Take the overwhelm out of clutter clearing!

  Our home has become a multitasker. It is an office, a school, a home, business, and even with all that, it needs to be a sanctuary. Unfortunately, the sanctuary part often doesn’t make it in a full house.

If the thought of clutter clearing amidst all of these new responsibilities overwhelms you, don’t despair!

Here are some tips to make things easier:

1. Instead of tackling the whole house at once, find a theme. Are you looking for a new job? Then tackle your career area or your home office. Does your family space need some help now that everyone is at home at the same time? Then tackle and spruce up your family area for some fun new traditions and family time! Remember, you don’t have to do everything at once, but you do have to start.

2. Set a timer! For bigger jobs like overflowing laundry baskets or closets, I like to set a timer for 30 minutes. That means for 30 minutes I do not do anything else, I  tackle that project. When the 30 minutes are up I put everything back on the pile that I haven’t put away. Then I go do something else. After a while, I will come back and do another 30 minutes. You will find if you do this without disruption and focusing just on that one project, you will get done quickly. Also, if you’re doing clothes projects ALWAYS have two bags or boxes handy. One for donations, and one for pieces that just need to go in the trash.

3. For smaller projects like papers, junk drawers, or craft areas, set your timer for 15 minutes. This keeps your focus on task. Have a home office, or is your home your office now? Stay tuned for a fun interactive webinar (limited to 5 people per session) on how to organize your "work from home"!

You’ve got this!

Are you telling the Universe that you already have TOO MUCH?

We are living in crazy times, and people have not spent this much times in their homes, EVER! Not only that, our homes have become multi-taskers!

In the next few weeks, I will hit on some points that I get asked about most often. I will also give you some tricks & tips that I use myself to stay on top of the turbulence.

Let’s talk about abundance.

Abundance and Prosperity, probably the highest topic on my client’s list.

We often don’t realize how abundant we already are until those everyday things like TOILETPAPER become a rare commodity. How many of you thought toilet paper would be like gold a year ago?

Staying on that roll, the fact that you can go to a sink and have running water, or go to the bathroom and flush is a sign of abundance in other places. Or, that you can go grocery shopping in the midst of a pandemic and buy most of your essentials (now that all the hoarders have stocked up and it is illegal to profit off of essentials).

But I know, MONEY is till a big draw. Having enough money to pay the bills and live comfortable is the wish most of us have.

Are you showing the Universe that you are ready for money, or is your money coming and going before you can enjoy it?

Heike, what does this have to do with clutter?

Well, let’s look at some places where you might be telling the Universe that you have waaaaay too much already, and you really don’t need any more.

Open your refrigerator. What do you see? Don’t be shy, I was appalled at my own fridge this morning, stuffed with expired food and crammed to the hilt. As I was cleaning it out because i need space for new groceries, I thought: “This is CRAZY! I am throwing out $$’s worth of food while trying to budget my groceries.” Not only is a shame to waste food (I can give most of it to my chickens, but still). it is telling the Universe that I have so much money that I can literally throw it away.

So today, take some time to grow your prosperity. Clean out your fridge so you can see what you already have. Next time you go shopping, make a list and only buy what is needed. I have to tell you, Instacart has been great for my grocery budgeting. I only order what I need, no spontaneous buys, especially at CostCo!

I love to hear your thoughts! Share with me in the comments!

MONEY: I just earned $25 by staying home

Why am I talking MONEY on a space dedicated to space clearing and conquering your clutter?

One of the many energies that clutter draws to us is chaotic finances.  It is almost a 100% chance that if your life is cluttered, so are your finances. It also happens that when I meet new clients and ask what their main goals are from our work together, the main issues are LOVE, and MONEY.

When I show my new client where their Prosperity area is in their house, they are often aghast. That is the first reaction, the second is: “THAT is why I can’t hold on to money!”.

Yes, friends, this why I am talking money.

It is not only about getting your clutter energy in order and making sure your Prosperity area is feeling luscious and abundant, it is also about changing your attitude towards money. Money is your friend. Money loves you, you just have to stroke it and love it back.

Instead of making long lists of budgets and expenses (here is the Gemini in me talking!), live in the moment, and start talking to your money. For example, I love getting food on the go. I am always hungry, and though I should carry snacks, I don’t. Today I was out and about, and on my way home I thought: “I should pick up my son and get Sushi”.

Thankfully, I have a trip planned and am collecting cash for a car, so I have goals (see pics below if you want to see where my money mantra is going). That is the secret. If there is something you are saving for, don’t put it on a list. Print out as many pictures and hang them around your house. Make it the screensaver on your phone, so when you pull it out to check Yelp or your bank account, that is the first thing you see. Not only is this great for Law of Attraction, it is a reminder to not frivolously spend your money.

I pulled up to my house, went to my overflowing refrigerator (does your family tell you there is nothing to eat in the house when the fridge is stacked like Tetris, or that just mine?), and pulled out all the ingredients to make a killer Bacon-Avocado-Tomato-Cheese Sandwich. Given that 2 sushi rolls, drinks, and a tip would have cost me at least $25, I just EARNED $25 by just staying home.

Here is the mindset I want you have from now on. You are not SAVING money by making your own coffee, not buying the 20th black T-shirt because it is on sale, not eating out every day…you are EARNING this money. You have already earned it once by working your job, and now you are going to pay yourself that money you did not spend.

You heard me right: PAY YOURSELF THE MONEY YOU JUST BARELY PAID TO SOMEONE ELSE.  Put it in a jar, or send it to a separate savings account called “TREAT YOURSELF YOU BADASS”. Right away, don't dawdle.

You see, my friend, this is how you are going to fall back in love with your money. You are going to make sure that if you give your money to someone else, there better be a damn good reason you did not pay yourself that money first.

P.S. I am not against the “Track you expenses and make a budget” approach. I just tried it and and it did not work for me. I am now working a system that not only is getting us out of debt without us getting resentful, but I am letting our money do good things for us as we go. AND, I have an excellent credit score, even though I think that system is the biggest BS ever. So, if are interested, stay tuned. If not, just ignore any posts with “MONEY” starting the title.

Much love, Heike

Homesick! Also, the gateway to Budapest.

Heike wants a Bronco.

Getting Bessie back to her glory. Glamping!

Are you drowning in excess, yet still feel like you are "lacking"?

In reality, most of deal with “excess”, even though we feel we are lacking.

I am not sure where the line was crossed where we, as a society, went from having the essentials and being happy, to having excess that suffocates us.

I always tell my clients, clutter cleaning is like finding free money. It is also a reality check. Often, we buy things threefold because we forget we already have something, or, we just can’t find it. Do you ever have that feeling when you are getting ready to buy something that you have bought that before? You probably have!

Advertisements, sales, and in general the status quo (geared up by some great marketing firms) make us believe we constantly need MORE. Shopping is a high, spending money is an addiction.

I don’t think anyone is immune, but you can turn things around. I am not perfect, and because I live a realistic life, I completely understand why you have three of the exact same handbag, or thousands of plastic containers :).

My guilty pleasure are estate sales, as you well know. About 1-2 years ago, I made a huge coup when I bought 3 boxes of Italian & French preserving jars, some of them the large 3L size.  I would have bought more if I had more $$ on me. Anyways,  I uses some of them, and the rest got moved around until they ended up in a shed.  The other day, I decided I wanted swap out all my Tupperware storage containers for glass (this is another post, but check your food! Glass is much better) and started making a list of how many large Mason Jars I had to buy.  That night, it popped in my head that I still had BOXES of gorgeous jars somewhere in a shed! I just saved at least $100, made energy space, and honored the items I already own!

Here is a tip if you feel you “need” something:

Make a list of things you need, and put them in priority order. I love using index cards for everything, and have a NEEDS card.  Write what it costs next to the item. Before you buy something big, put it on that list, even if it is for just a day or two. This will have give you time to think and prioritize. As you get something on your list, cross it out.  Also, you can start looking at estate sales or online marketplaces for things. I wanted a specific IKEA desk that costs around $300. I found one on craigslist for $60, like new, and one at the Goodwill for $9.99!! Law of attraction, baby!

If you go to estate sales, have a separate “Estate Sale Wallet”. Yep, no cards, just cash. Make yourself a budget and stick to it. I usually put money mine when I sell something. This is gold when you REALLY WANT THAT ANTIQUE DRESSER THAT IS HALF OFF, but you only have $20 to spend.  Be like steel. I have had situations where I was on the brink of grabbing my real wallet because I really WANTED something. You will feel like a badass by the time you get to your car because you stayed strong! If you have too many close calls, transfer your ID into your estate sale wallet before you go. No temptation!

Watch tiny home or minimalist videos and go googoo over how simple they live. With only the essentials. See how clean it is, and how easy it is to find things. Even though I still don’t know how a woman can have a whole wardrobe in one box!

The more you make minimizing, reusing, and scrutinizing purchases a mission, the easier it gets. You will go home and search if you feel you already have something, instead of just buying another.  You will find it super easy to get rid of things or sell them when you look at your priority list and have a goal what to buy. Without doing it consciously, you will easily sell 3 things that should have been sold ages ago so you can buy the one thing you really need or want right now.

Now go explore that neglected shed or mystery box in your basement! You never know what treasures you might find!

Warmly,
Heike

“Not all CLUTTER is CLUTTER!”
If you are ready to make a change and shift the energy in your home, I can help! See http://www.heikesharp.com for details. Long distance & online intros coming soon!

If it no longer serves you........

I just spent some time outside with my herbs, dumping them into a large compost bin. Chanting, singing, and gifting them back to Mother Earth under the Full Moon.

3 large boxes of packaged herbs, some of them untouched, all from 2009-11 :). That was a time in my life when I brewed & mixed. I made teas and potions, tinctures and tisanes, dream pillows & sachets.

I had a space for these herbs in my pantry. I knew they were there, I knew I would never use them since they were waaaay past their healing prime. But, this was a part of my life I was not ready to let go of until someone said to me: Why not do a Full Moon Ritual and let them go?

There are so many different paths to “clear” your home. You can tackle it by issues, or by rooms, or maybe do the Kondo method and just rip through the whole house. Or, you can begin by recognizing things that do not serve you anymore. Clearing your “home base” is equivalent to clearing your life.

Once you recognize, and admit to, what does not serve you anymore, take a moment with it and go down memory lane. Some might say that is exactly what NOT to do. I don’t believe it that. It is a part of your story. Take a moment. If the items in front of you bring back good memories, soak them in and think about who could benefit from them right now? Whose life can you enhance by gifting them these things? Once you know your beloved items will continue a happy life, it is much easier to pack them up, thank them, and hand them off.

If it is something that brings sad memories (yes, strangely we keep these too), it is really time to  let them go. Make space for the NEW.  My go to for sad items is fire. I really don’t like giving them away. When the moon wanes (so after the Full Moon), find a fire pit, and ceremoniously remove them from your life. When you give them to the fire, say: "Only the good remains." Feel free to add whatever your heart needs to spill. This is a good thing to do alone, without inhibitions. The open space will be  invigorating, and healing.

What are you holding on to right now? What chapter in your life has closed, yet the remnants of it are in your life every day, keeping you from moving on or just demanding your focus & attention?

If you need some ideas to help you move on, post below!

Blessings,
Heike
http://www.heikesharp.com
"SpaceShifter"

When the Pyrex falls, the House Spirit is upset.

In my house, I know exactly when I have pushed the limits of mess & chaos too far. First, of course, I just feel it. You know when your house is getting off kilter. You can’t find things, you get antsy, it looks grungy, you are mostly grumpy & sluggish when you are at home. AND, the more chaotic and messy it gets, the more chaotic and messy the inhabitants get. Check this theory out, I am right. I have a 17 year old boy. so I am already pushing the odds.

Then the Pyrex falls. In masses. It starts with one bowl sliding out of the dish rack for no reason,  then another literally jumping out of my hand while washing dishes, and it goes on until I do an extreme intervention. If you have ever dropped Pyrex, you know the reason it is so fabulous in the kitchen is that they withstand anything, and when they break, they break into million pieces. A million. I also get sad, because I love my Pyrex bowls so much.

It really started two days ago with glasses breaking, but today was the final warning that shit is going to hit the fan if I don’t get moving. For days, I have been planning to connect with my kitchen that is still suffering from the last 3 weeks of county fair and vacation. I kept putting off. I was washing dishes and put a Pyrex down, just knowing not to. Schwuup! Another plate loosened itself from the dish rack and pushed my favorite daisy bowl right into the air. I was not fast enough, and when it hit the ground it shattered all the way in to the dining room. It is never any old Pyrex, but always one of my favorites. During the last episode, all three of my turquoise bowls were sacrificed.

Curse word. Curse word. Curse word.

My house spirit has spoken.

So as I prepare to deep clean and space clear my kitchen after the 10 other things I must still do today, let me leave you with some quick tips for your own kitchen cleansing/clearing.

1. Use lemon scented cleaner or essential oils. It is an immediate pick-me-up and clears the stagnant energy.
2. Throw on your favorite music and make it loud.
3. Sweep and vacuum out the energy.
4. Before you start cleaning, open all the windows and doors to outside, take a big pot or drum, and drive those nasty energy boogers right outside. No worries, your house spirit is hanging on and will bang right along with you!
5. Close up shop and clean.
6. After you are done, take out the trash and give our kitchen a quick saging.
7. If you don’t have one already, adopt a KitchenWitch. I make them and they are funny & mischievous, perfect keepers of the Kitchen once it is clean.

If your kitchen is in your prosperity corner like mine, make sure to have some shiny coins, big bills, or prosperity bowls in there to remind the Universe that you are now ready to receive again.

Go slay!
**if you need a little help appeasing your House Spirit, or just need some guidance where to start with your Clutter Clearing Journey, see my website at http://www.heikesharp.com. It would be my pleasure to assist you!

Is the phrase "Spring Cleaning" giving you anxiety? Here are some remedies!

Is the phrase "Spring Cleaning" giving  you anxiety? Is that basket of onesie socks overwhelming you? Are you hoping for fall, just so you don't have to tackle spring cleaning?

The sun is out, the flowers are blooming, the garden is calling. The last thing we want to think about is staying inside and cleaning or decluttering. But the pressure is on.

Don't get overwhelmed. Like everything in life, you just have to put things in manageable chunks. Here are some ideas:

1. Walk around your house with a notepad. Take in your surroundings. Whenever something brings your energy down, jot that in your pad. When you are done, look at this list and number the things by priority. Does the laundry basket of socks in your bedroom bother you most? Or is the pile of unfinished projects on your dining room table? The discarded "stuff" on your piano? Now, take your planner, or a designated calender, and put one of these items on each day. For example, 3/26 "Sock basket". On that day, dedicate yourself to clear out that one item. Do it in 15 minute chunks if you have to, but just finish it. Cross it out when you finish. I am so proud of you!

2. Cleaning out your closet? Take out all the clothes you LOVE and that make you feel FABULOUS first and put them aside. There, now you only have to deal with things that are "maybes". Make a box for giveaways and designate where you are going to donate to. I always take my clothes to WEAVE, an organisation that helps abused women. It makes it so much easier for me to give something away when I know it will go good things for someone else. Try it, I bet it will work!

3. Have some great boots, a kitchen appliance, vintage toys, etc that are great but you don't LOVE them anymore? Sell them! Facebook offers Marketplace, Craigslist is local, and if you have designer clothes or shoes, try Poshmark.  If it does not sell in a week, donate, donate, donate. If you can, put any money you make aside and buy yourself something completely frivolous that makes you happy!

Set a timer and clean/declutter in chunks. Remember you are not just decluttering, you are lifting the Spirit of your home, and with that, the Spirit of your heart!