Best Life NOW! Blog

Listening to Scott McKain's Collapse of Distinction. Lots of Gems!

I use my MemoPad feature to keep lists. I used to have a very cute planner - with all my lists that I had to continually update. Aggravating! Now I use the MemoPad feature on my BlackBerry. Here is an example of some lists I keep: Amazon.com sign in information Clothes (when I see I need a new pair of shoes, for example, I type it into my Blackberry - this way when I find myself with some time to kill by the mall, I can get what I need) Grocery Ideas And I backup my BlackBerry once a week and then backup my computer, so if anything should happen to my baby - I mean BlackBerry, I'm covered. It's easy to use this feature: Select MemoPad Click the BlackBerry button Name your list Start Typing You will always have information at your fingertips - saving you time and money.

My definition of "being organized" - I can find whatever I need in a minute or less. What's your definition of "being organized"?

MSN Money has a great article on "stuff". What's it costing you? http://ping.fm/Huccf

I will be walking with Team Jazzercize at this year’s relay on Friday June 5 th and Saturday June 6 th at New Prairie High School. I will be walking to remember my dad, who passed away from colon cancer 29 years ago. I will be walking for those children who have lost their parent from cancer. I will be walking for cancer survivors. I invite you to visit our team page at: http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/RelayForLife/RFLFY09GL?px=10763173&pg=personal&fr_id=14303 Click on my name to donate, join my team or order Luminaria to remember a loved one or a survivor. The Luminaria Ceremony will be held on June 5, 2009 at 9:00 p.m. By supporting our team, you will be a part of a life-changing event that celebrates the lives of those who have battled cancer, remembers loved ones lost, and empowers all of us to fight back against a disease that takes too much.

Hay! Just tip it!

I purchased this three compartment rolling laundry sorter from The Container Store. It is wheeled, so it easily pulls out from the closet. One section is for lights, one for darks and one for socks and underwear. I have another hamper in the bathroom for towels. This saves me so much time! I no longer have to sort everything before I do the laundry. In case you are wondering, on the door of my closet hangs an over the door shoe wrangler . I use mine to organize my socks and pantyhose. I can see everything I have so retrieval is super easy. http://www.containerstore.com/browse/Product.jhtml?CATID=77003& PRODID =60090

On my BlackBerry, using the Memopad feature, I keep a running grocery list. If you have a BlackBerry, it's really simple to do. Open your Memopad, hit the BlackBerry button, select New, name the memo Grocery and you are good to go! I never forget anything this way and every week, I check the specials online and add what I need. The "staples" stay on the list like bread and eggs.

If you love shabby chic - visit this blog - http://ping.fm/vrwst

If you are looking for a great summer read about a professional organizer/sleuth read Staying Home is a Killer - http://ping.fm/keOZ7

Ellen DeGeneres Commencement Speech at Tulane University (2009-05-16). This was a great speech! Check out the video at http://ping.fm/Fa1dG

Working on a NAPO Education project, bleary eyed because my alarm clock somehow got set an hour earlier - I thought it was 6 a.m. - it was 5

Recipe Nest was a vendor at NAPO Conference last month. Check out the videos at http://ping.fm/wsaZP It's awesome!

Writing an ebook about shoe organization called - Carrie Bradshaw's Got Nothing On You! I had someone in mind when I came up with that name

Steve and I just got back from teaching our 15 year old nephew how to drive. I'm very happy to be home. That's all I'm saying about that.

1. Stop the mail and the newspaper - unless you have a very trustworthy neighbor. 2. Mow the lawn as soon before leaving as possible. Unless you have torrential rain, it shouldn't be unmanagable by the time you get back. 3. Set timers for the inside of your home as well as for any outdoor lights that are not dusk to dawn. 4. Arrange for pet care - again, unless you have a very trustworthy, pet friendly neighbor. 5. If you are taking a roadtrip, get your vehicle maintained. Tell your mechanic approximately how many miles you will be traveling so that he/she can make an accurate assessment and service the vehicle accordingly. 6. Make a list of items to pack. Take into account the number of days you will be away and also the activities you will be taking part in. The Post Vacation Checklist will be coming in next month's newsletter - be sure to check it out!

Ah the pages of planters shaped like airplanes that light up, the summer reading 3 pack of Nicholas Sparks books, and the set of 16 paper plate holders - all say summer to me. It's all very seductive. Buy this beach cover up and the margarita-to-go set and you too can have a perfect summer. Until the "stuff" comes. And the bill. And the boxes. It never seems the same as what LTD has pictured. And then you realize - I have no place to put my antiqued rooster kitchen accents or my 12 pairs of no show socks. Here's my advice - look through the LTD catalog and enjoy the pictures of the happy, smiling, carefree people enjoying their summer with their misty mate chiller deal. Then toss it in the recycling - and go outside and enjoy YOUR summer without all the "stuff".

At NAPO's national conference recently, I sat for the Level II - CD Specialist examination. After much sweating and anxiety, I have the results and am proud to report that I passed! Being a member of the NSGCD has furthered my knowledge not only on chronic disorganization but with so many other subjects - time management, virtual organizing and backsliding just to name a few. I invite you to visit their website http://www.nsgcd.org/

https://secure.realchocolate.com/ This will perk up anyone's Friday! Free chocolate every Friday for months Posted May 14 2009, 12:14 by Joan Melcher Rating: Filed under: hot deals , savings , food , free , save money , Joan Melcher Who knew chocolate could be politically correct? Apparently, Mars Snackfood US , maker of M&Ms, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, Milky Way and other American favorites, does. The company has launched the equivalent of a filibuster to draw attention to competitors that substitute vegetable oil for cocoa butter in their products. So, what’s in it for you? One of the biggest chocolate giveaways in history. Every Friday through the end of September, you stand a chance of getting a free chocolate bar or candy because of the Mars Real Chocolate Relief Act . Mars initiated the program last week, giving out coupons for chocolate treats to the first 250,000 people who logged on at RealChocolate.com on Friday and requested a coupon. The response was so large that Mars

Keep a box in your closet to place anything you no longer want. When the box is full - drop the items off at your local donation site.

USA Today has an interesting article on Farrah Fawcett's battle with cancer. No matter what your opinion of her-she has been extraordinarily brave dealing with this disease. http://ping.fm/sdHwH Farrah's Story, airing Friday on NBC (9 p.m. ET/PT),

Coupons - the bane of your existence or beneficial? Just spoke with a local coupon expert who has agreed to submit an article on my blog very soon. Learn how to manage your coupons to save money!

Watch this video - http://ping.fm/hfvXf While at Disney, I saw many people mindlessly grabbing "stuff" to purchase. It was crazy! People with baskets full of "stuff" - not even considering what they were grabbing and throwing in their baskets. Before you buy anything, make sure that you need it, you love it and it enhances your life. Oh, yes, and that you have a space to put it! This video says it so much better than I ever could.

http://storyofstuff.com/ While at Disney, I saw many people mindlessly grabbing "stuff" to purchase. It was crazy! People with baskets full of "stuff" - not even considering what they were grabbing and throwing in their baskets. Before you buy anything, make sure that you need it, you love it and it enhances your life. Oh, yes, and that you have a space to put it! This video says it so much better than I ever could.

Visit my website http://www.putclutterinitsplace.com/ and fill out the contact information form. Once a month, you will recieve tips and tricks to organize your home and your life. http://www.putclutterinitsplace.com/

http://http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/05/online-tools-to-help-you-simplify-your-finances.html This is what I have been saying all along. When you know what you have and know where to find it, you save money, time and energy. In this economy, we need all three to be strong.

Let me just say - Rich Brooks - you are a genius. Your session on Social Media 101 at the NAPO Conference was totally worth the price of admission. Before I attended the session I knew that I had to be on Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin but wished that there was one place to go to post to all three - in the session you mentioned Ping - I used it this morning and I love it! You are a genius, my new best friend and the wind beneath my wings!

Ping.fm is awesome!

I arrived back home yesterday at 11 p.m. from my NAPO Conference and Disney vacation. I immediately started my post vacation checklist in my head. I'd like to share just a few gems with you. 1. Unpack - before you do anything else. 2. Start a load of laundry - you will be one ahead of the game the next day! 3. If you have taken a road trip , wash the car, vacuum the inside. 4. Water any plants that may have wilted. 5. Sort through any paperwork and take action - set dates in your calendar and stick to them.