by CS Team
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 down and take in the sweetness of this summer?
Renee is a constant source of inspiration for us. Her blog below offers simple truth on how to slow down and love your summer, whatever stage of life you are.
One of my touchstones for gauging how fast–or slow–I’m living, is noticing if I have a vase of fresh herbs and flowers on my desk. When I’m living the life I desire, I create the time to meander in my garden and pick colorful, fragrant flowers and plants to enjoy in my office.
What’s your touchstone that lets you know you’re moving at a speed that feels just right for you? A signal that tells you you’re living joyfully and in alignment with what matters most?
For the last 16 years I’ve been self-employed. And it took me more than half of that time to figure out that I get to choose the speed at which I live, work and play.
When I finally “got this,” I realized … summer is an especially sacred time for me. It’s a time when I crave–and need–to slow way down. To embrace expanses of unscheduled time, to enjoy spontaneity, adventure, more time in nature and less time online. As delicious to me as homemade peach ice cream–I lap up spaciousness and big open creative windows where I get to sit with ideas, meditate on my life purpose and personal hopes and visions, integrate all I’ve learned from the past six months, explore new ways of being and reconnect with soulful friends for long hikes and late night swims in spring-fed waters. Summer is when I re-calibrate and am reminded of who I am and what I love.
Continue reading on her blog…
This is the 3rd year that we are really practicing slowing down during the summer. We hope you find the joy and peace in doing so yourself. – Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
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 force ourselves to get it done? It is always on the list but typically the last thing we want to do on the weekend, right? There seems to be shame around letting our friends see our chaos. And yet inviting someone to help is a powerful solution!
This is our best tip for making organizing fun & freeing! Invite a friend to do it with you. Let go of the fear and embarrassment of your friends seeing the chaos and open up to a transformative experience. We have seen hundreds of people be set free when they let themselves receive help from an organizer, a friend or family member.
From Marla – “I just experienced this in a POWERFUL WAY. I got to spend 8 days with a long time friend who had recently lost her husband. Together we got through the garage, project room, closets, finances and more. We told stories, laughed and cried, moved stuff, cleaned and cleared. In 8 days together, we freed her from the blockage and buildup so she could move forward with her life. Because we loved our time so much, we decided to do this every year for each other. This kind of teamwork is life changing.”
The important elements are:
- Pick someone safe who won’t judge you.
- Do the project in small pieces of 2-3 hours
- Make it fun by playing music or having snacks
- Try taking turns and helping each other
- Choose someone that supports you making a change
The last few weeks we have given your our Top Tips for Spring Organizing. By combining these tips with the support of a trusted partner, you WILL experience joy and wonderful results.
Even as professional organizers we often invite other organizers to support us with our projects. It’s very different to work with our own things (vs. someone else’s) since we have to face our own attachments, emotions and stories. Our Utah Professional Organizers Group even chose to buddy up this year for our service project and we were all sold on the power of getting support from a trusted person.
Find a friend and help each other. You deserve it! And don’t forget to use The Clear & SIMPLE Systems of SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. & S.T.A.C.K.S. © to help with where to start, what to do and how to keep it up.
Set yourself free! Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
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 enjoy this Spring, we are sharing our top ten organizing tips throughout the month. Get a printable version of all of our TOP TEN TIPS for Spring.
This week is about simple rituals to embrace spring:
*Guest Message – The One Minute Clearing Exercise from Stephanie Bennett Vogt.
Try this unbelievably simple, yet profound practice of only one minute a day for seven days. You will have a shift in your space and in your being. Click here for the video and feel spring energy move into your own body.
Clear & SIMPLE’s Tips on ritual…
1. Invite fresh, clean energy into your space.
On a warm, sunny day, open up your windows and doors, turn on some music and let the freshness of spring flow through your space. This helps move the stagnant winter energy to rejuvenate all the moving molecules. Then let yourself enjoy the new energy and what you are inspired to do throughout the day.
8. Dig in the dirt – or simply plant one pot.
Ahh, the yummy feeling of dirt in your hands – dry, rough, wet, packed, smooth – so many sensations just waiting for you. Spring is the time to let your inner child go outside, get your hands dirty and connect with the earth. For those of you that love gardening, you know how healing this time is. Give yourself permission to put earth time first and love every minute.
If gardening isn’t really your thing or you don’t have the time, just pick out one cool pot, find an already created flower arrangement and plop it in. Place it on your porch, where you can enjoy the beauty every day when you arrive home.
Remember that SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © work for projects like planning a garden.
Get a printable version of all of Our TOP TEN TIPS for Spring.
Remember Spring is about new life – so open up to the sweetness of a new day. We would love to hear from you anytime. Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
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 abundance of flowers. Where do you start?
To help you really enjoy this Spring, we are sharing our top ten organizing tips throughout the month. Get a printable version of all of our TOP TEN TIPS for Spring.
This week is about the Practical & Pretty:
3. Keep it simple by choosing one project for the season.
It can be overwhelming to think about all the clutter clearing and organizing projects in your home, which can block you from ever starting. So begin with choosing just ONE project for each season and over time your space will be transformed. Also, each season has it’s own feel.
Spring is the perfect time to transform your closet, garage or craft area.
Remember to write a vision of what you want to create before you dive in (the MAP IT Step).
6. Get inspired and bring in new life with bright colors.
How often have you caught your breath at the sight of a flowerbed in full bloom? Just like the blossoming flowers, bright containers make us happy. Our brain and bodies react to color first. So make your space or project one you will love to spend time in with bright, fun colors!
To find containers for all areas of your home in gorgeous colors, we love & recommend
The Container Store!!
Share your stories and photos on social media, #TheCSWay. We LOVE hearing from you!
Marla, Kate & Team
