It’s baaaack! It took a while for the NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred to come back to Prince Georges County so hopefully, you’ve been gathering your paper piles and getting ready for it’s return. It’s time to kick those unwanted docs to the curb! Got electronics? Montgomery County has an event for you, too.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
NBC4 Safe & Secure Community Shred · Shred-It · PNC Bank
Time: 8 am – 11 am
Where: Prince Georges Community College · 301 Largo Road, Largo, MD 20774 (301-336-6000) [Map]
Accepted Items:
- Up to 5 boxes of personal (non-business) papers
*DO NOT BRING *
- CD’s, DVD’s, Tapes
- Credit Cards
- Binders
- Hanging File Folders
- Batteries
- Flammables
- Combustibles
- Electronic Equipment
Cost: FREE
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Montgomery County Division of Solid Waste Services Electronics Recycling
Time: 12 pm – 4 pm
Where: Walt Whitman High School · 7100 Whittier Blvd, Bethesda, MD 20874 [Map]
Cost: FREE
Acceptable Items:
- Small Electronic Appliances
- Calculators
- Camcorders
- CD’s and Floppy Disks
- CD players
- Cell phones
- Computers and Computer-related Products
- Consume Electronics
- Copiers
- Cords and Cables (including chargers)
- Digital Cameras
- Electronic Typewriters
- Fax Machines
- Microwave Ovens
- Personal Digital Assistant Equipment
- Printers
- Projection Equipment
- Scanners
- Telephones
- Televisions
- Small Electronic Toys
- VCR’s
Need a Shredder? Check out the MailMate!
Back in September, we gave away a fab Rubbermaid food storage set. Recently, we caught up with the winner (@minnies779) to get her two cents on the how she liked the products.
OTR: Which Rubbermaid product(s) did you win?
@minnies779: I won the Rubbermaid Easy Find Lids food storage set.*
*Included 2 Produce Saver containers
OTR: How long have you been testing the products?
@minnies779: It has been approximately a month since I have been using this product.
OTR: How/what have you used them for?
@minnies779: I have made use of this set in several ways. My husband loves using them to bring his lunch to work. I have used some of them to store items in the bathroom. I also have used them to store leftovers.
OTR: Have the products lived up to their reputation? *See Rubbermaid site for product descriptions.
@minnies779: Yes, the products have lived up to thier reputation. I tried them in the dishwasher and they were good as new. The lids are very easy to snap on as well. Also, it’s that the lids fit other sizes. I really do love this product much better than the other brand we were using.
OTR: What was the best feature of this product?
@minnies779: The best feature would be the storing capability. The products really do take up less space.
OTR: If you didn’t win this product, would you have purchased it?
@minnies779: I probably would have purchased it when I was in the market to buy storage containers.
OTR: If you had the ear of the Rubbermaid execs, what one major suggestion would you make to improve the product?
@minnies779: I really didn’t see that the product needed improvement. I did like how it held up in the dishwasher. I also used it to store food with tomato sauce and it seemed to be fairly stain resistant.
OTR: Is there anything else you’d like to add?
@minnies779: Thank you for the products!
____________________________________________________________________________________
Get Rubbermaid Food Storage Containers ___________________________________________________________________________________
“If you don’t celebrate the holidays, that means you’re more organized…right?” [Deb Lee · Random Thoughts · Week of November 23, 2009]
Alright, so this week’s Fact Friday, is not so much of a fact as it is a question. So, what do you think? Is it a fair assumption that if you don’t celebrate the holidays – no dinners to prepare, no presents to buy, no house/office to decorate – you are more organized?
What say you?
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It’s November 26th, the day that many Americans get the day off and enjoy a major feast. Feasts aside, we hope you enjoy – again – these great tips from an awesome group of pro organizers.
At first glance, I appear to be a woman of this generation — I have the requisite Blackberry and laptop, and I even have a Facebook account. I have a dirty, little secret: I’m addicted to paper calendars. I have them at home and at the office.
I love the size and the ease of use of old-school wall calendars. These calendars are always front and center to remind me to check them. I even enjoy writing on them with a pen and crossing out changes. I like the size of the entries, the visual of the entire month, and the fact that I can look at it while I talk on the phone. The obvious downside of multiple paper calendars is that they either need to be synchronized manually (and regularly), or you miss deadlines (this blog was due yesterday.)
I could be more diligent about updating all of my scattered calendars, to refer to them on a daily basis, and to schedule reminders for myself…or I could give Google Calendar another try or really explore the features of Outlook Calendar. All of this might sound simple, but I guess I’m set in my ways.
My family and business schedules are growing exponentially. Some sort of change will need to come soon and I’m sure I’ll be blogging about it.
7P9CGD43UC64Eat lunch at you desk often? Even if you answered no, you simply have to check out this 
“utensil toolkit” that will help you reduce your “forkprint.” =) It’s made from bamboo and comes with a cool carrying case that’s eco-friendly, too. It’s made from recycled plastic bottles and comes in lots of fab colors.
Got kids? Give them each their own color! Taking a road trip? Grab your favorite color! Or, keep it simple and leave a set in your lunch box. This is a really “green” and fun alternative to plastic utensils. Try them out (only $11.95) and let me know what you think.
Everyone needs a smaller “forkprint,” no?
Get Your To-Go Ware
Hoarders may sound like they are shopaholics, but while there are some similarities, there are some differences between the two. First, let’s start with what hoarding is:
“Compulsive hoarding is a common and potentially disabling problem, characterized by the accumulation of excessive clutter, to the point that parts of one’s home can no longer be used for their intended purpose.” [The Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living]
Dr. April Benson, a therapist who works with compulsive shoppers, describes a shopaholic as “one who practices chronic, repetitive purchasing that provides immediate short-term gratification, but ultimately causes harm to the individual or others.” [Interview with Stopping Overshopping Expert, Dr. April Benson]
Dr. Benson also notes that shopaholics may “use shopping as an attempt to fill an inner void, manage their feelings, repair their mood, or pursue a ‘perfect’ image.” That said, while the overshopper accumulates and buys items to feel better, the hoarder holds on to things that you and I may very easily regard as trash.
Hoarders can feel that an item is extremely special – almost like a part of them – and develop an unhealthy attachment to it. The item(s) may not bring them joy at all. In fact, they may become more nervous and on edge because they are uncertain about how to manage the vast volume of things they have. In addition, they may become very distressed when faced with the decision to throw out something that they feel is valuable.
I suspect that no matter what the similarities or differences are, neither situation is easy to overcome. It must take a great deal of perseverance, patience, and courage to control the extreme desire to buy or hoard.
If you have a hoarder or an overshopper in your life, we’d love to hear your story.
Get More Information About Hoarding
- Anxiety Disorders Center at the Institute of Living
- Obsessive Compulsive Foundation
- Squalor Survivors
Get More Information About Overshopping
“The top areas in a home where organizing services are most often requested as reported by NAPO members surveyed in 2009: Home Office or Den, Kitchen, Closet, Master Bedroom, and the Garage/Attic/Basement areas.” [NAPO · 2009 Member Survey · June 30, 2009]
- The Entrepreneur’s Toolbox (dallisonlee.com/blog)
- Organize Your Bedroom with Organizing Connection! (monicaricci.typepad.com)
- Open the garage to organization (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
Professional Organizer, Brandie Kajino, is today’s guest blogger. Check out her recommended tech tools for the home office.
I have some tricks up my sleeve. If you work from home, or have a home office, you probably do, too. I have some favorite tools that keep me together and organized. Here’s my top three favorites:
Google Apps: I have been using Google Apps for over a year. One thing people ask is, ”Why Google Apps and not Gmail?” Google Apps is what’s called a “cloud technology” software as a service application. That’s a whole lotta words for a software you use online, not installed directly on your computer. Google Apps is best for business, meaning I can use it for my business email account, calendar and included software called Google Docs. Google Docs is like Microsoft Office, only you use it online like a website. You can share documents with other people, collaborate on projects and have access to your documents anywhere in the world. Love that!
The last thing I love about Apps is the Calendar and Email. Apps has the ability to sync with a PDA or smartphone, just like Outlook. The difference is having my calendar backed up (away from the inevitable PC crash) and available to me in two places. It was easy to set up, which is a big bonus in my book!
iPhone: Ok, so yes, there are lots of us who swoon over this handy little device. Let me just say this about it: The iPhone is a game changer. I’ve used a Palm Treo (and other models), Blackberries and other devices. The first thing that I loved about my iPhone was how easy it was to set up and maintain. It just WORKS. It took minutes, not a weekend (like one of the other previous devices, which shall remain nameless), to set up. It made me a believer right out of the box. There’s lots of other great things, like thousands of Apps, syncing my music library and generally just being fun to use. (I still stare at it occasionally and just wonder how I was able to see this little wonder in my lifetime!)
The thing I like most is feeling in control of email and other communications like Twitter. My iPhone lets me decide when I want to be connected and when I don’t. The best part? I don’t carry my laptop around nearly as much anymore, and my shoulders and neck are thanking me!
ActiveWords: I could not live without this little program. I’ve written about it on my blog, talked it up on my podcasts and generally given it the love and devotion it deserves. Think of ActiveWords like a treasure trove of “action words” you use like saying a magic spell. “Abracadabra, launch my email program.” “Alacazam, take me to Wikipedia.” “Hocus, pocus, show me my Facebook page.” All joking, and bad magic spell attempts, aside, this is one powerful tool!
With ActiveWords, you set up “active words” to do any number of things, like launch a program, navigate to a website or substitute text. It cuts down the mouse clicks you incur and saves you little bits of time throughout your day. It will even tell you how much your accumulated saved time is worth! Last time I checked, it had saved me over 88 hours of time! Now, that’s productive!
What are some of your favorite home office techie tools?
About The Author
Brandie Kajino, The Home Office Organizer, is a dynamic speaker, author and “organizing muse.” Empowering clients with information, tools and simple organizing solutions are her specialty. For more information on her services, product downloads, a link to her podcast & radio show, her blog and free organizing tips, visit her website: www.thehomeofficeorganizer.com or call 360-907-6485.
Connect with Brandie: Web | Twitter | Facebook
Get More Information
Do you have a “before” that’s looking for it’s “after?”
Here’s a before:
…and another…
…and another…
Need a little accountability? Share your “before,” and I’ll follow up with you in 1 month to check in.
- E-mail me your “before” –> deb [at] dallisonlee [dot] com
- Leave a comment on this post with your twitter handle, facebook page, or e-mail address (spell it out like this: deb [at] dallisonlee [dot] com)
- Include in your comment the one thing you’re going to do to improve your space
You’ll hear from me in 30 days. Promise.
Your “After” Here
