Saturday

In Business Interview

Accomplishment Journal Featured on In Business TV

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Sunday

Organize before you Overindulge

It’s bound to happen at some point. Whether you are celebrating a big event, celebrating a holiday, attending a concert, finishing a project, or just going out with friends to have some fun – there’s a chance you might overindulge!

While it can be so fun when you’re in the moment, when the moment has passed and you are faced with the results, a few steps of preparation a.k.a. organizing, can make it a little less painful.

Most of these need to be purchased, prepared or set before you start the party.




Transportation Organized!

Organized steps before you go out
If you are going out and don’t have a Designated Driver or limousine, there are two important factors to remember if you are driving to an event.
1) Make sure you have money for cab that you tuck away in a separate location from your spending money for the night.
2) Before you leave, make sure you have a key to the house. If you drove to an event, you might have pulled out of the garage and used a garage door opener to secure your home. You may have also switched into your small purse or single car key for your pocket. That means when the cab brings you home, you won’t have the garage door opener with you! Not everyone has a key pad entry for their garage or door, so make sure you have a key to the front door. One more thing, make sure you have not chained or dead bolted the door before you left via the garage!

Pre-Party Supplements Organized
If you are organized with a few items on hand before you have anything to drink, the articles I found stated that it can not only help prevent the hangover, it can help protect your liver.

Another natural treatment to prevent hangovers is to take vitamin B6 and thiamin that can help clear the liver from acetaldehyde, which builds up in the liver causing a hangover. Take a high dosage of vitamin B, such as B-50, before you start drinking.

The next natural treatment is milk thistle. Milk thistle is an herb that works to protect liver cells from
alcohol by preventing and removing toxins from the cells. Taking two capsules with a meal before you start drinking is recommended to prevent hangovers.
Here is the link to this posted information.

Post Party Supplements Organized

Organized for when you get home
You also want to prepare a few things for when you arrive home and before you head off to sleep.

Hopefully you were drinking water all throughout the evening. A good rule of thumb is one drink, one water, one drink, one water. The next thing is to make sure you drink water before you go to sleep.

The main symptom of a hangover is dehydration and that can be minimized by drinking plenty of water. A headache is a symptom of dehydration and may be eased with pain relievers and by drinking water.

You may also want to try one of the following supports before you doze off.

If you ever drink too much and experience the sickening side effects
of a hangover, try these natural treatments to prevent or cure it. A teaspoon of bifidus can help you get through the night and prevent a hangover the next morning. Before you head off to bed, put a teaspoon of bifidus powder in a glass filled with water, stir it until the powder is dissolved, and drink up. Taking bifidus as a natural treatment works wonders if you take it after a night of heavy drinking; you’ll wake up the next morning with no traces of a hangover. Bifidus works because it reduces acetaldehyde, a digestive product of alcohol that is believed to cause the symptoms of a hangover.
An ayurvedic remedy consisting of lime and sugar water works to balance the elements that cause hangovers. The sugar helps to stabilize blood sugar and the lime refreshes and activates the liver. Add two teaspoons of fresh lime juice and ¼ teaspoon of sugar to a glass of water and drink slowly. Take the lime and sugar water after you have drank alcohol to cure a hangover. I would suggest mixing it in a water bottle before you go out!

Here is the link to this posted information.

Morning After Organized

4) If you are going to be organized for the morning after, do these steps BEFORE you go out!
Set your alarm clock and test the volume
Prepare a healthy breakfast and put it in the fridge ready to eat or warm up
Decide on and layout your clothing for the next day

Morning and Day After Supplements Organized

Essential Oils
The next natural treatment to cure hangovers is aromatherapy. Taking essential oils are a powerful way to cure the symptoms of a hangover the morning after.
If you feel sick, put a small drop of peppermint oil under your nose.
Taking coriander oil can also help to cure an upset stomach, put two drops on your stomach twice a day.
Frankincense oil helps to cool the body and can stop the sweats, put one drop on the upper right side of your abdomen, which is where your liver is located.
Grapefruit or orange essential oil can help lift your spirits.
Put two drops of vetiver essential oil on the top of your head to help you regain focus.
And lastly, to help cure those brain numbing headaches, place a drop of marjoram essential oil behind your ear. Not only will it help cure the headache but balance your central nervous system as well.

Hangover Helper Scent Inhaler is a natural hangover remedy. The pure essential oils were selected for their known hangover relief benefits to reduce the side effects of excessive alcohol consumption and debauchery.
Supplemental Facts: The blend for the Hangover Helper Scent Inhaler comprises:
Basil: Reduces nervous irritability.Peppermint: Lifts fatigue and calms the stomach.Lavender: Improves balance and relieves pain.Lemon: Clears the mind of tension.Jojoba: Aids in delivery of the other four fragrances
By focusing on a positive thought you will achieve even greater results with your Hangover Helper Inhaler, by gaining mindfulness in the moment.Directions: Open Inhaler, close your eyes and mouth, inhale and repeat your positive though or meditation.

Thursday

Things to Organize in the Spring



What kind of thing MUST you organize in the Spring?


1) Schedule an appointment for an AC checkup for your car and home!

2) When you do the seasonal clothing switch, here are a few organizing suggestions.
Closet structure – Check to see if any part of the closet needs adjusting or improvements?
Purge – Before you start the switch and possible purging, check out some of the spring and summer clothing trends.
Storage Protection – It’s very important to pack away wintery items so they are safe and protected. Whether you need to protect from bugs, dust, heat or humidity, take the extra care to protect the clothing for 6 months.

3) Make a commitment to your health and physical well being. Set up a program, make a chart or calendar to track your plan and your progress, turn up the heat and set a goal!
Diet – What type of eating lifestyle will best support your physical and mental health?
Exercise - Whether it’s for the shorts and short sleeves or for the extra activities that require better fitness, start now so you have a couple of months to get your body into shape!

4) Summer Activity Preparation
Summer Equipment – Maybe it’s a boat, a bike, camping gear or any other piece of equipment. It’s time to clean up, restock supplies, refresh the emergency kits, do a safety check and schedule repairs. Even if you have been using it all year, an annual review is a good, organized practice.
Travel – Research options now for summer travel. Then make reservations, schedule time off, and make any other arrangements necessary for fun summer adventures.
Register for Activities – Research and register for summer programs. They fill up fast!

5) ENJOY Spring Weather
Get outside before the heat, or bugs and humidity keep us indoors.
Plan a picnic, schedule a hike, or even enjoy dinner on the patio!

Saturday

5 Keys to Organized First Aid Kits


In the middle of the night, when someone becomes sick or you have an emergency, that's not the time to realize your medications are expired and you used the last band-aid!

We don't plan for an injury or accident, so being prepared is important because there's no warning and you don't exactly set an appointment for accident Make sure your First Aid Kits are up to date and well stocked.

Products expire, life changes, preferences change and so do your needs. Here are 5 quick tips to help you Be Organized, Be Prepared! My goal is to help you catch the things in life that need attention, even though they are not screaming at you this very moment!


http://www.fox5vegas.com/video/18909748/


5 Keys for Making an Organized First Aid Kit

This is not intended to replace medical advice from a registered physician. Please check with your doctor about special needs you may have or items you may need to avoid.

1) Basic First Aid Kit
The minimum is to have a basic First Aid Kit and to either know the basics of First Aid or have a quick reference guide. You can either purchase a prepackaged one or go to one of the websites below to get a list and put together your own kit.
Basic First Aid Kit Websites
Ready. gov Website
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/firstaidkit.html

FEMA.gov website

http://www.fema.gov/plan/prepare/firstaid.shtm

2) Preferences
Next is to look at preferences for what you want to include in a First Aid Kit. Look into preferences such as holistic options and how those preferences will change what you add to your First Aid Kit.
Holistic Basic First Aid Websites
Basic Holistic Site
http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_12025.cfm
Holistic for Toddlers and Kids
http://naturalmedicine.suite101.com/article.cfm/essential_oils_for_kids_parents

3) Special Needs
Now it's time to individualize even further for special and lifestyle needs. There might be someone in the family with special medical needs, you might need items for pet emergencies and then there are many activity related needs. The list below might trigger areas of your life you had not included.
Supplies For Toddlers and Kids
http://www.mypreciouskid.com/first-aid-kit.html

For Pet Owners
Pet Owners Site 1
http://www.prepare.org/animal/petaid.htm
Pet Owners Site 2
http://www.canismajor.com/dog/fstaidk.html

First Aid Kits locations:
Medicine Cabinets
Hall ClosetsOffice
Diaper bag
PurseKitchen
Travel Bags
cars
camping gear
emergency kits
hiking gear
pool areas
boats

4) Location
There are two factors related to the location; make it assessable, yet don't make it assessable. Make sure a First Aid Kit is assessable and easy to identify. If you have packed your own variation of supplies and it doesn't say FIRST AID KIT in big bold letters, then make sure you label it so others can identify it. The flip side is to make sure it's not too assessable for children and pets.
There are over 100,000 Over The Counter medications available today. To read about OTC medicine safety visit http://www.otcsafety.org

5) Regular Review of Supplies
It is always surprising when you pull out First Aid Kits and Medicines that they expired so long ago. Yes, time flies between times you use these items so have a regular review of the supplies in your kits.
There are three main things you're looking for on your annual or semi-annual check in:
Need to restock after items are used
Update on needs
Expiration Dates

Suggestion about expiration dates
If you have, for example, an antibiotic cream that will expire in 8 months. Put that one in the place that you would likely use it first. Put the new tube in the place that you would likely use it last.

Buying in bulk
If you purchased some items in bulk and are going to divide it among several kits, be cautious of items that have expiration dates. If you refill a little bottle of ibuprofen from a big new bottle of ibuprofen, watch for expiration dates because you don't want to resort in the future and toss good medicine, but you also don't want to think something is OK and have it actually expired. An item that will be handy to have when you restock is various sizes of ziploc bags.

© Balanced Organizing Solutions, LLC

Friday

The 5 C’s of Discipline for a Project

When you decide to take on a marketing project, or any project for that matter, incorporating any of the 5 C’s will help you with the discipline of staying on task.

Coach
Calendar
Chart
Checklist
Confidence

There are many components to a project and the ones that get the most attention are the ones in the preparation area. They are important; however, once the project has moved from the preparation period into the implementation or the use phase, there are 5 C’s that are critical to the ongoing success of the project and the results.

Coach
Telling someone what you are going to do and asking them to hold you accountable for it will have a direct impact on your actions. Coaching comes in many forms and at many prices, so if you are going to gain the support from a coach, it must match your needs.

Calendar
This is the time you spend on the project to keep it progressing and generating great results. From how often to how long you spend touching the project components will need to fit into your days and weeks. Putting those actions on your calendar increases the likelihood it will happen.

Chart
Having a visual representation of how things are progressing provides you with honest results. Whether you have full metrics or a thermometer on the wall, seeing what is occurring is a great motivator for staying the course.

Checklist
Again, once the preparation is complete, now the real work begins. Many times the preparation of a project is to set up for a repeated action or a system to do its work. Having a checklist to verify the system process or repeated action will help ensure that the project is working as planned no matter who is managing the various parts of the system.

Confidence
If you have confidence that the project you are implementing will create incredible results, then the discipline you need to stick to the tasks will be much easier. Success is a given!

Check out the partnership of a Marketing Expert and my Organizing expertise at www.marketingorganized.com



Saturday

#31 Congrats and Final Task

CONGRATULATIONS!
... and thank you for participating in the
31 Ways to Get Organized in 31 Days 2009!


I hope this month gave you the opportunity to take on various organizing tasks that have made a difference in your life. While some of them might not move mountains, if you are less stressed, less frustrated and have more time, then you are free to get out there and move mountains!

There's one final task below, so don't leave just yet! I will also be sending you a quick survey and your reply is apprecaited!

Joyfully,
Brenda


Welcome to Way #31!

After a month of doing various organizing tasks, notice what made the biggest difference for you. Which task do you want to finish? or start? Which task will you repeat?

You also learned a bit more about yourself and your organizing style. Did a certain task make you the most energized? Did one save you the most time? Was there a task that you totally avoided because you didn't know how to tackle the hurdles associated with that task?

Day Way # 31 Make an organizing plan for February

* Look at the next month and determine what days you will do organizing tasks. Is Monday the big organizing day for you? Did you like doing one little thing each day?
* Schedule or target tasks you would like to repeat or complete.

* Make sure you are signed up for other Balanced Organizing Solutions eTips and Seminar annoucements.

Friday

#30 Less Housework

Who likes housework? Dusting, washing, vacuuming, and putting things away. Cutting down the time to do it or the amount you pay someone else to do it are easily within reach. Here are the staggering numbers: Getting rid of clutter eliminates 40% of the housework in an average household. That means 40% less time!
Significant enough that it's worth your time to eliminate some clutter!
Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 30 Pick one area in your environment and reduce the clutter in that space.

You know the space you need to pick. It's the one you dread cleaning, the one that takes you the longest or the one that never gets done because it seems like too much! Suggestions

* If the items in a space simply need to return to their home, first return them. Then determine why they tend to collect in that space and create a different solution for those items.

* It might be time to assess how many knickknacks you have around your environment. If you have a lot, it likely takes time to dust each one. It goes something like this; first move them all off the surface. Clean the surface. Then, one by one, dust them and return them to the location. Imagine if that surface only had 3 items on it and how much LESS time it would take.

* The above can also apply if you are a collections person. See if you can still have the collection, but spend less time cleaning it.

* The extra clutter can come from casually laying down a coat, a book, a flier from the store, or the item you need to return to the store. Be more purposeful in where you place things. It saves in two ways; first is that you don't have to touch it a second time to put it in its proper home and second is that you don't have to move it to clean.

Wishing you 40% less time cleaning or paying someone to clean! You have more important and fun things to do with your time and your money!

Thursday

Response to Comment on #29

Great Comment/Question from Rubbermaid about #29! How to get kids to not leave toothpaste all over the counter. http://blog.rubbermaid.com/

Here are a couple of ideas!

Let's get Rubbermaid to make a toothpaste slide for the front side of the sink. Place it over the edge of the sink and the goal for the "brusher" is to have the toothpaste and (sorry) spit go down the slide into the sink. Then rinse the slide and set it aside.

Another choice is to have a special "toothpaste towel" to wipe down the counter. That clean up is all it is ever used for and it could have a cute tooth or something on it. It could have been left by the tooth fairy at the last tooth under the pillow night with a note about not wasting precious toothpaste.

One last one, get them in the habit of using a kleenex to wipe their face and then use it to wipe off the counter as well. Not as green as the towel, but just tossing out ideas!

#29 - Bathroom Counter Clearing

Today's task is in a room everyone visits many times in a day, but one or two visits are more important than the others. So, I ask you, if there is a place that you visit every day and do virtually the exact same thing every day, shouldn't it be one of the most organized places in your world?

I think so!

It is the place that everyone takes morning time to whisk away the nighttime slumber and prepare for the day. And equally in the evening to wash away the day's residue.
Joyfully,
Brenda

Day Way # 29 Clear off your bathroom counter and organize the products you use everyday.

While I could request that you take on the whole bathroom, we are going to focus on the bathroom counter and you can take it as far as you would like from there. Suggestions

* Your bathroom counter should be 90% clear. Keep basic items like hand soap, ring holder, and a decorative item or two on the counter.
* Have quick access to products with a specific task. For example, I have a basket with my brushes, combs, hair dryer and clips. I pull out the whole basket, put it on the counter, do my task, then put the whole basket away. I also have all my make up in one plastic drawer from an organizer under the sink. I pull out the whole drawer, set it on the counter, do my task, then put the whole drawer away. Gives access without the constant clutter for the other 23 hours and 45 minutes of the day.

*An important aspect of having a clutter free and organized bathroom counter is that you spend less time doing the daily routinues. You get out what you need, use it and put it away. No hunting and searching through the mass of products that are on the counter. You also don't have to shift things around on the counter to make space for the items for the next task.

* When it is cleaning time, you don't have 14 splattered bottles on the counter to move before you can wipe down the counter. AND you don't have 14 bottles that look horrible because they've been splattered with toothpaste and various personal care products.

* For those that use heating elements on your hair, fewer melted bottle edges from a curling iron!