July, 2010

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ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Toys/Games

Thursday, July 29th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

I am always looking for new homes for the stuff my clients are willing to share. I was excited to read Melissa Dilley’s article “Parting with Toys Not Always Easy” in the Columbus Dispatch this past Friday, July 23rd.

In keeping with the Toy Story 3 theme, Melissa spoke to several families having yard sales to sell their growing children’s toys. She encountered a young man who couldn’t give up his first two-wheeler, as well as a mom who was keeping things that her child said could be sold. I wonder whose wishes will change in the future.

Best of all, was the specific list of places to donate toys and games here in Columbus, OH.

  • Huckleberry House, 1421 Hamlet St., accepts board games and toys targeted to children ages 12 to 17.
  • JOIN (Joint Organization for Inner-City Needs), 578 E. Main St., accepts all used children’s toys. Call 614-241-2530.
  • Boys and Girls Club, 115 S. Gift St., accepts board games. Call 614-221-8830.

Hopefully, your donated toys will not want to escape from their new home, but will be treasured and enjoyed by new owners.

Great Ideas on How to Focus… Now!

Monday, July 26th, 2010

Don’t critique the job you’re doing until you’ve completed it.

Christine Adamec, author of “Moms with ADD”
Adult ADD

Adult ADD

This is just one of the “8 Ways to Focus at Work & Home” from the article in ADDitude Magazine online.

If you are distracted by bright and shiny objects, are a raving perfectionist,  or simply have to move NOW or you will die, you will find hope in these simple tips from ADHD experts.

While you are there, sign up to have the newsletter delivered to your in box. We all can use the additional nudge to simplify desktops, write lists, and ask for help from a friend. Common sense? Yes! Do we do it? No!

Are You Resilient?

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

Have you felt like your life was out of control and looked for who or what to blame? Then, in time, you got past that crisis and felt pretty good about simply surviving in the midst of great difficulty! I (Martha) have been in both situations. I think that is why I identified so strongly with Patsy Deerhake’s article in her wellness coaching newsletter Wellness Within Reach.

On Resilience by Guest Blogger Patsy Deerhake:

My husband tells me that the term “stress” is an old and tired concept. I agree that people may be tired  of hearing about stress. I know I get tired of hearing how stressed people are when it appears they are stuck and unwilling to move forward. It seems to me when people complain of stressors; they are in “victim” mode. They often just accept their plight without taking action.

Even those who cope well with stress are often in “survivor” mode. They’re just muddling through the situation and feel little control. I like to suggest to people who are experiencing stress that they choose the “thrive” mode. In this mode an unfortunate turn of events becomes a challenge, not a calamity.

Resilience is a concept that can move us beyond playing victim or even just surviving. Resilience is the ability to rebound from a difficult situation. When we are resilient, we are able to bend without breaking. Resilience may be developed and strengthened with practice.

Highly resilient people have been described as having stress‐resistant personalities and are able to learn from their experiences. Some qualities that increase resilience include healthy relationships, adaptability, emotional maturity, sense of humor, acceptance of others, creative problem‐solving, resourcefulness, openness and optimism.

Resilience is demonstrated by those who are able to rebound from difficult experiences, often by taking a unique perspective that allows them to see the opportunities a change in circumstances creates. It’s the ability to reject the victim mentality or even the role of survivor and discover ways to thrive in spite of a setback.

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Patsy Deerhake of Wellness Within Reach is passionate about empowering women who are juggling career, household and family to create the time and energy to get the lives they want and deserve.  She sees moms and caregivers trying to do it all – to be Superwoman. “I am a recovering Superwoman,” Patsy admits. Patsy works with clients to give up their frazzled, harried lifestyles and achieve greater quality of life.

To find out how to succeed without the cape, request The Superwoman’s Guide to Getting What You Want Without Losing What’s Important, a FREE report that outlines a six step process to help women assess what they want in their lives and take an initial step forward.

Closet Organizing Most Mysterious

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

Great news: a new “professional organizer” mystery, Closet Confidential , is on the shelves now!

To celebrate the latest Charlotte Adams book on its first week out, author Mary Jane Maffini is running a contest for her loyal readers.

“Page 99 is said to be a significant page in any book. What kind of cookies are Charlotte and Lilith eating on Page 99 of Closet Confidential? Email your answer to  [email protected]” by August 15th.  A drawing from all correct answers will determine who wins a basket of closet organizing goodies, shipped to you.

Stay tuned because Mary Jane will join me via teleclass on August 19th, 7-8 PM. She will answer questions such as:

  • Why did you choose an organizer to be your amateur sleuth in the Charlotte Adams series?
  • With the fast pace of life, why is reading mysteries a good use of our time?
  • How do you want women to feel as a result of identifying with your characters?

I’m looking forward to an informative and fun phone call!

ThuRsday Recycle and Reuse: Carpets

Thursday, July 15th, 2010
ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

ThuRs Recycle and Reuse

Did you know there was a national agreement on carpet recycling? I didn’t until I was researching this article.

On January 8, 2002, in Atlanta, Georgia, members of the carpet industry, representatives of government agencies at the federal, state and local levels, and non-governmental organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding for Carpet Stewardship (MOU).

Participants set goals over a ten year period with a proposed end result of 40% recycling and reuse by 2012.

A non-profit organization,  Carpet America Recovery Effort (CARE) was created to find solutions that will divert used carpet from landfills and to monitor results. Since its inception in 2002, CARE has diverted over 1 billion pounds of post-consumer carpet from landfills according to their fact sheet.

So what can you and I do to aid this effort? Visit the CarpetRecover.org website for a list of carpet reclamation centers.

In my Columbus, OH neighborhood there is only one listing on the West side:

Reclamation LTD
2664 Fisher Road
Columbus, OH 43204-3536

(614) 279-2515 (warehouse phone)

This company will take any amount of carpet that is delivered to this warehouse address between the hours of 7:30 am – 4:30 pm, M-F.

Of course, if you are blessed to live in Georgia, your can not only purchase carpets directly from the mills, but recycling centers abound in this carpet-making capital of the U.S. One that I am particularly impressed with is the Shaw Group.

Shaw Contract Group has a recycling program for their customers who are replacing at least 500 Sq yds of carpet with their ecoworx product. That means they will remove the carpet and truck it to their recycling facility.

With the ability to recycle 100 million pounds of carpet each year, Shaw’s recycling capabilities represent one-third of the entire industry’s capacity.  You can watch their video that explains their cradle to cradle Eco Solution Q nylon carpet.

Would that every product we use could be reused to this extent to save natural resources!

More posts in this series:

Kid Friendly Organizing Products

Tuesday, July 6th, 2010

A parent’s main job is to make him/herself obsolete. Challenging your child to attempt new things as he grows is part of this weaning from Mom and Dad’s help. Caring for her own hygiene, choosing clothing, and “picking up” her playthings are a few of the tasks that you will introduce in gradual and age-appropriate chunks.

In school, a 1st grader learns  there are 50 states, in 3rd grade he must name the states, and by 5th grade is able to recite the capitol cities of each. (Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Not me.) In the same way, parents introduce personal responsibility in stages that increase in complexity as their child grows and is physically and mentally capable of completing each task.

The physical layout of your child’s room can either help or hinder this learning process. The two questions you must ask yourself are:

1. Can my child reach the things he/she needs to complete the job?

2. Is it easy to get to one toy, book, shirt, or toothbrush so that getting out and putting away are simple and fun to do?

Think “kindergarten” here. A classroom for 5-year-olds contains low shelves, hooks, and tables along with  storage containers that are specific to the objects stored there.

These are a few of my favorite kid-friendly organizing products that bring storage down to a child’s level and make it fun.

Shelving – I love the versatility of the JC Penney Linden Street line.  Using 2 of the 4-cubby bookshelves  is a great option for a kids’ room.  Books can be stored easily on the plain shelves alternating with stuffed animals or toys contained in the fold-out fabric bins from Target.

Closets – Two closet organizing pieces that make reaching and choosing outfits easier for kids are:

The Dublet Adjustable Closet Rod Expander by Umbra found at The Container Store. The expander converts a single closet rod into a double hang at the height of your choice. This is perfect to put clothing at eye level for 4-9 year olds.

Natural Soft Canvas 6 Shelf Organizer Label the six bins from Sunday through Friday and sort daily outfits into the slots for ages 2-7 years to save time in the morning.  Let Saturday be “grunge day” as a reminder to do laundry.

PuzzlesThe Deluxe Wire Storage Rack is affordable and has room for those extra large puzzles with the little knobs.

LegosBox4Blox (right, below) This sorter and storage box is such a neat idea, I wish I still had kids with Legos! Watch the short video on the website to see how it works.

Puzzle Storage Rack

Box4Blox

Leave your comment below about the kid-friendly products you have found. We need all the help we can get in parenting these days!