Remove Yourself from Junk Mail Lists

The National Do Not Mail List site is the first place to start. Click over and enter your information on the right hand side of the page.

For a complete brochure that explains how to remove yourself from general mailing lists, catalog lists, financial institutions with credit card offers, and company mail lists, go to Attorney General Consumer Protection Division. This FAQ explains how you may have wound up on the list in the first place and how to remove yourself from numerous lists. There’s even a way to remove a deceased person’s name from a list. For example, if you now live in a home that was once occupied by someone who has passed on and you’re still receiving their mail.

There’s also some information on why you shouldn’t send in warranty cards (but you’ll still have the warranty!).

Remove Yourself From Call Lists

If you’re receiving unwanted phone calls, there’s a way to put yourself on a “Do Not Call” list. This list is managed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the nation’s consumer protection agency to offer consumers the option of whether or not they receive calls from telemarketers. By now, if someone receives a call, most people either don’t answer the phone if they don’t recognize the number, or pick up and tell the caller to remove their number. It’s perfectly acceptable to do both and if the telemarketer is insistent  just hang up the phone. It’s your number, your time!

Note: It can take up to 31 days after you register, for your name to be removed from the Do Not Call List.

Here’s a link to the Do Not Call Registry Site: http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0108-national-do-not-call-registry

Here’s a direct link to have your phone number removed: https://www.donotcall.gov/

If you want to be sure you’re off just about every list, go to click here. This site provides the contact information for all of the major company’s lists that may have your name on it.

Until you’re removed, remember to recycle all of the unwanted mail solicitations. If you’re concerned about your name appearing on the junk mail, shred it first, then recycle.

In the future, to minimize how much email you receive, be picky about the what you sign up for and when a retailer asks you for your email address, simply say, “I’d rather not give it to you.” It’s your email address and your choice. Don’t feel pressured. This goes the same for the discount offer if you sign up for a credit card. Most financial professionals will tell you that in the end, it’s not a deal, so don’t do it!

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I love my Pug. And I’m sure you love your pet too!

Around my house, we take turns feeding and walking Cody. The food and treats are kept together in the kitchen, the leash and poop bags in the hall closet. He has a bed in the family room, that’s cleverly tucked behind a chair so it doesn’t interfere with the decor (but still matches). His toys are nearby and sometimes strewn all over the place, but we can quickly clean up because everyone knows where they belong.

Whether you have a Fido or Fluffy, like kids, they have “stuff” that needs a place to live. Here are some great solutions for organizing the stuff and suggestions on where to put it:

1. A basket is a great way to contain toys. Put this in your family room or wherever you play with your pet.

2. Use the inside of a closet door to hang a container that holds items such as poop bags, leashes, collars, flea and heartworm meds, chew toys, treats, towel, and pet clothing.

3. For bath time, use a plastic tote with handles (you can easily grab with one hand) for shampoo and a container to fill and rinse your pet with. Okay, so you may not be washing Fluffy, but Fido will need one.

4. Consider hanging a hook for your dog’s leashes, collars and clothing.

5. A closed container is great way to store treats. Use another for flea, tic and heartworm meds, etc.

6. If you’re traveling with your pet, consider this really cool container.

Fluffy and Fido are family members too and they deserve special places for their things!

Don’t forget Pet.doc to record all your pet’s personal information!

Coming soon…a complete page of my Perfect Pet Organization picks! Stay-tuned.

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2. Wardrobe Change: Organizing Your Closet
3. Out with the Old, Make Room for the New

Wardrobe Change: Organizing Your Closet Six steps to cleaning out and straightening up the tiny room you start and end your day in. Make it a pleasant space to spend time!

Maximize Your Closet Space: Big or Small The post explains why we don’t like our closets, problems & solutions, and how to contain everything from belts to scarves to jewelry.

Come & Go with Ease: Front Hall/Closet Makeover Create “parking spaces” for your purse, work bag, keys, mail and other items that you need when you come and go each day. It is possible!

How Do I Maintain These Toys? This article has some suggestions for how to organize and store toys.

Check out the Dream Closets board on Pinterest.

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When choosing the right containers, be sure to measure the space and choose appropriately. For a refrigerator, the depth is a concern so that items don’t get lost at the back. In that case, the Linus rectangle pantry bins which are 16″ deep, work well to contain items, such as cheeses. For upper cabinets, the Clear Handled Storage baskets do the trick to hold packets and rices or granola bars and even vitamins. My all-time favorite bins are the Multi-purpose bins for storing cleaning supplies under the sink.

For a complete list of Kitchen Product Solutions and my personal favorites, click here.

Coming soon…my favorite Office Essentials. 

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The ordering process was simple and thorough. There are a couple of “check points” that help you to make sure your personalization is correct. The box that the items arrived in ensured that nothing would be broken.

The company offers a wide-variety of personalized items. Great for gifts for kids who always like to see their name on their things! Overall, a great experience that I would recommend.

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Whether you work from home or run a household, here are simple steps to becoming more effective in your office:

- Eliminate Excess—surround yourself with what’s relevant and inspiring, especially if you’re in a smaller space.

- Set up an effective Filing System—Purge last year’s docs. Box them up. You want your files to reflect your thinking— simplified filing system = clear thinking!

- Utilize Tools—A calendar can help you prioritize and not miss appointments. Using Gmail and Google Calendar syncs everything automatically to your Smart Phone. Well worth the time to set up.

- Compile a Master List—of tasks. Nothing worse than feeling like you’re all over the place. Once you have the Master List, you can then prioritize.

- Implement System—Create systems that work for you, give yourself a chance to adjust, and use them. SYSTEMS save you time, money and energy. The longer you use a system, the more productive you become. Another tools that can streamline your organization includes online banking: Enter all of your vendors so when it comes time to pay a bill, it only takes a moment. No written checks, post office, etc. AND you have an online record of payment history.

- Set office hours—Understand that being busy doesn’t always equal productivity. Use your “office hours” to accomplish tasks, which will ultimately give allow for downtime.

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Holiday Planning Checklist

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The experience of purchasing from Shari’s Berries was overall a very good one. I ordered online and sent six turkeys to my home and six to my mother with a note from her granddaughters. I was a little surprised by the shipping (about $12.00 per order), however, I did get to choose the delivery date and the cake pops arrived in an insulated box (see below), which was still chilled very nicely when the box arrived.

While placing the order online, I got ahead of myself and needed to make an adjustment to the order. Instead of starting over, I quickly called Shari’s customer service. The rep was very polite and helped me understand what I needed to do to adjust the order. I would recommend Shari’s Berries for a fun-filled treat. They also have chocolate dipped strawberries, cupcakes and other types of cake pops (I love the adorable zoo animals and pirates!).

I can think of so many occasions to send a gift like this to someone: My niece or nephews birthday, grammy’s birthday, a small child’s birthday, or an engagement gift to a couple. Shari’s also offers 12 Months of Chocolate Cake Pops where the recipient receives six different-themed cake pops every month for a year…YUM! Talk about being organized–one order and you’ve covered an entire year!

So tonight we ate turkeys, and we’ll save the remaining three for a Thanksgiving treat! It was a fun family moment to share a sweet and a smile.

Check out Shari’s Berries.

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Coping with holiday stress is a huge concern for many people. Many try to pack months worth of activities into just six short weeks. Most individuals admit to having stress directly related to this time of year. For mental and physical health reason, coping with holiday stress is very important. In fact, there are four holiday stress-inducers that you can eliminate to make your holiday season actually feel like a holiday:

1. Doing too much in too little time. It’s easy to fall into the trap of trying to do more in the same amount of time. Unfortunately, the holiday season doesn’t grant us any more hours in our days. This year, consider putting on hold some of your family’s activities during the holidays in order to accommodate the increases in your schedule. Things like your child’s piano lessons or your book club will easily resume after the holidays.

2. Having unrealistic expectations. Do you try to address greeting cards to all your baking and finish up your shopping in just a few days? To quote Dr. Phil, “how’s that workin’ for you?” Instead, start your holiday preparations early. Things such as addressing greeting cards, stocking up on groceries for the holidays or doing the majority of your baking can be done in November.

3. Going into debt. Keep a close eye on those credit cards. Spending money you already have will help you avoid additional debt and those January blues that arrive in the form of a credit card bill in the mail.

4. Sticking to traditions. Choose traditions that help you relax and celebrate. If it means cutting back on the number of gifts or the amount of baking, then do it!

Strategizing will bring more order, calm and peace into your holiday celebrations and help you create more enjoyable memories.

Authored by: Audrey Thomas, Certified Professional Organizer through Smead Organomics

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Pack the cubes with pants, shirts, and socks/undies in another.

Zip the cubes and load them into your suitcase.

When you reach each destination, you can easily remove the cubes, unzip each–without having to rifle through the entire case–then take out what you need.

The cubes come in a variety of fun colors.

They also make a great gift for the traveler in your life!

Click here to purchase.

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