Posted By janice on December 30, 2011

As 2011 rushes to a close, it’s the time of year when we all publish Top Ten lists and recaps of the year’s events, and I’ve already written two others for my own blog. As I wrote the other recap posts, I perused the year’s events, and I saw stories about people – amazing people. I knew I had another list in the making.

There are many people I could talk about. I could talk about the soldiers we have asked to sacrifice time with their families and even their lives. We ask so much from them. I could talk about the protesters who joined the Arab Spring movement in several countries to fight for what we take for granted.

I could talk about the amazing Gabrielle Giffords, who has shown stunning determination after a tragic shooting. The loving relationship between Giffords and her astronaut husband Mark Kelly are the ones we should talk about instead of the shallow ones lasting a handful of days.

I could talk about the Fukushima Daiichi workers in Japan who went back into the nuclear plant after the devastating earthquake and tsunami set off a meltdown. They could have easily said no, but they didn’t. They stepped up to the plate with great peril to themselves to save their fellow citizens.
But to make this list have real meaning, I’m going to write about the people in my life who amaze me.

Melanie Notkin of Savvy Auntie. Melanie’s first book – Savvy Auntie: The Ultimate Guide for Cool Aunts, Great-Aunts, Godmothers and All Women Who Love Kids – was released earlier this year, and I was proud to be part of her project. I love being an Aunt to my 10 nieces, nephews and godchildren who range in age from 19 to 1, and they are the joys of my life. Melanie is a fearless dynamo who saw a niche for we single women who love the children in their lives, took a brave leap of faith, and created an outlet for us. I’m a proud PANK – Professional Auntie No Kids, and I thank Melanie for giving us a voice.

Ellen Delap of Professional-Organizer.com. My fellow organizing colleague Ellen totally rocks. Ellen and I became organizers around the same time and have similar styles. Ellen and I can talk about pretty much anything, and we love to bounce ideas off each other.

My sisters-in-law Dawn, Katharine and Kimberly. I have an expanded family with my adoptive family and my birthfamily, and I am lucky to have such amazing women in my family. Dawn is a brilliant and compassionate doctor here in Houston, and many of my friends see her as their doctor. Katharine is so outgoing and perky, a great cook and an awesome mother to my two nephews. Kimberly is a dynamic woman who is a great mother and stepmother to three of my nieces and nephews.

Lisa Boesen. Lisa and I were introduced by a mutual friend during my early days at MD Anderson. Lisa has always amazed me with her compassion, optimism and kindness. She always sees the good in people and situations – a feat that I still struggle with. After her father and mother passed away within months of each other, Lisa turned her grief into something much, much bigger and created Compassionate Connections, a program she developed to put the “care” into healthcare for patients, their families and healthcare workers. Check out her website.

We also bid good-bye this year to several amazing people, the ones who left a gaping hole when they left. My own family and I lost my amazing Uncle Cletus, a giant who fought dragons.

Other notable passings I was sad to see were Steve Jobs, a man who made us want things we didn’t know we wanted; Elizabeth Taylor, the famous beauty who championed AIDS research and education before it was fashionable; Christopher Hitchens, the blunt and brilliant writer you loved, hated or both at the same time; and Patrice O’Neil, who was just damn funny.

As we stand on the verge of 2012, I wonder who will amaze us in the coming year.

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Tags: amazing people of 2011

Posted By janice on December 21, 2011

As a professional organizer, I like to play with new products and see which ones will work for my organizing clients (and myself).

This year, my absolute favorite organizing products are my iPad and iPhone. With these handy tools, I was able to access information I needed, take notes, keep my grocery list, and manage my to-do list. As with anything, it’s all how you use the tools you have available.

Here are some other favorites of mine for the past year:

Rubbermaid’s Bento Boxes. I love these sexy storage boxes. Fabric dividers pop out to carve out storage space inside – just like a bento box tray.

Cloud Apps. I’ve talked about Dropbox, Evernote and Wunderlist so much that I’m sure people think I own stock in them. I wish I did. With the cloud, you can make a change on your computer, your tablet or smartphone, and the change will be uploaded to all of your platforms. With the cloud, you have your information and digital stuff wherever you are.

Gift Wrapping Station. With the holidays now upon us, this gift wrapping station has been a godsend for me. I can see what I have (oodles of wrapping paper!) and what I don’t have (uh… no gift tags, huh?). When I’m done wrapping gifts, it slips easily back into my holiday closet.

Grid-It! After hearing a few organizing colleagues talk about it, I checked out Grid-It and bought two different sizes to play with. The grid is made of elastic straps, and you can slide in your power cords, smart phone, or even gum to keep all of your things together in your tote bag or purse.

Pinterest. Some people may not think of Pinterest as an “organizing product,” but I do. On Pinterest, you can create boards for whatever your interests are.

I have boards for organizing ideas, home renovation ideas, recipes I want to try, craft ideas, holiday ideas, and even an Auntie Fun board. If I come across a photo of something on the web, I can “pin it” and keep it on my board. If you want to see the original website, click on the photo on your board and you’re taken to the original source – which is handy if you’re looking for instructions or recipes.

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Tags: cloud apps, Organizing products

Posted By janice on December 19, 2011

The kind people at work bought an iPad for me in December 2010, and then a month later, my ancient flip phone kindly died so I could upgrade to an iPhone. I spent 2011 playing with app after app.

Here are my favorites:

Dropbox. Oh, Dropbox, how I love you. Use Dropbox to store documents and photos and access them anywhere. When my laptop crashed in April, all of my files were safe on Dropbox. You can use Dropbox for free, and you can earn additional storage space when people you recommend sign up for Dropbox. For oodles of storage, subscription prices begin at $10 a month. I just recently began paying for Dropbox.

Evernote. Think of Evernote as your digital brain. Create digital notes and notebooks to organize information you want. You can save photos, web links, notes to yourself, ideas….well, you get the idea. I have notes on Evernote ranging from blog ideas to home renovation ideas.

Wunderlist. I played with several to do list apps, and there are several good ones on the market, such as Toodle-Do, Remember the Milk and Daily Notes. But I’ve fallen hard for Wunderlist. It’s easy to use. You can create category/project folders and email new tasks to yourself at me@wunderlist.com (use the email you used to register). You can download Wunderlist on your computer, your iPad and smartphone.

Noteshelf. If you like handwriting notes, use Noteshelf and write your heart out with a rubber-tipped stylus. Upload PDFs of your handwritten notes into Dropbox or Evernote or simply email them to yourself or someone else.

Genius Scan + PDF Scanner. Take a photo of a document on your iPhone and you can convert it to a PDF. Genius.

Shazam. Hear a song and want to know what it is? Hit the tag button on the Shazam app on your iPhone, hold it up to the song playing on your radio or TV and you will get the answers you seek.

Time Timer. As the name implies, the Time Timer is a timer. Set the time you want, and an alarm will sound when the time is up.

Amazon Kindle. They make it too easy to buy books. The Kindle app bookmarks the page you left on.

JibJab Jr. Books. The guy who brought us Elf Yourself and Jib Jab satirical cartoons have created a line of children’s books for the iPad. Upload photos of your children or nieces and nephews and make them the star of the story. New books come out each month and now feature sound. My friends’ children and my own nephews were mesmerized.

Star Walk. If you’re a space-loving geek, this cool iPad app lets you see the stars from your couch.

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Tags: apps, iPad, iPhone

Posted By janice on December 5, 2011

“Do you know what the main trouble with this country is? There are too many people who don’t know where they’re going, and they want to get there too fast.” — Sylvester the cabbie in The Bishop’s Wife

The Bishop’s Wife with Cary Grant and Loretta Young is among my favorite Christmas movies, and the plot centers around a bishop who is burying himself in his work, his lovely but worried wife, and an angel named Dudley, who is lending a helping hand.

Not much has really changed since 1947 when this movie was made. It’s hard to imagine that even back in “the old days,” people were concerned about overworking, family time, living their values and managing life in a fast-paced world. Maybe we’re just slow learners. Maybe these themes just are part of becoming adults.

It’s easy to dismiss Christmas movies as overly sentimental stuff, but I always find them to be reminders of what I should remember year round. Here’s what I learn from my favorite Christmas movies:

The Bishop’s Wife. Be careful what you pray for. You think you want a shiny new cathedral, but it turns out you really want is much simpler – time with your family and friends.

It’s a Wonderful Life. No matter how much money you have in your bank account, no matter how much we’re all struggling right now, we are all rich if we have people we love in our lives.

White Christmas. I absolutely love this movie. What can I say? I’m a sucker for the White Christmas song sung by Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney. In between musical numbers, help your friends, even your sister and always dress for the part.

Love Actually. There are so many characters and plot lines in this British film, and I just love it. As the title suggests, the biggest lesson here is about love. Love and relationships of any kind require taking a risk and showing courage. The saddest storyline is when Laura Tierney’s character puts aside her chance at love to take care of her institutionalized brother.

The Holiday. In a word, gumption. I love gumption, which is really another word for courage. I wish everyone had gumption. How interesting the world would be if more people had courage to do what was right and not what was popular.

Miracle on 34th Street. Believe. My favorite scene is at the end when Natalie Woods’ character, a little girl who was trying very hard to believe in the man she thought was Santa, is sitting in the backseat of the car, saying “I believe. Even though it’s stupid. I believe.” When she spots the house of her dreams, she realizes that it was good to believe in something.

The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. When you help others, you really help yourself, and your heart will grow three sizes.

A Christmas Carol. An oldie but goodie. Over the years, there have been countless remakes and variations. I prefer the classical takes, including the one with a certain Starship captain, but I did enjoy the cheesy Diva Christmas Carol version with Vanessa Williams on VH-1. You can never go wrong with Duran Duran’s John Taylor as the Ghost of Christmas Present, and I liked how “Behind the Music” served as the Ghost of Christmas Future. But I digress.

Again, show kindness to your fellow human beings, and honor your past – no matter how tragic — since it makes you the person you are today. At the end of the day, you choose how to live your life. If you act like a victim, you will be one.

Holiday Inn. The song White Christmas debuted in this Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire film. No matter where you go, remember where you came from.

Elf. This funny holiday tale is about a man who discovers that he really isn’t an elf and goes in search of his biological father. As an adoptee, I really relate to this story. Family is what you make of it, and when push comes to shove, family members can surprise you.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Even though you think you’re a reindeer with a flashy nose or a Misfit Toy, you still have value to offer the world. You should strive to fill your potential, whether it means you’re a reindeer, an abominable snowman, or an elf with aspirations of becoming a dentist.

So what are your favorite movies for the holidays? Time to make some popcorn and man the remote.

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Tags: holiday movies

Posted By janice on November 30, 2011

I didn’t attend the National Association of Professional Organizers’ conference in April, but the words “Bento Boxes” were on the lips of my colleagues who did attend. After hearing about them, I’ve been eagerly awaiting their arrival at Rubbermaid’s website. So earlier this month, I went online and purchased the X-large, medium and small Rubbermaid Bento boxes ($9.99-$26.99) in the saucy paprika color.

What it is: The Bento Boxes are fabric-covered storage boxes, but they’re not your typical storage boxes. They come in three colors, two neutral colors and the sassy paprika, a deep red color. Like the Japanese Bento trays, the boxes let you carve out smaller spaces to organize your things inside the box.

The X-large box is a nice size, and you could easily use one (or two stacked ones) for a low side table since the lid is very strong. The X-large, large and medium boxes have four dividers attached to the side. The small box has two dividers. All of the boxes have lids you can purchase separately, but the small box does not have a lid – which is really not needed anyway.

Why it’s awesome: The boxes are very sturdy, and you can flip the topper (the lid) to make a tray on top of the box. You can stack the boxes, use them on shelves or in your closet. To carve out storage space, simply pop out one or all of the four dividers in the box. If you don’t need a smaller space within your box, you can push the divider back up against the box wall.

Drawbacks: You have to buy lids (or toppers as they’re called) separately from the box. Also, right now, the only way to purchase the Bento boxes are online and at Fred Meyers (a store we don’t have here in Houston).  I’m sure as the product line continues to grow (hopefully with more colors!), the boxes will land in more stores.

Category: Organizing Product Reviews | 2 Comments »
Tags: containers, Rubbermaid Bento boxes

Posted By janice on November 28, 2011

Tough times become even more apparent while gift shopping for the holidays. While many families, including my own, have opted to skip gifts for adults or draw names, there are ways to save money on the gifts still on your list.

Coupon Check. If you use services, such as Groupon, Living Social and other sites offering deals, check the purchases you’ve made of these deals. Can you purchase gifts using any of your deals? Can you “gift” the deal to someone? To make some money, you can sell your deals on SellMyDeal.com.

Stores, such as Bed Bath and Beyond, have coupons you can use anytime. Other stores, such as Aaron’s Brothers, Ulta and Kirkland’s, to name a few, will send you coupons if you sign up for their emails. If you have a CVS card, you can receive coupons to use for your next purchase. For example, I received a $5 off coupon that I plan to use to purchase a Burt’s Bees set for my niece.

Gift Card Check. If you’ve received gift cards as gifts, you can use those to purchase gifts for others which makes things super easy.

To get a little cash, you can also sell your unused and unwanted gift cards through several websites, including Plastic Jungle, Gift Card Rescue, Project Gift Card and CardWoo.  These sites also offer gift cards for reduced prices.  I haven’t used these sites personally, but I know several people who have used them.

Create Your Own Gift Basket. Making your own gift basket is a great way to save money. Gift baskets work best when you have a theme.

For a movie night theme, pick up a DVD or two, popcorn and candy. With the movie night theme, you can go in all sorts of directions – Retro, Brat Pack, cartoons, action flicks, etc.

Another favorite gift basket is the dinner basket, and I’ve seen this many times as wedding gifts. Use a lovely bowl as the “basket” and toss in pasta, sauce, wine, and other ingredients. Put dry ingredients for breads, cookies and soups into a jar so the recipient can add any liquid or perishable items. Make sure you list instructions.

Buy potted herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, peppermint, basil and others for cooks or garden lovers, and they can create their own herb garden.

For a relaxation basket, put in a CD of relaxing music, candles and bath oils. Create your own line of bath products by searching out recipes on the web. I haven’t been brave enough to create my own salt and sugar scrubs, but the recipes make it look easy.

Create Your Own Gift. I’ve heard how some families are only doing handmade gifts, and my favorite website Pinterest is chock full of great ideas for homemade gifts.

Consumable gifts are always among my favorites, and whipping up a batch of fudge or cookies are great gifts. One of my Facebook friends who is a single mother suggested cooking a dinner or casserole for stressed out parents.

With imagination and effort, you can save money on gifts.

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Tags: holiday gifts, Saving Money