10% Tuesday: Game On

Pin It Last Tuesday, I shared with you my goal to reduce the things that clutter my life by ten percent.  Now, ten percent may not be measured strictly per se, but rather in the abstract sense.  I simply want to end 2013 with less stuff than I started with.  After much thought, I put together two strategies to help reach my goal.

Strategy #1 - Clear out ten items per day for the first 90 days, and then ten items per week through the end of 2013.  This comes out to 1300 items to either recycle to Goodwill or other favored recipient, use up (and not restock) or toss out.  Necessary food items and hygiene products don't count.  Electronic clutter (files, photos, links, pins) does count.

Strategy #2 - Reduce my Body Mass Index by ten percent.  As it turns out, I need to lose 13 pounds to lose 10% of my BMI. 

I've placed a scoreboard on the blog sideline so you can see how much progress I'm making.  You can see I've made some great progress to clearing out already!  Each month, I'll be focusing a pre-specified area of the house.  January is all about the bedroom and the clothes closets throughout the house.  It's hard to believe that my closet is bigger than my childhood bedroom, and yet there is not enough room to store all of my things!  I think there is a reality show looming.

Here are the game rules I'll play by as I whittle away at that ominous ten percent.  

Game Rules:

1.  Banking points is allowed (if I clear out more than the allotted count, then the extra is banked towards another day).
2.  Necessary food items and hygiene products don't count.  Electronic clutter does.
3.  Touch every single item in my house this year.
4.  One thing in - one thing out.  Purchasing items is permitted, but for every item brought into the home - one must leave.  Same goes for gifts received.
5.  Deal with it when it comes in the door or arrives in my inbox.
6.  Ruthlessly deal with piles and stash. 
7.  If I don't love it, have a use for it or if it doesn't inspire me, out it goes.
8.  If I haven't worn it within six months or it doesn't fit, bye-bye.
9.  Unsubscribe to catalogs and store emails.
10.  Shop only with a specific purpose in mind.  Stick to the shopping list.
11.  Use what is on-hand and in reserve first before buying new.
12.  Implement a trial period if I'm not sure about an item.
13.  Keep score.  Emply SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).

I'm happy to say that my husband and my Maggie are in on the game too!  Maggie is having so much fun ripping the stuffing out of her toys thereby making it that much easier to send 'em to the trash. 

My helpful husband working on widdling down the library.

Wishing you well towards reaching your new year's resolution!

Scrappy Bits

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Another Make It Monday challenge from Papertrey Ink. This week the challenge is to make something using paper scraps for the background. Well, let me tell you - have I got scraps! I don't throw out any of the beautiful bits and pieces left over from a project - be it paper, fabric, felt, ribbon ... You get the idea.  I think I get this habit from generations of savers.  My grandfather, orphaned during the Great Depression, saved every nut and bolt in baby food jars.  If you needed anything, go ask Pap Pap and rest assured he'd have it or something that would do just fine. 





This sweet thing is destined for my Send Love Today assignment.
I plan to tuck a packet of lotion in the card as a special treat.

All paper (except the white card) is from my scrap collection.
Papertrey Ink Stamps:  Tagged Sentiments
Other Papertrey Ink Products: cardstock, ink, felt

I often incorporate scraps into my cards. It's really easy with so many lovely border punches, die cuts and such. The challenge is in storing the scraps so they don't get lost or end up all over the place. I have found the simplest way to store scrap paper is in a binder. I place the scraps in plastic paper protectors organized by color. Pieces of felt and buttons are likewise stirred in jars organized by color. Ribbon is stored on little spools in a plastic organizer and fabric bits are stored in baskets. I don't throw anything away until it's nearly a speck.



A 3-ring binder with plastic protector sleeves provides an
inexpensive and easy way to organzie left over paper scraps.



Little scraps become itty-bitty adornments in future projects.
I often use Glossy Accents or fine glitter to make the die cuts extra special.

Pre-cut die cutouts from paper scraps just waiting for a project.





Scrap bits used to make little gift boxes, cupcakes and other special
finds in this birthday menagerie.

Stop back tomorrow to see what this collection of pink paper scraps turn into for Mother's Day.







Any guesses what these bits of scrap paper and ribbon will become?





Only A Fool Argues With The Cook

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How many cookbooks are too many

for one household to own?

Seven?

Twenty-two?



Fifty-three?



Oh and don't forget these ...



Ninety - four.

Yes, ninety-four cookbooks are too many

cookbooks for one household to own.

(Must remember to tell friends and family not

to buy us any more cookbooks - unless they

personally authored and signed it just for me.)

Peter Walsh, author of It's All Too Much

suggests using post-it notes to help sort through

which cookbooks to keep and which cookbooks to move on.

I got Post-it notes.

Over the next year, I will judiciously sort through

the cookbooks.  Post-it notes will flag any recipes

that I want to keep.  If less than ten recipes are flagged,

the recipes will be scanned using NeatReceipts

and the cookbook moved on for someone else to

love and treasure. 

My Goal:  To keep only twelve cookbooks.

Wish me luck!

Link Ups:  

Are You Prepared? - Part 1

Pin It With all of the recent destruction caused by the various earthquakes and other severe weather across the globe, emergency preparedness is at the forefront of most everyone' s mind - my family included.  So it's a good time to review your Emergency Readiness Plan (ERP).  Today's post is the first of a series to provide information and resources that I have come across as I review my family's ERP.

The first step in taking the proper steps in an emergency, is to know that an emergent situation is occurring.  I know you are probably saying, "Duh!", but how many times have you heard a news report of some campers or hikers or boaters losing their life because they had no idea the weather had taken a turn for the worse? 

Step 1:  First things first - make sure you have working fire and carbon monoxide detectors in your home. The time just changed last weekend and if you didn't check those batteries when you were turning your clocks ahead - shame on you.  Go do it - right now.  Here is a link with instructions to test your smoke alarms.  Your smoke detector is likely to be the first thing to alert you that an emergent situation (fire) is developing.  Make sure it is functioning properly.

Step 2: Make sure your weather radio is functioning properly.  What?  You don't own a weather radio?  You don't even know what a weather radio is?  Let me enlighten you.

Weather Radio

Weather Radios offer two significant functions. First, they are designed to receive the NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) service's broadcast of weather status and forecasts, providing regular, around-the-clock weather information. Second, they are designed to respond to the FCC's Emergency Alert System (EAS), which has replaced the older Emergency Broadcast System (EBS), and the alert signals sent by the NOAA Weather Radio service. When the weather radio receives an alert signal, it will respond with an audible alarm to attract attention. Many weather radios also provide a display that indicates what type of alert is being sent. This allows the user to be alerted to any dangerous situation as soon as possible.

Here is a good example of a weather radio.  I like this model in particular because of its extra features that would be helpful in case of loss of electricity - crank battery, built-in flashlight, built-in USB cellphone charger, etc.  I also like the portable version of this radio (below) to keep in the car just in case.










If you have a family member who is deaf or hard of hearing, check out the National Weather Radio's website (here) for more information on simple systems that can be used for these special needs.


By the way, NOAA also has a pretty cool all hazards monitor available at http://www.noaawatch.gov/.  They have an experimental email notification system underway that you can sign up for if you are so inclined.

Step 3:  Check with the Department of Emergency Management for your local municipality. Many municipalities have a website with many listed resources and links. In checking with the Jefferson County EMD, I learned that they have a mass notification service and all you have to do is sign up for alerts.  Does your local municipality (city, township, county or state) have a notification service you can sign up for?  How about your neighborhood block watch or homeowners association?

Note-Worthy Notification Services

NIXLE - Mass Communication Service 
Nixle a mass communication service providing a free commercial grade text-based notification platform to almost 5,000 agencies across all 50 states.  Check out their website to see if your municipality uses NIXLE services.

After creating an account at nixle.com, register your cellphone to received alert messages by texting your ZIPCODE to 888777.  Multiple zipcodes can be entered if for example you have multiple homes or areas of interest.


The Emergency Email & Wireless Network
Similar service as NIXLE above.  They claim to be the 3rd largest breaking news provider.  It appears that municipalities in all states use their service.  Again, you sign-up to receive email or text messages to your cellphone.


USGS Earthquake Notification Service (ENS)
An earthquake notification service provided by the US Geological Survey.  Subscribe for email notifications for earthquake alerts.  You can customize the alerts you want to receive (by location around the world, magnitude, time of day, etc).



Tomorrow, I'll be reviewing what's in our Disaster Supplies Kits for the home, car and office.

Be safe and God bless,



My Favorite Store Where Everything Is FREE!

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Love in the Time of Cholera

Our local public library is my favorite store.  I love books - all kinds of books - books about crafting, knitting, cooking - biographies - mysteries - a good old Jane Austen love affair.  Books inspire me.  Creative juices are tapped and visions just flow.  I have visions of my niece beaming upon receiving a new creation inspired from a Felted Jewelry book, or visions of one of our granddaughters cuddling up with her hand-knit teddy bear.  I can smell the biscuits baking in the oven.  I hear the voice of President Obama as a child in Indonesia learning to box with his new stepfather.  I can feel the pain of President Bush ordering young Americans to war.  I can hear the cannons blasting in the Civil War and the cries of our fathers.  I can see Mr. Darcy standing in the fountain with his dripping wet shirt ... 



Snow Falling on Cedars

 Perhaps my love for books was developed in the parochial school program I attended as a child.  The program included weekly time in the school's library.   There were book reports of course, but I'm sure I checked out more books than required to.  My mother volunteered in the library which was an added bonus for me, seeing my mother during the school day.  I recall her sweet smile when she would see me come in, and my heart warms. Perhaps this is why I love books so much.


Cold Mountain

In college, a took a part-time job working in the campus library to earn spending money.  This was the best job!  Easy access to all of the books whenever I needed them.  Quiet time to study when things were slow.  And an opportunity to catch up on the latest campus happenings with everyone who passed by.  It is with this job that I learned the ins and outs of a library and the full potential it offers its patrons.



Mere Christianity

There are so many wonderful crafting, knitting and cooking books on the market.  It's hard to tell from the book jacket which are good books for my personal library, and which ones are fun to look at for inspiration but probably not something I would continue to use over and over again.  The public library provides a good solution.  If I come across a book that looks interesting, I will order it from the library.  Our library has a very large and current selection so there is usually no difficulty finding what I'm looking for.  Once receiving the book, I spend time with it to digest all that it has to offer.  If I can't bear to part with it when it comes due for return, then I put it on my Amazon wish list for a special treat someday.  Here are a few of my favorites that have made it on to the shelf in our home.


Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

 

Western Garden Book




Simple Knits for Cherished Babies

 

Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America (Helm Field Guides)





The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook 3rd Edition: Cookware Rating Edition



One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet

Wishing something new discovers you today!

Taming the Paper Dragon

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Once all of the beautiful Christmas decorations are put away and the house has been put back in order, it's time then to switch my attention to taming the paper dragon that enjoys my office.  A few years ago, I found a very helpful tool that replaced the tower of paper-filled shoe boxes with a neat little electronic file.  If you aren't already using this product, let me introduce you to NeatReceipts.

This is not a paid product endorsement.  It is just a product that I have used and loved for years.

With this easy to use scanning tool and its software, you can easily scan receipts and log it into a file. The software has built-in organizing capabilities and also lets you export the data to external programs, like Excel.  The scanner software has technology to decipher text (like date, store name, payment method, amount paid) and then inputs the text into a spreadsheet-like format.  The more receipts that are entered, the smarter it becomes with its self-teaching imaging recognition program.  At tax time, you can create detailed financial records for each receipt in the click of a few keystrokes.  Since the IRS allows for electronically imaging hard copies of documents (including receipts), there's no need to keep all of those shoe boxes filled with receipts, and there is no loss of data when the receipt ink fades. 

You can also scan and organize business cards, expense reports and various other documents, and import other electronic files (e.g., pdf images of canceled checks or credit card statements).  I have the mobile scanner and use it to scan insurance policies, medical records, important personal records (e.g., birth certificates, passports, etc), and childhood memories (e.g., artwork) - all neatly organized and readily accessible on my computer.  When traveling without my computer, I export a pdf of relevant data and images to a USB stick.  I even scan loose paper clippings of recipes, interesting articles and crafting inspiration from magazines.  Since all of our receipts are stored in the database, maintaining a household inventory list is easy (let's hope I never need it for insurance purposes), as is an accrual of home-improvement projects (which will be needed when the time comes to sell our lovely home). 

Just the other day, someone asked me where I purchased a pair of boots I was wearing.  I couldn't recall off hand, but with a simple search in the Neat Receipts database, I found the original receipt from five years ago with the retailer's name, date purchased and amount paid.  Any financial expert will tell you, the first step in gaining control of your finances is to know where your money is going.  This tool has helped my husband & me know where every penny goes.  I love this product!

(Un)Deck the Halls

Pin It Seems like so many people are already taking down their Christmas tree and lights.  Not me.  I prefer to wait until Epiphany has passed.  I love Christmas lights and seeing the special holiday decorations.  Each year, my husband gives me an ornament at the start of the Christmas season.  What a special tradition - I now have eight in my collection.  I also covet my mother's and grandmother's vintage ornaments, so I don't rush to store them.  I soak it all in so that the memories of Christmas past linger just long enough to get me through to next year.

Waste Not Tips for Storing Holiday Decorations:
1.  Take pictures of any tablescapes or vignettes that you particularly liked.  Store a copy of the pictures with your decorations, then next year when you pull everything out you will have a visual reminder of where things go. Easy and stress free decorating.  Also printout any special family photos of Christmas past and store with your decorations.  Next year, you'll have photos handy to place into frames for display.
2.  Use leftover white/brown paper or tissue paper to individually wrap your ornaments.  Many shippers are using white/brown paper as filler in the boxes.  You can also use old, clean rags and such. Store small ornaments in egg cartons or clean take-out containers.  Don't forget to repair any broken ornaments before you store them; you won't fix them next year when you open the box.  Save broken ornament caps & hooks as well as extra light bulbs & fuses to replace parts in your collection.  Use leftover packing peanuts or bubble wrap to fill the empty space within the storage box and further protect your treasures.
3.  As you take off the Christmas tree lights, wrap them on large pieces of heavy corrugated cardboard from a cut-up box.  No more hairballs of lights next year!
4.  Label the storage boxes (all four sides is best) with its general content.  I like to use Red/Green markers which makes it very easy to find the boxes in the attic.  If you use plastic storage containers and live where the temperature fluctuates throughout the year, it is a good idea to place a pouch of desiccant in the container.  I save those little pouches of silica gel when I get them and then just toss them in.

Take time to properly store your holiday decorations so your special treasures are safe and sound until next year.  Remember your ornaments will be vintage treasures for your grandchildren one day.