clutter-free

Getting Back on Track

By Hazel Thornton | May 10, 2021 |

2021 UPDATE: Getting “derailed” is one thing. Here it implies a potential for getting back on track with a little focus, some encouragement, and a few tips from me. However, falling off the trestle bridge into the canyon below, before crashing and burning, is quite another thing! This article is about getting back on track…

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What do you love about your office? Here’s what I love about mine.

By Hazel Thornton | February 12, 2020 |

I think the key to being productive is to be comfortable and happy spending time in your office. It doesn’t matter whether it’s a corporate cubicle; a dedicated room at home with a door that closes; or another space you’ve carved out for yourself. If you love your office, great! Carry on. If you don’t,…

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Organizing to De-Stress Your Holidays (all of them)

By Hazel Thornton | November 18, 2019 |

What are “holidays” and why are they so stressful? A holiday is any special occasion, all year round, which involves extra preparations; extra time, money and energy; and extra people, families in particular. Examples include birthdays, weddings, religious holidays, and secular holidays. Holiday stress comes from having unrealistic expectations of yourself and others. Sometimes it’s the…

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Are your keepsakes a legacy, or a liability?

By Hazel Thornton | September 30, 2019 |

Have you inherited keepsakes you don’t know what to do with? I can’t tell you how many of my clients have had a garage or storage unit full of stuff they inherited from a loved one. These items represent a mix of emotions – memories good and bad; guilt over secretly wanting to reclaim the…

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Organizing to De-Stress a Major or Chronic Illness

By Hazel Thornton | July 19, 2019 |

Illness is stressful. The less you have to worry about, the more you can focus your energy on getting well. And getting organized will help you worry less. This concept applies to any prolonged medical condition that results in decreased energy and mobility. Here are some examples: recovery from a planned surgery an unplanned medical…

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Clutter Counseling: Are You an Odd Couple?

By Hazel Thornton | February 11, 2019 |

Are you and your spouse, or partner, or roommate, like Oscar and Felix, of The Odd Couple? (Are you old enough to know what I’m talking about?) Do you need Clutter Counseling? I am not a marriage counselor (or a psychic, or a magician), but I am sometimes called upon to mediate disputes as to what…

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The guest-worthy & stress-free home

By Hazel Thornton | November 26, 2018 |

Do you enjoy house guests? Or avoid them? Is your home guest-worthy? Does the thought of having people over cause a small panic attack? In New Mexico the holidays start with the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in October! Many of us host visitors during that time. Some of us have friends and family who visit…

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Is your kitchen counter messier than mine?

By Hazel Thornton | April 16, 2018 |

← This is my kitchen counter. If you think it looks like THAT at all times — not a bit of clutter; complete with fresh fruit and flowers — you will either be disappointed, or relieved, to learn that it also looks like THIS on a regular basis →              …

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Six Organizing Systems Everyone Needs — System #5: Clutter Flow

By Hazel Thornton | November 27, 2017 |

How well are your organizing systems working for you? In the introduction to this series I shared the following: What is a system? What 6 organizing systems do I think everyone needs? What 5 questions can you ask yourself to see if your systems are still working for you, or if they need tweaking? Now…

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Clutter-Free Gift Ideas

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

One way to de-stress the holidays is to give clutter-free gifts. Can we all agree that the best gifts are fun to give, fun to get, and fit within our budgets? And the worst gifts just add clutter, guilt, and work to the recipient’s life in the form of having to store, clean, and maintain…

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