Clear Clutter and Help Others in the Process…
During the month of October, while some of us are planning Halloween parties, making costumes or creating the scariest haunted house in the neighborhood, others are working toward making a difference and helping to find for a cure. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness month and as Organize.com does their part to Think Pink and give back to a well deserved community of fighters and survivors, I would like to share some ways that one of our favorite organizers likes to de-clutter the home and help others in the process. Tamah Vega, founder of A Sense of Home, is an organizing coach & consultant, and an associate member director for NAPO in the San Francisco Bay area. She has given me 8 easy and fulfilling ways to clear some clutter and make a difference in your neighborhood. Check them out below:
8 Ways to Clear the Clutter and Help Others In the Process
By Tamah Vega
1. Help build a home for others. Habitat for Humanity ReStores accept donations of new and saleable, used building materials such as cabinets, lighting and plumbing fixtures, doors, flooring, and windows. Some materials are used to build Habitat for Humanity houses. The rest is sold to the public at 50-75% off the retail price with proceeds going back to Habitat towards building homes in partnership with local low-income families.
2. Share the gift of literacy. Donate all those books and magazines you’ve already read, plus the ones you think you should read but know you don’t really have time for. Many local public libraries have literacy programs and are in need of books and magazines.
3. Support the arts. Arts and crafts that is. We all have hobbies we started and no longer have time for or that we grew tired of. Instead of letting those supplies collect dust and serve as a reminder of something you didn’t finish, give them to a local school. Teachers are always in need of craft supplies for school projects.
4. Use your broken or outdated electronics to support the fight against breast cancer. Cell phones, laptops, empty toner and inkjet cartridges, PDAs, IPODS & MP3 players, digital cameras, business phones, and more can be sent via FREE pre-paid shipping labels to Recycle for Breast Cancer. Recycle for Breast Cancer is committed to reducing the incidence of environmentally caused breast cancer by keeping electronic waste from entering our landfills and environment.
5. Offer the gift of sight. Lions Club’s around the globe collect prescription or nonprescription glasses or sunglasses. Check your drawers, desks, or closets for adult or child glasses and help those in developing nations who have little or no access to basic eye care.
6. Share the sound of music. You can donate musical instruments to a variety of non-profits allowing those who cannot afford an instrument the chance to learn to play. Mr. Holland’s Opus accepts shipped orchestra instruments to support music education and its many benefits to underserved school and community music programs and individual students nationwide. Hungry For Music is a program that provides musical instruments to individuals, schools, and community music programs who cannot afford them. Since the program began, Hungry for Music has donated over a thousand instruments throughout the United States, Mexico, and India. They accept any musical instrument, sheet music and music related books.
7. Offer help in a career search. If you would like to help a disadvantaged woman thrive in the mainstream workforce donate a suit or other business-appropriate clothing that you no longer wear to Dress for Success.
8. Pamper someone. How many bottles of lotion, perfume or hair products do you have collecting dust? Most are given as gifts that we didn’t like but feel too guilty to toss. Others we spent good money on, but they end up not being as great as we thought, and now we can’t just get rid of them. Give your unused toiletries to someone who will really appreciate them, a battered women’s or homeless shelter in your town.
As Tamah continues to offer solutions to busy women on how to create a life that is more organized, beautiful, and balanced, I hope that you can share her great ideas with others and help to make a difference. And as I mentioned, this is the time for planning those fabulous Halloween parties, so check in again tomorrow to get some great tips on how to organize your Halloween party.
Happy Organizing!
- Mrs. O
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No Comments October 13, 2008 on 10:08 pm | In All |
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Lunch Time Fun…
Packing fun and nutritious lunches for the kids is not always easy. Add on trying to be earth-friendly at the same time and you have quite a challenge. Well, here is the solution. Get a few reusable lunch containers and some creative accessories and your job is done. I like the Healthy Food on the Go lunch container by Fit N Fresh. It is perfect for those on the go, hungry little mouths. The large compartment is spacious enough for sandwiches and entrees, while the 2 side compartments are just the right size for carrots, apples, crackers, cheese and so much more. The container comes with a removable ice pack to keep food fresh and cool until you’re ready to eat it. And the best part, it doesn’t go in the trash at the end of the meal. Another fun find are crust cutters! They will make your child’s sandwich one of a kind and have them looking forward to lunch time.
Happy Organizing!
- Mrs. O
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No Comments October 10, 2008 on 9:17 pm | In All |
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Question from the Readers…
Recently a reader wrote in and asked for some ideas on where she could find pull drawer labels for her son’s canvas drawers. The first thought that came to mind was the creative and innovative labels from Wonderful Graffiti. They have transfer labels that can be used on drawers, walls, containers, shelves, buckets, lockers, pet dishes and so much more!. They are flexible, durable and washable, making them perfect for the little one’s drawers. They won’t damage surfaces and stay in place until you are ready to remove them.
Another fun and creative solution for drawer labels are pictures! This is a great tip I read on Parents.com. Having a visual helps the child better associate and remember what goes inside the drawers. Make it a team effort and take the pictures together or get some paper and crayons and turn it in to an artistic project.
Stay tuned for more tips and ideas on how to keep you and the rest of the family organized.
Happy Organizing!
- Mrs. O
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No Comments October 3, 2008 on 12:00 am | In All |
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Get Organized this School Year…
One of the main benefits of being organized is saving or creating more time for yourself and family. And with summer play days gone and long nights of homework, laundry and dishes in full swing, extra time is much needed for busy parents.
An easy way to give yourself more time and include the family is to assign everyone a task. Whether it be cleaning up after dinner, feeding the animals, sorting laundry or cleaning up toys, there are chores for even the smallest member of the bunch. Get a dry erase board and write everyone’s name and chore on it so all will know where they are needed and how their contribution will help. Place the board where all eyes can view it and use colored markers to make it fun.
A great board to try is the Chore Chart from Board Dudes. It helps to teach and encourage kids to be responsible and simple to use. It comes with a dry erase pen and reward magnets. The board also works well for posting notes, lists and reminders.
Happy Organizing!
- Mrs. O
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No Comments September 11, 2008 on 5:29 pm | In All |
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Show Us Your Shoes…
As summer slowly fades and fall creeps up on us, we are faced with the task of putting away our cute tank tops and sassy sandals and swapping them for head turning scarves and traffic stopping boots. Making this transition can sometimes be daunting because it means making room in the closet for all those sweaters and jackets and possibly finding room under the bed for our soon to be hibernating shorts and sun dresses. Having the proper storage and organization tools can make this process a breeze.
Space bags are super space savers and are air and water tight keeping out dust and dirt. They work great for any location and climate. And contrary to popular belief, underbed storage doesn’t have to consist of cardboard boxes that rip and tear. The Canvas & Navy Underbed Chest by Richards Homewares is perfect for bringing out the old and putting away the new. Or vice versa; once the weather starts to heat up again, simply place the sweaters and blankets back under the bed. Plus the clear vinyl top makes for easy identification of the contents. Sweater Shelves also add a simple and organized look to your closet and help keep your winter wardrobe looking its best.
 
  
  
And please don’t neglect your shoes. A woman’s most important accessory needs to have proper storage solutions also. The Crystal Clear Shoe Drawers give your prized possessions the protection they need and you can stack, shelve and store your shoes without the clutter all over the floor. To help get you started on the right foot, Mrs. Organized and Fantastic Toe have partnered to offer you a chance to save on your next Organize.com purchase and show off your creativity…or lack thereof. All you have to do is take a picture of your shoe storage and submit it to Fantastic Toe. Anyone who posts a picture will receive a free Fantastic Toe shoe travel kit. In addition, we’ll pick a winner each week and whoever has the neatest, most unique or wackiest shoe storage solution will receive a discount code worth 10% off your next purchase of $40 or more at Organize.com. Click here for more details and start taking those pictures now!
Happy Organizing!
- Mrs. O