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Posted on Thu, Feb 24, 2011 : 12:02 a.m.

Ask Betty: Defy the snow and let an organizing book inspire you to cut clutter

By Judy DiForte

snowbuddha.jpg

from zimbio.com

Little kids run for their sleds. Teens pound fists for the day off school. Some people have a creative response to an unexpected blanketing of snow. Here’s my favorite so far this winter: a Snow Buddha!

But by late February, I think most of us see Michigan’s freezing white “gift” as a lousy, crummy, heaping, uninvited, unwelcome helping of backbreaking stuff to shovel and to try (and often fail) to drive in.

So much for Punxsutawny Phil’s optimistic prediction. What does he know anyway, the little rodent...

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Punxsutawny Phil (photo by jbsitedesigns.com)

When I see that much white, I brew a pot of tea, curl up in a cozy chair and read a good book. These days my literary fancy turns to organizing. In fact Sharon McRill, owner of The Betty Brigade, kindly lends staff tomes on organizing trends and techniques from the office library. Not only are they packed with great info, they can be downright inspirational if you need a little push for that next clutter-control project. So, I’m sharing a few favorites here.

• Organizing from the Inside Out: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern. This book helps you create a plan that takes into account your personality and individual goals, so you can streamline your life without feeling like you’re fighting yourself. If you have a teen in the house, s/he might enjoy Organizing from the Inside Out For Teens by Julie Morgenstern and Jesse Morgenstern (Julie’s daughter).

• It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff by Peter Walsh. Orgaizing guru Walsh helps you reduce your clutter by teaching you how to determine which items contribute to the life you want, and which things get in your way.

• Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider

The book starts off with this quote from Will Rogers:

Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.

So true!
Oxenreider focuses on the rewards of living simply and offers a 10-day schedule for a more organized home, breaking down projects one room at a time. She even includes a few recipes.

Among the growing number of organizing magazines published today, here are a few favorites:

• Real Simple - This is a trove of ideas for simplifying, reducing clutter and organizing. If you shy away from the expensive products they often promote, you can still take the ideas and find more thrifty alternatives
• Martha Stewart Living - You may never grow nine kinds of peonies or hand embroider a silk pillow, but you’re bound to find inspiration and a wealth of info in every issue. I like Martha’s personal monthly calendar, included in the first few pages. And ideas for keeping every aspect of “homekeeping” in good order, organized (of course) into such categories as "cooking," "keeping," "crafts," "home" and "collecting."
• Ready Made - This one is published six times per year and features tips on using what’s available or easily and inexpensively acquired to solve your organizing needs. Lots of great, creative ideas.

I know. You’re thinking, “But won’t all these books and magazines just add to the clutter we’re trying to control?”

We’ve got you covered. Check them out of the library. If you find yourself borrowing a book or magazine repeatedly, you might think about buying a copy. Otherwise, scan what interests you, then return it. This way the info is at your fingertips, and you’ve saved paper.

And since you won’t have to tunnel through stacks of books and magazines, you can save your shovel for its intended purpose… out there in the wintry mess.

I think I hear my tea kettle whistling…

Judy DiForte is a professional organizer for The Betty Brigade, a full-service personal assistance and concierge company based in Ann Arbor. Email her at Judy@BettyBrigade.com.