 I was talking with my mother on the phone last night and she said, "You know how when you shampoo your hair in the shower the whole bathroom has a nice shampoo fragrance? Well ... once in a while, try it on your toilet. Give your toilet bowl a shampoo!" Your toilet bowl will be clean and the fragrance will be a huge improvement over the very strong odor of bleach which can irritate the lining of your lungs. Thanks, Mom! Remember, if you need support with your residential organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366, www.energizeandorganize.com  Do you or anyone you know have ADHD? Is ADHD interfering with your child's success in school and/or the life you envision for yourself? Do you know that the National Resource Center on ADHD has posted a number of very informative Ask the Expert training events on their website? "Ask the Expert chat transcripts, webinars and webcasts address many topics of interest to parents of children with ADHD and adults with ADHD." http://www.chadd.org/training-events/Ask-the-Expert/Ask-the-Expert-Archives.aspx "Please feel free to download the chat transcripts or view the online webcast recordings by clicking on the individual topics. Note: To access the transcripts and PDFs you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer. Download the Acrobat Reader. Recordings are available on the National Resource Center on ADHD's YouTube Channel, HelpForADHD." Source: National Resource Center on ADHD Topics include ...
What else can I do? Complementary approaches to ADHD treatment -Stephanie Sarkis, PhD Academic evaluations - What parents need to know -Missy Alexander, Parent Educator Encore presentation: Tips for combating stigma and addressing myths about ADHD -Ruth Hughes, PhD Understanding girls with ADHD -Ellen Littman PhD No more homework battles: Proven homework, organization and planning techniques to make your child’s school year a success -Joshua Langberg, PhD Your teen with ADHD: Challenges and strategies for success -James J. Crist, PhD Encore presentation: ADHD & the college transition -Judith Bass, CEP Encore Presentation: ADHD, Children, Meds, and Heart Safety - A Tale of ADHD and Public Health -Susanna Visser, DrPH, MS Remember, if your child needs organizational support to thrive and succeed in school, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366, www.energizeandorganize.com
Do you often wonder or hear from loved ones, "What's for breakfast?" "What's for lunch?" "What's for dinner?"
Did you know that if you prepare and eat three meals a day, in a year you will have made 1,095 meals? 5,475 meals in five years? 10,950 meals in ten years? That's a LOT of food preparation and that's not even counting snacks and special event treats! How can you make meal planning and preparation easier? Next time you are in the grocery market, think protein, veggies, and fruits. Use your organized grocery list and shop the edges of the market, avoiding the aisles which are filled with processed foods. Remember to drink those 8 glasses of water per day, too! Remember, if you need assistance and support with your family life, home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  Although children may appear organized at home, a peek into their desks or lockers may surprise you! Even an organized child can create chaos in those small, often neglected spaces.
ELEMENTARY AGE If you’re concerned about the state of your child’s desk, contact the teacher. Perhaps she could hold an “organize your desk” time once a week or month that would benefit all of her students. If your child needs extra attention, ask the teacher if you could stop by before or after school some day for a brief desk tidy-up. Teach your child to take home food containers daily, toss garbage, purge papers that are no longer needed, and keep important take-home papers in a certain folder. See what type of order makes sense for your child. Perhaps she associates colors with certain subjects, so notebooks and folders could correspond to those. Maybe she likes all the notebooks on one side of the desk and the folders on the other. Or perhaps she prefers the items she uses in the morning on one side and afternoon items on the other. Whatever makes sense for her is okay, as long as she understands and maintains the system. MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL AGE This age can be more challenging for parents to help, because you’ll likely not be invited into the school by your student. But you can assist by providing helpful locker accessories like an extra shelf and a magnetic pencil cup and memo board to make staying organized as easy as possible. Discuss ways to organize your student’s things (see prior paragraph) in a logical order. Encourage frequent clean-outs. If it really gets out of control, give her a large garbage bag and have her bring everything home over the weekend. Spend time helping her to sort, purge, and rearrange. She can return the organized items to her locker on Monday. ALL AGES Inventory students’ school supplies at least twice a year and restock anything broken or used up. Check in frequently to see if their desks or lockers need tune-ups and help as necessary. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if your child needs organizational support to thrive and succeed in school, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366, www.energizeandorganize.com  Image Credit: Silver Moon Bakery This year Passover is celebrated from Friday, April 20 - Saturday, April 30. Wishing you and yours deepest well being and happiness today and every day! Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  There are so many life-enhancing benefits to getting organized. Here are a few for you to ponder ...
By creating order and structure out of chaos, you remove the things that are not really all that important and focus on the truly necessary things. You'll become more proficient at using your time to your advantage! You'll become more productive and efficient. Whether at work or at home, you'll increase productivity once you have an organized and efficient schedule to keep you on track. You'll be amazed at how much you get done in shorter amounts of time. Your stress level will decrease dramatically. When you can find what you need, are on top of your to-dos, and arrive on time, you'll feel calmer and have more peace of mind. No more feeling overwhelmed by life - you'll be the one in control. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your family life, home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  April School Vacation ends today for children here in Falmouth, across the state and around the country. Tomorrow begins the very important start of the final school semester before summer recess.
Today is a fine day to reflect on the development of your child's academic achievement and social competence to date this year. Ask yourself if effective organizational and study skill systems are in place and working at home for your child? Think about if your child is thriving or coping in school and how you can best support him/her at home.
"It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken joy in creative expression and knowledge." - Albert Einstein Sending a big shout out to educators everywhere wishing you and your students deepest well being and happiness! Thank you for the amazing work you do with your very fortunate students and their families! Warm wishes to Charlene in Westford, Donna at Simmons, Ryan in Brockton, Elizabeth in Waltham, Lee and Kathy in Newton, Lisa in Franklin, Corny in Shavertown, Maura in Pittsburgh, Moe in Wellesley and Allie, Jessie, Kathy, Cheryl and Robin in Belmont. Every day, in countless ways, you make an important difference in the lives of your little ones. Remember, if your child needs organizational support to thrive and succeed in school, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366, www.energizeandorganize.com  Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed a lovely visit with dear friends and Bride-to-Be Elizabeth and Rosanne, Mother-of-the Bride-to-Be. They had been busy in the morning decluttering and organizing a closet in preparation for bridal party overnight guests and festivities.
We got to talking about the joy of creating beautiful living spaces in our homes and gardens and that somehow led to talking about paper management! Did you know that a four-drawer file cabinet, when full, holds about 18,000 pages? Did you know that a Banker's box holds about 3,000 decisions? Did you know that we only read 20% of what we file? In other words, once we file our paperwork, we never read 80% of what we file ever again! Did you know that the three major paper filing categories are Active, Reference and Archive? Visit the following Energize and Organize blog entries for specific instruction and tips in support of your paper management work! 4/2/16 Paper Productivity 101 3/25/16 Archive Your Files with Ease 3/18/16 Make Time for Paper 3/10/16 Step by Step Paper Management 1/21/16 Shred Sensitive Papers 1/16/16 Quick Tips for Managing Your Paperwork Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com The 300 Committee Land Trust and Woods Hole Research Center have planned a very special Earth Day 2016 celebration at Peterson Farm for today!  Think Green on Earth Day and Every Day!
Here's what you can do ...
Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  In addition to the Reduce, Reuse, and Recycling tips posted yesterday, you can go a step further!
• Discover new ways to save energy, such as turning off computers at night, using power strips to make shut-down easy, driving more efficiently by grouping errands, and setting up a home energy audit. •Educate your family on how to handle household waste, such as locating recycling services in your county, disposing of household hazardous waste properly, and composting food scraps. • Search out green retailers, such as those that offer sustainable or locally-produced organizing products and/or second-hand stores. As with any organizing project, you must be motivated and inspired! Whether you want to get a little “greener” or become all-out eco-optimized, stay focused on the benefits of going green. Eco-organizing can be easy and convenient, and it can ultimately save you time and money. And, of course, it will make Mother Earth very happy! © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  It’s easy being green! Living an eco-friendly lifestyle is not only trendy, but it’s the right thing to do! So why not incorporate some green practices into your organizing? You can keep it low-key by following some of the easy eco tips listed below, or you can go all the way and declare yourself “eco-organized” by adopting an environmentally friendly lifestyle. If you’d like to get on board, start with the 3 Rs: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
REDUCE
REUSE
RECYCLE
Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  The bathroom surely gets a workout each day. Get it organized with this easy-to-follow process. KEEP IT CLEAN AND SAFE
Make sure that the garbage can is easy to access and large enough for at least a couple day’s worth of trash. Consider an additional small basket to catch recyclables in the bathroom. Many communities recycle plastics (such as shampoo and body wash bottles) and cardboard (such as toilet paper tubes and the boxes that toothpaste, soap, and cosmetics often come in). You’ll be surprised how many recyclables you generate! Keep the bathroom safe for little ones by storing medications and bathroom cleaning products out of their reach. (Many medications lose effectiveness in the bathroom humidity, so consider placing them in another room.) Finally, remember that counters are easier to clean and look best when uncluttered by oodles of bottles, tubes, and boxes. Keep only a bottle of hand soap and lotion on the countertop, plus a decorative element like a plant or small vase of fresh flowers. And if you wish, add a small clock to keep you on time. This clear and lovely space will give you inspiration to keep the bathroom neat and tidy throughout the day! © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  The bathroom surely gets a workout each day. Get it organized with this easy-to-follow process. SET UP STORAGE
Some things are shared items, while others may belong to a specific person. Take into account the available space in your medicine cabinet, vanity drawers, and under-sink storage, as well as in your linen closet. (If you’re lucky enough to have one, see tips in the following article!) If you need to add storage, consider installing shelving on a wall or a free-standing cabinet above the toilet. As you place items, group them into their categories, and/or assign a specific place for each member of the household. For example, each person could have one drawer, one basket on the shelf, or one toteable caddy. If you’re grouping by category, you could use baskets, bins, or specific areas on your shelves for easy locating. Be sure to label so that everyone knows how to find necessities. Add hooks behind the door or on the wall so everyone has a place to hang towels. And while you’re at it, color code the towels and toothbrushes by family member so there’s no “ownership confusion.” If you purchase paper products in bulk, store the excess in an out-of-the-way area, such as the laundry room or hall closet, keeping only a week’s worth in the bathroom. Replenish as needed. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  The bathroom surely gets a workout each day. Get it organized with this easy-to-follow process. INVENTORY, SORT, & PURGE To start your bathroom organizing project, take an inventory of all the items housed there. Sort them into categories, such as medical, hair care, body cleansers, shaving, tooth care, cosmetics, paper products, and cleaning supplies. Once everything is grouped together, you’ll see where you have duplicates. (And once organized, you’ll avoid over-buying the next time you run out to the store.) Now is also the time to toss expired medications, sunscreens, cosmetics, and anything you no longer use. (Do you really need three curling irons or 15 past-their-prime hand towels? What about the 20 miniature-sized travel shampoos?) Now you have a true vision of your bathroom’s current storage needs. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 http://www.energizeandorganize.com  Try using the “filters” or “rules” function to set up automatic email filing.
This will sort your emails based on your specified guidelines, placing them in separate folders. You might send all the informative monthly e-newsletters you receive into one folder, or all emails for select clients or colleagues into another. And make use of your “junk” or “spam” filter! Short cut by creating automatic signatures. There’s no need to type your name, title, and phone number at the bottom of each email. Set it up once and let your computer automatically attach your signature to all outgoing emails. Save time by writing succinctly. Both you and your email recipients will benefit if you get to the point quickly! (But always take time to use proper punctuation, grammar, and spelling.) If it would be easier to reply to an email in person or over the phone, do it. From here on out, promise to keep your inbox clean. It is not a holding bin! © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  According to The Radicati Group, business email users spend an average of 19% of their workday using email. That can be up to two hours every day, so learn to use it effectively!
Stop scanning emails and leaving them to deal with “later.” Instead, schedule time just twice each day to check and manage emails. Checking once at noon and again in the mid-afternoon work well, because at these times you’ll likely have received replies to your previously sent messages. Also, shut off the auto-check function so you’re not tempted to open emails as they arrive. Read each message thoroughly, then act, file, delete, or pass along. Act on it if it's a quick response (less than two minutes). Create and use files in your email program for your individual projects, committees, or people with whom you interact. Immediately delete emails that were simply informative but do not require any action from you and forward (delegate) emails that you don’t need to handle, and then delete. Use your email’s auto-responder to get people quick answers. Let them know when you’re returning messages for the day and whom they can contact if they need immediate assistance while you’re away. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com Are you in the middle of changing your seasonal wardrobe from winter to spring? Do you have winter boots piled together in the bottom and back of your entryway closet? Are your boots losing their shape because they are constantly folded over?
Online and big box stores sell boot shapers in a variety of sizes and materials. Etsy : https://www.etsy.com/market/boot_shapers You can also find fun, do-it-yourself boot shaping ideas including the very popular pool noodle boot shapers on Pinterest! Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/topoftheboot/diy-boot-shapers/ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your clothing and closet organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  When preparing for the perfect closet, your goal is to come up with a system that will allow you to maintain the de-cluttered space with minimal effort, while allowing you to make the most of your space, time, and wardrobe. Remember that your closet works in conjunction with other storage spaces as well..
5. Give your closet a clean, fresh coat of light-colored paint. This reflects the light and gives you a solid neutral background to view your clothing against. If you have the time, do this now. Give the closet a good vacuuming and dusting, too. 6. Return clothing to the closet. Organize your clothes to work with your lifestyle. Section garments by type, then by color, so you can always easily see what you have. Hang pants, blazers, button-front shirts, dresses, and skirts. Don’t put matching tops and bottoms together, since this stops you from seeing other ways to combine them. Arrange clothes so those you wear most often are nearest the front of the closet. 7. Find storage containers that are sturdy and sized appropriately. Use containers you already own or shop for new ones at stores like Target or The Container Store. Sweaters, t-shirts, and sweatshirts line up nicely on shelves with the help of vertical shelf dividers or when placed in clear plastic boxes or hanging canvas shelves. Accessories such as purses, scarves, and belts can be placed in clear boxes or attractive wicker baskets on open shelves. 8. Assign each item a “home.” Designate a shelf, section of rod, or drawer for each category of clothing. You’re likely to return items to this space after every use. Come up with a system that will allow you to maintain the de-cluttered space with minimal effort. Also, install adequate lighting that will allow you to view all of your clothing and shelf space. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your clothing and closet organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  When preparing for the perfect closet, your goal is to come up with a system that will allow you to maintain the de-cluttered space with minimal effort, while allowing you to make the most of your space, time, and wardrobe. Remember that your closet works in conjunction with other storage spaces as well.
1. Start sorting. Separate your closet into work and casual wear by item type, then group similar items by color. Button-down shirts, dress pants, blazers, dresses, skirts, etc. should all be batched together so you can quickly see and assess your options. Make a separate pile for each category of casual clothing, such as pants, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. Also group together shoes, belts, and other accessories. 2. Only keep your “A" team or current clothes in your main closet. Shift seasonal clothes, maternity, and “other size" items to another storage space, such as under your bed. Many people can reduce the amount of clothing in their closet by half if they follow this guideline. 3. Purge a little more. Once you have everything sorted, you may discover that you own multiples of the same item. This is your chance to get rid of those items that don’t fit, are out of style, or are not practical. (From here on out, keep a give-away box in your closet to make donating easier.) Remember, it’s important to let your clothing have a little breathing room to keep it wrinkle-free, as well as to allow you to easily view your closet’s contents. 4. Now that you can see what you actually have, start measuring. Most clothing needs 1/2 to two inches of space per item. How much of your clothing can you realistically fit in the closet? If it only has one rod across the top, you may want to consider redesigning your closet for maximum space efficiency. Consider simple, inexpensive modifications such as adding a double hang closet rod to double your hanging space. You may also be able to adjust your shelves and rods to better accommodate your space needs. © 2016 Articles on Demand™ Remember, if you need assistance and support with your clothing and closet organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 http://www.energizeandorganize.com  Do you have once loved and now abandoned and stored musical instruments in your attic, basement, closets or garage? Would you like to bring the joyful, life-long gift of music into the lives of children and their families?
The following organizations would also love to receive your kind musical instrument donations.
Remember, if you need support downsizing and rightsizing your home, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com I love these keyboard images as they serve to remind us that there is NO one right way to get and stay organized! So, seize the day and best wishes in your work to bring harmony and balance to your life and surroundings! Remember, if you need assistance and support with your family life, home and/or office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ...
Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com Today during Mahjongg, Bette share this newspaper clipping about the upcoming Neighborhood Falmouth Secure Document Shredding Event to be held this Saturday, from 10:00 A.M. - 1:00 P.M., in the Lawrence School parking lot. Thanks, Bette! Stop by and support the Neighborhood Falmouth organization and its wonderful work to help Falmouth Seniors stay safely in their homes! There is no time like the present to tackle your paper management shredding and get involved in the community, too!  Remember, if you need assistance and support with your office organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com  Do you enjoy searching the Internet for fabulous, new recipes?
Do you have many family/friend/neighbor/colleague favorite recipes that you'd like to organize together? Visit https://www.pinterest.com/explore/recipe-binders/ and have fun creating your very own recipe binder! Step One: Gather supplies (binder, computer, internet access, labels, markers, page protectors, printer, tabs) Step Two: Create categories (appetizer, bread, breakfast, casseroles, dessert, diabetic foods, drinks, entrees, ethnic speciality foods, gluten free foods, grilling, healthy heart foods, holidays, meat, pasta, salad, smoothies, soup, treats, vegetarian, etc.) Step Three: Use the page protectors and organize your recipes by category. Step Four: Enjoy! Remember, if you need assistance and support with your kitchen organization, you are cordially invited to contact ... Donna LaRoche, M.Ed., Professional Organizer Serving Cape Cod, MetroWest and Eastern Massachusetts Contact: 617.640.2366 www.energizeandorganize.com |
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