Keep It Together! --Your Homework For This Month

There has been something I have noticed lately that is creating chaos and clutter in my client's houses, and I bet you may have the same thing going on in yours....

So what could be better for us to focus on for our homework this month??

It is really easy to make the mistake of storing similar or identical items in many different places all over our house.

Let me explain how this creates problems for us:

For example, you are a tea drinker & you have a stash of your favorite blend right next to the stove where you heat the kettle every day. You also have a few different boxes on 2 or 3 shelves in the pantry across the room....

OH! and there is also some that you bought a while back (just to be sure you wouldn't run out) on the shelves near the basement steps.

When your supply near the stove gets low, you find yourself at the grocery store buying more, because you aren't sure if you really have more in the pantry. You haven't checked in a while...

This scenario could be repeated for many, many different items we keep on hand in our homes. It seems especially true for food items, but it can also be the case for things like lightbulbs, cleaning supplies, sewing notions, scrapbooking items, office supplies....you name it! Not being able to see at a glance the total of what we have and not knowing there is a central location where they are kept leads to confusion, lack of clarity, the wasting of time, the wasting of money .....and, of course, clutter.

Your assignment this month is: 

1. PICK ONE category of things you know you have scattered in various places around your house
2. COMMIT to one central location where these things will now be kept (preferably very close to where they will be used) and 
3. PUT THEM ALL IN THE SAME PLACE.

This can be as simple as finding all of the cans of soup you have on different shelves in your pantry and making sure they are stacked together. Set a timer and devote just 15 minutes to this this weekend.

HOORAY!

Some Snaps From Life Around Here

Trying to remember to get my camera out more often...you know, the REAL camera, not just the one on my phone. Taking it out on a grey day didn't necessarily yield the results I was envisioning, but at least I got it out...

Now just to remember to do this again, and again,.... and again! With things in life being so busy lately, I am trying to make sure that I am still taking time out to do things that nurture my creativity.

Easy to forget. Important to remember.

What I Learned From The Dog Whisperer

The most amazing things can and do happen...even early on a Monday morning in a coffee shop in Newark, NJ.

A chance meeting with someone whom I consider a mentor, Cesar Millan (aka "The Dog Whisperer"), started this week off on a high note for me...and I wanted to share the good vibes and lessons with you, too!

I don't know if you have ever seen his show, or if you even own a dog (I know many of you do, since I have been thrilled to meet  them in your homes!), but to explain Cesar "rehabilitates dogs and trains people," and I have to say I have learned a lot about you and your house from him.

I am sure you are thinking I am nuts...but just hear me out. Here are a few truths about dogs, humans, and houses:

• Routines Are The Foundation: As a creative person, I used to rail against routines, but now realize that they are an important tool that enables me to be the most creative I can be. A dog needs a daily walk to understand his or her place in the pack, and we need daily habits to make sure that our homes support us & how we want to live, rather than dominate our time & make us nuts. Get these basic requirements out of the way each day, and enjoy the benefits in your relationship with your dog AND your house.
• Visualize The Result You Want: with an aggressive dog, Cesar will often encourage the owner to hold a picture in their mind of their dog calm, submissive and controllable. The biggest stumbling block for us can be negative images from the past which can be impediments to achieving our desired outcome. This is also true with our homes. Do not focus on your past frustrations (this can actually make you recreate what you DON'T want), but rather hold an image of the peaceful place you want to create, and move towards it with purpose and faith.
• Face Your Worst Fears Head-On: Does the dog that lives around the corner make your dog lose its mind when it walks by? That is the exact house where you need to start so that you can change this situation around. Does the guest room make your skin crawl as you walk past it each day? That is the exact room you need to tackle first to change and improve your life in your house. Start with the hardest thing first, and recognize how powerful you are to affect change.
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY- Seek Balance NOT Happiness: We all have made the mistake of thinking an overly excited dog is "happy" to see us, when in reality he is just unsure of his limits and is wacked out from a lack of leadership. In our own lives, we can be seduced & made giddy by fancy new decor, tricked out with all the bells and whistles --thinking this is what we need to make our houses complete. A balanced, peaceful house gives us a deep level of lasting satisfaction, so start by eliminating clutter & embracing simplicity, and you will find that true happiness is the byproduct that will follow.

From The Dog Whisperer to The House Whisperer (as I was once so flattered to be called!), I hope you are able to tap into your instincts & follow these simple steps to create a home that helps you put your best foot forward in the world.

A Very Special Event

A Very Special Day..... and you are invited!!!!  Creating Sacred Space: Paths To Simplicity and Spirituality At Home  

A day-long retreat, Saturday, April 6th, (10am-3pm) focusing on ways to nurture our spirituality in the home.

(see the full-size flyer HERE)

I am so excited to be one of the featured speakers at this event. There is such a  neat group of women presenting inspirational & thought-provoking material...you can read their bios here.

For more information  CLICK HERE.

For a REGISTRATION FORM CLICK HERE.

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Domestic Abuse Project of Delaware County

The cost is $40 for the day--coffee and lovely light lunch are included. 

THERE ARE LIMITED SPACES LEFT-SEND REGISTRATION IN TODAY!!

Hope to see you there!!!

Just Another Day At HomeGoods

Strange things happen at HomeGoods sometimes when I am out shopping for clients. It all started with these loafers that I wanted to show my cousin...

so I texted her a picture...but I could tell she wasn't impressed.

BUT then around the corner was this:

How could I not share? I mean, who doesn't want a text depicting some strange deer in its unnatural habitat?

And then there was this weird thing hiding under one of the wreaths in the garden aisle...

What IS that??

Let's just lift it up and see...

Oh my.

One never knows what one will find underneath a wreath at HomeGoods.