I had to help my brother, who has a two-car garage, organize some big storage items, work things, old furniture, holiday decorations, you name it, that had recently landed and accrued space in his garage. The pile was only getting worse as the months went by, and since he was going out of town last week, I offered to help…Ugh.

This is either quite a tragic task for you, or very easy, depending on how many people are using the linen closet, how many family members you have, and how large your home is, bedroom & bathroom-wise. Get ready to turn some old sheets and towels into something more useful, and let’s get BUSY…

I just want to state again that the entire concept of these little Tiny Tidys, and the "Home" aspect of House & Mind, is to allow for the realization that not only is the idea of perfection not desirable, it's not even an option. It simply doesn't EXIST. (Phew!)…

YES! It's that time of year again...The kids are going off to school, maybe even college...You may already feel completely overworked and scattered and stressed, trying to get the shopping, arrangements, papers ready for the title (or big) ones…

This one takes a bit more concentration than most other Tiny Tidys, but its well worth it!  You can still do this even if you have adapted to mostly using a Kindle, and your bookcases are used to mostly house knick-knacks, plants and the like. 

PICK ONE BOOKCASE/SET OF SHELVES YOU'D LIKE TO TIDY THE MOST, AND LET'S GET TO IT!

I know, this one is not so "tiny." In fact, the electricity went out in my apartment for about six hours when I wasn't home this week.  I literally had to throw practically everything went, as, I found out the hard way, a few things spoiled! Ick.

(It's a pain to do this one. I totally get it.)

But! Summer is sadly, soon, coming to an end. You have had probably had more fresh fruit and produce in the fridge than usual. Now is a great time to get rid of these old left-overs, condiments that have seen better days, and, well, YOU know! All that good (and gross!) fridge stuff. You CAN do this in 45 minutes or less. It's just going to take a little bit of planning…

Have you ever scrolled through your contacts in your cell phone, and your heart absolutely lurches, because you forgot to delete the number of the guy who ghosted you five years ago (or vice versa!) or it pricks up and races when you see the number for that tutor you never called for your kid's advanced math class!? Today, we are getting rid of all that shame, stress and blah-ness that comes from looking at a device that may be filled with contacts and apps that do not express or reflect the good and juicy and interesting life you are living right now...

This is an EASY-peasy one, and also allows you a guilt-free excuse to go to/shop at Target! (Yes!) GO to the space/place/drawer/cabinet in your home where you keep things like: Antibiotic ointments, band-aids, anti-itch creams, summer bug spray, as well as products like cough syrup, cold and flu medicine, Tylenol, and the like…

This, admittedly, will be easy for some of us-and absolute hell for others. Choose which bag you'd like to conquer today- your tote bag for work, your everyday purse, your computer bag-whichever functions as your go-to, everyday-type-of-situation bag…

Okay! Let's be honest, here:  When was the last time you checked the dates on those spice jars and tins you have lurking (in maybe more than one place!) in your kitchen? That little bottle of ancient bay leaves you haven't used for ages? The three cans of Kosher Salt saved in the very back? C'mon! We are going to hit this baby, and hit it fast and easy…

This one, for some reason, seems to strike a note of dread in many-but-much like the Make-Up Bag Tiny Tidy from last week, can actually, dare I say, be "fun." You can discover some new stuff that has been hiding, give away what you're not using, and make room and way for some new treats! 

This one is pretty fun, I have to say, because you get to chuck all of the old stuff, and dream about some pretty new things to refresh that ole' make-up bag of yours...If you have a drawer/shelf AND a make-up bag, just pick one, or do both, if you're feeling extra-ambitious...

This is the last week of our Spring Cleaning Guide, so, rejoice! This last week can be either painful, or fun, or both, depending on how much of a hoarder you have bene this year. The key to thsi week? Start small! We're talking a hall closet or a few shelves of your linen closet, first. So, have a closet you have in mind that is the least terrible, and get ready to go!

Okay, this was one is easer than it seems, I think-even if you have bunch of sh*t in those (that?) drawer that does not belong! Get ready to clear out, wipe down, and get some quick tidying satisfaction!

As the seasons are beginning to turn, I bet you have LOTS of containers of frozen soup, winter stews and meats that may be way past their due date, or at the very least, need to be organized in there a bit better! This one is easy and fun, and not a full-scale commitment at all...

Dude! We are almost there! And this one is fun, because this weekend, we are going to focus upon..

Spring Cleaning the Kitchen!

Okay, we realize that this may not apply to everyone, not by a long shot. Some have spotless car trucks, many don't care about this anyway, and some live in fantastic urban cities that do not require the ownership of automobiles (lucky ducks!). SO! If you docare, and if you spend an inordinate amount of time in your car like I do, living is Los Angeles, this little Tiny Tidy is for you. So, here we go! 

We are on to Weekend #2 of our Spring Clean Guide. How was last week for you? Was it too much, or not quite enough? Please, do let us know below! Now, we are going to kick off this weekend with a few "big" tasks, sprinkled in with some truly smaller, more "fun" ones. Okay, ready or not! Here we go...(And again, please feel free to start Friday night, if you wish!) 

Today, we will be cleaning out our nightstand drawer(s)! We don't mean to be cheeky. But whether you store some saucy stuff in there, or not, it is completely refreshing to do this, especially if, like us, you love to lounge, eat, read, work and do tons of other fun things in bed...OKAY! Here we go...

We are going to jump right in with our Spring Cleaning Guide, Weekend One!This is going to get some things out of the way that will make you feel sooo good, and get your home ready to rock-n-roll for Spring...Here we go!

I just found out that Amazon has this sort of incredible new Trade-In Program...Actually, as soon as you hit that link, the page will even tell you which of our previously purchased products are eligible to turn in for Amazon gift cards! I think this is great, especially if you are someone who shops often on Amazon, and if you buy lots of your household staples and cleaning supplies online...

I know! You're probably like...SERIOUSLY? But this one came to light for me last week when it was raining here in Santa Monica VERY hard, so badly that my and my neighbor's kitchen sinks got terribly jammed up. The (awfully sweet!) plumber actually took everything out from under the sink and wiped the space down before leaving (!) And although it wasn't gleaming and spotless, it made me realize that doing a quick-clean under the kitchen sink is NOT such a difficult thing to achieve...

There is so much that can be said about this topic, I don't even know where to begin. This post could be titled "Finding Your Personal Style," I guess, or "Clean Out Your Closet for Good!" But, especially for women, the topic of how a person puts themselves together, (or chooses not to)  is one that can cause some considerable debate.  It is politically, emotionally, often ethically charged, when we talk about the provenance and price of our clothing...

This little Tiny Tidy is SO fun, so visually stimulating, and just so satisfying, PLUS- if you have some saved jars (and who doesn't, am I right?) this should take no longer than 10 or 15 minutes: DECANT YOUR SWEETS & SNACKS INTO JARS IN THE PANTRY!

It's really hard to focus on a huge project-whether work or creative, while staying on top of your day-to-day. Countless productivity systems have been developed to help us get and stay and keep on track. They are literally almost hundreds of ways and systems that have developed over the past twenty years of chopping up one's time and focus, to try and create real and genuine balance in your life. BUT, that is NOT what this post is about...

We will be posting these little quick fixes, to get you ready for spring cleaning, or just to rev up your day or morning or evening so you can either A. Relax or B. Tackle some more important sh*t and clear your mind. So, with our further ado...Clear the top of your table top, vanity or bureau of choice, and style it! (WHY NOT?) 

Wherever you may reside, if you did not do a post-Holiday sweep of your home, spring is the time to really renew and refresh your space. But do not fret! If you are stressing about not being able to tackle your entire home, we are going to break down a few things for you that will help you be on your way. Promise!  Hang on to your hat! Here we go...!

I have a pretty small, two-bedroom apartment. Recently, during the typical January de-clutter and purge session,  (and doing a little January Cure from our beloved Apartment Therapy) I was walking through my little space, trying to figure out what to "Fix." And I realized, whoa, first of all, what an attitude! I actually love my "little" apartment. I find it charming and comforting and perfectly suited to my needs. 

I waited to post in the New Year until now, because, primarily, there is just so much great stuff out there currently, and secondly, I wanted to candidly share with you how my year was going so far (I am writing this on Monday, January 8th.) Quite simply, I had a strange sort of holiday, and as such, did not want that feeling lingering into 2018.I also took yet another good look around my two—bedroom bungalow apartment...

Well, I know this is hard to hear, and sort of hilarious, because I have a site dedicated to helping people become both more present and keeping their personal home environment clear, organized and tidy, but, dude, this past month…I discovered I had a MOUSE in my house. Yes, it’s true…(Eeek!) Eeek is right…

I could just cut this piece quite short, and say, straight out of the gate: "Don't do it!" Do NOT talk politics right now with family, friends old or new who do not share in your political beliefs...But, clearly…(!)

You may have seen some of your favorite Instagram peeps proclaiming that they are taking a break from social media, for a week or a month or even longer...Facebook announced this year that you can "unfollow" a friend's feed without them even knowing about it, and Instagram now offers the same option…

I have recently begun learning a little bit about the I Ching, the ancient Chinese teachings that help one realize the true essence of both self, and "reality," as we each experience it…

YES! It's that time of year again...The kids are going off to school, maybe even college...You may already feel completely overworked and scattered and stressed, trying to get the shopping, arrangements, papers ready for the title (or big) ones…

We spoke recently about creating an Ultimate Agenda, then thought the idea a bit too...Uptight! 

Isn't it always what you feel you must/have to/need to do that gets in the way of what you really WANT to be doing in your life? 

If you are on this site, we know you are a thoughtful person. We know that you won't take this concept to any detrimental end. So, grab a notebook or pad of paper, up of tea or fave beverage, a pen, and get comfortable…!

I think I have always had a huge problem with lifestyle or “wellness” sites because they never seem to address the whole swath of a country’s vast eco-system- the socio-economics that are in play, and at stake, and the people behind them. In fact, maybe someone working full-ten at a factory or cleaning houses, or fixing cars, while raising a family, doesn’t have time to read a blog like this one…But, isn’t that a rather ridiculous and obnoxious assumption? Of course it is!

I remember years ago, (I’m talking in my ‘twenties!) a good friend was telling me about how she and her husband were trying to get pregnant. They had just gotten married a few months before, and this was exciting news. “That’s great!” I said, pretty reflexively.  

And then I said, “You are right on schedule!”

I kept smiling. Because my friend wasn't.

Not at all. There was a bit of an uncomfortable silence…

Welcome to the third and final installment of the Inner Housekeeping Series! By this point in the process, you have spent some good quality time taking up residence in your inner home. You might be amazed at how much more energy you have, and how much more present you feel after this relatively small commitment of time and energy…

In preparation for our Ultimate Agenda Launch of next month, we are asking you to do a little but hugely important task this week: Create an "I Give A Sh*t About" List! (This is not a test!)

I suppose I never understood what it really meant to have my values correspond with my actions until I started becoming politically active. In that arena, I realized, I could meet and work with people from varied walks of life, ethnicities and social strata-all while sharing the very same goal: To get this one guy into political office! But, beneath that goal lay a foundation of reasons why we were all spending so many countless hours and (very often!) thankless weekend and weeknight days doing this sort of volunteer work-because we all gave an incredible sh*t about what we thought would make the country into a much better place. Our reasons were intrinsically different, but broadly the same…

So here we are in phase of 2 of checking out your inner home. Last week, you just started to get the feeling of your inner home, and to sit in it consciously for five minutes each day. This week, you will go one tiny step further into inhabiting your inner space. After a week of turning the volume down on your thoughts, and tuning in to how you feel inside, you may notice that without doing anything else, you already feel more present and embodied. Just feeling how you feel can be something of a revelation…

I think one of the very best ways to have a really good summer when you are a bit short on funds is to really PLAN. Yes! Planning, planning, planning is key! I know. I can almost taste the collective sigh in the room, practically. You are feeling overwhelmed. You have work challenges, money worries, family priorities. I totally get it, believe me...

Having worked in the non-profit field for over two decades, I always found it interesting that certain people would comment that doing good for its now sake was somehow narcissistic : If it made you feel too "good," it was as if you somehow weren't "helping," or you weren't somehow being truly authentic...

by Mick Kubiak, LMFT

For many of us, our homes are our sanctuaries. They provide us with refuge from the world out there—no matter how noisy, how unpredictable, how cruel, or how demanding it gets-at the end of the day, we can step into our safe spaces, and shut the door. We turn the lock with a deep sigh of relief. Here, we find peace and beauty for our weary hearts. We fall onto the couch, as if into the arms of a supportive and nurturing friend. There is a common phrase—all the comforts of home—that captures this daily return to safety and warmth…

This is another core belief that lies at the core of many people struggle with-when trying to get their brand-new, spanking ideas out there, going for a new job or promotion, or making a dream a reality. They feel they will have to metamorphose into someone, or something, else. Something bad. Something diabolically ....not them. That they, dear hearts, will have to learn to swim with the sharks in life, or drown, drown...drown!

Why are you still broke? Is it the job? The great responsibility of your family's needs? The fact that everyone is coming first, maybe-their needs, desires, and wants pushing past you own, to the point that you do not even KNOW what you want, much less be able to focus positively upon it…

What a week this has been. I woke up this morning to finding out that Anthony Bourdain, the renowned chef and host of Parts Unknown for CNN, committed suicide. This past Tuesday, iconic fashion designer Kate Spade did the same…

This is such a hard post to write, because, like many of its kind, they tend to focus on quick remedies as exercise, meditation, and opening up to those feelings, as we just discussed in our last post about suffering and depression. Of course, as we know, yes, they do help, naturally, in the moment...

How did you really feel reading the above headline? 

If you're like me, you felt an instant little shot of anxiety. If you didn't, you are allowed to stop reading...;) But, the truth seems to be, that in my experience, most people, especially and unfortunately, women, do not know how to negotiate properly for themselves, and not just in relation to financial interactions: This happens in business, day-to-day work challenges, family and friendship boundary issues, and, really most importantly-with themselves and their own instincts…

I was having a really stressful day this week. I mean, I felt like my adrenals were really going to go up in smoke, or something. I had had a ton of iced tea (my fave caffeinated drink of choice), and I knew I just should have probably: Gone for a yoga class, taken a trip to the gym, walked around the park in my neighborhood, splurged on a massage...But something in me just wanted to continue doing what I was doing. I was working on a new project, even though it was way past my bedtime, and I was getting pretty wiped out...

This weekend, I want you to try, as much as you can, to take time off from any dull chores and cleaning that you can out off, unless it's a Hell, YES! I want you to take at least one day to do exactly what you feel like doing: -Want to lie in bed and read all day? Hell YEAH? Then do it? -How about finally going on that solo hike you have been wanting to try? Hell yes!

First of all, this is not a sponsored plug for HULU! But I have become rather obsessed with their amazing show The Handmaid's Tale, now in its second season…

I had a big event last weekend with the non-profit I help run last week, and well, the night before, I kind of lost it…!

We spoke a few weeks ago about relaxing into the new feelings of NOT expecting the worst, right? And seeing how that felt? Well, if that has been working for you, why not, try for a litte bit MORE...? 

I love this photograph, above! Primarily because the woman in it seems pretty cool and looks like a true badass while she is doing something usually associated with "loneliness"-playing solitaire...

You can now take a FREE online Happiness Course that was created at Yale University and taught and moderated by the same professor who started it!

This is a big topic in the self-improvement world, and has been for years. "Studies show" that multi-tasking, is, well, bad for you, and for your overall productivity, and peace of mind. And I personally tend to agree...BUT!

Do you spend an inordinate amount of time day-dreaming? I do...I know that, for sure, and have done so since I was a child. In fact, I even had a name for it: "Thinking Minds." (!) I told my little brother, "please leave me alone, I'm doing 'thinking minds.'"

Of course, I have to start this post by saying that I am not a therapist. Of any kind. I have been in therapy, in the past, so this post is not meant act as a substitute for that, in ANY way. It's a post for those of us who have just had too many sh*tty days, maybe consecutively, many on-and-off, but enough that you are feeling like "enough is enough..."