General - Clear & Simple

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 travel bags and more.

Note – Make sure to check out The Container Store’s short tips & videos for ideas to help you stay organized for travel.

1 – The Perfect Bag makes all the difference. You will need your roll on case but back packs are becoming very popular now for shorter travel. Check out this blog on Travel & Leisure for the best checked luggage.

I really like the Eagle Creek luggage. It is equipped with the 4 wheels for easy moving and great compartments and extra features. Eagle Creek has been around for a long time. The quality and warranty are excellent.

I’ve also come across a new line of luggage called Biaggi. Biaggi has travel bags that have zippers to enlarge or condense the size and can easily pack up into a small cube for storage. You can find both brands at The Container Store.

And, of course, there are the classic bags which cost more but they are fabulous! Since, I am traveling a lot more these days, I just updated my bags to a gorgeous Tumi set. I also recommend Briggs & Riley for high quality.

2 – Create your body care set with all your body essentials. By having these all ready to go, you will save time and have less stress both before and on your trip. Then, take 3 minutes when you get home to refill the containers so you are ready for the next trip.

Here is a link to the page full of containers. Clear & Simple’s favorite are the GoToobs.

3 – Another of my all-time favorites is the Eagle Creek Pack-it Folders. These cubes make it easy to pack your items, keep everything neatly together. Then I love how easy it is to lay them out (in a drawer or on a shelf) wherever I am staying so I have easy access.

4 – Don’t forget about your technology! You spent money on your tech stuff so you want to protect it. You also want easy access. You can find some great options here. A couple of my favorites are:

I hope these items and tips help you have a fun-filled and easy summer of travel! Stay tuned for a blog & video coming up where I will be showing all my travel gear.

Marla Dee – your guide to an organized and simpler life.

www.clearsimple.com/marladee

Top Ten Tips for Summer

by Marla Dee

SEE IT – get in touch with what is most important to you

MAP IT – make it happen by writing it down on your calendar

DO IT – then enjoy each event to its fullest!

Put FUN First – Choose the most important fun activity and fill up on the juicy energy it offers.
Before you leave on vacation – make two copies of each document in your wallet. Keep one in a safe place at home and take one with you to put in the hotel safe. Then you are prepared if anything should happen.
Connect with the Earth – Choose one morning or evening each week to be your time to connect with the earth – a long walk, sitting outside under a tree, a bike ride, or soaking up the sun. Let this be a time that fills you!
Garden – If you want to garden but just never have the time, plant a container with a favorite flower or vegetable. You will still enjoy gardening but on a more manageable scale.
Family Passes – Buy a family pass to your favorite summer place, then as a family review the schedule of events and mark your calendar with those you don’t want to miss!
Three Most Important Things – Every morning, when you are planning your day, write down the three things that truly matter most that day. The sense of accomplishment that you will feel when you complete these three things will free you to do other things.
Organize Last Years School Papers – Make a date with your child to spend an afternoon to go through all of the papers you saved from the last school year.Lay them all out on the dining room table or the floor. Enjoy reliving the last year. Then choose the keepers and treasures. Next simply three hole punch them and put in a fun binder so your child can look at it whenever he/she wants too.
Birthdays, Graduations, Weddings – Take one hour and make a master list of all the birthdays, graduations, and weddings, which are coming up this summer. Keep a copy with you so you can jot down gift ideas and have it handy when you are shopping
Weekend Project – Take one weekend, pick one project, (i.e. a closet, pantry or storage) and using the Clear & Simple Systems (see download below) organize the space. Then mentally let go of the rest and enjoy your summer.
Keep it simple, take a deep breath. Our favorite app for simple breathing and meditation is headspace.com

Marla Dee & Team

STACKS: The 5 Step Organizing System

by Marla Dee

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 go. Now it is time for the DO IT step. Now we are touching the STUFF and trouble starts. Because this step is so loaded it gets its own set up steps called STACKS.

S – SORT

T – TOSS

A – ASSIGN

C – CONTAIN

K – KEEP IT UP

S – SIMPLIFY

Organizing can be overwhelming because we are trying to make many decisions at once. Should I keep it or let it go, where will it go, how did it get here, who will take care of it? It is exhausting and we typically give up after a couple of hours. STACKS breaks down the process into 5 distinguishable steps that you take one at a time. You ask one question at a time, make one decision at a time, and take one action at a time.

These steps make it possible to break down the process into bite sized pieces. And the steps build on each other. When sorting just sort! The toss is easier once you can see exactly what you have, then what’s left needs a place to go followed by what it will go in. Once everything is contained, it is time to ask how to maintain it and lastly, how to simplify? If you really give STACKS a try for a couple of small projects, you might get hooked.

I promise using STACKS will save you time, energy and money! And, by taking one step at a time, you will have more energy, think better, and get through the project faster.

Get your copy of the C&S Steps Guide here.

Marla Dee – Your Guide to getting organized at last!

Were you born with the organizing gene?

by Marla Dee

Did anyone ever tell you that organizing is a SKILL that only 10-12% of the human population on the planet earth is born with (see note below)? Most people assume that everyone should just know how. Parents expect their kids to know how to clean up their rooms. Bosses expect their employees to know how to organizing their office. Yet, 90% of the human population on the planet earth really struggle.

So believe me when I say…
– If clutter clearing was easy, the piles wouldn’t be there.
– And if organizing was easy, the chaos wouldn’t be here.

If you are part of the 10% then:

Walking into a room filled with clutter and chaos gets you excited
Your hands get itchy and you want to start touching and moving the stuff
You go into a trance or creative zone when you are doing the work
You are often helping other people with their disorganization and maybe you have even started an organizing business.

If you are NOT born with the innate skill then:

You struggle with where to start, what to do and how to keep it up
Even thinking about clutter clearing or organizing is draining
Your attempts to get organized have left you feeling helpless and hopeless
You have probably ready many books and tried many approaches only to give up

My story of how it all began…
It was April of 1999 when I met my first organizing client. I was there to work on her home office. I was excited and also terrified. We had only spoken on the phone so I didn’t know what to expect and I felt clueless about how I would help her. I had many tools and lots of experience to draw from but I didn’t have a system to take us through the process.

Throughout my first year I witnessed over and over again that my clients were wired differently from me. They got confused and didn’t understand the steps. This is when the Clear & Simple Systems were born. I realized I needed a way to teach them the SKILL. And I wanted it to be fun and easy.

Coming up, I will be sharing SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. and STACKS. These systems teach the SKILL. These simple steps are what make organizing easier. If you want more information now, go to www.clearsimple.com/systems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsdRs6WoT0

NOTE: In the last 20 years, I have consulted with hundreds of clients and audiences. According to my research only 10-12% of the human population is born with the organizing gene, with the innate skill. The other 90% really struggle.

Your Guide, Marla Dee
– teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last

Picking the Perfect Planner

by CS Team

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, week and day. Putting pen to paper is grounding for our bodies and brains.

Yet we get overwhelmed trying to figure out which planner to get! Big or small, just the months or do I need the day, simple or colorful…

Watch and this fun segment on Fresh Living and get my top tips for picking the perfect planner, along with some favorites.

See Marla on KUTV!

1 – SIZE MATTERS: Will you want to carry it with you at all times? If so, does it need to fit in your purse or pocket? Or do you want a larger planner? For a simple, sleek planner try the moleskin which you can get on Amazon. Or one of the many pocket versions at your office supply or bookstores.

2 – USE MATTERS: MONTH, WEEK & DAY: How much use do you need? You can keep it simple and just get a 2-page month to keep track of appointments. Most of us need this because doing it on the smartphone is impossible. However, if you need more space or want to make simple lists, also get a 2-page week. If you need to plan out your day in detail then a 1 or 2-page day is needed. For tabs and pages that fit the disc bound notebook go to levenger.com or Etsy or your local office max. The advantage here is that you can add and subtract pages easily.

3 – DESIGN MATTERS: You will be using your planner all the time so choose a look and feel that you love. You can also get creative and customize. For stylish in different sizes and formats daydesigner.com. Or check out the Happy Planner, the Martha Stewart Planner with Staples.

4 – PERSONAL &/OR BUSINESS USE: There are excellent planners available now that really help you stay focused on your goals and productivity. For a super smart planner and system, my favorite is the Full Focus Planner! And don’t forget the classics of Daytimer and Franklin Covey.

Check out our Live & Virtual Workshops at www.clearsimple.com/events/

Marla Dee, Clear & SIMPLE | www.clearsimple.com | 801-463-9090

Marla Dee, the creator of the Clear & SIMPLE Way, has been helping people for 18 years get clear of the clutter in their space & the chaos in their day!

Honor What Matters Most

by CS Team

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 distractions and overwhelm in our world. This energy keeps getting stronger. It takes being present and standing up for what you really want in your space, your day, your relationships and with your stuff.

We want your year-end to be filled with the sweetness of the year gone by and looking forward to what is next. 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 big, wood dining room table and we talked. Wouldn’t it be sweet to end the year this softer way?

We invite you to take an honest, deep look at your life. By simply getting still and reflecting back over the year, you can open to what matters most! Set aside an evening or a morning to ask and answer the following queries. Then share with your loved ones and ask what matters to them.

What means the most to me right now…

In the relationship with myself?
In my intimate relationship?
In my family?
In my home and workspaces?
In my friendships?
In my work or creations?
In the next steps of my path?

Now ask yourself–Is there one change I am ready to make that will truly honor what matters most to me? It might be going to bed earlier, journaling daily, or calling your mom every Sunday. We suggest starting with one change and let this be enough.

We honor you, Marla, Kate & Team

« Older Entries

Next Entries »