A Mom-Invented Time and Money Saver!

Good morning! Today I thought I'd share with you a mom-invented product that saves time and money and sanity! Skyoozmee is sponsoring today's MomAudience.com email, and I wanted you to hear about it, too.

After numerous spit-up encounters with her two children, M is for mommy Founder Emily Daigle, was determined to design a new and much improved burp cloth.

“With messy feedings and constant spit-up, I needed something that would stay in place at all times and cover both shoulders,” she recalls. “There was nothing worse than having to fight with a burp cloth while trying to care for my baby. Not to mention all the times I had to change my clothes!”

The skyoozmee exhibits three main design features to keep clothes clean and dry:
- two layers of absorption
- easy-to-fasten Velcro closure to keep the cloth from shifting
- unique shape to wrap around the neck and offer protection to the chest, back and both shoulders simultaneously.

The skyoozmee is available starting at $15 in various styles that can be viewed on the website. Three-cloth packs of each style are also available.

For more information, visit Skyoozmee.

Emily sent me a sample of her Skyoozmee - what a clever idea! It velcros nicely at the back of the neck and stays in place, covering your clothing, front and back. Em would like to offer a 10% discount to MomAudience.com readers who wish to make a purchase. Please use promotional code “MAM10”.

- Bev


Email subscribers, comment here.

Jewelry Organizer from I'm an Organizing Junkie

I saw this blog over on I'm an Organizing Junkie, and Laura gave me permission to pass it along to you. I thought it was such a clever idea for organizing your jewelry!

Inexpensive jewelry organizer

"I love fashion necklaces but trying to find the one I wanted in my jewelry case was getting to be more and more difficult. I only had five hooks they all hung on so if I wanted one in the back all the ones in the front had to come off first and then they got all tangled and ugly. It irritated me and I like to avoid irritated at all costs cause when momma’s irritated ain’t nobody happy. I knew it was time to do something about it but I couldn’t find what I had in mind for how I wanted to organize them.

I knew I wanted them to be out in the open so it had to be pretty and I knew I didn’t want it to cost a lot of $$. I decided to make something of my own. I walked around Walmart until inspiration hit and it did when I saw the lovely ribbon memo boards similar to this one below. Mine is 18×21 inches.

Twill French Memo Board - Ivory (17×20″)

I purchased it along with about 30 mini screw hooks and set to work. Word of warning if you are going to try and screw in that many little hooks though…WEAR GLOVES….I’m just saying. Talk about painful!

I’m so excited by how it turned out. It took me no more than an hour to assemble and in total cost about $20.00 to make. I love that I can use the ribbon to hook earrings onto to keep them organized as well if I want.

Another option I had considered was using an old picture frame, taking out the glass and inserting a piece of corkboard covered in a pretty fabric. I think that would have cost me more though and taken longer so I was really happy to come up with this instead.

So long irritation, you're outta here!!"

Great idea, huh? Thanks, Laura! (If you receive this blog by email and want to comment, this link will take you back to my blog.)

Jennifer's Review of My Books at the Dirty Shirt

Jennifer at The Dirty Shirt has reviewed Three Steps to Organizing Your Office and Three Steps to Organizing Your Kitchen. She's got a giveaway, too! Wander around her great site while you're at it!

Everything You Need to Know to Pull Off Thanksgiving Without a Hitch

Don't think I've ever done this before, but I'm going to copy an email I got from Centr'd (remember I did a review about their online scheduling program?). They have teamed up with Real Simple and have every kind of resource you could possibly imagine for having a fabulous Thanksgiving - from making gravy to planning menus to scheduling. Here it is:

"Center'd has teamed up with Real Simple to create a collection of ready-made plans and easy-to-follow tips designed to help you transform Thanksgiving from a stressful conglomeration of late guests, redundant ambrosia salad, and dry turkey to a holiday you can remember for all the right reasons: Friends and family taking a moment from the busy worlds we inhabit to gather together and enjoy each other's company.

> 40 Ways to Simplify Thanksgiving: Whether you want to introduce new traditions or perfect old ones, make this Thanksgiving the happiest yet. Read full article:<http://www.centerd.com/t/40ways>

> Tips & Advice for a Successful Holiday: Find recipes and pointers from Real Simple, and a collection of ready-made plans from Center'd at our Thanksgiving planning center. Check it out:<http://www.centerd.com/t/thanksgiving>

> Invite People to a Thanksgiving Event: From hosting the big meal to coordinating a Black Friday shopping spree, our ready-made plans will help you out. Check out these sample plans:

Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner http://www.centerd.com/t/thanksgivingpotluck
Thanksgiving Dinner Invites<http://www.centerd.com/t/thanksgivingfeast>
Black Friday Shopping Spree<http://www.centerd.com/t/blackfridayspree>
Weekend Football Get-Together<http://www.centerd.com/t/footballpotluck>

> Reliable Recipes for Your Thanksgiving Potluck: Not sure what will travel well or please a crowd? Here are 13 sturdy dishes. Read full article:<http://www.centerd.com/t/thanksgivingrecipes>

We hope you enjoy our Thanksgiving planning center and have a special and memorable holiday. From our family to yours, happy Thanksgiving.

Cheers,

The Center'd Team"

Do you have some tried-and-true recipes or hints for making Thanksgiving a wonderful celebration?


If you need help planning menus, see Three Steps to Planning Dinner, part of our 1-2-3...Get Organized series.

Simply Sensational Divas' Review of Three Steps to Clever Cleaning and Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom

Tammy, one of the seven divas at Simply Sensational Divas Review, has reviewed a couple of my books: Three Steps to Clever Cleaning and Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom. Simply Sensational Divas is a brand new blog, in fact it hasn't even launched yet, but they already have tons of reviews! So go on over and look around. Sign up so you don't miss anything!

When Should You Take Your Vitamins?

Real Simple Magazine had an article on the best time of days to do certain activities. I’ll be featuring some of these suggestions over the next few weeks.

When is the best time of day to take a multivitamin? The answer: breakfast. I think I have vaguely heard something like this, but here are some convincing reasons why:

“Taking your supplements with a meal is important because ‘vitamins are components of food, and whether water soluble or fat soluble, they are absorbed better with food,’ says Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., a New York City and Hillsboro Beach, Florida, nutrition scientist and a coauthor of The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book (Avery Publishing, $13, www.amazon.com). ‘Also, as with many other pills, you’re more likely to get queasy if you take multivitamins on an empty stomach.’

Breakfast is the meal of choice. Because most people have it at home (whereas lunch and dinner are often eaten elsewhere), making the morning meal your time for vitamin-popping will help you stick with the habit. Another reason dinnertime may not be a good option, Lieberman adds, is that certain nutrients, including vitamin B, may keep you awake. “

Isn't that good to know?

Interview by Get Green Baby

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Jamie Ussher over at Baby Get Green recently. You can find the interview on her new blog where her logo is "striving to live a simple and peaceful life...here you'll find tips, ideas, and stories of our efforts". Stop by and check out her great ideas!

Interview by Mommy's Idea

I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Mommy's Idea, a brand new blog created for moms. To help them kick off the new site, I donated a couple of my books for giveaways: Three Steps to Clever Cleaning and Three Steps to Planning Your Child's Parties. Stop by to give Mommy's Idea a vote of encouragement and sign up for the giveaways!

Celebration Giveaway #1 and More Giveaways!

Today is the beginning of Celebration Giveaways, celebrating #17 of my 1-2-3...Get Organized series - Three Steps to Becoming a Downsizing Professional. It's a comprehensive manual for those who'd like to launch out on this wonderful career of helping people downsizing to a smaller residence.

Today's Giveaway: Three Steps to Organizing Your Child's Room. To win, leave a comment below. To obtain more entries, check out our rules posted in Celebration Giveaways September 2-9, 2008!

More Giveaways around the Blogosphere:

- Laurel Wreath's Fall Giveaway, September 1-5

- Mommy Meryl's Blogging Road Trip, September 1-5

- Mommy Community's Blogging Road Trip, September 1-5. Mommy Community wants me to give a little blurb about who I am: I'm a professional organizer, speaker and author of the 1-2-3...Get Organized series. I'm a mother of two grown daughters and a foster mom to teenage girls. I'm delightfully married to my husband of 33 years.

Related Posts: Celebration Giveaways September 2-9, 2008!

Laurel Wreath's "I Love Fall Giveaway

Laurel Wreath is the Christian Women Online Magazine's book reviewer. She also has her own delightful blog called Laurel Wreath's Reflections.

Laurel loves the fall, and to celebrate the season, she is sponsoring a giveaway from September 1-5. Not only will she give away something each day, but she has asked five women to offer their own giveaways during that time, with me being one of those women.

"Joining me are CWO’s Editor Darlene Schacht, Author and Speaker Lysa TerKeurst, Professional Organizer Beverly Coggins, jewelry maker Crystal at Two Belles & a Bead, and “Down on the Farm” Mrs. Deedra. They will be offering up some wonderful prizes you will NOT want to miss!" Laurel writes.

So drop by Laurel Wreath's Reflections September 1-5 and win yourself some fun stuff!

Shake the Salt Offers Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom Giveaway

Christy over at Shake the Salt has offered my Three Steps to Time Management for the Stay-at-Home Mom as her current giveaway. She has written a review (a very nice one, I might add) and has a code for a 25% discount on any order for my books. Check out her fabulous site while you're there - she has so many helpful and money-saving tips! Click the title to go directly to her giveaway sign-up.

Help Mommy Meryl Win Blogging Idol

Mommy Meryl is trying to win Blogging Idol by getting the most new subscribers. She needs over 350 to beat the leader. Want to help? Click the title above to subscribe. The contest ends July 31st. Sign up for her newsletter and see my article each month. :-)

Recycling Cell Phones to Our Soldiers

When I posted my computer recycling blog last Friday, I got a comment that I want to pass on to you about recycling cell phones.

Qlubb-Andy said...
While you're at it, you probably have a bunch of old cell phones lying around in the closet.Here's a great service started by a 13 year old that helps you put them to good use.

I checked it out and found that you can recycle cell phones at locations in your community or get a postage-paid label to mail your cell phone. To help even more, you can pay the postage yourself.

The organization reconfigures the cell phones to be used with phone cards so our troops can call home for free.

What a wonderful idea and what creative kids to have started this service! Click the title above to find out how your old cell phone can be recycled for our soldiers.

The Most Wonderful Organizing Bag!!

I have discovered a fabulous bag at Target - something I've been searching for for months! A bag with lots of pockets for all my categories of things.

My technical abilities are lacking at the moment, so I can't put up a picture for you, but if you click on the title above, you'll see it. The one I got is fuschia canvas, but there are other colors - black, green, gray, and tan. And it's only $16.99!

What I love about his bag is that there is a separate pocket for my phone, my palm, my wallet, my sunglasses, my keys, my tissues and gum, and my papers - and that's just on the outside. Inside the large main zipper compartment are three open pockets I use for my lipstick, a little first aid kit, and my lotion. There's loads of room - I don't even use it all - just a couple of zippered bags to corral small things.

Last night we went to a waterski show and I was able to fit in a hat, sunscreen, and bugspray with plenty of room left over. I could get along with a smaller bag if it had the same number of pockets, but I'm thrilled to find this one! The strap is long and adjustable. I only hope they come out with something similar for winter!

Have you found a bag that works for you? I would LOVE to hear about it.

Mommy Meryl's Contest Extending Another Day

If you haven't yet entered Mommy Meryl's contest for my Three Steps to Decluttering, she has extended it for another day. Just click the title above to enter!

Toy Storage

For a great variety of toy storage, go to I'm An Organizing Junkie's fabulous blog detailing all sorts of cute kid's storage - complete with pictures! Just click the title above.

Need a Family Checklist for Your Summer Travel?

Are you planning to travel this summer? Laura at I'm An Organizing Junkie has created a Family Checklist to streamline packing for the whole family. Take a look at it by clicking the title above. While you're there, take a look around her site for some great ideas and bargains!



I have put a list on my computer for myself when I travel, but Laura has made a chart with spaces for several family members. It's in PDF form so you can save it onto your computer.



What do you do that makes travelling easier for you and you family?

Organizing Your Ribbon

Are you a crafter? Have lots of ribbon? You must check out a blog called Stamp with Shelly (click the title above). The title of the post is "Confessions of a Ribbon Addict."

Shelly has taken drawers of ribbon and organized them on one device that spins. Not only does she hang her ribbon on it, but embroidery thread, stickers, and other items. She has them available and accessible at a glance! And what a space saver!

You have to see it to appreciate it - she has pictures showing the process and the final product.

Increasing Your Effectiveness at Work

There are a number of things you can do to stay at your peak effectiveness during your work day. Experiment with the following:

- Take the breaks your employer offers to you. Go for a walk, go outside, climb a few flights of stairs - move! Just a few minutes of change refreshes your mind and your body.

- Multi-tasking is over-rated. It seems that all the hype about multi-tasking over the last few years has proven to be bad advice. The studies I've read recently show that people who concentrate on their task at hand do it more quickly and more effectively than those who multi-task.

Doing a couple of tasks requiring little concentration is always a time saver - just make sure you don't sacrifice quality for "efficiency." If you have to redo a task, it's not saving you time.

- Create boundaries for yourself. Don't volunteer to help someone else at the expense of your own duties. Don't let others waste your time. If you are in a noisy area, close your door or wear headphones to reduce sound if it's acceptable in your workplace. Go to a different location to work in quiet if possible.

- Eat. If you are running low on fuel, you will not be able to function properly. Have a healthy snack during your breaks.

- Drink. Keep yourself hydrated. Our well-known coffee cafes make their coffee three to four times stronger than regular coffee, and if you get a specialty coffee it's loaded with sugar. Stop for one on the way to work, and expect your energy to crash in a couple of hours as the caffeine and sugar wear off. Better to have some green tea. Or water!

If you need more help with time management at the office or organizing your office efficiently, see our books on those topics. Here's a link: http://1-2-3getorganized.com./books.html

I've Been Interviewed by 5 Minutes for Mom!

I've been interviewed by 5 Minutes for Mom! Please check it out at:
http://www.5minutesformom.com/our-readers-blogs/820/123getorganized/

While you're there, check out their fabulous and loaded website!