Archives – July, 2011
I own a very nice wrought iron magazine rack for our current magazines. It’s in our master bedroom and generally holds 7-10 issues of various titles.
However, if I just place our magazines in it, in a day or two I’ll find them all curled and conforming to the shape of the magazine rack.
Instead, I always have sheets of thick cardboard at the ready–the size of my magazines. I put one sheet behind each magazine. I then clip the middle-top of each magazine to the cardboard using a binder clip.
Problem solved! Because the cardboard is so strong, the magazines look fresh and new serving as temporary accessories in my decor AND they aren’t curled and out of shape when I’m ready to read them.
July 27, 2011
I’m never behind on my laundry. Why? So simple–I do a load of laundry each day.
I know that if I skip even one day, that the laundry starts to pile up and gets way out of control.
It doesn’t take a ton of "hands-on" time to do laundry. It only takes about 5 minutes to check and treat garments for stains, and to toss in and start a load. I get tons done during the wash cycle. I then toss the clothes in the dryer (and hang the delicates on a dryer rack). Again, tons more done while the dryer is in progress. Once the dryer cycle is done, the clothes are removed immediately.
The most time-consuming part, is folding the clothes after the dryer cycle is done. But even that takes 10 minutes or less.
So, all in all it takes about 15 minutes of hands-on time to do a load of wash. This is something most anyone can do.
Even if you have a larger family and must do two loads of laundry each day, that’s still only 30 minutes per day of hands-on time.
If you have a washer and dryer at home, and you’re always behind on laundry, follow the one-load-a-day system (or two-load-a-day system if necessary). Don’t skip any days. You’ll be able to keep up with your laundry, and never fall way behind.
By the way, when we go on vacation, we wash our clothes every few nights at our hotel. This is a huge time and stress saver when we return.
July 22, 2011
We’ll be visiting my family in New Jersey soon. Taking time out for family and friends is important to me. Thinking about our upcoming trip, reminded me of an Old English Prayer that I thought I’d share with you this week. Enjoy!
Take Time
Take time to work.
It is the price of success.
Take time to think.
It is the source of power.
Take time to play.
It is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to read.
It is the foundation of wisdom.
Take time to worship.
It is the highway to reverence.
Take time to be friendly.
It is the road to happiness.
Take time to dream.
It is hitching your wagon to a star.
Take time to love and be loved.
It is the privilege of life.
Take time to look around.
It is too short a day to be selfish.
Take time to laugh.
It is the music of the soul.
–Old English Prayer
July 11, 2011
People often ask me how I could be so relaxed and stress-free during the month of December, while others are frantically trying to get all of their Christmas tasks done
at the last minute.
My secret is simple. I get many of my holiday tasks started in July, and work on them a little each month up until the end of November. Basically, except for holiday food preparations, I’m done with my Christmas tasks by Thanksgiving.
This includes buying and addressing our holiday cards, gift shopping, making gifts, gift wrapping, writing our annual family newsletter and decorating.
One of my organizing goodies, the Get Organized Now! Holiday Planner, helps me keep on top of everything. It can help you too. For more details, visit…
http://www.getorganizednow.com/holidayp.html
Whether you participate in Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, the Winter Solstice, or another event, the basic rules apply–no matter what holiday you’re celebrating, being prepared ahead of time saves time and helps maintain sanity.
I’ll probaby get notes from some of you who will tell me you can’t possibly get into the holiday spirit this early. Others will say it’s fun being in crowded malls in December or Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve.
That’s OK. To each his own.
But once Thanksgiving is here, I’ll be spending the frantic, last minute holiday rush at home with my family, doing things like sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping hot
chocolate, reading ‘The Night Before Christmas’, enjoying our decorated tree, roasting chestnuts and watching ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’
July 6, 2011