Get Organized!

At this moment I am in the process of redefining the way I live.  This is the time to make changes.  For a start I am leaving Dallas, placing distance between myself and my much loved friends and family and moving to Europe to start a new page in my life.

I have disposed of my house and my furniture although I am still left with a container full of "things dear to me".

You're rushing to prepare for the holidays and year-end festivities.   If you haven't had time to complete, plan and execute your year-end giving strategy - not to worry - you have until the stroke of midnight December 31 to have your gift count for a tax credit in 2010. 

If you're super organized and there's a place in your home for everything and everything is in its place, then this article is not for you. If however, you struggle with keeping your home organized, as I do, and some days it seems that the paperwork in your office has spawned new generations of paperwork overnight, then my trick for attacking clutter may help you.

Kermit had a hard time being green, but we don't have to struggle. Even a frog can make a few changes to reduce waste and improve the planet.

Spring has finally arrived and the hot days of summer are just around the corner. Now is the time to address some key maintenance items around your house to get everything in proper working order and to minimize your energy and water needs.

1. Know what you have:

Clean out your closet before you go shopping. Give away, throw away or contribute anything that doesn't fit, flatter or feel right.

Sometimes it seems we spend forever in our closets staring at possible outfits. A new study reveals that, in fact, we squander almost a year of our lives deciding what to wear. From 14 minutes on weekends to 20 minutes before a big night out, that's a lot of wasted time. We try at least two outfits on average each morning before work. Wouldn't you rather have a leisurely latte?

In high school and college I turned in my papers on time. I counseled families with developmentally delayed children on how to 'catch up,' worked as an event planner for years hitting dates on the calendar with an assassin's accuracy, and balanced my work in addition to the schedules of two teenagers like a Swiss Army overseeing watch assembly. But, to give advice on time management and organization is to invite gasps of laughter from everyone who knows me well.

It’s the New Year and it's time for a New You. This You is making some changes.  The kitchen is a good place to start: things pile up there when you're not looking. I’ve always wished I had the powers of Samantha on Bewitched – twitch my nose and poof - everything in perfect order! 

Harriet helps Carol makeover her closet. Watch the video

With five simple, everyday products, you can have your home and all its contents gleaming. In his book, Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing, Michael De Jong makes a compelling case for tossing out all those expensive, caustic cleaners you have under the sink.