Harry Potter Party!

This week is going to be so much fun!  My good friend Karlene Browning with LibrisPro is throwing a blog party and I am giving away a nine inch key rail!

Check out her blog for a chance to win all the fabulous prizes including a GRAND prize that is amazing.  There is lots to do including Harry's Horacrux Hunt, Daily Prophet Party Game and Ron's Read-aThon
There are fun prizes available and really awesome blogs to check out.

Remember to check back here on Wednesday to enter to win the key rail :)

5 Minutes to Tame the Summer Clutter

I love summer!  I love the thunderstorms and the fireworks.  I love having my children home from school.  What I don't love is the dishes, extra laundry and other paraphernalia floating around my house.  Luckily I have a couple of magic wands that keep the clutter at bay.
My favorite magic wand is the 5 minute clean-up.

Here's the recipe:

Turn on some rockin' music (optional)
Call the children into one room - the messiest room in the house
Set the timer for 5 minutes
Split the room into areas or functions
Everyone moves as fast as possible and puts away whatever is out of place.
When the five minutes is up everyone returns to what they were doing.

As I am typing this three of my children are handling the kitchen...
One child is putting away dishes
One child is wiping counters
One child is putting away food
I am sitting at my computer typing and just keeping my presence in the room.

Tonight there is no rockin' music playing... but two of them are singing wildly off-key.
As I type we are at 7 minutes and my son is putting away the last of the pots he just hand-washed.
He is going the extra mile because my birthday is tomorrow. :)

The kitchen is clean.  Time to Play!

Does This System Make My Butt Look Fat?

Last week I was staffing an AMAZING Women's Training at Impact Training and deserved to have some new clothes.

So, on Wednesday I got to go shopping just for me.

In the past I have hated clothes shopping.  It was something a kin to torture.  I would have to psych myself out, pep myself up, and breathe heavily a few times before I went into a clothing store.  Once inside, I would grab the first things I saw, try on one or two items and leave frustrated with my body.

Self-esteem in the toilet, and more aware of my physical "flaws" than ever before, I would cry all the way home. Sometimes swearing to NEVER shop again until I had liposuction and a tummy tuck.

This time was different.

This time I didn't blame or hate my body.  I pulled tons of options off the racks.  I noticed that there were some clothes that fit well, some that fit okay, and some that just didn't fit at all.

This time I changed my question...not, "Does my BODY fit this?" but, "Does THIS fit my body?"

Organizing is a lot like clothes shopping.  Some of the gadgets and systems will fit and some will not.  Many of my clients have blamed the organizational failures of their system on themselves and give themselves labels like "Lazy"or "Stupid"  Most of them will argue that the system or gadget works fine for                    so it should work for them. Some are so frustrated that they cry, become overwhelmed and convince themselves that they are a "Hopeless Case" It just breaks my heart.

If you are there, all is not lost.  You are not "Stupid" or "Lazy"  The question that deserves to be asked is not, "Why can't I make this work, what is wrong with ME?" but "Why isn't THIS working with me?"

The answer will always uncover a flaw in the system.

Superman Lives!

Ok...I had someone ask me if I practice what I teach and if I ever have "normal" stuff happen to me.  If you are doubting, here is what happened this morning...

My husband had a crown that fell off while he was brushing his teeth.

The crown went down the drain.  He turned off the water, then...

1. Took out the toilet paper rolls stored in the plastic container under the sink.
2. Used the container to catch the water as he opened the trap.
3.  Fished out the crown.
4. Disinfected it. 
5. Put the trap back on. 
6. Wiped out the TP container with a hand towel that was by the sink.  (Yuck!)
7. Put the extra toilet paper back in the container.
8. Changed out the used hand-towel with a new one.  (Thank you Love!)
9. Checked to make sure the trap was on tightly and... 
10. Went to call the dentist to bump up his appointment to next week.  

Under my Bathroom Sink

The whole process took about 5 minutes and he got to his meeting (the reason he was brushing his teeth to begin with) on time.

 The point of organization is not to have a model home that no one can use and everyone is afraid to touch, but to be able to handle the stuff that happens every day and not have it derail your day.

Every day we get to plan for the unexpected, because the unexpected happens every day!


I am off to do a load of laundry, We are running low on towels! :)

Insomnia and Guiding Principles

Tonight is a full moon.  I almost always have insomnia when there is a full moon.  I don't mind it though, it gives me time to ponder in the still of the night.  Lately I have been pondering the guiding principles of my life.


Some of my guiding principles I learned from those who have come before.
From my Grandfather, Sheldon Lowry, I learned to be honest and praise God in everything.
From my  Uncle, Kenneth Knapp, I learned to work hard and play hard.
From my Great-Grandmother, Orrilla Groneman, I learned grace and forgiveness in every moment.  Almost every person who has touched my life has shown me other principles of life.

prin·ci·ple/ˈprinsəpəl/Noun
1. A fundamental truth or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behavior or for a chain of reasoning.

2. A rule or belief governing one's personal behavior. 

From guiding principles all action, inaction, and rules for behavior flow. 


My family has a commitment statement that guides our interactions.  It is a contract really.  It is hung in our living room by the door to remind us about what we are to be about.  From that contract we create rules, and from those rules, natural consequences flow.   


Have you ever pondered why your family was brought together at this time?  There is a purpose behind why your bunch of personalities reside together.  What was it that you were meant to learn, create, or be from the family you have?  Do you know what your guiding principles are?  Does your family?




I have a template for the Family Contract.  If you would like a copy, email me at (sherah at createspace.us) and I will send one to you.

Tow Trucks, Agents and Doctors - Oh MY!

After a long hiatus, I am FINALLY feeling like myself again.

So the long-awaited second installment is here.  Insurance Companies, Hospitals and Specialty Doctors...What can I say? They are time consuming, EXPENSIVE and not much fun to deal with.  There is one thing to keep in mind when working with them...THEY WORK FOR YOU!

Here is a brief (incomplete) list of people I employed when I was in this car accident:

• Insurance Adjuster
• Insurance Customer Service Rep
• Insurance Agent
• Police Officer(s)
• Tow Truck Company and Operator
• ER Doctors 
• Hospital Administrators
• Nurses 
• Radiologists
• Chiropractor
• Massage Therapists
• Neurologist
• Dentist
• Endodontist
• Pharmacy Tech
• Pharmacist
• Attorney

Just like real employees they like to be paid.  (They each sent a bill to prove it!)  Just like real employees they like to be told when they are going to be paid.  Unlike most employees, most of them are working with me and even waiting months to be paid in full.

So if you are in an accident and your Personal Injury Protection runs out-- It will only last about half way through your first ER visit-- let them know what your plans are for paying or not paying them. Oh - and DOCUMENT every conversation - you are entering into a verbal contract almost every time you speak with one of your "Employees."

Here is the organizational tip of the post: 

The easiest way to keep track of everything is with a file divided by provider.  That way, if you have multiple visits to the same provider you can keep track of the billing, payments and any contact you have with them.

When you have a conservation with a provider, note the date, time and who you spoke with.  Bullet point the main topic of conversation, details from the conversation, and be sure to write down any payments or arrangements that were made.  If you have a bill from the provider, make the notes right on the bill. If the conversation was about anything else mark the information on a paper attached the inside cover of the file.

If you have health insurance, match the Explanation of Benefits you receive from them to the bills they go with.  It will make it much easier to track down what has been paid and what hasn't when it is time to settle your claim with the other driver's insurance.

This is one of the files you will have for ten years, so you will want to color code it as a "Permanent File"

One more note: You hired your providers, you pay for them, and if they are not working for you, listening to you, or returning your calls, you can FIRE them.

I recently fired my pharmacist and my insurance agent.  I got tired of having my prescriptions shorted and my calls ignored.  It only took a few minutes and my new pharmacist and insurance agent are taking good care of me and are happy to be paid by me!

Just for clarification, I LOVE my insurance company.  Bear River Mutual is wonderful to work with.

Thank you Jan Shaw!  YOU SO ROCK!

Car Accident 101

Ever have one of those days when you feel so completely blessed to be alive?  This last couple of months has reminded me how blessed I am every day.  

On September 2nd I was in a six car pile-up that totaled my Honda Odyssey.  No one involved was seriously injured, and aside from nightly headaches I am doing really well.  

A HUGE **THANK YOU** goes out to the person or people who invented crumple zones!

The accident has been a good reminder of all the wonderful things we need to have on hand in case of a car accident.  Here is a quick list for those of us who could use a reminder:

• Car Insurance Info
• agent's phone number
• insurance company's phone number 
• insurance policy number
• Car Registration
• Driver's License Info
• A list of emergency contacts
• A list of allergies and current medications
• Pen and paper
• A camera

I keep all of the information in my glove box in a plastic check holder. Each section is separated out by category with Insurance and Registration information in the front of the file for easy access.  I have other sections to so I can keep track of things like car repairs and service contracts.

I used to keep a disposable camera in the glove compartment too, but since my cell phone has a camera I no longer have a disposable in the vehicle.

It is a really good idea to know what kind of car insurance you have. Check to make sure things like car rentals and property damage (like car seats and computers) are covered. When an accident occurs that involves more than one car the claims will usually go through your insurance first and you and your insurance company will be reimbursed by the insurance company of the person who hit you.  Be prepared to pay your deductible out of pocket and be reimbursed later.

When you are hit, especially if you are on the freeway, STAY in your vehicle and call 911.  The operator will dispatch you to the police department.  In the accident I was involved in, several of the people involved got out of their cars and almost created another accident. 

DO NOT DISCUSS the accident with the other people that were involved.  You can see if they are okay, but if you start discussing the accident, our minds will fill in details that weren't really there and then the police and the insurance company  won't have the most accurate account of what happened.

The first phone call to make is to 911.
Then call your emergency contact and your insurance company.

 Next time I will go over how to keep all the paperwork straight and how to deal with multiple insurance companies (so much fun!)