Tag Archive for: clothes

Marie Kondo Sparks Joy in Person

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Paula with Marie

Paula with Marie

Who knew watching someone fold clothes could be so mesmerizing?  

I sat with a packed audience at the 92nd Street Y in New York City on a Friday night as Marie Kondo folded oddly-shaped clothing carefully and slowly.  

She’s the author of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Her newest book and the reason for this gathering is called, “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up.”

Watching her fold never got old.  (I didn’t mean to rhyme there but I was just feeling that sentence and it’s true.) The whole room was in a collective trance — Marie had our full attention.

She folded up one side of a shirt and then the other and created a small origami-esque package again and again.

Everyone was fixated on the tiny woman, who was wearing a white top and skirt with black tights, work her magic.  

It was like watching Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling.  

A real craftsman at work.   Read more

Organizing Your Closet

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Rubbermaid Homefree Series Closet Kit 3P40

Rubbermaid Homefree Series Closet Kit 3P40 (Photo credit: Rubbermaid Products)

Do you always spend extra time trying to figure out what to wear? Does it ever feel like you don’t have anything to wear? I’ve mentioned before that laying your outfit out the night before can make your life just a little bit easier — but that may not change the “I’ve got nothing to wear!” feeling you might have when you stand in front of your closet. It also doesn’t help you build your closet.

I’ve scoped out a few options to help you get organized!

How To: Writing a Packing List

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luggage-933487_640

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I always make a brand new packing list for every trip. Some people keep a template of items they use often but for me I like to start from scratch and really customize my list.  Having the list helps to make my trip less stressful.

Here’s my packing list making technique:

1. Write an Itinerary: Let’s say we’re going somewhere warm from Friday to Monday. We are arriving late on Friday and then Saturday and Sunday will be carbon copies of each other. Breakfast, Beach, Snack, Lunch, Beach, Snack, Dinner. Fabulous!  When you make your list think of all the activities you might be doing.  If you’re museum hopping — you won’t want to forget your camera and comfy shoes. Read more

Keep Track of Your Lists

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To-do lists aren’t limited to just items you need to pick up at the grocery store. I make to-do lists for books to read, restaurants to try, quotes that mean something to me, movies I want to see, names I like, recipes to make, clothes to buy, etc. I basically take notes on everyday life.

Usually I keep a running tab of these lists in my email drafts folder. I may or may not remember to refer to them.  Oh well — at least I try! But now I’ve found a website that will help you keep track of all your running lists and even remind you to check them out again.

The site is called Pistashio and it allows you to “stash” links and items to check out later. The creators have broken the lists up for you into categories. These are Eat & Drink, Watch, Read, Listen and See & Do.  I like all these categories — but I wish I could change some of them and add my own.

One of the things that I really like about this site is that you can share your lists on social media sites and set reminders. The reminders will nudge you to check out your lists and take action on them.  Pistashio is like if your to-do list and Read It Later had a baby.  Check it out and let me know if it helps you keep your lists straight.