Quote of the Month
Fri Fav – 5 Essential Items for Your Office
As someone who is constantly working to keep on clutter, I have to say that office supplies and kitchen gadgets are my Clutter Free Kryptonite.
So giving other decluttering warriors a list of office supplies to get is a bit like publishing the Girl Scout Cookie menu at a Weight Watcher’s meeting.
But, as you know, I’m not about living an austere minimalist life. I’m all about having the tools you need to get the stuff done in life that you are designed to do. So with that in mind, here is my list of must haves for your home office (but do yourself a favor and stay out of the accessory aisle at Office Max. That just leads to regret and despair the next day.)
- Colored Stapler
I got this idea from Cheri Gregory, a long-time teacher who has a red stapler in her classroom, so whenever a student is looking for the stapler, all Cheri has to do is say “Look for the red!”
I of course, do not have a red stapler (because as a redhead, I’ve had a life-long aversion to red and pink…) so my stapler is aqua blue and it makes me happy every time I see it. And office
supplies that make you happy, are a must.
- Wireless Headset for Phone
“How cute…” you think to yourself. “She still uses a real phone – just like Carol on the Brady Bunch…” Yes- I still use a real, wired into the wall, phone. (I do radio interviews, and they insist on having a land line.) But, I also have a wireless headset so that I can walk around, clean my desk, take notes on my computer, do laundry, and pretty much, keep being awesome while I’m talking on that phone.
- Coffee Warmer
My coffee warmer is responsible for most of my great ideas. I love this low-tech gadget because it keeps me supplied in warm coffee, without having to go up and down to the microwave ever fifteen minutes. (And you know that every time you get up from your thinking place, the potential of losing a brilliant idea triples.)
- Amazon Echo
This is like having a personal assistant at your desk. I love my Echo (her name is Alexa,) because she is just sitting there, waiting for me to tell her what to do (that’s the dream, right?)
The list of what I use Alexa for keeps growing:
• Creating shopping lists (“Hey Alexa, add cat food to my shopping list.”)
• Adding items to my to-do list (“Hey Alexa, add go to dry-cleaners to my to-do list.”)
• Playing music
• Checking the weather
• Setting a timer for 15 minutes to focus my time
• Setting a reminder
• Reordering things on Amazon
If you’re not familiar with the Echo, check it out on Amazon!
- Wall Calendar
Yes- I have a perfectly good calendar on my computer. Why would I need one on my wall? It’s all about saying no.When I have a visual reminder of what my month – and next month – already look like time-wise, it helps me to not over-commit my time and energy. Plus, it’s a great reminder to pray for my upcoming work and projects.
Because of my color-coding, I can quickly see when I’m working too much, when I’m not spending enough tie with Roger, and more. It helps me insure that my life is in balance every single day of my busy month.
So what are your office must haves? Tell me in the comments below so I can test-drive a few and report back in a later blog post.
Fri Fav – 5 Blogs You Should Be Reading
This March, we are all about taking your office to the next level. In addition to your space, I want you to upgrade your mind. Here are five of my favorite blogs for taking care of business. Subscribe, you’ll be glad you did.
- http://gettingthingsdone.com/gtd-times/ I am a huge fan of the GTD (Getting Things Done) system and David Allen (and have been for years). It has helped me stay focused, more productive, and keep a tight lid on my clutter. It is an overhaul to apply his principles, but when you do, your life will become a lot more focused, quickly.
- http://moneysavingmom.com/ Let me be straight up with you – Crystal is one of my favorite people on the planet, I would promote her making a box of Mac and Cheese. But Crystal has one of the best business minds I’ve ever encountered, and if you are in business, launching a business or thinking of starting a business, you need to follow what she is doing.
- http://michaelhyatt.com/ Michael is all about using the time you have well. He is smart and focused and his blog posts give you the practical application that you need in order to make a real difference in your day (and your business.) Oh- and listen to his podcast because Michele Cushatt is the cohost and she ROCKS.
- http://dynamiccommunicators.com/ You will never be bored listening to, or reading, Ken Davis. What I love about what Ken does is he is all about communication and making it as effective as possible. If communication is a part of your business, this is a blog to read.
- http://chadwickcannon.com/ Aspiring authors – Chad is the one to read. He has had great success in launching books and now is sharing that knowledge with the world. If you are an author, this is definitely a blog you want to get on your rotation.
Are You Prepared to Be Blessed?
I admit, consistency is not one of my “gifts”.
For most of my life, every week I had a new, “better” place to keep my keys. (Sadly, I was never, ever, able to find my keys, so the test of “better” could never really be proven.)
I used to consider myself free-spirited. But as I’ve gotten a little bit older (and hopefully, the teensiest bit wiser), I’ve seen that “free-spirited” is really the self-indulgent way of saying “flaky”. I do some random things and hope they work out in the end.
And when it comes to finding my keys, well, that has some built in consequences when I’m being free-spirited.
But when it comes to real life? Sometimes those consequences take a little longer to show up.
As I’ve looked at people who I want to be like when I grow up – the ones who are spiritually mature – the ones who as doing what they know God has called them to, one of the traits that I see over and over again is consistency.
Recently, I had a budding author ask me to share the inside secrets of becoming a published author. (I get this question all the time: “How do I get published?”) But she, and most other people, don’t like the answer.
“By writing every day, going to writers conferences, and learning everything you can about the business. “
She didn’t have time for that. She wants to be published this year.
Sigh.
That is what led me to share this post on my personal Facebook page. About the people who show up. Consistently, every day.
Are you ready to receive all that God has for you?
No. Really?
I believe that one of the most overlooked and under-appreciated traits of people who are doing big things in this world on behalf of God is faithfulness.
Those who show up every single day, not knowing if they are going to succeed or not, but knowing that they are doing the right thing.
The people who work hard at building up what God has called them to, but also recognize that building into other people, every single day, has eternal rewards we may never recognize here on earth.
I’ve seen it happen again and again. We think we are ready for the next big step, that we will just “catch up” when big things happen. But we need to be preparing and building in advance every, single day for what God wants us to do in the future.
By being in His word so when the big things come, we have the wisdom to know what to do with them.
By being grateful to Him for the small victories, so when the big things come, we don’t forget who those victories belong to.
By practicing faithfulness in the small things so that when the big things come, we don’t forget who we are being faithful to.
By investing in others, so when the big things come, we don’t forget whose family invested in us.
There is no shortcut to faithfulness, which is what leads to wisdom. It needs to be practiced in the “little things” times, so that when the “big things” come, wisdom is second nature.
God has big things for you.
Are you ready?
If you’ve been waiting to get Praying God’s Word for Your Husband, the ebook version is only $.99 through March 5. You can get it on your Kindle, Nook, etc. Get it on Amazon here http://ow.ly/EbeVd.
What People Think
“Thank you Kathi Lipp for writing what women think and feel. Before this book I thought I was praying for my husband but I wasn’t. Praying the Word of God is the best and only way to truly pray. There is nothing like inserting my husband’s name and my name in those verses. Thank you! thank! you thank you!” – Chance Perard, Amazon Reviewer
How to Create More Storage in Your Bedroom
WE are a nation obsessed with storage.
We love to have systems, solutions, tricks and tips on how to keep ALL. THE. THINGS.
So before you do any of the suggestions below, my first reminder is that you can’t organize clutter.
Yes, you can go to the Container Store (I mean, why wouldn’t you? Their store is a little bit of heaven here on earth…) and buy all the bins, sorters, holders and hampers. But if you are using those to contain clutter, they will all just blow up in your face at some point.
So get your bedroom down to those things that you
- Love
- Use
- Would buy again
And once you’ve culled your room of clutter, now it’s time to make that space work as hard as you do!
Dresser
- Baskets or small containers to hold misc. similar things (When I had longer hair, I had a basket with ponytail holders, barrettes, etc.)
- Lazy Susan for makeup, brushes, etc.
- Small tray to put bottles, etc. on. (Makes cleaning easier, just remove the tray)
- Drawers – Organizers
- Can be small boxes, etc.
Back of door hangers
- With plastic pockets for small items (makeup, jewelry, scarves, socks, slippers, etc.)
- Hooks for clothes you wear routinely (use these for PJ’s, robe, etc.)
Under the bed
- Storage boxes – plastic, cardboard. I prefer plastic see-through (great for out of season clothes, linens, etc.)
- Under bed drawers
- Extra linens
Closet
- Shelves above clothes
- Shelves below clothes for shoes
- Two poles for two levels of clothes (not smart if you want to store shoes underneath clothes or if you have animals that will rub against the clothes on the bottom – learned from experience.)
- Hanging organizers that have a cubicle for each day of the week. (Get organized on your prep day with all the extra’s for each day of the week, including shoes, jewelry, scarves, socks or nylons, slips, etc.)
Misc.
- Baskets
- Large for Dirty clothes
- Square for books, magazines or various reading material.
- Various sizes for miscellaneous items ( I know they probably have a home somewhere, but putting them in a basket and unloading when full is better than tossing on the floor or over a chair)
- Bed Buddy – cloth organizer that hangs along the side of your bed between the mattress and springs or frame.
- Perfect for keeping phone, flashlight or booklight, a small book, kindle, pens and paper (for those big ideas you get in middle of night) lotions, etc.
- Add a square ottoman that is hollow for storage. Use it to sit on when putting on socks or buckle shoes.) Keep an extra blanket inside, or other essential you may need within easy reach. Kids can keep video games, remote, in their rooms.
If you’ve been waiting to get Praying God’s Word for Your Husband, the ebook version is only $.99 through March 5. You can get it on your Kindle, Nook, etc. Get it on Amazon here http://ow.ly/EbeVd.
What People Think
“Thank you Kathi Lipp for writing what women think and feel. Before this book I thought I was praying for my husband but I wasn’t. Praying the Word of God is the best and only way to truly pray. There is nothing like inserting my husband’s name and my name in those verses. Thank you! thank! you thank you!”
– Chance Perard, Amazon Reviewer
Today’s To-Do List
When it comes to your home, peace is possible…
Kickstart to Clutter Free
Clutter Free Book
