My New 2006 Calendar

On my way back from getting my teeth cleaned at the dentist's office today--definitely not the highlight of my day--I drove home an alternate route to visit my town's local book store.

While there, I picked up a few not-so-spooky Halloween books for my daughter, my niece, and my girlfriend's daughter. Right before checking out, I noticed the 2006 calendars were already on the shelves.

Come to think of it, I already have some appointments scheduled for the new year--written on the inside back cover of my 2005 calendar. Plus, I mentally noted that the dentist's office had just scheduled my next cleaning for February 2006.

In light of this, I decided to pick up a new calendar today.

Last year's theme was the artwork of Monet. This year, I've chosen a lighter, more comical theme--"The Far Side" comics by Gary Larson. Flipping through a few pages at the bookstore confirmed that I'd be both effectively scheduled and entertained at the same time.

By the way, for those of you who plan to write me asking why I don't use a PDA or other electronic device for my scheduling, the answer is this. When it comes to calendars, I just like paper calendars. I like looking for a new calendar each year. It's a matter of preference. If you prefer to use PDAs, that's great. Whatever works for you is what you should use.

Anyway, here are the main reasons why I chose this particular calendar:

1) I liked the theme. The more I like my calendar, the more enjoyable it will be to use it. Thus, it will be a great helper in keeping me scheduled.

2) I liked the size. This calendar was 9 inches tall by 7 inches wide. It's easy to carry around and it doesn't take up much space on my desk.

3) I liked the spiral binding. This means I can fold the calendar over--to only see the calendar on the right side of the page and not the comic page on the left--if I need to save space.

4) In addition to the weekly pages, it also has a monthly page for each month of the year. I like to note birthdays and anniversaries on the monthly pages. This way, the week before the end of each month, I can glance at the monthly calendar for the following month--one page--and send out all of the greeting cards for that particular month. I then use the weekly pages for all of my appointments, like doctor visits, haircuts and meetings.

To sum this up, when you're ready to get yourself a new 2006 calendar, think about the type of calendar that would be most effective for you. Be sure you really like the look, the features and the layout, so you truly enjoy using it all the time.

I'm looking forward to getting all of my 2006 events and appointments into my clean, new calendar. It's a sure sign that I'm ready for another organized new year.

Spiral Slides, Funnel Bridges and Climbing Walls

There are quite a few parks within a short distance from my house and the playground equipment at each is many steps up from what I remember as a kid.

While I had a few swings, monkey bars and a teeter-totter to choose from, today's kids have several different spiral slides, tubes, funnel bridges, climbing walls, steering wheels, tic-tac-toe panels, stepped platforms and much more, all connected into one large structure.

Anyway, we had our home built in a new development almost three years ago (time sure flies) and there has been a large open space right across the street from us. That space is soon to be a brand new park that all the neighborhood kids will be able to enjoy.

We're really looking forward to it because 1) it will be nice to have that area finished off and mowed often, 2) we won't have to buy any kind of playgroup equipment for our backyard and 3) it will no longer be necessary to have to get in the car and drive to some other park in town.

For the past few years, there was no news related to getting this park done. The neighbors began complaining amongst themselves about the delay in getting this project off the ground. Many of us wrote to the person in charge of parks and recreation and to the person in charge of our development, but we always received the same answer. Basically, there weren't any organized plans to follow and there wasn't a definite timeline.

But then, our next door neighbor, who happens to be an architect, took it upon himself to draw up plans for the park that included some lovely ideas such as a winding walking path, a mini-soccer field, a backstop for playing ball, a section for volleyball, a playground and a shelter.

He made copies of those plans and handed them out to us neighbors for our input. After getting ideas and making some adjustments, he submitted the plans to the park and recreation department--complimentary.

These plans were posted at the Park and Recreation Department within a week. From there, the head of the Park and Recreation Department was able to begin getting bids from vendors who offered the playground equipment.

Anyone was able to stop in and take a look through the proposals, drawings, specifications and bid amounts for the playground equipment and vote on the ones he or she thought would be best. We then voiced our opinions back to our architect neighbor, who met with the Park and Recreation Department to relay the comments he received from all of us.

Our neighbor's plans were accepted, the playground equipment has been ordered, and this project is scheduled to begin this November.

Wow, we were impressed. If it hadn't been for the kindness, expertise and initiative of our neighbor, I know we'd still be waiting for any sort of news about our park.

Obviously, things never move ahead unless someone actually takes the ball and runs with it. Even though we know that this neighbor is extremely busy, he managed to organize his time to help make our neighborhood park a reality.

When it comes to organizing, it's not just about weeding out file folders or cleaning out the clothes closet, but it's also about having a very specific vision and the attitude, motivation, expertise and energy to carry out that vision.

Because of this one person, we'll now have something in our neighborhood that hundreds of families can enjoy for years to come. It's amazing what one determined person can accomplish.

Halloween To Do List

I was just in Shopko yesterday and--believe it or not-- they were already putting out the Christmas decorations. Christmas! I mean, c'mon! We haven't even gotten to Halloween yet.

Speaking of Halloween, it's just a little over a month away. I just read in the City Connection, which is a great little town paper that I receive quarterly, that trick-or- treating will be held on Sunday, the 30th (the day before Halloween) from 1:00-4:00, followed by a town parade down Main Street at 4:00.

Which reminds me . . . when did the evening trick-or- treating become a thing of the past? I guess some towns have just deemed it too dangerous, but having trick-or- treating in the bright afternoon light sort of diminishes the enchantment a bit.

Anyway, my daughter is going to be a little bumblebee this year. The costume is real cute and I can't wait for her to be buzzing around in it.

Here's what is on my To Do List for Halloween this year. If you get into the Halloween spirit, feel free to use this list for yourself, adding, changing or deleting as necessary.

1. Buy my daughter's costume. I bought mine from One Step Ahead. I also liked many of those offered by Costume Express Another alternative, if you're ambitious, is to make costumes for your kids or yourself.

2. Buy treats. I am foregoing giving out candy this year, and opting for little activity books and games instead. I bought them in bulk from Oriental Trading Company along with little treat bags. I bought enough for 40 little ghosts and I'll have just one bag of candy on hand in case I happen to run out before trick-or-treating time is over.

3. Put up decorations. I don't have too many Halloween decorations, but I have a few lawn stakes, a fall wreath, and indoor decor to make the season more festive. I'll be getting those out of my stored Halloween container this weekend.

4. Divide treats. My husband, my daughter and I will all share some family time together dividing the treats up among the 40 treat bags.

5. Go on a hay ride. Each year, we go out for a hay ride, apple cider, fresh baked pumpkin pie, scarecrow stuffing, pumpkin picking and other fun Halloween activities. We'll be sure to bring the camera to get photos of our little goblin so I can include them in my Halloween scrapbook.

That's it. Five things to do, and I've already accomplished numbers 1 and 2. Number 3 will be done this weekend, number 4 will be done next week, and number 5 will be scheduled for a week or two prior to Halloween.

On Halloween, I'll be giving out treats during my daughter's nap time. When she wakes up and she's ready to go trick-or-treating, we'll leave the treat bowl outside with a 'Take Just One Please' instruction sheet taped to the bowl. After trick-or-treating, we'll go to the Halloween parade with another couple and their little girl.

We're all set.

What's on your Halloween To Do List? Why not make your list today and start now. Halloween will be here before you can say BOO!

Ahh-Choo!

For the past 10 days or so, I've been dealing with a terrible cold. I don't get sick often, but this one is definitely a doozy. Congestion. Coughing. Sneezing. Wheezing. Come to think of it, I'll spare you the gruesome details.

Anyway, while I've been advised by family and friends to lay in bed curled up with a good book, that's just not practical with a business and a household to run, and a toddler to care for.

But, I did do a few things to help me get things done each day without wearing myself out further.

1. I made sure I went to bed a little bit earlier each night, so that my body had time to rest and recuperate. But I got up, as usual, at 7:30AM and proceeded with my day. It usually makes me feel physically worse to just lay around anyway. Once I was able to get up, brush my teeth and take a shower, I felt a little more alive and ready to take on some of the things I had to do. Actually, working, doing things around the house and caring for my daughter always seems to take my mind off of being sick.

2. I rescheduled any phone and in-person appointments for a few weeks. I knew I wouldn't feel good enough to do either, especially anything that required me to talk. However, during the time I was supposed to have those appointments, I worked on writing my new book. This way, the scheduled time I canceled wasn't wasted.

3. I did something for myself in between each task that I tackled. For instance, after responding to my email, I relaxed with a cup of tea and the newspaper for 20 minutes. After I made breakfast for my daughter, I stepped outside on the deck with her. While she played for a few minutes, I was able to get some fresh air and enjoy the birds flying in and out of the trees. This way, I was getting things done throughout the day, without feeling like I wasn't taking care of myself.

Yes, my husband has helped out enormously too. But then again, he always does--even when I'm feeling well.

Anyway, my point here is that I could have spent the past 10 days just laying around and doing nothing, in which case, I would have tons of work piled up which would be very stressful and frustrating.

But I opted to be productive while caring for myself at the same time. Now that I'm feeling a bit better, I'm so glad I don't have tons of things to catch up on.

Treat Yourself

Ca-kee! Ca-kee! Ca-kee! This is the current pronunciation of "cookie" coming out of my 19 month old daughter's mouth. I looked at her lunch plate. She finished her spaghetti and her turkey, but didn't touch her carrots.

I told her "Sorry. No cookies unless you finish your carrots." With a bit of reluctance and a slight frown, every carrot on her plate was eaten within a few minutes.

Then, to her sheer delight, I gave her 4 mini Nilla Wafers. You should have seen the smile on her face. It was priceless.

Which gets me to thinking that we could all use a little bit of motivation sometimes.

Whenever you have an organizing task ahead of you, why not entice yourself a bit?

Designate a few rewards that you'd really enjoy, and enjoy those rewards once your organizing task is completed.

For instance, tell yourself that you're going to relax on the lounge chair directly after you file that pile of papers.

Perhaps you'll have a cup of peppermint tea, as soon as you've completed writing out your bill payments for the week.

Maybe you can take a long, hot, bubble bath, as soon as you've cleaned out your e-mail inbox.

Okay. So my daughter will probably ask for a cookie every time she finishes her vegetables. I feel that once in awhile it's a good bargaining chip.

As for the tasks on your To Do list, the reward concept can make everything you have to do just a little more exciting. It can give you that little push you may need to get started and complete your to do's.

Looks Like You've Got a Problem

(Click photo to enlarge.)
We've had people living in our basement since April. That is, at least it feels that way. All kidding aside, we're in the middle of a very big basement finishing project and the contractors are almost done with it. Looks like everything will be complete in another week or two, knock on wood.

Anyway, yesterday, an independent electrician was here to install three pendant lights for us. After working on them for an hour, he said, 'Looks like you've got a problem. I have your lights installed, but they're not working. They must be defective.'

Now mind you, this was not happy news for us. Joe and I searched high and low for the perfect lights for this particular area. After visiting several stores, we finally found what we wanted. We had to special order them, had waited over 8 weeks for their arrival, and they weren't cheap.

My husband quickly called the company where we purchased the lights and spoke to the head service technician, who offered to drive out to our home to determine why the lights were not working.

A few days later the technician showed up, took one look at how the lights were installed, and said, 'Basically your electrician blew out the transformers. Obviously, he didn't read the instructions that came with the lights.'

In the end, it all worked out. After replacing the transformers and wiring in all three lights, the technician managed to fix them for free, and we're just thrilled with them.

Our original electrician had managed to install ceiling can lights, a pool table light and baseboard heating units with no problem. So, obviously, he pretty much knew what he was doing. Probably what happened when it came to the pendant lights was he felt he had so much experience, that it wasn't necessary for him to read the instructions.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with these lights, which required a little extra special care and detail to install properly.

Luckily, the technician didn't charge us, and our electrician had no worries on his hands. But had the technician chosen to charge us, we would have deducted that fee right out of our original electrician's fee for causing the damage.

What is to be learned from this? If you ever have to install or assemble something, and you have instructions available, always take the time to read them--twice--before you do anything. Read them even if you feel you know exactly what you're doing.

If you don't, you run the risk of breaking it or at minimum having to take it apart to start over again.

This little extra step could save you hours of time and stress. A big part of getting something completed in an organized fashion is not just the act of doing something, but the preparation beforehand.

Good Samaritans

As most of you are aware, there is a tremendous worldwide relief effort underway to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Thousands of people who have lost everything, including loved ones, have been evacuated to neighboring states.

I was pleased to hear this morning that Wisconsin (the state where I live) officially opened its arms to evacuees. In addition, nearly 500 Wisconsin members of the National Guard have been sent to the stricken areas, including some who had been home less than two months after serving for a year in Iraq.

Throughout the United States, and among many countries overseas, individuals, businesses and organizations are opening their arms to the victims of this tragedy. It's heartwarming to know there are so many compassionate people that want to help in one way or another.

In fact, David Frey, a friend and business associate, and his wife, Ingrid, from Houston, Texas, have spent the past few days as volunteers doing what they can to help at the Houston Astrodome where thousands of evacuees are being sheltered.

David has been writing about the effort in his daily Blog. His vivid photos which you'll see on his blog, and his descriptions, really give an excellent firsthand look at the relief process at the Dome. Here is the link:

http://marketingbestpractices.typepad.com/marketing_best_practices_/

I feel it's touching to see so many people coming to the aid of those in need and I'd personally like to thank David Frey and his wife for their efforts and for sharing their experiences in this massive effort.


For hundreds of free organizing tips,
visit Get Organized Now!

Hurricane Katrina: Organizing Amidst the Chaos

I am deeply saddened by the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina. The number of families who have lost loved ones and/or can't find their loved ones multiplies as each day passes. There are people who are stranded, injured, hungry, thirsty--wondering if they will ever make it out alive.

Every news spot brings a story of someone who desperately needs medical attention, another who stands on his rooftop with his family waiting to be rescued while the water rises, and someone else breaking into an abandoned store desperate to get some food or water for her children.

No matter how organized you are, you can't sufficiently prepare ahead of time for something of this magnitude. This type of natural disaster can literally turn your life upside down.

So many people are wondering what they could do to help. Some want to send clothing. Some want to send food. Others want to go in person. But these are probably not the best ways to help at this time.

The relief efforts have to be organized by larger organizations who are more experienced with helping people in such situations as this. Sending clothing, for instance, would require an enormous collection effort which would take time, money and resources away from emergencies at hand.

That's why one of the best ways to support the relief operations, besides keeping everyone affected in our thoughts and prayers, is to make a financial gift of support. With our donations, the Red Cross can work with other organizations and businesses to get very large volumes of the goods required so they can in turn be distributed to those most in need.

In light of this, for the month of September, 2005, Get Organized Now! will be donating 10% of all digital sales to the Hurricane Katrina relief effort.

If you'd also like to make a donation directly, the following organizations are just a small sampling of those currently assisting in the evacuation and recovery effort and could use your support.

American Red Cross

Salvation Army

Catholic Charities

Episcopal Relief and Development

Mercy Corps

The Humane Society

Amidst this chaos and devastation, I am touched by every organization and business assisting in these relief efforts. It takes an enormous amount of organizing to raise money, distribute food and water, find shelter, treat injuries, arrange for emergency transportation and a multitude of other services.

Yes, there's a lot of frustration. There's a lot of sadness. There's a lot of anger. But there's also a lot of people pulling together, on an individual and group level, to provide for those in need.

For hundreds of free organizing tips,
visit Get Organized Now!