Leah Etling says it’s possible to move without stress. Check out her tips and leave a comment with some of your own.

Few tasks in everyday life are more stress-filled than the idea of packing up all your worldly possessions and moving. But this is a great chance to maximize organization in your new apartment.

Work the process backwards so you can get happily settled in your new place, making it the best organized home you’ve ever lived in.

Where to start:

Today

So, you’ve decided that you’ll be moving to a new place. You probably haven’t decided where you’re going yet, but you are going to give notice to your landlord and start your rental search.

You might think it’s too early to pack or get organized, but, in fact, the time to start that work is now.

• For the first two weeks prior to the move date, you should spend 15 minutes to 1 hour working on cleaning, culling and organization daily.
• Make it a goal to rid yourself of all clothing that you haven’t worn in the last year and all household items that you haven’t used or enjoyed in the last 9 months.
• If you’d like to make some cash from your unwanted possessions, plan a garage sale for two weeks prior to your move.
• Don’t have enough stuff to sell on your own? Knock on a few nearby neighbors’ doors and ask if they want to participate, too.
• Don’t want to take the time to do this? Donate to charity – this will leave you feeling good about helping others and further reduce stress.

As you sort through your things, you’ll start feeling more organized. During this process, categorize everything, using designated bins for items that logically go together. Keep a notepad handy and make an approximate count of how many boxes it will take to move the things you’re keeping.

Two weeks out

Now it’s time to plan the move itself. By now you should have found your new place.

• You may need to rent a van or a truck, so make reservations for that service today.
• Hiring a professional team? Call around for several quotes to make sure you’re getting a good deal.
• If you’re using volunteer labor, line up their services now. Be sure to bribe them with dinner or drinks and call in any favors from the last time you helped someone else move.

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• Check the weather and make sure you won’t be moving in pouring rain, snow, or extreme heat.
• And, line up a cleaning service to professionally clean your place after you vacate.
• Procure your boxes since you’ll be packing soon. Always get more than you think you need.

Ten days out from move day

Time to start packing. Just as you did with the culling and organization process, work on this every day.

• By two days before the move, you should be down to only your essential possessions that need to be packed.
• Clearly label each box with what’s inside and what room it belongs in. This will help maximize the efficiency of your movers or volunteers.

The big day

Get a good night’s sleep before the move and be up early to pick up your rented van or greet your moving team. Now it’s all about manual labor. Be sure that, as the organizer of your move, you are pitching in to help – no one likes a friend who orders them around and doesn’t carry boxes, too.

Working smartly will further reduce your stress. Your biggest challenge will be at your new place. Optimize your storage areas to make sure your new home can be as efficient as possible.

Congrats – you’ve moved stress free!

About The Author

Leah Etling is an apartment lifestyle blogger for the RENTCafe blog. RENTCafe offers a great way to find a new apartment anywhere in the U.S. and also offers local event, neighborhood, and home design tips.

Connect With Leah: Web | Blog | Google+ | E-mail

If we owned less, we’d probably gain more of the thing we continually say we never have enough of – time. Do you agree?

Think about it for a minute.

If you have less stuff, say in your living room, then there’s less to dust.

…and less to fix when something breaks…

…to clean…

…less to organize…and put away…

…probably fewer unwanted critters (we all know how much they love stuff)…

Basically, this adds up to MORE time to do whatever you want to.

Like spending time with friends and family.

Like checking out that new restaurant.

Like reading your favorite magazine.

Like picking daisies. Or tulips. Or finding a few roses to smell.

Like scratching your head.

Like forcing your hubby to give you a back massage.

Like doing absolutely nothing at all.

Or even thinking about doing nothing.

So, I have some news. I’ll be sharing the organizing love (twice a week) with the lovely readers at Unclutterer.com as a writer. I’ll still be here at OTR and so will a few awesome guest bloggers, so not much will change here.

Check out my intro post and be sure to say something nice about me over there! ;) Oh, and while you’re visiting, take a gander at what I have to say about Unstuck.

A little teaser for you: It’s an app. It’s free. It’s almost human. It could really help you get off your duff and get that project finished!

Ok, now off you go.

It’s Monday. It’s also the Monday after I got back from a few days away. A few very relaxing days. 

I don’t want to work today. Because it’s Monday and I’d rather be on the beach. Doing nothing.

I’m all too aware that I still have to get stuff done.

I have to force myself to get into work mode. I should be happy because I am getting stuff done. But, I’m sulking because I want to wallow in “Poor me. I didn’t have enough time off.”

Sulking or not, being productive is the name of the game. If you’re interested in getting things done when you get back from a nice, relaxing vacay (sulk, sulk, sulk…), check out these four things you can do to kick your arse in gear and knock off that to do list.

1. Take your time. Don’t rush around because you might give your brain cells a fright. Don’t you know? Scared brain cells don’t function well. You don’t have to move about like molasses…just take a few minutes to gather your thoughts.

What are two or three things you want to focus on? Which ONE must you get done today? Do you need help to get it done?

Just have a sit down with yourself, cup of coffee (or water or your favorite beverage) in hand, and simply talk to yourself…figure out what you need to do.

2. Capture the important stuff. Now that your pow wow is over, put your “must get done” ideas/thoughts/to do’s on paper. Or, grab your camera phone and snap a picture of the things/spaces you want to work on. Or, enter it in your notes app on your smart phone.

Do whatever works and don’t keep everything in your head. Your brain will fool you and make you believe that it will help you remember, but it won’t. Stuff will come up and eat up your time and memory banks. Brains are tricky that way. Yes, I speak from experience.

3. Put your feet up. Don’t try to do everything all at once. You might think that your brain likes to do a gazillion things at the same time and at a constant, non-stop pace.

It doesn’t.

And, then it rebels by offing itself, a few cells at a time. This means that you’ll have less in your arsenal to get your important stuff done. Instead, take a break when you need to. Hydrate. Re-fuel. Sing a song. Do a dance. Then, get back to it.

4. Talk to yourself. Basically, you’re repeating step #1 but for the next day. What’s on tap for Tuesday? Wednesday? The rest of the week? Anything coming up that has a strict deadline?

Before you go to bed, talk it through with yourself. Jot down the super important things (this is step #2) and refine your list when you wake up. Then, go off and have yourself a productive day.

“Meetings take up an ever-increasing amount of employees’, and particularly managers’ time. According to a survey by Office Team, a division of Robert Half International, 45 percent of senior executives surveyed said that their employees would be more productive if their firms banned meetings for a least one-day a week.”

Read More:
Why Meetings Kill Productivity | PsychologyToday.com | 4.15.2012

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A new OTR guest blogger, Grace Pamer, joins us today with tips on how to tackle hoarding tendencies.

Many of us are natural-born hoarders and we end up having far too many possessions but without the room to house them. For others, it can be a type of mental health illness where they throw nothing away because they are unable to.

If you know someone who fits into the latter category, there is help available either in the form of talking to a councillor or visiting an online forum to talk to other sufferers. A person with a serious hoarding problem would need support before undertaking any of the following tips as it could prove too emotionally traumatising for them.

For the rest of us hoarders, here are 5 easy steps to cut down on your hoarding habit and make a clean start.

1. Get organised and prepare

• The first thing you need to think about is the order in which you are going to tackle your hoarding problem. Split the house into different areas and deal with one place at a time; otherwise, you will feel completely overwhelmed.
• Allow yourself at least three weekends if your hoarding habit has got out of hand as it is important that you take your time. For homes with far less clutter you may be able to undertake this task in less time.
• Make sure that you buy plenty of garbage bags, storage boxes, a recycling bin, sticky labels, and a pen. If your stash is huge, you may want to consider hiring a portable dumpster for the convenience of having someone else to take the rubbish away.

2. Categorize

• Separate your hoard into four separate piles and label them “donate,” “discard,” “storage,” and “sell.” This is the hard part as you have to be emotionally strong and decide which bits go where. You will probably have the urge to place everything on the “storage” pile, but you must be strong and get rid of some stuff.
• The general rule of thumb with clothing is if you have not worn it for a year, then you are unlikely to wear it again. Also, if you have worn something the first time it came into fashion, then you cannot wear it any other times (platform boots were great in the 1970s but would not suit you now).
• In this case, you should give your clothing to charity or sell on eBay. Old ornaments and other pieces of bric-a-brac which have been gathering dust for years should either be discarded or donated. Old magazines and newspapers are no good to anyone so you should recycle these.
• Any item you cannot give away or discard (maybe you just have to keep it for sentimental reasons) should be placed in a clearly label plastic storage box. If you are worried that something you have been hoarding may be valuable, you can check this out online before deciding on what to do with it.

3. Protect Yourself

• Depending on which space you are clearing, you may need to wear rubber gloves and protective clothing which will stop any harmful chemicals affecting your skin and clothes. Sometimes things have been stashed away for so long that they get mould and mildew on them or have become loose and are leaking chemical fluids. All of these items must be discarded as they are of no use to anybody.
• If you are de-cluttering a bathroom, you should discard ancient toiletries and out of date medicines (you can hand these medicines in at your local pharmacy that will dispose of your pills in the correct manner). Pills which are past their “Best before _____” date can be harmful to your health and do not carry the same amount of effectiveness, so are useless anyway.
• In the case of your kitchen, you should look for broken utensils, chipped dinner services and out of date cans of food. These should all be discarded immediately as, again, they are harmful to your health. Perishable foods should always be kept in the refrigerator, but if you are a hoarder by nature, there will no doubt be some out of date cheese or carton of Chinese food lurking. 
• So while you are concentrating on the kitchen, take the time to deal with perishables and that includes your vegetable drawer or cupboard. Mouldy potatoes attract flies and once eggs are laid, the smell can be intolerable, so it is best to address this problem before it escalates. Try and use anti-bacterial cleaner to sterilise cupboards and surfaces to minimise the risk of even more bacteria spreading from old waste.

4. Ask For Help

• If the thought of cutting down your hoarding habit seems too daunting, then do not be afraid to ask a friend or family member to assist you. You will probably uncover some interesting things which will make a good talking point and some older things may stir up some nostalgia!
• Remember, more hands make light work, so you will get this job done much quicker and you will have emotional support as well as an extra pair of hands.

5. Reward Yourself

• Even if it takes a month to cut down on your hoard, it is well worth it for the amazing results. You will find that without all of the unnecessary clutter around you, your home will look bigger and lighter. You will actually be able to think more clearly. 
• During the various stages of clearing your house out, allow yourself regular breaks where you can sit and have a cup of coffee or stretch your legs for fifteen minutes. These breaks are important to your mental and physical wellbeing and will help stop you feeling bored or frustrated. 
• You will also find that you have more space in your closet and kitchen cupboards so maybe you can buy yourself a new outfit or a new set of glasses for the kitchen. These rewards will remind you of your hard work and the reason why you did it.

By following these easy steps you will soon have your personal space looking spic and span. You may even decide to decorate in order to spruce up your lovely new living area. You could use the money you make from selling your old clothes on eBay. Remember, a tidy house creates a tidy mind, so get to it!

About the Author

Grace Pamer is the author of RomanticFrugalMom.com, one woman’s on going quest to keep romance alive despite the time pressure of dealing with three beautiful but crazy kids and an always working husband. Check out her love letters for him section if you’re looking to put the romance back into your marriage with a well crafted love letter to your nearest and dearest.

Connect With Grace:  Web | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Love Letters

Today is my Friday. Because it’s road trip time! We’re taking a long car ride tomorrow, the hubster and I…and the dog, too. 8 hours. Should be fun!

And, no major craziness allowed! Just a few pit stops along the way. Maybe some greasy food. Definitely a good audio book. That’s the plan. But, just in case things go wonky, I’m going to make sure that I have (at least these) three things in the car:

1. Important Docs. “License and registration, please.” Not the words you want to hear when you’re going anywhere and get stopped by some state’s finest. The thing is that you don’t really have time for a scavenger hunt if you happen to get asked that question. So, just keep the registration – and your insurance card – in a plastic envelope in the glove compartment. You do know where your license is, right?

2. First Aid Kit. Remember that big project I’ve been working on? The reason I took that mini-sabbatical? Well, she is super cute! With ten little fingers and toes. And, the most adorable smile. Our new little person is coming along for the ride, too! Which makes it all the more important to have first aid supplies on hand. I’ve always kept a mini-kit in my glove box like this one but I think I might replace it with this one.

3. Car Emergency Kit. This one’s a no-brainer. Think jumper cables, fix-a-flat, air compressor…all the stuff you’ll need to make it back home a little less frazzled. You might want to keep the number for a local tow truck company in that plastic envelope, too.

Last time I wrote, it was all about organizing your handbag. After reading the post, I realized that wallet organization deserves much more than a casual mention. You carry your most valuable possessions in your wallet — money and identification — so shouldn’t you keep it organized and clear of clutter for quick and easy access?

Now’s the time to empty that wallet (take everything out!), and walk through these wallet organization tips with me.

Now that everything is out of your wallet, let’s sort through the things that don’t belong:

• Receipts. Having receipts in your wallet is inevitable on a daily basis. However, it’s very important to clean these out at the end of each day. Not only do they clutter up your limited space, but their ink can stain fabric or leather. Create a file at home for receipts that you need to keep and shred the rest.
• Social Security Card and Passport. You should not store your social security card and/or your passport in your wallet. That’s practically asking to have your identity stolen. Memorize your social security number, and store these forms of identification somewhere secure
• Cards you don’t use frequently. Cards you don’t use often could include many different kinds: credit cards, gift cards, loyalty cards, business cards, etc. Create a spot at home for each of these types and only carry them when needed.
• Junk. You know what I’m talking about — things that simply don’t belong. Movie stubs, candy wrappers, Chinese fortunes, shopping lists, and random doodles are things that often end up in my wallet, but probably shouldn’t be there.
• Small change. Obviously, you’ll want to carry some change with you. However, there’s no need to carry dollars worth of pennies and nickels. I like to keep a jar of change at home where I can throw in extra change and take it out later as needed.
• Overboard photos. Go ahead and carry one or two photos of loved ones in your wallet, but there’s no need to carry your kid’s photos from grades K through 12.

Once you remove the clutter, here’s what should be left in your wallet:

• Driver’s License. Obvious.
• Cash. I recommend only carrying the cash you’ll need for a given day. That way, you won’t be at too much of a loss if your wallet is stolen.
• Credit/debit card[s]. Again, only carry the one[s] you use.
• Frequently used cards. If you have a gift card or a grocery store rewards card that you use with frequency, it doesn’t hurt to carry this in your wallet. However, if the store  allows you to enter an alternate ID (like a phone number), I recommend doing that.

Finally, you can only be as organized as your wallet allows you to be. Here are my wallet recommendations for him and for her:

• For him, I recommend a classic, bi-fold wallet. As most guys carry their wallet in their back pocket (where it sustains damage from sitting and movement), I recommend purchasing a sturdy material like leather that will last. The wallet above has a full-length compartment for cash, as well as spots for identification and credit cards. It also has a handy removable insert, which would be perfect for storing a photo or driver’s license.
• For her, I recommend something larger, like the tri-fold wallet above. Women tend to carry more in their wallets, as they often do more shopping and running around. This wallet has spots for change, a checkbook, cash, cards, and a transparent spot for your photo ID. A wallet like this one could even be used as a clutch when you don’t need to carry an entire handbag.

Do you have any further tips for wallet organization?

Image source: 1

“Here’s why we’re so obsessed with saving moments instead of savoring them: We’re wired to hoard. Humans are competitive…we love saying that we’ve ‘been there, done that.’ Social media platforms create…follower counts and virtual photo albums that make our experiences seem more tangible, giving us a false feeling of accumulation. It’s as if our most important experiences are now collectible.”

Read More:

Stop Documenting, Start Experiencing | HBR.org | 4.26.12

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Hey, small business owners! Today’s guest post by Ken Howard is just for you! He has a few tips that will help you structure your social media efforts and put your brand on the map.

If you’re a small business owner, you know that running a business is a lot of work. The fact is you just don’t have the time to do everything unless you put in a 15-hour+ days. Do you ever feel like no matter how much you get done, there’s always more to do? I’m going to give you some tips that will help to simplify part of your day.

In the past few years social media has grown to the juggernaut of Internet Marketing. Facebook has nearly 8.4 million users and continues to grow. As a small business owner, you want to capitalize on that market as well as those on Twitter, Pinterest and Google+.

The first suggestion I give my clients is to be active. But you must not be spammy, which leads in to my second suggestion. Share expert information frequently. By providing expert information, you are informing your audience and gaining their trust. Here are a few tools that will make these two suggestions easy to manage:

• Buffer – Buffer is available for multiple platforms (Web, Chrome, Firefox, Android & iOS). Connect your Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook accounts. With it, you can spread out your updates to keep your account active. You can also share links to articles you have read.

• Google Reader – Finding relevant news to share with your audience doesn’t have to take hours. With Google Reader you can scan through the headlines of the day for the blogs and news sources in your industry.

• ifttt – “If this, then that” is a your digital assistant. This tool looks for signals in your social media accounts and performs an action based on the rules you configure. Do you want to backup your Instagram photos to Evernote? Ifttt’s best “recipe” is to add starred Google Reader articles to your Twitter or Facebook Buffer queue.

Now that you have a few tools to help your social media efforts, you need to think about what you’re going to share. It’s important that your professional profile stays professional. However tempting it may be, don’t share the daily internet memes. You don’t want to attract the wrong audience.

Let’s say you own a bike shop and want to connect with cyclists. Obviously, you’ll want to share any specials you’re offering or articles you have written. But, you also want to share news stories from around the world, race results, lightweight bike frames, mountain biking YouTube videos, strengthening tips, apparel, tire technology… anything that can establish you or your brand as an expert in bikes.

There’s nothing easy about social media marketing. It takes a lot of work to be successful and is extremely competitive. If you use these simple tips, you can take control and start to develop your own social media strategy. After some time you can identify what type of content works based on how many likes, retweets and comments you receive. Use this newfound knowledge to write your own articles and start your own blog.

What social media challenges have you overcome and what kind of strategy did you employ to achieve your goals? Share your story in the comments.

About the Author

Ken is the Interactive Manager at Turtledove Clemens, an Integrated Marketing Communications firm in Portland, Oregon. He is passionate about Social Media, Search Engine Optimization and intuitive, user friendly web design.

Connect With Ken: Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn| Blog | Web | E-Mail