Tips for organizing your home, your office, and your time.
Welcome!
Thanks for visiting my blog. Hope you find some helpful hints for organizing your time and space. My passions are to help you make home a refuge instead of a crisis center, and to help you function in peace rather than chaos - at home or at work. I have switched my main blog to 1-2-3 ... Get Organized on WordPress, so please visit me there.
Here's an updated version of a previous post about using vinegar during spring cleaning:
- To remove coffee or tea stains from the inside of a cup, measure two tablespoons of vinegar into the cup and swish it around. Use a cloth, if necessary, to reach all the stains. Wash with soap.
- To get rid of salt stains on boots or shoes, dip a cloth into vinegar. Those white stains will wipe right off!
- To deodorize a garbage disposal, fill ice trays with vinegar. Freeze. Run the vinegar ice cubes through the disposal, followed by a blast of cold water.
- To clean a teakettle, boil a mixture of water and vinegar in the kettle. Wipe away any residue.
- To freshen a coffeemaker, fill the water reservoir with a mixture of vinegar and water. "Brew" this mixture, followed by several cycles of plain water.
- To clean a dishwasher, run an empty dishwasher through a cycle with a cup of vinegar. Do this once a month to reduce soap buildup on the inner mechanisms and glassware.
- We use vinegar to clean our humidifier to keep the mold and mildew out.
I thought that this was worth repeating from last year:
I really enjoyed the following article by Health Net, Inc. about the health and mental health benefits of spring cleaning. It's quite motivating! I hope you enjoy it.
"The month of March brings with it the official start of spring -- a season associated with renewal and romance, and, on a less lyrical level -- with dusting, scrubbing, and otherwise engaging in the roll-up-your-sleeves ritual known as spring cleaning. While heavy-duty housework hardly sounds inviting, Health Net, Inc. (HNT24.16, -0.40, -1.63%) wants to spread the word that spring cleaning not only results in a tidy abode, but also brings with it mental health benefits.
Studies have shown that a dirty, disorganized home can harbor health threats in the form of mold, bacteria and clutter-caused injuries, but such an environment also can negatively impact mental health, explains Ian Shaffer, M.D., chief medical officer of MHN, Health Net's behavioral health subsidiary. "A thorough spring cleaning definitely brings with it a feel-good sense of satisfaction," he adds, "and the physical exertion of dusting, vacuuming and scrubbing has been found to reduce stress and anxiety."
Shaffer points out that, while the physical benefits of exercise are well known, there's mounting evidence that exercise -- even in the form of housework -- brings with it mental health benefits. In fact, one study -- conducted by University College London -- found that as little as 20 minutes of housework per week reduced feelings of psychological distress. It was further found that the risk of mental health problems was reduced by one-fifth among those engaging in just 20 minutes of housework weekly.
"Exercise is known to boost mental health," says Shaffer, "and house-cleaning activities are certainly a form of exercise. A bigger activity, like a top-to-bottom spring cleaning, helps you to feel organized and in control, and those feelings definitely result in reduced stress."
The chores-calories connection
Doing housework not only lifts your spirits and lowers your stress level, but -- as an added bonus -- you also burn calories in the process. The American Heart Association categorizes housework as "moderate exercise," and says that a person weighing 150 pounds who engages in 30 minutes of household chores can expect to burn the following:
-- Cleaning a bathroom -- 200 calories
-- Doing laundry -- 133 calories
-- Making beds -- 130 calories
-- Washing windows -- 125 calories
-- Vacuuming -- 123 calories
-- Ironing --70 calories
-- Dusting -- 50 calories
Shaffer notes, "Household chores alone are unlikely to keep you physically fit, but this, along with other daily tasks, provides a portion of the physical exercise we all need. If you combine these activities with a structured exercise program, the results can be very positive."
Stay organized after spring cleaning
With the satisfaction of a successful spring cleaning behind you, Shaffer cautions against returning to one's previously disorganized ways. "Staying organized," he says, "encourages the good kind of stress." In fact, studies have shown that a feeling of control -- a feeling that comes with being organized -- is key to whether stress will serve as a positive force that fuels creativity and optimism or if it will serve as a negative force accompanied by a sense of helplessness and pessimism.
Beyond optimism, being organized brings with it a bounty of other benefits. Shaffer points to three:
-- Reduced time pressure -- Among the greatest sources of stress is time pressure, i.e., so much to do, so little time. While being organized doesn't add hours to the day, it does enable you to make the most of the 24 hours in each day. Organized individuals don't waste time wondering what work project is due when, or where a needed item -- from an unpaid bill to an uncashed check -- might be hiding. The time saved can be spent on any number of stress-busting activities, such as exercising or preparing a healthy meal.
-- Disorganization makes it hard to see things in their components. Failing to see the parts leads to a few of the whole that can be very overwhelming and at times will lead to immobilization and people failing to act and move forward.
-- No disorganization domino effect -- As a general rule, disorganization creates a ripple effect, impacting not only the offender, but also those around him or her. If you're disorganized, the fallout can extend to family, friends as well as co-workers, and a tension-filled environment can become the order of the day. Conversely, while organization doesn't guarantee harmony and happiness, it unquestionably helps."
The following is an excerpt from Meredith Bryan's Oprah.com article which appeared on CNN Living. Some pretty strange facts ...
"You can take it with you Worried about leaving unwanted furniture after you die? Fear not: Maine-based company Last Things creates bookcases that -- when the time comes -- double as coffins.
Lost Last August the body of Billie Jean James was found buried under mountains of junk in her Las Vegas home, four months after she'd gone missing. This despite the early deployment of search dogs -- and the fact that her husband still lived in the house.
Humble abodes One way to forcefully de-clutter is to move into a home the size of a parking space. The Small House Movement -- which has been featured on the Oprah show -- is thriving, according to Kent Griswold, author of tinyhouseblog.com. Griswold recommends Tumbleweed Tiny House company, whose models (with names like "Weebee") range from 65 to 840 square feet and cost less than $20,000. "I've traveled from Canada to Mexico with my small homes," writes Griswold. "Can you do that with your current home?"
Organize it like Beckham One celebrity whose organizational skills are praised consistently -- by no less an authority than his wife -- is soccer star David Beckham. Victoria Beckham has revealed that Becks color-codes the contents of the fridge, vacuums the carpet in straight lines and gets upset when anyone walks on it, and has a separate bathroom because he can't stand her clutter."
I'm not a big-time gardener, but by being organized and efficient I can get more done when I garden. If you're just starting out or have been gardening for years, the following products might help you stay organized, save time, or be more productive:
Greenhouses
Carts
Tool Storage
Hose Storage
Dispenser for Bird Seed, Pet Food, Fertilizer, Ice Melt
Sometimes our moves are not nice and neat and involve some interim moves. This is true for one of our daughters.
As I mentioned yesterday, we spent the weekend with one of our daughters who will be moving to Kazakhstan next year. In the meantime, she'll take a four-month trip over to Kazakhstan and return for training for several months in a different state.
We helped her pack up her house, packing for short-term and long-term. We divided her stuff into - what she is going to use before her trip and take with her this summer - what she is going to store here permanently - what she may want to take with her to Kazakhstan when she goes permanently.
She numbered every container and listed the enclosed items on a spread sheet so she can locate what she needs when she needs it. It took a little extra time to do this, but it will save time in the future. We also tried to pack like things together as much as possible.
If you have such a move looming, take the extra time to catalog your belongings. Then if you need to find a particular item in the future, you won't have to go through all your containers to find it.
We had a lovely weekend with one of our daughters, helping her get ready for a move. Sorting, packing, playing games, meeting her friends.
On to our topic today - another in our series on cleaning with household products:
Here are some more great spring cleaning tips, this time using lemons! Did you know lemon juice disinfects?
- To clean up those stained plastic and wooden cutting boards, squeeze the juice of half a lemon onto the board. Let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse with water.
- To remove tea stains on cloth, combine lemon juice with an equal amount of water. Dip a Q-tip in the lemon juice mixture, and dab at the stain. Or you can put the mixture into an eye dropper and drip onto the stain. Thoroughly flush with cool water.
- Combine lemon juice with baking soda and use in place of abrasive cleaners.
Do you ever wonder how long to keep items in your pantry and elsewhere? Here's a handy guide from Real Simple Magazine to take the indecision out of spring cleaning.
Food
Beer
Unopened: 4 months.
Brown sugar
Indefinite shelf life, stored in a moistureproof container in a cool, dry place.
Chocolate (Hershey bar)
1 year from production date
Coffee, canned ground
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 1 month refrigerated
Coffee, gourmet
Beans: 3 weeks in paper bag, longer in vacuum-seal bag (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Ground: 1 week in sealed container
Coffee, instant
Unopened: Up to 2 years
Opened: Up to 1 month
Diet soda (and soft drinks in plastic bottles)
Unopened: 3 months from “best by” date.
Opened: Doesn't spoil, but taste is affected.
Dried pasta
12 months
Frozen dinners
Unopened: 12 to 18 months
Frozen vegetables
Unopened: 18 to 24 months
Opened: 1 month
Honey
Indefinite shelf life
Juice, bottled (apple or cranberry)
Unopened: 8 months from production date
Opened: 7 to 10 days
Ketchup
Unopened: 1 year (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Opened or used: 4 to 6 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Maple syrup, real or imitation
1 year
Maraschino cherries
Unopened: 3 to 4 years
Opened: 2 weeks at room temperature; 6 months refrigerated
Marshmallows
Unopened: 40 weeks
Opened: 3 months
Mayonnaise
Unopened: Indefinitely
Opened: 2 to 3 months from “purchase by” date (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Mustard
2 years (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Olives, jarred (green with pimento)
Unopened: 3 years
Opened: 3 months
Olive oil
2 years from manufacture date (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Peanuts
Unopened: 1 to 2 years unless frozen or refrigerated
Opened: 1 to 2 weeks in airtight container
Peanut butter, natural
9 months
Peanut butter, processed (Jif)
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 6 months; refrigerate after 3 months
Pickles
Unopened: 18 months
Opened: No conclusive data. Discard if slippery or excessively soft.
Protein bars (PowerBars)
Unopened: 10 to 12 months. Check “best by” date on the package.
Rice, white
2 years from date on box or date of purchase
Salad dressing, bottled
Unopened: 12 months after “best by” date
Opened: 9 months refrigerated
Soy sauce, bottled
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: 3 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Soda, regular
Unopened: In cans or glass bottles, 9 months from “best by” date
Opened: Doesn’t spoil, but taste is affected
Steak sauce
33 months (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Tabasco
5 years, stored in a cool, dry place
Tea bags (Lipton)
Use within 2 years of opening the package
Tuna, canned
Unopened: 1 year from purchase date
Opened: 3 to 4 days, not stored in can
Vinegar 42 months
Wine (red, white)
Unopened: 3 years from vintage date; 20 to 100 years for fine wines
Opened: 1 week refrigerated and corked
Worcestershire sauce
Unopened: 5 to 10 years (after this time, color or flavor may be affected, but product is still generally safe to consume)
Opened: 2 years
Household Products
Air freshener, aerosol
2 years
Antifreeze, premixed
1 to 5 years
Antifreeze, concentrate
Indefinite
Batteries, alkaline
7 years
Batteries, lithium
10 years
Bleach
3 to 6 months
Dish detergent, liquid or powdered
1 year
Fire extinguisher, rechargeable
Service or replace every 6 years
Fire extinguisher, nonrechargeable
12 years
Laundry detergent, liquid or powdered
Unopened: 9 months to 1 year
Opened: 6 months
Metal polish (silver, copper, brass)
At least 3 years
Miracle Gro, liquid
Opened: 3 to 8 years
Miracle Gro, liquid, water-soluble
Indefinite
Motor oil
Unopened: 2 to 5 years
Opened: 3 months
Mr. Clean
2 years
Paint
Unopened: Up to 10 years
Opened: 2 to 5 years
Spray paint
2 to 3 years
Windex
2 years
Wood polish (Pledge)
2 years
Beauty Products
All dates are from the manufacture date, which is either displayed on the packaging or can be obtained by calling the manufacturer's customer-service number.
Bar soap
18 months to 3 years
Bath gel, body wash
3 years
Bath oil
1 year
Body bleaches and depilatories
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 6 months
Body lotion
3 years
Conditioner
2 to 3 years
Deodorant
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 1 to 2 years
For antiperspirants, see expiration date
Eye cream
Unopened: 3 years
Used: 1 year
Face lotion
With SPF, see expiration date. All others, at least 3 years
Foundation, oil-based
2 years
Foundation, water-based
3 years
Hair gel
2 to 3 years
Hair spray
2 to 3 years
Lip balm
Unopened: 5 years
Used: 1 to 5 years
Lipstick
2 years
Mascara
Unopened: 2 years
Used: 3 to 4 months
Mouthwash
Three years from manufacture date
Nail polish
1 year
Nail-polish remover
Lasts indefinitely
Perfume
1 to 2 years
Rubbing alcohol
At least 3 years
Shampoo
2 to 3 years
Shaving cream
2 years or more
Tooth-whitening strips
13 months
Wash’n Dri moist wipes
Unopened: 2 years
Opened: Good until dried out
Happy St. Patrick's Day! Our four foster daughters spared no effort to decorate themselves in green this morning. So joining in the spirit of the day, I made green banana muffins for breakfast. Two of the girls asked why they were green and another was creeped out by it. I'm so glad I got up at 4:15 to make this memory! LOL!
On to our topic for the day ... Manilla, a newly-launched webite helps you organize and manage recurring information with one click - your financial statements, bills, travel reward programs and subscriptions.
According to USA Today, Manilla "may be best described as a loose cross between a password vault service and bill-paying sites. You enter Manilla through a single password—it in turn can log you into your various integrated credit card, bank and other sites without you having to separately enter passwords for those.
All your info appears in a convenient dashboard. Manilla kicks off with partners such as Citi Cards and Comcast. The service is free; the company says it will get paid by its partners when consumers ditch paper statements altogether. Manilla says it will archive all your old financial statements indefinitely."
Loft beds aren't just for college dorms! If your child's bedroom is small or if you'd just like to max out the existing space, a loft bed may be a great solution. I looked around and found these:
Jackson Creek
The Getaway
Dora
The Classic
Diego
Freetime
Z-Bed
The Cave
The Crossover
Rock and Roll
Sponge Bob
Teen
My Place - Pink/Purple or Blue Optional Tents
Some of these units have alternative configurations to give you more options. Click the pictures for more information.
In time for spring cleaning, I thought I'd run some blog posts I've done earlier on using things you have around the house. Here's one on baking soda:
- To eliminate crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp cloth, run clean, and rinse.
- To tackle tough stains on enameled cast iron, scrub with a soft nylon brush and a thick paste of baking soda and water.
- To remove stains from stainless steel, dissolve 4 tablespoons of baking soda in 1 quart of water and clean with a soft cloth. Dry with a clean cloth.
- Sprinkle baking soda on casseroles or roasting pans with baked-on food or stains. Let it work for five minutes, followed by a light scrub and rinse..
- Sprinkle baking soda on minor oil and grease spills on a garage flooror driveway, and scrub with a wet brush.
Aren't these helpful things to know? More on using household items to clean:
Doesn't it seem that Daylight Savings Time is coming earlier and earlier? That means it's the time to check our smoke alarms, too.
While you're at it, talk to your family members about fire safety - - where you would meet outside your house if you had a fire, - how to exit the house safely - which door, crawling on the ground if there's smoke, etc. - how to tell if there's a fire outside your bedroom door, - the safety advantages of sleeping with the bedroom door closed, - how to hang from your window and drop to the ground if the fire is outside your bedroom door, - not using electrical heating appliances (curling,flat irons) near water or flammable objects (curtains, bed linens, etc.).
As foster parents, we are trained each year by the fire marshal and must have a fire drill twice a month. Not a bad idea for everyone! More on fire safety:
Raina Bisson-Orr, a student at Sharon High School in Sharon, MA has written the following articlewhich was published in her school newspaper, The Talon, on February 28, 2011.
She is participating in a team project in her media awareness class in which students argue for or against spending fictional money on modern technology for the school. Here is her argument for Nooks, eReaders which allow students to download their textbooks. She has convinced me!
"21st century America is seeing the dawn of a technological revolution. With the onset of computers, cell phones, hybrid technology, and even wireless credit card processing, it is evident that technology is making its way into every sect of American life.
Such developments boast faster access, improved usability, connection to a wider range of information, and even “going green.” But while other institutions grow increasingly more “plugged in,” schools continue to use primitive tools like textbooks.
The Nook, an eReader device, has means to save students from literally and figuratively dragging behind as they lug textbooks to school in an increasingly technology based world.
'I think the focus in school investment should be in media and technology as soon as possible,' says John Brande, SHS Media Awareness teacher.
'Purchasing textbooks now is a complete waste of money. Every student should be making use of the Internet at all times in school.'
Modern technology seeks to expedite organization by consolidating other devices into one. A persistent issue many high school students have is being disorganized. When a student is assigned several separate reference books for each class, disorganization is an easy trap to fall into.
Disorganization makes misplacement easy and therefore makes referencing study materials a difficult and stressful task.
'At this point in my life, I am completely overwhelmed with textbooks,' says junior Bridgit Wald, who admits to being poorly organized.
'I am lucky if I can keep track of two of them, nevertheless the nine I have this year.'
Sophomore Ian Deutsch agrees with Bridgit. 'I’ve forgotten textbooks at school several times, once before a test in the subject,' said Deutsch. 'It is hard to keep track of them all.'
One 2GB Nook can store up to 1,500 books, magazines, or newspapers. The Nook makes disorganization of books and reference materials virtually impossible.
The Nook permits better organization with less effort. Currently, classroom time is spent to pass out books and assign book numbers to each student in a classroom.
However, a Nook-using student would be able to quickly download e-Books instantly to “My Library” via Wi-Fi. A student can further organize from there by choosing to create easy-access “shelves” to file e-Books by topic or school subject.
The sheer weight of transporting textbooks and binders is intense even for students with whom disorganization is not an issue.
Much concern has risen over heavy backpacks and it’s potential and harmful affects on students, many of whom have bodies that are still growing.
A Nook, regardless of whether it’s carrying 1 book or 1,000 books, weighs a mere 12.1 ounces, which is about the weight of an apple. Just one, the largest, of the three books required for use in SHS’s Advanced Placement US History course weighs about 88 ounces, which is nearly the weight of two watermelons.
'It’s lightweight; they weigh less than 15 ounces, so they’re pretty portable and easy to move around,' says Joe Dumas, the Nook Specialist at Barnes and Nobles Booksellers in Walpole.
Julie Fishman, a junior, agrees with Dumas. 'It’s a pain to have to carry around heavy books and textbooks to school,' Fishman says.
'I haven’t really used a Nook before, but I know it’s lightweight and it would be easier to only have one device for it all!'
The Nook includes a vast array of helpful usability features - foremost, accessibility. Like Deutsch said, a student depends on their books or textbooks to study, so students are limited to studying in areas that they are allowed to carry them or bring them.
By downloading the Nook App to an iPhone, iPad, Android, PC, or Blackberry, students can access their e-Books and study anywhere that has Wi-Fi.
Using the Nook application on such phones as the iPhone, one can highlight, create notes, and control text size as well as font and font color.
'Using a Nook has the same features as a book, just electronic,' says Dumas. 'It includes book marking, highlighting, and the screen zooms in and out.'
Nook’s display includes 16-level gray scale font with display and zoom capabilities that make font easier to read than a book or textbook.
The Nook’s extensive collection of over 2 million, ready to download e-Books and ability for pre-ordering new releases ensures access to updated material at all times.
Schoolbooks can become easily outdated but are replaced only every 5-6 years and textbooks even more rarely.
The Nook also has an extra-long battery life of up to 10 days without ever having to re-charge as well.
'I own a Nook and I love it,' said Adam Block. 'I have trouble reading small fonts, so the zoom feature is really helpful. The battery life is also really long.'
The NookColor also has a basic web browser. Students can check e-mail, send a note, or Google search using the touch screen keyboard. Using N highlight, a student can instantly look up a word with the Nook’s built in dictionary feature, sparing class disruption and student confusion.
Nook’s environmentally friendly aspect is another triumph over textbooks, each having the ability to save thousands of pages of paper.
'In the long run, I think that investing in a Reader would be worth it. Nooks save energy and paper. Plus you can’t tear them apart,' says SHS English teacher James Sanford.
'The environmentally friendly aspect is one of the most appealing features to me. It’s faster, easier, and saves the environment, so why not?' says junior Xander Bennett.
The Nook costs $149 and the NookColor costs $249. While the initial cost of purchasing Nooks may be daunting, e-Books are often about half the price of their book counterparts.
Last week I helped a client organize her linen closet. We categorized the items into like groups: towels, blankets, sheets, etc.
My favorite part was organizing the sheets and pillowcases. One way is to tie a ribbon around a set of sheets. But I like this idea better: placing the sheets and extra pillowcase (if applicable) inside the pillowcase for that set.
Everything stays in one place and the sheet sets don't fall apart or fall down when one set is removed. Even if they do, they are nicely contained in the pillowcase.
It's sunny today - a welcome respite after more snow over the weekend! My husband and I bought a planter kit for my herbs and a grow light, so I'm excited to get going on my herb garden. I'm going to try growing them from seed this year, trying to stagger some of them so I'll have them all summer. We'll set up a place in our garage for them to grow when it's not sunny. Speaking of garages, here's a rerun of a post from the past .... Spring is the time to clean out the garage, swapping out winter items for summer ones. As you attempt this task, here are a few pointers from Don Townson of the Vancouver Sun about storing hazardous materials:
"If you have to keep hazardous materials in the garage, follow these rules:
- Store products in their original containers with their labels
- Never mix products
- Keep gasoline in an approved container
- Do not store gasoline or volatile solvents near water heaters or other appliances with pilot lights
- Keep flammables away from outlets, electric tools and appliances
- Store all hazards out of reach of children and pets; use a locked cabinet
If you need some extra exposure, consider advertising on 1-2-3...Get Organized, like these fine businesses:
Concept Design Studios
Three Steps to Becoming a Downsizing Professional
Organizing Solutions for Kids
Campus Calm University
I'm An Organizing Junkie says ....
"I know I've reviewed a few organizing books in a row now but I've got another great set to tell you about that I think you're going to like. Professional Organizer Beverly Coggins has created a 1-2-3...Get organized series of seven mini books to help you organize your life one book at a time.
The seven books are as follows: - Three Steps to Organizing your Child's Room - Three Steps to Decluttering - Three Steps to Organizing your Kitchen - Three Steps to Organizing your Office - Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom - Three Steps to Clever Cleaning - Three Steps to Time Management at the Office
Each books consists of three main steps with each step offering plenty of tips and advice broken down into quick and easy to read points.
I'll tell you what I love most about these books. Not only are they small but the plastic glossy pages are wonderfully durable making them perfect for throwing into your purse to take out and read whenever you are stuck in a "hurry up and wait" situation. I also love the colorful pages as presentation is very important to me.
For those a little more ambitious and wanting to really get serious about getting organized she offers a workbook series that comes complete with checklists, questionnaires and templates on CD. Some of the titles include Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence, Three Steps to Time Management for the Working Mom and Three Steps to Planning Dinner. These do-it-yourself guides are very thorough with Bev carefully walking you through each step of the process.
Now I've saved the best for last. One of the other things Bev includes in some of her packages is a Hassle Free Dinners CD. This CD is a menu planners dream and you all know how I feel about menu planning! It offers 52 dinner menus complete with step-by-step instructions and recipes along with coordinating color-coded weekly shopping lists. I am very impressed with how much work this must have been to put together especially since everything you need to put quick, nutritious, sophisticated meals on the table is included! She also didn't repeat an entree for the entire year either! Well done Bev!"
Campus Calm University, The college student’s 10-step blueprint to stop stressing ...