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In This Issue:
- Watch For Monica On HGTV
- Declutter Your Life With Freecycle
- Freecyclers Are Sounding Off!
- Fall Into Organizing
Watch For Monica On HGTV
You may be wondering why my October newsletter is arriving at nearly the END of October. If you didn't know already, in 2004, I have filmed three episode's of the HGTV's hit show, "MISSION:Organization." None have aired yet at it takes a few months to go through the editing process. The newsletter is so late this month because I was attempting to not send this issue until I could tell you the air date for my first (of the three) episodes.
Being the optimist that I am, I kept thinking, "If I hold off sending my newsletter for just ONE more day, maybe HGTV will post an air date on the web site." Alas, it was not to be this month. Or at least so far this month. Heck, tomorrow, I may check the web site and find that they added the dates, but one thing was for sure... I just couldn't wait another day to send this out to you. It's almost Halloween, for Pete's sake!
Oh, and FYI, November's newsletter will arrive at the usual time, so it will seem that you're getting two back to back and you are, but they're still just once a month issues. I'll keep you posted on when all three of my episodes are scheduled to be on the air and thank you all so much for your continued and very kind support!
Declutter Your Life With Freecycle!
Decluttering your life is a wonderful way to rid yourself of the things that no longer give you value and a great way to help someone else in need at the same time. All over the world, people are helping others and decluttering their lives by giving away the things they no longer need, through FREEcycle.org. This means that fewer items are going into the trash and filling up the landfills of our planet.
It's so simple to join! You just sign up through the web site, and you'll begin getting the emails that people in your local FREEcycle group send out either seeking free items, or offering free items. It's as simple as that! Just go to www.FREEcycle.org to sign up!
Number of cities FREEcycling last month: 1372
Number of cities FREEcycling this month: 1567
Number of people FREEcycling last month: 460,971
Number of people FREEcycling this month: 567,849
Check it out and let me know what you think of the idea. If you've received something or given something away through this wonderful concept, tell me about that too!
Freecyclers Are Sounding Off!
I asked for your experiences with Freecycle and here is what you wrote:
Dear Monica,
I joined Free Cycle about a month ago. I listed my
first item and received about 8 responses in 15 minutes.
I was amazed. One woman's trash is another woman's treasure.
Shelly Bloom
Crystal Collection
www.CrystalCollection.com
In my attempts to decluuter and keep my house clutter free, (thanks to Monica) I have given away many things on Freecycle, including the old wood burning stove from our ice shack, and a rusty steel fire ring. The last two would have ended up in a landfill if it hadn't been for Freecycle! I've also made some great new friends because of it! The gal who came to get the wood stove brought me a HUGE
bouquet of daisies from her yard! I absolutely LOVE freecycle!
Anj Allard
http://www.bigyellowbox.net/anjallard
We just got a 100 year old piano through Freecycle as well as a VCR for my brother in law. WE LOVE IT!
Scott Stratten
Un-Marketing
www.Un-Marketing.com
I am freecycling! I tried for 4 years to get rid of a piano I no longer wanted. The second day after I joined a freecycle network, it was gone! I haven't gotten anything yet from anyone, but I see a lot of great offers coming and going.
Deanna Gibbons
Preschool Wonders
http://www.preschoolwonders.com
Well? What are YOU waiting for? Start Freecycling today!
Fall Into Organizing
Crunch crunch crunch. Do you hear that? It's the sound of leaves under your feet. The nights are getting cooler, the days are getting shorter and it's time for sweaters, football and apple cider! Autumn is here and it's a great time to make life changes as the season changes. Getting organized is one powerful change to make! If you're itching to get a fresh start, here are a few ideas to choose from...or if these don't inspire you, go ahead and come up with a good fall project on your own!
1. Clean out your clothes closets. Last month's newsletter told you how to simplify the seasonal switching of clothing. If you missed it, there are some good ideas there. But
even if you don't usually switch out your clothing from season to season, take this opportunity to cull out those items in your wardrobe that are no longer stylish, no longer fit, and aren't contributing to your life. I'll wager that you wear 20% of your clothing 80% of the time anyway, so get brave and start donating!
2. Clean out your garage. Fall is a terrific time for having a garage sale. The weather is wonderful and there are worse ways to spend a beautiful, crisp fall Saturday afternoon than sitting in your driveway making a little money. Walk around your house and really try to notice what you have living with you that you haven't noticed in a while. I guarantee that there are a lot of things in your life that you don't even see anymore. Forget the status quo and begin to question why you are keeping the things you own. Simply because you've had them for a long time isn't good enough reason to let them continue to live with you and take up your valuable physical (and mental) space. If they aren't giving you value, sell them off or donate them.
Have you ever tried crossing your arms the opposite of how you normally do? It feels strange, doesn't it? Well, when you begin to open up some free space in your life, it feels a little strange too at first, but only for a minute! Changing your physical environment can change the energy in the room, and helps shift your perspective, as well. You will begin to see new possibilities in your life and work.
3. Spruce up the outside of your home. Even if you are an apartment or condo-dweller, there are things you can do to make your guests' first impression a good one. Scrub down the entry door, replace the kick plate at the bottom of the door if it's looking worn, or even replace the door hardware with something new and attractive. Trim back bushes and hedges, weed out planting beds, throw away old dead potted plants and sweep debris off your front porch or entryway. Taking care of these small tasks will make your home more inviting, and when your home looks good from the outside, you're more motivated to keep it organized and
neat on the inside too.
My strong belief is that your home should be a place you love; a sanctuary and a haven for you to relax and feel safe every day. Getting it organized and beautiful both inside and out is a wonderful way to make coming home a pleasure! Enjoy the autumn!
Monica Ricci is an Organizing Specialist, and the founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions, an Atlanta based company. You can see Monica this fall on the popular HGTV show,
MISSION:Organization.
She is the immediate past president of the GA Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers and was recently named to the Editorial Advisory Board of Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine. To schedule Monica to speak to your conference, team, department, or association, or for an on-site organizational evaluation, contact her at 770-569-2642 or Monica@CatalystOrganizing.com
(c)2004 Catalyst Organizing. All Rights Reserved.
