gifts

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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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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Are Your Bookshelves Full of Friends? Or Strangers and Houseguests?

By Hazel Thornton | September 8, 2012 |

“Friends, Acquaintances and Strangers” is a popular method of de-cluttering, introduced by Judith Kolberg in her book Conquering Chronic Disorganization. This game can be played with any category of clutter, but I most often use it with clients whose bookshelves are overflowing. (Not to mention their floors and other surfaces.) Readers are loath to part…

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Is it Clutter?

By Hazel Thornton | September 29, 2011 |

This is the companion article to The Original Clutter Flow Chart. It answers these questions: What is Clutter?  Why can’t I part with my clutter?  What should I do with my clutter?  What if, despite my best intentions, I am still living with clutter?

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