Home Wrecker

I’ve got a problem with a home wrecker.

No – it’s not “the other woman” (that was last year) – the home wrecker I’m talking about is clutter. I’ve been writing here about my extra thirty minutes a day… such a great concept. However, spending those thirty minutes on uncluttering my home and life has turned out to be quite an endeavor.

In the middle of my clutter-clearing, a light bulb went out (literally). So off to the health food store I went to restock my supply of full-spectrum light bulbs. You can find them at a discount at AllergyBuyersClub.com. Then I got up on a rickety old ladder (note to self: invest in a quality ladder from Home Depot!) to change the bulb. Somehow I dropped the tiny cap that screws the light fixture in place. This led to yet another clearing out everything in sight until I could find that one little cap amidst a mountain of paperwork, books and clothing.

If I were the alone in my clutter troubles, I would feel really bad. But that fact that a search on Amazon.com reveals dozens of books about clutter leads me to think that there are lots of people in the same messy boat. Americans have too much stuff! I was stunned to find out that one in 11 households use personal storage for extra things – that’s almost two billion square feet of storage!

If you find yourself up to your ears in stuff, start here with some free helpful hints. Once you fill some boxes or bags with the things you no longer need, check out Charity Navigator to find the best way to give those items to people who can use them.

I’ll be writing more about decluttering in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, I’ve got to get back to cleaning my cupboards.

Until next time,

Conna

Thirty Minutes a Day

Since last week’s blog about skipping the nightly news, I’ve been giving even more thought to what to do with my “extra” 30 minutes each day.

Frankly, once I started getting organized I realized that a whole bunch of those 30-minute time periods are already booked. That’s the thing about getting organized: for a while it throws your whole world into a tailspin.

First, I came across more than one letter than required a response… which led organizing all of my stationery, thank-you cards and those little half-used books of stamps. Then I found two Christmas gifts that I’d made by hand but not yet sent! (Yes, I realize this is February.) With every little stack of paperwork there was some new assignment: pay that bill, write that note, shred those silly credit card offers. I began to get discouraged, but then reminded myself that there is a finite number of pieces of paper in this apartment of mine – all I have to do is take on a few at a time.

Soon I’ll be happily organized. In fact, without having to search for my keys every morning I’ll have even more free time! People say that “time is money” and I get that concept; I think time is more than money: it’s the space to create our lives.

So, what to do with more time? First, I decided to learn something new. This is not rocket science, I realize, but until yesterday I did not know how to boil an egg. I cook every day but because I was vegan for so many years, eggs weren’t part of the picture. Now that I’m a “recovering vegan,” I bought some eggs and brought them home and realized I did not now how to boil an egg. Thank goodness for the Internet (I was too embarrassed to call my mom and ask for advice on this one!).

I found Cooks.com and voila! there I found a very detailed lesson on how to boil an egg.

Next on my list of 30-minute things to do is organize my craft area (now a craft avalanche). I found some cool organizers at Joann.com.

After all of this organizing, I’m going to treat myself to some “free” time. Maybe I’ll go out for a long walk, catch a movie or meet a friend for coffee. When I get home, instead of turning on the news I’ll take a deep breath and enjoy the fact that I can see my floors again!

Until next time,

Conna

No News is Good News

I’ve stopped watching the news, and man does it feel good!

I wish that I could say my reasons were philosophical – or maybe political – but my news moratorium came about almost by chance. First, my favorite nightly news program changed its introductory music. Tuning in just wasn’t the same without that “dun dun dun-da!” introduction. I tried a different channel but its news was just one long advertisement for its website (besides, I’m not big on perky newscasters).

At first I skipped just a few nights, then I took on a huge writing project and found that I could use that extra thirty minutes each evening. Then, while I was writing a column about preparing for tax time, I realized how extraordinarily unorganized all my paperwork was, so I decided to use my extra half hour each evening to get my act together (in terms of paperwork, at least).

I don’t miss the news one bit. My sense is that if there is something I really need to know, I’ll hear about it. In the meantime, I know that things are bad in many parts of the world; I realize that public schools are failing; I’m pretty sure that the price of gas will continue to fluctuate on a weekly basis (thank goodness I drive a Zipcar); and the weather… well, as I’ve written here before, there’s a lot of weather out there. On the good news side: scientists will continue to make breakthroughs; people will commit amazingly kind and generous acts; the underdog will sometimes win; and the weather will get better.

Thirty minutes a day adds up to almost 200 hours per year. Wow! I could finish my book, learn a language, or take 365 two-mile walks. I like all this newfound time, and I’ve noticed I’m less stressed, to boot.

What would you do with 30 extra minutes every day? I have some suggestions. First, call your mom. That’s a great way to spend time and moms have a way (at least mine does) of putting a good spin on whatever is going on in life. Next, it might be time to plan a dinner party (starting at 6:30 p.m. when you are not watching the news). Check out the deals at Sur La Table (love those red plates!). If you need a little help in the cooking department, you can always order from AKA Gourmet. But if you’d prefer a cookbook to assist you in cooking on your own, Amazon.com has everything from Betty Crocker to The Hip Chick’s Guide to Macrobiotics (and yes, my friends, I do have that one).

I’ll be writing more about how to enjoy an extra 30 minutes a day. In the meantime, enjoy your dinner party!

Until next time,

Conna

Valentine’s Day Countdown

These days, I’m not big on Valentine’s Day. The last time I received a box of Godiva chocolates I threw them out a window. (Note to guys: don’t give a girl a box of chocolates and then ask her to take them home immediately so no one “else” sees them at your house.)

I guess I’m just not a romantic. Personally, I think Valentine’s Day and April Fool’s Day should be combined. Now that would be a holiday! I could send cards like this one.

I would send flowers to people I don’t like with a note: “Just kidding!” I would make a dinner date at a fancy restaurant and show up in a sweatshirt and shorts. I’d send a “You’re my one and only love, forever” email and list ten different recipients in to “To” line.

But for the rest of you, who understand the historical significance of St. Valentine, and who maybe even like the holiday, there’s plenty of time to buy a serious gift for the current love of your life.

Even I wouldn’t throw diamonds out the window. If you are looking for beautiful jewelry, check out Ross-Simons. The site features gorgeous estate jewelry, and for the budget-conscious there’s even a clearance section. (Use your savings to take your special someone out to dinner.)

Flowers are always a big hit. Don’t limit your flower sending to the girl you’d like to date – send a bouquet to Mom this year or to your dearest friend. If you don’t have any friends, send a bouquet to yourself (anonymously, of course) at the office and let the whispers begin!

For the super-hip, I recommend Circuit City. Do you want give your Valentine something to sing about? Order an MP3 player today and you’ll plenty of time to load it with love songs. You can get 25 free music downloads here, just for trying out EMusic.com. That’s so cool I might have to find myself a Valentine.

Until next time,

Conna