8 Easy Steps To Enhance Email Efficiency

If you are interested in some easy things you can do to tame your attention to emails, check out Eight Easy Steps To Enhance Email Efficiency. This article is courtesy of OnlineOrganizing.com.

Organizing Tips For Downsizing Your Home

An article about downsizing from Organized A to Z:

Consider these points when starting the process of downsizing and moving on.

A good way to start is to get someone to help you through the downsizing process because it can be overwhelming. You need help and support.

• Think about what you are really need. Will you need place settings for 12 or will 6 maybe work? Do you really need three turkey roasters? When is the last time you made Thanksgiving dinner or do you always go to your son’s home for Thanksgiving?


• Consider donations to social services agencies. You may be able to use the donation as a tax deduction and you are helping someone else in need.


• Why not give pieces of furniture or other possessions to family members or friends that have admired them for years? If your granddaughter has loved your china hutch for years, why not give to her now and see the joy and happiness that it brings her today?


• Adult children need to pick up their stuff out of your attic or spare bedroom! Unless you have decided to go into the rental storage business, adult children need to get their stuff out of your home.


• Do not overwhelm yourself. Start with baby steps. Work a little each day on a section of your home: a drawer, or a closet shelf.


• If you feel overwhelmed looking at a pile of papers that you need to sort through, start with just 15 minutes. Set an egg timer for 15 minutes, sort through the pile and then stop working when the timer goes off. You will make some progress and can start again the next day. Before you know it, you will have sorted through dresser drawers.


• Remember every item you own requires your time, energy, maintenance, and money. Decide if the item is worth keeping.

While downsizing can be an emotionally and physically overwhelming process, it can be achieved through planning and organization. Taking it one step at a time with some assistance can make the downsizing process a little easier.

20 Home Office Organizing Tricks

One of my fave websites and magazines has these 20 Home Office Organizing Tricks online. Check it out at Real Simple.

Cool Decor Products

Check these cool things out -- chalkboard wall decals. >>>

I also love (and bought for our bedroom) this website, that offers wall decals: Modern Wall Graphics

Home Staging Checklist

If you are planning on selling your home this summer, you should consider having it staged professionally. In this market you need every edge to be competitive. But at the very least, review this checklist for preparing your home to be shown to buyers and before you have your house photographed.

 Remove clutter from the house
Are countertops clean and free of clutter (almost everything off the counters)?
Has any unnecessary furniture been removed?
In bedrooms, check what you see when you first walk in from the doorway – is bed highlighted? Are windows showcased?
Have you removed pictures, coupons, and extra magnets from the refrigerator?
Are the family room and bedrooms picked up, with beds made?
Trash should be emptied before a showing.
Vacuum the floors before a showing.

 Check the bathrooms
Are the surfaces clean and clear?
Are shower curtains and doors hung properly?
Is the flooring clean and fresh?
Are towels neatly hung?
If you have a small bathroom, keep things sparse and simple.

 Check the walls
For colors: think neutral (i.e. beige or light tan) and white (equals fresh and clean)
Is paint and wallpaper fresh and clean?
Are the walls free from major holes or construction/remodeling blunders?
Have you removed family photos and any decorative clutter?
Are there any objects on the walls that need to be removed?

 Check the floors
Is the carpet clean and free from stains?
Are hard surface floors clean and free from stains?

 Check windows and window coverings
Are all the windows clean? Are draperies and blinds clean?
Maximize the view with simple, neutral-colored valances or sheer panels.
Have shades up.

 Pet check
Are there any signs that this is a pet's home? Remove all pet gear out of sight for showings.

 Check the garage / yard
Try your best to keep it organized and free of clutter.
Leave the cars out of the garage when the house is to be shown.

 How are the aroma and mood?
Before the house is to be shown, turn on all the lights.
Try to air out the home prior to showings. Use fragrance sparingly.
Turn on the radio to a classical music station, set the volume on low.
Light candles in relaxing spaces such as the living room and bathroom.

Travel Tips

Having just traveled out of state for a few days with my family, I have travel tips on the brain. Here are some of my thoughts...

Bring a nightlight. It provides an easy way to find the bathroom in the middle of the night despite room-darkening shades.

Sharing a room? I learned the hard way that sometimes family members are loud sleepers. Having ear plugs on hand is a helpful solution. If you’re sharing your room with others, there’s no way for you to read while they sleep, which can be remedied by the nightlight idea.

Bring your own shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. It is a rare hotel where you get all 3 in the amount you want, especially if you are traveling with your family. We put all health and beauty aids in Ziploc bags together so we can grab them to be plopped down by the hotel room’s sink easily. Choose versatile pieces of clothing that can be worn in different combinations or that go well together, and try to include some varieties of length to deal with weather changes. Put anything that should be on a hanger up first so there’s time to de-wrinkle a bit.

If you don’t want to unpack items into drawers or you aren’t staying long, grab clothes as you need them. Then put dirty clothes in a pile (like on the floor under the suitcase if placed on a stand). When it is time to pack, the dirty and clean clothes will be separated. You can use plastic shopping bags or the provided drycleaning/laundry bag in the hotel closet to hold dirty stuff separate in the suitcase.

Due to security measures, you probably have to remove your shoes going through the TSA checkpoints. Avoid carrying too many things, heavy or metal belts, or socks and lace-up sneakers. Have children wear easy in/easy off shoes.

Carry a backpack with lots of kiddie amusements to keep the children amused and occupied on the plane, in the car, or in the hotel. Crayons and paper is the simplest and (by my experience) the most popular. Hard candies to suck on, water or juice to combat pressure changes during take off and landing are helpful (but you cannot go through the security with a bottle of water, so buy it once near the gate) . Don’t forget anything your child must have such as a favorite blanket or bunny.