In Texas this weekend, August 15-17^th, is a Tax Free Holiday on clothing and apparel.  IF you are going to brave the crowds here are a few tips to help make your shopping trip a more productive one and help you keep your sanity. 

1.  Visit Texas Sales Tax Holiday Site for a complete list of items that are exempt from sales tax this weekend. 

2.  Shop early.  Call your favorite stores now to find out what time they will open so you can arrive right when they open.  This will help save you time fighting the crowds.

3.  Know your child’s school requirements and restrictions.  Call your child’s school or visit the school district web-site to find out if certain clothing is not allowed before you make your purchases.  After all, we want to keep returns to a minimum with the high gas prices!

4.  Take a quick inventory of what your child currently has that still fits, is still in good shape, or that he or she will still wear.  Then make a list of the things you need to purchase.  Estimate how many pants, tops, sweaters, shoes, socks, etc. that you would like to find.

5.  Last but not least, determine a budget.  AHH…the dreaded “B” word!  Having something to aim for is a great way to keep you and your child focused on what is important and to keep from being easily swayed by the illusive “SALE” signs.   

One more bonus tip:  Don’t forget to bring a bottle of water and a few protein snacks like a protein bar or even Peanut M&M’s.   

Happy and productive shopping! 

P.S. Don’t forget to donate any clothing that does not fit your child anymore, this is critical to maintaining an organized home. 

Enjoy the good life,

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. Angela Ploetz

Randy delivered the traditional last lecture at Carnegie Mellon University in September 2007 after learning that his battle with cancer would soon be coming to an end.  In his lecture Randy talked about the life lessons he had learned and the importance of living your childhood dreams.  In fact Randy was passionate about inspiring others to live their dreams.   

Randy talked about how sometimes on the way to a dream we run into a brick wall.  He says “The brick walls are there for a reason.  The brick walls are not there to keep us out, the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.  The brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough.  They’re there to stop the other people.”   

How have your dreams and challenges impacted your life?  Have you run into some brick walls?  How did you handle them?  What can you do today to make some of these dreams possible?   

Take a few minutes to think about what your childhood dreams were.  I did and it was fun and enlightening.  I thought about things that had not crossed my mind for years.  I update my goals annually and after revisiting my childhood dreams I realized how relevant many of my childhood dreams were to what I do today and what I want today.  Isn’t that funny?  All those tests you take in school to determine what you should be when you grow up are really relevant.  Who knew?!  So for me this has sparked me to add some of my childhood dreams, which have not been accomplished, to my current day goals.   

Are your dreams still relevant?  Can they still be achieved?  Is it something that you want to achieve?  What is one action you can do today to help you reach your dream?  Are you are brave enough to post a comment with five of your childhood dreams?  The first person to post a comment with five of their childhood dreams will receive one of my “Favorite Products Guides” (a value of $24.95).  If you are the second or third person to post a comment I will send you a Levenger Recpeit Holder (a value of $3.20).  

I hope you take a look at Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture; it may be just what you need to achieve one of your childhood dreams.   

In case you want a good chuckle, here are a few of my childhood dreams:

1. Become an Interior Designer (no surprise there)
2. Have two children and a wonderful husband-Yea!
3. To own a label maker (mission accomplished!).
4. Become a Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader (I was going to audition in 2002, but decided to race in a triathlon that took place at the same time as the auditions-sometimes we find new dreams)
5. Become a New York City Rockette (do you see a theme here?).
6. Own a Gucci purse (I know it’s superficial, but that goes way, way back).
7. To surf in Hawaii
8. To be the woman in the “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan…Because I’m a WOMAN…” commercial.  I wanted to bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, wearing heels and look fabulous doing it. (Similar to I’m A Woman by Peggy Lee)
9. I wanted to be the first woman to own a major league baseball team.  (I know that one is not possible now, but maybe I could be the first Hispanic woman to own a baseball team).
10. To have a bear as a pet.  (not a teddy bear, a real live bear).
11. To be a public speaker (Go me!  I’m still looking to expand this if anyone’s interested)
12. To be an entrepreneur.  Although I didn’t know what an entrepreneur was or how to spell it for that matter, I was functioning as one at a very young age.

 Enjoy the good life,

Angela

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

Subject: [RE] UPS Tracking Number 7779321199 

Unfortunately we were not able to deliver postal package you sent on July the 1st in time because the recipient_s address is not correct.  Please print out the invoice copy attached and collect the package at our office 

Your UPS 

What you see above is exactly as the message appeared in my inbox.  So what tipped me off that this was a scam?  My first clue that this was a scam was that I had just read about an almost identical e-mail by Rich Brooks on www.flyteblog.com.  The second clue was that I had not sent a UPS package (duh).  Clue number three was that there was no additional contact information for UPS, typically in an e-mail of this nature the company will give you many ways to contact them including web-site, e-mail address, phone number, etc.  The final clue was revealed when I hit the reply button and the e-mail address displayed was United Parcel Services and then included the name of a person at a software company.   

If you receive an e-mail like this simply delete it.  If you did happen to mail a package around this time contact UPS directly.  Do not open the attachment. 

Does anyone else know of any other e-mail scams we should be on the look out for? 

A day with out the unnecessary stress of a scam, priceless! 

Enjoy the good life! 

Angela Ploetz 

What my client was talking about is getting buy-in from the entire family in order to create and maintain an organized home.  Before I start working with clients I always send them a form to fill out and one of the questions on the forms is “Who will be affected by getting this space organized?” 

If the answer is everyone, then it may be time for “Family Style-Organizing”.  This means getting the entire group involved in the process or at least part of the process.   If you are organizing a space that is being used by multiple people of different ages and heights then you have a lot of things to consider.  Start with a general brain-storming session to get everyone’s ideas on what kind of changes they would like to see happen in the space.  Ask each member of the family what the most important thing is for them to be able to do in the space.  If the family member is too young to speak, but can grab things off shelves, that’s something to take into consideration when planning the space.   

When it’s time to get organized get the entire family involved even if it’s just for a few minutes and then Grandma comes by to take them to see a movie.  Kids can definitely get involved in grouping like items with like items.  It’s like the match game.  You are simply putting all the canned goods together in one box and the snacks in another box.  It’s important for children to learn the process of how to get organized.   

Don’t forget to get their participation when it’s time to reduce and de-clutter.  If you can teach your children about donating and letting items go at an early age you will benefit by having fewer items to deal with later and have a child who is accustomed to reducing their items on a regular basis.  

When you start to determine where everything goes make sure the most frequently used items are easily accessible by those who use them the most.  Also be sure to label all containers so everyone knows where things go. 

As part of the organizing process don’t forget to take time to come up with a family plan to keep the space neat and tidy and working for you.  Write out a list of guidelines that need to happen regarding the space such as:  If a person takes something out they need to put it back where it goes; Mom (or Dad, or a child) will evaluate the space once per month and remove any items that are not being uses; and we will revaluate the space every Spring as a family.  

When family members get involved with an organizing process it helps them  understand the system better so they feel more comfortable using the system and feel a sense of ownership, which helps keep the space organized and functioning longer.   

An organized space that everyone can agree on, now that’s the good life!

Enjoy!

Angela Ploetz

I was recently working with a client sorting through her old medications.  Many of her prescriptions were expired and would need to be disposed of, and I recalled that there have been many reports  on the news stating that traces of prescription drugs have been found in the public drinking water supply.  There have also been reports regarding the rise of the abuse of prescription drugs among teens. 

With that news on my mind, I wondered “what is the safest way to dispose of expired prescription drugs”?  Coincidentally, I know someone who is in the medical waste disposal industry.  He told me the best way to dispose of expired prescription drugs is by removing the drugs from the original containers and placing them in a different container with old coffee grounds, kitty litter, or something that would discourage a person from finding and taking the drugs.  He also sent me a link to a Press Release from the Office of National Drug Control Policy regarding what to do with expired prescription drugs.  The Press Release also states that you should only flush prescription drugs down the toilet if the package specifically instructs that this is safe to do. 

 So as you are clearing out your medicine cabinet, keep in mind how you are disposing of your old medications.  You can still dispose of old or unused prescription drugs in a way that is safer for the environment and to your community.   Enjoy the good life,Angela  Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

I had a client the other day who said “sorting through socks was almost as bad as sorting through paper”.  What she didn’t like was going through her drawer of socks and having to match up every sock to its mate.  You know the story.  You match up sock after sock and you end up with 10 extra socks that don’t have a match.  So then what do you do with all those socks that don’t have a match?  Certainly they will turn up.  So you stuff the socks in the drawer with the rest of them and then you don’t look at them again until next year when your sock drawer is overflowing.   

So what’s a sock lover to do?  First, do not put the stray socks with your matched pairs of socks.  This is huge.  If you mix the stray socks with your matched pairs it will be extremely difficult to differentiate between the pairs and the singles.  You need to have a dedicated place for the stray socks to go while you are waiting for the extra sock to show up.  This can be a separate container in your sock drawer or a container or bag in your closet.  The next time you go through the laundry and find a single sock you will know exactly where to look for a match.   

As many of you know I have two young daughters and with young children come lots of socks.  Socks that are too big, too small, in bad shape, missing a mate…ahhhh!  I was starting to feel like I was losing the battle against the socks!  As an organizer, I had a system, but it wasn’t working very well.  So it was back to the drawing board.   

For my youngest daughter (who is outgrowing socks every few months still) I set up this system:

Too Big, Too Small, Stray Socks, Trash  

Too Big:  Socks from my older daughter that are still in good shape that will move to a storage box once we collect enough.

Too Small:  Socks that are too small but still in good shape and will be donated to the children’s shelter.

Stray Socks:  Socks for my youngest daughter only, which are missing a mate.

Trash:  Socks we never found a mate for or are in bad shape. 

The system I used can be found in the kitchen section of Ikea.  The total cost for my sock sanity: $5.95 (plus tax).   My system may or may not work for you, but I wanted to give you something to think about as you are deciding what to do with your sock situation. 

Knowing I will be able to find a pair of socks when I need them, now that’s the good life! 

Enjoy!

Angela Ploetz  

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

Just how old is your sunscreen?  If you are like my family we go through a couple of bottles of sunscreen a season.  This may not be the case in your household.  Many people have several bottles of sunscreen floating around the house and they have no idea how old they are and if they are still any good.   

When you find a bottle of sunscreen the first thing you should do is check the bottle to see if there is an expiration date.  The expiration date is typically located on the back or the bottom of the bottle.  If there are numbers but no date there is still hope.  Just today I found a link to an article in US Pharmacist that contains a table that describes the shelf life for several different brands of sunscreen.  The table also includes how to interpret what those mysterious numbers on the sunscreen bottles mean.   

What I found most interesting was that there is not an easy answer that states all sunscreen is good for a certain amount of time.  According to the table each sunscreen manufacturer determines their own shelf life.  It does seem that many of the sunscreens are good for three years.   

If you are just purchasing sunscreen one tip would be to use a Sharpie marker to write your own “use by” date.  That way you can determine how long you want to use the sunscreen.   

Enjoy the good life this summer! 

Angela Ploetz

The starting pitcher is one who can really get the game going in a positive direction with a lot of energy.  You put him in for the first several innings, but he typically can’t make it all the way to the end of the game.  He just runs out of energy and that’s when they bring in the “Closer”.  The closing pitcher is great at finishing the job and leading the team to victory!  The “Closer” is typically only good for a couple innings.   

So are you a starter or a closer?  Do you come into a project full of excitement and energy and then fizzle towards the end?  Or are you reluctant to start a job but once you do you can ensure spectacular results?  Knowing this information can really be helpful as you are planning projects, organizing or otherwise.  If you are a “starter” you may need to have someone or something that motivates you to get the job done.  If you are a closer then you may need to have someone just to help you get over the hump and get started.  Knowing where your strengths and weaknesses lie can be the key to being more productive and getting the right kind of support to help you excel.     

Are you a starter or a closer?  If you tell me what you are I’ll tell you what I am.  I’d love to hear from you.

Enjoy the good life,

Angela   

Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com. 

  

Happy Birthday!  Yes, we have made it to the one year mark and my second daughter has turned ONE!  I can’t believe I have survived this year with two businesses, two children, two adults, a Doberman, and lots of out of town guests living under one very small roof!  Now that we have made it to the one year mark it’s time to do a little more clearing out of the baby stuff, sad but true.  

I know this can be a very difficult thing for many mothers to do and with my first daughter I struggled with it a little more.  At that time, I knew I was planning on having a second child so I stored most of the clothes (see previous post on storing baby clothes) my daughter out grew and donated the outfits that were the “my daughter wouldn’t be caught dead in this” outfits.  Ha, ha.  But this time, I know I am not planning on having another child, so it has actually been quite liberating to fill up bags full of stuff I am donating or giving to friends.  Here are some of the things that really helped me let go of the baby stuff. 

Now this may go against some of the traditional time management techniques but if this helps you get the job done then you should defiantly seize the opportunity.   

So be on alert for one of those moments when you actually are inspired to get organized and see how much progress you can make.   

If you have a good tip that helped you get motivated, we would love to hear from you. 

Enjoy the good life,

Angela

 Copyright (C) 2008 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.