Crystal Struggling with paperwork and filing? Check out this handy 1-page reference document, “What Paperwork to Keep and For How Long?” Thoughts on this? Other ideas? Post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!
Right now we live in an old rental house, and we inherited from the prior tenants several nasty, clogged drains. These were slow to drain water and emitted foul odors. That is, until I unclogged and freshened them! This is a process that takes only 10 minutes but feels incredibly satisfying. No complicated gadgets, toxic chemicals … Read moreUnclog and freshen your sink drains
Simple Mom wrote wonderful post called 9 Ways to Encourage Your Kids to Live Simply. I love the idea of our responsibility to pass on an attitude of simplicity to the next generation. The author says this can be done by (1) Being hyper-selective about your toy selections, (2) Making your own toys, (3) Rotating those toys, (4) Letting … Read moreChildren and consumerism
Sparkleize encourages sensible, sustainable Gift Baskets for Women buying that won’t lead to bulging closets and clogged attics. Some favorite clutter-free gift ideas: One-year gift membership to Consumer Reports or Angie’s List. Both are useful and promote responsible consumer choices – gifts which keep on giving! Donate to a charity in honor of someone. So many hard-working organizations need your money way … Read moreGuide to clutter-free gift giving
Sparkleize recommends organizing your clothing closet twice yearly. Haven’t done it in a while? Set a date to organize your closet this month! I’ve just narrowed down my own closet to only high quality pieces that serve me well on a regular basis. I use two criteria for knowing whether to keep something: (1) I … Read more10 tips for organizing your closet
Why shop locally? By choosing to shop at locally-owned, independent stores rather than chain stores and large national corporations, we are directly helping to grow our local economy and enrich our community. More great reasons to shop locally can be found in this article: “Why I Try Really Hard to Shop Locally”. You can also read up … Read moreGuide to Shopping Locally in Durham
I ordered an inexpensive hand-crafted wooden jewelry rack from Etsy. It was easy to mount on the wall, and in 10 minutes I went from a tangly jewelry mess to a neat display. Have additional thoughts or ideas to share? Leave a comment, or write … Read moreEasy jewelry organization
You’ve put off cleaning, and the dinner guests will be here in less than an hour! Don’t panic. Here’s what to do to give your house an instant face lift: Clear the clutter (10 minutes). Grab hold of a laundry basket and “swoop” energetically around the house for 5 minutes, picking up everything that doesn’t … Read moreWhat to do before the dinner guests arrive
Summer is upon us down here in North Carolina – 90 degrees in the shade of the oak tree and the air as sticky as a pecan pie! If you’re like us, it’s awfully tempting to crank that thermostat down and feel the icy air of modern technology. Problem is, this can get expensive. I’ve … Read moreKeeping cool for less
Making key copies takes just one quick trip to the hardware store and could save you a ton of problems down the road. (This I can tell you from experience!) Make at least two copies of your house key and one of each of your car keys. Any hardware store should be able to do … Read moreA “key” to saving you hours of hassle!