Book Signings at Borders Stores

Just wanted to let you know I'm very excited to announce I'm having three book signings at Borders - one here in Ohio and two in Maryland.

December 15, Saturday - Borders in Cuyahoga Falls, OH, on Howe Avenue, 1-3 pm.

December 29, Saturday - Borders in Gaithersburg, MD, 1-3 pm.

December 29, Saturday - Borders in Silver Spring, MD, 5-7pm.

Hope to see you there!

Toy decluttering

If you haven't already, take some time to declutter your children's rooms before Christmas. Throw away anything that is broken. Toys that are outgrown or not used can be passed down to a sibling or stored for future use. Or give them to a friend or charity. Don't stop until there is no clutter and the room is peaceful. When Christmas comes, there will be adequate space for your child's new toys!

Make sure your child has a system - a place for books, a place for larger toys (I recommend shelves), bins or boxes for toys with many parts, a place for collections or special items, and a place for papers, a trash can, and a laundry basket.

Set aside time each day for your child to maintain the system - time to make the bed, put away toys, throw away trash, put clothes in the laundry basket, etc.

Organization of tree bulbs, ornaments, etc.

I read a great idea from www.OrganizedChristmas.com this morning.

"Keep holiday decor supplies close at hand with this simple, sneaky solution: an under-tree box. Select a pretty holiday gift box with a removable lid. Put all fuses, replacement light bulbs and extra ornament hooks inside the box, add a gift bow and slide it beneath the tree."

Wasn't that clever?

Last minute gift ideas

Need a few last minute gift ideas? Go to www.womansday.com/holidaygiftguide for some quick suggestions. Or go to http://www.heart4home.net/giftsinajar.htm for gifts in a jar mixes.

Decluttering and Organizing Your Email

Decluttering and organizing my email made it to the top of the list today. Is your email inbox overflowing, too?

My first line of attack was to go through each page and delete anything I didn't want to read.

What was left were things I need to read or deal with today and emails I wanted to keep.

As I went through the list of emails I wanted to keep, I moved them into folders. To do this, click the email you want to save and then click the "move" tab at the top. If you haven't created folders you can do so by clicking "new folder" at the top of the folder list. Type in the name you want to assign for that email.

For example, for items I have purchased and I want to be able to find the company again, I titled a folder "purchases". I have a folder labeled "travel" for email confirmation notices for airline tickets. I have one called "family" for emails from family members. And I have several for various aspects of my business. Your folders will reflect your interests and life.

Make a to-do list or place a reminder on your calendar if you have moved emails that still require some action into folders.

Don't forget to check your bulk mail every once in a while, even though it is filled with filth. Several important emails of mine have gone to my bulk mail lately.

If you're expecting an email from someone and it hasn't arrived in a timely manner, bulk mail may be the culprit. Make sure you add those addresses to your contact list to prevent further strays. There is a button after their email address which adds it to your contact list. You can also hit the "not spam" button at the top to avoid future misdirection.

Finals Survival Kits for College Students' Finals

Do you have a special college student in your life? Brighten up his/her life during finals week by sending a Finals Survival Kit. Things to include:

Healthy snacks: pistachios or other nuts, beef jerkey, trail mix, popcorn

Drinks: hot choccolate, teas, coffee mixes, juices

Fun snacks: cookies, chocolate, candy

Encouraging words: write a note for each day (5-7) or use the following proverbs -


Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind

Become wise by walking with the wise; hang out with fools and watch your life fall to pieces.

Knowledge flows like spring water from the wise; fools are leaky faucets, dripping nonsense.

Easy come, easy go, but steady diligence pays off.

A person without self-control is like a house with its doors and windows knocked out.

Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights

Buried by Holiday Mail?

Do you find yourself buried under a pile of mail each day? By standing next to your recycling bag, you can eliminate a huge portion of it. As you look through your mail, file those catalogs, ads, and sales fliers your're not interested in directly into your recycling container.

If you have time to read your Christmas cards, do so when you bring in the mail. If not, put them in a basket to read later and update your correspondence list.

Make sure to shred any sensitive mail - credit card offers, mail with account numbers, etc. To reduce the amount of junk mail you receive, write to: Mail Preference Service Direct Marketing Association, PO Box 9008, Farmingdale NY 11735-9008. Legibly type or print your full name, address, and zip code on the letter. Include a request to be removed from any marketing mailing list.

Stop the pre-approved credit card offers. Those 'pre-approved' credit card offers are a nuisance and a potential credit rating danger. (Be sure to shred all that get sent to you.) To stop a lot of them, you can call Trans Union at 1-888-567-8688 (1-888-5-OPT-OUT).

Organizing your to do list

I have a page full of things I need to accomplish before Thanksgiving Day. To ease the chaos in my mind, I wrote down everything I could think of that I need to do between now and then.

Next, I put an M by the things I hoped to do today (Monday), a T by the things I hoped to do tomorrow (Tuesday), and a W by the things I plan to do on Wednesday.

Evaluating the Ms, I prioritized them by putting a 1 beside the most important and urgent item on the list, 2 on the next, and so on. Tomorrow, I'll look over the Ts and any Ms that didn't get done today and prioritize that list.

This process helped me keep focused on what I need to do, and motivated me to use my time well. It also showed me that I needed some help from my husband - he agreed to write the Christmas letter this year!!!

As things came to mind, I added them to my list - so everything is is one place and I'm less likely to forget something with a written list.

Destressing Christmas - One More Time!!

One more time on destressing for Christmas. This time it's an article by Mary Beth Breckenridge that appeared in today's Akron Beacon Journal. Mary Beth interviewed two other professional organizers and myself and wrote a very helpful and practical article you'll want to read. The link is: http://www.ohio.com/lifestyle/11513966.html?page=1&c=y

Organizing Your Holiday Meals

Take a little time and plan out your holiday meals from Thanksgiving to Christmas.
What will you serve for each meal?

- Is there a balance of protein, starch and green and red vegetables/fruit?

- Are there some items you could prepare in advance - breads, desserts, cornbread for cornbread stuffing, etc.?

- If you are having guests, what could they bring?


For each week, plan your menus and your shopping list. Try to go shopping only once a week to save those time-costly trips back to the grocery store.

- During such a busy time, try to piggy-back from one meal to another. Put a roast in the crockpot, and use the leftovers for beef stroganoff, for example.

- Have some ideas for using leftover turkey or ham: chow mein, stir fry, pasta salads, split pea soup with ham/hambone. Or freeze some in meal-size portions for the future when you are not turkey-weary.

- Have some easy-to-prepare foods on hand if you have a disaster day: frozen ravioli, for example.

Destressing Christmas, Part 6 - Think through your calendar

Think through your calendar

Write onto your calendar all the holiday events from school, sports teams, church, work, friends and family. Check with everyone in your family to make sure these are events they want to attend or think are important.

Schedule in those activities your family wants to include in their holiday celebration, including time to decorate, see Christmas lights, bake, make gifts, read stories, etc.

Is what you have scheduled on your calendar going to allow everyone to get enough sleep and rest? If not, rethink things. Create margins and boundaries. Know your own limitations as well as those of your family members.

Schedule in some "breather dates" into your calendar. When someone invites you to do something else, you can say you have something already scheduled - it's true!

Destressing Christmas, Part 5 - Think through your health

THINK THROUGH YOUR HEALTH

Don't go to a party hungry. Eat something before you go so you're not ravenous. Think ahead of time about the amount of food you will eat.

Don't give up your workout. Exercise is one of the best ways to relieve stress. As your schedule gets more hectic, make sure to guard your exercise time. Eliminate something less important if you must eliminate something.

Don't neglect your sleep — you’ll be irritable and less able than usual to deal with stress. Research shows that your emotions will be all over the place and your logic powers suffer without sleep.

Make sure your family members are getting enough sleep, too. Try to keep normal bedtimes and naptimes.

Destressing Christmas, Part 4 - Think through cleaning/decorating/entertaining

THINK THROUGH CLEANING/DECORATING/ENTERTAINING

· Determine cleaning chores that need to be done for the holidays. Parcel out chores over the weeks remaining before Christmas. If the chores seem too overwhelming, divide them up into 15-minute segments and do them 2-4 times a day. If they are still too overwhelming, eliminate some!

· This is not a time for purchasing new furniture, major home repair, sewing or painting!

· As you decorate, remove regular decorating items and put them in the boxes from which you took your Christmas decorating items. That way, you won't have to remember where you put them. Take this opportunity to purge any decorating items or Christmas items you no longer need or want. A great time to declutter!

· Make holiday decorating a family affair, using items that have sentimental value to family members.

· When you put your Christmas items away, make a list of what you have - decorating items, wrapping supplies, paper products, cards, extra gift items, dishes, etc., so you don't duplicate them.

· If you choose to entertain, cook simple meals with some make-ahead dishes so it's not all last-minute. Consider buying dessert from a local bakery.

· If you're giving a party and people ask if they can bring something, let them!

· If you haven't been invited to a party, give one yourself, if you're inclined. Invite people who may not have relatives in town who don't have a party to go to either! It's a great time to make new friends.

Destressing Christmas, Part 3 - Think through gifts

THINK THROUGH GIFTS
·

Make a master list of gifts you need to buy or make along with a budget for the amount you want to spend. Stick to your budget and don't buy impulsively. Don't compete with family and friends - spend what you can afford.

Remember those gifts for teachers, Sunday School teachers, extra-curricular instructors, and stocking stuffers.

Buy the same gift for several people on your list, if appropriate. Take advantage of the sales after Christmas to shop for next year's list.

Plan your shopping trips. What stores might have most of your gifts? What is the most efficient route to the stores on your list? A little planning avoids backtracking, saving you time and gas.

Set a deadline for finishing your shopping to avoid crowds, the last-minute rush, and poor selection.

Consider gift certificates that can be sent to the recipients via email. Or shop online and have your purchases sent directly to the recipients.

Or, if you're into making your own Christmas gifts, mass produce a gift and give it to as many people on your list as possible. To reduce stress, choose a gift that doesn't have to made at the last minute.

As you buy or make gifts, wrap them so you don't have a massive pile to do at one time. Use TV time or other mindless time to wrap - you're doubling your time use.

Have a conversation with your children (if applicable) about realistic expectations so they won't be disappointed. They will be bombarded with commercial after commercial during the holiday season, and they may want it all!

Make gift suggestions to relatives who are shopping for your children (if applicable).


If you want to get away from expensive or excessive gifts, consider alternative ideas:

- Trade services: babysitting, cleaning, meal preparing, handyman work, etc.

- Instead of exchanging gifts, experience an event together - a day trip, cutting your own Christmas tree, a service project, etc.

- Take the money you would have spent on gifts for each other and donate it to a cause or your favoriate charity or a needy family.

- Consider giving a donation in their name to a charity of their choice. My parents live in Oklahoma and year of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, they asked us to donate to The Salvation Army in their names rather than give them gifts. Salvation Army was so instrumental in helping in the aftermath, they wanted to say thanks.

- Consider drawing names or doing a "nice" white elephant game with a dollar limit on the gift.

- Give gift certificates of your time or service.

Destressing Christmas, Part 2 - Think through your family/friendship needs and commitments

THINK THROUGH YOUR FAMILY/FRIENDSHIP NEEDS AND COMMITMENTS

Be realistic about what your children (if applicable) will enjoy, understand, and be capable of doing in light of their ages. For example, if you always went to see The Nutcracker at Christmas time, but your children are 3 and 5, wait until they (and you!) will enjoy it more. And don't over-schedule.

Consider family problems when planning gatherings. Be proactive in order to minimize Uncle John's drinking problem by having a brunch rather than a dinner. If cousin Sally's conversation is predominantly negative or a never-ending flow, plan some conversation starters or games to reduce her dominance.

If it's just too difficult for you to travel during the holidays, don't let others guilt-trip you into travelling anyway. Be honest and stick to your guns for the benefit of you and/or your family. Invite your relatives to visit you (if that is better for you) or suggest another time of year for a visit when life is less hectic.

If getting together with your relatives is too painful or unhealthy, give yourself permission not to attend. If you, your spouse, or your children are subjected to verbal, emotional or physcial abuse, don't put yourself in this unsafe place. Even if it hurts others' feelings, you cannot allow yourself to condone unhealthy or painful treatment by attending.

Choose whom you want to spend time with over the holidays - friends or family who refresh, encourage, and cheer you. Take the initiative to make that happen.