Here's a tip to save you a post-vacation-food-poisoning-induced-trip to the emergency room.
Food in your freezer could have languished at unsafe temperatures if the power goes out when you’re on vacation,and then returned to its frozen state when the power goes back on.
Use this tip from the Nebraska University Extension service to see if food is safe to eat. When organizing your freezer, keep an ice cube or two in a sealed plastic bag or small container in the freezer. It must be a sealed bag/container so the ice cube doesn't evaporate and disappear. If the ice cube has melted down from its original shape, you'll know the power was off for an extended period of time. And you'll have to toss the contents of your freezer.
For more tips on food safety go to:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/fact_sheets/severe_storms_and_hurricanes_guide/

March is frozen food month. Really, I can't make this stuff up. It is time to go through that icy box and organize the contents. You might think once you stick something in the freezer it's good forever, but even freezing food has its limits. Here's some surprising facts: Cookie dough only lasts one month, Bacon, sausage - only lasts 2 months. Leftovers, such as casseroles, stews, soups, bread - a mere 3 months. So plan accordingly when you're stocking up on groceries and don't go overboard.

Happy New Year Everyone! Its officially 2012 and most of us have made our News Years resolutions. Let us all make 2012 the year we achieve our goals by starting out with something small and attainable. Whether your are planning on getting healthy, saving money or getting organized it is important to begin with a manageable task. Organize a single drawer. In 20 minutes you could be on your way to a more organized home. Make your own coffee everyday instead of going out. In just days you will be saving your hard earned money. Add some healthier food choices to your daily meals. Remember the saying "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Are you even getting a single serving of fruit in your diet? What do YOU need to do to get healthier? It is important that you put in the extra effort for your goals this year. You can't push a button for instant results. Do something each day because it takes 21 days to form a habit. By the end of January you should be on your way to progressing towards your goal.

It is hard to believe Thanksgiving is this week. It is officially Holiday Season everyone! No messing around, time to get serious with shopping, eating and fun! Do yourself a favor before all of the excitement. Sit down, take a big deep breath and figure out how you will enjoy the holidays but also stay organized with daily life. It can be easy to overlook your current bills, healthy goals and entertainment budget when you are distracted by all the shiny things. Prioritize your calenders for the final months of 2011 so you can kick off the new year with ease.

Your organizing task for today: start clearing out your home of unwanted items you no longer need or want. Donate clothes, toys and food to clothing drives, churches or a shelter.

Halloween was a week ago and we still have some reminders of the holiday. The candy is almost gone, the "Happy Halloween" decorations are put away but the pumpkins and squash are still out on display and will stay there until Thanksgiving. The great thing about these fall decorations is they are colorful, hearty and you can eat them when the holiday is over...bonus! These are the best decorations because you don't have to re organize and store them after the holiday. But you have to be sure to monitor the live decorations just to make sure they are still decorations and don't become "experiments" and ruin your furniture. We had a little issue this year it was the rotting pumpkin. We live in a high rise and carved our 1st pumpkin! It was a wonderful experience. Finding the pumpkin, scooping out the seeds and making a silly design. The problem was we faced the pumpkin towards the sunny window where you could see from the outside but not the inside. Wow was I surprised when I turned that pumpkin around to see how it was doing...Yuck! Next year I will be adding a "throw away" date immediatly after carving next years pumpkin.

Today was Fall back. We got to change our clocks and catch a few more z’s. Not only do we change the time on our clocks but it should be a reminder that we need to do something else in our homes like changing the batteries in your smoke detectors!
Try to think of some other things you can do twice a year that happen the same weekend as Fall back and Spring forward and add it to your "To Do" list.

Having the perfect storage container for your space can make your life so much easier. And yes, some containers are so perfect in the way the look and fit in a space we should almost have a celebration when placed on a shelf. But the reality is sometimes you do not have the time to shop, know what you need or have the resources to make it all happen. So instead of avoiding your project, use what you already have around the house as a storage container and get started. Your home or office probably contains many useful storage items that you got for free! Common items are plastic grocery bags, recycled store bags(I love the ones with handles) shoe boxes or any boxes that can be closed and stacked. Start sorting through your items and use what you have to categorize and store. Be sure to add a label so you know what is inside. A label maker does a great job but so does regular paper and tape or a post it note. Just because you don't have the perfect containers to organize, it should never hold you back from getting started.

It important to keep your refrigerator clean and organized. I like to reorganize the refrigerator before the grocery shopping plus give it a quick clean. This way I can see everything I have and what we need. Using a Clorex wipe as I go through each compartment makes this job quick and easy. As I was going through everything, I came across a few containers of foods that had a expiration date but I did not know when they were opened. The expiration date was pretty far out and the contents were already looking questionable. Instead of taking a chance on those items I tossed them. I do not like throwing away food, so just a reminder to write the date you open foods so you can discard if not eaten.
This brings me to another point...oversized packaging! I don't think it is necessary to buy such a large amount of a particular item unless you will go through it quickly. Either it is everyones favorite and you can't stock it fast enough or you plan on using it in recipes. Otherwise it will go bad before you can use it. I do not see the money savings here. Since one of the items I had to throw away was cream cheese I opted for the single serve containers this time around. Normally I would not spend the extra money on a smaller amount and more packaging especially when I can divide items up myself. But what I like about this product is all the other containers are sealed. The smaller serving will not get used quickly and I can use this smaller portion until it is gone. Since the other portions are unopened all I have to do is look at the expiration date if unused. Love it!

How organized is your morning routine? Is it typically wake, shower, coffee in that order? Or do you need your coffee just to get to the shower? Whatever it is that you do to get your morning started let us know! We would like to hear from you! And tell us about your ideal morning. Does being organized effect your morning bliss?

Online grocery shopping still rules my home. All of my past purchases are saved in my account and I can order my groceries in minutes. I don't always have the same order each week so I have organized my home shopping lists into three categories - weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. I have created this list by going through the refrigerator, pantry, medicine cabinet and cleaning supplies to figure out what I use and how long it takes finish. If your laundry detergent contains enough liquid to do 20 loads of laundry you can figure out how long it will last. And do you need to purchase every two weeks or once a month.? Apply this to other areas to figure out your monthly requirements. If you don't have a lot of space and it takes a month to use something don't over crowd your space but stocking up and filling your cabinets every week. Saving a few dollars to stock up on really bulky item isn't worth it to me if my cabinets are busting at the seams. Just create your lists and follow them!

Kids birthday parties are exciting! They can also be a little overwhelming for kids and parents. Especially when they receive all those new toys. In a blink of an eye the guests arrive, sing happy birthday, eat cake and ice cream and open gifts. And before you know it junior has opened up the toy packages before you have a moment to inspect. Its a lot to keep organized but with good planning and a few extra hands you can keep it all together. Remember some toys are not age appropriate and your kids wont be ready for them for few months or a even a couple of years. Some toys have many parts and pieces and often need assembly. And Finally you have the messy ones. Try to organize current toys before the party so you can see what you already have. If someone asks you what you need...tell them! Its ok to let people know what you want and some stores even have wishlists that you can update. This makes it easier for everyone to shop. Once the party is over make sure you want to keep all the toys. Return any duplicate toys or toys you cannot use. Make is easier on yourself and limit the amount of toys your kids have to choose from. Put away some of the new toys and pull them out on the next rainy day to beat old toy boredom.

Thinking about selling the clothes you purged from your newly organized closet? A consignment shop is a great way to make some money from items you no longer want. But be sure you know the rules before casting off your unwanted items. Before you load up your car with bags of clothing find out what stores will except and when. Most stores are no longer taking summer items and will only want winter and fall. Some items need to be on hangers and less than 3 years old unless of course it is Chanel. So call ahead, find out what they except and schedule an appointment.

Is it possible to be productive during the heat wave? All this extra time staying inside will give you a chance to help yourself and the environment. You can do this by organizing and unplugging cords under your desk, on counters and anywhere else cords are plugged into the wall. Right now its critical that we conserve energy. Anything that is plugged in, even if its not on is drawing power. By the way you are paying for this.

Tie loose cords together with cable ties. If you want to take it a step further add a label to the cord. This is helpful in the home office or entertainment center.

Tired of sorting through piles of owners manuals when you have a question about your camera or dishwasher? There are several ways to keep your manuals organized but here is a quick way to get started with the organizing process. If you do not have a lot of time begin by separating your manuals by "Appliances", "Electronics", "Equipment" and "Other." There are many ways to break these categories down further but this is the first step in the process. Its exciting to get a new appliance or gadget and sometimes keeping the paperwork together is the last thing on our minds when ripping open a box and trying to turn it on. Keep them safe and easy to find until you need them. Good Luck!

Have you ever lost your cell phone? It can be frustrating! Be sure to keep your IMEI, MEID or ESN numbers which can be found on your phone in a safe place. Use these numbers to identify your phone to carrier if ever lost. Use Find My Iphone App for the IPhone to locate your phone with GPS. For the Blackberry use the Blackberry locator App to to ring your phone even if its on vibrate or silent mode. Do this now before you loose your phone. Now if it could only find your keys.

Quick tip for kids toys. Kids accumulate a lot of toys and those toys come with many accessories. From tiny microscopic pieces to odd shaped extras making organizing a challenge! If the tiny pieces do not get much attention or the only attention they get is from your vacuum cleaner separate them from the toy bin. Store the pieces in a plastic bag or bin and add a label with the name and description. If the toys are used without the little extra pieces you might be able to get rid of them for good. But if they are a major part of the activity save for a later date.

What's going on under your kitchen sink? It can get pretty scary down there if you dont pay attention. Keep your cabinet organized by going through and purging products you dont need. I love cleaning products...I mean I really LOVE them but I cant buy everything thats out there on the market and I also dont have the space. Try to use multipurpose products whenever possible. It will cut your cleaning time in half and you wont have to store so many products. Then buy the refill bottles so you dont have several duplicate bottles the store.

If you are having trouble organizing the space under your sink check out the expandable undersink shelf. This shelf works great because you can work around the pipes under the sink. Its the only shelf I've seen that gives you so many options.

The weather keeps playing tricks on us. It gets warmer and warmer then the temperature drops again! It can make it difficult to completely commit to the switch over of wardrobes. As you organize for the spring and pack away your winter clothes keep out only out a few warmer outerwear items that dont take up a lot of room. Keep one hat and a pair of gloves gloves handy for those quick weather changes. You can easily store these out of the way during the summer months and have ready for the temperature drop in the fall.

Are you organizing some of the most basic needs in life Food or Clothing? Working in the kitchen to keep your refrigerator or pantry organized can help you in many ways. It helps you stick to your budget or healthy diet by knowing what you have in stock. It also helps curb spending on take out or letting good food go to waste. If you are organizing your clothes you know what you have any can find it quickly. Its especially important that you have the proper attire for the current weather conditions, work or other occasion.

Organizing baby clothes that no longer fit can be challenging. If you are planning on putting clothes away for future or plan on giving away be sure to keep the seasons and sizes in mind. Note newborn, baby and toddler sizes and include the months worn. For instance 3, 6, 9 months summer, winter or fall. Some consignment shops will only take clothes by season so you will want to be sure and separate. Some brands run big, small, shrink or stretch out. Be sure to write notes about the clothes when packing away so its easy to restock in the future.
Some labels include the weight. This is helpful when trying to figure out when they will be able to wear. If your clothes do not include weight, check the store tag or go online for the company's sizing chart.