My Inner Nag is my friend

I’m suffering from sorting burn out. Too much sorting makes Jane a burnt out girl.
Yesterday was almost a sort free day.
Yes, I still hated the sorting mess but the inner nag was put to rest for a day. Now if the Inner Nag had gone into a coma, I would have been worried but since she was having a vacation I didn't feel so bad.
Actually most times my Inner Nag is my friend. She can sometimes be my only source of motivation beyond pure shame.
She whispers sweet nothings about the organized clutter free life. She is the voice of reason
when I think I should be sentimental for someone else's benefit.

She enjoyed a nice mimosa while on one day hiatus. My day was rather boring.
She's much more glamorous than me. Her streamlined life inspires me. ...Sigh...
Back to the grind.

Sometimes it gets worse before it gets better

Sorting isn't one of my favorite things.
Sure I like the eventual outcome -less stuff.
But for someone heading toward their silver anniversary I’ve accumulated a lot before I even started to get organized.
I had a sentimental mother (not a bad thing) now I seem to be sorting through her saved items from my childhood-baby shoes,doll clothes,toys,books,etc. Since we are downsizing these things that I ignored in the basement,they can no longer be ignored for someday. So have 2 generations of stuff to sort through. A burden indeed.

So my living room is covered with bits of paper & notebooks (some love notes from my dh that I wont be tossing). Not sure how that got lumped in with other things but it was a source of joy in the mist of alot of stress. I'm glad I kept them. I really needed a boost of reassurance when I came across them. No regret there - they don't take up much space (thank God).
Most of the doll clothes will go to Salvation Army. Most in the trash. Seems I had love for trying to redesign things by cutting arm or leg holes (not sure which) into perfectly fine clothes.

So my house right now looks like some bizarre clearing house for gray plastic tubs,old notebooks & doll clothes. Weird for someone who doesnt have kids at home.
If it looks like that next month - I’ll be in trouble! Its another case of "it wont last forever-its only temporary"syndrome. But for now its driving me nuts!

Too Busy for Your Kids?

This poem so touched me about over commitment and being too busy. The author is unknown.

TO MY GROWN UP SON

My hands were busy through the day
I didn’t have much time play
The little games you asked me to
I didn’t have much time for you

I’d wash your clothes and sew and cook
But when you’d bring your picture book
And ask me please to share your fun
I’d say, “A little later son.”

I’d tuck you in all safe at night
And hear your prayers… turn out the light
Then tiptoe softly to the door,
I wish I’d stayed a minute more

For life is short, the years rush past
A little boy grows up so fast
No longer is he at your side,
his precious secrets to confide.

The picture books are put away
There are no longer games to play
No good night kiss, no prayers to hear,
that all belongs to yesteryear.

My hands once busy are now still
The long days are hard to fill
I wish I could go back and doThe little things you asked me to do.
-anonymous

I then spend two hours trying to find something I can get at to get rid of

I was determined to throw or give away at least one thing away yesterday. I have that look in my eye like “nothings sacred” look out! I then spend two hours trying to find something I can get at to get rid of. The two hours was not all at one time but I did keep track because the length of time was driving me nuts.
I finally gave a way some curtain clip rings that I was never in love with (they came from a “too cheap to pass up” sale). I did use them before we moved so it wasn't like I never used them.

Granted this is not a quick process right now- my left hand is burning like fire so that makes things grievous to do. Other things have been taking precedent, like shredding old bank statements from 2002 ( which I do regularly now). With online banking these days you don't even need to get mailed a statement. I can’t think of a bank that doesn't have it.


The week before I quickly rifled thru my old issues of Cottage Living & found I could part with ONE issue *sigh*. I like that magazine for its way of dealing with smaller spaces. Not everyone has a home here they can have ten foot couch. I actually liked the ideas even when I lived in large home. We found an idea in CL to redo a bathroom in white bead board- very cottagey and super easy to install. It was a success.

I don't keep all my old magazines for “someday” but I do keep some. It actually keeps me from running out & buying more. I love magazines. I think they suite my attention span for reading. I use them as visual idea fodder as well.

I love decorating but found its not of much use if things are so cluttered the first thing eyes go to is the clutter NOT the Monet print.

I say all this to say "DONT GIVE UP"! Your small achievement today can lead to a bigger one tommorow. You may think you didn't do much but something is better than nothing. Right?

We’ve been moving -please sympathize

I realize my blog is lagging behind but we’ve been moving so
any of you who’ve done that lately can sympathize.

In moving I learned the obvious
1) I have too much stuff
2) I’m more sentimental than I used to be. Must be that getting older stuff.
3) I’m horribly addicted to new curtains
4) Moving can cause an inordinate amount of spouse bickering.
5) You will live through it all
6) No one loves your home as much as you do.

Any prayers for home sales appreciated. Thanks

Preparing a Hurricane Evacuation Plan

Evacuation plans should be set in motion once a Hurricane Watch is issued because there is only a window of 24-36 hours before the storm hits. Start preparing a hurricane evacuation plan with a safe destination either inland or completely out of the anticipated hurricane strike zone and map out an evacuation route with awareness of flood zones. Be sure to check your car and fill the tank with gas. You should also begin securing your residence. If you have hurricane accordion shutters, roll down shutters or removable storm panel system, they should be securely locked in the closed position. If you do not have approved hurricane protection devices, securely nail in place three-quarter inch plywood over all accessible window and door openings. On the roof, all turbine ventilators should be removed and securely capped. All solar hot water panels should be securely shrink-wrapped.

If a Hurricane Warning is issued, you have 24 hours or less to prepare. Gather all the personal essentials including clothing, medications, cash/credit cards/checks, extra food, water, important documents, phone numbers, insurance papers and first aid kits and pack your car. Also have an evacuation alternative in mind, such as a local Red Cross Shelter. Be aware that pets are not allowed in shelters and that they are not likely to accommodate specific medical needs or provide food. In regards to protecting a residential home or condominium, all outside furniture and loose objects by the pool, on the deck or balcony and in the yard should be taken inside. All fragile objects and valuable possessions should be moved away from the windows and sliding doors. South Floridians with screen pool enclosures and/or screen patios and balconies should cut the screens at the bottom of each section to relieve pressure off the building structure in the event of winds measured at 90 miles per hour and over.

In the event that an evacuation is issued, get out fast and take these last protective measures for your residential home or condominium to avoid massive hurricane damage and remodeling. Double check that all faucets, stove and oven fixtures are in the closed position. Folded towels should be placed at the bottom of doors, windows and in the interior tracks of sliding doors to minimize or eliminate water intrusion. Prior to leaving your residence, unplug electronic devices to avoid possible power surges that may damage home electronics and appliances or cause fire.

Gulf Atlantic Industries of America, INC., are state licensed and insured general contractors serving South Florida for 23 years, specializing in residential remodeling, home improvement, & light commercial contracting. Our services include: Residential/Commercial Roofing, Hurricane Protection for residential/hi-rise buildings, Hurricane Shutters, Accordion Shutters, Rollup-Shutters, Storm Panels, Impact Resistant Windows and Sliding Doors, Replacement Windows, Screen Pool Enclosures, Screen Patio Enclosures, Carports, Driveways, Central A/C and Disaster Relief. Let us help you. For more information on costs and a no obligation, free estimate, please call toll-free: (800) 679-0369 or (305) 937-0500. Visit our website at: www.remodelsouthflorida.com

Preparing for summer with Paige Hemmis of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"

Begin with a complete walk-through of the inside of the home. Winter's damaging effects are not limited to the outside. Next, follow these steps to prevent future damage:

"1. Organize. Store all cold weather items - not thrown in the garage or a closet - take this time to install shelves and organize.
2. Check all smoke detectors. Put a new battery in each detector, even if it appears to be working fine. The small investment in a new 9-volt battery is a small price to pay for safety. Replace them every six months - an easy way to remember is to change them once for summer and once for winter.
3. Check to make sure fire extinguishers are in good condition. Keep them in easy-to-grab places, but out-of-reach from children.
4. Check your clothes dryer. Clean the exit vents and clean behind them. This is a common place for fires to start.
5. Check your washing machine hoses for cracks or bubbles. This is the most common cause of flooding in the home.
6. Take a look at all outlets, appliances, cords, etc. for damage and replace if necessary.
7. Check all Air Conditioning vents & screens in the house. These will soon have a lot of air blowing through them and this small step will prevent dust and debris from blowing around the house. "

Paige Hemmis, The Tuff Chix Guide to Easy Home Improvement

The Second Greatest Yard Sale

I say second because its only the second yard sale Ive had. And we didn't even
advertise!

I'm not one for yard sales as a customer or one who performs them. I rarely take the time to go to one unless it just houses away. I don't need more stuff. I have found a few doors for my house which was my best find ever. But I'm just not tempted in that way. I need to be carting stuff out & not tempted to pack more in.
But we did well in the yard sale.

Here's a few tips that helped us out.
1-We set stuff out on a Friday with neon paper signs on both ends of our fence and in our kitchen window with the dates.

2-We used masking tape the day before & wrote out what we wanted to sell
on the tape and place on our leather day timer. We priced the next day. It gives time for realty to set in that something you think is great the next person may see as ordinary. Also there are folks that aren't honest who will try to switch tags but with description they cant do that!

3- We posted a no liability for accidents -shop at your own risk sign. If someone gets hurt lifting and item or sprains their ankle on or property they will think twice before trying to sue us. Sadly my aunt had this happen to her. She claimed she was injured at their garage sale. A lady saw all the nice items my aunt had for sale -the size of their property & claimed injury to try & sue them for money. Nowadays you cant be too careful.

All in all I'm glad we took the time it was lucrative but only because my DH had 2 valuable guitars that real "pickers " knew the value of. They were high ticket items
that helped alot.
As for chotchkes I didn't have much in that vein - only a few mirrors & picures. If it were only that type of thing it would have been hauled to Salvation Army. I cant suck up 12 hours of my time for dust catchers.

As it was we hauled off quite a few things to SA. A shredder & a folding table for example- things I thought would sell for sure!

Real Mothers Day Advice on Fraud

Your Mom may not want this advice but the government seems to think she might. Its good info but it might be better served on April Fools.

Mom has given out lots of good advice over the years. Return the favor on Mother’s Day, and send her a musical e-card with tips from the Federal Trade Commission on keeping personal information secure. The free card, available in English and Spanish at www.ftc.gov/mom

Safeguard your Social Security number.
Keep your card in a safe place at home— not in your wallet or purse.

Read your bills and bank statements.
Keep your eye out for charges you didn't authorize.

Exercise doubt, and check it out.
If you have any doubts about a caller or e-mailer, find the company's phone number and call its fraud or security department.

Report fraud.
If you've experienced fraud or identity theft, report it to ftc.gov. The Federal Trade Commission works to prevent fraud, deception and unfair business practices in the marketplace, and to help consumers spot, stop and avoid them.

Is Your Office Due for Spring Cleaning?

Is your staff commenting about rude, abrupt clients and feeling in the dark about the policies and proce-dures ruling the office? If so, now is the time to sweep old habits out the door and lay the foundation for a great summer for both clients and staff members.

1)Make sure that everyone has a“Who Does What, Here” list, as well as a current phone list with everyone’s extensions. This helps staff members to direct clients to the right person the first time.

2)Don’t let yourstaff get frustrated by equipment. Have frequent technical skills reviewsessions and make sure everyone knowshow to use the time savers built into equip-ment, such as speed dial features on thephone, and collate and staple capabili-ties of the copy machine.

3)Start a “bright ideas” program for the suggestion box. Follow the 24/72rule: every employee suggestion or complaint is followed up by a supervisor within 24 hours, and an answer concerning its disposition is received by the employee within 72 hours. You might want to implement a prize catalog for winning suggestions, which might be as simple as movie tickets, gift cards, etc. This could work for the client suggestion box,as well.

I hope these tips will assist you in your efforts to make the best of your medical practice. They are all tried and true suggestions. Pick and choose the ones that will assist you in your “Spring Cleaning.” Practice Management Institute is headquar-tered in San Antonio, TX. For more informa-tion, please contact Lynn Ballard at 800/259-5562.

Tax Tribulation-when will they ever simply the Tax code?

Hi folks I've been sick for some time . But now I'm checking in inbetween my last minute tax frenzy. I'm good at saving receipts but the stupid catagories seem irrelevant to me. Why cant I just say I spent $4000 on medical???

when will they ever simply the Tax code?
I do use Turbo Tax -that helps quite abit.

Microsoft & Microwaves

Today I burned my finger trying to make toast in our toaster. So typing isnt fun. Yeah, its old school but were trying to get rid of our microwave usage. It's a health thing. My health hasn't been the best. One peice of advice- don't get cortizone shot into your spine.

Tired of being burned by spyware that I downloaded "Windows Defender" from Microsoft
.I'm really happy with it.

eBay: No Longer In the Dark

I do eBay in my pj's at night. I get asked how hard was Ebay to get started on. To tell the truth it wasn't bad. I barely remember it .I mean that I don't remember it being difficult. I became a buyer first before I was a seller. That helped me get used to how things worked. I did that for about three months.

I was glad when I became a seller that I had rudimentary html skills so I could avoid further add on charges to my final sale. I could make my own templates but you can choose from their vast template list to make your page look inviting.
But I read up on it so I wasn't totally in the dark before I began. I didn't take me long before I realized I needed a store to cut down on all the fees that can be added on to a final sale.

My simple advise is :
1- Be a buyer first
2- Read before you sell.

Learn more here eBay

10 books,3 pair of socks, 2 videos & the Infamous Table of Doom

10 books
3 pair of socks &
2 videos
One dining room table. It was too big for our needs. It was the infamous table that just collected everything that didn't have a home and some times stuff that did have a home! grrr!

Thats what I got rid of this week.

It so hard for me to clean out my books because
1) most are reference like items
2) I don't buy books I don't like & don’t plan on reading.

I’m a book addict & at least 50% are books I have yet to read.
I get lot of these books as part of my salary so I'm not “book poor”.

Some of my weird purge methods are :
1) would I read this if I didn't have anything else to do?
2) will it bore me?
3) do I have something already like it?

yeah, I feel good about the small book purge but my desk is the real disaster.

I need to spend some quality time with my shredder.
My desk always seems to be the “tomorrow” project.
Uh, I hope tommorow will be the day.

Besides

Look anywhere in my house in you'll discover that I love to read. This great love leads to a great amount of torture to my wanting to be organized soul.

I don't have problems paying bills or finding what I'm looking for most of the time. It just the incessant piles that drive me nuts. I know what some would say- why don't you give up your newspapers & periodicals & just watch TV for your news and info?
Because they often aren't covering what interests me in any sort of depth. Besides that you cant take thTVTv into the bathroom. I'm trying not to excuse my behavior but most days I'm in pain so the piles are passed over.

My darling DH found a new file cabinet for my at a yard sale, cleaned & sprayed it a color I wanted.

I love it. My office/laundry looks so much better. But there are still piles. The junk drawer had to be moved when the file cabinet came in so I'm still working on that one... I'm looking at my book shelves now with that "nothings sacred" look.
I get alot done when that sets in my mind.Some one will benefit from me cleaning my bookshelves & that always perks me up. Besides having
more room on the shelves.

Life changing = No blogging

I apologize for not blogging more. I've been reading more blogs than writing!
Its so easy to get distracted. I’m sure I’m not alone in that.
We’ve been working on hardscaping the yard and cleaning the basement
and doing some fundraisers for children charities.
Did I sign up for too much? Yeah.

I hope it rains more so my hubby can spend some time with me & the fund raiser!

Why is it sometimes the most important can come last??

Hard enough to change my own life let alone some ones elses.
Yet hard to say no to kids that have very little hope of a yard or basement.
The mess can wait.

Bring myself to spring clean

Seems we have more company in the summer so that's a good incentive to clean.
The sunlight shows the dust off better too. Lots of motivators.

Seems yard work is taking priority at his point.Another great thing about summer outdoor entertaining. I having to clean the whole house just so we can have a meal! Too painful & too exhausting for me.

My office is a complete wreck - paper continues to be my weak spot. The curse of an information addict. The piles just gotta go. I have to get my "No Mercy" attiude to get it done.

More shelves OR Less junk?

I say less junk! hubby says More shelves. Grrr. We always fight over shelves. I say I don't want any more till we get rid of more stuff! It's an ongoing fight.

One could build shelves for an eternity and never purge out stuff rarely used. I hate tag sales -takes too much time. I give to friends & Salvation army.

I hate my own packrat tendencies & hate his even more! Sigh.... that's the way it goes.

He thinks he'll sort out the junk if he only had more shelves. I think that procrastination at its best!

Alas it's True, I'm an official TAX PROCRASTINATOR!

It's like looking forward to a root canal. Ugh- I hate the things.Tax calculation, I mean.Root canals, too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those who thrives on last minute adrenaline addiction.
Ours is complicated. Several businesses including a rental. I have 2 boxes of receipts.

We do our own on Turbo tax. Makes it some what easier. Only 12 hours instead of 19.

Seems were so busy living daily life, it's hard to fit in just one more thing.
Bring on the flat tax!

The Big Brown Shelf

It's the dark wood I love but it just doesn't work. This week I decided that the shelf that looks so stylish in my office is nothing more than a monolith. A 1970's monument to what should be useful storage. I remember this shelf as child-we kept our "good" china in there, games and Mom's fancy blue glass collectables.

Right now there are some tapes & a sewing basket in there but the shelf takes up more room than I have stuff to fill it. I've tried giving it away but it will probably be banashed to the basement again.

It's great vertical space but I need room for laundry baskets. It's the sort of tool that's hard to repurpose.