Welcome the new year like the Japanese.
OOSOUJI -- THE BIG CLEAN
The Japanese prepare for the coming year by cleaning their houses and offices from top to bottom. This is a way for them to inform Toshigami (the new year god) that their place have been purified and is ready to receive his blessings.
I am cleaning our house now. "Toshigami, I am ready for your blessings."
Sources: Wikipedia and Blue Lotus
Sick and tired of reminding family members to take their vitamins?
Try this!
Slide in your Vitamin Schedule in a small acrylic menu holder (P35/$0.70 in National Bookstore ).
Place everything in a tray and serve during meal time.
You can go a step further by making a schedule for each family member.
When I was growing up, my parents kept our emergency medication (paracetamol, antihistamine, loperamide, etc.) in a small Tupperware container. Everything was dumped inside. Our medicine wonder-box was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.
My husband, on the other hand, is very organized in this area. Good thing he brought with him his own medicine box when we got married.
Here's are some handy tips on organizing your own medicine box.
1. Spread it. Take it all out of its container and see what medicines you currently have.
2. Sort it. Remember the Sesame Street song, "Which of these things go together... which of these things do not..."? Sort it in a manner that makes sense to you.
3. Check it. Check for expiration dates. If there is none and you have no idea how old it is, toss it out. It's not worth the risk.
4. Store it. Decide on a container. We use a crafts box to keep the medicines neatly sorted. Some keep theirs in small envelopes inside an index card box
5. Label it. Label every medicine with it's corresponding expiration date. If it comes in a blister pack and you're planning on cutting it up, make sure you note down the expiration date first. I made the mistake of cutting before checking and I ended up piecing it all together like a jigsaw puzzle just to see the date.
6. Hide it. Keep away from reach of children. Hide it in a cool, dry, and preferably dark place. It should be accessible to you but not your children. But don't even think of keeping it in your bathroom. Storing medication in a humid bacteria-infested place is not a good idea. Remember, aerosol effect.
Photo by aphasiafilms
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 6
JEANS
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES...
1 Pair to wear with heels
1 Pair to wear with flats
1 Weekend Pair you can wreck
ADD...
1 White Jeans
1 Another Favorite Pair
1 Cords (Corduroys)
1 Fun Jeans
To help you with your inventory, here is a guide to the perfect pair of jeans from Real Simple -- The Best Jeans for Every Body Type.
I don't have a pair for wearing with heels. I also don't have cords.
I have --
I was finally able to throw away the capless and barely writing pens in our pen holder. I went to the bookstore and replaced them with P5.00 retractable pens. It looks a lot neater now.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
Computation: P5.00 x 10 pens = P50.00
Photo by Lisa Dusseault
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 5
SWEATERS
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES...
2 Fitted Pullovers for Work
2 Cardigans
1 Black Turtleneck
2 Weekend Sweaters
ADD...
1 Evening Sweater
1 Vintage Sweater
More Weekend Sweaters
MY WARDROBE
I have too many sweaters! Good thing I did this inventory because I almost shopped for more in Zara yesterday.
Fold Marks -- I've noticed that my sweaters are developing fold marks because of long-term non-use. I need to find a better way to fold and store them.
Little Black Dress by Banana Republic
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 4
DRESSES
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES...
2 Work Dresses
2 Weekend Dresses
1 Daytime Party Dress
1 Evening Dress
ADD...
More Weekend and Evening Dresses
(Note: I combined the Summer and Winter suggestions.)
Don't forget the LBD (Little Black Dress). This is a definite must-have in every wardrobe. Check different styles here.
MY WARDROBE
Thanks to C, I am fully covered in this department. She made me shop for dresses early this year so that I'll stop wearing jeans and graphic tees. Now, I love wearing dresses. No mixing and matching required.
How's your inventory coming along?
GAP Photo from People
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 3
TOPS
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES...
6 Work Tops
3 Fun Tops
4 Weekend Tops
ADD...
More Fun Tops
MY WARDROBE
I need...
I fitted all my tops and I had to let go of around 10 pieces. My white tops also need some Tide Ultra.
Note on T-shirts:
Both Giordano and Bench discontinued their basic black t-shirts! Why?!?!? The fabric Bench is now using is lighter and stretchier. I like the older one better because it's more forgiving. The new one is too clingy for my taste.
How's your inventory coming along?
Compare this t-shirt stack to the photo in my post yesterday.
It's driving me crazy! I want my pile to line up perfectly. Aaaarggghhh...
What's a SAHW to do? Well, I spent the whole morning searching for a video on how to perfectly fold shirts.
Here are the results of my research.
First, there are obsessive-compulsive folders out there. Most of them used to work in GAP. (Remember Reality Bites?) There's this guy who automatically folds messy shirts in stores when he goes shopping. Read the article here.
Second, there is a magical way of folding shirts. I first found a YouTube clip demonstrating the technique but the woman in the video spoke Japanese. Luckily, Martha Stewart has an English version. See the video here.
(But the boys might find this video more interesting.)
Third, there are gadgets out there for folding t-shirts. My favorite is FlipFOLD. If you're planning to give me one for Christmas, I want the green one. If you like crafts, you can make me one. See the instructions here.
Fourth, aside from the GAP fold, there is also a Disney fold. Read the article here.
Fifth, although there are tons of posts on the GAP way of folding t-shirts, there is not one instructional video on how to do it (although there is a video on folding jeans). I heard they use plastic boards when they fold. One woman suggests using a chopping board as a guide. Please help me find a video.
That's it. Happy folding.
How do you fold your shirts?
Photo by LTgate
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 2
T-SHIRTS
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES...
2 Good White Tees
2 Good Black Tees
4 Tanks
1 Striped Tee
1 Henley or Polo
ADD...
Solid tees in unpredictable colors
Fun tees
MY WARDROBE
I need...
I'm going to Giordano and Bench later.
How's your inventory coming along?
I grew up in a family of pack-rats. My grandmother held on to everything -- M.Y. San and Danish butter cookie tin cans, empty jars of mayonnaise, ketchup bottles, old bicycles, unused and broken appliances, outdated clothes... you get the idea.
Photo from the Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland
I can still remember her carefully removing the labels and sterilizing the bottles before keeping them. She stored her loot in an orderly fashion, much like how Wall*E did in the movie. However, as years passed and her collection grew, her backyard started to look like a junk shop. I once saw giant rats hiding behind old bottles of Coke and Magnolia Chocolait. Eeek!
While reading this month's issue of Yes! Magazine, the featured celebrity housewife reminded me of my lola. The pretty wife/host confessed that she does not throw anything. She's not kidding! She was able to fill their 110 sqm. master's bedroom (almost as big as our whole apartment) with rows of boxes and knick-knacks. She and her husband now have 4 container vans parked in a vacant lot out of the city to store things that they can no longer fit in their basement. Beat that!
This got me thinking. I always thought that our house would look less cluttered if we had more storage space. After seeing the cluttered bedroom of the said celebrity, I realized that clutter has nothing to do with space, but everything to do with purging. I just need to be vigilant about throwing or giving away things we no longer use. Better yet, I have to learn not to bring into our home more stuff.
This is easier said than done, especially since I am very sentimental. It's a daily struggle. Sigh...
Photo by Joe Mabel
WARDROBE INVENTORY: WEEK 1
SKIRTS
The Lucky Shopping Manual suggests the following:
MUST HAVES --
2 All-Season Work Skirts
1 Day-to-Night Skirt
2 Summer Work Skirts
1 Denim Skirt
2 Summer Weekend Skirts
and IF YOU NEVER WEAR PANTS, ADD...
1 Summer Evening Skirt
1 Winter Evening Skirt
1 Leather or Suede Skirt
MY WARDROBE
3 Black Work Skirts (9 if I include the skirts that come with blazers)
3 Colored Work Skirts
3 Denim Skirts
1 Evening Skirt
1 Weekend Skirt
I need more weekend skirts and at least 1 day-to-night skirt. I also need to lose 5 pounds if I want the skirts to fit like they used to. LOL!
How's your inventory coming along?
I always learn the hard way.
Our maid misplaced (a.k.a. lost forever) one of my clothes again. I cannot describe... I don't want to discuss it. I feel really bad.
Sigh...
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
Starting today, I am going to devote an hour every Sunday to do my WARDROBE INVENTORY.
To make the task less daunting, I will focus on one type of clothing every week. My Lucky Shopping Manual will be my guide. 
Join me! Let us itemize and update our wardrobes together.
Here's the schedule:
Week 1 - Skirts
Week 2 - T-Shirts
Week 3 - Tops
Week 4 - Dresses
Week 5 - Sweaters
Week 6 - Jeans
Week 7 - Pants
Week 8 - Suits
Week 9 - Bags
Week 10 - Shoes
Week 11 - Jackets
Week 12 - Undergarments
Week 13 - Swimwear
Week 14 - Outerwear
From Lorrie Morrero, my organizing guru:
Which reminds me...
I am so excited to share with you our new free "Wallet Reminder Sleeves!" They help you prevent clutter from coming in your door with a reminder of the five questions you should always ask before purchasing.
Photo by Donovan Govan.
I want to bake a pound cake but the recipe requires a mixer, a gadget I never considered buying before. Should I buy one?
THE 5 Ws OF SHOPPING: Lorie Morrero's 5 Questions Before Buying
1. Who owns this already and might share it with me?
I think Teacher Jam has one but she just gave birth and I don't want to bother her. Mrs. P lives too far. Maybe C has one at home.
2. What do I already have that is like this?
I have a whisk, a spatula, and a wooden spoon.
3. Where will it be stored?
I might have to give up a few plastic containers to make room for this.
4. When will I have time to use it and maintain it?
This will all depend on the success of my pound cake. My sister said that a mixer is a good investment and that it can last a lifetime. Oh, I bet it will since I am going to use it only once.
5. Why do I want to buy this?
I want to bake my own cake since I find the Sara Lee pound cake too expensive.
So, do you think I should buy a mixer?
[Get your own free card sleeve at http://www.clutterdiet.com/wallet.]
I love discount cards!
Some cards you get instantly and some you get only through hard work -- shopping and saving the receipts.
No matter how and where you got them, you have to bring them all with you all the time because you never now when you might need them. There was a time I had to go home and get my card because a friend decided out of the blue to buy a refrigerator. Sayang ang points! Since then, I organized my cards and vowed never to leave them again. (Two weeks ago, I forgot my wallet but all my discount cards were still in my bag. LOL!)
Where do you keep your cards?
LifeHacker and Martha Stewart suggest using a key ring. You punch a hole in the cards and put them all in a key ring or small carabiner.
Punch a hole in my Sanrio Fans Club card?! NEVAAH!
I keep mine in this gold card holder. I bought it for P250 in the Rockwell Urban Bazaar a few months ago. A similar holder is available in Fino, Rockwell for around P500.
"Basa ng basa, hindi naman marunong mag-walis. Isosoli ka ng asawa mo dahil hindi ka marunong sa bahay." - LolaIf only she could see me now. God, bless her soul.
(W)omen get married thinking largely about what their marriage and their man can do for them, and not what they can do for their men. And when there is so little emphasis on the giving, the nitpicking and pettiness chews up and spits out what could have been a good marriage.2. KIT: Keep It Together by Frannie S. Daez
KIT is a home management manual to help women keep it together. Frannie Daez introduces a corporate approach to managing the home... The author shares how she manages her home based on personal experiences.3. Apartment Therapy by Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan
A top interior-design guru shows you how to create a home that works for you -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.4. I Love You, Yaya Handbook by Maricel Laxa Pangilinan
It is a two-part reference book containing informative articles on hiring, training, and nurturing caregivers, as well as practical guides for children, common illnesses, developmental milestones, and even fighting stress.5. The Home Organizing Workbook by Meryl Starr
Finally, an accessible and utterly practical handbook that offers lasting results for anyone looking to clear the clutter.6. Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook by Martha Stewart
Martha's indispensible handbook for creating comfortable and beautiful home and caring for everything in it.7. Real Simple Solutions
Real Simples' indispensible household-hint book. Features more than 300 fast, practical, and affordable solutions to make your busy life easier. Includes inspiring ideas for cooking, cleaning, decorating, entertaining, and more.8. Good Housekeeping:The Complete Household Handbook
This is the ultimate comprehensive, authoritative, and easy-to-use source of practical information for organizing, cleaning, and managing your home.9. Better Homes and Gardens: Clutter Cutters
Cut the clutter and reclaim your space and your life. Clutter Cutters offers advice and encouragement for clearing out the clutter in every room of the house.Read More...
Holiday Tasks for the Week (31 August to 6 September):
1. Master Gift List
2. Holiday Gift Budget
I'm making a list, and checking it twice. Were you naughty or nice this year?
Note: I'm following the holiday planning schedule of Cynthia Townley Ewer. Check out her website -- Organized Christmas
Wall*E is a hoarder! He developed very human traits and hoarding was unfortunately one of them.
I can't blame him. He can have anything on this earth! It may all be earthling garbage but as they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.
Sort and Store
He's so cute. He chooses his "finds" carefully and brings them home in his cooler. At home, he sorts them and keeps them in his hi-tech rotating cabinet. He obviously has a system because he can find anything in an instant. It only took him a few seconds to find that Rubik's Cube for Eve.
Hmmm... I take it back. Wall*E is a collector not a hoarder. He collects the stuff he likes and enjoys them. Just like me. *ehem, ehem*
Now, when my husband complains that I hoard stuff I can always tell him, "Correction. I collect not hoard."
Here is a list of some of the things I hoard:
These are considered consumables, things used everyday, but I end up hoarding them instead of using them. Some I use every now and then but very reluctantly.
Am I a collector or a hoarder? Do I need help?
What do you hoard?
I was late discovering the I Love You, Yaya Handbook. Good thing they had one copy left in Fullybooked, Powerplant.
I initially had second thoughts about buying the book because it looked like the browsing copy. (I hate wrinkly/crumpled book covers.) When I opened it, I even saw scribbles in the title page. WTF?!?
"Oh, wait! That's Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan's authograph. SOLD!"
I bought it for P499. Since I am childless and don't need a yaya, I got it purely for research. This review is for you my dear readers.
The book comes with 2 CDs. They contain the same subjects discussed during the I Love You, Yaya Training Seminars. You can use it to train your yayas at home.
I listened to Disc 1 and all I can say is that I love Maricel's voice. She sounds so soothing and pleasant.
Here are some of the topics I liked:
It's a handbook for you and your yaya!
If you want to see it first before investing your P499, you can borrow my copy.
I am talking about ORGANIZING BY COLOR, not the MMDA "number coding scheme".
Do you color-code at home? It's a great way to arrange stuff around the house. I have to warn you though that it can be addicting.
Here are some examples of my color-coding efforts:
1. Books: The bookshelf doesn't look as cluttered, right? It's very pleasing to the eyes. However, make sure you ask your significant other first before color-coding your conjugal books. I decided to surprise my husband and he almost had a heart attack when he saw his Henry Kissinger books separated. (They were 4 different colors!)
Click here to see larger picture
(Pictures by B.Q.)
That is MM's bookshelf in the picture. I arranged it while she was in the shower but this time I asked her permission first (friends may not be as forgiving as husbands). She was happy with the results but it took awhile before she got used to the fact that her books are no longer arranged by genre.
2. Clothes: When there is nothing good on cable and you don't want to go to yoga class, I suggest you try color-coding your clothes. It makes your cabinet look so neat. Just remember to use the same type of hangers for maximum neatness effect.
(Sorry. No pictures. My husband is in the room. I can't sneak in to take a pic.)
3. Dinnerware: I'm not really color-coding here because everything is white. I deliberately chose an all white scheme for our dinnerware because I am bad at matching colors.
Click here to see larger picture
(Pictures by BagLove)
Share your color-coding stories. Again, no Bayani or MMDA related stories please :)
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