On Vacation

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I’m sitting here in the hotel room looking out at the palm trees in Santa Monica, CA. For those who live on the West coast, the Gulf coast, or other tropical areas you may not realize how pretty of a sight the ocean and palm trees are to a land locked Midwesterner.

I wish I could post a picture but I didn’t get my laptop set up the right way. This is the first time I have traveled with it. I can see that I still have a lot to learn on the technical side. Organization, whether at home, work, or travel is an ongoing learning process. I will be home on Friday and will post some pictures using my desktop computer. I will have to get the laptop up to speed for work before my next trip.

Traveling is always a challenge whether for work or vacation. With the summer vacation season upon us I will keep you informed of the best ways to plan for a trip using my own experiences and what I have researched.

If you have any suggestions that could help others with their planning then please post a comment. I would love to learn new and better ways to travel with less stress and I’m sure all my readers would too.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Vacation Planning

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Summer vacations are right around the corner. How smooth they go will depend on how well you plan it out. Some vacations require a lot of planning and some don’t. Even with careful planning it is always good to be flexible. Many times things occur that cause us to alternate our plans. Sometimes it makes the vacation even more fun.

I will be on vacation next week. I wish it was a trip where I could go to an exotic resort and relax at the beach as the waves wash up on the shore. Not happening this trip. My husband has a business meeting for two of the days. My son is checking out a school on computer graphics. We are visiting my sister and her family on Memorial Day.

Since we are going to Los Angeles, I will get a chance to go to the beach at some point. It takes a lot of planning to make a trip where you combine business, pleasure, school exploration, and visiting family all in a five day trip. This also includes a four hour plane ride each way.

Before going I write everything down so I don’t forget anything like stopping the mail or setting the timers on my lights. I have to take the animals to the vet and water my plants. The list gets longer and longer and this is before I even leave the house.

Flying today isn’t like it use to be. With all the security measures you have to be aware of what you can carry on with you. If you don’t know the restrictions then check the TSA web site to find out.

If you are traveling this weekend be sure to plan ahead as much as possible and be flexible with the rest. Hopefully it will be a fun and safe trip.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Gardening Master List

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The weather finally cooperated for me to get some things done around the yard. I planted a few flowerpots and window boxes. My husband helped me wash the deck and bring out the chair cushions. We even ate dinner on the back porch.

I walked around the house this weekend to see what needed to be done in each zone. I have the front and each side as separate zones. The back near the house and around the elevated deck is divided into three different zones. I have hills there and one side is shaded and the other in sun. It is easier to work on them if they are in different zone areas.

I haven’t decided what to work on first but with it all written down I can now prioritize it. During the weekdays I will only work on the things that take a short time to do. These will include planting a few vegetables or flowers and some light pruning. The things that require more work will be done on weekends. With my master list in front of me I can plan on what I need for the weekend project.

Having a master list should help me accomplish some of my landscape goals this summer. Since it is written down I won’t have the excuse of forgetting it.

Janice Scissors

Check out my web site at: https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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Gardening – Where to Start

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Gardening season is getting a late start here in the Midwest due to the unseasonably cool weather and rain. I have already lost a month of the season and now it is catch up time. When things don’t go as planned it is so easy to get overwhelmed.

This weekend I will take paper and pen and walk all around the outside of my house. I will write down what needs to be done, both maintenance and fun things. The front, back, and each side of the house will be a separate zone.

As I examine each zone I will write down what needs to be done with the house itself. Does the house need painting or a gutter fixed? Do the windows need fresh caulk or a crack in the foundation filled? Then I will write down what needs to be done with the landscaping in that zone. Does it need more mulch, shrubs pruned, or flowers purchased and planted? What are the growing conditions in that area? If you take that information to the garden center you will be able to buy plants that match that environment, thus making your gardening easier all summer long.

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After I finish writing down what is needed and what I would like to do (the fun stuff), I will prioritize the list for each zone. This way I have a clearer idea of what needs be done first and what can wait.

This technique helps me get rid of that overwhelmed feeling so I can start taking action to accomplish my gardening tasks.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Share your techniques in the comment section.

Janice Scissors https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

P.S. If you would like to receive weekly decluttering tips then sign up for my “free” newsletters.

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Graduation Gifts

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Do you know someone who is graduating high school or college in the next few weeks? This is the time of year that we see all the commercials and advertisements on what to buy those graduates. If you need to buy someone a gift you want to be careful to about getting things that can become clutter.

If that graduate is heading off to college and dorm life, beware that there are restrictions about what they can have in their rooms. Candles and many small cooking appliances are not allowed in most dorms. The students are also limited in what they can hang on the walls, requiring special tapes and hangers. Some dorms require special size sheets and comforters (X-long) and some don’t. If you want to buy the graduate linens then find out the size first.

If you don’t feel comfortable asking about size and other restrictions you may be better off giving a gift certificate to a local store. The only caution here is with the economy being so bad and a store goes into bankruptcy those gift cards may be worthless. So, if possible, try to make sure the gift card is at a store you know the graduate will be able to shop at this summer and buy what he/she needs.

When my younger son was heading off to college a couple of years ago he took his gift cards and was able to buy what he felt he needed for the dorm. Most of his cards were at Target which worked out well. He did receive some gift cards at stores that were not as convenient for us to shop at and they didn’t get used right away.

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If you have a college graduate to buy for you have a much larger choice of what they could use. If they lived in a dorm or furnished apartment at school then they may need a whole lot of things. Either find out what they need or give them a check or gift card. It takes a lot of money to set up a new apartment and start a new life.

Janice Scissors

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

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