On Clutter

This is so good:

Declutter as You Go
Is the thought of a major decluttering project every season too intense? Instead of dreading doing a big whole-house declutter every season—simply declutter regularly. You can schedule according to what makes sense for you. Do your garage on the first rainy day of every month. Spend fifteen minutes going through your pantry every third Saturday. When your bathroom cabinets start to look a little messy, spend ten minutes getting rid of old and expired products. Or simply commit to decluttering as shelves and drawers start to fill up.



Spend 10 Minutes Tidying Every Day
Life can get busy, but we all have ten minutes a day to tackle messes. Set a timer on your phone and pick an area that needs the most attention. No matter what space you choose, things can stay neat if you devote just a little bit of time every day.

I do more than that every day.  

Edit Your Closet Seasonally
Commit to editing your closet quarterly. Try to get rid of things that no longer fit, are worn out, or you simply will never wear again (like those trendy jeans you bought 10 years ago). This can also save you money, because by taking inventory, you won't end up buying yet another white button-down shirt.

NEED TO DO!

Gather Items You Reach for Often
"Lounging on the couch? Gather your craft project, nail file, charger, and fave snack. Tidy them up in a cute basket for quick grabs and zero chaos," says Amy Cha, professional organizer and founder of Everyday Organized. When the must-haves you reach for every single day are all in one spot, they will never go missing and you'll save time on searching.

Manage Your Mail
Do you have piles of mail everywhere? Hate looking at those stacks of paper? Cha recommends setting time aside to open mail only when you're truly ready to go through each item. "Sort and open just a couple days weekly. No more home-hogging piles or missed to-dos."

I go through my mail every day - I can't stand having it around in piles.

Get a Handle on Those Reusable Bags
Do you have so many reusable bags you could open up a store? Start by limiting your stash to ten. "Carry reusable bags in your wheels to curb the bag barrage inside your home. Five's the charm per car," Cha says.

I have my bags all folded up in a basket downstairs or in my car. I haven't bought a new one for years.

Limit Seasonal Decor
Do you have boxes of Christmas, Halloween, and Easter decor? This can make your closet or garage a mess. Cha suggests capping your decor to one bin per season (exceptions for your favorite festivity). "Sort by season, not holiday. Transition from Halloween to Thanksgiving with ease by keeping the current season's bin open and accessible while stowing the rest in deep storage."

Um not happening - I love my Christmas, Valentines and Easter decorations!

Refuse Things You Don't Want
We all get things we don't want sometimes. Whether it's from that friend who brings over a stack of books, free reusable bags, gifts with purchase, and other things we never asked for—if you don't want it in your house, don't take it in the first place.
Well I do try and go to Goodwill every Saturday.

from here.

But I have books and creative projects.

And then there is this which is what I think happened to Mom. Her house and her clutter are what sent her into a depression and brought on all of her anxiety. It's so frustrating that she can't see that.

Letting Clutter Pile Up
Visual clutter doesn't just crowd your space, it crowds your mind, too. Whether you're stressing about it, avoiding it, or strategizing how to tackle it, it all adds to the mental load. "Often, clutter starts small and builds over time to a point that it becomes extremely anxiety-provoking, which leads to avoidance, which leads to shame, and the cycle just repeats itself," says Dr. Madison White, PsyD, licensed clinical psychologist and founder and owner of MSW Psychological Associates.

Break the cycle by starting small. Once you get going, it often feels much easier to keep going. "Pair a difficult task, like decluttering for 30 minutes, with a small indulgence," suggests Dr. White. "For example, allow yourself a treat, favorite drink, or episode of a show only while doing, or after completing, the 30 minutes." That way, your brain gets a reward and you're more likely to stick with it.

KBK photo shoot - May 2025

too funny!

Anna’s 9th Birthday- 1/20/26

Found at Mom's

Shadow Box for Jack & Issy 1/25/26

Breitloostrasse 48

they put in a pool!

Interesting VC stats

Some of California's most prominent venture capitalists have a proclivity for slamming their state, arguing that fiscal mismanagement and high taxes will cause startups to form elsewhere.

So far that doesn't seem to be happening.
For the record, I live in Massachusetts and my mother worked on Route 128 back when that meant something.

I've got no dog in this fight, but I do have data.
California startups raised a whopping 62% of all U.S. venture capital dollars in 2025, per the PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor.

That's above either 2024 (54.2%) or 2023 (46.9%), and even the decade-earlier mark of 47.2%.
Yes, a big part of that is skewed by giant raises for AI giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and DataBricks.

So I also looked at the number of startups funded — regardless of round size — and California still easily retains its lead.
The state is home to 31.5% of U.S. VC deals last year, compared to 31.7% in 2024 and 29.1% in 2023. In 2015, California's market share was 32.5%.
For context, the runner-up in 2025 was New York with 13.3%. Massachusetts was next, just ahead of Texas — both below 6%.
The bottom line: California's crown may be tarnished on social media. On spreadsheets, however, it still sparkles.

more here

2026 Hahnenkamm Kitzbühel