The box sports a padded seat, so it’s actually something you’d want to sit on. The wood smells nice and the box holds a LOT of stuff. I put the following in mine:

• the blanket I use to protect the backseat when the dogs ride in the car;
• picnic mat;
• biking stuff, including helmet, gloves, chain lubricant, lock and tire pump;
• running stuff, including reflective vest, fuel belt and energy gel;
• car stuff, including ice scraper, wheel cleaner, chamois, paper towels and spray bottle of vinegar.

Thanks to the storage bench, the front porch looks uncluttered and inviting.

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

When it comes to accessories, manuals and packaging, most folks are paralyzed with decisions. Will I need this? What should I keep? So they don’t take action and instead find themselves drowning in it.

My advice:

Unpack it right away. Open the box and take all the stuff out.

Break down the box. Unless you plan to return the item, there is no need to keep the box your gadget arrived in. Break it down (I keep a box cutter handy for this purpose) and put it in your recycling bin right away. This act takes less than 2 minutes and saves a ton of space. If you absolutely must keep the box, move it to the attic/basement/garage so it doesn’t clutter your office.

File the instruction manual in a folder in your file cabinet labeled “Instruction Manuals”. Makes it a cinch to find again when you need it!

Bundle up the cords. Loose cords are tangly and confusing. I recommend gently coiling them up and rubberbanding them. You can also try ties or twists. 

Optional bonus task: Label the cord. This can be accompished easily with a medium or large size sticky note. First, write your label on half of the sticky note (e.g., “Travel power charger for cell phone”).  Now fold the sticky note over the cord so the sticky parts of the note seal together and the written label is visible. Reinforce with clear tape if needed. You’ll never again wonder what those cords are for!

Store the accessories efficiently. It’s unlikely you’ll need all of those cords, disks, adapters, etc., but it’s nice to have them around if/when you do. I put mine in a plastic storage tub clearly labeled “Computer Accessories”, which I store in the most accessible part of the attic. The Clutter Coach advises bagging computer and gadget accessories (including manuals and disks) in gallon-size Ziplock bags and “filing” them in your file cabinet.

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

1. First take everything out - use this time to actually wipe down the medicine cabinet interior. Plus you’ll finish the job all at once if everything is out.

2. Get rid of totally obvious stuff like expired meds, then locate the not so obvious. By not so obvious, I mean check out each container and make sure nothing has gone bad. No funny colors or smells, no cracked bottles, no liquids separating. Toss anything odd.

3. Recycle or safely toss your containers and the medication in them. To learn more read, How To Recycle Prescription Bottles.

4. Move all your medicines, cosmetics, and other items back where they go, and give your child safety latches a once over (if you have kids).

To this, I would also add:

• Sort through your medicine cabinet at least twice per year.
• Consider moving prescription medicines to the kitchen or other location, as the heat and humidity of bathrooms can affect the potency of the drugs.
• While you’re at it, check your home first aid supplies to make sure they’re stocked and ready for you and your family. I keep these first aid supplies in a box labeled “First Aid” in the hallway closet.

Have additional thoughts or ideas to share? Leave a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know.

This is definitely the most convenient way to get coffee, and it does actually save us money. The normal Amazon price for a 3-pack of Altura is $21.65, but when you use the Amazon’s Subscribe & Save feature, you get it for $18.40. Compare this to the price of organic ground coffee at Costco, which even in bulk is $.30 more expensive per ounce.

But something I wonder about is the environmental impact of ordering groceries online.

One environmental factor in our coffee purchase is the energy that went into developing the packaging (3 metal cans and a cardboard box from Amazon vs. 1 plastic pouch at Costco), and another factor is the carbon emissions (airplane and UPS truck for Amazon shipment vs. plane and truck to the warehouse and then me driving to Costco).

Anyone else have thoughts on ordering groceries online?

What I did:

According to Susan, acknowledging your procrastination and telling someone about it are the first steps. First, I told my husband Clinton today that I had been procrastinating on writing out the major scales for my violin teacher.

Next, I tried to break down the process a bit. I managed to print out the blank music paper. Hey, baby steps, right?

Then, per Susan’s advice, I asked Clinton to hold me accountable for this task. Today by 4:30 PM, I need to write out seven scales and show them to him.

Finally, I was to come up with either a prize or punishment for the outcome. As my “prize” for writing out the scales, I get to watch as many episodes of the X-Files tonight as my little brain can handle.

Now if I can just stop blogging and get started…

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

Crystal says, here are the Five Holy Organizing Principles:

1. Do not buy stuff you don’t need. If you won’t be using something immediately or in the very near future, chances are you shouldn’t be buying it. And sales are a death trap. The moment you start using words like, “Someday that could come in handy for something”, you enter clutter danger zone.

2. Politely say no to freebies. Just because it is free does not mean you need it in your house. Remember that getting rid of something is 10 times harder than acquiring it!

3. Purge your possessions frequently. Regularly look through your drawers, closets and attics for gift-giving, donating and yard sale opportunities. All those baskets, vases, self-help books, blank journals etc. that you never seem to get around to using? They will make great presents for your friends! Also check out Crystal’s Garage Sale Guide for help in planning your next sale.

4. Do two things when unpacking any new household item (blender, printer, stereo, etc): (1) File the instruction manual in a folder in your file cabinet labeled “Instruction manuals”. This makes it a cinch to find the instructions again when you need them. (2) Unless you need to return the item, break down the cardboard box (keep a box cutter handy for this purpose) and then put it in your recycling bin right away.

5. Don’t touch things more than once! By this, I mean if it belongs in the trash, put it there now. Don’t set it down so that you can later forget what you intended to do with it in the first place. This is how clutter accumulates! If it needs to be shredded, shred it now. If it needs to be put back in the closet, put it back now. As a rule of thumb, anything that can be done in < 1 minute should not be deferred to a later time! A small investment now yields huge return for peace, order and productivity later.

Have more ideas to share? Post a comment or write to Crystal and let her know!

I’d like to go so far as to say that organizing requires no money at all.

TV shows like Real Simple and Web sites such as Simplify 101 offer helpful organizing advice, but they tend to prey upon disorganized people by appealing to a typical false belief: that people can be more organized if only they buy the perfect binder, bag or bin.

Living in an organized way is about having simple and effective habits, not the newest gadgets.

In my experience, the typical person already has in his/her home everything he/she needs to accommodate all of their possessions and live in a happy, organized, productive manner. All that is required is a dose of inspiration, a bit of motivation, and the desire to change a few simple habits.

Have additional thoughts or ideas to share? Leave a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know.

“So much of [people's] time and resources goes into our stuff, to organize, dust, clean, [and] fix it. When you choose to have less, the things you do have become more special, and you can focus on what’s more important.”

Well said, Rachel.

Have additional thoughts or ideas to share? Leave a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know.

Not sure if a particular organizer is right for you? Check them out on Angie’s List, a Web site where you’ll find unbiased reports and reviews about service companies in your area.

If you have thoughts on this or other ideas, please post a comment, or write to Crystal and let her know!