SOS Simple Organized Solutions LLC

Little Known Benefit to Assist Veterans to Age in Place

Sally Morgan — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Getting older presents challenges for us, physically, mentally and emotionally. The changes we experience are more difficult to accept the older we get. We get set in our ways and can’t do all of the things now that we could breeze through when we were younger. A lot of us are also the ones that do everything for ourselves as well as others and are not used to receiving help from anyone else. At some point though, this changes. We get older, perhaps have health and mobility challenges and now need some help ourselves. Our homes that we have lived in for many years become too much to manage alone. Our family members try to help but lead busy lives themselves, and are trying to keep up with their own activities of daily living. Downsizing and moving to a smaller space can help but you may still require assistance with activities of daily living. At an advanced age, moving out of your home of 40 years or more can be a very traumatic experience. Healthcare providers have realized this and more and more companies that specialize in aging in place are being established. Finding one of these companies is the first step, affording the services that can be quite costly, is the next step.

1 In 3 seniors in this country is a veteran or surviving spouse of a veteran. These heroes, our fathers, mothers, spouses, friends, may be eligible for a unique, little known benefit through the Veterans Administration called, “Aid and Attendance.” This benefit provides funding to help keep loved ones safe and comfortable with home care or in an assisted living environment.

Millions of qualifying veterans and families go without Aid and Attendance simply because of a lack of information or a lack of help. This program is in effect to ensure your loved ones receive the benefits they’ve earned, and to assist you during this process, with the same honor and integrity with which you or your loved one served our country.

For more information visit the Veterans Care and Coordination website, or call 1-855-380-4400. If you are local to the St. Louis area, contact Lynda at, 314-298-8777.

Two Motivators - Pain Or Pleasure

Sally Morgan — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 GMT

In the book, Awaken The Giant Within, Anthony Robbins says that “Everything you and I do, we do either out of our need to avoid pain or our desire to gain pleasure”. After I read this statement, I thought about what has motivated me in the past and he’s right! It always comes down to moving away from pain or moving toward pleasure. And, depending on the goal, both motivators may come into play. For example, starting a business could move you away from the pain of working for someone else, and could provide the pleasure of setting your own schedule and doing what you always wanted to do.

As you set your goals for the new year, think about why you want to achieve each goal. These will be your motivators. Keeping your goals in front of you all the time is important and staying motivated by truly understanding why you want to reach your goals is critical to your success!

It’s Tax Time – Do You Know Where Your Documents Are?

Sally Morgan — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 18:30:30 GMT

It’s the beginning of a new year, the cycle starts all over again. It’s also time to think about filling our income tax forms for the past year. That April deadline can sneak up on you, so it’s better to get ahead of the game and start working on it now. Whether you fill out your own forms, or engage a tax preparation service, you need to gather all the required documents in order to complete the task of filling out the forms. In order to gather these documents, you need to know where they are. If you have a great filing system that is easy to maintain, no problem, you can go right to the correct file and voila, you’re done! However, if you have piles of paper here, there and everywhere, this might be quite a challenge to find what you need. This of course could be the case for any document you’re looking for. I recently came across the following statistic, “The average person spends 6 weeks per year searching for misplaced information.”~North Carolina’s Brunswick Beacon. Actually, I was surprised the number was so low. Since paper clutter seems to be one of the biggest organizing challenges for almost everyone, a good filing system is the foundation you need to get your paper clutter under control. If you struggle with your paper piles, and let filing go until you are overwhelmed and don’t do anything at all, it’s time to invest in a filing system that works for you. There are some good filing systems out there and you could do the research to find out which one is right for you, or you could save some time and check out my favorite maintenance free filing system, the FreedomFiler system. This system is self-purging to eliminate the need to periodically clean out and reorganize your files, a task that everyone dreads! Since I began using it, I can find documents easily, and filing doesn’t pile up which saves a lot of time. And, everyone could use a little more time!

Clutter Magnets

Sally Morgan — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:30:30 GMT

Clutter magnets are areas or spaces in your home, car and office that attract clutter. Everyone has them. They’re called magnets for a good reason. Clutter is drawn to these spaces like a magnet. They are dumping grounds for stuff, and that stuff quickly accumulates to become clutter. You may ask why these spaces are prone to becoming magnets for clutter, and I don’t have an answer. I guess it’s just one of those little mysteries of life. Our intentions are good. We say, I’ll just put this here for now and put it away later. Then we get distracted, later never comes, and now we have a pile of clutter. Some common clutter magnets can be countertops, the top of the refrigerator, under the bed, and stairs to name a few. Take a look around your spaces and identify your clutter magnets.

Now that you know where your clutter magnets are lurking, what do you do about it? These piles of clutter can be turned into opportunities to create organizational systems based on your natural habits and routines. As an example let’s look at a common clutter magnet, stairs. Stairs typically turn into a staging area. You have things downstairs that belong upstairs, such as paperwork that belongs in the office, or kids toys that belong in their rooms. A simple solution to this staging area dilemma would be to use stair step baskets. Stair step baskets come in a variety of sizes, colors and prices and work great for staging. Place a stair step basket on each step labeled for each person in the family. Then make sure all family members get into the routine of checking their baskets on the way up the stairs, and voila, a simple organized solution created!

Get Organized…Containerize!

Sally Morgan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:00:00 GMT

It’s after the festivities of the holidays and a new year has just begun. There are so many ads for diet products and exercise equipment to support one of the top New Year’s resolutions, to lose weight and live a healthy lifestyle. Another one of the top resolutions is to get organized. Getting organized actually fits in with the resolution to live a healthy lifestyle because it reduces stress. When you can find what you need, when you need it, you get to work and appointments on time. That is only one stress reducing scenario, there are many more, but I digress. This is the time to start the year off right by getting organized to reduce stress, reclaim space and save money in the process. That would explain all the ads at this time of year, for sales of all types of storage containers. It’s no wonder that NAPO (National Association of Professional Organizers) designated January as GO Month (Get Organized). Organizing your spaces is a step in the right direction and will set the tone for the rest of the year. The points below will help you understand how to choose the right containers to reclaim space to get organized for the new year.

Organizing Process

Containerizing is part of the organizing process. After you have sorted through your belongings, discarded unwanted items, and found a home for your keepers, you need to containerize. Choosing the appropriate type of storage for your things is a critical factor when it comes to maintaining your systems. The containers you choose need to make sense to you, be accessible, and fit in the space that you have available. Aesthetics should also be a consideration depending on the location of the container, and also to keep the fun in maintaining your systems. Wouldn’t you rather put items back into a decorative basket with a fun label? I know I would!

Stuff In or Stuff Out

Containers come in many different forms, from open baskets and shelving of all sizes, to pantries, filing cabinets, closets, drawers, and plastic containers with lids. Even your house is considered to be a big container! Some people need to have their things out where they can see them. They relate to that old saying, ‘out of sight, out of mind’. Others like them behind cabinet doors or stored in opaque containers with lids, to maintain the appearance of clutter free spaces. Determine your type and then containerize based on your needs or preference.

Visuals

Look around your spaces to see what types of containers you currently use. What catches your eye? Containers that stand out with colors, fit in with your décor, have textures, or are just plain fun, are sure to draw your attention immediately. Determine what containers are working well for you and continue containerizing using that strategy.

Plastic containers that come in colors or are clear with colored lids are a good choice for holiday decorations and accessories because it’s clear what lies beyond those lids. These colored containers are seasonal and are typically available during or after the holiday season. Halloween containers come in orange and black and Christmas containers come in red and green. When all your decorations are safely packed away in their homes, it’s amazing how much space you have in your home again. Reclaiming space provides a renewed feeling, a breath of fresh air.