What do you do with old magazines??

I keep my magazines in my bathroom, because…WELL YOU KNOW, I don’t have to explain myself!!! I go through them once a year and only keep the ones I can’t get online, (which you can usually get most articles online now and days.) I also only keep 12 months worth…so just 12 at a time.

Magazines are easier to fit into a bathroom, however large numbers of magazines can give an even more cluttered look to the often cramped environment of a bathroom. I like to keep all of mine in a basket. There are several types of baskets that you can purchase that have been specifically designed for the use of magazines and newspapers, but you can use any type of basket that is going to fit neatly into your bathroom and its decor.

HOMEWORK: Go through all your magazines and recycle the ones you don’t read or are over 12 months old!!

Have a great and ORGANIZED weekend!!

Expiration Dates

So have you ever opened your fridge and went to pour yourself a glass of milk and looked at the expiration date and it was a day over…WHAT DO YOU DO???????

Well I am CRAZY so I toss it. BUT DO YOU REALLY HAVE TO?

Expiration dates don't mean as much as many people think they do. Most food is still edible after the expiration date but may not taste very good.

Most people are surprised to find out that Stores are not legally required to remove food once the expiration date has passed. Dating is not federally required, except for infant formula and baby food. States have varying laws. Most states require that milk and other perishables be sold before the expiration date.

The major codes are:

• Sell by Don't buy the product after this date. This is the "expiration date."
• Best if used by Flavor or quality is best by this date but the product is still edible thereafter.
• Use by This is the last day that the manufacturer vouches for the product's quality.

So what does this have to do with organizing you ask???

It is important once every 3 months to go through your can foods, cake mixes, Mac and cheese boxes, and other items that have expiration dates on them. When you go through them make a note to yourself to use them within the amount of time, throw them away, or give to a local food shelter.

***NOTE: Check the expiration dates on packages like pancakes and cake mixes that have yeast which over time develop spores. Apparently, the mold that forms in old mixes can be toxic! Throw away ALL OUTDATED pancake mix, brownie mixes, Bisquick, cake & cookie mixes, etc.; you have in your home.

Calenders!!

Do you ever feel like you have so many things to do in a week, you just don’t know where to start? Well many times I do.

Calendering is a great way to organize your week and will help to get everything done!!

WRITE IT ALL DOWN

So you have already made a written schedule of your week! (RIGHT!) Now you just have to put in your calendar the things your family needs to know. (Not you’re cleaning schedule.)

At the beginning of the month put in extra curricular activities like dance, sports, church activities etc.

Then on Sundays it is a good day to sit down with your household and plan your week. For example, this week my sister from Utah is coming in, so I will let the family know the days she will be here and how the normal weekly schedule will change because of it. Or if my Highschooler has a meeting for school then at that time she will let the family know so we can write it on the

calendar.

Find a Calendar that works for you. For years I had one of those paper calendars that I would write in, and then last year I wrote everything in my calendar phone. This year I decided to use my white board that has a calendar on it. I LOVE IT! It’s big enough for the whole family to see.

Oh!! There are some households that the parents work schedule is different everyday, so you will want to write that I too!!!

The goal is to find a calendar that works for you!