Today’s Birthday Special – Auto Document Organizer

Today’s featured product is our Auto Document Organizer. We all know we need to keep insurance and registration records in our vehicle, and too often we stash them in the glove compartment or a console, and then can’t find them when we need them! I love this organizer because it keeps everything together in one secure place, and you can easily find what you need when you need it!

Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!

Today’s Birthday Special – Collision.kit

Today’s Birthday Special is the Collision.kit. I especially recommend this for teen drivers, just in case they ever get in a fender bender. It will help them know what information they need to get from the others involved, making it easier for them to document the incident.

Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!

Today’s Birthday Special – Kid’s Car Organizer

Today’s Birthday Special is the Kid’s Car Organizer. When you’re on the road with kids, it helps to keep them entertained. This handy car organizer holds everything they need – DVDs, game consoles, crayons, books, snacks, drinks, and more!

Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!

Today’s Birthday Special – Hecht of an Organized – All in One Bag

Today’s featured “birthday” special is Hecht of an Organized – All in One Bag!

Organized A to Z is celebrating our birthday in July, but we’re giving you the presents! Each day, we are offering our favorite products at 25% off. The discount is good today only, so get it now!

Prepare You Vehicle for Emergencies

When you think about preparing for disasters and other emergencies, you might not consider your vehicle. But there are a number of tools and supplies that you should have on hand in case you are ever stranded by weather conditions. I suggest finding a quality trunk organizer or sturdy and weather proof tote and filling it with items that would help you survive and get help.

 

Here’s a list of suggested items:

• First Aid kit
• Blanket
• Bottled water
• Ice scraper
• Flashlight & extra batteries
• Jumper cables
• Flares
• Paper towels
• Warmer clothes and gloves for winter weather
• Fire extinguisher
• Tire Jack
• Spare Tire
• An extra quart of oil
• An air compressor that can plug into your car’s cigarette lighter

 

In addition, your glove compartment is a great place to keep some smaller items that will be used frequently:

• Spare change
• An extra car charger for your cell phone
• Tire gauge
• Finger nail clippers
• Band aids
• Tylenol or other pain reliever
• A list of names and phone numbers, just in case you don’t have the convenience of your cell phone contact list
• Car registration and insurance information
• Membership info for a roadside assistance service, such as AAA.

 

Emergencies can be especially unsettling when they happen away from home. But by stocking you vehicle with extra supplies and equipment, you can face those circumstances with the knowledge that you are prepared and ready to handle any situation.

 

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Kathy Jenkins is a professional organizer in Richmond, Virginia. Her business, Come To Order, helps individuals simplify their spaces and organizing households, home offices, and children. She also operates a retail site, Organized A to Z.com, featuring organizing products the professional find particularly useful for their clients. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, Faithful Organizers, and the National Study Group of Chronic Disorganization.

Planning Vacation Expectations

Summer vacations can mean different things to different people, even within the same family. Take time to really think about why you are taking this vacation. Is it to sightsee, relax, or visit with friends or relatives?

Setting your expectations before you ever head out the door will help you put things in perspective when things don’t go quite as you had planned. Anticipate that something may not go exactly as you imaged, but commit to being flexible so that the trip does not turn out to be a total bust.

While planning might not be the first thing you associate with fun, it is the one thing that will make the difference between a vacation like the Griswolds (remember National Lampoon’s Vacation with Chevy Chase…yes, now you remember!) and the best vacation you ever had.

Enjoy, and have a happy vacation!

A Security Plan For Your House While You’re Away

A statistic from The Domestic Travel Market Report states that weekend travel is more popular than ever, with half of all U.S. adults–nearly 103 million–taking at least one weekend trip per year and 35% of all weekend travelers taking their children with them. Whether it is a long weekend or a week or more of fun in the sun, there are still some things that you need to plan for while you are away.

• Stop your mail and paper or ask a trusted neighbor or friend to collect it while you are away. Nothing shouts “no one is home” louder than a pile of newspapers or an overflowing mailbox.
• Invest in timers for lights and the stereo so there is the appearance that someone is at home.
• Consider having a neighbor park his car in your driveway occasionally while you are away.
• Make sure your inventory of household items and electronics is up-to-date in case you have to report a loss to the police or insurance company.
• Store important papers and jewelry in a fire safe.
• Lock your doors and windows, and consider putting padlocks on gates if you have them.
• Don’t announce your absence on your answering machine, and try to check it while you are away to prevent a full mailbox.
• Consider contacting your police department to let them know of your absence, especially if you will be gone more than 1 week.
• Make sure that someone knows how to reach you in the event of an emergency.

Your Vacation Destination

Nothing puts a stressful tone on a summer vacation like getting lost or losing your hotel reservations. Don’t invite this kind of trouble! Consider these helpful organizing tips to maintain a happy crew as you arrive at your destination:

• Make sure you have an accurate map and directions to your destination.
• Know your travel time. If you are traveling by car, plan for stops along the way. Attitudes will stay positive if everyone is given a chance to stretch their legs.
• If traveling by plane or train, ensure that you not only have a confirmed reservation, but that you also have a seat assignment.
• Arrive at the airport leaving plenty of time for extra baggage checks. For a list of prohibited and permitted items and other regulations, check the Transportation Security Administration Web site.
• Check with your hotel before you leave to make sure you fully understand their check-in and late arrival policy.
• Keep the phone number for your hotel handy in case you are delayed and need to call to ensure they save your room.

Do you have suggestions for travel or stories to share? Maybe you have a great tip or have learned an important lesson from a previous experience. Be sure to let us know!

Your Vacation Packing List

A happy vacation starts with a good packing plan. And with the high cost of fuel and airlines charging extra to check your luggage, your going to want to put some thought into your list of what to bring. Here are a few suggestions to help you out:

• Start your list now and keep it handy so you can continue to add things when you think of them.
• Plan to pack at least one outfit for everyday of your vacation. If you mix and match clothing you can get away with taking fewer clothes and still wear something different each day.
• Stick with the essentials when it comes to toiletries and other items. Over packing is a waste of time and space.
• Consider investing in travel bags to organize your items and prevent damage.
• Check out our TravelPrep.pad to help you think of all the things you need to do before leaving.
• To get started visit http://travelwithkids.about.com/od/packinglists/ or do a Google search on “vacation packing lists” to find more resources.

How do you pack to ensure that you have just what you need? Let us know – we’d love for you to share your tips with us and the rest of our readers.

A Happy Summer Vacation With Your Kids

According to the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), travel and tourism generates approximately $1.3 trillion in economic activity in the U.S. every year. That equates to $3.4 billion a day or $148 million an hour (WOW, am I ever in the wrong business!). So if you are like the majority of Americans who are planning to spend your hard earned dollars on a summer vacation, know that planning is the key to a stress-free and enjoyable vacation. I’ll be offering some travel tips in my next couple of posts. Be sure to check back often!

Traveling with Kids? – The Domestic Travel Market Report states that one in four household trips include children under 18. Parents, are you breaking out in a sweat just thinking about it? It is a known fact that the level of stress during the trip is in direct proportion to the quality of planning done before ever pulling out of the driveway.

To start off your vacation right create a travel kit for each child filled with things that will keep the idle minds and hands busy. Fill it with a pad of paper and an activity book, some colored pencils or crayons, stickers, pipe cleaners, small toys or dolls, Colorforms, books, and games. It is always handy too to bring favorite movies to play if the car trip is longer than 3 hours. Plan on visiting the Dollar Store and stock up on cheap “surprises” that you can pull out “in case of emergency”. And don’t forget the snacks; food always calms the savage beast.

Check out our products for kids on Organized A to Z.com. We offer some super vehicle organizers perfect for all your kids’ stuff, not to mention a great portable toys and drawing kits.