Family Cookbook

Are your family's favorite recipes scattered all over the place? When my older daughter moved into an apartment in college, I decided to computerize our family favorites, so she could have a copy of the recipes she loved eating at home. And I was happy to have the recipes I used most often in one place!



I organized the recipes in different categories, just like in real cookbooks. At the top of each recipe, I wrote where and when I got the recipe and from whom. I was also careful to write in little tips she might not know from lack of experience cooking.



I printed up the pages and slipped two pages back-to-back into each page protector and placed them in a 3-ring binder. I even made a cover sheet and slipped it into the front cover.



I gave one to my future son-in-law at the time when he moved into his apartment, and later to my younger daughter. The beauty of having your recipes computerized is that you can update them, add to them, and copy them for friends who want your recipes!



If you want to create a more involved family cookbook complete with stories and pictures, check out Cooking Up A Family Cookbook by Ann Champeau (http://1-2-3getorganized.com./funstuff.html).

Mommy Meryl's Contest Extending Another Day

If you haven't yet entered Mommy Meryl's contest for my Three Steps to Decluttering, she has extended it for another day. Just click the title above to enter!

Dinner in 15 - A Grilling Twist

Happy 4th of July! Hope you've had a wonderful day!

As this is a big grilling weekend, I thought I'd share a recipe that is fun to do on a grill: quesadillas. Everyone can choose ingredients they like, and if they chose both red and green ingredients, each quesadilla can contain a full pallet of nutrition.

Collect your ingredients together: tortillas, cheese, peppers, cooked meat of your choice, tomatoes, onions, baby spinach, avocados, salsa, mushrooms, zucchini, or squash - whatever sounds good to you.

On plates or cookie sheets with no sides, let everyone assemble quesadillas using cheese as the first and last ingredient to act as glue to hold the quesadillas together. Slide the quesadillas onto your olive-oil-brushed grill, heated to medium high.

Grill 2 minutes on each side, turning carefully. Allow quesadillas to rest for a couple of minutes before cutting with a pizza cutter. Serve with fruit.

If you'd like some more ideas for quick, nutritional, and tasty meals, look into my Hassle Free Dinners, a year's worth of weekly dinner menus, instructions and weekly shopping lists. It's a marriage of professional organization and dinnertime. Click the title to go my 1-2-3...Get Organized website.

Contest at Mommy Meryl

Mommy Meryl is hosting a contest at her site with my Three Steps to Decluttering (either ebook or printed book) as the prize. Hurry over to her site, as you only have a couple of days to enter. While you're there, wander around her site - she has lots of fun ideas for you! Just click the title above.

Christmas in July

You thought I was planning early yesterday - today it's Christmas!

We are on vacation in Branson, Missouri with my parents, my sibilings and their families. Yesterday we went outlet shopping - usually a tradition when we have these vacations.

Even though Bob and I didn't need much, we took the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping. So we picked up some gifts for our foster daughters and our own daughters. My sister-in-law Debbie was the Christmas shopping queen, blasting through her Christmas list.

To ease your Christmas stress, sit down soon and make a list of all the people to whom you want to give Christmas gifts. If you have gift ideas for people on your list, jot that down, too. Put your list in your wallet or purse and refer to it before you head out on a shopping trip.

Then, as you shop on vacation, do school shopping or other shopping, you may run across gifts for those on your list. How nice to get your Christmas shopping done while you go about life, rather than having to take out extra time to do your Christmas shopping! You will not have to "settle" for gifts because you've waited until the last minute and the selection is sparse and expensive.

What are your Chistmas shopping secrets?

Get Organized for School - Clothing Inventory

Get organized for school? It's only July 1! I know ... I know. But by doing a little here and there, it won't be such a rush in August.

One thing I always felt was helpful with each of my girls was to go through her closet and do an inventory. We would get rid of items she no longer wore - either donate them or turn them into rags.

Then we'd make a list of each category - short sleeve tops, long sleeve tops, shorts, pants, skirts, shoes, etc.

Next, we'd put together a list of possible outfits. She kept this list throughout the year. It made it simple to choose an outfit rather than standing in front of her closet waiting for inspiration to hit! And she wasn't as likely to get bored with her clothes if she didn't get in a rut of wearing the same combinations together.

By making these lists, it became very obvious where the gaps were - what article of clothing had no match, for example. We made a shopping list and started watching out for those things on the list. This way, we could spread out the shopping over the summer, rather than cram it in right before school.

While we were looking through clothes, we took inventory on underwear, socks, and athletic clothes. Our girls played school sports, so we'd check to see if they needed new cleats, sweats, athletic socks, etc.

I realize with guys you don't have to go into so much work. But it's good to do an inventory to know what he needs. Then, when you're on vacation and hit those outlet malls, you can stock up!

If doing a clothing inventory sounds too overwhelming, break it up into small segments:
- get rid of unwanted clothing
- make a list of each category of clothing
- make a list of possible outfits
- make a shopping list
- shop!

Have you discovered ways to reduce the stress of getting organized for school?

Toy Storage

For a great variety of toy storage, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie's fabulous blog detailing all sorts of cute kid's storage - complete with pictures! Just click the title above.

Need a Family Checklist for Your Summer Travel?

Are you planning to travel this summer? Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie has created a Family Checklist to streamline packing for the whole family. Take a look at it by clicking the title above. While you're there, take a look around her site for some great ideas and bargains!



I have put a list on my computer for myself when I travel, but Laura has made a chart with spaces for several family members. It's in PDF form so you can save it onto your computer.



What do you do that makes travelling easier for you and you family?

Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

We have been getting torrential rains here in northeast Ohio lately - heavy downpours that dump a lot of water in a short amount of time.

Remember our neighbor's prolific maple tree producing millions of little helicopters? Not only does it mean that I'm constantly pulling little maple trees out of my garden, but they filled our gutters.

Combine that with the rain and we had a waterfall in one location which leaked into our basement. Ugh!

So what does all this have to do with clutter?

The water leaked into our office, which is in the basement. We had to pull the carpet up and run fans to dry it out, cut the padding and dry it out, and move furniture around to accomodate this area. So, we had an entertainment center in the middle of the room, one chair stacked on another, and other items out of place.

My husband, who can usually put up with a fair amount of clutter said he couldn't even function in that room because of all the clutter! I realize my example might be extreme, but the general principle is true - when our surroundings are in chaos, it's hard for our minds not to be chaotic as well. When we have too much visual stimuli we don't know where to focus.

Do you have a room like that - too much visual stimuli? Be kind to yourself - start in one corner or start with one surface and declutter. Save the drawers and closets till later - when you have clean surfaces, you will be motivated to tackle the hidden places.

Notice the satisfaction, peace and calm that comes from having uncluttered, nonchaotic surroundings. It makes you smile! And your productivity increases because you can focus on the task at hand without being distracted by the clutter.

Our office is now back in order other than having someone come back to reconnect the carpet. But it is functional for the moment. What a difference in our mindsets from a few days ago! If you are overwhelmed and don't know where to begin, get a kickstart from our Three Steps to Decluttering. Just click the title above.

Our hearts go out to those who are having to put their lives back together after the floods in the midwest. Our litle problem is insignificant in comparison!!

Organizing Your Ribbon

Are you a crafter? Have lots of ribbon? You must check out a blog called Stamp with Shelly (click the title above). The title of the post is "Confessions of a Ribbon Addict."

Shelly has taken drawers of ribbon and organized them on one device that spins. Not only does she hang her ribbon on it, but embroidery thread, stickers, and other items. She has them available and accessible at a glance! And what a space saver!

You have to see it to appreciate it - she has pictures showing the process and the final product.

A New Survey - Give Me Your Opinions

In order to meet your needs, I want to hear from you! I've put a new survey on my blog - about half-way down the left side. Tell me what you're most interested in when it comes to organizing your time or space.

There are several categories to choose from and you can choose more than one category. If what you want doesn't appear on the list, email me at Bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com. Or leave a comment - just click "comments" below this post and tell me what's on your mind.

Don't forget that you can sign up to receive my blogs in your email inbox. Just enter your name and email address in the subscription form right below my picture. You can be assured we will never sell or otherwise abuse your information.

Center'd Planning Website

How I wish this site were up and going when I was planning our family vacation with my parents, my siblings and their children a few months ago! Or when I was planning the women's retreat for our church! If you do a lot of planning of events, this site is for you - whether it's a meeting, a conference, a funraiser for your child's school, a vacation, or a night out with friends.

Center'd offers you the following:

- You can post different options for the people in your group to vote on - location, time, what you're going to do, etc.
- You can locate entertainment, restaurants, or items of interest in a location of your choice.
- It provides a place for people to sign up for various jobs for the event you are planning.
- Everyone can see at a glance what's going on without you having to send multiple emails to everyone.

I haven't used it yet, but I'm looking forward to doing so.

Let me know what you think of it!

A Little Humor for the Weekend

A friend sent this to me from an unknown source:

POWER OUTAGE DURING A MAMMOGRAM

I actually kept my mammogram appointment. I was met with, "Hi! I'm Belinda!" This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, "All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?"

I'm thinking, "Belinda, try decaf. This ain't rocket science."

Belinda skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors.

With the right side finished, Belinda flipped me (literally) to the left and said, "Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?"

"Fine," I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and finish me off?

My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my other boob wedged between those two 4 inch pieces of square glass) when we heard, then felt a zap! Complete darkness and the power went off!

"Oh, maintenance is working. Bet they hit a snag." Belinda headed for the door.

"Excuse me! You're not leaving me in this vise alone are you?" I shouted.

Belinda kept going and said, "Oh, you fussy puppy...the door's wide open so you'll have the emergency hall lights. I'll be right back."

Before I could shout "NOOOO!" she disappeared.

And that's exactly how Bubba and Earl, maintenance men extraordinaire, found me, half-naked and part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass!

After exchanging polite "Hi, how's it going" type greetings, Bubba (or possibly Earl) asked, to my utter disbelief, if I knew the power was off.

Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible "Uh, yes, yes I did thanks."

"You bet, take care" Bubba replied and waved good-bye as though I'd been standing in the line at the grocery store.

Two hours later, Belinda breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, "Oh I am sooo sorry!" The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?"

And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps....

An Intentional Summer for Your Kids

Rather than enduring through the summer, make it intentional! If your children are old enough, have them think through some goals for themselves over the summer. These could includes the following categories: physical, social, financial, vocational, spiritual, educational, mental, artistic, musical, and life skills.

If you have grade school children, you may need to talk about this with them. If your children are younger, think through the areas that would apply to your small children and come up with ways you'd like to see them grow over the summer. With our teenagers, we let them decide their own goals. Some of them included losing weight, expressing anger appropriately, speaking gentle words instead of harsh words, saving money for a car, learning how to manage money, and making new friends.

Some ideas for each category:

- Physical: eating nutritionally, running a mile in a certain time, learning a new sport, swimming lessons, care of hair and skin, an athletic camp, honing athletic skills, riding a bicycle/tricycle, fine motor skills, etc.

- Social: table manners, fun ideas for dates, sharing, please and thank you, not interrupting, telephone etiquette, how to be a good conversationalist, how to be a good friend, how to protect yourself on a date, what to do if your friends want you to do something you shouldn't, etc.

- Financial: saving, tithing, budgeting, opening a checking or savings account, investments, generosity, etc.

- Vocational: shadowing someone in a field of interest, researching a profession, field trip, internship, volunteer work, getting a job, how to interview, how to write a resume, how to fill out a job application, etc.

- Spiritual: vacation Bible school, memory verses, prayer, how to study the Bible, seeing God in nature, how to know God, restoring your relationship with God when you've blown it, finding a church you like, joining a youth group, etc.

- Educational: brushing up on needy subjects, summer school, work sheets, college visits, thinking through a major, keyboarding or computer skills, how to study, how to take a test, how to take notes, learning the alphabet or numbers or colors, learning how to read, etc.

- Mental: learning more about an interest, field trips, logic exercises, games, challenge programs, learning skills, memory techniques, time management, etc.

- Artistic: art lessons or classes, art time for drawing, etc., crafts, woodworking, sewing, jewelry, cartoons, knit, crochet, etc.

- Musical: lessons, learning a new instrument, concerts, symphonies, outdoor music programs, voice lessons, choir, band, camp, etc.

Life Skills: changing a tire, setting the table, ironing, mending, tying shoes, folding clothes, laundry, how to plan balanced meals, cooking, how to use household appliances, cleaning up toys, how to make a bed, etc.

Hope I gave you some food for thought. Tell me about your intentional plans for the summer!

Organizing Your Kid's Room

Summertime is a great time to rethink your kid's room - no matter what age your child is. If your child is old enough to be involved, do it together. He/she will understand the system and be more likely to maintain it.

You'll want to purge, make the room functional based on your child's interests, and create a system. The hardest part is setting aside time each day for your child to maintain the system.

If your child has lots of little items, an inexpensive way to house them is in plastic see-through shoe boxes you can buy at the dollar store. He/she can label them or draw a picture to identify the contents of each shoe box. The shoe boxes can stack neatly on shelves. And the shoe boxes make the contents portable!

If you need help creating functional areas or maximizing space for kids, our Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room (http://1-2-3getorganized.com./books.html) will get your idea juices flowing!