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
Digging in the dirt takes us right back to being a kid. There is nothing else like it.
When Spring comes, our hands start itching to go digging in the dirt. For thousands of years spring’s arrival meant it was time to till and plant. This primal instinct is wired into us. We need this time with the earth. It is healing unlike anything else. So we feel ourselves called outside, driving to the plant store and co-creating with mother earth.
But like everything else in life, the project of planting can feel overwhelming, especially for someone like me. I am not a born gardner like my daddy was. He started each day outside, wandering through his yard and garden, picking weeds, talking to the plants and digging in the dirt. He could get things to grow that no one else could. He had a way with the earth. Growing up I wanted to work alongside him and learn but it felt overwhelming. Sadly I never did.
As an adult, when spring arrived, I would have the urge to go plant but didn’t know where to start. So one year I thought why not start small. I started with one pot on my front porch holding one plant. I let myself enjoy this sweet & simple ritual. Then everyday I was greeted by the bright flowers when I came home. Overtime this has grown to a flower garden in front of the house and more in the back.
Just getting ready to write this blog, I had to go get new plants for our new office. This spring let yourself go dig in the dirt and take in how fabulous it feels to your body and spirits.
Let yourself play! Marla Dee
by CS Team
Donating your stuff, your time and resources to a cause you care about is FREEING.
Why would we fill up our cars with our client’s donations? Because letting go of our stuff and deciding where to donate our resources are loaded decisions. We want to make it easier. We have seen over and over again that when our clients choose an agency or cause they really care about the letting go is easier.
We define clutter as delayed decisions and holding onto the past.
We are asking you to help your family and loved ones find a place to donate and a cause to contribute to. Please see the list below for ideas on places you can support.
We are sharing our chosen cause below and would appreciate your help.
The Utah Professional Organizers are donating 200+ hours of our time and skill.
The Utah Professional Organizers are excited to help The Road Home organize supplies, donations, and storage closets at Palmer court. This wonderful organization helps find permanent housing for homeless individuals and families in our community. We need donations to make this project a success! Everything helps.
We have found through the years that donating stuff, time and money to a cause you care about makes a big difference. We would greatly appreciate your help in this transformation.
Please go here to make a monetary donation. Or if you want more information about the Utah Professional Organizers go here.
Here are some additional links for national agencies that will make it easy for you to let go of the stuff that is keeping you stuck!
Please share your own stories with us! Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
SPRING is here! Time to weed out your cluttered closet and create a happy one!
Spring is the best season for clearing out the clothes closet. And yet the project can also feel overwhelming. Enjoy our juicy tips for transforming your closet so you get excited every morning.
Pull EVERYTHING out to clear out. It just doesn’t work to go through this while leaving the stuff in it’s old place.
Tip for the brave – Try EVERYTHING on your body and ask, “Is this really me, and is this me now?” Be prepared to laugh and cry. Do this with a friend. You might find it impossible to put the item back that no longer works.
Use S.T.A.C.K.S.© – SORT, TOSS, ASSIGN, CONTAIN, KEEP IT UP & SIMPLIFY on the clothes, shoes, jewelry, and accessories to really get the job done and have FUN!
SORT first so you can see what you have. This makes all the other steps easier.
TOSS comes next and you will want to be honest with yourself. Do you love it, wear it often, and/or need it?
ASSIGN strong zones for all the different types of stuff including shoes, purses, hats, etc.
CONTAIN – Get consistent hangers in all the same color and type. This makes it easy for your brain and body to focus on the clothes rather than be distracted by the hangers. You will also want to contain all the little stuff on the shelves rather than having it loose.
KEEP IT UP by putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket and putting shoes where they belong at the end of the day.
SIMPLIFY your clothes closet by aligning with your body and wardrobe type. We love the powerful system called Dressing Your Truth.
Check out this closet makeover from a student in one of our live workshops. We loved her example because it reflects REAL LIFE! By simply going through S.T.A.C.K.S.© you will transform your closet and love it again.
Please share your stories and pictures with us! Marla & Kate
by CS Team
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
