Archives for May 2007

Consider charitable giving

Legend had it in my hometown that a boy named Joel wrote the band The Dead Milkmen a fan letter in the late 1980s, and a few weeks later the band sent him a package in return. His fan letter allegedly requested that the band send him some mementos from their homes that he could have and value as keepsakes. Not wanting to let down their “biggest fan,” as Joel’s letter had proclaimed, they put together a box full of goodies for him to treasure.

The box was filled up with some of The Dead Milkmen’s clutter — a random dirty sock, the plastic wrap off of a pack of cigarettes, some bottle caps, a magnet, etc.

I don’t know if the story is true (20 years does weird things with history), but I like to think that it is. I like the idea of being able to box up things that I no longer need (quality goods, that is, not cigarette wrappers) and give them to someone who can appreciate them. Although I don’t have a fan club to happily receive my clutter, I can have a similar experience by donating my lightly used goods to charity.

Throughout the United States there are thousands of charities that accept goods for distribution or to sell. About a year ago, the Real Simple television show did a roundup of many of these national organizations. If you missed the episode, view the exhaustive five-page list here. It is a nice collection of groups that are always looking for donations.

For our neighbors to the north, Charity Village has a list of Canadian organizations that also accept used items.

Posted by Erin on May 31, 2007 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

The Computer File

We have several computers in our home office. To keep warranty information, manuals, and software CDs for each machine organized, we use extra-large magazine files. Each file is neatly labeled with the hostname for the machine. This makes it easy to find materials specific to a given computer whenever you need them, right on the bookshelf.

UPDATE: There are some much cheaper ones available at Amazon, as per Jack’s comment.

Posted by PJ on May 31, 2007 | 22 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The waffle maker

Yes, I love waffles. Who doesn’t? But am I going to run out and buy an appliance to make waffles a handful of times a year? The answer for all of us trying to unclutter their lives should be, “No.” For those of you that already own a waffle maker when is the last time you used it? If it isn’t in the last month or two you should probably get rid of it.

Ok, you just crashed from a waffle high and you need that fix again so you start shopping for a waffle maker. Stop and think to yourself if this is just the syrup talking from your recent visit to the Waffle House. Let your mind drift away from the the deliciousness of the waffle and remind yourself how many times you’re going to actually make waffles in your own kitchen.

Now, step away from the waffle maker and go home. Whenever you crave a waffle revisit your local Waffle House or settle for an Eggo.

Posted by Matt on May 30, 2007 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

Simple Living and Labor-Saving Devices

In the comments section of last week’s post on dishwasher safe products, there was an interesting debate on the merits of hand washing dishes. Some readers were surprised by the amount of thought and effort we seem to expend trying to avoid hand washing cookware.

I am an advocate of technology in the service of simple living. There is physical clutter in our lives, and there is time clutter. Often, judicious use of technology can help us tame the latter.

The Shakers, known for their focus on simplicity in all aspects of life, believed labor was sacred. To that end, they developed numerous labor-saving devices:

  • metal pen nibs
  • the flat broom
  • a prototype washing machine
  • the circular saw
  • waterproof and wrinkle-free cloth
  • a metal chimney cap that blocked rain

In fact, the Canterbury community in New Hampshire owned one of the first cars in the state. They also embraced the use of electricity long before their non-Shaker neighbors.

Good technology has the capacity to simplify our lives and empower us. It reduces time clutter. The arrivals of the washing machine and the electric iron were landmark events in the history of women’s liberation. By reducing the amount of time women spent on chores, they increased the amount of time women could spend on other activities.

By contrast, it’s easy to see that bad technology just gets in the way. We are seduced by the false promises of the Ronco Food Dehydrator. In the end, we are not only parted from our money, but we are left with a colony of unused infomercial appliances multiplying in the recesses of our kitchen cabinets. From the very beginning, you didn’t have a chance–by the time you bought the seemingly innocuous waffle-maker, the war was already lost.

Simple living is about clearing away the obstacles in our lives, including the unwanted tasks. We can only do this if we are honest with ourselves about whether that labor-saving device really justifies the space it consumes.

Posted by PJ on May 30, 2007 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

High quality media storage at high prices

If you’re looking for a modular storage system for a home or office environment, and you’re willing to pay an arm and a leg for industrial quality, you should definitely consider looking at Can-Am’s online catalog.

They offer a wide range of configuration options well-suited for storing files, CDs, DVDs, books, AV equipment, or just about anything else. You won’t need to worry about running out of space, as the modular design allows the systems to grow along with your storage needs.

Can-Am’s products, which are available in a variety of durable powder coat colors, have a clean and minimalist look which we find particularly appealing.

Now I just need to sell a kidney so I can afford this stuff.

Posted by PJ on May 29, 2007 | 5 Comments | Tweet This

Paperclippy: New shopping blog for professional women

Always remember: the key to keeping a home uncluttered is to never let anything cross the threshold of your home unless it’s something that you know you need or that you know you will love and cherish for a long time to come. Before you buy a new knick-knack, ask yourself whether you need it and, if you don’t, whether you’ll love it and use it.

OK. That said, I’d like to bring your attention to a new blog that yours truly and my significant other, Kathleen, have recently launched. It’s called Paperclippy and it’s a shopping blog for professional women. We feature cute work outfits, fun office gear, interesting books, and other cool stuff for working gals. We post new items every weekday, so make sure to bookmark the site and subscribe to the daily email.

Also, to help spread the word of our launch, we’re going to have a drawing for a free Apple iPod Shuffle. For every five friends you tell about Paperclippy, you get your name in the drawing, which will be held June 10. Check it out now!

Posted by Jerry on May 29, 2007 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Basic wardrobes can end clutter in the female closet

A way to keep clothing from cluttering up your life and taking over your bedroom is to have only a basic wardrobe. Stocking your closet with essential pieces limits frustration and saves you time and energy. A previous post focused on the elements of the basic wardrobe for a man. This post, to conclude the brief series, targets items for a woman’s closet.

The basic wardrobe is a tricky discussion piece because what is basic for a 20-something woman who works in a corporate environment is very different from what is basic for a 60-something retiree. Mix in varied climates, social demands, and fashion preferences, and basic is even harder to determine. I’ve tried my best to construct a list for the widest audience, but keep in mind that your specific needs might be different. Consider this post as a “big picture” look at building a basic wardrobe.

The basic wardrobe for a woman should contain:

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 29, 2007 | 27 Comments | Tweet This

Extreme minimalism Monday: the anti-McMansion

If one were going to make a reductio ad absurdum argument in opposition to the tenets of sustainable architecture, the result might manifest itself in the form of Jay Shafer’s house. At 96 square feet, it’s smaller than many bathrooms.

If you’re similarly hardcore about simple living, Shafer’s company can hook you up with plans for your very own Lilliputian dwelling.

Posted by PJ on May 28, 2007 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Doggie drawer cures doggie food mess

My friend recently renovated a previously unused area in her home and kept her dog Jenny in mind when she was making plans for the room. One of the many things that she did was create a clutter-free eating area for her puppy.

Jenny’s food bowl now lives on the bottom shelf of a built-in cabinet in the new room. The shelf is on rollers and can pop out for easy cleaning. My friend slides out the food bowl shelf when it’s time for Jenny to eat, and then pushes it back in when Jenny’s finished. There’s no clutter and no mess. Jenny’s big bag of food is stored on a shelf above the food bowl, which also rolls in and out of the cabinet for easy access.

My friend had her cabinets custom made by a local woodworker, so her exact solution isn’t available online. However, a quick internet search led me to this Elfa product, which my friend says is the same concept as the pull-out shelf she uses in her puppy’s feeding area. If you’re a dog owner looking for another way to bring organization into your home, this might be a solution for you.

Posted by Erin on May 28, 2007 | 4 Comments | Tweet This

Dishwashing safe products can save time

In her book The Simple Living Guide, Janet Luhrs suggests that people wash their dishes by hand. I like Janet Luhrs and agree with most things that she says, but when I read this piece of advice I laughed aloud. I grew up in a house without a mechanical dishwasher, and my daily chore was to wash the dishes by hand. Every night, for more than 10 years, as I stood with my hands immersed in soapy water, I dreamed of owning a dishwasher. I pledged that in my adulthood I would never wash my dishes by hand.

In the present, if I didn’t have a dishwasher, I cannot imagine how disorganized and dirty my kitchen would be. One of the things about committing to a dishwasher lifestyle, though, is that it limits what I can buy for my kitchen. The everyday plates and cups are almost always dishwasher safe, but many items beyond the basics typically are not recommended for the dishwasher.

If you’re just starting out or are a fan of the dishwasher like me, here are a few dishwasher-friendly, beyond-the-basics, kitchen products that I have found and use:

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 25, 2007 | 18 Comments | Tweet This

The quest for the perfect charging station

I have a few more portable electronic devices than I probably should. The numerous incompatible chargers for my iPod, mobile phone, Nintendo DS, and digital camera create what I consider to be an unacceptable amount of unsightly cable clutter and lately I’ve been trying to find a good solution to the problem.

I would just buy a charging station, but almost all the ones I’ve found look like cheap plastic or wooden junk.

On the other hand, the Rotaliana MultiPot (pictured) looks great, but at over $200, I consider it unjustifiably expensive.

Then I found these directions to make an attractive charging station out of an archival photo-box, a surge protector, and some silver oval bookplates. I think the results look quite nice, and this solution is considerably cheaper than the MultiPot. But I’ve also found this thread about the project over at Make. Several commenters express serious concern over the safety of the design, and this makes me reluctant to go this route. So, readers, we would like to know how you deal with your birds-nests of device chargers?

Posted by PJ on May 25, 2007 | 14 Comments | Tweet This

DIY designer knife block

Rather than spend $125 on an unbelievably sexy Schaschlik knife block, Chris DiClerico went the DIY route and saved himself a benjamin in the process. After looking at the Flickr photos of his completed project, we can’t tell the difference.

If you’re going to try this, just make sure you buy skewers that are long enough to be suited to the task. They need to be at least the length of the blade of your longest knife.

Chris DiClerico, we salute you.

Posted by PJ on May 24, 2007 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

Basic wardrobes can end clutter in the male closet

A way to keep clothing from cluttering up your life and taking over your bedroom is to have only a basic wardrobe. Stocking your closet with essential pieces limits frustration and saves you time and energy. An upcoming post will focus on the elements of the basic wardrobe for a woman, so watch for it in a few days. This post targets the items for a man’s closet.

The basic wardrobe is a little less trickier for men than it is for women. Still, what is basic for a 30-something man who works in a corporate environment is very different from what is basic for a 60-something retiree. Climates, social demands, and fashion preferences also weigh into the differences. I’ve tried my best to construct a list for the widest audience, but keep in mind that your specific needs might be different. Consider this post as a “big picture” look at building a basic wardrobe.

The basic wardrobe for a man should contain:

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 24, 2007 | 19 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Cereal dispenser

Because picking up a box of cereal and turning it 90 degrees is too much to ask from today’s busy professionals, there’s the “Breakfix Cereal Dispenser.” It takes up 16″ x 8″ x 5.5″ of counter space, but it’s worth it to get “controlled portions … to keep pounds off.”

You have got to click over to the SkyMall catalog to see the incredibly insincere video ad that plays. “I really want cereal, but I only have one hand!” Only $79.99!

Posted by Jerry on May 23, 2007 | 3 Comments | Tweet This

Keeping your purse clutter free

A woman’s purse can be a scary place. I try to keep mine clean and organized, but there are times when it devolves into a giant bag of clutter. Keeping a list of items that can be in my purse has helped me to keep it clean.

I recommend storing nothing more than the following items in each of these purses. If you can get by with fewer items than I have listed here, then I applaud you! Most importantly, get into the routine of daily clearing your receipts out of your wallet or money clip because I’ve found that receipts are the greatest clutter creator.

Minimalist purse:

  • Money clip with cash, subway/metro card, one credit card, and your driver’s license
  • House key and car key

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 23, 2007 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Macs: Beautiful and on sale

Nothing says minimalism like the clean white lines of a Mac. Here at Unclutterer we’re biased because we’re all Mac aficionados. But the reason we love Macs is because they make sense. Take the MacBook’s power adapter, which lets you choose to cary the whole 10-foot power cord or leave half of it behind, and which comes with beautifully designed snap-out prongs to wrap the cord around so you don’t end up with a mess in your bag. And let’s not forget the great organizational software available only for the Mac that we’ve mentioned here before, such as Yojimbo, DevonThink, Delicious Library, and the new OmniFocus.

So, I thought I’d bring to your attention this great deal I just found. Amazon is running a rebate promotion through the end of the week: buy a MacBook and get a $100 rebate. A 2 GHz MacBook that runs for $1,100 at the Apple Store is going for $999. The MacBook Pros get $150 off. A 15″ 2.1 GHz Pro with a 120 GB hard drive runs $2,000 from Apple, and is going for $1,849 at Amazon. The savings are further compounded by the fact that Amazon won’t charge you sales tax (unless you’re lucky enough to live in Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, or Washington). The AppleCare extended warranty is also much cheaper when purchased through Amazon.

In fact, unless you have all kinds of crazy build-to-order requirements, we can’t figure out why you would ever want to buy a Mac direct from Apple when you can save hundreds of dollars buying from Amazon.

I love John Hodgman as much as anybody, and I don’t mean to be that Mac guy, but seriously, they’re things of beauty and you know you want one.

Posted by Jerry on May 22, 2007 | 8 Comments | Tweet This

Fewer clothes can reduce laundry mess

One of the ways to avoid having a constant laundry mess is to have fewer clothes in your closet. Here are 15 tips to get you started:

1. Get rid of any clothes that do not fit you. It sounds like an obvious statement, but you would be shocked by how many people store clothes that are not their size. Many people have told me that they hold onto smaller sizes because they want to lose weight and fit into their skinny clothes again. This doesn’t make sense, because when you lose weight the first thing you want to do is buy new clothes — take my word on it, I’ve recently lost 20 pounds.

2. When buying jeans, shop for ones that are unadorned and inconspicuous. You want jeans that you can wear, wash, and wear again the next day without people thinking you’re in the same pants you were in the previous night. You can’t do that if there is a giant dragon embroidered on the leg. If you work in a corporate office and don’t often wear jeans, I suggest having only two pair (one designer pair and one “I don’t care if these get paint on them” pair). If you work in a casual environment or from your home, then I suggest having no more than four pair of jeans (three designer pair and one “I don’t care if these get paint on them” pair).

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 22, 2007 | 18 Comments | Tweet This

Extreme minimalism Monday: laser beard removal

Would you like to get rid of that razor, can of shaving cream, and bottle of after-shave on your bathroom vanity? Do you spend a small fortune on expensive five-bladed razor refills? Would you like to shave five minutes off your morning routine?

If so, you should consider laser beard removal. Yes, it will hurt. Badly. But honestly, what’s six sessions of excruciating pain paired with the smell of burning hair follicles when weighed against less bathroom clutter and a lifetime of not having to shave?

If you decide to take the plunge, be advised that I won’t be joining you, as I’m waiting for the Chester A. Arthur look to come back into style.

Posted by PJ on May 21, 2007 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

Al Gore: Clutter monkey

This picture of Al Gore at his home office is making the rounds on the Mac blogs because it shows his sweet computing set-up. What caught my attention, however, was the crazy clutter surrounding the former veep.

How’s he going to save the world if he can’t find the keys to his hybrid? Mr. Gore needs to point his awesome 3-screened Mac to Unclutterer’s tips on office organization and our series on paper clutter and magazine clutter. Don’t worry, Mr. Vice President, there’s hope for you yet!

Posted by Jerry on May 21, 2007 | 8 Comments | Tweet This

Recipe roundup

In my recent post on cookbooks, I discussed ways to keep clutter contained in your kitchen by limiting the number of cookbooks you have in your home. This post is a continuation on that theme, but looks at individual recipes in your collection.

Growing up, my mother had a wood recipe box that had storage for two rows of 3×5 index cards. Once every few weeks, she would take the time to copy down by hand her favorite recipes from magazines and friends. The box was organized by dish and season, and she would go through her file twice a year to remove unused recipes.

When I got my first apartment, my mother gave me a recipe notebook as my housewarming gift. She was realistic enough to know that I could never keep up a system as meticulous as hers. She wanted me, however, to at least try to emulate her behavior.

I have since replaced the exterior of the notebook that she gave me, and added to it in various ways, but it is still fundamentally the same book she gave me years ago. If your recipes are in shambles and causing you clutter, let me recommend that you create a similar product.

What you’ll need:

Continue reading this post »

Posted by Erin on May 21, 2007 | 7 Comments | Tweet This