Tired of holding up the checkout line behind you while you look for your store membership card? The type of card I am referring to are the reward cards for the grocery store, pet store, office supply store, hotel, airline, etc. with the bar code on the back that provides you extra rewards as a frequent shopper. There are three quick and easy solutions to choose from so you never waste time again looking for a card.

1.  Gather all your store and travel membership cards and put them in alphabetical order. Next, either put a rubber band around the cards or place them in a business card holder/case. When you are at the grocery store next time pull out the card you need, hold the card’s place until it is scanned by the cashier, then put it back in place.

2.  If you prefer you can have 6 store membership bar codes along with the membership numbers printed on one card. When you go to www.keyringthing.com you can print out a wallet card for free or you can have it made into a key ring card that is plastic. There is a charge for the key ring card ($4.95 as of May 2010) which is double-sided, full-color, credit card-size, 100% biodegradable; and earth-friendly plastic.

3.  If you have a smart phone you can download an application from the same company above to store your card numbers and bar codes in the application on your phone. Typically the cashier will need to use the handheld bar code scanner to scan your card instead of the larger built in scanner on the checkout counter. To learn about the application go to www.MyCardStar.com. The application is available for the iPhone, Blackberry, and Droid.

Happy card organizing!

If you recently purchased a new cellular phone and are not sure what to do with old, consider saving your most recent “old phone.” Why? Because if you new cellular gets wet or stops working you typically can take the SIM card out of your new phone and put it in your old phone until you decide your next plan of action.

Once you decide that you no longer need an extra phone, consider donating or recycling your old cellular phone.

Where to Donate or Recycle Cellular Phones and PDA’s:

Staples
Accepts: Cellular phones and PDA’s free of charge.
Remove all personal information that is store in your devices.

Office Depot
Accepts: Cellular phones and PDA’s free of charge.
Remove all personal information that is store in your device.

Collectivegood.com
Accepts: Cellular phones, PDA’s and iPods free of charge.
Remove all personal information that is store in your device.

Cellphonesforsoliders.com The cell phones are sold to a company that recycles them. The money that they get for the phones is used to purchase calling cards that we send to our soldiers serving. Remove all personal information that is store in your device.

Happy donating!

A label maker is the ultimate in organization. It is like putting icing on a cake, it is so sweet, at least for a person who has a passion for organization. When working with Kate Gosselin, of John & Kate Plus 8, Kate was thrilled when we introduced her to a label maker. Why wouldn’t Kate love a label maker, she loves to be organized.

We encourage all of our clients to make themselves replaceable and a label maker enables you to do just that. What I mean by making yourself replaceable is to set up systems so your household (or even your workplace) can function with or without you there. Once you get an area organized, label the shelves or containers. Then no one in your household will have the excuse that they couldn’t find something or didn’t know where to put something back in the right place. When you are out doing errands or exercising, you won’t be interrupted with, “Do you know where…” Then when you are at home, you’ll know that others in your household (the kids, babysitters, or significant others) can retrieve items AND put them back where they belong.

My very favorite label maker is the Brother P-Touch 2700 Label Maker that connects to a PC or Mac with a USB cable. The ability to connect to a computer allows you to put almost anything on your label such as a variety of fonts and font sizes, logos, shapes, multiple lines of text, UPS codes, etc. It is like having a blank canvas to be creative on.

Happy labeling!

If you have ever shopped for a major appliance like a refrigerator, dishwasher, stove, washer or dryer, you know how daunting the task can be. It is exhausting and confusing going from store to store.

To simplify your shopping experience, take along a digital camera. When you see an appliance that interests you, take two pictures - one of the entire appliance and a second close up picture of the sign with model number, features, and price. Follow these same steps as you continue to take pictures of other models you are interested in within the store. Before leaving the store snap a picture of the store’s name. When you visit the next store, repeat the same procedure.

Now you might be wondering why I said to take a picture of the store’s name before leaving it instead of when entering it. Allow me to explain. When you go to preview the pictures on your digital camera, the preview typically starts with the last picture taken. So as you scroll back through your photos you will see the name of the store, the sign with the model and name, and then a picture of the appliance.

Keep in mind you can zoom in on the photos with model numbers, features, and prices. This way when you are at the next appliance store, you can pull out your camera, preview the pictures of appliances you already looked at, and immediately compare prices.

Don’t limit this tip just to appliance shopping. You can do it for cars, prom dresses, cameras, and other electronic items. You can even email your friends to help you select your prom dress – be sure to take a picture of the dress with you in it!

Happy shopping!

Does time just fly by when you are on the computer? Does your time on the computer end up being less productive than you’d like it to be?  The likely culprit is the Internet. If you’re the type that easily gets caught up in reading the latest news and celebrity headline stories, here is a quick fix:

Make those irresistible headlines disappear! After all, if you can’t see them, you can’t and won’t be tempted to click on them. All you need to do is change the settings for your Internet Browser’s default home page. If this sounds complicated, don’t worry, it’s really simple to do.

First, you’ll need to decide if you want your Internet browser to open up to a blank page (no website) or a home page of a website that you use often, or would like to use. If you are choosing a web site, you must be careful to choose one that will not waste your time. I would recommend choosing one that has no reading material. But if you must, perhaps you can find one with quick, simple and beneficial tips. My recommendation, of course, would be http://www.dianealbright.com/blog, but if a blog causes you to waste too much time or has no immediate benefit, avoid it.  

Next, you’ll need to make changes to your Internet browser’s defaults or settings. I’ll take you through the steps for Internet Explorer (if you do not have the latest version of Internet Explorer, you may need to update it):

1. Open Internet Explorer (you probably already have it open if you are reading this).

2. Select Tools (normally on the far right, at the top).

3. Select Internet Options.

4. Select the General tab at the top.

5. Fill in the box at the top under Home. (See photo below) Enter the web address beginning with http:// and then enter the address. You may enter multiple addresses, but they each must be entered on a separate line. If you enter more than one web address, each individual web site will open up under a new tab on Internet Explorer. If you prefer that Internet Explorer does not open up to any web sites, remove the web address and leave the area blank.

6. Once the web addresses have been removed or entered, click OK to save the changes. The next time you open up Internet Explorer the changes should take effect.

Happy time-saving!