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Of course not, but…

You’re driving to the grocery store, a trip you’ve made a thousand times. Out of nowhere comes a car running the red light at the intersection you’re crossing – heading straight toward you! Crash!! You’re hurt, stunned and quite possibly in shock.

The police and ambulance arrive. First they ask questions about the accident, most of which you can answer. Then they ask about medications you take, allergies and an emergency contact’s phone number. Your mind goes blank. You are taken to the hospital but you’re unable to give the ER doctors any information that could help them treat you.

Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime to anyone, especially as we’re getting into the busy travel season. What can you do?

Create an Emergency Card containing your critical information to keep with you at all times. Organize it in an easy-to-read format. My Emergency Card is set up in a multi-column format. I recommend it be typed using a plain font and printed on heavy paper or card stock.

However you organize your Emergency Card, start with Emergency Info For. Under that, put your full name and address.

Suggested column headings are:

1. Emergency Contact with full name, address and phone number
2. Date of birth
3. Meds
4. Vitamins
5. Allergies
6. Major illnesses/operations
7. Primary doctor
8. Hospital
9. Pharmacy
10. Blood type (if you don’t know, find out)

For 3-6, make a list. For 7-9, include full name, phone number and address.

Add any information you think is important.

Make the card small enough to keep in your wallet with your health insurance ID card, driver’s license and car registration. If you plan to be an organ donor, be sure it’s noted on your driver’s license or have a signed Organ Donor Card. Don’t keep the information in your phone if your phone is locked because it cannot be accessed. However, if your phone is unlocked, put the info in Contacts labeled ICE (in case of emergency). First-responders should know to go to your wallet or phone for this information.

Having an Emergency Card could be a life-saver.

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Brrrr…it’s cold in most of the country. We spend more time indoors. What’s your favorite indoor activity? I bet reading immediately sprang to mind!

Is your book collection organized so you can find just the right book you’re in the mood to read? Excellent! Or like many folks, are books scattered around the house? Do you even know what books you have? Do you regularly purge unwanted books or let them continue to occupy valuable space and collect dust?

Now is a great time to organize your books. Here are 11 tips.

1. By category, then alphabetically by author’s last name.
2. By category.
3. By author.
4. By title.
5. By author, then by title.
6. Chronological, such as U.S. presidents for history buffs (Washington, Adams, Jefferson and so on)
7. By color – or even limited to certain colors for a particular look. This may be a viable option for highly visual people, those who prefer aesthetics over practicality or the few who have a photographic memory.
8. Put books where they’re useful, like cookbooks in the kitchen. (You’d think that would be obvious but you’d be wrong. I’ve organized people who kept cookbooks in the living room. Not surprisingly, they weren’t used.)
9. Add a few decorative items on bookshelves to add design interest.
10. Mix it up – separate some books by category and some by favorite authors.
11. There is no right or wrong way. But there is just one way – the way that works for you. It’s about finding what you want when you want it. If your system doesn’t work, tweak it until it does.

My largest book organizing project was 17 years ago with my first client. In his library he had between 1,000 and 2,000 books. They were out of order. There were duplicates and triplicates. His library was completely nonfunctional. It took time, but after donating many of them and organizing the rest according to my client’s preferences, that massive job got done. My client was thrilled to have a functional library that looked great too!

For my personal collection, I mix it up. Fiction books are arranged in alphabetical order by author’s last name. Books in other categories (such as organizing, business and design) are separated by category but not in any order. Some books are vertical. Some are horizontal. Small framed photos and pieces of art add to the overall look. I donate books that no longer interest me. My book collection is functional and attractive. With a little time and effort, yours can be too.

Downsizing and organizing your books is worth doing. Then, when planning your next vacation, you can quickly grab the ones you want to read – much better than wasting time searching around the house or wasting money buying more at the airport.

Click on the above title to learn more about the featured author.

My aunt’s friend Lee was driving home after having dinner with The Girls. All of a sudden she realized she didn’t have her handbag! She frantically tried to remember what was in it, especially in her wallet, but her mind went blank. Panicked, Lee called the restaurant. It wasn’t there. Although it seemed futile, she drove back to the restaurant. Between when she called and arrived, it had been found! Lee was lucky.

If your wallet were lost or stolen, could you remember all the credit and membership cards, ATM and debit cards, medical insurance, driver’s license and registration cards, and the rest? Of course not. But even if you could, would you know the account numbers and contact info to report them missing? Not unless you have hyperthymesia or are a savant like Raymond Babbitt in Rain Man. And consider the many hours it would take to figure all this out.

To protect yourself, here are 9 tips.

1. Use smartphone apps such as a mobile wallet to pay electronically or Keyring to store your reward cards.
2. Create a list of the documents in your wallet and organize by category, such as credit cards. Using a word processing program makes it easy to update the list as items change. Include the name of the issuer, account number, customer service phone number and expiration date, if applicable. Keep a copy in a secure location at home, another in your safe deposit box and give one to someone you completely trust.
3. Photocopy or scan the documents, front and back, and refer to #2 about safekeeping.
4. Remember to add new items and remove unwanted ones in whatever system you use and distribute as necessary as stated in #2.
5. Ladies often leave handbags unattended in shopping carts or hung out of sight on the backs of chairs in restaurants. Either keep your bag with you or keep an eye on it at all times.
6. During the summer months we spend more time outdoors. We’re more relaxed and perhaps less guarded when down the shore or picnicking in the park. Pay attention to your personal belongings at all times.
7. Be sure there is adequate security protection for whatever method you choose.
8. Security experts recommend keeping your social security card in a safe deposit box with other important documents, not in your wallet. (Has anyone ever asked to see it?)
9. This is a perfect time to remove rarely used cards and accumulated clutter.

If you think any of these options is too much trouble, ask yourself how much trouble it would be if your wallet were lost or stolen and you didn’t know its contents or the contact info. The payoff is having readily accessible information so you can take immediate action. We don’t intend to create opportunities for theft. But, if it happens, your record will be a vital resource. How thrilled would you be that you took time to protect yourself?

Click on the title above to learn more about the featured author.

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It’s a new year. You want to be your best self. Get organized. Lose weight. Exercise. These are some of the most popular resolutions (goals) year after year. Here’s a reality check: They are all great ideas but they are NOT goals.

Why? Because they are too vague. How can you know if you’ve achieved them? What do you want to organize? How much weight do you want to lose? Do what for exercise? What’s the timeframe?

To be successful, remember this SMART acronym when creating goals.

S – Specific:  Who, what, when, where, why

M – Measurable:  Track progress and outcome

A – Achievable:  Able to be accomplished

R – Realistic:  Goal and timeframe work for you

T – Time-bound:  Timeframe to start and, if applicable, end

Here are examples of SMART goals.

• I will organize my bedroom by getting rid of clutter, giving everything a home and maintaining it so I can find what I need when I need it. I will work two hours every Sunday in January and complete the project by the end of January.
• I will lose five pounds in January.
• I will walk two miles on the treadmill, four times a week, starting today.

See the difference? On February 1^st, if the bedroom is organized, you’ve lost five pounds or you’ve been walking two miles, four times a week, you’ve accomplished your goal! Conversely, if you haven’t met your goal, don’t give up. Just start anew.

Write down your goals. Schedule blocks of time in your calendar to work on them and honor those appointments as you would if they were with someone else. Close your eyes and imagine achieving your goal. Give yourself little rewards along the way.

Most important is motivation. Without it, you’re unlikely to succeed. If you’re not motivated on your own to organize your bedroom and it’s something you really want to do, find a photo of your dream bedroom and post it so you can see it every day. Think about how it would feel to actually live in this room. If you need help, ask a friend, family member, or professional organizer.

Have an organized 2016!

Most people want to do the right thing and recycle, but sometimes it’s not easy. Outdated electronics, cans of oil-based paint, and piles of unwanted confidential documents take up valuable space in the basement or garage because you don’t know what to do with them. These things need to be discarded — but how?

There is confusion about recycling. Which things are considered household recycling and which are hazardous waste? You may be surprised to learn that nail polish is hazardous waste. Cellphones are hazardous waste, too. To add to the confusion, companies that pick up your household trash differ in what they accept: some take plastic containers marked 1 through 3 and others take 1 through 7. It’s no wonder people may be reluctant to recycle.

To help make it easier to get rid of your unwanted stuff, follow this list for electronics and hazardous waste recycling and shredding events through the fall in the Greater Philadelphia area. Events are either free or low-cost.

Note: Household batteries can be tossed with regular trash. However, for those with terminals on the same side (such as 6V, 9V or 12V) and button-cell batteries (used in watches, greeting cards and hearing aids), it is important to cover both ends with masking tape to reduce the risk of short-circuiting and fire. For the more common batteries (AA, AAA, C and D), cover the positive terminal (“+”) with masking tape.