Are There More Toys In Your House Than You Can Count? Here's What to Do About Them.....

Toys taking over your life?

Get more done and have more fun with the ideas in this video.

And yes, that's me!

And my living room......

Hope you got at least one idea in the video to make your life & home the heaven you want it to be.


Changes are in the air! Exciting things coming up in the next few weeks...busy launching my book to best seller status and jumping in to write a new one! Stay tuned......

be efficient & organized.....evelyn

Is Your Refrigerator as Cool As You Are?

So - how's your refrigerator looking these days?

Crammed full? Inside & out?

If it is, it's not helping your state of mind.

Time to do something about it. Time to get a system for it.

First - the outside.

1. remove anything you've tacked to it. There are better places for utilitarian lists and notes - like the inside of your kitchen cabinets. That way you can see them when necessary, but everyone else doesn't have to.
2. give the surface a good cleaning with your favorite spray cleaner.
3. put something on the fridge that makes you smile. One magnet - fine. 400 magnets - not so fine. Clutter stuck to your fridge is just as bad as clutter on your table. They all effect your state of mind. 
4. why not put something unique on the fridge? I have three framed oil paintings - I found them at a garage sale and just put magnetic tape on the back. Looks great - and I'm probably the only one on the block with that on the fridge!  



different huh?




Here's a close up:






part kitchen, part art gallery

5. Use your imagination - a favorite greeting card, a drawing from your child, (just one please, and do it up right - how about this ritzy magnetic frame? Maybe a postcard from your brother who's traveling cross country....again. (Just saying.)

The point is to use the space for something uplifting and fun, not a clutter center.

Now - for the inside. One of my first posts was all about cleaning, de-cluttering and setting up a system for  your fridge. Read it here.

Now that you've got the steps, set a timer for 15 minutes and work on your fridge - inside or out, your choice. Which one is driving you crazy? Do that one first.

Congrats! You've made a part of your world just a bit better!

Your reward? Now set a timer for 15 minutes and go read, sit in the sun, take a power nap, whatever floats your boat. Take some time for yourself, you've earned it.

be organized & efficient........
Evelyn Cucchiara

P.S. - Hey - I'm starting something new! In addition to my once a week blog posts (leave your email in the box on the right next to the title if you want to get them automatically), I'm going to start sending out a quick happiness blast every Friday morning. Want to be in the club that gets them? Shoot me an email at: evelyn@organizingwithevelyn.com or leave a comment below.

Bake Life More Easy

No - that's not a misprint.

I'm spearheading a campaign to get more home baked goods back into the lives of everyday people. Back to the cookies and milk after school. Back to homemade dessert.

Why?  Lots of reasons.

1. When you go to the store, the prices of muffins, cookies & cakes are astounding.
2. The first ingredient in many store bought goods is sugar.(How can that be? I don't think I've ever seen a recipe that has more sugar then flour in it -so how can it be possible for store bought goods? A question to ponder another time....)
3. Most baked items you buy at the store are full of junk. 'nuff said.
4. Memories are made of cookies baking in the oven - not sitting in a package on the counter.

I'm here to tell you it's simple and easy to do your own baking. A few short recipes, click here for a super easy cake  and here for a really easy muffin,
and you're good to go.

But you do need to set your kitchen up to make it easy.

Here's my idea for the day.

Store your flour, sugar and other baking supplies in glass canisters on display in your kitchen

Why?

1. It's easier to bake something when you don't have to dig the flour out from behind the mountain of cereal in the closet.
2. You can see when you're running low and it's time to restock.
3. The canisters add to the "homeyness" of your home.

Here's mine:

It's big canister - over a foot tall. Holds a five pound bag of flour with ease. I especially recommend Trader Joe's or King Arthur's White Whole Wheat Flour - all the nutrition of whole wheat without the heavy taste. Bakes just like white flour too! (Yes, I know I sound like Lucy in the Vitameatavegimin skit).

I keep sugar in another -

The sugar is in a smaller canister. I think I got all of these at Pier One over 20 years ago!

And they are simply stored on triangle wire shelves we put up in an unused corner. Works like a bakers rack - remember those? - but takes up lots less space. Also been there over 20 years. And those are the coffee pods for the Nespresso coffee maker behind the sugar. Love, love, love that coffee maker!

So - that's it. A simple idea - but one that works really well. Now go try it. And go bake the muffins. They're really good!

And anyone in the Madison, NJ area - I'm  speaking at the Madison Library this Wednesday night - March 14th, 2012. Come on out and say hi - and get even more ideas on how to Get More Done While Having More Fun - my new motto.

be organized....evelyn

PS - Changes are-a-coming. Stay tuned for announcements and all sorts of new stuff!

P. P.S. - Speaking of new stuff - In addition to my once a week blog posts (leave your email in the box on the right next to the title if you want to get them automatically), I'm going to start sending out a quick happiness idea every Friday morning. Want to be in the club that gets them? Shoot me an email at: evelyn@organizingwithevelyn.com or leave a comment below.

The Little Green Pill That Makes Life Easy Again.

So every once in awhile you come across a product that you would take with you to a deserted island.

This is one of those products.

Possible again!

It smooths out one of the biggest bumps in life.

Time for a story!

Once upon a time, there was a dairy family.  No, they didn't raise cows - they ate a lot of dairy products. Especially ice cream. (Like you may remember from a previous blog. http://bit.ly/xyo9fA)

And cheese.

But there was a problem. And it wasn't a lack of calcium intake.

The problem was that one of the youngest family members also had frequent tummy aches. To the point where the family would often find themselves racing around looking for a restroom. The average person would have made the connection sooner rather then later.

This is no average family.

Fast forward a few more years. Still eating dairy, still having tummy aches.

One day the light bulb lit up! Maybe, possibly, could it be that the young family member was lactose intolerant? Eureka! Turned out the family member WAS lactose intolerant! And those big chewable pills you take before every meal are the answer!

Well, not quite. Not so fast. Not for this family. What seemed like a perfect answer was really more of a nuisance. The family never seemed to remember the pill. It was home while they were out, it was out while they were home. And the young child didn't like the pill. Any missing it just once meant another search for the restroom. RIGHT THIS MINUTE!!!!!

Again, the average family would have just given up dairy. Again, this is no average family. This is a family that regularly attends an ice cream festival and knows where every good ice cream parlor is in the state.

And then one day a new pill was found! A pill that only gets taken once a day - like a vitamin!
A pill that simply gives the body the enzyme it needs to process lactose!
And the enzyme builds up in the body so if you forget it one day it makes no difference!
And the pill is tiny and easy to swallow!

That pill is Digestive Advantage Lactose Defense Formula!

It really is magic. I know because we are that family.
Since this over the counter pill came into our lives it's like the lactose intolerance has disappeared!

You have got to try this. If you or anyone you know has a problem with lactose, get some of these pills. A month supply costs less then $10.00. Get more info here: http://www.schiffvitamins.com/product_detail.asp?id=206

Now I know this isn't an organizing tool, but it is a Life Made Better Tool, hence the reason I'm talking about it. I'm all for anything that makes life simpler, better, calmer happier. Just easier all around!

be organized.....evelyn cucchiara

P.S. - Hey - I'm starting something new! In addition to my once a week blog posts (leave your email in the box on the right next to the title if you want to get them automatically), I'm going to start sending out a quick happiness idea every Friday morning. Want to be in the club that gets them? Shoot me an email at: evelyn@organizingwithevelyn.com or leave a comment below.