Simple Summer Meal

    
I'm always looking for quick summer meals that don't require a lot of time or heat. Today we had our main meal at lunch - I love doing that because our schedule can be more flexible the rest of the day. This is what we had:

Crockpot Barbecued Chicken

Ciabata Rolls

Broccoli Raisin Salad

Fruit Plate

The only thing that took any time was the broccoli raisin salad, which could be left out or swapped for something easier and faster. But I was in the mood for this salad and had an overabundance of broccoli that needed to be used up.

I cooked two chicken breasts (bone in) and eight boneless skinless chicken thighs for 3 1/2 hours on high, and they were done perfectly. I placed the breasts on the bottom of the crockpot (meat side down) and topped them with the thighs. One large bottle of barbecue sauce was enough to cover them. 

 

When ready, I deboned the breasts and served the chicken with some of the sauce spooned over it. There were five of us eating, and we had leftovers.

I had been eying these ciabata rolls for some time, and bought some yesterday. I heated them at 400 degrees for 5 minutes and served them with garlic Parmesan olive oil for dipping (just pour some olive oil on a saucer and sprinkle with garlic salt and fresh Parmesan). Or the rolls could be used with the chicken to make a sandwich.

 

The fruit plate consisted of sliced honeydew, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries. 

More on quick summer meals:

Quick summer meal

Quick, Frugal Meal

Hassle Free Dinners

3 Tips to Staying Motivated While Downsizing or Decluttering

        
Today we took the first load of possessions belonging to our recent high school graduate over to her new place. We measured her room, planned where furniture would go, and unpacked what we brought. We'll continue to make trips each day until she is moved in. Now for today's topic:

In speaking with a client today, we discussed motivation. My suggestions: 

- Start in an area in which you want to work. Go with your urges! If you have the urge to declutter your pantry, go with that - motivation is a key to your success.

- Start where you can make quick progress: a drawer, a closet, a shelf. Your progress will motivate you to tackle another spot.

- Save paper, photos and such for last. This is the slowest, most tedious aspect of decluttering. If you start with paper, you'll easily become bogged down. If possible, do spurts of paper decluttering while watching a movie, on the phone, or riding in the car on a trip. 


More on motivation:

Clutter Statistics - Motivation for Spring Cleaning

Five Ways to Prevent Procrastination from Zapping Your Energy and Productivity

Organizing Drawers

Small Business Owners - Plan Vacations Strategically Around Business Trends

 
According to a new survey from American Express OPEN (small business division of American Express) only 46 percent of small business owners will take a week's vacation this summer. Thirty-seven percent said they are too busy and 29 percent said they couldn't afford it.

Earlier in the year, American Express OPEN reported that thirty-four percent of small business owners take time off when they’re stressed or have had enough, up 10% from spring 2007. 

As a small business owner, your busiest time may be in the summer. Unless you have top-notch employees, this may not be the best time for you to take a break. 

As you follow the trends of your business, you will notice times during the year when your clients are busier and times when your clients may require your products or services less. For example, between Christmas and New Years may be a dead time for your business. Why not plan vacation time then? Or the month of January may be a slow month for your business - a great time to get away.

Just because much of the country may be vacationing during the summer doesn't mean you need to sacrifice your peak business time to take a vacation. Plan vacations when you have slow times. You may need to make special arrangements if you need to take your kids out of school, etc., but it's worth the extra effort.

Whatever you do, make sure you have time away from your work. You will return energized and invigorated from stepping away from your business. An essential time management tool!


More on vacations: 

Why Time Off Is Well Spent

Get Organized Month - Declutter Your Schedule - Take Some Time Off!

Helping Your Kids Pack for Vacation

Local Recycling of Plastic Garden Containers

           
Today is my husband's and my 36th anniversary! It's hard to believe it! We are celebrating by taking an island-hopping cruise on Lake Erie. Now, on to our post for today ... what to do with those plastic garden containers without putting them in the landfill:

On June 18th from 9:00 – 4:00 Graf Growers Garden Center will be hosting their first Recycle Day where they will be collecting empty plastic garden containers. All sizes and shapes of flower pots, flats, packs, tags, and nursery pots will be accepted. Participants need to knock any clumps of dirt out of them before bringing them on that day. Graf’s is located at 1015 White Pond Drive, just off Interstate 77. 

Staff members and volunteers will help to unload vehicles and sort the plastics. Graf Growers Garden Center is offering this program as a service to the greater Akron community as part of their commitment to the environment. Plastics accepted will be recycled by a local company and used to manufacture plastic household items.

Refreshments will be served and Free Reusable Shopping Bags will be given to participants. (while supplies last).   

More on recycling:

A Refresher on Recycling Plastics

Recycling Compact Fluorescent Lamps (Lightbulbs)

Recycling VHS Tapes

 

Decluttering Seminar

    
Just wanted to  let you know that I'll be giving a Decluttering Seminar at Reed Memorial Library in Ravenna, OH on Saturday, June 23 at 2:30 pm. Hope to see you there!

Empty Nesters Store Their Children's Clutter Plus Their Own

      
An interesting article in the Daily Mail Reporter about Brits storing their kids' possessions. Definitely a problem - sometimes avoidable, sometimes not. Enjoy the read:

"British parents are looking after nearly £2.5 billion of clutter their grown up children have left behind, a study shows.

Young adults leaving home are using 'the warehouse of mum and dad' to store their belongings - adding to a mountain of unused goods across the country.

In total, homes across the UK are crammed with almost 47.5 million cubic litres of clutter - enough to fill Wembley stadium 11 times over.

Full of junk: Young adults leave billions of pounds of junk at their parents' homes, with some retaining their bedrooms full of clutter.

The total value of unused possessions is thought to be around £50 billion, with people storing pricey clutter such as jewellery, power tools and electrical goods in their lofts, spare rooms and even sheds. 

One in ten homes estimate that they're holding onto clutter worth more than £1,000, while a third - 35 per cent - have no idea how much their unused possessions are worth.

Clothes are the most hoarded item, with almost two thirds - 59 per cent - of people holding onto garments they haven't worn in at least a year.

Old paperwork comes next, with 57 per cent of those surveyed admitting to hanging onto receipts and statements.

Not the end: Despite adult children leaving home, their parents are still keeping lots of their possessions in storage.

Over half of Brits also hang onto photos, frames, and holiday souvenirs - 55 per cent - while old schoolbooks, as well as toys and games are also cherished long after we've finished with them - 47 and 43 per cent respectively.

Research by insurance group LV= show that over a fifth of people are storing possessions for others, including friends, family, partners or even ex-partners or spouses.

And over half of this clutter babysitting has been spawned by lazy children, with £2.4 billion of forgotten possessions left at home for parents to look after.

Despite this, many parents confess to enjoy looking after their children's old stuff - one in five still sees their child's old bedroom as belonging to them, even after they've flown the nest, and one in eight say they enjoy the 'nostalgia' that keeping their childhood possessions brings. 

Others also cite practicality or nostalgia as a reason for holding onto the clutter - almost two thirds hoard possessions they think they may need in the future, while over half say sentimental value stops them having a clear out.

Some people have even managed to have the best of both worlds, with one in eight people storing possessions worth more than £1,000 in commercial lock-ups away from home.

John O'Roarke, managing director at LV= said: 'Our research shows that we are a nation of hoarders, packing our homes with possessions that we just can't bear to get rid of and even though we rarely use these items, we would miss them if they were damaged or stolen.'"

More on kids' clutter:

Helping Your Kids Turn Their Clutter into Cash

How to Live Graciously with Messy People

Recycle Stuffed Animals for a Cause

 

Simplifying Summer Dishes

     
I'm re-posting this article from last year - who needs to do more dishes? LOL!

Drinking glasses seem to multiply during the summertime, don't they? Last year I came up with an idea to try to reduce the number of drinking glasses we use each day. I found a package containing four different colors of disposable plastic glasses. Each person chose a color. But I felt very un-green!

This year we found a box of eight large plastic drinking glasses - two in each of the four colors. Since these are sturdy and dishwasher-safe, I feel much better about using them. 

We only have two foster daughters at the moment, so we can each choose one color. If we get more girls, we'll let the girls use the colorful glasses and my husband and I will use other ones. 

It's amazing how few glasses we are using now! The only problem is that the colors don't always go with my color scheme. But I guess I'll live with it!


More summertime hints:

Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

Cook It Once, Serve It Twice

Foil - A Griller's Friend

More Ideas for Organizing Fun for Your Kids

    
I found another source of ideas for summer fun: 100 Days of Summer.

Great ideas, pictures, and websites with instructions. My favorite: making Coke Icees!

More on summer fun:

Planning An Intentional Summer for Your Kids

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Water Spoons

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Guess the Theme Day

 

Organizing the Garage - A Little at a Time, Part 3

So ... we've removed trash, recyclables and items to donate. And we've determined functional areas for the garage. The next step is to sort.

I'm not one who likes to remove everything from the area unless the area is too crowded. If there are some things in the correct place, why remove them? 

I like to start in one corner when I sort. It helps me stay focused. Now that I've determined functional areas, I know exactly where something goes if it's not in the correct place.

I have containers for trash, donating, giving away to specific people, does not belong in the garage, and recycling. If you want to sell some of your items, you can create a container for that. 

This is a big job. Just keep sorting until you've made it around your garage. As you sort, you may discover new functional areas you need to create. 

The object is to place items in the correct functional area. Don't put them away yet or worry about storage. 

When you've accomplished this task, do something to celebrate!


More on organizing the garage:

Organizing the Garage - A Little at a Time, Part 1

Organizing the Garage - A Little at a Time, Part 2

Three Steps to Decluttering

Bev Shares Downsizing Tips with "Smart Moves" Columnist Ellen James Martin

        

"Smart Moves" columnist Ellen James Martin wrote "Tips on Moving to a Much Smaller Habitat." I'm honored to be used as a resource for her column. Here's a copy:

It's not only empty nesters who are selling large homes and buying smaller domains. Many younger people facing reduced income and higher expenses are trimming living space to reduce costs.

"People are frightened economically so they're cutting down, often voluntarily. There's a major trend toward minimization," says Beverly Coggins, author of "Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence."

Even some who can afford to live big are downscaling their living space to simplify their lives and focus on other priorities, says Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of "A Survival Guide to Selling a Home."

Davis tells how his son recently downsized from a detached house with 1,800-square-feet of living space and a large plot of land to a 1,300-square-foot condo-townhouse with no yard. His motivation for moving wasn't money. He simply wanted more time for friends and hobbies.

Though he'd lived in the larger house for only three years before putting it on the market, Davis' son had to cull through many accumulations, including tools and excess furniture, before moving. 

Indeed, those moving to a living space with much less square footage and storage capacity must make tough choices. In many cases they must decide among items they truly want to keep but can't accommodate in the new space, like mementos from family vacations and overseas trips.

"When you're going to a smaller house, you must decide which things have the most meaning for you," says Coggins, who runs her own professional organizing company.

A professional organizer since 1995, she says she's learned it's best for those downsizing to break the work into chunks rather than to attempt marathon sessions.

Here are several tips for those planning to move to a smaller domain: 

Free yourself of extra furniture early in your transition.

For most people, one major step toward downsizing involves dispensing with large pieces of furniture. Beyond precious antiques and family heirlooms, many find this process relatively easy because they don't have sentimental attachments to most furniture.

Davis suggests one way to clear space and furniture quickly is to put it up for sale. He tells how, using classified ads in local newspapers, his son quickly dispensed with several oversized pieces that wouldn't have worked in his townhouse.

If you have valuable antiques to sell, however, you'll probably want to find a reputable dealer. But more routine items of furniture as well as household belongings can be effectively sold through an informal sale.

"People are surprised at how much money they can make through a local garage sale," says Davis, who recommends that downsizers work with neighbors to attract more interest to their event.

Avoid storage unit costs by eliminating superfluous items.

Many downsizers succumb to the temptation to place their belongings in a storage unit before they move. But Coggins strongly advises against this course if you can avoid it.

"Storage units are expensive. And for most people, they're just an excuse to postpone making decisions on stuff they need to eliminate," she says.

When working with downsizers, Coggins encourages them to dispense with many items, including clothing that's too small or large, especially if they haven't used it for a year or longer. The same applies to many other household items.

She says many people feel especially anxious about letting go of things given to them as gifts from relatives or close friends. But she says such guilt feelings are needless.

But while you may not be able to take everything you love to your new, smaller place, Coggins suggests you take photos of the treasured items, like a grand piano passed down in the family. These can be framed and hung up in your new domain.

Consider using pickup services offered by charitable groups.

Many downsizers find it easier to let go of extra belongings if they know they'll go to good use. That's why Coggins and other professional organizers often advocate contacting charitable organizations interested in collecting serviceable items.

Very often charity groups will pick up items from your home, a convenient way to free yourself of clutter. Also, with a pickup appointment, you'll have a definite deadline for your work, which can serve as a motivating factor.

The Salvation Army, for example, offers pickup services in many areas. To learn more or schedule a pickup, visit the organization's website, www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Seek to stay oriented to the positives in your future.

Nowadays the reality is that many are downsizing because they have to cut expenses. Yet many who must move to a smaller home find that doing so has its favorable points, including less financial stress.

Coggins also notes another benefit of downsizing: With fewer home upkeep demands, you'll have more time to focus on the people most important to you.

"When they downsize, many people realize more fully that it's relationships, not stuff, that brings happiness," she says.

More on downsizing:
Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence

You Can't Downsize Memories

Downsizing - Factors to Consider when Choosing a New Residence

Preventing the Freezer Avalanche - An Unusual Storage Idea

    
Hope you had a nice Memorial Day Weekend. We recovered from the graduation party we gave for one of our foster daughters. And we defrosted our freezer. Doesn't that sound like fun? We grilled some burgers, too!

So back to the freezer. While we were taking out all our food, I got an idea: why not stack things vertically rather than horizontally? Then you can take something out without everything on top of it falling out. Here's what I mean:

I put chicken and cheese on the top shelf. Beef is on the second shelf with all the ground beef in one section.

Pork, fish and pizza rolls are on the third shelf. Veggies and baking stuff are on the bottom. 

Bagels and breads which we use more often, go in the door, because they're easier to get to.


 



Pecans, walnuts, and almonds live there, too, because their packages are not nice for stacking.

I got rid of old food, which lightened the amount we have. So now I can easily find what I want without having food crashing down on my toes. 

How do you arrange your freezer?

More on freezers:

Get Organized Month - Clean out the Freezer

Preventing Freezer Burn

Spring Cleaning Your Food

 

Win My Books!

    
Happy Memorial Day! A day to remember those who have and do provide freedom for us! Thank you to our troops!

Just a quick note today. Rita over at Rita Reviews is giving away some of my books:
- Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom
- Three Steps to Organizing Your Office
- Three Steps to Planning Dinner.

Go on over and enter to win!


More on my books:
1-2-3 ... GetOrganized

The Most Efficient Way to Retrive Email - File It or Search It? IBM's Study

           
IBM conducted a study of 345 long-time email users to see whether it's more efficient to organize email into folders or simply search for an email when you need it. These email users conducted over 85,000 refinding actions - scrolling, searching, and filing of email into folders.

For a while I have been leaving my email in my inbox, deleting those emails I don't want, following my daughters' example.  I do admit though, that it somehow feels wrong to have thousands of emails in my inbox. 

Here's what IBM research found:

"There are direct technical implications of our results. Search was both efficient and led to more successful retrieval, in part supporting the search-based approach of clients like Gmail." 

So there you have it. It's more efficient to leave your inbox chaotic and search when you need something. So stop twitching and save yourself some time! If paper files were so easy!


More on efficient computer use:

Organizing Your To-Do Lists Online - 12 Great Choices

Wireless Printing - No Clutter, No Hassle

Trivial and Strategic Interruptions

 

Organizing the Garage - A Little at a Time, Part 2

        
Our first attempt at the garage removed several things: recyclables, donated items, and trash. 

Since then, we found more items to donate and loaded the car again! 

Today's task: create functional areas. The functional areas in our garage are: 

- tools and such located in a work area in the corner of the garage.

- garden area located in an old cabinet with open shelves on the top and shelves with doors on the bottom.

- toys are kept on a metal shelving unit and in a plastic container. The plastic container holds those items we may want to transport easily - basketballs, footballs, frisbees, etc.

- gasoline and other hazardous materials in locked cabinets.

- long-term and miscellaneous storage on built- in shelves.

- wall storage where we keep snow shovels, rakes, a regular shovel, broom, etc. 

- bikes used often.

- bikes used less frequently.

Some things to consider when choosing functional areas: 

1. Make seasonal items more accessible now and off-season items less accessible. For example, move your snow blower to the back of the garage and bring the mower, etc. closer to the door in the summer.

2. Make prime real estate (middle areas - not real high and not real low) where you keep the things you use the most. Long-term storage can go on the uppermost shelves, as you won't be needing it, for example. 

3. Think through where each task is best done. Do you require electricity? Is there adequate lighting? 

Don't think about storage yet - wait until you know what you need to store, first.


More on organizing the garage:

Organizing the Garage - A Little at a Time, Part 1

Shadow Boarding the Tools in Your Garage

Finished the Garage!

Organize Inexpensive Summer Activities for Your Kids

       
Summer is looming! One of our foster daughters got out of school May 20 (she's a senior), one gets out of school May 31, and the other two get out on June 3. 

What to do when money is scarce and time is long? Trisha Navotny over at 24/7 Moms was kind enough to let me use some of her ideas for summer fun on a budget. I've added some of my own ideas, as well.

- "Movies  at Regal and AMC.  Be sure to check your  local movie theatres to see if they have summer special s going on." Locally, we have a Cinemark 10 in Canton, OH that has dollar movies and $3 3D movies.

- "Free Reading programs – Chuck e Cheese, Barnes and Noble, Half Price books." Libraries also offer reading programs, competitions, and story times.
 

- "Go to a fast food restaurant ... for an Ice Cream or French Fries or other dollar menu treats.

- Make your own playdoh.

- Factory tours - You can find local factory tours in your area by visiting Factory Tours USA.

- Home Depot offers a free kids workshop the 1^st Saturday of every month.   Click here for more information.

- Lowe's offers monthly free grown and build workshops for kids.  Click here for more information.

- Lakeshore Learning  Every Saturday free.  Click here for more information.

- Target FREE Museum Days.  Click here for Museums near you.

- Free Tours of local places like your Radio station, TV stations,  Newspaper  or Fire station.

- Free Vacation Bible Schools.  Call your local church for dates and times.

- Kids Bowl Free pay for shoes only - Sign up at Kids Bowl Free 

- Kids Eat FREE - Find local restaurants where your kids can eat free when you purchase an adult meal. Theses two websites are a great resource: My Kids Eat Free and Kids Meal Deals."

- Memberships are a bit costly at first, but provide free trips for a year. We have memberships at the zoo, a historical society with several different venues, a science museum and more. Most of these memberships have reciprocal members across the country. So you can use these memberships to get into the zoo near where you vacation, for example. 

More on fun in the summertime:

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Outdoor Decathlon

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: Treasure Hunt Dinner

Organizing Summer Fun When Everyone is Bored: A Random Act of Kindness