Get Organized Now! Weblog

My New Year's Resolutions

A big part of getting organized is ensuring that you're doing the things that will help you to grow as a person, and to ensure you feel good about yourself each day.

Each year, I come up with 10 personal New Year's Resolutions, which are listed below in no particular order. Some are new; some have been on my list for years and act as constant reminders.

I post them in a prominent place, and I make sure to do something each day that allows me to say that I did something I promised myself I would do.

(Note: I always come up with business-related New Year's Resolutions in addition, that are not listed here.)

1) Learn how to follow and apply a simple sewing pattern.

2) Learn how to read basic music notes and play a minimum of one song each month on our new piano.

3) Make a minimum of one new recipe each week.

4) Work out a minimum of 3 times each week for at least one hour each.

5) Commit to no more than 'one' (non-family) social activity per week.

6) Send one unexpected letter, card or gift each month to make someone's day.

7) Scrapbook no less than once each week.

8) Spend an hour or more each weeknight with my husband and daughter, just doing something relaxing and fun, in addition to our weekend time.

9) Do something educational and/or cultural--music, theater, museum, etc.--once each month.

10) Organize, or re-organize, something, even if for only 10 minutes per day.

It is recommended that you come up with your own list, and post this list somewhere that you're sure to see every single day.

Your New Year's Resolutions will help you identify the path you want to take in life, will keep you on track, and will help you enjoy life along the way.

If you make your resolutions, and you realize along the way that you haven't been keeping up with them, don't give up. Just start again. It doesn't have to be January 1st for you to get a fresh, new start. Unwrap each day like the gift that it is.

Wishing you and your family a happy, organized New Year 2011!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Whether Thanksgiving finds you at home or at someone else's home, with your loved ones or with your loved ones in your heart, I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving-- with all the trimmings!

We're officially into the heart of the holidays right now. Among all the hustle and bustle, remember to find the calm of the season. Always take a few moments of solitude for yourself each day to relax, enjoy and take it all in!

Do You Have a Wish List?

Now that Christmas is only 3 months away, my mail box is packed with store catalogs every day. I don't mind, because I enjoy browsing and ordering gifts for others from them.

While paging through one of the catalogs last night, there were even a few items I saw that I wouldn't mind having for MYSELF. As I saw items that interested me, I added them to my Wish List.

I keep a Wish List on my computer--it's a simple Word document organized by category. When my husband, or sister or a friend asks me what types of things I would enjoy as gifts, I have a list I can give them for ideas. If the items are available on Amazon, I put those items on my Amazon Wish List. I only had to create the wish list once, and I add to it as I like. Every occasion, it's the first place my sister looks when she's trying to think of something I may like as a gift.

My lists are updated regularly, as my interests change. The other thing that's really nice is, when I receive a gift card as a gift, I just go to my list and order something for myself from my wish list with the gift card. The list acts as a reminder of the things I saw in the catalogs, or on TV, etc.

Do I ever receive spontaneous gifts? Yes, very often--and I so appreciate any gift anyone ever gives me. But having a list when people ask for ideas takes the pressure off of their minds and also ensures that I receive a gift I can use and enjoy!

Christmas in July?

Two days ago I received a postcard from Hallmark announcing their Christmas Ornament Premiere.

Yesterday, I went into a store that was beginning to clear its summer shelves, in anticipation of Christmas lights.

Today, I received two catalogs, reminding me that Christmas is coming!

Ok, it's JULY people!!!! The last thing I want to think about is Christmas--or anything related to cold weather for that matter!

The nice thing is, I really don't have to think too hard about Christmas.

When it's time to send out holiday cards, I know exactly who I'll be sending them to.

I don't have to make a list of To Do's. I have one from last year, that I can easily replicate and use this year.

I know what interests the people who are on my gift list, and I can easily give them gifts that they will enjoy. In fact, these gifts are generally wrapped and ready to give by the end of October.

What did I wear to holiday dinner last year? I can tell you everything I wore, and what my family wore.

Now, this information is not just floating around in my head, ready to spill out when I need it. I actually use a tool to help me stay organized for the busy holiday season. That is my...

Get Organized Now! Holiday Planner

This simple tool helps me keep my mind on summer, in the summer, but also allows me to keep notes throughout the year that will make the holidays that much easier when they roll around.

Enjoy every moment of the sunshine and warm weather. As of the very moment I'm writing this, there are only 164 days left until Santa arrives! (Smile.)

Mother's Day 2010

Mother's Day is fast approaching (Sunday, May 9th). Purchase any gifts or cards. Make brunch reservations if applicable. Think of special things you can do to honor women in your life who are mothers.

My 6-year old, Amanda, has been whispering to her dad a lot this week. I'm sure it has to do with Mother's Day. It's a day I look forward to as I've declared it a 'no work day' to enjoy my family and all our blessings.

May all the mothers reading this message have a wonderful day this coming Sunday. Congratulations for all of your efforts and successes in life. Relax and enjoy Mother's Day. You deserve it!

Celebrating the Old and the New

The song, 'Auld Lang Syne,' is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to ring in the new year.

Auld Lang Syne literally means 'old long ago,' or simply, 'the good old days.'

As you're singing or humming the song this year--whether you're at a New Year's Eve Party, or relaxing in front of your TV watching Dick Clark--it's a good time to reflect on your life, your family, everything you have accomplished, events that have happened, and all of the people who have touched your life in some special way.

When the song is over, there will be an entire New Year waiting for you--one filled with countless possibilities.

Wishing you and your family a happy holiday season, and a new year filled with hope, love, health, joy, peace, friendship, prosperity and success. And, of course, may the year 2010 be your most organized year ever!

Christmas is Not One Day

Where did this year go? Here we are at Christmas once again.

I hope you're done with all your shopping, wrapping and other holiday preparations, and you can enjoy the warmth of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and the days to follow leading up to the new year.

If you're celebrating Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice or another seasonal holiday, warm wishes to you also!

My husband and I went to our daughter's Kindergarten service at church this morning. She and her classmates sang 'Away in a Manger' beautifully, while performing the song in sign language at the same time.

The kids dressed up for the manger scene on the altar--our daughter, Amanda, was 'the Star of Bethlehem.' Finally, she had to recite a passage all by herself up on the podium in front of the whole congregation--boy were we proud!

Here's what she had to say...

'The message is that Christmas is not one day, but a lifetime of spreading peace and love.'

It is a small message, but has such amazing impact! I feel it's the perfect thought to contemplate this holiday season.

May your final days of 2009 be peaceful, fun, merry, productive AND organized!

Full steam ahead into 2010!!

The Un-hectic Approach to Holiday Shopping

It has been a very UN-hectic holiday shopping season for me. I'm very happy to say I haven't stepped foot in a mall, I haven't waited a minute on line and I haven't had to search for a parking space in a crowded department store parking lot.

This year, I did 100 percent (yes, ALL) of my holiday shopping online. There were so many deals this year that I didn't even have to pay shipping with most companies. Those that I did pay shipping, I almost always had a promotional code to use that saved me a percentage off or ended up in bonus merchandise.

To top it off, many items that I purchased online were wrapped by the store and shipped directly to their destinations--yet, another timesaver.

Now, I have to admit that many of the things I purchased, were bought from Amazon. Any why not? They have virtually anything you could possibly want--if they don't, they get it from other stores and have the items shipped to you! I (and several family members and friends) make use of their wonderful Wish Lists, so nobody ends up with something they can't use and will only gather dust on a shelf.

What about the element of surprise? Besides buying gifts from Wish Lists that I knew gift recipients would want, I also either made or purchased smaller 'surprise' items to add to the fun of the season.

Yes, shopping this year has been merrier than ever...and there's still plenty of time for sleigh rides, gazing at our town's holiday decorations, getting together with family and friends, watching holiday flicks and spreading Christmas cheer!

Tricks for Treats

For school today, my daughter, Amanda, needed cookies for her all-school bake sale to benefit a local charity AND a treat for her Kindergarten Halloween Party. I decided to buy the cookies for the bake sale and make homemade pumpkin muffins for the class party. Just making one treat, instead of two, cost me a few extra bucks but saved me an hour last night--an hour that I used enjoying family time and watching old episodes of Flipper with my husband and Amanda.

Instead of bringing in these treats with serving platters or Tupperware containers from home--which 1) tend to get lost in the shuffle or 2) have to be picked up and cleaned-- I instead found some old cardboard. I cut the cardboard down to size, covered it with aluminum foil and then bent the sides up. I now had a nice looking 'tray' that didn't need to be returned home or cleaned afterwards. After the bake sale, the school can just remove the foil and recycle the cardboard.

These are just two little tricks to make life a bit easier when it comes to treats.

This Year's Easter Eggs Project

(Click photo to enlarge.)
Yesterday, Amanda and I dyed our Easter Eggs. We used the typical Paas kit and two dozen hard-boiled eggs to come up with our base colored eggs.

To hard-boil eggs perfectly, place your eggs carefully in a large pot in a single layer. Cover the eggs with water, approximately one inch higher than the eggs. Over medium-high heat, bring to a boil. Remove from heat and keep in hot pot for 12 minutes. Carefully transfer, one by one, to a bowl filled with ice water. Allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes. Dry each egg, and proceed to dying them.

After we followed the directions on the Paas box, and the dye was dried, we used assorted rub-ons (the same type you use for scrapbooking projects).

For a few of the eggs, we covered them with a thin layer of glue, and then sprinkled glitter on them. We then placed these into the circular cut-outs on the Paas box to dry.

Once dry, we decided to display the eggs in a large hurricane vase. We put a narrow vase in the middle of the larger vase, just to give us a cylinder to work around. Then, we added some shredded craft paper. Finally, we added the colored eggs, and a lace ribbon around the base.

We were very happy with the final result--which is now in the center of our dinette table and ready for the Easter Bunny's arrival.