The Future of Reading

If you were watching Oprah on Friday, October 24, 2008,  you learned of her newest “Favorite Things” gadget.  It is a product from Amazon called the Kindle.  Kindle is a handheld, wireless reading device that allows you to download books, magazines, newspapers and even blogs.  This seems to be the “future” of reading.  You can download most any book in aproximately 1 minute!  To think this will really be the way we read books in the near future makes me both sad and excited.  I am sad because I think of the old school way of reading.  I mentally have a hard time focusing on reading from a screen!  I guess I am a tactile learner and need to feel the pages in my hand as I am reading.  But the thought of how may trees we will save by this new way of reading, in addition to the less “stuff”  we have sitting around our home, makes me so excited!  Following is a link to the Kindle:

There has already been a move toward on-line reading materials.  Newspapers have been on-line for a while now.  Magazines are heading in that direction as well.  There is a company, Coverleaf, that provides digital editions of many magazines.  This allows you to view your favorite magazines anywhere you have internet access.   According to coverleaf.com, “you can access your magazines for free by verifying your subscription.  You can also browse the selection of magazine on coverleaf.com and look inside any issue for a free preview.”  Visit www.coverleaf.com for more information.

If you are like me and not ready to stop physically holding your reading materials, there are many ways to cut back on the expense and amount of space they take from our lives.  First, the local library is an excellent way to have access to all that you want to read.  The library can track down most any book for you.  Also, used book stores or Amazons “used” book selection are ways to get the book you have been looking for at a reduced rate. 

For magazines, you can also find them at your local library and even online.  If you have a subscription to a magazine that you are not really enjoying any longer you can look into www.maghound.com.  According to Maghound, “Maghound is an exciting new online membership service that allows you to choose, change, and manage all the magazines delivered to your home for one low monthly fee.”  Maghound has a 30 day free trial to see if you like it.  You have the flexibility to change your magazine selection!  I know that I have been disappointed in magazines in the past and this service will be fabulous to ditch those and move on to a new one. 

I am learning to trade paper for a computer screen, but I know it will be a slow transition.  I hope the products listed above will help me (and you) reduce paper waste.  Let me know your thoughts on other ways to read without holding a book, magazine or paper!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now 

Welcoming Guests

The holidays are quickly approaching and that means gatherings of friends and family and house guests.  Now is the time to get your home in order so you can enjoy your guests throughout the holidays.  If you start now, your home will be a warm and inviting home-away-from-home for your guests.  Here are some areas to think about:

1.  Guest Rooms – Stop making your guest room a catch all room.  Clear it out now and find homes for all the items you  have dumped in there, even if the items are donated or trashed.  Make sure the linens are in good shape and that the room is warm and inviting.  Make sure there is room in the closet for your guests to hang item, or have a hook on the back of the door so their clothes will not be wrinkled.  Most people expand their personal closet into the unused guest closet.  If you leave a quarter of the closet empty, your guests will have plenty of room to hang what they need.

To make your guests feel wanted, leave a current magazine you think they would enjoy, water and a few snacks.  I love the idea of having a glass water carafe set for your guests.  This allows them to have water at their bedside without using plastic water bottles.  Here is one I found on Amazon.  Crate and Barrel and William Sonoma are other places to look as well.  They are around $25, and some can be monogrammed.  Use a tray to hold the magazines, water and snacks.  Your guests can even use the tray to keep their small items (like jewelry, keys, and money) from getting misplaced.

 

glass carafe set

glass carafe set

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.  Bathrooms – Clear off the counters so your guest will have space to put their items out.  What does it say to your guests if they feel they are in the way?  Give them a welcoming feeling of having a space of their own.  You can store extra toothbrushes, toothpaste, razors, shave cream, soap, shampoo and conditioner in a basket under the sink or in the linen closet in case your guests forgot anything. 

3.  Family Room- Clear out the clutter.  Find homes for toys, books and video games.  Your home should be lived in but not a walking hazard.  Clutter will leave your guests feeling uncomfortable and unwanted since you didn’t take the time to clean up for them.  Make sure if you have animals you have cleaned off the upholstery, not everyone is comfortable with pet hair!

4.  Kitchen – Clear off counters and make sure your cabinets and drawers are easy to navigate.  What if your guest opens a cabinet and 20 plastic containers come crashing out?  What if they want to have a late night snack after everyone has gone to bed?  Will they be digging for a knife to make a quick sandwich?  Do they feel in the way instead of helpful when you are making meals?  Having a functional kitchen not only will help in food preparation for additional people, but will allow your guests to feel helpful and a part of the family instead of an intruder.

We love to have people come to visit and stay with us.  We try to make them feel wanted and welcome.  We don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so!  Cleaning up is something we all know we should do, but look at your home from the eyes of a guest and see what you need to do before your company arrives.  Just don’t make it too good or they may not want to leave!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start”  . Subscribe Now

The Best Laid Plans…

This weekend I hosted my sister’s baby shower.  I had been planning for this event for about two months.  I had the ideas in my head and made lists as to how everything would go.  Living in Southern California, I planned to have the event outside.   The shower was from 4-6 pm and I was expecting 25 guests.  In the week ahead, there had been predictions for rain, but at only 20% chance I really thought I was in the clear.   Before setting up at 3 pm, it was partly cloudy and there was no rain in sight.  You know the song, “It Never Rains in Southern California”?  Well, apparently it does.  At 4 pm, as the guest were arriving, it started to rain!

I had very helpful and thoughtful guests as we went to “Plan B” and started to move everything inside.  Luckily, I had thought about how I would set things up inside if it did rain.  I directed traffic and we had the party moved inside in 10 minutes or less.  Had I not had a back up plan, I would have been a wreck, which would have changed the tone of the party, leaving the guests uneasy.  If Murphy’s Law had a picture in the dictionary, my shower would have been the chosen one. 

This experience made me wonder about other times in life when things just don’t work out as we planned.  You may have been set in thinking you are having a date night, and no doubt your child throws up on the way out the door (this happened to me!).  Having a calm head, and an easy going attitude, will make your life and the lives of those around you better.  We cannot have everything go perfectly in life.  How boring would that be!  You would have no stories to tell, no “oh my, you’ll never believe this” moments! 

In order to have that relaxed attitude to let things “roll off your back”,  I feel organization is key.  I had planned the party with a back up plan in mind.  I checked the weather up to the moment and knew I was rolling the dice by setting up outside.  I have more room in my back yard than I do in my house for that many guests, so outside was the ideal choice.  But knowing the risk, I made sure to know what else was needed just in case.  Now this is the case for most throwing a party or hosting an event because planning is a necessity.  But are you planned for your day?  Do you have a back up plan?  Organization allows you to think ahead and be prepared. 

Typically your environment, both home and work, reflect your mind.  If you are living amongst clutter and chaos, chances are your thought process and mind set are the same.  This provides the panic and stress that seem to be taking over our lives.  If you feel I am talking to you, start small and work your way out of the mess.  Create new habits that will allow you to have more time to enjoy what it is you want to do!

If you would like more tips on organizing, visit my website at:  www.afreshstartorganizing.net/tips.  Also, you can subscribe to my newsletter “Fresh Ideas for A Fresh Start” . Subscribe Now