Need Some Shelving? Clearance Sale at The Shelving Store

            
As you've done some spring cleaning, you may have discovered that you need additional storage. If you're in need of shelving, The Shelving Store notified me of their May-long clearance sale, 15-50% off. Thought you'd like to know. 

They offer shelving kits for the living room, garage, kitchen, and more.  Closet units are available, and design help if you need it. They even have lockers for the kids.

More on storage:

Droog Straps - A Unique Storage Design

Kick Your Clutter to the Wall

Don't Make the #1 Organizing Mistake

What's New: an ATM for Recycling Cell Phones

          
How many old cell phones do you have lying around? It seems that almost as soon as we buy a phone, it's obsolete!
    
ecoATM is making it easier for us to recycle our cell phones. The ecoATM is similar to a regular ATM, but has the ability to evaluate your phone and determine its value. You can either get cash, a trade-up coupon, a gift card or you can donate it to charity.   

Currently these new recycling kiosks are located in California, Kansas, Florida, and Washington, but hopefully they will spread quickly to the rest of the country.

Here's how it works:




More on recycling phones:

Recycling Cell Phones to Our Soldiers

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

More Eco-Friendly Recycling

Overcoming Procrastination - Schedule those Appointments!

      
As a foster mom for four teenage girls, part of my job includes making doctor, dentist, dermatologist, orthodontist, optometrist, etc. appointments. 

Sometimes I'm not as kind to myself. Last week I made three appointments I've been putting off for months. I've heard of some people who make all their annual appointments at the beginning of the year. I like that idea, but didn't do it. So now it's done! And it took me all of 15 minutes!

What about you? Do you have appointments you've been avoiding? We all have good reasons: it costs too much, mammograms hurt, colonoscopies are scary, it takes too much time, a root canal is no fun, I have to take off all my clothes, and on and on.
  
Take a few minutes and get it over with! You'll be so glad you did.

More on appointments and procrastination:

Five Ways to Prevent Procrastination from Zapping Your Energy and Productivity

Scheduling Appointments

Save Time and Clutter by Making Decisions

 

Garage Sale Tips to Get Rid of that Clutter

      

Spring not only brings spring cleaning and decluttering, but garage sales! If you're thinking about having a garage sale, organize it in such a way that you'll make the most from it! The following post is a result of combining a couple of posts I've done in the past on garage sales.

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.

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, though, start collecting clutter! Put an ad in the paper, listing any special items that may draw buyers. Make sure to 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 signs on busy intersections near your house. You can find garage sale signs with stands at your local Home Depot. Just fill in the pertinent details, using big fat letters. Make sure to 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.

The best thing you can do to ensure good profits at a garage sale is make sure all the items are clean, clean, clean.

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. Put tablecloths on tables, even if they're just plastic ones.

Hang clothing, don't pile it on tables or leave it in boxes. Try to organize by type (boys, girls, men, women) and even further by size. Arrange items attractively to entice buyers. My mom even puts jewelry on the hanger with an outfit she's sell, with shoes below.  

For pricing, it all depends on quality. If it's nearly new, mark it slightly above half of retail. If it's slightly used or worn, then just below half of retail and so on. 

If items are new, leave the price tags on so people can see what a bargain they're getting. If you can find pictures of items in Sunday newspaper ads, attach those, too.You can use Salvation Army or Goodwill prices as a guideline. Theirs are pretty close to garage sale prices.

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. And 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!

More on garage sales:

A Giveaway Party - A Garage Sale Alternative

Getting Exposure for Your Garage Sale

Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks

Gift Registries for Graduates

   
We're familiar with gift registries for weddings and babies, but did you know your graduate can register, too? One of our foster daughters is graduating from high school this year, and she registered at Target.

Not only did she register for bedding, a microwave, iron, coffee maker, etc., but she decided to register for some not-so-typical items like laundry detergent, shampoo/conditioner and such. 

As a struggling college student, those will be expenses she'll have to incur each month. And it also gives some less expensive gift options for her teenage friends.

It only took us about an hour or so to walk through the store as she selected items she'll need for college. Now, if her graduation party guests want to know what she needs, it's so simple!


More on preparation for college:

Cutting Costs on College Textbooks

Helping Your High School Graduate Make an Intentional Plan for Transitioning into College Gracefully - 2010

Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student

Soles4Souls Wins 2011 Organizing Excellence Award

        
"The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) announces the winners of the 2011 Organizing Excellence Awards, presented at its 23rd Annual Conference and Organizing Exposition held in San Diego, California. 
 
Soles4Souls, the international shoe charity based in Nashville, Tennessee, was honored for the incredible organizational effort required to successfully coordinate the collection and distribution of more than 13 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes in more than 125 countries. By encouraging and facilitating shoe donations, Soles4Souls provides relief and support to those in need around the world while helping people de-clutter their homes for a good cause. 

NAPO will continue to partner with Soles4Souls in 2011 through a contest in which NAPO’s 4,000 members will compete to collect one million pairs of shoes before the 2012 Annual Conference."

If you'd like to help out, contact your local NAPO chapter or a NAPO organizer near you.

Source: NAPO press release

More on donating your clutter to good causes:

Donate Your Bikes to Youth Bike-Refurbishing Programs

Donating Business Clothing for Job Interviews

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

 

How to Live Graciously with Messy People

Believe it or not, I was a slob as a teenager. I can still hear my father walk up the stairs, open my door, and say, "Bev, you're grounded!" because he couldn't see the floor of my room. Honestly, I had much more important things to do than keep my room neat and tidy. 

That changed as I got older and got my own place. Now it bothers me to have things out of place because it accosts my senses.

But I could understand when my girls' rooms were messy or now when our foster daughters' rooms are messy. It doesn't mean, though, that we just go on in messiness. We have regular cleaning times when they need to clean their rooms and bathrooms. In the meantime, I encourage them to put things away so they can find them or walk across their rooms without getting injured. 

They are also responsible to pick up their belongings, put away what they took out, or clean up what they messed up in common areas by bedtime. Otherwise, it goes in the "yellow bucket" a Rubbermaid container in our coat closet where earrings, stinky shoes and socks, important papers, etc. all go to live until someone can't find their stuff. 

In all of it, though, I try to remember some things were more important than pristine or even acceptable rooms. When my own daughters were teenagers, they were involved in great things: youth group at church, sports, service organizations, etc. In a perfect world, it would all happen - good activities and a clean room. But in reality, I had to choose my battles. And having a continuously clean and tidy room was not worth battling over.

And I try to remember that the state of their rooms is not a reflection on my mothering skills. For me, it definitely takes more effort to graciously allow their rooms to be in disarray than to become Sergeant Mom, demanding clean rooms at all times. I try not to twitch.

One of my biggest pet peeves is being taken for granted. And that makes me feel like a maid. And that makes me angry. So I have learned to calm down and say what I want in a nice way. "Would you please put your dishes in the dishwasher?"

There's a balance. Home is a refuge if it's pleasant and peaceful. Visual clutter is not peaceful. But it also needs to be a place where people are comfortable. The challenge is figuring out what works for you and your family or roomates. I hope what I've learned along the way is helpful to you.


More on decluttering:

Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge

How Personality Style Affects Organizing - Sensing/Intuition

Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks

Portable Storage Units

        
Are you moving, and want to use portable storage units (like Pods)? Or just need an easy storage option? You have a lot of options:
 
Pods
 
1800packrat   

Units Portable Storage 

 ABF 

U-Haul 

SmartBoxUSA 

Portable Storage Units


More on moving: 

Short-Term and Long-Term Moving

Finding Charities that Will Pick Up Your Clutter

Moving Tips 

Simplifying Holiday Decorations

   
Over the weekend I got caught up on some organizing projects for myself. One that has been bothering me is holiday decorations - not Christmas, but holidays since then. I try to change centerpieces and placemats each month to fit with holidays or themes. 

I consolidated winter and spring decorating items into one large plastic container - snowflakes for January, Valentine's, St. Patrick's Day, and Easter. Since I reorganized it, I put Easter on the bottom, since I'll need that later than the others. I donated everything but the things I really love.

We will not be foster parents forever, and by downsizing and simplifying a little at a time, it will be a little easier when we move on. We have no plans to move, but moving is such a big job, anything we can do now will help!

I stack my placemats in the order of when I'll use them. I'm using Spring placemats now. So Flag Day/July 4th are now on top of the stack, then watermelons, then sunshine placemats, etc. When I get ready to use them, I just need to pick the ones off the top. 

Changing the theme every month is as much for me as it is for the girls - it's an easy way for me to be creative, and it creates an pleasant atmosphere for the girls. Most of them don't come from environments where there is much beauty. And beauty is therapeutic, and I need all the therapy I can get!! LOL!

I'm in a constant mode of simplifying, reducing, and downsizing. A little at a time is bearable!


More on downsizing:

You Can't Downsize Memories

The Advantages of Downsizing

Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence

New Data Sheds Light On The Cause Of 'Brain Clutter'

          

RTTNews ran the following article yesterday, which I thought was very informative. I hope you enjoy it.  I'm fascinated by ADD research and try to keep up with it, as we always have girls with ADD in our home. Plus ADD has an impact on organizing one's time or space.

"New data collected by a research team at McGill University in Montreal has discovered the lack of attention common in patients of ADHD, OCD and Tourette syndrome could be linked to the malfunctioning of one specific type of brain cell.

This lack of focus, commonly referred to as 'brain clutter,' has previously been thought of as a default in the brain's prefrontal cortex, but now researcher Julio Martinez-Trujillo is suggesting that the malfunctioning of neurons that normally help filter information may be to blame.

'Contrary to common beliefs, the brain has a limited processing capacity. It can only effectively process about one per cent of the visual information that it takes in,' Martinez-Trujilo tells sciencedaily.com. 'This means that the neurons responsible for perceiving objects and programming actions must constantly compete with one another to access the important information.'

For the study, Martinez-Trujilo and his team examined the ability of animals to process visual stimuli. They then analyzed the performance of these neurons depending on each animal's ability to filter information. 'What we found when we looked at the behaviour of the neurons in the prefrontal cortex, was that an animal's ability to successfully accomplish a single action in the presence of visual clutter, was dictated by how well these units suppressed distracting information,' he adds."

More on ADD:

Organizing the ADD Household

Understanding the ADD Mindset

More Tips for Helping Your ADD Child Stay Organized

 

Clean Up and Organize Your iTunes with Rinse

      
Todd Bishop over at GeekWire has written a review of Rinse. Here's an excerpt: 

"RealNetworks has developed a new program called Rinse for cleaning up and organizing Apple iTunes libraries on Windows PCs and Macs — automatically adding album artwork, fixing song names, organizing music libraries by genre, and finding and removing duplicate tracks.

The official Rinse product site touts the software as 'smarter than other programs,' including iTunes itself. The site says Rinse’s 'intelligent database technology' finds artwork, remove duplicates and organize an iTunes library even if song names are misspelled or incomplete.

The support page explains how it works.

Rinse uses the information already in your file (such as the filename or existing tags) to look up your songs. The identification algorithm is complex and will compensate for missing information and misspellings. Rinse will extract the information from your songs and submit it to our Identification Server. The server will then return the correct song information, along with an accuracy level for the new information.

However, if your iTunes library is full of those vague 'Track 001'' file names, you’ll need help the Rinse program out a little by adding at least part of the track name. The site says the program 'needs at least one correctly spelled word from the artist and song names.'

Rinse will sell for $39 after a free trial that allows people to fix up to 50 tracks, according to the site, although the company hasn’t separately confirmed the price."

More on techno organizing: 

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Music

Guest Post - Leveraging Technology to Get Organized: 4 Clever Tips

The Nook Digital eReader - Downloads and Organizes School Textbooks

 

Planning for a Funeral - Pre-Planning Funeral Arrangements

    
My husband's mother passed away early on April 17th. We spent several days making final arrangements for her. My parents-in-law made it much easier for us, as they had pre-planned and pre-paid for their funerals.

However, in the funeral contract is a clause that says that if anything changes, charges will be at current prices.

When they originally made their plans, they were going to be buried in North Carolina, my father-in-law's home. Since then, they decided to be buried locally. Because of that one change, the charges for my mother-in-law's casket was charged at current rates. 

The increased cost for the casket and other expenses was an extra almost $3000. Some costs were legitimate - cost for the vault, for example, which wasn't included when they were going to be buried elsewhere.  

This is our first time having to go through this, but here are some things I've learned:

- Make funeral arrangements for yourself or encourage your parents to do so to take some stress out of a very stressful time. When you are grieving is not a time to make thousands-of-dollar decisions. 

- Pre-pay if possible.

- Decide carefully so you don't have to change your arrangements and incur greater expenses.

- Pre-planning is a good idea at any time. Pre-paying only works well for those who are pretty sure they are going to stay where they are until they die.  


More on crisis planning:

Can Your Loved Ones Find Your Important Documents?

National Preparedness Month - Are You Ready for an Emergency?

10 Signs That Your Parent Shouldn't Be Living Alone

 

Sorry for the Interruption

    
Sorry I haven't been blogging this week. My husband's mom passed away, and as you can imagine, we have been engaged with making arrangements, etc. I'll be back next week.

The Best Time of Day to Go to the Emergency Room

   
I'm not an expert in this area, but having gone to the emergency room three times in 36 hours a few days ago, I feel like we've done some research. We went twice in the morning and once in the evening. On another occasion, we went mid-day on a Saturday. On our recent excusions we went on a weekend day (Sunday) and on a week day (Monday). 

Now if someone is bleeding or needs urgent care, this won't work. But all three of our recent situations involved swelling, which would have to decrease before putting on a cast. So we waited overnight on two instances to see if the pain had subsided and to allow the swelling to decrease.

Our results: early morning is definitely the best time to go to the emergency room. We were there by 9:30 am on Sunday and 7:30 am on Monday. In each case it took us around two hours to be seen, x-rayed and casted in one instance.

I'm attributing this partly due to the fact that the doctors possibly hadn't completed rounds yet thereby not initiating x-rays yet, so there was not a waiting time for x-rays. And we walked right in to the examining room both times.

Not the case with the evening time. Lots of people, being seen in the order of their severity. Since ours was not a life-threatening injury, we ended up at the bottom of the list. It took about four hours. 

The mid-day Saturday trip took longest of all - about 5 hours. But again, the situation was more complicated than just a sprain or break. 

This is, of course, our experience in our town. Your experience may not be the same where you live, but it seems that some of the same principles might apply. Anyway, just thought you might benefit from our research! LOL!

More on time management:

The Best Time of Day to Go to the Post Office

The Best Time of Day to Clean the House

The Best Time of Day to Take the Dog for a Walk

 

Free Local Shredding April 16

  
The Better Business Bureau is teaming up with Neoshred to provide free on-the-spot shredding.

Time: Saturday, April 16, 9 am to 12 noon

Place: Neoshred, 895 E. Tallmadge Avenue, Akron,OH 44310

Limit: 10 boxes or bags. 

More information: call the Better Business Bureau at 330-253-4590.

Great timing, isn't it - right after taxes!


More on shredding:

Free Shredding every Saturday, Akron, Ohio

Get Organized Month 2009 - Rethink Your Desk

Three Steps to Organizing Your Office