We're Featured in Christian Women Online Magazine

Check out this month's Book Buzz on Christian Women Online Magazine (www.christianwomenonline.net/BookBuzz.htm) for a mention of our 1-2-3 ... Get Organized series, written by Laurel Wreath. While you're there, read her other reviews, and refresh yourself with the abundance of inspirational and practical living advice throughout the site!

Spring Cleaning Using Household Items - Vinegar

Another installment using household items for spring cleaning - this time using vinegar.

- 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.

Get Organized for April Fool's Day!!

Need some great ideas for April Fool's pranks? Go to Family Fun at:
http://familyfun.go.com/arts-and-crafts/season/specialfeature/aprilfools-your-best-pranks-ms/?campaign=NLC-NL_Crafts&link=Jump2Link1 .

My favorite all-time prank is taping or rubber-banding open the sprayer at your kitchen sink. When anyone turns on the water, they get sprayed instantly! The only problem is that I usually forget and spray myself several times before anyone else gets up!!

How to Clean the House

My daughter Sara sent this to me. Thought you'd enjoy it!!


How to clean the house:

1. Open a new file in your PC

2. Name it " Housework ."

3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN.

4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN.

5. Your PC will ask you, " Are you sure you want to delete Housework permanently ?"

6. Calmly answer, "Yes," and press mouse button firmly.

7. Feel better? Works for me!

A very simple filing system for email and paper

In Cedric Hohnstadt's blog http://cedrichohnstadt.wordpress.com/2008/03/26/keeping-on-top-of-the-clutter/ he suggests a very simple way of filing his emails and paper. He calls it a “three folder system”.

He says, "In my email program I’ve created three folders:
01-Today!
02-This Week
03-Whenever

Since my folders are alphabetized, the numbers in front of the folder names ensure that these three folders stay at the top of the list. Every time I check my email, I quickly scan my messages and begin sorting them into the folders. If an email requires a prompt response, I move the message into the “Today!” folder and I make sure that folder is empty by the end of the day. If the response can wait a day or two, I move it into the “This Week” folder. I try to make sure that folder is empty by the end of the day on Friday. All other emails go into the “Whenever” folder, and I get to them when I can. "

He goes on to state the advantages: "First, it ensures that my email inbox is always empty. I can’t tell you how freeing that is. Second, it helps ensure that nothing gets buried or falls through the cracks. I feel like I’m in control of my email and not the other way around."

He also recommends checking your email 3-5 times a day when you have time to look at several, rather than being interrupted by a reminder that you have a new email. This gives you ample time to work without being side-tracked.

He also uses this this three folder system (but has added a couple more) to handle his paper. He has five paper trays on his desk labeled “Today”, “This Week”, “Whenever”, "Finances", and "To File." "I make sure the “Today” tray is empty at the end of the day, and I try to make sure the “This Week” tray is empty at the end of the day on Friday," Cedric says.

He uses the "Finances" tray to collect anything that needs to be entered into his accounting software, and the "To File" tray for items that need to be filed in a filing cabinet. He uses times when he needs a break from his creative work as an illustrator to catch up on his filing.

Isn't this a do-able filing system? I think I'll try it out!

P. S. When I copied Cedric's blog onto my blog so I could quote him, I accidentally hit the wrong button and published his entire blog! Sorry for the confusion it may have created for you!

Dinner in 15 - Citrus Salmon

One of my daughters and her husband are visiting and we had a quick entree tonight you may want to try - citrus salmon. You don't even need to marinate it! The citrus vinaigrette goes over the salmon while it cooks and you reserve some to serve.

The sauce for one pound of salmon: 1 t. green onion, 4 T. orange juice, 2 T. balsamic vinegar, 1 t. dijon mustard, 1 T. olive oil, 1 t. minced garlic, 1/8 t. salt, and fresh ground pepper to taste. Mix together and spoon over salmon. Bake at 450 for 12 minutes per inch of thickness or until cooked through.

Serve with some easy sides. (The recipe comes from my Hassle Free Dinners CD.)

Spring Cleaning the Attic - Part 3

Now that you've decluttered and sorted, you're ready to look at your storage needs for your attic.

Look at each category to see what would best house those items. Do you need large clear storage containers for linens? Do you need small boxes for books? Do you need a place to hang out-of-season clothes? Do you need shelves, drawers, hooks, etc?

Before you go out and purchase storage containers, look around your house, basement, garage, etc. to see if you already have such storage. You may have an unused dresser that would work for storage if it were moved up to the attic, for example.

Label each container with the contents so when you're hunting for something, you don't need to open every container. If you are using clear storage containers, write
your list on a piece of paper and slide it down the side of the container so you can read it without opening the box.

Storage containers usually go on sale during the back-to-school sales in late summer and around Christmas, when you can pick up those ornament storage containers with dividers.

The Ultimate in Toy Decluttering!!

Have you heard about www.babyplays.com , a toy rental program similar to dvd rental-by-mail memberships? Talk about a decluttering dream!

Baby Plays offers several monthly memberships, starting at $36.99 for four toys per month. You make your wishlist, and you receive the toys by mail. You can keep the toys as long as you want with no late fees, and then return them in a postage paid box. The toys are sorted according to age (five years old appears to be the top limit), or kind of toy. Each toy is sanitized between rentals.

What a clever and green idea!!

Is Someone Plagiarizing Your Website?

Wondering if someone is plagiarizing your website? I've recently heard of several people who have found their website content appearing as someone else's website, with just the name changed. The cases I've heard about have taken place within the same profession, with the offending website lifting the entire website, including credentials and memberships, from the website of someone in the same profession.

You can check to see if that is happening to you by going to www.copyscape.com, where you can enter your website address for free to see if your content comes up on someone else's site. There is a limited number of times per month you can run this check, but it is available for $5 a month for unlimited access.

What to do if you find your website has been plagiarized? Call or email the owner and demand they remove their content from the internet. In the cases mentioned above, the owner of the website has usually hired someone to create the website, and has usually complied with the request to remove it. It would be appropriate to threaten legal action should the owner not cooperate.

Spring Cleaning Using Household Items - Baking Soda

- To eliminate crayon, pencil, ink, and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces, sprinkle a little baking soda on a damp cloth, rub 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 floor or driveway, and scrub with a wet brush.

Clutter Statistics - Motivation for Spring Cleaning

Need some motivational help for spring cleaning?

Getting rid of excess clutter would eliminate 40 percent of the housework in the average home, according to the National Soap and Detergent Association.

The National Association of Professional Organizers says that we spend a year of our lives looking for lost items.

Just think how much time we'd save if we got rid of our excess "stuff" and organized what's left!! What would you do with your extra time?

Spring Cleaning the Attic - Part 2

Now that you have designated certain corners for the categories you have stored in your attic, it's time to sort.

Start in one corner of your attic. You may want to surround yourself with several boxes - one for each category plus one for giveaways. As you sort each item, ask yourself if it's necessary, if you've used it in the last year, if it is important to you or someone else, if someone else could use it.

If you absolutely must keep the item you're sorting, place it in the appropriate box. Have a trash bag nearby for those things that don't even qualify for giveaways.

Work your way around the attic. You may discover additional categories as you go. You may also find items in your attic which would be better used elsewhere in your home. Be creative - think outside the box!

Place each box in the corner you have designated for that category. We'll talk about storage in Part 3.

Celebrate - good job done!!

Spring Cleaning Using Household Items - Dryer Sheets

Over the next month or two, I'll be sharing some spring cleaning tips using household items you likely have on hand. Today's household item of choice is dryer sheets.

- Dust your blinds by wiping a dryer sheet up and down over closed blinds.

- Collect pet hair by rubbing a dryer sheet over furniture or the floor where the hair has accumulated.

- By placing a dryer sheet between pages of stored books, it prevents that musty smell.

- Use a dryer sheet to collect sawdust after a woodworking project.

- Place a dryer sheet in smelly shoes, gym bags or suitcases to freshen them.

Organizing Spring Break Days

Spring Break is right around the corner - ours is next week. If you are able to spend the time with your kids, don't let the expanse of time overwhelm you. Do a little planning to make the time fun for you and for your kids.

Plan some road trips or all-day events. I've researched some maple-sugaring events, an Amish road trip, a tour of a carousel factory/museum, an underground railroad driving tour, and some others. To find similar things to do in your area, check out websites, books, newspaper/magazine articles, and county visitor's guides.

Hobby stores and other groups offer craft classes. Doing an act of kindness or volunteer opportunity is another possibility to pursue. A family spring cleaning project can be thrown into the mix.

Some at-home activities to engage your imagination: a decathlon (10 fun/silly events - bubble blowing contest, table games, drop the clothespin in the bottle, etc.), an uno marathon where the winner of each hand adds a new rule, Easter egg coloring, and a crazy dinner.

I make up a list of possible activities, and we usually let the kids vote on various activities (1st, 2nd, 3rd choice), so we get an idea of what is most popular. I divide the categories into events outside the home, at-home activities, and exercise options. Then I tally up the votes and plan out the week, trying to include as many favorites as possible - as time and money allow.

To make an ordinary day fun, break it up into 15 to 30 minute segments, depending on the age of your kids. Some segment fillers could include group games, reading time, time with individual kids, cooking time, alone time, TV/movie time, individual game time, athletic activity, etc. during those segments. I usually try to alternate energetic and quiet activities, indoor and outdoor activities, group and individual activities and so on. Don't tell your kids what's coming next, so there's an element of surprise. When your kids have time to themselves, you do too!

Whenever your Spring Break occurs, I hope it's filled with fun and happy memories.

Spring Cleaning - Mattress Covers

The next time you change sheets, take off the mattress covers, too. Give those a wash to freshen up for Spring! Takes a little extra time, but it's nice to have everything clean.

While everything's off the bed, flip your mattresses to even out the wear.