clutter-free

Do you follow proper wish list etiquette?

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

Are you reluctant to create a wish list because you think (or have been told) that it’s materialistic? Selfish? Rude? Miss Manners may frown on wish lists, but Miss Hazel thinks they can be very handy communication tools, and a great relief to gift givers and recipients alike. In How (and Why) to Organize Your…

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How (and Why) to Organize Your Wish List

By Hazel Thornton | December 8, 2016 |

  Do you have a wish list? No? Why not? Because you are no longer a child writing letters to Santa? That’s no excuse! Wish lists are a great way to de-stress the holidays and make gift-giving occasions easier all year long. I just updated my Amazon.com wish list and asked my family to do…

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3 Tips for Clutter-Free Business Networking

By Hazel Thornton | November 30, 2016 |

Are your desk and office cluttered with promotional items? You know, the stuff you bring back from business networking events, seminars, expos, conferences, luncheons, and meetings? Don’t know what to do with it all? Here are my top 3 tips for controlling networking clutter:

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Is Your Guest Room Guest Worthy?

By Hazel Thornton | October 17, 2015 |

For some folks Thanksgiving kicks off the holiday house guest season, but around here it’s October’s Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. People come from all over the world to participate, to experience, and to visit us in our homes. Of course it’s nice to have a spare room devoted to only guests, but not everyone has…

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Have a Garage Sale…If You Must

By Hazel Thornton | June 3, 2013 |

Love ’em or hate ’em, garage sales (yard sales, tag sales, whatever you call them) are here to stay. Here’s why I hate ’em:

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Clear Your Mind and Get it All Done… Sooner or Later

By Hazel Thornton | May 21, 2013 |

I know how to get stuff done, and I can teach you how, too. I have tools and systems for all the stages of workflow (collect, process, organize, review and do). I have an inbox and project lists which I clear and review weekly. I say no to activities that don’t support my goals and…

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Clearing Mental Clutter

By Hazel Thornton | May 17, 2013 |

Clutter comes in many forms. If you are worried about something, but aren’t doing anything about it — or can’t do anything about it — it’s mental clutter. For any persistent, worrisome thought, ask yourself: Can you do something about it? If you think so, or if you don’t think so, or if you’re not…

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In Praise of Clear Plastic Shoe Boxes

By Hazel Thornton | February 9, 2013 |

One of my favorite organizing supplies is the clear plastic shoe box. I could probably count 20 uses for them in my own home. Oddly enough, only one of them (a larger boot-size box) contains actual out-of-season shoes. Mine are more likely to contain office supplies, light bulbs, small tools, vitamins, and such.  I use…

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How to Live and Work by Design, not by Default

By Hazel Thornton | January 14, 2013 |

Living and working BY DEFAULT means choosing the easiest path, either by unconsciously resorting to bad habits, or by maintaining the status quo. Sometimes we seek to avoid the conflict that can come with making a change. Sometimes we feel we have no choice in the matter. But I’m with Henry Ford, who said, “Whether you think…

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How Can Less be More?

By Hazel Thornton | October 30, 2012 |

I have always struggled with the phrase “Less is more.”  I suppose I have taken it a bit too literally, thinking, “Less is NOT more. Less is BETTER, in many cases, but it’s not MORE, so why would anyone say that? “ But now, from an organizing perspective, I understand the phrase to mean that…

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