Organizing and Cleaning

One of the meanings of life according to the dictionary is; 'The series of experiences of body and mind, which make up the history of an animal from birth to death.'

Do we have enough experiences in our lives or are we just 'going through the motions of living?'

It is true that we are involved in many things, our schedules are filled with things we have to do, places we have to go and people we have to see, but are we really experiencing 'life' itself?

As the saying goes' take time to smell the roses' and enjoy all of the things that life has to offer. Get rid of some of the have to's in life and teach yourself how to enjoy life itself.

When was the last time that you took your family for a walk in the woods and watched the insects on a tree, followed a butterfly to see what it's routine was or tried to figure out what kind of a tree produced a particular kind of leaf?

Life is an experience and we use it foolishly in most cases. Remember when, you were young and just trying to figure out what you wanted to be, when you grew up? Your mind was on over time trying to figure out what your interests were and what kind of a job you really wanted to have.

Remember when you did not know how to cook, maintain a lawnmower or purchase a vacuum cleaner and it was difficult to read the manuals that gave you information, so you would ask all of your friends what they bought and how they did something. You went by someone else's experience in life, to add to your own knowledge and you took the time to experience life itself.

Life is a learning process, we learn in various ways, from many different people and situations. We make mistakes and learn from them, giving us another form of experience. It makes life wonderful to be able to look back and see how we have grown physically and spiritually, and through life experiences, become the unique individual that we have become.

What is better yet, is to know that we can pass all of our experiences in life, on to the next generation to create memories that have become so dear to us.

It is too bad that some people just seem to be passing thru life. They do not try to increase their knowledge, make new friends and seem to have a monotonous existence. They have a routine; get up, eat, go to work, come home, eat, go to bed and this goes on day after day. They are existing, but not living life!

So what is the meaning of life?

Experiencing every moment of everyday, learning from it, improving on it and enjoying the roses in life. Live everyday of your life as if it is the last one that you are going to have and your life will be full and have true meaning.

Jan Hayner is creator of Organizing Your Life THE EASY WAY and helps you to take the stress out of life by giving you tips, hints and shortcuts to get the have to's in life accomplished so you have more time to experience the fun things in life. Get her new ebook, '101 Hints for Around the Home' and her free organizing and cleaning pamphlets at her website Organizing an Cleaning Tips and Hints.

How To Improve Family Life

By Jan Hayner Home Organizing Consultant

Organizing Your home and life helps to reduce stress, not only in your life, but your entire families.

They will be so happy when you aren't always saying things like; put that away now, clean up your room, the lawnmower isn't working right,I can't find anything in this house anymore!!!! Plus, they will be able to find things for themselves, have clean and organized spaces and have fun keeping it that way. You will all feel a significant amount of family unity by tackling the 'home life' together.

Everything has it's own special 'home' and can be found by anyone in the household anytime that you are looking for it.

It will be so nice to go to a drawer and actually find the scissors that is supposed to be in there or go in the garage and actually find the roll of duct tape that you normally lose and have to go out and replace.

You will learn techniques for reducing cleaning time and home maintenance as well.

 The men will love the sections on Home Maintenance, Tools, Workshops Ideas and Hints for Men.

Kids will like all of the 'fun' games that they will get to play while they are making money from their allowance.

Moms will love the fact that they are finally getting help with the household chores and can find time for themselves.

The entire family will love the idea that now there is time to do more things, go more places and not always having to wait until something gets done.

Using the 'team' approach to organizing and cleaning your home will help you to keep things under control. If 'everyone' is putting things away when they are finished using them, wiping the dust off a table and throwing the dirty wash in the hamper, it will take less time to house clean and you can all enjoy life a little more.

Try this for two weeks and it will be a habit that all of you can benefit from.

Jan Hayner offers tips and hints on organizing and cleaning to help you to take the stress out of life. Time and stress management and motivation are key factors, read her articles at http://www.organizingandcleaning.com .

Not just for making Coffee.... 

1. Cover bowls or dishes when cooking in the microwave. Coffee filters make excellent covers. 

 

2. Clean windows and mirrors. Coffee filters are lint-free; so they'll leave windows sparkling.

 

3. Protect China. Separate your good dishes by putting a coffee filter between each dish.

 

4. Filter broken cork from wine. If you break the cork when opening a wine bottle, filter the wine through a coffee filter.

 

5. Protect a cast-iron skillet. Place a coffee filter in the skillet to absorb moisture and prevent rust.

 

6. Apply shoe polish. Ball up a lint-free coffee filter.

 

7. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter.

 

8. Weigh chopped foods. Place chopped ingredients in a coffee filter on a kitchen scale.

 

9. Hold tacos. Coffee filters make convenient wrappers for messy foods.

 

10. Stop the soil from leaking out of a plant pot.  Line a plant pot with a coffee filter to prevent the soil from going through the drainage holes.

 

11. Prevent a Popsicle from dripping. Poke one or two holes as needed in a coffee filter.

 

12. Do you think we used expensive strips to wax eyebrows?? Use strips of coffee filters.

 

13. Put a few in a plate and put your fried bacon, French fries, chicken fingers, etc on them. Soaks out all the grease.

 

14. Keep in the bathroom. They make great razor nick fixers. 

15. Putting popcorn in for kids

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Christmas Entertaining on a Budget- a Bread Tasting Party

With the economy getting tighter by the day, we are all trying to find ways of going on with our lives on a shoestring budget. We would like to be able to entertain in style and with class, without it looking cheap and gawdy.

We are willing to give up the extras, but, get real, this is Christmas time. The time of year for family and friends, for entertaining and enjoying each others' company. The price of food has gone up so much that it is hard to be able to have a group of people over for a sit down dinner without mortgaging the house.

What about having all of your family and friends over in one day or evening and keeping it within your budget?

Make several different types of bread, such as cranberry, pumpkin, banana, zucchini, monkey bread (for the kids), garlic, Russian black bread and rye bread. You can make as many as your budget allows and you can always freeze what is leftover for later use.

Add some complimentary spreads on the table such as, butter, honey butter, garlic butter, cream cheese, salsa, or tuna or salmon spreads.

For the complimentary drinks you can have coffee with a few different flavored creamers, a choice of flavored teas or try hot chocolate for a change of pace.

There are many packaged breads that you can choose from or go on the Internet and look for the recipes that are fast and easy to do.

Whatever you choose, will be fun and exciting for both you and your guests. The best part is, you won't empty your pocketbook!

Please check Organizing and cleaning.com for more tips, hints and coupons to help to save you time, money and stress..Organizing and Cleaning Shortcuts, Newsl;etter, Free Checklists

As I was walking through a clients home the other day, I was amazed at the storage space that she had in her home. The only problem is that every inch of it was jammed full of clutter.

Clutter is things that take up space but you don't use, is in the way and makes your house bulge at the seams.

When I walked into her house, it was really nice and homey looking and gave you an inviting feeling, only after being in there a few minutes and taking a look at how things were stored and displayed, I found that she was frustrated because there wasn't any room for anything. She constantly had to move something to make space.

What can you do to clear this up?

1. Go through your home and take everything that  you don't use and put it on the kitchen table.

2. Now go back through and take everything that you really don't like and add it to the pile on the kitchen table.

3. Using a small basket, go through every room and put things that are in the wrong place or room in the correct room that it is actually used.

4. Now, with that little basket, take every item that is broken, chipped or doesn't have a use besides looking out of place and add it to your kitchen pile.

5.This is cleaning the clutter from evvery place that you can see, imagine what is hid in the closets and cupboards. Now clean everything off of the kitchen counters and only put back the things that you use on a daily basis. Put everything else in a cupboard in the area that you use it or designate a shelf in the basement to store the item until you actually need it. Place it in plastic and add a label to it so you can easily find it when you need it.

6. Add a toothbrush holder to the inside of you bathroom cabinet to hold toothbrushes, add a small container in the bottom cabinet that is used for brushes, combs and a mirror (can be pulled out when in use and then hid again). Eliminate everything from the counter top. Kleenex can go on the back of the toilet. Anything else can go in cute little containers in your cabinet for easy storage and accessability.

7. Keep current magazines in a cute storage container or basket and throw out the rest. If you use them for childrens projects ( I know, these come in handy) then store no more than 10 on a shelf. If you like to use ideas from magazines, cut out the information, add it to a scrapbook or binder in the proper category for fast retrieval. Making your own book is helpful, you know you never can find the right information when you need it and this way, you have your own book of information.

8. Put all 'like' things together into storage containers. pens, pencils; rubber bands,paper clips; brushes, combs; manicure sets, nail files, hand creams; scissors, utility cutters, pape cutters; scotch tape, masking tape, duct tape; paper toweling, napkins, paper plates and cups; batteries of all different sizes, store according to size; light bulbs go in a seperate container, and make sure that you label the containers so you don't have to open them to know what is in them.  I am sure that you get the idea.

9. If you walk into it or trip over it, it is clutter and either should be eliminated or moved to a spot that is convenient for use.

10. Always put something back within 2 minutes after you have finished using it. It only took you a minute to get it and by putting it away after you use it, it will save you time to clean and straighten a room and you won't have clutter lying around the house.

Even kids can get used to doing this. Show them!!! One week let them let their things lie around and give them and hour to clean everything up. The next week, have them put things back after they use them. When they find out that they have more time by cleaning up after themselves right away, it will be a habit that they love. It only takes two weeks to create a new habit, make it a good one!!

If you love these hints, you will love my monthly newsletter.

Jan Hayner-Professional Organizer
Organizing and Cleaning Tips and Hints

The kids are getting out of school for another summer break and it will take about two weeks and they will be bored and saying, "There isn't anything to do" and that is when the 'fun' begins. Mom's and Dad's across the country start to pull their hair out and which that school was a year round event.

This is going to happen all across the nation and parents will go into 'stress mode' and start thinking of things for their child to do. The child will look at them as if they have lost their minds and the cycle will start again and again. So why not plan ahead and be ready for the 'boredom cycle' that we all know is coming?

Think about things that have happened throughout the year. Remember all of the times that you said, 'as soon as the weather gets nice we are going to?'. We have all said that a dozens time, now we have to put on our thinking caps and recall some of those great thoughts that we had.

Just to give you a few ideas that my grandkids came up with (grandmas mind is too feeble to remember more than the past two weeks) that we said that we would do, we have made a list to help you along.

1. Set up the tent in the backyard and camp out for the weekend.

    

2. Bake cookies and then take them to someone from the church that does not have grandkids.

    

3. Make a garden filled with fruit that we all love to eat.

    

4. Paint all of the lawn furniture a different color.

    

5. Make birdfeeders for in grandma's trees.

    

6. Go fishing.

    

7. Play crochet.

    

8. Go to the zoo.

    

9. Have a picnic and invite the neighbors.

    

10. Have a scavenger hunt.

     

We have decided that this year, we are going to do all of the things that we think of in the middle of winter, when it is too cold to be able to do them. Our list is now three pages long and counting. How many fun things can you and your family put on your list?

Jan Hayner is a Professional organizer that has tips and hints for parents, kids, senior citizens, men and women, on organizing, cleaning and doing the fun things in life. Get her free checklists at http://www.organizingandcleaning.com

As we go through life, our views of Dad changes. As a toddler, he is the strongest man on earth and can make you feel safe when you are in his arms.

During your school years, he is the guy that goes to work (only we don't know for sure what he does there) and he can fix everything that needs repair.

As we become teenagers, he is the guy that still goes to work and pays the bills. He is also the holder of the car keys, but most important, he is our 'bank'. There are times when he also seconds as mom's backup when we mess up!

We find out through life, that dear old dad doesn't really talk much, mom does most of the disciplining (which is really the best for us), but he always seems to step in at the last minute to lay down the law and get things back under control.

Then, we mature and learn that Dad has tons of knowledge that we never knew about. He understands problems that we have, he always has an extra hand to help us out and repair things, his strong arms still make us feel safe and he is still the one that we talk to in order to get things under control. Isn't it funny how history repeats itself?

Now, keep in mind that this man doesn't ask for much. As long as he has clothes for work and nice looking pair of jeans for everyday, a warm winter coat for winter and one 'state-of-the-art' something or other for his hobby, he is content.

Does this cause a problem for us to find something special? Not at all!

Dads give a lot of hints and don't realize it. It could be the gleam in his eye when he tells you about a friend that has the newest fishing pole on the market. Maybe the hint will come when he complains about arthritis bothering him when he uses a screwdriver and tries to get the screw tight. Can't you just picture the look on his face when he see's a new power screwdriver and drill combo in his gift box?

It could be Dad is having a hard time taking care of his prize garden. Just think how handy it would be for him if he had raised beds, a garden weasel or a small roto tiller.

Most Dad's, no matter what his hobby is, has a special place in his heart for his vehicle whether it is a truck, car or SUV. He keeps it in tip-top running condition and baby's it all the time. Wouldn't it be nice to give him gift certificates for a once a month washing and waxing, an appointment for a detailing job or to have the upholstery cleaned! In this day and age, a gift certificate for gas isn't out of the question either.

I bet any Dad would be happy to see his garage organized, so he can finally find all of the things that he has been looking for. It could mean adding shelves, a storage cabinet, holders for yard tools or hand tools, and a storage area for extension cords or maybe some new garbage cans. Now, keep in mind that we are talking about 'Dad' here and we know that he won't go and buy any of these things himself. As his kids, it is our job to take over the reins a little and learn from his great example and 'get things back under control', the same way that he used to do. Spend a day with good old Dad and help him set up his garage with all of his new 'toys' and top it off with a pizza or hotdogs for supper.

Every Dad has 'something special' that they care about and cherish and, of course, their kids are number one on the list. An updated photo and a small one for his wallet (just for bragging about) is always a good idea. Better yet; how about getting him a digital camera so he can take all of the pictures that he wants along with whoever owns the computer, willing to run them off for him.

If all else fails, you can always give him a cherished memory and that to Dad would be a day of your time once in a while, just to do some rebonding and relive memories. See if your memories are the same as Dad's, you will be surprised at how both of you saw the same circumstance in a different way.

For the Dad that is the 'Chef of the House', a new grill, an apron that says 'Dad's Kitchen-Stay Out', a new cooking pot with a recipe and the ingredients are always a big plus!

Dad's are only 'thanked' once a year, but it can be a day that puts a smile on his face for 365 days and then you can do it again.

Jan Hayner offers tips, hints and shortcuts on organizing and cleaning solutions. At http://www.organizingandcleaning.com Get her free pamphlets and checklists to help guide you to taking control of your home or office.

 We all know that exercise is good for you, but what if you have creaky bones and the body doesn't work the way you want it too! It is so frustrating to want to be out in the fresh air, be able to take care of your yard yourself and not be able to do either one the way you used to do it, but there are ways to work around some of the problems.

Sometimes you have to compensate for the aches and pains or the lack of manipulation and strength; then hire or ask someone else to do the rest. You owe it to yourself. You will be getting exercise, taking care of the added little touches that only you can do the 'right way' and still be able to get those pesky odd jobs done with the help of another person. Now aren't you smart? See with age ?.comes wisdom!

Things you can do yourself:

·        Go to the store and get grass seed, mulch, fertilizer and other needed necessities.

             Have someone at the store load them in your car for you.

·        Purchase a dandelion puller to get those pesky weeds out without having to bend over. Then use your small rake to rake them on to a shovel and throw away.

·        Cut the lawn, if walking isn't a problem

·        Weed flower beds and the lawn (hint is below to make it easy)

·        Plant flowers and bulbs

·        Purchase your plants, bulbs and seeds.

Easy ways to manipulate to get the job done:

·        Use a garden stool to sit on so your knees don't get sore.

·        Wear gloves with little nubbies on them to protect your hand and fingers that become sore easily. This will also help to cut down on blisters you may get from soft, thin skin on your hands.

·        Use a piece of wood with a nail at the end for picking up papers and debris.

·        Use a small (child size) rake for doing small areas at a time; great for in the garden or around bushes.

·        Hand tools with Big handles (in diameter) work the best for dexterity when doing flower gardens or small areas

·        Pick up sticks with the help of a shelf grabber that you would normally use in the kitchen to get boxes down from high places.

·        Make raised garden beds when ever possible to cut down on the bending.

·        Plant flowers and tomato plants in flowerpots instead of in the ground and use them for decorations all over the year.

·        Use a push-button hose handle instead of the kind that you have to squeeze, it will be a lot easier on the joints.

Places to look for help with the rest of the yard.

Always remember to go through somewhere that is reputable or a person that you already know. Remember, there are scammers out there that wait for opportunities to get into the elderly persons homes. These are safe places to call.

• Office on Aging
• Senior Citizen Groups
• Girl Scouts
• Boy Scouts
• Local Schools
• Non-profit groups and organizations
• Garden Clubs
• Social Service Departments
• Churches and youth groups

Remember to:

• Work in small time frames so you do not overexert those muscles. Exercise is good in moderation.
• Get someone else to do the hard, stressful and heavy jobs.
• Enjoy the fresh air, breathe deep, and expand those lungs.
• Do not lift anything over 10 lbs. Instead, open the bag and take some out and put it into smaller bags or containers.
• Stretch those bones and muscles before doing yard work, it will cut down on aches later.
• Use a cane, Piece of wood, walker or chair to help you get your balance when getting up and down. A shopping cart also comes in handy for this plus it is somewhere to have all the tools you need.
• Avoid roses or flowers with sharp thorns or branches.

Extra hints:

• Work on the buddy system with a friend. Do one yard first and then the other. It is more fun to have a buddy and less strenuous, plus you may each have different limitations that can benefit you both.
• Work smarter-not harder, there are easy ways of doing everything in life. If someone offers to do something for you, agree, in your younger days didn't you help other people too? Consider this payback time for the good deeds you did.
• Invest in a shopping cart to use in the yard. Insert a bag for debris and garbage, hang a tool organizer on the side (like the kind for a charcoal grill) to hang all of your hand tools on. Attach a plastic bag to keep your work gloves in etc. Moreover, this is handy to hold on to when getting up and down and easy to push along on grassy areas.
• Plant lavender or spearmint near windows for a fresh aroma in the home all summer long.
• When asked about gifts you would like; include garden items?it saves you money and makes your life easier.

Don't forget to pass the tips that you acquire on to your friends so they can enjoy the great outdoors too. Use the wisdom that you have acquired over the years to create new shortcuts that work for you.

Jan Hayner is creator of Home Organizing and Cleaning Tips and Hints at http://www.organizingandcleaning.com a site that offers hints and tips for making home organizing and house cleaning easy and stress-free.

We have so many organizers around our house that we could use for more than one purpose, but that help us to gain storage space, find things easier and save us money.

While reorganizing my cupboards this year, I decided that I was going to use things that I already had in my home in order to free up space. I now use adhesive hooks on the inside of kitchen cabinet doors to hang my measuring cups and spoons and to hold a spice rack for the spices I use on a daily basis.

I have found that small craft organizing compartment containers work great for the desk  drawer and holding paper clips, rubberbands, extra staples, pins, and a multitude of other small items.

A labeler allows me to label everything that I own in large and x-large print and is easy to read.

Swing out towel holders on the inside of my sink cabinet, keeps my towels and cloths handy. I have one for sink necesseties and one for dust cloths etc. I also have a plastic bag holder on the inside of the cupboard door that is next to this one that keeps those little plastic bags handy for messy stuff that should be thrown in the garbage. Great for when I am cleaning out the refrigerator.

Remember those little plastic hooks I told you about? Don't forget to put one on the inside of your bathroom cabinet to hold the toilet brush.

Cork Squares from the dollar store come in handy to glue to the inside of a cupboard door that is close to the telephone, for you to keep those little notes in one place.

Use a margarine container to put all of those 'extra' buttons in from new clothes that you buy. Sooner or later you will need to replace a button and will always know where to look for it. Leave them right in the plastic bag that they come in, write on the bag what outfit that it goes with and you will have everything handy.

Look for more handy hints on Organizing and House Cleaning Shortcuts at www.organizingandcleaning.com