5 Steps to Clearing Clutter

We are realizing how little we actually need in the physical world and turning more to the simple pleasures in life. Furthermore, it simply doesn’t feel good to be in our living space if it is filled with items that we no longer need. And, for good reason. Anything in your space that you no longer use or love is simply taking up space for something else to come into your life.

Feng Shui is based on harmonizing the free flow of energy, or chi, in living spaces. If the flow is restricted, then it becomes stagnant. By keeping your spaces clutter-free, you are not only allowing the free flow of energy, but you are also removing stagnant energy that was created by that clutter giving yourself new opportunities in your life. Clutter is anything that you are keeping that stagnates your energy because it serves no purpose in your life.

Clearing clutter can evoke feelings that range from overwhelment to bliss.  For those who feel overwhelmed by the idea of clearing clutter it is best to start with small, achievable spaces even if that simply means cleaning out a drawer.  Once you’ve attained that goal, you will be more inspired to keep going.

The following are the 5 steps to clear clutter from any space:

1.  Set Aside Time
For many, clearing clutter can be overwhelming which is why it has accumulated to begin with. We put it off and just let stuff collect. So the first step of clearing clutter is to make time for it. Make it a priority. To do this, create a block of time out of your schedule. For example, take a day off from work or carve out an afternoon or simply designate the next 30 minutes for clearing clutter. The point is consciously making time knowing that this is important for your well-being.

Again, if clearing clutter seems especially daunting to you, then break down the job into small tasks. Do one box, drawer, or closet at a time.

2.  Have Materials On Hand
Make sure you have boxes and/or plastic bags, recycling bin, and garbage bags on hand. Also Sharpies are great to label boxes. This step is important because you don’t want to clear one closet just to shift it all to another closet. While you are clearing, you want to be able to immediately place the item into its destination to reduce any further clutter.

You will want to sort the items accordingly: trash, recycling, returns (all those things that you’ve borrowed over time and not returned), donation, for sale, and an undecided pile. For trash items, place in trash bags. For recycling items, place in recycling container immediately. For returns, place in a designated box. For items that will be donated, place in an appropriate bag or box for immediate delivery.

For the items you have designated for sale — whether it be for a garage sale, craigslist, or ebay — make sure the item is worth your time to sell. Make sure you are not using the “for sale” items as a way to distract yourself into keeping it. For items in the undecided pile, keep reading…

3.  To Keep or Not to Keep
Knowing what to keep and what to get rid of is the quintessential question of clearing clutter. In determining what to keep, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I use it?

Do I love it?

If the answer is “No” to both, then it goes. You should love or lovingly use everything in your home. If you don’t, it is taking up valuable space.

4.  Final Decision
For those items that you either can’t make your mind about or just can’t part with, then ask yourself why? You will find a deeper meaning. And perhaps then you will be able to part with it. If not, then save it for the next round of clearing clutter. The emotional weight will eventually get to you. Just like everything in life, we hold on to it until it becomes easier not to.

Each time you clear clutter you will be amazed at how much easier it gets and how much more you can part with. In fact, it becomes extremely freeing. When you successfully do it once, you realize life really does continue without that item(s).

5.  Delivery Time
This step is as crucial as the first step. There is no point in going through your items, just to put them in a box in your closet. Instead, immediately take the trash out. Recycle items. Deliver the donation items within 24 hours, along with any items to be returned. Begin the process for selling the items to be sold. This step can be more time consuming than you think, so build in plenty of time for properly disposing of your items. This last step can be the most annoying, but also the most therapeutic. Once you have properly rid of the items you will feel so much lighter.
AND one of the biggest payoffs from clearing clutter is that you will be so much less likely to accumulate clutter in the future.

photo credit

What To Do With Childhood Memorabilia?

This is a question I invariably get every time I speak about clutter clearing. So often parents of adult (or almost adult children) want to know, “what do I do with all of the crayon masterpieces my child made in kindergarten.” They are so conflicted. On the one hand, there are closets full of these that are just collecting dust and taking up valuable space, but on the other hand it just seems criminal to get rid of them. What to do?

First off, you may be asking, “why do I even need to get rid of these items?” You wouldn’t be reading this article if in some way they weren’t weighing you down. Keeping a lot of memorabilia – be it our own or our children’s – can physically and energetically weigh you down. Having lots of stuff can literally prevent people from moving to another location – one in which they would probably be happier. Secondly, it locks you into the past.

Hanging on to lots of memorabilia prevents you from moving forward or even being present in your current life. It oftentimes prevents mothers from finding their life after being a mother. So what do you do with all the memorabilia?

Step 1: Have your adult children go through the memorabilia to see what they want to keep. After all, it’s their stuff. It’s their crayoned artwork, their graduation cap, and their mood ring. In fact, when you originally kept it, you were probably keeping it “in case” they wanted it one day. Give them the right of first refusal and have them take ownership of what they want to keep. Chances are they won’t want much of it. That is, unless you are offering to store it for them (not recommended). In which case, they will want to keep more of it. Trust me. If your children are not adults yet without enough hindsight to what they will want to keep, then gather all of the memorabilia and store it in organized containers until they are old enough to go through it. At that point, refer to Step 1.

Step 2: After your children have taken what they want, then the rest is yours. This may vary from rooms full of stuff to a file folder. Everyone is different in the amount they accumulate and therefore with the amount you want to keep or get rid of. My advice is to pick a target container size for what you want to keep. Your target size may be a file folder, a small storage bin, a large Rubbermaid bin, a closet, or even a room. Decide what is best for you. So, for example, if you select a large Rubbermaid bin, select your favorite items until the bin is full. And that’s it. Clear out the remaining items.

Step 3: Some people suggest taking photos of memorabilia items and then dispose of them. If this appeals to you, then this could certainly lighten your load. If so, perhaps you won’t have to store anything or at least not as much. For me, I would rather hang on to a few items than have a bunch of pictures. With a picture you don’t get the sensory experiences of touch and smell that you get with the actual item. When I come across my baby blanket in my Rubbermaid, it’s as if I am transported back in time. That being said, my life is just as rich with or without keeping my baby blanket. So perhaps it’s time to let it go! Your thoughts?

Feng Shui iPhone App is Here!

First off, I love my iPhone. I love the idea of apps and many have even changed the way I function on a daily basis. On several occasions, I will flip through the Feng Shui apps always surprised to find that none of them are all that functional, particularly with using the Bagua Map. So while sitting under the Blue Moon on New Year’s Eve, the idea, design, and inspiration came to me to develop my own. Within minutes, I sketched out my idea and two months later it is now available.

Similar to my book to be released April 25^th, 27 Things to Feng Shui Your Home, my goal with this app was to make it simple but informative. The number one thing I hear from clients is that Feng Shui books are confusing. And, yes, I agree. It can be challenging to understand Eastern concepts, particularly when written from an Eastern mindset.

This app is based on the most widely used westernized Feng Shui method, including the Black Hat or BTB Feng Shui method. Accordingly, the Bagua Map is aligned per the front door of the space, not per compass directions.

With this app you will have all the information you need to use the Bagua Map. And what I love about apps is that they are interactive!

FEATURES

• The Bagua Map can be viewed in Portrait or Landscape mode depending on the general shape of the space you want to feng shui.
• Click on each square of the Bagua Map to get all the information you need on that section of your house.
• Provides in-depth characteristics, application, remedies, and enhancements for each quadrant.
• Import or take a picture or sketch of your floor plan, room, etc. from your camera photos and superimpose the Bagua Map onto it for a bird’s eye view.
• Save your feng shui-ed floor plan and create as many as you want.

HOW TO USE

• Align the main front door of your house with the bottom of the Bagua Map screen where it says “front entrance.”
• If your front door is centered on your house, you will be walking in the Career & Life Purpose square. If the door is off-centered to the left, then you will enter through the Wisdom & Self-Awareness section. If the door is off-centered to the right, then you will enter through the Helpful People & Travel section.
• To feng shui an individual room, you will align the Bagua Map with the door entering the room with the “front entrance”. For example, the farthest, left corner of the room from the door will be the Wealth section.
• To feng shui a desk, where you are sitting is equivalent to the “front door,” which in most cases will be centered at the Career & Life Purpose section. For example, the farthest, left corner of your desk is the Wealth section.

To link to your iTunes store to download, click here! Or to find in the app store on your iPhone, just Search “bagua map” or “Tisha”.

I would love to hear your feedback!

7 Benefits of Practicing Detachment from s.t.u.f.f.

This is a post from Good Life Zen by Tony Teegarden. Tony blogs at tonyteegarden.com where he delves into Human SEO (Self Exploration Optimization).

Consider for a moment, what it means to live a life of detachment and what comes to your mind first? Ask yourself what do you feel at first thought?

Do you interpret detachment to mean you are disconnected from:

• people
  
• relationships
  
• your emotions
  
• society
  
• physical stuff
  

It’s important to measure and understand what your current belief around the idea of detachment is before you move forward with this post. Your attachment or belief around a particular definition is what ties your emotions to that particular event. Thus causing an experiencewhether good or bad.

So what is S.T.U.F.F.? I define stuff as, Scarcity That Undermines Freedom & Family.

I find it’s not so much the stuff that we accumulate that binds us, but the mental and emotional attachment surrounding the stuff that can cause us suffering such as our lack of emotional freedom and deeper connections with people.

Scarcity is a powerful human emotion that can hold us prisoner if we’re not aware of it. Our attachment to stuff is a form of scarcity that can effect our relationship with not only others but ourselves.

So what happens when you and I release any attachment to stuff and allow ourselves to live in the here and now, without scarcity on our minds? I call it emotional freedom and the opportunity to find or live our purpose. Remember the movie Pursuit of Happiness? It wasn’t called the pursuit of stuff was it? This is a form of detachment I’m going to cover.

practicing detachment

Now I’m the first to admit I like nice stuff. I admit I have a bit of a man crush on a Bentley GT Coupé, however I don’t have an emotional attachment to the car. I simply have an appreciation for the car as I would an amazing sunset. I have the exact same appreciation of those sunsets. It’s crazy to think I’d ever actually own a sunset isn’t it? Imagine if I had an emotional attachment to the sunset? Every time the sun went down I’d be a basket case. That would be pretty nuts of me, right?

Consider your same appreciation with physical stuff in your life and imagine not being so attached to it.

You can practice detachment through meditation where you find your connection within to all that is through out. For me this anchors me in my emotional freedom. It grounds me and I realize I don’t need stuff, I just like the experiences the stuff can provide. There are other ways you can practice detachment in your life. Some small and some may seem big.

“It’s not what I’m willing to learn or gain that will move me where I want to be, but what I’m willing to let go of that will allow me the freedom to be what I am.”

I got rid of traditional TV & cable going on 2 years ago now. I was willing to let go of my emotional connection to it and release it. Many people couldn’t imagine living without their TV shows however I can’t imagine wasting that much time watching them anymore. The mental clutter that it seemed to cause was only apparent after I stopped the steady diet of it.

For example: The attachment to be in front of the TV set at a particular time and night of the week was a small freedom unto itself. When I realized I didn’t require the distraction anymore I felt an emotional freedom which felt much better than the comfort of sitting in a chair and vegging out. I still enjoy a good movie night by all means. I’m not saying entertainment isn’t important however the steady diet of TV, like food or drugs, can be and usually is abused.

When you find yourself using something like TV as a distraction it’s time to detach yourself from it. Be aware of the scarcity that comes up, be mindful of it and gently send it on it’s way.

the 7 benefits of practicing detachment from s.t.u.f.f.

1. Loving-Can there but a better result of detachment? Can you imagine the families that have argued over the stuff of loved ones who have passed away? Can you imagine the deeper connections and love that could be replaced if everyone practiced detachment of stuff? Or what about the father who spends too much time at the office away from his family because he’s attempting to create more stuff in their lives? I remember hearing you can always get more money but you can’t more time. Love while you can.
   
2. Laughing-Imagine if you were to play more games together with your spouse or family, or play in home karaoke, or charades? Go for more walks after work or play in the park with the family? Could laughter ensue? Of course it could! If you give it the space to flourish, your bound to have fun. The emotional freedom allows for so much more laughter.
   
3. Connection-Consider the ability to connect with more people and create deeper friendships. I can’t tell you how many times when I’ve broken out of my routine I’ve ended up meeting someone or a group of people that I’ve had an awesome connection with. New can be scary to some personalities but connection is something everyone wants. Give yourself the room to experience it.
   
4. New Experiences-I’m not saying you have to go out and bungee jump or go skydiving (Which I’ve done and it totally rocks) but think about this for a moment. You don’t want the stuff really. You want the new experiences that stuff provides you. That’s ok, when detaching from the pursuit of stuff you’re able to enjoy the ride along the way and yes you’ll probably end up with stuff anyway but without the attachment to it. Identify the experience you want to have and realize the stuff is just a means to the new experience.
   
5. Emotional Freedom-This is a place of zero state for me. It’s where some of my best creativity comes. Because I continue poor out I have more room to receive in. It has taken much work to be here but the work is worth it. This is really the result I believe more people desire, not the stuff in their life but the freedom.
   
6. Harmonious Living-Have you had one of those days where everything just seemed to go right? Where your relationships just seem to be in a great place? This very well can be a result of detachment of expectation and just being.
   
7. Healthy Body & Mind-It may go without being said that with the emotional baggage many carry around this has a huge effect on peoples health. What happens to the mind has an effect on the body. When you release this energy and release the attachment to stuff you experience the emotional freedom you really want. That’s the experience you really desire. This is the place where you start to nurture your body because your mind is released fromstuff.
   

So ask yourself what you’d be willing to detach yourself from, even if for a short while, to test the emotional freedom waters. If you have family share with them what you’re desired outcomes are, like the 7 outcomes above, and I’ll bet you can get their buy in. Image how cool that would be.

What Does Your Home Say About You?

 

By now we’ve all either heard or personally experienced that a messy home causes a scattered mind. Most of us can admit that when our home is in disorder, our life follows suit, or vice versa.
There is also a social stigma associated with a messy home. According to a study by the University of Texas, people who walk into a stranger’s house form surprisingly strong negative opinions about that person. In fact, the messiness of Michael Jackson’s home, i.e. Neverland, was used as evidence against him when he faced molestation charges. During the trial, the courtroom was presented video footage of Jackson’s home taken by police during a raid. 

Of particular interest of several reports was the lack of conventional order in his home.  CNN noted, “The video showed the house cluttered with shoe boxes, books and a variety of objects stacked on the floors.”  Agence France-Press reported that, “The overall image was a peculiar mix of ostentatious opulence and cluttered confusion.”  Almost as damning as finding pornographic magazines were the scattered shoeboxes.
Studies have also shown the effect of a messy home on children.

According to Pennsylvania State University, a study determined that “disorganized” homes tend to produce children with lower cognitive skills. 

 

But is it always a bad thing if your home is messy?

 

As someone who grew up in an orderly, organized, and clean home, it was second nature for me to keep my own home neat and clean. Perhaps even at times coming close to crossing the border into being OCD (obsessive-compulsive).

Over the years as my more artistic, right-brain side developed, my home became less orderly. My OCD-like qualities had definitely fallen away as my right and left brain came more into balance. My home naturally evolved into an artist’s canvas where I could express myself while maintaining a peace of mind. If you’ve ever been to an artist or musician’s home, you can see how a dominant right-brain home looks like (which might also explain the scattered shoe boxes at Neverland).
A challenge for all of us is to bring into balance our right and left brains. In doing so, our home will naturally come into balance as well.

The important point is to know what is “normal” for your home. In other words, if your home is more messy than usual, then be conscious of what is going on in your life. Accordingly, know that by cleaning your home, your life will become much clearer as well. On the other hand, if keeping your home sparkling clean to the point of squelching creativity or even deterring guests from coming over, then it may be time to enroll in a painting class or some other right-brain activity.
Find where your balance point is and change or fine-tune it when necessary. Ultimately, our home should be a creative, safe, warm, stimulating, peace-filled, sacred space.

photo by Johan Larsson

Why Your Home Needs a Space Clearing

Imagine an unseen world of energy in your home. Although not visible to most people, there is energy lingering throughout your home that affects you daily– physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Every object and, of course, person in your home has its own distinct energy field. So while your kitchen table isn’t conscious, it’s energy is still very much alive and emitting an energy field. And each time you sit down at that table, your energy field and its energy field converge and affect one another. In the book, Hidden Messages of Water, Masaru Emoto experiments with just this notion showing how the energy field of a glass of water is affected by loud music, words, love, etc.

In addition to objects in your home, the empty space, i.e. air, is all energy. This energy is also referred to as chi in Feng Shui. And how the chi flows through a space is the crux of Feng Shui.

What Makes Up the Energy In Your Home?

Emotions. As I mentioned, we humans also emit an energy field. And, unlike your kitchen table, we have a very powerful conscious and subconscious mind with which we think and feel. Thus, our energy field is much more complex. In fact, it is a blueprint, or hologram, of our physical, mental, and emotional body. As we feel angry, the emotion of anger is emitted from our energy field. If you feel loving, then that is emitted out. This is why it is so easy to pick up other people’s emotions just by being in the same room. The phrase, “you could cut the tension with a knife,” is a perfect example.

We have an array of emotions all of which carry a vibration. Some emotions have a slow rate of vibration, meaning the molecules are literally vibrating slowly. These emotions are thought of as “heavy.” And others, such as love and joy, are high vibrations and thought of as “light.” These heavy, slow vibrations can stagnate the energy flow in your home. And, if not cleared, it will attract more stagnation. In other words, when someone walks into that area, they will not feel good, either consciously or subconsciously. And, in fact, they will be more prone to feeling the low vibrations that initially caused the stagnation, just as one feels when an angry person walks into a room.

Objects. In addition to emitting their own energy field, objects also impact our subconscious mind. Every object in your home means something to you on some level. In other words, you have some mental or emotional attachment to the object, or else you would not have it. Whether it is a piece of art that you bought on a trip or a vase that you don’t really like but feel guilty for giving it away because your mother gave it to you…it means something to you. And every time your subconscious sees that object (which is probably daily), it attaches to that thought or emotion. Maybe it is a piece of furniture used solely for function, like your kitchen table. Each time you eat at it, you are appreciating its function. But what about if it has a wobbly leg? What do you feel towards it then?

Layout. The layout of your floor plan and furniture also affect the flow of chi in your home. Ideally, the energy should meander through the space. In other words, the floor plan and furniture should allow the energy to easily flow through the space. Factors include corners, sharp angles, openings from one room to another, and the amount of clutter.

Light. As we know, the light takes out the dark. The areas of natural light in your home will be less prone to stagnation. Conversely, those areas that do not get as much light will be more prone to stagnation, such as corners, closets, and areas hidden by furniture. That being said, it is possible to have too much natural light in a home causing an imbalance of chi. In other words, there can be too much yang energy. And too much yang energy makes it difficult to relax and/or quiet the mind. The opposite is true in areas of low, dim light.

Do I Need a Space Clearing?

For the most part, if you have never had your space cleared, then you most likely need to. If for no other reason, a space clearing is necessary to clear out the energy of previous owners. Yes, energy can stagnate for years! And, in fact, it can get stronger if the same energy is put into it. In my experience, I have yet to go to home that did not need to be cleared. I have one client who is very conscious of her home and clears it regularly. It was a delight to be in her space, except for one problem area due to the floor plan.

Another reason to clear your home is to dismantle old patterns. Like our body, our home contains our mental and emotional patterns. If you want to make changes in your life, start or, at least, include the home. We spend lots of time and money on self-help methods for ourselves. But it we continue to live and breathe the same patterns in our home day after day, it is difficult to make any permanent change in our lives.

For information on having your space professionally cleared, visit www.mindbodyhome.net

Coming Soon: How to Clear Your Space!

Om Sweet Om: Create a Sacred Space to Expand Your Yoga Practice

 

 

 

When runners want to take their training to a new level, they may purchase some new Asics or change up their running route.  But how do yogis deepen their practice, chataranga after chataranga?  Perhaps a new mat, a new instructor, or a new studio. 

Instead, try creating a sacred space for doing yoga in your home – a sanctuary that you love to be in.  In doing so, you will not only maintain enthusiasm for your yoga practice, but you will expand it to a new level. 

By designating a space for a particular function, it is much easier to transition into that activity.  So, with a designated yoga space you will be able to turn inward much easier each time you enter your sacred space.  It’s similar to the automatic response your body gets when it hears the word ‘savasana’ in yoga. 

On an energetic level, that space will carry the same energy which builds and builds over time allowing you to go deeper each time.  It is no wonder that it is much easier to meditate in an ashram… the energy of meditators over years has built up to the point you can step in and immediately feel at peace.

Your sacred space can be any size — from the size of your yoga mat to an entire room.  Choose this space carefully.  Go around your home and find a space that feels good.  Or find a section or a whole room that is not living up to its potential.  I once had a guest bedroom that just collected clutter.  Finally, one day I decided to reclaim this room.  I turned lemons into lemonade. 

With a new coat of paint, a serious detox of clutter, an altar, and a few personal items, this became not only my favourite room in the house, but a yoga and meditation sanctuary.  Soon thereafter, my yoga practice went to a new level followed by teacher training.  Within six months, I was teaching my first yoga class.

Although this article is about creating space in your home, it’s also about creating space in your yoga practice.  It therefore can’t go without mentioning the benefits of having a home practice.  This is where you begin to truly tune into what you want and need your yoga practice to be.  You become your own inner guru, or upaguru in Sanskrit. 

A home practice allows you to listen to what your body wants to do next.  Maybe you are feeling energized and do an extensive series of warrior poses and arm balances.  Or perhaps you are feeling tired and need to do slow and deep hip openers on the mat.  A home practice also allows time for a longer meditation.   

Most importantly, by integrating a home practice with attending classes, yoga will go from being an activity to a way of life. 

Here are you few tips to create your sacred space:

1. Location
Again, size doesn’t matter.  However, privacy does.  Choose a place in your home where you will not be disturbed by people or pets.  If it is a shared space with another person or activity, then using a partition or screen is recommended.   

2. Clean and De-clutter
Once you have chosen your location, clear everything out of it and clean the area of any dust, dirt, or residue.  Also clear it energetically with sage, or any other herbal cleanser of your choice, such as cedar or sweetgrass.  A clear space is a clear mind.

3. Energize
Next determine what you want in your space; for example, a yoga mat, meditation cushion or chair, blankets, and/or props.  If there is enough room, you may want some type of storage to keep the space clutter-free.    Also, if space allows, an altar table, whether it is a cardboard box or an heirloom piece from India, is recommended.  In other words, you want to have a centering piece.  Make it an altar where only inspiring and precious objects are placed.  If space doesn’t permit, then hang an inspiring picture instead.

4. Personalize
From here, add any items that reflect you and appeal to the five senses…
candles, incense, bells, gemstones, crystals, images, essential oils, affirmation cards, books, music.

5. Keep it Fresh

Once you have your sacred space, you want to keep it free of dust and clutter.  Keep the energy clear and fresh.  If you feel like your practice is in a rut, then change things around in your sacred space.  Add a picture, change a picture, or add a new candle or gemstone.  Avoid stagnation on any level.   

Now it’s time to hit the mat… Namaste!

photo by Nessa Land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to Be Green and Clutter Free

How many times have you cleared clutter only to be appalled by the amount of stuff you are contributing to a landfill. Feelings of guilt arise. Between being dismayed by the amount of stuff you have accumulated and the remorse of contaminating Mother Earth, clearing clutter oftentimes becomes a project of procrastination, or worse, a permanent avoidance.

If this resonates with feelings you’ve had at some point, then help is on the way… there is no longer an excuse to put off clearing clutter. We will use the Reduce Reuse Recycle mantra as our guide for the best ways to clear clutter and be green.

Reduce

The Number One best thing about clearing clutter is that once it’s gone, once you realize just how much you have accumulated, and once you realize how little you really need, then you are so much less likely to consume as much in the future. Clearing clutter reduces future consumption. In fact, after clearing out your clutter, you will feel so much lighter that you will not want to re-clutter your space. And when you do get the itch for something new, you will be oh so much for choosy in what you purchase.

Reuse

The second tier of being green is to Reuse. In my 5 Step Guide to Clearing Clutter, I recommend separating your items into piles: trash, recycling, returns, donation, and ‘for sale’ items. Those items designated as donation and/or ‘for sale’ are actually on their way to being reused. Congratulations! So, take the time to sort these out. For any items that you want to sell for extra cash, then list them on craigslist.com or ebay. If your item(s) doesn’t sell, then your price is too high or it’s ready for either a garage sale or Goodwill.

Garage sales can be a fun way to get rid of a large volume of items that would otherwise take too long to sell online. In just 4 – 6 hours you can dramatically unload your inventory and make money doing it. Whatever items are left over, pack them up and donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, ARC or any local charities that accept donated goods. Just make sure that these items are reusable and not items that should be in the next category: recycle. (For example, your favorite sneakers from 1988 that have holes and worn-out souls should not be reused! )

Freecycle.org is another great way to have your items reused. Just list your item and have someone who needs it come and pick it up for you. No hauling. As they say, one (wo)man’s trash is another (wo)man’s treasure!

Recycle

Now that you have pared down your items to those no longer reusable, it’s time to recycle. So many more items are recyclable than you may think. If you don’t already recycle paper, glass, aluminum, and plastic on a regular basis, then start now. Every major city has recycling centers if they don’t already pick up at your home. Research what services your city already offers. You may be surprised. (I just learned that Nashville.gov sells 80-gallon compost bins for $40!)

What about those items that aren’t readily recycled? Earth 911! That’s right, go to www.earth911.org

Earth911 is your one stop source to finding what you can recycle and where — from mattresses to computer monitors to eyeglasses. Simply search by your zip code. It’s incredibly easy and informative!

Another option is the businesses from which the items originally came from. Here are some examples:

Dry Cleaners. For example, do you have a ton of dry cleaner’s hangers and plastic bags? Chances are they will not only take them back, but reuse them. If they don’t, consider taking your business to a greener dry cleaner.

Computers. The same is true for most computer companies. Computers contain a number of harmful chemicals, so it’s important to make sure they’re properly recycled.  Most major computer manufacturers now offer some type of recycling program. Dell will recycle any Dell product for free, and if you buy a new Dell, they’ll recycle any other brand of computer for free. Hewlett-Packard, Gateway, Apple and Toshiba also have recycling programs — check their Web sites for details.

Hand-held Devices. Small electronics are full of big toxins. Instead, drop off your old cell phones, pagers and PDAs at Staples stores around the country. The company has partnered with nonprofit CollectiveGood, which collects and recycles the phones. When possible, CollectiveGood refurbishes them and puts them to use in developing countries. Otherwise, the phones and other items are broken down in an eco-friendly process and the metals are separated out for reuse or proper disposal. If there’s not a Staples store near you, you can mail your phone to the CollectiveGood — and even get a tax credit for the donation.  Other office supply stores, such as Office Depot offer recycling options as well.

Athletic Shoes. Nike has a great program that will recycle any brand of athletic shoe through its Reuse-a-Shoe program. You can drop shoes off at any Niketown store or Nike Factory store. The company processes and recycles the footwear to make sports surfaces for basketball courts, tennis courts, running tracks and playgrounds. Right now they’re collecting shoes to make athletic surfaces for New Orleans, to help bring youth sports back to the city as it rebuilds. To date, about 20 million pairs of athletic shoes worldwide have been recycled through the Reuse-A-Shoe program.

So before you throw your stuff in the garbage bin, think about the Reduce Reuse Recycle mantra. With each item consider whether it is reusable and, if not, recyclable. And, before long, you will automatically be reducing. The best thing is that it feels good to be green AND clutter free.