Meal planning to save time and money

We all have to eat. Whether meals are for nourishment, enjoyment or a little of both, someone has to do the cooking. In order to save money and your sanity, try to plan ahead and have some meals ready to go at a moment’s notice. Going to the grocery store multiple times each week uses up a lot of valuable time and energy. Try to go just once a week and plan ahead for a week’s worth of meals. It is not easy to change old ways, but it is possible if you are willing to try.

Coming home from work and having no idea about what to make for dinner causes a stressful, anxious time. Planning ahead and having options, can make all the difference in the world. You will feel reduced stress levels, be more relaxed and less likely to snap at the husband or kids. You will find that your meal will be calm and not apt to cause indigestion.

Choose menu items that go with daily activities like when the kids have sports or music lessons, you might not want to have a large, filling meal. Something light and quick to prepare, would be better on those days. Breakfast on weekdays before school will be a lot faster than on Sunday mornings.

Usually family favorites are better than experimental or new-fangled ideas. While it is always good to try new things, serve the favorites regularly. If the kids love spaghetti with meatballs, keep it in the plan. Get the children involved. Ask for their input about new ideas and classics.

Staple foods should be in stock at all times for those spontaneous cooking moments. Even though you are planning ahead, you still need to stay flexible in order for everyone in the family to be happy at meal time. In the beginning, just plan a few days ahead. As you get better, you can plan further in advance.

Make the most of the prime real estate that is your pantry. Buying food in the bulk aisle can save money, but always make sure it is something you use in large quantities. If you do not use the huge container of food, you are wasting money and space.

Get a list together and think about what you might want for the next week. Chart out what meals will be served each day on a calendar and plan your grocery list accordingly. If you order pizza on Tuesdays, add that to your calendar. This is a great way to start organizing your life by organizing your family’s meals.

To-Do List Got You Down?

You are not the only one who struggles with a To-Do list that's too long. 

Most people write To-Do lists - but most of the people I work with either have very LONG To-Do lists OR they have dozens of slips of paper with To-Do lists from days, weeks, months and sometimes years ago. Let's look at how you can tweak your current To-Do list to make it more functional.

Here are a few ideas to help you gain more confidence and control of your To-Do list.

• Make your giant to do list (sometimes called a 'brain dump') on 1 big piece of paper or on a spread sheet - don't over think it - just start writing.
• Assign a 1, 2 or 3 to each project. Jobs that take under 5 minutes get a 1, any task that takes an hour or two gets a 2 and long term projects get a 3.
• Now go through your list and put your projects into these 3 categories.
• Highlight the most important items on your list so they 'grab' your attention.
• Look at your list and see what you can pass on to someone else. If you have the mindset that you are the only one that can do it, you may be doing yourself a disservice. Think outside the box.
• Start each day by doing several of your '1' projects. You'l feel a sense of accomplishment which will motivate you to want to do more. 
• Take a look at your highlighted items and make those your priority for the day.
• If there is a task that you are absolutely dreading, work on it for 10 minutes each day. Once you get started, you may find that you can finish it. We tend to 'awfulize' certain things and they aren't nearly as scary once we 'just do it.'
• Set reasonable expectations of yourself - most people do not complete their entire To-Do list in a day - set aside a realistic amount of time to get items knocked off your list. If you set minimum standards for each day, you can feel some satisfaction which will motivate you to keep the momentum going. Unrealistic expectations will only cause frustration and overwhelm which is not a good strategy (been there, done that!).
• I have a fun little treat for those of you who want to improve your To-Do list strategies.  Email me and I will send it to you by mail. If I don't already have your mailing address, you may need to send it to me.

 To learn more about improving your productivity, sign up for a free webinar on June 12th at http://www.thebizknows.com/web.html.  See details below under June Webinar.

$99 Phone Consult Special

In just one hour, we will identify three pressing issues for you to handle this summer and create a personalized Plan of Attack tailored to your needs and work style. Email cindy@aim4order.com to reserve your spot.

June Webinar!

Tackling Time Management 

featuring Cindy Bernstein

sponsored by 

The Biz Knows LLC Wednesday, June 12, 2013 

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Go to 

The Biz Knows

to register. 

Ending the school year well organized – how to deal with end of the school year clutter

For the kids, it is freedom. School is over and the summer stretches its loving arms out to envelope them. But here you are stuck with a stack of yellowing papers, well worn book bags, smelly gym gear, art projects, pens and everything else that was stuffed into their lockers all year.

Before you go into a panic, inhale deeply and start on this task right away. You might wonder how such small people can accumulate so much junk. Instead of dwelling on that fact, it is best to get started sorting through it all. Leaky pens, holey gym clothes and old papers can be discarded.

One clutter free way to keep those A+ papers forever is to photograph them and save them digitally. If you are really on top of things, you have been doing this throughout the school year. But do not beat yourself up for not taking photos before now. Try to only keep one spectacular project per child per year. If you add it all up, by high school graduation, you will have plenty of memories.

If your kids are at that “growing like a weed” stage, you will probably need to go through their closets and drawers and remove anything that no longer fits. Depending on the age of the children, they may help you with this project. Unfortunately, a trip to the mall for summer garb may be in order after a good closet cleaning.

Old clothing can be handed down, donated or tossed, depending on how much wear they have had. If you have space, winter clothes can be moved elsewhere in your home. Bulky sweaters and coats can take up a lot of room.

Schedules will change, especially when all of the adults work outside of the home. While there are no more school carpools, there are kids that need to be entertained and watched all summer. Since there is no homework, summer chores can be added to their schedule to help you. And since most parents are not above bribery, special rewards or privileges can be offered in exchange for a job well done.

Try to do something fun with your kids at the end of the school year. Visit that new restaurant, play some arcade games, go camping for the weekend or take them on the trip they begged you about all year. Try to do an activity that you will all enjoy, and give yourselves a nice bonding moment at the same time.

Organizing your entryway

Does this scenario ever play out in your home? You walk in the door after a hard day at work, a long school day or a fun night on the town. You toss your keys, throw your coat and kick off your shoes. The entrance of your home can quickly pile up with all sorts of items. That is the first part of your home that a person sees when they come through your door.

Whether you live in a house or apartment, the entryway seems to be a dumping ground for shoes, gloves, scarves, keys, mail, baseball mitts, umbrellas, dog leashes and anything else you might have when you walk in the door. Keeping that area organized can be a challenge, especially if you have a lot of people living in your home. However, this is a challenge you can meet and conquer.

By setting aside an hour or two for this task, it can be completed. Go through the entryway closet. There are probably coats, jackets and sweaters that are not needed this time of year. If you have somewhere else to put things for the summer, you can move them and make more space for items needed during the warmer months. Sports equipment, especially if there are kids in the home, can make for a treacherous entryway. Finding a nice place in the closet can help reduce the clutter.

There are things you can buy to help organize your foyer or entryway. A set of hooks for your keys can save time and frustration. Once you get in the habit of automatically hanging your keys on the hook immediately upon entering your home, you will always know where the keys are without the need for a keychain GPS unit.

A basket for incoming and/or outgoing mail is another idea. Only mail that needs immediate attention should stay here. This can end up as a trouble spot if it is not regularly attended.

Some entryways have enough room for a piece of furniture to help organize the sports equipment. A bench with storage inside or cabinet will ensure all of the scarves and accessories have a nice place to stay. Even an umbrella stand or hat rack that can hold hats, scarves and light jackets can make a big difference in minimizing clutter. If there is no room for a piece of furniture, a small chest of drawers can be put on one side of the closet as most jackets, hoodies and sweaters only use half of the vertical space. The long winter coats and full-length raincoats can go on the other side.

An eye-level mirror will give you the opportunity to check your face before you leave the house. If it is a large mirror, it can help make the area look larger. Instead of seeing the entrance as a combat zone, you can turn it into an organized place that gives a great first impression.

Crowded Closets are not Fun

Sometimes my closets remind me of the "Shoemaker's children" because my poor closets are often neglected. Thankfully, I was able to spend about an hour on my bedroom closet this past weekend. 

Here are my "takeaway" tips for you:

• Pretend you are working on someone else's closet. It's so easy to get overwhelmedwhen dealing with your own stuff.  Take everything off of your shelves first - when the space is empty,you can be more objective about what should go where. Out of season clothing can be placed in the hard to reach spots.  
• Sort like things together. Put your winter stuff together (and hopefully place in a far away place) and sort the current season's clothing in categories (sleeveless, short sleeve, dressy tops, jackets, sweaters, shorts, slacks). 
• Have a bag nearby for items to donate and put them in as you go through everything.
• Put your current season's clothes in your bedroom closet and move the out of season hanging clothes to another location.
• Get rid of all but one spare pairs of sneakers - one spare pair is enough.
• Use the easy-to-reach places for the items you use the most. My bottom shelf has my dog walking clothes and other things I use daily.

Beware of these common roadblocks:

Overwhelm   Where do I begin?

Solution  Begin with a 5 minute decluttering session – grab a bag and put some giveaways in there. Don't over  deliberate about whether to  consign or donate - just decide  what needs to go.

  

Fear What if I don't have time to finish and make an even bigger mess?

Solution Start slow – do one section at a  time and start with the easiest  stuff first – belts? scarves?  clothes that don't fit?

Indecision What if I end up needing this?

Solution If you are really afraid to get rid  of something, place it in a  "marinade" box. Go to your  calendar and pick a date (a few  months out). If you haven't  gone to your marinade box by  that date, then you can  give yourself permission to let  it go.

    

Stamina I can't physically do it.

Solution Ask for help - if you have a non-judgmental person in your life, see if you can barter with them..  you can do a more sedentary favor for them and they can help you climb, lift and carry clothes.

   

And a few parting words for your enjoyment...

• Let go of perfectionism - if your piles don't look perfect, it doesn't matter. Your goal is to DOWNSIZE.  
• Easy does it – but do it. Spend 5 minutes... but do it a few times a week and you WILL see a difference.
• Schedule regular donation pick ups or drop offs - this will give you a needed excuse to gather unwanted items.

Set a goal of when you want to have this completed. If you do not meet your goal and feel discouraged and overwhelmed, then please contact me. I would love to help you. 

Get digital photos organized

Just like your closets, your hard drive can become overstuffed with files. Managing them can be an intimidating job. So, like with all organizing, break it into smaller tasks and do your cataloging in increments.

When most digital cameras or cell phones take photos, they assign a number-letter combination that does not help at all when you are trying find a specific photo. You can spend hours looking through photos trying to search for what you want. There are a couple good photo organizing programs that can help you declutter your digital photo files and folders. Picasa and iPhoto are two excellent choices. Some camera manufacturers have their own photo album software that can be downloaded free. Kodak has a good one. Even if you do not have one of their cameras, you can use the organizing software.

You can sort by date, which can narrow down your search, or you can individually name folders and put the appropriate digital photos in them as if you were literally placing printed photos in an album.

Sometimes organizing by date can be confusing. Did the trip to the zoo happen before or after last May? Cameras usually allow you to name the folder when you transfer photos to the computer. If it’s “Betsy’s trip to the zoo,” label the folder accordingly and you will have a better idea of what is in that folder.

If you are anything like me, you will have several photos of one subject, including some blurry images. Delete the blurry ones, especially if you have better, more clear photos of the same subject. They are just taking up precious hard drive space.

Scanning old family photos into the computer is a great way to preserve memories and protect photos that might get damaged with age. Some scanned photos can be altered to look better than the original, although fixing photos is probably best left to the professionals.

Back up all of your photos onto a flash drive, backup drive and/or CDs to make sure you never lose them. Another way to backup is with cloud storage, or to virtually store them off site in cyberspace. If anything should happen to your computer, or even your home, the photos will remain safe. Only print out your most spectacular images for gifts or framing. Avoid adding unnecessary clutter and keep the majority of them on the computer.

Avoid time-wasters and make time for what you want

What are some time wasters in your life? Do you spend a lot of time playing on Facebook? Do you drive around town doing chores? Do you watch too much television?

A system to organize your life will help you make the most of the little time your life seems to have. By putting this system into place, you will feel more happy and free. We’ve talked about calendars and time before. Now let’s see if we can put everything together, make your life more organized and free up some time to relax, take a long, hot bath, read a good book or maybe even take a nap.

Take a few minutes to think about what you did today. You probably hoped to perform a series of tasks. Did you finish everything you intended to do? If not, you need some help. Make a schedule. You do not have to mark down every minute of the day, but a general idea of what you have to do. Think about how long it takes to do each task and make time for them all. If you don’t have time to do everything on your list, then be honest with yourself and remove/reschedule the non-essential tasks (you can always have a ‘wish list’ for the non-essentials). Figure out when you need to drive somewhere, eat your meals and walk the family dog. All of those things take time. When you are finished your calendar, you will see what you should accomplish in a week. It might vary from week to week, but one week is a good starting point.

The first thing you will notice is that you get a lot more accomplished than you thought. But, you can do more. Schedule times to do those relaxing things like reading. A few minutes to mentally refuel the tank go a long way toward your peace of mind. Make sure you eat when you should to avoid overeating when you should not. A good breakfast is not just brain food for your kids.

By scheduling time to do certain tasks, they will not snowball and turn into monster-sized jobs. For example, if you do laundry every Monday and Thursday you will never end up with a mountain of laundry. Taking small bites of work is a lot easier than waiting until the task becomes massive. 

Once your schedule is set, give it a try. See how close you are to the schedule for a week. Tweak it if necessary, for the following week. Eventually, you will come up with something that you can live with and help you manage your time more effectively.

Free Business Webinar

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will provide effective methods to get and keep you organized.

When: Thursday, April ll, 2013
from 2:00 PM-3:00 PM

Click here for free registration

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Clever organizing uses for smart phones

Millions of people use their smart phones to remind them of something. Whether it is an appointment, a birthday, bill due dates, changing your furnace filter or getting an oil change – these smart phone uses are quite common. With so many helpful apps available, there are some fantastic ways to make your phone work to assist in organizing your life.

Dropbox is an app that is gaining in popularity. It is a cloud application where any files can be stored in cyberspace. Photos, notes, word files, PDF files, anything that can be saved on the computer, can be saved into Dropbox. It is free up to 2GB and then paid subscriptions are available for additional space.

https://www.dropbox.com/mobile

Most drug stores now offer prescription apps to help with renewals and pickups. Walgreens, CVS and Rite Aid have apps to remind you when you need to refill your medications. Take it one step further, and by using your calendar app, you can be reminded when to take the medications too.

There are apps for writing down thoughts or even recording them on all smart phone platforms. Sometimes an important idea comes to you when you are away from a pencil and paper. These apps allow you to make a note anywhere.

There are “to do” list apps and shopping list apps to help with your regular chores. You no longer need to write out a list and then promptly realize you left the list at home when you get to the store. Some of the shopping apps even allow you to cross things off the list as the tasks are completed.

Banking apps are extremely useful. You will never have to guess at how much money is in the account. Know your balance before you use your debit card. See if a check or charge has cleared.

Everyone loves to save money while shopping. Barcode apps let you comparison shop while you visit just one store. Scan the barcode into your phone and see how much the item is at other local stores or even online.

Another new use of smart phones is online coupons. Some stores offer coupons that are stored right on your phone. When you go to the checkout, simply go to the message or website with the coupon and show it to the cashier. The cashier can scan the coupon directly from your phone. There is no fuss. You do not have to gather and store coupons, just use your phone.

Pageonce is a financial app that helps organize bills and payments for you. Keep track of when bills are due and when you paid them last with this personal assistant in your phone. Avoid buying envelopes and stamps, you can even pay bills through this app.

If these apps are not enough, you can also track someone’s incoming flight, find your way when you are lost, check the weather, take photos and videos, check your stock prices, keep up with social media and so much more with your smart phone. Instead of just using it for fun, try downloading some apps that will help you organize your life. That phone might be smarter than you realize.

Springtime downsizing

Spring is upon us. And with spring comes new life. In order to transfer that feeling to your home, consider purging some unnecessary objects. Once the downsizing has been accomplished, you will discover the renewal associated with spring.

Clearing out closets and removing clutter is a wonderful way to feel better about yourself. You will be surprised at how free you will feel when you have more available space and less chaos. 

To get started, set up bins for sorting – keep, throw away and donate/sell.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you use the item? 

Has it been used within the last year? 

If not, is it just wasting space in your home?

Do you have two objects that do the same thing? 

If one works better than the other, can you get rid of the lesser item?

Is it a decorative item? 

Is it enhancing your home or adding to your weekly dusting? 

Might it look better hanging on someone else’s wall, or on another person’s shelf?

As the seasons change, people often change their wardrobe. Now is the perfect time to go through the closets and purge. Most of us change sizes throughout our adult lives. How many items in the closet actually fit? Ideally, the only items in your bedroom closet should be the ones you wear now. Things that no longer fit or rarely worn items can go in less desirable locations, if you are not willing to part with them.

It is not necessary to do everything in one day. Trying to do too much makes the task feel overwhelming. Try to clean out one closet at a time. When you break the tasks into smaller chunks, it becomes a lot more manageable and less daunting.

If you are a parent, I am guessing that you would rather not have to nag your children to clean up their rooms.  By reducing the volume in their rooms, it could make for a much happier home. Less clutter could equal less nagging!

When cleaning bigger areas, start small, like the entryway of your home. What belongs? What should go? Is anything broken?

Keep your standards high. Does this deserve to be in your home? Is it worthy? Consider each unnecessary object. Does the piece deserve a place in your home? Is it helpful? Is artwork, or other decoration, beautiful?

At the end of your downsizing, go through the sale/donate box. Items that you feel are worth the effort to consign, list on ebay or Craig’s List should have a “due by” date so that they are not hanging around too long collecting more dust. Once the due date arrives, it can be donated. It is a win/win to donate items to those in need and benefit from the tax donation receipt.

Do not take your clutter into the next season. Downsizing will cleanse your soul and your home. At the same time, it might even add to your wallet.

Organize your bathroom

Have you looked under the bathroom sink lately? Are you afraid? Will everything spill onto the floor if you open the medicine cabinet? Do you save all of your old soap in order to “do something with it” at a later date? Do you have a hard time finding grooming supplies when you need them? If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is time to reduce the bathroom clutter!

You will need some cleaning rags, cleaning products and trash bags. It should take about an hour to get your bathroom completely organized. Try to carve out that time in your schedule and do it all at once.

The first step is to empty out everything under the sink, in the medicine cabinet, out of drawers and clear out any other storage areas in the bathroom. Often times, the tub area itself, can have shelves or other storage. These need to be cleared off too.

Starting with the medicine cabinet, check the expiration dates on any medications. If you had an abscessed tooth five years ago and got a prescription for pain killers, they are probably expired. And, in this day and age it must be said, prescriptions drugs can be a temptation to people whether they live in your household or are visitors. Expired medications may not be effective anyway and should not be taken.

First aid items also might have an expiration date. Remove old bandages or other supplies that should be sterile, but are no longer.

Goopy old containers of lotion, makeup or other skin and hair care products that are not being used, are wasting valuable storage space. Storage is at a premium in the bathroom. Get rid of things that do not belong.

Cleaning and personal care products that are located under the sink must be organized. You know which items you never use and which ones are keepers. Maybe the products you do not use, could be used somewhere else in the house. If not, toss them.

Prioritize everything in the bathroom. There is more storage elsewhere and might be more appropriate to store some things in the kitchen or basement where there is ample space. Just beware of transferring clutter from one room to another.

If you really need more space, invest in some storage for the bathroom. Some people use the space over the toilet tank for shelving or an extra cabinet. Do not add unnecessary clutter though, only add storage if there is room and you absolutely need it. If there are drawers in the bathroom, dividers can be installed. The dividers will help keep makeup and hair care products more ergonomic and easier to find.

Clean off all of the surfaces before you put anything away. Wipe out the shelves inside the medicine cabinet, the back of the toilet, any shelves or drawers and under the sink. Clean every storage area.

After you figure out which products made the cut, it is time to put everything away. Put cleaning products toward one side and personal care products on the other. Try to put the less used items toward the back of the cabinet, so they do not get knocked over while reaching for items that are used more regularly.

When everything was just thrown under the sink or stuffed in a drawer, it was hard to find what you needed. That problem is now eliminated. Once the bathroom is organized, you will find that it is easier to keep clean.

Organizing Grandma’s Recipes

Many people have recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. Typically, they come to us on index cards, worn pieces of paper, backs of envelopes and/or other creative formats of yesteryear. Knowing how to organize these recipes will make a huge difference in making these treasured recipes user-friendly.  If you are looking for clutter solutions in the kitchen, organizing recipe cards is a good way to start.

Traditional recipe boxes are not accommodating. If the recipe does not fit on a tiny card, folding the paper and stuffing it into the box is not a good solution. Old, hand-written recipes that are on paper can be easily torn, edges frayed or have food spilled on them. The old file box does not cut the mustard anymore. 

There are several solutions to the recipe problem. A photo album is one method. Photo albums come in a variety of sizes, and can meet the needs of nearly any paper size. If most of your recipes are on file cards, a small album will do. Photo albums have a plastic film to cover the recipe to help protect the paper. 

A three-ring binder is another good choice. You can get plastic page protectors to keep the pages safe. The recipe simply slides down into the protector.

By using either of these two methods, you can add either old, hand-written recipes or printed-out pages from the computer. If you only use 1-2 recipes from a cookbook, think about copying those recipes and donating the cookbook to make additional room in your kitchen. The recipes in the page protectors can be easily removed to make notes, corrections or additions.

While creating organizing solutions for your best recipes, you can make this chore into a family activity. Everyone can sit around the table and talk about which dishes are their favorites, which ones they do not like or new meals they would like to try. Printing out or writing the recipes on colored paper, even with different colored or metallic inks can add flair to your recipe collection. By adding tabs, you can divide the recipes into sections either by the type of food, country of origin or whatever method makes the most sense to you.

Of course, in the digital age, people like to store all of their records on the computer. There are a few ways to do that. You can scan or take photos of all of your handwritten or typed recipes. Even favorites from books can be scanned. They can be saved into a folder named “Recipes” on your computer. Use the name of the dish as the name of the file so you can sort them alphabetically.  

It is easy to take a screen shot of a web page with your recipe on a website. You can then save it as a .jpg file and store it on the computer with your other recipes. If you decide to make the item, print out the page if you need it or just refer to the page on the screen to avoid wasting paper.

Simply bookmarking the page where you got a recipe does not always work. Sometimes you cannot remember where you saved the page, or what page had which recipe. You have to go through each bookmarked site to find the page you want. A solution to this problem is to save the bookmark with a name you choose. Then make a bookmark folder called “Recipes” and store them in that folder.

Whether you like the old-school book or the new-fangled computer folder, organizing and saving your recipes will be sure to keep the family’s favorites right where you need them. Check back with us for more professional organizer tips.

Where Does Clutter Come From?

"Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway."
Dumb Little Man Tips for Life

Where Does Clutter Come From?

According to Patty Kreamer, owner of OrganizedAtoZ.com, clutter comes from overbuying, inefficient filing systems, papers that never stop coming in, moving, overstuffed rooms in your home and changes in your life that affect your space and stuff.

Wow – that about sums it up and I couldn't have said it better myself! Let's look at the first item she mentions, overbuying. I would have to say that in my travels, that seems to be very high up on the list of causes of clutter. Many of my clients LOVE to shop, they get great joy from shopping, they especially find it hard to resist a bargain/sale/deal. May I also add that they love to purchase items that they think/hope will help them get organized – books, containers, binders, label makers, bins... I'm guessing you know what I'm talking about . Those particular items cause lots of clutter, too.

So how do we combat overbuying? One option is to just say 'no.' That reminds me of when people used to tell me to 'just eat less' in order to lose weight. Well, for someone like me, that wasn't a helpful response because on my own, I couldn't say no. If you can't say no to overbuying, then it might be time to get some outside help. Here are some resources that may help you:

• Stopping Over Shopping  
• Anxiety and Stress Disorders Institute of Maryland 
• Enlist an accountability partner who will support you in your quest to  limit shopping.
• Spend 15 minutes a day making decisions about what can be donated  or given away and then actually remove the items from the house that  day or at least put them in your car to be taken somewhere the next  day.

In future issues, I will talk about the other reasons we have clutter and how to combat this ever-growing problem for so many of us. In  the meantime, easy does it wins the race — 10-15 minutes a day making decisions about ANYTHING will greater reduce your stress. Try it, you might like it!

Have you heard about these?
(I don't have personal experience with these  but they sounded fun to me!)

1. Tradesy.com - Upload a picture of an unwanted piece of clothing to Tradesy and determine the value using the site's pricing algorithm. When the item sells, Tradesy sends you a pre-paid package addressed to the buyer; as soon as you ship it, the money is deposited into your PayPal account.(from Parade, Jan 13, 2013)

2. ChesapeakeReStore.org - They accept appliances, building materials, cabinets, furniture, housewares, lighting, plumbing, tools and more. They say they offer free, easy pick up!

3. Packing Pro – a $2.99 app that helps you pack by providing customized lists ranging from Pre-trip tasks to essentials. The app syncs with iCloud, allowing users and family members to share lists on multiple iOS devices.

Got Valentine's Day Cards?

I don't want to be accused of being heartless, especially on Valentine's Day, but this would be a great time to practice letting go of greeting cards that are no longer useful. This is very scary to a lot of people and here are some gentle tips for lessening the card piles that may be lurking in your home.

1. Dispose of any card that just has a signature but no personal handwritten note.
2. Get rid of any card that a teacher 'helped' your child make - only keep the ones that were made with their precious little hands but if there are too many, keep a few that speak to you the loudest.
3. Consider scanning some cards and saving them on a flash drive or on your computer.
4. Find a big box and put all the cards in that one box. When you run out of room in your box, then you must start getting rid of the less special ones.
5. Let go of the envelopes to dramatically reduce volume -- if you save the envelopes because you're afraid you don't have the addresses, rip off the return addresses and keep them in a "Contacts to Enter" file in a file drawer.

I know you can make a dent in your piles of cards – even one card a day is progress and remember - we are aiming for progress not perfection.

Declutter countertops

It seems like every kitchen needs more counter space, no matter how many square feet are available. The toaster, can opener, blender, microwave oven, bread maker, fruit bowl, coffee maker, knife block, cookie jar, canisters, juicer – so many items – make the countertops prime real estate.  

There are some appliances made to fit under cabinets including can openers, coffee makers, microwaves and even televisions. Keeping most appliances tucked away in cabinets or a pantry can help reduce clutter. Some appliances are used daily, like coffee makers, and need to be handy. But those appliances that are used occasionally, should not be grabbing precious counter space.

Sometimes you or a family member will place something down on the counter and it suddenly becomes the permanent home for that item. The more often this happens, the less space is available for cooking. The counters are meant for preparing food and not storage. 

So, how can you deal with cluttered counters? First, you must tell yourself the hard truth – some things in the kitchen are going to have to go. Start by clearing off the counters completely and go on from there. Everything should have a home. If there is nowhere to put the item, maybe it is not something you really need. If the item is necessary, find it a permanent spot in cabinets, on shelves or in drawers. 

Plenty of metal shelving and plastic bins are perfect for kitchen storage. If the item in question is old, broken, rusted or never used, it should be purged.

Some people keep cookbooks in the kitchen, but rarely use them. If you use them often, find a place where they can be stored. Add a little cookbook shelf that is within easy reach. However, if you seldom use recipes, keep them where your other books live and retrieve them when you need them. 

Bottles of wine, spices, magazines, newspapers and plants do not belong in the kitchen. Even hanging plants can get in the way. Do you like to read the morning paper while having your coffee? Get a magazine rack, which does not take up a lot of space, and put it in the kitchen. Use that for magazines and the newspaper to keep them off your valuable countertops. Lazy Susans or a wall-mounted spice rack can free up space. Remove duplicate spices or expired containers. Some storage racks can go on the inside of pantry or cabinet doors. Think vertically. Make use of walls whenever you can. A magnetic strip can go on the wall for your spatula, favorite chopping knife or other metal utensils you want to keep handy.

Once you get your counter space back the way it should be, you will discover that food preparation is easier. Knowing where all of your cooking supplies are will help as well. Sometimes this is easier said than done, but try to keep everyone in the family in the habit of putting things away. Your kitchen will look cleaner, and in fact be easier to clean, once everything is put in its place. 

Finish the job or find someone who will

Do you start several things and rarely finish them? You are not alone. We all have an ambitious moment that somehow dissolves away into procrastination. One terrific side effect of reducing your clutter, is getting things accomplished.

People who like to save things that might be used later, can add a lot of clutter to basements, closets, garages, under the bed, really anywhere they can stash things. Those accumulated objects take up a lot of space: plastic containers, yarn, nuts and bolts, fabric, broken pieces of jewelry that could be remade into something new – you get the idea.

Avoid feelings of guilt that come from throwing things away if you do not need them. Our grandparents taught us to never throw anything away if there is the tiniest possibility that the item can be repurposed or used at a later date. It is actually okay to recycle a plastic soup container that came with your Chinese carry out. It is not a sin to give away yards of fabric that you will probably never use.

Take a look at all of the projects that are partially finished. Maybe a friend who likes to sew could take that half-made skirt and do something fantastic with it. She would surely be thrilled to have it while you may never pick it up again.

There are times when you start a project, get part of the way through it and realize it is not really what you want. Maybe you cannot afford to finish it. Other times you have good intentions, but the task never really gets off the ground.

Schedule time to work on the unfinished projects. Simply scheduling time to do your project will help you accomplish it. Do not start a new endeavor if you have not finished the last one.

When you do finish what you start, there is a wonderful sense of accomplishment. It feels great to finally get that job done. Next time, try to pick a project that can be finished in a short amount of time. Pick something that really excites you and will help propel you to the finish line. Once you see how good it feels to complete a job, you may be more likely to finish the next one.

People can have terrible feelings of guilt over the unfinished project. There is no reason to feel so guilty. We are all busy. We have work, kids, lessons, spouses, sports – it is never-ending. There are things that are a lot less important than your job and family. If you do not have the time to finish this task, hobby, repair job, home improvement, etc., find someone who is willing or scrap the project entirely. Even if you pass along the task to someone else, you are now finished with it. Considered that a completed job because it is no longer on your plate.