Lately one of my go to snacks have been these BoBo bars. I like that they are a little bigger than a regular granola bar so they can get me through a morning of meetings.
Today I’m at the monthly NAPO Chicago meeting. As the Director of Membership I enjoy meeting new people and helping celebrate the accomplishments of our chapter members.
I love going to NAPO Chicago chapter meetings!
Today’s takeaway is “What is your Priority?”
Love the networking and support from this chapter.
Yesterday (November 15) was National Clean Out Your Fridge Day.
This is a great time to make sure all the old condiments and things you may never finish make room for all the yummy holiday food.
Here is a peek inside my fridge. I try to be on top of old condiments and leftovers, but the physical cleaning of the shelves and drawers I try to do one at a time over a week. Mostly because my fridge is never empty. So mine is more “clean out your fridge week”.
Now back to thinking of my Thanksgiving menu. -SB
The news of the Gatlinburg Wildfires today has me thinking about evacuation. There are many questions I ask myself. Do I know where all the important papers are stored? Could I take our pets? What would I be the most worried about when I was finally safe and reflecting on the things I left behind.
Do you have an evacuation plan?
Watching the news this morning many people are lamenting the loss of pictures of family members who have passed. There are many services that will take old photos and film and digitalize them. When they are digitalized are they in a physical form or are they in the cloud? I have to admit this is one of those tasks that has been on my todo list for months (ok, years) that seems to alway be pushed to the next month.
When thinking of evacuation asa food allergy family, food always comes to mind. Although most places would have potato chips for most of my family (one of the safe foods we find everywhere), there often is nothing without nightshades. I am reminded to renew my search for a good tasting protein bar that is safe for all of us.
I currently do not have my plan written down. I know I do better with a list (I LOVE LISTS) and need to get at least a few of the really important things written down in check-list form. The first step is thinking about it and asking yourself the important questions of, do I know where the things I would need to take with me are, and could I get to them quickly.
My thoughts today are with the people in and around the fires in Tennessee.
I love to read. Trips to the library are weekly if not a few times a week. I have tried to pare down my magazine subscriptions, but I still get some in the mail each week. When I’m done I take them to the magazine exchange at our library. 
It is one of my favorite donate drop-offs. It could be my favorite since I am accomplishing two things off my list in the same place! Some weeks it’s hard not to take a magazine or two, but if I do take some I tell myself it needs to come back the next week. I picked up quit a few magazines from the magazine exchange around the first of the year when I was putting together my vision board for this year. I had to check back a few times before the right travel magazine was there for pictures of places I wanted to visit this year.
Does your library have a magazine exchange? – Susan
In September and October NAPO is having a challenge to help people see what can be donated. It also helps highlight the many opportunities and places there are to donate your items.
My donation secret is…. paper bags. I try to use reusable bags every time I shop, but there is one exception. At least once a month I ask for paper bags. I use these for our donations. I usually have at least three around the house filling up with clothes that have stains, the pan that is only a few months old that now has too many scratches, and the water bottle that is now the “unfavorite” color. Sometimes finding a container for your donations is half the battle.
I just dropped off 5 paper bags at Savers last week, of course forgetting to take a picture.
Happy donating! SB
I am often asked “Why are you an Organizer?” The answer is “I love it!” I love to help people par down to just the things they love. Helping make room in their lives for fresh new energy makes me smile every time.
People often think an organizer is there to “take over” and “make the decisions”. This is not true. The client lays out the view, the purpose, and makes the decisions. An Organizer is there to keep the person on track, know when to take a break, and ask hard questions that most of us would leave for another day.
People also think “Since you are an Organizer, your house must be spotless.” This, for me, could not be further from the truth. I live with three others who do not have my love of organizing. And since they all have rebel tendencies (thank you Gretchen Rubin), my suggestions and plans are often thwarted. This has been a hard lesson for me. We are a busy family, and I know one day my house will be very clean and organized. Not today, we have lots of homework to do, dinner to make, and multiple instruments to practice. And I can not forget a few loads of laundry.
The carefree summer days are over, and my old friend “the five a.m. alarm” is back. Time to get back into the school routine. A few things we do to stay organized are….
1. Pack lunches the night before.
2. Put all essentials for the next day in kids backpacks.
3. Gather all after school needs and put them in the car.
Now if I could just get those “hand-wash only” water bottles to wash themselves!
It is finally spring in the Chicago area! Time to wash all the winter outerwear and pack it away for the summer.
Cygnet Organizing 