Product Review – Drying Out

Clients often ask me for product suggestions to solve specific problems. Coincidentally, two people recently were looking for dish-drying solutions. I found The Original™ Drying Mat for one of them who didn’t want to dry clean dishes on a towel.

I have been using Rubbermaid wire dish drainers for 25 years, along with their drain board, to keep water off my counters. I recommend them because think they’re well made, functional and they last a long time.

A few weeks ago my drain board needed to be replaced and I decided to try something new. Instead of buying another one, I bought a Drying Mat for myself at Bed Bath and Beyond. You can use the mat alone or with a dish drainer.

I am amazed how absorbent the mat is. The manufacturer says that it holds four times its weight in water. It is machine washable, made of foam laminated between two layers microfiber, and comes in two sizes, 16” x 18” and 18” x 24”. You can roll it or fold it up and put it away when you’re not using it, but I leave mine out all the time.

This inexpensive item is a great problem solver for hand-washed dishes. You could use a kitchen towel, but the mat doesn’t get wet or smelly and doesn’t need to be washed as often. Do you have a kitchen product that you really like? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on twitter  and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Product Review – Drying Out

Clients often ask me for product suggestions to solve specific problems. Coincidentally, two people recently were looking for dish-drying solutions. I found The Original™ Drying Mat for one of them who didn’t want to dry clean dishes on a towel.

I have been using Rubbermaid wire dish drainers for 25 years, along with their drain board, to keep water off my counters. I recommend them because think they’re well made, functional and they last a long time.

A few weeks ago my drain board needed to be replaced and I decided to try something new. Instead of buying another one, I bought a Drying Mat for myself at Bed Bath and Beyond. You can use the mat alone or with a dish drainer.

I am amazed how absorbent the mat is. The manufacturer says that it holds four times its weight in water. It is machine washable, made of foam laminated between two layers microfiber, and comes in two sizes, 16” x 18” and 18” x 24”. You can roll it or fold it up and put it away when you’re not using it, but I leave mine out all the time.

This inexpensive item is a great problem solver for hand-washed dishes. You could use a kitchen towel, but the mat doesn’t get wet or smelly and doesn’t need to be washed as often. Do you have a kitchen product that you really like? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on twitter  and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Do You Have Too Much To Do?

January is National Get Organized Month, created by the National Association of Professional Organizers seven years ago. The aim is to raise awareness of the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a professional organizer.

You might think that organizers just help people clear their garages or organize their closets. While it’s true that some organizers offer those services, there are others who work with people on productivity issues.

The goal of working with an organizer is to make the most of your time and spaces. If you feel like you don’t have enough time to do everything you need to, or you aren’t able to concentrate because you have so much going on, you might benefit from working with an organizer.

In honor of Get Organized Month, consider letting go of one thing that is not a good use of your time. Can you delegate it to someone else? If not, try giving it up altogether. You’ll save yourself some time that you can use for something you would rather do.

You can find an organizer at http://www.napo.net/

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Do You Have Too Much To Do?

January is National Get Organized Month, created by the National Association of Professional Organizers seven years ago. The aim is to raise awareness of the benefits of getting organized and of hiring a professional organizer.

You might think that organizers just help people clear their garages or organize their closets. While it’s true that some organizers offer those services, there are others who work with people on productivity issues.

The goal of working with an organizer is to make the most of your time and spaces. If you feel like you don’t have enough time to do everything you need to, or you aren’t able to concentrate because you have so much going on, you might benefit from working with an organizer.

In honor of Get Organized Month, consider letting go of one thing that is not a good use of your time. Can you delegate it to someone else? If not, try giving it up altogether. You’ll save yourself some time that you can use for something you would rather do.

You can find an organizer at http://www.napo.net/

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Change of Habit

My local branch of the public library is closing for two years so it can be updated. The good news is that there is going to be more meeting space, there will be more products to borrow and the building will be LEED certified. The bad news, of course, is that the library is going to be closed.

There are other branches, but they’re farther away and not “my” library. I actually contemplated buying two books today, reasoning that it would be easier than going to the library. After I thought about it, I realized that I don’t want to keep books in my house. I am trying to send out more than I bring in, these days, and I don’t really have room for more books.

I cannot imagine not going to the library for two whole years. I’ll have to be slightly inconvenienced if I want to keep to my core value of not acquiring.

What behaviors do you value, even when it isn’t convenient? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook 

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Change of Habit

My local branch of the public library is closing for two years so it can be updated. The good news is that there is going to be more meeting space, there will be more products to borrow and the building will be LEED certified. The bad news, of course, is that the library is going to be closed.

There are other branches, but they’re farther away and not “my” library. I actually contemplated buying two books today, reasoning that it would be easier than going to the library. After I thought about it, I realized that I don’t want to keep books in my house. I am trying to send out more than I bring in, these days, and I don’t really have room for more books.

I cannot imagine not going to the library for two whole years. I’ll have to be slightly inconvenienced if I want to keep to my core value of not acquiring.

What behaviors do you value, even when it isn’t convenient? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook 

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

How Long Should You Keep Paperwork?

One of the questions I hear most often is people wanting to know how long to keep paperwork. The answer is, “It depends.”

It depends upon whether the paperwork is tax related.

It depends upon whether you own a home, a business, a rental property.

It depends upon whose counsel you seek.

I’ve recently worked with someone who was keeping tax paperwork that was more than 20 years old, someone else who had kept outdated wills from a former spouse and yet another person who had every utility bill since 1990.

The start of a new year is a good time to look at what you are keeping and see what you can let go of.

Although there are differing opinions, most money managers will tell you that you don’t need to keep tax-related information more than 7 years. A lot of the papers that people keep could be discarded because they don’t have any impact on taxes at all.

If you own a home, you need to keep documents related to the purchase of the home, along with any documentation of improvements you have made. If you own a rental property, there are additional documents you need to retain. Business owners also have specific paperwork that they must be able to access.

If you have been married, divorced, changed your name, become a citizen, have a passport or own a car, you may need written proof. These documents should be kept in a safe in your home, where you can access them.

If you have questions about keeping specific paperwork, check with your lawyer or accountant.

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

How Long Should You Keep Paperwork?

One of the questions I hear most often is people wanting to know how long to keep paperwork. The answer is, “It depends.”

It depends upon whether the paperwork is tax related.

It depends upon whether you own a home, a business, a rental property.

It depends upon whose counsel you seek.

I’ve recently worked with someone who was keeping tax paperwork that was more than 20 years old, someone else who had kept outdated wills from a former spouse and yet another person who had every utility bill since 1990.

The start of a new year is a good time to look at what you are keeping and see what you can let go of.

Although there are differing opinions, most money managers will tell you that you don’t need to keep tax-related information more than 7 years. A lot of the papers that people keep could be discarded because they don’t have any impact on taxes at all.

If you own a home, you need to keep documents related to the purchase of the home, along with any documentation of improvements you have made. If you own a rental property, there are additional documents you need to retain. Business owners also have specific paperwork that they must be able to access.

If you have been married, divorced, changed your name, become a citizen, have a passport or own a car, you may need written proof. These documents should be kept in a safe in your home, where you can access them.

If you have questions about keeping specific paperwork, check with your lawyer or accountant.

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

Follow me on twitter and facebook

And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Clean Off Your Desk Day

The second Monday in January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day, allegedly created by Ann Chase Moeller in 1982 and added to Chase’s Annual Events calendar. Setting aside some time to clear the clutter from your desk is a great way to start a new year.

Here are some things you can do to find space on your desk

• If you have things on your desk that do not relate to your work, remove them.
• If you keep things on your desk to remind yourself to do something, schedule the task on your calendar and get rid of the reminder.
• Put away files that you aren’t working with currently.
• Put loose papers into files.
• Put information from business cards into your contact management system.

The objective is not to have an immaculate desk, but to be able to find everything you need when you need it, without having to search.

What can you do to start clearing off your desk today? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like this info, share it using the links below!

Clean Off Your Desk Day

The second Monday in January is National Clean Off Your Desk Day, allegedly created by Ann Chase Moeller in 1982 and added to Chase’s Annual Events calendar. Setting aside some time to clear the clutter from your desk is a great way to start a new year.

Here are some things you can do to find space on your desk

• If you have things on your desk that do not relate to your work, remove them.
• If you keep things on your desk to remind yourself to do something, schedule the task on your calendar and get rid of the reminder.
• Put away files that you aren’t working with currently.
• Put loose papers into files.
• Put information from business cards into your contact management system.

The objective is not to have an immaculate desk, but to be able to find everything you need when you need it, without having to search.

What can you do to start clearing off your desk today? Click on Post a Comment, below, and tell us.

Organized by Marcie: Getting you organized so you have time to do what you love to do!
Follow me on twitter and facebook
And if you like this info, share it using the links below!