A Couple of Radio Interviews

There are a couple of radio interviews I've done recently that are available to you. One is at Web Talk Radio hosted by Nan Russell. The title of the show is Need a Life Preserver? It aired on Monday May 26. My interview is in the middle of the program and deals with organizing at the office.

The second interview is tomorrow morning, Thursday, May 29 with David Lush with WNIX News Talk Radio in Greenville, Mississippi, bringing "good news" to the Mississippi Delta. To hear a live stream, go to NewsTalk1330WNIX.com at 7 am eastern, 8 am central, 9 am mountain, 10 am pacific.

Thinking Through Your Closets

Hope you had a wonderful and restful holiday weekend! We had some friends visit - the parents of our son-in-law. The weather was wonderful and we visited a nearby mansion and grounds, our local riverfront, a fabulous Italian restaurant, and our town's Memorial Day Parade.

Today I helped a client rethink her office and several closets. The thought of attacking these areas were overwhelming her and were robbing her of peace of mind.

My client determined her vision for her office: photography, scrapbooking, and the computer/desk area. We removed everything from her office closet that didn't contribute to her vision for her office - clothing, linens, ironing gear among other things.

We grouped cameras and related cords and recordings together. We grouped office supplies together. Several shelves were designated for scrapbooking supplies. And a shelf for computer programs and instructions.

My client is going to buy some clear plastic shoe boxes at the dollar store to store scrapbooking supplies, camera cords, earphones, memory sticks, and other groups of small items. And she is going to bring a five-foot table from her basement into the room for scrapbooking.

We determined a purpose for each of the other closets we decluttered. That made it easy to determine what belonged and didn't belong in each closet. We organized like items together and removed unwanted items to be donated, tossed or put in another location. My client planned to make a trip to Good Will and the consignment shop this afternoon to get those unwanted items out of her house.

In four hours we decluttered four closets - what peace of mind!

Helping Your Kids Prepare for a Move

Yesterday I helped a couple of our teenage foster daughters prepare for a move into a new home. In our organization, Shelter Care, our girls live with a permanent set of house parents for most of the month. Each house of girls (three houses) comes to stay with us for about a week every month for "relief." This gives their houseparents some time off during the month.

Shelter Care recently purchased a house to replace a current one which could only house two girls. This one will allow us to provide a home for three girls.

So I helped our girls go through their bedrooms. We got rid of stuff they no longer needed or wanted. We organized items into categories: winter clothes, memories, sewing/crafts, school supplies, books, hygiene/cosmetic products, etc.

This allowed them to see what they have, how much they have in each category, and what kind of storage they will need when they move. We put things in clear storage containers or labeled boxes so they know exactly what is in each when they unpack.
Then we hauled a couple of loads over to the new house and put their boxes in their new rooms.

I think it's going to be nice for them to start over, organize their stuff, and create a system to maintain their organization. I have a feeling I might be involved in that aspect, too!

If you are moving, taking some time with your child to go through the same process is really rather freeing. It's a time to enjoy memories and special possessions, realize growth as certain items are no longer meaningful, and anticipate a new beginning and adventure!

Foil - A Griller's Friend

Memorial Day Weekend is the official start of grilling season, but we grill whenever we have a chance! In the summertime, I love trying to figure out menus that are cooked entirely on the grill, in the microwave, or not cooked at all.

Foil can be used in many ways to make this possible. Baked potatoes can be baked on the grill - adding oil, herbs or your choice of seasonings before you wrap each one in foil. They take 45-60 minutes - turn several times. Sweet potatoes don't take as long, but are just as easy!

Corn on the cob can be wrapped in foil and grilled as well. You don't even need to remove the silks, as they come off easily after cooking. You may want to add an ice cube or some butter before you wrap it up. Grill 15-30 minutes, turning frequently.

An easy way to grill vegetables is inside a foil envelope. Place grillable veggies on an open piece of foil - squashes, asparagus, peppers, mushrooms, and onions (in small pieces). Toss with Italian dressing or another marinade. Fold the foil to make a loose envelope. Grill approximately 20 minutes, turning frequently.

When all the grilling is done, use the foil to clean off the grill, according to Woman's Day, June 1 issue (www.womansday.com)! Crunch it into a ball and rub it across the grate - how easy is that?

For more grilling recipes and ideas, see the summer months in our Hassle Free Dinners CD - 52 weeks of dinner menus, instructions, and grocery lists (www.1-2-3GetOrganized.com).

Score: Squirrels 1, Bev 0

When I looked outside at my herbs today, they were all dug up, compliments of the squirrels! I was so disappointed!

My husband suggested that if we waited to plant from seeds again we'd have herbs by August! I agreed and admitted defeat. So we went out this evening and bought herb plants. We did go ahead and water the herb seeds, however, hoping that some might come up. Parsley is the only area that wasn't destroyed, so we may have massive quantities of parsley this year!

My next door neighbor commiserated with me and suggested chili pepper. So once we watered, I sprinkled my garlic oil repellant and chili powder on the top of the soil in the planters. I wonder if it will effect the taste of the herbs? I will continue to try some herbs from seed - I really do want to succeed at this!

I'm experimenting with some new varieties - at least to me. Dwarf curry, lime basil, and stevia an herb that is sweeter than sugar. I'm going to try mixing it with my mint leaves when I make mint tea (with no tea) this summer.

More Reviews by Multitasking Mama

Multitasking Mama has reviewed Three Steps to Planning Dinner and Hassle Free Dinners, part of our 1-2-3...Get Organized series on her terrific blog! Click on her link on the right.

Dinner in 10 - Herbed Tilapia

Herbed tilapia has become one of my favorite dishes since last summer. One night I just picked a handful of various herbs - cilantro, parsley, chives, and basil. I cut them up with scissors, sprinkled some olive oil in a nonstick pan and threw in the herbs for a minute or so on medium high heat.

Placed the tilapia filets on top of the herbs and cooked until I could see white around the edges - they are very thin and cook very quickly. Turned them over for another few minutes. Seasoned to taste. If you're not a big fish fan (I'm not) tilapia is ideal - it doesn't taste real fishy. If you don't have fresh herbs, used dried ones to your taste.

In the meantime, microwave some broccoli, steam some frozen corn, and cut up some watermelon. A quick, fresh meal!

Feed the Squirrels? - Hah!

The other day one of our teenage foster daughters suggested we feed the squirrels in our back yard. Feed the squirrels? Hah! I think she was a little surprised at my reaction.

I think I have done my part. When we lived in Maryland, we had a dwarf plum tree which grew the best plums in the world. The first year that the tree really produced, we had so many plums we were giving them away!

Until the squirrels discovered how good they were. They would climb up the tree, pick a plum, take a few bites, and throw it down on the ground. The last year we were there, they ate all the plums on the tree - we didn't even get one! You see, plums don't ripen well when picked early - we tried. The squirrels would pick them just before they were ripe and discard them.

My husband thought it was nice that we were providing food for God's creatures. I would stand guard by the door and run out and shoo them away. Feed the squirrels? Hah!

When we moved here to Ohio, we planted raspberries and blueberries. Last year we watched with eager anticipation as a few berries of each kind started budding and growing. One day we went out to check on our berries and they were all gone! And the squirrels were getting fatter. Feed the squirrels? Hah! Visions of pea shooters were dancing in my head!

In late winter this year, we noticed that we had our own personal lawn aerating system, compliments of the squirrels, as they dug up their buried treasure. We still have bald spots in our yard as a result of their thoughtfulness. Feed the squirrels? Hah! We've done our part!

Remember the herb garden I planted from seed in planters? It's been a little chilly this spring, so it has taken a while for the little sprigs to show their heads. One day I went to check on them, and someone had been digging in my planters!!! Now visions of air guns were dancing in my head!!!

However, I have a found a much more humane way to deal with my squirrel issues. Repels-All Animal Repellent by Shot Gun (I find the brand name somewhat comorting!). Lest you worry, it does no harm to animals or to plants - the main ingredient is garlic oil. Yes, my garden is fragrant, but it is in tact! So far.

It is supposed to repel armadillos, beavers, birds, cats, crows, chipmunks, deer, groundhogs, mice, pocupines, rabbits, raccoons, rats, skunks, and shrews. Hmmm ... I just noticed squirrels are not on the list. We'll see.

It rains a lot here in Ohio, so I've reapplied it. I sprinkled it in my herb garden, around the berry bushes, and I'm keeping watch. We have lots of berries on our bushes this year - a dream of mine for years - to be able to walk outside and pick berries for our fruit salad! If I have to, I'll go buy nets to cover the bushes!

Feed the squirrels? Hah! I've done my part!

Another Multitasking Mama Review

Multitasking Mama's review of our Three Steps to Organizing Your Office is posted on her blog. Check it out and enter her contest by clicking her link in my links list on the right! She has an amazing site!

Scheduling Appointments

I have a dermatologist appointment today. This is the second dermatologist I've had since moving to Ohio over three years ago. The first one made me wait over an hour, and I happened to be suffering from hip issues at the time, so sitting was pretty painful. He was antagonistic when I mentioned the long wait and saw me for five minutes. The waiting room was standing room only, and it was obvious that the office overbooked for the convenience of the doctor.

He is obviously no longer my dermatologist. My current dermatologist is head of the department of dermatology at a local hospital, but my wait is usually no longer than 15 minutes. It is possible to run a busy practice efficiently! Can you tell that waiting is not one of my gifts? :-)

When I call to get information when looking for a new doctor, one of the questions I ask is whether the doctor generally runs on time and how long a usual wait is. I was sold when my current physician's receptionist said the wait was usually no longer than 15 minutes, and she would try to see me the same day if I had a sudden concern. I understand there are emergencies and the like, but long waits don't necessarily need to be the norm.

When I schedule appointments, I try to schedule them so I don't have to disrupt my schedule. Whether it's an organizing appointment, a doctor's appointment, or a meeting, I try to work around things that are important to me. For example, I try to go to an acquatics class each morning at 8, which means I'm showered and dressed by 9:15. So I try to schedule accordingly. It doesn't always work, but I try.

When I call for appointments, I ask when the shortest wait will be. Many times it is the earliest morning appointment or the first one after lunch. If your doctor makes rounds in the morning, the first appointment after lunch may be the best. One ob/gyn doc I went to in the past was notoriously late. I got into the habit of calling to see if they were running on time. It really scored points with me when a dentist I had in Maryland would call and say they had an emergency and they were running behind.

I also try to schedule appointments when I know I'm going to be out anyway. I'd rather schedule several things for one day rather than interrupt several days with appointments. Of course, if your appointments involve your children, you'll have to take into consideration their naptimes and mealtime needs.

If you are working in an office, schedule appointments with a starting and ending time. And schedule appointments back-to-back with just a few minutes preparation time in between. By scheduling appointments together, you will hopefully be able to schedule uninterrupted, productive time on other days rather than have a week that is plagued by short, choppy unproductive time.

Don't let your appointments run late. Set an alarm or ask your receptionist or secretary to interrupt you when the appointment is to be over. If you respect your own time and that of those with whom you meet, they will know they need to get their business with you completed in the allotted time. And you will not be tempted to stretch out the appointment unnecessarily. For more tips on time management at the office check out our Three Steps to Time Management at the Office (http://www.1-2-3getorganized.com/).

And always bring something with you to do when you are waiting. I find that if I bring a pleasure book along, I'm in a much better mood if I have to wait - it's like having luxurious time to myself!

What tips do you have for scheduling appointments and making them efficient?

Save Time Birthday Shopping

This is the time of year when there are a lot of events to celebrate! Mother's Day, Father's Day, graduation and weddings. May is especially busy for me, as my mom, brother, sister-in-law, and nephew all have birthdays this month, too.

So rather than making numerous trips to buy cards and gifts, I try to combine several of those tasks in one trip. Yesterday I was quite proud of myself because I planned ahead, and was able to combine some items to be mailed, saving on postage. And, of course, the more trips we combine, the more efficient we are with our gas money and our time, which is valuable, too.

Whenever I buy wedding cards, birthday cards, baby cards, and graduation cards, I usually buy several so I have some on hand. Mother's Day and Father's Day, of course, are a little different as is picking out special cards for special people. But if you can think ahead, you can still shop for several special cards at the same time.

When I find gifts I like that might serve several people or several occasions, I stock up. How wonderful it is to go into my gift drawer and find something perfect for an occasion coming up, rather than make a special trip!

Please share your tips with us!

The Final Review of Organizers

My final review of organizers is about Cozi, a computer-based program that is available as a software download or on the web. Cozi coordinates family and work schedules, with a different color for each family member or other important persons or groups.

It syncs with Outlook, and is accessible from any computer with internet access or any mobile phone. You can even call an 800 number and have something on your calendar or lists texted to your phone or read to you over the phone – recipes, directions, whatever!

You can send messages and reminders to family members, work associates, or the carpool from Cozi Messages – to individuals or a group.

Cozi Lists allows you to make to-do lists, grocery lists, birthday lists, and anything else you need to remember. You can transfer ingredients from a recipe to your grocery list, too.

Document special moments with pictures and short descriptions in your Cozi Family Journal. No scissors or glue needed! And Cozi automatically generates a screen-saver collage from your pictures. When you find a combination you like, you can send the collage to family or friends with just a click!

On Cozi’s home page a video walks you through the features of this unique organizing program. There’s a blog to give you additional ideas and suggestions. And Cozi is free!! Check it out at www.Cozi.com.

Do you have an organizing system you love? Please share it!

Storage for Your Garage

Now that you've organized items in your garage into categories (sports equipment, tools, gardening, car care supplies, etc.) and gotten rid of items you no longer need, take a look at your storage.

By assessing what needs to be stored in each of the above categories, you gain a sense of what storage is necessary. For example, if you have a large quantity of small items - screws, nails, etc. - you might want to get a storage cabinet with small clear drawers for easy access and visibility. I have also seen jar lids nailed to the under side of a shelf with the jars attached once the lid is secure. When the item in a jar is needed, unscrew the jar and take what you need!

If you have numerous sports balls, you may want to get a large wire basket to hold them all.

If you have considerable gardening supplies, you may want to install a fold-down table to use for potting. Buckets can do double duty, holding gardening tools and, when empty, available to carry peat or manure to enrich your plants.

Whatever your needs, you have some options. You can have someone come in and provide new storage units for your garage. A second option is to purchase a few pieces to tweak your existing storage. Or you can consider repurposing pieces you no longer need in other places.

For example, we no longer needed a tall white bookcase in our house, but it works perfectly to store paint supplies and other items. We have a 18" x 18" x 30" wooden crate that now houses tools on long poles, keeping them in one location without falling down. A table no longer useful in the house serves as a work surface

Also, make use of your wall space. It's a great place to attach wire baskets, shelves, hooks, and pegs. A curtain rod (mounted as usual) is a wonderful place to store twine, tape, and wire. Use vertical space, as well. Store bicycles and other items from ceiling hooks to maximize usable space.

If your garage is the usual means of entering your home, you may want to consider turning the area beside the door to your home into a mud area. Put pegs on the wall for coats, umbrellas, and bookbags. Have a place to sit (a wooden storage chest works wonderfully!) to remove shoes or boots. Designate an area to line up those shoes and boots. And run a rug from that area into the house.

What have you done to make your garage work efficiently for you?

Another Review by Multitasking Mama

Multitasking Mama has posted another review of one of our 1-2-3 ... Get Organized books - this time it's Three Steps to Clever Cleaning. Check it out at:
http://multitaskingmama.wordpress.com/2008/05/11/three-steps-to-clever-cleaning-by-beverly-coggins/.

Don't forget to wander around her site for great deals and ideas!

It's that Time Again - Swapping Out Your Seasonal Tools

Just as we swap out our seasonal clothes, it makes life easier if we swap out our seasonal tools, equipment, and supplies.

Those things that were more accessible for winter can now be stored in the back of your garage - snow shovels/blowers, snow melt, scrapers, etc. And move those things forward that you will use over the spring, summer and fall - the lawn mower, grill, potting soil and gardening supplies, car care supplies.

While you're swapping things around, take the time to evaluate what you have and what you need. Get rid of those broken gardening tools, and make a list of what you need. Items you no longer need can be given away if they are in good working order. If you have hazardous waste (paints, batteries, gasoline, antifreeze, etc.), your local hardware store and/or mechanic will dispose of many of these items.

Organize into categories: car supplies, gardening supplies, sports equipment, grilling equipment, tools, etc. When each category has a particular space, it's easier to find what you want. And it's more likely that items will be replaced in the proper area. Label shelves or areas for more clarity.

Now that you've seen what you have, it's time to think about storage. We'll address that tomorrow.

Do you have garage tips you'd like to share? Please do!!