by kathilipp | Feb 25, 2016 | Blog, Clutter Free |
Today God slapped me upside the head and then gave me a kiss on the cheek as only He can do…
I was “grumbling and complaining” because the list of household stuff that I need to get done is just huge and there is nothing I hate more than stripping sheets and remaking the bed, and the WHOLE thing needed to be done. Down to the dust ruffle.
So there I was, “grumbling and complaining” when He started giving me pictures of the ministry that happens in this place:
It’s where God provides rest for me more nights than not.
It’s where I fall asleep on the shoulder of the man He has given me to demonstrate His love in a tangible way.
It’s where I’ve loved my kids, read His word, and recovered when I was sick.
This is going to sound silly, but I am now taking time to “dress” the bed.
Hanging the comforter to dry in the sun so it smells like only sun-dried cloth can. Fluffing the pillows, spraying the linens (and let’s be clear, by linens I’m talking Home Good specials, nothing fancy, but comfy), folding the quilts and making it as comfy as possible for me and my husband.
I ended up grateful to God for providing so richly, and valuing rest and connection so deeply.
And I prayed that when you laid your head down tonight, you would feel restored and cherished by the love of God.
A great way to keep each room in the house Clutter Free is with our 3 bag system. Get yours over at the Kathi Lipp store and declutter for a better night’s sleep.
by kathilipp | Feb 23, 2016 | Blog, Me, tips and ideas |
Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
~ Psalm 90:12 (NIV)
I’ve never really paid attention to Leap Days in the past. Oh sure, I’ve watched the Amy Adam’s movie. And when I was eight, I fantasized about asking David Cassidy to marry me, and him not being able to say no. (Oh, and I would have taken Shaun, in a pinch. I wasn’t fussy.)
And when I was younger, and in a job I hated, I resented the extra day of work. Couldn’t we just leave February with 28 days and be done with it?
But now, I’m looking at this extra day as a bonus. Oh sure, work still needs to be done and errands run, but there is something inside of me that longs to do something different: to take this bonus day and refuse to let it march by.
In sixth grade, our teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, had us write letters to our future, eighteen-year-old selves. I was so surprised to get that letter from my parents. It was full of hope and excitement from eleven-year-old me, and it served as a reminder at eighteen, when I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as I was making decisions about my future. I’d learned a lot, I had a lot of people in my life who loved me, and that I had a great capacity for hope.
So I’m going to recapture a little of that this Leap Day.
I’m going to send my future self a letter. My Leap Day 2020 (doesn’t that sound so futuristic, like we’ll all be flying around in cars that year?) self.
This will not be a list of goals that I should have accomplished, but a list of things that I’m learning. My hopes and my dreams.
Things I’m planning on including:
- Bible verses that are meaningful to me this year.
- The way I feel about my relationship with Roger.
- Why I’m proud of my kids.
- My thoughts about how I’m growing as a person, and where I hope to be in 2020.
- Who I hope I’m growing into.
No – it’s not a list of goals, but it is some ideals that I want to become. I know, that just by writing them down, I have a much greater chance of seeing them realized than if I just keep them in my head.
I don’t know how this is going to turn out. It could be a colossal waste of time. Or it could just turn out to be something pretty fantastic.
If this is something you want to try, head on over to https://www.futureme.org/ and write yourself a letter. And perhaps let your kids write one too. How fun would that be?
Give your future self something to look forward to.
Speaking of giving yourself something to look forward to…
Have you gotten a ticket to an upcoming Finally Clutter Free event yet? I’ll be in Merced, CA this weekend and Modesto, CA on March 5.
Get more information and links to get your tickets here.
by kathilipp | Feb 19, 2016 | Blog, Friday Favorites |
This article contains affiliate links.
Non-Obvious: How to Think Different, Curate Ideas, and Predict the Future
by Rohit Bhargava
If you are an idea person (and are fascinated with how people come up with ideas), you will love digging into this book. If you’ve been to one of my Finally Clutter Free events, you know that I talk a lot about living a “curated” life. And while that concept didn’t originate with this book, reading it helped me shape and define the practice.
Undone: a Story of Making Peace With an Unexpected Life
by Michele Cushatt
If you’ve ever known what it’s like to have a dream unravel, a hope or desire remain unfulfilled, regardless of how long and hard you’ve wished and prayed otherwise, then pull up a chair. You’re not alone. Beginning February 22, Michele is starting five weeks of “Undone Life Together,” unraveling the unexpected life, one question and conversation at a time.
Head on over to http://www.MicheleCushatt.com/ to sign up for this journey together.
Habit Stacking: 97 Small Life Changes That Take Five Minutes or Less
by S.J. Scott
I love this little book. Weighing in at less than 130 pages, this is a quick read that will introduce you to the concept of “habit stacking”: building habits on top of each other to create effective routines. I love it and refer back to it often.
Plenty: One Man, One Woman, and a Robust Year of Eating Locally
by Alisa Smith, J.B. Mackinnon
As much as I love fiction, give me a good memoir of people challenging themselves to be better any day. This is a lovely book about a couple who, while living in no-man’s-land, eat locally for a year. I enjoyed both of their writing styles, along with the creativity and ingenuity they employed to make a great life for themselves.
Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration
by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace
As you might guess, this was written by one of the founders of Pixar. I love the intentional ways that their team develops, well, teams and leads with excellence while still developing artists. If you want to get your creative juices flowing, this is the book you’ll want to read.
by kathilipp | Feb 18, 2016 | Blog, Clutter Free |
1. Get your bedroom clutter free
You knew I was going to say this, right?
You want to train your brain to associate your bedroom with rest, relaxation, and sleep – not work or household chores.
So not only do I want you to get rid of clutter in your room, but also the day to day chores that tend to pile up in there.
Put the laundry away. Take the work you brought home from the office back downstairs. Get the unpaid bills out of there. Clear out anything that has been stashed-and-dashed
Gather your decluttering supplies:
• 3 totes or boxes
• 2 bags (one for garbage, one for recycling)
• A timer
• (Optional) A chair or stool so you can work comfortably and reach what you need without moving.
Once you have your supplies, go through the Clutter Free steps:
Step One: Set up three boxes, a garbage bag and a recycle bag, and a timer. (You can use the one on your cell phone or your oven.) Mark one box as “Other Rooms” one as “Give Away” and one as “Put Back”. (Feel free to mark the bags, too!)
Step Two: Time Box by giving yourself 15 minutes on the timer.
Step Three: Space Box by picking one spot to clear out: a shelf, a drawer, a section of the counter. No more than you can realisticially pull out and put back in 15 minutes.
Step Four: Go through the area one item at a time, and use the three boxes to sort the contents.
Step Five: After 15 minutes, take 5 minutes to process your 3 boxes and 2 bags: take Other Room items to the other rooms, put Give Away items in the car for your next trip to the Goodwill, Put Back everything where it actually belongs in your bedroom, and stick the trash and recycling in their respective bins.
2. Calm Your Mind
We’ve all had nights where sleep is just a dream since our minds are pinging like a 1970’s pinball machine. Maybe you’re thinking of all you have to do – or all that you didn’t get done. Or maybe there is one special situation (usually one of the big four: Money, Marriage, Job or Kids) that is keeping you from getting the res that you need.
”A revved-up mind remains in a mild state of alertness even while you sleep, making you susceptible to nighttime awakenings,” says Michael Breus, PhD, author of Good Night: The Sleep Doctor’s 4-Week Program to Better Sleep and Better Health.
Find the time at night that is best for you to begin to calm your thoughts and:
• Read something light (non-electronic).
• Do some light stretching or go for a stroll.
• Write in your gratitude journal.
3. Avoid Bedtime Procrastination
Most of us are going to bed later than we want to (or our body needs to.) Maybe you get easily distracted by things that keep you from going to bed, or you are rushing to get those last few things done.
Researchers call this “bedtime procrastination.” Proactive ways to avoid it include:
• Setting a timer that turns off your electronics.
• Reminding yourself how doing one more thing can lead to another and derail you getting to sleep.
• Creating a before bed routine that takes exactly X number of minutes. Be sure to start it early enough so you have a little cushion.
4. Reduce Electronics
Cell phones and tablets are becoming more popular in the bedroom than television.
Dr. Breus cautions, “the light from electronic screens can trick your body into thinking it’s daytime and stop it from producing melatonin, the hormone that helps regulate sleep. News articles and games can also keep your mind very active, making it difficult to relax and fall asleep.”
To get a healthy night of sleep, instead of just “junk sleep”
• Experiment one or more evenings with no technology related electronics in your room and see if you sleep better.
• Turn off all TV’s, tablets and electronics one hour before bedtime.
• If you keep your phone in your room, move it away from your bed and place it facedown so it won’t light up your room.
5. Reflect on the trustworthiness of God
Do you find your mind becomes anxious when you think that you have to be in control of a situation? Has that ever kept you awake at night?
You can remind yourself that you God is trustworthy. Remind yourself that He is ultimately in control, not you.
• Put reminders on your phone throughout the day to remind you that you can trust God.
• If you find yourself awake during the night, you can remind yourself this by saying or thinking “God is trustworthy.
• Memorize and meditate on a Bible verse that reminds you that you can trust God. A few to start with:
Sleep doesn’t need to be the enemy. Learn to love sleep again by being intentional about respecting your mind and your body.
Want to learn more about living Clutter Free to not only sleep better but to live better? Check out Kathi’s Finally Clutter Free event calendar and get a ticket to an upcoming event. Or book one for your area. We have everything you need to create a great event that will bless the socks off the women in your community.
Learn More…
by kathilipp | Feb 11, 2016 | Blog, Clutter Free, Marriage, Me, Relationships |
Warning: February 14th can be a hard day for any woman not living inside the pages of a fiction novel or in an Anne Hathaway romcom.
We spend so much time here at Clutter Free talking about how to declutter your home, but we all know the truth:
Decluttering starts with our hearts and minds. When we can be focused and intentional about what emotions and thoughts we let in (and which ones we keep from taking up a chair and sitting down for a cup of coffee) it goes a long way to practicing peace.
And yes – emotions are at a high when bad things happen – a death, illness, financial trouble.
But I find that when the world tells us Valentine’s is “supposed” to be a great day — filled with flowers, poems, secret admirers, and declarations of undying love, well—that can set us up for disappointment in a way no crisis can.
This has been a struggle for me in the past.
- The friend who got 2 dozen roses delivered to work and my total haul was a card I got from a coworker.
- When I was going through my divorce and wondered if I would ever have someone to love me again.
- The time the guy I was dating broke up with me on February 13th. (True story.)
Following are five suggestions to help you begin de-cluttering your heart before Cupid’s arrow hits you between the eyes this Valentine’s Day.
1. Avoid the Comparison Trap – It’s easy to fall into the idea that Valentines’ Day “should” be a certain way. The best way to stop comparison is to disengage from social media, at least for this day. That way, you won’t be tempted to compare your situation with someone else.
2. Take the Air Out of the Holiday
Want a perfect recipe for disaster?
- Try to get a reservation on Valentine’s Day
- Pay a babysitter on Valentine’s Day
- Expect flowers on Valentine’s Day
Why not celebrate your love on a different day?
First, it lowers crazy expectations.
Second, it’s easier to find someone to help you take care of the kiddos.
Finally, you can actually get a reservation somewhere if you want to go to dinner. (Or do like we do, try a great, but cheap ethnic food place for Adventure Dining. All the romance, but my guy doesn’t have to wear a tie!)
Go for fun instead of tradition and make the holiday your own.
3. Practice Peace – Valentine’s Day can be fun, romantic, and yummy (if there’s chocolate involved), but it can also be stressful. Did I get the right card? What time is dinner again? Too many things to juggle and your joy can get zapped. Practice being mindful that God is peace. And since He lives in you, you have peace.
4. Celebrate Life Everyday – We can hype the idea that we are celebrating the day of love. But really? Are we? Showing loved ones love does not have to be on Valentine’s Day. You can show love and appreciation everyday. Celebrate the beauty of everyday joy and love.
And on this Valentine’s, instead of waiting for others to show their love, go out and create some. Bring some candy to the janitor at your kid’s school, take a balloon to your next door neighbor who lives alone, and spend some extra time snuggling your dog.
Don’t wait to be adored. Go out and create loving moments.
5. Practice Being Happy for Others – Someone else is going to have a nicer dress, a cooler card, and the bigger flower arrangement. Be happy for them. This may be exactly what they needed after a really rough time in their marriage or in their life. Practice having an inner attitude of positive feelings and thoughts about others.
If this a holiday that can be hurtful, don’t be hard on yourself. It is for a lot of women I speak to. But, don’t let bitterness ruin your day. Think on these verses that can put your day in perspective.
If you need a boost and a confidence builder for your Clutter Free lifestyle, Kickstart to Clutter Free is the 
perfect way to get started. In just 14 days, Kathi gives you simple steps in getting rid of 500 things. We’ve been hearing from people all over the country that are having great success with the Kickstart eCourse. Find out more here.
by kathilipp | Jan 8, 2016 | Blog, Clutter Free |
Too much clutter is a common problem in many families today, and it creates stress and conflict in our family relationships. It is important to remove the clutter from our homes and our lives so we can be freed up to be who God wants us to be.
Today, on Focus on the Family, Kathi encourages everyone to clear out the clutter as a way to start the New Year off right!
If you’re ready to kickstart the year, try Kickstart to Clutter Free, Kathi’s new ecourse!
