10 Ways to Double Your Time

Happy Friday! Today's our last day of girls for a bit, but we're not counting down the hours or minutes! :) Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

10 Ways to Double Your Time

Would you like to squeeze more time out of your day? Who wouldn't? Here are a few suggestions to help you do just that. Then hopefully you’ll have some more time to do what you want to do!

1. Have something with you to do for that unexpected delay, while waiting for an appointment, riding in a car/public transportation, during a child’s practice or lesson. Make phone calls, read, write cards, or prioritize your to-do list. If you want to use it as a “refill time” for yourself, bring along that book you can’t wait to finish, your favorite magazine, listen to music, or something else that refills you.

2. Make phone calls while doing mindless tasks: walking, riding in a car/public transportation, filing, decluttering your desk/another surface/a room, laundry, cleaning, ironing, unloading the dishwasher, etc. Consider getting a headset (~$20) or Bluetooth (~$70) to free your hands.

3. If you travel with colleagues, use that time intentionally for training, brainstorming, or conducting business that would otherwise take up office time.

4. If you attend meetings or conferences with a person you need to see, schedule an appointment before or after or during a break while you’re in the same location. It eliminates the extra travel time it would take if you scheduled a separate appointment.

5. Keep a list of errands you need to run. Combine those that are in the same location, rather than making several trips, wasting time and gas. If your errands are conducive to it, take along someone with whom you want to spend time.

6. Do mindless jobs when you can be interrupted. For example, don’t do something that requires your concentration while your child is doing homework and may need help. Instead, use that time to prepare dinner, do laundry, prepare for tomorrow, etc.

7. Listen to the news while getting ready in the morning, while driving, or preparing dinner.

8. Record TV shows to eliminate commercial time. Use TV time to read mail, exercise, iron, clean, make shopping lists, pay bills, cut coupons, wrap presents, etc. Or intentionally do nothing if this is your “refill time.”

9. If you don’t record TV shows, use commercial time for 2-minute-clean-up times. Declutter, clean a surface, empty one shelf of the dishwasher, clean a toilet or mirror or sink, set the table for breakfast, etc. Involve everyone in your household: have them pick up their stuff, do a chore, get ready for bed, etc.

10. Plan your dinner menus to piggy-back off each other. Make extra pasta one night, and turn it into a pasta salad the next night. Grill extra chicken one night, and serve it on a salad the next night.

By following some of the tips above, you may find you have some extra “refill time” or at least reduce the stress in your life a little!

How do you double your time? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


Other ways to save time:
The "Do It Now" Mindset
Capturing Usable Moments
Save Time and Clutter by Making Decisions
Getting Organized for School - Planning Dinner

Summertime Tips

I found these summertime tips while browsing through magazines recently and thought you might enjoy them.


"I slice up lemons and limes and freeze them in ice cube trays along with some water. When it's time to serve refreshments, they're a festive addition to drinks." Fina Guido, Haledon,NJ family circle june 09 p. 18

"When I travel with my family I make portable pillows out of 2-gallon resealable plastic bags. I blow into them to inflate and then slide them into a t-shirt or pillowcase. They're perfectly comfy for the car or plane and don't take up space in our suitcases."
Laura Roscoe, Patrick, SC family circle june 09 p. 18

"I keep a cooler in the trunk of my car to store cold or frozen items that I buy at the grocery store. It allows me to continue running errands without worrying that my perishables will spoil." Denise Ehret, Collingswood, NJ family circle june 09 p. 18

"Cold compost - "I keep a plastic container in my freezer at all times. When I cut fruit and vegetables or crack eggs, I add all my scraps to it.The compost bin is handy, out of sight and doesn't smell up the kitchen. Carrie Elsass, Conway, AR Family Circle, June 2009, p. 101.

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Similar topics:
A Dozen Helpful Hints to Simplify Your Life
Cooler Safety 101

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Shaving a Few Minutes Off Laundry Time

Our current foster girls are game lovers. So we've played Monopoly, Settlers of Catan, quadruple solitaire, hand and foot and more! It's been fun yet consuming, too! :) This morning we have no early morning appointments, so I have a little space. Woo Hoo! So ... let's talk about laundry!

Shave a Few Minutes Off Laundry Time

If you have a rod that you hang your clean clothes on as they come out of the dryer, organize them as you hang them up. For example, I hang my husbands sport shirts together, t-shirts together, pants together, etc. I hang my clothes at the other end of the rod and organize them in a similar way.

Even though it takes no extra time to organize your laundry this way, it does save time when it comes to putting them away in the closet. You can take each grouping and place them with the like grouping in your closet.

If you arrange your clothes according to color, take a moment to rearrange each category, incorporating the clean clothes. And you're done!

When you organize your clothes according to color, it's easier to get dressed in the morning and find what you need. You know what you have. Things don't get lost or overlooked. And you don't buy something you already have in your closet!

Organizing your clothes as they come out of the dryer is not very complicated, but it makes life easier. And for me, who has a mental block when it comes to getting the clean clothes into the closet, it's one less hurdle to get over. But I'm spoiled - my husband puts away the clothes. :)

Comments? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Other Laundry Ideas:
Organizing Laundry
Laundry tip - color-coded laundry bags
Organizing Socks

Decluttering Plastics - Which Ones are Safe?

I've heard a lot about harmful chemicals in plastics, but I really didn't know which plastics are safe and which ones aren't. So I researched it, but most articles had long dissertations about the scientific aspects of plastics.

What I really wanted to know was which ones are safe to use in the microwave. Good Housekeeping did the research for us and provided a list of acceptable plastics to use in the microwave. I've included some excerpts here, but read the entire article by Florence Williams for a very extensive take on this subject.

"We all do it: Pop a plate of leftovers covered with plastic wrap in the microwave or warm up extra tomato sauce in a plastic container. But news reports have suggested that this may not be perfectly safe, that if there are chemicals — phthalates and BPA — in the plastic, they might migrate into our food. How likely is this?

To find out, we shopped at supermarkets and mass merchandisers for leading brands of microwave-safe containers, wraps, and bags, and at a dollar store for some so-called value brands. We also tossed into our shopping cart packages of best-selling frozen dinners for both children and adults and plastic liners designed to be used in a slow cooker. In short, we gathered together a potpourri of the kind of plastic items most of us use for heating foods.

We shipped several samples of each item off to an independent lab, where they were shredded into bits, then analyzed to see if any detectable amounts of BPA and phthalates were present in the products. The good news: Twenty-seven of the products tested contained no phthalates or BPA.

Three, however, did contain low levels of BPA:

- the containers (or bottom sections) of Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids,

- Rubbermaid Premier containers, and

- Glad Storage Zipper Bags;

Glad Press'n Seal wrap had low levels of both phthalates and BPA.

Next, the lab tested these four items with "food simulants" — chemicals designed to stand in for real food in a lab. (Our federal health agencies, like the FDA, allow the use of food simulants in testing.)

Results: No detectable BPA or phthalates migrated from the products into the simulants.

For a real-life test, we microwaved Old World Style Ragú Traditional Smooth Pasta Sauce and Heinz Home Style Gravy Savory Beef in the two Rubbermaid containers and in a glass bowl covered with Press'n Seal. As you're unlikely to heat up tomato sauce or gravy in a plastic bag, we eliminated the Glad Storage Zipper Bags from this part of the testing. The lab first evaluated the foods straight from the jars to ensure that there were no phthalates or BPA present in the sauces before they were transferred to the test containers. In addition to testing foods heated in brand-new containers, we used ones that we had put through 30 rounds of microwaving and cleaning in the dishwasher, to see if wear and tear made a difference.

Clearly good news: None of the samples of sauce or gravy had detectable levels of either BPA or phthalates.

Products tested that contained no phthalates or BPA:

1. Tupperware CrystalWave container
2. Tupperware CrystalWave lid
3. Tupperware Rock 'N Serve container
4. Tupperware Rock 'N Serve lid
5. Rubbermaid EasyFind Lids lid
6. Rubbermaid Premier lid
7. Glad SimplyCooking Microwave Steaming Bags
8. Ziploc Brand Zip 'n Steam Microwave Steam Cooking Bags
9. GladWare Containers with Interlocking Lids container
10. GladWare Containers with Interlocking Lids lid
11. Ziploc Brand Containers with Snap 'N Seal Lids container
12. Ziploc Brand Containers with Snap 'N Seal Lids lid
13. Webster Industries Good Sense storage container
14. Webster Industries Good Sense storage container lid
15. United Plastics 21 oz Bowl
16. Saran Premium wrap
17. Saran Cling Plus Clear Plastic Wrap
18. Glad Cling Wrap Clear Plastic Wrap
19. Reynolds Clear Seal-Tight Plastic Wrap
20. Ziploc Brand Storage Bags with Double Zipper
21. Ziploc Brand Freezer Bags with Double Zipper
22. Glad Freezer Storage Bags
23. Reynolds SlowCooker Liners
24. Kid Cuisine All Star Chicken Breast Nuggets container
25. Kid Cuisine All Star Chicken Breast Nuggets film cover
26. Stouffer's frozen Homestyle Classics Lasagna with Meat & Sauce tray
27. Stouffer's frozen Homestyle Classics Lasagna with Meat & Sauce film covering

The following items contained low levels of phthalates or PBA but the chemicals did not leach into food during microwave heating:

1. Rubbermaid EasyFind Lids container
2. Rubbermaid Premier container
3. Glad Press'n Seal Multipurpose Sealing Wrap
4. Glad Food Storage Bags*

*Tested with simulants but not food."

Here's some more helpful information:

"The insides of food cans are often lined with an epoxy resin that keeps corroding metal away from the food. But bisphenol A in that resin can migrate into the foods; in fact, it's the major source of our exposure to the chemical, says the government's National Toxicology Program.

While the FDA has issued reassuring statements about the risk, other experts aren't so convinced. In 2007, the nonprofit Environmental Working Group found BPA in more than half of the 97 food cans it tested, with the highest levels coming from chicken soup, infant formula, and ravioli. Just one to three servings of those foods with those concentrations could expose a woman or a child to BPA at levels that cause serious adverse effects in animal tests, the group concluded.

Though you may see "BPA-free" on some canned goods, food manufacturers are not required to list the chemical on labels, so you have no way of knowing whether it's present. To limit your family's exposure:

• Buy more fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
• Choose soups and broths that come in aseptic boxes or dried soup mixes in nonplastic bags.
• Be extra cautious with infants: If you use commercial formula, buy it in powdered form, which comes in a foil-lined cardboard container and shouldn't have any BPA, says the FDA.
• Use BPA-free baby bottles and sippy cups."

Comments? Email subscribers click here to be taken back to the original blog article.

Other safety topics:
Cooler Safety 101
Demystifying Food Expiration Dates
Preventive Organizing - Changing Smoke Alarm Batteries and Other Preventive Measures You Never Knew About

15 Minutes for Yourself

I don't know about you, but school has only been out for our girls for a few days, and I'm already tired! I came across this blog on Relaxation Tips for Moms by Donna Chaffins and thought I'd pass it along to you.

Just because you're not a mom doesn't mean you can't use some of these great ideas!

"Women, especially moms, have a hard time finding (or making) the time to relax. The saying "no rest for the weary" comes to mind. We are so busy taking care of our family, our home, volunteering and working, that we forget about ourselves.

Whether it's working out of the home or working from home, more and more moms are bringing in a salary to help relieve the financial strain in their households. In fact, more and more women are becoming the sole breadwinners.

So with all the responsibilities we have, it is difficult to find the time to relax. Why? Why don't we take the time for ourselves? We spend our time being care givers to everyone else, but won't or don't take the time for ourselves. We MUST take care of ourselves so we CAN give our best to others.

If you are a busy mom, learn to value yourself as a person and schedule personal time. You deserve it! Start with fifteen minutes. I know you can spare 15 minutes a day for yourself.

So starting today try these tips:

Turn the ordinary into the extraordinary

When you take a bath, add candles, bubble bath, quiet music and/or an inflatable bath pillow. Your regular bath has now become a spa experience. If you watch a movie, pop a bag of microwave popcorn, turn out the lights and curl up on the couch.

Rise with the sun

Get up 30 minutes earlier than the rest of your family. I know it's hard to get up early. But if this is the only time the house is completely quiet... it may be a good time for you to have some "me" time. Spend the time meditating, doing yoga, going for a walk, reading a book or just sitting quietly drinking your coffee. The whole purpose is to have some "me" time before the rest of the family wakes up.

Always be prepared - Just like the Boy Scouts

If you go ahead and pack lunches, lay out and iron (if needed) clothes the night before, and place shoes and backpacks by the front door so kids can grab them on their way out. The fewer things you have to do throughout the day, the calmer and less stressed your mornings will be. I don't know about you but if my day starts off on the wrong foot it sets the mood for the rest of my day.

Take breaks

When you get a few minutes the last thing you want to do is exercise but getting a little physical activity in your day can help relieve stress. Endorphins are released into your system when you exercise and endorphins make us "feel good". Do jumping jacks and push-ups during a television commercial. Also try yoga or meditation. Just take breaks throughout your day to do something healthy for yourself. It doesn't have to take but 5 minutes a few times a day.

Laughter is the best medicine

Subscribe to a daily joke site or keep a funny calendar cube on your desk. You can watch just about anything online nowadays... so watch your favorite sitcom or stand up comic - and have a good ole belly laugh. Laughing releases stress and can lift your spirits. Plus did you know laughing will keep your abs tight?

Ask for help

Don't be too proud to ask your spouse or SO for help. The whole family need to pitch in and do their part. Assign chores or responsibilities to each family member. But remember to be flexible. And it's important for kids to spend time with dad. While the kids are bonding with daddy, you can go shopping, work out, take a leisurely bath, read a book, work in the garden or just enjoy the quiet time.

Moms, just remember that your family depends on you. And if you don't take care of yourself you can't give your best to your family. YOU deserve it. So pamper yourself everyday."

What do you do to refresh yourself? Email subscribers click here to return to the original blog.

Similar topics:
Spring Cleaning the Noise
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Why Time Off Is Well Spent

Your Priorities, Passions, and Gifts Create Context for Your Clutter

I was helping a client organize her office the other day. The surfaces were clear. The floor was clear. We had a lot of papers to go through.

But we had to stop. Before we could proceed, I needed to know her priorities. She had mentioned half a dozen interests and activities in which she participated. She was in the midst of rethinking her life. But in order for us to move forward, she needed to identify her mission and vision for her life.

We had a fascinating conversation about where she wanted to go and how her background would support her in this direction. We talked about incorporating our spiritual lives in our work, which is important to both of us. And I was able to share some of the things I have learned about owning my businesses, marketing them, etc.

As a result of our chat, she could easily determine which papers, books, etc. were important to her goals and which were not. She loves to learn, and loves incoming information, but she needed a filtering system to determine boundaries.

We also set up some simple systems for incoming paper and email. Filing systems should not be so complicated that
- you dread using them, or
- you can't remember what you have, or
- you forget how to use them!

Before organizing anything, knowing your own priorities and passions and gifts is essential! How else can you know if your clutter should be kept or not?

Do you have a mission and vision for your life? Do you know what your priorities, passions, and gifts are? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.


Similar topics:
Reduce Your Stress - Say No
Why Throw Shallow New Years' Resolutions at Yourself When You Really Need to Rethink Life?
Getting Organized for School (and life!) - Determining The Legacy You Want to Leave Your Children

Discover your passions, priorities, and gifts! Any of the time management books in the 1-2-3...Get Organized series will help you think through these critical concepts. Rethinking Life is an interactive coaching package with Beverly Coggins should you prefer verbal processing.

Organizing Legos - Or Not

Professional Organizers were chatting recently (NAPO chat - National Association of Professional Organizers) about Legos. Even though those involved in the chat had tried sorting and organizing their kids' Legos, the consensus was that their kids liked to be able to "dig" for their Lego pieces. So why bother?

Some valuable tips from the discussion:

- Any large bin with a tight fitting cover should keep Legos contained while not in use, and safe from younger siblings.

- Or, instead of one large bin, use several medium-sized bins and tackle or tool boxes to hold special projects. Tool boxes with a few compartments on the top save special pieces along with the project the kids are working on.




- Low-to-the-ground train tables allow kids to leave their projects out between play sessions. Here's one that was recommended:




- Spread a flat bed sheet on the floor on which your children can play with their Legos. When it's time to clean up, you can pick up the sheet and funnel the pieces into your container. This eliminates discovering little tiny pieces with your bare feet!

How do you manage your kids' Legos? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

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Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

Good Morning! It has been crazy busy at our house. Last night we had a celebration dinner for our high school graduate! I made her a college survival kit with a bunch of items she'll need for college (first aid kit, sewing kit, super glue, glue sticks, laundry bag, scissors, screwdriver sets, and lots more) plus my Hassle Free Dinners, Three Steps to Time Management for the college student, and My Favorite Recipes. She seems to think she is going to do a lot of cooking while living in a dorm. :)

I'm reposting a blog I did last summer ...

Peace-of-Mind Vacation Check List - What to Do Before You Leave

In order to insure that your time away on vacation is relaxing and refreshing, make sure to take care of a few things before you leave.

- Make arrangements for your mail and packages. One option is to stop your mail through the post office (you can do it online at www.usps.com). If you do this, you may want to ask a neighbor to watch for packages, as well. We have a weekly paper that is delivered whether we want it or not - it's a sure sign that we're not home if it's sitting on our front porch for days.

Another option is to get a neighbor or friend to pick up your mail and watch for packages. Sometimes we hire a neighbor kid to pick up the mail and walk around the house to look for packages. UPS sometimes delivers to our front porch and sometimes to our back porch!

- Put your lights on timers. We have some that are programmable to go on at different times each night. It makes it look like you are home and there is activity in different parts of the house. We actually leave them on all the time, so if we're out for the evening, it doesn't look like it.

- Stop your newspapers. Most newspapers give you the option to donate your unused days to schools, etc. It's still helpful to have someone watch, though, as we've had newspapers delivered even when we've requested a stop.

- Make arrangements for your pets - a kennel, someone to come over and feed and play with your cat, feed your fish or birds, etc. There are all sorts of pet-sitting services these days, too.

- Make arrangements for your plants - either have someone water them or use a long-term watering system.

- Make arrangements for your lawn. A shaggy yard with yellow newspapers sitting around is an invitation to thieves.

- Pay your bills that will be due while you are gone and soon after you arrive home. You don't want to have to face bills as soon as you come home!

- Remove perishable items from your fridge and pantry. You may want to make a list of items you'll need when you return while it's fresh on your mind, so you don't have to think about it when you come home. Both milk and bread are freezable - just remember to buy milk with the screw-on lids and empty a little so it doesn't explode all over your freezer!

- Adjust your thermostats to save energy while you're away. If you have a programmable thermostat, set it to reflect your absence.

- Give a neighbor your cell phone number or contact number - just in case they notice water pouring out of your house, or some other such emergency!

- Look back at your house as you leave. We almost left our front door open once. And you certainly don't want to be wondering if you left your garage door open!

- While you're away, you may want to pick up a souvenir or gift for anyone watching your house, pets, or plants.

With all these details taken care of, you'll have peace of mind while you're away and can enjoy being refreshed and rejuvenated!

If you'd like to comment on the original blog and you receive this via email, click here.

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Garage/Yard Sale Tips

Good Morning! Today's the last day of school for our girls. I'm looking forward to a little more relaxed schedule in one sense. But it will be a little more intense, too! As I promised here are some garage/yard sale tips:

The following tips for having a successful garage/yard sale are gleanings from a NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) chat.

- The best thing you can do to ensure good profits at a garage sale is make sure all the items are clean, clean, clean.

- Put tablecloths on tables, even if they're just plastic ones.

- Group like with like, just as you'd find in a store.

- Hang clothing, don't pile it on tables or leave it in boxes. Try to organize by type (boys, girls, men, women) and even further by size.

- For pricing, it all depends on quality. If it's nearly new, mark it slightly above half of retail. If it's slightly used or worn, then just below half of retail and so on.

- If items are new, leave the price tags on so people can see what a bargain they're getting. If you can find pictures of items in Sunday newspaper ads, attach those, too.

You can use Salvation Army or Goodwill prices as a guideline. Theirs are pretty close to garage sale prices.

- Another key is good signage with big fat lettering that can readily be seen from a passing car.

What are your best garage sale tips? Email subscribers, click here to comment.

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Before and After Pictures - Organizing a Bedroom

I spent some time last week helping a client organize a bedroom. I took some pictures so you can see the progress, too. The before pictures are on the left and the after pictures are on the right.

Thankfully, my client is going to have a garage sale soon, so most of our unwanted items were removed from the room, awaiting that event. But they could have been donated just as easily.

We emptied four pieces of furniture, which will be sold in the garage sale. One bookcase was able to go into another room, but the three matching cream-colored pieces had to stay in the room because there was nowhere else to put them. But once they are sold, the bedroom will be roomy and uncluttered!




Now my client has a functional, quiet refuge where she can read, watch a movie or spend some time to herself!


When you rid yourself of unnecessary clutter, not only is your house lighter but you feel lighter yourself, as you are not carrying the burden of owning so many possessions! My client expressed her relief at getting rid of so much stuff! She did a great job of making decisions and not holding on to things she no longer needs!

I'll have some garage sale tips tomorrow.

What room do you need to declutter and reorganize? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

Some similar topics:
Spring Cleaning Bedrooms
Get Organized Month 2009 - Some Words from Peter Walsh, Organizing Guru
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Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

Happy Friday!. We received a house of girls yesterday - what a crazy schedule - one is a senior and out of school already, another is taking finals and has an erratic schedule, and the other is in middle school and wants one of us to go on a field trip with her next week! It didn't occur to me that it was finals week and I scheduled an organizing appointment today! I think I've figured out how we can cover all the bases, though. :) On to our unusual blog ...

Mouthwash and Mosquitoes

I recently received this information about Listerine and mosquitoes. I haven't tried it, and the source was not given. But I thought it sounded interesting and worth a try if it makes spending time outdoors mosquito-proof! Here are two comments on the subject:

"I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby. During the summer, I don't leave home without it."

"I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. ... It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house."

Have any of you tried this? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

More Outdoor Tips:
Cooler Safety 101
A Dozen Helpful Hints to Simplify Your Life
Foil - A Griller's Friend

Organizing Your Keepsakes into Bins

I wanted to pass along this suggestion of keepsake bins from Lisa Mark as discussed in one of the NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) chats:

"Each of my kids (as well as my husband and I) has a keepsake bin in the garage into which they (and I) can put special things--beloved toys, outgrown clothing, special artwork. We're pretty picky about what goes in there but it does allow us to keep those things that are really special.

Each child gets one bin. Period. This is the hardest part, but we stick to it. I have letters and toys in my bin from my childhood, notes from beloved grandparents who have passed away, and small keepsakes from my elementary school years.

My oldest occasionally flings something into her bin; my youngest takes great care with what she chooses to include in hers. One of her choices--an inexpensive tee shirt with a picture of a cat on it that she wore when she was four years old. The cat took on a life of it's own--it had a name, a personality, a whole existence created by my daughter. She loved that shirt to pieces, literally, and she was heartbroken when she outgrew it.

Binning it was a way for us to hold on to those wonderful memories and a way for her to release that closet space to something more useful. The keepsake bins are a great way to ensure that we have a place to keep meaningful items without cluttering up our small space.

Every few years we go through these bins and take out items that have lost their meaning over time. I try to encourage my clients to do the same. Often after a house clean-out, clients end up with several bins of keepsakes in the garage or in a storage closet. This allows them to honor their memories and keep their treasures without impacting their living space."

What do you do with your keepsakes? Email subscribers, click here to comment.

Similar topics:
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Score: Herbs 1, Squirrels 0 ... So Far

As you know, I'm carrying on a never-ending battle with our squirrels. As long as I'm diligent to sprinkle dried red pepper flakes in everything, the squirrels don't bother my planters. But if it rains (like today), I have to remember to reapply the pepper flakes. So far, I'm doing pretty well. But as you can see, I caught one of the squirrels sunning himself next to my mesculun planter, just waiting for me to mess up! Sunscreen anyone?

More Herb Stuff

I spoke with Rose about my "perennial herbs." Rose is a 30+ year member of the Evening Herb Guild in Portage County, Ohio. She said that most herbs are not perennials other than chives, mint and some oregano. My parsley and cilantro came back this year, but they only last for a short time and are already waning.

So all that careful planning of my herb garden last year was for naught! I don't know where I googled my herb information last year, but my experience and Rose's expertise has proved them wrong!

Rose also mentioned that you should remove the purple blossoms from chives in order to keep them growing from year to year. She suggested putting the blossoms in vinegar to flavor it!

What a wealth of knowledge I have discovered in my aquatics class! First a master gardener and now an herb specialist! How enlightening!

Do you have some enlightening herb and garden tips? Email subscribers click here to comment on the original blog.

More on herbs and garden:
Score: Squirrels 1, Bev 0
So Much for Organizing My Herb Garden!
Tips from a Master Gardener - Watering, Mulch

Reorganizing the Office

As you may recall, I recently got a new laptop for my business. I was hoping to rid myself of my desktop computer, but have found that there are some files on that computer that didn't translate well onto my mac. So I'm going to have to keep both.

It has been bothering me for some time, as things were messy - my desk had been set up with everything at my fingertips. But my laptop doesn't fit on my desk. So I got a little laptop desk and used it at one of the comfortable chairs in my office.

However, nothing was at my fingertips as the chair was across the room. So things got messy, as they were harder to put away and I had no place for work in progress. But I couldn't come up with a good plan for rearranging my office, and I didn't want to spend a lot of money on it.

So, I just left it, and one day an idea hit me. Haven't you had that happen? You stop thinking about a problem and the solution comes to you when you least expect it! Even though I was frustrated to leave the problem unsolved, I knew the answer would pop up some time.

We rearranged the office furniture a little and my laptop desk could fit at right angles at one end of my desk. It's a tight squeeze, but it's acceptable. Not worthy of HGTV, but acceptable. Once again I have everything at my fingertips with both computers within reach. It's so much easier to be organized when everything I need is close at hand.

How do you keep your office organized? Email subscribers, click here to comment on the original blog.

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