ALLERGIES AND YOUR STUFF

I'm no doctor, but I know a few things about people's clutter:  it makes people (including me) sneeze, itch, and sometimes BREAK OUT in a rash.

True.

I see it almost every time I help a client declutter:  we start moving boxes out of the guest room or pulling dozens of hangers-full of clothes out of the master bedroom closet.  "Aaaaachoooo!"  Sniffle sniffle.  Scratch scratch.

If you're not using something often enough so that it takes up storage space and does nothing for you but gather dust, attract bugs and mice, mold, mildew, and rust, then IT'S TIME TO LET IT GO.

For your health.  It just might be making you sick.

Quite literally.

Now go get rid of some of it.  You'll feel so much lighter and breathe freely when it's gone!

NIRVANA YOU CAN CARRY

Last week we talked about how to declutter your handbag.  Now let's get to organizing it.

A great way to keep your bag organized is to use mini purses inside it.  For example, I have a small zippered bag inside my main handbag with essential make-up in it.  You can do this for anything your lifestyle dictates that you carry:  contact solution and lens case, medication, mini first aid kit (if you're a mom of little ones or if you're a grandma), coupon sorter, eyeglass case and cleaning cloth, camera, notepad and pen, other office supplies (for years I carried a mini stapler around in my pencil case, and used it almost daily too), and snacks (a must if you work out of your car, of if you're a college student, diabetic, or a mom).

And the best way to organize it all?  Purse to Go!  I received mine this week and I LOVE it.  It's a liner with side pockets and a large central pouch for your purse.  Here's why I love it so much:

1.  It's lightweight.
2.  Mine is a light color so I can see inside my dark-lined purse much better (you can also get dark colors, but I love lighter ones as liners).
3.  You can turn it so the pouches are either on the outside or on the inside.  Love that feature!
4.  Mine has velcro on it (not all of them do, but I wanted this feature) so I can shorten the length so that it can fit in smaller purses.
5.  It keeps my handbag much neater and I'm saving time searching for my cell phone and keys.  It also has two small loops where you could attach your keys, but I keep mine in one of the side pockets of the Purse to Go.
6.  I can still fit my make-up bag inside, along with everything else I carry.

You can get them on ebay, like I did, or go straight to this seller's site: www.pursebling.com. I'm not affiliated with the site, other than being a customer of pursebling thru ebay; but it will save the owner of the company ebay fees if you buy directly from her website. 

Obviously the best way to organize something is to not have to organize it at all, so really work on reducing the volume of things you carry around with you FIRST, and THEN organize the rest. 

Also, for the things you do carry, look for the lightest-weight alternatives, to lessen the strain on your shoulders and back.  

Have fun organzing!
 

MAKING LIFE EASIER TO CARRY

Have you ever stumbled along with a daily irritation--perhaps a stubborn zipper on your jacket or a bottomless-pit handbag that looks stylish but causes you frustration every time you reach to retrieve your car keys or cell phone?

I do it more frequently than I care to admit. 

I'm still looking for the Perfect Handbag.  Oh it's out there, somewhere.  I just haven't quite found it yet.

In the meantime, I have decided that I'm going to test drive different purse-esque ideas in an effort to determine the most effective stuff-carrier out there.

Elaine St. James, author of several books on simple living, states how she finally did away with carrying a purse at all.

I had no purse as a young college student:  I carried my student ID and a some cash in a slim wallet in my pocket.

That doesn't really work for me anymore.  I'm super busy--just like you--with huge responsibilities.  My chosen lifestyle requires that I tote around more gear than just an ID and a couple 20's like I used to do.

So, what to do about what we need to carry?  

Dejunk and organize!  In that specific order.

This weekend, spend a few minutes sorting through the stuff you sling around all day:

1.  Dump everything that's in your purse out on a clean, flat surface.

2.  Pick out the obvious trash and get rid of it:  candy wrappers, parking stubs, unneeded receipts, empty lip balm tubes.

3.  See if you are carrying duplicates and downsize to just one:  comb or hairbrush, credit card, packages of gum or breath mints, lipstick, pen.

4.  Stop carrying your checkbook if you pay for most purchases with cash or a debit card.  Leave it at home and save toting around that extra weight.

5. Examine the bling on your bag:  one of my favorite handbags had this huge shiny metal buckle that looked so chic.  It also added unnecessary weight to the heavy load I was already carrying.  So I switched to a lighter-weight but less bling-y bag.  

6.  If your kids are old enough and strong enough to swing a softball bat, they're strong enough to carry their own gear.  Do NOT tote around their DS Lite game system, MP3 player, eyeglasses, or school books (yes, my handbag is large enough to carry these).  Kids can learn to carry their own load, or learn to leave it at home (or in the car, or in their school locker).

Whew!  You've done the dejunking.  Next time, we'll do the organizing.  And by then I'll be able to give you the low-down on my newest handbag organizing purchase: I just ordered a large Purse to Go organizer.  It's a great idea; we'll see how it holds up in real life.  

Have a great week!