September - National Preparedness Month - What Are Your Potential Emergencies?

  
As a result of moving to Montana, my husband and I have a different set of emergencies to anticipate than when living in Ohio or Maryland. As a result, we had a conversation recently on how to prepare for such eventualities.

First, we identified those emergencies we might face.We thought we might encounter no electricity, no water, extreme temperatures, high wind,  and heavy snow. No longer do we need to prepare for tornadoes, though, as we did in the other two locations.

Next, we identified the ramifications of those emergencies.It could mean no heat, no connection with the outside world, lack of water, no indoor cooking facilities, being stuck in snow, being cold.

Third, we identified action items to prepare for these possible emergencies.- We plan to get a kerosene heater to provide heat should our electricity go out.- We decided to get a battery with which to charge our phones and computers. We already have car chargers for them.
- We will begin to fill empty containers with water and a little bleach so we would at least have water to flush the toilets.
- We'll stock up on nonperishable items should we not be able to cook at all - tuna, canned veggies and fruit; and a manual can opener.
- We'll make sure to have a full back-up gas canister for the grill should we need to use it as our main source of cooking.
- I bought a pair of heavy-duty snow boots. My husband already has a couple of pairs.
- By the end of September, we should winterize our car - have blankets, hand and feet warmers, water, etc. in each car should we get stuck somewhere.
- Our snow shovel is accessible.
- We have coats, gloves, etc. that are appropriate for snow removal.

What emergencies might you face in your area and how will you prepare for them?

More on preparedness:
Prepare for the Unexpected - Winterizing Tips
Getting Your House in Order - A Great Wintertime Project
Organizing for Safety During the Holiday Season - A Simple  Tip

Organizing Your Kitchen Cabinets - Fake Pull-Out Drawers

  
I've been searching around the internet for great organizing ideas, and found this one: fake pull-out drawers. Using plastic containers as you would drawers allows you to pull out the container and find what you need easily. Good-bye standing on your head to find those things in the back.  Nothing gets lost or forgotten. Brilliant idea!!

More on kitchen storage:
Organizing Products I Use - Spice Organizers and Turntables
Redbook: Clever Storage for Plastic Wrap, Foil, and Reclosable Bags
Three Steps to Organizing Your Kitchen

Turn Old Furniture into an Island or Kitchen Table

   



Better Homes and Gardens ideas for repurposing old furniture: "Improve the functionality of your kitchen -- without spending a lot -- by transforming an old furniture piece into a work space.

Any table or chest can be enlisted as an island stand-in, provided it can be adjusted to the right height.

This narrow table, painted white and outfitted with a beveled-glass topper, now serves as a delightful dining area in this tiny kitchen."

More repurposed furniture:
DIY Storage - Turn Old Benches into a Shelving Unit
DIY Storage - Entry or Side Table
DIY - Turn a Hutch or TV Cabinet into an Entry Organizer

Getting Organized for School - Planning Dinner

  

Happy Labor Day! Hope your day is enjoyable! For some this is the last hurrah before school starts. For others, school has already been in session for a while.

Whenever school starts for you, reality sets in at the time! Summer is nice - schedules are more flexible, days are longer, vacations break up routines. But if you're a parent of school-aged kids, it's kind of nice to restore some of those routines again when school starts.

One of the biggest items to consider is dinnertime. Studies show that kids who eat dinner with their families several times a week are less likely to get involved in drugs and crime. It's a nice way to catch up with the family and can be the central focus of the day.

But. .. it takes planning, doesn't it? In order to save precious time, I recommend planning menus for the week and shopping just once a week. Each extra trip to the grocery store is a real time-drainer! Meals don't need to be elaborate, just tasty and balanced, to keep everyone functioning at peak energy.

Create an arsenal of quick, easy favorites - enough choices so you and your family don't get bored. If you need some help, check out our Hassle Free Dinners and Three Steps to Planning Dinner.

More on quick dinners:
Dinner in 15 - Citrus Salmon
Dinner in 10 – Lime Dill Chicken
Dinner in 10 – Chicken with Cranberry/Mandarin Sauce

 

It's a Great Time to Rethink Life!

  
When I had kids at home, I would rethink life when school started, in January and at the beginning of summer. Each of these times marked when schedules changed. In light of these schedule changes, I'd think through my schedule and our family's schedule. All of us were active, and if I didn't intentionally rethink life, things would start falling through the cracks and we'd miss important events or need to be in several places at once!

I'd think through my passions, priorities, gifts and how these lined up with my schedule. I wanted to make sure that I was investing my limited time in those things that were most important to me. And it gave me an opportunity to remove those things that no longer mattered as much. A great time to evaluate!

As an empty nester, my schedule is not nearly as complicated as when we had kids at home, but I still want to be very intentional about how I spend my time. At every age, it's important to align your life with your passions, priorities, gifts and the legacy you want to leave future generations!

If you're inspired to rethink life, I'd love to help! A simple step-by-step plan is included in all my time management books. Here's where they are:

Three Steps to Time Management books (printed and downloadable)
Three Steps to Time Management books (on Kindle)
Rethinking Your Life in 3 Weeks

Or, if you'd like some coaching to walk you through the process, drop me an email at Bev@1-2-3GetOrganized.com and we can set up a telephone or Skype call.

Live life intentionally!

 

Keeping Sheets and Pillowcases Together

  

"Never lose a pillowcase again! Here's how: If the clean set isn't going directly onto a bed, fold and stash it in one of the pillowcases to keep everything together". (Redbook)

I've shared this idea before, but the picture is so much nicer on Redbook's post! I've been storing my sheets like this for a few years now. I used to tie ribbons around sets of sheets a la Martha Stewart, but I love this idea so much more! You never have to wonder if the sheets match, especially if you have a bunch of white sheets, for example!

More on closets:
Ruthless Closet Purging - Getting Organized for a Move ... Or Not
Three Steps to Organizing Your Closet (ebook)
Three  Steps to Organizing Your Closet (Kindle)

 

Dinner in 15 - Herbed Tilapia

  

Herbed tilapia has become one of my favorite dishes since growing my own herbs. One night I just picked a handful of various herbs - cilantro, parsley, chives, and basil. I cut them up with scissors, sprinkled some olive oil in a nonstick pan and threw in the herbs for a minute or so on medium high heat.

Placed the tilapia filets on top of the herbs and cooked until I could see white around the edges. Turned them over for another few minutes. Seasoned to taste. If you're not a big fish fan (I'm not) tilapia is ideal - it doesn't taste real fishy. If you don't have fresh herbs, used dried ones to your taste.

In the meantime, steam some frozen peas, slice some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers, and cut up some watermelon. A quick, fresh meal!

More quick dinner ideas:
Hassle Free Dinners
Three  Steps to Planning Dinner
Dinner in 15 - Citrus Salmon

DIY Cord Storage

Cables and cords out of control? "Coil spare chargers, cables, and extension cords inside cardboard toilet-paper rolls — and store them upright in a box to prevent tangle meltdowns." Thanks, Redbook.
   

More DIY storage ideas:
Trunk Storage - Prevent Runaway Groceries
Organizing Your Bracelets - Go Vertical!
Organize Toys Using a Wire Garden Planter

 

Hoarders Dos and Don'ts Guide

  
If you're a hoarder or have a hoarding friend or family member, you might be interested in the Hoarders Dos and Don'ts Guide put out by Address Our Mess, hoarding experts. 

Hoarding is a complicated issue and must be handled carefully and thoughtfully. This guide will give you some valuable insights on how to most effectively address hoarding.


More on hoarding:
Hoarding - There Are no Easy Answers
Are You Turning into a Hoarder? Find Out.
Dehorder Game - Clean Up a Hoarder Home

 

Getting Organized for School - Organizing Homework without Battles

  
I repeat this blog post every year because homework can be such a battlefield!

Having trouble getting your child to do homework? Or does homework seem to stretch out over an unusually long time? When my children were in school I came up with a solution that gave my girls control and motivation, as well as some training in time management.

While they were having their after-school snack, each girl would list out all her homework assignments on a 3 x 5 card with the estimated time needed to complete each subject. Then, depending on how much time we had that day for homework, she would plan out her homework time, interspersing homework time with play time - a video game, a game with me, a TV show, shooting hoops, playing outside, etc. I recommend 30 minutes studying and 15 minutes to play with longer study times for older kids, shorter for younger.

I found that my kids were motivated to complete their homework in the time they estimated so they could get to playing. Plus homework time didn't turn into an endless expanse of time with no end in sight.

If one of the girls would underestimate the time it took to complete an assignment, her play time was still honored. Just having a change of scenery refreshes the brain.

By giving each girl some control over how she managed her time, she was motivated to do her homework and felt a sense of accomplishment from organizing her homework. Homework was broken up into bite-sized pieces and interspersed with fun. Homework battles were greatly reduced!

A suggestion: study your child. One of my daughters, an introvert, was depleted both physically and socially when she came home from school because she had used up all her words. She needed food and time to regroup before she was ready to talk about her day. My other daughter, also an introvert, wouldn't use up her words at school and was a chatterbox because she felt more comfortable using her words at home.

A child with ADHD may need to get rid of a bunch of energy before sitting down to homework. Each child is different, and as we study our children, we'll have more insight into creating an atmosphere for their success.


More on homework:
Getting Organized for School - Start the Night Before
Getting Organized for School (and Life!!) - Getting Enough Sleep
Getting Organized for School - Discover Your Child's Learning Styles

 

Study: Clutter Inspires Creativity, Other Interesting Findings

   
I discovered the following study that claims that clutter inspires creativity. As a personality type facilitator, I've observed that creative types are often more oblivious to clutter than structured types. So does clutter inspire creativity or just not bother creative types? That's my question. Here are the study findings - see what you think:

"A tidy desk might resemble a tidy mind, as the saying goes, but working amongst clutter helps you think more creatively, according to a new study.

Messy desk lovers now have science as an excuse for their office jumble as the research shows they can dream up more imaginative ideas.

The University of Minnesota researchers believe disorder inspires the mind to break free of convention.

But the neat freaks have also been given a boost, with the same study saying tidiness promotes healthy eating, generosity, and conventionality.

'Prior work has found that a clean setting leads people to do good things: Not engage in crime, not litter, and show more generosity,' psychological scientist Kathleen Vohs said in the study published in the journal Psychological Science.

'We found, however, that you can get really valuable outcomes from being in a messy setting.'

In one experiment, office workers were asked to fill out some questionnaires.

Some completed the task in a clean and orderly office, while others did so in an unkempt one with papers strewn about and cluttered office supplies.

Afterward, the participants were presented with the opportunity to donate to a charity, and they were allowed to take a snack of chocolate or an apple on their way out.

Those in the tidy office were more likely to donate, and chose the apple over the chocolate.

But in another experiment, the messy desk brigade came out of top.

Participants were asked to come up with new uses for ping pong balls.

Overall, participants in the messy room generated the same number of ideas for new uses as their clean-room counterparts.

But their ideas were rated as more interesting and more creative when evaluated by impartial judges.

'Being in a messy room led to something that firms, industries, and societies want more of: creativity,' said Professor Vohs.

'Disorderly environments seem to inspire breaking free of tradition, which can produce fresh insights.'

Whether the environment was tidy or unkempt made a 'whopping difference in' behaviour, the study found."



 
More on clutter tolerance:
Simple Questions to Get in Touch with Your Clutter Comfort Level
Is There a Difference Between Being Cluttered vs. Being Disorganized?
Three Steps to Decluttering

 

DIY Portable Storage

"Add casters to a simple wood box for easy-to-move storage for almost any purpose. Place the box beneath an entryway console and you have an accessible, but tucked-away, place for shoes." Another clever idea from Better Homes and Gardens.

Some other ideas: use it as a movable toy bin or a gardening supply container.





More DIY Storage:
DIY Storage - Turn Old Benches into a Shelving Unit
DIY - Turn a Hutch or TV Cabinet into an Entry Organizer
Turn Your Clutter into Storage - DIY Ideas

Getting Organized for School - Start the Night Before

  
Wouldn’t you love to have a peaceful, stress-free morning tomorrow? Starting the night before can help eliminate the rush and push, getting your day off to a pleasant and calm start. This is a blog post I wrote when we had five teenage foster daughters trying to get to school on time each morning!

Getting Your Child Organized

Knowing how much sleep your child needs is essential to his/her well-being and success at school. Trying to function well in a sleep-deprived stupor is impossible.

I feel strongly that a huge role of mine as a mom and foster mom is to create an atmosphere where my child can succeed. In order to insure that my children get enough sleep, I work backwards:

- I figure out when my child needs to be in bed with the lights out in order to get the sleep she requires. We have five foster daughters in our house this week. One starts school today, two tomorrow and two on Thursday. We are reining in bedtime so everyone can get enough sleep.

- We determine how much time is needed for nightly routines – shower/bath, brushing teeth, room decluttering, prayers, reading, etc. – and start the routine that much earlier than bedtime. With five girls and one bathroom between them, we are starting at 7 to get them all in their rooms by 9!

- Next, we figure out how much time is needed for morning routines - shower/bath, brushing teeth, breakfast, etc. Each child sets the alarm to allow enough time for her morning routine to be accomplished without rush. We have one child who is younger than the rest, and has trouble judging time. When she first came, we wrote out a timed schedule of what she needs to do in the morning and how much time it should take.

- We encourage each child to choose her clothes for tomorrow and lay them out.

- Before choosing her clothes, she should have packed her backpack – homework assignments, permission slips, gym clothes, etc., checking her backpack checklist.

- Before packing her backpack, she can pack her lunch and put it in the fridge. If she doesn't want to make a sandwich the night before because it will get soggy, at least she can pack everything else and know which kind of sandwich she will make in the morning. (I must confess, I made my girls’ lunches throughout high school. For some reason it stressed them out, and I didn't mind doing it.)

Getting Yourself Organized

If I am running behind in the morning, it makes life stressful for everyone! So I try to create the same type of routine for myself. If I am sleep deprived, I get crabby and little things that shouldn't bother me trigger inappropriate responses.

- I need to know how much sleep I need and determine when I need to be in bed with the lights out in order to get it.

- Working backwards again, I calculate how much time I need for my nightly routine and start the routine that much earlier than bedtime.

- During my routine, I think through what my morning routine will be and how much time it will take, including fixing breakfast and making sure everyone else gets out the door on time. I set my alarm to allow for that to happen without panic. Ten minutes can change panic to calm, so I try not to cut my morning routine too short.

- Before I start my evening routine or during my routine, I think through what I'm going to wear tomorrow and make sure it's clean, ironed, etc.

- Before that, I think through my schedule for tomorrow and pack my briefcase and/or purse and/or gym bag (backpack or diaper bag for some of you) with what I need for the day tomorrow. I'm much less likely to forget something if I can think it through calmly.

- If I'm going to need a lunch, I'll prepare it before I pack my bag and stick it in the fridge. If I take leftovers from dinner, I try to package them while putting the food away after dinner.

- While I'm packing my lunch or while preparing dinner, I look to see what I have planned for breakfast. When I plan my meals for the week, I also plan breakfasts so I can get what I need when I do my weekly grocery shopping.

- After dinner is a good time to set the table for breakfast. If you have two tables - one in the kitchen and one in the dining room, you can set both whenever you empty the dishwasher - one for breakfast and one for dinner.

It’s a lot to think about, isn’t it? It’s easy to see why time slips away without even realizing it. But by being intentional about your evening schedule, you’re creating an atmosphere of success for both your child and yourself which will hopefully result in a peaceful and productive day tomorrow!

What do you do to get your day off to a good start?



More on Organizing for School:
Getting Organized for School (and Life!) - Getting Enough Sleep  
Getting Organized for School - Ideas for Creating a Central Hub  
Three Steps to Time Management for the Working Mom

Twelve Tips for Planning a Low-Stress Wedding

    

A wedding is a breeding ground for stress, one reason being that there are so many details to manage. There's not much you can do about Aunt Martha and Cousin Joe not wanting to speak to each other, but you can organize and manage details so there are as few surprises as possible.

There will always be those things that pop up at the last minute, but if you have done a good job of organizing, they are usually either out of your control or are minor. The following tips will help ease your mind as your plan your wedding:

1. Start early. As soon as you know you’re getting married, start planning. My daughter and I had almost a year to plan her wedding and we used it all! Her wedding was very large and we did much of it ourselves. If you don’t think you need that much time, it never hurts to be ahead of schedule, even if your wedding is intimate and simple.

Even if you’re not engaged yet, there are several things you can start looking at: wedding dresses, bridal party attire, invitations, etc. Don’t scare off your boyfriend, though, by jumping the gun!

2. Keep the communication lines open and healthy with your fiancé and your family during the wedding-planning process. Your relationships are more important than your ceremony. Your ceremony will take place on one day ... your relationships will continue for the rest of your life. Work on finding win-win solutions to problems and be open to their ideas.

You will spend the rest of your life finding solutions to problems. To help you perfect this skill, avail yourself of pre-marriage counseling. I highly recommend the Myers-Briggs personality type inventory. And make good choices, the most important one in my opinion: don't be selfish. It's impossible for a marriage to flourish if one or both partners are self-absorbed.

3. Determine your budget and the size of your wedding. Your budget will likely determine the size of your wedding. If your parents are paying for your wedding, get a clear picture of what they are willing to spend. You can decide to stick within that budget or contribute some yourself. Or you may be footing the entire bill yourself.

Whatever the case, I suggest living within your budget. Insisting on a lavish affair is not worth the stress that debt puts on your relationship with your parents and/or your fiancé and later on your marriage.

Do your homework as you estimate the cost of the various components of your wedding. Costs add up quickly, and being realistic about them avoids last minute sticker-shock and its ensuing stress. Overestimate your costs so that if things turns out to be higher than you anticipated, you have a little padding.

4. Get a wedding organization book and live by it! This wonderful tool provides checklists, timelines, and deadlines. It also supplies you with etiquette rules and other such valuable information. Remember, though, that just because something is suggested in your wedding organization book, if it’s not you, don’t do it! This is your wedding, and it should reflect you! If you can afford a wedding planner, she will do much of this for you.

5. Secure a venue for your wedding and reception. Some locations are booked a year or more in advance, so don’t procrastinate on this one if your location is a popular one! To avoid this hassle, some couples are deciding to marry on less typical days: Friday evening or Sunday afternoon, for example. By thinking outside the box, you may discover creative solutions to this search.

6. Decide on a wedding dress and wedding party attire. This may take a while, so give yourself enough time to find what you want. The internet makes this overwhelming task much easier! Look online to find styles you like and narrow down your search this way.

Give yourself enough time for altering, re-ordering correct sizes, etc. If you are having dresses made, allow adequate time for measuring, sewing, try-ons, and alterations. We had the bridesmaids’ dresses made by a friend. To cut costs, we used a 50% off coupon at Jo-Ann’s when we purchased the material.

7. Plan your wedding ceremony with your fiancé. Don’t just include everything you’ve seen in others’ wedding – make it meaningful to you. We actually attended a wedding ceremony that seemed like it included everything ever done in a wedding ceremony – it was eternal!!

Make your ceremony reflective of you! Sit down with the minister or person who is going to perform your wedding, and express your desires. Any wedding ceremony can be adapted to fit your values and wishes.

Our daughter and son-in-law have a very strong faith. Her engagement ring was a triangle. She and her fiance were represented by the bottom two corners, and God was represented by the top corner. They wanted their relationship to become closer as they became closer to God. The triangle shape reoccurred throughout the wedding and reception.

Our daughter didn’t want a wedding cake – she wanted cheesecake instead. We found already-sliced Cheesecake Factory cheesecake at Sam’s. They chose to eliminate the cake-cutting, obviously.

A friend of ours was into the two-step, so he and his groomsmen wore cowboy boots and it was a two-step reception. Another friend got married in his Chucks, his signature footwear! Don't be afraid to be different!

8. Keep a binder or file or box containing wedding paraphernalia – contracts with those providing services, sketches, ideas, final products, etc., so you can locate colors, samples, etc. at a moment’s notice.

9. Determine what help you need – both paid and volunteer. If you have friends who are willing to help with various aspects of your wedding, accept that help if you like their work. A friend might be able to design your invitation and/or program. Or help you address wedding invitations. Ask friends for recommendation for wedding cake bakers, caterers, etc. If people offer to help, consider saying yes!

10. Hire a wedding coordinator at least for your wedding day. Then you, your mom, your family, and your wedding party can enjoy the day and revel in your celebration. She can take care of those little details and make sure that everyone is where they need to be.

11. Prepare an emergency kit for those last minute snafus: safety pins, masking tape, cellophane tape, a stapler, bobby pins, hair spray, needle and thread, extra pantyhose, extra make-up, scissors, etc. Ask a friend to be on stand-by to run errands if necessary.

12. Relax and enjoy your day! Determine not to be stressed even if everything doesn’t go exactly as you planned. Someone may faint or goof up, but the important thing is that you're getting married!! Don't let small things spoil your celebration. And ... live happily ever after!


More on relieving stress:
6 Ways to Reduce Stress by Getting Organized
Foods that Relieve Stress
Twelve Tips to Destressing Christmas

 

DIY Storage - Turn Old Benches into a Storage Unit

   
"Create a scene-stealing shelving system by stacking a series of antique benches and anchoring them to the wall. The weathered finish of these benches testifies to their colorful past lives and adds a rustic, eclectic character to the space while providing a place to corral books and display accessories." (From Better Homes and Gardens.)





More DIY storage: 
DIY Storage - Managing Paper with a Dish Drainer
DIY - Turn A Hutch or TV Cabinet into an Entry Organizer 
DIY Storage - Entry or Side Table