Garage sale time!

According to a recent Ebay, Inc. survey, the average household has $3000 worth of clutter! Now that the weather is turning nice, you may want to cash in on that clutter with a garage sale or selling on Ebay (www.ebay.com).

From personal experience, unless you have some furniture or large items, it may not be worth your time to have a garage sale. Take a tax deduction instead, and donate it to your local charity.

If you are up for a garage sale, start collecting clutter! Put an ad in the paper, listing any special items that may draw buyers. Make sure you register your garage sale if your local officials require it. Your local newspaper ad section usually has the info you need to do so if it is required.

Put up signs on busy intersections near your house. You can find signs already on a stand at your local Home Depot (www.HomeDepot.Com). You just fill in the pertinent details. Make sure you take them down afterward.

If you have large items or lots of stuff, arrange with a local charity to stop by the afternoon of your sale to take your unsold items off your hands.

Make it easy for your potential buyers to see your stuff - if they can see it as they are driving by, they are more likely to stop. Use card tables and other raised surfaces for display rather than placing things on the ground.

Arrange items attractively to entice buyers. My mom even puts jewelry on the hanger with an outfit she's trying to sell, with shoes below.

Group like-priced items together. Have a $1 table, a $3 table, etc. This eliminates having to put stickers/prices on each item. Make a list for yourself of items on each table. Sadly, people will switch stickers or lie about the price. This will give you a reference point should this happen or should things get placed back on the wrong table.

Display jewelry on plastic mesh canvas you get at the craft store. It's easily seen and less likely to be stolen. For pierced earrings, attach the backs through the holes in the mesh. Use twist ties to attach bracelets or necklaces.

Have your garage sale items organized so all you have to do is set it up in the morning. Be prepared for diehard garage salers to arrive early. Be prepared to haggle. Make sure you have plenty of change and plastic bags.

After your sale, make a list of all the items that didn't sell and immediately load it into your car and take it to a charity if you didn't arrange for it to be picked up. Don't let it go back into your house!

Check out Mom2MomConnection

I've discovered a great website for moms: Mom2momconnection.com. Heather Ivester is a mother of five, and committed to parenting, writing, and Christian living. Her site contains links to sites that match her passions, a plethora of book reviews, and inspiration for mothering. You'll enjoy her humor and her insight. Hope you enjoy wandering around her site. You'll find us mentioned on her recent blog:
http://mom2momconnection.com/2007/05/17/summer-organizing-goals/

Substitute croutons for bread crumbs

The other night I made Swedish meatballs for dinner (Week 22 from my Hassle Free Dinners CD) and substituted croutons for breadcrumbs. Just whizzed them around in my mini-chopper for a few seconds. They were multi-grain croutons, which added to the fiber and nutrition of the meatballs. Everyone raved! The meatballs are cooked in the microwave - a great dish when the weather gets hot!

A place for your cell phone/ipod/camera chargers

Now that we have so many little devices that must be charged, there is a solution to the clutter it creates! Charger valets hold your devices while they are charging.

You can find a black or brown faux leather valet that charges four devices from www.Spacesavers.com for $29.99: http://www.spacesavers.com/cellphone.html.

Brookstone sells a wooden valet for $75 that holds six: http://www.brookstone.com/store/product.asp?pid=543447&wid=100&cid=59&sid=624&search_type=subcategory&prodtemp=t2&cm_re=A_PRC*100*624_543447

Replace Your Computers every Four Years

David Carnoy, executive editor of CNET, a technology review web site, recommends replacing your desk top and laptop computers every four years unless your use is at a very basic level. In that amount of time, technology advances will dictate a hefty upgrade. Even if you are savvy enough to upgrade your old computer yourself, it will likely cost as much to do it as it would to buy a new computer. The same is true with laptops, which are much more complicated than desk tops to upgrade. From When to Replace Common Household Items by Kelly B. Grant, www.smartmoney.com.

Five causes to disorganization

Organizational expert Vicki Norris from HGTV (www.HGTV.com) believes that there are five underlying causes that might explain why people are diorganized:

Situational Disorganization: A precipitating life event that causes disruption and disorganization in your life.

Habitual Disorganization: Bad habits that have developed over time.

Historical Disorganization: When your upbringing (either orderly or disorderly) impacts your state of order.

Social Disorganization: When you are influenced by your social world to create and exist with disorder as a way of life.

Chronic Disorganization: When we live in a chronic, debilitating state of disorder even though we have tried and failed to help ourselves.

Football, Middle School and Time Management

Braylon Edwards, wide receiver for the Cleveland Browns, gave this advice to middle school students at Nordonia Middle School in Northfield, Ohio yesterday:

"If there is anything you want to do, you can do it. No ifs, ands or buts about it. You can always make time to do what you want to do. It's called time management. That's the biggest thing I learned in college.

I'm not lucky. I worked hard to be here. But nobody wants to see that -- that I didn't smoke, drink or do drugs in high school, that I got good grades, that I even put females and social life on hold. But I'm having my fun NOW. I just got back from Puerto Rico from doing a photo shoot. Anything is possible, achievable and doable for you. As long as you use your time wisely.''

Isn't that motivating?

For the entire article in the Akron Beacon Journal see http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/17199491.htm?source=yahoodist&content=ohi_news

Keeping cats off furniture

As I was organizing a client's home, she told me how she keeps her cat off the back of her couch while she is at work: she places foil over the back of the couch. For some reason, it keeps the cat away!

Great info for college students, their parents, and college professors

I have recently beeen made aware of a great resource for college students, their parents and college professors: www.campuscalm.com. Maria Pascucci provides tons of insight from her own experience, as well as drawing on experts in the field. Her goal is to help you be your best you in college - emotionally, physically, vocationally and more! She has a bi-weekly ezine which continually feeds you with valuable college-related information. Check it out today!

Storing seasonal shoes

Top 10 organizing tips from HGTV viewers: "I store out-of-season shoes in shoe boxes in the top of my closet. I write a description of the summer shoe on one end of the box for storage during winter. I use the same box for my winter shoes and write the description on the other end." - Diane Walton. For the other nine organizing tips from HGTV viewers, click on the link below.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/ah_organizing_other/article/0,1801,HGTV_3138_4487107,00.html

Wrapping Up Today So Tomorrow Runs Smoothly

At the end of the day, take stock of what you have accomplished and celebrate! Are there unfinished jobs that need to go onto tomorrow's list? Think through other tasks that need to be accomplished tomorrow. Now, prioritize your list so you are ready to go when you start your day!

Easy microwave cleaning

My daughter shared with me a great tip: if your microwave gets cooked-on-food on the walls or ceiling, place a bowl of water in it and run it for 5 minutes on high. The steam will soften those hard- to-clean spots.

Intentional Summer

Instead of dreading the expanse of summer, be intentional! Consider how you might spend some time with your child each week to strengthen your relationship. Are there topics you need to talk about? Is there a project or challenge you'd like to tackle together? Is there a memory you'd like to make? A trip you'd like to take? Activities you want to do together? Ask your child for his/her ideas or requests.

In addition, think through areas in which you'd like to see growth in your child: physically, mentally, spiritual, socially, finanacially, and functionally. Growth produces a positive self-image. Sit down with your child and discuss what they'd like to accomplish over the summer in the following areas. Caution: know your child - don't impose a 10-ring circus summer on a 3-ring circus child. Provide rewards and celebrations as goals or milestones are met.

- Physical goals might include learning how to: brush teeth, floss teeth, ride a bike or tricycle, swing, swim, skate, run a mile, play a sport, read nutritional information, appy make-up, determin what colors look best on him/her, take care of his/her skin, do a manicure or pedicure, build muscles, dance, etc.

- Mental goals might include: learning or reviewing math facts, learning a foreign language, investigating a subject of interest, exploring a new place, reviewing difficult school subjects, reading books, learning how to read, creating a collection, learning colors, learning shapes, preparing for ACT or SAT exams, etc.

- Spiritual goals might include: learning about forgiveness, internalizing Biblical character qualities, practicing extending grace and mercy toward others, finding a place of worship that fits you, establishing an evening routine of reading age-appropriate Bible stories and praying together, learning to be grateful, memorizing verses, attending a vacation Bible school, doing a Bible study, attending a Bible study, attending a youth group, planning a family devotional with activities, begin a prayer journal, pray, etc.

- Social goals might include: learning to share, manners, how to ask in an appropriate voice versus whining, learning to compromise and negotiate, how to express anger appropriately, how to carry on a conversation, balanced assertiveness, kindness, volunteerism, etc.

- Financial goals might include: learning to save, resisting impulse purchasing, managing an allowance, budgeting, tithing, starting a small business, being generous, opening a checking/savings account, balance a checkbook, use an ATM card, etc.

- Functional goals might include learning how to: get dressed, put away toys, set a table, hammer a nail, build something, sew, iron, sew on a button/mend, change a tire, pump gas, do laundry, remove stains, do cleaning chores, etc.

When to toss spices

Kelli B. Grant from www.SmartMoney.com says to replace your spices after one year. She quotes Tina Ujlaki, executive food editor for Food and Wine magazine (www.foodandwine.com): "Dried herbs and spices lose their flavor over time. Whole spices, such as star anise or coriander, may last slightly longer — less of the spice is exposed to the air. To tell if your spices are past their prime, open the bag or jar and take a whiff. "If there's no scent, there won't be any flavor."

5 things to do with 5 minutes

Nice suggestions for tasks you can do in five minutes from Joni Hilton in Woman's Day on 3/6/07 (www.Womansday.com):

1. Water your plants. It’s easy to forget, so they probably need a drink.

2. Turn over sofa cushions so they’ll wear evenly.

3. Wash the dryer’s lint trap to remove the buildup from fabric softener sheets. Water should run right through the screen, but softener buildup may prevent that.

4. Thumb through you recipes and choose a new one to try this week.

5. Tuck love notes under your kids’ or husband’s pillow. Include a favorite treat or toy. Bring back the element of surprise!