Once we recognize this, it becomes possible to acknowledge instinctive urge to acquire and to use more rational parts of our brains to remember that although we live in midst of greatest availability of consumer goods ever known in history of mankind, lucky us: we don't need to buy it all today.

Conquering clutter happens in small increments on a day-by-day basis, not in one great to-the-death campaign. It starts with recognizing that clutter flows into our lives every day. Take a moment to think about everything that came to your home or office in mail this past week. And things you brought home from store. And library books, videos, and DVDs rented (and that will need to be returned in a few days or weeks, another task made more difficult by clutter).

If you have school-age children, you may feel like you need a bulldozer to deal with all papers and projects that arrive home with them every day. Not to mention happy meal toys. Then there are take-out food flyers slid under your door, lawn-service brochure stuck in your mailbox, sale inserts from Safeway and Home Depot that sneak in with newspaper.

The prospect of dealing with your existing clutter is exhausting enough. When you think about fact that incoming flow of clutter is not going to stop you may feel an overwhelming urge to just lie down on floor and admit defeat -- assuming you can find a large-enough area of uncluttered carpet to occupy.

Don't give up before you start! That feeling of overwhelm can actually become energy source that propels you to get out of this mess and stay out of it. When you feel overwhelmed, allow yourself to be with that feeling and explore it. Hidden beneath fatigue and despair is a deep desire to be free, to become highest expression of your true self, to live your dreams and share your unique talents with world. Tap into that desire, and you will have energy you need to conquer your clutter.

The secret is to give up on misguided notion that you can do it all at once in one massive effort. Accept that it took time for all this mess to accumulate, and it will take time to winnow it out. Instead of waiting until you have time and energy to begin, start now. Begin slowly. Proceed gently. Tackle one small area at a time. The clutter will dwindle and your energy will grow. You will one day triumph over mess. You will live in a tidy and organized space. You will fall back in love with your home, and incoming clutter will be powerless in face of your conscious, caring attention to your physical environment.

© 2003 Stephanie Roberts

[excerpted from *Clutter-Free Forever*, Lotus Pond Press, 2003]

Ownby speculates that reason so many kids have allergies and ashthma now is because we live too clean a life.

When kids play with cats and dogs, he says, they get licked. And that lick transfers a lot of Gram-negative bacteria that may change way child’s immune system responds, says Ownby. The “lick” gives them exposure to higher levels of what’s called “endotoxins,” breakdown toxin from Gram-negative bacteria.

According to an article from Medical College of Georgia, studies from southern Germany and Switzerland are confirming that children of farmers, regularly exposed to animals, have less allergies than city kids.

Check it out with your pediatrician, but it may be getting a pet or two would be beneficial for your children's allergy resistance, as well as all other benefits we drive from our beloved pets.