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Simplify Your Traditions

Close your eyes, take a long deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, and visualize your most favorite and joyful holiday memories.


Dream big!

How do you most want your holidays to look and feel?

SIMPLIFYING 

Every October we focus on clearing clutter simply and easily with our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Movement. We’ve created powerful tools you can utilize any time of year to support your journey. If you have some extra time, hop on over there to access these offerings. If time is of the essence and the holiday season has begun, circle back to the Clutter Clear Out in January.

For November and December we invite a slow down and focus on simplifying. We’ll spend the other nine months diving into organizing. Check out our Simplify Your Home and Holidays for all of our suggested actions. 

TRADITIONS 

No matter what holidays you partake in there is excitement and, dare we say, magical qualities. Then there are the inherent complexities. From wanting to attend all the gatherings to buying gifts that bring great joy; from having delightful decor to making delicious meals; from all the traditions passed down or created ourselves to deepen the meaning of the holiday.

Focus on Freedom: When it comes to the holidays do you allow yourself extra time to cultivate ritual and tradition in the events, activities, and to-do’s? Do you say yes when you really want to say no? Do you have any time for rest and rejuvenation? Sit down with your calendar and be realistic and truthful about how much you can and to engage with. First, block out some “you” time each week. Then add things you know for sure (shopping, decorating, cooking, baking, gatherings) in your calendar where you will not schedule other things.

Focus on Family: One of the most precious things we can do at the Holiday Season is spend meaningful time together. To keep this simple, sit down together as a family and ask each person to share what is the one thing they want most to do this year?

Focus on You: It’s your life and your choice. Choose traditions based on your family’s current values and desires, not just what has “always been done.” Some of our favorites include a sledding day, reading together before bed, giving to a family in need, and having a game night each week.

Remember memories are stored when we experience emotion. Make your holidays deeply memorable! 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.

When you are ready for more simple actions, head over to our Simplify Your Home and Holidays page, where you will find more blogs and our eBook chock full of our home and holiday simplifying goodness.

simplifyhome, simplifyholidays, simplifylife
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We are passionate about teaching The Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Simplify Your Kitchen

Would you love to have your kitchen feel fresh and beautiful to gather in?
It’s in the kitchen where the warmth of shared memories,
laughter and life create a recipe that spans generations.
– Yuvraj Kakodiya

The kitchen is the heart of the home. Yet, sadly it can 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 for the holidays.

 

Use these 3 simple steps to simplify your kitchen:

Step One: Clear your kitchen counter of the paper piles, homeless items or things that don’t even belong in the kitchen.

Step Two: Put fresh flowers or a living plant on your kitchen counter to bring in beauty and prevent clutter from building back up.

Step Three: It can be a blast to clutter clear and organize your junk drawer. One person opens their junk drawer an average of 3 times a day so organizing it can be a great gift to yourself and your family.

You and your family deserve to have a simpler, peaceful and sweet holiday season!

The Holidays are a wonderful time to slow down and focus on simplifying. Check out our Simplify Your Home and Holidays for all of our suggested actions.

If you want support in clutter clearing you can get help at our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Movement. We’ve created powerful tools you can utilize any time of year to support your journey. If you have some extra time, hop on over there to access these offerings.

 

simplify kitchen, organize kitchen, home & holidays, organize home
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We are passionate about teaching The Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Simplify Your Wrapping

How many types of wrapping paper, bags, bows, ribbon, and tissue paper do you have?


Simplify your gift wrapping

and create a signature style!

SIMPLIFYING 

Every October we focus on clearing clutter simply and easily with our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Movement. We’ve created powerful tools you can utilize any time of year to support your journey. If you have some extra time, hop on over there to access these offerings. If time is of the essence and the holiday season has begun, circle back to the Clutter Clear Out in January.

For November and December we invite a slow down and focus on simplifying. We’ll spend the other nine months diving into organizing. Check out our Simplify Your Home and Holidays for all of our suggested actions. 

NOW FOR GIFT 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?

We recommend choosing a solid color of bulletin board paper you love and can work for all celebrations. Have fun changing up the types of bows and ribbons you pair with the paper to suit the occasion as well as express your personal style. Metallic markers are a great option for writing on the paper and decorating it.

Bulletin board paper is super cost effective and will last for years to come. You can even use it for other applications like packing paper, craft projects, and covering your dining table for pumpkin carving. It is heavy duty and recyclable when clean. Most gift wrap, bags, and ribbons are not recyclable. Basically, the fancier the item the less likely it can be recycled.

If bulletin board paper is simply not your style or you want more options, take the time to go through all of your gift wrap and bags to decide what you truly like and want to use. Be willing to donate the rest and stock up on the supplies you love using.

When you are ready for more simple actions, head over to our Simplify Your Home and Holidays page, where you will find more blogs and our eBook chock full of our home and holiday simplifying goodness.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays, Wrapping Paper
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We are passionate about teaching The Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Simplify Your Paper

Paper piles seem to land everywhere, from the kitchen counter to the bedroom night table.


How would it feel to walk through your home

and not see even one pile of paper?

Every October we focus on clearing clutter simply and easily with our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Movement. We’ve created powerful tools you can utilize any time of year to support your journey. If you have some extra time, hop on over there to access these offerings. If time is of the essence and the holiday season has begun, circle back to the Clutter Clear Out in January.

For November and December we invite a slow down and focus on simplifying. We’ll spend the other nine months diving into organizing. Check out our Simplify Your Home and Holidays for all of our suggested actions. 

Now, 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 really creeps in. We’re going to help you get all the piles cleaned up for now and then help you organize them in the new year. This valiant effort will make you and your home feel so much better.  

Step One: Walk around your home and make a list of approximately how many banker’s boxes worth of paper have piled up. 

Step Two: Purchase the appropriate number of bankers boxes with file rails or plastic file totes, then a box or two of hanging file folders, super sticky notes in your favorite color, and a sharpie or two.

Step Three: Gather all of the paper piles from around your house (kitchen, dining room, family room, office, bedroom, etc.) filing them as you go according to what room they are in – or according to the general category of paper (kid papers, work project, unopened mail, etc.). Use the Post-its upside down to create a temporary label to stick on the file folders. You may also want a folder or two for things you find that need attention soon, like bills to pay, events that needs an RSVP, or calls that need to be made.

Step Four: Use post-its to label the boxes with something similar to “Papers to Process”, put the lids on, and put the boxes in an easy-to-access, yet out of sight place.

Step Five: Schedule some time in January to process these boxes of paper using our Organize Your Paper guidelines. Seriously, put it on your calendar. 😊

Step Six: Take a few deep breaths and simply be present for a few moments. You just moved a whole of energy. Talk a stroll through your home noticing what a difference it makes not seeing all that paper but to know right where to go if you need to locate something.

When you are ready for more, head over to our Simplify Your Home and Holidays page, where you will find more blogs and our eBook with all of our home and holiday simplifying actions.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays, Piles of paper, File Tote
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Home, Simplify Your Holidays

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We are passionate about teaching The Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Simplify Home

A simpler life begins making your home a happy place. How would that feel?

 

A home is a kingdom of it’s own in the midst of the world,

a stronghold amid life’s storms and stresses,

a refuge, even a sanctuary.

 

 – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Get Your Simplify Home Guide

If 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. There are now TV’s in every room which support checking out from our bodies and lives. We have lost our gathering places, like the kitchen table, where we could unload and share. A simpler life begins making your home a happy place. How would that feel? How could that support your health, your family and the giving of your gifts?

To make this transformation simpler, we want you to begin with one room and choose from the ideas below. We feel the bedroom is the most important room in the home since your body spends the most time there (even when you are sleeping the molecules of your body are needing to heal). Here are places to start:

HOUR OF POWER

Set your timer for one hour and journey through your bedroom gathering all the obvious stuff that doesn’t belong there, is no longer useful, or that you are ready to let go. Keep in mind that you are only going after the obvious and easy stuff. If you have to stop and think about it, then wait. You might be shocked what goes away.

FOCUS ON THE FLOOR

Start at the door into your bedroom and work your way around the whole area staying focused on the floor. Pick up and bag all the stuff that you know needs to leave. Don’t worry about the other stuff, it comes later. Then grab the broom or vacuum and relish in cleaning away the old dust and grime. Return to the door, look around and take in the difference.

HIDING UNDERNEATH

You can start the clutter clearing by pulling out all the stuff under the bed (or other furniture). You want to avoid using this as a storage area if at all possible. If you must store something, choose items like extra blankets or clothing. Remember, your body is feeling everything under there while you are sleeping. Once you clear the space, take a the time to clean it also. You will love how it feels.

ADD BEAUTY

Take a look at the top of your nightstand, dresser and other surfaces. Since you have cleared the clutter, can you add beauty like a candle, a plant, or a framed picture?

Enjoy this guest blog – 10 Organizing Tips to Live by for a Tidy Home

For more help on your bedroom clearsimple.com/organizebedroom

 

Clear & Simple, Simplify Your Life, Simplify Home, Marla Dee, Kate Fehr
Clear & Simple, Simplify Your Life, Simplify Home, Marla Dee, Kate Fehr

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Simplify Office

What if you could walk into your office tomorrow excited and energized?!

Regardless of the size of your business, it is essential to have a personalized and organized workspace.

It helps refresh your mind, improves your productivity and deepens the joy in your work.

 – Marla Dee

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 than you can give. You might be spending more time in your work space than at relaxing home. You might even be working from home! We wish more companies would give their employees, and more entrepreneurs would give themselves, at least one day each year just for clutter clearing and organizing.

If you are ready for an office that supports you rather than stressing you, we are here to help. You can start with just your desktop, your supply area, your technology, your paper or your productivity. Here are some great ideas to get you going. Give yourself permission and remember it can be powerful to pick just one!

What every office needs and wants:

  • A really nice, big enough desk that you love working at.
  • An uncluttered desktop area for work and creativity.
  • A very comfortable, supportive chair and a carpet protector to go underneath.
  • Two desk drawers for daily supplies, along with an area for other supplies.
  • Two drawer file cabinet within arm’s reach of your chair to hold active projects.
  • Window and/or dimmer lighting for your preference and needs.
  • Computer equipment that is fast, accessible and ergonomically correct.
  • A shredder and recycle container close by so you can clear the junk quickly.
  • Inspirational object, plant or framed picture of someone you love.
  • Bulletin board or other area for visual reminders.
  • Incoming container for the paper and information coming at you.
  • A vertical and visual action container for the papers that need your attention.
  • A project action center or location such as a different file drawer.
  • To read container and location to keep your reading papers separated.
  • Music you love or quiet depending on personality.
  • An office with a door so you can have privacy when you need it.
  • A great chair to welcome collaborators or visitors (like your spouse).
  • The entire iRAFT System to handle all your papers. Get details at clearsimple.com/iRAFT
  • Checkout the Ultimate Filing System for homes or small businesses – FreedomFiler.

What if you could walk into your office tomorrow, look around and feel yourself get excited and energized?!

Your Guides to a Simpler Life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way© to transform your life.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Simplify Your Life

Deepen the transformation with our Simplify Your Life eBook.

The Simple Life… ha! We get the absurdity of even uttering those words. With all of the roles, responsibilities, relationships, children, 4-legged children, tasks, events, emails, papers, belongings, needs, wants, and more, life is anything but simple. It is complex, multi-faceted, and ever-changing. So, is a simpler life even possible? Is there really hope? Yes, you can craft a different kind of life. Enjoy reading about simplifying change, choices, play, sharing, growth, and more.

By simplifying, you will be more present and available for what life puts in front of you. You will enjoy the small things. And you will live with grace and gratitude.

Welcome to Simplify Your Life. This eBook will set you at ease, inspire you to play, awaken your senses and open you to new ways of being. No matter how big, complicated or busy your life is, it can be simpler. Are you ready to love the life you already have?