Saturday’s assorted links
Except for when a kind neighbor drove me to the grocery store in his all-wheel drive station wagon on Monday, I haven’t left my house in 10 days. Since I declared February as Super Simple Month, I guess I should think of this time as Mother Nature’s way of helping me to keep to my plans. (We’ve received about 4′ of snow in the past two weeks.) But, unfortunately, being shut up in my house for so long has negatively affected my creativity. I haven’t been able to run (usually this is my time to be alone with my thoughts each day), and I’m finding nothing in my house inspiring right now.
Instead of reading about my cabin fever, I thought you might enjoy checking out some links that have more valuable insights into uncluttering, organizing, and simple living than I can produce right now. Trust me, this is what is best for all of us:
- “Diary of a Mad Hoarder: Uncluttering Your Life” by Betsy Lowther for the Washington Post Express
- “Downsizing: New-to-D.C. lawyer starts from scratch in small condo” about an amazing 600 sq ft condo by Jura Koncius for the Washington Post. (Be sure to check out the photo gallery.)
- “A Roomy 178 Square Feet” by Penelope Green for The New York Times
- “Cool ideas to streamline your home office” on CNN.com. Select Get Started to make the advice in the image interactive.
- “Is Lindsay Lohan a Celebrity Hoarder?” “Lindsay Lohan Gets Ready to Clean House!” and “Lindsay Lohan Cleans House.” A final video aired in the series showing before and after of Lindsay’s closet, but haven’t been able to find it yet. Anyone?
- “Waste Not” by Monica Ricci
- “Nina Garcia’s Shopping Tips” from Marie Claire magazine
- Finally, “How to organize cats” to put a smile on your face.
27 comments posted
Posted by Denise - 02/13/2010
Thank you, Erin! You have made me feel a lot better about where I’m at in the uncluttering process and given me renewed inspiration, a smile and a realistic attitude. I’m glad I found your site. Goodnight!
Posted by Karen - 02/13/2010
So sorry to hear that you’ve been snowed in. I remember being stuck in the house for a week with three kids under 5. I wish you blue skies and above freezing temperatures!
Posted by Vanessa - 02/13/2010
What a treat these links were—esp’y the kitty-cat photo. Apparently it IS possible to herd cats.
Anyway, your blog and projects are a treat as well, Erin, so we’ll wait for you to get your mojo back.
PS: We just got several inches of snow here in South Carolina! Snow-mageddon indeed.
Posted by ronise - 02/13/2010
here we go:
http://jezebel.com/5469680/lin.....Jezebel%29
Posted by Fred E. - 02/13/2010
Well, in looking for information about Linsay Lohan’s closet, everything I found was in the phrase “out of the closet”. LOL.
Posted by gypsy packer - 02/13/2010
What–no snow cream?
No NYT today–some photographers aren’t allowed on my computer, for security reasons.
The cat tribe made my day, Erin! Proves anything/anyone can be organized, with the proper tools and motivation.
Posted by Kevin - 02/13/2010
I’m all in support of most of your ideas concerning simplicity and uncluttering.
However, declargin a super simple month and locking yourself inside for 10 days straight… That’s just weird. Human beings are social creatures. I personally feel the need to go out and see people, meet people at least a few times a week, if not every night of the week. Nothing big or complicated necessarily but simple things like studying at the coffee shop or have a beer at the pub with some mates.
Posted by Lori - 02/13/2010
@ Kevin: Erin isn’t being weird, she’s been snowed in!
Posted by Christine Simiriglia - 02/13/2010
Thanks… I needed that. Cabin Fever gets the best of us. I posted about it here: http://www.organize-more-stres.....fever.html
Posted by Beverly D - 02/13/2010
re the cats: the ones on the top and the bottom look like they are ready to bolt! I wonder how long it took to make that photo! LOL
Posted by Another Deb - 02/13/2010
Those cats need to be uncluttered, not just organized! Look at all the duplicates that have! (Said with my own furry clutterbug lying here on the desk and on top of the fleece she has comandeered as her new favorite bed)
Posted by Claycat - 02/13/2010
Love the cats! That person has one more cat than I do. I love each one of them. Many of them are rescue cats. We were down to four, but my MIL moved into assisted living, and we took her three.
No more cats! We love them, but we don’t plan to replace them as they go to the happy place. However, we have a commitment to the ones we have.
Posted by Kevin - 02/13/2010
@Lori : Oh!! I didn’t catch on to that bit!
Yeah, that’s kind of lame… I’m in Quebec so it’s quite rare we get snowed in, everyone expects snow so we’re equipped for it. This year we haven’t gotten that much snow though.
Posted by Marie - 02/13/2010
KITTENS!!!!!!!!
*is ded of teh cute*
Posted by stephen crane - 02/13/2010
Hi Erin,Snowed in for 10 days? You poor thing.We were snowed in for 4 here in parts of the UK and that was bad enough.Unclutterer is such so inspirational and I thank you for it-it’s helped so many areas of my life and I’m sure many others too.Keep up the good work and pray for the snow to thaw soon-keep sane!!
Posted by Pakra - 02/13/2010
Love the cats!!
Posted by Karyn - 02/13/2010
Well, Erin, after reading through the comments on the credit card post, I’d say all you have to do is post another opinion about money and you’ll have more than enough heated debate to call it a substantial blog post.
Wow, Americans really get passionate when it comes to financial matters; it seriously is our national religion!
Anyway, as a Minnesotan I have to say it’s very weird to see that all of you on the East Coast are having more snow these past couple of weeks than we’ve been having here. Unfortunately, the East Coast, for the most part, doesn’t have the infrastructure we have in the North Central U.S. to deal with major dumps of snow, which makes it even harder for you. I guess you could take advantage of the enforced solitude as your Moment of Zen…
@ Kevin – “Human beings are social creatures. I personally feel the need to go out and see people, meet people at least a few times a week, if not every night of the week.”
Speak for yourself.
As an introvert, I would say exactly the opposite: I personally feel the need to retreat into quiet solitude and be alone with my thoughts, enjoy extended periods of introspection at least a few times a week, if not every night of the week.
(And yes, your missing the bit about Snowmageddon was duly noted, but I still wanted to call you on the extrovert vs. introvert POV thingy.)
Posted by stephen crane - 02/14/2010
Karyn- us Brits are passionate about financial matters too-and the weather!!!!
Posted by Karyn - 02/14/2010
@ stephen crane – Gee, it’s good to know that the fanatical obsession with money is a multicultural thing…
LOL. As for weather, the only place I’ve ever been where “weather as conversation starter” consistently fell flat was San Francisco. That might be because they really don’t HAVE weather, there. But rest assured, should you ever visit Minneapolis (or anywhere else in Minnesota, or the North Central U.S., for that matter), all you have to do is make a remark about the weather and you will be guaranteed at least a five minute (and probably longer) conversation about the same. 
Posted by Melissa A. - 02/14/2010
Kevin: There’s nothing wrong with spending time inside for long periods, snowed in or not. I’m an introvert. I can go weeks without doing anything social. It’s not really for you to say if how someone else spends their time is weird or not.
Posted by Sue - 02/14/2010
I heard a speaker talk about people whose “batteries” are charged by contact with people, and other people whose “batteries” are drained by people. I am the first, DH is the latter.
I have a high-people-contact, multi-tasking, unpredictable, high-responsibility job. But even with my personality type, being snowed in for 2 days recently was exactly what I needed. I puttered about the house, decluttered closets, organized papers, cleaned, sorted, purged and relaxed.
Posted by Robert R. - 02/15/2010
The NYT article about the designer with 178 ft. sq. studio? Should be banned from unclutterer.com! I would run screaming from all the crap in that apartment. He bought blue rubber boots simply to display, he doesn’t wear them. He stacks magazines across the top of his coffee table that he doesn’t read. He keeps spices on display that he doesn’t use. http://www.nytimes.com/slidesh.....index.html
Posted by momofthree - 02/15/2010
I liked what Monica Ricci wrote in “Waste Not”. Perhaps these words should be uttered aloud on shows like HOARDERS, CLEAN SWEEP, and any other declutter your life show.
Posted by Sandy - 02/16/2010
Thanks for the links! Those were some fun reads!
Posted by chacha1 - 02/16/2010
Wow, that “before” photo on the Diary of a Mad Hoarder … is that really HER place before? Don’t like to be all judgy but it looks like a fourteen-year-old’s room.
The article was a kick, though. She seems to have taken her lessons to heart (I know it hurt to give up that designer dress, the vintage coat, the birdcage …). I really do enjoy “how I did it” stories because it helps motivate me to go back home and get rid of one more thing.
The “Hoarders” show (like “How Clean is Your House”) present such worst-case scenarios that they simultaneously motivate (my place must not get like that!) and reassure (my place IS NOT like that!). Maybe that’s why we like ‘em.
p.s. I know running in the snow would suck, but how about playing outside with that baby? I LOVED snow when I was little.
Posted by Brandy - 02/16/2010
Lindseys a celebrity trainwreck. Thats celebritys problem, they get all sorts of stuff free and dont want to let anything go. They orginized her stuff. Let me do it. Id roll the carts of clothes right out the door down to a Salvation Army or Goodwill. Thats just ridiculous. I saw it on “Insider” Linda Cooper-Smith orginized it (she was on Clean House before Trish) and who needs a million belts (I have 1). Its all too too much.
Posted by gb - 02/20/2010
Just read your post. Looking closely it looks like maybe one to two may not real felines. I had several cats at one time and couldn’t imagine sorting them like that. It’s hilarious.
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