CDC Warning: How to Avoid Getting the Swine Flu

My brother, who is in the medical field sent this CDC message along on how to avoid getting the Swine Flu:

Don't do this:

If you'd like to make a comment and receive this via email, use this link.

The Advantages of Downsizing

I gave a talk last night on "Factors to Consider When Contemplating Downsizing." I thought the information might be helpful to you, your parents or someone else you know. Today we'll look at the advantages of downsizing.

But first, what exactly is downsizing? It is getting rid of extraneous items in your home. It may also include moving to a smaller residence.

You don't need to be of retirement age to consider downsizing. You may just need to get rid of the excess in your home. Or you may choose to reduce expenses by moving into a smaller residence. Whatever the case, here are several advantages of downsizing:

- Removing physical clutter removes mental clutter. You can’t really live peacefully if your surroundings are cluttered and crowded.

- You know what you have and where it is.

- You don’t waste time looking for lost objects. The average person spends days a year looking for lost items!

- If you must move, that part of the job is already done!

- Your children will not be burdened with an unmanageable job when you pass on.

- Downsizing lifts your spirits. You feel light and free when your home is not cluttered!


If you'd like to comment and receive this by email, click here.


Similar topics:
Get Organized Month 2009 - Family Five Minute Challenge
Cash from your Clutter
Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

Don't know where to start? Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence or Three Steps to Decluttering walk you through the process.

More Resources for Present and Future College Students

My friend Maria Pascucci, founder of Campus Calm suggests another website to help college students and future students: College Jolt. Blogs are posted by college students from various schools.

If you are in need of graduation gifts for high school seniors, consider a membership to Maria's Campus Calm University or her new book Campus Calm University: The College Student's 10-Step Blueprint to Stop Stressing and Create a Happy, Purposeful Life (see it in my sidebar).

Throw in my Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student, and your college student will be well-prepared!

If you'd like to comment and receive this by email, use this link

More blogs about college:
Tools to Help Make the College Search/Prep Easier
Packing for College
Organizing College Applications

Buy Forever Stamps Before Postage Increases

Postage will increase from 42 cents to 44 cents on May 11. You may purchase "Forever" stamps now at 42 cents and they can be used forever, whatever the postage rate. If you do a lot of mailing, this might be a valuable option!

In light of the postal rate increase, if you have items to mail, think now rather than later. And don't forget to buy two-cent stamps to add to your present supply of stamps.

If you have comments to make and receive this by email, use this link.

Similar blogs:
The Best Time of Day to Go to the Post Office
Saving Money by Being Organized
Sorting Mail

Planning Your Family Reunion

If you're planning a family reunion, here's a very detailed article by Susan Glaser with everything you need to know. Just planning a family vacation for my parents and my siblings and our children last year took many hours. If your event is very large, Susan says start yesterday!

"You can't choose your family, as the saying goes. But you can choose your family reunion.

 And plenty of families are: From long weekends in centrally located cities to elaborate week-long vacations at the beach, the family reunion has become big business, spawning books and Web sites and professional planners who help families organize their special events.



"I am utterly amazed at how many families really go all out," said Edith Wagner, editor of Reunions Magazine and the author of "The Family Reunion Sourcebook." "For a lot of families, the reunion is the vacation."

 Theme parks and cruises are popular for multi-generational family gatherings, as are trips to ancestral homelands, including Ireland, Italy and Africa.



More than a third of U.S. adults - nearly 72 million Americans - traveled to a family reunion in the past three years, according to a recent survey by the Travel Industry Association.

 Despite the trend toward exotic locales, the most popular reunion location is still a centrally situated hometown of one (or more) family member.



The downside of having the reunion close by? The closest relatives frequently are recruited to plan the whole thing.

 Shari Chavis of South Euclid, Ohio, inherited the role of reunion organizer a year and a half ago in Prattville, Ala., at her family's biannual family gathering. This summer, it will be held in Cleveland, and she has been busy planning the three-day event for more than a year.



More than 300 family members, from across the country, will gather in mid-July at the Homewood Suites in Solon, Ohio, for food, fun and - most of all - family. "My aunt volunteered me," said Chavis. "So I put her to work."

 Top on her list of advice for other reunion planners: Start early and delegate.

 With input from veteran reunion organizers, both professional and amateur, here are suggestions for planning the perfect family reunion.

- Start planning yesterday. Travel agent Linda Herron, owner of Tempo Travel in Parma, Ohio, recommends starting nine months to one year ahead, which gives family members time to coordinate schedules and make reservations.

 The bigger the reunion, the earlier you'll need to start. Picnic pavilions in the Cleveland Metroparks, for example, can be reserved a year ahead of time, and many of them are.



- Create a committee. You can't do this alone - and even if you can, you shouldn't, because you'll end up resentful and unhappy when the time comes to enjoy your hard work. When Chavis agreed to plan her family's reunion, she recruited not only her aunt, Deborah Ledyard, who volunteered her but all her aunts and cousins in Greater Cleveland to help. Involve several generations to provide different perspectives on everything from where to hold the reunion to what kind of music to play at the main event.



- Once you've chosen the date, stick with it. No matter what date you choose, someone will be unable to attend, said Wagner. And that's probably the first person you'll hear from after the invitations go out. Hold your ground, or you'll feel obligated to adjust the date for everyone who wants to come but can't.

 Many reunions are tagged to a milestone, Wagner said. If you don't have a date in mind, consider July 4, she said. "It's the biggest reunion day of the year."



- Settle on a location. After agreeing on a date, tackle the second most difficult decision: where the reunion will be held. Some families go to the same location year after year: a beach resort, a lake house. 

Family budgets probably will play an important role in the location decision. A cruise may be out of reach for many families, but keep in mind the price is all-inclusive, said Wagner.



- Decide whom to invite. Will it be a small group (grandparents, their children and grandchildren) or "everybody who descended from great-grandparents born in 1848?" asks Wagner. The larger the group, the more time you'll need to locate far-flung relatives.

 Once you decide the parameters of the group, you have to include everyone who falls in the circle, said Wagner, "even uncle so-and-so," whom nobody really wants to come. "Chances are he doesn't want to come either," said Wagner. Invite him anyway, so your conscience is clear.



- Communication is key. Send out a questionnaire, before you set a date and choose a site, asking for people's input: How much time can they spare? How far are they willing to go? What time of year is best? 

While you're making plans, keep family members informed by setting up a family reunion Web site, where attendees can RSVP, link to hotels and (hopefully) offer to volunteer. Family members may be more likely to commit when they see who else is attending, said Wagner.



- Contact the tourism bureau in the community you'll be visiting. Employees there are paid to help you.



- Settle on a budget. This will vary greatly, depending on the type of reunion and the economic means of your extended family. Frequently, families will hold fundraisers to reduce the cost of the event for all attendees.

 Clevelander Katherine Evans, who is hosting her father's family reunion over Labor Day weekend, is planning a silent auction, with items donated by guests, to offset the cost of the event. Up for bid: three photo quilts made with heirloom family photos.



- Plan activities for everyone, especially the kids. Yes, having a swimming pool at the hotel is important, said Wagner, but it's not enough to keep kids engaged for three days.

 The most common reason reunions eventually fizzle, said Wagner, is because there isn't enough to keep the younger generations interested.

"For some people, sitting on a folding chair under a tree and talking to their cousins is a great thing," said Wagner. Others need more.

 Wagner, a frequent speaker at reunion-planning seminars, promotes a mixture of down time for relaxed visiting coupled with more structured events, like banquets and tours. Optional activities - like golf, museum outings and sporting events - should be planned with a variety of ages and interests in mind.



- Finally, don't forget the family. It may seem obvious, but sometimes you need to be reminded about the real reason you've spent so much time and money to get together.

 On the first night of their reunion, Evans' group plays Human Bingo, a twist on the well-known game in which family trivia takes the place of numbers on the board ("someone who was born in Tennessee," "someone who is an only child").

 Assign family members to record oral histories, put together a memory book and take photos. Kids can get involved by re-enacting events in the family's history."

Any tips you've used to planning a successful family reunion? If you receive this by email, comment here.

Similar topics:
Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave
Organize an Emergency Kit for Your Car
Organize Your Family Vacation

Local Seminar - Factors to Consider When Contemplating Downsizing

I'll be giving a free seminar on Thursday, April 30 at 7 pm titled Factors to Consider When Contemplating Downsizing. It will be held at the Cuyahoga Falls Library. Please register by calling 330-928-2117.

Topics covered:

What is downsizing?
The advantages of downsizing
Residential options when you downsize
Factors to consider in choosing a new residence
How to find help when you’re ready to downsize
How to find a downsizing professional
Q & A

Hope to see you there!

Grill Your Entire Meal

It seems like we have been waiting a very long time for spring this year. Last night was the first time we actually ate outside. I love it when we grill (translation: when my husband grills). My pet peeve, though, is having to cook a side dish indoors when we're grilling.

So I've started accumulating ideas for grilling side dishes, even dessert! I discovered one last night when I was trying to figure out what we should have with our steak. I had some small red potatoes (two inches in diameter or less), so I covered them in foil. My husband put them on the grill before he put the steaks on - they take about 30 minutes.

We've grilled baking potatoes before, but they take so long! So this was a wonderful alternative. We had a veggie tray last night, but we often grill veggies in foil packets (tossed with Italian dressing or another sauce). Finish it off with some fresh fruit, and no cooking in the kitchen! And almost no clean up! My kind of meal. :)

What are your favorite grilling recipes? If you receive this via email, comment here.


More on this subject:
Quadruple Batch of Teriyaki Marinade
Papaya salsa with swordfish
Dinner in 15 - A Grilling Twist

Bored with your cooking? Try Hassle Free Dinners - 52 weeks of dinner menus, instructions, and grocery lists.

Spring Cleaning Relationships

Spring cleaning usually brings to mind decluttering and purging and reorganizing. Why not look at our relationships in the same way? Rather than let our lives get cluttered with unproductive relationships, let's be intentional! Here are a few questions to ask yourself:

Do you have people who clutter your life and don't fit with your priorities?

Are there those with whom you'd like to spend more time?

Are there people who interrupt you from accomplishing those things that are important to you?

Is there a person you'd like to have as a mentor?

Do you have clients whom you need to fire because of the time it takes to deal with their complaints, missed appointments, etc.?

Are there people you're attracted to and would like to get to know better?

Are there people who drag you down rather than encourage and motivate you?

Do you have people in your life who are infecting you with their unhealthiness?


We have one life to live and 24 hours each day. If we don't examine our relationships, we could find ourselves at the mercy of others rather than using our gifts and talents in a meaningful way. There are times when we choose to invest in people who drain us, but that is a choice, not a haphazard circumstance.

As we intentionally choose to spend time with those who have similar priorities, who motivate and encourage us, we will have less time to spend with those who have a negative impact in our lives. It may be necessary to create boundaries and margins to maintain health. But we can't be passive!

If you receive this via email. comment here.

Similar blogs:
Reduce Your Stress - Say No
To Do List or Not To Do List - That is the Question!
Spring Cleaning the Noise


If you need help in determining your priorities and passions, see any of the time management books in the 1-2-3...Get Organized series

Why Meetings Can be So Unbearable

I dread most meetings and rarely mind when one is canceled! Here's an article by Tamara Schweitzer published in Inc.com explaining why meetings can be such a trial.

"Whether it's a cell phone ringing or your co-workers whispering next to you, there's no shortage of annoying meeting behavior. And now there's evidence to back it up.

Disorganization tops the list as the biggest frustration for meeting attendees, according to a new "Ouch Point" study by Opinion Research USA that measured the tolerance thresholds of U.S. workers at business meetings.

Of 1,037 full- or part-time workers polled, 27 percent ranked disorganized, rambling meetings as their top frustration, followed by 17 percent who said they were annoyed by peers who interrupt and try to dominate meetings.

Surprisingly, respondents considered BlackBerry use less intrusive than people falling asleep during a meeting — 9 percent of respondents were bothered by co-workers nodding off, compared to just 5 percent who said they get frustrated by others checking e-mail. Respondents also cited cell-phone interruptions (16 percent) and meetings without refreshments (6 percent) as more annoying than the much-maligned BlackBerry

Among the other "ouch points" ranked by respondents were: meetings without bathroom breaks (8 percent) and people leaving the meeting early or arriving late (5 percent). Only 4 percent of respondents said they were most frustrated by meetings that start late and those that end without distributing a written recap.

"If you're asking somebody to participate in a meeting, it has to be, from their perception, worth it to invest the time," said Jeff Resnick, president of Opinion Research USA, a Princeton, N.J.-based firm. According to Resnick, for business owners and managers, the study underscores the importance of having well-constructed meetings.

"If you are someone calling the meeting, organize it, control everyone during the meeting, and make sure the people there aren't wasting their time," Resnick said. In time-compressed work environments, where so much focus is placed on productivity, "time spent in meetings that's not considered productive is certainly not helpful," he added.

Demographics also played a role in the kind of "ouch points" that respondents considered most significant. For example, respondents from the Northeast were less bothered by disorganized meetings than those from other parts of the country. Additionally, respondents over the age of 55 considered meetings without a bathroom break a significant issue, and for respondents ages 18 to 24, serving food is a priority at meetings."

If you receive this by email, comment here.


Similar blogs:
Interruptions at work
Scheduling Appointments
Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work

For a more extensive look at planning meetings and time management, see Three Steps to Time Management at the Office, part of the 1-2-3...Get Organized series.

Some Earth Day Tips to Declutter Your Home

Happy Earth Day! In honor of the day, here are some eco-friendly tips from the May 2009 Family Circle magazine:

- Use cucumbers as a natural insecticide - either plant them or put cucumber slices throughout your garden. Who knew? (FC's source: Melissa Seligman coauthor of Simply Green)

- For an easy, homemade skin treatment: "Slice a fresh strawberry in half and rub the cut sides on your face. Wait a few minutes, then rinse. The berry is loaded with natural alpha-hydroxy acids that help clear up blemishes and slough off dead skin cells." (FC's source: Fashion Editor Christin Bibbo Herr)

- Gazelle rescues electronics from landfills by buying them from you, and reusing or recycling them. Dust off those no-longer-used gadgets and beef up your wallet! (FC's source: Krista Meyerhoff, editorial assistant)

These tips will help you reduce the clutter in your home by eliminating excess products and gagdets.

If you'd like to comment and receive this via email, here's a link for you.


Similar blogs:

Get Organized Month 2009 - Decluttering Your Electronics

Earth Day Energy Tips

Five Tips on Being Eco-Friendly and Saving Money at the Same Time

Five Ways to Prevent Procrastination from Zapping Your Energy and Productivity

Good Morning! I'm off to the gym after I post this! Hope you have a great day. :)

Five Ways to Prevent Procrastination
from Zapping Your Energy and Productivity

Do you hate filing, and just stack it up in a pile? Do you procrastinate sorting your mail and it becomes a huge mound by the end of the week? Do you avoid making those phone calls? Are there more important decisions you put off?

We all have things we dislike or even hate, and it’s tempting to just put them off until later. But by doing so, they just become much larger unpleasant tasks!

Why do we procrastinate?

- Sometimes it’s because we are undisciplined or even lazy and don’t force ourselves to make a decision – we put it off. This is really a time waster. Instead of making a decision while my mind is on the subject, I set it aside – either literally in a pile or mentally. It will take additional time later for my mind to re-engage with the subject at hand. While the decision is left undone, it has the power to zap my energy. It is draining to see stacks of undone work or to remember my unresolved decision.

In addition, with some decisions, my options narrow the longer I wait, creating stress and missed opportunities. This is multiplied if my decision affects others.

- Another reason we procrastinate is that we need more information in order to make a decision. Maybe we’re too overwhelmed with the size of the decision and don’t know where to start. Again, in this case, procrastinating drains energy and creates stress and possibly lost opportunities.

- Lack of time to decide or act is another cause of procrastination – a valid one many times. And sometimes we make a decision, but fail to follow through with the action decided upon – another form of procrastination.

Whatever the cause of procrastination, productivity suffers. Whenever I see or remember my procrastinated decisions, my mind is cluttered because I think, “I need to get to that.” My focus can become distracted.

Your perceived productivity can also suffer. If you have stacks of procrastination in your office or home, it may cause others to question your efficiency or productivity. And your own sense of productivity takes a hit when you are surrounded by procrastinated clutter.

So how do we avoid procrastination?

1. Consider the cost of procrastination. Realize that you are saving yourself time, stress and lost opportunities when you choose to act. By making a decision, you have a sense of accomplishment which gives you a feeling of productivity. And that translates into increased motivation.

2. Plan in time to follow through on decisions. If, for example, when you go through your mail, an item needs to be filed, you can file it immediately, or you can set aside time each day or each week to do filing. Use time when your brain needs a break from intensive work to do filing – it can serve as a decluttering task as well as a mental break to refresh your mind.

3. If you are too busy to make a decision at the moment, schedule a time to address the issue in a timely manner. If more information is needed for an informed decision, plan in time to research missing information. Or delegate the research to someone else, if possible.

4. Set deadlines for tasks or decisions you tend to put off. You will feel empowered by being proactive.

5. Take a step back and evaluate what tasks or decisions you tend to procrastinate and why. Brainstorm possible solutions. If you need some help, ask someone to be a sounding board.

Increase your energy and productivity - stop procrastinating now! Start with small steps if you have to, but make forward progress.

Similar blogs:

Insuring Peak Performance: Sleep 101

Clutter in Your House or Office Means Clutter in Your Mind

Save Time and Clutter by Making Decisions

Spring Cleaning the Noise

Good morning! I hope you had a nice weekend. We got outside and enjoyed some of our nice weather. It was a hard weekend, though, as we had some issues with one of our girls. So I may be going back to bed after I post this! :)

Spring Cleaning the Noise

Spring cleaning usually involves sorting through clutter, and cleaning areas that have been neglected over the winter months - windows, walls, and such. Once we are reasonably sure we can kiss snow and cold weather good-bye, we take the time to refresh our surroundings.

I'm proposing something a little different: spring cleaning the input we allow into our lives. Let's take a little time to clean out the clutter and noise, and provide a refreshing environment in which to flourish.

My goal is to create a peaceful environment, whether at home or at work. This means pleasant conversation, encouraging words, and a calm atmosphere. This not only involves what others are saying to me, but what I say to them. I try to set the standards by guiding appropriate types of conversation. My words must be positive, encouraging and building if I expect others to speak similarly.

Is the music I listen to uplifting and motivating? Are the shows and movies I watch inspiring and edifying? Are my computer habits those which build into my life? Do I read positive articles, books, etc.? Am I creating an atmosphere for success for myself and others? Or have I allowed inferior choices to creep in due to my passivity, laziness, or uncontrolled appetites?

We can have beautifully decorated and sparkling clean homes, but if the environment is cluttered with noise and negative input, what is the point?

Similar blogs:

In a Winter Rut? Here's How to Climb Out!

Reduce Your Stress - Say No

To Do List or Not To Do List - That is the Question!

Local Shredding April 18

On Sat. April 18 the AkronBBB & Neoshred will be providing free document shredding services to the community. Bring up to 5 boxes and they will shred them for you on the spot! 9:00a to 12:00p

Neoshred, Akron, OH

On Sat. April 18 the AkronBBB & Neoshred will be providing free document shredding services to the community, bring up to 5 boxes & they will shred them for you on the spot!

Phone: (330) 253-4565

A Refresher on Recycling Plastics

What am I doing up at 3:30 am? Didn't have any caffeine before bedtime. I have been wide awake for about an hour and decided to get up and be useful. So why not send out my blog?

Refresher on Recycling Plastics

Lori Bongiorno from The Conscious Consumer blog has written an article detailing the ins and outs of recycling plastics - a great reminder, especially in light of Earth Day coming up.

"Figuring out which types of plastic you can recycle is not easy. Just because a plastic bottle or tub has a "recycling symbol" on it doesn't necessarily mean you can throw it into your curbside bin.

The container's shape, color, and your location are also key factors in indicating whether that bottle or tub is destined for a recycling plant or the dump.

The little number with chasing arrows around it is actually called a "resin identification code." It indicates which type of resin is used to make a plastic. This symbol can be incredibly useful when it comes to figuring out what you can and can't recycle, but it doesn't tell you the whole story.

Different additives and manufacturing processes are used to mold plastics into varying shapes, which can change their characteristics enough so that they may not be able to be recycled together, explains Darby Hoover at the Natural Resources Defense Council. The EPA points out that many facilities sort materials by hand and group them by shape rather than by code.

The most commonly recycled types of plastic are Polyethylene terephthalate, PET (number 1), and high-density polyethylene, HDPE (number 2). Well over 80 percent of curbside programs only take number 1 and 2 bottles and jugs, says David Cornell, of the Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers. The other types of plastic are less likely to be collected and recycled, although that is slowly changing and some cities, such as San Francisco, take all hard plastics.

So, what can you throw in your blue bin? Finding out your community's rules is the only way to know for sure. Visit your city's website or look for fact sheets on your local waste management authority's website. You can also search Earth 911's extensive database to find out your local recyling options.

Here's a quick guide to the plastics most of us can recycle at the curb:

* Bottle and jugs -- Container mouths need to be smaller than the sides. Water, soda, milk, juice, personal care product, shampoo, detergent, and household cleaner bottles are commonly made from PET or HDPE and are recycled in most curbside programs.

* Ketchup bottles are sometimes made of number 1, sometimes not. Cornell says about 96 percent of plastic bottles are made from PET or HDPE, so it's a safe bet that you can recycle most of your bottles.

Here's a list of plastics most of us shouldn't throw in our curbside bins:

* Yogurt cups
* Butter tubs
* Microwaveable trays
* Take-out containers
* Cutlery, plates, and cups
* Shopping bags (many grocery stores and other retailers take them back for recycling)
* Plastics made from corn and other agricultural products

Cornell points out that there should be more widespread recycling options for yogurt cups, butter tubs, and plastic trays within the next two years.

In the meantime, those who want to recycle number 5 plastics should check out Recycline's Preserve Gimme5 program. The company recycles clean plastic containers that have a #5 stamped on the bottom. Drop your stash off at participating Whole Foods Markets or mail it to the company. Recycled plastic is transformed into razors, bowls, and other colorful products.

Some other tips worth mentioning:

* Remove caps.
* Rinse out bottles that contain food.
* Step on bottles to flatten so trucks can fit more."


Similar blogs:

Getting Rid of Stuff While Saving the Environment

More Eco-Friendly Recycling

Earth Day Energy Tips

Spring Cleaning the Garage - Storing Hazardous Materials

Today's forecast is abundant sunshine! After several days of rain, I'm so happy to have some sun come our way. Our flowers have flourished with the rain, though, so I shouldn't whine. They made it through last week's snow I'm happy to say.

Today we're meeting a new girl in our program who will be coming into our home tomorrow. I'll be making menus and stocking the house with food after our trip.

Today's a perfect day for spring cleaning the garage ...

Spring Cleaning the Garage - Storage Hazardous Materials

Spring is the time to clean out the garage, swapping out winter items for summer ones. As you attempt this task, here are a few pointers from Don Townson of the Vancouver Sun about storing hazardous materials:

"If you have to keep hazardous materials in the garage, follow these rules:

- Store products in their original containers with their labels

- Never mix products

- Keep gasoline in an approved container

- Do not store gasoline or volatile solvents near water heaters or other appliances with pilot lights

- Keep flammables away from outlets, electric tools and appliances

- Store all hazards out of reach of children and pets; use a locked cabinet

- Buy containers with child-resistant caps

- Dispose of hazardous materials appropriately."


More blogs on spring cleaning the garage:

Shadow Boarding the Tools in Your Garage

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

Storage for Your Garage