Get YOUR Home Organized!

I have never been one to have an organized home, from the outside, sometimes It may appear that way but that is only because I have a horrible habit of shoving things into closets and drawers. In my defense I can usually find what I’m looking for in a reasonable amount of time. I strive to be organized, someone who’s home has a spot for everything, simplistic, neat, and decluttered. Will this ever happen? is it too late for me? I have been clearing off the surface and hiding the clutter and disorganization for about 20 years now, can I be redeemed?

There are a countless number of blogs, websites and articles out there that talk about and give tips for organizing your home, I am searching for the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized. Since different methods work for different people I should say that I am seeking the best, most useful and simplistic ways to get organized and stay organized for me.

For starters everything needs to have a home, this is the most important step to having an organized home, everything from pans and dish towels to shampoo and lines to candles and books. This is a great place to start, but lets jump back a step, look around your home, is there stuff on the floor that shouldn’t be there? if so remove all items from the floor, start room by room if you need to, then once the floor is free from clutter you can move on to finding a home for everything.

I suggest starting with the area you think has the most clutter, closet, living-room, desk, bedroom, kitchen, whatever it maybe. Take everything out of the room, if you have a spare laundry basket or bucket place items into that, pretty much do what ever it takes to clear out the space you are going to organize.

Lets use a closet as an example, clear out everything from the floor, all shoes, clothes, boxes, coat hangers, etc. Vacuum the floor if needed, wipe down all surfaces with some sort of disinfectant. Now put items back in one thing at a time, clothes wise if you haven’t worn something in 3-4 mons you aren’t going to wear it again (unless its a parka or something seasonal). Got empty shoeboxes? trash them, if you have worn the shoes outside there is no need to keep the box. The only boxes that should be kept are for electronics and or items where the boxes can up resale value or would be needed for warranty related issues. If you have alot of shoes that were flung around the closet before you emptied it think about investing in some kind of shoe rack, shoe hanging organizer or a laundry basket, they fit nicely at the bottom of closets and hold many pairs of sneakers, books, clogs, etc. As you are going though things and placing them neatly in the closet if there is something you don’t use or don’t think you need consider selling it on craigslist or ebay and or donating it. Last month when I cleaned a closet of mine I came across an old Apple desktop, from early 2000, it hadn’t been used in at least 4 years, who knows why I was hanging on to it? I put it up on ebay and made over 75$.

Everything from electronics to clothing, coats, boots, sporting equipment, bags, etc can be sold, your trash or clutter as it should be called can yield you some extra spending money, a few 100 toward a vacation, money towards reaching your savings goal or even the iphone. So what are you waiting for, go, run, clean out your closets, go under your bed, empty out your trunk (it will help you get better fuel economy) sell your clutter, organize your home and make some cash!

WAIT! before you start, here are some tips.

Again in case it wasn’t clear, EVERYTHING NEEDS A HOME!

Keep like things together, a drawer for underwear, a drawer for office supplies, a drawer or bin for pet toys, etc

Leave flat surfaces clear, counters, coffee tables, dresser tops, nightstands, etc.

Keep stuff off the floor, no piles, bins work great and can be easily stored on closet shelf’s

Place a decorative basket on the coffee table to keep remote controls in, that should be the only thing on the coffee table.

If you haven’t used it or worn it in a few months, you don’t need it, sell it or donate it

Set aside 3- 5 mins a day to make sure things are still in their places.

More specific tips, broken down by room:

BATHROOM:

Place a shelving unit above the toilet for storing extra towels, washcloths, and other accessories

Use shower caddies to place your soaps and shampoos in, tuck them away when not in use.

Throw away old make-up, lotions, prescriptions, over-the-counter medications, old razors, sunscreen, and perfume.

Install hooks on the back of your bathroom door or wall space for towels and robes, great place for towels to hang and dry also.

CLOSET:

Categorize your clothes by purpose, such as work, casual, and formal.

If you have an excessive amount of unused wire hangers and take them to the dry cleaners to recycle, if they are plastic donate them to a friend.

Put hooks on the back of the door, 2 fit well, this is great for coats, hats, belts, scarves, extra towels.

KITCHEN:

Purchase a spice rack that works best for your cabinet, they come in many sizes and shapes. Place frequently used spices on the front of the rack and all others towards the back of the rack.

Put all Tupperware items into  one cabinet or drawer, if you need new ones try to purchase the stackable ones.

Do you have mounds of plastic bags from the grocery store? If you don’t use them like I do to scoop up dog waste place about 10 bags inside of 1 bag and throw the rest away, better yet, don’t use them, get recycled cloth bags or the vinyl ones, they cost about 2$ each and will help save the environment and your pantry space.

Clean out your refrigerator every time you bring home groceries. Dispose of any food that is no longer edible or your family is not going to eat.

If you have any suggestions or input or tips that have helped you please feel free to share.

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What a Bummer

What a way to start off a foggy Sunday morning… I just spent about 45mins constructing an awesome post about getting your home organized, I saved the post so i could find an image and publish it in a few mins and well i’m sure you all can tell where this is going… the post is gone, it said “post saved” but is doesn’t exisit anywhere… I made another “test” post, saved that and sure enough  it shows right up… boo to wordpress for loosing my hard work and boo to me for thinking it was a good idea to save something

Shih Tzu+ Lhasa Apso+ Tibetan Terrier=?

I posted a few weeks ago about thinking my Shih Tzu wasn’t a Shih Tzu… I haven’t found out much, all i know now is that He isn’t a pure Shih Tzu. At first I tought he was just big for his breed, I didn’t suspect much since my Vet didn’t flinch or look at me like I was totally insane when i said “hes a Shih Tzu”, I have also gotten more then a few comments along the lines of “oh! what a cute little shih tzu…” while walking down the street, around town and dining outdoors.

So anyway once I figured out that Bruno, my pup, couldn’t be pure shih tzu I thought maybe he was part Lhasa Apso or some form of Lhasa Mix, maybe a Shih Apso ?? I couldn’t and still can’t find any pictures of Lhasa’s, Lhasa mixes or Shih Apso’s that resemble Bruno enough to be totally convinced that it what he is… he has some features and some characteristics of both Lhasa’s and Shih Tzu’s but together it still doesn’t sum him up.

I am angry and annoyed that I was completely and totally lied to by the people who sold him to me, they had fake documents ranging from birth certificates to family trees, more then likely it was a total scam and i know these things happen daily and its frustrating because i just want to know what my dog is, it doesn’t matter if he’s a Shih Tzu, a Lhasa Apso, a mix or a mutt. Knowing what breed a dog is important for medical and behavioral reasons and that’s the only reason why I care to know what breed he his.

Last night I came across a photo of Tibetan Terrier mix, he looked just like Bruno, so of course I dug up as much info on Tibetan Terrier’s and looked at as many pictures I could find… again like the photos and the info on Shih Tzu’s and Lhasa Apso’s there wasn’t enough matching info to convince me, so i ask my readers, does anyone have experience or knowledge of theses breeds? does anyone have an opinion based on pictures?

Any suggestions, advise and or knowledge is greatly appreciated, more photos of Bruno can be found here

Amp’d Mobile Shuts Down

In case you didn’t hear yet… AMP’D Mobile is Shutting down as of 7/24/07 12:01am.

If you have AMP’D port out now!!!!!

For more info check this

Is Helio next???

Free Stuff!

Who doesnt love FREE stuff? I know I lurv free things, I love FREE things so much that I spent weeks searching and have finally found the best FREE Stuff site out there… its updated often so what are you waiting for check it out now FREESTUFFTIMES

Take YOUR Name Back

We’ve all done it, we’ve all googled ourselves to see the results, in my case nothing shows up, which for me is double edged sword. What can you do if you are not impressed with the results? or if say you share the same name as a porn star ? (as one of my friends does) Is there anything you can do? With all the reports, articles and information out there telling us that hiring managers are “google-ing” prospective employees a picture of you drunk at a party can hurt more then you ego.

The first thing to do is delete your MySpace account (or modify so you cannot be found by your name). Remove all photos that you wouldn’t want a recruiter or HR Rep to see, at the very least, any and all posts or comments that you’ve left on MySpace that include your actual name. Then if possible ask your “friends” to do the same.

Got some embarrassing pictures posted on Flickr or Smug Mug? time to delete them. If someone else posted a photo of you, ask them very, very nicely to take it down or remove your name from the tags, descriptions, comments, etc. If for some reason they won’t oblige, try sending the company an email and explain to them that you wish to have a picture of yourself removed. You will need to provide the exact URL to the picture and explain why you’d like it taken down. There is absolutely no guarantee that they’ll accommodate you, they probably will not but it’s worth a try

I have been told more then once to never, ever, use an email address when applying for a job (or on your resume) that you’ve used to sign up for online forums or social networking sites. I’m not to sure how i feel about this one, I tend to use the same email address for everything and I am not a point where I feel the need to change that. I post on forums, I have typical social network pages but I do not post anything that I wouldn’t want my parents or a HR Rep to see. I have heard that Recruiters will search for your email address right after they search for your name. So before you post that image or reply to that comment think: Do I really want <fill in blank> to know that I agree with <blank> or spend a lot of time on this <insert offensive site here> forum?

After removing or modifying the bad stuff there are a few sites you can use to create more positive links to your name. LinkedIn is a good starting point. It is a business oriented social networking site and due to its high pagerank, creating a LinkedIn profile is a great way to get your name higher in search results. After you create an account and fill out all of the profile information (which can take anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, depending on how detailed you want your profile to be), you’ll want to make sure your profile (or at least part of it) is public. To do so, click the Edit My Public Profile tab.

You can also register for a ZIKI account, they are a newer site and Ziki makes a pretty bold claim – “Ziki members are guaranteed to appear in the first position of Google, Yahoo & MSN search results when their name is searched, given that Ziki buys sponsored links. Ziki community members can therefore create, manage and optimize their online presence while controlling their image.”

Just be aware that what you post to the internet can and will be seen by many many people, some who may want to be “web friends” and some who may want to offer you a job.

Vegetarian & Vegan Diet Facts

I have been a Vegetarian for about 15 years now and have struggled with being Vegan for past 2… Currently I AM Vegan. (Vegans do not consume any animal products, most dont wear any either… Vegetarians sometimes consume dairy and or eggs) Below are the most interesting facts that i have aquired over the past few weeks. I am sharing these just to increase awareness simply because i do not believe that enough info like this is give out and or made available to the masses. If you find any of this interesting, informative or helpful please do not hesitate to pass it along.

What is more beneficial for global warming–Switching to a Prius vs. Switching to a Vegetarian Diet: Vegetarian Diet

Fossil fuels needed to produce a meat-centered diet vs. a meat-free diet: 50 times more

Number of acres of US forest cleared for cropland to produce meat-centered diet: 260 million acres

Amount of meat US imports annually from Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: 200,000,000 pounds

Average per capita meat consumption in Costa Rica, El Salveador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama: Less than eaten by average US house cat

Area of tropical rainforest consumed in every quarter-pounder hamburger: 55 sq. ft.

Current rate of species extinction due to destruction of tropical rainforests for meat grazing and other uses: 1,000 species extinct per year

Increased risk of breast cancer for women who eat cheese and butter 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times

Increased risk of ovarian cancer for women who eat eggs 3 or more times a week vs less than once a week: 3 times

Increased risk of fatal prostate cancer for men who consume meat, cheese, eggs and milk daily vs sparingly or not at all: 3.6 times

Amount of water to produce a pound of wheat: 25 gallons

Amount of water to produce a pound of meat: 2,500 gallons

Years the world’s known oil reserves will last if every human ate a meat-centered diet: 13 years

Years the world’s known oil reserves will last if human beings no longer ate meat: 260 years

Number of US Medical Schools: 125 /Number requiring a course in nutrition: 30

Nutrition training received by average US physician during four years in medical school: 2.5 hours

Most common cause of death in the US: Heart attack

How frequently a heart attack kills in the US: Every 45 seconds

Average US man’s risk of death from heart attack: 50%

Risk for average US man who avoids the meat-centered diet: 15%

Risk for average US vegan man: 4%

Number of animals killed for meat per hour in US: 500,000

Occupation with highest turnover rate in US: Slaughterhouse Worker

Occupation with the highest rate of on-the-job injury in US: Slaughterhouse Worker

Cost to render animal unconscious with “captive bolt pistol”: 1 cent

Reason given by meat industry fo not using “captive bolt pistol”: Too expensive

Best Cities for Young Professionals, or not?

According to Forbes the top 10 cities for your professionals are as follows…

1. New York

2. San Francisco

3. Atlanta

4. LA

5. Washington DC

Interesting, very interesting… yes you may be able to get higher or the highest starting salaries in these areas but aren’t 4 out of 5 of the the most expensive cities in the country?????? Last time I checked a studio in NYC could run you 2k a month. Forbes claims to have factored in their own cost of living ratio but I still believe something is a little off overall. I am in no way saying that a recent grad or young professional will not or cannot be successful in NYC, LA or any of the cities featured in this article I just believe that this is a very one sided look at the areas that is leaving out important details.

On to the rest of the list, rounding off the top 10 are:

6. Boston

7. Seattle

8. Minneapolis

9. Philly

10. Denver

I agree more with the bottom part of the top 10, we can all assume and understand that the cost of living in  Minneapolis is definitely a lot lower then Manhattan. I wonder if the starting salaries in Denver are significantly lower then in San Fran? are there less opportunities in Seattle then there are in NYC? Does it depend on the career field?  I think that that plays a major part in starting salaries and long term success.

Luck also plays apart, more so in these larger cities with a more saturated job market. If you are going for a job in Manhattan you are not only going up against other Manhattanites you are now in competition with people from Brooklyn, The Bronx, Queens, Staten Island,  all of Suburban NYC (NJ, CT, Rockland County NY, Westchester County NY) and many other people looking to transplant into NYC.

I guess my issue with this article and all other like it is that they are misleading… yes NYC may have the most job opportunities and yes it may have some of the highest salaries but its like that for a reason, the salaries are high to compensate for the higher price of food and transportation and even the higher city taxes… I won’t even go into the over population, crime, apartment and home availability. There may be $1500 more affordable apartments that are in nicer somewhat safe neighborhoods but there are also waiting lists, income qualifications and restrictions.

If you are in college and or a recent (past 4 years) grad looking for a perfect place to settle down, call home and have a decent career… take articles like this Forbes one with a grain of salt and look objectively from all angles.
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The hidden victims of foreclosure’s

I came across an article in Business Week about foreclosure’s and their hidden victims… The Family Pets.

As the housing market continues to plummet and wages and raises and even jobs become more scarce, the mortgage mess is getting messier. 

When sheriffs, property inspectors and real estate agents  go to a deserted or foreclosed upon home they are finding malnourished and flea-ridden animals, feces-covered floors and urine-soaked furniture, piles of rotting garbage,  and even swarms of diseased mosquitoes.

According to an online foreclosure research company there were over 147,000 foreclosures filings (default notices, auction sale notices and bank repos) just in April of this year(up 62% from last year)  This means that nasty horrid awful condition homes are becoming more and more common and since at least 50% of families have pets this means more and more abused and neglected animals.  

I imagine that knowing you are going to lose your home is an awful feeling but being so irresponsible and losing all pride of ownership is flat out disgusting. Some people leave the water on to flood the house and cause mold so that the house is destroyed and cannot be sold. There are reports of people tearing their chandeliers or ceiling fans out of the ceiling, kicking the doors and walls in so that the ants, roaches, rats, mosquitoes, scorpions, and other wild life can take over. 

 

It’s crazy what people will do, I have never had anything foreclosed upon or repossessed but i have been poor and have lost all hope and still could not imagine being so careless and spiteful. If i was in a similar position to these individuals who are destroying what was once theirs and pretty much killing innocent animals for no reason i would only be mad at myself for getting into the position to be foreclosed upon no matter how much “bad luck” or how much it wasn’t my “fault”. 

 

Beyond the mess and beyond the destruction of property lies another more heart wrenching issue. Pets. The pets are often silent sufferers during the foreclosure process. People abandon and trash their homes and leave pets behind. These are the pets being rescued from feces and urine infested homes with piles of rotting garbage,  and  swarms of bugs.

 

I STILL cannot believe SPRINT

Yes, it is old news so to say, people have know about it for over a week but i still CANNOT believe them… OMG! is my reaction, who does that? well sprint does… if you have no idea what i am talking about Sprint sent letters notifying some customers that their service would be canceled by the end of July due to excessive calls to customer service.

The letters stated..

“Our records indicate that over the past year, we have received frequent calls from you regarding your billing or other general account information,” the letter reads. “While we have worked to resolve your issues and questions to the best of our ability, the number of inquiries you have made to us during this time has led us to determine that we are unable to meet your current wireless needs.”

“Therefore after careful consideration, the decision has been made to terminate your wireless service agreement effective July 30, 2007.”

I have also heard of a few people getting these letters for excessive roaming…

I understand that sprint may loose money on people that call up customer service and argue with reps, or try to get discounts or even roam alot but i think they are going to loose more money now, sprint already has bad rap who is going to want to sign up for new service now?