Get Organized Now! Newsletter by Maria Gracia http://www.getorganizednow.com Issue: April 20-26, 2008 Number of Subscribers: 181,999 ============================================ Hello {!firstname_fix} ============================================ ** Finally! An Affordable and Easy to Use Filing System for Your Home ** Are you drowning in the paper flood that pours into your home every day? You know...the endless stream of bills, warranties, receipts, important documents, user manuals, bank statements, letters, promotions, insurance papers, employment and medical information, school papers. Need I go on? How you deal with that paper determines whether you live in an atmosphere of calm and control or clutter and chaos. Along with chaos comes frustration, tension and conflict--all because of the never-ending paper flood. But have no fear. Now you can easily gain total control of your vital paper information -- instantly, easily and happily-- with My Oh-So-Organized Filing System (just released and hot off the press!) Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/filing.html P.S. Find out how you can get a BONUS Tickler file system-- complimentary! ============================================ One Dozen Travel Smart Quick Tips 1. Start early. Once you determine where you're going to be going, begin gathering everything you need to make your trip a pleasant one. Need a passport? Apply at least 3 months ahead of time or you'll pay extra for express delivery. Secure airline reservations at least 8 weeks prior if possible, especially if traveling abroad. The closer it gets to the date you want to leave, the more the tickets will cost. Reserve hotel and car rentals well ahead of time to ensure your reservation is accepted. Get maps, surf the Net and speak with others to get specific travel tips for the areas you're visiting. Get maps. They can be lifesavers along the way. Better yet, invest in a GPS system! 2. Call ahead. Contact your hotel ahead of time to find out what their amenities are. If they have a hair dryer in each room for instance, you won't have to bring yours along. If they have laundry facilities, you can pack even less since you'll be able to wash while you're there. If they have exercise facilities, you may want to bring some sneakers along. Better to know ahead, so you're prepared. 3. Apply the 50% rule. When packing clothing for a trip, lay out everything you think you'll need on your bed--then, put 50% of it back in your closet. Most people take way more than is necessary and end up carrying unnecessary weight along the way. Chances are, you'll be able to wear each outfit at least twice, especially if you mix and match different tops with different bottoms. 4. Use a packing list. Come up with a list of everything you need to take with you when traveling. Organize each item by genre: clothing, toiletries, financial, etc. Make copies of this list, so you can reference it for each trip you take. As you're packing, check off each item on your list as you put it in your suitcase. Finally, pack your list, and use it on your last day of vacation or business trip, so you remember to take everything back home with you. 5. Take an empty suitcase. If you're the type of person who shops when you travel, be sure you bring along an extra suitcase. You'll have the perfect place to pack your souvenirs and gifts purchased during your trip. ----- P.S. Get organized once and for all! You can be Finally Organized, Finally Free. Get 2,175 organizing tips, ideas and techniques to help you organize your home, your time and your life! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffhome.html P.P.S. You can be Finally Organized, Finally Free at the office too! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/foffoffice.html ----- 6. Make a schedule. Find out what you wish to do at your destination BEFORE you get there. Then, make yourself a schedule for each day based on criteria, such as the days and times a particular store or museum is open. If you wish to switch some events around when you get there, that's OK. But, at least you'll have something to reference so you're not wasting time wondering what you should do or what's open on what days. 7. Carry one on. If you're taking an airline or other mass transit to your destination, always carry on a small carry-on bag that contains your prescription medications, some of your cosmetics, a toothbrush/toothpaste duo, your cell phone, a change of underwear and a good book. Just in case your luggage doesn't make it when you do, you'll have your important items with you. (Check with your airlines to determine what you can bring on the plane, and what you can't.) 8. Bag it. If you don't plan on washing your clothes while you're away, be sure to pack an empty plastic bag so your dirty items can be kept separate from your clean clothes. 9. Bring games for the kids. It's definitely worth it to stop by your local travel store to find some travel games for the kids, such as Travel Bingo, magnetic checkers or coloring books. Also, don't forget some snacks and boxed juices as the little ones are bound to get hungry at one point or another. In fact, you might want to bring a few snacks along for yourself while you're at it! 10. Safety first. Make two copies of your itinerary--one for yourself and one for family members who are not traveling with you. Those at home will be able to contact you in case of an emergency. 11. Play catch up. As long as you're not driving, travel time could easily be used for catching up on some business work, reading or letter writing. Laptops have made it easy to bring your work along with you if you choose. Magazines or a good book can be tucked into your carry-on for reading while you're on the road, in a plane, or later while you're in bed at a hotel or a relative's home. 12. There's no place like home. Before you leave for vacation, clean your house, wash all of your laundry and make your bed. When you arrive back home after your vacation, your home will be a welcome haven. ============================================ New Stuff and Site Updates Everything below is accessible by visiting: http://www.getorganizednow.com Please note that we update our site on a weekly basis, so the new stuff and site updates below may only be available for one week. ** Get Organized Now! Blog: Department 2 Read my personal comments, stories tips and observations about getting and staying organized in today's hectic world. You don't want to miss it. Newest entries: * 04/15 - Send Them An E-Vite * 04/13 - Advice on Philadelphia Hotels? * 04/07 - Would You Like Paper or Plastic? * 04/02 - A Cleaning Poem * 03/28 - Spring Organizing and Cleaning: My 7 Day Agenda * 03/20 - Happy Easter! Happy Spring! * 03/20 - Latest Book Recommendations * 03/10 - Vacationing in our own town * 03/04 - Warm Weather Clothing Inventory http://getorganizednow.typepad.com/get_organized_now_weblog/ ** Featured Slideshow: Department 8 One of the most common questions I get on the subject of getting organized is, 'Where do I start?' This is an excellent question. If you just dive in without taking some time to plan, there's a good chance that you're going to get overwhelmed, and the job is not going to get done. Here are the 5 simple secrets for getting organized. Go to the link below and look for the yellow brick road. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#slideshow ** Featured E-Course: Department 8 It starts off as small as a sticky note. Soon, it's a pile of stuff. Then, just when you least expect it, you discover that the clutterbug is running amuck, all over your home and office. If you don't watch out, you'll get bit. The consequences are stress, lost time, lost productivity, embarrassment, arguments, depression and environmental chaos--just to name a few. Swat that clutterbug now, and take back control! Go to the link below and look for the pile of sticky notes. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#ecourse ** New Inspiration: Department 9 It is true that laughter is sometimes the best medicine. Here are a few famous quotes to make you smile. Go to the link below and look for the two women laughing. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#inspiration ** April Monthly Checklist: Department 1 Spring into a newly organized life. Start today with our NEW April Monthly Checklist. Go to the link below and look for the flowering tree. http://www.getorganizednow.com/#checklist ** April Web Poll Our featured multiple choice question is, 'Looking at your calendar, what time of year do you have the most fun activities planned?' Go to the following link and cast your vote. It only takes a minute, and your opinion can be heard. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/#webpoll * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AOL Users Link ============================================ Goodies to help you get organized! Tired of being disorganized? You can be Finally Organized, Finally Free BOTH at home AND at the office. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/newbook.html JUST RELEASED! My Oh-So-Organized Filing System. You won't believe how organized your papers are going to be. You'll have a filing label for every category you can imagine, ready to peel and stick on your file folders. It's basically an awesome home filing system in a box! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/filing.html The 2007 holiday season is behind us, but it's the perfect time to start getting organized for holiday season 2008! The earlier, the better. Plus, find out how you can get a copy of Maria's latest e-book, 101 Holiday Tips and Ideas. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/holidayp.html Are you looking for the perfect organizer that can help you keep track of your schedule, birthdays, to do's, home inventory, groceries, and more? If so, visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezorganizer.html Discover how to start, manage and grow your very own professional organizing business. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ultimateguide.html Have a business? Thinking of starting one? Visit our Give to Get site and get your complimentary idea-kit. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/marketingsolution.html Give your aching shoulder a break. TuffBaggs are super tough, but light as feather. Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/tuffbaggs.html Pay your bills on time, and have an organized place to put your statements afterwards? Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/ezbill.html Access details for all of our products by visiting: http://www.getorganizednow.com/orderdet.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AOL Users Link ============================================ An Organizing Tip From One Of Our Readers In my filing cabinet I have one folder for every month of the year. If I get something that pertains to (or I want to think about) another month (like May), I put it in that month's folder. At the beginning of that month I take that folder out and look through it. Later in the month when I have dealt with everything I wanted to, I put the folder in the back so that every current or upcoming month is in the front folder. Dates to remember (like birthdays) are on a sheet for that month and can just carry forward from year to year. George Winlock Everett State, MA * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AOL Users Link ============================================ A Few Words From Our Sponsors . . . ===== ** Finally, You Can Pay Off All Your Bills . . . Without Pinching Pennies or Cutting Your Spending ** Would you like to begin controlling your finances, once and for all? Did you know that you can pay off all your bills, including your mortgage, in less than 10 years without having to pinch pennies, get a second job or cut back your spending in any way? It's true, and it's easier than you think. I highly encourage you to visit my friend Leo's web site to find out how you can do just that. He offers the best program I've seen to help you say goodbye to your money worries--forever. Visit: http://www.leoquinn.com/cmd.php?af=250440 ===== ** Attention: Wives: Powerful Strategies to Make Your Marriage Sizzle -- and Transform You Into the Woman Your Husband Will Want to Marry All Over Again ** According to most predictions, your marriage has only a 50-50 chance of not ending in divorce. If you're like most wives, you probably do NOT worry so much about whether you'll stay married to your husband or eventually get divorced. Instead, you care more about whether you and your husband have a fulfilling and blissful marriage, right? After all, what good is avoiding divorce and staying together if your marriage is miserable -- or leaves a lot to be desired? By virtue of simply being your husband's wife -- the woman he chose to marry -- you have at your disposal the power to get inside his head, gain access to his heart and become totally irresistible to him. That's a little- known secret that most wives don't know. Getting your husband to worship the ground you walk on is so much easier than you might imagine. Visit: http://getorgnow1.jill17.hop.clickbank.net/ ===== ** Now You Can Fill Your Freezer With Delicious Home- Cooked Meals. Save Money - Save Time - Eat Well And Still Lose Weight ** Cook just once a week (or once a month!) and eat what you love. Your family members will enjoy the convenience of homemade 'TV Dinners' in the freezer, and you'll love how yummy and healthy they are. Plus, imagine all the extra time you'll gain when you don't have to cook every single night! Visit: http://getorgnow1.greatdog.hop.clickbank.net/ ============================================ An Organizing Tip From One Of Our Readers My 75 year old Dad loves to play around on his computer and is always coming up with new projects for himself. Last year, he started a project of scanning in all the family pictures as they were starting to self-destruct from age and 'just in case.' Then he also was able to borrow photo albums from aunts and uncles. Along the way, he discovered many pictures he had never seen before of himself, my Mom, my sister and myself. We were the subject in front of the camera and the owner was behind the camera, so they had the pictures all these years. Now he has scanned, sorted and burned CD's for the whole family. It's nice to know that if anything every happens and someone loses a set, it will be possible to replace them. Deborah Dean Whitsett, NC * * * * * Submit your favorite organizing tip! Visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/readertip.html * * * * * * * * * * * * * * AOL Users Link ============================================ On the Calendar * April 20: Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week for Orthodox Christians. This holiday commemorates the entrance of Christ into Jerusalem. In addition, Easter, or Pascha, as it is called in the Greek Orthodox Church, is celebrated on April 27th. * April 22: Earth Day: A global holiday to celebrate the wonder of life on our planet. * April 25: Arbor Day: A holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant and care for trees. * April 25: Anzac Day (Australia and New Zealand): Marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. * April 26: John James Audubon's Birthday: An American ornithologist, naturalist, hunter, and painter. He painted, catalogued, and described the birds of North America. http://en.wikipedia.org/ ============================================ Happy Customer! Thank you SO much! I ordered your 'My Oh-So-Organized Filing System'. My husband and I worked together setting it up yesterday, and although it took several hours, he never complained once. The system is very easy to put together. We took four file drawers worth of chaos and turned them into three drawers of perfectly ordered files and records. Now I can find literally anything I need in seconds. It is an incredible feeling to be free of the mess in my filing cabinet. The system is also easy to use on a daily basis so the temptation to 'file it later' is virtually eliminated. In addition, one of the things I found in the clutter of my filing cabinet when I was setting up the system is a photograph of my baby brother during his ONLY Christmas. He died just a few weeks later. Finding that photo made it more than worthwhile to purchase the 'My Oh-So-Organized Filing System'. I had forgotten I had that photograph, which is irreplaceable. Again, thank you! Karen Carter Jarrell, TX For more information about My Oh-So-Organized Filing System, visit: http://www.getorganizednow.com/filing.html ***** P.S. If you would like to share your very own 'Happy Customer' comments, we'd love to include them in our newsletter or web site. Just reply to this newsletter and email us your thoughts. Optional: We'll even include a photo of you if you'd like. Send that along too. Thank you in advance for taking the time to do so. ***** ========================================== In Closing Life has its own hidden forces which you can only discover by living. --Soren Kierkegaard And remember . . . there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now! Warmly, Maria Gracia Get Organized Now! http://www.getorganizednow.com ============================================ (c) Copyright 2008 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now! * Copyright, contact and reprint information: http://www.getorganizednow.com/contact.html * You signed up to receive our Idea-Kit and/or our Newsletter at our Get Organized Now! Web site. 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