Posts Tagged ‘Time management’

Is someone heading to College or University?

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

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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

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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?”

 



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.



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

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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.



Let’s Declutter and Get Things Done!

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

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C
heck out Rachel Hartman’s 9 Decluttering Projects to Tackle This Summer.

How does Richard Branson accomplish so much? Lists! In How I get things done, he shares his top 10 tips for making lists.

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

 



Yummy Broccoli Apple Salad

Posted on: July 7th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

Summer means lighter meals and ones that are easy to make!

BROCCOLI APPLE SALAD – source unknown

Broccoli, pecans, cranberries, carrots and apples come together to make an amazing salad with delicious flavors and textures. The creamy dressing on top makes this salad absolutely incredible!

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh broccoli florets (about 2 medium heads)
½ cup shredded carrots
¼ cup diced red onion
2 large apples, finely chopped (I used gala apples)
½ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
½ cup dried cranberries

Creamy dressing ingredients:

½ cup lite mayonnaise
½ cup low fat Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon pepper

Instructions:

In a large dish combine broccoli, carrots, red onion, apples, pecans, and dried cranberries.

To make the dressing: Whisk together mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lemon juice, sugar, salt and pepper.

Add the dressing to the salad and toss to coat. Chill until ready to serve.

To combine salad and a main course, try this Grilled Lemon Herb Mediterranean Chicken Salad.

And for dessert, try Kris Carr’s Raw Berry Cream Brownies.

 

It’s never too late to make healthier choices!



Wouldn’t YOU like 10x the results?

Posted on: June 23rd, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments

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Have you heard of the Pomodoro Technique? It’s similar to other productivity ideas where you focus on your tasks for a block of time–25 minutes.

Thomas Oppong explains the technique in This Simple Life-Changing Technique Can Help You Achieve 10x Results.

 

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



A Quote from Robin S Sharma

Posted on: June 19th, 2017 by Cathy Mendler No Comments



Canada 150!

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

Cathy MendlerARE YOU TOO BUSY?

“Life is busy. There are daily concerns and obligations that have to be met, and to take time to think about how precious and special a human life is that you only get one, and that every wasted minute is lost. You can’t get it back.”
~Rush Limbaugh

How often do you ask someone how they are, and they respond with the words “Very busy!”? That’s just the way life seems to be. Most of us are trying to cram too much into our lives. Each day has:

  • 24 hours
  • 1,440 minutes or
  •  86,400 seconds

We overschedule ourselves and our children. Often, we feel like hamsters on a wheel that never stops.

Do you remember how much you looked forward to the last day of school when you were a child? Summer seemed endless. It’s a shame that we don’t tend to think the same way as adults.

Take some time to reflect this summer–as you relax and enjoy the warm temperatures.

Think about what you can do differently, so that your family’s schedule isn’t as chaotic in the fall.

C A N A D A   1 5 0

How do you plan to celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial on July 1, 2017! Our neighbourhood is planning a get-together on Canada Day. I can’t wait to see everything decked out in red and white!

Schedule some time in your calendar to celebrate with the rest of the country.

Remember Simon & Garfunkel’s lyrics, “Slow down, you move too fast …”

Get started and turn over another leaf!

Until next month,

a new leaf-cathy.png