by CS Team
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 customers. We’ve shared how much we love and use their Pretty, Practical and Portable Desktop File Box. We have promoted their Everything Organizer to transform everyone’s “junk drawers”. And we spend way too much time walking the isles learning about, touching and day-dreaming about their awesome solutions.
We know we’re not the only ones having this love affair, which is why we wanted to share this sale you. So if you can’t make it to the store – click the picture above to shop online!!
by CS Team
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 decisions, ALL of it, and have no plan at all.
Lay around and do nothing. Have a TV marathon. Read an entire book. Take a drive into the mountains. Sit on the porch and
take in the loveliness around you. Sleep late. All the while releasing the guilt that typically creeps in and tells us we aren’t doing enough.
Courtney Carver of Be More with Less offers this dialogue to address those icky feelings…
“When guilt creeps in and tells you to do more, take a deep breath and say, ‘Guilt … I appreciate your input, but my heart wants what my heart wants, and it doesn’t want to clean, shop, catch up, or keep up. My heart wants a rest. My heart wants to smile.’ “
Read more in her blog post, Permission for a Guilt-free, Lazy Weekend.
Here’s to doing what makes our heart sing this weekend. – Marla, Kate & Team
by Marla Dee
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 get caught in the hustle and bustle of life and demands of work. A little reminder to slow down is always a good thing. So sit back, slow down a few minutes and read this lovely blog.
We could all use a little big dose of slow and simple.
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 politely. “It was great, but went by so fast! How was yours?” The man inquired. “Oh my gosh, so fast. I think it was the fastest summer ever and I was not ready for school to start.” She replied.
I sighed deeply in empathy for I have also experienced just how fast life goes by. On the other hand I also felt grateful for Our Simple Summer that rolled by at a sweet pace; something I know was very intentional on my part.
As I lamented over the “too fast” culture we live in, I continued to notice scenarios before me as parents zipped in and out of the parking lot, some dropping kids off and some picking kids up.
- One mom talked aggressively on her phone as her son climbed in the car and they drove away. Been there.
- A father was urging his son to hurry up and tie his shoes to get into practice. Been there.
- Another woman pulled into a spot, tapped her fingers impatiently while watching the school door. After about 15 seconds she jumped out and ran into the school to retrieve her son. Been there too.
After many layers of simplifying our stuff, our time and our lives, my family’s approach looks very different than what I witnessed. We leave the house with more than enough time to get there. Our phones are put away so that we can be present with each other to talk, sing and laugh all the way. We arrive early giving us a bit more time to connect. As my son hops joyfully out of the car and saunters into the gym, I push the driver’s seat back, kick my feet out the window and dive into a book.
This particular day I was reading a fantastic book called In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed and was on chapter 8, Work: The Benefits of Working Less Hard. Over the last 6 months my soul has been begging me to bring my work life into alignment with our minimalist energy. The combination of this book, a couple of months of summer sweetness and experiencing the fast-paced madness of my fellow humans, has created a great urgency in me to make this happen right away.
Barely making it through the day over-stressed, overly disconnected, under-nourished and under-inspired is certainly NOT the kind of life I want to live. How about you?
With lots of love,
Kate
by Kate Fehr
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 politely. “It was great, but went by so fast! How was yours?” The man inquired. “Oh my gosh, so fast. I think it was the fastest summer ever and I was not ready for school to start.” She replied.
I sighed deeply in empathy for I have also experienced just how fast life goes by. On the other hand I also felt grateful for Our Simple Summer that rolled by at a sweet pace; something I know was very intentional on my part.
As I lamented over the “too fast” culture we live in, I continued to notice scenarios before me as parents zipped in and out of the parking lot, some dropping kids off and some picking kids up.
- One mom talked aggressively on her phone as her son climbed in the car and they drove away. Been there.
- A father was urging his son to hurry up and tie his shoes to get into practice. Been there.
- Another woman pulled into a spot, tapped her fingers impatiently while watching the school door. After about 15 seconds she jumped out and ran into the school to retrieve her son. Been there too.
After many layers of simplifying our stuff, our time and our lives, my family’s approach looks very different than what I witnessed. We leave the house with more than enough time to get there. Our phones are put away so that we can be present with each other to talk, sing and laugh all the way. We arrive early giving us a bit more time to connect. As my son hops joyfully out of the car and saunters into the gym, I push the driver’s seat back, kick my feet out the window and dive into a book.
This particular day I was reading a fantastic book called In Praise of Slowness: Challenging the Cult of Speed and was on chapter 8, Work: The Benefits of Working Less Hard. Over the last 6 months my soul has been begging me to bring my work life into alignment with our minimalist energy. The combination of this book, a couple of months of summer sweetness and experiencing the fast-paced madness of my fellow humans, has created a great urgency in me to make this happen right away.
Barely making it through the day over-stressed, overly disconnected, under-nourished and under-inspired is certainly NOT the kind of life I want to live. How about you?
With lots of love,
Kate
by Kate Fehr
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 & website, traveling to London, offering new eBooks and workshops, sharing the Powerful Staying in Business a Decade & Beyond – and so much more. It all led to creating our own form of chaos. The ladies always touting “Keep it Simple” had to take a long look at why we were making everything complicated. Ha Ha!
We sadly realized that in our frantic efforts to give you so much, we weren’t aligning with our core values – Simple, Joyful, & Soulful. We are sorry for throwing you more stuff than anyone could handle; more information than connection. In December we took a “time out”. We spent time clearing our own clutter, opening to sacred conversations, and constantly asking what we MOST want to give you in this New Year?
So, in true Clear & SIMPLE fashion, we’ve gone through SEE IT, MAP IT & DO IT to create a meaningful way to stay connected this year. Since you have signed up to receive content from us we want you to know what it will look like…
Our 2015 THEME – Organizing can be simple & fun!
- Daily sharing on Social Media of things that inspire us and make life easier. Like our Facebook Page.
- Weekly Ezine – a simple offering: Inspiring Idea, Tool or Tip, Cool Container or Simple System. Sign Up Here.
- Monthly Newsletter – a simple email with a small roundup of the month’s Featured Favorites
- Spontaneous Blogs & Video’s showcasing our favorite products, tools and solutions
We hope you will join us on the fun journey and please let us know what you want anytime!
801-463-9090 | info@clearsimple.com
Marla & Kate
by CS Team
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 IT. © Step. Remember MAP IT. © stands for Make-a-plan. But often this is confusing and overwhelming. Mind mapping to the rescue!! “Whenever I get STUCK in my day or any project, I whip out paper and do a mind map. It has become an essential tool. I also go to this tool first when planning any new project or for my week and day.” Marla Dee
WHY – No matter what the project or the size, mind mapping makes it simple. And whether you are a left brain list maker or a right brain artist, mind mapping will work for you. You can use mind mapping for planning out:
- Your year, month, week or day
- Any size project, large or small
- A paper, report or any writing project
- A creative project such as a website
- Creating to do or task lists
- An upcoming trip or event
HOW – Here are some simple tips and resources for learning how so you can use this tool all the time.
- The ideal size paper is 11×17 but 8×11 works just fine – grab printer paper.
- You can use pictures, words or a combination of both.
- Draw or write your main image or project at the center of the page.
- Then ask what parts come to mind that are part of this project and draw them around your central theme.
- One by one as the thoughts come to you, expand on each element.
- Keep going until you have dumped out everything in your brain related to your theme.
- If there is one part that turned into a loaded area, you can do a separate mind map just on that.
- You can also do this joyfully and easily on the COMPUTER. There are all kinds of digital mind mapping software; both FREE and PAID. These are just examples. A quick internet search will bring up a lengthy list of options.
Make-a-Mind-Map click here for detailed step-by-step instructions that make it simple! You will also see some great TIPS.
Have fun with this. Make it a ritual that is supportive and rewarding to you. Please share your stories with us!
Marla, Kate & Team
by Marla Dee
Organizing The Clear & SIMPLE Way is easy and fun! When your piles become big problems and you feel yourself get stuck in the mire of decisions ’cause your systems run amuck and the clutter grows around you till there’s no place left to sit you need a...
by CS Team
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 with our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Event.
Simple Plan: The invitation is to simply commit to releasing one thing each day for 30 days. It can be anything – a broken toy, old dress, extra gadget, or old pile of paper. We will give you a simple guide to follow or you can choose each day.
Strong Support Group: Join our Facebook Group to connect with the crew and see other’s postings about their journey.
Fabulous Resources: Jump on our website page clearsimple.com/clutterclearout/ for gifts and experts to help make it simple.
Inspiration: Weekly blogs, weekly Q&A and daily postings on Facebook will keep you moving and excited. Marla will also be sharing her journey throughout the month on Facebook Live giving you her best guidance.
See Marla on TV How to Clear the Clutter for some jump start encouragement!
We can’t wait to hear all your stories, support you and celebrate together! 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
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 representing organizers and Americans as a whole. Needless to say, our packing and travels were NOT Clear & SIMPLE…
Through conscious practice each time we travel, we now travel much more simply and LOVE to share about all that we have learned. We still experience the initial freak out when it is time to start getting ready., but then we remind ourselves to do the See It and Map It steps first. This helps us stay present with one thing at a time.
See it – Take a look at what the trip is about. Then you can gather all the details in one place (see the apps below for help).
- What will you be doing?
- Where are you going?
- What is the purpose of the trip?
- Who are you traveling with?
Map it – Make a plan for what you want. This relieves the stress in your body and brain.
- Why not make a Mind Map for your trip? This makes it fun.
- Create your spending plan ahead of time.
- Make the lists for packing as soon as you can.
We have shared about our favorite travel planning apps, including Wunderlist (now Microsoft ToDo) and TripIt for making the planning stages so much easier. We pull our general trip list in Wunderlist and then customize it for each new trip. TripIt keeps all the important details together and on the phone.
