Keep the three R’s in mind this season!

Americans throw away an additional 5 million tons of trash – 25% more than usual – between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.

Reduce: Think before you buy. Think again. Do you really need that item? The less stuff you have, the less you have to organize. Have or give experiences (Trips, tickets, special events, cooking/sewing/craft lessons, etc.)

Reuse: It’s great if you recycle your boxes from the holidays, but take it a step further and reuse them: drop off at a local moving company; donate to BJ’s or Sam’s; or find out if a business or non profit is moving and give to them.

Recycle: During the Holiday season it is really important to recycle. Recycling isn’t mandatory in Raleigh or in NC.  Do your part, but encourage the legislature to pass laws.  There is a program that offers incentives to people who recycle in form of gift cards. I asked them to add Raleigh to the list.  https://www.recyclebank.com/

Alternatives to traditional Holiday Cards

Hallmark says Americans send 1.8 billion cards during the holidays.  That’s a lot of cards to end up in the landfill!  You can still spread news and joy.  If you are short on time and money sending out cards this year, consider these options.
You can send holiday cards on line free.  It saves time, money, trees.

http://www.123greetings.com

You can send the same card to up to 100 people.

http://www.treegreetings.com

Sends an e-card and plants a tree!

http://www.birthdayalarm.com/

Allows you to set up reminders with your e-cards.

Remember, it’s okay to make the holidays affordable and save yourself time and money as well as reducing your stress!

Avoid the Holiday Blues! Enjoy the Holiday Greens!

For local Raleigh residents I will be speaking tonight:

Before the holidays kick in gear, come hear how to reduce your stress by getting organized. Special tips will be provided on Eco-friendly ways to organize while keeping “green” during the season.

When: Monday, November 16th
7:15-8:30 PM

Cost: FREE with donation of a canned good such as individual canned fruits, vegetables, stews, and meats, for the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle BackPack Buddies Program, which provides 91,000 hungry school children with nutritious food on weekends and school vacations.

Where:
Calm and Sense
2603 Glenwood Avenue Glenwood Village Shopping Center
Raleigh, NC 27608
919-787-1799 for more information.

Are you Organized for an Emergency?

While I am thankful for all the rain we have gotten in the past few days in Raleigh, with that came flash flooding and trouble on the coast. I have to admit that while I lived in Los Angeles I was ill prepared for an earthquake. I know it was my way of saying this won’t happen to me. I lucked out and never lived there during a major earthquake, but Katrina taught me to quit being passive.

Be sure to keep important documents, contact numbers, and other vital information in a place where it can all be quickly accessed with backup copies stored in a separate location. Have cash and medications on hand as well.

In the event that you will need to evacuate your home, be sure to have a plan and all needed supplies. If you have pets, be sure to make arrangements for their safety as well with vet records, meds, etc.

For more information:

http://www.myfamilysdisasterplan.com/

http://www.ready.gov/

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/library/epc.pdf

http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/pets.pdf

Finding it hard to part with your prized collection of National Geographic or the Economist?

You can send your magazines to an archival service, like Denver Bookbinding. They will bind everything into one or more hardcovers.

http://www.denverbook.com/

If you want to keep articles only, check out Scanlog software for $50:

http://www.scanalog.com/main.html

When de-cluttering, please remember to recycle! Many of your items can be donated to local charities as well.

Can’t find that manual? Save space and paper!

If you are like me, and many of my clients, paper has to be constantly checked or you could be surrounded by it before you know it. Some people have a fear if they throw away the source they will also lose the knowledge. I have yet to not find what I need on the internet.

Here is a great site that has manuals. Instead of having to keep those bulky manuals, you should be able to locate even hard to find ones here:

http://www.manualsonline.com/

You can create your own virtual filing cabinet for your self-support information. Here you can file, sort and store product details, create inventory catalogs, and monitor community discussions.

Tax free weekend on energy star appliances.

Each year the state of North Carolina honors a sales tax holiday for Energy Star qualified products. It starts tomorrow on November 6th through the 8th.

Read more: http://homerenorepair.suite101.com/article.cfm/2009_north_carolina_energy_star_sales_tax_holida#ixzz0VuXSE6SZ

To see if you qualify for rebates, search here by zip:

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator

There was no update on the federal governments “cash for clunker appliances” program. They state they will give money to the states and let the states decide how they want to run the program. Here is FAQ:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/home/2009/10/cash-for-clunkers-for-appliances-300-million-state-energy-efficient-appliance-rebate-program-best-ap.html

Organizing for Winter: Checking Propane Tanks

I heard it might freeze this week in Raleigh. I would be happy to not have to cut grass anymore! Since I don’t have an outdoor shed, I am going to have to organize all of my plant pots, hose, and gas grill into the garage.

In light of the death of a 10 month old in South Carolina from bug bombs, I wanted to post about propane tank safety for the winter.

Before you store your gas grill into the garage, disconnect the propane tank, which must stay outside year-round (propane is impervious to heat or cold). According to the National Propane Gas Association, It’s against the fire code to place a propane tank larger than one pond in an enclosed area. A leak can cause an explosion. The tank must be kept at least 5 feet from your house.

After detaching the tank, test for leaks. Close the valve, then sponge the valve and the nozzle (where it attaches to the grill) with soapy water. If the liquid foams or bubbles, check the valve connection is tight. If it is, you probably have a leak. You might be able to take the tank to the place you purchased. If not, here is more information on disposing if you have a leak for Raleigh residents:

http://www.agr.state.nc.us/standard/LP/LPgasConcerns/disposal.htm

What to do with the leftover Halloween candy?

If you’re like me you have leftover Halloween candy. What to do? You could save it to decorate gingerbread houses for the holidays.

Growing up this was my favorite family tradition. Several families would get together and decorate all day and enjoy a bowl of chilli or soup afterwards. It really did represent what the Holidays were about–spending time with those you loved.

Last year, we started up the tradition again with my niece and nephew. My father and I make the houses the week of Thanksgiving and the day of my mom makes icing. We use candy left over from Halloween, Easter, etc. We created a lot of new memories last year with the kids and I look forward to seeing what they will be creating at the end of the month.

Not only is decorating fun, but the gingerbread houses make great gifts and/or decorations. Instead of buying a bunch of decorations, the gingerbread houses are unique and just as festive. They are also great to take to nursing homes or to elderly relatives. The kids are also so proud that people express how much they love the houses.

Consider a new tradition this year of making the houses and enjoying time with family and friends!