Did you know that streamlining your files begins the moment you pull your mail out of the mailbox? Yep, the first step to getting your files in order is to take no more than 60 seconds to sort and process your mail as soon as it comes into your house. The reasoning behind this is simple. When you take the time to open your mail and separate what you're going to keep from what you're going to recycle, the keep to recycle ratio is substantial. As in, you only keep about 25%. That's a 75% reduction of paper that won't get a chance to stuff your files or clutter up your house! That little minute also saves yourself hours of cleaning up and/or hunting around for important documents in the future

Are you plagued by paper clutter? Paper clutter is the most common form of clutter out there. If this is something you live with, know that you are not alone. I have looked into how other professional organizers deal with papers and was not at all surprised to find a wealth of articles, blog posts and YouTube videos, all with different points of view, perspectives and good advice. In other words, the paper clutter struggle is real, Folks! However, before I start rocking your paper clutter and filing world, let me begin with a disclaimer. I'm not a Financial Advisor, Accountant or Tax Attorney. It is important to seek and heed their advice along the way with any question regarding your import

Have you amassed bags, boxes, drawers and crates of old photos? My experience tells me that this is a common issue, particularly with Baby Boomers. If you have, take heart. You're in very good company. Some of the coolest people I know have too many photos! So make a cup of tea, grab a cookie, and take a comfy seat on the couch. I'm going to talk you through how to dig out from under and take charge of your photos. First the hard truth. Dealing with a high volume of photos is not a quick fix. This is a doable bit-by-bit solution. The good news is that any notion of organization is off the table! I simply want you to start culling your photos gradually. While drinking tea. And eating a cookie

I'm talking Greetings! Not the salutation - The colorful pot or pots of flowers as you walk to the front door that seem to say "Hey there, Hi there, Ho there!" I've always believed that Greetings are essential to creating a happy, healthy home. They can put you in a good mood instantly! If you follow Feng Shui, a Greeting, particularly a pot of healthy red blooms can usher a whole host of good stuff into your home, the least of which is money. Conversely, Feng Shui also warns against half-dead plants by your door, so if you've got that goin' on, toss them in the green bin TODAY! My newest Greeting is this pot of ivy geraniums that I got from the grocery store. This was actually supposed to b

Ready for another C&K Weekend Squad Goal? This one's quick and easy! You, like me, have kitchen recycling down. We are so adept at kitchen recycling, we can do it in our sleep! Heck, we can actually do it in our sleep while separating out bottles from cans from paper from plastic from green waste. When it comes to recycling in the kitchen, we've made the grade! We're so golden! High Five! But what about other rooms in your house, hmmmmm? My experience is that recycling kinda slacks off when you exit the kitchen and head into the hinterlands of your domicile. Hence this week's Weekend Squad Goal. So here goes - Set your timer for 10 minutes. Grab a reusable shopping bag and peruse the other r

Have you ever called your city for a bulky waste pick up? I ask because I spent the morning helping a client put this pile together. We moved items from the garage, garden and house to the curb - over and over and over - and I have to say it was cathartic! When we were done, I felt energized and optimistic as though the world was my oyster- and it wasn't even my stuff! One might even say it was, well, life changing! If you're a homeowner, most cities give you one bulky waste pick up per calendar year. Some cities, such as Berkeley, which is where I was this morning, will even allow you to put out furniture. Trust me. Your city will give you the point by point parameters when you schedule you

Being the bossy gal I am, I decided it's time to suggest my first Clean & Kemp Squad goal! So here it is: Grab a shopping bag and take 15 minutes to gather up all the random DVDs and CDs in your home. You know what I mean. All the movies that you copied back in the day, or the ones that came with some electronic whatnot you bought. The scratched DVDs and CDs that you're never ever going to play. The blank ones that have something on them but you honestly can't remember what. Even that vintage stack of new jewel boxes or CDs that you bought eight years ago at Staples or Office Depot that have been sitting in your home office. Throw those in! Now let's kick it up a notch. Take a deep breath an