The Adventure of Life

“The world is a book
and those who do not travel
read only one page.”
- St. Augustine

My life has been quite rich with travel. The majority of these adventures seems to just come together and it's kinda cool that way. Not really knowing what to expect and taking in the experience as it all unfolds.

Currently I am in Tobermory, Canada on a diving, hiking, biking and golfing adventure.
WOW! Just gorgeous.

There are so many beautiful places in the world. Many are close to your home, may even be right in your backyard.

What adventures do you enjoy in life?

Garage Sale Leftovers

Seems everywhere you go, garage sales are lining the neighborhoods in hopes of getting rid of some stuff and making a bit of money. If you are a "garage sailer" person, there are some good deals to be had. Though please make sure you truly NEED the item and have a spot for it in your home. Try to avoid buying just for the great deal on something because likely down the road that item will end up in your garage sale.

Now if you are about to have a garage sale, set your expectations to have fun with it and meet some interesting new people. Very rarely do you hear about the oodles of money someone made at their garage sale. The goal is usually to purge some items out of your home, making a bit of cash along the way.

From the July edition of the NAPO newsletter, here are some great tips on what to do with the lonely items that no on seemed to need, i.e. your leftovers:

- Take It To Charity: Local thrift stores or charities, or a church,
school, or day care.

- Give It Away: Try Freecycle or place items on the curb in a box
marked "free".

- Sell It: at an online auction site or via internet classified ad.

- Trash It/Recycle It: Let it go, and live happy in your clutter-free home.

Whatever you do, please do not bring your leftovers back into your home!! You have taken the time to sort them out, please think about how great your home FEELS without the added items.

What was your greatest garage sale find?

Make a Difference, Make a Smile

What are you REALLY doing today
to help one person?

Challenge:
Make a stranger smile
for no reason.



What did you do to make someone smile today?

Clutter Diet And No Veggies Required

Both losing weight and getting organized are about making personal change in your habits and lifestyle. Clutter Diet is an organizing program that is modeled after the same successful programs people have used to lose weight.

To be successful both in weight loss and in getting organized you need the following things:
Education—good information, plans and advice
Motivation—tools and encouragement to keep you on track with your goals
Support—a place to get answers and find help

This is a monthly fee program for $14.95/month, though there is an awesome special that your first month is only $4.95! (dang!) Gift certificates are available, too!

Getting organized is an investment in yourself.
I recognized that the cost to hire a professional organizer may not fit into your budget. The ClutterDiet program is a wonderful way to work toward getting organized on your own with help.

The Clutter Diet program includes:
- Access to a team of Professional Organizers via their message board.
- A weekly plan of action to keep your house and life organized in about 2 hours per week.
- E-mail reminder system, customized for your needs. You can remind yourself of birthdays, regular home maintenance, or other tasks/events.
- Access to over 2 hours of video tutorials to help you learn organizing concepts and methods at your own pace.
- Personal tracking of your progress. Each week you can “weigh in” to see how many “Clutter-Pounds” you have lost so far. (love it!)

This is a awesome program to help get yourself and home organized. Hopefully if you are struggling with getting organized, you will take a look and see if this might work for you.

There is a link for this program on the right column of the blog.
It will always be there for you.
Check the Clutter Diet program out and let me know what you think.

If you use it, please keep me posted on your success!

How many "Clutter-Pounds" would you like to lose?

A Few Dollars More

The post is dedicated to all single mothers. You always did what was best for your kids. You sacrificed. You stood your ground. You passed out at night from exhaustion. Though the whole journey, you became more beautiful and happier than ever.

To complete the trilogy (part 1, part 2):
I have been patiently waiting since April 2007.


My former is a doctor whose income more than doubled and he believed his child support should not increase ... well, he thought wrong.

See, while he went through medical school and residency, I supported us as an engineer at Ford Motor Company (8 years). I gave up my career shortly after Matthew was born because I refused to sacrifice my family and career.

Now 10 years later, I am quite thankful for my decision to raise my boys. I am also thankful for the financial ability to do so. We have enough to enjoy, living within our means.

Strange how life twists and turns you unexpectedly. You must withstand the rockin' and rolling, hold on tight and take it all in. In the end, be thankful you survived. Ready to encourage and support others.

What's the biggest life twist you've survived?

Have No Fear, Your Senior Move Manager Is Here

The late, great George Carlin once said,
“A house is just a pile of stuff with a cover on it.”

When you have to downsize, selling your house is usually not as difficult as dealing with your belongings. Likely your grown children are working full-time, running around to their kids activities and, bottomline, they do not want your items. Because ... well, they have a home full of stuff, too.

Help is available through the National Association of Senior Move Managers (NASMM). This organization (which yours truly is a proud member) is dedicated to assisting older adults and families with the physical and emotional demands of downsizing, relocating, or modifying their homes. A Senior Move Manager understands the difficult experience of moving from a long-time residence and makes that move as stress-free as possible.

The most popular services with NASMM customers are:
1. Un-packing and setting up the new home
2. Move planning and move oversight
3. Sorting services
4. Disposal/distribution of remaining items
5. Packing services
6. Customized floor plans

You may have family member available to help you with your move. Fantastic!
Beware of those deep family buttons that can be pushed, resulting in rising tensions and stress.

Even if you have family or friends who are willing to help you, a Senior Move Manager possesses expertise and experience, providing you with economical and insightful solutions as well as connections to local resources to expedite your move.

The result: No family buttons to be pressed + less tension and less stress = happy move

Bonus side tip: If tensions do begin to rise,
I always tell the family to blame me for all the decisions.
That way peace can remain in the family.

What is your plan to handle all your parent's stuff?

Bueller ... Bueller ... Bueller ... Bueller ...

Man, what a wonderful set of hot, steamly, beautiful summer days.

My boys and I have been having so much fun enjoying life. Doesn't pay the bills, but hey, the experience is priceless.

Sleeping in late, eating GIANT breakfasts, splashing in gramma's pool, seeing the latest movies and chillin' at home.

Just introduced them to the classic: Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."~Ferris Bueller

Slow down and take a moment.

Make sure you are not missing a bit of life.

What classic movie should kids see?