About two weeks ago, my very dearest friend announced that she was going to plan a surprise 21st birthday party for her daughter.  How exciting!  But what an undertaking in such a short amount of time.

You might think that because she is my best friend she would have a similar personality and the likelihood is there that she is organized.  Not in the least bit!

She called me in a panic the past week because she had taken the first step of inviting people - 73 that is!  She basically told everyone she knows and probably some she doesn't know too well to "come on over" this coming Saturday.  So, before she knew it, she has 73 people showing up.  Yikes!  Where will she put them all!

Now she is only days away from the party and there is no plan as to what she is serving or how she is serving 73 people.

Of course, I volunteered to help her out and create an action plan to get everything organized so that the party could run smoothly.

The first mistake that was made was that she did not make a set guest list and really see how many people she was inviting.  She just randomly asked everyone without taking into the consideration the ramifications of her actions.

The next issue is determining what the menu should be and how much food to provide.  (My friend is notorious for purchasing way too much food because she cannot judge how much everyone is going to eat.)  The end result of not planning is that you can end up with so many leftovers, you end up giving it all away because you just don't have room to store it afterwards.

The next issue is how the food will be prepared and served.  Will it be brought in by a caterer or will it need to be prepared at home?  If made at home, when will it be prepared?  Can it be prepared in advance so everything does not have to be done on the day of the party?  How will it be stored?  Is there enough room to store the food until its time to heat it up or serve it?  Do you need to create a schedule for placing items in the oven so they all are done at the same time?

The next issue is whether you have enough supplies - plates, cups, plasticware, napkins, bowls, serving trays, sternos, crock pots, aluminum foil, plastic containers for storage, etc.   When planning the food, you need to determine how it will be served to make sure you are not left stuck in the end with nothing to serve your food on.

The next issue is decorations.  Since this is a surprise party for her daughter that lives at home, no decorating can be done until that morning when she leaves the house to go to work.  It does not mean, however, that you don't plan what to decorate with and where to place it when the time comes.

Lastly, where will you put everyone - in the living room, dining room, kitchen, basement, outdoors?  With a large crowd such as this, the hope is that the weather will cooperate so many will be out in the backyard.  But, if the weather does not cooperate, what is the backup plan?  Will you put up a tent in the backyard?  Do you have enough seating?  Will you be doing a buffet style service and where will it be set up?

No matter what the special event might be - birthday party, anniversary party, christening, bar mitzvah, wedding, it all takes planning.

Be sure to leave yourself enough time in advance to figure out all the various aspects of planning the special event so that it goes off smoothly.  Reduce stress by planning ahead and then you can have a great time along with your guests.  

If you are planning a wedding, why not check out my "U Can Do It Wedding Preparation Checklist" at my ABS Store right on this website.  It provides you with a comprehensive list of what to do starting a year before the wedding. 

Now, that's how you plan a special event!

This past weekend, the eastern portion of the country experienced a noreastern storm that broke many records.  In Philadelphia, they received over 28 inches of snow.

It got me thinking about organizing, of course.

Being organized is more than just keep your household under control and having good time management tools.  It's a way of life.

When this large snow fall began, I quickly decided that I would be breaking the project of snow removal down into smaller, more manageable pieces, just like any other larger project, in order to get it done and make it easier for me to handle.

Therefore, I decided that the best way to handle it was to shovel the snow in intervals.  When my son and I woke up, we took care of most of it, but with the storm still not over, we knew that we would finish the job when it was.  So, instead of waiting until the entire storm ended, we began chipping away, as it were, at the project.  This made it easier later in the day when the temperature started to drop and the surfaces became more icy.  I am quite aware that many people just stayed in all day and procrastinated and now, Sunday morning, their cars are still buried in the snow and ice.  That decision will now make it harder for them to dig out because now they will have to deal with the more difficult conditions.

There is a lesson to be learned here.  When taking on any type of project, including snow removal, create a plan of action as to how you will take that project and break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces and you will find that you get the whole project completed much more easily.

We are expecting another large storm by mid-week and you can be assured, it will be managed the same way.  One portion at a time.

If you love the snow, enjoy.  For me, I can't wait til Spring!

Have a great week and remember, if you are overwhelmed with the prospect of getting organized, contact A BETTER SPACE.  I will be glad to help.

We are well into Spring and now is the time you will begin to see garage sales popping up in your neighborhood.

With the economy in its current condition, more and more people are finding ways to make a few extra dollars and one way is to have a garage sale.

However, do you know about Garage Sale Etiquette.  It does exist.  As a seller, you should follow these rules for good "garage sale etiquette".

1.  If your advertisement for your sale states it will begin at 8:00 a.m., be ready for people to arrive around 7:30 a.m. unless you include "no early birds" in your ad.  They tend to follow the adage "the early bird gets the worm".   If you do include the statement in your ad, don't sell to them until the time the sale is to begin. Tell them in a polite way that you will sell the item to them when the sales begins, no earlier.

2.  Make sure your pricing of your items is clear and consistent.  If you leave items unmarked or use a confusing pricing system, people will get frustrated and you will find that many leave without purchasing anything.

3.  Be honest about what you are selling.  If something is missing from a set or has been changed, tell your customers or post a sign with the item to explain it.  Don't knowingly sell useless junk.

4.  A garage sale is not the right venue for selling collectibles, antiques or other large ticket items.  People who shop garage or yard sales are looking for low prices on gently used items.  If you want to sell certain items for more money, sell them on E-bay, Craigs List or at a consignment shop or antique store.  Know the value of what you are selling and determine what venue it best fits.

5.  Make sure to tell your neighbors you will be having a garage sale in advance.  They may want to either join your sale and know to expect increased traffic on the street that day.  Be respectful of your neighbors' properties.  If someone arrives and parks in front of your neighbor's driveway, kindly ask them to move their vehicle to another location.

6.  Stage your yard.  Clean it up and don't leave out items that are not for sale, such as patio furniture, lawn equipment, etc.  I suggest moving them out of view, covering them wtih a tarp or blanket or posting a sign on them stating "Not For Sale". 

7.  If you are posting signs in the neighborhood, make sure the lettering is large enough and bold enough for drivers to read.  (I cannot tell you how many times I am riding past a sign advertising a garage sale and I can't read the date, the time or the location.   As a result, I don't give it another thought.  That's a lost potential customer!)  Once you post your signs, drive around and see how they appear to others.  Make sure they are legible to someone who is driving by at a decent rate of speed in their vehicle.  Make a note to yourself where the signs were posted.  (I will explain below.)

8.  After the garage sale ends, go back to the places you posted the signs and remove them.  (This is why you needed to note where you posted them!) 

9.  Make sure you have a cash box or apron with pockets so you can collect money and make change.  Stock up on $1 bills, $5 bills, quarters, dimes and nickels.  If buyers don't have exact change, you need to be prepared to make change for them.

10.  Lastly, be kind.  Smile, ask people if they need any help, engage in light conversation.  Not only will it help you financially to be warm and courteous but it will increase the likelihood of shoppers returning for any sales you may have in the future. 

Wishing you a successful garage sale!!

Until next time, if you have any organizing questions or problems you would like me to address, please send me an email at info@4abetterspace.com and I will be glad to help.

With Father's Day coming this weekend and Independence Day (a/k/a The Fourth of July) just around the corner, I thought a few tips to organize your grill area might be just the ticket!

This time of year, like you, your food doesn't even want to be inside either!  Set up for barbecue season with a smart outdoor cook station. 

Place your grill on a flat surface that is well ventilated, away from the house, yet protected from winds that might cause flare-ups.  Then, set up the area like a mini kitchen:

Create an insta-island for food prep with a folding table.  Place a grill mat underneath the grill to protect your deck and have a trash basket close by.  Use hooks and magnetic clips to keep the cooking utensils handy. 

Opt for long handled metal cooking utensils which give you some distance from the open flame and long-armed mitts to better protect you from splatters and burns.  Avoid using plastic utensils and standard oven mitts - just leave them in your kitchen drawer!

Keep an extra spatula and pair of tongs on hand to prevent cross-contamination of raw food and cooked food.  You can designate which you use for uncooked meats by using red tape for "raw meat" around the handle.

Toss your grill-cleaning brush (or replace the head) once the pad or bristles get too worn out to work. 

Keep the grill on high after cooking to let residue from the food burn off and clean the grate more easily.  (Remember to shut it off when you are done!)

Invest in storage on your deck.  Deck boxes, such as a watertight plastic models can stow your supplies outdoors where you need them.  Certain versions can also double as additional seating.  Stash paper towels, aluminum foil, platters, cutting boards, skewers, grilling utensils, a meat thermometer, a timer, mitts, etc.

Also, save yourself a few trips to and from the kitchen by using a carry-all caddy that has compartments for condiments, napkins, plates and eating utensils.  Imagine actually being able to eat along with your guests instead of spending that time running back and forth to the kitchen!

Create an outdoor living space where you will want to spend time relaxing and entertaining outdoors this summer.  Most importantly, be safe!

With these tips, I know you will create "A Better Space" for your grill area.  Enjoy!

For more information and assistance on any organizing issue you may have, feel free to contact me.  I will be more than happy to help you reach your organizing goals.

Happy Father's Day!  Have a great week!

It is so beautiful and warm out today it reminds me that Summer is just around the corner and we will all begin spending more time outside, whether we're swimming, having picnics, barbecuing. 

Coincidentally, I received this helpful tip which I would like to pass onto you to make those times outside more enjoyable.

It's from someone who was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared. 

The next year this person filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around his seat whenever he saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well.

It worked at a picnic where they sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.