By Ruth Zeman

Organize by taking one step at a time. (duh? right? but seriously, let's break it down together.)

When was the last time you saw the counter under that jumble of paperwork?

We're sure at one time we could fit a car in the garage, but how do we get back to those days? 

Where do we even start to get organized?

The hardest part is starting – or deciding where to start.

So, break it down!

Here are six steps and tricks to make the most of de-cluttering and organizing your home:

1.Break it down. Do it the same way you would eat an entire cheesecake – one bite at a time!

Break the job down into smaller, more manageable (and less daunting) parts. Depending on your organizing personality this may mean different things. It could mean tackling one room, one of its areas (just this bookcase or just this shelf) or setting a time limit (work for one hour per day.)

Breaking the larger job down reduces the stress and feelings of being...

Take the STRESS out of Travel!

Author: Ruth Zeman

While we love to travel here at Spark, we have a friend who is literally an expert in the field. Yes, we have friends!

WELCOME our friend: Rachelle from www.thetravelbite.com.

Before you head over to her site and pour over her truly gorgeous photos bookmark this list!

She's made us a list of her very BEST packing tips to take the stress out of travel.  She would know, she travels constantly. Whether you're flying by plane, driving, or cruising, these are the tips you need to thrive.

My personal favorite is her tips on staying healthy.

She understands my desire to eat myself under the table while on vacation but how I also don't want to dread the scale upon returning to normal. Suzanna doesn't feel the same way, she's someone who actually forgets to eat. I don't know if I've ever forgotten....

I digress.

You're going to want to read them all - so do bookmark this list.

Thanks Rachelle for putting this together!

Here's a...

 By Ruth Zeman

When I was a kid, I had a retainer.

Which, I threw away.

More than once.

It was traumatic.

Aside from the fact that I had to go through trash (gross cafeteria trash) I also got yelled at by parents who were ready to pull their hair out trying to make me understand the value of the process that I hated.

This has left scars that you can't see.

Many times a day, I stand at the trash and feel a sense of loss that I can't quite explain.

It's been decades, but I still question if I've thrown out my retainer.

I can be completely sure that I have indeed NOT thrown out a retainer, but I still have a sense of loss that makes me pause.

It's normal. We all do it.

Fear can paralyze us from throwing out items that we truly need to let go of. No matter what the root cause. Letting go of cables that we might need for that thing we can't remember. Clothes that we mean to slim down to again. Shoes we can't walk in, and so many other things. I get it. I have hangers that I'm...

By Ruth Zeman

I keep looking in the mirror and thinking I should color/cut my hair. 

Pulling out my ponytail, I fluff my hair around my shoulders trying to remember why I don’t just whack it all off. If you were to hand me a pair of scissors I'd probably do it now. 

Then I’d cry. Then I’d do the right thing, the thing I knew I should have done in the first place, go to a professional.

That said, we’ve all had bad experiences with a professional. Hairstylist that didn’t understand a word we said. The car guy that we’re sure fleeced us.

Miserable experiences we swore we’d never deal with again.

With all that in mind, let me give you my best advice for hiring a professional organizer. Which ironically is very close to how I find a mental health professional….

How To Find a Professional Organizer

Start by asking your friends for a referral but don’t stop there…..

This is very personal so even though your bff loved...

By Suzanna Kaye

Do you ever feel stuck when you think about organizing?

That point where you walk into the guest room (garage, closet, kitchen….) ready to tackle it and organize the heck out of it, but as soon as you open the door and peer in -you freeze.

All your energy disappears and you just shut the door and walk away instead?

Yeah, I know that feeling!

Secret #1: You don’t need to know how you’ll do it (we rarely do, either!)

My organizing clients think I can walk into a room, look beyond all the clutter and instantly know where I’ll arrange everything. Or even have a clue how it will look when I’m done.

Yeah, I don’t have a clue any more than they do.

The difference between me and them? I just get started!

That’s right.

One main thing that sets me, as a professional organizer, apart from my clients is that I don’t try to figure out the end before I’ve begun. I simply start.

How do you do it?

1. Pick one corner,...

By Suzanna Kaye

(Originally a Love Letter email sent to the IN list. Not on the list? Want these letters in your inbox? Join Here.)

Hey, Beautiful.

OK, so here’s the random thought I had this week…..

Have you ever felt like you were lazy? Or, like your partner, kid or someone else was? Yeah, I’ve felt that way, too.

Then, a little while ago, my husband admitted to me that he thought he was lazy. That he didn’t carry his weight in housework. And at first I thought - “You’re right! Every time I’m doing housework you’re just sitting on the couch.”

But, thankfully, I didn’t say that. Because once I really thought about it, I saw the bigger picture.

Now, it IS true - whenever I was doing housework he was just sitting on the couch. But, the fact is, I’m a morning person. I love to get up and get my day started. It’s my time of higher energy and productivity. I get the kettle...

By Suzanna Kaye

(Based on a reply I received my Love Letter email - "My Husband Thinks He's Lazy". To get on the Love Letters list Join Here.)

First, Can I just say how much I absolutely love reading all of your replies to my Love Letter emails? Seriously - my heart flutters and smiles when I see them.

One reply I got from the “My husband thinks he’s lazy” love letter got me to go deeper into the housework, energy and love dynamic. (I love it when these conversations create even deeper ones!)

Here’s what “A” wrote in reply to my Love Letter:

“No, I think my husband's just lazy.  He works full-time, but so do I.  Once he gets home, he wants to sit on the couch and watch TV...and wants me to sit with him!  My problem is once I sit still for more than 10 minutes, I'm done.  Lots of days nothing gets done around the house.  I find it very frustrating and depressing to come home and...