Vlog on Mini Office

Here is a list of the products (or similar ones) I mentioned on my vlog.
Hecht of an Organizer $29.99
Sofa Over the Arm Organizer Sale $12.99
Cable Clips $8.50
Desk Top Wooden File $64.99
Desk Top File $44.99
Elite Roll Top Organizer $54.99
Clear Pencil Organizer - Double $11.99

Kreativ Blogger Award

Melissa from Three Prince Designs presented me with this award! Isn't she sweet? You need to go visit her cute site that features her 3 princes!
There are some rule that go along with this blogger award.
Name 7 things that you love then pass this onto 7 other kreativ bloggers.
1) My husband
2) My children
3) My Organizing job
4) Blogging!!
5) My friends
6) My morning coffee and quiet time
7) Vacations

Here are 7 bloggers I would love to pass this award onto.
1) Linnea - Neabear and B-Daddys Nest
2) Kimberly - Pretty Pink Momma
3) Jackie - The Combs Family
4) Greis - Amazing Greis
5) Blogging friend - Together we Save
6) Heather - Just Doing My Best
7) Jeri - Pink and Posh

Pick up the button from my site and put it in your sidebar and link it back to my site. Make sure you put the links on for the 7 bloggers you give it to - show your blogging love. Don't forget to either e-mail them or leave a comment for them to let them know they won.

Missing Blogger Followers

Yesterday for some reason I suddenly lost 10-20 of my blogger followers on all 3 of my blogs. It wasn't just me. Several people have mentioned the same thing. Jeri from Pink and Posh made this Missing Blogger's button and offered for me to use it. Go visit her blog, she is talented.
She thought it may be that you followed as anonymous, so if you go into your dashboard and go to the bottom of your blog following list there is a button that says "manage". Click on that and then make sure that you are following your blogs as public and not anonymous.

Ok...get this, I just clicked on my list (and its large) of blogs I follow and only a couple show me as following public. Why is that? I add my name on as blogger and it shows my picture. But I am going back through those that say anonymous and I don't see myself as a follow. I had no idea!! So I don't know if I was one that disappeared off of other peoples!? I had no idea, because my list still shows up on my blogger list.
Thanks again Jeri.
I will be changing all mine.
UPDATE: This is the comment that Kim from Pretty Pink Mama
This was the word over on Blogger

"You may have noticed that the count of your public Followers has decreased over the last few hours. We are in the process of integrating with Google Friend Connect.

There are a few users that already use both Blogger Following and Google Friend Connect. To avoid linking the profiles of Blogger and Friend Connect users without their permission, we have set these users to "anonymous". They are still following privately and will able to make themselves public again.

After the official launch of the Friend Connect integration, we will communicate with the affected users and instruct them how to reset their relationship to public. To reiterate: the number of Followers has not changed, and we believe that the launch will improve the visibility of your blog and community. We will post more details on Blogger Buzz as the launch approaches."

Hope that helps shed light on what went haywire.

Pouchee review done by Aby Garvey and Monica Ricci!

Aby Garvey did a review on the pouchee for me. She is awesome!! She is the craft room organizer of all times. Her ideas are wonderful and I would love to have her office/scrapbooking room.
Please check out her post at Simplify 101

Monica Ricci is another organizing guru. If you are an organizer (and many of you who are not) know Monica! She has won so many awards, she presents at the NAPO conference...she is on TV as one of the organizers on Mission:Organization! She reviewed the pouchee for me (well, her friend did as she doesn't have purses it will fit in)
Check it out at Your Life, Organized !

Work On It Wednesday

It is Work on it Wednesday and I sit here and think about how many things I really need to be working on.
*I need to be working on making some money (budget is getting tight)
*I need to be working on exercising (I haven't been doing very good with that.)
*I need to be working on spending more time reading my Bible.
*I need to be working on really deep cleaning this house.
*I need to be working on cooking healthier and better meals.
*I need to be working on changing over my blogs from blogger to wordpress (scares
me to death to think about that. I have been told its important...but I don't want
to.
*I need to be working on losing my weight.

I can really over whelm myself. I can start to get depressed thinking....what the heck good am I anyway? But then I have to sit and think about the positives.
*I have been working very hard at building my Organizing business. As people have
cut back on having me come to their homes...I am working on new ways with my blogs
to help our income. (plus I work at the Dr. office part time)
*I do leg lifts when I am brushing my teeth...does that count for exercise? LOL
*I went to a ladies mini retreat and did spend some time in the Word.
*I vacuumed and dusted yesterday along with the laundry. Today I am going to work on
the upstairs.
*Tonight we are having Chicken Devan with chicken breast and broccoli.
*I am going to research the Wordpress vs. blogger thing and see what is involved.
*I didn't eat too bad yesterday (it was just the weekend that wasn't so good.) I
just have to remember to start fresh today and behave myself.


We are really good at beating ourselves up for the things we don't do. But we need to be better at giving ourselves a pat on the back once in awhile.
Please visit the ladies below to follow their progress. Add your name to the list and let us know what you are working on this Wednesday.

I am giving my Gem of the Week award this week to Zee Maid of In the Mommy Trenches . She has taken on a big task of organizing and cleaning several rooms of her house. She has taken some pictures of the "before" earlier this week. Go visit her and cheer her on!!

Don't miss this Week's Guest Blog with Kim from Crafty Mama of 4!

Make sure to read about how to organize your coupons. Kim has gotten into "couponing" big time and has outlined how to make a coupon notebook to help you keep all your coupons organized.

Business Cards - How do I organize them? Or do I even keep them?

Business cards almost seem like they are "going out of style" with the technology that we all have. Just enter your client or the business right into your blackberry right? Well, that is fine for some, but I would say the majority of people still use and collect business cards. You can use a snap scan or neat receipts and scan them into your computer if you want, but again I would say most people do not do that.
So what do you do with all of them?
There are several solutions. There are leather folders that you can get to put them in. My problem with several of those are that you can't rearrange them easily to put them in any kind of order. Either alphabetically or categorically. There are binders that you can use that do allow for easier sorting. You can also make your own with baseball card plastic sleeves.

Enter the Rolodex. There are many different styles. I actually choose a different one for my client than this one because I was trying to match his decor. But he picked up this one not remembering that I had already purchased one. I ended up liking the one he picked out better (not the looks of it, but the functionality).
The one I got you put the business card directly onto the little rod, so I bought a punch to punch the bottom of the cards. The one he bought had sleeves that the business card slipped into and then that could go on the rod. The sleeve is easy to use and protects the cards.
We ended up buying two of them for all his business cards. I could have fit them onto one, but it would have been very full and would not have allowed for any future cards that he will receive.
Business cards are not obsolete yet. I have a whole pile of cards that were just handed out at Blissdom 09 which was a conference for woman bloggers! So even though we are into social networking and using our computers, we still exchange business cards.

Guest Blogger - Crafty Mama of 4 - Kim

Kim and I met on Twitter and have become twitter/blogging buddies! We both knew that we were going to be at Blissdom but I had no idea how we were going to find each other in the 250 woman that were there. Ali and I no sooner walked in but Kim and Beth (Plus Size Mommy) spotted us and said hi! We had a great time with them. Kim has been more than generous with me in teaching me things about this blogging world. You will have to visit her site Crafty Mama of 4. Thank you Kim for being my guest blogger today.
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I want to start this post by saying I am honored that Sandy asked me to do this for her! Sandy was one of the first people I "clicked" with on Twitter and we became instant friends. Thanks Sandy, I hope your readers enjoy my input.

I recently started "couponing" after hearing lots of people talk about how much money they save using coupons. I used to do it a little, but this time I jumped in full force and I have had great results. When I said I jumped in full force I really meant it, I made arrangements with the manager of the convenience store down the street from me, and every Monday morning I go pick up the leftover Sunday papers. This results in me having around 25 copies of each coupon insert per week, that's a lot of coupons to organize and keep track of and here's how I do it!

I use a coupon binder.

Here are the steps I took to set up my binder.

I started by buying (or finding around the house) the following items:
*A zipper binder (I actually have to use 2! One for food and the other for everything else)
*Sports card album pages (9 slots per page)
*A cheap 3 ring photo album (remove the pages to use)
*Clear plastic page protectors
*Tabbed dividers
*Address Labels
*Zipper Pouch for Supplies

In the front of my binder I have a zipper pocket where I keep pens, sticky notes, scissors, and paper slips. I also keep the current store ads in the accordion section in the front.

I have divided my album with tabs into main categories. Each section then includes sports card pages (on right) and photo album pages (on left) to hold the coupons. I sues the photo album pages to hold oversize coupons and when I have too many of one coupon to fit in the baseball card slot.

I use address labels to label the first pages in each subsection so I can quickly find what I am looking for.

I have the coupons in order by the layout of my primary store which is Giant Eagle. Here is how I have organized my categories and subcategories:

*Baby and Kid
-Diapers and wipes
-Bath/hygiene items
-Food
*Food
-Bread
-Baking
-Beverages
-Candy
-Snacks
-Cereal/breakfast
-Soup
-Canned
-Fruit
-pasta
-Rice
-Potatoes
-Sauces
-Mexican/Chinese
-Dressings
-Seasonings
-PB&J
-Frozen dinners
-Frozen Veggies
-Frozen Sweets
-Frozen (whatever else is left)
-Meat
-Dairy
*Pharmacy
*Household
-Paper
-Plastic
-Dish washing
-Laundry
-Cleaning
-Air fresheners
-Batteries/light bulbs
*Health and Beauty
-Dental
-Shaving
-Feminine
-Make up
-Hair Care
-Soap
-Deodorant
-First aide
-Lotions
*Pet Products
-Cat
-Dog

I also have a section for rebates where I keep the receipts, upcs and forms, I need to send in mail in rebates. Each rebate has its own clear page protector where I put all the required documentation for that rebate.

*Restaurant/Store coupons

When I am ready to go to the store I look through the ads and match up my coupons that I want to use. the site I like to use for coupon match ups is Deal Seeking Mom . I make a list on a large sticky note of the items I want to buy and I stick it to the front of the ad. Then I take out all of the coupons I have cut out for a particular item and paperclip then together and place them in a smaller coupon file that is divided by store with one section in the back where I put the coupons I don't use that need refiled. Then it's off to the store for me and my coupons! I take my large binder to the store with me also jut in case I missed something or find a great deal that was not advertised.
Organizing my coupons this way had made it very easy to find what i need quickly and efficiently. I have saved so much money with my coupons in the last few months I have even surprised myself! The best tip I can give you is to stock up when things are on sale and you have coupons for them. You may not need scalloped potatoes this week but when you do you will be glad you bought them with your coupons!
There is SO much more I could go into about how I use my coupons, but I am sticking to just the organizing aspect of my couponing adventure since this is an organizing site! If you have any questions about something I didn't cover in this post (or something I did) please e-mail me at craftymamaof4@gmail.com

KIM

Share my Recipe Sunday - Pineapple Chicken by Kaycee

I am sharing the recipe today that I choose for my Gem of the Week. Kaycee from In The Moment posted this on her blog for Share you Recipe Sunday. I love how she added the prices of the supplies she bought. I also love that she has it labeled "Eat it and Like it". Don't you love saying that to your kids!! This is Kaycee's picture and the posting from her blog. Go visit her at In the Moment!!


I love sweet and sour chicken, but I've been looking for a cheaper, healthier version that I can make at home. I think I've found it, this recipe was inspired by one that I found on an advertisement for pineapple slices.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this dish. I could eat this every single day.

1 lb. cooked, chicken diced or shredded .69* (This was from a whole chicken I roasted on Saturday)
2 tbsp. olive oil .30
1 bell pepper, diced .50 (buy on sale, dice and freeze)
1/2 onion, diced .25
10 oz. canned pineapple chunks 2.00
2 tbsp reserved pineapple juice 0
1 cup sweet and sour sauce 1.14
2 tbsp soy sauce .21
1 tbsp sesame oil .30**
2 cups cooked rice .56
1/4 cup green onion, chopped .15
1 lb broccoli .69

Total: $6.79

(Click the link for cooking instructions)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet, add onions and bell pepper. Cook until tender.

Add chicken and heat through. Add pineapple chunks, juice, sesame oil and sauces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes.

Serve over hot rice garnished with green onions and steamed broccoli as a side.

Vlog on How to Use that extra closet for Great storage!

This is my first personal vlog where you are going to see me. I had serious reservations about doing this and I do not like to see myself on camera...I think I look totally goofy!! The eyes are bugging out..I am blinking weird...I am saying hmmmm to much...But oh well....I did it. Hopefully I will get better when I do more and will realize that I need to smile when I turn on the camera so that the first still shot doesn't look like I am going yell at someone. LOL!!!


I wanted to share this with you. I did a post awhile back on this closet, but from a still picture, you can't realize how useful a space can be like this. This was a bedroom closet and my client turned the bedroom into an office. This same idea can be used for any room that you may convert for other purposes. You may now have a sewing room, scrap booking room or general craft room....wouldn't this make great space? It may be a big extra hall closet that isn't being used for coats, but you have just a bunch of shoes thrown in the bottom and a few blankets on the top shelf..all the space in between is wasted. Just make sure before you go grab that bookshelf from the basement or go out and buy one...you measure..measure..measure. When the guys were moving this one into the room they were all saying it wasn't going to fit. But I kept saying I measured and yes it was. (I was right...thank goodness!!)

Are we ever ready for an emergency or death or a loved one?

Emergencies and death are never anything that anyone of us expects. We don't plan them on a calendar, we don't clear our work schedule knowing they are coming..so how many of us are actually ready for them?
There have been several things in the last week that have prompted me to write this post today. The first happened on Valentine's Day. This sweet young 19 year old mother (my niece from my ex husband) died suddenly. She didn't feel well at 7am and went out to sit up in her dad's chair. She was found dead by her 9 year old sister 3 hours later. Evidently she had some kind of pulmonary aneurysm (basically the explosion of a vessel and she died instantly). I have 4 boys who lost a very loved and dear cousin. Do you think anyone was ready for that? No! Do you think there a 19 year old had a will for her 2 year old son? I am sure not (but I don't know for sure).
The 2nd came from an e-mail of my friend who said that an elderly Uncle died without a will and she and her mother are having a terrible time locating his next of kin to figure out who his things will go to.
The last one came from Donna who's blog Stop and Visit the Zoo won my Gem of the week award this week. She posted yesterday about being called to a neighbors home because her friend and neighbor had found her husband dead that am. They are still trying to locate paperwork that she will need. Donna made a list of the items that should be kept at hand in case of an emergency or death. Please visit her blog for the complete list.
You need to have a will in place people!! Do not think that you can do it later, do not keep putting it off because it is terrible to think about! If your husband dies are you going to be fine if all your accounts are frozen because it is in probate court for months? It is not an easy or fast procedure to go through if there is no will!
Do you have your credit card numbers and information written down if your purse gets stolen? Do you have a list of all of the important cards you carry in your wallet? Do you know where your birth certificate, marriage license, passport are?
Please think on this today, and if you do not have things in order, put them on your list of things to get done ASAP.

Work On It Wednesday - Join me!

Working on our "problem" areas is never easy...and usually not much fun. What area have you been really trying to work on? Trying to get under control or feel better about? Maybe it is a daily Bible reading, weight (like me trying to lose my last 10 pounds) or organizing that laundry room?
We have to just take it one step at a time and make the effort each day. I have to say I am no guru in doing all the things that I really want to do. I want to be a fantastic cook, I want to never have a toy out in my house and sparkling sinks all the time! I want to get down to my goal weight and then never gain another pound back! But I am human, and as most of you...have to work on everything. Organizing for me is not a chore most of the time, unless I just don't have the time...I enjoy it. But exercising...that is another story! Cooking...another story again.
Ok....I gained 1/2 pound this week. I know...I am supposed to be losing...being the example so that all of you will be inspired....but at least I am honest? LOL
Join me as we work on our "problem" areas together.





My Gem of the week button goes to Donna this week of Stop and Visit the Zoo. She is working on organizing. Last week she had a post that she had plans to work on her kitchen pantry. Then she ended up with sick kids and a visit to the Doctor, so her plans got ruined. Isn't that how it works so often? But ladies....get this, Donna has 9 living children (she has one cute little guy who is living in heaven and we aren't going to forget to add him!!) And are you ready for this? She has 2 sets of triplets!! Two sets!! So for this woman to get anything done is beyond me...more power to ya!! Go visit her site and see what a mom of multiple multiples is doing today!

Finding products to help you!

If you follow me much you may notice that I have added a few product items to my left sidebar. As an organizer I find that many times I am looking for things for clients that they either couldn't find, or didn't know existed (because looking through the storage area of Amazon's web site, or spending hours in The Container Store isn't their idea of fun...go figure?)
I also find items that I absolutely love and want to share with everyone. The pouchees for one! There are a few other items that I have been using and want to share with you, I am just trying to work out details with those that sell them. Keep in mind this is also a business for me. Although I love organizing and being able to give you guys great information, in order for me not to have to go back to the Dr. office full time, I have to actually make some money organizing.
But what you can believe is that I am not going to put up banners and ads for items that do not pertain to organizing, or items that I do not feel good about.
Disclaimer: I do have to admit I have not tried everything that I put in my Amazon store, or that is listed on Online Organizing or Organize A to Z, but I have seen most of them before, I have tried many items and I think many of them look really cool and can't wait to try them. But they are all items I would buy for myself or a client and try. If you go into either Organize A to Z or Online Organizing, you will see the pouchee. I am selling them on there also, but it is easier to just buy them directly from me on this site.
I am happy to help you find your products, and if you are looking for something specific, let me know and I can see if I know where you can find it. Thanks!

Guest Blogger - Could it be You?

I have some wonderful guest bloggers coming up who are going to give me some interesting material, I can hardly wait.
But I wanted to ask some of you if you would be interested in submitting an idea on how you organize something in your life and I will pick a future guest blogger from your submissions.
Just give me an idea of what you would like to write about and a link to your site in the comment section. I will announce a winner to be my guest blogger next Monday. Then you can submit your post to me and I will get it up in the next few weeks.
Thanks!

Share my Recipe Sunday - Chocolate Brownie Muffins

Chocolate Brownie Muffins that are only 1 point each with Weight Watchers!!

Ingredients
3 cups All Bran Cereal (not flakes..looks like the little pellets)
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 tsp Baking Power
1 box Sweet Rewards Brownie mix (or low cal. brownie mix)

Combine the All Bran Cereal and water together. and let sit for 5 minute.

Mix in the brownie mix and baking powder. Mix well until all moist.
Pour into muffin cups (makes 24)
Bake 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.

You can freeze them too. I keep out like 6-8 (I eat 2 a day when I make them for breakfast).

Note: these are great for getting in your bran/extra fiber. If any kids are needing extra fiber for obvious reasons ....this would be good. (I tell parents on the phone at the Dr. office about these all the time if kids are having "issues" and need extra fiber.)

Hotel Preston has Made Changes to prevent any future problems

I am pleased to announce that Steve the manager at the Hotel Preston has taken steps to prevent any problems from occurring again at his hotel. He has posted signs on the outside of the elevators with the 7 person limit...he has done training with his personal on how to handle situations like this so that clients will feel attended to properly. He has also had meetings with the elevator company to solve the problem with the elevators. He has taken the steps that should be taken when there is a problem. Evidently he has been receiving some nasty e-mails from readers of the Elevator 13 and that was not our intention. According to the organizers of our conference the Hotel Preston did a wonderful job in getting our conference together in every way and they were pleased with the service and attention they received. We had this problem with the elevator but steps have been taken to correct things.

Don't miss my 1st Guest Post

Don't miss my first guest blogger Stesta from Hot Chocolate Caramel Mocha!

Organize your Batteries

Since I am still without electricity (going on day 2...and sitting back in the Hot Spot Coffee House) I have been dealing with batteries and thought I would share with you my method of organizing them.
I have had this battery organizer for a long time. It has worked wonderful in keeping loose batteries from rolling all over the drawer that they are in.
It has a built in battery tester to check and see if those batteries that you find when you are cleaning out drawers (hint..hint) are any good or if you need to get rid of them.


Here are a couple of places that you can purchase battery organizers.

Amazon online Store

Current Catalog Battery Organizer This one is a little different than the one pictured..but it is the basic same idea. It cost $14.99

The Container Store - This one looks just like what I have and it costs $19.99. j

I have seen these in many other places over the years that I have had this one. Look around and see which one best fits your needs.

Electricity Out - Do you have a plan?

As I am sitting here in a coffee shop (The Hot Spot to be exact...cutest little coffee shop in my town...I have my own little room here that is warm and quiet with a nice table, coffee and pastries, what could be better?) so that I can get on the internet, I am wondering if you have a plan for the electricity going out?
There are disaster plans that you can have mapped out....and right now I am not necessarily talking to that extent. I am just talking power out...you have no idea for how long and do you have a plan? Did I?....well to some extent I did...and to some extent I did not. It certainly isn't what I would like it to be. There have been so many power outages in the last few years and we have been very lucky to not have one longer than a couple of hours. But just a couple of years ago we had a terrible ice storm right around Christmas. I had many friends who had no power for days...we never lost power. Then just last fall we had a terrible wind storm and friends and family were out of power for over a week. Again, we were spared.
Last night we had another wind storm. Our power went out at 10:30 pm, right when we were about to turn the light off anyway. It is still out this am as I write this from the coffee shop at 11:15am. I had a flashlight at my bedside which we used this am. I knew right where the other flashlights were and 2 of them actually had batteries that worked....2 of them didn't (kids take them out and play with them.) I had the lighter and candles and I was able to find those easily. Dave had bought me a wind up radio that I had tucked in a drawer and so I was able to listen to the news on the radio. So those things were in place.
What is not in place that will be after today is that we do not have a generator. I have wanted to get one, but we just haven't wanted to spend the money. Our worry today is the sump pump. I can handle a cold house but I do not want a flooded basement. Dave stopped on his way to work and was able to get one that will take care of the sump pump, be able to plug the refrigerator, heater and some lights into. I am thrilled. It will give me a piece of mind for the next time we lose power, and later today if the power is still out when he gets home from work.
We take electricity for granted that is for sure. You realize that when the power is out and you try turning the light on in every room you walk into. Or you think that you can heat your muffin up in the microwave or make toast and realize you can't.

Make a plan for your power going out.
1)Flashlight by your bedside with working batteries. (don't let the kids play with this one.)
2) Batteries in your alarm clock as a back up (which I have to say I did not have in myself!)
3) Candles, batteries and a lighter in one place that you will know right where to find them when you need them...even if its in the dark.
4) Get a generator if possible.
5) Remember to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed so your food may last loger.

Any other suggestions related to just the electricity being out? I know there are more...let me here your ideas and experiences.