Posts

Make Your Own Checklists!

By Hazel Thornton | November 30, 2016 |

I love checklists! You can Google for free, or purchase, all sorts of ready-made and downloadable checklists, such as those for packing for a trip, or for accomplishing seasonal household chores. HOWEVER…I’ve never met a checklist that I didn’t have to customize for myself. So I make my own. It’s easy, and fun, and you…

Introverts: The Next Generation

By Hazel Thornton | November 18, 2016 |

Yesterday I was privileged to be interviewed by five 8th graders as part of their Inquiry Project Living Library experience. In preparation, the students dedicated class time to self-reflection and exploration of their own identities and interests; selecting a focal point as an inquiry question; learning research methods; writing open-ended questions; and preparing in other…

15 Ways to Make Chores Fun!

By Hazel Thornton | October 14, 2016 |

                Who enjoys doing chores? No one, that’s who. But what if I told you there were ways to make chores fun? Or, at least, more fun than they seem now. Chores include house work, meal prep, yard work, paying bills, running errands, grocery shopping, tidying up, cleaning,…

Is Your Unfinished Project Really Worth Doing? (The Sunk Cost of Clutter — Part 2)

By Hazel Thornton | September 16, 2016 |

My client and I are sorting and purging her belongings. We come across some fabric she has had for years. Decades, in fact. She puts it in the KEEP pile, saying, “I always thought I could make something out of this.” Not being a sewer, or a quilter, she does not otherwise have a stash…

Guilt-Free TV

By Hazel Thornton | September 9, 2016 |

Game of Thrones, anyone? Are you eagerly awaiting the Gilmore Girls revival? Still loyal to Grey’s Anatomy? If you are a TV hater, and I’ve met many, just move along. This isn’t for you. If you are still reading, though, and you’re disdainful of TV-watchers, why is that? Are your pastimes really so much more…

Kicking the Bucket List (a short book review)

By Hazel Thornton | August 22, 2016 |

There are a lot of good books out there that I don’t take the time to review for you. But this one fits so well into the Organize Your Legacy portion of my business that I couldn’t resist. It’s called Kicking the Bucket List: 100 Downsizing & Organizing Things to Do Before You Die, by…

The Trouble with Minimalism

By Hazel Thornton | August 14, 2016 |

                  Minimalism is a lovely thing… and it’s also a big can of worms. “At its core,” writes one of my favorite bloggers, Joshua Becker of Becoming Minimalist, “minimalism is the intentional promotion of the things we most value and the removal of everything that distracts us from it.”…

Try This Simple Trick to Curb Impulse Buying

By Hazel Thornton | August 8, 2016 |

First, why do I want you to curb impulse buying? I really couldn’t care less about how much money you spend, or how much stuff you have. It’s your money, your stuff, and your life….until you call me for help, and then I care a lot! I care that you feeling overwhelmed and embarrassed to…

Embrace the Clutter!

By Hazel Thornton | July 18, 2016 |

Embrace the clutter! Why on earth would I, a professional organizer, say such a thing? Well, think about it. What’s the opposite of embracing something? Fearing it? Ignoring it? Avoiding it? Doesn’t it seem like anything you fear, ignore, or avoid persists? It doesn’t go away, it just nags at you. Doesn’t it? Maybe not…

More Cooking for Dummies: 12 Things I’ve Learned

By Hazel Thornton | July 10, 2016 |

Remember, I am not a cook. Or, well…maybe I am now? I have stripped fresh rosemary leaves off the stem, butterflied chicken breasts, whipped up pan sauces, cooked green beans in a frying pan and steak in the oven, made my own condiments (aioli, teriyaki sauce), and performed many other culinary feats. I can see…