College Brochure Madness
If you have a high school junior, soon your mailbox will become inundated with college brochures. If you are trying to beat the battle against incoming junk mail, this definitely does not help the situation now does it?
When my son was a junior, I came up with a plan that worked wonders for us, and maybe these tips will help you decide how to get a handle on the ‘college brochure dilemma’what to keep and what to toss.
Thinking ahead:
Dorm, ‘Re’ality & Me
Last year I surprised myself. I really envisioned I would be going nuts assisting my son with packing to go off to college. Quite the opposite – things had moved so easily, I was cautiously waiting for the ball to drop. Horror stories abound in regards to dorm room organization, and there are countless articles about the subject, so I was dreading the whole process. But I can assure you that it really wasn’t that bad.
Maybe it’s because I am a Professional Organizer and look at things from a different angle, or that I possess the gift of figuring it out. In either case, obviously I have time to sit and post this, so this year I have extra time on my hands to sit and relax. I didn’t move at break neck speed to get everything done last year. That is how I planned it. What is my secret? I had a plan. So, here are a few basics of what got me through: Read more
Eat Right, Exercise & Organize For A Healthier You
If you struggle with losing weight, finding time to work out, or being tempted with the wrong foods, this informative seminar may be just what you are looking for. You feel like you’ve tried everything to lose weight. You start a weight loss program, and again, it fails. It’s always something that happens. You try to eat healthy, but: Read more
The Hidden Costs of DIY.
(WARNING: HGTV lovers beware! Watching too much DIY television can impair your rationality). Does DIY = Savings?
Last week on one of my many monthly trips to Lowes here in Katy, I struck up a conversation with a lady who was shopping for bits and pieces to complete a DIY plumbing project. Her cart was filled with all sorts of tools, gadgets and gizmos, as was the required ‘How To’ Book on basic plumbing. There had to be at least $200 worth of items stacked up, and she was just at the tip of the iceberg. “My husband and I want to save money, so we figured if we made a list and I picked the stuff up, we could do it ourselves this weekend”, she explained. I was impressed. “Oh, so your husband is a handy kind of guy and has experience in plumbing?” I replied. She rolled her eyes and said, “Hasn’t a clue, but how hard can it be?”At that moment, the proverbial light bulb went off above my head. Does do-it-yourself really equate to savings? Hence, an article was born. Read more
Is Your Electronic Data Ready for Hurricane Season?
Now that the 2009 hurricane season is officially underway, it’s time once again to start thinking on the lines of being prepared. The staples such as bottled water, canned goods and batteries are essentials for your hurricane survival kit, but your computer data is no exception. Unfortunately, many people forget about their data in the planning of emergency preparedness, so I thought I would throw out a couple of suggestions of what can be done to make data portable. (Mind you, I am not a computer expert by any means, but these ideas helped me, so I thought I would share). Read more
On the Road Again
Organize your home. Organize your time. Organize your office. Everyone seems to be organizing something these days. But one area that seems to be overlooked is the car. People spend hours in their cars, as we are a society on the move – People commute to work in them, use them for work as portable offices, drive the kids to and from school, and of course other daily errands.
As automakers offer more enticing features in automobiles, most if you notice, are designed to help us in some way. Whether for comfort, convenience, or entertainment let´s face it, cars are built to use. But all that use can lead to “car clutter”, just as in your home or office. Think about it. The larger the vehicle, the more compartments you have, the more stuff you can keep in it. How can you keep your car organized with all the “things” you need haul around on a daily basis? Read more
Junk Mail, Newspapers & Catalogs …Oh My!
Unwanted paper products – a huge culprit in wasting space and causing clutter in your home or workspace. You know you want to do the right thing by recycling, and at the same time, you want the clutter to disappear and fast.
Before you opt for the trashcan, did you know that most Katy I.S.D. schools and many churches and non-profits have facilities to recycle these types of printed material? It’s all part of the “Paper Retriever®” program. You may have seen the brightly colored green and yellow containers in the parking lots, but weren’t aware that Read more
Got Dogs? Got Mud?
If you are a dog owner, I bet your pet is not happy lately due to all the rain we’ve had in Katy. If they love to run outside and play, the residual mud is really cramping their style. To be honest, it’s cramping mine too. It Pays to Have Your Medical Records & Files Organized At Home
Here’s a secret I will let you in on – medical insurance companies and medical facilities are not infallible. I know, that is the funniest joke you’ve heard, but seriously, the financial mistakes when it comes to insurance or what is your financial responsibility, can be to your benefit if you are organized.
Recently I underwent an 8 week treatment for a non life threatening ailment, but the paperwork, records, receipts and all that goes along with it, was more overwhelming than the actual treatment. If the medical community wants you to get well soon, forget about it. The documentation and billing alone will make your recovery seem all that much more drawn out. Read more
Cutting Out Savings
When I was a kid, my mom was religious about clipping supermarket coupons. As an adult, I seldom followed this practice, but as the recession hits harder and harder, I may oil up the ol’ scissors. Are coupons making a comeback? If what I am witnessing at the supermarket each week is any indication, I would say a resounding ‘yes’.
I have noticed a huge surge in coupon use among Katy-ites. It used to be that you could get out of the check-out line relatively painlessly at any grocery store. The person in front of you would unload their groceries, the items would get scanned, bagged and loaded, and off they went. Read more
Creative Spending in These Tough Times
In these tough economic times, people are cutting back on spending. Due to this downturn in the economy, people may need to get creative and rethink where they shop and how to stretch their dollar. Expensive furniture, clothing and household goods may not be a priority in the budget at the moment, but you can have these types of items if you think outside the box. Besides deep discount sales offered at some retailers, let’s take a look at some options that may offer some incredible savings. Read more
Stop Those Prying Eyes
By now, you’re ready to start cleaning up the clutter of boxes from gifts you’ve received for the holidays. If you have already, good for you! But if you are like millions of people who wait until the new year to start the clean up take note – thieves are watching your trash. Unsavory types are looking to see what boxes are sitting out by the curb advertising what you have recently acquired. Why on earth would you want to tempt them with an open invitation to break into your home? You may as well have a neon sign that says, “Hey! Look here – we now have a new gaming system, computer and plasma screen television! C’mon down!” Read more
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff – New Year’s Resolutions
The clock is ticking – only a few more days until 2009. No pressure. It’s the time of year that people feel compelled to make resolutions. Stop smoking, lose weight, get organized – just to name a few. I’m not a big fan of resolutions. I completely understand the reasoning to making resolutions and the time of year (new year = fresh start), but to me it’s not necessary. I am not saying don’t do any of these things, and resolutions in general are not a good idea, but why only at the beginning of the year? Why not any time of the year? If you want to accomplish something to better yourself, does it have to be on January 1st? Nope. Read more
Please Don’t Call Me Scrooge – Again!
Oops, I did it again; two years in a row, and not a decoration to be seen at the Godwin residence. I love Christmas and the holidays. I am not a Scrooge. But if one more person calls me that because I didn’t decorate again this year, I will scream. There should be an 11th Commandment -”Thou shalt not judge one’s holiday spirit on sight alone”.
I am a generous soul which Mr. Scrooge was not. This year, just like last year, I just didn’t have time to decorate, I was too busy doing other more important things and (uh-hem) working to help others plan their holiday Read more
Senseless, Stupid and Immoral. Period.
As many of you know, we lost our ‘deer’ friend Mr. Buck on November 25th. An innocent animal that brought joy to so many in the area was senselessly murdered by a sad, twisted individual. We can ask ourselves why this guy did what he did, but only a mental health professional may be able to answer that question.
As I followed the stories about Mr. Buck in the media, my heart broke. I just couldn’t wrap my mind around why someone would want to harm something so beautiful for the wrong reasons. Read more
Tis’ the Season for Cheesy Gifts
With every sale flyer or catalog I receive in the mail, I am amazed at the offerings shown for gift giving this holiday season. It seems the ‘cheesiness’ gets worse from year to year, but I have to give credit to those inventors that actually thought up some of these gadgets, and were able to sell the idea to some company to mass produce. The questions we have to ask ourselves are, ‘do we really need these things, and can we live without them? The answers are no, and yes consecutively. Here is an example of some of those weird and wacky ‘gifts’ that will not grace any of my Christmas Lists: Read more
The End Is Near…
Relax. This isn’t a prophecy of impending doom. Rather, a reminder that the end of the year is creeping up on us and it’s time to think about those last donations you can make for your 2008 income tax deductions.
Now is the perfect time to start sifting through those forgotten closets, attics and garages, for items that you no longer use or need. Since many of us will be in those areas digging out holiday decorations, why not make it a ‘two-for-one’ project? The weather is perfect for this type of endeavor – no 120° temperature to give you heat stroke in the attic or stifling humidity in the garage. Take advantage of it! You would be amazed at what Read more
