More eating, less stress!

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, it seems appropriate to discuss how you can alleviate some of your holiday stress by organizing your meal preparations. Easy solution? Go out. Just kidding. A holiday at home can be low stress and even enjoyable.

If you are reading this on Monday you have three days to go. If you haven’t shopped yet, make a list. The first list should be what you plan on serving. Based on that list, create a shopping list with all the ingredients needed. If you have a lot of guests coming, be sure and invite them to bring a dish to share. This cuts down on the work for you and makes it a meal in the true spirit of Thanksgiving. If you can, hit the grocery store early in the morning or late at night. It will be crowded this week, but if you go during off hours, you can avoid much of the crowd.

Figure out what can be made ahead of time. Things like stuffing, pies, and casseroles can usually be made at least a day ahead of time. Get it done early so you have less to do on Thursday. Personally, I think that giving things like stuffing a day to sit makes it taste better too since all the flavors have time to really combine.

Another thing you can do the night before is set the table. If you have kids, put them in charge of either the center piece or the name cards. The kids will enjoy being part of the decorating and it will be one less thing for you to do.

Make sure you know how long your turkey needs to defrost. Usually they need at least a few days in the refrigerator prior to cooking. If you forget, remember you can always soak it in cold water to expedite the defrosting process. There are lots of great websites that will walk you through this process if you aren’t familiar.

Take a minute to plan your cooking schedule. Unless you have a professional kitchen, you probably only have one oven. Plan ahead to determine when things need to go in the oven so everything can be ready around the same time. Consider alternative ways of cooking the turkey like smoking, barbequing or frying (although I don’t recommend this method due to fires and clogged arteries…).

Finally, charge your camera and video camera batteries. Make sure they are ready to capture wonderful holiday memories.

Happy Thanksgiving and I pray that your holiday is full of love, relaxation and happy memories.


Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

The many ways to use a lazy susan

Lazy susans or turntables, whatever you choose to call them, can be found at any store like Wal Mart or Target. They are inexpensive and oh-so-handy. Here are 5 uses for them:

• Spice rack
• Hair products
• Medicines
• Vitamins
• Cleaning products

I could go on all day, but you get the point. Go pick a few up now and get those cabinets organized!

Not sure what in the world I am talking about? Follow this link to view the product - http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/product.jhtml?prodId=HPProd100112



Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

Reason number ten million and one to process your mail daily....

You know how I always talk about how important it is process your mail daily? Usually I refer to the fact that when you don't process it each and every day it turns into an overwhelming pile that is difficult to tackle. While that is very important, I have a new and personal example to share.

Back in August I went to go pick up my mail and found a letter from Chase corporate offices. My husband and I have had an account with Chase for a while and were in excellent standing - no bounced checks, excellent credit, etc. So you can imagine my surprise when I opened the letter to find that they were closing out our accounts and kicking us out as customers.

I wont get into the gory details right here. Instead I will share the link as my husband and I went straight to the media when Chase would not give us any information. This nightmare has lasted for almost 2 months with no resolution in sight. (If you bank with Chase - GET OUT NOW!)

www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/22/meagan-mike-farrell-chase_n_974754.html

After you read our article, I want you to think about how much worse the consequences could have been had we failed to read that letter immediately. If this mess up with Chase could happen to us, it can happen to anyone. If you process your mail, email and phone messages each day, you can minimize damages.

Happy Anniversary to Clear the Clutter!

This September, Clear the Clutter is celebrating our 5 year anniversary! 5 years of organizing has zipped right by. People often ask if I deal with hoarders. The answer is no, hoarders need special attention from someone equipped to handle all their issues. I deal with people that we can all relate to. In fact, 9 times out of 10, the majority of their home are clean and organized. They are people who have a trouble spot (or room) that needs some help. Often times, they are generally organized people who have had something change in their life: a baby, a divorce, a death, the start of a new job…you name it. Something happened in their life that got them off track.

I have truly enjoyed each client. The best moment for me is when we are done and they breathe a huge sigh of relief. Less stress, less stuff, more freedom. Thank you to all my clients for allowing me to share my passion with you. I look forward to the next 5 years and the next after that.



Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

Why Hire a Professional?

My windows are filthy. I have tried to clean them myself, but they always end up streaky. I’ve tried all the supposed techniques, but no matter how I try, they just don’t look good. So now I hire window washers. It isn’t very expensive and they make my windows sparkle in no time at all. Should I be embarrassed?

No way! These guys (and gals) are good at what they do. They have honed the art of cleaning windows. You may think that your windows are pretty bad, but they don’t care. Their focus is on getting your windows clean, no matter how bad they were to begin with.

The same is true with professional organizing. People always tell me that they need my services, but are embarrassed to let me see the problem. I am here to tell you that there is nothing embarrassing about hiring an expert to help you with a problem. Professional organizers are not there to pass judgment. Rather they are there to help you and share their knowledge.

Personally, I have admiration for people who seek professional assistance with things that are important to them. I always admire that my clients are willing to work so hard to make their home or office a better place. Don’t let the fear of being judged stop you from improving your life and reducing your stress. Call a professional organizer today!


Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/

Check out Clear the Clutter at www.monroe98272.com. A great site for all things Monroe!

Time Management for Kids

Time management is a life skill that will benefit your child throughout their life time. So often, we hear adults exclaiming how tired and burned out they are. This is most likely because they never learned how to properly manage time and set boundaries. With some simple steps, you can put your child on a path to a less stressed out childhood and adult life.

Here are some skills to teach your child so they can begin to learn the process of managing their own time in an effective way:


1. Set limits and stick to them. Get out a large calendar and start filling in the activities/obligations you already have. Be sure to include necessary activities like family dinner time, homework time, church, etc. If there is overlap, it is time to prioritize. This may include making some hard decisions about which activities to keep and which to let go. Explain to your child that life is full of hard choices, but picking a few things and doing them well is more important then trying to cram it all in. Keep this calendar up in your house all the time. This will serve as a visual account of what you have to do each day/week.

2. Prioritize. Help your child to make a list of their activities and obligations in order of importance. Are the things at the bottom of the list really necessary? If not, consider resigning or limiting activity with those groups. Your kids may find that once they have less going on, they are happier and less stressed out as well.

3. Say no. Sounds simple, but somehow that two letter word can be hard to say. A nice way to say it is, “that sounds like a neat activity, but we don’t have the time right now.” Practice saying this with your child. After they have said it a few times, it will be easier when they are confronted off guard. Explain to your child that they are not doing anyone any favors by being stretched too thin.

4. Post a daily routine in your home. This will help you and your kids to stay on track. Getting everyone on a time schedule at home will help you all to keep pace in your day. The posted schedule will serve as a visual reminder until you and your kids get into a regular habit. This also teaches your kids the importance of routines and utilizing calendars.

5. Use a timer. We all tend to get side tracked – a really good show is on, a good friend calls, a fun new game on the computer….. All this is fine in moderation, but how much time do things like this really claim? Set limits on these activities for your child. When your child sits down to do any of these activities, set a timer. When it goes off, remind your child that it is time to end the activity. Point out to your child that time easily slips away when we are preoccupied. Show your child how to get that time back by watching it more closely. They may complain or resist, but in the long run, this is a very important life skill.

6. Teach by example – If time management is not your strength, it is not too late to learn. Not only should you do it for yourself, but do it for your child. We all know that we have to practice what we preach or our kids will cry foul. Utilize these methods for yourself as well as your child and, as a family, have better time management so you can all be more stress free.

Time management is a habit like eating vegetables and brushing your teeth. It may take a few tries, but once you get into the swing of it, you will find it easy to stay on top. Remember that living a stress filled life is not only hard on you, but hard on your kids.

Meagan Farrell, professional organizer, is the owner of Clear the Clutter organizing services. She can be reached at (360) 631-7268 or at clear_theclutter@yahoo.com. Check out her blog at http://cleartheclutterprofessionalorganizing.blogspot.com/