tip of the week (11/29/2009)

November 29 – December 5, 2009 this week’s "tip of the week" was sent from Lexi from Detroit, MI

Lexi writes: “I had two whole drawers in my filing cabinet related to notes and handouts I received in college. Because I went into a field directly related to my majors, I felt it would be wise to keep all of this information.

Then one day I realized that many of these papers would never be used. If I had a question about Latin verb conjugations, I would never go to a filing cabinet full of hand-written notes, even if I knew right where to find the paper. I would instead go to the reference book on the other side of the room, because the explanation would be far more thorough and easy to find.

I began measuring all the papers I think of saving by this same standard. 'If I had a question about this, where would be the easiest place to look for information?' If the answer to that question is 'in a textbook,' 'on the Internet,' or something that is not 'on this piece of paper,', that paper immediately gets recycled!”

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Do you have an organizing or time management tip that you would like to share? Click here and your tip could be the next one featured in our newsletter, our blog or on our website! For more organizing tips, check out www.andreadekker.com. It is full of great organizing tips for every area of your life.

take some time off

This time of year is very busy…whether you are at home or at work. However, those of you who work out side your home have the added “joy” of all kinds of work parties and festivities and the benefits of taking a few holidays and vacation days to spend time with friends and family.

The only problem with all of this “time off” is that you still have deadlines to meet and tasks that need to be accomplished. How will you finish it all? You will need to increase your productivity…and here are a few tips to get you started.

1. Arrive to work 1 hour earlier. You will be amazed how much you can accomplish when no one else is around.
2. Pack your own lunch and eat at your desk or in your lunch room. Sack lunches are a great alternative to going out to eat. Plus they save time, money, and your waistline!

It is also important to keep your desk and your workspace organized to promote maximum efficiency. Here are a few tips:

1. Keep most-often used items within arm’s reach.
2. Keep less-frequently used items in drawers or on shelves so they don’t clutter you workspace.
3. Create some sort of filing system for paperwork to eliminate all those piles.

With just a little work upfront, you can increase your productivity and maybe even take a little more time off this holiday season!

the gift that keeps on giving

Today is "Black Friday", the Friday after Thanksgiving where some Americans wake up at 3:00am to stand in line at retail stores, hoping to find the perfect gift for everyone on their list. However, even the most diligent shopper is bound to have at least one person on their list who "has everything". What should you buy for that person this year?

Recently I received a gift catalog from the Cristian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) entitled, The Gift that Keeps on Giving. Here is what the letter accompanying the catalog said:

You may have heard the old proverb, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What if this applied to your gift giving as well? What if your gift not only told one person that you loved them and celebrated them on a special occasion, but it also created a better future for someone in need? That’s the theory behind the items in this gift catalog.

CRWRC staff have carefully chosen a number of items from our programs around the world that will help you celebrate your loved ones’ birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or Christmas and will also help someone in need improve their life in a real and lasting way.

What a great way to share your love and God’s love around the world!

I am so excited about this catalog and I have come up with a few really neat ways to integrate the gifts in the catalog with gifts I am giving to others. (you can e-mail me for my ideas...but I don't want to post them on my blog...just in case my family reads it!)

All the gifts are tax deductable and they start at only 25 cents...so there is definitly a gift for everyone on your list this year.

Click here for more information and to view the online catalog.

happy thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving!

Take time to give thanks for what you have...even if it does look like clutter right now!

Spend time with family and friends...you can organize tomorrow!

last minute details

It’s the day before Thanksgiving Day!

If you are hosting the big gathering, you probably have a million things on your to-do list, right? Well, here are a few more things to add to your list. Make sure the following items are accomplished today and you will be a little more relaxed tomorrow.

· Work on dishes or prep work that you can do ahead.

· Pick up last minute food items, such as that ordered pie.

· Finish setting tables for tomorrow.

· Tidy up the main areas of your house and do last minute chores.

· Review your food-time list for tomorrow.

· Set your alarm and get to bed on time!

thanksgiving leftovers

The words Thanksgiving and leftovers go together! However, you won't be eating turkey sandwiches for the remainder of the week if you have nothing to store the leftover turkey in. And of course, you don't want to throw out that leftover cranberry or corn or any of it.

Keep in mind that if you plan to send some leftovers home with the guests, you will need to have some "throw-away" containers that you can pack for them to take and keep.

So what can you do with all your holiday leftovers?

Obviously, you can turn the leftovers into sandwiches, salads, soups, casseroles and other delicious “post-holiday” meals. Make sure you freeze some of the meals for later.

Another idea is to shred a bunch of turkey and freeze it in 1 or 2 cup portions. Then when you have a recipe that calls for cooked chicken/turkey, just pull some out of the freezer.

Click here for great “leftover” recipe ideas from www.allrecipes.com.

prepare your food in advance

Don't wait until Thanksgiving Day to start cooking your Thanksgiving meal; start ahead of time. You can make side dishes and gravies and refrigerate freeze them. You can also make pie crusts early and dice onions and peel and slice potatoes and refrigerate them. You can even cook your turkey the day before, pull it off the bone, and stick it in a crock pot with all the juices on Thanksgiving Day. (This does not have the same presentation effects of serving a whole turkey, but it taste delicious!)

You don't have to wait until the last minute and make everything simultaneously. That type of disorganization in the kitchen could be stressful, especially if you're not an old pro at making Thanksgiving dinner (and you have a load of guests on the way).

So get started today and save yourself some stress on Thursday!