Illustration: Daniel Bejar

Organizational expert Peter Walsh helps tidy up our cluttered thinking.

As leader of Oprah’s Clean Up Your Messy House Tour on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Peter Walsh  is carving order out of chaos in scores of domestic disaster areas. In his latest book, Enough Already! Clearing Mental Clutter to Become the Best You, he makes the link between a disorganized home and the untidy thoughts that can muddle our relationships and well-being.

O: Enough Already! treats clutter not just as the physical stuff in our homes but as a metaphor for our lives.

Walsh: My clients say things like, ”I was buried under all that stuff,” “I was drowning,” “I feel like I’m suffocating.”  We use those metaphors because clutter robs us of life. It robs us socially, when we’re too embarrassed to have people over. It robs us spiritually, because we can’t be at peace in a cluttered home. And it robs us psychologically, by stealing our ability to feel motivated in our space.

O: And the term ”clutter”  is all-encompassing.

Walsh: It means anything that stands between you and the vision you have for your best life. It could be a pile of inherited furniture or a jumble of kids’ toys all over the living room. But it could also be the constant self-doubt that creeps into your decision-making, anger about how you’re treated at work, shame about your weight or looks, or a tendency to respond defensively and critically when your spouse challenges you. Whatever the case, you have to ask yourself, “Does this item or thought or response move me closer to my vision for my best life?” If it does, great. If it doesn’t, what is it doing in your life?

O: So your house could be neat as a pin and you could still be in a badly cluttered relationship.

Walsh: Maybe your partner says something you don’t like and your immediate reaction is to attack. But if you insert a question—”Will my response help create the relationship I want or damage it?”—that’s a transformational moment. You have to remove the clutter of competing egos and miscommunication, the clutter of assuming your partner might want to hurt you deliberately. A decluttered relationship is one in which you trust that you and your partner want each other to live your best lives.

O: But what is the difference between a vision for your best life and an unattainable fantasy?

Walsh: We have an infinite capacity for self-deception, yes. A lot of clutter is a lack of acceptance that a moment has passed. Maybe someone has kept all her college English papers because she wanted to be a writer, but she never put in the time and energy to make it happen.

O:One of the unnerving things about physical clutter is that it’s stealthy. You clean the house, but two days later it’s a wreck again, and you don’t know how it happened.

Walsh: Ah, that’s the cycle problem. If you put a load of clothes in the wash, and halfway through you turn the machine off and leave it for a few days, you will come back to a mound of smelly laundry. You have to finish the cycle. When you have a bowl of cereal, does the box go back in the cupboard? When you bring in the mail, do you immediately open and sort it? At night, do your clothes go in the hamper or on the floor? We have a choice: to be mindful and complete the cycle, or to end up with a stinky load of washing in the metaphorical machine. Inside we’re all 8-year-olds expecting someone to pick up after us. Those days are gone.

The above excerpt was taken from an article I read on Oprah.com.  Now that fall is upon us, take control of your clutter, take control of your home or office, take control of your life.  Hope you find this as helpful as I did…

Life’s challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they’re supposed to help you discover who you are.

~Bernice Johnson Reagon~

Kindle: Amazon's 6" Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

Loves to read?  Love to travel?  Combine the best of both worlds with one super sleek package!  I received my Kindle as a gift early this year (thank you David), and every day I love it more and more.

In 2007 Amazon’s Kindle made a gigantic splash, as Oprah featured it on her list of ”Favorite Things.”  The must haves for the season.  This super light, slim e-reader allows you to take as many as 1500 books with you, with a footprint that’s barely the size of a typical paper back novel.  At first, I remained truly skeptical.  After all, I am passionate about books, the feel of pages crinkling, the smell of ink and paper, the tactile experience of reading.  Then, I realized the benefits of the Kindle.

Meet the Kindle:

Slim:   Just over 1/3 of an inch.  As slim as most magazines.

Lightweight:   At 10.2 ounces, it’s lighter than a typical paper back

Wireless:   3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere with no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots.

Books in Under 60 Seconds:  Get books delivered in under 60 seconds, no PC required.

Paper-like Display:   Reads like real paper.  Now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images.

Long Battery Life:   25% longer battery life.  Read for days without recharging.

Carry Your Library:  Holds over 1500  books.

Read-to-Me:   With the new text-to-speech feature, Kindle can read every newspaper, magazine,  blog, and book out loud to you, unless the books right’s holder made the feature unavailable.

Free book samples:  Download and read first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

Large Selection:   Over 300,000 books plus U.S. newspapers, magazines, and blogs available.

Low Book Prices:  New York Times Best Sellers & New Releases usually sell for $9.99 a fraction of the price of a hardcover, plus many titles sell for even less.  If you search the web, you can find a great selection of free titles as well.  (Description courtesy of Amazon.com)

No matter what type of books you enjoy, the Kindle can deliver.  With the Whispernet service, you can download media instantly to your Kindle, or use the included USB cable and save the books to your computer.  Amazon also introduced the Kindle DX which features a large widescreen display that rotates from portait to landscape for ease of viewing web pages, charts, graphs, tables, or maps.  The DX version holds 3,500 books.

The Kindle Cookbook, a must have, explains every feature of your new reading device, and even sheds light on secret games, and other bells and whistles locked within the Kindle.  So, by now, you probably want to know how a reading purist transformed into a Kindle junkie, right?  Seriously, you just have to pick one up for yourself.  The e-ink technology boasts a clear, crisp, bright display that gives the feel of paper.  Add a built in dictionary, note taking capablilies, text-to-speech, and a bookstore at my fingertips, and I will proudly proclaim an undying love for Amazon’s Kindle.  One other item interest, if you read, you’ll understand the portability factor.  No longer must I lug five or more paperbacks, plus magazines, and the newspaper in my carry on for a measley two week journey.  Instead, I grab my sleek little Kindle, pop into into a purse, and go.  Amazon provides plenty of spiffy covers, and accessories for those of you who like the option to customize. 

So, go ahead, Google Kindle, read the reviews, check out what you’ve been missing.   Whether you choose the Kindle or Kindle DX, enjoy and most of all, Happy Reading!!

When I look back, I am so impressed again

with the life-giving power of literature.

If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of

myself in the world, I would do that again by reading,

just as I did when I was young.

~Maya Angelou~

Everywhere you look these days, there’s another fast pre-packaged convenience food.  Catchy names, tons of advertising, and kid appeal,  make these products almost too tough to resist.  Add to that our “fast food nation” or “drive thru” culture which possesses an almost uncanny need to celebrate every occasion with gatherings of friends and family, and tons of food.  What is a health conscious individual to do? 

For most of my life,  food served its purpose.  I ate when I was hungry, at regular mealtimes, sitting at the family table for most meals, breakfast included.  In today’s on the go culture, the idea of family meals is often a distant memory, from our childhood, or something we wish we had time to do. However, when I left for college at the wise old age of 18 life,  my relationship with food changed dramatically.  Mom no longer cooked nutritious meals that waited for me, nor did she gently remind me of scheduled mealtimes.  In a nutshell, I put on the “freshman fifteen” and more.  The cafeteria served up a plethora of burgers, rings, fries, sugary cold cereals, and soda at any time of day. 

From there, my dilemma, as well as my waistline, grew and grew and grew.  Then, I found the newest, latest, and greatest fad diet, which allowed me to drop the pounds.  For a time, and then the weight came back plus a couple of extra pounds for good measure.  In retrospect, I never considered myself “fat”.   I never resorted to plus sizes, and always stayed within the realm of  “average.”  The average woman wears a size 14 became my mantra.  However, I doubt that the average woman stands 5′1″ tall.

After moving to Alaska,  I balanced school, work, and raising a child.  I thinned down some, but still lived on that roller coaster of losing and gaining weight.   My hectic schedule led to many trips though the drive thru each week.  Excuses of no time led me to abandon cooking all together except for an occasional weekend.  By the time I finished school, and found a great job, I weighed over 160 pounds, and felt content with myself as “cute but chubby.”  I dressed far younger than my age, and tried to convince myself how great I looked and felt about my body.  However, my body image and self esteem took a dive.  I never wanted my picture taken (the camera adds ten pounds), lost my energy, my motivation, my confidence, and my sparkle.

So, you ask…what’s the point?  The point is, one day I made a conscious choice that I wanted to be healthy, thin, energetic, and get back that younger version of me.  So, I embarked on a journey of portion control, learning how much constitutes a serving. (Not the four or five I usually ate).  Then, I made healthy choices.  By avoiding most of the pre-packaged, processed convenience foods, I began to shed the pounds.  I cut out regular soda, and opted for diet versions instead.  I drank water, water, and more water, which helps to curb your appetite.  I threw away most of the “junk food” in our kitchen, and began experimenting with spices to add flavor to ordinary dishes.    I began eating regular meals and snacks, every three or so hours during each day.   I added fruits and vegetables to each day, and used them for the largest part of my meal.  The pounds began melting away, and with them so did my low self esteem.  Because I felt good about myself, I stayed on track with my healthy eating plan.  Never did I mention “diet” or “forbidden foods.”  I still eat chocolate, just in small portions.  We still eat out occasionally, but make healthier choices, and cook at home more often.

After overhauling my eating habits, I expected the pounds to melt away, which they did, although more slowly that I would have liked.  Have you noticed the missing piece yet?  Yep, exercise.  In the last month or so, the results crawled to nearly a stand still.  However, while spending time  on vacation, my mom and I went to the gym together.  I loved the adrenaline rush, and the feelings of satisfaction and accomplishment for a great workout.  So, for the last three or four weeks, I made another decision.  I will stick to my cardio routine, running  (power walking) each day until exercise becomes another habit, just another part of my day.  I feel more alive, energized, and motivated than I did in high school.  In five months I went from a generous size 14 to a size 6. 

Everyone searches for the secret to health, to a great body, to high self esteem.  Countless books and plans overfill the shelves at any bookstore.  Pssst….the real secret….take stock of your situation…and if you feel unhappy about your health or your body, change your diet and exercise routine!!!  It really IS that simple!  I know that if I can overhaul my health and body image, that with encouragement, nutritious food, and exercise, you can too!  Get out there!  Get moving!  Live your best life!

I just purchased my new HP Mini 110 XP Series Netbook, in Pink Chic, which adds style and flair to the fabulous features and functionality found in all HP computers.  I absolutely love  it!  This netbook takes personal computing to a whole new level, whether I take it with me to work, school, around town, or across the country, it keeps me connected and brings new meaning to the “home office.”  Can you say Bahamas anyone?  That’s right, with its integrated 802.11 b/g wireless I can connect to hotspots anywhere.   Browse the net, check email, shop online, access to IM and social networking,  research, banking, video chat and more, all in a tiny package that weighs just over two pounds.

Just a few tech specs:

1.60 GHz Intel Atom Processor

160 GB Internal Hard Drive (plenty of room for music, pictures, or documents)

1 GB DDR2 Memory

10.1 in diagonal LED Anti-glare Widescreen Display with HP Mini Webcam

Nearly full size keyboard

Integrated Wireless G card

Genuine Windows XP Home with service pack

Sounds fantastic right?  Here’s the scoop, this little powerhouse screams portability & function, but it does not replace a standard laptop.  Just an FYI for those of you who may expect laptop like features.  For example, the Mini does not have a CD drive, so you will have to purchase special software loaded on SD cards ( the little cards that go in your digital camera).  Also, the screen is only 10 inches, so even though the quality is fantastic, it will never replace the viewing capabilities of the 17 in screens.

In a nutshell, I can take the Mini anywhere, in it’s tiny sleeve, it even fits in a handbag.  It redefines the terms “connected” and “home office” to mean that I can work from anywhere in the world with relative ease.  The Mini comes in three colors each with a custom print, allowing me to express my individuality in a stylish fresh way.  Will I get rid of my 17 in HP Pavilion laptop?  Definitely not.  However, I will enjoy the ease, performance, portability, function & style of the HP Mini on a daily basis!

HP Mini 110-1037NR 10.1-Inch Pink Netbook

The buzz:

Everyone wants freedom, independence, & time.  Time to spend with family, travel, & make the most of our day.  So, in today’s economy, the question is: how?  How do we break free from the 9 to 5 grind, make the most of our family time & still have time left over for our own passions & dreams?

That’s the question I hope to address in this blog.  Tips on becoming financially independent, opportunities to work from home, health and fitness tricks that save time, easy inexpensive ways to spend time with family, travel & pursue your own dreams.

As I discover new & innovative strategies to life life to the fullest, I plan to share those experiences on this blog.

Thanks for reading & remember: Make Every Day Count!