It can be difficult to balance sentimental value with the real-world conditions of your time, space, and resources.

Houston Clutter Coaching April 2013 Meetup

Thursday, April 25, 2013
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Professional organizer Gayle Goddard facilitates the meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

Or watch the live stream on YouTube.

Our ongoing meetup series, “The Psychological Roots of Clutter,” explores the psychology of clutter from a practical perspective. We dig into the emotions and patterns of thinking that sabotage our ability to get or stay organized. We examine the costs of cluttering behaviors and the benefits of change, and we try out new mental approaches to old clutter problems.

This month: Rationalization and Reality—Sentimental Causes of Clutter

Our April Meetup will explore a variety of sentimental roots of clutter. We’ll examine the rationalizations we use to hold on to things that we’d otherwise logically give up. We’ll offer a fresh approach to decision-making that balances sentimental value with the real-world conditions of your time, space, and resources.

This event will be live-streamed at 7 p.m. Central Time on our YouTube channel. Visit YouTube to watch live, and share your questions by commenting on the YouTube video page or on the meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

As usual, we’ll also open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

We’ll provide refreshments, and don’t forget the drawing for a door prize or two! (You must be present to win.)

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

The March meetup will offer pointers for purging paper piles.

Houston Clutter Coaching March 2013 Meetup

Thursday, March 28, 2013
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Professional organizer Gayle Goddard facilitates the meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

Our ongoing meetup series, “The Psychological Roots of Clutter,” explores the psychology of clutter from a practical perspective. We dig into the emotions and patterns of thinking that sabotage our ability to get or stay organized. We examine the costs of cluttering behaviors and the benefits of change, and we try out new mental approaches to old clutter problems.

This month: The Problem With Paper

For our March meetup, we’ll parse the particular problems that paper poses. We’ll examine the habits and behaviors that lead to those heaps, folders, boxes, bags, bins, and drawers full of bills, receipts, records, recipes, clippings, statements, magazines, and more. We’ll talk about the mental missteps that lead us to keep far more than we need or can possibly manage, and we’ll offer some pointers for purging your personal paper piles.

As usual, we’ll also open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

We’ll provide refreshments, and don’t forget the drawing for a door prize or two! (You must be present to win.)

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

The 5th Dimension Password Keeper offer a hack-proof and theft-proof way to store your passwords.

If you’re like me, you have trouble remembering all your computer and website passwords. Every trick I try to make it easier to remember them compromises the security of the password—if it’s easier for me to remember, then it’s easier for someone else to hack it.

What’s the next option? I write them down in a little notebook somewhere and put it near the computer. Paper is hack-proof via the internet, but if someone is near the computer, then they’re near the little notebook with all the passwords in it. It’s a dilemma for all of us, but I’ve discovered another option—The 5th Dimension Password Keeper, by Michael Pipkins.

Michael Pipkins has written an easy-to-read booklet that offers a hack-proof and theft-proof way to store your passwords. He’s designed a method in which you memorize an area on a grid, or a “key,” instead of the passwords themselves. The grids are pages in the booklet, and you can keep the booklet right by the computer, but no one else can tell what your password is even if they look in the booklet. All you have to do is assign each website or computer password to a grid page in the booklet, and use the area on the grid that you’ve memorized to find your password for that page.

Bottom line—you remember one thing, and it covers you for all your passwords. It’s really a clever idea! If you have trouble remembering your passwords, or you just want to feel like they’re more secure, this book is a good option. Check it out at the5Dkeeper.com. There are even how-to videos to explain the concept if that works better for you. Let me know if you decide to try it!

Does the end of the current cycle of the Mayan calendar really mean the end of the world? The Clutter Fairy is betting that you—and your clutter—will still be here on December 22, so she’s offering specially discounted organizing packages for 2013.

Pay online now by credit card or PayPal, and the more hours you buy, the more you save! As soon as we receive your order, we’ll call to schedule your appointments.

Closet Overhaul Package

Buy 9 hours for $600 (a $675 value)
Use this package to overhaul a problem small space, such as your master bedroom closet, linen closet, or laundry room.

Kitchen Makeover Package

Buy 12 hours for $775 (a $900 value)
With this package, tackle a larger personal living space, such as a kitchen, living room, or bedroom.

Home Office Reboot Package

Buy 15 hours for $950 (a $1,125 value)
Take on a more densely cluttered space with this package, such as the kids’ room, home office, or garage.

Whole House Special Package

Buy 30 hours with two organizers for $3,300 (a $3,750 value)
This package includes 30 hours with both The Clutter Fairy and an assistant organizer, and could be used to downsize a household, move in or out, process an estate, or revive any home in need of top-to-bottom decluttering.

The Clutter Fairy is accepting holiday donations for Toys for Tots or Goodwill at our annual holiday gathering.

Houston Clutter Coaching Holiday 2012 Meetup

Thursday, November 29, 2012
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Gayle Goddard facilitates the holiday season meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

Our final meetup of 2012 will be a holiday gathering and a “grab bag” of organizing tips for the season. We’ll talk about wrangling your decorations, preparing for holiday events and visitors, and setting achievable organizing goals for 2013. Then we’ll open the floor to discuss whatever else is on your mind as we race toward the end of the year.

We’ll serve some special holiday treats, and please feel free to bring your own delicious goodies to share! We’ll also be collecting donations for Toys for Tots and Goodwill. We encourage you to bring an unwrapped new toy or game, OR take this opportunity to purge a wearable item or two from your closet for Goodwill.

We hope you’ll join us for this festive end-of-year gathering!

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

PowerPoint Presentation on SlideShare

Download the presentation as a PDF (5 MB).

Get help out of the cycle of depression and clutter

Houston Clutter Coaching September 2012 Meetup

Thursday, September 27, 2012
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Gayle Goddard facilitates the monthly meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

Many people who report being overwhelmed by clutter also say they feel depressed about the state of their space. Which comes first, though—the depression or the clutter? We’ll talk about depression and its impact on cluttering…and vice versa. We’ll discuss ways to break the cycle and where to turn for help.

As usual, we’ll also open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

We’ll provide refreshments, and don’t forget the drawing for a door prize or two! (You must be present to win.)

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

Catalog Choice lets you easily opt out of unwanted catalog mailings.

The Clutter Fairy just spent 30 minutes on CatalogChoice.org submitting 36 requests to stop catalogs for my mom. They make it so easy! Once you set up a little basic address info, you look up a catalog by company name, type in your customer number and source code number if you have them on the catalog’s mailing label, and click “submit.” That’s it! Catalog Choice sends the request, and tracks the company response for you as well.

You can create as many requests as you want, and you can add to the requests as more catalogs come in. And if the company doesn’t remove you, there’s a way to notify Catalog Choice of that, too. What a great thing to do before the holiday catalog slam starts arriving! You’ll spend at least 30 minutes bringing those catalogs in from the mail, stacking them on the coffeetable, picking them up and putting them in recycling, and hauling recycling to the curb. Listing catalogs in CatalogChoice.org is a much better use of your time, and saves trees in the process. As they say, “just do It!” You’ll be so glad you did.

PowerPoint Presentation on SlideShare

Download the presentation as a PDF (8 MB).

Organize Your Art Space for a Creative Explosion! Handout

Program notes: Organize Your Art Space for a Creative Explosion!

FREE to paid members of Spring Arts Guild (SAG); $30 for Meetup guests, due at the meeting

Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy, will be the guest speaker at the September monthly meeting of The Spring Arts Guild. The topic of the presentation will be Organize Your Art Space for a Creative Explosion! Gayle will offer ideas for artists and crafts people who need help organizing their creative spaces. Her presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.

To find out more or to RSVP, you must join The Spring Arts Guild Meetup Group. Meetup membership is free; participation in this Meetup event is $30 for guests.

5:30 p.m. Gather for snacks, chatting, shopping, etc.
6:25 p.m. Raffles
6:30 p.m. Presentation

About The Spring Arts Guild (from their Meetup page):

We are a group of beadwork artists, fiber artists, metal workers, paper artists and glass enthusiasts all looking to share, learn and have FUN together! We have created the Spring Arts Guild where Jewelry Makers and other Artists UNITE! You are invited to join! Men and Women are welcome to join.

We meet the Second Saturday of Every Month at 6pm at Faith United Methodist Church on Rayford Rd, and we have fun activities, events and socials planned. There is an annual due[s] of $36 which will help us accomplish these things.

We also do fun raffles and such to build our library fund so that we can all use these books conveniently without having to purchase them. When we meet, we ask that everyone brings snacks or refreshments, and we get to gab and snack together, before we get to the demonstration or event we have planned. This is a great way to meet new people who are also creative artists and get to share and learn tips and tricks of your art and of other art you may have been interested in learning. This group works because of everyone’s willingness to volunteer and help. The meeting is fun and I enjoy all the people who come and we all leave with smiles on our faces!

Free yourself from paper clutter in a few simple steps

Do you dream of a world without paper? The idea of a paperless lifestyle has been around for years, but many of us still struggle just to avoid drowning in paper. My clients often complain that there’s paper everywhere in their homes. They want to get control of it, but they’re frustrated about how to make that happen.

Unfortunately, there’s not a simple route to paperlessness. Paper comes from many sources, so it requires a multi-pronged solution. None of the steps are complicated, though, and each one can make a dent in the volume of paper you handle every day. Try some of these to reduce your paper load, and you’ll be on your way to a paperless lifestyle—and the envy of your friends!

• Opt out of prescreened credit and insurance offers at OptOutPrescreen.com. This action will stop those annoying, unsolicited pre-approval letters.
• Substantially reduce junk mail by registering yourself on the National “Do Not Mail” list.
• Eliminate unsolicited catalogs by signing up and opting out at Catalog Choice.
• For paper items that you’d like to retain for future reference, invest in a desktop scanner. Scan the documents, save them as image files or PDFs, and throw away the originals.
• Switch bank, credit card, and utility bills and statements to electronic versions that arrive via e-mail instead of your mailbox.
• If you’re nervous about relying on web sites to maintain your data, generate PDF versions of bills and statements. Then you’ll be able to print a paper copy any time you need one without returning to the web site. (All Macs offer this option on the print menu, and applications are available to set up a “virtual” PDF printer on Windows computers.)
• Shrink your volume of reading material by purchasing an iPad or a dedicated e-reader like the Kindle or Nook. You can subscribe to magazines and newspapers on the e-reader, as well as purchase and download electronic books (“e-books”).
• Instead of accumulating notes on scraps of paper or in a notebook, take notes and create to-do lists electronically on your laptop, iPad, or smart phone. There are many applications (such as Evernote) for capturing and organizing notes and lists and synchronizing them among your electronic devices.
• Empty your pockets, purses, and shopping bags of receipts. Keep the credit card receipts long enough to reconcile them against your account statement. After that—and for most cash purchases—there’s no need to hold on to receipts for items you plan to keep. (A notable exception is receipts that will document a business expense on your tax return. Place those in a large envelope marked with the tax year to get them out of your purse or off your kitchen counter.)

Even if you’re not ready to implement all of these ideas, trying a few of them will help. Change one thing, and when you see the difference in the volume of paper you have to handle, you might decide to keep going. If you make it all the way through the list, you’ll find yourself in the paperless world of your dreams! 

How do you reach the summit of your organizing project?

Houston Clutter Coaching August 2012 Meetup

Thursday, August 30, 2011
7:00–8:30 p.m.

Gayle Goddard facilitates the monthly meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

You’ve pushed yourself to get started and spent an afternoon or a weekend digging out a space that was in terrible shape. But when you come up for air, it seems as if nothing is different. What a discouraging feeling!

How do you stay motivated to keep going when you can’t see tons of progress right away? At the August meetup, we’ll offer tips to keep you plugging away until you finish the project.

As usual, we’ll also open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

We’ll provide refreshments, and don’t forget the drawing for a door prize or two! (You must be present to win.)

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

Five simple techniques can help you get unstuck.

Houston Clutter Coaching July 2012 Meetup

Thursday, July 26, 2012
7:00–8:30 p.m.

Gayle Goddard facilitates the July monthly meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

They say that the journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, but how do we get moving? If your clutter makes you feel stuck and overwhelmed, getting started can seem impossible. Our July meetup will review five simple techniques to help you get unstuck and start reclaiming your space.

As usual, we’ll also open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

Houston Clutter Coaching May 2012 Meetup

Thursday, May 24, 2012
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Gayle Goddard facilitates the monthly meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

We’re introducing a new format this month to offer some fresh perspectives on your organizing challenges—our May meeting will feature a panel discussion with special guest organizers. Bring your toughest clutter questions and get expert answers!

As usual, our very own Clutter Fairy, Gayle Goddard, will moderate the discussion. And we’ll open the floor to your questions, success stories, and tales of trouble spots.

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]

What happens if you keep buying books faster than you can read them?

Houston Clutter Coaching March 2012 Meetup

Thursday, March 29, 2012
7:00–8:30 p.m.
FREE

Gayle Goddard facilitates the monthly meeting of the Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group.

Henshaw House (Nature Discovery Center)
Russ Pitman Park
7112 Newcastle St.
Bellaire, TX 77401
713-667-6550

Serious readers often collect books much faster than they can read them. Books are enchanting, and they never seem to lose their value. But buying more books than you can ever read is no different from accumulating any other kind of clutter.

For those who are drowning in books and magazines, our March meeting will talk about bringing the buying impulse into line with how much you actually read, and we’ll explore what to do after you’ve read those literary gems!

We’ll have refreshments, and don’t forget the drawing for a door prize or two! (You must be present to win.)

FREE and open to the public.

RSVP by visiting the Meetup page or by sending us e‑mail.

The Houston Clutter Coaching Meetup Group is a community of people who want to conquer their clutter and make more room in their lives for the things they love. Come learn tools and tips from an expert, and share your success stories and “ah‑hah!” moments…[READ MORE]