Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Here is an excerpt from an unknown author I find inspirational:
Life is like a camera…
Focus on what’s important,
Capture the good times,
Develop from the negatives,
And if things don’t work out,
Take another shot.
We can apply this concept to clutter and our homes, as well as to life:
Your home is like a camera…
It contains the “film” on which your lifestyle is imprinted.
Focus on what’s important,
Design your environment to align with your goals and inspirations.
Capture the good times,
Keep only the treasures and let go of what you don’t use or love.
Develop from the negatives,
Develop systems and habits to keep up with daily goals.
And if things don’t work out, take another shot.
Backsliding happens…just restart using those systems and habits!
I hope you find inspiration in these ideas; and remember to:
• Carve out time to go through your items and let go of the excess.
• Put similar items together where they are used when arranging what you keep.
• Develop systems to process mail, clean up, and manage your tasks.
• Don’t forget to smile and say “Cheese”… I mean “Ease.”
Shredding Events in Spring 2014
It’s that time again! Paper shredding event season has begun. Here is a list of shredding events in the Delaware Valley this spring. If you are planning to attend an event, it’s wise to check the website or to call or e-mail to make sure the event isn’t canceled due to weather or other circumstances.
If you can’t wait for an event, try drop-off shredding services from Staples, Office Depot, Wiggins, or Mail Source (Springfield) for about $1 per pound.
Happy shredding!
Saturday, April 12 9 am – 12 pm Abington Residents Only
Abington Township Public Works
2201 Florey Lane Abington, PA 19001
http://www.shredone.com/community-shredding-events
Saturday, April 12 9 am – 11 am North Wales
EZ Storage – Montgomeryville
289 Dekalb Pike North Wales, PA 19454
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, April 12 9 am – 12 pm Berwyn
Friends of Easttown Public Library
720 First Ave. Berwyn, PA 19312
Saturday, April 12 9 am – 12 pm Collegeville Residents Only
Montgomery County
Perkiomen Valley Middle School East
100 Kagey Road, entrance on Campus Drive Collegeville, PA 19426
http://www.shredone.com/community-shredding-events
Saturday, April 12 9 am – 12 pm Collegeville
Perkiomen Valley Middle School East
100 Kagey Road (enter on Campus Drive) Collegeville, PA 19426
http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/6715
Saturday, April 12
NBC’s Great Shredder Event
Wells Fargo Center
See http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/contact-us/community/ for updates.
Saturday, April 19 9 am – 12 p.m Douglasville
Amity Township Crime Watch
Redner’s Market
Intersection of Rt. 422 and Rt. 662 Douglasville, PA 19518
Saturday, April 19 10 am – 12 pm York
State Rep. Kevin J. Schreiber
101 South George Street York, PA 17401
Saturday, April 26 9 am – 12 pm Philadelphia
American Heritage FCU Main Office
2060 Red Lion Road Philadelphia, PA 19115
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, April 26 9 am – 12 pm Philadelphia
American Heritage FCU Rhawn Street Branch
430 Rhawn Street Philadelphia, PA 19111
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, April 26 9 am – 12 pm Horsham
American Heritage FCU Horsham/Maple Avenue Branch
339 Maple Avenue Horsham, PA 19044
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, April 26 9 am – 11:30 am Chalfont
Merck Sharp & Dohme Federal Credit Union Chalfont Branch
335 West Butler Avenue Chalfont, PA 18914
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, April 26 11 am – 2 pm Philadelphia Residents Only
Philadelphia Fed Credit Union Operations Center
12800 Townsend Road Philadelphia, PA 19154
http://www.shredone.com/community-shredding-events
It happens in every family — a rite of passage that marks a new life stage — when you give up, or take over, hosting family holiday dinners. As I take out our Seder plate and Passover dishes, I think back to when I assumed this function for our family, and wonder when my children will assume it for me.
If you’re lucky, these role changes occur over time. You offer to make the chicken soup or brisket, you arrive early to help set up or stay late to clean up. And then one day — you are hosting the holiday meal — and your parents and children are helping you. These are happy transitions, that you make of your own will and where you control the timing. But sometimes, change is thrust upon you, because someone passes away or is ill. These changes are no less natural, but metaphorically and physically, there is an empty place at the table.
There seems to be no set age when you “become the grown up.” Some people host holiday meals well into their eighties; others shift the responsibility in their fifties, sixties or seventies. I’m not sure how families decide when to change their routine and custom.
Passover is unique, perhaps, because you can host the holiday meal while a parent can lead the Seder. You can assume the physical work, and an older family member can still have the role of patriarch or matriarch. Perhaps every religion has holidays and rituals that pass this same way from one generation to another.
My husband and I are hosting Passover this year, but already my kids have started the Passover passage. My daughter is arriving the night before to help set up and prepare her famous matzo-spinach lasagna. My older son is helping his dad make chicken soup, and my younger son will help arrange our furniture to accommodate a crowd of 20. We plan to hold Seder at our house for many years to come, but we are grateful for the help, and thankful that our kids are interested in preserving the tradition.
As with all holiday traditions, initiating change is hard. When we once suggested moving away from brisket, there was widespread family rebellion. Every departure from a favorite dish, it seems, is suspect or outright vetoed in advance. Dishes served year after year become comfort foods that define the holiday. And in part, I like this. For decades, a friend’s mother prepared a broccoli-corn casserole for Thanksgiving. Although her mom died five years ago, my friend and her dad still prepare the same broccoli-corn casserole together every year. In doing so, they honor her mother’s memory, and more important in my mind, they celebrate the relationship she has with her dad.
I heard today about a new custom, a lovely one, and although I am not sure it is right for us, it may be for others. Each year, everyone who attends this Seder signs their name on the tablecloth. My friend then embroiders the names, and the next year, the same tablecloth is used and that year’s names are added. They are starting their third year of this tradition, and already her children have said that this tablecloth is one of the things they most want when they “grow up.”
Personally, I like incorporating new traditions in with the old. It makes holidays into living things that evolve and change over time. Passing the baton to the next generation on Passover is like that too. It is as if, through change, we keep things the same.
Recently, as I was sitting in my office, I heard a loud thunk on my front porch. When I went to investigate, I saw that I had two new phonebooks (of the paper kind). When was the last time I had used an actual phonebook? It got me to thinking.
Usually, when I am in my office, I have access to the internet, and it is easier to just search on-line for the information that I want. If I am out of my office, I have my handy cellphone with all the bells and whistles that allows me to search for almost anything I want, anywhere I am, at anytime I wish. But…
Last week, I was in need of a personal phone number. I knew the person’s name and where they lived (or at least I thought I did). Easy, I thought. I pulled up “white pages” on Google and searched for the phone number of the person. I got all sorts of information and numerous listings but no phone numbers. If I wanted more information, I had to pay a nominal fee. NO WAY! I tried several different sites and still came up empty handed. Then a light bulb went off in my head. If memory served me correctly, I had an old phonebook sitting in the buffet drawer. Granted, it was four years out of date, but maybe… Down to the dining room I raced, opened the buffet drawer and EUREAKA! There it was. Let’s see… D…. Do… Down… yes, there is was – “Martha Downing” on Pine Street with a phone number! Twenty minutes searching the internet. Less than three minutes looking in the phonebook. Hmmmm. The expediency of technology? Not always.
It is different if you are seeking the number for a business but, even then, you should weigh all your options and determine if you truly need a paper phonebook or if the internet serves you just as well. For a great article read 5 Things You Need to Know to Avoid Wasting Phone Books and then decide. Just remember, if you do opt for the paper phonebook, when the new one arrives, be sure to recycle the old. Happy searching!
Recently, my workshop for the Holistic Mom’s monthly meeting on “Paper Management for the Green Home” was rescheduled due to a foot of snow. Like many of us, you may be stuck inside during these cold winter days. So why not take advantage of being indoors and organize your home office? Here’s a plan to help you clear your desk while “going green” with less paper.
The first step is to go online and opt out of the unwanted mail coming into your home. Try DMAChoice.org for general junk mail, TrustedID.org for unwanted catalogs and Optoutprescreen.com for pre-approved credit card offers. Create a new email address for coupons and ask to have your monthly statements sent via email.
There are also some wonderful apps for your phone. Catalog Spree allows you to view a variety of different catalogs online. Retail Me Not offers coupons to local stores, and Snip Snap stores your coupons digitally after you take a photo of them on your phone.
Now that you’ve reduced the paper input, it’s time to tackle the existing paper piles.
SORT
PROCESS
FILE
SHRED
Holistic living is a lifestyle which seeks balance knowing that all things are interconnected. What you bring into your home directly affects how you feel. How does your home make you feel? Is your home office stressing you out? Try to tackle your paperwork often, perhaps in short intervals, every other day. If you need help, get help! Remember, your home is your sanctuary.
Letting go isn’t easy — but when you allow yourself to say goodbye to books you haven’t read, children’s toys that have been outgrown, and clothing that no longer suits your style — you get more than a tax receipt. When you give, you get…
SATISFACTION: Allowing someone else the pleasure of enjoying your stuff feels good (so does recycling).
SPACE: You will literally regain space…
• Whole drawers can be emptied
• Shelves will no longer bow under the weight of your old textbooks
• Closets will sigh with relief that they’re not overstuffed and cramped
Being able to see your belongings enables you to enjoy and appreciate what you have.
FREEDOM: We are privileged to live in a free society, but some of us are slaves to stuff and the need to acquire more. When you let something go, a wonderful emotional freedom grows.
As a professional organizer, I am privileged to witness people stand straighter, smile more freely, and breathe easier by letting go of things that were holding them back. Releasing physical items from our spaces gives us the freedom to decide what will take its place. Let it be positive memories and new opportunities.
