WHEN YOU CREATE WHITE SPACE AND ELBOW ROOM In your home, you also create it in your mind. You have space to think and space to move and you don’t spend precious time searching for things you need.

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White Space, when successfully executed, draws the eye to the message. In the case of a home, White Space frames and sets off the things that are important to you.

Elbow Room refers to that personal space you need to function in a room.

Here are four tips to help you achieve these concepts:

• Start with the garage. If you organize here first, you are less likely to store unwanted items from your house.
• Organize room by room. Tackle one room at a time. Keep what you need and what you enjoy. Toss what can’t be reused. Take the rest directly to your car to be recycled or donated. If you’re unsure about some items, pack them neatly away ― you may soon discover that you don’t miss them at all.
• Tackle paperwork. The key is to not let it pile up. Carve out a nice space to sort your mail, pay your bills and file important papers. Keep your system simple and you’ll be more likely to keep up on it.
• Clean. After you’ve gone through each room, give your house a top-to-bottom cleaning. Take your time and enjoy your newly organized spaces.

You’re done! And you’ve probably discovered your mind is clearer because your home works as it should. Now, do something you’ve always wanted to do ― you have the time.

Remember, your home is your sanctuary. It’s your spot to unwind and rejuvenate. When it functions well, so do you.

TRAVELING ON AN AIRPLANE WITH YOUNG KIDS (especially from infant to age 6) can be a tough predicament. You are at the mercy of airport crowds, long security lines and plane delays. You are at the mercy of the mood of your child and the patience of your fellow passengers. And don’t feel too bad when they shoot you mean glares if your child is crying. That is a parenting rite of passage.

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That said, here are five things to bring in your carry-on bag (aka Bag of Tricks) to make every plane journey more comfortable for your kids (which, in turn, means more comfort for you). We know some airlines are now charging for carry-ons, but it’s worth every penny when you consider all the distractions you can load in it.

A bottle of water. This sounds like a no-brainer, but with the security restrictions on liquids, it’s hard to do (especially when you want to avoid buying expensive bottled water in the terminal). Bring an empty water bottle from home and fill it up at a water fountain. It’s not fun to wait for the flight attendants to bring their out their cart.

Snacks. Bring more than you think you’ll need. Prepare in individual snack bags so they are easy to access and you can take home and reuse.

A pillow case. Bring your own case (spritzed with lavender water) and fill with your jacket or sweater to make a cozy pillow for napping.

A new toy. Pack a reasonable stash of small toys and books, and make there’s something new. Unveil it when your child has lost interest in everything else.

An iPod or portable DVD player. Doesn’t matter if you don’t normally allow much screen time — now is the time break some rules.

IS THERE ANY BENEFIT from all the time spent playing video games these days? Stress reduction? A sweat-free endorphin rush? The illusion of accomplishment?

What if it wasn’t an illusion? What if playing video games could help solve world hunger, poverty, climate change and global conflict?

Games developer and researcher Jane McGonigal argued just that at this year’s TED Conference. Rather than fueling guilt for the 3 billion hours a week people play online games (not to mention the offline ones!), McGonigal said we should aim to increase that to 21 billion, expanding the skills learned in such games so we can apply them to the real world’s big problems.

Playing online games makes us good at four things, McGonigal said:

• Maintaining a feeling of urgent optimism: We’re game to tackle an obstacle because we believe there’s a reasonable chance of success.
• Weaving tight social relationships: We like and trust folks more when we play games with them.
• Feeling blissful in productivity: We’re happier when we work hard (even in the virtual world) and get things done.
• Aiming for epic meaning: We believe we can change the world because we have super powers and take on awe-inspiring missions.

McGonigal has created three games so far as examples:

• World Without Oil simulated the first 32 weeks of a global oil crisis.
• SuperStruct invited players to chronicle the world in the year 2019, and imagine how to solve the problems we’ll face.
• Evoke, launched this spring, is a social-network game that aims to empower young people all over the world, especially in Africa, to come up with creative solutions to our most urgent social problems.

I’m not quite sure how the Bejeweled game on my iPhone fits in there, but I’m hoping for the best.

SUMMER VISITS WITH BELOVED FRIENDS AND FAMILY are a great time to add to your oral-history collection. But don’t let good weather tempt you outside to record.

Chirping birds that charm you now will annoy you as you listen to the recording. Most recorders favor every decibel of airplanes, trucks and slamming doors over the details of golden memories.

National Public Radio’s StoryCorps has helped more than 50,000 people share stories since 2003. Among the recording tips the Corps offers:

Recording equipment

• Go simple with a cell phone, a tape recorder, video camera or computer.
• Go upscale with recommended digital recorders: Marantz PMD661 or the more portable Edirol R-09 (which I’ve used for years and recommend).

Choose a quiet location

• Pick a carpeted room over areas with reflective surfaces or noisy appliances.
• Shut off or remove anything that could make noise, including clocks and radios.

Test your equipment

• Wear headphones so you can hear what the recorder hears.
• Ask sample questions, test how the answers sound, then push record and begin for real.

Use a microphone

• Hold the microphone about 7 inches from your subject’s mouth.
• Use a light touch to avoid “mic-handling” sounds.

You’ll find these tips and much more in StoryCorps’ free, downloadable Do-It-Yourself kit, including interview tips and a good question generator. Don’t forget Lifestyle Insights’ earlier look at the art of the follow-up question.

Happy visiting!

I STOPPED COUNTING AFTER 5,040: Fitness-related applications for the iPhone, that is. Wait, aren’t computers supposed to count such things for us?

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Anyhow, the next and certainly not final frontier in exercise entrepreneurship seems to be software for smart phones that somehow helps with our workouts. You can track exercise sessions and duration, calculate calories burned, log calories consumed, read exercise descriptions, watch demonstration videos, even go through guided sessions for inspiration or relaxation.

Some concepts are simple: Hundred Pushups ($1.99) helps you follow a six-week plan to be able to do 100 consecutive push-ups. (There’s also Two Hundred Situps ($1.99) and, soon, Twenty-five Pullups.)

Others are more comprehensive and can be a little scary: The RunKeeper (free for basic version, $9.99 for pro) uses the GPS capabilities in a 3G iPhone to track your pace, elevation, duration, calories burned and actual distance traveled — and traces your actual path on a map. Very cool. But wait, that wasn’t really me ducking into Mrs. See’s after that workout…

And some fall into a familiar trap: The SixPack App Pro ($.99), for example, nicely shows a range of exercises for the abdominal muscles, but as everyone who’s fallen for an infomercial ab machine knows, a six pack is visible only if one also gets rid of the layer of fat that covers most bellies.

Smart-phone exercise apps do indeed hold the promise of making exercise easier. And, yes, tracking exercise better. But still there remains the age-old problem: Actually doing it.

IT’S TAX DAY, time to account to the IRS for all the money we squandered or spent well. But what about the taxes you place on almost every decision and activity through your expectations and judgment?

For example:

• When you go on vacation, are you searching for the perfect moment in order to feel that the trip is worthwhile?
• When you invite friends to dinner, do you tax yourself with expectations of how clean the house should be?
• When you decide to eat ice cream, do you tax yourself with the shame of “I’m bad for eating this?”

I’m not suggesting that decisions and actions have no consequences. Rather, I propose that we be more fully aware of the unintended consequences that judgment and expectations create. We make ourselves miserable with condemnations about what we “should have done.” We spend frenzied hours – or days – consumed in activities to impress others, when they already love us. Those are the hidden personal taxes. They prevent us from fully living the life we actually have.

After all, if I’m going to eat the ice cream anyway, I may as well derive the total sum of pleasure from it.

BUYING A NEW COMPUTER CAN BE PARALYZING: So many variables, so many dealers, so many sales. And yet not enough clarity about what fits your needs now, not to mention what might come in handy down the road.

Of course you can find many online guides to buying a desktop or laptop; simply search for “computer buying guide” to become familiar with the main components in play.

Having recently replaced all three of our home computers, I found that a few other factors also helped get me to make the leap and click “Buy”:

• Don’t wait until you understand everything. That is likely to never happen.
• See what discounts you can get by starting to shop at a rebate, credit-card or membership site.
• Build around a component that’s key for you: Storage, for example, if you have tons of photos and videos. Or the quality of the video card, if you’ll be doing gaming or video editing.
• Get a configuration built and priced online at one dealer. Then call another dealer and ask if they can beat that price for that configuration. Or, as often happens, offer better components for a comparable price.
• Once you have model numbers for parts, Google them to look for reviews or common problems.
• Get the at-home, next-day service warranty. If you use your computer for work, this is essential to reduce downtime in case of problems.
• Remember that whatever you choose, you’ll probably spend more time using its features than lamenting ones it lacks.

Unfortunately, once you’ve clicked buy, another potential paralyzing moment looms: Computer setup. But don’t worry; there are sites for that, too.

A FRIEND RECENTLY TRIED COAXING HER MOTHER into familiarizing herself with the family finances. Her mother’s response was that there was no need:

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“I know right where Daddy keeps the checkbook.”

Busted! “Daddy” hasn’t paid bills by check in years. Her mom needs to know: How does online banking work? What are his passwords? How much do they have, where is it and whom should she call if something suddenly happens to Dad?

Some women take the lead or are close partners in family financial planning, of course. Others hear, “Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere,” and close their eyes to make it true.

Remind your mom or your grandmother that being in the know is not a matter of convenience but survival. The majority of women are single by age 85. Worse: AARP tells us the average age when a woman becomes a widow is 56.

• Sit down with your parents or grandparents and take stock
• Assure your folks that you don’t need to know account balances, but want to make sure they both know them, and that you will be educated enough about their finances to help
• Clear off a large table, near a computer, and go over such things as:
  • Names and phone numbers of their accountant and financial adviser
  • Insurance policies
  • Safe-deposit boxes
  • Wills and power of attorney
  • Financial institutions and account numbers
  • End-of-life issues

Getting things in place in the good times when emotions are steady is so much easier. While you’re at it, tidy up these same business details for yourself.

MY FRIEND HAS BREAST CANCER. When she shared the news of her diagnosis I yearned to help her, but like many of us I was uncertain about how to help. Since then I’ve learned a few things. Breast cancer does not need to be a solo journey. Here’s how you can help your friend along the way.

• Let her know these three things: 1) I’m here for you. 2) I love you. 3) This is so unfair. Repeat often.
• Be a food fairy: Take turns with other friends delivering nourishing meals as she recovers from surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatments.
• Be specific. Resist generalizations such as, “Let me know if there’s anything you need.” Your friend is probably overwhelmed with her concerns, treatment decisions, etc. Lighten her load with specific suggestions: Can I do your laundry on Fridays?
• Keep track of her chemo schedule and offer to keep her company while she receives her treatments. Or brighten those days with unexpected treats – a soft blanket, lilacs from your garden, a message bracelet, a batch of homemade salted caramels.
• Call her. She craves positive news and a sense of normalcy. Talk to her about the funny little things going on in your life – your teenage drama queen and ongoing adventures with the good dog who does bad things. Do not discuss the earthquake in Haiti or the latest terrorist threat.
• Be there for the long haul. After an initial flurry of activity surrounding a diagnosis, friends sometimes drop out of the picture as the months roll on. She may move inward during this time, gathering her strength for chemo and radiation treatments. Don’t fall off the map. Send her a card, email her a poem, invite her on a walk, sit quietly and read with her.

WHEN I THINK OF MEDITATION, I used to assume it could happen only in a certain (uncomfortable) posture on a special pillow in a special place for a long time.

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But I changed my point of view from thinking it was about achieving some external form to believing it’s about giving myself an experience of quieting my mind, finding clarity and feeling alive in my skin.

With that model, I realized that I have been meditating twice a day for years: the two minutes when I’m brushing my teeth. I love brushing my teeth. I do it the same way, with attention and care, every day. I slow down. My mind becomes quiet and focused. I breathe. I feel my self.

What can be better than the feeling of clean teeth?