My New Erin Condren Life Planner

After seeing lots and lots of photos of Erin Condren Life Planners on Instagram I broke down and purchased one just after Christmas. Now let me just say these are quite pricey at $50 plus shipping! The only way I was able to get one was because I received a Visa gift card for Christmas. My family knows I love to shop and gift cards are my favorite gifts to receive.

I was drawn to the planner because of all the creative ways people decorate them. Lots of washi tape, stickers and colorful pens. To be honest - it didn't take much - I'm obsessed with calendars and stickers!
 
I ordered the "Quick Ship" option instead of a personalized cover page, because I really didn't want to wait more than a couple days for this year's planner.

It arrived yesterday in a pretty box via FedEx in the middle of a snow storm. I was thrilled!

It was even wrapped like a present.

I had also ordered a pen holder and some clips so I can add pages to my binder.

It is all ready for me to decorate. I'm so excited!

The only thing that is disappointing to me is that there isn't really any contact or address pages. There is two tiny pages listed in the perpetual calendar insert, but they aren't remotely enough for me. I will have to turn a couple of pages in my notes section into address/contact pages. I post pictures once I've successfully designed them.

If you are interested in getting your very own Erin Condren Life Planner click here. If you register prior to ordering you will receive a $10 off e-coupon that you can use on your first order.

* This is an affiliate link however I was not compensated at all for writing this post. It is completely my opinion. 

Tips to Organize Your Holiday Decorations

I know Christmas isn't over yet, but I thought I'd share some tips for organizing your holiday decorations before you put them away for the year.

Most people decorate their home pretty much the same way each year, so this will help speed up the process of putting up and taking down your decorations.

One Box Method
Put one box in the middle of each room and fill it with the decorations in that room. My Aunt Lisa suggested this one. That way each year, packing away the decorations is quick and easy.  Putting them up the next year will be easy, too. Just label the box "Living Room Christmas" or whatever room/holiday.

Label Each Box
We have accumulated a lot of holiday decorations over the years. Each year we end up going through all the decorations to see what we want to display that year. It takes a while and we end up using the same ones each year.

One way to avoid going through every decoration is to put a special symbol or even the year on a sticker on the boxes with decorations you actually used that year. Put a tree on the your Christmas decorations, a pumpkin on Halloween decor, and maybe a bunny on Easter items.

Donate
When you are getting your decorations out or when you are putting them away, donate what you no longer want or use. Let others enjoy what you no longer want and you can enjoy the fact that you don't have to store it anymore.

Please feel free to share your holiday decoration tips by leaving a comment.

Must Have Supplies for Back To School

With all the stores having their Back to School sales I thought I would share my must have supplies for back to school. My family has used (and still does) all these products.

Source

Backpack/Bookbag
Choose one that is sturdy and will fit all their notebooks, binders and supplies. Make sure you know what type of backpacks your child's school allows. Some schools do not allow bags with wheels, some require them to be clear, while other schools only allow drawstring bags.

My kids' middle school only allow drawstring bags carried around the school and the one pictured above was the sturdiest one I've found. We've tried many different ones over the years and this hasn't ripped or tore after using it daily for 6 months (so far).  Plus, it was $7 at Walmart. 

Planner
If your child's school doesn't require one, I recommend you purchase a student planner. In it your child should record all his homework as it's assigned. Each night check their planner to insure all their homework and any projects are completed.  This is also a wonderful place to leave messages for their teacher and for them to respond back.

All my kids' schools require planner similar to the ones sold here. Ours are purchased directly from the school for $5 each.

Homework Folder
This works great for elementary schoolers, but it is used in higher grades as well. Basically, you designate one folder for all homework. That way your child only has to check one place for all their homework - not individual binders/folders.

I highly recommend using a 2 pocket poly folder like the one above. They last a whole lot longer than the paper ones that rip pretty quick with daily use. They even come in a variety of colors and only cost $1 or less.

Source

Pencils
This one is obvious - keeping a supply of pencils on hand. I try to make sure each of my kids has at least 3 pencils in their backpack each morning. There really is no excuse to lose 3 pencils.

I also want to suggest skipping the pretty designed pencils because they usually are harder to sharpen. After working with many teachers over the year most recommend using Dixon Ticonderoga brand pencils because they are easy to sharpen and good quality. I realize they do cost a bit more, but I've found them to be worth the cost.

These are obviously the basics and there are plenty more supplies that would help your child be even more prepared for school. These are the brands/products that have worked for our family for quite a while and I know they can help your family too.

Throwing a Party on a Budget

The kids and I have been out running errands all day and thankfully they have been getting along. We are getting ready for a big 4th of July Party all on a very tight budget.

So here's how we are doing it.

Food
We've been getting a little bit each week, so that we won't have a whole lot to buy the week of the party. One week we bought hamburger meat and hotdogs. Another week we bought sodas which we found on sale at Target for $1 (2-liter bottles). Yet another week we bought the ingredients we need for potato salad, macaroni salad, desserts, etc.

The key is to add it into your normal grocery budget or set aside extra money to purchase all the stuff you need at once.

Decorations
I've gotten all the decorations from my fave store, Dollar Tree. I picked up tablecloths, banners, and balloon weights. I always pick up plain colored items, when possible, because they can always be used for other occasions. Red tablecloths can be used on Valentine's Day or 4th of July.

Utensils
We do not have a dishwasher, so parties are the only time I purchase disposable utensils and plates. All of which I got at the dollar store. I want to spend time with my guests not standing over the sink washing dishes so we can have forks for dessert.

Ask Guests for Help
We have a huge extended family and if you are invited to a cook-out, picnic or party you are expected to bring a dish. By asking your guests to bring something small like a side dish, dessert or drinks. Where do you think BYOW (Bring Your Own Whatever) came from?

Start Early
Though this doesn't have to do with budgeting your money it does have to do with budgeting your time and that is to get as much ready for the party ahead of time as possible. Clean, cook and set out as much as you can ahead of time, so you aren't rushing around the day of the party.

So that's how we plan for a party. Please feel free to share your tips below. I'd love to hear them.

Freebies on Friday - June 21, 2013

I've included a couple e-books today that I think you may enjoy. One that my son said we don't need I let you guess which (hint, hint...video games). Also included are a couple free samples.

Hope you had a great week! Have a nice weekend and see you on Monday!

e-Books

The 30 Day Organizational Course: How To Organize, Declutter, and Keep Your Home Spotless In Only 30 Days

HOW TO END YOUR CHILD'S VIDEO GAME ADDICTION - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE

Wake Up Successful - How to Increase Your Energy and Achieve Any Goal with a Morning Routine

Traveling With Kids: How to come home with a memory and not a migraine. DeClutter, simplify, and enjoy parenting while traveling. (Travel Well)



Samples

Pedia-Lax Probiotic Yums Sample - These help support digestive health in kids 2-11 and is strawberry flavored. Might be a nice alternative for kids who don't like yogurt, but need some help in this area.

Schick Hydro Disposable Razor for Men or Women 

Lysol Touch of Foam Soap - This one is only available in certain areas. Just enter your zip code and see if you qualify.

Personalized Pen - If you have your own business or work for a direct sales company you can request a personalized pen with your name, business name and phone number. From National Pen.


* Please note the ebook links are affiliate links but at the time of this publication all the books were listed as free on Amazon.com. All the remaining links are not-affiliate links and I am not compensated for sending people to any of them.

Apps I Can't Live Without

Today I would like to share a couple apps that I just can't live without. I'm on them all the time and find them either fun or useful.

Contacts
This one comes standard on almost all phones. Besides keeping your family and friend's address, phone numbers and birthdays, some apps let you add a photo. On my iPhone this app allows you to add a note at the bottom of the person's contact page. In the note section, I put my contact's kids' names, anniversary date, and gift ideas. For my hubby, I put all his current medications and doses in that section.  This way I always have the info with me in case of an emergency room visit. Let me tell you some of those medications have long names.

Storm Shield Weather Radio App
Love this! It notifies you when there is a weather event in your area. Tornado, severe thunderstorm, flooding, etc. You get a text or message on your phone - no matter where you are in the United States. That way if your power is out in your home you can still know what's going on outside and keep your family safe. Let's face it, the weather has been pretty crazy throughout the U.S. lately and this app can help.

Facebook
I'm on this one everyday. It's how I connect with family and friends. We share photos and stuff happening in our lives.  It's a nice way to send a message to friends, distant family and acquaintances. There are also games you can play with friends, famous people you can follow, causes you can donate/help and lots more. Find me on Facebook: "Kimberly Butler-Shavatt"

Instagram
This one is really fun. I really enjoy taking photos and here is an app that lets me share them with others. Great for someone wanting to improve their photography skills. Practice makes perfect (or better at least). This is an app for beginners to expert photographers or anyone who is just goofing around with a camera like me. Follow me on Instagram at "shavattk"

Pinterest
This one is quite addictive. You are able to add pictures from all over the web to "boards" you create.  Almost anything you want. Some ideas include: DIY/Crafts, My Dream Home, Vacations I Plan to Take, and My Style. Plus you can follow other people's boards and re-pin their items to your boards. It's a great way to collect ideas. Follow me on Pinterest at username "shavattk".

Skee-Ball 2
This one is just a fun game. I've love skee-ball since I was a little girl. I even have an actual skee-ball game at home and now I have one on my phone to play anywhere I wish. This one lets you earn tickets and purchase little prizes. You can even tilt your phone to make the ball move different directions.

Solitaire
A classic card game that never gets old. It keeps your brain sharp. You are able to play with one card at a time or three at a time. It's fun because you can even customize the back of the cards with a photo from your camera roll.

All these app are available on the iTunes app store and are possibly available on other phones as well. Everyone of these apps are fr*ee except the Storm Shield which was $4.99 as of this morning.

Summer Vacation Planner - Part 2

In the last post I included the basics of how I start to plan out my kids' summer vacation. This post will go into more detail about what I actually put on the planner.

"I'm Bored!" How often have you heard that? I've heard my fair share, so each summer I try to plan some activities to keep their summer fun.

I also try to make sure they don't forget everything they just spent 9 months learning in school and I want them to stay physically active too.

Basically I try to plan out my kids' day just like the teachers do. I want to include Reading, Phys. Ed, Math, Science, Music and some social time too. However, I don't want my kids to feel like they are back in school, so I sneak all these subjects in their daily activities.

Here are some ways to incorporate learning into everyday life.

Reading
I'm a firm believer and lover of reading. I find kids enjoy reading when they like the story. You just need to find a book your child is interested in. Ex. trains, fairies, wizards, dogs, robots, Legos, Star Wars, etc.

Phys. Ed.
This one is easy. Running around a playground, jumping on a trampoline, swimming, playing catch are all great ways to exercise.

Math
A simple trip to the store is an easy lesson in math. Figuring tax and calculating change. Another way to sneak in a math lesson is cooking which involves measuring ingredients. There are also lots and lots of worksheets and games online.

Science
My kids love science and find any science project to be fun. There are tons of experiments on the sites listed below.

National Geographic.com
Scholastic.com
ScienceKids.co.nz

Music
This is easy too. Have the radio playing in the background. Try listening to a variety of music. Let the kids make their own music and record it (most phones have record notes features).

I also schedule regular play dates (get togethers) with their friends. The get togethers aren't fancy - just kids getting together and playing with their toys or video games, swimming, or playing outside.

Let me be clear. When I say I plan out stuff to do each day. I don't schedule/plan out every minute of the day.  I like to let my kids be kids and use their imagination.

My kids play a lot throughout the day. I usually do a project or something fun with them either right after breakfast or after lunch. A variety of music is on throughout the day while I'm working around the house and math is sprinkled in too. I do spend 15-20 minutes each day helping my youngest with her math, and at bedtime my kids are allowed to read before falling asleep.

I normally plan a trip to the library, a playground or some other outing once a week. Just to get out of the house. I find this helps cut down on the bickering and Mom like to be around other adults too. :)

So that is how I keep my kids busy over summer vacation. Feel free to share your family's summer plans.

Summer Vacation Planner - Part 1

My kiddos only have a couple weeks of school before they are released for summer vacation. Then I will have them for 10 weeks straight. All day - Every day!

Just like most kids they get bored easily, so I need to plan out some activities to keep their summer fun.

I start off printing out a calendar. I always use these adorable calendars created by HelloCuteness.com.    I think they are adorable and the kids like them too, but you can use any blank calendar.

First I add any appointments to the calendars to avoid scheduling conflicts. Then I add in any trips that have already been planned.

It's time to fill in the rest. Now you need to figure out what you want your kids to do all summer. Visit a day camp? Go to the local swimming pool or beach? Hang out with their friends? Trips to the library?

One thing we try to do each year is go to the movies. Each movie company holds their own summer promotion. The one near me offers their Cinemark's Summer Movie Clubhouse. It only costs $1 per kid per movie and is offered twice a week at 10 a.m. Some places such as Muvico, offer free movies to kids. Be sure to check your local movie theaters for summer deals.

Also check places like roller rinks, bowling alleys, amusement parks for deals. Many place will offer free or discounted items for children who received "A"s on their report card. It really can't hurt to ask if the company has any specials going on for the summer.

My kids love to read so that is added on our calendar. They read a book every week or two.  Their schools usually encourage reading over the summer with a contest. The kids who read over the summer and turn in a reading log get a ice cream party or small prize when they return in the fall. Here is a reading log we've used in the past from CountryClipart.com if the school doesn't provide one. Plus here's one I made.

If you need help thinking of some ideas to add to your calendar here is an article that helped me this year. It's 100 Summer Fun Ideas for Kids and Parents from About.com.

This summer will be different for us because we've always been able to visit parks, playgrounds, family, friends and of course the library. Now we need to find activities that can be done at home. It's a bit trickier with older kids who get bored easily.

I'm hopeful that it will all work out wonderfully. Feel free to share how you plan your children's summer vacation.

Storing Clothes for Younger Siblings

I'm sure I've mentioned before that I have 3 kids. Two girls and a boy.

Well my oldest daughter is currently 13 and my youngest is 8. Being a frugal minded mom - I save my oldest daughter's clothes to give to my youngest when she is able to fit into them. Since there is such a different in their ages I had to find an organized way to store the clothes and a place to keep them.

Keeping them was no problem as we have an average size attic. Under the bed storage would also work.

Organizing the clothes was easy as well. I purchased a couple storage totes (blue plastic 18 gallon size). Nothing fancy, but very strong and durable.

I've been doing this since my youngest was born and have always needed about 4-6 storage totes. It takes up a bit of space, but it saves me tons of money when it comes time to buy clothes.

It's the easiest to sort the clothes by size and season. For example right now I have 5 totes (size 7/8 Winter, size 10/12 Summer, size 10/12 Winter, size 14/16 and up Summer, size 14/16 and up Winter).

I save everything that is still in good condition - no stains, rips, etc. Then when my youngest can finally wear that size she and I go through the saved clothes and she picks out what she likes and what fits.

If the clothes don't fit my daughter when she reaches the size I simply donate or sell them on eBay. Which can happen with height and weight differences varying between siblings.

In the five years between my oldest and youngest trends change, so we try to buy less trendy clothes. We get the basics and then wait to purchase a couple trendy accessories later.

In cases where you only have one child - you can still use this system. Just keep a tote or two and purchase items in larger sizes on sale, clearance or at yard sales. Or better yet ask for hand me downs from friends and relatives with the promise to pass the clothes along when you're done with them.

Kids grow fast and buying clothes can be very expensive. Use this simple system to save your family some money.

Printable To Do List

We'll over the weekend my hubby's vehicle, a 2005 F150, needed to be parked until we get all the parts for a bunch of needed repairs.

I'm normally fine with staying home, but lately I really started to miss my independence.  After 13 years of being able to go wherever I need to whenever I need to - it's a little hard.

So I created a list of all the projects I could do to help get my mind off being stuck at home. Some projects on my list include: massive spring cleaning, lots and lots of craft projects, planting my garden (later in the spring), home repairs such as painting, and working on my sites.

That got me thinking about a really cute printable I created and have been using - so I decided to share it. Hope you like it!

Click Here to Download and Print

Feel free to print this for your own personal use and share it, however no permission is given to sell any printables on this site. All rights reserved. 

Freebies on Friday - April 5, 2013

This week I found lots of neat stuff. First I included a couple ebooks. These cover some topics of interest to me. I love organizing and gardening, but you may not know I'm a massage junkie. Every year I get a professional massage for Christmas or my birthday and beg my hubby for a back massage on a regular basis. If money were no object I would definitely go to massage school because of how relaxing it feels.

Anyways, I also included an ebook on "bugging in". Don't freak out. I think it really applies to a wide range of situations - not just Zombie Apocalypse. LOL

For example, I live on the East Coast of the US and we face hurricanes, powerful windstorms and snow storms and we never know when we will be forced to stay home for days on end because of a storm. This book could help deal with no power, no water, what about food, blocked roads because of downed trees, etc. Emergency situations don't have to be man made they can be natural as well, so for this book keep an open mind. :)

Bugging In: How to Hunker Down and Survive in an Emergency Situation (Stay Alive)
Stress Free Organization For Your Child: How To Get Your Child Involved In Cleaning And Organizing Their Spaces While Still Having Fun
Therapeutic Shiatsu Massage for the Beginner
Smart Gardening: How To Grow Your Best Vegetable Garden (Gardening Essentials Series)

In addition to the ebooks above it like to include other fr*ee stuff I've found online throughout my searches. This week I'm including these really cute American Girl doll  patterns.

My youngest loves her 18" dolls and so I'm always hunting for patterns to make her more clothes. Here are a couple good and fre*e ones I found online.


American Girl Doll - Royal Bridesmaid Dress Pattern
This is adorable and fits 18" dolls.  Easy to understand instructions with photos.

18" doll T-Shirt Pattern
Love this one it has little ruffle going down the front which is optional.

Historical Dresses like those in the American Girl Doll Catalogs

Adorable Drawstring Dress
This is soo cute! I've made this one a couple times. There is also a link on the page in case you don't want to go through the shopping cart. It takes you directly to the PDF.

Hope you enjoyed the fun things I've found today. See you Monday!

Taming Kids Clutter

Do your kids have a drawer like this? Full of a ton of little toys?

My youngest loves little, tiny toys. Polly Pockets, Littlest Pet Shop, kids meal toys, Barbie accessories, etc.

This is what her drawer looked like this morning before she went to school. There is no after picture because it doesn't look much better with half of it gone.

I'm a neat freak and want everything grouped together in nice, neat containers, unfortunately, my youngest is not. She is my messy child. My borderline hoarder.  She collects paper, jewelry, toys of all sizes, shapes and conditions (broken and not), rocks, well almost anything really.

So here is how I help keep the toys to a minimum.

One In One Out
For every toy that comes home they need to choose one from their current toys to give away.

Avoid the Toys
When given an option, we choose not to get the toy that comes with some kids meals. They are usually low quality and my kids never play with them for more than 5 minutes. We prefer the meals that comes with books or games.

Purge
Every few months go through the toys and get rid of anything broken, missing pieces, or that the kids don't care for anymore.  I usually do this when my youngest is at school, but I only get rid of toys I haven't seem anyone play with in a long time, if at all.  My older two kids do this on their own.

Give to Charity
When all my kids were little we would get duplicate toys from the kids' meals. I would save the extras (unopened) and send them into school to be used in a prize box. Doctors and dentist offices sometimes give away small gifts to kids who needed a shot or who had really good dental report. 

Crayola Wild Notes Index Cards

Crayola Wild Notes Index Cards

Okay first let me say, I'm in love with notebooks, index cards, pens, and almost anything stationary related. I love making lists and writing in general, so there were right up my alley.

I was shopping in Michael's for fun stuff to do and I came across these really cool index cards. They were a bit pricy for index cards at $5.99 plus tax for 50 cards and the pen, but I had to have it.
 
Anytime I find something fun, interesting, cool or whatever I just want to tell the world.  That's just who I am.

They're index cards, and they come with a pen that lets you write in a rainbow of colors. Similar to the black scratch art paper that creates a rainbow of colors when you scratch it.

When you take the cap off the pen the tip is white - not rainbow like a pencil or pen would be. It must be similar to the Color Wonder technology because this pen won't work on other paper.

I use these for my daily to-do lists and cool notes to the hubby and kids. They are also fun to use in scrapbooking and Smash books.

Obviously they would be a great motivational tool to get kids to actually study if they were to use them as flash cards. They would be neat as chore cards as well.

I just thought I'd share another neat product I've found. Feel free to share your comments below :)

* The link above is an affiliate link, but I was not compensated by Crayola or any other company in any way to write this. I just love sharing products that I find really neat and that you may enjoy.

My Life as Secretary Mom

Before I had my kids I worked as an Administrative Secretary for 10 years and I was pretty good at it. Since having kids I quit that job to be a full-time, stay at home mom. I've been home for 13 years now and I love every minute of it.

To my surprise, there are some skills I learned from my secretarial job that I use almost every day here at home. Skills that could help you whether you are a mom who stays home or not.
 
Organize Your Desk
Almost all secretaries have their own desk to do their work. Don't have a desk? No problem. Neither do I.  I have a small hanging file box, a 13 section expanding file folder and a sheet protector hanging on my fridge.

My hanging file box is sitting on my kitchen counter and contains folders with medical info, class lists, bill paying supplies, and any important papers my kids brought home.

My expanding file folder sits on top of my refrigerator. Stored inside is every single receipt and bill paid in the corresponding month. This way I'm able to find any receipt or bill pretty quickly.

I also have a multi-page clear sheet protector that keeps the family calendar, the kids' schedules for the day including their special classes (media, art, etc.), school lunch menu, and a yearly school calendar. All these important papers are in one convenient spot for easy access.

Keep a Calendar
We use a printable monthly calendar to record everyone's schedule all in one place.  That way we can see in one spot what we have going on that day.

Get the Boss Ready
One key responsibility of most secretaries is to help their boss get ready for the day. This could mean printing out a report for a meeting, sorting mail or scheduling meetings.

Now I'm not suggesting you let your hubby and children run over you like a mean boss, but there are definitely skills that fit in here. Helping your children remember their homework each morning, making sure they have their library books, musical instrument or running shoes for their day,  reading and responding to notices that come home from school and of course scheduling dental appointments and play dates.

Each school morning I make sure my oldest is awake and getting ready. Then I check her backpack to ensure she has the needed supplies for the day. I also pack a nutritious lunch and stick it near her back pack. Then I wake the younger two and do the same for them.

Keep a Budget
As a secretary, I was responsible for keeping track of the finances. Every penny had to be accounted for and I had to order all kinds of things, make sure they were received in good condition, and of course get approval from the boss first.

I no longer need a boss for approval, but the hubby and I do discuss purchases ahead of time, especially major ones. Like many moms, I'm responsible for almost all the purchasing including groceries, cleaning supplies, home maintenance materials, clothing, etc.

Another part of keeping a budget is making sure your accounts balance with the bank and that all bills are paid in full on time. Hubby and I write everything down on a separate calendar - every bill, every paycheck.  Then we determine which bills can be paid with a certain paycheck.

Of course it is important to pay your bills, make sure your children have nutritious meals to eat and have a organized filing system so you can find needed papers. But you don't need to be a secretary to do that. This is what works for me, I hope it helps you find a system that works for you and your family.

Get Organized for a Less Stressful Move

This past weekend I helped my sister and her husband move. They are moving in with his family while they look for a new home.

One thing I've learned from moving family members and friends over the years is that you need to have a plan.

Start Packing Early
As soon as you find out you will be moving start packing. Anything not used on a regular basis gets put in a box.  Packing up a whole house is a monstrous task that takes a lot of time.

Sort Your Stuff
Put all like items together whenever possible. Try to avoid boxes full of random stuff. It will take you twice as long to unpack if your personal belongs are just thrown randomly in boxes.  Sort by room is the easiest way. Preferably pack items that will all go into the same room in your new place together, so you can label the box "Kitchen", "Master Bedroom", "Guest Bathroom", etc.  The goal is to make it easier to unpack as well as to pack up your current home.

Label, Label, Label
In addition to labeling what is located inside your boxes, it's really helpful to write where that box should go. For example, mark boxes for "storage", "Becky's Room", "Upstairs Bathroom", or "Living Room". This small step will help everyone. Who wants their moving helpers asking you non stop "Where does this go?".

Have Lots of Help
Come moving day get as many people to help you move as possible. If you have the money hire movers and a moving truck. A dolly and or a hand cart are really helpful to have on hand especially for moving dressers, shelves, buffets, and more.

Don't rule out kids helping to move - well behaved ones that is. I say well-behaved ones because it will be more stressful having to deal with unruly or bored kids. Elementary school aged or older can be quite helpful. They can carry lighter items such as bags of clothes, bedding, and small boxes.

When possible, arrange for a sitter for babies and young children who could easily get under foot and possibly hurt.  If you must bring kids and they aren't able to help make sure they bring a toy to keep them occupied. This is the perfect time for a portable gaming system or dvd player.

Let There Be Food
Hopefully lots of people will be helping move your stuff to your new home. These people are going to be working hard and are going to work up an appetite. Be sure to offer plenty to drink, especially  water. Also some food that will curb their appetite such as pizza or fried chicken. The reason for this is it's convenient, you won't need to stop working to cook, plus it's not terribly expensive.


Storage
Once your personal belongings are all boxed up, labeled, and ready to go. Start moving boxes to storage, if you can, or designate a spot out of the way if possible.

If your home is currently on the market and potential buyers are touring your home, seriously consider renting a storage unit or pod.  You will want to stage your home to make it look as big, open and bright as possible. Remove almost all your personal belongings. Buyers need to envision themselves living in your home to buy it.

Only leave the essential items you need to live and a few items to stage the home. Pack up all your collectibles, family photos, most of the kids' toys, and non essential kitchen items. Remember that items in storage aren't gone forever. If you really need an item you can always go get it.


A little planning ahead of time will cut some of the stress of moving. It will be easier to find something when you need it. It will be easier for your moving helpers because they won't have to ask lots of questions. It should make your move go a little smoother and the alternative.

Preparing for a Storm

It's a beautiful 70 degree day here in the Mid Atlantic region of the US. The trees are glorious shades of red, gold, brown and green. It's perfect.

You would never suspect a storm is predicted to hit the area in the next couple days. The weather channels are saying we could get rain, strong, gusty winds and maybe snow.

If you live on the East Coast of the US don't head to the grocery store just yet. The toilet paper can wait. LOL

If you've lived through a storm in the US recently you know power outages are something you really need to prepare for.  Not too long ago a strong wind storm caused widespread power outages that lasted about a week.* Needless to say our power companies can't handle lots of widespread power problems.

The type of storm they are predicting can produce storm forced winds and very heavy inland snow. That's really bad since there are still leaves on the tree and the snow would weigh down branches causing them to break (possibly landing on power wires).

So here's how you can prepare for a storm like this.

Obviously secure all outside furniture. It's time to put the chairs, umbrellas, grills away or put them some place they won't blow away.

Make sure you have enough food and necessities for a couple days. Non-perishable foods only. Peanut butter, soups, crackers, protein bars, tuna, canned goods, etc. Buy nothing that needs to be frozen or refrigerated because without power these foods could possibly and mostly likely will go bad.

Water! Have bottle water on hand. Plus if your septic system works on electricity (many private wells do) make sure you fill your bathtub with water to flush your toilet. Dumping a small bucket of water in the toilet after you go will cause it to flush automatically. Hubby is a plumber ;-) .

Consume most of your perishable foods. If possible, when your power goes out find a friend or family member with power to who can store your stuff for the time being. Before the storm plan meals that can use the meat in the freezer. You need to eat anyways - why not use up some of the perishables now.

Go to the ATM. Keeping a small amount of cash on hand is always helpful. In case you need something from the little grocery store down the street that doesn't have any power either and they can't accept credit cards. It happens trust me.

Fill up the vehicle with gasoline. At the very least make sure you aren't on empty. When the power it out for a couple days (snow or not) you may need to go out and get supplies or food and you need to at least make it to the nearest gas station that has power.

Put any snow removal equipment where you can easily get to it. Don't leave the snow shovel in the shed behind a fence because then you have to dig out the gate to the fence and then the shed door to get to the shovel. Been there done that. When I know it could snow I bring the shovel inside.

These are just a few things that can help you stay prepared during a storm.

My deck during a snow storm a couple years ago.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/June_2012_North_American_derecho

Easy Ways to Organize Your Photos

If you love taking photos half as much as me than you probably have a ton of photos. The problem is how to store all those photos and how to access them when you want them.


Folders
On your computer it is really easy to create a new folder for each month. I recommend naming them "201X-XX". Put the year first followed by the two digit month. For example October 2012 would be 2012-10. This will make all your months show up in order as opposed to alphabetically where August will always come before February. This also keeps entire years together.

This system works best for those people taking basic everyday family photos. If you need a outside summertime photo for a scrapbook page simply look in June, July or August's folder.

Flash Drives
Flash drives or thumb drives work great for people who take a lot of photos at one time. For example if you are taking photos of a special event such as a wedding just load all those photos onto one flash drive.

Another way to use these devices is to put all the photos for a month, quarter or year on one flash drive - depending on how many photos you take and how much the device will hold.

Photo Box
 If you are the type of person to get every photo developed than a photo box is the system for you. Separate the photos by month, quarter, year or even by subject or project. An example would be all Christmas photos in one box or all photos of little Susie in another box.

On a side note if you use a digital camera I highly recommend only printing out the photos you will actually use. Making sure you will be using them in a scrapbook, picture frame or other craft project in the near future. Wasting less ink and paper.

Online
There are three really great sites online that will host all your photos for you. There are lots of sites out there, but these are the ones I've tried and would recommend.

Flickr.com
This is easy to use. There is a 300MB bandwidth limit each month with the fre*e account. You can upgrade to PRO for $1.87 a month. It's pretty inexpensive. My only issue is you need to set each photo to copyrighted otherwise it can be used by anyone under the Creative Commons License. I also recommend setting each photo's privacy settings so it can only be seen by certain people such as Friends or Family.

http://photobucket.com/
This is another easy to use site. There is a unlimited photo uploads and 500 video limit for the free account. There appears to be a 10GB monthly bandwidth limit. The copyright settings appear to be about the same as Flickr.com's. One feature I really enjoy is you can mark all photos so they cannot be copied or shared - you don't have to mark each individual one.

http://www.shuttercal.com/
I love this site. Perfect for your 365 Photo Project. Simply upload a photo onto each day on the calendar. They even give you the option to order a printed daily calendar (month at a time or whole year). Lots of fun!

The main thing is to find one organization system that works for you and your photo storage needs.