Archives for April 2009

Six tips to help you make a change

According to the article “Stress and the Decision to Change Oneself” in a 1994 issue of Social Psychology Quarterly, there are six factors that significantly improve a person’s chances of making a change in his life:

1) A stressor disrupts or threatens to disrupt a valued role-identity, 2) one attributes responsibility for the stressor to an aspect of self that one believes can be changed, 3) one has access to structural supports for self-change, 4) one believes that one can effect self-change, 5) the perceived benefits of self-change outweigh the perceived costs, and 6)others provide social support for self-change.

Since this quote is from a professional journal article and not written in Unclutterer-speak, let me rework it without the jargon:

  1. You don’t like how you’re behaving.
  2. You know you are responsible for making the change; no one else can do it for you.
  3. You have access to information that can help you change.
  4. You believe you can change.
  5. You believe making the change is worth it.
  6. Your friends and family support your change.

Thinking about my transformation from a clutter bug into an unclutterer, I realize that all six of these factors were present. I was stressed out and overwhelmed all the time and I hated it. I knew I needed to sort through my stuff and that I would be upset if someone else just dumped it. I did research to find out how to unclutter my life (if only Unclutterer.com would have been around back then, this would have been a much easier process). I varied my intensity, but most days I believed I could change how I was living. I also believed that making the change would help my marriage, friendships, stress levels, and time management issues. And, everyone around me was willing to lend a hand if I would have asked for it.

If you’re having difficulties on your path to becoming an unclutterer, is it because you’re missing one of these six factors? What is keeping you from changing? Do you agree with this list? Share your views in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Apr 30, 2009 | 26 Comments | Tweet This

An alternative to parchment paper

I’m always looking for ways to save a little cash and to free-up storage space in the kitchen. Recently, while standing in the grocery aisle grumbling over the price of parchment paper, I realized that I was about to make a bad purchase.

For less than what I spend per year on parchment paper, I could buy two reusable Silpat silicone baking mats and simply store them flat in my cookie sheets. I’ll save money and storage space.

I can’t believe I didn’t think of this earlier. Now I’m worried there are even more obvious things like this that I’m missing. What substitutions have you made in your home to save money and storage space? Share your substitutions in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Apr 30, 2009 | 61 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The IceBlok

iceblokAll Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

One of the reasons I hate refreshing cold beverages in the summer heat is the “shocking splash of wayward ice cubes.” Thankfully, the IceBlok set puts an end to such shocking, horrible events. Made from space-age material (I’m assuming), the IceBlok will keep terrifying ice from falling into your face. From the product description:

Simply add ice to glass, slide IceBlok in, and sip beverage; IceBlok stays in place to keep ice out of your face.

Stop using straws that do the exact same thing, and get yourself an IceBlok!

Thanks to reader jsn for bringing this unitasker to our attention.

Posted by Matt on Apr 29, 2009 | 41 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2008

2007

Posted by PJ on Apr 29, 2009 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Uncluttered aphorisms

At Unclutterer, we abide by the motto “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” In addition to this motto, we also have a number of uncluttered sayings that work their way into many of our posts:

  • The less you own, the less you have to clean. This applies to quantity of objects as well as square footage in your home.
  • One in, one out. If you buy something new, you need to get rid of whatever it’s replacing.
  • If you get it out, put it back. An especially great rule to implement to keep your home and office orderly.
  • Guilt is not a reason to keep something. This one is self explanatory.

What mottoes or principles inspire you to keep clutter out of your home? Share your motivating sayings with us in the comments!

Posted by Erin on Apr 28, 2009 | 63 Comments | Tweet This

Disaster uncluttering: Looking back

Today we welcome back Unclutterer programmer, Gary DuVall. In the In the first, second, and third posts in this series, he discussed how to prepare yourself and your home in case of a disaster and what to do if it unfortunately happens. This is his final post in the series. He is writing for us based on his personal experience of losing everything he owned in a fire.

By January, life started to feel normal again. The fire, the struggles with the insurance company, and finding a new place to live were all behind us. We were rebuilding and moving on.

We realized we hadn’t given much thought to the loss of our things but had spent all of our time worrying about our general predicament (Where will we live? I can’t believe this happened. How do I go to work tomorrow?) We discovered just how little the material stuff meant to us. This realization presented us with the peculiar ability to remain positive (for the most part) during the process. We talked about this being an opportunity rather than a devastating blow. (Losing intimate, irreplaceable items from our families, friends, and shared experiences did, for a time, bother us; however, that also faded.)

Thumbing through the more than 30-page inventory that listed what we once owned made us realize just how much we had, and, perhaps more importantly, how much we didn’t want to replace. So far, we have only replaced 20 percent of what we previously owned. To be comfortable, we don’t need a lot of stuff. Everything we have repurchased, we have been very thoughtful about quality and where everything will live in our home. No clutter.

Did we make mistakes along the way? Sure we did. We didn’t have an inventory prepared ahead of time, despite telling ourselves we’d “get to it one day.” Receipts we had kept prior to the fire weren’t filed in our records box, resulting in their loss. We hadn’t read through and understood completely our insurance policy, which, had we lost it in the fire, could have left us at a vast disadvantage. Knowing what we do now, these aren’t mistakes we’ll repeat in the future.

When we look back at what happened on June 27, 2008, we look at it for what it is: an experience nobody should ever go through. But, at the same time, it was an experience that afforded us a rare “reboot” button. We were able to re-examine and take stock of what we had, and act decisively toward a new beginning.

As strange as it might be, considering the setbacks, inconveniences, angry phone calls and other problems I’ve written about during the course of this series, I like to think we ended up better for it in the end.

Posted by Gary on Apr 28, 2009 | 6 Comments | Tweet This

Surprisingly bad multi-taskers

At Unclutterer, we love touting the benefits of multi-use items. However, there are times when maybe product designers go too far with their melding of purposes. Gizmodo recently identified “10 Gadgets With Too Many Stupid Features,” and we wanted to share a little of their humor with you.

My favorite misguided objects:

Spinning rims with LCD television screens. I definitely think these are a car accident in the making.

The cell phone razor. Just imagine if you accidentally turn on the razor when you intend to answer a call. Oh! Ow! My lip!

Okay, maybe the “Mug-Mouse” is fun, but how would you ever wash it??

Click on the first picture in the series, the “Gun-Knife” to start scrolling through the slideshow. Then, click on the right side of each image to move between the gadgets.

Posted by Erin on Apr 27, 2009 | 12 Comments | Tweet This

Time to toss expired makeup?

Marie Claire magazine has some helpful bathroom uncluttering tips in their article “Has Your Makeup Expired?“:

“Like food, makeup has an expiration date, and over time cosmetics can harbor harmful bacteria that can lead to infections,” states Dr. David Schlessinger, a board-certified oculoplastic surgeon and ophthalmologist, and medical director of Schlessinger Eye & Face. “The risks are multiplied when these products are shared among friends.”

Check out the dates below and find out when you should toss your makeup stash.

Expiration dates — beginning from the time you first open these products

  • Powders and shadows: 2 years
  • Cream shadows: 12 to 18 months
  • Foundation: 1 year
  • Lipstick & lipliner: 1 year
  • Mascara & eyeliners: 3 months
  • Makeup brushes: Clean weekly using a mild detergent
  • Makeup sponges: Replace weekly, or when sponge becomes soiled

My makeup case is full of things that belong in the trash (eye shadows, especially). I’m going to go and immediately take care of this potential bacterial hazard.

Posted by Erin on Apr 27, 2009 | 37 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2008

2007

Posted by PJ on Apr 26, 2009 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Muji launches online store for U.S.

Muji, the makers of simple home and office goods, has finally launched an online store for U.S. consumers. For the past year, I’ve been stopping in at the SoHo location in New York City whenever I’ve been in town to get my hands on Muji goods. Now, they can appear right at my door. Happy news!

If you are unfamiliar with Muji, check out some of my favorite goods:

A map handkerchief of New York (talk about a multi-tasker!):

Stackable bathroom storage containers:

Splash proof speakers with amplifier (great for hooking up to my iPod or iPhone):

Bag organizer:

Chronotebook (it’s a day planner):

Posted by Erin on Apr 25, 2009 | 8 Comments | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Storing sports equipment

Reader Jesse submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

Do you have any suggestions for outdoor storage of sports equipment. We have a variety of balls, frisbees, and discs that right now just get put into an open bucket. It’s not great for the equipment and doesn’t look great either. Any suggestions?

Sporting equipment is rarely simple to store. Your bucket idea actually sounds better than most of the equipment storage I’ve seen people using in their garages. But, I agree, it can be an unsightly solution. Since things like bats and balls have rigid sizes, they take up a lot of space and they always seem to be in places they don’t belong.

My first choice is to recommend that you create an area in your garage or backyard to be your sports center. If you can make this space in your garage, I recommend a sturdy storage system that can hold more than just sports equipment. Elfa and Ikea both make excellent products for holding pretty much anything you would store in your garage. (Be sure to check out the components individually. Ikea’s Broder has sports attachments.)

If you’re not in favor of putting out the money for a full system, here are some additional options for your sports center:

  • Ball Claws: They attach to your walls and hold onto basketballs, soccer balls, and footballs.
  • Frisbees and discs can be stored in a nice bag on a shelf in the garage. I like this Prostyle bag, for instance.
  • You can use a baseball and bat storage system over fence tops or on a rod, like this holder:
  • A large barrel might also be nice to let air circulate around your sports equipment.

I’m interested in hearing from our readership on this question. What do you use to store sports equipment in your home? Let us know your solutions in the comments.

Thank you, Jesse, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Apr 24, 2009 | 25 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Cupboard clean

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Pieter Pieterse’s pantry porn:

Before:

After:

There really isn’t much to say about this pantry except, “WOW!” In the description, Pieter explains that all of the plastic storage is Tupperware. Also, moving the shelf heights helped a great deal to organize the space. I’m in awe.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Apr 24, 2009 | 57 Comments | Tweet This

The perfect laptop bag for business travel

In the post What we want but can’t yet have, I bemoaned how I had yet to find a decent laptop bag for business travel:

The perfect laptop bag has a pocket for everything you need to carry with you, has a comfortable shoulder strap, is made to last, is professional in appearance, and doesn’t scream I’M CARRYING A LAPTOP FOR YOU TO STEAL. This bag is so perfect that you want to name your pets after it. We have found many bags that come close to meeting these requirements, but none that is perfect.

The day after this post ran, I got an e-mail from a lovely woman at Tom Bihn bags explaining that the reason I hadn’t found the perfect laptop bag was because I hadn’t tried her company’s top-of-the-line product. Fair enough, I hadn’t tried the exact bag she was referencing in her e-mail. I told her I would take it out with me on a few trips and see how it handled. My expectations were low; I’d been let down so many times in the past that I assumed I would be let down again.

I’m not one to eagerly admit when I’m wrong, but I was. This bag is amazing. It meets my qualifications for a perfect laptop bag for business travel — and more. I’ve since taken it out four times (three of those involved air travel), and feel comfortable singing its praises.

The Checkpoint Flyer:

The best part of the bag is that you don’t have to take the laptop out of it to go through security checkpoints at the airport. You flip the pouch that holds the laptop out when you lay it on the conveyor belt, and then flip it back in after it has gone through the x-ray machine. I didn’t time the event, but Tom Bihn’s website says it should only take three seconds. The laptop pouch sits on little hinges that move it far enough away from the contents in the rest of the bag so that it meets TSA requirements:

Closeup of hinge:

There are different pouch sizes you can order based on the size of your laptop. It also has pockets for all of my cords, cables and wireless peripherals, enough space to hold two days’ worth of business casual clothing and work papers (I put these in what they call the Horizontal Freudian Slip), and has the best shoulder strap I’ve ever had on a shoulder bag (it’s springy, like a wet suit):

My only complaint is that it is obviously a laptop bag to anyone who sees it. However, it’s attractive and professional, and I can walk into any meeting with it. And, it doesn’t really scream its laptop-bag status, it says it casually, as if having a conversation with friends over a couple beers. The fabric on the bag is very sturdy and the stitching is impeccable. My bag showed zero signs of wear after my trips. Yes, it’s pricey. But, I sincerely believe you’re getting what you pay for. On trips longer than three days, I’ve put my clothes in my Zuca bag and wheeled it around with this bag resting on top.

The bag is made in Seattle and Tom Bihn, the guy with his name on the company, actually designs the bags. I was sincerely surprised to be so impressed by it. My search for a perfect laptop bag is complete. (Could I gush more? Probably.)

First two images snagged from the Tom Bihn website, the other two are mine. I drastically need a nice photo setup in my house.

Posted by Erin on Apr 23, 2009 | 42 Comments | Tweet This

Disaster Uncluttering: Rebuilding

Today we welcome back Unclutterer programmer, Gary DuVall. In the first and second posts in this series, he discussed how to prepare yourself and your home in case of a disaster and what to do if it unfortunately happens. He is writing for us based on his personal experience of losing everything he owned in a fire on June 27, 2008.

After having spent the prior three weeks trying to process what had happened, it was nice for life to slow down a bit. My wife and I found a temporary sublet north of the city to live in for a couple of months, and we tried to regain some sense of a “normal” life. While it wasn’t the most comfortable situation -— nothing in our furnished sublet belonged to us and we were 15 miles from our neighborhood -— it was still a place we could call home.

The next step in the process was to build an inventory of what we lost. Between the photographs my wife Stephanie had taken and many hours of trying to remember what we owned, we constructed an inventory we felt good about and sent it off to the insurance adjuster.

Now would be a good time to point out a vital distinction in your policy when it comes to how much money you’ll receive for the items you’ve lost: Actual Cash Value (ACV) vs. Replacement Cost (RCV). Under ACV, your items are subject to depreciation and as such you’ll only receive enough money to replace the item at that depreciated price. Under RCV, you receive the full amount necessary to purchase an item of like quality without a depreciation in value. While your first check under a policy that contains a RCV rider is likely to cover actual cash value only, it’ll be up to you to repurchase the items you’ve lost and send in the receipts to recoup the difference. (Learn more.) Needless to say, we were both thankful we purchased a RCV rider.

The hardest part after submitting the initial inventory was waiting for that first check. Come September, when we finally moved into a new apartment, we still hadn’t seen anything but excuses from both the insurance and claims adjusters. In the meantime, my wife and I ended up having to sacrifice the savings and credit we’d built up in order to buy the essentials. In our case, it ended up taking over three months -— October 2008 -— to obtain the completed appraisal document and our ACV check.

Considerations:

  1. Compile your inventory before a disaster occurs and keep it updated quarterly. Had we done this before the fire, it wouldn’t have been necessary to spend 40+ hours compiling an inventory. While a video inventory provides you with visual evidence of the items you own, a spreadsheet containing the purchase price, date of purchase, and the store where purchased (along with receipts when possible) will serve as hard evidence. Ask your insurance provider for a copy of their inventory spreadsheet; in most cases, they’ll be more than happy to oblige.
  2. Consider a Replacement Cost Value (RCV) rider. While it may come at a premium, it’s worth it. The difference in what you receive may be thousands of dollars. Some providers (such as USAA) now default to this type of coverage in order to ensure policyholders aren’t left at a disadvantage with very little money to rebuild.
  3. A tip from the many insurance adjusters I spoke to while roaming the building after the fire: When calculating the replacement cost of an item for your inventory, use the MSRP. Relying on a sales price is likely to result in you receiving a check far below the value of what’s necessary to rebuild.
  4. Think about your options. In our case, we found “starting from zero” to be a liberating experience of sorts; we could chart exactly how we wanted to rebuild without, ironically, the process of having to sell or get rid of existing furniture and items. Once the initial shock of having lost everything fades, you’re left with what we considered to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
  5. If you’re financially able, don’t wait for that first check to arrive before making purchases. You may be left waiting months and, in the end, could end up moving into a completely empty home. It’ll be up to you and your family to take action and prepare your new home with furnishing and essentials whether you have a check in hand or not. If you’ve purchased a RCV rider, organize your receipts, match them to your inventory, and have them ready to submit as quickly as possible after the first check arrives.
  6. Take charge, and don’t be afraid to press for action when every side seems to have an excuse and you’re caught in the middle. Many people end up waiting considerably longer than three months for results because they don’t want to rock the boat.
  7. Your initial inventory isn’t the end-all-be-all when it comes to making your claims. Should you discover additional items that were lost, you can make subsequent claims. In our case, we ended up making three separate claims: The initial inventory and two more addendum inventories.

In the final part of the series, I’ll discuss how the experience has affected us in the long-term.

Posted by Gary on Apr 23, 2009 | 13 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: The dog umbrella

pet-umbrellaAll Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

I recently had a big double take after seeing a pet umbrella in action at my local park. Did I just see that? Yes, yes I did.

Did the poor dog have a cold? Did other dogs make fun of him for retreating under an umbrella? Since when did a dog require an umbrella for a walk in the rain? Has the pampering of pets become such an industry that a product like this becomes a good idea for consumers? I had so many questions to ask the owner, but I had to be somewhere and the dog owner was probably unable to answer any of my queries.

Have any of you seen a pet umbrella in action? It is definitely something to see. Any owners of a pet umbrella out there? Defend it in the comments if you’d like. The wet dog smell is obviously a reason to employ the pet umbrella, but what else beyond that? I’m truly baffled.

Posted by Matt on Apr 22, 2009 | 38 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2008

2007

Posted by PJ on Apr 22, 2009 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Freedom from distractions

When faced with a project at work that you don’t want to do, it’s easy to jump online and procrastinate. Games, YouTube videos, and Facebook can suck away hours of your life when you really should be working. I confess that I have been tempted out of doing something more productive on many occasions.

Since our employers pay us to work and not goof off, though, we have an obligation to stay focused (at least most of the time). If getting down to work is difficult for you and jumping online is your preferred method of procrastination, you should check out Freedom for the Mac.

A description from the Freedom website.

Freedom is an application that disables networking on an Apple computer for up to eight hours at a time. Freedom will free you from the distractions of the internet, allowing you time to code, write, or create. At the end of your selected offline period, Freedom re-enables your network, restoring everything as normal.

Freedom enforces freedom; a reboot is the only circumvention of the Freedom time limit you specify. The hassle of rebooting means you’re less likely to cheat, and you’ll enjoy enhanced productivity.

Have you tried Freedom? How do you keep from jumping online when you don’t feel like being productive? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

Posted by Erin on Apr 22, 2009 | 22 Comments | Tweet This

Defining simplicity

When I was starting my transformation process from a clutterbug into an unclutterer, I wanted a checklist to tell me what I needed to do to live simply. I wanted there to be a clear line that told me if I did X, Y, and Z then all of my stress and anxieties would instantly be relieved. I wanted there to be zero ambiguity and I wanted someone else to make the hard decisions for me.

I never found such a list, and I’m glad that I didn’t. How I define simplicity and how I put it into practice in my life is very different than how you see it and live it. We’re complex human beings, and, ironically, that makes our definitions of simplicity complex.

When I was seeking my definition of simplicity, I repeatedly turned to three quotes for inspiration. If you’re looking to define simplicity and what it means to you, maybe these quotes will spark your process:

“Things should be made as simple as possible, but not any simpler.” — Albert Einstein

“Simplicity is an inward reality that can be seen in an outward lifestyle. We must have both; to neglect either end of this tension is disastrous.” — Richard J. Foster

“I can explain it best by something which Mahatma Gandhi said to me. We were talking about simple living, and I said that it was easy for me to give up most things but that I had a greedy mind and wanted to keep my many books. He said, ‘Then don’t give them up. As long as you derive inner help and comfort from anything, you should keep it. If you were to give it up in a mood of self-sacrifice or out of a stern sense of duty, you would continue to want it back, and that unsatisfied want would make trouble for you. Only give up a thing when you want some other condition so much that the thing no longer has any attraction for you, or when it seems to interfere with that which is more greatly desired.’” — Richard Gregg

These quotes aren’t dictionary definitions and they’re not precise, but they serve me well. How do you define simplicity? What guides you toward simple living?

Posted by Erin on Apr 21, 2009 | 21 Comments | Tweet This

A home office for a small space

Having a home office in a 450 square-foot space may be a pretty tough task. How does one make room for a home office and make it feel separate from the rest of the living space? The Unfolding Office featured in Dwell’s Dec/Jan 2007 issue is a unique option for a home office in a tiny space.

unfolding-office-dwell

The Unfolding Office was a project of Michael Chen and Kari Anderson of Normal Projects who designed this solution for teacher Eric Schneider’s 450 square-foot apartment in New York City. The outcome was an all-in-one unit that holds everything from a desk to a bed and nightstand. For a better idea of the finished project, take a look at the slideshow.

Posted by Matt on Apr 20, 2009 | 1 Comment | Tweet This

Tuesday is the workplace stress day

090420-mondaysI quote lines from the movie Office Space at least once a week. I saw the movie almost 10 years ago, and it’s still running through my head. It’s a good bet that at some point today, I’ll tell someone they have a “case of the Mondays” in a high-pitched, super grating tone.

Researchers in Britain have found, however, that it’s not Mondays we should dread, but Tuesday mornings at 11:45. This is the most stressful time of the work week. We zoom through Monday still on weekend mode and don’t really get down to business until Tuesday.

Graham Waters, whose firm polled 3,000 adults for the study, explains in The Telegraph:

“Traditionally people associate Monday as the worst day of the week, but this doesn’t seem to be the case – coasting through Monday means we’re worse off on Tuesday – both in terms of workloads and stress levels.

“We lead such fast-paced lives that stress naturally runs side by side with this – especially when it comes to work.

“Tuesday at 11:45am seems to be the time in the day when the real workload for the week hits employees and as a result stress levels rise.

“The study also revealed Tuesday as the day when workers are most likely to work through their lunch break due to the realisation they have a busy week ahead.”

The best way to avoid the 11:45 Tuesday stress pile up is to get down to business on Monday. Regular routines can help you be productive even when you’d rather be surfing Facebook.

Do you agree or disagree with the poll’s findings? Will knowing this information change your behavior? Do you have an established routine? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Image from the movie Office Space.

Posted by Erin on Apr 20, 2009 | 6 Comments | Tweet This