After Vacation: Getting Back to Your Life

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after vacation getting back to life

 

 

Getting back in the groove after vacation can be torture!  We are talking about undoing a pile of mail, a pile of laundry and a seriously un-fun getting back to work routine. It is especially hard if you are not organized.  Here are some tips to get back to to the swing of things quickly.

 

Set aside time to get back to your routines.

As much fun as vacationing to the very last minute can be, return a smidge early from your holiday. Fly home in the morning so you can take the rest of the day to be picking up mail, starting your laundry and unpacking your suitcase. You will also be ready to get in bed on time to get back into your morning routines.  Getting in at the last minute means you are up late, not as well rested and generally rushed to get back to work and life.

 

Get mail and email under control first.

For mail, toss/recycle as much as possible. On a “regular” week you might want to scan newspapers and ads.  When you are returning from  your vacation, simply recycle those items. You will not be ready to act on coupons or flyers, so recycle these asap.  Put the bills in the regular spot, but decide that you are taking a break from anything extra in the paper department this week.  Some of us check email on our blackberry while away and some don’t.   Hit delete to get back to basics.    Just decide what is really important those first days after your holiday.  Otherwise, a quick response will do.  Being “brutal” makes the difference for both mail and email.

 

 

Laundry is a serious obstacle after a holiday.

Treat yourself to the “fluff and fold” at the local laundromat. It is the way to get back to the baseline on laundry as soon as possible.  Unload the laundry first and get it started, then get back to your suitcase in the next day to unload the rest.  If it is really tough to unload, take one day for toiletries, one day for hanging clean clothes and one day for shoes.  Procrastinating on emptying your luggage does not make your return easier.

And most important – get back to your routines right away.

We  all love the feeling of being flexible, free and under no obligations.  Getting back to your home, work and life require routines.  Bite the bullet and get back to your’s so you are really ready to buckle down.  Get in bed at a good hour,  get your bag together for work, and eat a good breakfast to get on your way.  You will be glad you did!

What works best for you to get back to reality?

 

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Emergency Preparedness

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emergency prepareness

 

Hurricane season has already begun! Ever since Katrina and New Orleans years ago, we are all on alert for the worst.  Our family is vigilant about hurricanes due to Ike as well.  We were without power for 14 days!

With this in mind, here is our family preparedness check list.  Not sure where to start? I suggest baby steps!  Organize your papers first in a fireproof safe. Make a plan depending on whether you are staying or going.  Take it step by step to be ready.

Emergency Preparedness Checklist

Prepare and check when daylight savings time begins and ends!

Communicate your family plan to another family friend or relative.

For paper documents, place originals in safe or safe deposit box and carry copies with you.

Social Security cards Bottled water ( 1 gal per day per person)
Insurance policies (Life, Home, Auto, and Flood) Snacks
Passports Travel food
Drivers License Ice
Immunization records Paper towels
Medical records Toilet paper
Medication Hand sanitizer
Birth certificates Candles
Checkbooks Garbage bags
Credit cards Tool kit
Debit cards First Aid Kit
Will Safe deposit box list and keys
Legal documents Tarp
Valuables (jewelry and keepsakes) Matches
Computer back up/ thumb drive Rope
Cash ($500 suggested minimum) Old quilts and blankets
Photos Pet supplies
Family phone book Kids: Card and board games
Tax copies Battery operated TV
Document carrier or safe Battery operated radio
Batteries Walkie talkies
Flashlights Flips flops/extra shoes
Duct tape Video camera & tapes of home
Propane tanks filled Cooler
Cars filled up Can Opener
Gas in cans
Cell phones and chargers

Here are some amazing websites for preparedness too!

www.redcross.org

www.ready.gov

www.beprepared.com

Organized for an Emergency

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Life has a way of “happening!”  You just never know when an emergency is going to come along.  So what do we need to be organized just in case?

Our family recently had a medical emergency of this unforeseen type.  We rushed to the hospital with the bare minimum for a day or two stay.  First and most importantly we had our medical information organized.  Our family has only a few medications and a few allergies, but this is the first thing you will be asked when a situation occurs. Have a list of all these for each family member printed and placed in your car . Medical insurance cards are critical to keep in your wallet.  So be sure you have your most recent with you.

We want to stay in touch and communicate with family, friends, church pastors and doctors.  I love that we can keep all these numbers handy in our cell phone! We also have an emergency contact list for our family including email addresses, work phone numbers and a few other details.  Need lists for medical information or  contacts?  I love www.listplanit.com.  Check it out!

Speaking of our phone or other technology, be sure to bring your charger and other attachments to keep everything up and running.  Having one extra charger is a  small price for staying in touch.   

I spent the night there with my husband.  I always have a travel kit ready to go.  It has all the basics in it, in small containers, including a nail file and bandaids.  I dropped this and a few items in my bag and off I went. 

It really provided peace of mind to me to be ready at a moment’s notice. And that is what being organized is all about!

Organizing your car (maintenance)

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Organizing your car means having handy access for the things you need, when you need them, without having an accident to get to them. What about maintaining your organized car? If your car is “trashed” regularly, here are some hints to help you easily keep it in order.

Empty trash at each stop along the way. As you get gas or run errands at Target, drop your trash in the cans just outside the door there.  Or you can place a large trash can in your garage for you to easily drop in items. Take advantage of these trash cans along the way. 

Up to date registration and safety stickers are easy to renew if you calendar the date on your planner.  It saves the cost of a ticket!  You can enter this as a recurring event on your Outlook calendar too.

Need to keep track of mileage for expenses? Keep a mileage log in your car and write it down during a gas stop. Regular intervals like this weekly stop create a baby step for an often overwhelming task.

Empty the extra stuff out of your car each day.  It is a small step to keep your car from being a dumping ground by distributing items back into your home where these belong each day.  Assign this task to your family team members too to get the job done. 

Is your car your office? Once a week refill the items you use regularly, like business cards or marketing pieces, into well defined spots in the car.  It is like preparing for a quick meeting by having handy these items.

What baby steps are you taking to keep your car organized?

Travel and organizing

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Just when you are getting ready for a trip is when to be most organized. Yes, there are Targets in every major city. But why spent time there when we are on vacation?  Take time to make a list for what you need. Have a travel cosmetic bag ready all the time including beauty duplicates and get ready 3 days in advance, so that those last minute forget- me- nots get included in your stuff! If getting ready in advance is a challenge, get your suitcase out one week ahead of time and drop one category of items in each day.  This way everything can be dropped in and then evaluate what you really need the day before you leave. Bon voyage and really enjoy the holiday!

FYI Need a list? Try this membership based resource   http://listplanit.net/lists/