Tips and Tricks: February 2015

Quote of the Month
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.”
Gandi

If you think you’d be happier in a more decluttered environment or with better systems to manage your time and space…..if you say that you’re going to get your act together this week/this month/this year…..then NOW is the time to do what it takes to make it happen. That is the recipe for Happiness!

A great big “WELCOME!” to all of our new subscribers this month. Thanks for joining us – it’s really great to have you with us.

We did it again!
Only 10% of Constant Contact subscribers earn this award – it represents those companies who have “demonstrated exemplary engagement with their audience.” Thank you for being a loyal reader of Aim 4 Order’s Tips & Tricks. It warms my heart.

REFUSE – the first of 5 R’s

I had the pleasure of hearing Bea Johnson, author of Zero Waste Home, on a recent conference call and was moved to buy the book. It’s an entertaining read and I definitely perked up when I heard her first recommendation in striving toward Zero Waste is to REFUSE items that come into your home.

Items to REFUSE include:

Junk Mail –
Go to DMAchoice.com to stop direct mail.
Go to OptOutPrescreen.com to stop credit card and insurance offers.
Go to CatalogChoice.org to cancel catalogs.

If you don’t want to deal with this yourself, go to 41pounds.org or CatalogChoice.org and they can handle it for a fee.

Freebies
Refuse hotel toiletries, party favors, bags, brochures, free samples – the accumulation of this stuff leads to clutter, storage and disposal costs.
Single use Plastics
Refuse disposable plastic bags, bottles, cups, lids, straws and flatware. With a little planning, you can replace the single use plastics with reusable products.
Unsustainable Practices
Refuse printed receipts (many places now offer to email them), individually wrapped single servings (huge amount of waste), business cards you have no intention of referencing, printed directories from schools which can be made into digital directories to save waste.
I’d like to make it clear that I am NOT a Zero Waste Homeowner. Not even close. However, this book has definitely started to influence me. I now feel guilty every time I put my son’s pretzels in a ziploc baggie and every time I rip off another paper towel. On a positive note, in the past few years, we have stopped buying bottled water, we rarely use paper plates and cups now, and we compost all of our food scraps (except for smelly banana peels). Will we win a Green Award like Bea Johnson?? Not in this lifetime…but as I always say, “Progress, not perfection.”

(and in case you’re dying to know what the 5 R’s are – they are Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rot). Below is our example of Rot.

This is our family’s compost bin and it sits on the counter, with the cover closed. I’m in charge of filling it – my husband and son are in charge of burying it. Bea Johnson, author of the book, says her compost bin is the size of a kitchen trash can! Her family’s actual waste FOR THE YEAR is a mere one quart.

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads.”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move more enjoyably, faster and easier!
Cindy Bernstein, Owner and Professional Organizer
cindy@aim4order.com
410-484-8328
www.aim4order.com

Aim 4 Order | 3405 Midfield Road | Baltimore | MD | 21208