One Red Sock

We're always hearing what could work if we just put our minds to it. I recently joined several of my colleagues in a game of "Time Management Tips That Don't Work." These should make you smile, laugh (or cringe).

A couple of my favorites:

Shelley Molitor says "When you are overwhelmed, just say no to everything and hibernate at home with snacks and shows. After all, everyone understands the excuse, "I'm too busy!"

Jacquie Ross says: "Schedule all of your appointments back to back to "save time". Be sure to show your disapproval while you're waiting in a line that's taking too long - don't they know you have places to be?"


So, without further ado, here are the rest:


Time Management Gone Bad

Many thanks to Stephanie Calahan for always leading the way.

Organizing Fido and Fluffy

Over the years, our relationship with animals has changed.  Cats and dogs, once relegated to the barn have moved indoors.  We consider them family members.  But when it comes to organizing the care and feeding, not to mention “toileting” of our pets, we’ve lagged far behind.  Many a homeowner moves in to their new digs, then stores the family pet items as an afterthought:  the dog food lives in a large bag on the kitchen floor, cat food cans are stored in a dusty garage, and kitty’s litter box is deposited in an out of the way corner without careful planning for its upkeep.

A few years back, cartoonist Scott Adams designed his new home with a cat litter alcove built into the plans.  What started as Dilbert's Virtual Home became a reality.  In Toru Hirose’s living room in Kobe, Japan, his basset hound, Marco, has a hidden snack bar, restroom and nap space contained within a stylish cabinet.

Stashing your pet gear doesn’t have to look like an after thought.  It needn't be expensive either.  We feed several cats in the morning when we are also preparing breakfast and lunch, so the cat's food, medication and pop-top can opener are all conveniently stored in a cabinet in the heart of the kitchen.

Cat Food Central

Bulk food is stored in a low pantry drawer, off the floor but accessible when needed.

Additionally, larger bags of dog food can be stored in decorative trash bins with fitted lids or in the bottom of swing out "lazy-susan" styled cabinets.

Bulk Food Storage in Lower Cabinet

Gather all your cat litter accessories in one location. We used a deep handled basket, lined it with a handled plastic bag, and stored a whisk broom, wet-wipes, small trash bags and the scooper, hanging in it's own washable container on the basket's side.

Cat Litter Station:  Tools Within Reach

As cats get older, they may eschew the litter box entirely. After much trial and error, we created a kitty corner in our bedroom for our 17-year-old cat using table cloth liners and disposable puppy pads, concealed behind a screen.

What's Behind Curtain Number One?

Though I've yet to train the cats to put away their toys, I do have one, low-to-the ground basket to contain them. They scoop out a cat-nip toy when they feel like it, and I return them to the basket at the end of the day.

Kitty's Catnip Collection

If you have your own tips for organizing Fluffy or Fido, I hope you'll share them in the comments section of this blog.

Record Album Redux

Are your record albums still occupying valuable storage space? Find a way to honor the musical memories before letting them go. We photographed my husband's record collection, then created this video as a Father's Day gift.

Vinyl Meets MP3 

Artist: Jamie Dunlap, Julian Smith & Scott Nickoley
Song: Who's That Daddy?  

Posing with the Album Covers

We Coaxed the Cat into a Few Shots 

You might also want to photograph the album covers and create a collage using photo software.  Here I used Google's Picasa.

Many of us are sentimental about records and often think we'll listen to them one day.  Chances are we won't.  So dust off those jacket covers and have fun recording new memories.  Then donate them and celebrate your newly acquired storage.

Home Staging

In addition to organizing, I also enjoy staging homes using items on hand. 

The Organized Craft Room

Please check out my Animoto video for some inspiring craft room ideas.

6-Word Novels

I helped a client spirit away an unused, still-in-the-box crib to the local Salvation Army this weekend. They were expecting twins when I worked with them earlier this year, a boy and a girl.

John Lennon said, “life is what happens while you’re busy making other plans.” Their daughter was still-born at 27 weeks. I'm reminded of the famous Ernest Hemingway 6-word novel: "For sale: baby shoes, never used."

I held their beautiful baby boy, tiny and warm and intoxicating to smell as only newborn babies are. I marveled at their grace. Her husband met me around the side of the garage and asked if I could help him get that last big physical reminder away from the house to help ease his wife's grief. Later, alone with his wife, she told me she was worried about him and wanted to make sure he was getting the exercise he needed. What a gift for me to work with such a loving, caring, supportive couple. What a remarkable boy they are sure to raise. And what an excruciating loss for two parents that loved their baby girl, and for the rest of us that might have had the chance to love her too.

Organizing Christmas Morning

Okay, okay, I'm an organizing nut. I appreciate that most of my readers may be rolling their eyes but hear me out. Putting one or two small things in place now, will ensure a little method to the paper unwrapping madness come Christmas day, especially if you stayed up too late wrapping gifts and drinking Santa's "special" eggnog.



Make a list, check it twice: Have a notepad and a fine-tipped Sharpie under the tree. Assign a scribe so you can keep track of gifts and their givers. This will help ensure that your thank you notes make it to the right generous giver.



Gift card shuffle: In this age of gift cards, more and more of them will be unwrapped under the tree. Consider writing the receiver's name on the card when unwrapped. Our boys have been lucky to receive gift cards for birthdays, Christmas, graduations and as thank yous. We write their name on the card and insist they keep track of it like cash. When working with clients, I frequently help them unearth missing gift cards. Consider storing all your gift cards in one safe but accessible place.



Paper and ribbons and bows, oh my!: I have one bag of bows that I use year after year within our family. In the age of green it seems wasteful and environmentally unsound to use them once and toss them. I collect and store them in the same bag each year, pulling them out at Christmas to be used once again. Gifts are unwrapped and the bows go back in the bag.



Reduce, reuse, recycle: You should be able to recycle any non-foil gift wrap; gift bags can be set aside for use next year. Our tissue paper goes into a bag and is used to wrap and store ornaments when the tree comes down.



Expecting to unwrap gifts in need of batteries? Have batteries and a small screwdriver on hand, along with a pair of small scissors to remove stubborn packaging. (Be sure to keep these out of reach if you have small children).



Happy holidays!



Christmas Morning Toolbox:

* Camera with fully charged batteries
* Extra batteries and a screwdriver for toys
* Bag for bows and gift bags
* Notepaper
* Sharpies
* Scissors



Macie Loved Her Gift