Take 5 Friday - My Purse

I've been noticing lately that it's taking me longer to find things in my purse and I think my right shoulder has begun to develop a "drop" due to the weight of it all. So, I figured this week it was time to just grin and bear it and do a total overhaul.

Best thing to do is to start by dumping everything on your kitchen table. Right during the middle of breakfast is the best time. It just makes it so much easier when you have the kids rummaging through the contents of your purse. Take an inventory of the items you find in your purse just for comic relief, if nothing else. Mine included things like:

• 5 lipsticks/glosses (necessary due to different shades)


• 1 daughter's Disney Princess chap-stick (confiscated due to the breaking of the cardinal rule of rolling up too far)


• 3 tubes hand lotion (it may be dry winter weather, but why would anyone need this many is even beyond me)


• 2 sets of keys


• Bills/mail to be dropped off


• Note pad (but not a pen in sight)


• MP3 player


• Palm Pilot


• 12 assorted discount/reward store cards


• Cell phone


• Wallet


• 1 Piece of daughter's partially chewed "hot, hot, owww hot!" gum in wrapper


• Business card holder


• Coupon for Bath & Body Works


• Current choice of reading material (in this case The Pillars of the Earth...highly recommended)

The only thing in the whole mess that I can say was organized was my lipsticks because I had previously put them in a Teeny Tiny Organizing Bag. I decided I could do without 2 tubes of hand lotion, my book (for today because I wouldn't have time to read it while I was out) and the chewed gum. I dropped off the bills/mail and spent the coupon (on more lotion none-the-less) and my 4 year old took back her chapstick with the promise to abide by the rules.

I think you'll agree it looks much better and at least I'm walking upright now! What can you do in 5 minutes to be better organized? Post your comment and link to your own Take 5 Friday post to join in. Come on...I can't be the only one having all the fun!

Post Holiday Stress Syndrome; 8 Steps to a Speedy Recovery

OK...I don't know if there is such a thing as Post Holiday Stress Syndrome, but there should be a name for the craziness in my household that takes place from December 26th up until around my birthday. (That's January 9th if you're taking notes. We won't talk about how old I'll be.)

I don't typically get too stressed before or during the holidays. It's the aftermath that usually hits me hardest. Not only are things more out-of-sorts with all of the stuff, but there's something a little depressing to me about the un-decking of the halls, so I tend to procrastinate with this task. I have learned a few tricks over the past few years that have helped me recuperate more quickly. Here's my 8 Step Recovery Process to help curb that Post Holiday Stress Syndrome:

• Go through clothing, toys and other household goods before the gift-giving season hits to reduce and eliminate unwanted or unused items and prevent overload. (Sorry...ummm, maybe you can use that one next year!)


• Set up a large box or plastic bin for each family member to separate and store their unwrapped gifts while in transit and until they find their permanent spot. Once emptied, use the plastic totes to store holiday decorations or off season clothing.


• Plan upcoming menus using holiday leftovers and freeze some meals for those evenings over the next few weeks when cooking is out of the question.


• Break down the post-holiday clean up into steps. Work on one small project at a time, like un-decorating and putting away the holiday dishes.


• Spread the cheer. While leaving your Christmas tree up until February may be a little embarrassing, snowmen until St. Patty's Day (at least in some climates) isn't completely out of the realm of possibilities. Work on putting away the most season specific items first, then move on to less distinctive decorations.


• If holiday overspending has got you down, the best way to face it is head on. It's time to review your budget and determine how much extra you can apply to pay toward your outstanding balances until they are paid off. Better to tighten the belt now for a few months than to still be paying on holiday bills this time next year.


• If you have multiple credit cards, once one is paid off, apply that regular payment to another card in addition to what you were already paying. You'll multiply your efforts and get rid of debt even quicker. (This tip works great all year round!)


• Finally, take some time for yourself. This time of the year can be just as stressful as the holidays themselves, if not more. We're all so busy this time of year, we often forget ourselves. It's a great time to take up a new hobby, start an exercise program, curl up with a good book or just catch up with friends.

Taken as prescribed, these tips will help you make a full recovery, with little or no side effects. Care should be taken as some of these tips (especially the last one) can be habit forming and should be used under the supervision of at least one other person for the maximum benefit. Use of alcohol and exposure to direct sunlight are optional and could possibly intensify (or inhibit) the effects of the recovery process. Individual results may vary.

Take 5 Friday - The Season of Giving

OK, so I'm a few days late on my Take 5 Friday, but that's only because it took me a couple of days to get my family motivated to join in on this one. And what's the best way to make use of your 5 minutes? Get your family members to also pitch in for 5 minutes...that's a total of 20 minutes worth of work for a family of four (minus 7 minutes per child under the age of 6!)

We spent 5 minutes in a quick "game" of find the give-aways and were easily able to fill up this box to go to Goodwill before the timer ran out. Now that's what I call spending your time wisely!

How much were you able to accomplish in just 5 minutes this week? Share your comments here then link to your own Take 5 Friday post!

Organizing Bags

I'm so excited! I just got my shipment of Organizing Bags from The Lazy Organizer. It's like Christmas came early for me! I've ordered some of these bags in the past, but this time I got the variety pack with all the different sizes. You have to check out Lara's site for all of her great ways to stay organzied using these bags.

I'm looking forward to sharing all of the great uses I find for these amazing bags with everyone. I'll keep ya posted. Has anyone else found some unique uses for these bags? Share your ideas here!

Take 5 Friday - The sock basket

This week I took a few minutes out of my busy schedule to match up renegade socks. I keep a medium sized basket in my laundry room to toss in lone socks as they come out of the dryer. Then, about once a month I sit down and go through it. Usually, by this time most of the strays have managed to catch up with each other and they can be paired up. This saves me time the rest of the month because I know eventually they'll catch up to one another and I don't have to fret over finding matches right away.

What did you accomplish this week in 5 minutes or less? To read more about Take 5 Friday, visit the Guidelines post and join us every week to see what others are up to!

Free shipping

This month until December 31st, I'm offering readers FREE shipping on my book, A Life Less Cluttered. Just click here to be directed to the PayPal payment screen and your order will be delivered to your door within 2 - 4 weeks. This is a first time offer and won't be availalbe forever, so pick up your copy today!

Take 5 Friday - The Frige

Maybe you noticed that I didn't make the Take 5 Friday post last week. That's what happens when you don't take at least 5 minutes to rest yourself...you end up sick! But, I'm back this week to share my latest Take 5 Friday venture.


There's nothing like the chore of cleaning out a long over-due refrigerator to follow on the heels of your recent illness. If the unidentified container of food left way in the back isn't enough to turn your stomach, maybe you can use the mold growing in it to make a useful antibiotic. But that's what I tackled this week (cleaning the frige; not making meds). Now it's spotless and shiny. Once I was done with the "yucky" part (decifering edible from not), I used a mixture of baking soda and vinegar to give if a quick wipe down. This way, I didn't have to worry about chemicals effecting our food.


What about you? What did you tackle this week on Take 5 Friday? If you're new to Take 5 Friday, click here for guidelines and share in the fun!