Here Come Those Brides!

Now that spring is approaching, chances are you might know someone who is getting married. Perhaps that somebody is you! Planning a wedding is not a small task! I planned my own wedding several years ago and now am helping my brother and his fiance with theirs. By no means am I a wedding expert, but through the process, I have learned a few valuable tips that I would like to share.

Start early! It is never too early to start making the plans. Planning a wedding involves researching a variety of venues and vendors. Giving yourself extra time helps alleviate any additional stress. Believe me, there will be plenty!

Make a list and check it more than twice! There are many wedding planning checklists available online. I am using one from http://www.frugalbride.com/. This one is formatted like a timeline so it is easy to follow. Here is the direct link:
http://www.frugalbride.com/weddingplanningchecklist.html.

To make double sure I don't forget to remind the bride about important to dos, I write them in my appointment book in addition to consulting the checklist frequently.

The whole package. In most cases, I found that the packages offerred by reception facilities were less expensive than the costs associated with hiring out for the services separately. When looking at venues for your reception, make sure to ask for complete fees. Some charges that seem to get lost in the wording are fees for cake cutting, bottle opening, extra chairs and rentals (table linens, china and glassware). These extra fees can increase your per person costs substantially. In addition, don't forget to account for tax and gratuity (some facilities charge a set amount).

Recruit helpers. Don't be afraid to ask for help. In most cases, family members are happy to help. Consider "hiring" those with special talents. For example, my husband's uncle is a fabulous pianist. As his gift to us, he played the music during our ceremony. Since I enjoy graphic design, I am handcrafting the invitations for my brother's wedding.

Anything goes! The great thing about modern weddings is that there really aren't any rules! This gives couples who are planning a wedding the flexibility to design a celebration to fit their specific taste and budget!

Unleash Your Organized Me!

Organized Website Updated and Hopefully All Bugs are Fixed!

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to let people know that I have fixed the bugs (hopefully all) on my website. Sometimes problems occur when a website is viewed in older versions of Internet Explorer. If anyone notices any problems, feel free to email me at LisaMartin@rochester.rr.com.
The website address is www.myorganizedme.com.

Thanks!

Organized Me Website

I am pleased to announce that there is now a website for Organized Me, designed by yours truly. It can be found at www.myorganizedme.com. Please stop by when you have a chance!

Repurposing Leftover Holiday Items

Every year I find myself wondering what to do with all those leftover holiday items; i.e. candy, cookies, wrapping paper, bows, etc. With a little creativity, you can repurpose these items.

It's a wrap! When I am putting away my wrapping paper, gift bags, tissue paper and bows after the holidays, I purposely place the solid red and green items in a separate area. Use the red ones for Valentine's Day and the green ones for St. Patrick's Day or Easter. Have the kids make paper embellishments to decorate them! If you celebrate Hanukkah, you can easily reuse solid blue or silver wrapping supplies for graduations or anniversaries.

The inserts from leftover wine boxes are great for packing away those ornaments. Use some of the extra tissue and thin wrapping paper for cushioning.

It's in the cards! Have the kids use those holiday cards to make personalized thank you notes. They can cut out the parts that haven't been written on and glue them to blank cardstock or construction paper. A perfect activity for a snowy afternoon!

Sugar, Sugar! "Glue" two candy canes together with chocolate to make hearts (as per the suggestion of one of my clients, Ella). You can also crush up the candy canes and use them to make peppermint bark (which is not just for Christmas). Crushed up candy canes are also great toppers for frosted heart cookies or ice cream.

Separate the green and red holiday M&Ms. Line a baking sheet with mini pretzel twists and top each with an unwrapped Hershey kiss. Warm in the oven until the kisses are warm then remove. Smush each kiss down with an M&M. Use the red ones for Valentine's Day and the green ones for St. Patrick's Day or Easter.

Host a chocolate buffet! Take all those chocolate elves, Santas, Hanukkah and Kwanzaa themed chocolates and melt them in a chocolate pot. Lay out an assortment of goodies for dipping: cubed angel food or pound cake, pretzels, marshmallows, fruit, and whatever strikes your fancy!

Freeze those leftover cookies and use them to make cookie crusts for pies or cheesecakes (replacing the traditional graham crackers or Oreos).

No more "bored" games! My nephew and niece used holiday candy chocolates as "poker chips" to keep track of our points when playing a board game recently. The winner of each round received one chocolate from each player.

Unleash Your Organized Me!

An Organizer's View On New Year's Resolutions

It's the third day of the new year; how are those resolutions holding up? This year I decided to boycott the annual ritual of making New Year's resolutions. As a psychology student in college, I assisted one professor in her research investigating the effects that cognitive restriction had on dieting behavior. Just the mere act of creating restrictions tends to make one want to do the opposite. The results of the research showed that those individuals who lost the most weight were those who committed to healthy lifestyle habits. Those that put a number of restrictions on what they could/couldn't eat where prone to temptation and ended up "blowing" their well laid out plans.

That being said, instead of making resolutions, aim for small changes that have potential to become routines. For example, if your goal is to exercise more, start with fifteen minutes a day and work up from there. Setting goals that are unrealistic set us up to fail.

The same theory applies to getting organized. Telling yourself that you are going to organize your whole house the first week of the New Year is highly unrealistic (unless you are Martha Stewart and you have a staff!). Aim for organizing a small drawer a day then work up from there. It will take time, but believe me, you will start to see changes!

Unleash Your Organized Me!