Tip Tuesday - Laundry Done Right

To avoid having detergent clot or stain your clothing, add it to the washing machine first. Then turn on the machine and dilute the detergent for a minute or so and then add your clothes.

Calendars/Date Books/PDA's ....Use What Works Best for You

Whether you use an electronic or paper planner, make sure you make the most of it. Use the notes section to make to-do lists, list important items that need to be accomplished within a specific time period. Make a habit of looking at your planner each evening before going to bed to make sure nothing gets forgotten for the next day.

And most of all, use only one planner. Don't keep both an electronic and paper planner or multiple calendars scattered around the house or office.

Keep your planner clutter free. Avoid keeping loose papers or sticky notes inside your planner. Transfer data from those notes onto the appropriate pages in your planner.

Be honest with yourself and use the planner type that works best for you. I like the monthly planners where you can see the whole month at once. This works best for me when making future plans or appointments. No surprises when the whole month is staring you in the face.

Tip Tuesday - Recycling Used Printer & Toner Cartridges

Staples has come up with a great recycling program for old printer and toner cartridges called the Ink Drop Program. Here's how it works:

When your ink cartridge runs out, drop a new one in your printer and mail us the empty one using a prepaid InkDrop envelope or mailing label. We'll get it and send you a replacement before you run out. We'll even recycle your old ones.

The service is free, even the shipping.

The only purchase you make is your cartridges. Once you're signed up and place a cartridge order we'll send your welcome kit with everything you need to get started.

Try it out and see how you like it. I think the best part is you always have an extra cartridge on hand so you're never caught without one.

College Application Planning

Senior year is here for our daughter and, of course, now we're planning for college. We've visited many schools over the last few months and have narrowed down the choices to eight schools.

There is so much to know about applying to college. Each college may or may not have its own application process. Some schools use the Common Application - most with a supplemental application of their own. Other schools (Cal States, for example), have one application that is used for all of their campuses. You just check off the campus(s) you're choosing to apply to.

With these different applications come different application due dates. Last weekend, I purchased a large calendar which will become "application central" in our house. All due dates including applications, test scores, letters of recommendation, housing applications, etc. will be calendared here.

The College Board is a good source for compiling some of this information however, I have found some deadlines which were not included on their website so I recommend using your own. We're fortunate to also have a very hands-on college counselor at our daughter's high school. This isn't always the case so I recommend using some sort of master calendaring system in your college application process.

Kangaroom - Creative Storage Solutions

If you want to try something completely different than the hard plastic and metal storage solutions out there, check out Kangaroom. Based on the kangaroos pouch, almost all Kangaroom's items are soft storage pieces designed to fold flat when not in use.



They have items for every room in the house - kitchen, baby's room, home office; as well as items for photo storage and travel.

Tip Tuesday - Eliminate Junk Mail

If you're tired of all that junk mail clogging your mailbox everyday, The Direct Mail Marketing Association can help you. Their website shows you ways to remove your name from mailing lists and cut down on the extra paper.

More Back-To-School Organizing Ideas

So, how did the first (or second) week of school go? If you're in need of more student organizing tips, check out Real Simple Magazine's "12 Easy Ways to Get Organized in the New School Year".

Swine Flu Information - What You Need to Know to Make Your Own Informed Choices

Today I am sharing with you information I received from my school employers concerning the Swine Flu.

Local organizations continue to receive updates from the City Health Departments and other organizations about the impact of the H1N1 Virus (formerly known as “swine flu”) on school populations and the larger community. Although the most recent guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expects a greater impact of the H1N1 virus than in spring of 2009, communities are still urged not to panic.

Here are some guidelines to follow for you and your family:

Children must remain home for the duration of an illness. Children with flu-like symptoms should remain home for at least a 24 hour period after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. A physician should be seen for an illness lasting more than a day or two (and for a fever, 100 degrees or more).

Some positive health practices to consider for your family:

· Wash hands frequently (after using the bathroom, before eating, etc.) with soap and lather for at least 20-30 seconds.

· Avoid touching your mouth, eyes, and nose.

· Sneeze or cough into a tissue or an elbow instead of your hands.

Additional CDC Recommendations/Information for Parents and Guardians of School-Age Children include:

· Flu-like symptoms: 100 degree temperature, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and overall tiredness. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

· Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or school is dismissed (for a minimum of five school days).

· Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.

· Update emergency contact lists.

· Identify a separate room in the house for care of sick family members. Consider designating a single person as the main caregiver for anyone who gets sick.

· Pull together games, books, DVDs, and other items to keep your family entertained while at home.

· Consider getting your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines are available.

Please visit the websites below for more information, updates, or answers to your questions about the H1N1 Virus.

· The Center for Disease Control and Prevention

· The US Department of Health and Human Services

· The California Department of Public Health

First Day of School - Quote for the Day

Today is the first day the kids come back to school. Here's a great quote appropriate to today:

“A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.”

―Ever Garrison

The Benefits of Being Organized

Less stress - looking at clutter and messiness actually causes more stress in your life.

More time to spend with family and friends - the less time you spend looking for things among the clutter, the more time you have for the important people in your life.

Save time and money when you plan your errands - organizing your time away from home in a productive way saves on gas and wasted time. Imagine planning your errand runs in a large circle starting and ending at your home.

Time for you - you'll have time to take a class, get back to the gym or walk with friends. Sign up for something you've always wanted to do.

Tip Tuesday - Organized Lunch Making

To avoid the last minute craziness of making lunches before the kids leave for school, prepare as much as you can the night before. Or, better yet, create small individual servings for the whole week so you can just grab what you need each day to put lunches together.