The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Imagine my surprise when I sat down to read a blog post by a friend who had received a Very Inspiring Blogger Award….and saw MY name listed as someone to whom she wanted to pay it forward! This award recognizes bloggers “who work hard to keep the blogosphere a beautiful place”.

My friend’s name is Moreen Torpy, a Canadian organizing colleague who has interviewed me for her De-clutter Your Life Telesummit, and for her Conversations About Organizing podcast series. We’ve never met in person, but I’d like to someday. Here is a link to her blog.

Thank you, Moreen, for your confidence in me and my work. I’m honored!

Why I Organize, Coach, and Write

I became a professional organizer after being laid off from my 21-1/2 year career at a large telecommunications company. If you want to know, I told the rest of the story in a recent blog post, Born to Organize.

I love to help others find the freedom of rising above their clutter and getting Organized For Life. I believe that less clutter leads to more life, and that people can get organized anywhere at any budget. My offerings range from high-end (hands-on services) to low-end (free blog articles), and points in-between.

One way that I help people is by providing virtual coaching services. This, combined with my engineering background, led to the creation of The Clutter Flow Chart Collection. These visual aids help my organizing clients walk themselves through the decluttering and organizing process when I’m not right there by their sides. And now there’s also a 15-module e-workbook called Go With The Flow! The Clutter-Clearing Tool Kit for an Organized Life.

I suppose I write because I’ve always been a reader. I have learned so much from reading that I see the value in sharing one’s thoughts with the world. Whenever I have a persistent thought, or find myself repeating the same thing to multiple clients, I write about it. Meanwhile, I participate in a monthly book club and volunteer weekly for the Albuquerque Friends for the Public Library.

A Few Lesser Known Things About Me

I never know where to say I’m from. I’m currently from New Mexico, where I’ve lived and worked for 10 years and will more than likely stay. I was born in California, but I did not grow up there. After 2 years we moved to Indiana for 6 impressionable years. I am from California in that I lived there most of my adult life, but I grew up in Idaho, from 3rd grade through my second year in college.

I write for one of Janet Barclay’s blogs, Introvert Retreat. I would have paid it forward to Janet, who also produces the monthly Professional Organizers Blog Carnival (this particular link is a nod to all of Janet’s Star and Superstar Bloggers), but she was just recognized by Moreen too.

People think I have a lot of cats, but really I usually only have two. My all-time high was four, only briefly, all rescues. Callie is camera shy, but George has his own Pinterest board, George and Friends.

Pre-ancestry.com, and pre-self-employment, I was an avid genealogist. I plan to coach myself into creating more time in my schedule for more family history research.

Pay It Forward

I love to read other people’s blogs and am excited to share a few of my favorite bloggers with you. One of them may just provide the flash of insight or nugget of wisdom you’ve been looking for!

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award now goes to:

Lorie Marrero — The Clutter Diet — Lorie’s blog posts are frequently a means for introducing her new video tips, which I love. They are concise, helpful, and fun. Lorie has set the bar high for video tips and online DIY programs. She always ends them by saying, “May you always be happy and grateful for having more than enough.”

Ramona CreelRamonaCreel.com — To say I enjoy Ramona’s blog is to beg the question: Which one? Whether you are interested in getting organized, becoming an organizer, traveling, full-time RV-ing, or photography, there’s something here for everyone. Ramona is the poster child for being true to oneself. I love her tag line: “Cuz there’s too much to keep in my head…”

Joshua BeckerBecoming Minimalist — I’ve never met Joshua, but I am definitely inspired by his blog, and I share it with my own readers probably more often than any other single blog. He writes about simplifying your life, and living mindfully, but doesn’t make you feel bad for having three pairs of jeans when one would suffice.

Sara PedersenTime to Organize — I love Sara’s simple, straightforward, and encouraging writing style. In addition to her blogs and newsletters she offers books and informational products galore. I’ve used some of them myself and she was an inspiration for creating info products of my own.

Donna Smallin – The One-Minute Organizer — Donna is the author of a dozen best-selling books on decluttering, organizing, and cleaning. I can’t remember which came first (for me), her books, or her series of Organized Greetings cards, which my clients love to receive. Donna coordinated the NAPO Author Bookstore booth (with Ramona Creel) at the recent NAPO Conference, in which I was a privileged participant.

Action

Bloggers really appreciate feedback on their blog posts! When sitting in front of a computer, without feedback, it’s next to impossible to know if anyone is reading our words. You’ll definitely make these Very Inspiring Bloggers happy if you’d visit their blogs and ‘like’, comment, and/or subscribe while you’re there. Take a look at their Facebook pages too. There’s great content there as well!

Leave your Comment!

And finally – I’d love to hear who inspires YOU. Leave a comment for me below and let me know whose blogs you enjoy!

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Copyright 2015 by Hazel Thornton, Organized For Life.
Social media links directly to this page are encouraged!
Please contact me for other types of reprint permission.

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15 Comments

  1. Sarah Soboleski on May 25, 2015 at 7:44 pm

    Kudos Hazel! What an honor! It was neat to learn about your upbringing and all the places you’ve lived. I enjoy The Minimalists blog, Courtney Carver and her Be More with Less blog as well as Geralin Thomas and her Managing Modern Life blog. So many inspiring folks in the blogosphere!

    • Hazel Thornton on May 26, 2015 at 6:52 am

      Thanks, Sarah! I love Geralin and The Minimalists. Will definitely check out Courtney!

  2. Janet Barclay on May 26, 2015 at 4:49 am

    Congratulations, Hazel, and thanks for the mention! Since I’ll be writing a similar post in the near future, I won’t name my favorite blogs right now, but I’ll make a point of checking out the ones you recommend.

    • Hazel Thornton on May 26, 2015 at 6:53 am

      Thanks, Janet! And to you too! I’ll be watching for your recommendations.

  3. Linda Stone Stanley on May 26, 2015 at 5:50 pm

    I don’t know why “you’re surprised”… You were the first one I thought of!

    • Hazel Thornton on May 26, 2015 at 6:38 pm

      Aw, thanks, Linda! She did send me an email, but I hadn’t seen it yet. You gotta admit, one does not normally read someone else’s blog post expecting to see one’s own name in it!

  4. Linda Stone Stanley on May 26, 2015 at 5:59 pm

    But, I have to say, I thought of all of the rest that were mentioned too…. so many prolific, enthusiastic bloggers-that I’m so happy to be able to say I’m associated with!

    • Hazel Thornton on May 26, 2015 at 6:39 pm

      I know, huh? I’ve thought of a number of others since then that I have also been inspired by.

  5. Joshua Becker on May 28, 2015 at 10:46 am

    Wow Hazel. Thank you for the encouraging words and the award. I appreciate them very much. Now, let’s just make sure we cross paths in the near future.

    • Hazel Thornton on May 28, 2015 at 11:20 am

      I’m in NM, and you’re in AZ. It could happen!

  6. Donna Smallin Kuper on May 28, 2015 at 11:29 am

    Thanks for nominating me, Hazel! I would have nominated Joshua Becker (Becoming Minimalist) if you had not. I will post about the award on my blog and mention yours in the next day or so.

    • Hazel Thornton on May 28, 2015 at 11:32 am

      I didn’t intend it as a birthday gift, but the timing fits! 😉

  7. Ramona Creel on June 9, 2015 at 12:59 pm

    Woot! Thank you so much for the honor! I humbly (well, for me anyway) accept — you rock, Hazel!

    • Hazel Thornton on June 10, 2015 at 7:55 am

      No, YOU rock! 🙂

  8. Lorie Marrero on June 9, 2015 at 9:34 pm

    Thank you, Hazel, I so appreciate the honor of being on your list, and I love to know that I have inspired anyone! As you say, bloggers love feedback, so it’s perfect! 🙂

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