Tip Tuesday - One Bad Apple?

Did you know that apples contain a gas called ethylene gas? This gas can speed up the ripening process in other fruits and vegetables when they are stored together with apples.

Your tip for today is to store your apples in a separate bin in the refrigerator to prevent your other fruits and vegetables from ripening too quickly.

Avoid the Lines - Mail Your Tax Returns Today

I know, it's ONLY April 13th but trust me, you'll be glad you followed this advice. Mail your tax returns today instead of waiting until Wednesday, April 15th and avoid the horrendous lines which are inevitable on Tax Day.

And be sure to send your returns by Certified Mail to ensure that they arrive in a timely manner - especially if you're sending a payment along with the return.

Happy Easter

Wishing everyone a Happy Easter today. Enjoy your time with your family and don't eat too much Easter candy!

An Organizing Quote from A.A. Milne

Here is another daily quote which I received from Real Simple Magazine. It is by one of my favorite children's book authors, A. A. Milne, the author of "Winnie the Pooh".

Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up.

―A.A. Milne

I couldn't have said it better myself. Have a great day!

Tip Tuesday - Magnetic Photo Albums Are a No No

Do you still have your pictures from the 60's, 70's and 80's in those old photo albums with the magnetic pages? Get them out and into new acid free albums to prevent any more discoloration or fading. Those old photo albums will ruin your photographs.



If you don't have time to set up new photo albums, put the pictures, in order, into acid-free photo boxes.



Check out Michaels.com for more photo albums and boxes like those pictured here.

Batter Up!

Baseball opening day is here and I wanted to share a quote from George Will that basically says it all:

"Baseball is a habit. The slowly rising crescendo of each game, the rhythm of the long season - these are the essentials and they are remarkably unchanged over nearly a century and a half. Of how many American institutions can that be said?"

Enjoy another great season of baseball. Go Angels!

Spring Cleaning - Part II

Spring is a great time to lighten up your closets. Consider donating any heavy winter clothing that you and your family did not wear. Store sweaters in containers with cedar chips to keep them safe from clothes loving bugs during the warmer months. Before storing, be sure to wash or dry clean any coats or sweaters so they’ll be free of stains that bugs love to explore.

Make sure to clean or replace the filters in your air conditioning system.

Removing and washing the window screens can make a big difference in the amount of dirt that enters your home. Try doing this on a warm weekend when you can enlist the help of other family members. Use a strong hose and soft brush along with soapy water. Let the screens dry all day and return them to the windows before the sun goes down. You’ll be surprised how much more light will come through when the window screens are clean.

Hose down your outdoor furniture and clean out the rain gutters. Sweep the porch thoroughly and brush down any spider or cobwebs that have accumulated in the overhangs and porch lights.

Get the garage ready for summer. Take stock of your gardening tools and supplies and replace anything that’s broken or missing parts. Throw away any broken flowerpots and old seeds from previous years. Start fresh with new bags of soil and plants.

Remember, take just 30 minutes a day and you’ll be ready for Spring and Summer in no time.