Simply Stashed

I had the pleasure of meeting the mompreneur Christy Gibson Hicks who invented this product.  They are stylish, eco-friendly (they meet the highest European standards for baby products), reusable, fun and they will not open doors.

Check out her line that includes mini products for seniors and children as well as a version for your garage.

This is one green organizing product you can feel good about purchasing!  To receive 10% off use the code:  Julie

http://www.christydesignsonline.com/

Easy Way to Properly Dispose of Batteries

How many times when decluttering do you wonder if the batteries are still good?  Or do you already have a pile that need to be properly disposed?

In Raleigh, you can drop off at any fire station.  With 28 in the area, there is likely one nearby for easy drop off.  This is an easy way to dispose of used batteries properly.

While you can use rechargeable batteries for everything (I would not recommend them for smoke detectors) they are great for many other electronics and items we use daily.

To find a fire station near you:

http://raleighnc.gov/search/content/Fire/Articles/FireStations.html

To learn more about rechargeable batteries:

http://www.greenbatteries.com/

Live outside the area?  Find out how to dispose of batteries where you live:

http://earth911.com/

Affordable School Supplies!!!!

If you have not heard of or been to The Scrap Exchange in Durham I wholeheartedly recommend a trip! This place takes stuff that people would normally toss and use it to create art or for other projects.

If you are a teacher, home school your kids or need back to school supplies, this is an affordable gold mine!  Some of the “new” items they recently received this month include: 1940-70s Vintage Magazines, Mini Glass Beakers and VXI Tuffset Headsets.

It is a great place for an alternative birthday party for kids, too or to get your creative juices flowing. For instance, they have wallpaper samples. I am in the process of repairing my old dollhouse for my nieces and those samples are going to be perfect!

Check out their groovy site:

http://www.scrapexchange.org/

For those outside of the Triangle area, here are some similar stores:

http://www.scrapbox.org/ in Ann Arbor

http://www.artsandscraps.org/  in Detriot

http://urbanore.ypguides.net/ in Berkeley

http://www.mfta.org/ New York

If you have not heard of or been to The Scrap Exchange in Durham I wholeheartedly recommend a trip! This place takes stuff that people would normally toss and use it to create art or for other projects.

If you are a teacher, home school your kids or need back to school supplies, this is an affordable gold mine!  Some of the “new” items they recently received this month include: 1940-70s Vintage Magazines, Mini Glass Beakers and VXI Tuffset Headsets.

It is a great place for an alternative birthday party for kids, too or to get your creative juices flowing. For instance, they have wallpaper samples. I am in the process of repairing my old dollhouse for my nieces and those samples are going to be perfect!

Check out their groovy site:

http://www.scrapexchange.org/

For those outside of the Triangle area, here are some similar stores:

http://www.scrapbox.org/ in Ann Arbor

http://www.artsandscraps.org/  in Detriot

http://urbanore.ypguides.net/ in Berkeley

http://www.mfta.org/ New York

Zen Organization: Maintenance

Every July I do an annual purge of my entire home.  Getting organized and purging what no I no longer need revives me mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally.  I feel good knowing others will get good use of what no longer serves my present life.  If I did not do an annual purge I would be disorganized and slowly overwhelmed by clutter.  Even professional organizers need to organize!

Once you do an initial purge and get systems in place that work with your natural habits maintenance is a breeze–but you still need
to do it!

When doing maintenance remind yourself of what you are saving (money, time), creating (a peaceful or inspiring environment) and remember what being disorganization has cost you in the past.

What in organizing (or anything else for that matter) needs to the most maintenance for you right now?

Was it on Wiggio?

The family that calendars together, stays together!  A fan on my Facebook like page told me about this site:

http://wiggio.com/

She writes, “It lets you set up a web based family calendar that you and your kids can access from anywhere. They post their own sleepovers, babysitting gigs, school performances, and we adults post our own obligations. They can look and… see if we already have plans for the weekend before they make plans. While at work, I can see in one spot what everyone else is doing after work and who needs a ride to where. It’s not perfect but if they don’t post their own stuff and then suddenly say, “but, I NEED a ride to the movie” we ask, was it on the Wiggio?” The site also allows you to host conferences,  web meetings & chat rooms as well as a bunch of other really cool stuff.  Check it out!

Do you know what you own?

I lived in Los Angeles for ten years where we were always under threat from THE BIG ONE.

Raleigh might not have a hurricane come through like it did in the 80s, but your house could catch on fire, a tree could fall on it, etc. I am not trying to sound alarmist; but rather give you peace of mind by suggesting some preparation.

My real estate agent, Amy Shair (“Call Amy for your Shair of the market!”  Sorry, I love that and every time I see her name I have to say it!) sent me this wonderful Free Home Inventory site to help assist you in the process:

http://www.whatyouown.org/

What can you do today to give yourself peace of mind and be prepared for an emergency?

For more about Amy and her real estate services:

http://www.amyshair.com/

Anxiety and Clutter

A friend sent me an article and it talked about how being disorganized can create anxiety, especially for highly sensitive people.

So, if you are feeling anxious it might be worth it to spend that half an hour getting organized, or at least putting everything into piles to help you remain calm.

Disorganized heaps of paper at work or on the kitchen counter can make you anxious. For some, “clutter is a reminder of things that should be getting done but aren’t,” says Elaine Aron, Ph.D., author of The Highly Sensitive Person. “It can make you feel like a failure.”

For a quick fix, straighten up a few surfaces in your office or in the areas of the house where you spend the most time. “It’s when every bit of space is messy that it’s most disturbing,” says Aron. Don’t bother to organize unless you have a chunk of time. Instead, arrange papers, books, and other detritus of daily living in neat piles or store them in baskets. “Just the illusion of order is enough to ease the mind,” she says.

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/slideshow.aspx?cp-documentid=100241379&imageindex=6

Organizing Your Mind for the School Year

First, take some time to reflect:

What do you want to accomplish for the school year?

What does your child want to focus on?

What are the priorities for the family?

Then, decide on goals: