David Tolan, author of Buried Treasures shares several examples of hoarding. He also highlights potential solutions. This site also shows Dr. Tolan on Oprah and GMA. His book is my most useful resource for my Organizing Business. Any one can find his book useful for gaining greater control over emotional acquiring.

http://www.instituteofliving.org/ADC/compulsive_hoarding.htm

Ring in the new year with a free calendar online or printable version. Develop your own private list such as a personal Walmart grocery list. http://ezinearticles.com/?Stay-On-Track-With-Free-Printable-Calendars&id=773094

Inventory your possessions for free at http://www.knowyourstuff.org/. Quicken also has a $30.00 inventory program to import pictures to assist you if you are a victim of a natural disaster. Start the year off by taking pictures and send to a friend that lives outside your regional area for safe keeping.

Convert your analog TV to digital with a coupon from the government. www.dtv2009.gov or (888) 388-2009 is the site/ number to submit an application. Each household is entitled to two $40.00 coupons which will go towards the $50-$70.00 cost of converting to digital. Apparently this is a first come, first served offer.

Are you tired of tripping over toys that your children have outgrown? Worried about lead in your children's toys? Rent your toys instead of buying them! Check out this innovative site, www.babyplays.com. Grandparents love this concept too. Toys are tested for lead, so you are assured of continuous safety standards.

Order toys online- This saves time and all your selections are online, so you can see at any time what you have coming and what your choice are- no notes to keep up with.
Toys will be delivered to your door via UPS. No shipping charges. Toys all arrive in 1 large box, all toys are labeled with BabyPlays sticker, to help users easily identify BabyPlays Toys. Box may be flattened and stored.
After 30 days, place toys back in original shipping box, tape box up with tape that we provide, place return shipping label on box and take to UPS shipping location. Go to www.ups.com to find the location closest to you.

Customers can cut down on toy clutter caused by toys that are no longer played with. Children can experience up to 72 different toys in 1 year.

Is your e-mail in box ready for inspection? This link explores time saving strategies to keep your e-mails relevant. E-mails need to be deleted or saved to one folder, because you can search in outlook with key words that will simply locate that important e-mail.

http://www.operationcleansweep.com/index.htm?gclid=CJrh2auLppACFRk0awodHCEk8A

Interesting article about letting go of your clutter by making peace about your emotional past. We tend to save everything sentimental, yet we are unable to savor and respect our memories because we haven't prioritized our possessions. Organizing is about mining for gold and letting go of the sand!

http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Your-Clutter-Stops-You-From-Living-In-The-Present&id=863149

Are you travelling over the holidays? The link below offers a pre-vacation check list for your review. www.usps.com is available if you need to stop your mail. It is suggested that you turn off your water main to prevent a pressure surge that could result in coming home to a pipe that has burst.

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1613870-681521-1,00.html?nid=-1693746

Dusting with a blow dryer? Buying rugs with patterns because it doesn't show dirt? I like the sound of drive by cleaning! Count me in.

http://home.aol.com/organize/article/_a/good-enough-housekeeping/20071120144509990003

Dr. Ragan did the math on the cost of the recent Oprah Hoarding Show and estimated it to be close to $500,000 in labor alone! If cost is a concern, find an accountability partner that you can trade services with. This way you both are providing value for each other without incurring any cost. Hold a possessions party for ten friends. Ask them to bring an appetizer and 10 items to trade. This can be a healthy substitute for shopping.

http://psychologyofclutter.wordpress.com/2007/12/03/the-oprah-effect%e2%80%94organization-costs-a-half-a-million-dollars/

How do I keep the clutter from piling up around us? That is the number one question I am asked as a Professional Organizer. Peter Walsh recommends the in-out rule. If you buy a pair of shoes, the new one is placed in your closet and an old pair is donated or thrown away. Before the holidays have your kids donate several toys to make room for the new gifts they will receive this holiday season. This will result in a calmer, more manageable living environment.

http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/organizing/challenge/slide/maintain/maintain_103.jhtml

Is disorganization a choice? Great article on the psychological booby traps in organizing our lives. Are you more comfortable around lots of possessions or do feel more relaxed in a simple, monochromatic environment? Your childhood may provide the answers. Do you choose calm or chaos on a daily basis? That may explain your organizational EQ. Is everything you own memorabilia? Organizing is about quality not quantity. Honor and Respect the five star items that define your life.

http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/housekeeping/home_julie_clutter_qui

With Finals around the corner, it is worth repeating the organizational study habits of successful students. Keep it quiet, organize materials, start with the more difficult topic, and take breaks.
Good advise guaranteed to make your child roll his eyes!

http://ezinearticles.com/?id=849787

The attached link illustrates the importance of keeping white space in our environment. Does your planner have white space that allows for down time? Do your walls have white space between well placed art pieces or do you feel dizzy with every inch occupied? Less really is more.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-White-Space&id=851914http://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-White-Space&id=851914

Have you heard about shredding scissors? The container store sells these multiple blade scissors as an alternative to shredders. These are space and energy efficient if you do not have a shredder.In my business I see many shredders that can't handle the typical paper flow in a clients home. For $8.99 it is a great stocking stuffer.

http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?searchId=11528266&itemIndex=1&CATID=62523&PRODID=10020976

What comes after Black Friday? That could only be Cyber Monday? Today is apparently the biggest commerce day for Online Merchandisers so check out http://psychologyofclutter.wordpress.com/2007/11/26/cyber-monday-shopping/ for a few clutter busting tips as gift ideas. I like the i-tunes for the teenager.

www.freecycle.org is a nonprofit group of people who are giving and getting stuff for free in their own towns. It's all about reuse and keeping stuff out of landfills. I have not had the opportunity to use this web site as of yet. The "trading" concept is not new, but this takes care of the complaint, "I don't need this, but what should I do with it?" If you have had experience with this site, let me know your thoughts.

If you are looking for a hilarious kick off for the Holiday Decorating season click below. Dr. Ragan tells how to let go and simplify thus spreading the wealth. Remember, the 20/80 rule works with all your holiday decorations. A Women's shelter or Nursing Home would love to have any decorations you may not have room for, or are just tired of bringing down from the attic. It truly is better to give than receive.

http://psychologyofclutter.wordpress.com/2007/11/21/ho-ho-ho%e2%80%94ly-cow-look-at-all-this-christmas-stuff/

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1685433,00.html?nid=-1685690 is a link regarding a shopping guide to Black Friday. I especially like the topic regarding the best time of day to return merchandise. (1st hour of the shopping day because the best employees have the best hours and they start out at their assigned posts). Another topic discusses the best savings for holiday shopping. I wasn't aware that Coinstar will issue amazon gift cards instead of cash and a high user fee. Last, a study has been done showing that clipping coupons doesn't save you money unless you were planning to buy the item anyway.
Happy Thanksgiving, and good luck on Black Friday!

Are you spending way to much time shredding? Maybe, not shredding because it has a high hassle factor? West Houston Document Destruction www.whddinfo.com offers drop off or pick up for your document destruction. According to the National Association for Information destruction, Texas ranks second in the nation for identity theft. Drop off costs $5.00 a bankers box! This can save you time and frustration. Call them at 281-450-9700 to get hours and directions.

Today on Oprah is a show concerning compulsive hoarders. Experts assist a family literally drowning in their clutter. Peter Walsh shows that change is possible, and the importance of setting limits. Take this quick hoarding test to see what issues contribute to chaos in your life.

http://www.oprah.com/foodhome/home/repair/home_20071115_hoard_assess.jhtml

Did you know that when you are being watched your behavior changes? Dr. Ragan highlights her experience with ADD and the correlation with clutter. This effect even has a name, the Hawthorne Effect.I guess this is why Weight Watchers has proved successful. Knowing you will be weighed weekly makes you accountable. If you struggle with keeping clutter from controlling your life, get an accountability buddy or hire a Professional Organizer. We are heading into one of the most hectic and emotionally sensitive time of year. Organizing can save your sanity! Thank you Dr. Ragan!

http://psychologyofclutter.wordpress.com/2007/11/08/the-connection-between-attention-deficit-and-clutter/

www.WeightWatchers.com

Make a gift wrap station

I know I sound like a nagging mother, but make preparations to wrap your holiday presents. Next week is Black Friday after all. http://organizemag.com/articles/organizing-on-a-shoestring/wrapping-paper has excellent ideas if space and cost are a concern. Hanging a see through shoe organizer on the front or back of a closet door is one of the best solutions for scissors, tags, ribbon, etc., so they are there when you need them. Hanging a sturdy shopping bag on a hangar with clips is a creative solution on the cheap.

How many days until the holiday kick off?

Realsimple magazine is a great source for advice for organizing your life. The link below talks about the importance of planning ahead for the holidays. The most helpful hints center around buying your holiday stamps now to avoid D day(December 1st) and staking claim to a Saturday night for your holiday party before every one's schedule is booked. Fourteen days until Thanksgiving, but who's counting?

http://www.realsimple.com/realsimple/package/0,21861,1679014-714289,00.html?nid=-1681145

Prioritize your organizing

Great article on categorizing items before buying costly containers. Many of my clients purchase based on what they think they will use, versus what they really need. Don't discount the importance of labeling your world. Remember the book, "Everything I learned in Kindergarten..." This will save you time returning merchandise and money on unusable containers.


The House Storage Guide
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Paul_J_Easton

Have you rotated your cool weather clothes yet? This article is an excellent quick read if you need a little nudge to gain a more serviceable closet. If your closet is small, it works best to only keep the current season of clothes available. Use under bed storage or plastic boxes on high shelves for out of season items. This allows you to become a quick change artist.

Closet Organizing - Out With the Old Season, In With the New
By: Colleen Langenfeld
http://EzineArticles.com/?id=812709