Journey to Organization with Rebekah Saltzman

Feeling stressed out about the getting ready for Passover/Pesach? Here is a meditation to help you relax and enjoy getting ready!

Purim is on Friday this year - get organized for a seudah and shabbat!

Learning to cook and not sure how to deal with your pantry?  Not sure how to try out new ingredients?  This week we talk about what to do with little used ingredients and how to manage extra free time!

Got a lot of broken stuff in your house?  Finally let it go - find out how and why you should and what you can do to avoid holding on to broken stuff in the future. 

Creating habits can be difficult especially if you get off track - that's when you have to recreate them, which can be even more difficult! Here is the thing, if you don't try, you will never make new habits, so try, and put perfectionism to the side.  Better to get things done then not do them at all!

Yael Trush - the Jewish Latin Princess is joining us today to talk about the Jewish mindset to money, how to talk to kids about money, savings, and how we can create more abundance in our lives!

A listener asked me if I was living my best life, yes, even during lockdown and a pandemic I feel like I am living my best life - find out why ! (Hint: it has to do with gratitude and abundance!)

January 11, 2021 is National Clean Your Desk Day - and of course - I had to celebrate with a podcast episode - I love when my desk is clean! 

This week I chat about what my desk looks like and the problems I have with keeping it tidy - ( yes my kids dump stuff on it, ALL THE TIME!!!)

A listener called me and asked me: "Because of Corona I feel restricted with shopping but I am full of worry that I won't have stuff that I like."

Sounds familiar, right?  It is so tough to know when to declutter and when to "hoard" but it all comes down to the belief that what you need will be there when you need it. 

I believe in letting in new blessing by letting go of the old blessing - In order to do that you have to strengthen your beliefs that there will be enough and it is ok to let go. 

Looking for some ways to stay warm and reduce your energy costs?  Check out this episode of JTO and find out my 9 tips to stay warm this winter. 

Need to get those hanukiot cleaned? Here are some tips to remove wax - and get cleaned up in general after chanukkah!  What do you do to clean up? 

The story of Jacob leaving his father in laws home - Lavan - and then encountering his brother - Easu- is an interesting tail of moving in biblical times.   The logistics that had to have happened to coordinate it must have been thoroughly planned.  

More than just the logistics though, Parshat V'yishlach tells us a fascinating story of Jacob and Chanukkah. Find out how the two are related in this week's episode. 

Getting ready to go shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday?  Before you head out take a listen to this quick episode to make sure you get the best deal and avoid extra clutter!

When you shop do you buy extra and plan to return things that don't work out?  Then do you lose money cause you forget to return things?  You are not alone - find out how to avoid returns and keep your money in your wallet!

In honor of National Singles day I have asked Aleeza Ben Shalom to come chat with us about how to organize yourself for dating, while dating and to help you get married!

Aleeza  has inspired thousands of singles through her acclaimed relationship coaching. She has captivated singles from all over the globe through her webinars and YouTube channel. Her mission and her passion is helping singles get over their hurdles and under the chuppah. Aleeza delivers lectures motivating and driving individuals to effect real change in their lives and has reached an international audience through her appearances on the BBC London, NPR and Aish.com. She is the founder of the company Marriage Minded Mentor and author of Get Real Get Married and Virtual Dating.

With her empowering words and boundless energy she helps singles who are yearning for their life partner manifest their soulmate.

Aleeza and her team of coaches guide singles through the steps to become engaged—regardless of age, affiliation, or stage in life. Men and women worldwide work with Aleeza and her certified dating coaches to break through patterns and cultivate relationships that lead to marriage. She also offers online training programs for singles, dating coaches and matchmakers.

Wondering how to cope while you are still in the pre-organization stage, like when my house is not organised,

Do you feel like a failure?

Wondering about finding  the balance? 

DOn't be so hard on yourself, perfect is the enemy of done, even my house isn't perfect, no ones house is!  Find out how you can forgive yourself when you aren't perfect!

Rita is the mom to two college-age children and was an Oregonian for the past 25+ years. A job transfer for her husband (in the summer of 2016) resulted in a cross country move and she now resides in Boston, MA. The birth of her son 23+ years ago was also the start of her entrepreneurial adventure. Photos have always been at the core of her businesses and continue to inspire and drive her passion to create beautiful keepsake photo collections for her clients. Welcome to the podcast Rita - Please tell us how you got started in photo organization! What is the best way to organize photos? What is the best way to organize negatives - should we even keep them? How can we organize digital photos? (best practices) How should we deal with antique photos - especially if we don't want to keep them? Can we salvage damaged photos? How? Can we recycle photos?

What do you do when your spouse is not on board with minimizing? Sure, he supports my desire to "declutter" but then he thinks to "surprise" me by ordering useless specific kitchen gadgets on Ali Express...and then it just annoys me. He's trying to be helpful but doesn't understand that the more "stuff" we have, the more stressed the house becomes.

The difference between this question and what I answered in the previous episode are that in this situation the husband, in the theoretical way is on board with his wife and decluttering in general, but keep adding to the problem - and is missing the understanding that in this case, more is just more and not better.

In order to help me answer this question I asked my friend - rebbetzin Bat - Chen grossman to join me this week to answer this question and a few more about organizing in a relationship! (and if you aren’t in a relationship - stay tuned cause I have an episode for singles coming up!)

Rebbetzin Bat-Chen Grossman is a marriage coach helping successful women improve their marriage and love their lives. She has helped hundreds of women connect on a deeper level to Hashem, themselves, and their husbands. She hosts a weekly live stream, featuring topic experts, discussing the effects of life stressors on marriage; such as money, time management, work-life balance, and health. She lives in Israel with her husband, Rabbi Avi Grossman, and their six children.

Today is national kick butt day so today I want to help you set goals so you can kick some butt and get ready for 2021.  Follow the three easy steps to setting goals and reach your dreams!

September 11th was national make you bed day!  But I didn't, in fact, I never make my bed.   (Almost never!) Listen to this week's episode to find out why!

What happened when your partner isn't on the decluttering train with you???  It can be rough - this week I will talk about solutions for what to do when your family isn't on board the train with you and you feel resentful

This year you may not be going to shul for Rosh Hashannah or any part of Yom Tov so this week I decided to talk about how you can organize yourself for a more spiritual Jewish New Year experience.  Grow and be your best self in 5781!  In order to do that some advanced planning needs to happen! So check out this episode to see what you can do now to get organized for the holidays!

Do you know that we make more than 35,000 decisions in a day?  That is a lot!  Decision fatigue is when we get worn out from too many decisions. This week I talk about how it relates to organization and what you can do to avoid it. 

I know we aren't exactly sure how, when or even if our kids are going to be going back to school, but they will have school.  

This week I am focusing on tips for reusing school supplies, setting up good working habits, and giving kids the tools they need to learn and stay healthy!

Are you making Aliyah soon?  If you, a family member or a friend are making Aliyah, you are not going to want to miss this episode. To celebrate my 6 year Aliyahversary, I dedicated this weeks podcast to my best tips for making Aliyah! (I added a 7th for good luck :))

What do you think?  Did I miss something?  Send me an email and let me know how I did!

What do Tu B'Av, the 15th of the Jewish month of Av, and Zero Waste have in common?  What  Tu B'Av anyway? 3 Tips for couples who are getting engaged, and 2 if you are already married!

Wondering how to organize for Tisha B'Av - me too!  Listen to this week's episode to see how!

So you organized your whole house - how do you keep it organized and tidy?  

Listen for 2 strategies to help you maintain the order in your home.

Not sure how much time to dedicate to decluttering, this episode is for you!  

Allotting the correct amount of time is important, but how do you know?  This week's episode will help you figure it all out. 

My mom passed away. She taught me so much and shaped me into the person I am today. 

This week I pay tribute to my mom, who taught me to be happy with what I have, to give thanks, and to not overthink things too much. 

People always tell me, I don't understand why I need your help, I am an organized person - it doesn't make sense - and tell them that your organization skills aren't the problem - it is the volume of stuff that you have in your home that is the problem.  Listen to find out more on how you can get to your most organized self.

What is the connection between Tu B'Shevat (The Jewish New Year for trees) and using what we have and only buying what we really need?  Listen to find out that and things that I do with my family to reduce my waste.  

Do your kids have bad organizational habits?  Setting them up to succeed with organizational skills helps them become better functioning adults, Listen to find out more. 

Do you keep things on display in your house?  Do you feel like it is too much? 

This week I answer a listener question about how to deal with stuff on display, and what happens to it when the space around it gets cluttered and untidy. 

If you have more than 1,000 unread emails in your inbox - you are going to want to check out this episode.  I cover - inbox zero, inbox as to do list, unsubscribing, searching, archiving, and folders. 

When you are throwing an event - it can be difficult to reduce the waste - so listen in to how we did it - and let me know what you do to reduce your waste when you have an event.

This time of year we make resolutions but sometimes we don't actually reach our goals.  In this week's podcast episode I layout some tips and tricks on how to organize yourself so you can meet your goals. 

I have 201 items in total in my wardrobe - this includes - shirts, sweaters, dresses, leggings, skirts, underwear, socks, jewelry, shoes, hats, scarves, coats, and purses.   I challenge you to not only tell me what you have in your wardrobe - but to reduce by 25% over 90 days - can you do it?  Use the tag #balagancapsule and #capsulechallenge2020

Toys don't have to be the bain of your existence, this week we talk about how to organize them and how to decide what to keep and what to toss, saving them between kids, and how to let them go.

Giving gifts doesn't have to mean giving clutter to our friends, here are 10 tips for zero waste gifts and 3 tips for how to deal with gifts for eight nights of chanukkah. 

Sometimes letting go of stuff is hard!  Taking a look at your feelings, being with them, and then allowing yourself to move on is an important step in decluttering. This week on the podcast, we talk about just that!  What are some feelings you feel when you declutter?

Do you have what feels like 1,000 coats hanging in your closet?  Coats, jackers, windbreakers, sweatshirts, raincoats, anorak, whatever you call it, or how ever many you have they take up space!  Today we talk about what to do with them and how to minimize coats!

Organizing in the kitchen doesn't have to be difficult. If you take a few minutes to really think about the layout of the kitchen before you set it up, it can really help you in the long run!.

Here are some things to think about:

Do you have too much stuff?  This week we talk about school supplies and a response to a post by Yemima Mizrachi back to school post and what can happen when you collect things, too many things!)

After a stint in the hospital with my mother I was shocked about how much we accumulated during our time there.  This week I chat about how it happens and what we can do about it. 

Do you have too much digital clutter??? Get cleaned up - delete what you don't need and file what you do need in an organized way!

Do you wonder why a personal organizer does what she does? Do you think why does it cost so much or why are sessions so long? Today I talk about that and answer listener questions. 

Check out this episode on getting organized for a move - what to do 8-10 weeks, 6 weeks, 4 weeks, 2 weeks, and up to the move!

No - just no.  Don't buy storage containers before you declutter!  Save yourself tons of time and money - go to the store buying just what you need, after you declutter!  Listen for more on storage containers. 

Ever wonder how to sort and file your papers?  How long should I keep it?  When should I toss it?  Today I talk about that and more -specifically - get a fireproof waterproof safe to store all those difficult to replace documents. 

A listener called me and asked me - where should I store my arts and crafts supplies? In the kitchen where my kids do arts and crafts - or somewhere else?  It is a good questions - and there are many components to it - so hear what I have to say on the topic by tuning in!

Ever wonder what to do with sentimental items?  I always suggest you deal with them at the end of the decluttering process.  Today I talk about why they are such triggers and what you can do to deal with them. 

For our very special 100th episode check out my conversation with my best friend, the love of my life, my husband, Evan Saltzman.

We talk about how we are trying to go ZW, what he thinks of it, baking, and living with less!

Happy Purim to everyone! 

This week on the podcast I talk about the importance of not focusing on what other people are doing, but rather keeping your eye on your own paper, in your own book.  Meaning, don't focus on what others are doing rather - only what you are doing.  When you compare yourself to others it makes you forget about all the good things you can do and since you don't know what they are actually going through the comparison may not even be valid!

During these next few very busy weeks - please focus on what you can do- focus on getting what you need to get done, done. Don't focus on what other people are doing.  It won't help you get to your goals and organizationally, it may even derail you.

I was working with a client in the beautiful and holy city of Jerusalem this week and I saw the trash being removed from the old city. I was shocked to see how hard the workers had to work to remove it and how much waste there was.  Waste as in trash, but also as in seemingly good things that were still usable but being discarded.

It reminded me of some articles by Lord Rabbi Jonathan Sacks and Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon that I had read in Ha'Mizrachi Magazine a few weeks ago in their Tu B'shevat edition. 

I had been wanting to share what I had read with you but wasn't sure how to tie it all in - well I figured it out  and I hope it was clear. 

Waste is directly related to organization.   Or consuming is directly related to organization.  When we consume more, we waste more or produce more waste. 

We have a moral obligation to take care of the environment and our mitzvot exemplify this.  When we consume more we not only hurt ourselves (digging yourself out of the mountain of stuff in your home) we hurt the earth. 

I hope this episode inspires you to be more conscientious about what you buy, what you consume, and what gets wasted. 

This week on the podcast I give you 5 tips to help you declutter when you don't live alone!  Ready?   

1. It isn’t you it is me… a lot of the time you are the problem - be honest - look at yourself and see if you are really holding yourself back - don't automatically blame someone else.

2. Clean up your own space first... This is a no brainier- how can you expect your family to get organized if you yourself aren't???

3. Get to the root of the problem -If you get stuck and feel like you can’t go on - now is a good time for some honesty - ask yourself - why are you holding on to it?

4. Respect the other people in your house - and their stuff-  Respect that people let go of things at their own pace, and respect their stuff, don’t chuck other people’s stuff. 

5. Set goals and assess needs together as a family - some questions you can ask to create goals: 

When you sit down together and figure out what is important to you it is a lot easier to declutter. 

*BONUS*

6. Show gratitude -  for the hard work and progress that people did put it - acknowledge their struggles and remind them this is a marathon not a sprint - 

Let me know how these tips work for you!

If you have a topic you would like me to discuss or a question you can email me at: rebekah@rebekahsaltzman.com and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @balaganbegone Check me out on Pintrest as Rebekah Saltzman and join the FREE Facebook group - Organizing in Israel - Balagan Be Gone (you don't have to live in Israel to join!) Subscribe to the mailing list at www.balaganbegone.com  

051: Pre-Pesach

050

049

048

047

046: Pesach

045

044

043

042: Mini Pickup

041: Floliving lazy, Papers, Storage rooms, Perfection

040: Address Book, Makeup, Budgeting

039: Recap and Other People Taking Up Your Space

038

037: Interview with Elisheva

036: Chanukah

035: Answering Questions

034: Downsizing, Zero Waste

033: Shopping, Clothing, Trash

032: Noach, Shopping, iRobot, Qtips

031: Feeezer, iRobot, Dogs

030: Food, Part 2

030: Food, Part 1

029: Dignity in Clothing

028: Random Questions

027: Clothing, Elul

026: Clothing

025: Cleaning Products, Sentimental Items

024: Kitchen and Compost

023: Cup, Financial, Mornings

022: Interview with Naomi Elbinger from Le Shomra

021: Sources for Zero Waste, Time Management

020: Zero Waste, Paper Filing, Toys, Rags

019: Waste, Spices, Towels, Linen Spray

018: Compost, Plastics, Laundry

017: Compost, Time Management

016: Time Management, Zero Waste

015: Summit, Car Accident

014: Time Management

013: Toys

012: Miscellaneous 

011: More Zero Waste

010: Zero Waste

009: Post-Pesach, Zero Waste, Microtasks

008: Pesach, Micro-tasking, Downsizing

007: Pesach, Part 2

006: Pesach, Part 1

005: Pesach Intro., Art, Silverware

004: Hoarding

003: Mishloach Manot

002: Organizational Journey, Part 2

001: Organizational Journey, Part 1