Year End Review

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year end review

 

The end of the year is time for reflection. Its a time to think about successes.  Your year end review encompasses all the good things that happened this year.

My top 25

Each year I make a list of my top successes.  These include time spent with my family, professional successes, and personal successes. Here are some of my list this year:

  • Week with grandkids
  • Travel to with family
  • Service to NAPO Award
  • Chair of NAPO committee

I encourage you to write your list and share it with someone who can appreciate your successes.

 

My peeps

It’s about the people. It’s the new and existing relationships that make the year the best ever. Who are the people who helped me be the best I can be? As I move forward next year my goal is to surround myself with people who sharpen my authenticity and make me think hard and work hard.  Relationships are what make the year outstanding. I like to make a list of these people and send them a thank you note sharing my gratitude.

 

What’s working for me

Take stock of what’s working in your life and why.  It’s the best way to build success.  When something works, there are elements that can transfer to work and home that will improve your year.  Take time this last week of the year to make a list for yourself and keep it where you can refer back to it and add to it all year.

 

year end review

 

Your Year End Review prepares you for setting goals and making dreams happen in the coming year. Take time to take stock before you start fresh for the new year.

 

 

How to graciously and gratefully accept gifts

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unwanted gifts

 

 

It’s that lime green sweater your mother in law gave you this Christmas. It’s the wedding gift you have not opened after 30 years of marriage. It’s the purple purse your husband purchased for your birthday. For those awful items, do you use it, display it or regift it? It’s all these gifts that keep you wondering what to do when gifts have been given in the true spirit of giving. How do we graciously and gratefully accept gifts,especially if it’s a matter of “what were they thinking”?

Authentic gratitude

Be sure we have been graciously grateful .  A hug, thoughtful note, email or phone call can be the best way to be sure you have shared with the giver your appreciation.

Letting go

It’s a matter of time. Some gifts can be easily given away as donations to charity. There can be returns to the store with a receipt. Little by little you can start to let go of stuff. There is no dishonor in not keeping a gift as long as your gratitude has been conveyed.

Keeping gifts

There are many reasons to keep the most unwanted gifts. Gifts given can be harder to let go of if the family member is deceased. Clients of mine have chosen to keep gifts as keepsakes long after the function and value of the gift has declined. An item can bring a smile to your face or a warm memory. When you find an item that is especially meaningful, be sure to keep it in a place you honor it.

 

Setting the expectation

Communicate what’s really important to you as you approach a birthday, big event or holiday. It’s not easy to do. Some people will still want to share gifts. Be authentic to who you are about stuff. Be authentic about your gratitude about the gift and why you are not accepting gifts. It’s not an easy conversation and it can start with a gracious thank you first to ensure that the giver knows how much you appreciate the thoughtfulness.

 

It’s a perspective of practicality, functionality and sentimentality. Give yourself permission to do what is best for you keeping in mind gratitude and gracious living.  In the case of “what were they thinking?”, think about the big picture and gratitude.

gifts

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6 Tech Tips for Holiday Organizing

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tech tools for holiday organizing

 

Holidays can be merrier with by adding some tech help.  It’s these little ways to add organizing using your computer, tablet or smart phone.  Technology can help you with holiday organizing like lists, recipes, coupons and more.

 

Evernote for Christmas lists

Make it easy to keep all your lists with you all the time with Evernote.  You can add an item after each purchase, match up your purchases with those you are giving to, and keep up with what you gave last year.

 

Pinterest for holiday recipes

No need to keep paper recipes again! Search pinterest with the ingredients and you find all sorts of recipes for holiday baking and entertaining.

 

Genius scan or DocScan to scan and print receipts

Having trouble keeping up with holiday receipts?  Not sure where to keep your receipts? It’s easy with these apps. You can store them on your smart phone and in the cloud.  It’s easy to make returns this way too.

 

Bank app for keeping up your budget

Your bank app helps you stay on track for your holiday budget.  You can access funds, make deposits, and see where money has been spent.  It’s great to keep up to date with what you spend each day for gifts, entertaining and decorations.

Pandora for holiday music

I love Pandora! It gives you instant, free access to all the genres of the holidays. Download this on your smart phone or computer to enjoy holiday themes like holiday traditional, holiday country, or Today’s Christmas.

 

ShopSavvy or Amazon app to check prices

Want to be sure you are getting the  best deal? ShopSavvy and Amazon compare prices so you can check what the lowest price for your item is.

 

holiday tech apps

 

More holiday apps of all sorts!

What are your favorite holiday apps?

 

More holiday fun on Pinterest Happy Holidays!

 

 

10 Organizing Gifts for Everyone

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organizing

 

 

It’s gift giving season. While we often think of giving gifts of experiences, you can also give gifts for organizing.  The gift of organizing is a functional, practical and fun way to share.   Here are my top 10 favorite organizing gifts.

 

Vera travel bag Travel time is the best time to be organized. Give a gift of a Vera Bradley travel accessory to help keep makeup and jewelry organized on the go. It’s also a great gift for people who exercise and get ready at the gym.

 

little black dress jewelry organizerEnjoy all your favorite pieces of jewelry with this Little Black Dress jewelry organizer.  It’s easy to find your earrings, necklaces and bracelets with slots for each piece.

 

lay and go lego organizerGifting legos this holiday season?  The Lay and Go Lego organizer is for you!  It’s easy to store and play with all your legos this year.

 

binToo many stuffed animals or blankets in your child’s room? The Sprouts bin is the perfect place to organize and store these.

 

electronics organizerOur families have lots of technology! Make it easy to store and access with this Kbag electronics organizer.  The zipper section is great for cords or flash drives.

 

password directoryStruggling with all the passwords we have? Give the gift of a password directory.  It’s easy to store at your computer desk.

 

table topics for dinnerMake dinner time special with table topics.  Every one will have a chance to share.

file toteMake it easy to file with this stylish file tote.  Everyone has paper and everyone needs paper storage.

 

men's organizerA spot for watches, phones and more with this men’s valet.  Keep receipts in the drawer and you are all set!

 

label makerEveryone loves a label maker!

 

 

10 organizing gifts

 

BONUS     Top 10 non clutter gifts

  1. Once a month cleaning lady at home
  2. Lawn maintenance or semi annual landscaping clean up
  3. Tickets to an event, such as a baseball game, play, or concert
  4. Season passes to amusement park, zoo or museum
  5. Baby sitting for your adult kids to have a date night
  6. Subscription to streaming online tv shows and movies
  7. Donation to a charity of choice
  8. Gift certificates for clothes, music, sporting goods or other items
  9. Spend the day together just being spontaneous.
  10. Professional organizer or productivity consultant

 

Do you have a favorite non – clutter or organizing gift you love? Share it here!

 

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Simple Holiday Traditions

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10 holiday traditions

 

Family traditions are part of what makes every family special. Your kids will reflect back to you what are existing traditions you may not realize your family has already.  It’s in creating tradition that we connect with our family.  It’s the simple holiday traditions that are memorable. Here are my top 10 holiday traditions.

1.Purchase a personalized ornament with the year on it for each child

Each year I add a new ornament to our kids’ collections. It’s a special reminder of the year gone by.  I love that our kids will take these on to use on their family trees in the future.

2. An evening holiday walk to see Christmas decorations and sip hot cocoa

There’s nothing more fun that a walk to see the holiday lights in  your neighborhood.  Bring hot cocoa to keep warm.

3. Celebrate the 12 days of Christmas with 12 donations to local charities

Your holiday will be especially meaningful with donations to those who have little.  Choose little ways you can contribute with either goods or funds.

4. Add Christmas songs to your Pandora channels

The music of the season brings a smile to our faces. Your music is always with you too!

5. Organize your Christmas cards by binding them together in a book

I love this small way to cherish the holiday cards we receive.

6. Purchase ready-made gingerbread houses to decorate and host a hot chocolate buffet

Assemble your gingerbread houses the day before so they are sturdy.  Decorate and display for a week.  Be sure to decorate your own too.

7. Host a holiday movie night and invite a family to join you

Whether it’s Charlie Brown Christmas or Christmas Vacation, all families have their favorite movie to watch every year.

8. Host a hot chocolate buffet and crazy Christmas sweater get together

Get crazy with hot chocolate mix ins like marshmellows, candy canes, cinnamon red hots and whipped cream for a hot chocolate buffet.  Add in the crazy Christmas sweater phenomenon.  It’s an evening full of laughter.

9. Gather up gently used family coats and bring the donations as a family

We all have coats, scarves and gloves we have not used in a while. Bring these as a family to donate to share the joy of giving.

 

10. Drop off treats for fire department, police station or other emergency responders in your community

We are supported by many in our community who keep us safe.  Remember them this holiday season with homemade or store bought treats.  It will bring joy to you and those you meet.

 

holiday organizing holiday traditions

 

 

What are your holiday traditions?  It takes just a few minutes of planning, a spot on your calendar and communication with your family to share the joy of holiday traditions.

 

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Wishing you an Abundance of Blessings!

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happy thanksgiving

Wishing you an abundance of blessings this holiday season!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fuss Free Thanksgiving

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fuss free thanksgiving

 

 

Thanksgiving can be less stress and less mess.  It’s all in how you organize your preparation and meal.  Here are a few tips on making your day fun, festive and a fuss free Thanksgiving.

 

Beverage station

Make it easy for your and your company to help themselves.  Set up a beverage station with ice, your choice of adult and kid beverages, and glasses.  If it’s a cool day you may decide on a hot cider with a ladle and mugs too.  Place your station in an area that will bring traffic away from the kitchen and into a gathering spot.

 

Nibbles

Take a tip from Ina Garten, Barefoot Contessa, and have a few nibbles out before the main meal. It will keep kids and adults from being underfoot in the kitchen.  A plate of fruit and cheese and a bowl or two of nuts is a great starter for the holiday meal.  If anyone wanders into the kitchen, put them to work!

 

Disposable plates

There’s already a lot to wash and dry, why not go with biodegradable dishware for the day?  Available from LeafNFiber, these lovely plates will add to the natural decor of the day and make clean up easy.

 

It’s all about timing

Make a list of what’s for dinner. After this, create a time line for what goes into the oven at what time.  If your list is the same each year, consider creating this in Evernote or a notebook to keep and save.

 

Add entertainment

Everyone’s stress level goes down with a soundtrack.   Have a guest create a playlist as a back drop for the day.

 

Leftovers

Plan ahead to keep and share leftovers.  Purchase inexpensive plastic ware to give away as leftovers leave.  Everyone loves this gift!

 

Go team!

Take a trick from  football and other team sports that are on television on Thanksgiving.  Get your team in gear.  That means everyone has a part to play or a job for dinner, clean up and other activities.  There are many small jobs that can be done throughout the day, including ones specifically for your kiddos.  Help everyone pitch in by giving everyone something small to do to be a part of the festivities.

 

 

What ways do you make it a fuss free Thanksgiving at your home?

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Thanksgiving Dinner Organized

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organizing thanksgiving dinner

 

Thanksgiving is a one of my favorite holidays! It brings together all that I love! It’s our family sitting together, lingering, chatting and enjoying each other at our dinner table.  It’s a food festival with special seasonal treats like noodles, bread dressing and gravy.  It’s a day of thankfulness, blessings and mindfulness.  Here are a few tips for Thanksgiving Day Organized.

 

It’s also a day to be especially organized!

 

Invite guests

Make your plans and invite your guests two weeks ahead.  Knowing who is coming is a blessing to you and your guests.

 

Decide on your meal plan

It’s fun to share the day and share the cooking. Who will bring the turkey? Who will bring what side dishes? Who is bringing the pie? Share the responsibility and also get some help from Mrs. Kroger.

 

Grocery shop and prep early

There’s a lot of food to buy and veggies to prep. Start early with both of these to be sure you have enough time and energy.  Turkeys need time to thaw and cook properly.  A great timeline helps you stay organized.

 

Enjoy your day

Enjoy the day with family friends.  A game of charades, snooze on the couch, afternoon walk, or color pages can make for a little extra fun.  It’s the little touches that add to a special event and make family memories.

 

What makes your Thanksgiving Dinner organized? What tricks do you use?

 

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Easy Ways to Organize Your Halloween Decorations

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organize your halloween decorations

 

Pumpkins, black cats and witches are everywhere!  It’s the first holiday of the fall season and a prelude to all other fall and winter holidays.    According to the National Retail Federation, almost 50% of us decorate for Halloween.  Make it easy to decorate for Halloween with these easy ways to organize your Halloween decorations.

 

Go orange

Organize your Halloween decorations in orange easy to spot totes.  Label the totes on two sides and on top to know exactly what is in each bin.

 

Inflatable decorations

We love those giant inflatable decorations! Store them in individual 18 gallon tubs to keep them in good condition.

 

Pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins

Pumpkins can be difficult to store because of their generous size.  Keep these from crushing with extra large ziplocs.  Your pumpkins are all together too.

 

Halloween lights

Flameless candles, candle holders and strings of lights can be stored together in a small bin.  Wrap the strings of lights in circles then store in gallon size ziplocs.

 

Just like all holidays, it’s best to make a plan for when to decorate and undecorate.  Enjoy a fall afternoon outside with your family creating a spooky spot on your front lawn.

How do you organize your Halloween decorations?

Happy Fall Y’all!  Check out the fall fun on my pinterest board.