The Essential Travel Bag

Photo from Flickr

A frequent traveler friend informed me she always keeps a travel bag ready. It contains all of her essential items such as small bottles of shampoo and conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrush, razor, etc. Basically, all she has to pack are her clothes and her makeup bag. Even for two or three trips a year, this is a time saving idea. A list is always helpful to avoid forgetting something.

Recipes

This postcard is postmarked July 6, 1914 and has an inscription "Say kid how did you like your buggy ride Sunday?"

I have a tendency to collect too many recipes, so many I don't believe I will ever have time to try them all. Because of the volume of these, I keep them in a plastic box. If a slow day happens, maybe I will sort them. The recipes that are tried and true and, with certainty, will be made again, are typed, saved on the computer, and kept in plastic covers in a three-ring binder. If I discover a helpful hint while preparing the recipe I include that, as well as where I received the recipe. This is an ongoing effort, but for me it's worth it. Since this takes time, the files should be backed up on a CD or external hard drive.

The Skeleton of Your Home

According to Alice Fulton and Pauline Hatch, the authors of the book It's Here Somewhere, cupboards, closets, and drawers are a home's skeleton. This skeleton reveals the true condition of a home. I have thought of this theory while mashing down the contents of drawers before shutting them! This idea does inspire me to clear some things out. Sock organizers have been particularly helpful to me. Once all the socks are neatly organized (preferably by color), as shown above, it takes no time to stuff the clean pairs in order. This is also a time saver, as I remember years ago hastily sorting through a jumbled mass every morning. Sock organizers are sold by several stores, or old shoe boxes may be used. Desk drawer organizers are a must to keep home office supplies in order.

Kids and Various Sporting Activities

I had a conversation once with a woman who has three kids all involved in simultaneous multiple sporting activities. While secretly being thankful I was not in her shoes, I made a mental note of her tip for keeping all these activities straight. She charted two weeks' worth of her family's schedule on a dry erase board. Each child, sporting activity, time, place, and which parent would take the child were included. She claimed it was the only way possible to not miss a sporting event.

Simplify

In the book It's Here Somewhere by Alice Fulton and Pauline Hatch, the authors discuss simplifying the home. This strategy is discarding duplicate and worn out items. For example, they believe in having one set of measuring cups, one spatula, etc. I appreciate this idea, with the exception of preferring an extra set of measuring cups and spoons while cooking and baking. When preparing more than one dish, I'm too lazy to stop, wash, and reuse.

Fulton and Hatch state that simplifying the home will reduce clutter and confusion and creates order. And, of course, the basic rule of organizing is grouping like items together. A few years ago, while cleaning out garage cabinets I found five putty knives all in different places. This is one way that being unorganized costs money and time - you either don't realize you have a certain item or can't find an item you have, so you buy another one.

Be Ready for Tax Time

Some certified public accountants state that income tax documentation only needs to be kept for six years, while others vehemently state the paperwork should be retained indefinitely. The Internal Revenue Service has three years from the original due date of the return or the date the return is filed, whichever is later, to audit the return and assess a deficiency, if necessary. If a return reveals a substantial understatement of income (greater than 25% of the amount reported), the statute of limitations period extends to six years. However, there is no statute of limitations if a taxpayer fails to file a tax return or commits fraud.

I did a massive file purge last summer and decided to only keep the last ten years of income tax records. Sometimes in the midst of such a flurry of activity, one may get carried away. I have decided to revert to an indefinite keeper for the reason of the last sentence in the first paragraph. Once in a while, quirky things happen and it would be hard to prove a return was filed if it has been discarded. My 72 year old mother, who has copies of every income tax return she and my father have filed, will enjoy the "I told you so" on this one.

Start a tax file and begin collecting documents that pertain to your tax situation: charitable contributions, medical expenses, real estate purchases or sales, etc. My 2009 taxes are finished and I have already made a 2010 folder, so I can drop in various papers as they arrive. This year, I had all the documents together, except for one paper which took time to track down. Hopefully, next year all the necessary papers will be filed together.

Emergency Preparations

This last weekend, I talked to my friend Maria in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She has a husband and three boys age 12 and younger. Maria related their recent weather woes - two feet of snow in one day and then another foot of snow. They had no electricity for several days and it was bitterly cold. Maria had a pan she put on the side of the fireplace to heat Progresso soup. They mostly ate soup and crackers. She stated they learned a lot during those days. Maria mentioned everyone should have an emergency kit consisting of candles, matches, a battery-operated radio, flashlights and extra batteries, and this kit should be easily accessible. She questioned if I had all of these items together, and I had to respond "not really." This brought back memories of being awakened at 5:00 a.m. two years ago by the cracking and falling of tree branches on the roof because of an ice storm. With no electricity, it was rather difficult stumbling and groping around in the dark to find a flashlight, which was inconveniently located in the garage. The emergency kit idea makes sense. (And don't forget a manual can opener.)

As I thought more about these situations that will once in a while occur, I realized here in Oklahoma tornado season will be arriving shortly. Now that I have a teenager who is at home at times when I am not, we discussed where he should go in our home in case of a tornado. It is a good idea to have emergency plans in advance and to discuss them with your family.

A footnote to Maria's story: She was very worried about the weight of all the snow on her roof, as the roof is borderline on needing replacement. On one of the dark days, Maria flipped the Bible open. It opened to Proverbs 31, which discusses the wife of noble character. A verse immediately jumped out to her, "When it snows, she has no fear for her household. . . " Proverbs 31:21 NIV

A Key Habit

A few years ago, I conducted a frantic, near-hysterical search for my keys, which resulted in my being late for work almost half an hour. Of course, they were inadvertently placed underneath something. After this needless stressful episode, it was time for a change. Up on the wall went a decorative hook and the keys had a designated holding place. Most people probably have enough sense to know this simple concept. Every time I come home, even if for less than an hour, the keys are placed on the hook. Thankfully, the desperate key searches are over.

Just Get Rid of It!

It is essential to continually rid your home of items, especially if you are a fellow humble abode dweller. If you don't, things will overtake your living space. Purge things that are broken beyond repair, not useful, or items you no longer like (or maybe you never liked). Don't buy into the idea that you cannot get rid of something because so and so gave it to you. Edit your possessions carefully. Jesus said in Luke 12:15 "a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (NIV)

Marla Cilley, the FLYLady, states that clutter cannot be organized. She also mentions C.H.A.O.S. - can't have anyone over syndrome. I've been there -- peering through a crack in my front door and hoping that unexpected visitors would not see my messy house behind me. Of course, I could not let them in and, undoubtedly, gave a rude impression. Marla Cilley in her book Sink Reflections devotes several pages of how clutter negatively affects our lives and discusses the similarities of clutter to our homes as cholesterol is to our arteries. Her analogy includes how clutter causes stress, is invasive, decreases our joy in living, and is a result of over-indulging. There is enough negativity in the world without having it around us in our homes. Every single item in your house takes up space, no matter the size. Don't neglect sorting through small items. Find someone who can truly use your cast-offs, have a garage sale, or donate to a thrift store. Do not donate items that will not sell - stained clothes, etc. Thrift stores are always burdened with junk they have to throw away. Someone may be needing your cast-offs and will be blessed. You will find it freeing to lighten your load!

Make a Freezer List

The last few months I have kept a list of the contents in my freezer (located in the garage). I keep a pad of paper stuck to the side of my refrigerator with a clip/magnet. This small idea has made such a difference, particularly when it is cold! I'm not running back and forth and, more importantly, not wasting food. It's so convenient to stand in the kitchen and know every item that is located in my garage freezer. Consistency is the key with this concept to mark off the used items and add the new ones after grocery shopping. Even if I have a box of steaks, I keep a count of how many are in the box.