July 2nd, 2008
I am happy to report I just finished machine quilting four table toppers. I am like you—I have a very busy life. I wanted to share my organizing tips and time management ideas on how I accomplished this. I had a time frame that needed to be met.
•I made it a priority in my day. Things get in the way so I literally set a time when I would go into my sewing room and quilt. I turned on my book on tape and listened and quilted.
•Get up one-half hour earlier and work on projects before anyone else is up.
•I didn’t let the phone interfere; I took a break after the first one was finished and I then listened to messages and returned calls.
•I quilted for an hour and then I worked for half an hour and repeated this until I was done.
This is a great way to accomplish projects of any kind. I like the ratio of 2 to 1. Do the fun things twice as long as the ‘have to’ things. This way I work harder, smarter and faster on the ‘have to do’ things so it all gets done anyway.
How do you motivate yourself to get things done?
Posted in Sage Advice, Crafts | No Comments »
July 1st, 2008
With summer here in the Northern Hemisphere these are timely tips to keep those kidos safe from the summer sun:
Staying Protected from the Sun
•UV rays are weakest before 11 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Plan activities during these times.
•Skin does not have to feel hot to get burned, so protect yourself even on cloudy days.
•Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater, and apply at least 20 minutes before going outside.
•Wear UVA/UVB protective sunglasses, and a hat.
Prevent Heat-Related Illness:
•Drink more fluids (nonalcoholic), regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. If you wait that long you are probably dehydrated.
•Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. There is clothing on the market that blocks the harmful UV rays.
•NEVER leave any children, pets, adults or seniors in a closed, parked vehicle.
I was a child abuse investigator for over six years and I can’t emphasis enough to never leave any children, pets or adults in a closed, parked vehicle. Heat is a killer.
Sherie Dodsworth from Securita wrote these tips on staying protected from the sun. I asked her if I could share them and she said yes, just please mention the Securita Porta Vault. You have heard me talk about it before. It is a place to keep all important papers and is portable and easy to grab and go in case of an emergency. I love mine and I am still working on getting all the papers that need to be kept in mine.
Be Safe, Be happy this season! Taking a few precautions is worth the effort.
Posted in Sage Advice, Vacation Tips | 3 Comments »
June 14th, 2008
Too much of a good thing is wonderful. The first time I read this I laughed and thought isn’t that the truth. But as I organize for women and seniors that is not necessarily true. Just like with anything else excess can lead to other problems. I think too much chocolate or licorice is a good thing but then when there is too much on my hips it isn’t such a good thing.
Too much of a good thing can become clutter. I chuckled at a cartoon with two seniors talking to each other and he was mystified by her buying a wedding dress. She said, “But it was on sale”. Just because something is on sale does not make it a bargain for us if we:
•Don’t need it
•Don’t have a use for it
•Don’t absolutely love it
•Don’t have a place it
If we can say yes to three out of four of these then it is a bargain. (Yes, we need it, we have a use for it, we love it and we have a place for it). I know, there are days we just have to buy it no matter what and it ends up as clutter or we donate it to charity.
I would be rich if I had resisted buying too much of a good thing in my life and the stuff ended up being donated, recycled or thrown away. But we all live and learn.
What have you bought that you later donated or (heaven forbid) allowed to live with you and it became clutter? What would you have done different?
Posted in Sage Advice, Clutter | 1 Comment »
June 6th, 2008
When we think of aging we used to think of little old pink haired ladies hobbling along with a cane. We may even think that depending on when our parents died or other relatives and what their health was like we will be like them. However we can control more than 70 percent of how well and how long we live.
In the Costco Connection June 2008 one article points out those Eating foods rich in flavonoids, (that was a new word for me) vitamin-like substances that have been shown to decrease the rate of arterial and immune aging. It went on to say a flavonoid-rich diet can knock 3.2 years off your age eating 31 grams a day. Here is a list of such foods:
•Apples (1 cup), Broccoli (1 cup), cranberries (8 ozs.), Cranberry juice (8 ozs.)
•Grape juice (5 ozs.), Oats (1 cup), Onions (1 small), Strawberries (1 cup)
•Tomato juice (8 ozs)
Remember the saying “an apple a day keeps the doctor away”? It looks like there is some truth to that. As I organize seniors the idea of aging meaning a little old pink haired lady is certainly not true anymore. They are organizing just like anyone else, sorting, purging and either making their homes less cluttered while giving their treasures to those they want to have them and not waiting for someone else to make that decision for them.
Do you have a favorite flavonoid-rich food? I think mine is an apple with a chunk of cheese.
Posted in Sage Advice, Seniors | No Comments »
June 5th, 2008
People have always said to me, “you’re so organized”. It is true I am organized and I think it may come from living with a brother who was completely the opposite. He used to pay me a nickel to make his bed so he could find his bed when it was time for him to go to bed. And then he didn’t get nagged by my mom telling him, “make your bed, make your bed”. It was a win-win situation.
Organizing is not a destination it is a journey. I bought me a sign that says “Enjoy The Journey”. I am the type of person who wants things to be done—now. I am all about time management and I am always looking for ways to save time. Ben Franklin said “For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned”. Wow! That is pretty great return on our time.
I cringe when I read “Tips to help you get organized and STAY organized”. There just isn’t any such thing as staying organized.
•What staying organized really means is: you can use systems to help you organize which then becomes a way of life.
•It is organizing in little chunks of time
•Using time management ideas to save time and this leads to being organized
• Just like there are no miracle diets (wouldn’t that be nice), there are no miracle solutions to staying organized
So don’t be discouraged when you can’t seem to STAY organized, my philosophy is, “things just get undone” and that’s the way it is. Just like Humpty Dumpty it can all be put back together again.
What is your favorite trick to ‘staying’ organized?
Posted in Motivation, Sage Advice | 1 Comment »
May 30th, 2008
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Another beautiful day at the quilt retreat. Organizing for women by women quilters giving us tips to help with time management and organizing small spaces.
Posted in Closets, Sage Advice, Clutter, Crafts | 1 Comment »
May 21st, 2008
Did you know there are U.V. clothes to protect you from the sun? The Good Housekeeping Institute has some advice on clothes claiming to offer U.V. protection to guard the wearer from dangerous ultraviolet rays. Some do provide protection from the sun while others don’t.
From personal experience the clothes not only look good and feel good but they keep me cooler in the sun.
The Institute has some good advice for all consumers. “The key to purchasing a garment that meets its actual UPF claim is to look closely at the fiber content and weave. Do the simple light test: If you hold the garment up to a light source and can’t see through it, the clothes will have a good chance of blocking U.V. rays.
Most garments made from synthetic fibers (nylon and polyester) and in a tight weave will give you good protection. Lightweight cotton knits and wovens, however, will not give good, consistent protection.”
With skin cancer on the rise it pays for all of us to pay attention to what we wear when we are out in the sun, don’tchathink?
Posted in Sage Advice | No Comments »
May 16th, 2008
A friend of mine said her home and her car are an outward expression of her inward state of mind. Then again she said is it that the chaos outside adds to the chaos on the inside.
It is like which comes first the chicken or the egg. Does it really matter in the end which comes first?
•If you have chaos in your mind and in your physical surroundings take a good look and think how does it makes you feel and then decide; how do I want to feel.
•Make a plan of action, a map, a goal, whatever you want to call it to guide you in making changes.
•Take steps to reclaim your space and your life. This may include hiring a professional organizer or working with a friend, getting someone who can support and guide you on this organizing journey.
Whichever way we chose to look at the problem, whether we are going to make changes internally or externally one will affect the other.
My friend just sent me a package from Taiwan. I was sitting at my desk wondering where the scissors had been carted off to as I had to cut the envelope open. I kept looking around the room for the scissors (not moving from my chair) until I read on the custom label— candy. Boy that made me jump up and go for the scissors in the other room because I wanted the candy. See all we need is the right motivation and we can accomplish anything.
What motivates you?
Posted in Motivation, Sage Advice | No Comments »
May 9th, 2008
I decided I am on over load. I have misplaced my notes from the NAPO conference in Reno, I go to a room and forget what I was going for and I have a new computer with new programs that I am trying to learn all at once and it just isn’t working.
I have a plan to get my time back and my mind back. I am not sure where they went but I have a plan. When I was in the doctor’s office (for allergies) yesterday I wrote down what I wanted to accomplish that day and then I numbered them in the order of their importance.
If I am having issues I am suspect you may be in the same boat as I am. Good thing we aren’t always here at the same time or not all the time.
1.Write a to -do list, cross the task off when done. Separate lists into a. Things to do and b. Appointments and c. Fun things to do. Do one fun thing and do a must do thing; rotate between the two to help stay motivated to do what you have to do. Or maybe do three must do and then one fun project.
2.Organize or clean up as you go. Wipe the counter as you cook, put things in the dishwasher rather than in the sink. Put things where they belong rather than piling them on the counter.
3.When you are in a room and things need to go to a different room stock pile them in a basket, bag or box and then take them all at once. The point is to save time.
4.We don’t have to do everything for everyone. Learn to say no and say it. Your time, family and well being are important.
By the way I got eight out of 13 things accomplished. But then I also got a zillion of other things done too. I decided to take advantage of the fact that tomorrow (now today) would be here and I could work on the tasks then. But it was such a good feeling to see my progress.
How about you? Do you ever feel you are working in circles getting nothing you want to get done actually done? Please share
Posted in Motivation, Sage Advice, Health | No Comments »
May 5th, 2008
My son-in-law needed to get gasoline for his truck. He took a container to the station and told the attendant he needed to get gas. The attendant stared at him and said “it is called fuel”. (We have laughed about this). Whatever you choose to call it, I know I am feeling the pinch every time I go to the gas station to fill up.
Here are some tips I have read a few times on how to get the most out of the fuel we use for the best gas mileage:
•Fill up your car in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. All service stations have their tanks buried below ground so the colder the ground the more dense the gasoline. As it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or evening your gallon is not exactly a gallon.
I was given this advise years ago and am still hearing the same thing so I can only assume it is true.
•When you are filling up DO NOT squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to fast mode. When you pump the gasoline slower it minimizes the vapors that are created. All hoses have a vapor return, if you are pumping in fast mode; some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you are getting less worth for your money.
•Fill up when your tank is half full or half empty. The more gas you have in your tank the less air is occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates at an extremely fast rate. The gasoline storage tank has an eternal floating roof that serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation.
•Drive at a consistent speed, even in traffic. Too much braking wastes as much fuel as rapid acceleration. Applying the brakes kills momentum and then you have to speed up again which wastes gas.
•Accelerate slowly. A pretty simple tip that will leave you with more gas in your tank and less visits to the pump.
And of course I am sure we all stock pile our errands and do them at the same time to save on gas. This is an organization tip I have used for years.
What fuel saving tips do you use? We need all the ideas we can get.
Posted in Sage Advice, Vacation Tips | 4 Comments »
