My Divine Concierge

Spring has Sprung

2011-04-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Now as we all hope that the last snow flake has fallen we can begin to clean out our closets of our winter clothes. I find that many of my clients have damage from Moths. My suggestion is to put all dirty winter wools, cashmeres and any other fibers they like to eat in storage with your local dry cleaner. Most will offer free storage when you dry clean your winter items for the next season.

This can avoid costly damage to your most expensive clothes and free up much needed closet space.

Get Organized for the Holidays and Save Money

2010-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

This year make a deal with yourself and take inventory of your holiday supplies. It's often tempting to pick up new holiday tableware, decorations, and gadgets when you see them in stores, especially if they're on sale. But buying new stuff without knowing what you already have--can be a recipe for wasted money and frustrating clutter.

Of course, this is also a perfect time to weed out unused stuff if you're so inclined, but the main idea is to get a sense of what you have and can use before you bring anything else into the house.

Make the old look new. For example, take the time to have that white table cloth professionally pressed and dress it up with some of those red trimmed napkins from your grandmother's trunk. It will take on a more nostalgic meaning.

Wishing you a Happy and Safe Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T09:11:00.000-08:00

If you are traveling this Thanksgiving, please be safe and try not to be in too much of a hurry. Being stressed takes away from the fun. Everything always works out somehow. Whether the food is burnt, someone forgot their dish or the tablecloth has a hole in it, your attitude about it can make it a miserable situation or something for all of you to laugh about. Make sure to laugh a lot. Togetherness with the family and friends, having fun and giving thanks for what you have is the most important thing, not the food or decorations. Enjoy the holiday! If you don't have any family to spend the time with, invite over some friends that are in the same situation and put together a small feast, rent some movies and have a good time. If you have friends with no where to go, invite them to come with you. Thanksgiving is a time when no one should have to be alone. Be sure to enjoy yours. Happy Thanksgiving

Get Organized for the Holidays

2010-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

The holidays are fast approaching and we still have plenty of time to prepare, but only if we get started now. Instead of waiting until December, why not plan ahead and get some things out of the way?

You may have a list that you follow every year, but if not, see our suggestions here. They'll help to get you started on a well-organized and joyous holiday.

Remember Traditions
If your family has tradition that you keep, year after year, plan everything you'll need for them now. Do you share a cookie exchange with friends? Do family members draw names for gift-giving? Do the children in your family prepare a skit or do adults tell family stories? Do whatever you need now to make sure the traditions are passed on. Remind everyone involved of the importance of their participation. Buy invitations and address them, prepare the menus, ask others to contribute what they love, and decide on a theme for the decorations. If you create a checklist, it will be easy to see what's left for you or others to do.
Prepare Your Gift List
If you're like many, you may have a closet of gifts already put away with friends' or family members' names on them. If not, make your gift list now. Collect catalogs if you like to order gifts, go to the local shopping center before the crowds arrive, or collect what you need if you make your own gifts. Make lists so you don't forget anyone important.
If you have to send gifts to out-of-town friends or family, plan to do it early. Get those gifts first and send them off.
Gather Your Supplies
It won't take long to get all your holiday supplies together. Make sure you have enough stamps for holiday cards. Check your supply of wrapping paper and ribbon. Collect basic kitchen items that you know you'll need. Make lists and use them.
Prepare Your Christmas Cards
You may not be in the mood to write out your holiday cards or annual letter yet, but you can spend an evening watching TV addressing the envelopes, pasting on return address labels, and adding stamps. Encourage your children to create their own cards to send to grandparents, cousins and friends.
Do Some Housekeeping
If you live in colder climates, you've probably already gotten your home ready for the winter. But if not, now is the perfect time to face annual chores in and outside of the house. Hose off the front door and garage door, polish silver, clean windows, chandeliers and light fixtures.
Are Guests Coming?
Now is a great time to clear out your extra bedroom, since you'll probably need it sometime this season for out-of-town guests or a sleepover. Put away out-of-season clothing, leaving room in the closet and drawers for your guests' things. Put away unfinished projects. Finally, add some of the comfortable touches that make a guestroom cozy. Make sure there are plush pillows, a good reading lamp and fun reading material, and an extra blanket.
Decorate the Outdoors
You may think it's too early to put-up holiday lights, but it's much easier to do it now than in the middle of a snowstorm! Test the lights before you put them up AND after, but don't turn them on at night until Thanksgiving time.
Cook, Bake, and Freeze
This is a great time to prepare cookie dough, yummy soups, cookies, bars, or whole dinners. You won't eat them all now, but store them away in the freezer. You'll be ready in a jiffy when you need to put on a quick or provide goodies for a party.
Plan Holiday Travels
If you're planning to be away for the holidays, it's a good idea to book your holiday travel now. Check your calendar with others in your family and get friends and family to do the same. If you have guests coming to your home, remind them to make their travel plans early.
Save Time for Fun
Don't forget to reserve time in your busy holiday schedule for simple fun. Check out movie offerings or rent a family favorite. Offer to volunteer at a community event or get tickets to see a "Nutcracker" matinee. Why not plan a simple a family "picnic" in front of the fireplace or a get out family photo albums. You'll be amazed how these simple things will turn into treasured memories.

What can be done in 15 minutes!

2010-10-19T06:32:00.000-07:00

Microsoft 2010 has a great template for medical records. Print it out and start to fill out your past medical history. I know I cant remember all the surgeries I have had in my life. I now carry a copy of this record with me when I go to the MD and just hand it to the Nurse and it saves time and mental energy regarding my past. When there is a change I just add it to the record.

Real Simple Real Hard

2010-10-19T06:23:00.000-07:00

While reading Real Simple Magazine, they did a piece on how to clean your laundry room in 15 minutes. They allowed a minute for several different cleaning projects. For example, 1 minute to disconnect the dryer hose. Vacuum it out with your crevice attachment, then reattach the hose. Any sane woman or man would be crazy to try this and get it done in 1 minute. I agree it needs to be done once a year but please do it with time and care so that all pieces are attached correctly so the hose is blowing outside the laundry room.
I think that Real Simple needs to realize that this job really needs to take 30 minute and not put so much pressure on us to perform in a cardio exercise method to get our laundry room clean.
Real Simple needs to give us a break on time and think about all the things we really can do in 15 minutes.

Real Estate and Paint recycling

2010-03-22T12:54:00.000-07:00

Attended The Westchester Real Estate Meeting in Tarryown today met some wonderful people. Found out that one of the most difficult things to get rid of in a home is paint. If you have a 1/2 of a can or less use kitty litter or saw dust to dry it out and then you can put it in the garbage with your trash. Or donate it to a charity like Habitat for Humanity. My Divine Concierge reccomends a second life for most things.

Eco Bridal Bathroom Baskets

2010-01-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

My Divine Concierge has a new division. Making eco friendly baskets for the bathroom at wedding receptions. I will make up the baskets drop them off for the event and then pick them up after the reception and donate the remainder to a womans shelter. The bride and groom will get a tax write off for the donations. The basket can even be made up with organic products in containers that can be recycled.

Keeping the cold out!

2010-01-11T05:18:00.000-08:00

Want to make your home more sealed to drafts from cold air? Walk around the house with a lite candle and see when it blows around and those will be the areas that need attention to getting sealed. A little caulk, some foam pads behind light switches can make all the difference.
You can save big $$$ and have a warmer home.

Recycling Sneakers

2009-05-18T18:17:00.000-07:00

Don't you want to know how to recycle your old sneakers. Wouldnt it be great to keep all those old shoes out of the land fill. Well here is the site you can mail your old shoes to, any brand.
Nike will take them and put them to good use.
Mail them to:
Nike Recycling Center,
c/o Reuse-A-Shoe
26755 SW 95th Avenue,
Wilsonville, OR. 97070

There are drop off sites check www.letmeplay.com/reuseashoe
to see if there is a site near you.
Love MDC

WOW me a guest speaker for Westchester Magazine

2009-04-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

http://dreamhome.westchestermagazine.com

I am being featured as the guest speaker for Westchester Magazine at their green DreamHome 2009 that is being built in Armonk. The money raised from tours every Thurs, Frid, Sat and Sun in May goes to the Open Door clinics in Westchester County. I will be speaker on keeping a green organized closet on 5/23 &30 from 1-2 pm. I hope you all can attend and see this beautiful home and all the green elements it has in it. You may get some great ideas to add to your own home.
Love MDC.

Paper Endless Paper

2009-04-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

When confronted with old banking statement, financial records, personal papers, the key to success to shredding. We live in a era of self protection. There are certain guidelines for how long to keep records, and as always I would like to see as much as possible be on the computer and paper free. I tend to keep 2 months of regular bills, ConEd, Water, and store credit cards as long as there are no errors. Anything for taxes go into a special folder for the CPA. Everything else with my name that I receive in the mail I shred so no one could use to assume my ID.

My motto is better to shred that to be re-created.

Love MDC

Crocs recycled.

2009-03-06T09:24:00.000-08:00

We want spring so bad we have started to clean out closets and try on shoes. Some of us may be going away for a warm vacation next month and will be going shopping to replace shoes the kids have outgrown or worn out. Case in point Crocs, what to do when they are used up.

info@solesunited.com is the place to go to either mail back for recycling or they have posted drop off sites where you can take the shoes to be shredded and make into new shoes for the kids in poor countries. It takes some work but so worth the extra effort.

Love MDC

2009-03-04T14:57:00.000-08:00

I am cleaning out the estate of a 71 year old woman who passed away. Her home needs to be sold and all the contents are being donated to charity. I came across this doll today and it made me wonder if it was 1 that she played with as a little girl? it is very old and appears to has been very loved. I am going to find a new home for it. Little Red Riding Hood needs to continue to be loved even though her owner has gone on to another place. this dolly truly shows how life comes full circle.

Love MDC

2009-03-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

2009-03-01T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hangers,
What are we to do with them. Today I cleaned out a closet that left me with hundreds of hangers. I recommend that you ask your dry cleaner for a cardboard caddy to keep then orderly in the closet and then return them at the next visit. When you consider the average woman or man using 1 garment off a dry cleaner hanger will go through about 300 a year, please lets return then for another go around. Then use the good hanger in your closets to keep your clothes looking great.
Love MDC

2009-02-22T18:35:00.000-08:00

Its Sunday Night and I am multi-tasking watching the Oscars and planning the weeks menu of meals. I went on line to BH&G and started a recipe box. They have all different styles,using all different cuts of meats, slow cookers, casseroles and everything in between, to make the night before and vegetarian. I like it because you don't have to print the recipe or ingredients just copy onto your shopping list what you need and read from your computer the rest of the directions. It has 1000's of ideas on line and easy to get to all for free. all green no money spent and new ideas with the same pieces of meat to keep meals different.
Love MD

Family Goals

2009-02-19T13:54:00.000-08:00

I have missed several days of blogging due to foot surgery. After a totally lost day to drugs and pain I got caught up on months of reading and and ideas for all of you. I read 1 thing that really struck me as a single mom of 3 teens. We all have goals, life, as a parent, work, as students, in many areas of our life, but do we have them as a family. I try very hard to have a sit down traditional dinner as often as possible and I want to come up with a goal for our family. When it comes to being organized having a family goal will bring all good thing together as a unit, the entire family. In this day and age we need as much of this as possible to keep our family whole and functioning with a goal in sight.
Love MD

2009-02-11T07:52:00.000-08:00

If you find that you can't find, then it is time to get to the bottom of the desk and look for the wood. I suggest you start with 1 pile at a time and shred, recycle or file for a later date to use. If it is an article you want to read, I carry a bag with me so when I have waiting time in MD offices or anywhere I can pull out that 1 things get it read and then be done with it.

Never tackle too much at one or you will end up walking away from the entire project.

Read and recycle 1 thing today and getit out of the house you will feel so much better. Have a great day.

Love MD

My Divine Quick Books

2009-02-10T13:47:00.001-08:00

First entry on my new blog. I am a green organizing/concierge business. I expect to talk about tips to keep green in your home, and life. Maybe even find some home that are in need of my services that I can go in an organize.
Today I worked on getting all my accounts in order for 08 to deliver to my CPS for my taxes.
Now it is not too late to start a folder to saved receipts for this years donation, and other items you want to keep. I go papperless as much as possible by paying bills on-line. it is easy to keep track and go back and make copies when you need them and you save so many stamps, if you need advice send me a question. Some paper we all need, for taxes, Uncle Sam says so. so buy a 12 month according file and just put your receipts for each month in the slot, then it will be much easier to get them ready at the end of the year. I keep mine under my desk so at the end of the night I stick everything in the right slot.
All the best lets get caught up now before it is too late.
Love MD