a container story in her own home.Kate's Closet Journey Before we even closed on our home, I knew we would be putting elfa from The Container Store in at least 3 closets including the entry one. Since I have designed my fair share of elfa closet systems,...
Spring Organizing Tips
Our Top Ten Tips, Tools, & Truths for a Happy Spring.Bring the sweet energy of spring into your space! Ritual is a great way to anchor your intentions. It helps you to massage and soften and release tough holding patterns and bring to conscious reality the longs...
Organize Your Year
I dare you to take one day out of the year and create your personal map for the next year. Taking this precious time sets the path for what you most want and value to happen in the year ahead. You are the only one who can do this. Let me help make this simple for you using the Clear & Simple Steps!
Simplify Your Traditions
Are you done with the constant mess and overwhelm of too many gift wrapping options and flair as well as never having just what you really need or want? Are you ready to create a simple yet creative and joyful signature style for your gift wrap?
Simplify Your Kitchen
We know there is nothing simple about paper, yet we’re going to invite you to start there. Since paper tends to take over the whole house we’re cheering you on to get some order in place before the holiday busyness.
Simplify Your Wrapping
Are you done with the constant mess and overwhelm of too many gift wrapping options and flair as well as never having just what you really need or want? Are you ready to create a simple yet creative and joyful signature style for your gift wrap?
Simplify Your Paper
We know there is nothing simple about paper, yet we’re going to invite you to start there. Since paper tends to take over the whole house we’re cheering you on to get some order in place before the holiday busyness.
Your Ultimate Office
Your desktop is speaking to you – what is it saying? Is it covered in papers and so much stuff that you can’t even see a clear space? Is it holding more items than it needs to? Make your desk the focal point of your workspace and keep it clear and organized so you can find what you need when you need it.
Organize Your Desk
Your desktop is speaking to you – what is it saying? Is it covered in papers and so much stuff that you can’t even see a clear space? Is it holding more items than it needs to? Make your desk the focal point of your workspace and keep it clear and organized so you can find what you need when you need it.
Clutter Clear Your Office
Whether you have a full room for your office or a small space, keeping it free of clutter makes all the difference. It can also be overwhelming. Here are 3 simple ways to get started on clutter clearing your office space. I hope this helps!
Organize Your Office
Why work in a disorganized office or a space you really don’t like? By continually doing so, you decrease your productivity, your ideas, and joy in the work you do. We want to help you by sharing the Clear & Simple Way to having a beautiful work space that you enjoy.
Organize Your Road Trip
Are you planning a road trip? Feeling super excited about it or drained by the thought of all the things? We get to experience more of the journey when we feel prepared by actually being prepared. SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© will help you navigate all of the questions and things to be fully ready to take off on your adventure!
Organize Your Luggage
Time to travel? Time to organize your luggage? Do you really use all those travel bags and accessories you have? SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© will help you determine your favorite pieces (and if you even like any of them), clear out the rest, and travel joyfully with organized luggage at last.
Organize Your Travel
Use the Clear & Simple Way to organize your travel. You’ll be well ahead of the game by applying our systems to your pre-travel time! Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your travel. You’ll love having everything organized.
Clutter Clear Your Travel
Many of us long to travel. We want the adventure, the freedom and the escape from our everyday lives. Travel can spark new ideas and connect us with different cultures. But, traveling can be stressful if our stuff and our time is not organized.
Celebrate Your Garage
You deserve to celebrate! This year of 2020 we are helping you transform all areas of your life and space. This month we have focused on clutter clearing, organizing and beautifying your garage and car!
Organize Your Car
Are you calm or distracted when you are driving? A cluttered car can affect your focus and peace of mind. Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your car. You’ll love having everything organized and love driving once again. Maybe it’s time for a road trip!
Organize Your Garage
The garage is the “quick in the moment” dumping ground for stuff going in and out of the house. Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your garage. You’ll love having everything organized, being able to park inside and might want to show it off.
Clutter Clear Your Garage
Our garages are often the dumping ground for all of the things we just don’t know what to do with. Are you overwhelmed with the years of buildup. Begin with clearing out the clutter so you can more easily organize and manage the things you actually use and enjoy.
Celebrate Your Kitchen & Pantry
You deserve to celebrate! This year of 2020 we are helping you transform all areas of your life and space. This month we have focused on clutter clearing, organizing and beautifying your kitchen!
Organize Your Pantry
Take a look inside your pantry just for fun! Can you find what you want and put away the groceries? It seems the food just builds up and before you know it there are years worth of expired food, random stuff shoved onto shelves and no space for the new to come in.
Organize Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home. A happy kitchen means a happy family. Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your kitchen. You can organize your kitchen so that everyone is nurtured by being there.
Clutter Clear Your Kitchen
The kitchen is the heart of the home. Yet, sadly it has become the dumping ground for paper piles and homeless stuff. And so often there isn’t room on the counter to cook or room on the table to eat. We want your kitchen to be a happy place for family and friends to gather daily. We will start the transformation with some clutter clearing.
Simplify Home
you were standing at the front door of your home right now looking in, what would you see? What would you feel? The purpose of your home is to be a sanctuary from the rest of the world, a place you can go to relax and connect with loved ones. Sadly, many homes today hold the clutter and stress from our overfull lives.
Simplify Office
If you were standing at the doorway of your office with the person you admire most, would you be excited or ashamed? We certainly understand if your work space has become cluttered, disorganized and draining. This is what happens when your work expects more time than you can give.
Simplify Yourself
Despite our modern world belief systems, we simply do not have enough time and energy to do all the things. Simplifying your life opens up space so you can a deep look at yourself and what you most want to do with your precious life.
Simply Sit
A simple practice for anyone, anytime, is to sit. Just sit. Just breathe. Just be. How long has it been since you did this? I’m not talking about meditating or any activity that requires focus. I am asking you to sit still and simply be with yourself and the world around you. There are many opportunities throughout our day to do this. It only requires giving yourself permission.
Simply Play
My daughter Jessica is now 24 years old. All her life, she has taught me how to play. I tend to forget that play is a part of life. I forget that play happens every day. I forget that play nurtures me. I forget how to just have fun. I was taught when you get all the work done, then you can play. The dilemma here is that the work is never done. So, I’ve adopted my daughter’s approach of bringing in play at every opportunity.
Simply Share
As I continue to move through different reactions, an important thing I keep noticing is how thoughtful connection and sharing what is true for me in the moment, is supporting me in staying present and feeling grateful. My invitation to you… share your personal fears, your joys, your hope, and your gratitude. Share what is in your heart as well as what is in your head. Now, more than ever, share, share, share. Kate Fehr
Simplify Choices
The impetus of all human behavior is the yearning for freedom. Freedom is to be at-choice in every condition or circumstance. Most of humanity is rarely at- choice: we simply repeat the old reaction patterns. This is not choice at all, this is unconsciousness. You see, choice implies awareness. Increasing our awareness improves our choices, which in turn determines our freedom. Otis Woodard
Simplify Change
Change is all around us. It is constant. Yet we often resist and go into struggle when changes arrive at our doorstep. Here is guidance is simplifying by accepting and embracing the nature of change.
Organize Your Paper
If you were looking at your desk right now, would you be ready to work or overwhelmed by the chaos? What if you were looking at your kitchen counter? Are the paper piles taking over? For some mysterious reason, paper lands in every nook and cranny of our homes and offices. Here are three great options to start clutter clearing that can be done in less than an hour.
Clutter Clear Your Paper
The paper piles are taking over our homes, offices and lives! Moving from paper pain to paper power starts with clearing the clutter. Here are 3 simple ways to get started that take less than an hour.
iRAFT Your Paper
Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your bedroom. The bedroom often becomes the dumping ground. This leads to waking up feeling tired and overwhelmed. You can organize your bedroom so that you go to sleep in a restful, serene space and wake up to a clean, fresh beginning.
Organize Your Clothes Closet
Use See it. Map it. Do it. to transform your clothes closet. Is your closet happy or heavy? Does your closet make it easy to get dressed or stressful? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to start your day gazing at your beautiful and organized closet?
Organize Your Bedroom
Use See it. Map it. Do it. to organize your bedroom. The bedroom often becomes the dumping ground. This leads to waking up feeling tired and overwhelmed. You can organize your bedroom so that you go to sleep in a restful, serene space and wake up to a clean, fresh beginning.
Clutter Clear Your Bedroom
Because the bedroom is behind closed doors, it’s easy to ignore the clutter that builds up there. It often becomes the dumping ground. Yet continuing to ignore your bedroom means always waking up feeling tired and overwhelmed by life. Here are 3 simple ways to get started that take less than an hour.
Organize Your Year
Your life matters in this world – your gifts, your choices, your message, your love, your thoughts, your feelings, your struggles and your growth. You are worth spending time with. So before you dive into the actions of your year and day, take the time to get clear on what matters most to you!
Letting Go of Your Old Self
The new year is a new journey for you, time for new growth and adventure. But, before new can come in the old self needs to be let go. Take time to ask what you have been holding onto that is keeping you stuck. What are you ready to let go of – what habit, role, pattern, belief, person or place? Get the support you need and then take in the newfound freedom for what you are ready to become next!
Time for Slow. Time for Simple.
This blog was written by Kate Fehr of the Clear & Simple family. It's well worth a read as the summer flies by too quickly. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. It also bring me to reflect on what has become my focus and to step back a little and slow down. We all...
3 Step System for Kids School & Precious Papers
Yes, you can have fun with your kids and their school papers using this 3 STEP SYSTEM! One school year is over and another one is ready to begin! So what to do with the huge pile up of art, reports, awards and all those papers that come home throughout the year. Here...
3 Tools for School Success
School Tools to relieve the stress and add success! It’s here! – Time for the kids to go back to school, or for the grown kids to leave for college. No matter what age you are, school can be overwhelming as well as exciting. We want to make organizing fun so we are...
Tools for Easy Travel: Bags & More
Travel goods make travel easy! You know that organizers can be obsessed with containers and bags. But when it comes to travel, having the right containers makes a huge difference. I want to share some of my favorite items and places to shop for the best selection of...
Top Ten Tips for Travel
Travel can be stressful so enjoy our tips that help you simplify and organize all your trips! I love to travel but used to get so stressed by all the preparation and unknowns. What if I need something different to wear? What if I can't find my hotel information? How...
Favorite Summer Blogs
I want you to have a memorable summer!Enjoy some of my favorite blogs for a fabulous summer. Whether you are playing hard, slowing down or just wanting to simplify, please take in the wise words of the guides below... Find Your Joy this Summer, by Jinny Ditzler - Sit...
A Sweet Summer
What do you long for this summer? By using See It. Map It. Do it. you will get much more of what you want this summer!
Top Ten Tips for Summer
Summer is here! We want to have fun but can also get overwhelmed with all we want to do. Our Top Ten Tips will make your summer easier and more fun.
Declutter HOW?
Do you have clutter in your space and chaos in your day? Watch the fun YouTube show That’s So True with Lynn and Marla share the simple system of STACKS that will set you FREE!
STACKS: The 5 Step Organizing System
The 5 Steps to get organized at last It is time to learn the simpler way to organize. Earlier we talked about the foundation system of SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. You start with the SEE IT - take a look at where you've been. Then MAP IT - make a plan for where you want to...
SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.
When we are confronted with all the stuff in our space, organizing can feel overwhelming. The stuff piles up because there are too many decisions to make. If you struggle with organizing, use this 3 STEP SYSTEM for where to start and what to do!
Were you born with the organizing gene?
If clutter clearing was easy, the piles wouldn’t be there. If organizing was easy, the chaos wouldn’t be here. Since only 10% of the population is born with the organizing gene, most people struggle.
Organizing helps couples in chaos
I am often called a marriage therapist by the couples I work with. I am in their home home seeing the clutter & chaos and hearing the frustration. Use these tips to get closer.
WHY does getting organized matter?
Do you even care about being organized? Why or Why not? Earlier we explored where to start getting organized. Now let's go further and talk about why organizing matters. Does getting organized really matter to you? if so, have you asked yourself why? If not, why? Your...
WHY do you want to clear your clutter?
Knowing your personal WHY for clearing your clutter will keep you going when things get tough. Clutter is everywhere. It comes in constantly, it builds up in your car, on your kitchen counter, and on your desk. It can bury your bedroom, your basement or your...
Where to Start Getting Organized!
Marla's Monthly Message At the beginning of a new year, the inner urge to finally get FREE of clutter and disorganization can hit hard. Yet it feels impossible and overwhelming. We don’t even know where to even start. Let me make this simpler for you. I want to start...
Tips for a Stress-Free Holiday Party
By Guest Blogger: Haley Keiser of O2E Brands The season of warm company and home cooked meals is here! No matter how much comfort the holidays bring, they are often accompanied with a moderate load of stress, especially if you’re hosting a gathering for all your...
Organizing Tips for a Smooth Move!
Moving can be one of the most stressful things we go through. Whether you are a single person, a family or a business, it can be overwhelming and chaotic. As a professional organizer for 19 years, Marla has seen the pain her clients go through. She also sees how...
Simple Travel Planning
Yes, you can have less stress with all your travels! Some of you have heard about our very humbling and eye-opening experience of traveling to London in 2014 with too much stuff and the sad comments we received regarding all of that stuff. We were so embarrassed to be...
A Podcast… Be More Organized & Present
Create Organizing Habits to Reduce Stress In this episode of Wellness Wisdom Camille Kennard interviews Marla Dee, Professional Organizer at Clear & Simple Organizing. In today’s world we are bombarded with information & stuff! So there is clutter everywhere –...
Organizing Tips to Transform Your Clothes Closets
When spring energy hits we feel compelled to clean out & organize! One of the most needed and popular areas to organize is the clothes closet. Today I will share my top tips for making this area fun & functional. TIP 1– Hanger Hell or Hanger Heaven The easiest...
Picking the Perfect Planner
DAYTIMER DILEMMA? TIPS FOR PICKING THE PERFECT PLANNER Do you have daytimer dilemma! We need paper planners more than ever! We love our technology for tracking all the details of our contact and appointments. But nothing replaces paper for planning out our month,...
Honor What Matters Most
Only YOU can stand up for what matters most in your life. We talk about this every December because your life is what matters most to us. We are passionate about helping you get free of clutter and get organized so you can love your life. We are constantly hit with...
Get Organized for the Holidays
The Holidays are a favorite time of year! We love them and can also get stressed by them. I am sharing my top organizing tips for the holiday season. These tips may seem simple but they help. Have fun watching my segment on Fresh Living! Also, get our Top Ten Tips...
Home & Holiday Tip #3: Containers for Beauty & Order
During the Holidays we want our homes to be organized and also beautiful. This is our favorite tip for bringing both of those together! The secret to success is CONTAINERS! Containers provide a home for all the loose stuff so it is easier to find, use and return. 1 -...
The ART of Letting Go ~ Inspiration
Inspiration - the action or power of moving the intellect or emotions! As defined by the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, getting inspired means to get the intellect or emotion moving! We often hear people say, "I"m lazy so I don't... clean out my purse, clean out...
The ART of Letting Go ~ Trust
Trust is the most important part of letting go. After Acceptance and Release comes the last step on your journey of freedom from clutter…Trust! We know clearing clutter can be overwhelming. We hope these three steps have made it simpler. We want to help free you to...
The ART of Letting Go ~ Release
Start with the willingness to surrender. Take a deep breath and exhale. What are you ready to let go of right now? The first step in ART was Acceptance. Now you are ready for the Release. When you have accepted where you are in present time, you are free to let go of...
The ART of Letting Go ~ Acceptance
All change begins with ACCEPTANCE... The first step in letting go is accepting the story your clutter tells. All clutter tells a story and everyone has clutter in some area of his or her life. Accept that your environment is simply a reflection of your life up until...
Clutter Clearing can be simple & fun!
Ready to have some fun clearing clutter? We know, we know... "FUN - REALLY?" Yes, fun! With a simple plan, a support group of people honoring each other, fabulous resources and inspiration along the way; it can be fun to clear out the stuff! You'll get all of this...
Simplify Magazine
"An intentionally simple & enjoyable reading experience." We all know that our world offers a plethora of ways in which information floods into our awareness. Social media feeds are chock-full of posts, events and offerings. Email inboxes are inundated with...
Time for Slow. Time for Simple.
We could all use a little big dose of slow and simple. Recently, I was sitting outside my son's basketball practice reading and enjoying a new book. I overheard two parents reconnecting after being away for the summer. "How was your summer?" The woman asked...
Our simple summer.
This summer was one of the greatest testimonies of how living with less gives us the opportunity to LIVE more. Kate Fehr Nothing calls me back to the most joyous times of being a child like summertime. Vivid memories of waking up without alarm clocks, spending days...
3 Tools for School Success
School Tools to relieve the stress and add success! It’s here! – Time for the kids to go back to school, or for the grown kids to leave for college. No matter what age you are, school can be overwhelming as well as exciting. We want to make organizing fun so we are...
Our TIP, TOOL & TRUTH for Photo Organizing.
Did you know that 10 billion pictures are taken every single month? Why? We. Take. Pictures. Of. Everything. The result is photo chaos. Photos accumulate on our phones, in the cloud, on hard drives, or on old computers. And we are still storing precious film photos in...
Photo Organizing is fun with the ABC’S System
Are your precious photos stashed in boxes & bins in the basement? Do you have thousands of pictures on your phone and computer? Photos can be our most precious possession yet trying to keep them organized can be a nightmare. We are excited to share our best tips...
FREE Yourself with the Power of 3!
Write down the 3 MOST IMPORTANT to do’s of your day and let that be enough. FREE is the word we hear the most when we ask our clients to share how they feel after getting organized! Getting free of the clutter and chaos allows you to have what you really want. One of...
3 Step System for Kids School & Precious Papers
Yes, you can have fun with your kids and their school papers using this 3 STEP SYSTEM! The school year is over and now it is time for summer fun! But what to do with the huge pile up of art, reports, awards and all those papers that came home throughout the year. Here...
Top Ten Tips for Travel
Travel can be stressful so enjoy our tips that simplify & help you organize all your trips! We have used all the tips & tools below to radically reduce the stress and struggle that travel can bring. These tips are the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. steps for...
Travel Bags & More
You know that organizers are pretty much obsessed with containers and bags. Travel is no exception and having the right containers impacts your whole trip. Check out some of our favorites below! 1 - The Perfect Bag makes all the difference. Check out Kate's new...
Simplify the stuff while Traveling!
The FREEDOM of one bag, one book, one purse, one list, one purpose! One is enough. Time to take a trip! Whether it is just you or a group, juggling all the stuff can be overwhelming. Why do we buy into the belief that more is better? When traveling, this outdated idea...
Travel Tip – There’s an App for that!
Traveling is FUN, but planning & packing can be stressful. Apps can make it easy. From Marla - I love to travel but have always put off the planning and packing till the last minute. Of course this just adds to my stress and my belief that I can't make traveling...
Tip #8. Dig in the dirt – or plant one pot
Digging in the dirt takes us right back to being a kid. There is nothing else like it. When Spring comes, our hands start itching to go digging in the dirt. For thousands of years spring's arrival meant it was time to till and plant. This primal instinct is wired into...
Tip #5. Donate in alignment with your values.
Donating your stuff, your time and resources to a cause you care about is FREEING. Why would we fill up our cars with our client's donations? Because letting go of our stuff and deciding where to donate our resources are loaded decisions. We want to make it easier. We...
Tip #7. Transform Your Clothes Closet
SPRING is here! Time to weed out your cluttered closet and create a happy one! Spring is the best season for clearing out the clothes closet. And yet the project can also feel overwhelming. Enjoy our juicy tips for transforming your closet so you get excited every...
Tip #10. Let go of one habit that is keeping you stuck.
Spring is a time of renewal, of light, of growth. Clearing & organizing are easier when we align with nature. Mother earth is masterful at letting go of old & dying materials to make way for new growth. So, we often need to clean out the garden patch before we...
Home Organizing Tips & Tricks for Productivity
Being organized and being productive both require finding what you need when you need it. The following tips will make both of these easier. Our homes can easily fill with clutter and chaos. Yet, the purpose of our home is peace, support and connection. We are...
Top Four Organizing Tips for Couples
Work together rather than battling each other. Relationships can be our greatest gift and also our greatest challenge. And of all relationships, our intimate partner is the most loaded. Because the Universe is intelligent and likes to balance things out, we often...
iRAFT – Be FREE of Paper Pile Pain
Did you know you can handle all of your incoming paper in less than an hour a week?! You heard us - less than an hour a week! We know paper comes at you from all directions and that you think it's impossible to ever manage it all. Behold... iRAFT©! We have created a...
TOP Organizing Tip for the Year!
Marla Dee shares on KUTV Fresh Living. Get her top tip for keeping organizing SIMPLE! Second only to Get Healthy is the Goal to Get Organized when the New Year hits. And yet the mere thought of all our stuff and chaos is overwhelming. So getting organized is quickly...
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Our GIFTS to you!
A little package with powerful purpose. The holiday season is in full swing and as much as we wish that everyone could move through this time joyfully and easily, we know it can also be challenging. We are here to help simplify this time with practical &...
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Slow down and savor this sweet time…
How long has it been since you've spent time just sitting & sharing? December can be a time to slow down (rather than speed up). Waking up sipping a cup of tea and talking quietly is a precious gift. Or, since the sun sets earlier, we now have long evenings to...
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Gratitude is our daily practice.
Simple ways to give thanks each & every day. Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools for creating peace and happiness in our lives. It can can also support us on the days we feel low and in moving through tough times. So why is it so easy to forget and get...
4 Powerhouse TIPS for Traveling!
Want to take the STRESS out of packing? Wouldn't it feel great to be all ready the day it is time to leave? Get Ruth Hadlock's 4 simple, yet powerful Tips for Travel. We are here to tell you they work!! Ruth is the owner of Streamlined Space and has a gift for making...
Keep Travel Simple with TripIt
Let TripIt keep it all together for you! It's time to go on vacation, yay! And then you are flooded with overwhelm. The vital details for the trip are scattered everywhere! The confirmations are in your email. The schedule of events is on your calendar. Notifications...
Travel Light, Let Go of the “Just in Case”
Love traveling, but hate packing? Leave OUT the "just in case"... Most of us say it and do it... "I'll take that just in case. I'll keep that just in case. I'll buy that just in case." When we live in this energy, we end up with far more than we need. Rather than...
Find your JOY this Summer.
What is it you most WANT this summer? Do that. "I am flying through the tops of the trees, held snugly by the padded bench and metal bar of the lift as it takes me up the mountainside. I inhale sweet high mountain air and look in awe at the majesty all around me. Wow,...
3 To-do’s for the Day is Enough!
Keep it short. Keep it simple. Keep it sacred. From a practical standpoint, we've written about choosing the 3 most important things for the day and letting the rest go. But when we read Melissa Camara Wilkins' blog post, What is an Enough List? we fell in love with...
Summer is here. Have a lazy weekend!
Give yourself permission to let it ALL go! We just love and appreciate our systems that walk us through simply and joyfully getting things done. However, sometimes it is most supportive to just walk away from the lists, the projects, the events, the people, the...
Is Organizing Overwhelming? See SORT in action!
SEE THE SORT in action - Thanks Ruth Hadlock (a Clear & SIMPLE Certified Organizer™) You've picked the organizing project to do, you have set aside the time and now the overwhelm hits. You look around at all the stuff and feel paralyzed about where to start...We...
Slow Down for Summer
Summer can be a time to slow down rather than speed up! Summer is a sweet time. We often feel the tug to be a kid again on summer vacation, free from life's responsibilities. And yet the summer can get crazy and even busier than the rest of the year. So how do we slow...
Our Best Organizing Tip – Get a Trusted FRIEND!
Everything is more fun with a trusted friend – especially organizing! Let’s face it – most things are more fun when done with a friend – shopping, movies, dining, hiking, travel, and hobbies. What is it about organizing that makes us think we have to suffer, have to...
Revitalize and Organize for Spring
Harness the last of the spring energy before summer hits! You know how contagious spring energy can be. It hits your body and you feel compelled to start clearing your space, go buy cool containers and somehow bring your space to life. You want to mirror what is...
Simple Spring Organizing Rituals
Bring the sweet energy of spring into your space! Ritual is a great way to anchor your intentions. It helps you to massage and soften and release tough holding patterns and bring to conscious reality the longs of your heart. Stephanie Bennett Vogt To help you really...
Pretty & Practical Spring Organizing Tips
The Energy of Spring is contagious! New life and fresh ideas abound. The urge to create has been building all winter long. Sadly, it can also be overwhelming because of all the fun choices. Just imagine taking a trip down to the local gardens and gazing at the...
Client Story – Taming the Paper Piles
Those piles of paper and overflowing files can be tamed! "I'm coming clean here. Literally. I had piles of paper taking over my spare room that was supposed to be my sweet home office. It desperately needed attention. There were files from the last decade, including...
Apps & Agencies to help you let go!
If you aren't using it, let someone else love it! Isn't it amazing how stuff, from paper to toys, keeps coming in and piling up? So much of it isn't even used but we don't have the time or energy to deal with all of it. It's not like you can take a whole month off to...
TOP TEN TIPS for Letting Go Easily…
If letting go was easy the clutter wouldn't be there. The TOSS can be tough - we so get that! We shared in SORT First. TOSS Later. that sorting everything first, without trying to decide whether or not to keep the items, makes the toss step easier. When you can see...
First comes SORT. Next comes TOSS.
The key is ONE question at a time and one decision at a time! The TOSS (the letting go) is the most loaded step of clutter clearing and organizing. If we could do it easily then the piles of stuff wouldn't be filling up our space. It is often the emotional attachment...
The More of Less…The Book is Coming!
Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own "The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don't." - Joshua Becker We could not agree with this sentiment more. As many of you know, the last few years Marla and Kate have been on...
Bankers Boxes – Sanity When Sorting the Stuff!
Yes, Bankers Boxes can save your sanity, and even your marriage! The Clear & SIMPLE Way is all about keeping organizing simple and joyful. That might seem laughable when it comes to actually handling the stuff, but that's exactly why we LOVE banker's boxes...
SORT First. TOSS Later.
Breathe. You don't have to decide *yet* what to do with the stuff. You have gone through the SEE IT. © and MAP IT. © steps and are ready to begin the DO IT. ©. This means touching the stuff. This is loaded. When you are looking at the piles of paper everywhere or that...
Mind Mapping for SIMPLE Planning!
Your Right & Left Brain can now work together! "When sitting down to create a mind map all you need are two things; an idea and a brain. You put your idea in the centre and let your brain do the rest." Andrea Leyden Mind Mapping is our favorite tool for the MAP...
The Magic MAP IT Question!
How do I want my space to look, feel and function? The second step in The Clear & SIMPLE Way is MAP IT.©, which stands for Make a Plan for what you want. When we are confronted with all the stuff in our space, it can feel impossible to know what we really want....
Mr. Organized Meets Ms. Chaos
How to get along when we attract our opposite! Organization can help or hinder. Why is it that "Mr. Organized" partners with "Ms. Chaos"? The universe is funny that way, always trying to balance things out. Think about how often you are at odds with someone in your...
His stuff, Her stuff, Our stuff
Creating and caring for a home together is often challenging. We each have a relationship with our stuff and patterns that show up in our space. When it comes to mixing our stuff with someone else all kinds of issues can arise... I need stuff out where I can see it...
Your space tells your STORY!
Your space, your home, your office, your car, your desktop... are simply reflecting who you are and what is going on inside you. So what story would they tell if you were looking in from the outside? Pause right now and go to your favorite room, or the room you spend...
Six Questions from Six Experts – helping you get unstuck!
Sometimes a simple question brings the answer you need most. Just ask & listen! Daily life is often overwhelming. There is so much information coming at us all the time. There are decisions to be made and actions to take. Sometimes taking a 10 minute break to...
Let Your Bedroom be a Sanctuary!
Let's take a look at your Bedroom. Is it time for a change? Is your bedroom a sanctuary or a dumping ground? As professional organizers we are often asked, "where should I start organizing in my home? There is clutter and chaos everywhere." Your bedroom is the place...
Six SIMPLE Practices for the New Year!
A practice is an ongoing activity that adds meaning or deepening to life. Choose one new practice just for you. In these fast-paced times, it is easy to forget that I am in charge of my life. I am the one choosing who and what gets my attention. It is not my family,...
Marla Dee’s Top Ten Organizing TIPS!
Reclaim your space, your day and your life! Do you have clutter and chaos in your life? Download our TOP TEN Tips for the Year. Marla will be taking a deeper look at them at the home show and will be speaking each day, so mark your calendars and come! If you can't...
Closing Your Year with Presence
Let the closing of your year be like the setting of the sun! How will you close your year? Will you stay busy, distracted and unconscious? Or will you choose this precious time to slow down, to reflect, to soften and to heal? Let the closing of your year be like the...
Celebrate Life Instead of Stuff
Magic happens when you choose presence over presents! We want to celebrate this Christmas by sharing our family stories... Marla's Story The older I get (I am now 55) the more I am drawn back to my childhood Christmas. Just imagine 10 kids - the noise, the chaos, the...
Gift Wrap Deserves a Home Too
Containers make everything better! Where are our container-lovin' peeps? You all know how much we love The Container Store for all of their savvy solutions, but do you feel the same? Perhaps these holiday gift wrap storage options will sway you. We were in The...
Top Ten TIPS for a Sweet & Simple Holiday!
The best gifts are sometimes the simplest! The holiday season is in full swing and as much as we wish that everyone could move through this time joyfully and easily, we know it will be a challenge. We are here to help simplify this time with practical & meaningful...
What matters most?
Only YOU can say what matters most in your life! December can be a time to slow down (rather than speed up). As the sun sets earlier we now have long evenings to sit, read, write and share with loved ones. Before technology came, we sat around a roaring fire or the...
Gratitude, a simple practice…
Simple ways to give thanks each & every day. Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools for creating peace and happiness in our lives. It can can also support us on the days we feel low and in moving through tough times. So why is it so easy to forget and get...
Our Love Affair with Wunderlist!
Love lists? Dread lists? Try this cool tool!! We are on fire about Wunderlist and we just have to share it!! We have known about it for some time, dabbled with it a bitand then got totally hooked. Because it is available across most devices, we always have our lists...
Clutter Clear Out Celebration!
We are FREE of stuff that was dragging us down and keeping us stuck! We are deeply honored, humbled and inspired by everyone who joined our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out this year. Wow. Thank you for showing up, taking action and sharing your wonderful stories with us! We...
Are you in Hanger Hell or Hanger Heaven?
We are totally serious. Which is it for you? The easiest and cheapest closet transformation is having the same hangers - at least the same color!! Yet, we work with hundreds of clients (some of which have very expensive closets and clothes) who have the hanger hell...
Heavy closet or happy closet, which do you want?
Join us in tackling closet clutter! We've all been there...it's time to get dressed for the day and we dread going to our closet. Perhaps it is stuffed full of clothes most of which don't fit any more. Maybe it fits, but just doesn't feel good. Maybe you have just had...
“Memories live longer than things”
Is your stuff adding to your life - or draining your life? We were recently inspired and changed by a thought provoking man and his message. James Wallman, author of Stuffocation, is revealing our relationship (as a human community) with our stuff and how it is...
Fall – follow nature and let go!
Fall is the time to let go of what is dead, dying or done! Tip 2. Follow the wisdom of mother nature. Every Fall she releases the dead, dying and old stuff back to the earth to be recycled and used differently. We can do the same. Commit to taking the month of...
C&S 30-Day Clutter Clear Out Invitation!
Are you ready to easily and joyfully release clutter from your life? It's time for our annual Clutter Clear Out Online Event and we are getting so excited! We are also challenging you to get REAL about the clutter in your life. To look at your excuses and step back...
Our TOP TEN Tips for Time
Get our most simple, yet powerful, TIPS for time! We've walked you through SEE IT, MAP IT, and DO IT for Time, which each include one of our top tips. If you missed the earlier blogs, read them now. We'd like to offer you one more fabulous tip and an offer for getting...
Time Tip and Tool – DO IT
Write down the 3 MOST IMPORTANT to do's - and let that be enough... We measure our life energy, our being and our doing by measuring time. We all have the same "24 hours" in each day. How is it that some people are naturally able to be more present and...
Time Tip and Tool – MAP IT
Plan your week by your ROLES rather than massive lists. We measure our life energy, our being and our doing by measuring time. We all have the same "24 hours" in each day. How is it that some people are naturally able to be more present and accomplish what is most...
Time Tip and Tool – SEE IT
Time is a treasured resource, but so elusive. Here is a tool to help you touch time! We measure our life energy, our being and our doing by measuring time. We all have the same "24 hours" in each day. How is it that some people are naturally able to be more present...
Travel the Clear & SIMPLE Way!
Want to travel simply, but still feel prepared? After Marla and Kate experienced their first international trip ever and were overwhelmed with too much stuff they wrote about Traveling with Less. Since then they've research and practiced even more to get this...
Tip #7 for a Fabulous Summer!
Say hello to the new school year after fully saying goodbye the last one! If you missed Our Top Tips for Summer, make sure you check it out! For this post, we'd like to focus on and expand on just one tip. During the last weeks of summer many of us are trying to pack...
Organize Mindfully, join Mark Dillon & Marla Dee!
"Are you ready to organize mindfully?" Recently Marla shared her journey of the last 15 years helping people around the world clear their clutter and get organized - the Clear & SIMPLE Way. She knows how overwhelming the clutter and chaos can be. Join her on the...
Catch the Summer Sale at The Container Store!
Get your favorite solutions on sale now! Our amazing partner, The Container Store, is having their summer sale! It's no secret that the Clear & SIMPLE Team LOVES The Container Store! We partnered with them to offer in-home organizing services for their fabulous...
Tip #6 for a Fabulous Summer
Make TODAY great with our Top 3 Tip! If you missed Our Top Tips for Summer, make sure you check it out! For this post, we'd like to focus on and expand on just one tip. This tip shows up on many of our lists because it is spot on and always applies. 6. Three Most...
Get Organized the CS Way
Our systems make organizing simple! The Clear & SIMPLE Systems © are a unique approach to organizing. They offer a simple, grounded, step-by-step process that will educate, empower and excite you to take on the "stuff" in ALL areas of your life...home, office,...
Have FUN Getting That Project Done!
All you need is a little system that offers BIG support! Do you have a project that has been waiting for you, stressing you or just bugging you to get it done? We have found that most people do not enjoy even thinking about the projects that need to get done, much...
The Sweetness of Summer
Choose now what you WANT your summer to be! When summer comes around, don't you just want to have fun? The kid in us comes out and the playful, nostalgic energy of summer seeps into our spaces and bodies every chance it gets. Then the thoughts "Let's take a road trip...
The ART of Letting Go
Letting go is never easy, but it can be easier. Read our 3 simple steps below... As professional organizers we regularly witness the immense pain, struggle and hopelessness that comes from having too much stuff and not knowing what to do with it. As human beings...
Meet The Minimalists – Modern Day Messengers
What's all this talk about minimalism?! Minimalism is a very personal thing. At it's core it means mindfully choosing to live simply with less possessions in order to have more time, more financial freedom, more health, more fun, more of whatever you want your life to...
Our Top Ten Tips for Summer
Summer is here! Our Top 10 Tips are designed to make your summer easier and more fun.
How being organized – or not – affects our relationships.
What does organization have to do with relationships you might ask? Why is it that "Mr. Organized" partners with "Ms. Chaos"? Think about how often you are at odds with someone in your life because of organization issues: Not being able to find what your boss is...
Clear & SIMPLE partners with The Container Store!
The ultimate organizing systems partner with the ultimate organizing solutions! The Container Store now makes house calls and Clear & Simple is the medical team! It is with the most profound honor, gratitude and excitement that we announce our new...
COOL TOOLS for Spring Organizing!
Cool Tools for Spring Organizing! Get the Cool Tools to make the job easier. - Everyone knows that having the right tools is essential for getting the job done. As professional organizers, we want to share our favorites that every home (and most offices need) 30...
Transform a closet, cupboard or drawer!
How would it feel if your closet looked like this? Quick Tip - Choose just ONE closet, cupboard and drawer for a spring make over! How much easier would life be if all the items in your cupboards were contained? How about your bedside table? What a difference it makes...
Get our TOP TEN Organizing Tips for Spring!
Spring is just around the corner! Are you ready for freedom & fun? Join us once again at the Spring Home & Garden Festival for new tips and inspiration Here is one to inspire you now... Tip #5. Choose containers that you LOVE for the areas and stuff you use...
5 Tips to Effectively Deal With Your Email
Are you caught up in the ongoing battle of inbox clutter? Welcome to the club! Email is absolutely one of the biggest places of stress, clutter, and loss of productivity. Below are 5 ways to tackle that craziness. And let me just say, that it definitely takes practice...
“Maybe Variety isn’t the Spice of Life”
We all love choices, but at what point is variety a burden rather than a blessing? Courtney Carver of Be More With Less posted an inspiring article about simplifying decision making in some top areas of our lives. As I read through it, I just kept taking deep breaths...
Your Ultimate Home Office
Courageous Client Story - Emily transformed her home office from a sad & dreary laundry closet to a fabulous room she loves to be in! This year we are highlighting our courageous clients. We feel that real life is the most powerful way to inspire you to change....
The Clear & SIMPLE Way Video
When your piles become big problems and you feel yourself get stuck, in the mire of decisions ’cause your systems run amuck…
Are you feeling paralyzed by clutter?
Check out this simple, yet profound Streamlined Solution by Ruth Hadlock of Streamlined Space.
What is your ‘big yes’?
And what are you going to say "No" too? Today's society is so "go, go, go" "do, do, do" and "spend, spend, spend" that every day we have numerous invitations to say yes. Within all of this craziness, most of us are moving through this life like zombies; constantly...
Marla on TV showcasing cool containers!
Transform your paper piles with these pretty & practical tools! See our New Year Favorites We have put a lot of thought into helping you this year with the chronic clutter areas! Our tip here is to choose a cool and practical container for the incoming...
The Pretty, Practical & Portable Paper Container!
Do you have piles of paper on your kitchen counter? You've got to check out this cool container! Have you noticed just how much we LOVE containers?! Don't let our enthusiasm make you think you we like all of them equally though. We are a bit particular, as they've...
Clutter is BIG – so start SMALL
Tip #1: Choose only 1 small, 1 medium and 1 large organizing project for each season! Clutter clearing can feel overwhelming. Getting organized often feels impossible. My real life tip is to choose ONE small, ONE medium, and ONE large project for each season....
The NEW Clear & SIMPLE Way!
TRUE CLUTTER CONFESSIONS from Marla & Kate - the Creators of the Clear & SIMPLE Way to live free of clutter and be organized! This last year has been all about creating and then clearing, over and over again! We had a blast launching our new brand &...
The NEW way to look at the new year!
Isn't it time for clarity that really matters, that will make a meaningful difference in your life? With so many failed New Year's Resolutions, even with the most determined attempts, people are starting to look at different approaches to makes changes in the new...
Salt Lake Home Show January 2015
Join us once again at the Salt Lake Home Show. Get our TOP TEN Organizing Tips for the New Year and More! Tip #3. Have a one-page master map for your year that inspires, empowers and supports you. Here is the form that we use with our clients. It's our gift to you! If...
I Choose JOY!
"JOY is the juice that makes life worth living!" Marla Dee I am inviting you to stop, breathe in, open, feel into this moment and ask - Where is the joy inside me? In this moment I am filled to overflowing with joy. It is early on Christmas eve morning. I am in my...
12 Thanksgiving JOY TIPS!
12 Thanksgiving Tips for More Joy and Less Stress TIPS from the Fabulous Dorothy, the Organizer! 1. Clean house one day before Thanksgiving and set your table. 2. Select soft music and comfy clothes to set the tune for the day; rise early to prepare your bird or...
Family Comes FIRST
When was the last time you sat down with your family and really talked? You know those precious times when you find out what is going on behind the scenes.I just did this with my daughter Jessica last night. We went out to dinner at one of our family favorites, an...
More ideas for Back-to-School Papers
As we all get back to school and work, one thing crossing many of our minds is, "How will I manage all the paper?!" Read what Professional Organizer, Michelle Powell, has to offer as support in her article 10 Tips to Conquer Back-to-School Paperwork. "School has not...
Traveling with MORE?!
What are we supposed to do when "traveling with less" just isn't in the cards? Last week I was preparing for a road trip back home to Salt Lake for two weeks, including a 4-day camping excursion. As I Mind Mapped packing the car for 3 people & one sweet little...
Take a trip with YOURSELF!
We take trips for family, for work, for community service…What about taking one just for yourself? When was the last time you took a solo retreat and spent time in the most important relationship you have? Isn’t it time?
Travel with LESS!
Are you like so many that seem to almost always end up with too much stuff when traveling? Being the organized people that we are, one would think that Marla and I have this all figured out, right?! Ha! But thank you for thinking so highly of us! Our trip to London...
Organize travel plans in one place!
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have all your travel details in one place? Check out the app TRIPIT!
Organizing is more FUN with a friend!
Want to know the secret to make organizing FUN? Invite a friend to do it with you!
What if I were FREE?
What if I was free from the stuff, people and expectations that drag me down. Often I buy into the idea that I am trapped by my schedule, my business, my family, others expectations, and then there’s the physical stuff that keeps coming at me. Yikes, how could I possibly be free? We live in an abundant world with its own form of trappings.
Ever thought about filing your clothes?
"pliio™ is to your drawers what hangers are to your closet!" - Clare Kumar How many times do you go to your dresser drawers to find a tank top, shirt or sweater; dig through the piles; and end up having to straighten everything back up or leave it for later because...
Joyful Connection
No more notifications please!! Every time I think of checking my email or social media I cringe. Why? Because things come in so quickly that I'm inundated by those numbered notifications. You get it! It's like laundry...never ending! Plus, I waste so much time "just...
Clutter Clearing Made SIMPLE!
Spring is here. The sun is out. Time to clear out the clutter. But where to start and how to get it done. Clearing the clutter is freeing but can also be overwhelming. Here are some simple tips to get started: Start with a SMALL project like your purse, the top of...
Putting it all together…
You’ve got all the pieces, now let’s put the puzzle together! Are you starting to feel like you’re getting this R.A.F.T© thing?! We are going to walk through the process in its entirety again to help with that. As I mentioned in “Contain the Piles,” the very first...
T = Toss
Get it outta your life! The final step of R.A.F.T.© is TOSS. It is a simple step, but offers a noticeable difference in your paper load. Once a week, as you process papers from your incoming container, simply toss papers into a recycle container or send through a...
F = File
Are you ready to love your filing cabinet and the papers inside?! Okay, maybe that is a little extreme, but the reality is that you CAN have a filing system in place that will change your relationship with paper. You CAN enjoy handling, filing and...
A = Act
Here’s another simple step to managing your paper! It’s time to set up a Simple Action System. This is where you will gather all of the papers that require you “do” something…make a call, pay a bill, send a card, schedule an event. Having just one place that you can...
R = READ
Do you wish you could do more reading? How many magazines or articles come into your life that you really want to read, but never seem to get too? How many places do magazines pile up just waiting for you to peruse? Life has gotten so busy for so many of us that we...
Just Flow With It
Did you know that you can handle all of the incoming paper in your life in less than an hour a week?! It is true! Yes paper comes at us from all directions in our lives, but we have come to believe that there is not way we’ll ever be able to manage it all effectively....
National Organize Your Home Office Day!
Today is the day to dive in and get it done day! As if we need an official day to share tools and advice on organizing your home office…but we'll take it. Quite perfectly, this falls in line with our monthly theme of Power over Paper. To assist you with the most...
Contain the piles!
Here's the first step to tackling your paper piles! Get yourself a vertical container that will hold ALL of your incoming paper for a week. That’s right. You get to put it all in there and then process it just once a week. You can even get one for each family member,...
Clutter Clearing your brain!
A clear day begins with a clear brain. Information is coming at us nonstop from every direction. How can we make clear choices and decisions when our brain is already on overload. One tip for sanity is to claim 15-30 minutes each day just for clean out of all the...
Choose the LOVE vibration…
We all know how it feels to get the perfect thing. We love it so much that it finally wears out – that great pair of jeans, the chair that you just have to sit in every night, the sweet cookie jar your mother gave you. Then there is hanging out with your good friend going for a long walk in the woods, collaborating on a great project, or reading to your child before bed. In this moment pause and bring up something that you LOVE.
Welcome to Clear & SIMPLE’s New Website!
Clear & SIMPLE is shining a bright new light! It is with deep appreciation, joy and amazement that we announce our NEW BRAND & WEBSITE. Special thanks go to Sharon Benedict, Jeanine Mallory, Ann Webb, Sylvia Nibley, Cat Fishman, Rebecca Servoss and new...
Simplifying PROJECTS
One PROJECT at a time…
Constantly telling yourself “I have to get through with this clutter and get organized” is stressful. Here are TWO SIMPLE TIPS that could empower you to get the projects done!