Article about Stellar LifeStyle Management - Cleo: September 2008

Dear All,

I just wanted to share the latest article written about Stellar LifeStyle Management in the September 2008 issue of Cleo.

Enjoy!


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Cookbooks.. worth it? or a waste of space?

We all like to be the Martha Stewart of our homes and feel that we can reach for one of our many cookbooks and whip up a 3 course meal.

But how often do we do this?

Peter Walsh - Master Declutter of the Oprah Winfrey Show, has made a fantastic comment about cookbooks in his latest newsletter:

" If you have too many cookbooks for your kitchen, try this simple test. For the next six months or so, every time you use a recipe from one of your cookbooks, mark the page with a Post-It note. At the end of six months (or a year, if you prefer) sell, donate or give away any cookbooks that have no Post-It notes in them. Most recipes can now be found online so ask yourself, “Am I really using the limited space I have in the best possible way with all those unused cookbooks?” "

Another space waster when it comes to receipes are magazines which feature receipes, a common habit we have is to dog ear or mark the page we want and then stash it in the kitchen. A good way to handle these magazines, is to tear out the page with the reciepe on it and then store it in a clear plastic sheet (to protect it from spills!) and then store them in a lever arch folder.

These can be organised by type of cuisine, cooking time or ingrediants to help you find the recipe quicker next time and saves you valuable space in your kitchen.

Happy space saving!

Welcome to 2008!

Most people by this stage have made New Year's Resolutions and some of us have already broken them, but one thing we can all concentrate on trying to accomplish this year is having a clutter free lifestyle.

This doesn't just include our home and office but also our souls, heart and faith.

Do you need a more organised home?
A great tool to help you keep organised (and hence clutter free!) is called a Household Notebook, this is a notebook that the whole family can contribute to and use as a reference guide when it comes to chores, schedules and handy hints. Everything and anything you can think of to help make your Home and Life run easier can be found in this notebook.

To construct a Household Notebook you can use this website (http://www.householdnotebook.com/) as a starting point. This is wonderful website that includes header pages, dividers and resources to put into your notebook, as well as examples and tips on what to include.

Alternatively if you would like Stellar LifeStyle Management to make one for you, just contact me via phone or email and we can discuss how to get you organised for 2008!

Are you getting married in 2008/2009?
An important element of any wedding is its theme. A well thought out theme can ensure your wedding is remembered for years to come.
To come up with a theme, think about the following things:

• What time of the year am I getting married in? Bright Spring, Russian Winter etc
• What emotions to do I want my guests to feel? Cheery, Classy, Relaxed etc
• Is there an era I relate too? Victorian, Bohemian etc

Once you and your partner have brainstormed some of these things a theme should become apparent, do some research and then STICK TO IT!
A common mistake a lot of people make is getting side tracked by all different services provided to the wedding industry. Remember there are A LOT of great ideas out there for weddings, but they don't all match your theme.

All the best in 2008 and I look forward to helping you along the way.

De-Clutter Your Life!

You may think that everything in your house is essential but it's not!

Get rid of clothes you haven't worn for years, declutter shelves, cupboards and under the beds, take the contents of you attic or garage to a car boot sale and you may even make some money.

Most of us hoard things and stash them away - whether it's old clothes, letters, newspapers or plastic carrier bags. But you know it's time to organise or declutter your home when you're spending far too much time looking for things and realise that you're living in a chaotic sea of clutter, most of which is of no use to you on a day-to-day basis. In the long run decluttering will save you time and stress and help create a more relaxing home.


Stellar's Top 10 Declutter Tips

1. START NOW! Putting off the task off decluttering is the number one obstacle to a more organised home.
2. START SMALL whether it's your bedroom, spare room, kitchen cupboards or wardrobe. That way you won't panic at the enormity of the task.
3. SET A DEADLINE for each room to act as an incentive to get it decluttered by a certain date.
4. DON'T EXPECT OVERNIGHT RESULTS decluttering is a slow job and short cuts will be counterproductive.
5. BE REALISTIC will it really come in handy one day or is it just gathering dust?
6. DON'T TRANSFER CLUTTER to another room - you will only have to deal with it properly another time.
7. BE SENTIMNTAL BUT SELECTIVE by choosing to keep the most important items (and memories) but getting rid of the rest.
8. INVEST IN NEW STORAGE ITEMS such as a new bookcase, filing cabinet, shoe rack, photo album or letter box.
9. PUT UNWANTED CLUTTER TO GOOD USE. Before you throw things in the bin, make sure they can't be recycled, given to charity or sold at a car boot sale or second-hand clothes shop.
10. CALL STELLAR LIFESTYLE MANAGEMENT. Dont have the time to do it yourself? Then call Stellar to do it for you!

Staying De-Cluttered

Decluttering is a way of life, not a one-off chore. To stay decluttered you will need to adopt new habits such as 'one in, one out' - every time you buy something new then make sure you let something similar go. Even simply establishing a routine for when you come home - so that you hang your keys in a certain place and deal with junk mail by putting it straight in the recycling bin - will help you stay clutter-free.