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Simplify Your Life Week – Day Two

by INTEGRIS MARKETING on AUGUST 2, 2012

Set up a donation station in everyone’s closet.

  • This can be a shopping bag, grocery bag, box, whatever you decide.  I suggest using something that you don’t mind going away.  Then you don’t have to deal with getting your nice tote bags back when you are dropping off your donations.
  • Have a pen & pad of paper nearby.  Each time you come across something you don’t like, doesn’t fit, and is outdated or worn – put it in the bag.  Make note of it for tax purposes.
  • Discuss what is and is not acceptable for older children to get rid of.
  • Help younger children with their items to donate.
  • When the bag is full take it to your favorite charity, get a receipt & staple it to the paper you recorded the contents on & put it in your tax file.
  • Take your children with when you drop off the items to be donated.  They will feel good about helping out others.
  • This is less overwhelming than trying to do a huge purge all at once.

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Simplify Your Life Week – Day One

by JUDY OZMENT on AUGUST 1, 2012

Today kicked off “Simplify Your Life” week.  Sounds great right?  Achieving it can seem daunting because we always have too much in the way.  The never ending to-do list, over committing our time, searching for perfection…Does any of this hit home for you?

Starting today and for the next week I will share 7 organizing tips that you can implement into your day to help you start living a simpler life.

Tip 1:  Plan the night before.

This is a time saver and stress reducer and helps ensure a sane (or less insane) morning.

  • Have your coffee maker all ready to go.  Most coffee makers have timers on them now – use it!  Set out your coffee cups, sweetener, spoons, etc.
  • Lay out the clothes to be worn the next day.  It doesn’t hurt to check the weather report either.
  • Prepare lunches
  • Set out breakfast items
  • Make sure permission slips, etc. are signed for school.  Spend time with each child to make sure that they have gone through their backpacks and that their homework is done.
  • Put keys, backpacks, briefcases, workout bag, sports equipment and anything else that needs to go out the door with you by your landing station.
  • Make sure you enlist help from those that are old enough.
  • Finally, no matter how bad you want to get home, remember to fill the gas tank on your way home from work so you don’t have to worry about it in the morning.  You will be glad you did!

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Dispose of Your Prescription & Non-Prescription Medications Safely

When you are organizing your medicine cabinet you will probably come across expired prescriptions & medicines.  Please do not throw them in the garbage, flush them down the toilet or wash them down the sink!  There is a local program that provides an environmentally safe alternative to disposing of both prescription and non-prescription medications in landfills and sewer systems.

The Wentzville, Missouri Police Department provides a safe and proper way to dispose of your unwanted medications.  They offer a Drug Collection and Disposal DropBox, which is a secured, steel mailbox/collection box, that is located in the lobby at the Law Enforcement Center, 1019 Schroeder Creek Boulevard, Wentzville, MO  63385.  Citizens are able to deposit their medications anonymously any time of the day or night, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Once collected, the drugs will be properly disposed of by incineration.  People are encouraged to black out their personal information on the prescription bottles, but not the contents of the bottle itself.

Acceptable items include:

  •  Expired or unwanted prescription medications
  •  Expired or unwanted over the counter medications
  • Vitamins and nutritional supplements
  • Medications for household pets
  • Homeopathic remedies
  • EpiPens
  • Medicated lotions
  • Sealed liquids

Unacceptable items include:

  •  Unsealed liquids
  • Hydrogen peroxide
  • Empty medicine bottles
  • Medical waste (iv bags, bloody/infected waste)
  • Needles or other “sharps”
  •  Hazardous waste
  • Thermometers
  • Personal care products (shampoos, soaps, makeup, etc.)
  • Trash
  • Mail
  • Lost/found materials
  • Business/professional waste

For more information please contact the Wentzville Police Department at 636-639-2150.  For those of you who are located outside of the Wentzville, MO area, I strongly urge you to check with your local law enforcement agency or city/county government offices to see if your area offers a similar “drop box” program.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has scheduled another National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, April 28, 2012.  They will be announcing collection sites sometime in March.  I will post this information when it is released.

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February is National Canned Food Month

There are so many people in need.  You can help someone less fortunate by donating canned food to your local food bank.

There are plenty of places that will gladly accept your non-perishable items.  Your donation will help put a meal on someone’s table, how great is that!

Perhaps you are willing to organize a food drive at your place of worship, your school or at your work.

If you have non-perishable food in your pantry at home that you know you are not going to eat, don’t just let it sit there and eventually expire – why not donate it to someone who will put it to good use?  Plus you are clearing out space in your own home!

Some ideas to get you started:

  • You could make it a competition to see who gathers the most food.
  • You could get your neighbors involved, a quick way to gather a lot of food!
  • If you have recently lost weight you could donate the amount lost in food.  For example, if you lost 20 pounds you could donate 20 pounds of food.
  • You can also donate money or your time.

If you are in the St. Louis, MO area you can find out more at:

www.stlfoodbank.org

For those of you outside of St. Louis just do a search for  “food banks” in your area.  You can also visit www.foodpantries.org to find a pantry as well.

Thank you for your generosity,

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Baby, It’s Cold Outside!

Well, not really.

We have had a pretty mild winter here in the St. Louis area.  As I am writing this there is no snow on the ground and the temperature is suppose to be in the 60’s this week.  I have been back in the Midwest for a year now and the one thing that is hard to get use to is the humidity.  Even though it is in the 40’s, the humidity is very high making it a damp cold – cold to the bone.  Now I know my friends and family to the north in Minnesota are thinking I am being a wimp right about now.  Rightfully so, when I spoke to my sister last week it was in the -20’s, yes minus twenties, in the middle of the afternoon – that, my friends, is cold!  We are not out of the woods yet.  We still have a good two months of winter left.

Do you have a winter safety kit for your vehicle?  I have listed some of the basics which will help you organize your items to make your kit.  You should carry this kit in your vehicle during this time of the year.  Remember to have enough on hand for each person traveling with you.

  • non-perishable snacks
  • paper towels
  • toilet paper
  • water – smaller containers are easier to thaw.  Do not consume snow, it will lower your body temperature.
  • tire chains
  •  ice scraper/snow brush
  • jumper cables
  • road flares
  • phone charger
  • first-aid kit
  • blankets or sleeping bags
  • flashlight with spare batteries
  • manual can opener
  • extra socks
  • extra gloves
  • winter boots
  • matches
  • candles
  • first aid kit
  • pocket knife
  • medications
  • If you travel with pets, have their supplies on hand
  • shovel – go for a sturdy one with a decent size –  not the little, dinky, portable, fold-up style
  • sand or litter (not the clumping kind) for traction
  • tow rope or chain

If you are planning on taking any road trips during the winter months please make sure to check over your vehicle before you hit the road.  Check your tires, battery, fluid levels, wipers, heater, lights and brakes.  This is not not a complete list but it’s a start.

If you live in the mountains, remember your chains if needed.  I never thought about this until I lived in northern Nevada for over five years.

I have sandbags weighing 130 pounds in my trunk.  I have rear wheel drive so the extra weight in the back helps out a lot!  Keep your fuel tank full or don’t let it get below half full.  My oldest brother drilled this into my head!  Yes, Darrel,  I was listening to you all those years ago!

Let people know your departure time, expected arrival time and your route.  Stay on that route – if you have to make any changes let people know that as well.  This is all very helpful if you don’t show up when expected.

If you should become stranded don’t leave your vehicle!  Stay put and be patient.  Make sure the snow is cleared and not accumulating near the exhaust pipe.  Do not leave your vehicle idling.  Start it once an hour for about 10 minutes for heat and have a window cracked for fresh air.

I certainly hope you don’t have to use any of this but it is better to be prepared and organized in this type of situation.

Stay warm and snug as a bug in a rug,

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