by kathilipp | Jan 28, 2014 | Uncategorized |
At the end of every month, I want you to focus on one area of your house and just TOSS stuff to get a fresh start in that area – and I’m starting where I need it the most: the kitchen.
During the clean sweep, (between now and Monday,) you get to count bonus items that you would not normally count in the 2014 Things Challenge (like consumables). Why are we doing this for next five days? Because:
- When you don’t know what’s in your kitchen, it’s easy to re-buy things you don’t really need.
- A cluttered kitchen makes meal prep and clean up impossible.
- I want you to get some NUMBERS in this challenge!!!
It’s easy! Just take a garbage bag, a recycle bag, a “give away” box, a “other rooms” box, and a “put back” box check out this blog post if you’re not familiar with the 3 Boxes, 2 Bags cleaning system,) and start pitching.
For this challenge, even consumables count! So clean out those cupboards, freshen the fridge, and start clean!
And what about that food that is still good, but your family is NEVER going to eat it? Here are some ideas:
- For non-perishables, donate them to your local food bank.
- Put it up on Facebook for all your local friends: “Hey, we have 4 gluten-free cake mixes we are never going to use, first person who can bet them by tomorrow, and posts here, is the winner!”
- Maybe you have a friend who is on hard times who would be grateful for a grocery bag filled with some of your yummy overstocks. Take those Costco packs, break them up, and pass them on.
- In a few weeks, we will be having a challenge to help you reduce your stockpile and save money. Stay tuned!!!
Want to win a copy of THE WHAT’S FOR DINNER SOLUTION? Post a pic of your “after” kitchen declutter (it can be as big as the whole kitchen, or as small as one drawer or shelf) on my Facebook Page. We will randomly pick one winner to receive the book – but everyone who declutters is a winner.
So tell me, (because you want someone holding you accountable!) what area of your kitchen are you going to attack.
by kathilipp | Jan 27, 2014 | Home |
Everything I learned about organizing, I learned in kindergarten.
If you are participating in the 2014 Things Challenge, you know that we need to not only get rid of things, but organize the things we have in an easy way.
The most organized rooms most of us will ever experience are at either a school or a hospital. Since I frown on having to go through minor surgery in order to gain organizing tips, I choose instead to draw my inspiration from the classroom.
I have an inside track. My stepdaughter, Amanda Lipp, is an associate teacher at a childcare facility. While she and I were discussing how she wants her room to be set up for her students, I couldn’t help but see the similarities between a well-set-up classroom and a well-set-up home.Here are Amanda’s guidelines for a well-run classroom:
1. Everything has a place and everyone knows where that place is. Everyone in the house knows where things are because items have an established place.
2. Clearly label items with words and a picture. Label your drawers, bins, tubs, and baskets in a way that everyone in the house can understand.
3. Keep the room clutter free so children can easily roam and play. I stay on top of clutter so that we don’t have to clear off a table before we eat dinner or move piles of paper from a desk before I can work on it.
4. Clean up areas when “children finish playing” and before beginning another activity. After I’m done with a project, I put it away so that I don’t get overwhelmed by the mess.
5. Arrange the art on the wall neatly, using frames, canvas, backgrounds. A room with too much artwork will feel chaotic and agitating. I keep things in my home simple and uncluttered. I want the people in my home, not the stuff, to be the focus.
These are easy first steps to take to create an intentional life where you have the freedom to do things, not spend time trying to find things!
Do you have any “tips” to help a home run like a classroom, organized and efficiently?
Any teachers out there that can give us the secrets to organizing?
by kathilipp | Jan 21, 2014 | Home |
Whenever someone starts to discuss the 2014 Things Challenge people have one of two reactions:
- “2014 Things? I desperately need to do this!!!”
- “2014 Things? I could never come up with 2014 things!!!”
I’ve been so amazed at the post to my Facebook Page of the number of Things you all are racking up!
A few of you have already racked up over 1000 things, and one brave warrior, my agent Rachelle Gardner HAS ALREADY COMPLETED THE 2014 THINGS!!!!
Here is what she said:
“Kathi, just FYI… we completed the 2014 Things challenge. Yep, in one day! And believe it or not, I haven’t even made a dent in my books. The challenge continues… perhaps we’ll make it into the 20,014 Things challenge???
And by the way, we live in a smallish house, maybe 1900 sq ft, so I know we don’t have as much clutter as many people! Once you get in the right mindset, getting rid of stuff is ridiculously easy and fun.”
I don’t want these success stories to make you feel behind. Instead, I want them to inspire you to know that it’s doable!!!
And to help you out, my team has come up with this great download: 75 Places and Spaces to Find 2014 Things
Tell me in the comments what space and place your plan on attacking next,(Roger and I have romantic plans to clean out the garage weekend after next. Pray for us,) and you’ll be entered to win a copy of The Get Yourself Organized Project
Happy Tossing!!!
by kathilipp | Jan 20, 2014 | Home, Relationships, The "What's for dinner?" Project |
Meal time can be one of the most hectic times in a mama’s day. With today’s busy schedules, it is easier to drive through than dive in to your kitchen.
These easy steps will help you make meal planning easy so that you can get to the fun part of connecting with your family and not just the food!
Step 1:
Create a master list of meals for the month. Click here for a list of FREEBIES where you can find a shopping/inventory sheet to make your meal planning easy! Keep in mind your family schedule as you create meals for each day. Tuesdays and Thursdays tend to be less chaotic in our home, so I can plan a little more elaborate meal for those days. Now, some days, elaborate may mean that I just put a pat of butter on the green beans before serving, but usually it means that I can make something that might take a bit more time or preparation. The “What’s For Dinner?” Solution is a wonderful resource to create quick, easy, affordable meals.
Step 2:
Put each of the meals into categories for easy planning. A few that I use are Freezer meals – ones that I have on the freezer already, Slow Cooker meals – ones that I will need my crock pot for and create ahead of time, or LOOP meals – Left Over On Purpose. This might mean a turkey pot pie from the leftover turkey from the dinner the night before. Once you have the meals, you can organize what you need for each meal.
Step 3:
Create the calendar and make copies of it for the next couple months. Some things might change, but when you have a template to work from, it makes life a whole lot easier. After you use it, you can evaluate if the system is working.
Planning your meals ahead of time will help you feel more in control and less frazzled at dinner hour. Thinking ahead gives you the freedom to enjoy your day. To help you start planning right away, just subscribe to my blog right over there in the purple little post-it and get a free copy of The Ultimate Guide to Man Food. Easy Peasy!
by kathilipp | Jan 14, 2014 | Home |
It was another “Get Rid of It” week at the Lipp’s house. You can see our list below.
One of the challenges I was coming up with during the 2014 Things was keeping track of all the things I came across that I knew I didn’t need anymore. I needed a dedicated place to put those things (that also had easy access,) until I could count them and donate.
Finally, I cleaned out a small portion of our closet in the office and put a box in there lined with a large garbage bag. Every time I find something that I no longer need or want, it goes to the closet. Once the bag is full, I count the “things” and then put the bag in my car to donate.
If your “Donation Station” is out in the garage, or down in the basement, you are less likely to go and put those things away, keeping the clutter inside.
Put your “Donation Station” somewhere that you will see it everyday. Let it be a constant reminder to you and your family that you are getting rid of 2014 Things. (And then feel free to hide it when company comes over.)
SO that’s what you do with the things you are going to donate, but what if you’re selling some of your items to take that trip to Disneyland this summer? Or to help pay for home school supplies.
Here is the question posted by Deb Dyer: “Getting a slow start, but looking forward to the challenge. Really enjoyed your message today. Will take some items to Salvation Army. Would like to hear of places to sell some items. Not into eBay though. Do you have any other ideas? Really appreciate it.”
So tell me in the comments below how you are planning on earning some cash from your stash and you could win this week’s book: 
Last week’s winner was JULIE DONAHUE!!!
And here is a list of what the Lipps dashed from the house:
10 Pairs
of Pants
2 Coats
4 Shirts
2 Dog Collars
1 Box of Cat Pan Liners
I Box of Plug In’s
1 Umbrella
1 Doggy bag holder
1 Dog Seatbelt
I Deck of Cards
1 Leash
1 Pair of Dog Toe Nail Clippers
1 Cat Brush
1 Food Bowl
1 Keurig Coffee Cup holder (I had 2 – now I have zero)
1 Hole Punch
1 Link Brush
6 Hangers
1 Craftsman tool caddy *
1 Bottle of Japanese soda *
1 Casserole Dish *
For a total of 40 THINGS this week.
* These were items that my kids left at the house after Christmas – they are gone now so they count!!!
by kathilipp | Jan 13, 2014 | Home |
Why do you want to be organized?
As we embark on this quest for simplicity and the purging for The 2014 Things Challenge, it helps to remind ourselves of what our purpose is in each act of organization we have.
The true gift of organization is getting to live the life that you are designed to live. My favorite flower is the orange gerbera daisy. On the gerbera daisy, all the good stuff is at the top—that ridiculously not-of-this-world orange color and the intricate layering of petals that you don’t notice until you get right up close. In order for that daisy to bloom and bring me all that joy, it has to have a strong stem.
It’s the same with my life. I am created to do a lot of beautiful things—worship my God, love my husband, raise my kids, create a home, work at my job, love on friends, etc. But in order to do beautiful things, I have to have a strong base to support everything I want to do. {click to Tweet}
Each of us has a limited amount of Space, Time, Energy, and Money (STEM) that we need to balance in our life. So for this 2014 Challenge, as well as other areas of our lives, we’re going to make sure that our STEM is strong so that we can stay strong.
Space. Have you created space in your life that allows you to do all that you are supposed to be doing?
Time. Are you wasting time every day in a million little ways? Do you have buffer in your schedule or are you constantly having to compromise because of your lack of time?
Energy. Do you often repeat steps because you aren’t organized?
Money. How much money have you wasted because you’ve bought duplicates of something you can’t find?
By answering these vital questions, we can be on our way to creating a strong stem that will support the challenges and changes for this new year!
We are in this together and it is a struggle for me in different areas at different times. Which area do you feel you struggle with the most, in space, time, energy or money? Also this is your space as well, so tell me what you would like to see in future blog posts about these areas – Saving Money by Organizing? Reclaiming Space in your House. How to Organize when You Have No Energy? I would love to hear!
by kathilipp | Jan 9, 2014 | Home, Me |
Thanks Ask Anna
by kathilipp | Jan 7, 2014 | Home |
Week 1 The 2014 Things Challenge What Counts as Things?
Yes – we’ve survived the first week of The 2014 Things Challenge. Some of you have practically completed the challenge in the first week (this usually involves a huge garage clean out,) while most of you have had a week like mine – back to work and all that end of the year enthusiasm has gone the way of the wrapping paper and the New Year’s ham no one finished.
So I’ve had some questions about what count as Things in the Challenge. My goal is for you to feel significantly lighter January 2015 than you do now, so while the challenge is hard, it really is to make your life significantly better and show you progress along the way.
Here are some ideas on how to count your Things:
From Carol: Help! Serious question proposed by a friend wanting to take the challenge: how many pieces of paper count as “one thing“? Inquiring minds want to know!
Answer: I think that every “decision” is a THING. If it’s a magazine, it’s one. A folder? One. But ten pages with ten different decisions? Ten. Just don’t get into the trap of letting junk mail come into the house and then counting each of those as one. Have a way to stop junk mail from coming through the door.
Debbie: Is it just getting rid of stuff we don’t need, or is there more to it?
Answer: Yes – it’s getting rid of stuff you don’t need, but it’s also about getting rid of things that you are holding onto, “just in case” or “someday”. One of my big downfalls is book. I love ’em. And I love to reread certain books. But I have so many that may never be read for ten years, and in that time dozens of people could have read that one book. A lot of this challenge is being generous with what we have. Is it better for me to save $14.99 by keeping dozens of book, only one of which I eventually will reread, or by letting all those books go, and then having to buy that one book again. (Or borrow it from a friend or the library.) I’m allowing myself to keep a certain number of books that I love and have a history of diving into again, but will be giving away the rest on here so all of you can enjoy them.
Tammy: What about toiletries and cosmetics – do those count?
Answer: Yes – most of us have way too many shampoo bottles from hotels, lotions we don’t love, etc. Get rid of all of it and start fresh with those things you use and love. It will make getting ready in the morning a breeze.
So here is my list of what we donated, trashed and recycled this week. (If you need help keeping track, check out this post
.)
Donated
2 Sweaters
5 Jackets
8 Shirts
2 Leather Jackets
4 Glasses
4 Hotpads
1 Cheese Board
17 Hangers
Recycled
4 Plastic Bottles
Trashed
11 Dead Pens
Total 57 items (we’re keeping the cat…)
And your chance to win…
In the comments below, tell me what item has been the hardest for you to trash, recycle or donate so far. One of you will win Holly Gerth’s book You Were Made for God-sized Dreams. You must enter by the 9th. (Again, cat not included…)
by kathilipp | Jan 6, 2014 | Home, Uncategorized |
Over the weekend, Roger and I had my step-daughter, Amanda, and her boyfriend Shaun, over for dinner and a movie. Both these kids are over at our house on a pretty regular basis, so Amanda was understandably taken aback when she walked into our kitchen.
“Wow! It’s so clean!”
“Amanda!” Shaun was a little shocked at Amanda’s comment.
Amanda backpedaled just a bit, “No, I know it’s always clean,” (which, by the way, God bless her for thinking that…) “But it’s more, I don’t know, clear?”
I knew exactly what she meant. I’d spent the first part of our weekend taking a critical eye to the kitchen and why I didn’t like it anymore. And now, she was seeing the results.
I love a clear counter and an uncluttered kitchen. I’ve written about how to do just that in The Get Yourself Organized Project book. But over the past several months, our lives, and our kitchen, have taken a dramatic turn, and the cluttered counters were showing the results.
- We added a juicer. As I’ve recently had gastric sleeve surgery, I have to be careful to get as many vitamins into me as possible in as little food as possible. One of the things we’ve purchased is a Breville Juicer (like the one in the movie, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead). Now we are juicing away and Roger has become a real mix master making great combinations. But let’s be clear – that puppy takes up a fair amount of space on the kitchen counter.
- We’ve upgraded our blender. Roger and I spent a lot of time deciding between a Vitamix and Ninja blender. In our case, the Ninja won. (We have a trusted friend who swears by his, but I’ve heard equally great things about the Vitamix.) Since my whole goal in life seems to be getting enough protein, I now blend up fruit smoothies and add loads of protein powder to get what I need each day.
- We updated our rice cooker. Our last cooker was a wedding gift – from my first marriage. (20 years ago.) While it still cooked white rice like a champ, Roger and I now eat only brown rice and it would fail each time. Our new Aroma rice cooker rocks the brown rice every single time.
All of these appliances, along with our standing mixer, toaster oven, slow cooker, bread machine, knife block and coffee maker were cluttering up our counters and making it impossible to function in our kitchen. I got to the point where I started to dread cooking, and wanted to avoid the kitchen all together. I knew I needed to get ruthless in my kitchen declutter. Here are the things I did to get the “stuff” under control.
- Remember that your kitchen counter is your most valuable square footage in your home. No other area is used as much, and ever item on there needs to earn the right to stay.
- Under-mount whenever possible. Our microwave is mounded under our cabinets, and so are the CD player and paper towel rack. All of these save valuable inches of counter space.
- If you have a small kitchen, only keep what you use daily on the counters. The old wisdom is to keep what you use weekly, but if you want to have an easier time cooking and cleaning up, and space is at a premium, get ruthless. Now the only things on our counter are the coffee maker, coffee flavorings, the knife block, spices, and the toaster oven. Everything else is stored under the butcher block in the kitchen.
- Pitch what you don’t use. My friend Cheri has a few of these Presto Pizza Ovens. Cheri is a teacher at a sleep away school and she and her husband love to have the students over to make their own pizza nights. I was tempted to buy one because the seem so cool, but it would be another thing for me to store, move, and clean. Makes perfect sense for Cheri – not so for me. Get rid of all those appliances you used one and never saw the light of day again. The meat slicer, the George Foreman, the chocolate fountain. If you are going to keep your fondue pot for your annual New Year’s Eve “Fun-do” celebration, and space is valuable, store it outside of the kitchen with your turkey platter and Christmas dishes.
- Use what you have. I love my Keurig Coffee Maker that my kids all went together and got me for Mother’s Day a few years ago. As soon as I got it, I went out and got the accessories that went with it – including the holder for all the little coffee pods. While it was convenient to have all the pods sticking out where I could see them, I didn’t like how it looked in my kitchen. When I started to clear away my extras in the kitchen, I realized I had three beautiful canisters that I wasn’t using because they would have just taken up more space on the counter. I put all of my pods into the biggest canister, and got rid of the holder I didn’t like. Now when I walk into my kitchen, I only see things that I love. (Well, except that half of my appliances are stainless steel, and half are white – we’re in transition.)
Now that my kitchen is clutter-free, I actually don’t resist going in there to prep a meal or wipe down the counters. Since I have less stuff to move, I actually ENJOY cooking again. That is worth getting rid of every unused pasta maker on the planet.
I would love to hear in the comments below how you’ve simplified your kitchen – what have you gotten rid of, what have you simplified? What appliance have you learned to live without?
by kathilipp | Jan 1, 2014 | Home, Uncategorized |
So you’ve decided to do it. You are going to get rid of 2014 Things in 2014. Or maybe you’re feeling super desperate, and in addition to the 2014 Things, you are also getting rid of one thing for every thing you bring in.
I’ll be honest – I was shocked at the response to this challenge. I’m thrilled that so many of you are making living with less a priority in 2014. Welcome to the madness that is living lighter.
After posting the challenge the number one question I got was “How do I keep track?”
Well our team has been busy pulling together some forms for you to use to help you stay on track for the next twelve months. But if none of these forms are to your liking, feel free to use a notepad, the back of an envelope, any way that will make it easier for you.
2014 Things – For those of you taking on the big challenge of getting rid of 2014 Things in 2014, this is the tracker for you! You can either print it out, (PDF) or keep track on your computer (EXCEL). Either way, you’re a superstar because you’re getting rid of the things that are dragging you down. (If you are printing this out, consider doing it double sided as it’s 41 pages!)
In and Out – Maybe you just want to make sure you don’t accumulate more than you started with. Or you need to go hard core and not only get rid of 2014 Things, but make sure you don’t shop your way back to the same place at the start of 2015. Here is the In and Out Sheet – for everything you bring in, something else must go out. If you are doing both challenges, that’s called being All In. (Only do the All In option if your clutter makes you cry on a regular basis or you fantasize about leaving your house and starting over.)
The Super Geek – Created by my husband Roger – this is for the analytic in you. If you get a thrill with charts and graphs, this is the plan for you.
All of these can be downloaded on the 2014 Things Challenge Home Page.
We can do this!!!
