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Organize Your Travel

Traveling can be stressful if our stuff and our time is not organized.

Travel can spark new ideas and connect us with different cultures.

 – Marla Dee

Travel – the excitement, the fun, the adventures, the journey!  Travel – the planning, the organizing, the decisions, the overwhelm. 

Use the Clear & Simple Way to organize your travel. You’ll be well ahead of the game by applying our systems to your pre-travel time!

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© to Organize Your Travel Guide

 

SEE IT – Take a look at where you are now. Answer the questions below for how you typically travel.

  • What’s working? You can be specific or general.
  • What do you like (if anything) about planning, packing, and traveling?
  • Are there things you know you want to change?
  • What isn’t working? What don’t you like?
  • Is there stuff you know you won’t need and take anyway?
  • Breathe deeply and tap into how you feel when you prepare for a trip or vacation? Are you able to relax? Are you really on vacation?

 

MAP IT – Make a written plan for what you really need and want. We take just what we need and enjoy our trips more when we are clear about this.

  • How do you want to feel while planning for and being on vacation?
  • Download apps to support your planning and traveling.
  • Create a mind map showing all the elements you need and want.
  • Will you be traveling for pleasure? For work?
  • Be open to scheduling time to plan and learn new ways.
  • Is it time for you to purchase new luggage that you love and that supports your trips? If so, add this to your plan of action.

 

DO IT – Take the steps to make it happen. Look on your calendar and schedule the time at least a week ahead of traveling!

  • Just get it done. Start by hauling out all of your travel items; luggage, toiletries, travel kits, packing cubes, travel accessories, etc.
  • Go through the S.T.A.C.K.S.© System on the stuff you hauled out (Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, Simplify). By following S.T.A.C.K.S.© the project will be easier and you will save time, energy, and money. Go to www.clearsimple.com/systems.
  • There will be far fewer items than typical organizing projects, but they may also feel more loaded because we agonize about being unprepared.
  • Once you complete this project, take time to practice and prepare things. Pack your bags in different ways to find what works best for you. Fill refillable toiletry bottles.

 

Download Your Travel Guide

 

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Travel, Organize Your Travel
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Travel
Your Guides to a simpler life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr.

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last.

Clutter Clear Your Travel

Time to clear your travel bags!

He who would travel happily

must travel light.

Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Many of us  long to travel. We want the adventure, the freedom and the escape from our everyday lives. Travel can spark new ideas and connect us with different cultures. But, traveling can be stressful if our stuff and our time is not organized.  We want to help you get organized  so you love your travels large and small.

Where to start is often the dilemma that keeps us stuck and suffering. Let’s start with clutter clearing some of the small stuff. It’s surprising how the little things can drive us crazy on the trip but we forget all about them when we return. Here are three simple options that can be done in an hour or two. This will get you started and keep you from getting lost in the details. Keep in mind we will take you through SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© for your trip,  your luggage and road trips next. Choose one of the following ideas, schedule the time, turn on music and dive in. Have boxes and bags on hand for what is leaving.

CLUTTER CLEAR THE TOILETRIES

Ready for fun? Open all your luggage and pull out the small stuff you have stashed away for future travels. It can be hysterical to see how much you have! Do a quick sort so you can see how many shampoos you actually have 🙂 Be honest about how much you need and toss the rest. It’s ok to even throw some in the trash. We promise no one will suffer.

LET GO  OF THE OLD LUGGAGE

How many pieces of luggage, backpacks, purses, etc. do you have? How many do you actually use? Why are you holding onto the old pieces that are only gathering up dust? It’s time to let go of the old bags! Haul them out and take an honest look. Keep the bags you love and use. Let go of the others, even if they are in good shape and especially if they are falling apart.

HANGING ONTO OLD MAPS?

Do you have maps stuffed into file folders, in your car and other areas of your home? Maybe you brought a map home from each one of your travels and now you have a collection. Collect all the maps. How many do you have? Take your time looking through them. You might relive some adventures from your travels. Keep the ones you know you will use in the future and let go of the others. Good Job!

When you are done, take some deep breaths and take in how different you feel. Are you lighter? Are you wanting to take a new trip now?

FIND MORE TRAVEL FUN HERE

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Download your Travel Guide.

Your Guide Marla Dee.

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

Celebrate Your Garage

A clutter free and organized garage is worth celebrating!

Can you celebrate parking your car in the garage?

Marla Dee

It’s time to celebrate!

We’ve spent the month clearing out the garage and the car. These are big areas that collect a lot of clutter so it’s time to step back and enjoy the new space and tidiness.  With every clutter clear, we encourage you to celebrate the outcome!

If you want all the juicy blogs and more – read here. And remember you can use the one page guides for your garage and your car that we designed just for you.

 

Here are some fun ideas for celebrating:

  • Host a PARTY!  Invite your friends, cook a great meal and set up the food & beverages in your tidy garage.
  • Share your story – Take pictures and please share them on Social Media. We want to celebrate with you. Use #CSOrganizeGarage.
  • Deep Clean – Hire someone to come do a deep clean for you and detail your car as well.
  • Paint – Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls or floor!
  • Containers – Take these areas to the ultimate level by using a storage system and containers. Check out some of our favorites below.
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa,

The elfa System, by The Container Store,​ is our favorite for storage needs. This system offers many choices and organizes tools and supplies in minimal space. Elfa Ventilated Shelves make the most of wall space by storing items off the floor.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa,

For all those little things that the kids toss around the car, here’s a great item to keep on hand. There are so many items to use for storage in your car to keep those extra items tidy rather than tossed around the seats and floor.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa,

It’s really fun once you declutter to take the important items and get them organized. The Container Store has lots of great ideas for all areas of your garage and car. Check them out and start envisioning the organizing and tidy spaces where you can find all your items easily.

Click here for The Container Store’s full array of car and garage organizing solutions.

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa, Gladiator
Your Guides, Marla Dee and Kate Fehr.

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last.

Organize Your Car

Make your car a happy place to be each day!

Are you calm or distracted when you are driving?
A cluttered car can affect your focus and peace of mind.


 – Marla Dee

If you were looking inside your car right now, what would you see? Is there clutter, trash, homeless items you haven’t dealt with? Because we are in the car so often, it is easy to have the clutter buildup.

Studies have found that a cluttered car can increase the risk of accidents. It’s scary to think about that fact but it’s true! Items hanging from the rearview mirror, piled up to minimize visibility and even items blowing around with open windows, all have an impact on our focus when we are driving.

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Car Guide

SEE IT – Take a look at where you are now. Answer the questions below for the whole car including specific areas such as the glovebox and console.

  • What’s working? You can be specific or general.
  • What do you like (if anything) about the look, feel and function?
  • Are there things you know you want to change?
  • What isn’t working? What don’t you like?
  • Is there stuff that doesn’t belong here, like donations and garbage?
  • Breathe deeply and tap into how you feel when you drive. Are you calm and present? Scattered and frenzied? Perhaps you have never noticed before.

MAP IT – Make a written plan for what you really want. We feel better and are more focused when our cars are clean and free of distractions.

  • How do you want your car to look, feel and function?
  • Create an online board of images that inspire you.
  • Create a mind map showing all the elements you want.
  • Is your car used primarily for commuting? Or do you take off on day adventures and road trips? What else would you like to do?
  • Be open to scheduling standing time to clean, vacuum and wash your car.
  • Is it time for you to purchase a new/new-to-you vehicle? If so, add this to your plan of action.

DO IT – Take the steps to get it done. Pick a weekend and make this happen. You will be so happy you did! 

  • Just get it done. Start by hauling everything out and putting things into boxes to go through the system below. Take it to be washed, wiped down, and vacuumed. Then put back only the items you really use and need. Get honest about what you really need.
  • Go through the S.T.A.C.K.S.© System on the stuff you hauled out (Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, Simplify). By following S.T.A.C.K.S.© the project will be easier and you will save time, energy, and money. Go to www.clearsimple.com/systems.
  • Why not create a relationship with your car… name it, make it smell good, or put on stickers if that makes you happy. Get creative and have fun.
  • Once you complete this project, take time to celebrate. It might even feel like a new vehicle. Go for a leisurely drive and soak up the difference in how your car feels.

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Car Guide

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa, Gladiator
Your Guides to a simpler life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr.

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last.

Organize Your Garage

Make room to park your car in the garage!

The garage is the “quick in the moment” dumping ground

for stuff going in and out of the house.

 – Marla Dee

Twenty-five percent of people with 2-car garages don’t park in them at all. A third can only park one car, largely due to garage clutter. (U.S. Dept. of Energy study) and 24% of homeowners are embarrassed to leave their garage doors open. (Impulse Research survey).

Use the Clear & Simple Way to clutter clear your garage. You’ll love parking your car there, enjoy having things organized and might even want to show it off!

 

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Garage Guide

SEE IT – Take a look at where you are now. Answer the questions for the whole garage including specific areas such as tool and equipment storage.

  • What’s working? You can be specific or general.
  • What do you like (if anything) about the look, feel and function?
  • Are there things you know you want to change?
  • What isn’t working? What don’t you like?
  • Is there stuff that doesn’t belong here, like donations and past time stuff?
  • Be honest… is your garage a dumping ground because you just don’t know what else to do with the stuff?

MAP IT – Make a written plan for what you want the most for this space. The garage is often the first place we see/enter as we arrive home. It matters.

  • How do you want your garage to look, feel and function?
  • Create an online board of images that inspire you.
  • Create a mind map showing all the elements you want.
  • What do you want most from your garage? (i.e. to park cars, storage for tools, yard equipment, outdoor gear, etc.)
  • Allow yourself to think differently about the garage. For example, would you appreciate having the walls finished? Look at pictures for inspiration.
  • What do you want to add to your garage, like shelves and containers?

DO IT – Take the steps to make it happen. Look on your calendar and set up time for the transformation!

  • Choose an area to start with. For the garage specifically, we suggest breaking things down into categories and tackling one at a time (i.e. yard tool and equipment, hand and power tools, sports equipment, outdoor gear, decorations, home maintenance items, donations).
  • Go through the S.T.A.C.K.S.© System for the category (Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, Simplify). By following S.T.A.C.K.S.© the project will be easier and you will save money. Go to www.clearsimple.com/steps/.
  • Enjoy shopping for the shelves and containers you want and need.

Once you complete each category, take time to celebrate. We know you will feel a sense of freedom as you move through each one.

SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT.© For Your Garage Guide

 

Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car
Clear & Simple, SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT., Marla Dee, Kate Fehr, Organize Your Garage, Organize Your Car, Container Store, elfa

Your Guides to a simpler life, Marla Dee & Kate Fehr.

We love teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last.