http://www.sparkleize.com Sat, 13 Feb 2010 22:01:00 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en To help prevent identity theft, shred anything that has your: birth date, signature, account number, password, or social security number And for Pete's sake, please shred all credit card applications! I recommend investing in a high quality, cross-cut (rather than vertical cut) shredder. Fellowes makes excellent shredders, and the Fellowes DM12Ct model is perfect for ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/02/13/what-to-shred-to-prevent-identify-theft/ Tsh Oxenreider of Simple Mom wrote wonderful post last week 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. Tsh says this can be done by (1) Being hyper-selective about your toy selections, (2) Making your ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/02/03/children-and-consumerism/ I believe that whatever each of us can do to encourage and participate in sharing and borrowing rather than buying and owning can go a long way toward repairing our society's unhealthy relationship with material possessions. To this end, I love the idea of NeighborGoods, a new site which hooks people ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/02/01/borrowing-instead-of-buying/ This blog post was inspired by a depressing ad I saw for the WonderHanger. (Warning! Do not click that link unless you want to be bombarded with loud announcer's voice and "special offer" pop-up messages). It is my hope to help convince those who might fall for the WonderHanger that you ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/01/24/the-secret-to-a-being-happier-with-your-wardrobe/ You're good about cleaning out your car now and then. Yet somehow it always seems to get messy again in no time. Wouldn't it be nice to actually be able to put groceries and luggage in your trunk without being hindered by all that other junk? Maintaining order in your car ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/01/20/how-to-maintain-order-in-your-car/ I'm no expert by any means, but people ask me for advice about compulsive hoarding all the time. Through Internet research and exchanging experiences with others in the professional organizing community, I have compiled the following resources that may be helpful. Compulsive hoarding syndrome (also known as hoarding disease) is a ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2010/01/18/help-for-family-and-friends-of-compulsive-hoarders/ Clearing out the attic or garage, and thinking about selling your unwanted items online? Here's some advice from my experience about items that tend to sell best (i.e., quickly and easily) on Craigslist: Furniture Sporting goods and camping gear Small kitchen appliances Musical instruments Lawn equipment Pet-related items Automobiles Electronics can sell well, but it really depends on ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2009/09/24/stuff-that-sells-best-on-craigslist/ Yes, I know there are many ways to stop forgetting birthdays, but the following is one I recommend. First of all, I hope you use an online calendar like Google Calendar. Someday soon I'm going to post about all the benefits of using Google Calendar, only one of which is to ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2009/09/10/how-to-stop-forgetting-peoples-birthdays/ Between the past week of rain (read: mud), the all-around wear and tear caused by our two big dogs, and a ton of brown leaves and "gumballs" from our sweet gum trees, the back yard looks pretty bad right now. And for weeks I've totally been procrastinating about doing the necessary ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2009/03/19/spring-cleaning-the-yard-part-1/ Sensational organizing shows on TV and magazines like RealSimple and Martha Stewart Living can make us set expectations for ourselves way too high. We get discouraged because we can't seem to make our homes look that amazing and be that perfectly organized. Organized chaos In reality, I believe it is absolutely okay ... http://www.sparkleize.com/2009/03/14/living-with-organized-chaos/