Update Emergency Supplies and Plan

Every year about this time we start talking about organizing emergency supplies in time for hurricane season. Well, hurricane season is here. So, if you haven’t already reviewed your emergency kit and plan, now is a good time to do it.

Check the expiration date on all food, bottled water, medications (including over-the-counter products), and pharmaceuticals (like contact solution or lubricants), and replace expired products.

Review any prescription medications and make sure they are the correct type and dosage for your current use.

Inspect clothing and make sure they are the right size and in good repair.

Make sure batteries are fresh and flashlights and radio are in working order.

Evaluate your ability to handle your evacuation kit. Sometimes there are temporary or permanent mobility issues that have arisen since the last check that make handling the weight or bulk of the kit difficult. A small soft-sided thermal chest on wheels makes a portable kit that can be handled by people who have difficulty lifting heavier weights.

Take a careful look at your emergency plan to see if it accurately reflects information for the whereabouts of household members and emergency contact numbers.

When you have everything current, tuck the kit away in an easily accessible space, and hope you don’t have to use it.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Faux Organizing

What do you do when you have just recovered from a bout of illness, clutter has gotten out of hand, AND you are expecting guests for dinner? How about some faux organizing accompanied by some light topical cleaning?

Faux organizing is the term we use for making a defined space look like it is not cluttered, even though there may be lots of chaos under the surface. The way to achieve it is to contain, cover and stow.

Contain those things that are scattered all over the place. For instance, mail my have accumulated on a counter and can be put in a basket on a shelf until after the party. Kids’ toys can be put in a plastic bin in the corner of the family room. Wayward plants can be grouped on a tray.

Cover by shutting all cabinet doors; place other loose items like cosmetics, jewelry, and other miscellaneous items in attractive stackable boxes.

Stow larger items in a closet or room that will not be seen by the guests. I have never met anyone who did not have a secret space they occasionally used for this purpose.

Then, do some basic cleaning. Make sure to dust surfaces and, if necessary, vacuum floors in the rooms that will be used for the gathering. Invest some time in thoroughly cleaning surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. Sanitize the sinks and toilet bowls.

This routine takes about an hour to complete in an average house. The real trick is to recognize it for what it is—an emergency measure. When the guests leave and your energy returns, take the time to do it right, and find the right system to manage the mail, the toys and whatever else you had to hide.

A space that stays really organized is always easier to put back in order after brief lapses.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Gardening Supplies

The daffodils are lining our yards and there is no snow on the ground. It must be springtime-time to spruce up the outside of the house (if you can find the tools to do it). The shovel may be handy from clearing the walkway from the snow we had until about a month ago. But what about the rest of the tools you need?

Make it easy on your self and organize the lawn and garden equipment. There are a host of products for organizing the smallest hand tools to the largest energy powered models. There are also many hooks and holders not designed specifically for garden tools that work well for both stationary and portable storage.

For stationary storage, mount a section of pegboard and select the hooks that fit your tool collection. Alligator Board has a section of metal pegboard on wheels that would serve very well as a garden tool storage center. Hooks designed to hold mops and brooms work well for light tools. For heavier tools like shovels take a look at the host of storage solutions at www.gemplers.com. They range from straight bar storage to specialty storage systems for weed trimmers and leaf blowers. There is also a hanging tool organizer at www.gardeningwithkids.org that measures five feet by five feet and has pockets for both long-handled and short-handled tools. This site, sponsored by the National gardening Association, also has a nice variety of accessories for potting and displaying plants.

Portable storage for smaller items that you tote out to the garden should either be light enough for you to carry without strain or be on wheels. A simple solution is a five-gallon bucket with a bucket cover to hold the tools. You can find these at the local hardware store. You can even make the cover yourself with a pattern available at www.bucketsgonewild.com. You can find a garden seat on wheels with storage for supplies underneath it at www.solutions.com. John Deere makes a portable garden cart on wheels that is available at most garden centers and a variety of garden tool totes are available at hardware and department stores.

When you have selected a storage system for your gardening tools, organize them by frequency of use. Place the ones you use everyday at the easiest place to reach, or store in a portable organizer for the duration of the gardening season.

For inspiration on more storage solutions check out the following websites:
www.gardeners.com
www.target.com
www.cedarcreek.com
www.carolwrightgifts.com
www.shopgetorganized.com
www.gemplers.com
www.gardeningwithkids.com
www.solutions.com

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Manage Time

February is Time Management Month. Good grief! Where did the time go? I think it is fitting that time management is celebrated during the shortest month of the year. It is hard enough to get the bills paid and fit in everything that has to be done by the first of the next month when we have a full thirty-one days to do it. But February challenges us to get it done with fewer days--- and we usually squeak by.

Most of us do it by using time management tools. We use these things without even thinking about it. They have become ingrained in our everyday lives to such an extent that we do not even think of them as time management devices. Here are the most helpful time management tools as identified by 200 people in a national survey.

A monthly calendar. Most successful people use a manual or digital calendar that lists appointments and important things to accomplish.

A to-do list. Keeping a list of what is to be accomplished is a good way to keep things from slipping through the cracks. Highly successful people list a date to accomplish the task and often allocate time on their calendar.

Prioritizing. Life becomes overwhelming unless the most important tasks get handled first. Many people have trouble prioritizing. If you are one of them, try this 1-2-3 method. Ask yourself which of the items will result in a bad consequence if it is not handled today. Put a 1 next to those items. Which items will result in a bad consequence if it is not done in the next three days? Put a 2 next to those items. What items will result in a problem if not done in the next week? Put a 3 next to those items. Now tackle the items marked 1 first, 2 second and so on.

Most folks find using just these simple tools allows them to adequately manage time.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitons.net

Organize Medications

There they stand like little soldiers---bottles of pills to take care of aches and pains and chronic conditions. Or maybe they are strewn around the house, some in the kitchen, some in the bathroom, and some on the bedside table, placed there to remind us to take them when we eat a meal, or get ready for bed. The important things to remember about medications are to keep them in a cool, dark, dry place so they do not lose their potency or degrade, and to take them as instructed.

Once you have selected a spot to store medicines, separate the prescription drugs from the -counter (OTC) medicines. Store the OTC medicines by category: all the pain relievers together, all the cold medicine together, all the anti-acids together. Think of how they are arranged on your pharmacy shelf so you can find them.

Group the prescription drugs according to whom they are prescribed for. Then decide if you need some help remembering when to take prescribed pills. If you do, there are a number of different medication organizers that allow pills to be placed in compartments. Some hold pills for one day, others for one week or one month. One of our clients especially likes a little round Medication Minder available at Wal-Mart because the compartments are large enough to hold several pills and it fits in her purse when she travels.

One of the ways to make sure you take prescribed medication as directed is to set up visual or auditory clues. Visual clues can be as simple as keeping a medication that needs to be taken with meals on the kitchen table. A couple I know have to take pills with every meal for chronic conditions. Their solution is to have a small three-compartment basket in the middle of their table that has the medications labeled for each of them. The compartments are labeled breakfast, lunch and dinner. This has worked for them for many years and they credit it with helping them maintain their medication regimen. Other folks use a schedule posted on the refrigerator or medicine cabinet as a reminder. People who live busy lives or tend to forget can look into an auditory alarm. Some medication organizers have built-in alarms and alarms that look like watches or beepers are available.

Medication organizers and alarm reminders are available in most pharmacies and department stores. Check out the following web sites to get an idea of the variety available:
www.TechforTLC.com
www.epill.com

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

You Can’t Organize Mud

The homeowner showed the professional organizer around the house, pointing out the spots of clutter that she wanted to organize. She wasn’t exactly sure why these things bothered her and she wasn’t sure what she needed to do to make her space comfortable for her and her family. She was just overwhelmed with disorder and wanted it fixed. She was ready to get going---NOW.

So let’s get going, right? I don’t think so. I think it is time to take a minute and get a little clarity. I say, “You can’t organize mud.” And that is what we have here-a clouded, amorphous, muddy notion that things could be better if we just DO SOMETHING.

It is possible to get things picked up and put away and have a clear space for a little while. That is called cleaning. But if the goal is to organize space so it makes a real impact on keeping clutter down, then it takes some thought and planning.

The first step is clarity. Clarity about how you want to use the space and clarity about your own habits and lifestyle that impact your long-term success in using a system of organization. It is done by asking your self a few questions and answering them honestly. It doesn’t take a long time, but it makes a big difference in a successful outcome.

How do I want to use this space? Is it just for me or are others going to use it? What activities are going to happen here? How often will the space be used and which activities are repetitive and which are occasional?

How do I want this space to look? Do I want it to be beautiful or just functional?

How much money do I have to spend on achieving this goal?

How much time do I have to devote to getting the space organized and then keeping it that way?

After you have thoughtful, honest answers to these questions, you can get focused on executing a plan to meet your goal. You can better use what you have on hand and buy only what you need. You can devise a system that gets you organized and keeps you organized for the long term.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

An Organizing Insight

Staying organized is not always easy. Even organizers have trouble spots. For me that is clothes. I think as soon as I give that orange blouse away, I will find the perfect suit to go with it. So things hang around longer than they should. One day I was going through the painful task of culling clothes from my crowded closet, when I pulled down a skirt set I loved but had not worn in a while. I discovered that the elastic in the waste band had hardened and stretched. I had to toss it or repair it. Then it hit me! I needed to do what I tell everybody else to do--only keep those things I use and enjoy. Bags of clothes went to charity that day.

The insight I took away from that experience is that not being organized is a real drain on my energy and a waste of good stuff. Everything I keep requires time and energy to take care of it or time and energy to clean it up and haul it away. Clearing clutter and staying organized conserves my time and energy. I am amazed it took me decades for that to hit home.

If you have questions about organizing or want to expose yourself to some insights about the things that keep clutter in your life, take a trip to the Meyera Obendorf Memorial Library in Virginia Beach on the morning of Saturday, January 30th. A panel of professional organizers will be there from 10:30 to 12:00 to answer any questions about organizing. The organizers are members of Hampton Roads Professional Organizers and are offering this service as part of National Get Organized Month activities. I hope to see you there.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

An Easy-to-Keep Resolution for Better Health

Researchers tell us that some of the most popular New Year’s resolutions deal with living a healthier lifestyle. Many of us resolve to quit smoking, lose weight, eat a healthier diet, or exercise more. I have made all of those resolutions and kept at least one of them. They are hard to keep on a long-term basis.

There is one health-related resolution that is a little easier and can be just as important in helping achieve better health. It is to put together a personal health record that includes all the medication you take, all the doctors you see and all the tests you have had. This important document can help you get better treatment when you seek health care in routine and emergency situations.

While you are going through last year’s receipts for preparing your tax documents, make copies of medical information for a folder that can serve as the basis of your personal health record. A good resource for determining what documents and information to include in you record is www.MyPHR.com. Be sure to check out my guest blog when you are there.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Real World Resolve

Many of us have made our New Year’s Resolutions. And many of us have already fallen a little short of keeping them. Whether the goal is to eat a healthier diet (that surely excludes leftovers and lattes) or go to church every Sunday (that surely did not include Sundays when the temperature is below freezing), us mortals have to feel the benefit to stay on track.

Psychologists tell us that to change habits we have to be able to identify the benefit to ourselves and change our behavior for at least thirty days. So here are a few things for folks who resolved to be more organized this year to think about.

Some benefits of being organized are:
You have more money in your pocket. You do not have to pay late fees for bills that got lost in the bottom of a pile of mail. You do not buy duplicate products because you cannot locate beauty supplies or toiletries. You do not waste food by letting expiration dates expire. You take better cares of coats and clothes and can locate them when you need to wear them instead of buying something new.

You are not ashamed to have someone in your home. That means less expensive entertainment, richer friendships, better relationships within your family, and a better feeling about yourself.

You have peace of mind because you know where important documents are located and have a plan for emergency preparedness.

You can enjoy the things you have more fully--no small thing in difficult times.

Once you have identified the benefit to yourself, write it down and post it in a spot where you will see it everyday. Then do something to achieve that goal every day for thirty days. It can be hanging up you coat when you come in the door, then putting your clothes away or in the laundry when you undress, then putting laundry away the same day it is done. It might be getting a basket to hold all the mail, then going through the mail nightly, then paying bills every week. The important thing is to do something to reach the goal every day. If you miss a day, don’t give up. Start over the next day, until you have thirty consecutive days and can see the results.

Help reinforce your resolve by telling a friend or calling a professional organizer for support. A little bit of organization can make life a lot easier. That is a good goal for 2010.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Tips for Managing Holiday Gatherings

Getting together with friends and family is one of the joys of the season. It can also be a trial when personalities clash or the event arrives before you are ready. Whether you are hosting the gathering or attending it, here are a few tips to lessen the stress.

Deciding what to wear is one of the great stressors for gals who often plan the wardrobe for the whole family. Make that decision long before the day of the event and hang the entire cleaned and pressed outfit, including underwear and accessories, on one hanger. When it is time to dress, there is no second-guessing, the right underwear is not in the dirty clothes hamper, and you do not have to scramble to find the missing snowflake earring.

When giving a party, be ready a half an hour early. I have never hosted a party when someone did not arrive before the stated start time. If it is a dinner party, have a few help-yourself appetizers set out for the early arrivals to nosh on while you put the finishing touches on the meal and table setting.

Be prepared for an unexpected guest by having a place setting in reserve and a plan in your head for where you will seat the extra guest. Under the best circumstances, no unexpected visitor will show up, but if one does you are prepared and cool as a cucumber as you squeeze him in next to Grandpa.

A hostess gift is a nice gesture, but do not expect the hostess to set out your home baked goods or wine. It is her choice whether to share your gift or save it to enjoy later. I saw a party brought to a standstill last year because a guest insisted that everyone taste his homemade snickerdoodles and peppermint Schnapps, even though the party had a carefully planned Felice Navidad theme. As a guest, follow the host’s lead and let it go his way. As a host, just say “ Thank you for the lovely gift. I am going to certainly enjoy this later.”

Steer clear of confrontation by having a few stock phrases for irritating and disagreeable encounters. Some of them are: “ I can’t say I agree, but what an interesting idea.” or “ Let’s talk about this another time” or “Look, there is Leo. I have been looking for him. Excuse me.” Then go somewhere else quickly.

Planning and preparation are the first to steps to organizing and they are good ways to take stress out of holiday gatherings.

Have a terrific holiday and may all your gatherings be happy ones.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransition.net

Ghosts of Christmas Past

Many of us shook off the turkey-induced lethargy and began decorating for the holidays. That was when we ran into those ghosts of Christmas past: the tangled lights, the broken nativity figure, the hastily packed boxes of decorations and the boxes of decorations that have not seen the light of day in years.

Those decorations that have not been used in a long time fall into several categories. Only a few of them are in the “oh, my gosh, I forgot I had this beautiful object!” category. Most of them fall into the “what was I thinking when I bought this?” or the “this gift is sooo not my taste!” categories. Give yourself a head start on organizing your decorating for next year by donating those unwanted things to a charity and you won’t have to keep rejecting and re-packing them.

The other possibility for unused decorations is that you have downsized your space, your decorating activity, the size of your tree, or all three. Why not share treasured items you no longer use with others who will enjoy them? There is a television commercial running now where a young mother shares with her family a box of decorations from her youth. How thoughtful her parent was to give her such a gift. Just box up those memories and put them under the tree for those you love. It is the very best kind of re-gifting.

As for the things you do use as decorations, consider putting them away in boxes grouped by the room in which they are displayed. Next year, you can just plunk the boxes down in the room and decorate at your leisure. While you are putting things away this year, also take time to make small repairs and discard broken items. That will make for merry decorating next holiday season.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Mounds of Magazines and Collections of Catalogues

Magazines and catalogues are good things. They give me hours of pleasure. We actually use them in our work to show clients products that will help with organization. The challenge is to keep them from taking over the house.

Here are a few tip to help you keep magazines, catalogues and, (for you crafters) pattern books organized.

• Keep them close to where you use them. If you peruse catalogues while you watch television, keep them close to your viewing perch. If you use them in your work, store them on a shelf near your workstation. If you like to read them in the bathroom, spring for a bathroom magazine rack. This will minimize the opportunity to mislay them somewhere in route from where they are kept to where they are used.

• Keep them contained. You can choose a lot of different magazine racks, boxes and other containers. Some of our favorites are the ultra-clear magazine boxes at www.containerstore.com and the desk magazine files at www.ikea-usa.com. Ikea also has baskets that hook on underneath a shelf that are great for pattern books when you are working on a project. To get an idea of the variety of magazine holders available, log on to www.magazineracks.com. They have great ideas for wall-hanging, free standing and traditional varieties. One of the ways we organize the catalogues we use in our work is to gather them in large three-ring binders using 3 ring catalogue/magazine organizers. These handy tools snap into the binder and allow you to slide the magazines over them for easy access. Also consider using other containers like flat baskets, copper ham boilers or pretty wooden boxes you may have around the house.

• Keep them accessible. If you store your pretty box on a closet shelf, the catalogues and magazines will get old and probably unread. Keep them out, but keep them neat.

• Keep them current. When you get a new catalogue, throw out the old one. Magazines are a little harder to get rid of when they have a great article, suggestion or recipe you want to hold on to. Clip out the article and save it in a file or notebook and discard the magazine. If it is hard for you to get rid of perfectly good reading material, donate current magazines to nursing homes, clinics or prisons.
  
  Happy reading in an uncluttered house and office.
  
  Beverly & Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

Keys to a Happy Holiday

Thanksgiving Day has come and Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanza are not far behind.

Here are our suggestions for Keys to a happy holiday:

• Keep it simple. There is enough stress without complicating matters. Simple plans are best.
• Enjoy special moments. Don’t get so caught up in preparation that you neglect to enjoy the present and the presence of those you love.
• Yield to the inevitable. Stuff happens. If you can’t change it, just deal with it and move on.
• Save some time for yourself. Give yourself a break and do something just for you. You will feel less harried and overwhelmed.
  
  Have a happy holiday!
  
  Beverly and Kristen
  www.KeyTransitions.net

Hints for Maintaining an Organized Home Office

Whether your home office is your primary work site or an adjunct to your main office, here are a few tricks that will help you stay organized.

Define a space for your home and personal documents and a separate space for your work documents. It can be as simple as two separate drawers or ends of a shelf with a divider.

Create a filing system with titles that make sense to you and use colored folders for quick identification. For instance all your folders dealing with finance could be green; all folders dealing with warrantees could be purple, etc.

Create a folder for immediate response and handle it before the end of the day. Finish up by filing the documents in appropriate folders.

Keep a planning calendar handy either on your computer or PDA or in hardcopy close to your telephone and computer so it can be updated as your schedule changes.

Use ergonomics (the science of designing the job, equipment and workplace to fit the worker) to make sure your workstation is comfortable and allows you to do the job efficiently. The computer monitor should be directly in front of your face to put your body in a neutral position. The keyboard should be placed so the forearms are parallel to the thighs when your feet are flat on the floor. The chair should be adjusted to maintain appropriate alignment with the monitor and keyboard with feet flat on the floor. The mouse should be located on right side if you are right handed and on the left side if you are left handed. If you use a document holder, place it on the opposite side of the computer from the mouse.

Put items you use the most frequently near the workstation. These may include telephone, fax machine, printer, scanner, stapler, resource books, or editing tools.

If your equipment is placed to minimize physical strain and optimize convenient access to the things you use most often, you will be less likely to rearrange items and pull work to other areas of the house. Comfort and convenience will help you maintain an organized space.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Personal Medical Information

October is “Organize Your Medical Information Month”. This is the month folks are encouraged to gather their medical histories and pertinent medical information into one comprehensive record that provides a basis for decision making for themselves, their family and the medical professionals who deliver care to them.

Years ago, the family doctor knew your medical history and the medicine you were taking because he (or she) had often treated your family members and certainly was aware of your care through his own practice or his careful coordination with specialists to whom he referred his patients.

Things have changed. A variety of medications are available over the counter, many people take dietary supplements and access specialty and preventive care without referral. Screenings offered in the community, flu shots offered at pharmacies and grocery stores sometimes do not make it to central medical files. Care gets further fragmented if hospital care or rehabilitation is required.

So, in October, the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) suggests you pull all that information together. This non-profit group has a website at http://www.myphr.com/ that has a listing of common information and reports contained in a health record and step-by-step instructions for organizing your health information.

Having your information organized allows you to make better decisions about your continuing healthcare, avoid duplicate tests and get faster, more effective care in an emergency.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

ORGANIZE VIDEO GAME HARDWARE

Video game playing takes up a lot of space. The console, peripherals and accessories pose storage problems for most systems, but when you get into large accessories like band instruments and sports equipment; it gets even more problematic. An additional consideration is adequate ventilation if the console is going to stay in the storage unit while the players are engaged in the game. If not well ventilated, the heat generated can shorten the life of the system.

I recently saw a colorful, easy-to-access system that can sit on a table or can hang on the wall and store the console and peripherals as well as a limited number of games. It is called the GameOn Video Gaming Storage System and Stash Box. It comes in black and bright colors and holds up to 50 pounds. The vertical footprint makes it handy for smaller spaces. It is available at www.amazon.com

There are some other alternatives that fill the bill if you have more space available. On the higher-priced end of the scale is the Media Gaming Console at Pottery Barn Teens (www.pbw.com). It has shelves to accommodate consoles of most types, a sliding tray, cord cutouts and pocket doors. It is a nice piece of furniture and costs about a thousand dollars. Less expensive are the Quest TV and Video Game Table at Target for around $320 and the Kangaroom Game Console Unit and Stash Box at www.organize.com for about $120. At www.allmultimediastorage you can find the Gaming Center on Wheels for $90 and the five tier Wire Gaming Tower for $50.

All of these storage alternatives provide a way to keep the all the game stuff together in one place and protect the accessories from accidental damage.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Sports Balls

Baseballs, soccer balls, footballs, volleyballs and just plain bouncy balls give hours of pleasure to children of all ages. They can also be a problem to store where they are easily accessible and do not pose a safety hazard to folks trying to walk through the garage, the playroom or wherever they are kept. Large plastic storage tubs and colorful trash cans will serve to corral the balls, but a more organized approach is to store the balls with other equipment necessary to play the game. Here are a few alternatives that may offer some inspiration for getting your sport balls in order.

The Rubbermaid Sportsgear Organizer measures 36”x38”x18” and can hold a variety of balls, mitts, gloves and shoes. The International Sports Organizer with Bench is 36” long, has a sturdy wire bottom that allows ventilation and a cushioned bench on top that allows the athlete to sit and adjust equipment. It is made just like a toy chest, so it accommodates a lot of items and works for kids who just throw everything into a pile.

One of my favorite products is the Ball Claw, available at Target’s. It is an adjustable plastic claw that will hold footballs, basketballs, volleyballs and soccer balls. It comes in a wall-mountable style or with a strap so that it can be attached to a hook system or sport tote. This works well if you use a duffel bag to hold equipment for each sport your family members play. A particularly good organizing bag for baseball and bats is the Mizano Organizing bag with wheels. Specialty storage items for most sports can be found at http://www.ssw.com/.

If you would like to try your hand at building a sports ball and equipment storage center yourself, an excellent example can be found at http://www.diynetwork.com/.

Even if all your ball games do not end in victory, may you have fun playing them.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize a Car Trunk

I have not driven a car with a trunk for eighteen years. So last week, when I was forced to drive a loaner while I waited for my wheels, I again became acquainted with the challenges of transporting things in a car trunk. I had forgotten how limited the space is and how the interior is so rigidly defined. There is no way to stack a little higher or move a seat further up to accommodate items that need just a silly millimeter more room. That started me thinking about when I did have a car with a trunk, two children with lots of school activities and a full time job that required having information with me while I traveled to various locations. That is not to mention beach chairs, sports equipment and my husband’s photography equipment and various scouting projects. I recall a few tricks that helped me find what I needed and keep all the members of the family on speaking terms as we shared trunk space.

First make room for things that keep you safe. A good spare tire or driving ring and a roadside emergency kit are essentials. Many cars have special compartments for these items. No matter how tempted you are to put something else in these spaces, don’t. An acquaintance, who had a band, emptied everything out of his trunk to carry his music equipment and was a bit miffed when he broke down on his way to a gig and had no way to change a tire and no tire to change. Better to arrive safe and late than not at all.

When deciding what to keep in the trunk, categorize and separate. Use large zip-lock bags, cloth bags or plastic containers to hold like things and label them so they are easily identifiable.

Keep sports equipment and gym clothes in separate containers with odor eater charcoal bags.

Keep a couple of collapsible totes for special transport of things like groceries and school projects.

When carting beach chairs or beach toys, wrap them in a large sheet or blanket. Remove the whole packet from the car when you return home and shake out the covering. This will keep sand out of the trunk.

Fitting things in a trunk is often like putting a puzzle together. The pieces only fit one way, so put things back where they came from. Easier said than done, but something to which we can aspire.

I am no longer struggling with fitting things in a trunk, but with the trend leaning to smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, I might have that challenge in my future. I remember what works and I think I’m ready…. Although hauling furniture from estate sales will still be a problem.

Beverly & Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize an Emergency Pack

September 2009 is the sixth annual National Preparedness Month (NPM) sponsored by the Ready Campaign. It is a nationwide effort to increase awareness and encourage individuals, businesses and communities to take action and prepare for emergencies of all kinds. The campaign encourages folks to get a kit, make a plan and stay informed.

National agencies like the Red Cross and the Center for Disease Control, big companies like Wal-Mart and Target, and small businesses like Key Transitions join a coalition to promote national readiness in case of emergency. As coalition members we commit to establish preparedness in our own companies and to reach out to the community. Information about the coalition and detailed information about what you need to do in case of emergency can be found at www.ready.gov.

Last year our company worked with small businesses to get ready for emergencies. This year, we are working with senior adults in independent living situations. One of the concerns of this population is how to put together a “to go” emergency pack that meets their needs and is light enough for them to manage.

Here are a few things for everyone, especially older adults, to consider as they stock their “to go” emergency pack.

Choose a container for your kit that is lightweight and that you can manage. One of our favorites is a fabric insulated cooler on wheels with external pockets that we picked up in the sports section of Wal-Mart. It has a telescopic handle and rolls easily. Another alternative is to buy the ready-made backpack kit from www.redcross.org. It costs about $75 with shipping and weighs about 12 pounds.

Carry adequate water. Try creating water packs by putting water in a one-gallon bag and double sealing by putting it upside down in another plastic bag. Supplement the packs with individual serving bottles of water. Juice and other liquids also aid hydration.

Choose foods that are individually packed and are in lightweight containers. Peanut butter in individual plastic containers and tuna in foil pouches rather than cans are some examples. Remember to pay attention to dietary restrictions when selecting foods and choose products with extended expiration dates.

Pack tools to assist you in opening the containers you pack. If you cannot grip and operate a manual can opener consider packing a one-step battery operated model. Don’t forget to pack extra batteries. If necessary, include scissors for opening zip lock bags that won’t cooperate and include a marker to date the items when you open them.

Keep a list of important contacts in the pack. Include family and friends you want to notify as well as important providers like oxygen companies or transportation vendors.

Keep important documents ready to go. A list of important documents to consider can be found at www.ready.gov. If you scan documents to disc for easy transportation, remember to label it in ways that obscure its true content.

Remember your medications and dosing tools like syringes, medicine droppers and applicators. Also include things you need to keep your necessary medical supplies functioning-like batteries for hearing aids and repair kits for dentures and glasses.

The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) and other coalition sites have lists for emergency pack contents, outlines for communication plans and suggestions for staying informed. Have a look and make it a priority to “Get Ready Now”.

Beverly and Kristen
www.KeyTransitions.net

Organize Your Car Interior

According to the Associated Press, 700,000 of us have new cars thanks to the “Cash for Clunkers” stimulus program. That’s really a small percentage of the sixty-two million registered cars in the United States. I wonder how neat the old cars are and how long the new models will remain in their pristine, uncluttered condition. It only takes a few hours of driving to trash the interior of a car, especially with a little help from family and friends.

If you have a new or uncluttered car, keep it that way by having a place for the things you use most frequently and a convenient place to dispose of trash.

If you have a car that could use a little cleaning up, here are some hints for organizing the interior.

Sort: Remove all the clutter from the car. Throw away the trash and then separate the contents into four piles: things I use all the time, things I use occasionally, things I use in an emergency, and things that do not belong in my car.

Identify a home for each category: Things you use all the time should be where you can easily reach them. If they are items that are frequently used by passengers, (like older children in the backseat) they should be where the passenger can access them easily without you being distracted from driving. Things that are used occasionally can be stored in the trunk or under the seat. Emergency gear requires some thought for placement. A multi-tool for slashing seatbelts and breaking glass needs to be readily accessible. Road flares and tire changing tools can reside in the trunk

Contain the items: Everything cannot fit in the glove compartment and the door pockets. Save those spaces for your maps, car information, registration and insurance documents. If you need some solutions for storing sun classes, work essentials and other items, look for containment aids at sites like www.solutions.com, www.ebags.com and www.drivingcomfort.com.

Keep non-essentials out of the car: That includes trash, so keep a receptacle for trash disposal in the front and back seat. Also keep a collapsible container or trash bag to routinely haul out those items that do not belong in the car. Once a week tidy up, empty the trash, and make sure you items are where you want them to be.

Follow these steps and your new car will stay uncluttered and your old car will look more like new.

Beverly & Kristen
www.keytransitions.net