Want prosperity? Then dress (your home) for success!

You've heard that you should "dress for the job you want", but did you know you should also dress your home for the life that you want?

• Want to be a healthy, energetic person? Is your kitchen a room that invites cooking healthy meals or is it set up for grab-and-go eating?
• Want to be a successful business person? Is your office the room of a successful entrepreneur or the cave of a messy middleman?
• Want to be a generous, giving person? Is your home neat and clutter-free, or are you hoarding lots of stuff that someone else could really use and would love to have?

This is a great time to determine where you are in your life and where you want to be. Take a moment to reflect on this past year and decide what kind of life you want and what kind of person you want to be in the coming year.  Make sure that your home supports those goals, that you have a bedroom that lets you rest comfortably, a kitchen that makes it easy to cook healthily, a living room that encourages conversation, and an office that supports your career goals.  Let go of the past and leap into your future, and remember:

"You can't write the next part of your story if you keep rereading the last chapter in your life!"

A different kind of holiday wishlist

We're coming up on a time of year that tends to be about buying a lot of 'stuff' cleverly camouflaged as gifts.  Have you noticed that many of the gifts we exchange at Christmas just add to the piles of unnecessary things in our houses?  This year, why not take a different approach to the Christmas wishlist?  This idea is more economical because it calls on your skills instead of your wallet, it's better for our home because it doesn't bring in more 'stuff', and can potentially create more lasting memories as you work with your friends and family to accomplish something.
Take a tour of your home and make a list of all the things you've been putting of or meaning to do - glue the leg on your dining room chair, replace those burnt out light bulbs, repaint the front door, swap out the kitchen faucet, take that load in the garage to goodwill.  Then email the wishlist to your partner, friends and family and ask them for help with these things as your Christmas gift this year instead of 'stuff'.  In turn, ask them to email their own wishlist - you might be surprised what they could use a hand with that you might find easy to do!  How great would it be to start the new year with all those little things accomplished, and know that you helped out your friends, too!
Normally I clean my car, gutters and windows myself.  It's one of those things I can do so I am too cheap to hire someone else to do it for me.  But I HATE doing it - it's cold, wet, and messy.  So last year, for Christmas, my family hired someone else to do this for me.  My dad got my a gift certificate to detail the interior of my car (he's in Kentucky or he'd have done it himself), a friend's handyman-husband cleared the gutters, and Paneless Window Cleaning came and did the windows.  Not only was it such a luxury, but they all did the job so much better than I ever had.  These were gifts I really treasured and would not ever have purchased for myself.
Happy gifting!

Wish you were $6000 richer? The truth about Self-Storage and clutter.

http://www.stonecreekstorage.com/

"America has a problem with overaccumulation" says Peter Walsh in his book It's All Too Much. "It's abundantly clear if you spend one minute noticing how many self-storage facilities have sprung up in your neighborhood."

While there are times that renting a storage unit can make sense, if you are one of the many people with stuff in storage, maybe it's time to reevaluate this choice.  Let's say you rented a storage unit 5 years ago because you moved and the new house had less room. You didn't think you'd stay in the smaller place that long, but here you are, 5 years later.  Let's say the unit runs you $100 a month.  You've spent $6000 storing all that stuff!  Have you gone back to access any of it?  Are you really sure what is even in that unit?  It's time to accept that whatever 'temporary' reason you had for renting the unit isn't actually temporary, and starting living your actual life.

Is there anything that you could use $6000 for right now?

Don't waste time regretting that lost income, but also don't waste another dollar storing all that stuff.  Put a deadline on the calendar for when you will cancel the agreement, and get to work!

Three common problems and a hint to help:

1. It's my daughter's or son's stuff.  What are you teaching your kids?  To value the things that they own.  If these items are important they should come and get them.  If they aren't important, they should go to Goodwill so someone else can use them.

2. It's family heirlooms. If it is stuffed in a box, covered in dust or mildew, and hasn't seen daylight in 5 years, it's NOT precious.  Stop pretending you care about it if you can't honor it enough to have it out and appreciated.  Give your extended family a chance to have the heirloom items, but if they don't care enough to take them either, it is not your responsibility to be the family storage facility.

3. It's overwhelming.  Set a timer, only work on the project 2 hours at a time.  With each item simply ask "Can someone else use or enjoy this more than I am?"  "Does this item add value to the life I want to live"  "Is storing this item worth $1200 a year?"  Don't hesitate to call a friend or a professional to help, they (we) can make it much less overwhelming and even fun!

You CAN do this, and you will feel freer and richer as a result.  Good luck, and happy un-storing!

Do you deserve a beautiful home?

The simple answer is... YES!

But if you're still not sure you deserve to create a welcoming, nurturing, beautiful home, consider these questions for Sandra Felton in her book "Messie No More":

• Why not be among those who are thrilled to invite people over on the spur of the moment? 
• Why not be the person to whom people say, "Your house is so lovely!" 
• Why not have people over for meals without working yourself to death to get ready? 
• Why not have a house that raises your self-esteem rather than tears it down? 
• Why not have a house filled with your favorite colors and accents? 
• Why not have a house that reflects peace so that others love to come over?

Dining room and kitchen by Rivalee Design

The question is not "why should we have a nice house?". The real question is, why not?

Teaching kids gratitude while clearing clutter from your home

Want to clear the clutter from your home, teach your kids great habits, and encourage gratitude in your home? Start this new holiday tradition.

Set a day on the calendar for "making room" and be sure that each person or child you want involved will have time free that day. This can be a good activity the day after Thanksgiving as a way to reflect on the meaning of gratitude, or chose a day closer to Christmas as the kids are getting more and more excited about the new toys they want.

• On the given day, start off by reading "Too Many Toys" by David Shannon. It's a great way to help kids relate to and understand the idea without any lecturing.
• Set a timer. Adjust the time based on how much you want to declutter. Older kids and adults can probably handle an hour or two, but with younger kids, limit the time to thirty minutes. 
• Set the example by choosing some number of things from your own closet, craftroom, or storage area to give away.
• Have the kids choose the things they are ready to give away (you can determine how many items that should be).
• Then let the kids celebrate by making up their Christmas wish list.

This should be a time for appreciating gifts from the past, and for learning that generosity returns only to those who are generous. By making this an annual ritual you will not only keep the clutter down in your home, but also help teach the kids, and reminds yourself, of the importance of generosity and gratitude.

Is your ex still haunting your house?

After your ex moves out of the house one of the challenges is to turn "our" home into "my" home, but it can be hard to get that "at home" feeling when your ex is still haunting your home!

When your ex moved out they didn't take *everything* with them... they left behind the Memories.  The sofa you bought together, the pictures of you both with your friends last summer, the wedding gift from your aunt, the print from that winery you picked up on your honeymoon... the list goes on and on.  How do you get rid of those ghosts without setting a match to it all and walking away?

Recently, while being interviewed for an upcoming documentary on divorce in the USA, they asked if I have my clients throw everything out in order to start fresh after a divorce. I said "no, of course not" and explained that not only is that prohibitively expensive for most of my clients, but that relaunching doesn't mean having to toss everything and buy all new. For each client we have to start by figuring out what in the home needs to go, what needs to stay, and what needs to be put away for a while. And if there are kids involved we also have to figure out what they need to stay connected to the other parent, without holding anyone back from moving forward. It's not easy.

Then I explained that small changes can go a really long way to helping the recently-divorced person move on from the embarrassment, pain, and heartache of the breakup and move on to the terrifying excitement of a new start in life. Fresh paint, for example, can transform a room and create a new mood in just a few hours, whether you are wanting to feel newly sensual, newly youthful, or newly adventurous!

If you feel like your ex is still haunting your home and your just not sure where to start, try these four tips:

1. Make one small change. Just rearrange the living room furniture. Just put fresh flowers on the kitchen table. Just repaint your bedroom. One small, manageable, bite-size change can start the process of healing and help you get some forward motion if you are feeling stuck.

2. Give yourself permission to let go. Just because that sofa was expensive doesn't mean you can't sell it on Craigslist if it is making you miserable. It's just a sofa, and it's not worth your misery.

3. Give yourself permission to hold on. If your friends are telling you to throw out your wedding photos but it doesn't feel right to you, then put them safely in a box so that you don't have the day-to-day visual reminder of your past and the failure of your marriage, and put them on a top shelf in the attic. It's okay if they stay there for a decade, or until you start dating again, or forever. And if you have kids, it's often smart to save them for the inevitable questions that will come up later.

4. Get help. Have a friend (or a professional your trust) go through your home with you and do an 'energy audit' of the space. Walk through each room and get out what you feel when you are in that room. What memories are evoked, what do you feel and what do you wish you felt? Have your friend take notes - this will give you a good overview and the start to a roadmap for the big-picture changes you will need to take on, and help you understand what it is about your house that is haunting you.

Make room for your new life - clear out clutter!

After my divorce a good friend gave me some wonderful advice when I was trying to decide what to do with my wedding ring. She said that I needed to get it out of my home in order to make room for all the good things that were waiting for me to make space for them.

That really hit home because without realizing it, by holding on to that token of my past I was keeping myself from opening to new love.

Now I work with clients trying to make fresh starts in their own lives, and I always share that wisdom with them. Every time we start I hear the list of excuses why they CAN’T get rid of Aunt Ann’s chair, the second set of dishes, the broken mirror, the dusty records in the attic, etc... At this point, after reminding them that they are trying to move FORWARD in their lives, I gently remind them that instead of hoarding the stuff out of fear and guilt, they can let someone else use and enjoy it! Not only will the stuff have a new life, but there will be room in their home and heart for things that will bring them joy to look at and use.

If you are ready to tackle your home and lighten its load, here are five helpful tips to focus the project:

1. Contain the project. Choose one half of a closet, one quarter of a garage, or one box of papers. Make it an area that you can finish in an hour or two.
2. Get comfortable and prepared. Have a chair or pillow to sit on, have water on hand, and have boxes ready for the things you are keeping, the things you are letting go, and the things that need further consideration.
3. Set a timer for one hour. During that one hour do not answer the phone, wander to the fridge, or otherwise get distracted. When the timer dings, take the box for Goodwill to the donation station immediately. Move the Craigslist items to a corner and post them within 24 hours. Action is the key!
4. Make money.  If you are going to sell your items through Craigslist, decide how you want to use the money you make. Write down that goal or post of picture of it in the workspace you are organizing. By posting a picture nearby of what you DO want then as you hold each item you can ask yourself if it supports the life you WANT or the life you have.
5. Forget how to read.  Unless you are focussing on paperwork for the hour, NEVER read, sort or file the papers you find while decluttering. You’ll NEVER finish because either you’ll drown in nostalgia or get overwhelmed. Instead, have a small box on hand, toss the papers you find into it, and make that a separate organizing project.

Once you finish an section, celebrate. Imagine how much closer you are to having the life and home you want, and smile!

Why our homes must change

Show up to work every day in your favorite outfit from the 80's and you wouldn't feel quite as smart, successful, and accomplished. You'd feel silly and people would wonder why you were having so much trouble letting go of the past. Yet many of us still live in homes surrounded by the same furniture, colors and artwork that we had in our last marriage, or when our kids were still toddlers, or when we weighed 60 pounds more.

Author Terah Collins, in "The Western Guide to Feng Shui", writes:

"Embracing change is often resisted in our culture. We are supposed to always look 25, buy furniture once, and choose one career we can stick with for a lifetime. As we all know, life doesn't work that way. Change happens. As we grow older and wiser, we may marry, have children, divorce, remarry, go back to school, change careers, move, make new friends..."

She goes on to explain that we can't fully move forward in life if our homes fail to reflect those changes.

Bedroom BEFORE Rivalee Design

Bedroom AFTER Rivalee Design

Take a look around your home. Try to see it as if you were a new friend visiting for the first time. How would you describe the person that lives there? What gender is this person? Does a single person, couple, or family live here? What is their age? What interests do they have? Do you think they live a happy, energetic, successful life? Does it look like this person is excited about the future and is living fully?

If you home isn't sending you the messages you want then it is time to make a change. You simply can't wake up every day to a home that brings you down and expect to get what you want out of life. Your home should support you and your goals and make you feel great about the life your are living!

Renting doesn't have to feel temporary and bland

When we rent we often feel like we are in a temporary home and there is no sense putting effort or money into making the apartment feel like home.  This can be a big mistake since it can encourage you to treat the rest of your life as temporary too and you might not put the energy into your career, relationships, and yourself that you need to in order to achieve your goals.

Setting aside the concept that all of life is, in fact, temporary, let's agree that the only time we can be sure of having is this moment, right now.  If that is true then the place where you are living right now is your home and is the only place setting the stage for how you start and end your day.  While you might daydream of that perfect home you might someday have, why not make something of the home you are already living in?

Rented Queen Anne Condo BEFORE Rivalee Design

Rented Queen Anne Condo AFTER Rivalee Design

It doesn't have to cost a lot, and it wouldn't make sense to make permanent changes to the space (unless your landlord will reimburse you), but a lush area rug, a coordinated color scheme, even a fresh coat of paint can make you happier in the place in which your are living and give you the feeling of success and motivation you need to pursue your other goals.

Even if you are convinced that you'll be buying your dream home in just another year or two, make the effort to create a home in your current place, because a year or two can become five years before you know it, not to mention that anything can happen in a year.

Let your kids decorate, it's a learning opportunity

Is your son or daughter begging for a bedroom makeover? This is a great chance to teach them about budgeting and let them express their personal taste!

Photo courtesy of archzine.org

First, set a budget. Decide how much money your can afford for the project and decide if the child has to contribute to that fund. For the lessons in this article, it’s not really important for them to contribute, since it’s about budgeting and planning, rather than earning.

Next, decide the parameters. Are the floors off-limits? But an area rug is okay? What about paint? It’s reasonable to let them choose the wall or ceiling color, but what about the trim, molding and doors? Can they paint the furniture, or buy new?

Once the limits are set write them down on paper along with the budget and have everyone sign the decorating contract.  Make sure they understand that they only have this amount of money, that it needs to account for sales tax and shipping, if applicable, and help them create a complete plan before they ever lift a paint brush or buy a comforter. Teach them to ask about return policies at stores and how to care for packaging and save receipts in case they need to take something back.

Make sure the contract states that you get to review the plan before implementation to assure that the limits were kept in mind, but otherwise try to keep your hands off the project. Not only will your kid feel valued by being trusted and allowed to express some personal taste, they’ll come to understand the real cost of goods, learn to prioritize and make choices they must live with, and begin to learn to budget.  They might even care for and clean the room since it is theirs, not yours!  Priceless!

Can a beautiful home make you happy?

In the book “Women and Stress” Jean Lush writes that “beauty and a sense of order in your home are functional. They have a purpose and are not unnecessary luxuries. Creating beauty around us gives us a sense of accomplishment, charges us with energy, and reduces tension.”

Living room by Rivalee Design (www.rivalee.com)

Many of my clients wait years to call me because they feel that spending money on their home is wasteful, self-indulgent and worldly, but as a result they spend those years feeling like their home is unfinished and for many it means that they don’t have friends and family over to enjoy their home because they feel embarrassed.

“Beauty is not just for the rich and famous. It is right for everyone and fundamental to emotional health” writes Lush. And beauty need not be expensive. It’s about prioritizing the items in your home, getting rid of what is not needed, and making the most of what you have. Of course, it usually involves a can of paint and a good vacuuming, too, because while things don’t need to be sterile, they should be clean enough that wrestling on the floor with your kids doesn’t give you a face full of old cheerios and dog hair.

Frank Lloyd Wright taught his students that beauty dissolves conflicts, quiets us within, inspires us, creates a sense of happiness and serenity, refreshes us, and consoles us in times of depression. “Beauty,” he added, “is not unnecessary or impractical.”

If life has you feeling overwhelmed, try spending an afternoon getting one room in order. Take at least 10%, if not 50%, of the stuff to Goodwill. Open the windows and close the closet doors. There is a good chance that you’ll feel better afterwards, and be better prepared to face some of the harder tasks in your life.

Keeping a marriage happy throughout a remodel

One of my clients shared this cartoon with me and, after a good giggle, it made me think about how often a kind of “marriage counseling” comes into my work. As both a ballroom dance instructor and an interior designer I have learned a number of things that can make or break a project for a couple, and I’d like to share some of that insight with you. If you’ve never undertaken a remodel together before, you’re in for a pretty big adventure, and you want to go in with the right attitude and, ideally, the support of a designer that *both* of you like and trust and who can make sure that the final design is one you both like.

Comic by Besty Streeter

Here are key ingredients to achieving the goals for your home and, when you’re done, still have a happy relationship:

1) Identify your dream(s).
First, understand that you both have some idea of what this project will end up looking like, but that you might have very different ideas of that end product. We have to figure out how you want to feel in your home when it’s done, how do you want to live. The key here is to LISTEN to each other, and don’t judge! At this stage every idea is valid.

2) Destroy preconceived notions.
Both partners are going to have some concept of how much it will (or should) cost and how long it will take. Again, LISTEN to each other and *never* laugh at your spouse. If you ridicule your partner they’ll just clam up and be that much less open to your desires when it’s your turn to be heard. It’s normal for someone not to know how much a sofa or flooring or any of the other ingredients will cost - how often does the price of a kitchen faucet come up in your spouse’s work?

3) Draw a map.
This is where the designer starts pulling together ideas and options and will ask for decisions. It often helps to assign “homework” and divide up the decisions - let the husband choose the counters, the wife choose the flooring... and trust the designer to guide the decisions so they all work together. Agree to honor the work and decisions of the other person.


4) Demo and remodel.
You are going to face dust and dirt, perhaps weeks without a kitchen or bath, delays, etc. Last minute decisions will have to be made, and changes approved when things don’t go as planned. Stay on the same team. Budget for a night in a hotel or a nice meal out once in a while as part of the project. Be a cheerleader for your spouse and know that even thought they might stress about different things (she’s worried about the money, he wants the lighting to be just so) their worries are just as valid as your own.

5) Celebrate!
As you achieve goals, break out the champagne. Not just the big goal (the kitchen is done and we are having a housewarming party) but the small goals, too (the cabinets came in!)

6) Throughout, remember what’s important; your marriage and your family.
There are NO design emergencies, and the cabinet color and finish is NOT more important than your spouse. If you see your spouse digging in like a mule, chances are that they feel they aren’t being heard, or felt steamrolled on the last 10 decisions. If you’ve been getting your own way for a while, it might be time to get them really involved again. Or, if *you* start acting like a stubborn mule on a design decision, take a deep breath, set it aside, talk about it with your designer. Go out and get a little perspective. Sometimes you just need a walk, sometimes you need to go volunteer at a soup kitchen, but do something that reminds you that beautiful design and new kitchens and baths are a luxury and a gift, not a right or emergency.

Then go kiss your husband or wife.

You’ll learn a lot about yourself and your partner by taking on a remodel together, and it can be surprisingly easy and even fun if you have a though-out budget with a little extra set aside, and keep some light-hearted perspective

Turn your living room into a "Conversation Room"

Real estate agents, TV advertisers, and greeting cards companies make their money selling a fantasy. They sell you a make-believe world in which friends come over to your home to linger over a cup of tea and celebrate the ups and downs of life. They convince you that this house, this brand of coffee, this holiday card is the missing ingredient, the key, that will give you a life filled with friendship and meaning.

Of course, that’s a bunch of hooey. There is no magic product that will create a meaning-filled, love-filled life. The “secret” is, in fact, that any house can be a home, any cup of coffee can give friends a reason to stay a little longer, and any card sent to a loved one shows you’re thinking of them, even a halloween card sent at Easter.

There is, however, something you can do to increase your chance for a a magical, meaningful life. It has to do to with creating a place amenable to conversation, a space in your home where distractions are limited and the focus is on the human being in front of you. I’d like to introduce...

“The Conversation Room.”

Before, the focus of the room was a giant TV.
That TV is still in the room, but now the focus is on gathering and talking.

I say you CAN have the magic they show in the coffee commercials! All you need to do is create a conversation room in your home.  How? The key is in the furniture arrangement.

Flip through a magazine and look at the images of inviting living rooms - unlike many family rooms you see today with the furniture all directed towards the TV, the seating in these rooms faces other seating, making it easy and natural to talk. It’s kind of like tree stumps in a circle around a fire pit. That’s it. That’s the key!

Five tips for creating a great, living, conversation room.

1. Make it intimate.
This is essential!  Make sure the furniture allows for easy conversation. No one should have to overturn their head to chat with a friend. Equally, no one should have to shout to be heard or struggle to hear the conversation. Of course a conversation room can be created in a great big room, but it should still be broken down into small conversation spots, small enough for two to gossip, and large enough for four friends to pass an afternoon.

2. Make it comfortable.
Forget stiff and formal living room furniture. And lose the old futon that swallows your friends. The furniture should be comfortable and inviting - and that means not only the right level of “squooshiness” but also that it should be neither so clean, nor so dirty, that people are afraid to sit. Also make sure that the temperature is comfortable; have a couple of throws in easy reach for friends who might feel chilled.

3. Make it private.
A conversation room should feel “safe” for sharing secrets. It’s not meant to be the center of attention, or right off the kids’ play area, or next to the main phone in the house. It should be free of distractions so that friends can come together and plot their next conquest and commiserate over their latest lost love.

4. Invite a little distraction.
While it is important that there be no TV in the conversation room, or if there is, that it has a very good cover that conceals it and that the furniture is *not* oriented towards it, you still want a little distraction in the room for those comfortable pauses in any conversation. Light music, a garden view or interesting painting, and a few good books on the table will do.

5. Make it stylish.
Give the room a theme or style that inspires you to sit and stay a while. Prefer a clean, open, contemporary look? Or a cozy, country feel? Maybe a fascinating global adventure? Play with it, but give it a distinct personality; it shouldn’t feel like a forgotten or catch-all room. Give it the honor that you want to give to your visiting friends.

It’s time to reclaim a LIVING living room - good luck!

Recovering from divorce through design

Credit: scottsnyde

© scottsnyde - SXC

So, you’re newly single. When you look around your home, do you see your future, or only ghosts and broken dreams? As painful as divorce is, it is also the beginning of the rest of your life, and if you can embrace this idea you will find a whole new world of possibility waiting for you.

I've been there. I have faced the pain and embarrassment of knowing that I failed at marriage, and the terror of knowing that every plan I’d made is void and I need a new plan. I have also faced living in a home that reminded me of that lost life everywhere I looked.

So what did I do? I repainted every wall, craigslisted some of the furniture, and created a home that said ME instead of US. And once I was done, I felt like I could start my life again because everywhere I looked I saw a beginning instead of an end.

So, when you are ready to leave the pain and past behind, why not start with a fresh coat of paint? There is nothing so therapeutic as physical activity, and I can almost guarantee that this will help you restart your life emotionally, mentally, and even physically.

If you have kids you will have to be sensitive to their needs, too, of course. You can ask them if they want to redesign their room. Some kids will really need the stability of everything staying the same, and you will need to take things slowly, and just do one room, perhaps your bedroom and master bath, at first. Other kids will leap at the idea and enjoy this new project with you. Either way, it’s smart to create a box of mementos of their other parent, even early love letters and photos, for your kids to have for later as they ask questions about your marriage and what happened. Some of my most treasured items from my own childhood are the cards signed ‘mom and dad’ from the years before my parents’ divorce when I was seven. 

 
Still, your children learn from everything you do, and if they see you embracing a new future (instead of bashing the past) they can learn optimism and courage, and from you will understand how to make the best of even the hardest situations.

Lose Weight and Get Fit: Top 10 New Years Resolutions

Image: How To Get Fit Guide

The second in our ten-part series on the top ten New Years resolutions and how your house can help (or hurt!) your success.

"Lose Weight and Get Fit"

A top priority for most people, and unfortunately one of the first to be broken.

Will-power is only as strong as the environment you create.  That's one of the reasons the folks on the Biggest Loser have such amazing success - not only are they motivated, they have entered an environment that will support their goals 100%.  Learn from that, and create your own environment of success.  

Here are just three of the many ways your home can change so that it is your ally, not your enemy, in reaching your health goals:

1. Cut the clutter.  If you spend each morning digging through a stuffed closet to find something to wear, hunting for your keys and purse and trying to locate the kids' permission slip, how can you cook a healthy breakfast or make time for the gym?  If you're serious about getting fit, you have to help your house lose some weight, too.

2. Cull the closet.  Another important place trim the fat.  One of the most important things I learned when I decided to lose 35 pounds was that I had to feel good in my clothes now.  I had to be able to put an outfit together that made me feel comfortable, professional and put together so that I felt successful enough to walk away from that Snickers bar.  Your closet should be free of clothes that are out of style, are too large or too small, or don't make you look and feel great.  The clothes you have should have room to breathe and come out of the closet ready to wear.  Not only will you feel better, but you will also have more time in the mornings for those other healthy choices, like preparing a healthy lunch.

3. Get out of the kitchen.  This is especially key for those who work at home or stay home to care for the kids.  If you tend to read, study, or work in the kitchen or at the dining table, create a new place for those activities.  It's too easy to nibble when everything is right at hand.  If you must work near the kitchen, consider painting the walls in that space a minty green or sky blue, as these are the color least likely to encourage your appetite.  And get the food out of sight - leave nothing but some fruit out on the counters.

These are only a few of the ways that your home can support your goals to get healthy.  Don't waste this coming year.  If losing weight and getting fit is a priority for you, figure out what you need to do to make it happen, then do it!

Is your house overweight? Clear out the clutter!

Before you rush out to buy color-coded bins to organize your stuff and attack your New Year's Resolutions, ask yourself honestly - do you just have too much stuff?  

Think about it, you can't stuff 10 pounds of flour into a 5 pound bag.  You can't pour 2 cups of milk into a 1 cup bowl.  Yet we stuff as much stuff (hmmm, is there a reason it's called 'stuff'?) into our homes as we can, never taking anything out, and think that the right bins, baskets and labels will solve the problem.

It won't.

Bedroom BEFORE Rivalee Design

Bedroom AFTER Rivalee Design - no new furniture was purchased!

If your garage is overflowing, your office creeping into the dining room, and the kids' toys everywhere, you could move to a bigger house, but I suggest the cheaper, easier, and more ecological idea of getting rid of some of that stuff. Here's how:

Make time. Set a timer for two to four hours. Turn off the phone and tv, turn on some great music. Limit distraction so you get more done.
Define the goal. Keep focussed: choose one closet, one room, one bookshelf at a time. Otherwise you just end up with a bigger mess. Make a pile for things to keep, things to toss, and things that need a little more thought (maybe you have to ask another family member about it).
Question everything. As you pick up each item ask:
  -  Have we used this in the last 3 months (or, if seasonal, in the last 2 years)?
  -  Could someone else use this better or enjoy this more than I am?
  -  Does owning this make my happy, or do I not really care about having it? 

  -  Am I only keeping this out of guilt?
  -  Does this fit (my body AND my age)?
Reconsider. Go back to the "keep" pile and take out at least three more things to give away.
Take action.  Take the "get rid of" pile to Goodwill immediately. If you could immediately shed 10 lbs the moment you decided to go on a diet, wouldn't you do so? With your house, you can, so take that extra weight and get rid of it!!  Put the "to think about" pile in a box and seal it up. Mark a date on the calendar 1-2 months away. If you haven't needed anything from the box, take it to Goodwill on that date without opening it up!

Once you get rid of all the stuff you are not using you'll be amazed at how much room you have and how everything can find a home so easily. 

 Good luck, and happy organizing!