by CS Team
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!
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
by CS Team
All you need is a little system that offers BIG support!
Do you have a project that has been waiting for you, stressing you or just bugging you to get it done? We have found that most people do not enjoy even thinking about the projects that need to get done, much less taking action. We understand why. First of all, there is always too much to do in a day and too little time. Then you add the overwhelm from all of the stuff in all the areas. Lastly, most people just don’t know where to start, how to get through the project and then how to keep it up. It’s a lot to handle!
We love teaching people how! This is why SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © is such a powerful system. It walks us through each of the steps from start to finish – teaching the organizing skill – and cuts down on the time and energy it takes to get it done.
So why not find out for yourself why the Clear & SIMPLE Way is different. Set aside 30 minutes to get started and go through the following steps. We promise you’ll find joy, clarity, and freedom! Who knows, you might even get one project done and want to dive into another one.
-
SEE IT: Take a Look at where you have been up till now
- Turn on some music that makes you happy.
- Brain Dump a BIG list of all the projects hanging out in your head that you think you “should” be doing. Just get it all out and down on paper.
- Choose ONE project that would have personal meaning for this Season – maybe your closet, your garage, your computer, your pictures, or your bedroom. You get to choose!
-
MAP IT: Make a Plan for where you want to go
- Do a Mind Map for the project and have FUN creating it! kate put in link with example
- Write a vision for the project – how do you want it to look, feel and function?
- Make a list of the basic steps needed. Remember you can always start with a general list.
DO IT: Take the Action Steps that create the change
- Get an accountability partner or support person that you have fun with and that you trust.
- Put the actions from your MAP list on the calendar.
- Set up a reward for getting the project done.
Download our Systems Card to guide you even deeper through this process.
Get pumped and check that project off your list! We’d love to hear how you feel on the other side…
Getting things done together,
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
by CS Team
Choose now what you WANT your summer to be!
When summer comes around, don’t you just want to have fun? The kid in us comes out and the playful, nostalgic energy of summer seeps into our spaces and bodies every chance it gets. Then the thoughts “Let’s take a road trip – or head up in the mountains to camp- or spend a week lounging on the beach” creep in.
As wonderful as this feels on one hand, it can be frustrating on the other because we still have responsibilities and commitments. Darn it! You will find us saying again and again, this is YOUR life and you get to decide what it looks like. Trust us, we know this is easier said than done and takes practice.
That is why we encourage you and your loved ones to take 30 minutes to travel through SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and create your Best Summer Ever!
SEE IT: Have everyone share one favorite memory from a past summer and what made it so great. Was it nature, the activity, a special place or just being together?
MAP IT: Have everyone choose one thing they would most want for this summer. Create a MAP (make a plan) of some kind to bring the intention into reality. You can simply write it on the calendar, draw or print a picture of the place/event, collage or get creative in any number of ways.
DO IT: Our TIP for making the DO IT step simpler is to pick one special play event, one project and one creation for each month of the summer. Choose now and then let yourself enjoy the juicy fruits of your planning.
We may not be able to blow off life as we know it just to play every summer, but we can consciously call in energy, activities and interactions that fill us up and bring us joy.
Trust us, we’re over practicing this ourselves. We’d love to hear how you make summer time special…?
Pretending we’re 10 again,
Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
Letting go is never easy, but it can be easier. Read our 3 simple steps below…
As professional organizers we regularly witness the immense pain, struggle and hopelessness that comes from having too much stuff and not knowing what to do with it. As human beings we’ve also experienced these emotions ourselves. As a society we’ve learned to value things “because they belonged to grandma”, “they’ll be worth something one day”, “because we might need them in the future”, and so on.
Our beliefs are now shifting because we are overwhelmed with too much stuff. We no longer believe that anything is worth keeping if it causes us stress, depletes our energy or keeps us from living a good life. We deserve to wake up each day free of stress, smile with a grateful heart for the day ahead, a day filled with what matters most.
To get to this point takes practice and shedding layers upon layers; choosing into gratitude; releasing possessions, commitments and energy that no longer serve us; deciding that we really are the masters of our lives and our destinies.
If you are ready to begin this process, we invite you to read The ART of Letting Go by our own Marla Dee.
“This treasure of an ebook will give you inspiration and steps to clear the clutter that is dragging you down and keeping you stuck.” – Marla Dee
Excerpt:
Let’s explore the ART of Letting Go
Because the nature of clutter is heavy and dense, I wanted to simplify the process into three meaningful steps. I want you to hear that there are three stages we go through over and over again. Acknowledging that these three steps are the natural way will make the letting go easier. We will use the word ART to guide you through:
~ Acceptance ~ Release ~ Trust
ACCEPTANCE
All of our clutter tells a story and everyone has their own form of it in some area of their life. Accepting this fact is the beginning. Accepting that your environment is simply a reflection of your life up until now, a reflection of what has happened to you and what is going on inside you is vital. There does not need to be shame or blame in looking at this picture. That would only keep you in the role of a victim. In order to step into the power of change and growth you must be willing to open your eyes and look at it.
There is no purpose or healthy payoff in focusing on the clutter itself, on staying locked up in guilt – not for you or for others. However, there is great power in becoming accountable for the fact that you are the creator of your life and of your environment. Your old things, your old patterns, your old relationships reflect who you have been and what you have built or what you have avoided – it is YOUR PAST!
Download your FREE copy now to continue reading.
“I honor your willingness to reach out and seek help so you can let go of the clutter at last. As a Professional Organizer for many years, I have witnessed tremendous courage from my clients in their willingness to get real with the story their clutter tells; to let go of the past and welcome a new change. Letting go is never easy, but it can be made easier.” – Marla Dee
Your life is waiting for you,
Marla, Kate and Team
by CS Team
Make this your best summer ever using the Clear & Simple Way!
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
We would love to hear from you – what are your favorite Summer Tips?
Marla Dee & Team
Download a pdf copy of our TOP TEN TIPS for Summer.
Get more guidance with SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. © by downloading our Systems Card.
SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. © are property of Clear & Simple, LLC. All Rights Reserved
