No, not actual ‘trash talking’… Sorry to disappoint. 😉

Reuse a plastic shopping bag as a ‘trash receptacle’ in your car. For added stability, secure the bag inside a cardboard box. Store replacement bags nearby in an empty paper towel tube or tissue box. When the bag is full, toss it into the trash can at the gas station next time you refuel the car.

Recycle old crayons that are too short to draw with to make new crayons in fun shapes.

Heat makes a crayon a little loopy; it may melt into a swirl or pool into a whirl. With this in mind, we chopped up crayons and baked them in shaped mini cake tins, making large blocks that are easy for toddlers to hold and will surely inspire older artists.

Encourage kids to come up with their own combinations—a blue-and-white blend for drawing the sky, or a mix of reds and oranges for sunsets.

Tools and Materials : old crayons, kitchen knife, mini cake tins

Crayon How-To Parents can use the knife to chop crayons into pea-size pieces, taking care to keep colors separate so kids can combine them as they like. Preheat the oven to 150°F while children fill the tin with crayon pieces, arranging them in interesting designs. Bake just until the waxes have melted, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shapes after they have cooled. If they stick, place the tray in the freezer for an hour, and the crayons will pop right out.

— courtesy of Martha Stewart Kids

Next time you stop at a gas station to ‘fill up the tank,’ set the nozzle on the pump to run automatically. Then, use the ‘wait time’ to clean your car—remove trash, collect stray items, wash the windshield, etc.

I have fallen in love with a monkey!

Well, not really, but I am very excited that MailChimp has changed their free account option to include a larger mailing list size! Woohoo! So, fellow small business owners, you absolutely must give MailChimp a try—check out the e-mail campaign that I just sent out on behalf of www.EquestrianHomeLeasing.com!

Now, let me count the ways…

1. free up to 500 subscribers,
2. free up to 3000 emails per month,
3. gorgeous website… (an absolute must in my book),
4. clever + hilarious copy (i.e., writing),
5. easy-to-use interface,
6. list segmentation,
7. detailed reports (i.e., tracking),
8. powerful webmaster tools,
9. truly helpful help (i.e., articles, tips, blog),
10. and did I mention FREE !?!

Hands-down, MailChimp is the ideal way to manage any and all of your e-mail campaigns (i.e., special offers, monthly newsletters, birthday wishes, holiday greetings, etc.)!

Feeling disorganized or just need a little help? Jodie Watson, Founder and President of Supreme Organization and organizational expert from TLC’s Real Simple. Real Life. is working with Avery Dennison to help you take control of your professional and personal life with Do-It-Yourself Organization.

These organization tips, along with great products like Avery labels, will give you the knowledge, resources and confidence to get organized, so you can save time, gain peace of mind, and transform an ordinary project into something extraordinary. That’s the power of a great label.^™