Defining Time & Space News

As evidence of the upcoming holiday season surrounds us more and more each day; many of us begin to feel heart palpitations and anxiety instead of gleeful thoughts over the reason for this season.   Why?  Because we are thinking about the gift giving part of the holiday and all that shopping !!!!   Spending money can be stressful enough these days, but determining what to buy and when, where and how to get it can put us over the edge.  This is time of year when the true personality of some people can become evident.   It is the searching for the right gift for those family and friends we want to please, the long hours in lines for the most wanted gift, and let’s not forget the fighting over parking places at the stores.   

Over the years when asking my mother what she wanted for Christmas, I always got the same answer, “nothing.”  While on a business trip one year I stumbled upon a gift shop and finally found the perfect gift for my mother.  It was a nice little box and on it was a sign that read, “Nothing”.  Inside was a nice little description of how this was the perfect gift. Yes, I purchased this basically empty box and gave it to my mother that year.  Sometimes we find the perfect gift and sometimes we never do.

In order to try to relieve a bit of stress this time of year, prepare a gift giving list early.  Starting early, spacing out gift purchases and having more time to think of things that are meaningful can be a much better experience for all.  Gifts of time with family and friends can be more valuable than those found in the mall.  Instead of exchanging gifts with another family this year, think about using that money to enjoy a meal or outing together.  No one has to shop and it is an opportunity to create many more memories.  Ideas like tickets to movies, theaters, museums or the like can make a nice gift.  Think about personalized gifts that are handmade, engraved or embroidered versus endless shopping days; also framed pictures, photo collages or recipe books made up of materials of/from family and friends can be a real hit.  Also remember that when we give a gift we are doing just that; along with it comes the privilege to do with it whatever they want.  It is a gift alone to let someone know they should not be burdened to keep something when they no longer have a use for it. 

Best wishes,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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PBS broadcasted a television program about 10 years ago called Affluenza.  One definition given for Affluenza was “An epidemic of stress, overwork, waste and indebtedness caused by dogged pursuit of the American Dream.”

It brings about the question of whether all the “stuff” we keep adding to our lives is actually improving our quality of life.  Interestingly enough, they site a statistic that “the number of ‘very happy’ people peaked in 1957, and has remained fairly stable or declined ever since.”  Even though we consume twice as much as we did in the 1950’s, people were just as happy when they had less.

I remember spending many happy days as a “poor college student” playing cards and eating popcorn with the people I enjoyed being with.  It really can make us think about what makes us happy and are we focusing on that or just stuff we can buy to keep up with “The Joneses” or add to our stress of having to pay for it, store it, use it, clean it, repair it, and one day figure out how to get rid of it.  The amount of stuff we consume has caused major financial issues to many Americans. This stuff and in many cases the financial issues they bring with them, have caused the fracturing of many families.  This then adds more to debt, stress and unhappiness.  It was noted ten years ago that Americans had $1 trillion in personal debt, approximately $4000 for every man, woman and child, not including real estate and mortgages.  In 1996 more Americans declared bankruptcy that graduated from college.  Is more stuff really worth it?

As the holiday season approaches it might be good for us all to think about what things we need, would really make us happy and will not put us in or further into debt.  Think about all the time and money that is spent on fighting illnesses.  Affluenza is one epidemic that we can actually cure by spending less.  If you want to learn more about the Affluenza program go to www.pbs.org or contact me.

To your health,

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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Ever find yourself in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, a car maintenance facility or other type of visit much longer than you anticipated?  I had that experience once again this week, which is why this topic came to mind. 

Being able to avoid this “waste of time” or making the most of it can mean not only more effectively using our time but more importantly reducing our stress level.

First, let’s discuss how to avoid the wait in the first place.  If we can find out when the wait for appointments is more likely to be less, we can go a long way to avoid this situation.  If we ask, they will most likely tell us.  As a rule of thumb, we should schedule appointments, when we can, first thing in the morning or just after lunch.  As the day progresses, scheduled appointments get more and more behind and if there is a long wait it is most likely going to be the appointments just before lunch and at the end of the day.

We cannot all make appointments when we wish to or we might be in a waiting situation that is not even a planned visit.  What can we do then to make the most of this time?  This is when we can do things that we ordinarily don’t have time to do but wish we did.  We can read a book we have been tying to get around to, read articles in magazines, sort through coupons, fill out forms, read newsletters, write a letter and on and on.  The trick is to have these things available when these events happen.  Try to keep a folder or bag of items in the car that are those non-urgent things that we would like to do and enjoy the opportunity to do them versus stressing over the lost time.  We can make what would have seemed like a long period of time, just wiz by.

Happy waiting!

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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Many people think about expiration dates on food in the refrigerator but less think about their pantry.  Did you know that spices have an expiration date?  Look in your pantry and see if you have McCormick spices that are in rectangular tins.  If so they are at least 15 years old with the exception of black pepper.  If you see Baltimore, MD on the label of a McCormick bottle, the spice is at least 15 years old.

The recommended shelf life for spices is

2 – 3 years for ground spices

3 – 4 years for who spices

1 – 2 years for seasoning blends

1 – 3 years for herbs

4 years for extracts, except pure vanilla which lasts indefinitely

It is recommended to check the color of herbs and spices for vibrant color.  If the color is faded, then chances are so has the flavor.

Canned goods and other “non-perishables” also expire; check containers for date codes.  Remember when you add new items to the pantry, put the newest dates in the back or bottom so that you can use the oldest items first and before they expire.

After you finish in the pantry you might want to next take a look at the medicine cabinet.  We often keep adding without regard to when medications expire.  Don’t wait until you have a medical need for a pain reliever or other medicine to find out they are years old!

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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Some tips to increase our success rate with coupons are:

1. Have a place to keep coupons that is portable.  This system should be easy and allow us to add coupons so we can easily find them.  A product that I can recommend for those without a successful method is the iParenting Media award winning system called The Couponizer.  It is a complete system in one package.  Check it out at www.thecouponizer.com.
2. The system should include a method to purge coupons as well; if we do not have any other process, we should choose a day each month to go through and toss those that are expired or that we have determined we will no longer use. 
3. Have coupons and applicable advertisements available when we sit down to make a list before we go shopping.  Make this part of your weekly goal/task planning exercise.  Planning ahead for a shopping trip is crucial to minimizing the time and money we will spend. Another great resource in this area is a book I read earlier this year called “Greatest Secrets of the Coupon Mom” by Stephanie Nelson.  It has great ideas, processes and tools to become a strategic shopper without spending a lot of time.   $$ Savings Tip:  While supplies last, this book is free with a purchase of The Couponizer.
4. We should not limit ourselves to the coupons in the newspaper.  We can find valuable coupons in our local stores, magazines, mailers, and on-line.  The trick is to identify what we will use and add them to our system.   It is also important that we know when they expire and make key purchases in the right timeframe.  

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Many of us end our days, just feeling like we didn’t accomplish what we wanted. Why is this?  Why do we always think that there will be more time tomorrow?  It is no surprise to any of us that tomorrow will have the same number of hours as today.  Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”  What can you do to make tomorrow different?  Here are some tips that can get you started.

 1.  Determine what your true values really are: (spouse, family, health, faith, education, career, etc.)

 2.  Determine, of these, which are not getting adequate focus.

 3.  Set goals to meet them.

 4.  Create a detailed plan with schedule to achieve those goals.

 5.  Set aside time once a week to review your plans and schedule your activities       for the week.

 6.  Review your planner each day and adjust as necessary.

 7.  Make sure you are using a planner right for you.  There are many types available.  What is important is that “you use it”.  Check out some of them at www.franklincovey.com

 8.  Break large tasks down into smaller actions

 9.  Schedule harder tasks when you are at your peak performance

10.  Prioritize your tasks so that you are always focusing on the most important.

I believe that new year’s resolutions are made because we have not made time in our schedule for what is really important to us.  There is no reason to wait until January to make time for what is truly important!

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Gas or the lack thereof certainly seems to be the topic of conversation today.  That is if we are not talking about our uncertain economic times or the upcoming election.  Since investing money and politics are two of subjects I don’t share my opinion on I will talk about ways to make more out of those trips we venture out on each day to work, chauffeur or play.
 
1. Make sure along with your other planning for the week that you have determined what tasks need to be done away from the home or office.  Highlights these so they are easily identified.

2. Review these tasks and determine they really need to be done.

3. Batch tasks that can be done at the same time and determine if there is a day and/or time that you will already be going to that location or in that direction.  Sometimes waiting another day to do something will allow you to save an entire trip altogether.

4. Record any information that you will need to have when you reach your destination, i.e. paint colors, names, phone numbers, forms, sizes, merchandise to match or return.  This will greatly increase your odds of not making a second trip or not accomplishing what you have set out to do.

5. Finally, decide if you need to make the trip at all.  With the internet and telephone at our finger tips; we sometimes don’t think about how easy it is to get information or products that we would normally “go out” to get.  Sometimes they do not even have a shipping cost and if they do they might be worth it. Shipping costs have been a deterrent in the past; but with gas at $4.00 +/- a gallon, we can certainly justify more shipping costs than we used to.
 

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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If you have to leave your home in an emergency you may not have much time to prepare.  What will YOU take in a moments notice?  Here are some things you can do to be prepared:

1. Find a home for your pet(s).  Most shelters will not accept pets except for those who are service animals due to health and safety regulations.
2. Turn the gas off in your home if you can.  Do you know how and where to do this?
3. Have a 1^st aid kit
4. Have a portable battery operated radio
5. Have a grab and go bag labeled for each member of the family.  You can use a backpack or small rolling bag.  The items each bag should contain are:
   1. Change of clothing and extra underwear for children.
   2. Toiletries
   3. Food (high protein/calorie food bars, crackers (no salt), dried fruit, nuts, etc.)
   4. Medication (prescription and over the counter)
   5. Eye glasses and contact lenses (& solutions)
   6. 2 bottles of water
   7. Individual towelettes
   8. Children (diapers and special foods)
   9. Plastic & sealing type bags
   10. Favorite item or comfort toy for younger children
   11. Any necessities for disabilities
6. Family communication plan
7. Important/Vital documents
8. Computer file back-up(s)
9. Blanket
10. Cell phone (& charger)
11.  Keys & utility or pocket knife
12. Wallet/Purse

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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If you were at home in an emergency and lost power for several days, would you be ready?  Again in keeping with September being National Disaster Preparedness month here is a checklist that can help be more prepared:

1. Flashlights and extra batteries
2. Non-perishable or ready to eat foods (enough for 3 days – one to three 1lbs per person is recommended).  Foods such as:  canned and dried foods (pop top or twist tops are preferable), dried foods such as fruits and cereals), granola, breakfast/food bars, salt free crackers, dry or canned milk and soups, peanut butter, jelly, nuts, trail mix)
3. Manual can opener
4. Baby formula and foods
5. Pet food
6. Medication (over the counter and prescription)
7. Water - at least one gallon per person is recommended (1-3 gallons preferably)   Water Tips:  Boiling is the preferable way to purify water.  Let water boil fully one minute.  Cool before drinking.  If unable to boil, use pure chlorine bleach (1/4 tsp, 1.25 ml or 16 drops to each gallon).  Stir, then let stand 30 min.  Slight chlorine taste and smell is normal.
8. Portable, battery operated radio (& extra batteries)
9. Disposable utensils
10. Camping stove with fuel and matches.
11. Fire extinguisher
12. Toiletries
13. First Aid Kit; including a list of emergency contacts, bandages, scissors, tape, disinfectants, antiseptics, latex gloves, non prescription meds such as aspirin and non-aspirin, bendryl, and hand sanitizer.
14. Cell phone (charged) and/or standard land line phone (non remote) if power is out.
15. Emergency plan for family or business

Rosanne

770.995.8556

www.dtsorganizing.com

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