The Bathroom: "Goo and Gunk Be Gone!"

"This week, it's a great idea to clean out your bathroom. It's amazing how much we pack away in this little room....Let's consider a typical example. We decide we don't like a particular shampoo after using it just once. However, we feel wasteful tossing it, so it becomes a space hog."

-- Regina Leeds

Well, it's mid-summer and it has been the hottest, most humid summer in years. Many days it takes all my energy just to do what absolutely needs to be done. Plus, this is such a wonderful time of year to take a break from so many expectations, relax a little, read more books, visit with more friends, and enjoy the garden and the front porch.

I have really been enjoying all of the work we've done so far. My kitchen is so much neater and generally stays that way; and my bedroom is staying just perfect and I love the tranquil feelings it gives me. I still haven't put up any art work, but will make some decisions soon.

Last week I decided to finally tackle the bathroom, as I had been so busy that it hadn't been possible to get to. Since it was so hot and muggy, I decided to break the tasks into four - one for each weekday evening, but not so much at one time that it would be overwhelming.

My first task was the large cupboard where the cleaning supplies go - along with a lot of useless garbage, too, as I found out. I came upon a couple of dry, shrivelled yacht mops, medications for pets no longer with us, empty cleaning supply bottles, and brittle sponges. Yuck. My first night's work concerned only this cupboard. I cleaned it out completely, and tossed away all of the junk. I then washed the shelves and the floor and put back into it only the up-to-date, useful cleaning supplies - neatly on the shelves, according to their kind.

The next two evening I spent on the other cupboards. This time it was more complicated because of the cross-over of products. Face care, nail care, body lotions, medications, vitamins, hair products - all mixed up and very chaotic. So, at first I simply threw away anything useless, (i.e. missing a spray cap!) anything out of date or practically empty. (Or old prescription medications.) And then I just grouped them together and waited until the final evening to properly store them again.

I have realized throughout this process that organizing is similar to writing. Most writers write their best first drafts by just writing - being in the flow and enjoying the creative burst. For most, it just doesn't work to stop every few sentences and editorialize. It breaks the flow, and it's simply not as effective. I like to say everything I want to say by using my creative side, then later I can go back and try to be an objective editor. It's the same with organizing. My brain can't handle tossing out, cleaning, sorting, AND deciding on the best way to organize things at the same time. I guess it's the opposite of writing in that the more practical tasks come first, and then the creative side.

So, the next task will be to spruce things up, maybe do some painting, hopefully change the hideous light fixture that has been torturing us for nearly 6 years. I'm not entirely sure I can create even close to a spa feeling due to my older fixtures and flooring, and my shoestring budget. But I will do my best.

Because Regina's book is divided into 12 months and one of the months is devoted to the onerous task of moving, and I am not moving, I am going to relax a bit, give myself a bit of a summer holiday, and extend the bathroom project into August.

Ahhhh.......less pressure, less stress...more relaxation. Sigh. It's sounding almost spa-like already!

Cheers!

Diane

"Bathrooms: Chasing Your Cares Away!"

"...He longs to be free...
...And yet how strange!
He is still afraid of freedom..."

-- Ashtavakra Gita 3:8


"It's the perfect month for a quick and cathartic makeover -- one that will contribute immensely to crating a soothing, Zen environment in your home. I'm talking, of course, about clearing all the small bits of junk from your bathroom!"

OK, Regina has my attention already. I've been pleased with my progress with various areas of the house and I am really enjoying the transformation. One thing for sure, though, is that it certainly isn't enough just to get things into order, the biggest challenge is keeping them that way. Especially when there are other people in the house. And the bathroom is one of the biggest challenges of all at the best of times!

There are always way too many towels to wash, dry, fold, and put away. Everything needs scrubbing. All surfaces need constant tidying. We have a terrible tendency to buy new products whether for cleaning, haircare, or skin care, when there are still older products to be used up. This goes as well for toothpaste and tooth brushes. I like to buy extra toothbrushes to have on hand in case the kids have friends sleep over. But it seems that my own kids keep opening up new packages and I really have no idea why. The two of them share a ceramic toothbrush holder and this weekend I counted six toothbrushes of various colours in the holder. Why?? Two kids and six toothbrushes - it's an absolute mystery to me.

Regina states, "This month, you'll be creating a room that treats your body with respect. Too often, the bathroom is a sloppy, carelessly put together room. We're going to get as close to the feeling of a spa as we can." Really???? Wow. Hard to believe! But I sure love the idea....it sounds like luxury to me.

Regina ends with a "Habit of the Month": "Every single time you use your bathroom, wipe off the counter....The bathroom counter attracts and holds hair, product residue, and general grime more than most surfaces. Wiping the counter helps the room stay inviting. Be sure you put everything away when you have completed a task. No toothbrushes, hairbrushes, or makeup left carelessly tossed across the bathroom counter."

It sounds like a great plan, and a pretty simple plan, really. It just needs ALL of us to be on board. Regina asks, "Are you ready to get started?" Absolutely! Bring on the spa....

Cheers,

Diane

"Say Goodbye to Piles!"

"To have inward solitude and space
Is very important because it implies
Freedom to be, to go, to function, to fly."

-- Krishnamurti


Regina opens this chapter with the beautiful quotation above. I find it quite inspiring. It makes total sense that in order to function well, feel free, and to fly, it is important to first have a secure inner space. And it seems so much easier to achieve inner space when your outer space is calm and orderly.

Last week, I'm afraid, I did nothing at all to further my control of paper. I was very busy at the first of the week, then it was a long weekend. During the weekend I was out of town for a birthday party, and then spent another day and evening at a wedding and reception. Aside from these activities, it was hot, hot, hot and extremely humid, making me want to conserve energy rather than spend it.

I will have to go through the two bins of paper I set aside last weekend. It seems somewhat daunting but Regina is encouraging: "No matter how many piles you have, remember that you are going to work with only one at a time. When you have your pile chosen and in front of you, remember it's just one piece of paper at a time."

Her basic advice when sorting is to immediately toss any non-personal papers such as flyers, old coupons or ads, magazines, or newspapers into a recycling bin. Keep a separate bin for personal but non-needed papers for future shredding. And, for the papers you want to keep, create separate piles for the various categories; this will make them easier to file later on.

As I said, I still have a way to go to be really on top of paper clutter. I will have to set up and maintain a proper filing/storage system and I know that will feel just great.

Until then, I can be happy that I have at least eliminated one great source of frustration in my life: paying bills. I have always struggled with this task and have always hated it. (Well, who could love it??) So, I simply did away with the job entirely. Don't get me wrong - I still pay my bills, but now it's all done electronically. My pay gets deposited into my account once a month and all of my bills are paid automatically. That way I know exactly what I am free to spend on all of our other necessities of life. This alone has made my life much simpler and easier to manage.

And guess what? I've managed to keep the little table by my front door clean and uncluttered for over a week now. Wow! Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Cheers!


Diane

What ever happened to the 'paperless' society?

"The physics of clutter is that it will come into your office without your assistance, but will not go away without your assistance."

-- Julie Mahan


Can you remember all the grand predictions that the invention of personal computers would change the world and create a paperless society? Well, no one could argue that they have indeed changed many, many things but they have certainly not done away with paper. In fact, it could be argued that they have increased it.

Paper clutter is one big area where I see a constant reminder of what Regina calls the failure to make a decision. Life gets busy and maybe a week goes by that I haven't been able to take the time to clean off the table I have by my front door. It is supposed to be completely empty except for a thin woven basket to hold important things like bills or notices. So, the flyers begin to add up, for one thing. There are a lot of stores in this city who want to entice me to buy things and they are relentless in giving me pieces of paper full of self-promotion.

Magazines are another thing. Some I have subscriptions to, some are gifts, and some have simply been sent in the hope that I will like them and then subscribe. I also receive invitations to various local events, and postcards from realtors who are hoping they can entice me to move. Credit card companies constantly send me letters which tell me that I work hard, need a break, and wouldn't I enjoy a relaxing vacation? As well, restaurants and take-aways from this area of the city hope that I will come home from work hungry, have a busy night ahead, and opt to order dinner rather than spend time in my own kitchen. It really does add up.

Regina has some good simple advice here: immediately toss out the junk mail that you KNOW you don't want or need. As for everything else, either toss it out, file it away, or deal with it straight away. That is the hard part. Sometimes the biggest challenge for me is simply not knowing what to do with it. Regina talks a lot of setting up a proper filing system, but cautions: "Files are storehouses of the active information we need. They are not meant to be paper cemeteries."

So, I have gathered up all of the paper on the little table, as well as all of the paper clutter that came out of my newly spruced up bedroom, and put it all into a plastic bin. This weekend I was busy with yard work, had errands to do, and had company, so I couldn't get to it. It was inspiring to see the table completely clean, though, so I am encouraged. This week I will spend some time, probably watching the Food Network, and quickly plow through all of this paper. I find it somehow easier to do this when my brain is semi-distracted.

I hope to get rid of a lot of this clutter, and to come up with a way to organize the bits that are important to keep. And I think from now on I'm going to pretend there's a big paper barrier at my front door so I will inspire myself to be more ruthless. Only pieces of paper which can prove themselves to be of value to me will be given a pass. But not a free pass. No, they will very quickly be shown the filing system and invited to step inside.

Have a good, paper-clutter-free week!


Diane

My Beautiful Bedroom Sanctuary - At Last!

"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."

-- Anna Quindlam

Life, as we all know, is hard to fit into a box most of the time. And this month was no exception.

Last month, of course, was about creating a bedroom sanctuary and that was a very high priority for me. At the beginning I was feeling rather depressed because of the enormity of the task. It really did seem impossible to me.

My closet was bursting at the seams and my dresser drawers as well. There was far too much furniture in the room making me feel quite claustrophobic. The walls, ceiling, and all of the trim were a sickly pale yellow. Plus, the walls had numerous cracks and the ceiling had a big, ugly, warty area of cracked and peeling paint.

I had come to the point of being extremely enervated by my bedroom and it kept on getting worse. Of course, that led me to procrastinate because I simply did not know where to begin.

After finding some strong inspiration in Regina's chapters, I managed to somehow find the courage and the energy to just begin somewhere. And I just kept on doing that - one small thing at a time.

Once the closet and dressers were tidied up and decluttered, we moved everything out and started to work on the repairs and the painting. Every single step took us much longer than anticipated, but we just kept plodding along. Week after week.

And, at long last, during the past week it has all come together beautifully! The paint looks fresh and clean and soothing in an old-world sagey green. The doors and windows and all of the trim are an old-world off-white called 'French Canvas'. The curtains are very similar in colour to the trim and they float so easily and delicately with the breeze.

The room seems so much more spacious now; there is nothing extra and no clutter whatsoever. I painted both bookcases in 'French Canvas', moved the tall one to the living room and the smaller one back into the bedroom where it looks lovely against the green wall. The new bedding goes perfectly with the paint and looks quite cool and refreshing even during these hot summer days. It really does feel like a sanctuary to me now.

The project took a long time and so has kept me from being able to really act on this month's topic of tackling paper clutter and setting up a proper filing system. But that's okay. I still have this week and next to get going with that.In truth, having successfully completed this major overhaul, I feel I feel I have built up some momentum, so I'm confident that this can be done as well.

Right now I just love walking into my bedroom and admiring its zen-like vibes. What an absolute delight!

Thank you so much, Regina, for being such an inspiration. Perhaps I COULD have done this without your inspiration and advice, but I don't believe I really WOULD have...

Cheers!


Diane

Save Time

"The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you're the pilot."

-- Michael Althsuler


If only time could be 'saved'! Just imagine having a cache of extra hours set aside for when you'd really like to spend some more time on something, or someone.

This week, the emphasis is on making the best use of the time we do have. A primary suggestion is learning how to effectively multi-task. I am afraid that when I first read these words, I cringed a little. Oh, no, I thought. Is this going to make me feel even worse? I was imagining the various 'workaholics' and 'I'm-so-busy-all-the-time' freaks I have known, and the way they look down their pointy noses at anyone who (shockingly!) appears to be NOT frantically busy every second of the day. Oy vey.

But, thankfully, I was wrong. Regina's key word here is 'effectively' and I was relieved to read these words: "In our modern world, we feel that we need to be on the landline phone, the computer, and the cell phone, shuffling paper, and reading today's newspaper simultaneously." I agree wholeheartedly! And I felt like giving Regina a big 'high five' when I read, "When you splinter your focus like this, you fry your nervous system."

OK, but what is the 'happy medium' here? How can I 'effectively multi-task' without jeopardizing my nervous system? Regina answered my question. "Do I denounce multi-tasking? No. But I think it's an art, and this week I'd like you to cultivate the healthy way to multi-task."

She goes on to give several very sensible examples. For instance, you should always have something to read (or a notebook for writing) if you know you are going to be sitting in a waiting room, or travelling. "Nothing is accomplished by staring at the walls." Amen to that! I was thrilled to have gotten this one right. I hate waiting of any sort as it really is such a complete waste of time. But when I can use the time to dive into a good book, or to study Spanish, or to write something, the waiting time goes by quite quickly. Plus, instead of feeling bored, restless, and impatient, I end up feeling quite energized, positive, and relaxed.

Her next piece of advice was, "When watching TV, have something to do during commercials." Another ace for me! One day last week I came home from work to an empty house as the kids were out for the evening. It had been a gloomy, rainy day and more thunderstorms were on their way. On days like this, my rheumatism acts up and so my knees were very swollen and painful and my energy was very low indeed.

I really felt I could do nothing other than rest my weary bones and joints, so I turned on the Food Network and curled up on the couch. I wasn't actually feeling relaxed, though, because there was too much chaos around me. Most of it was from all of my bedroom contents still being in the dining/living rooms, and the rest was from the kids having eaten, showered, changed clothes, and rushed out the door without tidying up after themselves.

I really enjoyed getting lost in the cooking show and being temporarily distracted from all of the clutter - until the first commercial came along and I began to feel restless. My joints hurt a lot and I was tired, so I knew I couldn't expect myself to just jump in, work hard, and set things right. But I also knew I couldn't truly enjoy an evening of pure sloth while there were tasks calling to me right and left.

And so, during the commercial, I dragged my weary body into the kitchen and began to do the dishes.; a few more commercials and they were all washed. A few more and they were dried and put away and the counter and the island cleared and cleaned.

I ended up spending the entire early evening this way. During every commercial I did just one small thing, and they really added up. A few hours later I turned off the TV and revelled in the satisfaction I felt. It had been 'the best of both worlds.' I had had a completely relaxing, comforting evening and yet everything was so much tidier - almost as if by magic.

It really didn't feel like multi-tasking to me! It wasn't draining, or difficult, or endangering to my nervous system. It actually became a sort of game - seeing how much I could accomplish during the few minutes of each commercial break. And the end result was very, very satisfying indeed.

And so, to reward myself for my unanticipated productivity, I poured myself a glass of nice, red, Chilean wine and curled up with a good book. I was proud of what I had done, I was relaxed, I was happy, and the house was tidy and quiet. My goodness. Luxury!

Cheers!

Diane

"Organizing the Business of Life"

Month #3, Week #1 of "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds

"The journey is the reward."

-- Anonymous


This month will be all about "Organizing the Business of Life" and that means getting control over "the paper bogeyman", as Regina calls it. She says, "For some reason, paper seems to strike fear into the heart of most adults."

I read the introduction and chapter one and started thinking about just why I find controlling paper clutter so difficult. I totally agree with Regina when she says, "...getting organized is about making decisions and piles are merely stacks of unmade decisions made visible..." So true! I think that is a really big reason for my paper clutter. I simply put off making decisions and eventually it becomes so daunting that it just increases my tendency to procrastinate. So, this month will be a really big challenge for me.

I would love to tell you how I started to get a system going and was working toward this month's goals. But instead I will be honest. Unfortunately, reading and thinking are all I've been able to do this week.

Last Monday and Tuesday evenings I had to be away from home, and then on Wednesday I started to become ill with a terribly sore and swollen throat and glands, fever, headache, dizziness, and a total lack of energy. I wanted to go to a clinic but wasn't up to driving. I was hoping to be much better on the weekend, but it didn't work out that way.

This really was unfortunate because my 'bedroom sanctuary' is still very far from completion. All of my bedroom's contents are still in the living/dining room and it is really starting to affect our ability to keep the rest of the house tidy. On Saturday we managed to do a little painting of the trim, but I just wasn't up to it. Mark would have done more painting, but he had more repair work than he anticipated. Plus, he got the grass cut, and at least that looks tidy.

On Friday our back door lock broke; we should have tried to fix it or replace it on Saturday, but with my sickness and Mark's busyness, it just slipped by us.

This morning we started on the painting and then suddenly remembered the lock. We thought we could take it apart and fix the problem, but we just couldn't. We ended up driving to the hardware store, returning it and buying another (more expensive) one. We tried for hours to try to install it but just couldn't. So, we took that one back and bought yet another. A few more hours later and we were both feeling extremely frustrated at our failure to install this new lock. We just couldn't tell what we were doing wrong.

In the end our entire day was taken up with this futile project and Mark had to get going as he had his motorcycle and the temperature had dropped quite a bit in the evening. I am still not feeling well, unfortunately, and am just exhausted after this wasted day. Sigh.

So, sadly, here it is Sunday night and I feel tired, and sick, and frustrated. Everything is upside down and I can't do anything about it right now. I know that this sickness is frustrating me as well, and no doubt that is one reason I am feeling discouraged.

However, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind and not let it get to me. I believe it will ultimately all come together, we've just got to hang in there. By next weekend, I'm really hoping the bedroom will be back together - and beautiful.

And as for the wretched door lock, tomorrow I will ask my friend, Dan, if he could find it in his heart to help me out. He's a very kind person, Dan is. And, fortunately for me, he knows everything. A good friend to have!

Cheers!


Diane

Create a Bedroom You Love

".....don't forget to consider what other elements you can add to make this room your sanctuary....If you love to read, add a small bookcase."

-- Regina Leeds


Well, amazingly enough, it is already the end of month two of my challenge. I'm feeling proud of myself that I have stuck with it and really, sincerely tried to change my ways. And there have been a lot of positive changes, though you'd never know it if you walked through my front door just now.

In this week's chapter, Regina talks about really organizing your closet in great detail. But, as I said before, my closet just doesn't lend itself to creative organizing. That being said, however, I have done the best I could and it looks neater than it ever has - the big reason being that there is so much less clothing in there. It's so gratifying now to open my closet door and see only items that I really like and that fit me. What a treat.

Unfortunately, the whole redecorating project is taking much, much longer than anticipated. I couldn't do any work on it during the short week because I had commitments each evening. And this weekend, although we actually worked a lot, there was just so much more to do that we had realized. Much more repair work on the walls and ceiling which really ate into our time.

All of my bedroom furniture including all of the bookcases and the 'millions' of books are still hanging out in the dining and living rooms. Waiting patiently. I'm sure it would be quite jarring to a stranger walking in, but it's amazing how easily I have coped with the chaos; I think it's just knowing that it's simply the price that must be paid for a great reward in the end.

I have decided that the very small, one-shelf bookcase will be going to live somewhere else. Quite possibly in my closet to hold something besides books. And as for the very tall bookcase, I have re-painted it and will be putting it in my living room. There is actually a perfect spot for it that I had somehow overlooked before. And since books are so wonderful to me, and such an important part of my life, I will find comfort in seeing them there.

This week I will be sorting through all of the many piles and making decisions. Some will be going to the case in the living room, some may be stored in a cupboard downstairs, and perhaps some will find their way to the Goodwill Bookstore, if I feel they deserve a chance to brighten someone else's life. Only a select few will eventually sit on the shelves of my newly re-painted medium-sized bookcase.

I do love books and want to have some right there with me in my new sanctuary. I believe they really do add another dimension of energy and I will really enjoy seeing them. And they will look so much more attractive and appealing in my 'new' space. It certainly does seem to be true that 'less is more.'

Cheers!


Diane

Month #2, Week #3: "Take Time for Your Space"

".....misplaced gold is easily found, misspent time is lost forever."

-- Loy Ching-Yuen


At the beginning of this month I wrote about just how cluttered my bedroom was and how I realized it was impossible to create any kind of order the way things were. I just had to face the facts: I had too much stuff.

Well over the past few weeks I am pleased to say I have made great progress. I gave away many bags full of clothing to Goodwill and my drawers are now neat and tidy and contain only clothing that I really like and wear regularly. My closet, too, has had a makeover. Mind you, it remains a very small closet that was built over 100 years ago and there is nothing I can do about that. It is like a small box (only 30" wide!) with one rod about two-thirds of the way up and one shelf above that. After culling a lot of clothing that was either too small, unloved, or designed for the winter months, the summer clothes I could actually wear fit in much more easily. I put all of my various handbags neatly on the shelf, and my daughter, Abby, gave me a hanging shoe rack so I could get my shoes off the floor.

In this chapter, Regina outlines several possibilities for closet design, but it seems to me that I have made my closet as efficient as it can possibly be. But what about the rest of my bedroom? Amazingly enough, at this very moment it is completely empty! Well, except for Mark and a tall step ladder.

Even with all the work I've done so far, my room still had way too much in it, the ceiling paint was peeling in one spot, and there were several thin cracks on the very boringly painted walls. We decided last week to take advantage of the long weekend to at least get started on a full painting project. We have been quite busy and dedicated, but it is now Sunday evening and this long weekend just hasn't been long enough.

There was so much background work to do! We spent Friday evening and much of Saturday trying to find the perfect duvet cover/bedding set which we would use as a focal point in order to decide on paint colours. We trudged around the city looking at store after store but nothing really struck us. Fortunately, we finally did find just what we wanted and our decision-making was instantaneous.

Then, we had to buy the paint and all of the various accoutrements. And then, we had to move every single item out of the bedroom and into the dining room. What a lot of work! Today we thoroughly washed all of the walls, doors, windows, and baseboards and it looks better already.

We are now trying to repair the ceiling and then will move on to the walls. It is time-consuming work, not like with a new house where you can simply start to paint. But it all has to be done.

Unfortunately, this project will not be completed this weekend, but I am optimistic about the next. Things are coming along. And I am not feeling desperate for it to be over, but I am taking the time to enjoy the process. I am really so excited about how my 'new' room will look! At long last I will truly have a bedroom that I love - an actual warm and comforting sanctuary. And what a wonderful feeling that will be.

Cheers!


Diane

Month #2, Week #2 - "Get to the Bottom of Your Closet"

"When we feel vulnerable and powerless in our lives, we frequently do one of two things: we gain weight or we weight ourselves down with too much stuff. Fat and stuff are both buffers against a world we perceive as threatening our well-being."

-- Regina Leeds


When I read Regina's opening words for this chapter, I felt both surprised and inspired. I have found that most organizational articles, and even books, that I have read seem to bypass the psychology behind the keeping of 'too much stuff' and go straight to the 'do this and don't do that' stage. To me, they seem to be implying: "Just be more like me, OK?" Well, it's just not as easy as all that.

As I mentioned last week, I had been feeling completely overwhelmed by my bedroom; it was very far indeed from being a sanctuary. In fact, whenever I walked through the door I felt a bit more like the poor, (temporarily) doomed Wile E. Coyote, looking up to see a big, black, grand piano hurtling toward him. So, it was quite a relief to even have a plan of action. Regina was going to lay out the plan and all I had to do was read it and follow it. Simple, eh?

The first week dwelt on thinking about my bedroom and what changes needed to be made. However, since there was so much work to do, I didn't want to wait any longer. What a nice feeling to have the motivation to succeed! I cleaned out all of my drawers in my two dressers which were jam-packed with clothing. I was ruthless in my decision-making and ended up with two bags of donations to Goodwill. Whew!

And now, this week was 'tackling my closet' week and I was keen to get at it, along with a healthy dose of trepidation. But where, oh where, to start? While many organizers suggest that you take every single item out of your closet first, then put back only what you really need and want, Regina takes a different approach. She says to tackle just one section at a time so that you won't become overwhelmed, and so the rest of your bedroom doesn't end up looking like a trash heap and sucking away all of your enthusiasm. I followed her advice and it worked like a charm.

Regina says, "Get to the bottom of the story that has made you hold onto this item of clothing. If you are still unsure, take a clinical look. Is it out of date, inexpensive, tattered, faded, worn, or stained? Let it go."

Well, the story of my closet revealed that I was hoarding way too many items that were far too small for me now, and every time I looked at them, even peripherally, I just felt fat. And that's not an inspiring feeling. Out they went. I also had quite a few items that I used to love, but they really didn't fit my current style. Out as well.

Some things were just plain nostalgia vessels, the best one being, as Mark calls it, 'my little green coat'. It is actually a long, zippered jacket, I guess, with a collar, made of fuzzy blanket-like cloth, and bright lime green in colour. It was given to me by a close friend about 18 years ago, at a time when my life was turbulent, to say the least. And in the years since then, it has been something of a 'Linus blanket' to me. Very, very comforting. I tried very hard to donate it to charity when I moved six years ago, but I couldn't make it happen. And, now, I was being faced with the same challenge. I took it off the hanger, folded it up, and put it in the bag for Goodwill. And then, awhile later, I took it back out again. Because of this struggle, I opted to re-read Regina's words.

"Some people....reason, albeit unconsciously, that if they hold onto the item, they will be capturing forever a piece of that time in their lives....They won't ever bring the past to life. It lives inside you in your heart and memories."

After reading this, I was inspired once more, and on more than one level. I was impressed that my current feelings about such a dreadful time seemed to focus, not so much on the events themselves, but by the loving kindness and friendship that enveloped me at that time. And I like that.

But the 'little green coat' itself is just a piece of fabric, like so many others. It is actually way too big for me and whenever I wear it, to be honest, I feel a strange mixture of comfort and obesity. Folding up this green coat and putting it into the Goodwill bag once and for all was a little sad - I won't lie. But it also felt very good.

Things are going pretty well for me now and I don't require so much comforting. But if I ever do, I know that seeing and talking with my dear friend will bring me much more comfort than a big, old, fuzzy jacket ever would. Regina was spot-on when she says that we must "understand how your attachment to clothes may be emotional." Absolutely right.

Working through some of these emotional attachments has been very revealing and very helpful to me. And now, as Regina says near the end of the chapter, I am ready to "Enjoy the freedom of empty space." She goes on to say, "Space isn't empty; it's full of energy. Consider also that all the good that is meant to come to you now has a place to reside."

And so, a word to all the good things in the universe that are out there, waiting to come to me: "I've made some room for you, so come on down!"

Cheers,

Diane

Month #2, Week #1: Creating a Bedroom Sanctuary

"Our contribution to the progress of the world must, therefore, consist in setting our own house in order.

-- Gandhi



Regina Leeds begins the second month's chapter with the above title and quotation and I think they are excellent choices. After all, how can we really hope to create something positive in the world at large if we don't even have our own lives and our own homes in order.

Regina starts off with a question: "How would you describe your bedroom?" She then goes on to list some very positive adjectives such as "comforting, nurturing, inspiring, elegant, and joyful" and asks if these words are on the list. Realistically assuming that most people reading this book would not be able to truthfully choose from this list, she offers encouragement. "If not, I hope they will be by the time February (or in my case, May) has ended." I hope so, too!

My house is a small bungalow built in the late 1800's, so the rooms are quite small by today's standards. The front door opens into a small entry way, with the dining room to the left and the living room straight ahead -- all entirely open. My bedroom, weirdly enough, is to the left of the living room with two doors leading into it, although only one is used. It seems that this room was originally two very tiny (probably) bedrooms, but apparently the very elderly lady who lived here before me used it as a sitting room.

Having the two small rooms opened up into one makes it a nice-sized bedroom. But over the years it has lost it's roominess due to the ever-expanding number of objects taking up residence there. Let's see, I have a double bed, two night cabinets, three bookcases (one large, one medium, and one small), a tall dresser and a wide dresser, an antique pine table, as well as a desk chair, a comfy chair, two lamps, and two very large trunks. I'm feeling claustrophobia washing over me even as I write this!

This first week is a time of observation and reflection; a time to focus, and a time to answer some pertinent questions, such as: "Do you like your current bedroom?" "Are there things about your bedroom you don't like?" "Is the room filled with things from your past?" "Have clothes taken over your bedroom?" "Can you sit on your chair or is it forever draped with clothing?" "Is there space in your closet or is everything smashed together?" "Do you have multiple wardrobes in your closet because your weight fluctuates?" "Is the closet floor a shoe graveyard?"

Such excellent questions!! I really did take time this week to try to see my bedroom with 'new eyes' and my new vision really worked to open them up. I wrote down what I liked and didn't like, and answered the above questions. There are a few things I do like: my antique table which was bought with the very first money I ever made as a writer, all of my many precious books, a bedside cabinet that my son refinished for me, and two wonderful old trunks that my partner refinished for me.

But there is a lot more I don't like at all. The closet is extraordinarily tiny and, yes, everything is completely squashed together. In fact, it is such a hassle to hang things up and stuff them back in that quite often my desk chair has clothes draped all over it. And yes (sigh), my weight does fluctuate quite a bit, although for quite a while it has tended to fluctuate only on an upwardly sliding scale.

As Regina suggested, I took a piece of paper and drew a line down the middle. On the left side I wrote down all of the things I could think of that would make my bedroom more of a sanctuary - things that could actually be done within this month. On the other side I wrote the other (larger) tasks that I wouldn't expect to get accomplished right away, but it was quite a nice feeling to write them down as future projects as even doing that much gave me hope.

And so, week two is looming and I am feeling very excited. There is a lot to do, of course, but just having a plan in my mind and some kind of end result in my imagination gives me great comfort. Rather than feeling overwhelmed as I have for so long, I feel enthusiastic and optimistic.

As little kids like to say, "only one more sleep" and this new phase of bedroom transformation will begin. But tonight I will not focus on the clutter, I will stay positive and dream sweet dreams about my wonderful future "sanctuary". This is going to be so much fun!

Cheers!


Diane

"Whip Your Kitchen into Shape"

"A place for everything,
everything in its place."

-- Benjamin Franklin





The final week of the first month of my challenge is entitled, "Whip Your Kitchen into Shape." This was a little tricky for me as I was away from home four evenings last week, and two of those evenings I was even out of town. It was a fun week but it zipped by very quickly without my finding any time to do the organizing encouraged in this chapter. We have, however, managed to keep the dishes washed, dried, and put away, and the counter and the island clear of clutter for an entire month now. And what a great feeling that gives me.

I had read through the chapter at the first of the week and then again later on. But, as I said, I just didn't have the time to accomplish any extra tasks. They just had to wait until the weekend. Fortunately, it was a very quiet weekend and I was able to roll up my sleeves a bit.

Regina suggests choosing the time of day when you are "at your physical peak", so I chose the morning. As it was the weekend, I slept in a bit, then had breakfast with Mark on the porch and enjoyed the lovely day. Then, I felt ready to begin.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I had already made some changes in the kitchen, so there was less to do than there would have been. And I was very thankful I had done these more difficult things beforehand.

Over the past few weeks, I had created two cupboards/pantries: the larger one for dry and canned goods, and the smaller one for everything concerned with baking. I had organized my bookbooks and put them in a cabinet where they would be easily accessible, but not get dusty. I had also thoroughly cleaned and organized the fridge and freezer and made the decision to re-clean and re-organize the fridge the evening before each garbage/recycling day. I can remember my Dad saying, "A fridge is just a place to keep food until it becomes bad enough to throw out." And as my Mom used to say, "I'm sick and tired" of doing that.

So, this weekend I had the remaining three areas to tackle: the junk drawer, the cooking/baking pots and pans, and the dreaded, frightening area under the sink.

I started with the junk drawer. It really wasn't too bad, I was surprised to see. Probably because so much junk is scattered everywhere else in the house! I was also surprised to find two identical lint brushes in the drawer. It is quite appalling to me now to think of all the money I've wasted over the years buying items to replace unfindable items! How ridiculous is that?

Next I took all of the pots and pans out of the shelves in the island and washed the interior out very well. I then replaced everything in a more sensible order. Frying pans all together, pots together, lids together, and on another shelf, everything to do with baking including mixing bowls and cake pans and cooling racks.

Earlier this week, in preparation for this task, I had bought two matching plastic totes for storing the various cleaning products that live in the dark cave beneath the sink. And, do you know what? It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I took all of the (many!!) products out and placed them on the counter. And then, I did what any right-thinking person would do, and asked my partner, Mark, if he would scrub up the cupboard. And, thankfully, he swiftly agreed. He's a very good guy to have around in such circumstances because whereas I have a strong tendency toward squeamishness, Mark does not. He just got right in there and very quickly had the cupboard nice and clean. Then, it was easy to put all of the spray bottles in one tote and all of the non-spray bottles in the other, and the job was done.

I'm very happy about all of these kitchen changes; it really has made a big difference in such a short time. Of course, there are more changes to come. For about a year I have wanted to paint the kitchen as I have grown so weary of the blue walls. I want a combination of terra cotta and mustard to give it a lively and earthy vibrance. I was never very clear about just why this project had been postponed so often but I think I now understand.

I couldn't begin to make even such a desirable esthetic change to my kitchen because all of the chaos - even the chaos behind closed doors - kept me from carrying through with the redecorating project. The chaos sapped my energy and my creative spirit.

But now, at the end of the first month of my challenge, I am feeling optimistic. I can feel my energy rising. And I feel so happy just imagining my gloriously re-painted kitchen. How sweet it will be. I can feel the warmth already.

Cheers!


Diane

The Kitchen: The Heart of the Home

"If you can organize your kitchen, you can organize your life."

-- Louis Parrish




Near the beginning of this week's chapter, Regina Leeds says, "Everyone gathers in the kitchen. I think it's tribal instinct - our way of gathering around the campfire."

I have found this to be absolutely true in my life and I'll bet you have, too. When I think of all the family dinners I have either hosted or attended, my dominant memory is always of everyone either perched on stools at a counter or an island, in chairs around a table, or simply standing around in one of the various kitchens. Whether standing or sitting, they are always talking, laughing, and enjoying each other's company -- and generally with either a pint of beer or a glass of wine in hand.

I think Regina is spot-on when she refers to our in-born desire to gather 'around the campfire'. People are always keen to be watching food being prepared and cooked. And as the kitchen fills up with tantalizing aromas, bellies become eager with anticipation, and hearts become thoroughly comforted.

This chapter's continued focus is on the kitchen and it really is the perfect place to start. Regina asks, "What do you like about your kitchen?.....what do you dislike?"

Well, the first time I saw my kitchen, while shopping for a house, I was immediately impressed by the tall (10 foot!) ceilings and the full wall of cupboards - stretching right from the counter to the ceiling. Wow! I thought about how everything could be so easily stored there and that was a nice feeling. That is, until I moved in.

As we began to unpack, I realized that our plates would not fit into any of the cupboards. It seemed impossible and we tried every which way, but it could not be done. Apparently we now have considerably larger dinner plates than the original owners back in 1895! And so, the day I moved in, I had to drive to the mall and purchase a cabinet to store our dishes. It turned out fine, actually, as the cupboard fits in very well and I like the look. As a bonus, our microwave oven fits onto it's shelf nicely and eliminates the need for it to vie for space on the counter.

Another problem occurred to us about the same time. How on earth could we use the top cupboards? No easy answer to this one except this: don't. Of course, this means the lower (and accessible) cupboards can easily become too jam-packed.

Before I started on this project, I had an open bookcase in my kitchen which held all of my cookbooks. (I love cookbooks!) I liked having my books visible and right at hand, but the problem was that they became dusty over time and and, in fact, the whole unit had taken on a very dishevelled appearance.

When I took some time to really think about what I liked about my kitchen and what I didn't, I became suddenly aware of how much my lovely cookbooks really annoyed me. That's right. Regina, the "Zen Organizer" knows what she is talking about. I realized that every time I was in my kitchen, as my eyes fell on the bookcase I would experience a very jarring, very 'un-Zen' feeling. It was too much to look at! Regina suggests ruthlessly tossing out everything that is unneeded or unloved. But these books could not be shown the door because, a) they were often used, and b) I was very fond of looking through cookbooks and also using them.

In the end, I went through all of my cookbooks and chucked the ones that I never used and only kept the ones I felt were important to keep. I then cleaned out the bottom of the dish cabinet and placed the books in there. I took the open-shelved bookcase and moved it into the back hallway and put the family's extra shoes onto the shelves. (Being a centenarian home, you can imagine the tiny size of our closets!) Next, I washed out the closed cupboard that had once housed the shoes, and moved it into the kitchen. And then I took the packaged and canned foods, herb and spice jars, and cereal and put them into the closed cupboard. Et voila! Instant pantry.

Everything is much more functional and it looks much neater, as well. And it's easier to keep clean. I am really surprised at how well we are all doing with keeping the kitchen clean. It really does make a difference to keep the dishes washed, dried, and put away - immediately! The counters have got to stay clean, and the surface of the island uncluttered. It really is making a difference in our thinking and in our habits.

Yesterday, Mark and I spent the day in Michigan shopping for various household items and for groceries. It had been a long (but fun) day and it was just a little after 10 o'clock when we arrived home. In the days before this challenge, I know I would have felt tired and would have just put away the food that needed to be refrigerated and just left the other items until the next day. It would just have seemed like too much work to go ahead and deal with everything we had brought home with us.

But last night was different. Coming home to a tidy home was definitely a wonderful feeling and I didn't want anything to spoil that. As soon as we carried the bags in, we began to quickly sort everything and put it away. Everything! And do you know what? We had everything put in its place and the kitchen was back to tidy again by 10:30!!

My biggest surprise during this challenge has got to be the knowledge that it really takes only minutes - sometimes just mere seconds! - to put things right where they belong instead of to some 'half-way house'. And the reward for doing this is great. I feel so much more relaxed and happy at home. It's just more fun to be here.

As week three ends, I am delighted in my progress at organizing my kitchen. And I truly hope it will continue to help me as I continue to try to organize my life.

Cheers!!

Diane

Too Much Stuff!

"A house is just a place to keep your stuff while you go out and get more stuff."

-- George Carlin





I recently switched home insurance providers and was told that they would be sending a representative over next week to check out my house. Yikes! While we have been getting better at keeping the main floor tidy, the basement had unfortunately become less a living/storing facility and more of a half-way house for stuff that was on its way out.

So, this weekend was spent very productively with my partner, Mark, my teenage son, Daniel, and me tackling the basement. (More on this during 'Basement Month'.) I had intended to wait until that month rolled around, but the impending home inspection suddenly made the basement a top priority.

Perhaps you've faced a similar situation. Things get way out of hand and then keep on getting worse. Then, when you should feel inspired to jump right in and put things in order, instead inertia descends upon you and you feel way too overwhelmed to do anything at all. I can't tell you how often this has happened to me.

As I looked around at the chaos, I felt both embarrassed and sad to see such clutter. I didn't know how or where to begin. The clutter situation in the basement had been exacerbated because my elder daughter, Abby, has been storing all of her belongings there. She has been moving around a lot and hasn't been able to drag around the incredible mass of possessions she has collected.

I laughed out loud when I came upon a nicely taped up cardboard box with the very neatly printed label: 'Things I neither want nor need.' HA! How hilarious is that? I laughed and laughed until I suddenly had an epiphany. It was incredible. I realized that my basement was packed with a seemingly endless number of items that would match that category exactly. I simply hadn't been as honest with myself as Abby had been.

In Chapter Two, one of the things Regina stresses is that you should identify time wasters in your daily life. And she also stresses the vast importance of having everything in its place. "Whatever is used must be returned to the spot where it came from. This rule will maintain the environment."

Since I started this blogging project, I have given a lot of thought to where my problem areas are and I could pinpoint a couple of trouble spots. I realized that I often procrastinated in doing laundry in the basement because just going down there made me feel depressed and inadequate. The very opposite of a Zen feeling! I also knew that I wasted so much time every day simply putting things back where they belonged.

The more conscious of my habits I became, the more I began to see how often I put things 'almost' in the right place, but not exactly. Sometimes it would take three or four attempts to get the item back in its home. Here is a recent example: I went shopping and bought some shampoo and conditioner, some toothpaste, some soap, and some other hair products. I carried the bag from the car to the house and set it down by the front door. After I had put the groceries away, I went back, picked up the bag, and carried it into the kitchen. A little later I put the bag on the island and took the items out of the bag. Awhile after that I moved all of the products to the other end of the island - just a little closer to the bathroom. Sometime after that I finally picked them up, took them into the bathroom, and put them away. What a waste of time, energy, and thought processes!

I'm finding that making small changes really does make a big difference. For instance, in Week One, Regina suggests starting with the kitchen: never let dishes accumulate, always wash them, dry them, and put them away, then wipe down the counter. We have all been rigidly adhering to this suggestion and it has been extremely helpful, especially on weekends. It seems that just allowing a small mess to start in the kitchen has far-reaching effects on the rest of the house.

Regina is a big believer in using calendars and I am in full agreement. For many, many years I have written all kinds of things in calendars and I can't even imagine not relying on one. As I write this, a funny memory from the past comes to mind. When my elder son, Ben, was a young teen, we came to the city for his medical appointment. At the end of it, the secretary smiled warmly at Ben and said that the doctor wanted to see him again in a year's time, then she went on to mention a specific date and time. She then reached for an appointment card to write this down, but it seems that Ben wasn't watching very closely. He just grinned back with a slightly confused look, then replied, "Well, OK. But I have to tell you that there isn't a chance in the world I will remember that!"

I have been greatly encouraged by reading, "One Year to an Organized Life". I realize that I am doing some things right and that all is not hopeless. I am finding that Regina's cardinal (and simple) organization motto 'eliminate, categorize, organize' is sage advice indeed. I kept this in mind when we began to sort out the basement yesterday.

Whenever I had previously thought of starting such a project, it always seemed an impossible task. And even if I could somehow prod myself into action, I believed it would be an endless 'sentence'. But I found just keeping this 'mantra' in mind made the job easier by far.

It is impossible to organize a space when there is just too much stuff in it! But by first getting rid of everything that is clearly useless, broken, or unneeded and then simply placing like items together, I found that I could accomplish a lot without ever unduly taxing my brain. This way, when the time came to actually do some organizing, I had energy left to be able to think clearly and make quick decisions.

Regina says, "Make organizing something fun and rewarding." Well, we have certainly found that to be true this weekend. Mark, Daniel, and I actually had a really fun time together working on this project. We were a great team. We worked hard but also took time to talk and laugh a bit over some old photos and memorabilia. Daniel is thrilled that he now has a comfy, inviting space to 'hang out' - reading, using his laptop, and playing guitar. And I'm thrilled that in only one weekend we were able to create this together.

A big bonus is that we will all carry this feeling of accomplishment into the week ahead. As the weekend winds down, I feel so much lighter and less burdened than I did just a few days ago.

With my apologies to the great George Carlin, I have to say: Life is so much easier when you have LESS STUFF!!

Cheers,


Diane


Note: 'One Year to an Organized Life' by Regina Leeds can be easily purchased using the link to Amazon on the top right of this blog.

"Why Am I Like This?"

Month One (January/April)
Week One

"People allow life to happen to them rather than giving it direction."

"The bottom line is that once you understand what you want to accomplish, you will automatically use time to help you succeed. You will be moving forward. And you will end up exactly where you are most needed, wanted, and appreciated."

-- Regina Leeds (January - Week One)


"Why am I like this?" Great question! It has been hovering over my head for approximately my whole life but I had never really come up with a good answer. It really is the perfect starting point as it doesn't make much sense to attempt to go forward without at least trying to get a grip on why I am in the spot I am.

I had been wondering whether to begin reading "One Year to an Organized Life" by starting with the month of April since that is where I am now, or with January as that is where the book (logically) begins. Regina says it doesn't really matter so I decided to simply go with my intuition. And when I opened the book to January:Week One and read the title, "Why Am I like This?" I knew I had my answer.

Regina asks: "Think back to your home of origin...What specific memories do you have regarding time?" She suggests keeping a journal so I got out my notebook and began to write. I wasn't sure what to say about time, exactly, so I started writing about general memories of childhood and how they could have shaped my organizational habits. It turned out to be very revealing.

My father was very methodical and orderly. He always looked neat and tidy. He worked hard and accomplished a lot and also made the time to do fun things with his five kids. He maintained our property very well: kept the grass trimmed and tidy, pruned the cherry trees, and planted and tended a vegetable garden every year. He also had excellent control over the family's finances and was the only breadwinner. The gas tank in the car was never lower than half full and one of his favourite sayings was, "The best cure for ulcers is money in the bank."

When I was a child my mother didn't work outside the home so she was the main caregiver for her five children. She was also responsible for all of the housework, laundry, shopping, and cooking. Because she didn't have an income of her own and Dad controlled the money, I expect that was a very trying situation for her. As well, she never learned to drive so was dependent on Dad to drive her anywhere she wanted to go. For all these reasons, she wasn't able to go out to do any fun things with the kids, or for that matter, for herself either. Not much wonder she often seemed anxious, depressed, and overwhelmed.

I can remember always feeling very proud of my father and his extremely practical ways. But I realize now that I was also an 'intuitive empath' (Dr. Judith Orloff - http://www.drjudithorloff.com/) and was more strongly influenced by the feelings I sensed in my mother.

So it seems that although I dearly loved and appreciated both of my parents, I think my empathic connection to my mother drew me to replicating some of her organizational patterns even though I perceived them as negative, and to push against some of my father's behaviours even though I perceived them as positive.

As I continued to write, I recognized that 20 years of an unhappy marriage, along with raising four children, repeated so many of the negative feelings I experienced as a child: lots of anxiety, poor self-esteem, and the weight of constantly feeling overwhelmed.

However, as the saying goes, "That was then. This is now." My parents have long ago crossed over, bless them both. And I have been (blissfully) unmarried for more than a decade and a half. It is very interesting and helpful to begin to cast some understanding on why I have created certain habits, patterns, and behaviours in my life. But this is only the beginning.

At the end of the January:Week One chapter, Regina Leeds says, "Until you take action, your dreams stay in the world of fantasy...you can change your life with the tool of organization."

To paraphrase one of the Olympic mottos, all I can say is this: Let the change begin!


Cheers!


Diane

Spring is Here! With a Sunny New Beginning

"If you don't complete the mundane tasks in life, you probably aren't completing the bigger ones either."

-- Regina Leeds

in the Introduction to "One Year to an Organized Life"



"Your home is not your castle; it's your prison. Guilt is your frequent companion. You want your life experience to be bigger, richer, but it seems to be forever diminished by an endless series of dramas, all of which have a lack of organization as their source." *

As I read these words I felt as though Regina Leeds had somehow been able to peer into my life and I knew she was spot-on. Every New Year's for as long as I can remember I have had two primary resolutions: lose weight and become organized. In truth, some lucky years I have had the wonderful experience of feeling slender enough to be satisfied but, unfortunately, that sense of satisfaction has never carried over to my organizational skills.

In childhood I received mixed messages regarding such skills from two very differing parents. What I do remember is my level of discomfort and anxiety as well as low self esteem which developed in part because of the disorganized and untidy environment of our home. Mind you, my parents worked hard and lovingly raised five children, so I will cut them some slack.

What I have never been able to fully understand, however, is exactly how my four siblings (3 sisters and 1 brother) have turned out to be outstandingly neat, tidy, and extremely organized adults whereas, sadly, I have not.

Mind you, I neither live in squalor or complete chaos, nor do I yearn for the perfection of a 'magazine home'. I think I'm probably a pretty run-of-the-mill disorganized person. Some areas I tend to manage better than others. And I have to say that over the past year I have made considerable improvements in my home and I'm very happy with this (long awaited) progress.

However, it seemed to me that I was still standing outside and looking in at others who appear to effortlessly achieve a state of organization that seemed absolutely out of reach for me. What was wrong with me? What was I lacking? I had a sinking feeling that these admirable others had secretly been given a secret manual and I had not.

And then one day last fall I happened to read a review of Regina Leed's book, "One Year to an Organized Life". The review was very glowing indeed and it certainly piqued my interest. Now, I have read quite a few books on organizing in the past but little had ever changed. It was a bit like reading diet books and expecting to lose weight because of it. (Trust me, that doesn't work either.) I really felt that this sort of format -- breaking everything down into monthly topics and breaking every month's topic down into weekly tasks -- would be very practical, challenging, and kind of fun to follow. I went straight to my laptop, Googled 'Amazon', and ordered the book.

I had intended to begin January 1st but as you can see, that didn't happen. What with one thing and another this project just got stuffed into the back of the closet like so many other well-intentioned projects before it. But last month I suddenly remembered the book and felt really compelled to actually follow it. It felt SO important to me. But how on earth would I be able to follow through? Well, I had just recently re-watched "Julie and Julia" which I found very inspiring, and the thought suddenly struck me to go through the book and write a blog about my progress. It was a very exciting thought!

But since I was planning to write a blog based on "One Year to an Organized Life", I felt it was only right to write to the author, Regina Leeds, and ask her permission. I can't tell you how surprised, delighted, and thrilled I felt when I received her very positive and encouraging response. She even went so far as to suggest that perhaps from time to time she could comment or make suggestions if I were having difficulty and in that way, no doubt many readers could be helped through similar problems. Wonderful!

As Regina says, "The chaos around you is an effect...Over the course of the next year, we are going to set new causes into motion -- the kind that yield positive results. Instead of living in an environment that is your adversary, you will live in a space that nurtures and supports you at every step of your journey."

And as Confucius said so long ago and far away, "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." I hope you will join me on my journey as I learn how to create an organized life with the help of Regina Leeds. As I write these words, I am deliberately and determinedly taking the first step.


Cheers!

Diane



* All quotations in this posting were from the "Introduction" to "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds (Lifelong Books: www.dacapopress.com)