Win/win by donating your excess to Hurricane Sandy

There are many, many opportunities to support those affected by Hurricane Sandy.

In addition to donating money, I urge you to look through your closets and drawers (especially your children's closets and drawers) to see what you can give.

Here's a sampling of what we gave to the cause:

• excess winter coats that we had just in case 'a friend' needed it
   
• pants that my kids said they didn't like (translation - I'm never wearing them) 
   
• long sleeved shirts that my son refuses to wear due to hot classrooms
   
• hand me downs that in my heart of hearts knew we wouldn't use
   
• pajamas that I really didn't wear that often (it didn't hurt that my husband noticed/commented that I had 2 drawers of pjs!)
   
• sweat jackets that were piled on the closet door hooks that we really could live without.

• one of the 8 packs of toilet paper that came in my Sam's Club Value Pack of toilet paper. 

Now is a perfect time to let it go.  We were able to drop off items at our local synagogue and I saw numerous mentions on Facebook about other drop off locations. 

Go for it - you will be glad you did!
 

"My Shopping Addiction"

April Benson has a website called ShopaholicNoMore.com and I follow her regularly. I see over-shopping as an issue for many of my clients and I like to learn all I can about the struggles that affect the clients I serve.

Just the other day, April announced a new show coming to reality TV - "My Shopping Addiction" on Oxygen beginning on October 15th.  According to the show's website:

          "From an heiress who spends an average of $30,000 per month to a woman who packs her      home full of products from the 99 cent store, this series will capture an intimate look into the lives of young people facing a crisis brought on by a dangerous addiction to shopping. Viewers will witness what happens when their obsession causes their finances and lives to spiral out of control."

I don't often see the extremes of shopping that will likely be featured on the show, but I look forward to some attention in the area of compulsive buying/addictive shopping.  One of the common causes of clutter is definitely over-shopping and if a person can learn strategies to step away from the temptation of shopping, their homes and their budgets will dramatically improve.

The show airs at 11 pm EST and I invite you to watch the show and let me know what you think. Pop me an email at cindy@aim4order.com.

Warm woolen mittens.....

BABY IT'S COLD OUTSIDE!

I just came in from walking the dog and realized that it’s already time to pull out the winter wear and get everything organized. There’s nothing more guilt-producing than your child asking for gloves because they’re freezing during recess! Just follow these simple guidelines and YOUR child will be the envy of the playground (or possibly share one of their gloves with a friend).

1.  Gather/find all the scarves, hats, gloves, mittens and boots in the house.
Invite (or order) each family member to try on their boots hats and gloves to make sure they still fit.
2.  Toss all the unwanted items in a donation bag (and either place in your car for a drop off or contact a charity to pick them up or check out a consignment store). Just heard about a great on line store Dashing Bee.
3.  If your children are ‘particular’ and not into sharing their items, then take a giant zip lock bag or lidded box or even a plastic case that your new blanket came in, and label it and put that child’s mittens, gloves, hats and scarves in there. Another option is to have 1 bag for scarves, 1 bag for gloves, 1 bag for hats and 1 bag for gloves and mittens. Main thing is that when they are sorted by sex or size or type, it’s a lot faster and easier to get them.
4.  Store boots in a large clear box or large clear zipper bag, but be brutal in limiting how many pairs per person. The more options you have, the more stress you get. Less is more in all matters relating to winter wear, toys, clothes (catch my drift here?).
5.  Find a place to store the winter stuff - a place that’s near the morning departure location (mud room, laundry room, hall closet) and if you don’t have a place, think about finding a piece of furniture that may house the items.
6.  Enjoy the peace and serenity that will come on the next chilly morning when you can direct your children to their bag or box of stuff while you sip happily on your hot tea.

Getting a step ahead of your SHOES!

Shoes are really hard for some people to organize, especially if they own a lot of them. But, if your shoes are not organized, you can waste a lot of time trying to find the right pair for the occasion. Tripping over piles of shoes by the front door or having a mountain of footwear in the closet can be a danger and an eyesore. Part of getting your home organized has to include shoes.

The most difficult part is probably the beginning. Get all of the shoes in one place. You might be shocked at just how many shoes you have accumulated over the years. Collect shoes from everywhere around the house: by the door, in the gym bag, under the bed or other furniture. Don’t forget the car, some people keep a change of shoes there.

Discard any shoes without mates (you would be surprised at how often this happens). (And yes, I’m guessing you hesitate to do this because the second you throw the shoe away, you will find its partner. If this is your great fear, then at least put all the singleton shoes in a giant bag or box and mark down on your calendar to get rid of them if you haven’t found the partner in a designated time... months... not years!). Any shoes that are worn out, in a state of disrepair or damaged from being stored improperly have got to go. If you have multiple pairs that are alike or similar, pick your favorite and donate the others if they are usable. Get rid of shoes that hurt your feet, don’t fit right or pairs you never wear. Nice ones can be donated or taken to a consignment shop if it’s the right time of year for such shoes.

You should end up with your favorite shoes, those you love to wear and/or need to wear, like work shoes. Now you are ready to organize them. Most people like to put the shoes they wear most often in the most convenient place. You can organize shoes by season, style (boots together, athletic shoes together, etc.) or color.

Decide on the type of storage for your footwear. The more shoes you keep, the more important the storage is. Unless you have an entire closet devoted to shoes, you should invest in some kind of storage equipment. There are under the bed shoe racks, although it is better when you can see them and choose the right pair for your outfit while you get dressed. There is the rack that fits on the back of the door, shoe shelving or boxes. Beware of any shoe racks that wobble – wobbling racks mean that your shoes will continually fall off and annoy you.  If you use boxes that are not clear, take a photo and attach it to the shoebox so you know what is inside. If there are only a few pairs, you can line them across the bottom of your clothing closet. If you can spare the closet space, hanging shoe organizers are also great, but most people can’t afford to dedicate that much space to shoes. My favorite type of shoe storage are the cubbies that sit on the bottom of your closet so you can slide each pair of shoes in, still see them and protect them from dust.

Being able to find the shoes you need at the time you need them is the most important thing. Once you have a storage plan in place, work to maintain it. If shoes start piling up by the front door again, then you can repeat this process periodically.

5 Tips for Effectively Organizing your Networking Contacts

Last week I attended a networking event. I must admit, I’m not a big fan of these networking things but EVERY time I go, I’m glad I did. Similar to the motherly advice of “you’ve got to kiss a few frogs..." so the saying goes about putting oneself out there for networking opportunities.

So, after a morning of meeting and greeting and exchanging business cards, what do you do?  Here’s a simple formula that can help you to organize and make the most of the new friends you have met.

Take the business cards that you have shoved in your pocket, purse, jacket and/or anywhere else on your person and place them in one pile.
Hopefully you have scrawled little notes directly on the cards so you can remember something about each person you met. If not, try to remember something about them and write it on the card.
Write a personal email, one by one, to each person whose card you have. Here’s a sample:

Hi Linda,

It was so nice meeting you at the Deborah Gallant talk on Tuesday. I'm happy to have a Professional Photographer as a resource for my clients who may be in need. Special thanks for telling Holli and I about the Apple group!

I would love to add you to my monthly "Tips and Tricks" if you are ok with that. Please let me know otherwise I won't do the cardinal sin of adding you without permission.

Take care and hope to see you at a future networking event.
Best wishes,
Cindy

As you hear back from each person, add their email to your contacts list.
Take the card and store it in a business card organizer. My favorite is a regular binder with the plastic pages that are fitted for business cards (or baseball cards). You can organize them by industries but I prefer to put them in chronological order of when I met the people. That’s what works for me. Others may prefer a more sophisticated system but truthfully, just having them in one place is a great first step.

I have had people friend me on LinkedIn after a networking meeting and that’s fine... I’m feeling like a personal email is a tad warmer and leaves a more lasting impression. Any attempt at follow up – whether it be Facebook, linkedin – is great!

Another tip – if anyone mentioned new groups or future meetings, take some time to research them on the web. There are so many free ways to get your name and company out there... might as well expand your horizons a little more.

And there you have it — quick, easy — all you need is a few minutes to do it. And you can.

Four Steps to an organized CD/DVD collection

1.The first step is always the most difficult. As is often the case, gathering up CDs and DVDs from the car, under the bed and lying around the house, is how you get started. Keeping them in a central location is a key in getting your collection under control.

2. Next, you need to make sure the correct CDs are in the case. If you are missing a case or two, you can buy plain cases. Mark the case clearly, maybe type the title on the computer and print it out so it can be easily read. Then tape it, or use labels to attach it to the jewel case.

3. After the cases are checked and everything matches, the tough decisions must be made. Do you really need all of those CDs? Once you have seen a movie 27 times, is it necessary to keep the DVD? You can donate, sell or give away what you don’t need any more.

4. Once that is done, you are ready to organize. There are three major ways this can be done – with albums, racks or digitally. If a lot of the jewel cases are missing or broken, using albums might be your best bet. There are loose leaf binders with pages of plastic pockets in them. The best ones are sturdy and zip shut to protect the contents inside. This method does not take up a lot of space and can be stored in a bookshelf. If shelf space is limited and you have access to hanging file drawers, hanging CD/DVD sleeves work well in file cabinets.

To keep the collection user friendly, you might opt for using racks to organize your collection. If you pick this ergonomic method, the collection can alphabetized by artist for CDs and by title for DVDs. Some people would rather sort them by genre. You can put jazz CDs, rock CDs and movie soundtrack CDs in groups. With DVDs, sort them by comedy, horror, drama, etc. If you have a huge collection you may need more than one rack. If that is the case, you can use one rack for each genre. Hopefully, you have pared down the collection so it will fit in one rack.

The last way to organize the collection is to do it digitally. Copy everything onto your computer and make sure you back it up regularly so you don’t lose anything. If you have a very large collection, this will take a lot of time and might be more than the space on your computer. You could look into getting cloud storage to backup your files. If you have a small collection, it will be easier. Many people buy downloads and do not even have actual physical CDs or DVDs any more.

Now your collection should be just the way you like it. Be sure to put everything back in its case or binder after you use it or you will have a disorganized mess again soon.

Check out my Jewish Times article!

Pikesville Mom, Professional Organizer Offers Advice On How To Set Up A Homework Station

Controlling Crafts!

Crafts can take on a life of their own, especially when you are an artsy/creative type person.  Every scrap, swatch or button has limitless potential and for many people, it seems wise to hold on to it all because “You never know when it will come in handy.’  The consequence of this way of thinking is CLUTTER. 

There are a few things you can do to tame the crafts. Most importantly, beware of impulse buying. Before you step foot into a crafts store or department, plan ahead what you are going to buy. Resist great sales of the things you already have plenty of. So many people have unopened scrapbooking items, yarn, fabrics, kits and more....and due to space limitations, end up having to get rid of the excess in order to make a room functional again.  Try this on your next shopping trip – if there is a "too great to resist" product that you see, ask them to hold it for you for 24 hours. If you still want it in 24 hours, then you can return to the store. If you lose your craving to have it, then you can celebrate the extra gift of space you have given yourself.

Next, gather all of your crafts from all over your home and spread them out on the floor. Group like things together. For example, find all of your yarns and group them by color or texture. Get rid of the yarns that are either old, smelly or have insufficient quantities. Then, find a container to hold the yarns. Containers don’t have to be fancy. Ziploc flexible totes are a great new product in two sizes that works well for yarn.  If you have many knitting needles, take inventory of what you have. Write the sized needles you have on an index card and you can even carry it with you to help you not buy the same sized needles again for your next project.

If drawing or painting is your thing, gather everything together and put all of your brushes together, all of your paints together, all of your paper together and all of your miscellaneous painting tools together. If you have 8 of the same exact brush type, perhaps you can let a few go. If you have paper that is faded, crumpled or not something you use anymore, recycle it! If you have spiral pads with very old sketches, perhaps you’re willing to rip out the ones you love most and let the rest go or scan them.  

Plastic bins can be useful for various supplies. Bins of all sizes are available at local stores and if there are lids, you can stack 2-3 on top of each other to allow you to easily access them. Make sure you evaluate what you have before you purchase containers. You want to make sure your containers are the right size for the quantities you have.

There are lots of little supplies like beads, buttons, bangles and more that go along with crafting. Some toolboxes or fishing lure cases can be used to organize the smaller items. If all of your beads and buttons are in one spot, you will not waste precious time searching for them when you need them.

For people who craft, there may be project bags all over with projects in various stages of completion. Ideally, you should finish old projects before you start new ones, but that’s a real challenge for many people. You might want to assign a space for “unfinished projects” so they are at least tucked away and not taking up valuable floor or shelf space. If you have a project that has sat unfinished for more years than you can remember, it might be time to say farewell. Just close your eyes and let it go. Sometimes new space is more important than holding on to unfinished business.

If you have some knit or crochet projects that are halfway finished, either finish them or frog them. Frogging is a term used for when you un-knit or un-crochet a project because you… rrrrrrippp it, rrrrripppp it! If you know you will never finish it, or if it not turning out the way you had hoped, better to frog it and put the yarn away for another project later.

Paints, glue, glitter, markers and other artistic products can dry out, spill or otherwise make a mess if they tip over. Take inventory of what you have and if it is unfit for use, get rid of it.  You’ll also be able to see how many of each type of item you have which will help you in your quest to not overbuy the same items.

Location is another important thing to pay attention to when organizing. The rule of thumb here is to place the crafts that you use the most in the most convenient, easy to reach spaces. Items that are used periodically should be in farther away spots. You will be amazed at the time you will save in placing the more frequently used items in nearby spaces.

Crafting is a wonderful way to spend your spare time. Giving a personalized or homemade gift can be much more appreciated than something purchased from a store. But the supplies for your crafts should not overrun your home.  Keep them at bay in their own area, either in a room, closet or cabinet, depending on how much space you have for the items. It will be easier to find what you need when you know where everything is kept.

Successful Strategies for Starting the School Year

It is already August and the new school year looms overhead. There is no way avoid it. Just take a deep breath, hold it for a few seconds and let it out slowly. Ready? 

It’s time to tackle jumping into the back to school madness. Many people put it off until the last minute. I don’t recommended it, because it will add stress to you and your whole family. The kids already have enough anxiety about starting the new school year. You do not want to add any more drama.

Setting up a plan of attack is critical. The school might send a list of suggested supplies, and that is a good starting point. You will undoubtedly have to add things to it and cross off items you already have. What can you salvage from last year? Pens, pencils, paper… And then there is the big money question – are there enough computers in your house? Will everyone be able to do their schoolwork with the number of computers available? 

You will need a notebook or folder for each child. Keeping the kids’ school assignments, class trip release forms and all other school-related papers should be in one location. You should also have a big calendar for everyone to use, coordinating all events. Kids can mark when they have tests, field trips and half days. You can add teacher conference appointments or anything else pertaining to the school year.

Some school supplies can be purchased online. It might save you time to do it that way. There are less distractions for the kids. However, if you are a “hands on” person, you probably want to go to the store, and you will save money on shipping.

One of the biggest chores is dealing with clothing. As kids are growing, last year’s clothes probably do not fit as well as they once did. And, your kids want to wear what all of the other kids are wearing. You should probably have the child try on some things, but go through the clothing and figure out what you have and what you need. Don’t forget shoes. Add everything to your list. Maybe a younger child can use some of the other child’s clothing. If no one can use the items and they are still in good shape, get together a donation for Goodwill, AmVets or another worthwhile charity.

The next chore is the backpack. Some backpacks look bigger than the kids toting them. Try to find an appropriately sized backpack that is big enough to accommodate everything your child will need. You can assign a certain section of the backpack for important papers and go through it each night to make sure you see all papers that are sent home. 

If you have little athletes, you will probably need a doctor’s visit. Medical forms need to be completed before they can play sports. You may need to update sports gear and clothing.

When there are less bathrooms than people – and that is usually the case – a shower schedule might need to be put into play. Some kids like to take a shower the night before, especially those who have a hard time getting up in the morning. 

One of the most difficult things to schedule is the morning exit strategy. If any of the children changed schools this year, it might throw off the last year’s morning routine. Who has to be at school at what time? Do they walk or take the bus? Does a parent drive them? Can you coordinate everyone’s schedule with your own work schedule? What about a carpool? 

After a week or so, this should get easier. You could even attempt a practice run before school starts. Try it during the normal school time so that you get an accurate view of the traffic.

Take the pressure off the whole family and try to complete the back to school chores as early as possible. You will feel like a giant weight has been lifted once you are finished. 

Tips for Timeliness

These days time can be even more valuable than money. Time is finite. There are only so many hours in a day and some of those should be allocated for sleeping. The ability to prioritize is so important, yet many of us struggle with deciding what has to be done verses what we wish we could do. It helps if we can think in terms of the here and now. What is most important for you to do today? What can you put off or simply not do today? 

Using your time wisely is something that can make your day go better. If you get overwhelmed, you might have to say no to some activities. Turning down fun things is not ideal. Saying no to people who you’d like to please is very difficult. If you learn how to prioritize and budget time more effectively, you can learn to make time for the things that are most important to you.

Multitasking is a wonderful thing, however, there are people who try to do too much at once and end up doing a poor job at everything. Tackling one job at a time can often be a better use of time. There was a time when I was proud to be a great multi-tasker. These days it feels more serene to focus on one activity at a time.

Another issue is overbooking and/or overpromising. Even with all the wonderful technological advances, it’s still difficult to be two places at the same time. When we over-commit, someone usually ends up disappointed or angry. Instead, teach yourself (or ask for help in learning how) to better estimate realistic, achievable daily goals. Make sure you assign enough time for each task on your list and remember to add time for travel and any necessary stops along the way.

Waiting in line is something that we have no control over and can eat up a substantial chunk of time. Try to do things like grocery shopping, buying gas, going to the bank and other chores when the businesses are not as crowded. Early mornings can be a good time for grocery shopping. Parking is easier. Lines are shorter. You might not feel like getting up early just to run errands, but you have to think about the reward. You’ll have more free time later in the day!

This might sound simple, but plan ahead. The bank might be on the way to the baseball field where you have to drop your son. Driving somewhere and back home repeatedly instead of doing everything in one trip, can waste time, gas and money. 

Think about what you need to do each day next week. Plan it out. You might say, “Wait a minute, planning out my week is going to take time!” But after you have it planned, you will use your time more efficiently and the planning will get easier week by week.

Most bills can be paid online. Several banks have both direct deposit and online banking. Going to the bank may soon become obsolete. You can digitally set up monthly payments to automatically come out of your account on a certain date. Using online banking features can save time writing out checks every month. Just make sure you keep track of what is going in and out of your account. Most banks have mobile versions of their websites too, making banking very convenient no matter where you are.

Time to get real… Admit that you waste time – everyone does it. Figure out what wastes your time and make an effort to do something constructive instead. Maybe instead of getting lost in Facebook, you can take 5 minutes and unsubscribe from a few junk e-mail lists.  While you are waiting for your daughter at the doctor’s office, you can read over some documents that came in the mail that you haven’t had time to read at home. 

Around the house, tackle the little jobs before they grow into a monster-sized job that will overwhelm you. Doing a load of laundry a couple nights a week instead of waiting until you run out of underwear makes the task seem less daunting. Cleaning the kitchen and bathroom more often will take less time than waiting until the crud has built up everywhere.

Make at least a small effort to improve your time management. If you feel like a big change is too much, remember that each journey starts with a single step. Start with one problem area like excess t.v. viewing, internet surfing, unnecessary phone chatting, wherever you want to start. Try to cut down on that one thing and you will see how much more time you have available to do the pleasurable things in life.

Easy Does It, Wins the Race

Did you ever notice that people seem to have so much to do these days? You ask someone how they are and they tell you “busy.” We all strive to get things done in life. It can be frustrating to spend more time spinning our wheels and less time actually doing things. You know you really want to get yourself and your life organized, but aren’t sure how to start.  

There are various tasks you want to do. It might be cleaning out the basement. Maybe it is organizing the kids’ closets. And the kitchen — it needs organizing too. Whatever it is, divide the task into smaller parts so the job doesn’t seem so intimidating. Rome wasn’t built in a day. Try setting small achievable goals that you can do in a short period of time. Spending 15 minutes and completing one task can result in a great feeling of accomplishment. Many times people set unrealistic goals and expectations which cause overwhelm and frustration before we even begin! 

The first objective is to figure out what your ultimate goal is. Once you know that, you are well on your way. Divide it into parts. You can simply make a list. A lot of people have great success just from putting ideas down on paper. Really break the task down into its smallest parts. The more parts you have, the easier each little job will be. If and when you get stuck, try to think about the next action you need to take to get closer to your goal. You will be clicking off your accomplishments almost effortlessly.

If you have no idea how to get started, you are certainly not alone. There is a lot of help out there for people trying to set goals and achieve them. Of course, Aim 4 Order can always show you the way. One of our goals is to help you achieve yours. There are also some websites, and even some smart phone apps, that can help.

Goals on Track is a phone app that can help you stay on course with your goals anywhere. The nice thing about this app is that it charts your progress as you go. Seeing results gives you encouragement to keep going to the next challenge. CAUTION -- if you are not able to quickly understand how to use the app, move on. The last thing you want to do is waste hours of time on the internet. OK?

Joe’s Goals is a program you can get for free. According to Joe, this system worked for him. You can list tasks and days of the week to do each task. This program includes “negative goals” or vices that detract from accomplishing objectives on your list. It’s kind of a fun way to get things done, and also see what stumbling blocks throw you off your game.

Google Docs is becoming a very popular way to store lots of documents. You can be anywhere with internet access, and get to your documents. By using spreadsheets in Google Docs, you can keep track of your goals and set them up however you want them. You can make a column of goals and set up a row for each day of the week. Next to each goal, place a check mark as they are completed in the column for that day. However, try not to let the software become something that keeps you from getting things accomplished. That defeats the purpose of it.

These programs might be a good way to make sense of things. On the other hand, your way might be more basic. You might make a list on a piece of paper and put a line through each one as you do it. The main idea is to get things done. Set your goals, divide them into smaller chunks and then go after them one by one.

Linens Away!

How to avoid a linen avalanche

It’s time to change bed linens and you go to the closet. When you open the door of your linen closet, will a pile of towels come tumbling out? If so, it’s probably time to clean and organize your closet.

Unfortunately, the first step in cleaning the closet is to completely empty it. Thoroughly clean each shelf. A 10% bleach to 90% water mixture will clean any mold and mildew while making the closet smell clean. Once it air dries, you can start to put things back inside. 

Organize linens and towels.

You can cover the shelves if you want to perk up the look of the closet. Non-acid paper can be used. An alternative is using rubbery shelf liner. It will keep stacks of linen from sliding around wooden closet shelves.

Generally, shelves can be moved closer together and you can even add some and make more surface area. If you decrease the amount of space between shelves, the stacks of linens will be shorter and less likely to topple over. If the shelves are not easily moved, you can put dividers between the stacks of towels and other linens. This will help keep them upright. You may even consider putting a towel rack or two on the back of the closet door so you can hang things there.

Some people use Space Bags, or other types of sealed bags with the air sucked out of them, to store winter blankets or other seasonal items. While using those bags compacts the contents, you will still need to leave a bit of space for them. If large comforters can find a home in a bedroom closet, you can clear out a lot more room for other linens.

Small items like travel size shampoos and soaps often end up scattered all over the closet. Add some clear bins, so you can see what is inside, to keep the little containers in one location.

If you decide to hang onto heirloom linens like tablecloths and cloth napkins, keep those items up higher in the closet. They are more difficult to clean so avoid putting them on the floor unless they are in sealed containers that will keep them from getting dirty. 

If there is space in the dining room, tablecloths may be stored there instead of the linen closet. You will now have easier access to them when you need to dress up the table and free up more space in the linen closet for sheets and towels.

Towels can be sorted by size or color, whatever works best for you. A good rule of thumb is to keep about two to three sets of sheets per bed and the same number of towel sets for each person in the house. Excess towels can make great rags or can be used for pets, donated or given away.

Have you ever located a fitted sheet and then spend the next 15 minutes sorting through everything looking for the matching flat sheet? You are not alone! Fold the sheets and put one inside the other, along with the pillowcases. Some people tuck all the sheets inside of the matching pillowcase. Finding the complete set will now be breeze.

Sometimes linen closets have a musty smell. An inexpensive little box of baking soda, changed on a monthly basis, can go a long way to help with closet odors. There are all kinds of air fresheners and potpourri products that will make any closet smell wonderful. Mothballs can keep insects at bay, but may transfer their odor to the linens. 

After you put everything back into the closet, it will smell great. Think about how easy it will be to find the towel you want or the fresh set of sheets. There may be a nice stack of things to donate or give away. On the surface it might not seem like a big deal, but in the end you will have a fantastic feeling of accomplishment. 

Ready, Set, Emergency!

The recent storms got me thinking about emergencies. Every person and family should have some kind of plan in case there is a dramatic weather event, fire, blizzard or any other type of emergency that might happen. Remember that earthquake? According to the t.v. news, a lot of people did what you should do for a tornado, which is not necessarily the right thing for an earthquake. Who knew?

Be prepared for electrical storms or other emergencies.

During an earthquake, you should stay indoors until the earthquake is over. Most people who are injured, get hurt while going outside when the earthquake is still ongoing. Stay away from big windows, large light fixtures, ceiling fans or other things that might break and fall on you. If you happen to be in bed, stay there and put the pillow over your head. Duck under a table if there is a sturdy one nearby. There is not a lot of time during an earthquake to do much of anything. 

When there is a tornado, head for the lowest point in the residence, the basement works well. If there is no basement, go to a room with no windows, like a bathroom, closet or hallway. Flying glass can be deadly, avoid it as much as you can. Usually with tornadoes, you have a few minutes to get ready before it hits, unlike an earthquake. If any big storm with high winds is expected, secure anything around the house that might be swept away. 

Young and healthy people should have a plan for checking in with disabled or older family members if a big storm rolls through. Don’t forget your neighbors who might need help. If you live alone, I’m sure you know someone else who lives alone – you can check on each other. Some people even have a list of people to call just to make sure everything is okay.

Not only should you have a checklist for people, there are some supplies you should always keep on hand in case of an emergency. Often times the power goes out during these situations, so you need to be ready beforehand. Unfortunately, many of us got a taste of that recently when storms ripped through the area. About half of the Baltimore metro area lost power, some people for several days.

Supplies:

• Always have flashlights with spare batteries. Headlamps, used for camping and spelunking, are great for allowing hands-free lighting. Keep a stock of D batteries on hand because most of the lanterns only take Ds.
• A battery operated NOAA Weather Radio (or any radio) will allow you to get updates on storm watches and warnings.
• Some paper and pens or pencils will come in handy in case you hear about something important on the radio. You could jot down emergency numbers or where cooling centers, ice distribution centers or shelters are located.
• A first aid kit for any injuries is very important. Don’t forget to check the kit at least once a year to make sure nothing is expired.
• Your medications might be vital to your survival. You should never completely run out of your medications. Always keep at least a week’s worth on hand, if possible.
• Hand sanitizer comes in handy when water is in short supply.
• Toilet paper and other personal hygiene products are a must.
• If you have kids, it is really important to store away some things to amuse them. Without computers, sketchy or no cell service or no electricity, your kids will get antsy! Keep them occupied with coloring or activity books, books to read, crossword puzzles, anything that doesn’t require power. Don’t forget classic board games. A deck of cards doesn’t take up much space and people of just about any age can amuse themselves playing alone or as a group.

Food and Drink:

• It is recommended to keep 1-3 gallons of water on hand for each person in the house. Three gallons are appropriate for a multi-day disaster. Having Gatorade, Ensure or other nutrient-filled beverage would be a bonus to have on hand.
• Foods that do not have to be refrigerated usually have a long shelf life. If you have a lot of canned food, make sure you have a manual can opener. Here’s your chance to get your fill of beef jerky! 
• Try to always have a week’s worth of pet food on supply. You don’t want to share that beef jerky with the family dog.

It might sound silly, but businesses and families should practice fire safety. Fire drills were always a chore in school, but when there is a fire, it is extremely important to know what to do. Figure out how you and your pets can evacuate quickly. Small children should learn what to do in order to stay safe. If someone is disabled or elderly, knowing how to deal with them during an emergency may be the difference between life and death for that person.

Have a great, safe time and try to always be prepared. You never know when bad weather or other emergencies are going to happen.

Got TOOLS?

Have you ever needed a hand or power tool unexpectedly and it’s not where you thought you put it? It can be frustrating when you have to stop right in the middle of a project and start a search for something. If only your tools were organized…  

For some people, it may be as easy as putting a hammer, pliers and two screwdrivers in a drawer. DIY (do it yourself) fans and most homeowners, have a large collection of hand tools, power tools, nails, screws, nuts and bolts, saws, a variety of pliers, the list goes on and on. So, is there a good strategy for organizing everything? Of course there is! 

A lot of people like using a pegboard to organize hand tools. In the end, they are all hanging, with enough space between them to easily remove one tool without knocking a bunch of other tools off the wall. The best part of this system is that you can see everything. In a matter of seconds, you can grab a hand saw, hammer and whatever else you might need for a project.

Power tools come in their own carrying cases and can be organized on shelves or under the workbench. If it doesn’t have a carrying case and doesn’t fit easily on the pegboard, you can get a plastic container for it. Most power tools have attachments, bits, blades or other things that should be kept with the item, which is why the cases are so nice. If it is hard to tell at a glance what case holds which tool, mark the containers with a Sharpie (they come in metallic colors that can write on dark containers) or put a piece of masking tape on the container and write on the tape.

Screws, nuts, bolts and other hardware should be organized into plastic containers or specially made cabinets that have tiny drawers to hold whatever you have. The little cabinets are great, but can be expensive. Sometimes they are sold with the hardware already inside. You can end up buying a lot of little tiny screws that you may never need.

A more reasonable solution is a plastic 3-drawer container for about $15-20or craft storage bins. You can keep the hardware either in the containers they came in or in disposable Gladware containers. Gladware or Rubbermaid conveniently make containers in a variety of sizes. Get clear containers so you can see what is inside. If you are a recycler, some deli meats come in plastic containers that can be reused for storing little items. Baby food jars are another favorite for organizing small hardware. Place whatever containers you use by type and/or size in the drawers, and later they can be found when needed.

A toolbox is another matter entirely. 

Things tend to get thrown in a toolbox as a project progresses and left in there for all eternity. After a project is completely finished, the hardware and project specific items should go back in the drawers or on the pegboard.  Yes, the toolbox should be organized at the end of every project. Only keep basic items like a hammer, a few screwdrivers, pliers, a tape measure, pencil, flashlight and other things you use regularly in the toolbox. If you put too much in there, it will either be so heavy you can barely lift it or you won’t be able to close it. 

OK — now for THE TALK — I would be remiss if I didn’t make mention of those of you with more tools than you potentially will ever need or use. If you have every hammer that your father, grandfather and dear uncle used, along with all the ones you’ve gotten at flea markets and hardware stores along the years... it might be time to downsize your hammers. Be gentle, but be honest with yourself. I am guessing that you likely use 20% of your tools, 80% of the time. See if you can possibly part with at least the rusty/broken/need-to-repair tools first. Then you can look at selecting your top 2-3 favorite screwdrivers (or top 5-8 maybe?) and continue with the process for all of your duplicate tools. When you downsize tools, you have a much better chance of fitting them in whatever containers you have waiting patiently to be filled.

Enjoy the DIY craze of fixing or building things on your own. You will be amazed at the added enjoyment you will have if you can keep that basement, garage, shed or wherever you keep your tools organized so you know what you have and where it is. I promise, with everything where you can find it, the DIY experience will be better.

User Friendly Fridge and Freezer Tips

You never want to play Jenga with your food. Some refrigerators are stacked up so high, if you try to pull something from the bottom the whole pile comes crashing down on you. This can be dangerous if this happens in front of the freezer! Nobody wants to come home and find you knocked out cold by a frozen leg of lamb.

 

All kidding aside, refrigerators should be organized on a regular basis for several reasons. The first is that you want to be able to open the door and see just about everything that is inside without digging around. The second is your health. Old foods can make you sick, even if they look and smell okay. They might even taste fine, and still if they are too old, you may be exposing yourself to dangerous bacteria. When in doubt – toss it out! Lastly, when you hold the refrigerator door open and start rooting around, you are wasting energy (which equals wasting money). No one wants to do that!

If you shop at a warehouse store, keep in mind that you have a finite amount of space in the refrigerator and freezer. Try not to buy so much food that you are forced to stack things. The food doesn’t last forever and it hurts to throw away food that has spoiled.

Start with the fridge door. Condiments and items in glass jars are generally located on the door for easy access. Check their expiration dates and toss anything too old. Avoid putting milk on the door as it might spill when the door swings open. Some refrigerators have built-in egg holders where you can take the eggs out of the carton and put them individually into a holder. Eggs stay fresher in their original carton, but many people use the egg holders anyway. Your fridge, your choice.

Now it’s time to tackle the rest of the inside of the refrigerator. Drinks take up a lot of space, sodas especially. Ideally, keep a few of each type of drink in the fridge and the rest can be nearby in storage. No need to fill the fridge with boxes and cans that may take weeks to use. If the excess is in storage, you can quickly see when you’re running low.

You can purchase stackable shelves if you feel like you need more surface area. They can be used in the freezer as well. Some people use Lazy Susans to have easier access to foods. When buying containers for leftovers, try to purchase clear containers. You will be able to see what is inside without having to take the container out and open it. Shelf liners can keep items from rolling around or falling out. 

Put taller items in the back so they do not block the view. Milk or juice may be the tallest items. Check the milk’s expiration date. The old smell test works well on milk! If it stinks or is lumpy, well, you know what to do.

Vegetables go in the crisper. Deli meats (last about 3-5 days after opened) and cheeses go in the deli drawer. You can buy “grocery green bags” that will keep produce fresh longer than the clear plastic bags or leaving vegetables loose. Check the cheese for mold. Harder cheeses tend to last longer. Wrapping cheese in tin foil is magical – it delays mold from forming. Raw meat, like a package of hamburger, should go on the bottom shelf. Generally speaking, the lowest shelf stays cooler than the upper shelves. The more perishable the food, the lower it should be. Speaking of temperatures, the refrigerator should be set for about 33-38° F. If food is above 40° for two hours or longer, it should be tossed.

Leftovers are a wonderful thing. Sometimes you just don’t feel like cooking, and having a meal of leftovers works fine. Most leftovers will be okay for 3-4 days. It is recommended that you reheat them at 325° F or higher to kill any bacteria. Maybe you can’t remember if the food is from Monday or Tuesday. Put dates on leftovers to help you. If there is no place to write the date, just write it on masking tape and stick the tape on the container.

After you finish with the refrigerator, it is on to the freezer. The temperature of the freezer should be no higher than 0° F to keep food as fresh as possible.

If you have a chest freezer, they are a bit of a pain to organize. You are forced to stack things on top of each other, and can end up digging around. Try to rotate the food and put the oldest things on top so you use everything before it goes bad.

Always freeze foods before the “sell by” date to ensure it will be okay to eat later. Raw meat will last 3-4 months, cooked meat 2-3 months. Raw chicken is good for about 9 months, cooked chicken about 4 months. Mark these items with dates too, this is especially important if you repackage the meat. Sometimes chicken will be on sale and you want to buy a big package of it. When you freeze it, you can divide it into amounts you will need for one meal. Put the chicken or meat in a freezer bag and mark the date on it. Soups and casseroles can be frozen and will last 2-3 months. They can be placed in clear containers or freezer bags. Frozen dinners can stay in the freezer 3-4 months. When putting anything in freezer bags, try to squeeze out as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. Containers stack a lot better than freezer bags, but there will be more air in them. If freezer bags are made as flat as possible before they are frozen, they can be stacked too.

Frozen cakes, cookies, brownies, and other desserts can be frozen. It is much easier to individually wrap one portion of each and store them in labeled gallon freezer bags. They will thaw quicker that way. And, you are only thawing what you need.

Organizing the refrigerator regularly is ideal. Clearing out food that is past its prime is best done the night before trash day so it doesn’t sit outside in the garbage inviting wildlife to come for a snack.

Inbox Intervention

The great thing about email is that it is instant. If you wait days and days before you answer the mail, it removes the best thing about email. By keeping your inbox free of clutter, you will quickly discover that it is easier to get to the important messages and answer them on a timely basis while weeding out the unnecessary junk.

The first step is to set up some folders. If you do not know how to set up folders, there is a “help” menu with instructions in whatever email system you use. These folders will be in your inbox and will act just like paper folders in a file cabinet. You can sort and file away messages and reduce your inbox clutter.

If you set aside a few minutes each day to clear out your inbox, checking your email will be a lot less stressful. Set up an appointment on your calendar to do this each day. Try doing this towards the beginning of each day.

Set up a file for each child, your mom, newsletters, school, online purchases, work items, etc. as you need them. Avoid printing out a lot of emails. It is a waste of paper, especially when you can either save the photos, other attachments or text elsewhere on the computer for future reference.

If you have copied multiple people on your outgoing message, every time someone responds and hits “reply all” you will see all of the incoming messages. You do not need to keep all of those. If there is a long conversation going back and forth between you and one person, only keep the most recent as it generally has the entire conversation within the email.

Spam and junk mail... Just saying it, can anger people. Most people get boatloads of junk email every single day. Go through and delete those right away. Legally, the companies spamming you must have an “unsubscribe” statement at the end of the email. You can unsubscribe to these companies individually, or give unsubscribe.com a try. They are dedicated to help eradicate unwanted junk email. Unfortunately, some spam is impossible to stop. If that happens, you can set up your email to either block that particular sender, or put their messages immediately into the trash folder.

If you make purchases online, and most of us do, you will get emails from those companies. Put all receipts, confirmations and shipping emails in a folder you set up for online purchases. As you check out when making your purchase, there is generally a box (they automatically check “yes” for you) asking if you want to receive offers, ads and even newsletters from them. This is a way to get you to keep coming back to buy things. By un-checking the box when you make your purchase, you will cut down on mailings from them.

All of your emails can be divided by the 4 Ds of decision making: DELETE IT, DO IT, DELEGATE IT, DEFER IT.

Loads of emails can be discarded once they have been read. These include the amusing jokes, stories and funny pictures that constantly circulate. Does the message relate to something current? No? DELETE it! Why keep information that doesn’t relate to your main focus? Does the message have information you can find elsewhere? Yes? Delete it. Does the message have information you may refer to in the next six months? No? Delete it. You can always save the information into a file on your computer if you think you will need it later.

Next, does the email require a task or response that can be done quickly? If so, DO it. If not, place the email in the appropriate folder for later.

If you can’t do the job quickly, is there someone else who can? This can be a tough one for some people, but DELEGATE if you can.

If all else fails, DEFER any action until later.

Everyone’s email has a limit to how much data can be stored. Depending on the mail server or system you use, the amount of space varies. If you have too many messages in your inbox, especially if they contain attachments like photos or other files, your inbox may quickly fill to capacity. Any emails you get at that point will be returned to the sender. You do not want to miss important messages.

Once your email is sorted, deleted or tasks completed, you can go on about your day without that cluttered inbox haunting you all afternoon. You have the sense of accomplishment and a manageable inbox.

How much is too much?

Any time is a good time to go through your closets and figure out what you can donate, give away or toss in the trash. But, how do you know how many shoes are too many? How many suits do you need? Purses? Belts? Hats? 

It is great to have color-coordinated outfits with matching purses, belts, shoes, scarves, etc. But there comes a point when you run out of closet space and/or your significant other has a tiny corner of the closet and the rest of the stuff is yours. Where do you draw the line? 

There is no right answer. The solution is as individual as your own style. But, the size of your home and closets is a good starting point.  

Can you put everything away? If not, it is time to weed out some things. A good rule of thumb is that if you haven’t worn something in two years, you probably don’t need it any more. Yes, some styles go away and come back into fashion, but you really don’t need to save a skirt you had in college because there is a chance it might come back in style. Sure, you got that big office job wearing it. And absolutely, you looked great in it. But, be honest.... when is the last time you wore it and even if it did fit, is it still something you’d wear today? 

This problem is not restricted to women. A friend of mine’s father had a closet that was so full of suits, you could barely stuff your hand in between them to pull one out. And, he had several closets around the house like that. Pair after pair of shoes lined the top shelves and floor of each closet. And ties – there was a gigantic tie holder that was at least five deep in neckties, where each slot was meant to hold a single tie. There were thick ones, thin ones, whimsical hula dancer ties – no bolo ties, but just about everything else.  

Having too much clothing can be a source of contention between spouses/partners/roommates. Eliminating some of the excess can go a long way toward family peace and tranquility. That alone is worth purging some unnecessary items.

There are lots of people who have clothing in a variety of sizes. Someone who has gained weight may not want to donate a favorite item that may someday fit again. That is understandable, but how about keeping ONE item rather than dozens of wrong-sized clothing from yesteryear.

While it is nice to have something for any and all occasions, it does not always work in an already stuffed-to-the-brim home. You don’t have to get rid of everything at once... I always suggest that you pick even one item a day to place in a “donation” bag and when it’s full, take it to a donation site.  Put your very favorite items that you want to keep aside and be brutal with the questionable ones, especially those covered in dust or stuck so far back in the closet that you forgot you had them. You’ll get a nice tax deduction for donating the usable items to charity and get that cathartic clean feeling at the same time.

Downsize your book collection

Books accumulate in every household. Some have sentimental or actual value, but most are useless once they are read. Unless the book is a classic, most people only read a book one time, if they make it that far.

Many options are available for trimming down your book collection. First, you have to sort through them. Figure out which books are most important. Encyclopedias that many of us relied on for homework assignments as kids, are completely useless to most of today’s internet savvy children. No charity has any interest in old and ridiculously outdated encyclopedias from when the flag only had 48 stars! Other reference books may fall into the same category, although some nonprofits may take those.

Keeping a favorite book of poetry is understandable. Holding a book in your hands may soon be a thing of the past, but you can hang on to some of your most treasured tomes. It is fine to keep some books pertaining to a hobby or pastime, but you can certainly weed out at least a few of them.

If you are an avid reader, getting rid of countless novels may be where you will see the biggest area of downsizing. Once read, either pass them along to a friend or get rid of them!

Many places still love book donations. Probably the most popular in Baltimore is The Book Thing.This wonderful place takes books and then gives them away to anyone who wants them free of charge. The Book Thing is only open on weekends, but there is a 24-hour drop off container. This should go without saying, do not go there and take home more books than you drop off! That is not going to help you one bit.

Donating books to other charities can work as well. Make sure to ask if they accept books before you donate them. Some nonprofits do not take books and will have to pay someone to haul them away.

While some people consider throwing away books a sin, recycling or trashing them might be the best thing. A history textbook from the Eisenhower administration is not going to help any child do their homework. There have been so many advances in science, most old texts are not worth anything. The most someone might get out of them is a good laugh.

A friend of mine unsuccessfully tried to donate some old encyclopedias, but didn’t want the books to end up in the landfill. She carefully used a mat knife and cut the pages out of the all of the books. She recycled the pages and threw away the hard covers! The process helped her avoid the bad feeling of throwing the books in the trash.

According to popular belief, some old books are worth a lot of money. Usually, that is untrue with few exceptions. First editions can be valuable, depending upon the book. Extremely old books can have some value. If you have books that you think are worth some money, you might want to sell them on Amazon, Ebay or Craigslist. Whole collections, like the works of Shakespeare for example, might be worth selling.

At Aim4Order, our mission is to help you reduce clutter and free your space. If you are overwhelmed by your enormous book collection and need help, please email or give us a call at 410-484-8328.