Monday, March 2, 2009
Middletown Library Event
Sara Long will be speaking at the Middletown Free Library in Lima, PA, on Thursday, March 26, at 10 am. The program is free, but please call the library at 610-566-7828 to reserve a seat. The topic will be how to reduce and organize your paperwork and files. Click here for more information.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Reminder: Ikea Event Tomorrow!
This is just a reminder that NAPO-GPC* is having our big GO Event tomorrow, Saturday, February 7 at Ikea in Conshohocken, PA. As well as shredding outside, there will be a lot of events inside. Sign up for giveaways, or stop by the different Ikea departments to hear Professional Organizers speak. Visit www.napo-gpc.org for more details. It should be a great time!
*NAPO-GPC stands for the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter. (Now you know why I abbreviated it!)
*NAPO-GPC stands for the National Association of Professional Organizers Greater Philadelphia Chapter. (Now you know why I abbreviated it!)
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Laundry Time
Are you overwhelmed by piles of dirty laundry? Does it seem like there is never time to do it all? Do you only do laundry when the piles are overflowing or you need a piece of clothing fast? If you’re ready to break this cycle, here are some tips to find the right laundry system for you.
The first step is finding a laundry system that works for you. Here are some scheduling ideas:
• Laundry Category Days - Assign days for several types of laundry. For example, Monday is darks, Wednesday is colors, Friday is whites, etc. Possibly include a Woolite or Dryel day, if you have a lot of delicates and hand washables. If you share a washer/dryer with other tenants or roommates, choose “off-days” to avoid weekends.
• Laundry Day - Do all of your laundry in one day. Again, avoid weekends if you share a washer/dryer. If you have a large family and one of you is a stay-at-home parent, I recommend choosing a weekday when some or all children are at school. Notify your family that there is one laundry day, and ask them to bring their dirty clothes to the laundry room the night before. This will take will power on two fronts: sticking with that day no matter how much you don’t want to do laundry, and being strict with your family about helping you out. Be ready for the “emergency” I-need-this-shirt-for-practice-tomorrow laundry loads, though.
• Everyday Laundry - Do a load every day at a certain time, like the morning, right when you come home from work, or after dinner. This may seem like torture, but it really keeps you caught up on laundry. Even if you have to miss a day because you have to stay late at work, you get sick, or your child gets sick, the piles still won’t get out of control. Plus, the worst thing that happens is that you go to do laundry one day, and there isn’t any to do. When was the last time that happened?!
Here are some other tips:
• Have a weekly dry cleaning schedule. For example, drop off the dry cleaning on Tuesday mornings, and pick them up on Thursdays after work.
• Don’t have too many bottles or boxes of detergent around. Read the bottle to see how many loads it will do, and calculate how long this will last with your laundry schedule. It’s often easier to buy one bottle each month than to find room to store five bottles.
• Try to get your family more involved in laundry, especially the kids. Tweens can do those “emergency” loads of their uniforms needed for the next day, and you can remind teens that they’ll soon need to do their own laundry when they’re in college or sharing an apartment with roommates. And these roommates won’t be as forgiving about their piles of smelly clothes as their parents are!
The first step is finding a laundry system that works for you. Here are some scheduling ideas:
• Laundry Category Days - Assign days for several types of laundry. For example, Monday is darks, Wednesday is colors, Friday is whites, etc. Possibly include a Woolite or Dryel day, if you have a lot of delicates and hand washables. If you share a washer/dryer with other tenants or roommates, choose “off-days” to avoid weekends.
• Laundry Day - Do all of your laundry in one day. Again, avoid weekends if you share a washer/dryer. If you have a large family and one of you is a stay-at-home parent, I recommend choosing a weekday when some or all children are at school. Notify your family that there is one laundry day, and ask them to bring their dirty clothes to the laundry room the night before. This will take will power on two fronts: sticking with that day no matter how much you don’t want to do laundry, and being strict with your family about helping you out. Be ready for the “emergency” I-need-this-shirt-for-practice-tomorrow laundry loads, though.
• Everyday Laundry - Do a load every day at a certain time, like the morning, right when you come home from work, or after dinner. This may seem like torture, but it really keeps you caught up on laundry. Even if you have to miss a day because you have to stay late at work, you get sick, or your child gets sick, the piles still won’t get out of control. Plus, the worst thing that happens is that you go to do laundry one day, and there isn’t any to do. When was the last time that happened?!
Here are some other tips:
• Have a weekly dry cleaning schedule. For example, drop off the dry cleaning on Tuesday mornings, and pick them up on Thursdays after work.
• Don’t have too many bottles or boxes of detergent around. Read the bottle to see how many loads it will do, and calculate how long this will last with your laundry schedule. It’s often easier to buy one bottle each month than to find room to store five bottles.
• Try to get your family more involved in laundry, especially the kids. Tweens can do those “emergency” loads of their uniforms needed for the next day, and you can remind teens that they’ll soon need to do their own laundry when they’re in college or sharing an apartment with roommates. And these roommates won’t be as forgiving about their piles of smelly clothes as their parents are!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Big Shredding Event at Ikea on February 7
The Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) is hosting a huge shredding event at Ikea in Conshohocken, PA, on Saturday, February 7, 2009. The event will be held from 10 am to 2 pm. Professional Organizers will also be at the store to answer questions and speak about organizing different areas of your home. I'll be there in the morning! Visit www.napo-gpc.org for more information.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Your January List: Beat the Winter Blues and Get Things Done
Sometimes the January doldrums hit hard: you’re broke from holiday shopping and stuck inside due to cold weather. Why not make the most of this month by finishing some important—and free—tasks.
1. Donate items to the thrift shop. You received new gifts in December, why not share something with those less fortunate? There are hundreds of thrift shops in this area, and many give you donation receipts for tax purposes. Check with your local church or hospital, or look up Goodwill in the phone book. Even if you don’t get a receipt, keep track of when and what you donated, and ask your tax accountant about using it towards deductions for charitable contributions.
2. Check your credit report. I know, it isn’t very exciting, but these days checking your credit report is a necessity. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which “requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.” You can check each of the three major credit tracking companies for free once a year at annualcreditreport.com. You can also request reports over the phone at 1-877-322-8228 or by printing out a form from the website and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. I suggest checking one in January, one during spring daylight saving and once during autumn daylight saving. Alphabetically is the easiest way to remember: Equifax in January, Experian in March, and TransUnion in November. A caveat: don’t confuse annualcreditreport.com with freecreditreport.com. The FTC states that “only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law.” You may have seen freecreditreport.com’s commercials, but they are not free. They charge your credit card about $12 a month to “monitor” your reports.
3. Go through your files. Even if you don’t like to file, there’s nothing like purging old papers to start the new year right. You’ll be amazed at how much space you will have left for new files once you are finished. Budget two hours per file drawer. Review memorabilia and old resumes and be honest with yourself: are you really going to need this in the future? Studies show that 80% of papers filed are never viewed again. Shred old documents yourself, or attend this year’s “GO Event” on February 7. Find details at www.napo-gpc.org.
4. Use your gift cards. You shopped for everyone else in December; January is time to shop for yourself! Many people save gift cards and gift certificates until they are forgotten or lost. Keep your gift cards in a visible place, such as your bulletin board, refrigerator, dresser, or valet. Schedule times to use them in your datebook: “January 10, 9 am - Shopping for Me!” Winter is a great time have a date night and use your restaurant and movie gift certificates. Some stores even give you cash back if you use most of your gift card.
1. Donate items to the thrift shop. You received new gifts in December, why not share something with those less fortunate? There are hundreds of thrift shops in this area, and many give you donation receipts for tax purposes. Check with your local church or hospital, or look up Goodwill in the phone book. Even if you don’t get a receipt, keep track of when and what you donated, and ask your tax accountant about using it towards deductions for charitable contributions.
2. Check your credit report. I know, it isn’t very exciting, but these days checking your credit report is a necessity. Fortunately, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) established the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), which “requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies--Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion--to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months.” You can check each of the three major credit tracking companies for free once a year at annualcreditreport.com. You can also request reports over the phone at 1-877-322-8228 or by printing out a form from the website and mailing it to Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O. Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281. I suggest checking one in January, one during spring daylight saving and once during autumn daylight saving. Alphabetically is the easiest way to remember: Equifax in January, Experian in March, and TransUnion in November. A caveat: don’t confuse annualcreditreport.com with freecreditreport.com. The FTC states that “only one website is authorized to fill orders for the free annual credit report you are entitled to under law.” You may have seen freecreditreport.com’s commercials, but they are not free. They charge your credit card about $12 a month to “monitor” your reports.
3. Go through your files. Even if you don’t like to file, there’s nothing like purging old papers to start the new year right. You’ll be amazed at how much space you will have left for new files once you are finished. Budget two hours per file drawer. Review memorabilia and old resumes and be honest with yourself: are you really going to need this in the future? Studies show that 80% of papers filed are never viewed again. Shred old documents yourself, or attend this year’s “GO Event” on February 7. Find details at www.napo-gpc.org.
4. Use your gift cards. You shopped for everyone else in December; January is time to shop for yourself! Many people save gift cards and gift certificates until they are forgotten or lost. Keep your gift cards in a visible place, such as your bulletin board, refrigerator, dresser, or valet. Schedule times to use them in your datebook: “January 10, 9 am - Shopping for Me!” Winter is a great time have a date night and use your restaurant and movie gift certificates. Some stores even give you cash back if you use most of your gift card.
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