The OBC Diet Plan

The other night I returned from a family dinner with some left-over veggies from the veggie/dip plate I brought. I tossed them into a clear bowl with some plastic wrap and put them in the fridge. Not only did they look pretty sitting there all red, orange, green, yellow, and whatever color peeled cucumbers are, but the next time I went for a snack, I actually grabbed some and ate them!

   I would venture to say that many of you, like me, consider part of the definition of a snack something that you don't have to prepare when you want to eat it. When I opened the fridge and the veggies were there, all washed and chopped, they suddenly became a viable snack!  

   Check out this issues Timely Tips and discover how organizing your food can lead to a healthier you!  

TIMELY TIPS - The OBC Diet Plan 

1.  Make healthier foods more accessible. Prepare some fruits and vegetables in snack-size pieces and place them in a clear container, front and center in the fridge. This can be done by cutting extra when preparing a salad, or taking time to do so when putting the groceries away.  

2.  Place some of your cut-up fruits and veggies in snack-size Ziplocks to take with you for break-time at work. 

3.  Place less nutritious foods and drinks in the back of the fridge-- out of sight and less accessible.  

4.  Organize the rest of your fridge using the drawers and sections for their intended purpose (veggie drawer, meat/cheese drawer, etc.)-- creating a home for everything. When it's easier to find what you're looking for, cooking at home will be more pleasurable. Thus, less fast food. 

5.  Assign a specific spot in the fridge for left-overs (another good alternative to fast food). This will keep them from being forgotten and wasted. Store them in clear glass containers (pictured above) so you can see what's inside and put them straight into the microwave.  

6.  Organize the freezer placing like things together and healthier food choices in front. By keeping frequently purchased items in the same spot, you can easily check stock and know what you need to add to your grocery list.

WISE WORDS

If your goals aren't clear and your thinking isn't focused, you can't break the habits that stand in your way.   --Peter Walsh

In 'n Out Pay-off

Have you ever been diverted from your course of action by a sign like this? The craft stores really know how to getcha. These products are positioned right at the door coming in, and lining the maze as you wait to check out. They're not even ashamed to call them what they are-- Impulse Items! I suppose they have to sell a lot of these to make money, but I'm thinking they do. Being intentional about what's situated on the way in and out of their stores is paying off. I know I've made my contribution!

What about your home? You too can reap a pay-off in terms of time saved, stress reduced, and clutter cleared by being intentional about what's near your door. 

Check out Timely Tips for ideas that will create your own In 'n Out pay-off.  

TIMELY TIPS - In 'n Out Pay-off 

1.  Designate an area near the door you enter/exit to set up your In 'n Out station. If that's not possible, use a nearby hall closet, laundry room, or bedrooms for the following.  

2.  Provide each family member with a designated hook (at a reachable height) for coats, backpacks, purses, sports bags, etc. 

3.  If shoes are removed here, create floor-level shelving (remember-- easy access is key) with dividers to designate a spot for each family member's shoes. 

4.  Assign and label a cubby, cube, or basket to each person. Place them on the shoe shelf or on a shelf above the hooks. These are homes for miscellaneous items that need to be put away, or go out the next day. 

5.  Add containers as needed for library books, dry cleaning, pet leashes, etc. 

6.  Mount a message board to record important items to communicate or remember. 

7.  Other In 'n Out items might include a charging station, a key hanger, and a mirror.

8.  Determine not to store more in this area than will comfortably fit in the containers and on the hooks and shelves (boundaries). 

9.  Have a family meeting to demonstrate how to use the In 'n Out station and consider a reward for individuals or the family when a successful week of use is achieved.

10. You'll all reap the pay-off of a more peaceful and productive environment! 

WISE WORDS

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.   --William James

Picture this

Chase & Me 1992

My "baby" just turned a quarter of a century! There are many things I thought I'd remember about the early years but in reality, most of my memories are prompted by photos we took back then. Although, who could forget the bowl cuts and big bangs from the 90s!

   Apparently in a different phase of life I was really good at preserving and displaying our family photos. I just counted thirty-two photo albums! Later on, photographing life and the special events thereof was as much as I could handle. So, there are still photos to be dealt with.

   If you're currently looking at boxes, bags, and drawers full of photos check out my Four C's of photo organizing in this issue's Timely Tips. Don't let the story your photos are waiting to tell remain silent forever.

TIMELY TIPS - Four C's of Photo Organizing 

1. Collect: 

     Retrieve your photos from wherever they have landed in closets and drawers and place them into temporary storage bins or boxes.   

2. Categorize:

     Sort the photos into three categories

• Album - the best of the best (top 20%) that you'll want to display

• Archive - important photos to be stored in photo-safe boxes and/or digitized 

• Abandon - Discard doubles, blurry photos, unflattering photos, landscape and buildings

3. Create: 

     Choose a method to display your album quality pics

• Traditional photo albums with sleeves to slip photos into

• Scrap books - you might even find a scrapbooking enthusiast to hire if it's not your thing

• Photo books - photos must first be digitized and then uploaded into photo book templates online; the result is a hardback photo book. My daughter did her wedding album this way and it turned out beautifully!

• (www.ShutterFly.com, www.Blurb.com, www.CostcoPhotoCenter.com)

4. Containerize:

     Sort remaining important photos by year and containerize in photo safe storage and/or digitize

• Photo boxes (shoebox size) - these stack nicely and can be labeled on the front with the year or event; $2.50/box when on sale at Michael's

• Check websites and stores with scrapbooking supplies for larger photo-safe storage containers (www.Joann.com, www.Target.com, www.ContainerStore.com)

WISE WORDS

Just as pieces stitched together in a quilt warm our bodies, scrapbooks bind together memories to warm our hearts.  --Author Unknown

What can't you see?

One of the things I miss most being on the down side of "the hill" is my perfect vision. It's been a good 10 years since it started to go, but I'm still fighting the whole glasses thing. For some things, like reading, I don't have a choice. For other activities I don't need them yet. But, there are a few things, like house-keeping, in which my imperfect vision is distorting reality. What appears to be a clean counter-top (to the un-spectacled eye), is really dotted with yesterday's crumbs! 

   Wearing my glasses enables me to identify problem areas that I couldn't see before. Similarly, we might overlook problem areas in our homes and offices because we're not looking at them through the proper lenses. Take a look through the lenses in today's Timely Tips and see what you perhaps haven't seen.

TIMELY TIPS - Organizing Lenses

1. Accessibility - Is the cereal within reach of the kids so they can get their own breakfast when needed? Are you digging through summer clothes to find something to wear in January? Do you have a waffle iron, blender, or rice cooker that's never used because it's still in the box? Check your home through the lens of accessibility and take the steps needed to make things more accessible.  
2. Zoning - When it's time to pay a bill, does it require searching four different places for a pen, the bill, a stamp, and an envelope? Is it hard to determine if you have what you need for a painting project because your paint supplies are stored at random places throughout the garage? The zoning lens helps you see things in groups, keeping like things together so that you can find what you need, when you need it.
3. Let Go - Is your gift wrap container full of wrapping you never choose to use when wrapping a gift? Is your closet jammed with three sizes of clothes, some from a decade ago? Are your drawers full of single socks or plastic lids with no containers? The let go lens helps you see what is inhibiting your current lifestyle and gives you permission to release that which is not enhancing it. 
4. Boundaries - Are there untouched books jammed into andspilling off the bookshelf, and even more stashed in boxes that are keeping the car out of the garage? Are there shoes covering the "walk in" part of your closet making it difficult to reach your clothes? The boundaries lens enables you to control your stuff so it doesn't control you. Decide how much space you want to assign to certain items and then whittle down and maintain that amount.

Similar to a football coach (see Wise Words below) part of my job is getting people to do what they don't want to do in order to achieve their goal. For some the process can be painful. My standard is kindness and respect. Your results are a sense of relief and peace as living space and accessibility is achieved. Call today to secure your appointment and get on track to achieve your organizing goal.  

WISE WORDS

The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don't want to do, in order to achieve what they've always wanted to be.  --Tom Landry

Soles4Souls Shoe Drive Success

2,859 pairs of shoes for SOLES4SOULS! Wow! A huge thank you to all who partnered with Organized By Choice in this venture and contributed by giving shoes, promoting, collecting shoes at schools, offices, churches and clubs, serving as drop-off locations, counting and boxing, donating shipping funds, etc. The results exceeded my expectations and will be a welcome sight to our friends in need of shoes around the world. 

S4S packing day with the help of my dear family!

Organized Giving

A common thread I have heard from clients and Clovis Community Ed students is the feeling of overwhelm with requests for donations. If you donate to one cause, you're suddenly barraged with ten more requests. Return address labels and cards from various charities pile up along with guilt for not financially supporting them all. Does receiving a nickel in the mail require a $25 check in return?
   Random acts of kindness have their place, but random giving based on guilt or obligation doesn't. Intentional giving reduces the physical and mental clutter associated with the plethora of requests and provides a greater impact. During this season of Thanksgiving, consider theTimely Tips below as you demonstrate your gratitude through organized, intentional giving.                               

TIMELY TIPS - Intentional Giving

1. Make a list of the organizations, ministries, or causes that represent your interests and passions. 
2. Confirm that their programs and services also align with your values and goals. 
3. Do your homework so that you know what percentage of your donation is used for programs, fundraising, and administrative fees.  
4. To ensure your donations have a substantial impact, don't spread your giving too thin. Reduce your list so your gift goes beyond just covering the cost of their promotional material and processing.
5. Ask the charity to not share your personal information with other entities.
6. Ask to be removed from mailing lists that you're not currently giving to. (You can always start again if you choose to.)
7. Give yourself permission to divert your giving for a season. One of my clients is providing some basic necessities for a local family in need until they're able to get established.  
8. For the "Top 10 Best Practices of Savvy Donors" and other helpful tips visit  www.CharityNavigator.org. Just beware that they'll be asking for a donation too! 

WISE WORDS

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.  --Mother Teresa 

Let's Eat!

This weekend Scott and I head up the hill to prepare the Hume Lake cabin for renters. It's a place that holds great memories of special times with family and friends. During our kids' teen years, I often didn't know if I'd be feeding five or fifteen. With only a small, outrageously priced grocery store available, I had to come prepared. This required me to be.... well, organized! Having planned ahead for every meal made for some great times around that table-- at least when the meat bees left us alone!

Hume Dinner 2003

Too often today's culture forfeits the benefits of sharing a home-cooked meal with those we love. Today's Timely Tips help combat the high calorie fast foods and costly restaurant tabs with an organized plan for putting food on your table.            

TIMELY TIPS - Meal Planning 101

1. Look at the week or month ahead and plan your dinner menu (it's OK to include a "let's eat out" and eat the leftovers night). 
2. If you're stuck on what to make, throw out a cry for quick 'n easy dinner ideas from your facebook friends, tap into websites likeallrecipes.com (they'll even provide recipes based on ingredients you have on hand), orask each family member to tell you his/her top three favorites.
3. If there's a common favorite, consider having it once a week, at least for awhile.  
4. When you can, double your recipes and store one meal in the freezer (two dinners-- one mess!).
5. After completing the menu, check your inventory and create a grocery list of items you need. (If you do the menu & shopping for at least two weeks of meals, it will save you time and money.)  
6. If you're a coupon clipper trycouponsherpa.com or coupons.com to make your meals even more cost effective.
7. Schedule and create a routine for your menu planning and grocery shopping.  
8. If home cooking is new to you, start with just a few nights per week, but make a plan and give it a try!  

For a FREE ready-to-use Monthly Menu form and check-off Grocery List send an email a request to info@organizedbychoice.com.

WISE WORDS

On family dinners...

"If it were just about food, we would squirt it into their mouths with a tube," says Robin Fox, an anthropologist who teaches at Rutgers University in New Jersey, about the mysterious way that family dinner engraves our souls. "A meal is about civilizing children. It's about teaching them to be a member of their culture."

As reported by,  MICHAEL ELINS FOR TIME 

You do WHAT?

"From the day I was born until I had my own child, I lived in a constant state of disorder: I was a classic right-brained creative type, always living in chaos, operating out of piles, spending half my days searching for misplaced papers, lost phone numbers, and missing car keys," says Julie Morgenstern in her book Organizing from the Inside Out. 

Morgenstern is now one of the nation's leading Professional Organizers and a great example of the fact that getting organized and staying organized isn't achievable by only a few select left-brained folks.  

I enjoyed hearing her speak at the recent National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Conference. Yes, there is a PO Association with over 4,000 members! Eight hundred of them attended the conference with me. 

Less than ten years ago the organizing industry was new to me, so I'm never surprised when people say, "You do what? I didn't know there was such a thing!" Now that you know too, what difference might it make for you? Check out Timely Tips for more information.

TIMELY TIPS - What an organizer will do for you:

1. Offer non-judgmental, encouraging motivation to help you meet your organizing goals

2. Jump start your project when overwhelm has paralyzed you

3. Provide the expertise when organizing is just "not your thing"

4. Keep you on-track when the job is tedious or difficult

5. Help you process what to keep and let go of based on your values and goals

6. Create order out of chaos

7. Design sustainable systems to help you maintain you new organized environment

8. Save your marriage... well OK, that might be an exaggeration, but it can't hurt! 

Eight great reasons to stop procrastinating on that cluttered closet, office, or garage and bring in a pro!

Wise Words

A man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.  --Jesus

Cardboard or treasure box?

As we prepared to leave our tour of the Point Pinos Lighthouse with my parents, sister, and brother-in-law, the caretaker asked my dad to help fold the lighthouse flag. They carefully and methodically handled the flag making sure it was treated with dignity and prepared for proper overnight storage. It reminded me of the times I've witnessed the folding and presentation of a flag to a grieving family in honor of a loved one. Those become treasured possessions. 

What are some of your treasured possessions? Sometimes we confuse our treasured possessions with stuff that really should be tossed or given away. On Saturday my husband went to work on the side yard and our kids' first little bikes ended up in the garbage. That's really what they were at this point. I had to remind myself that the pictures we have of the kids receiving or riding those bikes are a much better remembrance than the old beat up bikes left to rot on the side yard. Today's Timely Tips offer some ideas on how to honor our treasures and the people they represent in our lives. 

TIMELY TIPS for Treasured Possessions  

1. Separate your treasured possessions from your pile of junk. If you don't distinguish the items of value now, and remove them from the cardboard box, they will likely all get tossed someday. 
2. Toss the junk and the cardboard box. 
3. Determine if the items you saved are treasured possessions or treasured obligations. Perhaps you loved your grandfather, but you don't love the 2' x 4' oil painting he left you. Treasure the memory of him and honor what he enjoyed by taking a picture of it and putting it in an album or create a photo book (www.blurb.com) that's all about him.
4. Create a special display using small items or portions of things that have significant value. Here's a shadowbox that displays a few rocks my grandfather tumbled, a handwritten page from his notebook, a square of pieced fabric my grandmother sewed, some lace from the dress she wore for their 50th anniversary, and a pin with each of her grandchildren's birthstones. 
5. If you're storing a box of your children's baby clothes, or the clothes of a loved one who passed away, consider having a quilt or pieced pillow made from the fabrics. 
6. As you sort through your treasures, are there things you could be using and enjoying rather than storing to be transferred to someone else's garage or closet when you're gone?
7. Remember that the true treasures are the stories and memories associated with the people you love. Consider making a video showing the items you can't display, or things that are taking too much space in your home or storage. Explain each item's significance, who it belonged to, and related stories. Then honor that person and item by passing it along to someone who can truly use and enjoy it.  

WISE WORDS

The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn't simple.  --Doris Janzen Longacre

Party on!

What a blessed day! We had the joy of celebrating the marriage of our first-born, Candice, to Micah Haury on January 15, 2011. Here we are with the bride and groom and our other kids, Chase and Rachel. We're excited for this wonderful couple as they begin their journey has husband and wife. 
    One of the things that made a huge impression on me that day, was how stress-free it was! I've put on kids' birthday parties that were more stressful than that! I appreciate all the great people who had a hand in making it what it was. Whether you're hosting a luncheon for fellow staff, a neighborhood barbeque, or a 50th wedding anniversary for one hundred, see this issue's Timely Tips for a stress-free event and party on! 

TIMELY TIPS - Party On Stress-free

1. Create a home for all the notes and information you'll be collecting regarding your event. Label a folder, binder, or computer file. If it's a large event, create subcategories for guest list, vendors, etc.
2. Do your research-- get referrals from friends and family and search online for themes, games, decorating ideas, vendors, and helpful tools. Real Simple has some great ideas.   
3. Secure a date, location, and vendors.  
4. Create your guest list and send the invitations. If your guests all use email consider using an online service for invitations like evite.com, which will email your invitations for free and track your RSVPs.  
5. Create your "To Do" list including everything from shopping for food and decorations, to ironing tablecloths. Transfer the duties onto your calendar, scheduling as much ahead of time as possible.
6. Enlist the help of friends and family and have an assigned assistant on the day of the event (even for a kid's birthday party).  
7. Create an event day time line for everything that needs to be done and when. Distribute it to each of your vendors and helpers.
8. Be prepared with a written list of "To Dos" for the day of, so you can delegate as help arrives. 
9. Expect something to go wrong so you won't be totally thrown for a loop if or when it does. Put it in perspective-- will anyone remember ten years from now that the icing on the cake didn't match the centerpiece?
10. On the day, do your part and trust others to do theirs. Welcome your guests and celebrate with joy!  

WISE WORDS

 You never know where wise words will show up! I saw these on a beat up truck's bumper sticker:

"DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU THINK"

If you think you can't get organized, or there's something wrong with you if you can't do it on your own, don't believe it. Give me a call 559.871.3314 

End Homelessness

Rachel was the first in our family to take home the golden-tailed "McElroy Donkey Champ" trophy this Christmas! I love traditions, but many of the ones we enjoyed while our kids were growing up were celebrated throughout December. Now that our time together is limited, we needed a new tradition. Spoons is a lively (and potentially dangerous) card game where each loss gives you a letter to spell out the word donkey. Rachel will "proudly" display her success until next Christmas when round two determines a new champ.

One of our long-standing traditions is "Grandparents' Soup Night" which takes place a day or two after Christmas. Our parents are also good friends which makes for a delightful evening with the family. This year, I got a big new soup pot for the event. A week after Christmas it was still sitting on my stovetop-- clean, but homeless.

Most of us probably had a thing or two come into our homes over the holidays that we don't have room for, or an assigned home for. In today's Timely Tips I address how to end homelessness (at least for our stuff). After a little purging and reorganizing, my new pot found a home under the stove!

TIMELY TIPS - End Homelessness

1. Plan ahead. Before buying something new, think about and decide where you will store it. If you need to wait to make the purchase, and first check things out at home, so be it!
2. Purge. Use the "in with the new and out with the old" motto. A lot of clutter is caused by hanging on to the old one, the broken one, the one there's nothing wrong with, but now you have two. If it's worth passing on, share the old with someone who doesn't have one. If you're not going to use it, and no one else wants it, just let it go.
3. Containerize. Walk through your house and look for homeless items. Are there keys, coupons, stacks of magazines, etc.? Find practical and/or decorative ways of containerizing things like a key hook next to the door, a file or envelope in the car for your coupons, a basket or magazine rack placed next to your favorite chair. Place things close to where they'll be used whenever possible. 
4. Toss. Take another walk through the house with a garbage bag and locate homeless items that simply haven't made it to the trash or recycle.
5. Maintain. Don't put it down-- put it away! Maybe it's not a homeless issue after all. If that's the case, commit to a ten-minute tidy at the end of each day, so things will find their way home. 

Wise Words  Wise words from Peter Walsh on how to "lighten up" this new year. Peter Walsh on GMA

Christmas Greetings

Holiday greetings! My wish for you this season is that you'll have treasured moments of peace and joy amidst the hustle and bustle of Christmas. I know that for some this is especially challenging due to significant loss. Many of those I work with have experienced the loss of health, loved ones, or relationships. These losses make it difficult to stay organized, not to mention joyful or peaceful. 
    To me, Christmas represents an extraordinary loss that resulted in an amazing gain. God loves us so much He gave His only Son, Jesus, who "gives light to those who sit in darkness and death's shadow, and to guide us to the path of peace." (Luke 1:79) May peace and joy be yours to the fullest through Him!

TIMELY TIPS - Holiday Stress-Reducers

1. Steal away to a quiet place with cup of hot chocolate, a comfy chair, and your Christmas cards and letters
2. Say "no" (in a nice way)
3. Get your "to dos" out of your head and onto your calendar
4. Prioritize your projects and give yourself permission to focus on the top five and let the rest go, if needed
5. Delegate
6. Take a nap or a walk
7. Schedule coffee with a friend
8. Play Christmas music (www.pandora.com)
9. Request non-cluttering gifts i.e. tickets to an event, a gift certificate for an organizing session, or a Freedom Filer set
10. Set up a Christmas Savings account at your bank

WISE WORDS

Christmas gift suggestions: 

To your enemy, forgiveness. 
To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. 
To a customer, service. 
To all, charity. 
To every child, a good example. 
To yourself, respect. 

-- Oren Arnold

Is a lot to be thankful for, better than a little?

After a visit in October with "William Brewster" and others who play the part of the Pilgrims of 1620, I was struck with the thought of how little they had to be thankful for. Coming to this new land they left their homes and most of their belongings. Their welcome here was a harsh winter that claimed the lives of almost half their loved ones. Many of those who survived were sick and starving.

But, in the autumn of 1621 they gave thanks for the skills they learned from the Native People, a successful harvest, a roof over their heads, and the freedom to worship as they desired. They didn't have it made, they simply had enough. For that, they gave thanks.   

If you've heard me speak, or taken my class, you know the importance I place on recognizing what's most valuable to you. I believe identifying those relationships and things help center us and make us aware of what we have to be thankful for and beyond that, what we can let go of. It's not the quantity of things that creates a spirit of thankfulness, it's the recognition of what enriches and brings meaning to our lives. 

As we enter this Thanksgiving season, take a moment to read and follow this issue's Timely Tip.

TIMELY TIP - Giving Thanks & Letting Go
Many struggle with letting go of things that crowd their homes and schedules. One step toward letting go is looking realistically at the value those things hold, or don't hold compared to the things and people that are truly important to you. Click below for a little Thanksgiving exercise designed to aid you in this process. You may even want to incorporate it into your Thanksgiving celebration. 
Click here: Giving Thanks and Letting Go

WISE WORDS

Saw in a museum in Massachusetts 

Out of control?

Chase and the Seals - Santa Barbara

Have you ever felt like you're out on the open seas being tossed in the waves, vulnerable to oncoming ships and sea life? I have. In fact, that's exactly how I felt when we took our kayak out of the Santa Barbara harbor to see the seals perched out on a buoy. The farther out we went, the larger the waves, the more water we took on, and the faster the huge ships came at us. Once we had circled the seal-laden buoy, I was ready to head for the safety of the harbor.

Dictionary.com says that "control" means to exercise restraint or direction over; dominate; command. There's a lot in life that we can't control; the threat of a terrorist attack, a suffering economy, traffic, and the choices of those around us. Scott and I couldn't control the waves, the ships, or the choice of a seal to use our kayak as a play toy. What we could control was the direction and intensity with which we paddled.

Life can often feel out of control. Today's Timely Tips are designed to help you paddle toward calmer seas in today's busy times.

Here's a pic of the seals and our son, Chase, on a calmer day. We didn't dare take our camera/phone out of the Ziplock on our stormy voyage! 

TIMELY TIPS - Control What You Can

1. Write down your top five life values and use them to determine what you keep and let go of in your schedule, home, and office.

2. Schedule time on your calendar with your spouse/kids/friends. Just because it's important, doesn't mean it will happen automatically.

3. List and commit to your "No-Matter-Whats," the few things you decide that are important enough to do daily/weekly even when life throws you a wrench. 

4. Set boundaries for tech tools i.e. turn your phone on silent when working on a project, schedule specific times and time limits to check email, Facebook, surf the net, etc.

5. Know where your car keys are all the time - assign a specific pocket in your purse or briefcase. If shared, use a hook by the garage door or a spot in a drawer where everyone places them when not in use (a small act with big returns when it comes to reducing stress and wasted time).

6. Plan your meals ahead a week at a time.

7. Prepare for the next day's activities the night before, choosing wardrobe, preparing items for errands, gathering paperwork, packing kids' homework in backpacks, etc.

8. Schedule a 10-minute buffer around appointments.

9. Set up a system for incoming mail and long-term filing to avoid paper piles.

10. Attend the Organizing Your Paper, Space, and Life class! : )

Are you prepared?

Outside her home, she looked up the street and saw fire and smoke billowing down the Montecito hills. Running inside she gathered her family and pets. Her teenage daughter grabbed the box they had prepared with family photos and vital documents for such a time as this. Back outside they knocked on doors and alerted as many neighbors as possible before heading down to safety. This was the scene at my sister-in-law's home almost two years ago when the "Tea Fire" swept through the hills near Santa Barbara. The next day they got word that their house and belongings were destroyed. We visited them in their rebuilt home Labor Day weekend. It's beautiful and the precious photos, spared from the flames, are prominently displayed on a shelf in the living room.

While I'm not a promoter of doom and gloom, I see value in preparing for emergencies and potential disasters. September is National Preparedness Month. To learn how you and your family can be prepared, see this issue's Timely Tips and visit the links to some helpful websites.

Smiles amidst the rubble.

TIMELY TIPS - BE PREPARED!

1. Fire Emergency Preparedness

• Install dual sensor smoke alarms
• Create and practice an escape plan
• Purchase a fire extinguisher
• For more info visit the Fire Safety Website
  

2. Basic Emergency Supply Kit

• Water - 1 gal/person/day (3-day supply)
• Food - 3-day supply of non-perishable food; can opener
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual
• For more info visit the FEMA Website

3. Family Emergency Plan

• Download and complete a Family Emergency Plan from the
FEMA Website
• Record an emergency contact number in each family member's cell phone and label it "ICE" (In Case of Emergency)
• Identify a local and out-of-town contact for family members to check in with in case of disaster
• Identify a family meeting place
• Inquire about emergency plans at work, daycare, and school
• Try texting to connect with family members if phone networks are disrupted

The Perfect Model

This summer I brought my guitar to Music Week at Bluff View Preschool where my daughter, Candice, teaches. It's amazing how far basic skills go when your audience is four years old and under! It was fun playing for the kids and watching Candice in action. When I think about how her class is set up and managed, I'm struck with the thought that it is the perfect model for a smooth-running home or business.  

By the way, as of August 1st, Candice is a bride-to-be and we are excited to welcome Micah Haury into the family!

TIMELY TIPS - Preschool - the Perfect Organizing Model
Which of these classroom tips might you incorporate into your home, office, or life?

1. There's a place for everything, and everything's in its place.
   
2. Rooms are divided into sections so that you have like things together and everything you need to complete specific tasks.
   
3. Containers are stacked neatly on shelves and clearly labeled so you know where everything is.
   
4. Cleanup happens throughout the day (following each project) so that there is no major mess to deal with at day's end.
   
5. Cleanup is a team effort with everyone participating in age and skill appropriate tasks.
   
6. Expectations are clearly defined and there is consistency and follow through with consequences.
   
7. Routines are established with lots of practice and affirmation so that each one can eventually accomplish what's expected without being asked or reminded.
   
8. There are specific times assigned and boundaries set for each activity - work, play, reading, art, etc. 
   
9. Some projects take more than a day, but they're always completed.
   
10. Nap-time's a daily occurrence.

Seize the Opportunity

"Make the most of every opportunity..."(Ephesians 5:16) is my theme for 2010. A couple weeks ago I blew it. Not in a life-changing way, but still an opportunity lost, or so I thought. When I approached the pineapple at Costco there was a man carefully choosing one. He looked like he knew what he was doing and had perhaps even grown up on the Islands. I love pineapple, but don't know the first thing about choosing the right one. I grabbed one and went on with my shopping, kicking myself for not being bold enough to ask his advice. The other day I was back at Costco thinking of my lost opportunity as I approached the fruit. Guess who was there-- yep, the pineapple man! I wasn't going to miss the same opportunity twice. He was very kind and took the time to help me find two perfect pineapples!  Making the most of every opportunity sometimes means tapping into someone else's expertise to improve our own quality of life. Perhaps you've considered getting organizing help, but haven't followed through on that thought. Today's "Timely Tips" will help clarify if now is the right time, and the coupon below is the opportunity you don't want to miss!

TIMELY TIPS

You know it's time to ask for organizing help if...

1. Panic and embarrassment result in a cleaning frenzy whenever unexpected company arrives
   
2. You spend valuable time searching for your keys, wallet, purse, etc.
   
3. Cardboard boxes and piles of stuff keep your car parked outside the garage
   
4. You spend money replacing things you know you have, but can't find
5. Your mail and other papers pile up until bagged and stuck in a closet when company comes
   
6. Your dining table is a dumping ground instead of a family meal center
   
7. Years of files are bursting out of your file drawers and there's no place for current papers
   
8. You're feeling guilty for not setting a good example of organization for your children
   
9. Walking into your bedroom, office, kitchen, or living room creates a feeling of stress
10. You're too embarrassed to ask for help

Two Life-changing Routines

To celebrate 32 years of wedded bliss I talked Scott into buying a kayak. Being the wonderful husband that he is, he grumbled a bit and then said yes. See those white legs in the picture? After our maiden voyage on beautiful Hume Lake, they were red and blistered. It was chilly that day and we waited just a tad too long to apply the sunscreen! We couldn't see the gradual change even though it was taking place right under our noses. This reminded me of what happens in many homes. A few things get left out as you think to yourself, "I'll just put this here for now." Gradually you let a few more things pile up until the day unexpected company arrives at the door, and you look around and panic! Prevention is always the best medicine and this issue's Timely Tips offers the remedy for the red face of embarrassment just like the sunscreen could have done for our legs. 

TIMELY TIPS - Two Life-changing Routines

1. If it takes less than two minutes, do it now! When put off, all those little tasks like putting your dishes in the dishwasher, hanging up your clothes, putting the groceries away, etc., add up to time consuming messes. You'll be surprised at what you can prevent in two minutes or less!
2. Ten-minute Tidy - During my Clovis Adult class I was describing the routine of having family members put their own things away before dinnertime and bedtime. My niece, who was taking the class piped up and said, "We call that the Ten-minute Tidy!" I like that name, but whatever you call it, it's part of the answer to waking up to a clean house and never having to open the door red-faced again!

Keep or Toss?

Candice's 27th birthday

I can't believe my firstborn has that many candles on her cake! I miss the fun we had when our kids were little, but love spending time with my adult children. It's so important to live purposeful lives in the present. Are your rooms and closets filled with belongings from the past, or "just in case" items for the future? When our past or future clutters the present, we can't fully embrace the opportunities of today. This issue's "Timely Tips" offers some helpful questions to ask yourself as you strive to create a home for the life you desire to live today.

TIMELY TIPS - Top Ten "Keep or Toss" Questions 

1. Have I used this item in the past year?
2. Do I have a definite use for this in the foreseeable future?
3. If it's broken, is it worth fixing?
4. Does this item serve a worthwhile purpose in my life?
5. Is it more important for me to keep this item than to have to space it occupies?
6. Do I need to keep it for legal or tax purposes?
7. Do I love it?
8. If it's sentimental, can I take a picture of it, or keep a portion of it to remember it by?
9. Would it be difficult or expensive to replace?
10. Do I have more than I use or need?

Get Ready!

Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year! I love the colors, cooler weather, and the anticipation of the holidays. It's a season of preparation. 

September is National Preparedness Month. The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is part of a coalition organized by the US Dept. of Homeland Security to inform and guide people through the steps of preparing for an emergency. Being prepared is a sure-fire way to reduce stress when you encounter the unexpected. (See A Timely Tip) 

It's also important to prepare for the expected events like Thanksgiving and Christmas! If you'd like to reduce the holiday madness and increase your holiday joy, join my "Organizing Your Holidays" class this October.

A Timely Tip - Get Ready!

Fire Emergency Preparedness

• Install dual sensor smoke alarms
• Create and practice an escape plan
• Purchase a fire extinguisher

Basic Emergency Supply Kit

• Water - 1 gal/person/day (3-day supply)
• Food - non-perishable food (3-day supply); can opener if needed 
• Battery-powered or hand crank radio
• Flashlight and extra batteries
• First aid kit and manual

Family Emergency Plan

• Complete a Family Emergency Plan Form (seewww.ready.gov) 
• Identify a local and an out-of town contact
• Record "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) contact number in family cell phones
• Identify a family meeting place
• Inquire about emergency plans at work, daycare and school

Free Emergency Preparedness Lists, Forms & Information

• www.ready.gov 
• www.sesamestreet.org/ready/
• www.firesafety.gov
• Toll-free number 1-800-BE-READY