Black Friday and the Packaging Woes

I hope all of you bargain shoppers found terrific deals to make this holiday season go down in savings history.  I know many people on this savings day are shopping for great deals on toys.  Thinking of children opening up the toys they have been hoping for brings on a different memory for me.  For the past few years, Christmas morning has required an industrial pair of scissors and a few Band-Aids.  Having two boys, ages 10 and 6, we have had to cut open so many packages that are secured stronger than Fort Knox!  The plastic has been as sharp as a knife and typically cuts at least one of us.  If the plastic packages are hard enough to open, the twist ties that keep they toys in place are wound so tight you have no idea where to begin untangling them. 

This crazy packaging in not just for toys, though.  You can have fun opening this type of packaging in everything from electronic toothbrushes to bulk batteries.  I have found that Costco and other bulk suppliers are the biggest culprits for this packaging.  There is hope though for a change in packaging.  Amazon has introduced Frustration-Free Packaging.  This is from the Amazon website:

The Frustration-Free Package (on the left) is recyclable and comes without excess packaging materials such as hard plastic clamshell casings, plastic bindings, and wire ties. It’s designed to be opened without the use of a box cutter or knife and will protect your product just as well as traditional packaging (on the right). Products with Frustration-Free Packaging can frequently be shipped in their own boxes, without an additional shipping box.

Here is a link to additional information regarding their new packaging.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html

I am all for an easier means to anything.  Yes, the package on the right you can see into, but once upon a time, a picture on the box was suffice.  I hope you will all look into shopping with Amazon this holiday season.  The more we purchase this type of packaging, the more other retailers will catch on.  My kitchen scissors and my hands will thank you!

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

Giving Thanks for a Stress Free Turkey Day

The countdown to food, family, football and fun is here!  Make sure you are able to enjoy Thanksgiving and not spend the day in the kitchen by being organized and prepared in advance.  Last post I focused on things you can do for preparing the home and the meal for a fabulous day. Today I will focus on things to do on Thanksgiving to keep everything running smoothly.

1.  Get enough sleep the days prior to your feast and make sure to exercise Thanksgiving morning.  You will have enough energy to get you through your busy day.  You will be less stressed and more relaxed for your special company.

2.  Plan for a fun day with games and activities for all ages.  Keeping children occupied during the preparation of the feast will help avoid meltdowns.  Following are activities you can put together with little effort and even less expense:

• Print off coloring pages for young children.  Visit www.crayola.com for coloring pages and other activities.
• Print off word searches and crossword puzzles for school age children.  Check out http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/thanksgiving/
• Coordinate a family football game.  Assign teams ahead of time to avoid hurt feelings.  Adjust the rules for small children to participate.    Getting out for some fresh air and activity will help keep the family from having cabin fever.
• Play a card game or board game that everyone can play together.  Spending time together as a family can be so limited these days with our busy schedules that this is the perfect opportunity to get together and have some “old fashion” fun! 

3.  Have plenty of snacks on hand.  Start the day with a healthy breakfast and plan for a light lunch as well.  Hungry children, and adults, can make for miserable company.  Have fruits and veggies and/or crackers and cheese available before the big dinner.  Don ‘t go too heavy on the snacks, or your guests won’t have room for dinner!

4.  During your dinner, have everyone go around the table and say something they are thankful for and something they wish for in the upcoming year.  Make it a rule that no-one can repeat something that has already been said.  It may seem corny at first, but it is such a positive experience, especially for the children.  Even with the down economy and the stress of the nation, you can still find something to be thankful for and something to hope for!

5.  Get everyone involved in the cleanup process.  Let the family know ahead of time what their assigned chore is.  I know you want your guests to enjoy and you feel like a bad host for asking for help, but what fun is it if you are alone cleaning up while everyone is relaxing.  The more help you get, the faster the clean up is and the sooner you can get on to enjoying each others company.  If you have played any games, you can have the loosing team of the game has to do the dishes.  Make it fun.  Turn on music or make half time cleanup breaks to keep the clean up from being a “chore”!

I wish you and you loved ones a very special and memorable Thanksgiving.  For the first time this year we are hosting two Marines!  We are so honored to share our day with the brave soldiers who help keep our country free.  This will be a Thanksgiving we will never forget.  They may be grateful for a home cooked meal, but we can never thank them enough for all they do for us!  God bless!

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

It’s Turkey Time!

It amazes me how fast time flies.  With Christmas around the corner, and all of the stores reminding us of this, we almost forget about Thanksgiving.  This is such an important holiday for the family to get together and truly think about all that is good in our lives.  With the economy in an upheaval and everyone worried about how unstable everything is, it is easy to forget all that we have to be thankful for.  Thanksgiving starts the “busy” season, and this year can be even more stressful then ever before.  To help ease the stress of Thanksgiving preparation,  I will be giving you a tips this week and next week to get yourself out of the kitchen earlier on turkey day so you will be able to enjoy your family and friends. 

1.  Guest List:  Decide who will come.  Send an E-Vite or phone those who will be coming for faster RSVP’s. Think of those who may be traveling from out of town.  Check to see if they will need anything in advance.  Plan a fun activity to do with them while they visit.  Will they need a hotel room?  See how you can help make their stay a fun and memorable one.  Have magazines or a book for them to read.  Check to see what they like for breakfast or lunch, so you will make them feel at home.

2.  Food:  Make a menu, check your ingredients, and create a grocery list.  Think of every meal you will need to prepare.  Make sure you have plenty of disposable food containers for leftovers.  Also, check to see if you have the appropriate cookware to make all your fabulous food.    If you plan to order some or all of your meal, do so early.  The markets need to plan and prepare just as we do!

3.  Cleaning:  Break down what cleaning you will need to do.  Plan on having the family pitch in to help.  For general cleaning, start a week ahead of time, so on the big day you will have minimal touch up to do.  Don’t forget to clean out the refrigerator to make room for all the additional food you will be storing.  Also, don’t forget to look at your serving pieces ahead of time.  They tend to get dusty, cloudy or tarnished when unused for long periods of time.  If you plan to use a cleaning services, remember to book early as this is a busy time for them.

4.  Table Setting:  Figure how you will seat everyone.  Do you have enough table settings for everyone?  Do you have a table cloth free of stains?  Think from appetizers all the way to dessert.  Will you have enough utensils and plates?  You can find beautiful paper plates and nice plastic silverware if you would like to avoid a mountain of dishes.  You can even plan to use them for dessert to help reduce the dishes a bit. 

5.  Potlucks:  Everyone offers when they are invited to Thanksgiving dinner, “what can I bring?”.  Don’t feel you have to do it all.  Take those offers and mark items off your to do list.  For those traveling from a distance you can ask them to bring their favorite bottle of wine to contribute.  Every little bit helps!

My next post will continue on how to have a stress free Thanksgiving.  The more you can do now will allow you to sit and actually relax on this fun day!

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 

We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Holiday greetings have become a fun tradition.  As I was working on my Christmas card this weekend, I was interested in who started the whole card exchange craze.   According to Wikipedia:

The first commercial Christmas cards were commissioned by Sir Henry Cole in London, 1843, and featured an illustration by John Callcott Horsley. The picture, of a family with a small child drinking wine together, proved controversial, but the idea was shrewd: Cole had helped introduce the Penny Post three years earlier. Two batches totaling 2050 cards were printed and sold that year for a shilling each

“Official” Christmas cards began with Queen Victoria in the 1840s. The British royal family’s cards are generally portraits reflecting significant personal events of the year. In 1953, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower issued the first official White House card. The cards usually depict White House scenes as rendered by prominent American artists. The number of recipients has snowballed over the decades, from just 2000 in 1961 to 1.4 million in 2005.

I love getting Holiday cards each year.  I love that those who do not celebrate Christmas will send cards.  For those friends far and near, the picture card is a great way to see how children have grown.  To see how creative people were in their choice is exciting for me.

The down side to sending cards is the time and money it takes to send them.  If you are sending a photo card, deciding what picture to use can be a challenge in itself.  Also, getting the children to cooperate for a picture can sometimes be downright miserable.  If you are using a professional photographer for family shots, coordinating schedules can be frustrating.  Early planning is the best way to go.   You can even pick a fun photo from a family vacation or event and save the frustration.

This year in looking for photo cards, I have found that there are beautiful choices available at reasonable prices.  Four sites I like are:

www.kodakgallery.com

www.shutterfly.com

www.snapfish.com

and www.americangreetings.com/photogifts

Once you have chosen your favorite picture, you can upload your picture, create a card and place your order in a snap.  I took my kids picture, created a card, personalized the greeting, and ordered the cards in less than an hour.  Photo cards have come a long way and the selection is incredible.  The prices are affordable and currently most are offering great coupons for savings on shipping and larger orders.  The ease, efficiency and savings will allow you to send a fabulous card with out losing time with your family or breaking the bank.

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 

Did You Change Your Clocks?

Today is my favorite type of day.  Daylight savings time occurred last night and it is raining.  It has been very warm here and not like fall, so the rain was a blessing.  And, I love to “fall back” and gain an extra hour in the day.  But as I walked around the house and changed the clocks back one hour, I realized very few of my clocks were set to the right time!  In the past I have thought that setting my clocks a few minutes fast would help me get out the door a little faster.  Instead I feel it has slowed me down.  I spend time trying to figure out how much time I really have.  I realized that it is better to change my mind set then to change my clock and use my time wisely.

Managing time is a misnomer.  We can’t manage time, but we can be more effective in the way we use it.  We use so many devices to save time.  From PDA’s, computers, and TIVO, you would think we have hours of extra time on our hands, yet we all feel overwhelmed with “to-do’s”.  Changing a few things in our day will allow you to have the “extra hour” feeling that the time change gives us.  

1.  Stop multi-tasking -  We waste more time when we try and bounce between different activities.  Your brain cannot jump around and be effective. 

2.  Eliminate distractions -  Like multi-tasking, you loose focus and efficiency.  Distractions usually take about 20 minutes to refocus.  Set aside 90-120 minutes of uninterrupted time and then take a break.

3.  Set routines -  From the time we are born, a routine is one of the best ways to keep our bodies and minds on track.  If we know what to expect every day (wake up at 6 am, exercise til 7 am, eat breakfast at 7:15, shower and get dressed by 8:15, drive to work…).  A schedule may seem mundane, but it helps our minds not to think about what the next step is.  If you don’t have to think about things, you will free up your mind to concentrate on more important tasks in your day.

4.  Avoid Perfectionism – If you worry about doing everything perfectly, you will get nothing done.  Really focus on what needs to be done well, then for the rest either let it go or do an average job.  

5.  Avoid Procrastination – Putting things off can lead to wasted time.  Like Nike says, “Just Do It”.  The sooner you get a job done, the less time you have to spend thinking about it!

6.  Outsource – If you have the means, outsource as much as possible.  You will have to let go of some control.  Ask for help from friends, relatives, and co-workers.  Be creative with your budget in order to afford help.  Cut back on  Starbucks so you can hire a cleaning service once a month.  Bring your lunch to work so you can go to the car wash every other week. 

Evaluate your time and see where you can use the tips above to help find more time in your day.  We all get the same 24 hours.  How are you spending yours?

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