Inheriting Stuff - Deal With It Immediately

    
My faither-in-law just moved from assisted living to nursing care in the retirement community in which he lives. As a result, my husband had to go through his two-room apartment and clear it out. He had to make decisions about what to transfer to his dad's new room, what we should keep and what could be let go.

After choosing what would go into the nursing center room and what we would keep, he was able to sell his dad's furniture and TV to some of the nurses who had cared for his dad for years. They weren't allowed to receive gifts, so he sold the items for $1. Whatever they didn't want will be donated.

He had to determine what might be meaningful keepsakes for our family. Whatever didn't fit in his suitcase, he mailed home. We will do a final culling during Christmas when our girls are here to take those things that are meaningful to them. After that, we'll either keep or donate the remaining items.

When we lived in Ohio, my parents-in-law moved from an apartment to their assisted living rooms. As a result, we brought many of their keepsakes from that trip, without having the time to sort through them. We found it difficult to find time to go through their things while we were house parents for our teenage foster daughters. Lately, we've been going through these things, and will also ask our girls to look through those things, too, to determine sentimental items they want to keep. We've enjoyed going through letters, cards, pictures, awards, and other memorabilia of their lives.

If there is a way to consolidate memories, do so! My husband and daughter have been scanning pictures and slides. You can hire someone to do the same if you don't have the desire or equipment. You can also transfer VHS tapes to DVDs or flash drives to reduce the volume.

My advice: when you inherit items from your parents, other relatives or friends, deal with them immediately. If at all possible, determine what you want before it comes into your house. Don't bring in anything that you will later want to remove. Sure saves a lot of trouble! Offer family pieces to your children, if they are interested. Are there other relatives, friends, or organizations who may want some of these items? Then take another look to see if you really want to keep what is left.

Dispose of unwanted furniture and household items through donation, an estate sale or selling them on Craig's list, at a consignment store, a newspaper ad, or garage sale.

Don't procrastinate on this! I've talked with clients whose houses have gone from uncluttered to stuffed as they have inherited their relatives' possessions. Be intentional about what you bring into your home!


More on getting rid of stuff:
Virtual Thrift Store Help You Clear Clutter and Benefit Charities, Too
Animal Shelters Accept What Other Charities Can't Use
A Giveaway Party - A Garage Sale Alternative

An Intentional Christmas - Teach Your Child to Give this Holiday Season

     
I loved the following article by Jan Helson, enumerating several ways to provide giving opportunities for your child. Inspiring!

"Does your child enjoy using the computer, your smart phone, or your tablet? These new tools not only provide entertainment, but also opportunities to teach children about giving back and making the world a better place.

Since kids today live in a "wired" world, parents have the chance to expose their children to philanthropy in a very modern way, using innovative tools and games that help connect the world together. Here are five ideas for how you can use these amazing tools to provide your kiddos a personal experience with charity.

1. Connect with news sites online. News stories are a great way to teach your child about different challenges that people encounter in their lives. Selecting a few, you can ask your child what they could do to help. Try to find stories with strong visuals, like videos or pictures, or a connection with an individual person. They will provide a stronger impact and impetus for empathy.

2. Visit charity websites. Here, you can show kids what different types of charities do, and how people can help. For example, you can show how people help at the American Red Cross by donating blood, at Goodwill by donating used clothes, and at a hometown shelter by serving food to people who are hungry.

3. Take advantage of interactive games, web-based games, or game apps that show children how their contributions matter. Check out freerice.com, which donates 10 grains of rice for every correct answer. Or try Wetopia together, a Facebook game where players collect “joy”, which translates into donations for various charities. Or download Raise the Village, an iPhone game similar to Farmville.

4. Find other kids who are working with charities. Real-life examples of kids working around the world to make it a better place are proof that you don’t have to be a grown-up to do good things. The Global Game Changers book app features three real-life kids who have done what they can to make the world a better place!

5. Encourage your child to use their talents and passions to make the world a better place and utilize the Internet to get it done. There are many websites that allow you to start fundraising online for your favorite charity! Participate in a real-world event as a family, but show your kids how you can raise money from friends across the country by using online tools like raceraiser.com, for example, or the site related to your walk/run!

Using these simple ideas, you can show your children how the Internet can spark interest and get them moving toward making the world a better place!"


More on giving:
Helping Your Child Declutter Toys Before Christmas
Organizing Spring Break Days
Donate Your Bikes to Youth Bike-Refurbishing Program

The Very Best Apps and Websites for Holiday Gift List Organization

  
Believe it or not, I'm pretty much finished with my Christmas shopping and wrapping! I'm quite proud of myself and can't remember when I've been so ahead of things! It helps being empty nesters and not being in the middle of getting settled after a move, like we were last year. :)

But if you're still in the throes of Christmas shopping, here's some great advice from Jeana over at CoolMomTech.

"Yes, it's that time to start thinking about ways to organize your gift lists. The holidays will be here before we know it. Luckily, these days. there are really a lot of tech resources out there for managing the holiday shopping process, both to keep track of gifts you want to buy for others, and to keep a list of things you have your eye on (hint, hint).

We've culled through a ton of holiday shopping tech to find some the best mobile apps and online resources to make your holiday shopping just a little easier. And hey, anything that minimizes having to return things after the holidays is holly jolly in my book. -Jeana

ON YOUR SMARTPHONE

iWishfor

This handy app (above) keeps a running list of things you want for yourself and compiles the wants of friends and family. The catch is that you have to invite people to the app in order for them to be able to contribute to your lists. Once you have people in your network, they can easily add whatever they want to make it easier for you to know exactly what they want. There's also a supercool barcode scanner within the app that lets you scan your items directly onto the list. (Free, iOS)

Free Christmas List
Keep track of gifts for Mom, Dad, the cousins, the uncles, the kids and anyone else on your list with this handy app. You can separate lists by person and even keep a running budget of how much you have spent and how much you have left, for each recipient--great for those of us who sometimes go a little nutty on the stockings stuffers. This version is free, but the Pro version is ad-free and adds an option to password protect your list from spying eyes. (Free, Android)

Springpad

More than just a gift organization app, Springpad (a recent sponsor, who we totally love) is more like a personal digital assistant that lets you organize thoughts, lists, images, links, and more into "notebooks." For these purposes, you could have a "Gifts for Me" notebook, "Gifts for Mom," "Cookie Recipe Ideas for the Teachers" and so on--and they can even be made private which is a huge bonus. The visual layout is just pretty to look at and because each spring allows you to link to multiple items, links, media, coupon sites and more, the functionality goes way beyond holiday shopping. It's on the web, too and you can choose to share or not share whatever you wish. In fact, check out our editor Liz's array of awesome notebooks for inspiration!

[Presents for Sophie notebook by AllisonMorris]

ONLINE

Pinterest

We just covered Pinterest's new secret boards and of course, holidays gifts are the perfect reason to take advantage of this new feature. One drawback as opposed to a similar service like Springpad is that you're only limited to three boards that can be kept shrouded in secrecy. But if you're already spending time on the site, this could be a great way to add to whatever you've already collected and find ideas from other boards. Check out the Cool Mom Picks Cool Toys Pinterest Board for some fun inspiration!

WantWorthy

If you're going to be doing some shopping online, it only makes sense that you look for a few items for yourself, right? After all, you'd be doing everyone else a huge favor by picking out exactly what you want. And whatever you want online can be housed in one place with WantWorthy. Using a little "Want" button that you drag onto your browser toolbar, you can instantly create a list of items that are good for any gift-giving occasion at all.

Google Docs

Admittedly Google Spreadsheet is definitely not the sexiest option, but it certainly gets the job done. You can use this simple template to keep track of everyone's gifts and even share with family and friends who you want input from. This could be helpful for group gift options too where everyone can contribute their thoughts on ideas and budget. Since Google Docs is in the cloud, you (and other gifters) can always get to it without anyone needing to have an app or smartphone.

Amazon Wishlist

I'm on Amazon at least once a week and have started taking better advantage of its comprehensive Wishlist feature. With EVERYTHING available through Amazon, it's a perfect way to create lists for yourself and others, plus being able to purchase them directly. You can share these lists and just keep them going year-round, adding to them whenever you come across something that's list-worthy. I love that I can keep the lists and buy from the lists in the same place for the ultimate in convenience."

Jeana was certainly thorough, wasn't she?

More on organizing for shopping:

Organizing Your Online  Shopping
Organize Your Christmas Shopping with New Gifts HD iPad App
An Online Tool to Consolidate Wishlists

Organizing the College Application Process

    
College applications are looming! Filling out all those college applications can be very complicated and time consuming. Maura Kastberg wrote a terrific piece on organizing to make the process a little smoother....

"All the dates we have to remember in life can get overwhelming. I come from a big Irish Catholic family and I have five sisters and one brother. Remembering their birthdays, and their children's and spouses birthdays is nearly impossible if it weren't for my old-fashioned paper calendar. As I turn each month over in a glance I can see how many cards I need to buy for that month.

I also have a larger one in my office. It's the only way I can keep track of the meetings and pending commitments looming. Why am I telling you all this? Well, a high school senior needs a calendar at this time of the year. There are so many deadlines to keep track of. The typical student applies to three to five colleges they each have two deadlines one for admissions applications and another one for financial aid applications. Then there are state financial aid program deadlines. Illinois advises students to apply as soon after January 1st as possible. Connecticut has a priority deadline of February 15th.

If you miss the deadline you miss out on that opportunity. Most state financial aid programs are initially applied for by submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Students should have their FAFSA completed as early as possible but certainly no later than their earliest deadline be that from the college or their state program.

The first step to organizing this work is to know what paperwork is required. Keep track of which admissions applications require which pieces, is an essay required, do they want recommendations if so how many, if SAT or ACT test scores are required what deadlines are associated with those. Have a sheet that lists each schools requirement then mark the deadlines on your calendar.

Next know what the financial aid requirements are, all schools will want the FAFSA but some will also require the CSS Profile form and some will have their own financial aid forms that need to be completed. Once you know what the colleges require mark the deadlines on your calendar. Finally look up your state financial aid deadline and mark that on the calendar.

The admissions applications should be sent in early enough to meet the deadline but not too early. The FAFSA should be submitted prior to whatever the earliest deadline is. You probably will not have your taxes completed but you should submit your application using an estimate so your deadlines are met then update the information once you and your parents have completed their taxes.

Finally, keep a copy of everything you submit and the date you submitted it. This will help you later if some piece of your application gets lost or is incomplete. There are many dates to keep track of, but using a calendar to lay it out and plan from can go a long way towards making things a little easier."


More on organizing for college:
USA Today: Staying Organized and Sane During the College Application Process
Organizing College Applications
Three Steps to Time Management for the College Student

Clutter Lessons We Can Learn from Woodpeckers

    
I came across Wendy Langhans' amusing and educational article about woodpeckers and their organizing habits. I think we could learn a lot from them. Enjoy! :)

"It’s a question I’ve been asking myself lately:  what is the difference between storing useful stuff and acumulating clutter?

Perhaps there’s something to be learned from the behavior of Acorn Woodpeckers.



Last Saturday, on a hike at East Canyon, I noticed an Acorn Woodpecker flying overhead.  As I looked about, I noticed a “granary tree”, a dead tree trunk drilled with hundreds of acorn-sized holes.  Some of the holes already had acorns in them, but there were plenty of empty spaces.  I suspect the woodpecker was heading back to gather more acorns from the oaks on the other side of the canyon.

There are 22 species of woodpeckers in North America.  Acorn Woodpeckers are unique among woodpecker species because of their cooperative social behavior.  They live together in family groups of up to 15 birds.

During the spring and summer, Acorn woodpeckers feed mainly on insects.  But in the fall, they work together in family groups to gather and store enough acorns to last throughout the winter.  Sometimes they use a tree, sometimes a telephone pole...



and sometimes...



(Photo courtesy Ron Kraus)

...they choose whatever is handy, like this broken bulletin board at Walker Ranch.

Both Acorn woodpeckers and humans store stuff.  According to the Self Storage Association, 'One in 10 US households currently rent a self storage unit”.  There “is 7.3 sq.ft. of self storage space for every man, woman and child in the nation'.

But when does storing useful stuff become accumulating clutter? Here are three lessons I learned from Acorn Woodpeckers:

1)  Woodpeckers store acorns for a season; humans store stuff for an indeterminate period of time, perhaps even a lifetime.

2)  Woodpecker storage is focused.  They collect acorns.  Human storage is often unfocused.  We collect socks, jewelry, postcards, you-name-it.

But perhaps the most important lesson I learned is this:

3)  Woodpeckers store acorns to feed better; humans store stuff to feel better."


More on our clutter:
The Scientific Reason for Clutter
Yale Study: Why Letting Go Is Literally Painful
Disheartening Findings from a UCLA Study on Clutter and the Middle Class

Need Christmas Cash? How to Sell Your Old Phones, Equipment and Gadgets.

  

It's a hassle to get rid of old office equipment and gadgets, isn't it? Stephanie Vozzal's article provides all you need to cash in on your unused or outdated items:

"Got a few thousand dollars lying around? If your office is similar to the average U.S. household, you just might. A survey by eBay and Nielsen Customized Research found most of us have 50 unused items around their home that, if sold, could bring in $3,100.

The printer you replaced, the cell phone you upgraded and the book you never read -- it’s time to convert that clutter into cash.

Here are several items just waiting to be turned in for money, and how to cash in.

Cell Phones and Electronic Gadgets

According to the latest e-waste study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 141 million cell phones and mobile devices are replaced each year and only 8% are recycled.

Donna Smallin Kuper, organizing expert and author of How to De-clutter and Make Money Now (CreateSpace, 2012) says the majority ends up in drawers, 'because most people don’t know what to do with their old phones when they get new ones.'

In her book, she lists websites that pay cash for cell phones and other electronics. To sell an old phone, a good place to start is SellCell.com, a price comparison site that gets quotes from multiple buyers. Smallin Kuper also recommends Gazelle.com, a popular site that pays cash for select cell phones as well as iPads, iPods and Macbooks. According to its website, the company has purchased more than a million items, with the average device fetching $125.

Another good site is NextWorth.com, which has one of the most extensive buyback lists. This company will purchase your cell phone, laptop, camera, tablet, e-reader, GPS, television, video game console and even your calculator.

When it comes to selling electronics, digital lifestyle expert Carley Knobloch says timing is everything.

'As soon as I got the iPhone 5, I sold my iPhone 4' she says. 'I knew it was worth more at that moment than it ever would be.'

Knobloch, founder of Digitwirl.com, recommends selling electronics as soon as you upgrade or decide you don’t need it. And to help with resale value, she suggests taking good care of your gadgets, using a case when possible and skipping the custom engraving.

Books

Most entrepreneurs have a shelf full of books on the latest business trends. Turn them into quick cash by selling to a site that buys books. Start at BookScouter.com, a price comparison site with a database of more than 20 vendors.

Powells is one of the most popular book selling sites. And SellBackBooks.com is a good market for textbooks. Smallin Kuper says she likes this site because of its Android app that lets you scan the ISBN.

Office Equipment and Furnishings

If you have an iPhone, sell office furnishings using the Yardsale iPhone app. Knobloch likes the app because it lets buyers search specific neighborhoods. Other good sites for selling large furnishings include Craigslist.org and Kijiji.com, both of which offer free online classified ads.

Empty Ink Cartridges

Finally, get cash for ink and toner cartridges. TonerBuyer.com buys empty, partially used and new cartridges. Or return empty cartridges to an office supply store, such as Staples or Office Max, and get store credit of $2 per cartridge.

'In our economy, everybody’s looking to make a little extra money,' says Knobloch. 'Cleaning out the clutter and making extra cash in the process is a great way to do it.'"

More on selling your clutter:
Apps to Help Get Rid of Your Clutter
Helping Your Kids Turn Their Clutter into  Cash
Decluttering Your Electronics

Prepare for the Unexpected - Winterizing Tips

 
As cold weather descends upon us, it's time to winterize and prepare for the unexpected. Frozen pipes, getting stuck in snow, and power failures are just some of the possible difficulties we may find ourselves experiencing.

Last weekend we went without water for two days - not from frozen pipes, but from a glitch with our well pump. So on Saturday, we woke up to no water - without warning. No time to fill bathtubs, no time to prepare! We had some water stored, but not the seven gallons of water we ended up using each day. And that was being extremely frugal with our water for just two of us!

Tip #1 - Store Water and Food

So, needless to say, my first tip is to store up some water. All of it doesn't need to be purchased water. You can fill up cleaned out milk containers for flushing toilets (it takes about a gallon). And of course, you'll need clean water for drinking, bathing and other hygiene needs.

Have food in your pantry or in an emergency location (the basement, for example) that does not require cooking - tuna, canned fruit and veggies, nuts, etc. Occasionally swap out any expiring food for fresh. Keep a can opener, utensils, and disposable dishware on hand, also.

Tip #2 - Stay Connected with the World 

If your electricity goes out, you'll want to make sure you can connect with others.

- Have a land line phone which doesn't require electricity to recharge.

- Get a car charger for your cell phone.

- Purchase a NOAA radio that includes a hand crank which can charge your cell phone and charge the radio. NOAA radios allow you to listen to local weather and emergency warnings on select stations. Keep batteries on hand for that radio.

- Designate a person whom your family members can contact if they can't contact one another. That person can be a liaison between all of you.

Tip #3 - Winterize Your Car

Put a blanket and an extra coat in your car in case you get stranded in cold weather.

Keep some snacks and water in your car. Empty a little water from your water bottles so they don't explode if they freeze.

Keep your car charger for your cell phone handy and accessible.

Have something you can put under your tires if you're stuck in ice or snow. Kitty litter, a carpet remnant, for example. I have reusable grocery bags in my car which should do just fine. Not a fan of kitty litter smell.

Stash some hand and toe warmers in your car. These little packets used by skiers, hikers and hunters are available at Walmart and sports stores and last for hours.

So, as winter approaches, do a little prep work to insure your safety and comfort should the unexpected occur. It will give you peace of mind knowing you're prepared.

More on safety in winter:
Getting Organized for Winter - Your Chimney
Deadly Clutter
Organizing for a Power Failure - Are You Prepared?
National Preparedness Month - Emergency Supplies

 

A Meaningful Christmas Gift that Keeps on Giving

     
I heard about this idea at our church ladies retreat this fall: a Blessings Jar as a group gift to your family. It would also make a lovely gift to others as well.

It's a jar or box of any kind with strips of paper inside . The purpose is to remember blessings in your life. Whenever you or your family members think of a way they have been blessed, they can write that down on one of the paper strips. You can keep blank paper strips in a zip bag in the jar, and fill the rest of the jar with blessings. Throughout the year or at New Year's you can take out the jar and count your blessings!

To take it a bit further, you could put those paper slips in a scrapbook or type them up on a Blessings List or some similar way to preserve them.

We so easily forget the blessings in our  lives! When times are tough, it's an encouragement to remember how we're blessed. I've read that remembering three blessings at the end of each day is far more effective than having a therapist!

More on blessings:
5-Minute Stress Relievers - Spiritual Refocusing
5-Minte Stress Reliever - Change Your Attitude
Planning Thankfulness into Your Thanksgiving Celebration

A Meaningful Advent Calendar - With No Clutter!

    
Up until recently, I bought  little gifts for my children and foster children to open every day of December until Christmas. I thoroughly enjoyed doing this, but this year I'm going to do something different. I'm going to write to each of my children a little email note stating something I appreciate about him/her ... something nice for grown or older children.

If you're feeling like your kids don't need a bunch of little tchotchkes to clutter up their lives (or your house), you may want to try a no-clutter advent, too. Provide experiences rather than clutter. For example,
- you could stick folded up notes on your calendar with an experience for each day
- or get an advent calendar that has little drawers in it and place your notes inside the drawers
- or put your notes in their stockings.
However you want to do it, here are some ideas for experiences to include in your advent:

Pick out a tree together and decorate while Christmas music is playing
Make popcorn garlands for your tree
Watch a Christmas movie together
Make a snowman
Go sledding
Make cookies or breads for a neighbor
Go ice skating
Decorate the house or your child's room for Christmas
Have the whole family sleep under the Christmas tree
Have your child draw a picture for grandparents and mail it
Make a video and send to grandparents or other family who may live far away
Read a short Christmas book (or chapter in a book) together
Visit a live nativity
Act out the Christmas story from Luke 2
Make simple Christmas gifts for friends and/or family
Go to a Christmas play, ballet or concert
Donate canned goods to a shelter
Make a Gingerbread house
Look at Christmas lights in your town
Cut strips of wrapping paper and start a chain garland. Have each person who comes into your home sign a strip, date it, and add it to the chain. Add to the chain every year.
Play a game of your child's choice
Make and decorate Christmas cookies
Look at old pictures or movies of the family
Work together to make a dessert your family likes to eat at Christmas
Go out to eat at a special restaurant
Pay off someone's layaway at K-Mart
Make Christmas ornaments
Attend your church's Christmas program
Go to a movie
Recall favorite Christmas memories together
Make your own Christmas cards
Attend a Christmas Eve service and open one gift afterward
Watch your town's Christmas tree lighting celebration
Donate toys to Angel Tree, Toys for Tots or similar programs
Host a Christmas party
Give a goat, chicken or soccer ball to a poor child around the world (World Vision has a Christmas catalog of such gifts)
Provide babysitting for a single mom or dad
Wrap Christmas gifts
Send a care package to a service man or woman overseas
Sing Christmas carols at a nursing home

What a meaningful Christmas! You're spending time with your child, sharing memories and talking together as you go. It's a bit time consuming, but many of the experiences are things you'd want to do anyway with your child. It just makes it a little more special when each day is a surprise.

More on having a clutter-free Christmas:
Meaningful Gifts with No Clutter
Create Clutter-Free Zones Where Clutter is Off Limits
Three Steps to Decluttering (printed book and ebook)

5 Safety Lessons for Holiday Hosts

 Can't believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away! We're going to be celebrating at our daughter's house, as it's easier on our granddaughter to be at home. Our son-in-law is a gourmet cook, so it should be fabulous. Of course, we'll share with sides and desserts, but haven't decided yet what to bring. Any ideas?

Here's another article on safety while preparing holiday meals: 5 Thanksgiving Safety Lessons for Holiday Hosts by Catherine Jones. She comes from the food service industry and shares from her expertise there.

"It's your turn to host Thanksgiving dinner. Your house is filled with family and friends, many of whom are "helping" you in your suddenly cramped kitchen. There are dishes everywhere, open drawers and cupboards, steam rising from boiling pots, and where did you put that carving knife?

For those who work in food preparation, this chaos is all too familiar. And so are the hazards. So here's some advice from the food service industry to help you and your guests stay injury-free in your kitchen this Thanksgiving-and throughout the year.

The Hazards and Safety Practices of a Busy Kitchen

The food service industry is not the most hazardous, but it does have its dangers. Here's how to handle five common food service hazards that can also be found in many kitchens on holiday weekends.

1. Slips, trips and falls. Dress for cooking with safety in mind. Choose low-heeled, secure shoes with a non-skid sole and an enclosed toe. (A falling measuring cup can inflict as much damage on your toes as a falling hammer if it lands the wrong way.)Don't hurry; take short steps to prevent slips.Pick up trash and food scraps that fall to the floor, and wipe up spills promptly to prevent slipping accidents.

2. Collisions. Be alert for potential collisions with others, especially at doorways and around the stove.When passing someone who may not see you, say, "Behind you."

3. Burns and scalds.   

• Never wear loose clothing or baggy sleeves while cooking.
   
• Don't reach across fryers, stoves and other hot surfaces and materials.


• Use potholders when handling pots.


• Use caution around steam and boiling water. Protect your face and arms when lifting pot lids. When removing the cover from a boiling pot, expose the far side of the pot first, to release steam.


• Never leave oil under heat unattended.
   
• Never overfill a fryer with oil or food.
   
• Cool oil before moving it.
   
• Turn pan handles aside so they don't get bumped or snag on clothing, but keep them clear of other burners.
   
• Before microwaving food, vent the container by lifting the edge of the cover.
   
• Use caution when opening covered containers that have been in the microwave, and open them away from your face.

4. Heat illness. Kitchen workers are at risk for heat illness as well, so drink plenty of water and make sure you take an occasional break from your hot kitchen.

5. Cuts from knives or other sharp kitchen tools.

• Unplug the food processor when loading, emptying or changing blades.
   
• Keep knives sharp. Dull knives require too much force to operate; they can slip and cause cuts.
   
• Use the right knife for the job.
   
• When cutting, slice down and away from your hand and body.
   
• Keep your fingers and thumbs out of the cutting line.
   
• Carry knives with the cutting edge angled slightly away from your body and the tip pointed down.
   
• Don't hand a knife to someone. Instead, place it down on a clean surface and the let the other person pick it up.
   
• Don't place knives near the edge of a countertop.
   
• Don't use a knife while distracted.
   
• If you drop something, let it fall. You can receive serious cuts if you try to catch falling knives or glassware.

Conclusion: It's a lot of work preparing a holiday meal, but it doesn't have to be dangerous. With care and attention, you can stay safe and injury-free, and able to enjoy the blessings of a special meal with your loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!"



More on Thanksgiving:
Getting Organized for Thanksgiving
Three Steps to Planning Dinner
Pulling Off a Smooth Thanksgiving Meal - Food Handling Safety

Pulling Off a Smooth Thanksgiving Meal - Food Handling Safety

    
As we prepare for holiday meals, we need to organize with safety in mind. I found the following article on food safety. I had not considered some of these suggestions before - they are definitely ones to practice! By putting these tips into practice, you'll help create wonderful memories, not ones that include the emergency room! 

"Thanksgiving is upon us and with it comes the traditional turkey dinner. However, the improper storing, cooking, and serving of roast turkey can lead to the growth of harmful bacteria like salmonella, which can cause foodborne illness. 

The DuPage County Health Department advises consumers that safe food handling of turkey and other holiday foods is essential in preventing foodborne illness. Here are some tips to share with your family for preparing a Thanksgiving bird safely.

• Thaw the frozen turkey in the refrigerator. Allow one day for each five pounds of turkey. A twenty-pound turkey will take about four days to thaw. Hint: Remove neck & giblets from inside the bird as soon as possible to hasten thawing.

• Do not thaw on the kitchen counter. If you do not have time to thaw in the refrigerator, you may thaw it in cold water, provided that the turkey is in a leak-proof packaging, it is submerged, and the water is changed every half-hour. Allow 30 minutes per pound of turkey to thaw in cold water.

• Cook fresh turkeys within two days, thawed ones within four days.

• Wash your hands with hot, soapy water before and after handling raw poultry. Wash all knives, cutting boards and utensils also after using for raw poultry.

• Read and follow the cooking directions on the label. Cook turkey until it is done (165°F). Do not slow cook overnight at low temperatures or partially cook. Some turkeys come with pop-up thermometers. They are to be used only as a guide to doneness. Take the temperature with a meat thermometer to be sure the temperature is over 165°F.

• Stuffing should not be prepared a day ahead and the turkey should not be stuffed until ready to cook. A quicker, safer method is to cook the stuffing separately in a casserole, using some of the pan juices to flavor and moisten the stuffing.

• Eat the meal as soon as it is prepared. Do not leave leftovers out on the counter or table after dinner. Cut the meat off the bones and put it in shallow containers in the refrigerator.

• Reheat all leftovers to 165°F. (Use your meat thermometer.) Gravy should be brought to a rolling boil."

Source: DuPage Health 


More on Thanksgiving:  
Planning Thankfulness into Your Thanksgiving Celebration  
Getting Organized for Thanksgiving  
Planning Ahead for Thanksgiving

Safe, Space-Saving Storage for Hair Appliances

  
I recently found a great storage solution for small (or any!) bathrooms: The Polder® Style Station Hair Care Storage at Bed, Bath and Beyond. For only $19.99, it provides a safe place to store hot hair tools while they're cooling. As a former foster parent for a houseful of teenage girls, this looks like a no-brainer to me! All the reviews scored 5 stars.

Here's BBB's description:

"In a sleek, handsome design, this style station offers a unique solution to all hair-styling-implement storage and organization needs. It can hang on a towel bar or towel hook, or you can even store it in a drawer, overhead cabinet or under the vanity sink.

Styling station safely stores up to three implements: dryers, curling irons and straighteners. Or, you can use one of the three separate compartments to keep brushes and/or combs conveniently at-hand.

With its stainless steel mesh body and internal silicone base-insulator, even hot tools can be safely stored immediately after use. Great for keeping unruly electrical cords organized in the split compartments in the rear."

Great idea, don't you agree?

More on bathroom storage:
Some of My Favorite Organizing Products - Tall Laundry Hampers
Clever Bathroom Organizing Ideas from Martha Stewart
Magnetic Paint - An Innovative Space Saver!

Planning Thankfulness into Your Thanksgiving Celebration

I'm thankful for so much in my life! In order to keep the theme of thanksgiving at Thanksgiving, we try to include being thankful in our celebration. If I'm not intentional about it, I might forget to include it.

Here are some ideas we've used:

- Give your family and/or guests three kernels of corn each and have them share three things for which they are thankful. Do this while people are waiting for dinner, during dessert or after the meal. DON'T do it while the hot food is sitting on the table, getting cold!

- Buy or make (I couldn't find one to buy) a 100% cotton table cloth and provide fabric markers so people can write something for which they are thankful. (Markers bleed on polyester tablecloths.) Have them date their comments. Then you can look back over the tablecloth each year and see what has been written. What a fun heirloom!

- Not necessarily at Thanksgiving, we have gone around the table and said one thing we appreciate about each other. 

Let's not forget the reason we're celebrating! 


More on being thankful:

5-Minute Stress Relievers - Spiritual Refocusing
5-Minute Stress Relievers - Change Your Attitude
Happy Thanksgiving!! 

The Scientific Reason for Clutter

    
Winter has arrived here in Montana! We got several inches of snow over the weekend with highs in the teens. A nice time to stay in and cook my pumpkin and try my hand at some gluten-free recipes: Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Muffins. Happily, they were good! In the process, I made huge messes in my kitchen, which illustrates the topic for today: Entropy, a law of science. Nancy Harris's amusing article describes an experience known to us all.


"It was then, as I struggled to scrub a bathroom only to return to a sink full of dishes in a previously-clean kitchen; or as I folded a pile of laundry and, upon finishing, discovered an open box of cereal dumped across the living room floor, cereal bowls on the counter and a stack of papers scattered across the kitchen table, that I realized just how very relevant entropy was.

You see, entropy has to do with steady deterioration, measures of disorder and overall tendencies toward chaos. And it isn’t just a crazy theory. Heavens no. It is law. Big law — as in the Second Law of Thermodynamics big. And what is more, it doesn’t state that order must always decrease. Oh, you can produce order all right — highly elaborate order even — only in doing so, disorder will increase somewhere else.

And there’s the key. Go ahead: clean and scrub, sort and organize, produce spectacular order in one area of your home; just understand and accept the fact that there will certainly be order decreasing, every bit as spectacularly, somewhere else in your home — especially if you have children or pets, or maybe even a husband (bless his heart).

There are likely some of you out there reading this and thinking smart little thoughts like, “You didn’t explain this right at all,” and “It has nothing to do with clutter. This is about energy, for crying out loud! It’s about thermodynamics and closed systems!”

But the rest of you are surely thinking, as I have thought all these many years, “Finally! A purely scientific explanation for why my house cannot stay tidy!” Blame it on entropy. Blame it on science. You and your home are simply subject to a greater law — a law of messiness, if you will.

Comfort yourself in knowing that those friends and neighbors of yours who seem to have a home void of dust, clear of any sign of fingerprints on walls and windows, and completely lacking in piles of laundry and unsorted mail, certainly have chaos and disorder somewhere else. You might have to search under their beds or open every drawer in their kitchen, but that disorder is there. Somewhere. It has to be ….

Unless, of course, they are superheroes who can defy the very laws of nature. And if that is the case, well, there is no use comparing yourself to them anyway."


More on clutter:
Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room (print version) (Kindle version)
Three Steps to Decluttering (print version) (Kindle version)
Declutter Any Room in 3 Weeks

Getting Organized for Thanksgiving

    
We haven't decided yet where we'll have Thanksgiving this year - at our house or our daughter's. Nevertheless, wherever it is, I'm sure we'll both be pitching in to pull it off. 

What about you? Hosting Thanksgiving this year? Don't despair - there's plenty of help out there! 

Disney Printable Planner 
Even Micky and Minnie can help. Disney offers a Thanksgiving printable planner with several different lists, including a countdown schedule for Thanksgiving Day.  

 

Thanksgiving 101

If you're a novice, or are feeling a little inadequate in some area, Taste of Home offers Thanksgiving 101. They have tutorials on everything from making gravy to setting the table . 

Thanksgiving Survival Guide
And here's a Thankgsiving Survival Guide written by Aviva Goldfarb on Cozi: 

"I get the jitters before hosting almost any gathering. But with all the build-up to Thanksgiving, it feels like the stakes are even higher than usual. To keep it in perspective, I try to remember what is most important-to be with family and friends and appreciate our blessings. But if I'm hosting the feast, I still have a lot of work to do! I've devised some strategies for making the evening easier on us, while still indulging our guests:  

Don't try to do it alone 
Just because I love to cook, doesn't mean I have to do it all! If anyone volunteers to bring something, I take them up on it. I also try to involve the kids with the preparation, either by asking them to make place cards or table decorations, or clean the house. (A friend of mine cherishes the Thanksgiving tablecloth her kids made on which they traced their hands in fall colors and wrote what they were thankful for.) 

Make a menu ahead of time 
By the Sunday before the feast, I make a list of everything we are serving, from appetizers to coffee. I note who is making each item and when I need to start my assignments. I even jot down my daily tasks on my calendar.  

Grocery shop early 
I make a detailed grocery list (consulting the menu I've decided on) and buy the groceries by Tuesday, so I can start cooking on Wednesday.  

Cook in advance 
Most of the trimmings can be cooked well in advance of dinner, and then warmed before the meal. Even the turkey can be finished cooking (we even slice it!) hours before the meal. (Just put that Norman Rockwell image of the father cutting the bird at the table out of your mind!)  

Get the house and table ready the night before 
To avoid exhaustion on the big day, I make sure the house looks nice and the table is set before I go to bed on Wednesday.  

Keep appetizers easy 
Before dinner, I serve simple foods, such as gourmet cheeses, nuts, store-bought gourmet spread for crackers, vegetables and dip, and fresh popcorn.  

Send the kids out for a picnic and sports before the meal 
This strategy, suggested by my friend and colleague, Jeanne Rossomme, frees the kitchen for the big feast, and calms the kids so there is a higher probability of civilized behavior when guests arrive. Have plastic containers ready so you can pack up leftovers This makes clean-up easier. But save a slice of cooked turkey breast for next week's recipe for turkey pot pie!  

Take the last thirty minutes off 
An experienced hostess once told me that I should try to hold sacred the last half hour before guests arrive. I use this time to get myself cleaned up and put my feet up for a few minutes. That way I'm not utterly exhausted before the evening begins.  

Give thanks and eat slowly 
After sitting down, each guest shares one thing for which they are thankful. This simple tradition really sets the right mood. Then we enjoy the feast we've all helped to prepare, and we try to remember to savor the time together after all our hard work." 

Happy Planning!! 

More on Thanksgiving:
Organizing Your To Do List
Everything You Need to Know to Pull Off Thanksgiving
Three Steps to Planning Dinner