Vinegar - 10 Ways to Save Your Clothes!

Hope you had a great weekend. I had a wonderful Mother's Day - my daughter Sara surprised me by showing up on Friday and staying throughout the weekend! She joined right in the activities we had planned for the weekend. And lovely talks with my other daughter Comfort. I love being a mom!

Over the weekend we were trying to get smoke smells out of a comforter given to one of our foster girls. So Sara did a little research and she found these enlightening laundry tips from Angela Cisco, many of which I had never heard before. Who knew vinegar was such a value? Here's Angela's article:

10 Ways to Use White Distilled Vinegar You Never Heard of Before

"For a long time, you've heard that distilled white vinegar can be used in the laundry but you aren't sure how. If your mom or grandma were asked, I'm sure they wouldn't be able to list all the ways vinegar can boost the power of your washer and dryer without breaking the bank. Distilled white vinegar costs $1.49 for 128 oz at my local grocery store.

Here are 10 ways you can work distilled white vinegar into your every day wash and rinse.

Prevent lint from clinging to clothes by adding 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar to the wash cycle.

To brighten colors and remove soap residue that makes black clothes look dull use white distilled vinegar in your final rinse.

Fluff up wool or acrylic sweaters (hand- or machine-washed) and rid them of soap smell, with 1/2 cup white distilled vinegar in the last rinse water.

Remove smoky odors from clothes by filling the bathtub with very hot water and 1 cup white distilled vinegar. Hang the garments above the steaming water and shut the door so the steam can penetrate the fibers.

Remove musky smells from cotton clothes by sprinkling them lightly with white distilled vinegar and then pressing them.

Get cleaner laundry! Add about 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar to the last rinse. The acid in white distilled vinegar is too mild to harm fabrics, yet strong enough to dissolve the alkalis in soaps and detergents. Besides removing soap, white distilled vinegar prevents yellowing, acts as a fabric softener and static cling reducer, and attacks mold and mildew.

Before washing a mustard stain, dab with white distilled vinegar.

Attack spaghetti, barbecue, or ketchup stains with a white distilled vinegar and water solution.

Forgot that you left wet laundry in the machine and it now smells moldy? Pour a few cups of white distilled vinegar in the machine and wash the clothes in hot water. Then run a normal cycle with detergent.

Remove perspiration odor and stains on clothing, as well as those left by deodorants, by spraying full-strength white distilled vinegar on underarm and collar areas before tossing them into the washing machine."

Do you have additional laundry tips using vinegar? We love to hear them! If you receive this via email, comment here.


Similar topics:
Organizing Laundry
Laundry tip - color-coded laundry bags

Residential Options when You Downsize

Good Morning! Happy Friday! Hope you have a great weekend. We plan to play a little tennis, go to the zoo, go bowling, go to an art exhibit and barbecue. Hopefully the weather will cooperate. :)

I wanted to continue the subject of downsizing, today looking at the pros and cons of different residential options.

Residential Options when You Downsize

1. One option is to remain in your present home and just downsize your possessions.

The benefits:
- you won’t need to move
- you can downsize your possessions gradually
- it is much easier to downsize when you feel good than when you start to experience memory loss or have a health crisis.

The drawbacks:
- you are responsible for your own health care
- you are responsible for the maintenance of your home and property
- without a deadline, you may have trouble making progress in downsizing
- your downsizing is partial, because you haven’t reduced the size of your residence.


2. A second option is to move into an apartment, a condominium, or a senior neighborhood composed of independent living units (houses, apartments and condos such as Leisure World).

The benefits:
- decisions are less stressful when you feel good and have clear mental faculties
- no exterior house and yard upkeep
- your cost of living may decrease due to a smaller residence
- and the task of downsizing will be behind you if you later need to move into a retirement community.

The drawbacks:
- you are responsible for your own health care
- if you own your own home, you may need to sell your current residence
- you may need to move twice - once now and again to a care facility.


3. A retirement community with health care ranging from independent living to assisted living to nursing care is another choice.

The benefits:
- if you start out in independent living, the move to assisted living is relatively easy
- no exterior house and yard upkeep
- you have peace of mind, knowing your health care needs will be met, whatever level of care you may require.

The drawbacks:
- if you own your own home, you may need to sell your current residence
- the cost of living in a retirement community may be more than your current expenses.


4. You could move in with a relative, which would also require you to downsize.

The benefits:
- your expenses will likely decrease
- your downsizing task will be behind you if you need to move to a retirement facility in the future
- you won't be responsible for exterior upkeep and maintenance most likely
- you will be with people you love.

The drawbacks:
- you will have to move, possibly selling your home
- you will be responsible for your own health care
- you may lose some privacy and autonomy.

I hope this helps you think through the options that are available to you or your parents. Downsizing is a daunting task, and it's hard to wade through all the possibilities. Next time we'll look at factors to consider when choosing a new residence.

What options have you or your parents chosen in downsizing? Are you happy with your decisions? If you receive this via email, and you'd like to comment, use this link.

Similar topics:
The Advantages of Downsizing
It's a Great Time to Hire a Mover

If you need a step-by-step guide for downsizing, with the most comprehensive check list you'll ever want to see, investigate our Three Steps to Downsizing to a Smaller Residence workbook.

It's a Great Time to Hire a Mover

Got my menus planned yesterday while waiting to pick up one of our girls from school. It's quite a challenge - we have such picky eaters! In fact, I keep a list of what each girl will eat and won't eat because I can't remember it all. So with my little book in hand, flipping back and forth between the girls' pages, I figured out some meals that would work. I hope your menu planning is not as complicated!

But let's move on ... (harharhar)

It's a Great Time to Hire a Mover

If you are getting ready to move or downsize, this is your lucky day! As you can imagine, with the economic downturn, moving companies are hurting for business. With housing sales slumping, less people are moving.

So moving companies are more likely to negotiate to get your business. My suggestion: get estimates from several. If there is a company you like but they don't have the lowest bid, ask if they will meet the lowest bid.

It's important to know that moving companies have different rates during the month. It's more expensive to move at the end of the month and on holidays. Ask when they offer the lowest rates.

I recommend buying their insurance package, as accidents do happen - even with the most careful movers.

If the whole idea of moving is overwhelming to you, call a professional organizer to help you sort, dispose of, and pack your belongings. He/she will create a floor plan for your new residence, arrange for movers, and much more! If you are moving locally, your professional organizer will also unpack for you. I promise my downsizing clients that they will be totally moved in at the end of moving day with their pictures on the wall!

To locate a professional organizer near you, go to Faithful Organizers or National Association of Professional Organizers.

If you receive this via email, please comment here.

Similar topics:
The Advantages of Downsizing
Helping Your Kids Prepare for a Move

Who Invented Meatloaf Anyway?

We have one house of foster girls going home today and another coming tomorrow, so I'm planning menus. I made meatloaf this last week, and doubled up on the recipe. So I already have one meal prepared for this week.

Who invented meatloaf anyway? And why did they decide it must cook in a loaf pan? When I make meatloaf, I cook it in a 9 x 9 or 13 x 9 pan to speed up the cooking. It cuts the cooking time by half at least. Does it change the texture or something? I don't know, but our girls ate it all.

I cooked red skin potatoes while the meatloaf cooked, turning them into garlic mashed potatoes. Fresh green beans and fruit rounded out the meal.

I think I'm also going to make lasagna this week. I'll double up on the meat sauce and freeze half of it. So when I make lasagna next time, at least that part will be done. If I'm really energetic, I'll make two lasagnas - we'll see.

I feel so efficient when I have something in the freezer for the future. It doesn't really take that much longer to make two meatloaves or two batches of meat sauce, but it sure saves time on another day!

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

Similar blogs:
Grill Your Entire Meal
Six Ways to Save Money on Food by Planning Ahead
Quadruple Batch of Teriyaki Marinade

Happy Cinco de Mayo - Lime Chicken Soft Tacos

Happy Cinco de Mayo! If you're looking for a Mexican dish that's a little different, here's one we had last night - Lime Chicken Soft Tacos. We have picky eaters, and not a scrap was left! This is from Week 17 of Hassle Free Dinners. The amounts in parenthesis are for 2, 4, and 6 servings.

Boneless, skinless chicken (1/2, 1, 1 1/2 lb.)
Red wine vinegar (2, 4, 6 t.)
Lime juice (1, 2, 3 t.)
Sugar (1/3, 2/3, 1 t.)
Salt (1/6, 1/3, 1/2 t.)
Pepper (1/6, 1/3, 1/2 t.)
Green onions (1/2, 1, 1 1/2)
Minced garlic (1, 2, 3 t.)
Dried oregano (1/3, 2/3, 1 t.)

Flour tortillas
Tomato (1/3, 2/3, 1)
Lettuce (1/2, 1, 1 1/2 c.)
Monterey Jack cheese (2, 4, 6 oz.)
Salsa to taste


Slice chicken into thin strips and place in a zip lock bag. Mix vinegar, lime juice, sugar, salt, pepper, green onion, garlic and oregano. Add to chicken. Marinate while you get the rest of the meal together.

Meanwhile, slice green onions. Dice tomatoes. Shred lettuce and cheese.

Simmer chicken over medium heat until no longer pink - just a few minutes.

Microwave tortillas.


We had a fruit plate to complete the meal - mango, green grapes, and cutie tangerines.


Nutritional Analysis per serving: Lime Chicken Soft Tacos (chicken mixture only) calories 244.45; total fat 1.45g; saturated fat 0.39g; cholesterol 65.77mg; sodium 268.53mg; potassium 319.36mg; carbohydrates 2.24g; dietary fiber 0.29g; protein 26.40g. Cost per serving $1.30.

If you receive this by email and want to comment, use this link.

Similar blogs:
Dinner in 15 - A Grilling Twist
Chicken Tortilla Soup for the Super Bowl - Quick, Easy, and Different

Reduce Anxiety with These Foods

Good Morning! We had a beautiful weekend and enjoyed several activities, including walking to and from church yesterday. Hope your weekend was pleasant!

It seems to me that May and June are getting about as busy as November and December. There are all the end-of-school programs, weddings, graduations, etc. Here's an article from Yahoo about comfort foods that are good for us and reduce anxiety.

"Bills arriving in heaps? Gas prices sky-rocketing? Summer love turned sour? Regardless of the cause, there's a counter-intuitiveness to the goodies we turn to for comfort.

Take the classic-curling up with a pint of ice cream. It's a total backfire. Why? Sweets are insidious: After the initial rush, the body's insulin response kicks in, causing a sudden blood sugar drop that triggers the release of stress hormones. Soon you're feeling more jangled than you were before you inhaled that whole container of Chunky Monkey. And alcohol, of course, is a wolfish stimulant in calm sheep's clothing.

But true comfort foods do exist.

1. Berries, any berries
. Eat them one by one instead of M&Ms when the pressure's on. For those tough times when tension tightens your jaw, try rolling a frozen berry around in your mouth. And then another, and another. Since the carbs in berries turn to sugar very slowly, you won't have a blood sugar crash. The bonus: They're a good source of vitamin C, which helps fight a jump in the stress hormone cortisol.

2. Guacamole. 
If you're craving something creamy, look no further. Avocados are loaded with B vitamins, which stress quickly depletes and which your body needs to maintain nerves and brain cells. Plus their creaminess comes from healthy fat. Scoop up the stuff with whole-grain baked chips-crunching keeps you from gritting your teeth.

3. Mixed nuts
. Just an ounce will help replace those stress-depleted Bs (walnuts), give you a whopping amount of zinc (Brazil nuts)-it's also drained by high anxiety-and boost your E (almonds), which helps fight cellular damage linked to chronic stress. Buy nuts in the shell and think of it as multi-tasking: With every squeeze of the nutcracker, you're releasing a little bit of tension.

4. Oranges. 
People who take a 1,000 mg of C before giving a speech have lower levels of cortisol and lower blood pressure than those who don't. So lean back, take a deep breath, and concentrate on peeling a large orange. The 5-minute mindfulness break will ease your mind and you'll get a bunch of C as well.

5. Asparagus. 
Each tender stalk is a source of folic acid, a natural mood-lightener. Dip the spears in fat-free yogurt or sour cream for a hit of calcium with each bite.

6. Chai tea
. A warm drink is a super soother, and curling up with a cup of aromatic decaf chai tea (Tazo makes ready-to-brew bags) can make the whole evil day go away.

7. Dark chocolate. 
Okay, there's nothing in it that relieves stress, but when only chocolate will do, reach for the dark, sultry kind that's at least 70% cocoa. You figure if the antioxidant flavonoids in it are potent enough to fight cancer and heart disease, they've got to be able to temper tension's effects."

Receive this via email and want to comment? Use this link.

Similar Blogs:

Reduce Your Stress - Say No

The "Do It Now" Mindset

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

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.