New Beginnings – Lifestyle-by-designs

Our New . . . Newsletter

Posted on November 27, 2024November 22, 2024 by Lifestyle-by-designs

Transform Your Home: The Power of Organization

Welcome to our monthly newsletter THE GRACE NOTES, where we bring you tips and inspiration to help you create a more organized, harmonious living space. This month, we’re diving into the transformative power of the home organization process and how it can enhance your daily life.

As we embrace a new month, let’s focus on the power of a well-organized home.

Here are some impactful tips to help you transform your space:

Step-by-Step Tips for a Clutter-Free Space

Start Small, Think Big: Begin with one room or even a single drawer. Decluttering in manageable chunks prevents overwhelm and fuels motivation.
Declutter with Purpose: Assess each item’s value. If it doesn’t serve a purpose or spark joy, it’s time to let it go. Donate or recycle to reduce waste.
Create Functional Zones: Designate specific areas for different activities—cooking, working, and relaxing. This makes everything easier to find and use.
Maximize Vertical Space: Use shelves, hooks, and cabinets to utilize wall space. This keeps surfaces clear and the room feeling more open.
Regular Maintenance: Set aside 15 minutes a day for a quick tidy-up. Consistent maintenance prevents clutter from accumulating.
Personalize Your Space: Make your home uniquely yours. Incorporate items that reflect your style and personality, while maintaining a clutter-free environment.

A well-organized home not only looks great but also boosts your mental clarity and productivity. Start your journey today and feel the transformative impact of an organized living space.

If the thought of organizing your entire home feels overwhelming, remember you don’t have to do it alone. As a professional organizer, I am here to help you every step of the way. Together, we can create a customized plan that suits your lifestyle and transforms your home into a space where you can thrive.

Why Organize?

A well-organized home is more than just aesthetically pleasing—it’s a catalyst for a healthier, more productive lifestyle. Clutter and chaos can lead to stress, reduce your efficiency, and even affect your mental health. On the flip side, an organized home can create a sense of calm, improve your focus, and give you more time to enjoy the things you love.

The Benefits You’ll Experience

Reduced Stress: A tidy environment can help lower anxiety levels, making your home a true sanctuary.
Increased Productivity: With everything in its place, you’ll spend less time searching for things and more time being productive or relaxing.
Enhanced Creativity: An organized space can inspire new ideas and creative thinking.
Improved Health: Less clutter means fewer places for dust and allergens to accumulate, contributing to better indoor air quality.

Get Started Today

Ready to take the first step towards a more organized life? Contact me today to schedule a consultation and discover how we can bring order and tranquility to your home. Let’s make your dream space a reality!

Happy organizing!

Resources & Tools

Great List! Tidy.com – Cleaning Checklist

I love these products! I have been using them since 1998! Speed Cleaning Products

This is the best product! The Pill (You can purchase at Lowes or Amazon)

After cleaning your fiberglass shower, wax it! Rain Dance Car Wax

New Beginnings

Sharing Our Spaces

Posted on September 5, 2024September 4, 2024 by Lifestyle-by-designs

By opening our homes and sharing their warmth, we spread radiance instead of confining it within closed doors.

Within the sanctuary of our homes, sharing our space with familiar faces brings comfort. However, the intrusion of outsiders, such as unfamiliar cleaners, contractors, or technicians, can disrupt the serenity. Additionally, acquaintances of our partners and friends of our children introduce unforeseen elements that may challenge the established dynamics of our domestic environment.

To fully embrace the presence of spirits, we must refrain from treating them as unwelcome intrusions. By resisting their presence, we impede the natural flow of energy and potentially miss out on the gifts they offer. Alternatively, we can choose to perceive their energy as a valuable exchange and an opportunity for acceptance.

In preparation for their arrival, we can engage in visualization practices. Envisioning a radiant light surrounding our bodies and extending outward from the heart of our homes can help create a welcoming and serene environment. Additionally, we may choose to enhance the atmosphere by playing meditative music or lighting incense, fostering a sense of peace and receptivity.

To alleviate tension for everyone involved, it’s beneficial to securely store our valuables beforehand. Upon their arrival, we can establish and maintain our boundaries by gently guiding them through their visit. This may involve requesting that they remove their shoes, providing a designated area for their tools, and setting an example by speaking softly and avoiding harsh language.

In summary, keep in mind that we gain life lessons through meaningful connections with others. Our homes shouldn’t serve as barriers isolating us from the outside world. Instead, they can transform into welcoming sanctuaries where we embrace and appreciate the presence and gifts of others. By sharing the joy and warmth of our homes, we radiate our inner light rather than concealing it behind closed doors. The more we engage in this practice, the greater the potential for the external world to mirror the peaceful and harmonious environment we have cultivated within our homes.

‘Hospitality is opening your home the same way you open your heart”

Peace & Harmony, Cheryl

motivation, Movement, New Beginnings

Completion is Not Final . . . it’s Transitional

Posted on September 28, 2023September 25, 2023 by Lifestyle-by-designs

“Closure is just another word for acceptance, and acceptance is the key to moving on”

The period of completion, rather than being just an act of completeness, is also one of transition.

Life is a collage of beginnings and endings that run together like paint drippings on a canvas. But before we can start a new chapter in our lives, we sometimes need to close the old one. That’s because many of life’s experiences call for closure. We often can’t see the importance of an event or lesson until we’ve reached closure.

Closure is what allows us to move on to new things. It ties up loose ends, quiets the mind, and acknowledges that something has changed. It’s like a door closing behind us, letting us know that we can’t go back but that we can keep moving forward. . . To the new door.

The end of something is not always the end. It can also be a new beginning. When we seek closure, we’re not just looking for a finish line. We’re looking for understanding and the chance to learn from our experiences.

Without closure, we’re left hanging, unable to move on. We might dwell on the past, get stuck in negative emotions, or feel like we’re still tied to people or situations that are no longer a part of our lives. But when we accept that we’ve done everything we can, we can finally feel a sense of peace and completion.

If you can’t officially achieve closure with someone, you can create completion by participating in a closure ritual. Write a farewell letter to that person and then burn your letter during a ceremony. This ritual allows you to consciously honor and appreciate what has taken place between you and release the experience so you can move forward.

Closure can help you move on from negative feelings about your past. It’s a way to accept what happened and let it go, even if it was bad. It’s also a way to honor your experiences, both good and bad, as a part of who you are. When you have closure, you can stop dwelling on the past and focus on the present and future.

When you create closure, you’re basically saying that you’ve done all you can, you’ve learned a lot from your experiences, and you’re ready for whatever comes your way next.

Yours in Clutter & Clarity, Cheryl

If you’re looking for more help than what I can provide here, my personalized coaching programs might be just what you need. Book a free consultation to chat about what’s holding you back and how I can help you achieve organized spaces in your lifestyle. I look forward to working with you!

PHONE # 860-941-8630 / A TEXT gets to me faster: Name, Issue, the Best time to call / Email: envisionsdesigns@gmail.com

New Beginnings, Uncategorized

New Again . . .

Posted on April 4, 2021April 4, 2021 by Lifestyle-by-designs

Easter is a symbol of

Hope ~ Renewal ~ New life

It reminds us that aspirations must never be lost for as dark as the road may seem.

There always lies light at the end of it.

Happy Easter to all those that observe.

Peace ♥ Harmony

Cheryl XO

Clarity, Grace, New Beginnings

Meaning Behind The Meal

Posted on March 27, 2021 by Lifestyle-by-designs

“Why is this night different from all other nights?” This is a question that is asked by the youngest member of a Jewish family (or the American housecleaner…Me!) at the Passover Seder. On Passover, it’s considered the family duty to retell the story of the exodus out of Egypt when God “passed over” the homes of the Israelites during the last of the 10 plagues.

Each of the six items on the Seder plate have a specific meaning in regards to the story of Passover.

Maror: These are the bitter herbs, meant to symbolize the harshness the Jews were treated with when they were slaves in Egypt. Red horseradish is often used for this.
Charoset: This is a mixture of apples, wine, walnuts and cinnamon and is used to represent the bricks and mortar used by the Hebrews to build the pyramids.
Karpas: A vegetable, often celery, is used to represent hope and renewal. The karpas is dipped in salt water before eaten to represent the tears of the Jews when they were slaves.
Zeroah: The shank bone on the plate symbolizes the Pascal Lamb whose blood was painted on the doors of the Israelites so that God would pass over the homes during the 10th plague (slaying of the firstborn).
Beitzah: The hardboiled egg represents the circle of life.
Matzo: Three pieces of matzo are stacked on a separate plate. The middle matzo is broken and one half of it is put aside as the afikomen, which the father will hide and have the children search for in return for a prize (or the children hide it and have the father search in some homes). The other half of the broken matzo will be used to make a Hillel sandwich, which includes the maror and charoset.

I believe if you’re going to have people trust you to come into their homes and businesses, you need to respect their cultural traditions that make their lives “make sense” to them, along with giving them a connection with their family and friends of their cultural background. We can learn so much from each other if we would open our hearts first and then our minds.