by CS Team
Simple ways to give thanks each & every day.
Gratitude is one of the most powerful tools for creating peace and happiness in our lives. It can can also support us on the days we feel low and in moving through tough times. So why is it so easy to forget and get caught up in the struggles or busyness of life? We have found that making gratitude a daily practice keeps it happening easily.
Make gratitude a daily practice
Here are 3 simple ways you can create a joyful ritual of celebrating all that you have each and every day. Whatever way you choose, commit to 21 days to create the new habit. You can choose one or mix them up!
1 – Get the Attitude for Gratitude APP
On-the-go with you at all time- Set daily reminders
- Many of them give you an inspirational tidbit after each entry
2 – Write it down
- Keep a little gratitude notebook, journal or use your planner. You can even use 3×5 cards or post-it notes.
- The easiest practice is to start or end your day writing down 3 things you are grateful for. Let them come to you easily and you might get surprised.
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by CS Team
The best gifts are sometimes the simplest!
The holiday season is in full swing and as much as we wish that everyone could move through this time joyfully and easily, we know it will be a challenge. We are here to help simplify this time with practical & meaningful tips. See below for our GIFT to you – all our top tips for home & holidays!!
Tip for your home: Restore Time.
Give yourself the GIFT of a simple restore for your space. Take just 5-10 minutes each day and 30 at the end of the week. Set a timer and go around gathering the homeless items that have been dropped on the tables, chairs and floor. Then take them to their proper homes. Yes, we know you get busy but we want your space to feel good and support you. Even the youngest can put their toys away. You can always put on Christmas music and make it FUN!
Tip for your holidays: Make your own traditions.
It’s your life and your choice. Create your own meaningful traditions based on your family’s current values and desires, not just what has “always been done.” Why not set aside an evening in front of the christmas tree – go around and ask each person in the family what would mean the most to them? Then consciously choose and deepen your traditions.
Here are a few ideas from our lives –
- a sledding day
- reading before bed
- giving to a needy family
- a game night each week
- a theme for the year
- making home made ornaments
- caroling with a group of loved ones
Wishing you a magical and soulful holiday season,
Marla, Kate & Team
Get all of our TOP TEN TIPS for Home & Holidays in this eBook.
This is our GIFT
to you during the holidays!
Feel free to share this with others in your life.
by Marla Dee
The ultimate organizing systems partner with the ultimate organizing solutions!
The Container Store now makes house calls and Clear & Simple is the medical team! It is with the most profound honor, gratitude and excitement that we announce our new relationship with The Container Store in their program Contained Home.
The Container Store is a brilliant company and recognizes that customers come in their store seeking solutions for their chaos but just getting containers is NOT enough. And they get overwhelmed trying to figure it all out. They need help. They often need a professional organizer to see their space and take them through STACKS – Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up and Simplify.
The Clear & SIMPLE Team in Utah is thrilled to offer this help to the customers of The Container Store. If you have an area that needs special attention, the elfa system or fun ideas, please reach out to us 801-463-9090 | info@clearsimple.com
Our TIP for today is get help! Ask a friend, a buddy or an organizer to come support you through all the decisions. You don’t have to do it alone.
Note – The Contained Home Program will be in all The Container Stores by the end of this year! Check out the program and locations here Contained Home.
by CS Team
Want to travel simply, but still feel prepared?
After Marla and Kate experienced their first international trip ever and were overwhelmed with too much stuff they wrote about Traveling with Less. Since then they’ve research and practiced even more to get this business of traveling lightly conquered. And wouldn’t you know it, they usually end up having all they need.
Here are their Top 3 Tips…
1. Spend the time & money to complete a toiletry kit that is carry-on approved.
Kate’s Toiletry Kit
2. Plan out clothing options that are easy to mix-n-match. Less pieces, more combinations.
3. Let go of the “just in case” items. This extra 10% is what makes it too much.
We are constantly trying new things out and looking for better solutions. We would love to hear what you’ve learned or come up with to make your trips simple and joyful. Please share with us!
How about a meet-up across the globe?!
Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
Clear & SIMPLE is shining a bright new light! It is with deep appreciation, joy and amazement that we announce our NEW BRAND & WEBSITE. Special thanks go to Sharon Benedict, Jeanine Mallory, Ann Webb, Sylvia Nibley, Cat Fishman, Rebecca Servoss and new...
by Marla Dee
Spring is here. The sun is out. Time to clear out the clutter. But where to start and how to get it done. Clearing the clutter is freeing but can also be overwhelming.
Here are some simple tips to get started:
Start with a SMALL project like your purse, the top of your dresser, or the junk drawer.
Get a BUDDY and take turns helping each other. The project will be so much more fun with a friend.
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by CS Team
A practice is an ongoing activity that adds meaning or deepening to life. Choose one new practice just for you.
In these fast-paced times, it is easy to forget that I am in charge of my life. I am the one choosing who and what gets my attention. It is not my family, my boss, my country or the world that determines my path. It is up to me. The beginning of the year is a wondrous time to reconnect with my center and create practices that will support me living true to myself. The simpler the practice, the better.
Here are six simple practices to support you reclaiming your space, your day and your precious life.
Reclaim your space
1. Simplify your choices. This year choose just one small, one medium and one large project for each season. For example, your purse (or wallet), the kitchen counter and the bedroom. Rather than carrying the stress of all the clutter—of “too much to do”—all the time. The lists can keep you awake at night and rob you of health and peace of mind. By consciously choosing which projects you will take on, you allow yourself to release all the others. They can wait. Also, each season has its own energy. You can tap into winter and ask what projects would feel good to do now.
2. Honor your bedroom. The bedroom is the most important room in your home. You spend more time there than anywhere else. The purpose of the bedroom is healing, rest and intimacy. Yet, this room often becomes the dumping ground for clutter or distractions. Take time to ask yourself: How do I want my bedroom to look and feel? What colors, textures and furniture do I want? It’s wonderful to wake up surrounded by beauty and end the day nurtured by your sweet space. Then practice keeping this space feeling sweet & sacred.
Reclaim your day
3. Choose the top three each day. The simplest and most powerful way to reclaim your day is to take 5-10 minutes in the morning and ask: What are the three most important things for me to do today? These are the three things that only you can do and that you know in your heart and gut are most important. Write them down on a 3×5 card, your smart phone or a post-it note. A shift happens in the physical plane when you write things down. Then do the three things first. Give them your commitment and attention. Ask the Universe to support you.
4. Open and close your day. Commit this year to consciously taking 30 minutes in the morning and evening to open and close your day. Rather than diving into action the moment you open your eyes or collapsing into bed when you are exhausted, take time to transition your body, heart, brain and spirit. Follow the natural cycle of Earth. The sun slowly rises and then sets. You can create your own rituals. A morning cup of tea and sitting quietly while your body and brain wake up is a heavenly way to begin your day. Soft jammies, a comfy chair and a good book make for a divine ending no matter what age you are. What do you want? Make a list of your possible rituals and try them out.
Reclaim your life
5. Get a buddy. Change and growth are not meant to be done alone. Also it is just more fun with a buddy. Commit to getting together at least once a month for a year to help each other. Choose the project that would mean the most to you and be amazed at how much more you get done as a team.
6. Choose a theme. Stay connected with your self throughout the year with a single word that holds your intention. (Examples: trust, hope, play, action.) Then enjoy noticing how the Universe makes this real for you. We would love to have you share your word with us.
Our invitation is to choose one practice and let it deepen your life this year. Make 2016 the year you get to know yourself better (or again).
Marla, Kate & Team
This article was originally written for and seen in The Catalyst Magazine – get the full article here
by CS Team
Let TripIt keep it all together for you!
It’s time to go on vacation, yay! And then you are flooded with overwhelm. The vital details for the trip are scattered everywhere! The confirmations are in your email. The schedule of events is on your calendar. Notifications of flight delays come to you by text, if at all. Reminder to check-in for flights is sent to your email. When someone needs a copy of your flight info or itinerary, you have to go searching to find it in order to forward it. And so on…
When we first heard about TripIt, we were ecstatic…but could it really make things that much easier?! We found out it helps more than we imagined. After you book a trip, you simply forward the confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and the system builds an itinerary for you. If you make changes, simply forward that confirmation email and TripIt updates the plan for you. Once the itinerary is built, you can go in and add, change, and/or delete things. If you prefer to not send your emails, you can input the itinerary yourself.
Our favorite things are…
- Being able to check in and check flight status in.
- It syncs to our phone calendars.
- Once you’ve entered places you are staying, maps are attached for easy navigating.
- Being able to use the app along with logging in online.
For more information and to download it for your mobile device go HERE. Happy traveling!
Marla
by CS Team
Traveling is FUN, but planning & packing can be stressful. Apps can make it easy.
From Marla – I love to travel but have always put off the planning and packing till the last minute. Of course this just adds to my stress and my belief that I can’t make traveling simple. Well I am happy to share that all aspects of traveling have changed for me and now I get excited when it is time to plan a new trip. I give the credit to the apps below. Planning my first fun trip of the summer has been a blast and quite simple. Instead of being in stress mode, I had fun preparing to visit my dear friend Michelle in CA where we will have 5 days to talk, create, walk, explore, laugh & cry.
I want to thank my business collaborator Kate Fehr for teaching me about these apps and strongly encourage you to check them out and use them on your next trip.
From Kate – For me, the biggest stress around traveling used to be the giant list I would create of all of the projects that just “had” to get done before I left town. THEN I would start thinking about planning and packing for the actual trip. With next to no time left, I would pack way more than I really needed, or even wanted. Now when I plan a trip, I get my itinerary and any related travel information into TripIt. Then I go to Wunderlist and create my plan, from what I want to get done before I leave (like making sure my home is clean) to what I want to take with me. Simple, brilliant, and oh so freeing!
1. TripIt When we first heard about TripIt two years ago, we were ecstatic…but could it really make things that much easier?! We found out it helps more than we imagined. After you book a trip, you simply forward the confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and the system builds an itinerary for you. If you make changes, simply forward that confirmation email and TripIt updates the plan for you. Once the itinerary is built, you can go in and add, change, and/or delete things. If you prefer to not send your emails, you can input the itinerary yourself or sign up for the Pro Plan where the app will update things automatically. For more details read our earlier blog here.
2. Wunderlist Wunderlist is a life changing app – you can use it for all the lists in your life. We are now running our whole business and our personal lives using this cool tool. Marla loves that it reminds her what to do and when to do it!! Kate loves having one place to dump everything from her brain, then knowing she can access it everywhere she goes. Get more details here.
3. LastPass – When Kate talks about digital organizing, the very first thing she discusses is a password keeper. She has found that one of the number one stressors around our digital lives is trying to remember and/or track all of the passwords our lives require. We love LastPass not only because you can store passwords, but you can also save banking and credit card information and digital records like insurance cards, membership cards and misc. notes. Their app is available on most devices and can be accessed offline. All of that information can sure come in handy while on a vacation, especially if you lose a credit card!
We hope you have a fabulous summer filled with travel of all kinds. We would love to hear about your adventures.
Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
Your VISION is waiting for you…
There is a big difference between having goals and having a Vision! A vision is inspiring and calls you to action. This is different from a list of goals which can feel dry, heavy and stressful. Why not choose now what you want most for 2014 and make it easy for the Universe to support you.
To keep this simple I will offer three ideas that can be done in mere minutes!
1 – Choose a word for the year. My word for 2014 is OPEN.
2 – Write an I AM statement for the year. Mine is “I am helping 10,000 families clear their clutter and create beauty and order.”
3 – Just answer the following 3 questions and trust what comes to you easily. I am sharing some of my personal answers below.
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