Have You Got the 411 on 211?

You may have called 411 for information or 911 for an emergency, but have you heard of 211? The free 211 telephone service connects callers to comprehensive and specialized information and referral agencies in states and local communities. For example, you can find an after-school program, disaster services, child-care or elder-care services.

In addition to connecting people with important community services, you can also find out about volunteer opportunities. United Way of America (UWA) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) support federal funding so that every American has access to 211 service. To find out about getting 211 service in your area, or to get more information, visit www.211.org.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Have You Got the 411 on 211?

You may have called 411 for information or 911 for an emergency, but have you heard of 211? The free 211 telephone service connects callers to comprehensive and specialized information and referral agencies in states and local communities. For example, you can find an after-school program, disaster services, child-care or elder-care services.

In addition to connecting people with important community services, you can also find out about volunteer opportunities. United Way of America (UWA) and the Alliance for Information and Referral Systems (AIRS) support federal funding so that every American has access to 211 service. To find out about getting 211 service in your area, or to get more information, visit www.211.org.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Managing Magazines and Catalogs

In many of the classes I teach, people ask me what to do with all their magazines. Magazines and catalogs have a tendency to multiply and pile up in people’s homes. In order to manage them before they before they become a problem, consider the following:

1. Reduce what comes into your home. If you don’t want a catalog, ask that your name be removed from the subscription list.
2. If you get magazine subscriptions for birthday, anniversary or holiday gifts and you don’t want them anymore, suggest to the giver that you do something else to celebrate the occasion.
3. Decide where you are going to keep magazines once they come in. Put them where you are likely to read them, whether that is in the bedroom, living room or bathroom.
4. Decide how long you are going to keep magazines, whether you have read them or not. I suggest getting rid of the previous issue when the current one comes in. If that doesn’t work for you, choose whether you are going to keep issues for two or three months and stick to it. If you can't stand to throw out magazines, consider taking them to a school, hospital or doctor's office.
5. Don’t keep catalogs around. There’s always another one coming and they tempt you to spend money on things you may not need. If you feel that you must keep a particular catalog, toss out what you have when a new one comes in.

View a short video, featuring Peter Walsh, that displays these principles:
http://www.oprah.com/experts/experts_player.jhtml?video=452&category=49
Click on Manage Your Magazines in Three Easy Steps

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Managing Magazines and Catalogs

In many of the classes I teach, people ask me what to do with all their magazines. Magazines and catalogs have a tendency to multiply and pile up in people’s homes. In order to manage them before they before they become a problem, consider the following:

1. Reduce what comes into your home. If you don’t want a catalog, ask that your name be removed from the subscription list.
2. If you get magazine subscriptions for birthday, anniversary or holiday gifts and you don’t want them anymore, suggest to the giver that you do something else to celebrate the occasion.
3. Decide where you are going to keep magazines once they come in. Put them where you are likely to read them, whether that is in the bedroom, living room or bathroom.
4. Decide how long you are going to keep magazines, whether you have read them or not. I suggest getting rid of the previous issue when the current one comes in. If that doesn’t work for you, choose whether you are going to keep issues for two or three months and stick to it. If you can't stand to throw out magazines, consider taking them to a school, hospital or doctor's office.
5. Don’t keep catalogs around. There’s always another one coming and they tempt you to spend money on things you may not need. If you feel that you must keep a particular catalog, toss out what you have when a new one comes in.

View a short video, featuring Peter Walsh, that displays these principles:
http://www.oprah.com/experts/experts_player.jhtml?video=452&category=49
Click on Manage Your Magazines in Three Easy Steps

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Homework Help

School is back in session; that means homework and research projects for kids. There is so much misinformation on the web, it’s difficult to know which sites to trust. If you or your child are doing research or writing a report, you can check www.kids.gov, which groups information by age and by subject. There’s also a section for educators.

Other websites that contain useful information are www.nationalgeographic.com/homework, www.howstuffworks.com and www.scholastic.com/kids/homework.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Homework Help

School is back in session; that means homework and research projects for kids. There is so much misinformation on the web, it’s difficult to know which sites to trust. If you or your child are doing research or writing a report, you can check www.kids.gov, which groups information by age and by subject. There’s also a section for educators.

Other websites that contain useful information are www.nationalgeographic.com/homework, www.howstuffworks.com and www.scholastic.com/kids/homework.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Beyond Cleaning Gutters

Before it gets too cold out, do some household preventive maintenance. Now is a good time to walk around the outside of your house and check for missing shingles and damaged siding. While you’re out there, inspect the foundation for cracks and breaks. If you find problems, call service providers for repair estimates. Schedule an appointment to have your furnace inspected, too.

In addition to cleaning your gutters and raking leaves, clear out dead plant materials from your yard. Plan to do a few things each week so you aren’t overwhelmed with a full weekend of yard work. Schedule each of these chores on your calendar so you don’t forget to get them done.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Beyond Cleaning Gutters

Before it gets too cold out, do some household preventive maintenance. Now is a good time to walk around the outside of your house and check for missing shingles and damaged siding. While you’re out there, inspect the foundation for cracks and breaks. If you find problems, call service providers for repair estimates. Schedule an appointment to have your furnace inspected, too.

In addition to cleaning your gutters and raking leaves, clear out dead plant materials from your yard. Plan to do a few things each week so you aren’t overwhelmed with a full weekend of yard work. Schedule each of these chores on your calendar so you don’t forget to get them done.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Winning the Chore Wars

Whether you live alone or share a space with others, you have household chores that need to be completed. Everyone can come up with excuses for not doing these jobs, so how do you get motivated to get going?

A new Web-based video game might be the answer. Go to www.chorewars.com and create a character and a list of chores, with associated rewards. The program can be used at work, too, as an incentive for completing office tasks. You can reward yourself with a treat that you've been putting off - better than getting a gold star.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!

Winning the Chore Wars

Whether you live alone or share a space with others, you have household chores that need to be completed. Everyone can come up with excuses for not doing these jobs, so how do you get motivated to get going?

A new Web-based video game might be the answer. Go to www.chorewars.com and create a character and a list of chores, with associated rewards. The program can be used at work, too, as an incentive for completing office tasks. You can reward yourself with a treat that you've been putting off - better than getting a gold star.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!