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More Cooking for Dummies: 12 Things I’ve Learned

By Hazel Thornton | July 10, 2016 |

Remember, I am not a cook. Or, well…maybe I am now? I have stripped fresh rosemary leaves off the stem, butterflied chicken breasts, whipped up pan sauces, cooked green beans in a frying pan and steak in the oven, made my own condiments (aioli, teriyaki sauce), and performed many other culinary feats. I can see…

Thornton Family History Lost & Found

By Hazel Thornton | June 17, 2016 |

Have you ever lost part of your family history and found it again? Do you still have unsolved mysteries that intrigue you? In Puzzling Out Your Family History I talked about the joys and challenges of doing one’s own genealogy research. In The Gift of an Organized Family Tree I describe one of the several…

The Chinese Menu Time Management Technique

By Hazel Thornton | May 15, 2016 |

              . Are you familiar with the Happy Family Chinese-American restaurant meal? Choose one item from menu Column A, one from Column B… and with six you get egg roll…? Well, that’s how I manage my time. Allow me to explain… The first thing I do in a Time…

Spring Cleaning…Outdoors!

By Hazel Thornton | April 16, 2016 |

I was just pondering why I don’t write spring cleaning tips. And I came up with 3 reasons: 1) I’m an organizer, not a housecleaner. 2) I don’t really believe in spring cleaning. Gasp! What? Well, with only a few exceptions, such as drapes and ceiling fans, there is nothing in my house that I…

Wanna see my kitchen pantry?

By Hazel Thornton | March 29, 2016 |

Have you ever wanted to peek inside the kitchen pantry of a professional organizer? How about eight of them? I am a founding member of PONM (Professional Organizers of New Mexico — click here to read our story). This post is my contribution to our latest FREE tips ebook: Get Organized! Kitchen Pantry Tips for…

Be Spectacular™: The Organized Way to Select New Eyewear

By Hazel Thornton | January 29, 2016 |

I don’t know about you, but I would (seriously, almost) rather shop for a new swimsuit than to shop for new glasses. There are so many choices! And most of them look hideous on me. It’s a big commitment to choose something that you are going to wear every single day. You want it to…

Cooking for Dummies: A glowing “Hello Fresh” review and a $40 referral code for you!

By Hazel Thornton | January 10, 2016 |

First, let’s get something straight: I am not a seasoned chef proposing to impart wisdom to you on that topic. Quite the opposite! But I’m also not being self-deprecating by calling myself a “dummy”. I am merely tipping my hat to the “For Dummies” franchise of how-to books and videos. Because Hello Fresh really does…

The Gratitude Box

By Hazel Thornton | January 1, 2016 |

What? Have you ever heard of a Gratitude Jar? Well, I use this pretty wooden Gratitude Box. I’ve been doing this for a few years now and find it very rewarding. Keep reading to learn how I use it, and why you might want one too…   How? Write down good things that happen to…

Org4life: The First 10 Years

By Hazel Thornton | July 1, 2015 |

I’m celebrating 10 years of helping clients to declutter, simplify, organize, and refresh their homes, offices, schedules, and lives! And what’s an anniversary without a bit of reflection and a few selected highlights? But first I want to thank you all — friends, family, colleagues, clients (especially clients), business networking contacts, joint venture partners, assistants,…

The Very Inspiring Blogger Award

By Hazel Thornton | May 25, 2015 |

Imagine my surprise when I sat down to read a blog post by a friend who had received a Very Inspiring Blogger Award….and saw MY name listed as someone to whom she wanted to pay it forward! This award recognizes bloggers “who work hard to keep the blogosphere a beautiful place”.