Tidy Files = Tidy Finances

In the March 2010 issue of O magazine, Suzy Orman talked about being organized in your finances as a “surefire way to build wealth.”  She suggests cleaning up finances by getting rid of (make sure you shred!) old paperwork, and develop a system that keeps your important documents organized.

She writes, “A pile of bills and statements–whether paid or not–is a sign that someone is clueless about what’s coming in and what is going out.  When you consciously open, read, and file away your bills and statements, you are connecting with your money and taking control of your life.”

How is your financial health?  What one thing could you do today to organize your finances?  What is your plan for wealth in 2012 and are you organized for it?

Organzing Your Wrapping/Green Ideas

Here are some suggestions:

Instead of getting all different kinds of wrapping paper for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, etc. consider getting just butcher block paper that you can dress up with bows, artworks, etc. ; create your  signature color (purple should stand out at every event!): or simply choose three colors such as silver, white and red that you can mix and match for the occasion.

When wrapping gifts consider assigning one color for each group of people to make mix ups less likely and easier for you to organize.  Immediate family could be white; co-workers could be red; cousins silver, etc.

Some eco-friendly options instead of wrapping paper include: using newspaper (foreign & comics are good choices); old maps; reusing paper from last year (simply set an iron on low and smooth); leftover fabric; old calendars, catalogs, magazines; jars and other resusable items such as a cake pan.  Have fun getting creative!

Look for non-paper  (http://www.islandnet.com/~ecodette/ecosource.htm)  and high post consumer content ( http://www.endoprint.com/wrapping-paper-s/3.htm&click=16 and   http://www.greenraising.com/Recycled-Gift-Wrap-C12.aspx ) as this closes the loop. Also check out reusable wrapsacks:  http://wrapsacks.com/

Remember to reuse bows; my mother has been doing this since I was a child and they last several gifts.  I also like to reuse the clear containers curtains come in to keep ribbons.

Give an Experience

Most environmental damage is done in manufacturing stage; the less consumerism, the better it is for the environment.  The EPA estimated Americans produced 254.1 million tons of household trash in 2007.  In 2008 when the economy tanked landfills reported a 30% decline in waste. What is an experience or event or class that you have always wanted to take?

Getting it Out, Part 2

With holidays right around the corner, I wanted to continue tips to remove stains.

For  NON washable fabrics:

Chocolate: Start with oil solvent for grease & rinse gently. Dab remaining with vinegar until gone. Dab with cool water.

Coffee: Dab with White vinegar till gone. Has sugar: follow up flush with water; milk follow up with oil solvent. Dab with water to rinse thoroughly.

Berry sauces: Dab with denatured alcohol. Flush with white vinegar for remaining color then dab with dish detergent for remaining residue. Use water sparingly. Even if stain can’t be seen mark with tape for dry cleaner as sugars can caramelize when dry cleaned.

Gravy: Oil solvent for grease then dab with white vinegar until gone. Dab with cool water.

Grease: Dab with oil solvent then flush thoroughly with water. Follow with a flush of mineral spirits or denatured alcohol if necessary.

Sap: Dab with mineral spirits or oil solvent & let air dry. Rub gently with detergent then flush gently with water to rinse.

Tea: Dab with lemon juice; Contains sugar follow up flushing with water; milk follow up with an oil solvent.

Wax: Freeze by running an ice cube over. Scrape as much off as possible. Iron on low setting with a towel placed over & beneath stain. Use mineral spirits to remove residue.

Red Wine: Dab with denatured alcohol. Dab with white vinegar for remaining color and then dab with cool water to rinse.

White wine: Dab with  cool water.  ven if stain can’t be seen mark with tape for dry cleaner as sugars can caramelize when dry cleaned.

Drink Wine! Get Organized!

One of the things I am most passionate about is coming up with creative ways to repurpose every day items to help people get organized!  With the holidays coming up now is a great time to go through all of your ornaments and get organized. Instead of buying a specialty made plastic container for ornaments you can use an empty case of wine box.  After you have enjoyed the wine, you have a perfect carton to organize your ornaments. If the box kept glass bottles of wine undamaged your ornaments will be safe.  If you have multiple boxes, the uniform boxes will be easy to store. You can also color coordinate boxes.  Don’t drink wine? You can go to your local Wine Store where they have an area with empty boxes. What is your favorite item to repurpose?

What to do with the leftover Halloween candy?

If you’re like me you have leftover Halloween candy. What to do? Yes, I want to eat it all but that means more exercise!  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.

A few years ago, we started up the tradition with my nieces 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 Haloween. We create lots of new memories  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!

Green Halloween

Halloween is my favorite holiday!  I love to dress up and see all the trick or treaters.    When I was little my dad made an Indian princess costume for me out of a burlap sack.  Many times I have been “static cling” where I take a blanket and pin socks, t-shirts, underwear, or whatever else is in my drawer.

Here are some suggestions on ways to bring some green along with the orange and black this Halloween!

Costumes

Check out Consignment and Thrift shops and garage sales.

Raid your own closets: what can you make with what you have?

Old costumes are often donated to Goodwill, Salvation Army.  Also look on E bay and Craigs List.

Remember, it is doubtful that that plastic costume can be recycled.  What can you make out of cardboard which can be recycled?

Candy

Buy organic apples

Check out your local health food store for organic chocolates; on line:  http://www.worldwidechocolate.com/organic_chocolate.html

Roast pumpkin seeds

Decorations

What in nature can you find to inspire you?  Leaves, pumpkins, pine cones…

Eco Friendly Trick or Treat Bags

Reuse a paper sack

Use a reusable cloth sack

Have your child decorate a reusable tote bag

Here’s a great site to check out for even more ideas:  http://www.greenhalloween.org/

What creative things are you doing to make your Halloween more green this year?

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

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