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The Clear & SIMPLE Way Video

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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...

Tip #7 for a Fabulous Summer!

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Say hello to the new school year after fully saying goodbye the last one!

If you missed Our Top Tips for Summer, make sure you check it out! For this post, we’d like to focus on and expand on just one tip.

During the last weeks of summer many of us are trying to pack in as much play time as possible. Why not also schedule some meaningful time for you and your child(ren) to reminisce about last year and how much has changed all while getting organized?

7. Organizing Last Years School Papers can be FUN– Make a date with your child to spend an afternoon to go through all of the papers you saved from the last school year. Use STACKS (Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, & Simplify) to make organizing the papers FUN! Lay them all out on the dining room table or the floor and sort into simple piles such as art, writing, homework, and friend stuff. Enjoy reliving the last year. Toss the easy stuff and then keep the treasures. Next simply three hole punch them, put in a fun binder and place them in your child’s bedroom for easy enjoyment anytime!

Clear & SIMPLE, School Papers

This is a project many moms always have on their on-going project list. Unfortunately it is one that often stays on that list and never gets done. When you schedule the time to do it, involve your child and make the process fun, everyone wins! You’ll be so relieved and grateful to have it checked off your list and actually be able to enjoy looking at all of those papers.

Extra TIP – Choose a container or drawer now for next year’s school papers to make it easy to keep the back pack cleared out.

Click here for a beautiful, downloadable and printable copy of our Systems Cards for an outline of S.T.A.C.K.S © and feel free to share with everyone!

Squeezing out every last drop of summer energy,

Marla, Kate & Team

 

 

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. © are property of Clear & Simple, LLC. All Rights Reserved

What matters most?

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Only YOU can say what matters most in your life!

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 give yourself this softer way of being?

So before you get too busy with the holidays and start bringing more stuff in, we invite you to take an honest, deep look at your life. By simply getting still and reflecting back over the year, we can open to what matters most!

We invite you to 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 relationship with myself?
  • in my intimate relationship?
  • in my family?
  • in my home?
  • In my friendships?
  • in my work or creations?
  • in the next steps of my path?

 

** Get a printable version here.

Joyfully surrendering to the slowdown,
Marla, Kate & Team

 

Closing Your Year with Presence

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Let the closing of your year be like the setting of the sun!

How will you close your year? Will you stay busy, distracted and unconscious? Or will you choose this precious time to slow down, to reflect, to soften and to heal? Let the closing of your year be like the setting of the sun. It is a time to slowly surrender into the nighttime energy of stillness.

Get our GIFT to you here – the simple guide to close your year

Each day, each year and even a life follow a cycle set by nature. This cycle contains an opening, working and closing. The opening is the natural time to awaken and get present. The working piece is about engaging and movement. Last, the closing time is to slow down and reflect.

Our nature guide for this cycle is the sun, our source. Each day the sun shows the way to align with our natural rhythm by rising, shining and setting. And isn’t it sweetly perfect that our bodies are attuned to follow the sun’s lead?

The rising sun slowly works her way over the horizon, taking her time to lighten the night sky. The invitation to your body is to slowly wake up by opening your eyes, stretching and changing from soft nighttime clothing to daytime.

The shining sun offers warmth and light. She gives you the energy to move into action and creation. This is the time to engage with the changes presented by life.

After a full day the sun sets and surrenders back to the earth and darkness. When the outside world gets dark it is time to stop! You know how your body feels at the end of the day. Just imagine sitting by a fire, in your most comfortable chair, and letting your whole body and being relax. You slowly close your eyes and your mind drifts through the day. You let your body be the setting sun.

To deepen this gift, set aside a day to let yourself wander back through the year and reflect on the following:

  • What did I accomplish?
  • What were my disappointments?
  • How did I heal?
  • What did I learn?
  • How did I grow?
  • Who have I become?

Then take your insights and create a simple theme for the next year. It can be a word, a phrase or a picture that inspires you to create what you long for next.

Such as
 I open and close each day with sacred stillness.Yearly Close Catalyst

We will be here to support and witness you,
Marla, Kate & Team

The article “Life Matters: Closing Your Year with Presence” first appeared in the Catalyst Magazine.

Slow down and savor this sweet time


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How long has it been since you’ve spent time just sitting & sharing?

December can be a time to slow down (rather than speed up). Waking up sipping a cup of tea and talking quietly is a precious gift. Or, since the sun sets earlier, we now have long evenings to sit, read, write and share with each other. 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 give yourself this softer way of being?

So before you get too busy with the holidays and start bringing more stuff in, we invite you to take an honest, deep look at your life. By simply getting still and going inward, we can open to what truly has meaning to us!

We invite you to set aside a morning or an evening to ask and answer the following queries. Then share with your loved ones and ask them to share.

From Marla – I just did this with my wonderful partner and was truly surprised and delighted at what he had to say. I felt our love deepen in those moments.

What means the most to me right now


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

** Get a printable version here.

Joyfully surrendering to the slowdown,
Marla, Kate & Team

Tip #10. Let go of one habit that is keeping you stuck.

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Spring is a time of renewal, of light, of growth.

Clearing & organizing are easier when we align with nature. Mother earth is masterful at letting go of old & dying materials to make way for new growth. So, we often need to clean out the garden patch before we plant new life. As we say hello to spring, take 5 minutes to pause and ask –

“What is one habit I am holding onto that is keeping me stuck or cluttering my space?”

From Marla – “I am releasing the pattern of going to the computer in the morning before I do my meditation and journaling. When I go to the computer first, it throws off my whole day. When I take my quiet, grounding sacred time first – my whole day flows. What are you ready to release?”

From a client – “Right now I am letting go of trying to do everything myself. Forcing the ‘I can do it ALL’ mentality has really taken a toll on me energetically, emotionally and physically. I’m practicing delegating some things to free me up. Then I can do what I most want. What is one thing you could hire out or ask someone to help with?”

Here are examples of old habits that can outlive their usefulness:

  • Keeping all the emails in my inbox rather than setting up simple subfolders such as read, action and pending.
  • Doing my meals and grocery shopping on the fly rather than weekly planning.
  • Going to bed too late – forcing myself to stay up. Or sleeping in too late and skipping my morning time.
  • Plopping all the incoming mail and paper on the kitchen counter (rather than an incoming container).
  • Walking by piles of stuff day after day rather than a weekly restore to put everything in it’s home.

Once you get clear on what you are ready to release, you can ask what new habit you want to bring in. What would feel good and supportive for you life now?

We would LOVE to hear your ideas!
Marla & Team

Get a printable version of our Top Ten Tips for Spring.

Get Organized for the Holidays

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The Holidays are a favorite time of year! We love them and can also get stressed by them.

I am sharing my top organizing tips for the holiday season. These tips may seem simple but they help.  Have fun watching my segment on Fresh Living! Also, get our Top Ten Tips for Home & Holidays eBook FREE – see below.

Here are my top tips for decreasing stress and adding JOY.

1.     Choose one theme for your decorations and gift-wrap to make it easier. You can really simplify by having one color gift wrap for all your holidays.

2.     Make Memories! Have fun making gifts along with favorite family traditions. Sit down together as a family and choose what would be the most meaningful time.

3.     Keep all your lists handy either in a small notebook or an app on your phone. I love the free app Wunderlist for all my lists.

4.     Get a fabulous container for the kitchen counter to handle the incoming paper and stuff.  Get one with a top so you can cover it up when company is coming over.

During November and December, get our FREE GIFT – TOP TEN TIPS for Home & Holidays eBook.

My team can come help you create a beautiful & organized home for the holidays as a GIFT to yourself. You deserve a joyful and stress-free holiday season!

I love my life and want you to love yours, Marla Dee

A Sweet Summer

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My entire adult life I have fantasized about having a summer off. I have dreamed of open time to play, to be in nature, to be a kid again. This year my dream is coming true. At the age of 58, I have lots of open space on my calendar. And I know how fast the summer will fly by. So I am taking today to go through the See It and Map It steps for my summer. I invite you to do the same.

Marla Dee


I recently read the blog The single most important thing you can do to simplify your summer  and I was deeply inspired to get clear on what I wanted most. Here is a short excerpt:

What did you long for most from your childhood summers?

For me, it was freedom. Delicious freedom from predictable schooldays. Freedom to lay in the sun, devour ice cream, and float for hours in a turquoise pool.

My summer longings have not changed much. A sun-drenched break from the routine sounds too good to be true, honestly. As a working mom, however, I know poolside paradise will elude me. Instead, the season will welcome busyness. 

From where I sit, summer’s two major opponents are sky-high expectations and the pressure to “do it all.” Corporate socials and family get-togethers. Planning a picture-perfect getaway or entertaining kids from dawn ‘til dusk (and then some). Then there’s laundry and groceries and shouts of “who left the screen door open again?!”

The tension is palpable. Often times, our knee-jerk reaction is to purely survive. Sanity, money, rest—these are common sacrifices on the altar called Summer.

But believe it or not, a simpler more satisfying summer is within reach, regardless of our individual situations. The pursuit is straightforward and anyone can start today.

It boils down to pausing before the chaos and tuning into your desires.

Time for the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. Steps!

 

SEE IT:

 

If you could choose a word or theme for this summer, what would it be? My summer theme is Summer Sabbatical.

 

MAP IT:

 

Sit down with your loved ones and ask what do you most want to do for –

 

  • fun & play
  • travel & exploration
  • project time
  • relaxation & healing

 

My choice for fun is 2 motorcycle trips with my man Bob, for travel I am taking a road trip to my home town of Bozeman Montana for my 40 year high school reunion, for projects I am creating a family picture wall in our new home, and for relaxation I am sitting on our deck in the evenings to wind down and breathe in the sweet country air.

 

DO IT:

 

Now take your map it list and put those things on the calendar. Make them happen by putting them first. 

Get more on the Clear & SIMPLE Systems here
Get our Top 10 Tips for Summer here

 

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

Top Ten Tips for Travel

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Travel can be stressful so enjoy our tips that help you simplify and organize all your trips!

I love to travel but used to get so stressed by all the preparation and unknowns. What if I need something different to wear? What if I can’t find my hotel information? How do I decide what to take on with me and what to pack? Over the last 5 years, I have used all the tips & tools below to radically reduce the stress and struggle.  These tips are the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. steps for travel.  Try them out and let me know what you think!

My invitation, sharing of my “bag lady” story and more


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Get your copy here Top Ten Tips for Travel

  1. The perfect suitcase is the key.
    • Size, weight, color, material, design
    • Each person needs and deserves their own suitcase
    • Have an ID tag that is current (no address)
  1. Simplify the clothing
    • Choose a capsule wardrobe so you can mix and match easily
    • Choose to roll your clothes or use the pack-it systems
  1. Apps and online resources that help: clearsimple.com/travelapps/
    • Use Wunderlist – have a standard list for your different types of trips and then easily adjust for current trip. Yes a list makes a difference. You can even print the list so you can check the items off.
    • Use Last Pass for all your key & private information
    • Tripit stores all the trip details
    • Get AAA or similar service for travel troubles
    • Uber and Airbnb are some of our favorites
    • Get your TSA Precheck to save time every plan trip
    • Check out Costco Travel – especially for car rentals
  1. Get an extra set of all electrical cords and chargers. Keep these packed and ready to go.
  2. Have your body care items already on hand – refill after each trip. Use smart containers for your body care items.
  3. Find the perfect tote or carry-on bag that can hold all you need and feel easy to carry.
  4. Carry-on Essentials Kit ready to go in the perfect carry-on.
  • Medicines (get the small plastic medicine pouches)
  • Soft light sweater or jacket and socks
  • Toothbrush, wipes, body care & eye mask
  • Book to read or game to play
  • Easy water bottle like the collapsible water bottle
  • Gum and food snacks, including protein
  • Ear buds or head phones that you love
  1. Safe holder for passport, id and credit cards (make a copy that stays home with an assigned person who can help). Use Last Pass to hold all the vital information.
  2. Check out The Container Store for some of our favorite bags and tools.
  3. The Power of One. Try taking one book, one notebook, one technology device, etc. Then decide one purpose (most important) for your trip. clearsimple.com/travelstuff/

Clutter Clear Your Kitchen

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Here are 3 simple ways that can be done in under an hour! What is hiding inside your kitchen drawers? Has your kitchen counter become a dumping ground?. How many years of old, expired foods are hanging out in your pantry? Marla Dee The kitchen is the heart of the...