by Marla Dee
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. Then schedule only one project for each month. The beginning of the year holds this big push for change. However, the best way to really make a change is to keep it small and realistic. Then let go of the stress and pressure to do it all or to keep doing more. Let this be enough.
There is also ease and power by aligning our projects with the cycles of the earth and our bodies. Our bodies naturally feel and align with the seasons of our earth. In the cold months we want to slow down and hibernate. In the warn months we want to play.
Some ideas for a small winter project: (1-3 hours)
- your purse, work bag or tool bag
- your bedside tables or dresser
- top of your dining room table or desk top
- your junk drawer or office supply drawer – my favorite container above www.containerstore.com
A medium project (4-6 hours) might be:
- Your dresser drawers
- Your desktop and drawers
- Your paper piles or email inbox
- Your kitchen counter
A large project (1-3 days) could be:
- Your pantry or cupboards
- Your clothes closet or bedroom
- Your files for this year (get www.freedomfiler.com)
- Your computer files and folders
I have joyfully chosen my projects for this winter season. My small one is office supply drawers, my medium is my smart phone picture clean-out and my large one is my updating my Vital Documents and helping my kids with theirs!
Please take 10 minutes now, choose yours, write them down and share them with me. I will give you a reward. And contact us if you want or need help to get them done – info@clearsimple.com
Your Guide – Marla Dee
by Marla Dee
“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 comfy wicker chair, a soft blanket in my lap and gazing at our sweet christmas tree with sparkly lights. My heart is breaking wide open as I feel this huge love I have for my dear man, my kids, my family far away, my many friends and circles. I am absolutely overcome with the huge waves of joy that keep washing through me. I want so much to share this feeling with everyone I love and with you!
Here are some favorite quotes on Joy – I invite you to choose one and let it come to life inside you today. Let the joy in your life be a gift. I would love to hear from you.
- “The present moment is filled with joy. If you are attentive you will see it.” Thich Nhat Hanh
- “When we are centered in joy, we attain our wisdom” Marianne Williamson
- “What I know for sure is that you feel real JOY in direct proportion to how connected you are to living your truth.” Oprah
- “Winning is important to me, but what brings me real joy is the experience of being fully engaged in whatever I’m doing.” Phil Jackson
What if the key to a truly rich season was to simply feel the JOY? Joy is right here, right now. I need only stop, breathe and open up to feeling… Oh, there it is.
NOTE – Picture is my sweet daughter Jessica when she was 8 years old – she is now 19. Where does the time go? I love you Jessica!!!
by Marla Dee
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 whatever you intend to serve.
3. Prepare dressing, casseroles, gravy, vegetables, cakes and pies one week before Thanksgiving, and then put in freezer.
4. Pull everything out of the freezer Thanksgiving morning to defrost; microwave or bake everything before dinner; please time yourself
5. For decorating, try simple things: a glass bowl of lemons will look attractive; so will a cluster of grapes in a lovely bowl; small bunches of rosemary interspersed with peppercorns which grow on many trees in this part of the country. This will make a lovely table décor including candles.
6. Invite family members and friends to help. They will enjoy it and make your day a memorable one.
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by Marla Dee
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 old diner called Coachman’s. I asked her what she wanted to do most for the upcoming Holidays. We let our minds wander with ideas and ended up talking about many things. By the time we left I felt so close to her again. And I knew I needed to write about this.
One of the most precious things we can do at the Holiday Season is spend meaningful time together. To keep this simple, just sit down as a family and ask each person to share what is the one thing they want most to do? Then put these important choices first on your calendar and feel the relief of letting go of all the other stuff we tell ourselves we should be doing. You have chosen what matters most.
You can make this time together fun by –
- playing music
- making treats
- coming up with a theme
- going somewhere special (more…)
by Marla Dee
We take trips for family, for work, for community service. Isn’t it time to claim a trip just for you?
What if you could take any trip you wanted this summer? Where would you go? What would you do? Would you be with your intimate partner, with your kids, with a best friend? How about taking time with the most important person of all – how about a trip just to be with yourself?
In asking this question, I realized that I hadn’t taken my much needed solo retreat in years! Yikes, I used to do this every year. I would take 3-5 days away from my world of responsibilities and explore what was happening inside myself. I remember my first trip to see the Redwoods, when I found the red rock wonders of Capital Reef, and my many journeys to my homeland of Montana. This sacred time would always –
- Clear my body and my brain of the clutter
- Light a creative fire igniting new ideas
- Restore my being and bring me back to life
- Remind me how precious just being alive is
- Reconnect me with nature which is my source
So what happened? (more…)
