Posts Tagged ‘Cathy Mendler’

Some of MY favourites!

Posted on: September 8th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

If you’re like me, I like to try new recipes. Whether you’re looking for a new salad, side dish, meat and potatoes or dessert, we’ve covered them all. I can’t wait to try these!

Strawberry Spinach Pasta Salad with Orange Poppy Seed Dresssing

Strawberry Poppy Seed Chicken Salad

Garlic Steak and Potato Foil Packs

Mashed Cauliflower and Spinach

Watermelon Paletas

It’s never too late to make healthier choices!



A Happy Client in Belwood!

Posted on: September 4th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Thank you so much for your help, Cathy, both with furniture placement and with finding a new home for my treasures.”
~Wendy Nicholls, Belwood

Thanks for reading…
Cathy Mendler

P.S. To read more testimonials, please Click Here



Is someone heading to College or University?

Posted on: August 29th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Checking...


Do you have a child heading off to college or university this fall? Here are links to Bed Bath & Beyond’s Campus Checklist and Apartment Checklist.

 



6 Summer Productivity Tips!

Posted on: August 21st, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Productive...


Ste
phanie Vozza of Fast Company shares some great ideas in Six Productivity Experts Share How To Actually Get Work Done During The Summer.

Check out this summer reading list from 40+ TED speakers.

 

Ask yourself, “How can I be more productive?”

 



A Quote from Ann Romney

Posted on: August 15th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments



Introducing… Carolyn Caldwell from Altered Organization

Posted on: August 9th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

 

Carolyn Caldwell

 

 

Organizing colleague Carolyn Caldwell of Altered Organization shares her knowledge.

THE PATH TO AN ORGANIZED GARDEN SHED

If you have a piece of property, chances are you also have a garden of some size and complexity and likely a shed to house the tools. So, along with turning the soil, top-soiling the grass and trimming the roses, why not set up for an organized garden shed as well?

No more looking around for tools you thought you had, can’t remember if you lent out and need for trimming that Euonymus. Here’s a step by step process to get you off on the right path.

Step 1 – Empty the Shed

Start by completely emptying the entire shed if feasible. Once it is empty, you will be able to start with a clean slate. You will also be able to see what you have and inventory your tools and their condition.

Sweep out the cobwebs, mouse droppings and other debris.

Step 2 – Inventory and Assess Your Tools

Review all your tools, shovels, rakes and hoes. Are there any that are broken, rusted or beyond repair? Throw out the irreparable and fix what’s needed. Are there any that are redundant, never used and could use a better home with someone else? Keep only those tools that you know you will use.

Step 3 – Look for Creative Storage and Give Everything a Home

Think vertical and you will find lots more fresh storage space that you may not have realized existed. The rakes, hoes, shovels can be stored on hooks or nails on the walls. This will get them out of the way and make them readily available when you are ready to rake. If you have the funds, many garden or home supply stores sell mountable devices specifically designed for hanging gardening tools such as rakes. If you are looking to organize using limited or no funds, use straight nails for hanging rakes, hoes, shovels and almost everything in the shed. Have some fun seeing how many tools you can actually hang for storage.

Hang one bag on another hook or nail to hold your digging and planting tools and a separate one for your garden gloves. Cloth grocery bags, made from recycled plastic bags and readily available in stores, are a great storage tool. Label with a permanent marker or bright fabric paint. An alternative to hanging gloves and hand tools is to repurpose a wooden winerack as a tool rack.

Items that are used on a daily basis or frequently during the week can be stored near the door on easy hooks or readily accessible shelves. Think secateurs for deadheading roses, trowel for pulling or upending weeds. Keep your garden gloves on the same shelf or hook beside – your tools are easy to grab for a quick 10 minutes of deadheading flowers each day.

Step 4 – Hide the Seeds from Wannabe Snackers!

Rodents and small animals would be delighted if you would just leave all those seeds out where they can help themselves. Let the squirrels find their own nuts and pack up the seeds to limit their scent and make it hard for animals to get access. Seeds that are stored in a plaster or metal box will be out of temptation’s way if rodents are a regular visitor to your shed. This is especially true of grass seed.

Step 5 – Keep Solutions Legal and Out of Reach

Review your solution bottles and know your pesticide by-laws. Many, if not all, jurisdictions have outlawed the use of pesticides. Check with your municipality to see where you can take the pesticides for disposal. Then check out your local garden centre to find an environmentally friendly alternative.

Even environmentally friendly products must be kept out of reach of children. Make sure your organized garden shed includes shelves high enough that curious children can’t get into solutions, anti-fungal products and plant food. Garden shed shelves, like tool hanging devices, can be expensive and fancy or inexpensive and simple. Most home supply stores carry industrial shelving of various sizes and strengths. Make sure to check the weight capacity, usually listed on packaging by individual shelf. If your shed is metal or plastic, you may be limited to commercial standalone shelves. With a wood shed, simple shelves can be constructed between the joists.

Step 6 – Use your Organized Garden Shed

An organized garden shed is easy to use and supports your interests in the garden. Try taking your shed for a test run. Can you easily find the tools you need? Can you just as easily put them away? Are your daily use tools where you can get at them? Are the seeds safely sealed away from intruders? Have you kept only what you use and what you need?

Last step – as always, enjoy the fruits of your labours and the bounty of your garden.

Carolyn Caldwell is a Certified Professional Organizer and the owner of Altered Organization in Toronto, as well as being a mentor for professional organizers. You can contact her at 647-505-2256 or by email.



That Dreaded Word–LAUNDRY!

Posted on: August 9th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Cathy Mendler

Now that the calendar has been flipped over to August, the first day of school is on the horizon.

One chore that goes hand-in-hand with back to school is LAUNDRY. Like it or dislike it, it’s a necessity of life in households.

 

THAT DREADED WORD–L A U N D R Y!

In my experience as a professional organizer, I have found that many clients just can’t seem to keep up with the never-ending pile of laundry. For some people, laundry has become a mountain.

If you struggle to keep up with laundry, try some of the following suggestions.

  • Have a laundry hamper(s) in a central location or each bedroom. Multi-section hampers are available to pre-sort dirty clothes into dark and light colours.
  • Gather all your dirty laundry together before starting.
  • Put each child’s clothing into a mesh bag for washing.
  • Socks won’t disappear if contained in a mesh bag.
  • Use a different colour basket for each family member.
  • Keep your laundry area well stocked with supplies–detergent, fabric softener, stain remover, hangers, etc.
  • Limit the amount of clothing you own.
  • Children grow out of clothes so quickly. Pack up any clothes they have outgrown for your younger children. Or pass them along to a friend or relative or donate them to a thrift store.
  • Store winter/summer clothes in a separate area–if possible.
Laundry Sorter
  • SCHEDULE TIME to do laundry on a daily or weekly basis, so it doesn’t get out of control.
  • Wash one or two loads per day. The number of people in your household will determine how much laundry needs to be done.
  • Put a load in the washer in the morning and transfer it to the dryer once you’re home from work. Or put a load in the washer at night and transfer it to the dryer in the morning.
  • NOTE: For those of us who live in Ontario and are subject to time-of-use hydro (electric or power for our friends in the States) rates, this makes scheduling laundry a bit more of a challenge.
  • Hang up items as soon as they come out of the dryer to avoid wrinkling.
  • Fold and put away laundry after each load is dry.
  • Make it a required chore for each family member to put away their clean clothes. Create good habits in the early years!

When was the last time you cleaned your dryer vent? 

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, “Dryer lint caused 16,800 fires last year. These preventable fires caused 15 deaths, 300 injuries and about $88 million US in property damage. There are no comparable statistics available for Canada.” Schedule time to clean your dryer vent regularly. For more information, click here.

Don’t let your laundry get the better of you!

Get started and turn over another leaf!

Until next month,

a new leaf-cathy.png



Who Loves Arugula?

Posted on: August 4th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Looking for a new salad idea? Try this one from The Recipe Critic.

Avocado, Tomato and Cucumber Arugula Salad

Ingredients

  • 2 avocados, sliced
  • 1 English cucumber, sliced
  • 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1/4 cup red onion, sliced
  • 1 cup arugula
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/4 cup feta cheese

Instructions

  1. In a large dish combine avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion and arugula. Gently toss.
  2. In a small dish whisk the olive oil and lemon juice. Add to the veggies and toss.
  3. Serve with crumbled feta cheese. 

 

And for dessert, try any one of Shape’s 10 Healthy Ice Cream Sandwiches.There are vegan, glutenfree and paleo options too!

It’s never too late to make healthier choices!



A Happy Client in Burlington!

Posted on: July 31st, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

“Cathy has helped me immensely with a family member’s move.

Not only is Cathy [pleasant] to work with, very knowledgeable and proficient at her work, she went above and beyond her duties. Cathy was able to reuse or donate items to assist other families which meant a great deal to me.

I highly recommend Cathy as her expertise would benefit those who must tackle any type of project.”

N Schreiner, Burlington, ON

Thanks for reading…

Cathy Mendler
P.S. To read more testimonials, please Click Here



“Check Out” the Checklists!

Posted on: July 28th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Get Checking...
If you’re planning to have a yard sale during the summer, check out our Yard Sale Checklist.

If you’re looking for some fun things to do this summer, check out these ideas from CAA.

Do you need some summer reading suggestions? To celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday, CBC compiled a list of The 150 bestselling Canadian books in the past 10 years.