Discover the Bluegrass

Don't Trash Your Stash: Where to Send Twin Towers Photos and Memorabilia

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 12:25:50 -0700

Don't Trash Your Stash: Where to Photos and Memorabilia of the Twin Towers

Recently, I was working with a client who was purging from her photograph collection and we came across several photos of the Twin Towers from years past. Hesitant to throw away something so historical, I thought I would try to find a place that would like to keep them.

As it turns out, there is a 9/11 Memorial Museum that does accept donations of photographs, as well as other types of memorabilia such as journals, letters, video footage, audio footage and even personal effects from the victims. The material doesn't have to be personal in nature relating to the twin towers and/or the 9/11 event, but it can be.

A quick phone call verified that the photos can be hard copies snail-mailed or digital copies emailed to them. They may or may not decide to use the items, but it gives the items one more chance to stay out of the landfill.

They did say that they would like to have the contact information of the donor sent along with the items so they may send a letter back. I was also told that they do receive quite a number of donation inquiries, so it may take a bit of time to send a reply.

The 9/11 Memorial Museum website is www.911memorial.org. Digital files can be emailed for review to collections@911memorial.org. (Please note this is a different email address than the one shown on the website. I was told during my phone call that the one on the website is being phased out and the one above is the new permanent address). Any additional questions can be answered by sending an email or by calling 212-312-8800.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Equifax’s Dirty Little Secret - Credit Bureau

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 11:13:58 -0700

I had to share this blog post by Mark Fidgett after listening to the recorded phone conversation he shared. This is the kind of thing that makes me angry - another example of how consumers are getting deceived and ripped off by corporations. So here's the gist of it for those of you (like me) not in the mortgage industry: As it turns out, the credit score a regular Joe or Jane sees when running their credit report at home is NOT the same score that a mortgage lender will see when pulling their score as a creditor.

In the example cited in the phone call, the Beacon score (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/beacon-score.asp#axzz1QOWzZsNH) was a whopping 50 POINTS LOWER than the score the consumer had been given. The advisor representing Equifax clearly states there are two scores from two different departments: a consumer score and a Beacon score. So this effectively means that when you pull your own score to see if you might qualify for a mortgage loan, it has NOTHING to do with what the mortgage lenders will see when they run your credit report. AND Equifax is charging a little fee for you to see this score that has nothing to do with anything, apparently.

Just listen to the phone call below - it is worth every minute spent! It might save you a huge amount of time and disappointment and damage to your credit report.

Comments are disabled on this re-blog; please visit the original post to comment.

Via Mark Fidgett - www.NotaPennyDown.com:

From now on you may want to reconsider paying $23.95 to Equifax for your credit score.

You might be surprised to hear that what you get, may NOT be what you expect.

You like me, probably believe that when you pay the additional $23.95 to Equifax, you’re getting the score that lenders rely on to determine your credit worthiness.

Well apparently, THAT”S NOT THE CASE…

First some history.

Client presents to me about 3 months ago requesting a specific mortgage.

The particular mortgage program in question is designed for business owners and comes with a minimum beacon score requirement.

That being said, I didn’t want to randomly pull the clients credit without first knowing they even met the minimum credit score requirements.

As I have always advised, you can pull your score personally, as many times as you’d like, and it WILL NOT affect your score.

As such, the client specifically paid $23.95 to Equifax to see their credit score.

Their credit was too low at that time.

I sent them away with a few credit secrets to help raise their score.

They followed my advice to the tee.

They called me yesterday as happy as can be.

When they arrived at my office, they once again paid the $23.95 to Equifax to obtain their credit SCORE.

Score was 683.

BINGO, goal achieved! Or at least we thought…

Knowing that their score met the program requirements, I too pulled their score.

BUT To my surprise, the score from my end was 635.

Just to be clear, client pulls and gets a 683, I pull and get a 635.

Why SUCH a discrepancy?

I immediately called Equifax for an explanation.

I will leave it up to your interpretation.

Please push the play button below to hear the call.

Would love to hear your comments below.

Mark Fidgett
Your Vancouver Mortgage broker
604-273-2002
www.notapennydown.com
mark@notapennydown.com

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Closet Organizing Fun!

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:54:30 -0700

Closet Organizing Fun!

Sometimes, as a Professional Organizer, it's nice to take a break from all the complicated projects and do something simple (simple to me, anyway!) and fun, like a good ol' cleaning out of a closet. Here are photos of a project with a recent client with a long walk-in closet.

BEFORE: The client had recently moved in to a new home and begun to unpack and hang clothing and shoes but had not finished. The clothes that had been unpacked had not been put in any particular order or groupings. The closet, which was about 15 feet long, was definitely not being used to its full advantage.

CLOSET VIEW 1 - BEFORE:

CLOSET BEFORE - VIEW 2:

CLOSET AFTER - VIEW 1:

CLOSET AFTER - VIEW 2:

AFTER: This project took four hours and used entirely what the client had on hand in the way of any containers that were used. The client did a great job of purging clothes and shoes. Remaining clothing was grouped and organized in a format the client could easily access. I also taught the client some folding techniques that would help keep folded items more easily identified and accessed on shelves. The plastic drawers are hopefully temporary. I left the client with several ideas on how to most effectively utilize all the wall space, and they will be able to implement those solutions at their own pace.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Minimize Conflict When Organizing with Multiple People

Sun, 19 Jun 2011 15:38:33 -0700

Minimize Conflict When Organizing with Multiple People

Organizing for multiple people is always more of a challenge for both the Professional Organizer and the clients. It requires more people-managing skills on the part of the Organizer and more patience on the part of the client.

There are several different types of situations in which multiple people may need to utilize the services of an Organizer. In some cases, people who live together, such as spouses, partners or roommates have decided together to call in an Organizer to help resolve a collective household issue. A partner or spouse may call on behalf of the other person. Sometimes it is a parent who needs help with a child's room. A business owner or office manager may need help with office procedures or want employees to address a messy office or time management skills. Multiple grown children may need help transitioning elder parents into a care facility or with cleaning out the home of a disceased family member.

Whatever the reason for calling in the help of an Organizer, it's important to remember that when multiple people are involved, the situation can easily become complicated because of the input of more than one person. There is a much higher risk of arguments, flaring tempers and hurt feelings. It's easy to take things personally. Fortunately, there are several things that you, the client, can do or become aware of before calling in an Organizer to minimize these risks.

1. Decide among you who will be the liaison to the Organizer for scheduling. This person will be responsible for checking the other people’s schedule in order to coordinate appointments with the Organizer. This should also be the person to make any phone calls to the Organizer. This prevents a situation of "too many chiefs" or problems with conflicting information coming from different people. If the Organizer needs to work exclusively with one person other than the designated liaison, that person should communicate and schedule directly with the Organizer.

2. Have a list of specific issues that need to be addressed. Usually this is pretty obvious if the Organizer is taking a tour of the house, but if the problems are more time-management oriented, try to list out all the problems you are having managing your schedule, including the things that are working as well as the things that aren't. Detail the areas in which people are clashing, whether it's opinions over how an area should be organized, or a process that isn't working between you. For example, multiple people who need to be involved in processing mail or paperwork often find they can't come up with a system that works for everybody.

3. Don't to go into working with the Organizer with any preconceived ideas of how the work will be conducted, or try to control the process. Let the Organizer guide you through the process and trust them. Remember, you have hired a professional to help you with something you have already admitted you cannot do yourself. You wouldn't tell a doctor or psychologist how to diagnose and treat an illness, so let the Organizer do their job in developing a specific plan to deal with your particular set of challenges. Even though it may not seem logical to you or seem obvious at first, there are tried and true methods that often need to be applied in a specific order for them to be most effective in the long run. Be patient.

4. Don't turn it into a blame game. This isn't about telling the Organizer all the ways in which you think the other person is responsible for the mess or disorganization. When it comes to a household with multiple people, there are ways in which every person contributes, often without even realizing it. The Organizer will be able to identify these will assign each person responsibilities for participating in the new system. It's ok to tell the Organizer the ways in which you feel something isn't working between you and another person and explain how the other person does it differently than you. But try to stay focused on what happens, rather than how you feel about it.

5. Stay out of one-on-one sessions between another person and an Organizer while they are working together unless you are invited to participate by the Organizer. In many cases, this may even include children who are working with an Organizer. The presence of a family member, especially one with whom there is conflict, can often interfere with the client's feedback to an Organizer on issues, questions, preferences, etc. It is really crucial that the Organizer have the ability to get unfiltered responses from the client in order to determine the nature of the situation and craft an effective solution tailored to that person's needs.

6. Allow the Organizer to act as a moderator during discussions involving more than one person. Be respectful of other people, allowing them to finish what they say. The Organizer will want to ask question to gain specific information and direct the conversation - allow them to do this. These are the most volatile situations because people push each other's buttons and it can easily escalate into "He/she does this," "No I don't!" type of conversations/arguments. Remember, these discussions are for one specific purpose: to let the Organizer figure out the problem and develop a solution.

7. Last but certainly not least: If you want to talk to an Organizer on behalf of someone else, make sure the other person knows about it first, even if you are planning to give an organizing session as a gift. Most people take the state of their homes very personally and an unexpected "gift" of an organizing session can easily be taken as a slur against their housekeeping abilities. The exception to this would be someone who has acknowledged their clutter problem and verbalized a desire to seek help. However, you should still talk to that person ahead of time about bringing someone in for them, since it is their home.

Following these guidelines can help avoid the tension that creates conflict and provide a more peaceful environment in which everybody can work. The results of your work together will be much more effective, quicker and have a much more lasting result.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Tips for Taking Care of Old Photos

Fri, 03 Jun 2011 12:12:35 -0700

Tips for Taking Care of Old Photos

My favorite type of organizing project is to help a client organize their old photos and documents. I was introduced to the world of archiving and preservation years ago and it's become a bit of a specialty of mine.

The photo's subject matter is just as fascinating to me as caring for them; I love to hear the stories that go along with them. It's a glimpse into the past and a reminder that every person and every family contributes something to our world. If we want to preserve these precious pieces of history, it's very important to know the proper ways to handle and store them. So here are some basic rules for handling and storing your photos:

Rule #1: Always store printed photos in a climate controlled environment.
The most popular places to store old photos are the attic, the basement or the garage. Unfortunately, these are also the worst places to store them because they are usually not climate controlled areas. Extreme temperatures and humidity are a photo's worst enemy. Photos should always be stored in the house in a dry area away from light and hot or cold temperatures.

Rule #2: Don't handle photos with your bare hands.
Always wear gloves when handling photos, preferably clean cotton gloves made for the purpose. Even if you wash your hands before handling photos, the oils from your fingers will replenish themselves and stick to the photos. Then, the acids in the oils will eat into the photo. You may not see it now, but it will show up later. I actually have a few photos from around 1940 with someone's fingerprint permanently branded onto the face of the photo.

Rule #3: If it doesn't say "Acid Free" or "Archival", it isn't.
Always get a container that says "Acid Free". There are a lot of pretty boxes in the stores that say they are made for photo storage, and they may be tempting, but turn one over and look at the bottom. An archival quality product will always say so. If there is no mention of "Acid Free" or "Archival" then this product is just as safe for your photos as a regular cardboard box...which isn't very safe. Acids from cardboard, newspaper or regular plastic will migrate to the photos and cause yellowing and deterioration. Not to mention regular cardboard boxes attract bugs that will eat holes through your photos.

A Special Note:

Do not put photos into the freezer!
The other day I ran across a site with suggestions for getting old dried glue off the back of a photo. Someone suggested putting the photo into the freezer so that the bits of glue would could brittle and be chipped off easily. This is not a good idea. Moving paper products, especially photos, in and out of extreme temperatures creates thermal shock, causing internal stress and potential fractures. It also invites condensation. If you do have photos stored in an extreme temperature, let them change temperature very slowly until they are at their new "room temperature" environment.

Using these basic rules will get you started in storing your photos in the safest environment possible. And remember, if you come across photos that can not easily be removed from album pages or are torn or very fragile, don't attempt to fix them or pull them from the pages yourself until you consult with a professional!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Yard Sale Kitty

Fri, 13 May 2011 09:32:26 -0700

I'm helping a client run a garage sale today. A group of people came in and along with them, a rather exuberant dog, who was peeing all over the yard and getting into things. The people said it wasn't their dog, so We thought it might be a stray.

A few minutes later, we saw my client's cat streak across the driveway, followed by the dog, who actually looked like he just wanted to play, but the cat was clearly not interested. When I went out to investigate, I discovered the kitty perched at a safe distance, about 15 feet up a tree...

As it turns out, the dog was identified by a neighbor as belonging to another neighbor down the street. The reason nobody recognized him is because he was just shaved for the summer, sporting his new crew cut!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Ms. Fix-it Faire Offers Women Do-It-Yourself Workshops in Lexington, Ky

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 12:50:02 -0700

Ms. Fix-it Faire Offers Women Do-It-Yourself Workshops in Lexington, Ky

Are you a woman with a desire to do some of your own home improvement projects? Well, here's your chance to learn some of the most popular areas of home maintenance and improvement. The Ms. Fix-It Faire runs all day tomorrow, Saturday, April 30, 2011 in Lexington, Kentucky and offers a full day of workshops in a variety of subjects geared especially for the ladies.

Want to learn the basics of carpentry, painting and electrical repair? Want to change your tile backsplash, install new blinds or weatherize your home? Like to get your hands dirty? How about installing a raised bed garden or a retaining wall?

And last but not least, yours truly will be teaching a class on how to design and install a new closet organizing system. As a former closet designer for a major closet company, I will discuss the proper methods for removing an existing closet system, how to prepare the closet to receive the new system and how to plan the space for the new system. An overview and tips for installing the new system are included, as well as information on different types of systems.

$15 gets you as many workshops as you want to take between 9am and 3:30pm. There is no pre-registration for this event, simply pay at the door. All the workshops will take place at the Bluegrass Community Technical & Community College, Lexington Cooper Campus, which is located next to UK Commonwealth Stadium on Cooper Drive.

The Ms. Fix-It Faire is presented by the National Association of Women in Construction. All the details, including a complete schedule of workshops and a map to the location can be found at http://bgnawic.org.

See you there!

BEFORE

AFTER

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Lexington, Kentucky Offers Safe Disposal of Medications

Wed, 27 Apr 2011 22:51:11 -0700

Lexington, Kentucky Offers Safe Disposal of Medications

The newest form of "hazardous waste" collection available in Lexington, Ky is for medications of all kinds. The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government (LFUCG) is holding its second ever Med-Toss event, this Saturday, April 30, 2011, to collect and safely dispose of expired, unused or unwanted medications.

What's the big deal, you might ask. Why can't I just dump my medications into the trash or down the toilet? For years, the standard disposal method has been one of those two options. However, recent studies are finding alarming levels of prescription medications in local water supplies all over the United States.

How does this happen? When medications are dumped into the trash, they are taken to the landfill, where they often break down from exposure to rain. Eventually, the medication compounds seep into the ground and make their way into underground watersheds or into streams that feed lakes, reservoirs and rivers, which in turn feed local water supplies.

Medications dumped down the drain end up in our waste water treatment plants. Treated water is then released into the local environment. Once in the waterways, medications make their way into everything - fish, animals drinking the water, plants and trees.

Keeping medications out of the trash is also important because prescription drug addicts have been known to dig through the trash in order to scavenge pills. Trash can also spill and pills can be ingested by animals, or get washed into the storm drains.

The second Med-Toss event will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011. Drop-off sites have been set up at several locations around Lexington, Ky that will be accepting medications from 9am to 3pm:

Division of Police Roll Call Facility	1165 Centre Parkway	map
Kentucky American Water	2300 Richmond Road	map
Dunbar High School	1600 Man O' War Boulevard	map
Imani Baptist Church	1555 Georgetown Road	map

All medications, including pills or liquids, will be accepted, as well as vitamins and supplements.

The LFUCG asks that medications be kept in their original containers, and that personal information on the labels is marked out.

If you can't make it to a Med-Toss drop-off site, either hold on to your medication until the next Med-Toss event or dispose of it with the following method:

Pour or place medication into a sealable plastic bag.
If medication is in a pill or capsule form, crush and/or add liquid to it.
Add kitty litter, coffee grounds or other solids to the medication to make it less appealing to children and pets/animals.
Seal the plastic bag and put it in the trash.
Remove/destroy ALL personal information on labels and containers before throwing them into the trash.

For more information, visit the LFUCG website or visit the Smarxt Disposal website (link below).

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Talented Designer Brings Cultural Influence to Knott's Berry Farm Halloween Haunt

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 19:02:17 -0700

I stumbled across an online article about a long-time friend of mine that I want to share. I can't believe David and I met 20 years ago (already!) when we were both meagre painters at the Knott's Berry Farm scene shop. We both left Knott's but he has recently returned and now is a designer for Halloween Haunt mazes and other event scenery at the park. (I'm kinda jealous actually!) I'm really glad for David that he's been able to do what he loves for a living, and that he's using his influence to bring cultural themes to the annual Halloween Haunt event. I've always considered David a dear friend and admire that he has a lot of tenacity and nerve to go for what he wants, but in a very sophisticated way.

Knott's Berry Farm and I go way back. My father, my mother and I have all worked there at one time. When I was about 5 years old, I went to Haunt for the first time because my Dad (a trumpet player) was playing in the Wolfman Jack band (remember him??). I remember hanging out with Wolfman and the band backstage, and Dad and I walking through the haunted houses between shows.

When I was 20, and freelancing as a set painter in the entertainment industry, I got a job at Knott's as a painter for the Halloween Haunt event. My mother came in to work with us later that season. An excellent artist, she did the more complicated techniques than I was able to do at the time. She stayed on at Knott's to continue with other events, while I moved on the next year to work on Universal Studio's first year of Halloween Horror Nights.

Did I mention that Halloween is my favorite holiday and I love haunted houses? Funny that I ran across this article because lately I've been getting the itch to put a paint brush back in my hand.

Anyway, this isn't really about me, it's about David. If you live in the Southern California area and have never been to Knott's Halloween Haunt, you're really missing a treat. If you happen to be in the area during the month leading up to Halloween, be sure to get tickets. Get them early - they sell out fast. Congratulations, David, on the excellent work.

The linked article is a really well-done article and interview, including lots of photos, and gives a wonderful behind the scenes look at the Knott's Halloween Haunt event. Enjoy.

http://www.themeparkadventure.com/dortiz.htm

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

New Price Break Blues

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 12:26:54 -0700

Active Rain People,

I hate to be a party pooper but I am actually not at all happy with the new pricing system, even though it does not affect me.

1) For one thing, I am just not convinced that $60 per month is a reasonable price to pay for this service. I would never have joined if that was the monthly cost for me, and I will say I think many potential new members will be deterred by the price. For those who are budget conscious, $60 per month is a lot. THAT'S $720 PER YEAR!! I don't even pay that much for my car insurance!

2) After all the talk about points not being a big deal, they suddenly are. No, let's not make anybody feel like they are failing because they don't have the points. If I was a new person, at the pace I am going I would not make it to 100,000 points for 2 - 3 years! Who is going to pay $60 per month for that long?

3) The new system may have been designed with the idea to give people more of an incentive to blog, but it really just pushes out the little guy (or woman). Some people want to "make it" on the leaderboard, but struggle with writing. Some of us just don't have as much to say, struggle with finding topics to write about, or don't have a lot of spare time. And some of us are not realtors and so don't have the opportunity to put up twenty posts per day that are all listings. This system new automatically favors the realtors who have those listings to post and can accumulate points faster, people who have lots of time to write or for whom the words flow more easily.

Just my opinion.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Organizing and Cleaning - The Misconception of Talent vs. Learned Skills

Sat, 09 Apr 2011 11:23:07 -0700

Organizing and Cleaning - The Misconception of Talent vs. Learned Skills

Yesterday, I was working with a client, helping a young man get his kitchen set up after moving into a new home. As we worked, I ended up teaching him a few things about kitchens. He readily admitted that he hardly knew anything about how to use some of the tools in a kitchen, let alone how to set one up. He mentioned that he had told a female friend about working with me and how she had remarked that even though she knew she could stand to be better organized, she didn't see the point of hiring an Organizer. He said he had the impression that she felt like somehow she was less of a woman if she couldn't organize her own home.

I actually run into this quite often. Many women deal with large amounts of shame when it comes to their home keeping abilities. I've heard many women express that it's one thing for a man to be messy and disorganized - most people don't think twice about it because typically men are worse at it to begin with, and secondly, they don't often care that much if they live in a mess. We don't often wonder if a man is embarrassed about it. But if a woman's house is unkempt, then somehow her abilities are called into question, as well as her standards ("How can she stand to live in that mess?? Doesn't she have any pride?")

It stands to reason why some women allow the situation to get really bad before the finally call for help. They keep trying to manage it themselves, but it keeps getting progressively worse. They keep thinking they "should" know how to do this. "I'm a woman, so I should have an instinct for cleaning and organizing."

Well, I can tell you that if you feel that way, I know how you feel. I felt exactly the same way. For the first years I lived alone, without someone to share the chores with, I struggled with keeping on top of everything by myself. Between working, keeping the house clean and organized, and having a life of my own, I sometimes felt like I was burning the candle at both ends just with that much. I couldn't begin to imagine what working women with children went through.

But later, when I discovered organizing, I found the secret to letting go of the shame and the self-imposed superwoman expectation. The "secret" is:

Cleaning and organizing are LEARNED SKILLS.

The definition of the word skill is "Proficiency, facility, or dexterity that is acquired or developed through training or experience." The key words here are training and experience.

Stop thinking just because you are a woman, you should just have these skills - this is, essentially, a contradiction in terms, since skills are acquired, not inborn. Human beings don't have inborn skills like many animals do; we have to be taught everything we know. Yes, there are people who have inborn talents, but talents are inclinations. A gifted musician still has to be taught how to read music and play an instrument. Having talent may make learning the skills easier, and after learning the skills, the talent takes over. (The definition for talent, by the way, is "a special natural ability or aptitude."

So, take sewing as an example. Most women I know wouldn't think of themselves as less of a woman just because they don't know how to sew. Ask them if they know how and they will just tell you they never "learned how." Nobody is born knowing how to sew. Sewing is a skill, a series of steps through a process. Well, so is Organizing and so is cleaning. Speak Russian for me - now. What's that? You never learned how? I've known people who grew up in bilingual households who could understand the foreign language but couldn't speak it because they never learned how.

Even for someone like me, who has a talent for Organizing, the skills - the process - still had to be learned. I probably have the gene for it if it exists - I don't know of anybody on both sides of my family going three generations back who isn't organized or a neat freak. But I still didn't have a thorough understanding of the process, of the how-to, until I educated myself, because I wasn't taught a specific process.

Generations of women growing up prior to about 1960 were largely brought up with the expectation of being a wife and mother. Many girls were brought up with daily exposure and instruction on domestic skills such as cooking (a skill, yes?), cleaning, shopping, laundry, ironing, etc. At the turn of the 20^th Century, it was commonplace for girls to miss school on Mondays to stay home and help with the laundry.

Somewhere along the way, women stopped teaching girls these skills. Maybe because women were no longer being raised with the sole expectation of being a wife and mother, we didn't assume having the skills was necessary. The problem is that men, as a rule, didn't automatically pick up the slack (especially not the earlier generations) and women for the most part are still left holding the household bag in addition to putting in hours at the office AND managing children AND starting our own businesses on the side, and so on.

So, what does all this ad up to? If you are a woman who doesn't know how to keep a house clean or stay organized it's NOT YOUR FAULT and there's NOT SOMETHING WRONG WITH YOU. Recognize that you just didn't get the training for it and you could learn if you had the opportunity. Cut yourself a little slack and hire someone to come in and teach you how.

It's really no different from learning any other process except that you will have private instruction in your own home and the chance to get hands-on training with things you will be using in the real world every day. Isn't that the best learning situation possible?

I would love to get feedback from other women about what domestic skills you were and weren't brought up being taught how to do.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

A Touching Testimonial

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:52:19 -0700

I received an email today from a former client who occasionally keeps me informed of her goings-on. The last paragraph of her email was so moving and complimentary that I asked if I could use it as a testimonial. This is going to end up on my website somewhere, but I wanted to share it. Yes, I'm sure I'm tooting my own horn but also I'm always so thrilled and grateful to hear that someone was able to continue applying the principles of what I taught for the long run.

She also addresses a key point, that some people have trouble dealing with, which is that progress is made step-by step, and sometimes the progress is slower than they anticipated. Unfortunately, Professional Organizers have to battle the preconceived notions that organizing projects will be as quick as the tv show makeovers.

In any event, if I ever had any doubts that my work affects people's lives positively, this kind of feedback wipes all of that away. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

"Putting the effort I did into working with you two years ago is literally helping me to make my dreams come true. I really just want to share that with you because it's that small progress with each session that did make my life more functional and whole. There has been work in other aspects of my life I have done-- but your contribution has been an undeniable one and I feel you should know that."

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Pulling Weeds: An Exercise in Purging Clutter

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:02:02 -0800

I'm going through a purging spree. Every few years I go through absolutely everything I own and do a lifestyle update. The last time I went through everything was when I packed before I left L.A. I got rid of all big items except one desk and packed everything else in boxes to be stored in a storage unit. At the time, I wasn't sure I'd be transferring everything to Kentucky.

I inventoried the contents of all the boxes and built a database so that I would be able to send someone to the exact box if I really desperately needed something mailed to me. Fortunately, that never happened, but I got to put a really good idea into practice. Anyway, I've since had everything sent to Lexington and I'm now in the process of opening all these boxes for the first time in four years.

It is really amazing how the passage of time will alter your feelings about an object, and I talk all the time about this to my clients when setting up a system and a retention schedule for personal keepsakes. I mean, some of these things were really important to me when I packed them. They were wrapped and labeled so carefully.

There was a whole box of clothing, all the pieces essentially keepsakes and "hopefully-I'll-fit-into-this-again" stuff. Well, when I unwrapped them, I thought, oh lord, why did I take up space with this stuff? I guess at the time I really thought I would wear them again. They really are nice pieces. But at this point, even if I could squeeze myself into them, they wouldn't be age appropriate anymore - I'd look really silly. No, no, no.

The Lifestyle Update. We enter different phases of our life every few years. Elementary school, High School, College, Young Professional, Married, Kids, Divorced, Mature Single or Mature Married, Experienced Professional...the list goes on.

Each time we enter one of these phases, our lives require an overhaul. Activities, hobbies, clothing, furniture, household items, technology, size of living space, transportation, time management - all these elements need to be reevaluated whenever we enter a new phase. Hobbies we spent a lot of time with during one phase may not be so important after having a child. Clothing for College is not appropriate for that new job at the office.

As our lives change, we need our environment and our accessories to support our current lifestyle. Too often we move into a new phase of our life while expecting our old environment and accessories to support us as fully now as they did before. But this is a major disconnect and is exactly the problem I find with most people who have organization problems.

We are not separate from our environment. Everything about it either helps us or hinders us as we move through our lives. All native peoples who are connected to the earth know this. And in their traditional state they lived with very little, especially the nomadic cultures. They knew that a life encumbered by lots of possessions hampered the ability to easily move to a more supportive environment.

Whenever we get the "itch" to go through all corners of our life's possessions and purge, it usually signifies entry into a new phase, and with it, a willingness to do a ruthless examination of our lifestyle. It is our subconcious' way of flagging us that our environment and accessories are no longer supporting us. Don't ignore that itch because if you do, you will most likely feel like you are pushing through life as if you were wading waist-high through a swamp filled with weeds. Go ahead and pull the weeds - the garden of your life will be the prettier and the healthier for it.

So, I did originally have a point to all this...Oh yeah, I was going to talk about a store I took some cds to and I got off on a tangent. Another time.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Can a Sticky Drawer Lead to Clutter?

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 20:52:32 -0800

Can a Sticky Drawer Lead to Clutter?

The short answer is Yes!

Here's the long answer, the explanation, a story, and a sticky drawer tip:

I bought an old dresser. Does 1976 qualify as an antique? I'm not sure, but I am sure that this dresser is a much better built one than a lot of furniture out there now. It's a beautiful design, cherry wood with old brass pulls and it is made of real wood, not that nasty pressboard that is used so much today. When I got it I was so excited. I cleaned it out and loaded the drawers with clothes. But I noticed that the drawers were really hard to pull out because of the wood rubbing on wood. I was a bit disappointed. Here was the only drawback to not having nice metal runners.

So I asked my grandmother if there was anything that I could do to the drawers to make them slide easier. Without missing a beat, she replied, "Johnson's Paste Wax." Huh? I'd never heard of it. She said it comes in a can and you just scoop some out with a rag and rub it on the parts of the drawer that rub against each other. She had a can so she loaned it to me. (Grandmothers are so cool - they have all the answers!)

I had to pull the drawer out and empty it again so I could turn it upside down. I liberally applied the wax to all the edges of the drawer and the inside of the dresser where the drawer would sit. The unfinished wood really sucked up the wax, so I ended up putting on 2 or 3 coats. Then I put the drawer back in. Amazingly, it slid back and forth like a dream - that wax really works!

The only downside is that the wax smells really strong - like shoe polish, but about 5 times more potent. My cat was not pleased. I really recommend waxing the drawers when you can open the windows and ventilate the room, and take the drawers outside. Then, let them sit for a while before you bring them back inside so the smell can dissipate. I only did one drawer because of this. I'm waiting until the weather warms up so I can do the rest.

Ok, so now you know how to wax a sticky drawer. And what does this have to do with being organized? Well, if you can't easily get into a drawer, cupboard, closet, or anywhere for that matter, to get to something, do you think you are going to keep using it? No. Once the sticky drawer is perceived as a hassle, you won't use it. Instead, you'll start dumping the stuff that was supposed to go into that drawer onto a table, a counter, or a different (easier to get to but not where it's supposed to be) drawer. Clutter ensues, chaos reigns supreme.

So the moral of the story is: Wax your sticky drawers - and you'll be sure to actually use them and keep clutter from creeping out of them!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Your Location Inside the Time Zone Determines Your Daylight Hours

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 19:54:14 -0800

Your Location Inside the Time Zone Determines Your Daylight Hours

Can I just say how very, very happy I am that the days are getting longer, that it is not pitch dark by 5pm? When we get into the depths of winter here in Kentucky, I count the days once we hit December 21, waiting for the days to get longer. I really almost don't mind the cold temps as long as there is sunlight. And at least it has not been as dreadfully gloomy this winter as it was last year. I remember counting only about 3 days of sunshine in January of 2010. Yuck!

What I have found to be, by far, one the hardest things to adjust to since moving from Los Angeles, Ca to Lexington, Ky is the difference in the time of sunrise. I can sort of handle the sun being lower in the sky during the day, especially in winter, but I really have a problem with daybreak not hitting the sky until 7am and the sun not rising until almost 7:30am.

Having grown up in southern California, I always assumed that the time of sunrise had to do with how close we were to the equator. But I have noticed since moving to Lexington, that the sun rises at about the same time, no matter the season. Even in summer, in Lexington, it is still fairly dark at 7am (after the time change kicks in, of course). I am used to daybreak occurring around 6:30am and the sun being up over the horizon already by 7am. Not having the sun up by then makes it really hard for me to wake up in the morning! So why, I wondered, was the sunrise so late here in Lexington?

I could not figure this out until my dentist, of all people, provided the answer. I was having this very conversation with the assistant, when my dentist walked in and explained that it has more to do with where you are located within the time zone - i.e. how far east or west you are inside the time zone.

Los Angeles, Ca, for example, is less than halfway into the time zone from the eastern side, so their sunrise will be average for the time zone. Lexington, Ky, on the other hand, is virtually at the western edge of its time zone. If I drive just a couple hours west, I would cross over the time zone and what was 7am in Kentucky, is 6am in Indiana, so they do get the sunrise at 6am! So, even though we are in the same time zone as Maine (eastern time zone) , they get the sunrise a lot earlier than we do. In February 2011, for example, the sun will be rising between 6:30am and 7am in Augusta, Maine, at about 7am in Charleston, SC, and between 7:20am and 7:30am in Lexington, Ky. All three cities are within the same time zone, but experience very different sunrise times.

The flip side of this late sunrise problem is that, here in the Bluegrass region of Kentucky, we have really late daylight hours during the summer. While the sun sets earlier in other areas, Lexington has daylight until almost 10pm at the height of summer, which makes for some really great outdoor activities such as sports, barbeques, gardening etc. On the other hand, I would hate to have to put children to bed when there is still sunlight - that makes it tough to get sleep. So, there are pros and cons to it, of course.

So I guess this would definitely be something to consider if you are affected greatly by sunlight and are thinking of relocating to Lexington, Ky or anywhere for that matter. Where you live in the time zone will determine your daylight hours, and that might be important to you. If you are a morning lark, you may want to live at the eastern edge of the time zone to get an early sunrise. Night owls might do better at the western edge of a time zone. Do you need sunshine early in the morning or late at night? Are you a morning lark or a night owl?

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Don't Trash Your Stash - Hats Off to Cancer Patients!

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:29:27 -0800

Don't Trash Your Stash - Hats Off to Cancer Patients!

Don't Trash Your Stash is a series of blog posts that explores ways for you to unload your clutter while helping the environment and the community.

The other day, I came across a hat I've had for a long time, but don't wear anymore. Apparently I have suffered from the gift syndrome - feeling like I couldn't give something away because a friend gave it to me as a gift. Well, it's time to let it go, but knowing it would go toward a good cause helped make it easier.

The next time you are cleaning out your closet, consider donating any unwanted hats to the Look Good, Feel Better program, administrated by the American Cancer Society, a free nationwide program available to female cancer patients who would like to receive assistance with the appearance related side effects of cancer treatment. The workshops provided by the program teach women how to apply makeup to compensate for skin discoloration, and how to use head coverings such as hats, scarves and wigs.

As an Organizer I always encourage my clients to give their clutter to a good cause and hats are no exception. The program will take donations of hats, scarves, turbans, and any other head coverings, as well as new/unused cosmetics. Some locations will also accept wigs and gently used mastectomy bras.

A note about the wigs: the LGFB website states that it does not accept wigs as donations; however, I have spoken personally to two hospitals in Lexington that host the program, and have been told that wigs would be accepted. So, if you have a wig to donate, call the particular location you are interested in, and ask them about it first.

To find a program in your area, go to the Look Good, Feel Better website, scroll to the bottom of any page and enter your zip code into the "Find A Program" search box. A local search provided the following results list for program locations here in Lexington, Kentucky:

American Cancer Society Hope Lodge

Imani Baptist Church

University of Kentucky Markey Cancer Center

The John D. Cronin Cancer Center

Central Baptist Hospital
Note: to drop off donations at CBH,
enter via the main entrance,
go to the 7th Floor, Ste 703
They take head coverings including wigs and new cosmetics.
859-260-4270, press 0.

Frani, dear, I hope you don't mind, but I'm going to pass that lovely hat you gave me on to someone who can really use it!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Umm, Bella?...Nice girls keep their legs closed

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:51:39 -0800

Need I say more?

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Ask The Organizer: Organizing Systems - Is There One Out There For Me?

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:16:37 -0800

Ask The Organizer: Organizing Systems - Is There One Out There For Me?

Occasionally, I will have someone ask me about getting a new organizing "system." The question goes something like this: "I just can't seem to get control of my paperwork in my office to manage my tasks and projects. Can you come look at my situation and tell me what things I should buy to create a new system?" Well, the answer is yes and no. I think where this question gets confusing is in the use of the word "system."

Merriam-Webster.com gives the following definitions for the word "system" that could be directly applied to our situation:

A regularly interacting or interdependent group of items forming a unified whole.
An organized set of doctrines, ideas or principles usually intended to explain the arrangement or working of a systematic whole.
An organized or established procedure
Harmonious arrangement or pattern

What I usually see happening in this case is that the person is thinking in terms of definition #1 - referring to the "things" that create a physical system. While containers, such as desktop file sorters, in/out baskets and file folders, are the building blocks of a physical paper flow system, for example, this is really secondary to the definition that I, as an Organizer would approach the situation with, which is definition #3: An organized or established procedure.

When I work with a client to evaluate their existing situation, the process includes going through the existing system with a fine-toothed comb to learn about the client's relationship to the objects in question. In the case of an office, I would work with the client, going through everything in the office to purge out anything unnecessary, and in the process, learn about how the client functions on a personal level, what the they do with the papers they have, and about the processes that already exist, including both the ones that work and the ones that don't work.

Once I have learned all these things, I can then begin to suggest solutions for the problem areas of the procedure, and as this happens, we begin to discover what physical objects can facilitate them. When we know all the places in the procedure where a physical container of some sort is needed, then we have, in essence, created a customized physical "system."

So, in terms of being able to walk into someone's office and tell them what "system" they should go buy, you can see that it really doesn't work that way. Going out and buying what is essentially a coordinated desk set does not address the source of the problem. In any case, it would be a bit like prescribing medicine without first diagnosing the illness, or trying to tailor a dress to a specific person without ever having the body inside it.

Even if there was a group of items that could solve one person's problem, it wouldn't necessarily solve someone else's problem since everybody is unique. This is why I always tell my clients to NOT go buy containers until after we have completed the purging and sorting process and we see what we have left that actually needs containers.

After explaining something similar to this to a lady in my last workshop, she said, "Oh, I thought you were going to wave your magic wand and make it all organized for me!" Sorry, I wish I could sprinkle some fairy dust and make it all better instantly, but until that can happen, there's just no getting around the dirty work of organizing: having to actually go through everything and make some hard decisions!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Create A SPAM Button

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 12:00:15 -0800

You're seriously kidding - some yahoo con artist signs up and then writes a blog post with one of those letters soliciting sales of gold bars from Ghana. Like they think any of us are actually going to fall for it, but it takes up valuable AR space.

PLEASE create a "Flag as Inappropriate" or "Report SPAM" button on blog posts - or both!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Lexington, Ky Dentist Review - Dr. Doyle Freano

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:14:09 -0800

Lexington, Ky Dentist Review - Dr. Doyle Freano

There are certain professionals you will want to hang on to when you find a good one. Hairstylist, auto mechanic, veterinarian, doctor, dentist. Well, I have found a really fantastic dentist who I'd like to share with you. His name is Doyle Freano DDS and he is in Lexington, Kentucky. I was referred to him by my family members when I moved here, and my grandmother especially loves him. She couldn't stop talking about how thorough he is, what a perfectionist he is, and considering how discriminating my grandmother is, I figured he had to be pretty good.

I hadn't been to the dentist in several years at that point because I had developed a fear of "the chair," but when I could no longer put it off, I made the appointment and went in. Honestly, had I known how nice the experience was going to be, I would have gone in a lot sooner! Dr. Freano sets aside time each week to deal with us "high anxiety cases." He sat and talked with me for a long time, discussing his procedures and the different options I had for dealing with the anxiety. I was virtually in tears even just talking about it.

He took me in to have all my dental x-rays done, and then he did the actual exam. He was very gentle, and true to grandma's word, he was very thorough. All of his staff who handled me were also very gentle as well, and very pleasant people. Then Dr. Freano sat back down with me and went over the pictures of my teeth to show me all the cavities that needed to be dealt with. In my case, since I had several old fillings, some of which had developed new decay, we decided to replace them all. Since he doesn't use mercury-based fillings, the old fillings, along with all the new cavities, would all be filled with a non-toxic white amalgam.

My next appointment was for a cleaning. They hygienist did a great job, and was very gentle. Afterwards, Dr. Freano did another exam.

Then came the dreaded first drilling appointment. Dr. Freano had written me a prescription for Valium. He said I could take a couple of those, and if I wanted to, I could use nitrous oxide gas at the office as well. (Although the nitrous oxide is not covered by insurance, the only charge is for the usage per hour and it is a very reasonable price at that!) Well, I used it all - you see, it's not the drilling I have a problem with, it's the needle. I have a thing about needles...I don't like them, especially in my mouth, so I have to do whatever I can to not be aware of the needle.

I really had a terrible time leading up to that first drilling appointment. I hardly slept the night before. I didn't know what affect the medication and the gas would have on me, if it would be enough. I really didn't want to know what was going on, but I knew I wouldn't be completely out. I took an mp3 player loaded with soothing music. (They also have headphones available at the office you can use that are hooked up to the cable TV music stations).

The valium made me groggy, and was slow to take effect. The nitrous oxide made me feel drunk, and was quick to take effect. Between the two I was a little more carefree than I would have otherwise been. The music also helped to divert my attention and drown out the surrounding sounds. The only problem: I was still way too aware of what was going on. But because of the sedatives, I just didn't have the capacity to react to it.

Dr. Freano was wonderful the whole way through. If I wasn't comfortable moving forward, he didn't push me. He took the time to let another application of topical anesthetic take effect, or for another Valium to set in. I remember him talking to me the whole time. Even though I didn't like what was going on, I felt really safe and cared for, a really good thing to feel when under the drill.

While I still can't say that going to the dentist is my favorite thing to do, I can say that I definitely have less anxiety about it than I used to, knowing that I'm in such good hands.

Dr. Freano practices dentistry for all ages, including children. There is even a little playhouse adjacent to the waiting room for the munchkins. He does take insurance, however, he prefers to not be attached to any one insurance company as a preferred provider, so that he has more flexibility with what services he can provide his patients (not using mercury-based fillings, for example). He will work out payment plans for cash (non-insurance) patients, and he also has a way of offering all of his patients an extra 5% discount on the bill. His cash prices are pretty reasonable, too.

By the way, I'm not getting paid anything to write about Dr. Freano, and I'm not even getting any kind of referral credit. I just think he is a really rare find as far as dentists go, and want to let other people in the community know about him. I just don't want anybody who is scared like I was to put off having their teeth taken care of, because it will only be worse the longer you wait and we also now know it affects our overall health. I've also heard a lot of stories from people about how they were unhappy with their current dentist. Well, here's somebody I think you will be very happy with, especially those of us who are scaredy-cats!

Dr. Doyle Freano is located at 2353 Alexandria Drive, Lexington, Ky 40504 and can be contacted at 859-296-9711.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

January Filing Workshop A Success

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 13:35:47 -0800

Last night's filing workshop at the Eagle Creek Library in Lexington, Kentucky was a success, despite the weather. It was COLD and we got a couple inches of snow throughout the day, but that didn't stop the brave souls from coming out to the library. 14 Attendees in all, Tammy, the Librarian, and I were amazed at the turnout. We had been agonizing earlier in the day over whether to reschedule and I said, "oh, let's just go for it."

We all had a great time and there was a lot of interaction between the participants, which was exactly what I wanted. A lot of great questions came up. Some of the things we discussed were:

How to designate "Active," "Inactive" and "Archive" filing categories.
How long to keep different types of paperwork, such as medical records, utility bills, bank account and credit card statements, and tax records.
How long to keep the box and packaging something came in.
How to deal with clippings from magazines and newspapers.
Ideas for keeping different types of important reference materials.
How to determine whether something goes in a file or in another place.
The difference between just keeping something and making a decision about keeping something.

These are all the same kinds of things that I usually discuss with my clients when working one-on-one, except even the participants were able to contribute ideas as well, which I love. Supplies were provided, and I gave out a couple door prizes. I think we all really enjoyed the experience, and I'm looking forward to doing this kind of workshop on a more regular basis.

In the meantime, it's really ok to throw away the inserts that come with your utility bill!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Happy 90th Birthday Grandma!

Fri, 07 Jan 2011 20:34:43 -0800

Happy Birthday to my dear grandmother Betty, who is 90 years old today. She has been a role model and inspiration to me all my life. She taught me that a woman doesn't have to run herself into the ground to be a good housekeeper and mother. Here are some other things I learned from my grandmother:

Don't clutter up the house and you won't have so much to clean and deal with.
Set a routine for your housekeeping - keep it simple but regular and you can keep on top of things.
Only take on as much as you can comfortably handle.
Pick one or two things to get done each morning so you can keep your sanity when you come home at night.
Don't sweat the small stuff.
Don't get emotionally involved.
Stand up for what you believe in.
Ignore small-town politics/gossip and don't worry about what other people think.
Sometimes naughty people need a good telling off.
Keep your mind sharp and your body fit.
Be grateful for what you have and find ways to give to people who are less fortunate.
Don't let your husband throw away your favorite vaccuum cleaner.
Truth is stranger than fiction. Reality is often funnier than fiction.
Have at least one good adventure during your life.
An occasional fight is good for the spousal relationship as long as you can have fun making up.
Ringer washer machines are cool.
Stay on the phone all day if that's what it takes to get satisfaction.
If you want to reveal family secrets, tell them to your chatty granddaughter without telling her they are a secret.
Don't take those stupid medications that have "stroke" as a possible "side effect".
A nice flower garden always makes a great backdrop for family photos. A sofa, too.

Happy Birthday to a reall "doll" of a Grandma!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Regional and Local Words & Phrases - From "Whatever" to "Puny"

Sat, 18 Dec 2010 08:24:02 -0800

After reading Michael Jacobs' post about "Whatever" and other overused words, it got me to thinking about all the other colloquialisms that we use. Having been fortunate enough to be in "The Valley" during my teens, a lot of Valley Girl talk was engrained in my speech.

I've gotten rid of a lot of it, but I would say there are still several that hang on like stubborn leeches. Unfortunately, "like" is one of them. As much as I try to circumvent it, replace it and omit it, it still creeps in. Other ones that are layovers from my Valley Girl days are "totally," "seriously," and "OMG."

Having spent virtually my whole life in Los Angeles until moving to Lexington, Kentucky four years ago, I've realized that there are regional colloquialisms, too, that I was not aware of until I moved. The other day I used the word "Dude" in a sentence (for probably the first time in a very long time) and the person I was talking to commented that they had a relative in L.A. who used "Dude" all the time. I hadn't realized until that time how much of a localized word it might be. A real testament to pop surfer culture infiltrating the local language.

When I moved to Lexington, Kentucky, there were a few phrases that were new to me. I noticed that people here say "I know it" instead of just "I know." They also tend to say "If you don't care to..." or "I don't care to..." instead of "I don't mind..." or "If you don't mind..." Also, believe it or not, I had never heard the phrase "throw him under the bus" until I moved here. This may not be regional, but I had just never heard it before.

A word that seems to be uniquely southern is the word "Puny." As in "He's feeling puny today." Whaaaa? I had no idea what that was. Apparently it means feeling under the weather, sick, not well, etc.

Many years ago, I heard a woman from the east coast (I think it was one of the Carolinas) use the phrase "It just make you want to run with your hair on fire!" When I first heard it, it took about 15 minutes of explanation for me to start to understand what it meant.

Just the other day I was told that the local terminology is "interstate" when I used the word "freeway."

Another thing that differs regionally is the pronunciation of words. My grandmother and a friend and I were comparing regional pronunciations one day. I pronounce "Tomato," "Potato" and "Mosquito" with the word "toe" at the end. My grandmother, who is originally from Cleveland, Ohio, says (and I'm trying to write this the way it sounds), "Tamayta," "Patayta" and "Maskeeta." My friend, who is from Alabama, says, "Mayter," "Tayter" and "Skeeter."

I'm sure that a whole book could be (and probably has been) written on this subject. But I would love to hear from people about their unique regional words, phrases and pronunciations.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Don’t Trash Your Stash! - Reuse Greeting Cards to Make Gift Boxes

Tue, 14 Dec 2010 21:33:25 -0800

Don’t Trash Your Stash! - Reuse Greeting Cards to Make Gift Boxes

Since it’s getting close to the gift-giving holiday, I thought I would share a cute craft courtesy of one of my local clients: how to create small gift boxes from greeting cards. To give credit where credit is due, my client told me she got this from her mother, who got it through someone at her church. So, the originator of this craft is unknown, but “thank you” to whoever it is, because it is super cute! This is a great way to give greeting cards one more life before being recycled, since it doesn’t matter if there is writing on the inside.

Step 1: Open the card and cut on the creased fold line, separating the front of the card from the back.

Step 2: Shorten the length of the back section of the card by cutting 1/8” off each end.

Step 3: Mark the center on the inside of each side of the card with a small X by placing a straight-edge diagonally from corner to corner.

Step 4: Fold each card piece to the center mark on all four sides and crease well (folding toward the inside of the card piece).

Step 5: On each card piece, cut along the crease lines on the long ends of the piece. Cut parallel to the length of the card piece, and stop where the width crease crosses the length crease. There will be a total of four cuts on each card piece.

Step 6: Create each side of the box. On each card piece, fold up the long ends, fold in the two cut sections, and then fold up the end piece. The extra length on the end piece gets folded down into the inside of the box side. If needed, hold this in place with a small piece of tape.

Step 7: Line the bottom half of the box with tissue paper, shredded paper or whatever lining you prefer.

Step 8: Place the lid of the box on top. As you can see, the image on the card will wrap down the sides to give a complete look.

With experience, you will be able to tell what part of the design on the card front will be centered on top of the gift box.

This will work with any size card, but remember the box will always be half the length and width of the original card size.

If desired, the card can be trimmed before folding and cutting to make the image on the card be centered on the box. Cards for any occasion make attractive gift boxes they can be matched to the event: birthdays, any holiday, for thank-you gifts, etc.

You can also use larger card stock and decorate plain card stock or paperboard with drawings, decoupage, painting, etc.

From an organizing standpoint, this means you no longer need to keep that collection of small gift boxes stashed in your closet in case you need one for a small gift. Now you can make one whenever you need it!

Use your imagination and have fun!

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com

Active Rain Groups Suggestions

Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:49:12 -0800

While I am thinking about it, I would like to make a couple of suggestions about the Groups.

1. It would be nice if the original post date, and the date of the most recent comment were visible on the list of posts, so that one could see at a glance how current the posts are and what kind of recent activity there has been. Maybe a version of this suggestion could be to have the display set up in a column format so that the user can sort by "Date Posted" - Oldest/Newest, etc. or "Date of Last Comment" - Oldest/Newest, etc. How many times I have visited a group and started clicking on posts only to discover once inside the post that it is over a year old and nobody has commented for 9 months.

1-a. On this note, it would also be nice to have the year included in the date of each comment. When I am looking at the comments on a post it only says the month and day. Often times, it may seem at first by the date that the last post was only a couple of months ago, but when I scroll back up I discover, nestled in between two posts, one little header with the year that tells me that the posts I am reading are actually from one year and two months ago! Sometimes, if there are a lot of comments, I have to scroll for quite a while and really search around to find the last year heading. It gets tedious.

2. Again, on the subject of dates. I have discovered that there are some groups that don't seem to be getting updated regularly. From what I understand so far, the group administrator is responsible for marking a post "featured" within the group. But again, some of these "featured" posts are several months, sometimes over a year old! Would it be possible for there to be a fuction that automatically reverts a post back to "normal" status after a certain period of time so that they don't stay "featured" indefinitely if the administrator abandons the group? This would help to keep things current for the readers.

Thanks, AR, for listening to our suggestions.

Shanna Perino
Professional Organizer
A Sense of Order
Organizing for the Home and Office
www.asenseoforder.com