On Tuesday, June 10th, The Organizing Junkie is giving away a “real neat” menu planning system: the Hearty Meals for Hungry Families Starter Kit created by Lily On the Fly!

So, don’t delay… enter the contest today!

Family need something new to try? Use Lily’s meal cards and Plan On the Fly. Keep your Lily Meal Planning deck in your purse or glove compartment so you are always ready to shop “on the fly.”

It’s so easy to know what to buy. Just turn the cards over and Shop On the Fly. When you have time to stop by the store, simply use the color-coded meal deck to select the main dishes, side dishes and treats you would like to prepare. You can easily choose recipes right in the store as you think through your plans for the next few days, and see what is on sale!

Slide the chosen recipes into the magnetic card holder, then turn the holder over and you’ll see that a completely organized shopping list has been created for you. Follow the color coding straight down, and you’ll see the ingredients are organized in one of seven general grocery store areas. You can easily gather all the ingredients—on the fly!

Need to cook in the blink of an eye? Keep your recipes handy and Cook On the Fly. Once you’re back home, place your magnetic card holder on the refrigerator. You can easily locate the recipes when you are ready to make ’em, and your family has an easy reference to see “What’s for dinner?”

After preparing a meal, remove the card from the holder and place it back with your deck. No recipes left in the holder? It’s time to go back and Plan On the Fly.

Have you ever wondered about the offspring of a professional organizer?

Just a few days ago, I was working on the computer in my home office and Amanda (who is almost 4 years old) was playing on the floor nearby with her recently-acquired bounty of dollar-store toys. Next thing I know, she is beside me, pulling all her books out of their Rubbermaid home, and tossing them into a large tumbling pile behind her.

I said to her (in standard mommy tone), “Amanda, you know you’re going to have to put all those books back…”

Her reply (in standard you-just-don’t-get-it tone): “Maw-aww-mee, I’m reorganizing them!! See? These books go over here, and these books go over here!!”

So, now you know.

Currently, paper products are trying to devour my home; I have a problem throwing out and/or recycling paper. What do I do with all my husband’s CDs, DVDs, and VHS tapes? What do I do with all my notebooks? My books? How do I store my enormous yarn stash? Material? Thread? These are the items I have little piles of all over the house!

Not to worry… You can definitely learn how to organize your paperwork, your husband’s CD, DVD, and VHS collections; your books and notebooks; and your yarn, material, and thread. Just follow these steps…

get prioritized.

What is bothering you the most? Your enormous yarn stash or your books? Jot down a list, in priority order, of what needs to be organized. Think small. For example, you should break down your husband’s “mess” into three different organizing tasks : [1] VHS, [2] CD, and [3] DVD.

get focused.

Now that you have all your ducks in a row, tackle the first item on your organizing priority list. In fact, pretend that you’re a squirrel (kids or grandkids could help with this one) and gather like items into a single area. So, if you decided that your enormous yarn collection was most bothersome, gather all of your yarn together in a plastic bin or a pile on the floor.

get real.

Time to make some tough decisions. Realistically, what do you need to keep and what can go?

Ask yourself these questions:

• Do I currently use it? If not, how long have I had it?
• Do I really need it? What’s the worst that’d happen if I got rid of it?
• Do I truly love it? Is it beautiful? Does it hold great sentimental value?

Remember : Anything that you decide to keep will cost you in space, time, or sanity. Make sure it’s worth it.

get neat.

Now that you’ve pared down your collection, find an appropriately-sized container in which to store the remaining items. This will define your limits. You may only keep what will comfortably fit into your chosen container.

So, if your husband comes home with a new DVD, only to discover that the DVD storage cabinet is completely full, he must get rid of an old DVD to make room for the new one. Or, he can return the new DVD if he really doesn’t want to part with any of the old ones.

As you can see, by limiting your stuff to a container, you have created an easy maintenance system that will ensure your control over your belongings and your space.

Finally, repeat this process for any area of your home that you need to organize, and you’ll soon find yourself reveling your new home oasis!

… my new favorite website!

If you’re anything like me (i.e., an avid reader who also favors organization and simplicity), you’ll quickly fall in love with this online book trading community!

~ get started ~

Scour your home, collect at least 10 books (i.e., paperback, hardcover, and even audio) that you no longer want or need, and enter their respective ISBN’s at PaperBackSwap.com. Then, browse or search the inventory of over 2 million books to find new-to-you reading materials, and order your first 2 books for free in a matter of minutes!

~ next steps ~

Then, you just send out any books that others request from your virtual bookshelf (via USPS media mail) to earn credits that you can then use to order gently used books for yourself. Not a bad deal! It’s like trading books with your neighbors… in your really big subdivision (i.e., United States)… who collectively read a lot of books (i.e., over 2 million)!

~ end result ~

So far, I’ve sent out 8 books in 8 days and received 5 of the 7 books that I’ve ordered. It’s been a really easy and inexpensive way to acquire like-new books that I’ve been wanting to read (and aren’t available at our local library)! Plus, of course, the bonus : I’m getting rid of my clutter at the same time!

[ Hey… What are you waiting for? An invitation!?! Go check it out! ]

* * * Update: Mamasource.com is now Mamapedia™ * * *

…a safe and easy way to connect with other moms in your local area where you can find the advice, referrals, and insight you need in a supportive community of moms helping moms.

As a Mamasource member, you can:

• Ask other local moms any question you need help with.
• Read the questions other moms have asked—and see what answers they have received.
• Share your own advice and practical referrals with other moms who need your help.
• Promote your business to other moms who could use your products or services.

Shortly after our family moved to Kentucky in June of 2006, I stumbled upon Mamasource.com while “surfing the ‘Net” one evening. I was able to touch base with other moms in the area for referrals to hair stylists, moms groups, pediatricians, and more.

The following year, once my professional organizing business was officially up and running, I added my [ real neat ] listing to Mamasource.com and shortly thereafter received an inquiry from a local mom interested in learning more about my services! Needless to say, Mamasource has been a wonderful repository of information and a great source of referrals!

Sign up today (for free!), then be sure to check out the listings and reviews for [ real neat ] and GCC MOPS. In fact, feel free to add your own review!