Magazine Management – 7 Tips to Clear the Clutter

magazine management

This past month I have been on a decluttering kick, and one of the first things I did was a little magazine management.

This is only the beginning of an urge to purge that I have had for several years now.  Two years ago we sold my mother’s house and moved her into an assisted living facility. Before we could sell the house we had to go through my Dad’s stuff that he had collected over the years. We’re talking serious STUFF!!!! Bless his heart, yes he was a hoarder. We knew this day would come after he passed away, and there was no getting out of it.

So all of the family got together and we plowed through it. It took 3 big dumpsters and MANY trips to the local junk yard to get rid of it all. He collected odd things. Multiples of garden tools, woodworking tools, wood, fishing supplies, nuts, bolts, and yes magazines. You name it, and he probably had several of them.  We did hold an estate sale which was a lot of work. It took us several weekends to finish the task. We’re talking hauling stuff out of a basement that was almost chock full to the ceiling of STUFF.

This impacted me like no other! I swore that I would never do this to my kids. Wanting to gut my own house was a dominant feeling and still is. I started getting rid of things left and right. My own tendencies to KEEP stuff were brought to my awareness. We have good intentions right. “I can use this someday”, “I may need it someday”, “I can fix it and save money”, etc. are all excuses we may use to justify the hoarder in us.

Do you have any hoarder tendencies?

I think most people do, obviously some more than others.

magazine management

Anyway, back to MAGAZINES. The first room in my clutter control project was my craft and sewing room. I had a few shelves that I stored my magazines on. Ya, it looked cute, added some color to the white shelves, but they had been there for years.

We’re talking some of these magazines dated back to 1996. The old Country Living favorites, Yoga Journal, and of course Martha Stewart’s Living to name a few.

Why did I keep them? It seemed that whenever I would go through a magazine a second time, there were things in there I had missed. Heaven forbid, I could miss something. So they sat on the shelf looking pretty and never got looked at again. Well not until I started my magazine management project, where I did a quick look through and then tossed.

I have since leaned and have come up with a few rules and guidelines to help keep the magazine situation in control. Here they are.

7 tips for magazine management

1-      Purge

Get rid of your stash! If you feel you need to go through some of your favorite magazine titles to see if there is anything worth saving, do it. Put those magazines in a box out of the way. Whenever you have a few minutes downtime to sit and relax, you can grab a stack of magazines and flip through them. (I find whenever we are traveling and I’m not driving, is a good time to flip through magazines).  If there are magazines that you just don’t even want to bother looking through, just toss them!

2-      Donate

Take some of the magazines to your doctor’s or dentist office, or local hospital waiting rooms. Perhaps you have friends who may be interested.

3-      Limit your subscriptions

Get rid of those magazines that are just full of fluff and advertisements. Stop and think if that magazine is really worth the money or your time to read. Can you get that information online?

4-      Go Digital

Most magazines nowadays have a digital version available. If you are one who likes to read your magazines on the computer or digital device, this is a great option.

5-      Recycle

If you have access to a recycling center that processes paper, take advantage of it. I am lucky because in my community we have a recycling can that gets picked up every other week. It’s wonderful.

6-      Read It & Rip It Out

Read & rip out  has been my system for many years, which limits the need to keep any magazine. Whenever I receive a magazine in the mail, I keep it in a rack for a very short time. I read through it, rip out anything that I am interested in, and immediately toss it in the recycling bin. I do like to rip out recipes, inspiring photos, and occasional articles for future reference. Those pages go in my file or on my vision boards.

The photo shown above on the left is an old bike basket that I keep some of my favorite magazines in. I placed felt pads underneath so it doesn’t scratch the bathroom floor.

7-      Keep Only Your Favorites

Occasionally there will be magazines or catalogs that are full of things that inspire me. I will keep them in a wicker basket that I display in my living room or bathroom. (The photo that is shown on the right is a nifty magazine rack I designed years ago, and my amazing, handy husband built it for me). These are magazines that I can flip through at leisure that bring me joy.

I do keep a few magazines and catalogs  that are my favorites.  Pottery Barn (great ideas for paint colors, home decor, and decorating), Whole Living (until they decided to stop publication), Simple,  and Eating Well.

So there you have it. A few magazine management tips. Don’t let clutter consume you, zap your energy and keep you stuck in the past.

WebMed has a great article on how clutter can drain your energy. Check it out here.

Let it go!

Here are a few of my other posts related to clutter that you may be interested in.

Clutter Free – Step by Step

De-clutter your wallet

26 day detox

Clutter Free Hot spots

 

You got this!

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

How To Make Tooth Powder – Easy DIY Recipe

Why in the world would you want to make your own toothpaste or tooth powder? It’s not like you already have a million things to do! Right?

Well, trust me, this is well worth your time. This is a simple, cost effective way to care for you and your families teeth!

Here are 4 SIMPLE reasons why I stopped using commercial toothpaste years ago and started making my own or buying natural stuff.

1-NON-TOXIC & SAFE
Have you ever looked into what is in your toothpaste?  Here is a quick little post that is a great read about what is actually in commercial toothpaste.  Makes you think twice about what you put in  your mouth two or three times a day!

2-SAVES MONEY
With just 4 simple ingredients, you can make a batch of tooth powder up for under $2.00.
If you have ever purchased or checked into NATURAL toothpastes, they are not cheap.  Worth it if you can’t make your own, but why not Do It Yourself and save money?
Tom’s Natural toothpaste runs around $5.00- $6.00.
Redmond EarthPaste is $7.99 plus shipping.  (good product, but make your own for a lot less).

3-QUICK AND VERY EASY TO MAKE
You can whip a batch of this up in only 5 minutes!!!

4-TASTES GREAT
This makes your teeth feel squeaky clean, like you have just had your teeth cleaned by the dentist.

I posted about this back in 2014, so it has been a while. Well, today I ran out of my tooth powder and decided to while I was whipping up a batch I might as well video it to show you how simple it is. So here it is.

Play Video

tooth powder ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
  • 1/3 cup Redmond Clay or Bentonite Clay
  • 2 teaspoons Redmond Sea Salt or Sea Salt  ( I like Redmond Salt)
  • 10-20 drops of essential oils of your choice

1/3 cup Redmond or Bentonite Clay

 

What are the benefits of brushing with tooth powder?

Bentonite clay has the ability to bind to heavy metals and toxins as well as to provide minerals. Redmond or Bentonite Clay is great to help the body detox and whiten and remineralize teeth. I buy the Redmond Clay bulk in a three-pack. It saves money and I like having a few extra for my pantry. We use it for cooking too. 

2 Tablespoons Baking Soda

 

The major benefits of brushing with baking soda are its teeth whitening and plaque removal properties, as well as its affordability relative to other commercially available teeth whiteners. Brushing with baking soda removes plaque deposits from teeth that contribute to tooth decay.

2 Teaspoons Real Salt or Sea Salt

Salt is known to soothe inflamed gums and help prevent bacterial growth, which is a big cause of bad breath. We use the REAL salt for cooking as well because it has the minerals left in it.

Adding Essential Oils

10-20 Drops Essential Oil
I like to use a mix of Peppermint oil and Tea Tree Oil (Melaleuca). Tea Tree oil is great to protect against environmental and seasonal threats.
 
Experiment and try other essential oils. Mix a few oils to make a flavorful blend. Make sure the oils are safe for internal use and good quality therapeutic grade oils. Some other oils you may try are lemon, spearmint, cassia and wild orange.
 
Mix well using a whisk.
Using a funnel, pour tooth powder into a glass container.
 

I like to use a simple, recycled “better than bullion jar”.

If you have several flavors in the same bathroom, you may want to label them as they will look the same.

Wet your toothbrush and dip it into the jar of tooth powder. Brush and enjoy the freshness and clean teeth feeling you get after having your teeth cleaned at the dentist.
 
We make one for each person in the family so we’re not spreading germs and we choose our flavor.
 

You can find this recipe in my Alternative Remedies for the Body, Mind & Spirit Booklet. This booklet is a great collection of tried and tested alternative remedies that really work!

 
 

DIY Tooth Powder

Simple non-toxic ingredients leave your teeth and mouth feeling fresh and clean. This is simple and cost-effective to make!

  • Prep Time10 min
  • Total Time10 min
  • Course
    • household recipe

Ingredients

    • 2 Tablespoons Baking Soda
    • 1/3 cup Redmond Clay or Bentonite Clay
    • 2 teaspoons Redmond Sea Salt or Sea Salt
    • 10-20 drops essential oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1

Add all ingredients to a small glass bowl

2

Mix well using a whisk

3

Using a funnel, pour tooth powder into a glass container

4

If you have several flavors of tooth powder in the same bathroom, you may want to label them!

5

Either dip your toothbrush in a jar of tooth powder or use this spiffy oil & vinegar jar for easy dispensing.

Cheers to a non-toxic mouth!

 

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect:

The Joy of Making and Wearing an Apron

Do you wear an apron? It seems that not many people wear aprons anymore. Could it be because not many people take the time to cook, or is it because they don’t want to bother putting one on?  Personally, I get a lot of joy making and wearing an apron!

What comes to your mind when you think about aprons?

I think about bright colored cotton prints, my grandmother making something yummy in the kitchen, and SEWING. Why sewing? One of my first sewing projects was probably an apron. I don’t think my mother or grandmother ever purchased an one from the store, an apron was just something you made.

I wear a full apron for cooking and a half apron for cleaning, puttering and crafting. For some, wearing an apron may remind them of work or drudgery. For me, (and hopefully for you), it means something wonderful is about to be CREATED! Something yummy to eat, a new project or just tidying up the house – all good stuff.

This may sound kinda crazy, but when I put my apron on, something happens within. I just feel ready- ready to get things done, ready for inspiration, and I feel empowered. Anyone else feel this way?

What comes to your mind when you think about aprons?

I think about bright colored cotton prints, my grandmother making something yummy in the kitchen, and SEWING. Why sewing? One of my first sewing projects was probably an apron. I don’t think my mother or grandmother ever purchased an one from the store, an apron was just something you made.

I wear a full apron for cooking and a half apron for cleaning, puttering and crafting. For some, wearing an apron may remind them of work or drudgery. For me, (and hopefully for you), it means something wonderful is about to be CREATED! Something yummy to eat, a new project or just tidying up the house – all good stuff.

This may sound kinda crazy, but when I put my apron on, something happens within. I just feel ready- ready to get things done, ready for inspiration, and I feel empowered. Anyone else feel this way?

Full Apron

A full apron is usually worn to protect clothing when cooking. I have ruined a lot of clothing when that dreaded splash of sauce or grease jumped out of the pan onto my shirt or pants.

These keeping house aprons are great for vendors to wear at craft shows.

Half Aprons/Utility Aprons

Aprons with pockets are used to keep things handy when working on projects. These utility aprons, KEEPING HOUSE APRONS, is what I call them, are my very favorite to wear! I wear them around the house most days and am tempted to wear them out and about. Don’t ya think they add a unique, hip, shabby chic look when worn over a pair of jeans or skirt.

I love wearing these around the house because

  • I can keep my cell phone handy, not only for calls and texts, but I like listening to music or a podcast.
  • Keep tissue handy
  • Hold, and keep handy, all my important tools (cell phone, ipod, vacuum attachments, scissors, garden tools, pens, pencils, calculator, dog treats, etc.
  • Great for all those miscellaneous items you find on the floor while vacuuming!

Aprons are not just to wear indoors. I use my “keeping house” apron when I work in the garden and it came in real handy when shingling our roof several years ago. (Perfect for holding nails, my cell phone and measuring tape.

My son and I on top of the roof. Ripping off old shingles. Notice my handy keeping house apron.

Aprons make great wedding and shower gifts!

I like making and giving aprons for wedding shower gifts. One particular time I was too busy to make an apron for a gift. I looked everywhere to find an apron that I could buy. I had a hard time finding one. The specialty cooking stores had a few, but not quite what I wanted and they were quite pricey.

Making an apron for yourself or to give as a gift is very easy and inexpensive. It is fun to put a set of dishtowels, a cooking gadget or a copy of one of your favorite recipes with the apron.

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Perhaps your Mom needs a stylen’ apron.

By the way, aprons are not just for women. I know a lot of men who like wearing them when they are doing the manly barbecue thing.

If you sew, go to your fabric stash or purchase a cute piece of woven cotton fabric and go to town. These aprons are a fun, easy sewing project. You’ll only need two yards of woven fabric for lined FULL APRON or just 1 yard if using a thicker cotton fabric. One yard is needed for the HALF style.

You can get the full size PDF pattern here.

utility apron  pattern here

Mix colors, prints and textures, and add trim and embellishments to make a fun authentic, one of a kind APRON. The combinations are endless. No need to spend a lot of money on fancy fabrics or trims. Use what you have.

If you don’t wear an apron, I suggest you give it a whirl! You will love it!

Happy cleaning, cooking and dancing!

jan3

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Connect: