Pouchee Purse Organizer

As you may know, I'm on an endless search for the perfect organizing purse/bag. Each one I find has something I don't like about it - it's too big, too heavy, the strap goes across your body, not enough pockets, etc.

In the meantime, I've found the next best thing - Sandy Jenney's Pouchee. It's about 5" x 7" and slips into your purse or bag. If you want to turn it into your wallet, you can - there's a place for credit cards, a zipper pocket for cash, a place for your cell phone, keys, glasses/sunglasses, pda, a pen, a couple of tubes of lipstick or mints. Makes it so easy to switch purses, too.

It comes in several colors of cotton or leatherette and costs $21.50 and $22.50 respectively.

I still need a larger bag because I need to carry additional items for our foster kids, so I think I'll ask Sandy if she can come up with something! But in the meantime, I'm loving how the pouchee has cleaned up my purse!

Savoring the Significance of the Season

Thanks for all the kind words while I was sick. I think I'm well on the road to recovery, even though I went to bed at 8 o'clock last night!! It was a strange bug that left me exhuasted for the first week, then cold symptoms started after that. I'd get up and do what I needed to do and go back to bed. I'm not 100%, but getting there.

Not a great time of year to be sick! My pastor yesterday helped put things in perspective. He encouraged us to concentrate on the signifance of the season, not just the urgent things. When illness strikes, reprioritizing is a necessity. But even without illness, it's never a bad idea to slow down and reflect to see if your family is capturing the significance of the season.

The economic slowdown is another built-in reprioritizer. I've heard of a lot of people who are deciding to cut back on expenses and activities - sending out Christmas cards, costly entertainment, excessive gifts. Not a bad idea whether you're affected by the economy or not.

There are still 10 days until Christmas. Take a breath and evaluate your activities. Can you eliminate anything that is unnecessary in order to capture the significance of the season? Can you take time to savor the moments of the days ahead?

What are you doing to savor the moments?

Still Under the Weather

Still got this flu bug. Gonna take a few days off! See you soon. :-)

Downsizing Toys before Christmas

If you have small children with lots of toys, you may want to consider downsizing their toys before Christmas. This allows you to remove the broken ones, the ones they've outgrown, and the ones they don't play with. You can save some for younger siblings, give them to friends, take to a consignment shop, or donate them to charity.

If there are still too many toys, consider storing some of them and rotating toys occasionally.

How nice to have that job done before getting inundated with new toys!

Related posts: Toy Storage, Schedule Daily Clean Up Times, The Ultimate in Toy Decluttering!!

What are your favorite toy storage tricks?


If you need more help organizing your child's room, see Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room, part of the
1-2-3...Get Organized series

Redeeming Your Travel Time

Sorry I didn't get to blog yesterday. Our DSL modem decided to die and I got the flu! I'll write this blog and then go back to bed. :-)

If you have some trips coming up, use the time in the car or plane to catch up on some projects, reading, or such. We travelled a bit over the Thanksgiving weekend, so I took along our receipts for the year, and categorized them for tax purposes.

I know, I know – I’m a professional organizer. I should be filing all the time, right? I always tell my clients that the best filing system is the best filing system for them. I HATE to file. So I use baskets for the few categories I use consistently (banking, receipts, bills, my business). I would much rather take a few hours and categorize once a year than file all the time.

I labeled 5 x 7 envelopes and stood them up in a small box, which allowed me to slip receipts into them. I’ll later transfer them to a larger crate with hanging files, which was too unwieldy to use in the car. I use the crate while I’m in the process of doing my taxes. Then it goes in the file cabinet, with a copy in the safe.

If life has been hectic, use your travel time to replenish yourself – read a magazine, or that book you’ve been dying to start, or play games, or sleep! If you’re sleep deprived, sleep is a good investment. My husband and I often use travel time to talk over ideas.

Keep a balance - know when to work and when to relax.

What do you do to occupy yourself while travelling?

Insuring Peak Performance: Sleep 101

Yesterday we talked about how sleep deprivation affects us. Today we’ll talk about how to avoid sleep deprivation by making it a priority to sleep well. Why? Because how will we manage stress, organize life, and accomplish our goals if we are sleep-walking?

How much sleep do we need anyway? The National Sleep Foundation suggests:

Newborns (1-2 months): 10.5 - 18 hours
Infants (3-11 months): 9-12 hours during night and 30-minutes to two-hour naps, 1-4 times a day
Toddlers (1-3 years): 12-14 hours
Preschoolers (3-5 years) 11-13 hours
School-aged Children (5-12 years: 10-11 hours
Teens (11-17): 8.5-9.25 hours
Adults: 7-9 hours
Older Adults: 7-9 hours

Did you know that your body keeps track of sleep it misses? A good way to tell if you’re sleep deprived is if you fall asleep when you are sitting. If you are sleep deprived, your body goes into deep sleep quickly, allowing you to make up your deprivation without going through all the stages of sleep.

So how do we get a good night’s sleep?

- Exercise. The National Sleep Foundation states, “Exercise improves sleep because it is a physical stressor to the body. The brain compensates for physical stress by increasing deep sleep. Therefore, we sleep more deeply and soundly after exercise.”

The exercise should include vigorous use of the legs and should be done at least three hours before bedtime, to allow your body to calm down before sleeping.

- Maintain a regular bedtime and a regular waking time, even on the weekends. A regular wake-up time gets your body into a rhythm, including a natural sleep schedule.

- Create a calming bedtime routine to prepare for sleep – reading, relaxing music, deep breathing. If you take a warm bath or shower, leave enough time for your body to cool down before bedtime. Higher temperatures stimulate your body and cool temps promote sleep.

- Turn off the lights! Our body produces melatonin, a hormone that helps stabilize our body rhythms. Help your melatonin, which is induced by darkness, by dimming the lights, turning off the computer and the TV half an hour before sleep so your body will naturally become sleepy.

If you have trouble getting to sleep, you might want to try taking some melatonin to get you over that hump. It’s available in most drugstores for just a few dollars. My husband, who has chronic sleep problems, can attest to its benefits!

Wear an eye mask or get light-blocking shades or curtains to block out light. Use ear plugs or use a fan or other noise to block out noise, if necessary.

- Keep your bedroom cool, which promotes sleep.

Sleep is too important to miss, yet most people cut out sleep when they are pressed for time. That should be the last thing we do, so we can function optimally.


What do you include in your or your child's bedtime routine?

Related post: Sleep is Non-negotiable!, Getting Organized for School - A Successful Day Starts the Night Before, Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is Non-negotiable!

At a time of year when it's easy to neglect our sleep, we need to make it a non-negotiable ingredient of our well-being. Why?

- Lack of sleep makes our emotions go crazy, swinging from giddiness to grumpiness. Matthew Walker of UC Berkley's Sleep and Neuroimaging Lab studied brain acitivity in sleep deprived individuals and a control group. Those who were sleep deprived demonstrated a failure in frontal lobe function, the part that keeps our emotions under control.

- Lack of sleep contributes to weight gain. Julie Lumeng, a researcher at the University of Michigan's Center for Human Growth and Development, states that sleep has an effect on the secretion of hormones that regulate fat storage, appetite, and glocose metabolism. If we don't get adequate sleep, it changes our carbohydrate metabolism which impairs glucose tolerance, thereby affecting weight.

- Lack of sleep slows our reaction time, according to numerous studies. So much so, that driving while sleep deprived resembles driving while drunk.

- Lack of sleep disrupts our immune system. Our immune system activates during deep sleep periods to help us fight disease, according to Hal Gunn, Director, Centre for Integrated Healing.

- Lack of sleep affects our ability to deal with stress, again relating to the failure of the frontal lobe, which helps us problem solve.

- Lack of sleep can also cause depression, heart disease, hypertension, slurred speech and tremors, according to SleepDeprivation.com.

Have I convinced you yet? Tomorrow I'll talk about how to get a good night's sleep.


What do you do to get adequate sleep?

A Green Shopping Option

One more shopping option that came across my desk, especially if you're environmentally minded:


"Greenhome.com, the best online store for green products, is having a HUGE storewide sale this "Black Friday." Why? Because black is the new green, that's why. Oh, and because we wanted to say "Thanks!" to you, our customers, for being green, and nothing conveys that message better than giving green back.

For one day only, take 10% off our already low prices. So, stay in this Friday and save! Just type discount code: GOGREENNOW at checkout and save 10% on everything in our store.

Hundreds and hundreds of eco-friendly gift ideas, now on sale. Avoid traffic, waiting in line, and all the stress of the physical world, and shop eco-efficiently at Greenhome.com. "

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I recently read an article saying that counting your blessings is more effective than therapy or counseling. It suggested thinking of five things you're thankful for each night before you go to bed, which results in a positive mental attitude and contentedness.

Destressing Christmas, Part 11 - Meaningful Gifts with No Clutter

My siblings and I have agreed not to exchange gifts this year among ourselves. Why add to clutter in our homes when we don't really "need" anything? The holiday season can be fraught with spending more than you should on things people don't need just to show you care.

A creative option is to invest in meaningful gifts to those who are in need in the name of your family member. Or as a gift from you and/or your family members. Here are a couple of opportunities near and dear to my heart:

Shelter Care, Inc.

We see first hand the incredible generosity of people in our community who donate monetary gifts to make Christmas possible for our girls here at Shelter Care, Inc. And on occasion we get to distribute items donated by kind people. Lately, we've been able to provide lip balms and scrapbooking supplies because people took the time and went to the expense to give.

If you'd like to donate toward providing for the needs of our girls here at Shelter Care, you can send a check made out to Shelter Care, Inc. 32 South Avenue Tallmadge Ohio 44278. Write a separate note (not in the memo area of your check) stating your wishes.

Interlink Resources, Inc.

Our daughter Sara works for Interlink Resources, Inc., a humanitarian aid group meeting the needs of orphans in Kazakhstan. They have just launched a gift catalog in which you can provide a child with a soccer ball, a birthday party, clothing, etc. It can all be done online.


The gift of time is a meaningful, uncluttered gift, as well. Last year we took one of our girls (kicking and screaming) to a local women's shelter to wrap gifts for the women and children there. She loved it so much, she wanted to do it the next week, which we did! She said she wanted to make it a tradition in her life. You just can't teach those things with words - actions are necessary!

What a wonderful feeling to give to such causes, not to mention providing an opportunity for our children to learn generosity and compassion.

What organizations are near and dear to your heart that provide meaningful gifts to those in need?


Related posts: Destressing Christmas, Part 3 - Smart Gift-Giving, Destressing Christmas, Part 1 - Think Through Your Expectations

Destressing Christmas, Part 10 - Efficient Shopping and Online Tips

My arthritis aquatics instructor was a wealth of information this morning in class! She had numerous shopping tips that I'll pass on to you.

Online Shopping

1. If you google the name of your store followed by "free shipping and handling", you can find coupons for free shipping and handling. I googled "jcpenneys free shipping and handling" and came up with: http://www.freeshipping.org/category/jc-penney-free-shipping-code/, which offered some free shipping and handling codes plus some discount coupons.

2. She also suggested shopping at www.6pm.com for designer clothing. She said that if it doesn't sell at www.zappos.com, it is transferred to 6pm. When I looked, there were a lot of summer things, but found some winter items as well - up to 70% off.

3. Kohl's honors their discount store coupons when you shop online. And you can shop the early bird specials online rather than having to go to the store.

4. My suggestion: to protect your identity when you shop online, use a credit card that is not attached to your bank account.

Other Shopping

On Black Friday, Walmart is matching the lowest price of any competing ad you bring in.

For my local followers, Village Garden Restaurant on State Street here in the Falls is offering a free Thanksgiving lunch on Thursday from 12-2 pm.

More Eco-Friendly Recycling

Came across a couple more sites that give us options other than adding to the land fills.

www.carpetrecovery.org helps you find carpet recycling centers in your area. Did you know that about 5.6 billion pounds of carpet end up in our land fills each year?

www.zwaggle.com allows you to swap clothing, furniture and lots more. Receive points for giving things away which go toward "purchasing" something else.

www.swap-it-now.com not only provides a venue to swap anything you own, but allows you to purchase items if you have nothing to swap.

Have you discovered similar sites? Please share!


Related posts: Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment, Recycling Cell Phones to Our Soldiers

Our High Tea

Just wanted to show you a picture of our high tea. I asked if I could get permission to include our foster girls in the picture, but Children's Services Board doesn't allow it. So anyway, here's the food.

We wore hats. I looked for gloves, but they are hard to come by.

We used the candlewick dishes and lacy tablecloth my mom gave me.

We had Earl Grey and plain tea. Cucumber, egg salad, and bread and butter sandwiches. A fruit plate. Scones with lemon curd, raspberry jam and strawberry jam. Sausage balls, cinnamon raisin muffins, tea biscuits, and orange crisps.

I think the girls liked having the special occasion and doing something out of the ordinary. It was worth the hours I spent preparing for it to create memories for our girls.


Related post: Making it a Priority to Create Memories

Get a Jump on Christmas Cookies

My friend Pam and I came up with a great way to get a jump on Christmas cookies. We originally set aside a day in December to make Christmas cookies all day, split them and stock our freezers. But that was pretty exhausting.

Then one year, we couldn't find a date in December, and that changed our Christmas cookie baking from then on. We decided to get together in November and just make the dough, freeze it in small batches, and cook as needed. It's so easy to just thaw a small amount, form into cookies, and bake! All the work and mess is over with and you have fresh baked cookies in a jiffy when you need them.

Plus we got to spend the day together! I miss it. Now that we live in Ohio and she lives in Maryland, it doesn't quite work!

If you need some cookie ideas, my daughter Sara sent me a list of every possible cookie recipe known to man. The link below will take you there.

Related posts: Cookies, Cookies, Cookies


What are you doing to relieve the stress of the holiday season?

Downsizing Seminar Rescheduled for Friday, November 21

We encountered some technical difficulties yesterday when we were trying to conduct our seminar, "Is Professional Downsizing a Career for You?" So we rescheduled it for tomorrow at 11 Eastern (10 Central, 9 Mountain, 8 Pacific). If you still want to get in on this seminar sponsored by Stephanie Callahan's Learn from Organizing Experts, see the related post below.

Related post: Seminar: Is Professional Downsizing a Career for You?


If you are interested in becoming a downsizing professional, see our Three Steps to Becoming a Downsizing Professional, part of our 1-2-3...Get Organized series.