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Tips for a Visit to the Doctor’s Office

Posted by admin in Emergency Preparation | Events | Health | Kids | Paper | Planning | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

In spite of the advances in medical care over the past years, there are still times when a visit to the doctor’s office becomes necessary. This varies for different people. When it is time for an appointment with your physician, there are some important things you can do to be prepared.

Listed below are some step-by-step items to  consider as you prepare for your visit. In addition, you may want to listen to Tips for a Visit to the Doctor’s Office on The Organized Woman Show. Also consider taking along a friend or family member to help you remember what you learn and to help you ask for the information you need. A notebook and pencil will help you remember also. Spending a little time prior to your visit will make the time spent with your doctor more productive.

CHECKLIST FOR YOUR VISIT WITH YOUR DOCTOR

Information for you to be prepared to share with your doctor:

1. Pay attention to your symptom(s). What is the location, duration, and character of the discomfort? What brings them on? What aggravates them? What relieves them?

2. List all your medications and dosing schedules. Include all prescription and nonprescription medications, supplements, vitamins, herbs, and minerals. You might bring them with you to show your doctor. That way, if there are questions about the dosing, there is no confusion.

3. List prior and current medical conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart attacks, or cancers.

4. List prior surgeries (appendectomy, hysterectomy, knee replacement, etc.), procedures (colonoscopy, mammography, upper GI x-rays, etc.), and hospitalizations. Bring any hospitalization records and procedure reports in your possession.

Questions for you to ask:

1. What do you think is the cause of my problem?

2. Is there more than one issue that could be causing this?

3. What tests will you do to diagnose my problems?

4. How accurate are these tests?

5. How safe are these tests?

6. What is the cost of these tests?

7. What is the likely course of this condition? What is the long-term outlook with and without treatment?

8. What are my options and how effective is each? What are the benefits versus the risks of each?

9. If my symptoms become worse, what should I do on my own? When should I contact you?

10. Are you aware of each of the medications that I am taking? Can they negatively interact with the medications you are prescribing?

11. Do I need to watch for side effects of the medications that you are prescribing or for their interactions with other medications I am taking?

Items to consider in follow-up care:

1. Do not stop prescribed medications on your own, even if your symptoms have improved. If your prescription runs out, ask your doctor whether you should obtain a refill.

2. If the prescribed treatment is not helping you, or is causing side effects, inform your doctor right away. He/she may have to reconsider the diagnosis and/or change the treatment.

3. If the doctor cannot offer you a firm diagnosis or help you with your symptoms despite repeated visits, it is a good idea to ask for another opinion. Most doctors will be glad to help their patients solicit second opinions or specialty consultations.

This is YOUR health and YOUR responsibility.

4. Always ask your doctor about your test results. Never assume that everything must be fine if you do not hear from the doctor’s office.

5. Inform your doctor if you are using alternative medicine or non-prescription remedies because some of these remedies may interact with your prescribed medications.

6. Educate yourself with credible medical information. Increasing your own knowledge about the characteristics of your particular condition, your medications, and their side effects can benefit you, your family, and your doctor. Information about your condition may be provided by your doctor. You can also find valuable information on the Internet. Be certain to look for credible Web sites.

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Utah County “Prescription Take-Back Event”

Posted by admin in Kids | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

According to the Utah County “Clean Out Your Cabinet” site, here are

3 reasons you should Clean Out Your Cabinet:

  • Utah leads the nation in prescription pain medication abuse

  • 70% of those who abuse pain relievers say they get them from friends or relatives —
    typically without their knowledge

  • Improperly disposing of drugs can harm our water supply and aquatic life

You can learn more about this very important task by listening to Clean out the Medicine Cabinet on The Organized Woman Show and by

watching  this short video to learn the best and safest way to dispose of unused medication.

Be part of SMART UTAH COUNTY and join the crusade to make our families safer! Thank you, Utah County, for teaching us to be SMART!

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Cooking Without Clutter Event with Dream Dinners!

Posted by admin in Clutter | Events | Food | Kids | Kitchen | Planning | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (2 Comments)

It’s 5:00 p.m. — any idea at all what’s for dinner? You know you’re going to get home and find hungry people and not much time to deal with it!

Harmony Within Professional Organizing is teaming up with Dream Dinners in Orem to create  a fun-filled party at Dream Dinners where you will find out how you can turn dinnertime challenges into dinnertime success. In about an hour, not only will you taste some of Dream Dinners delicious dinners, you’ll hear how Dream Dinners will give you back hours every month, saved you  money and make dinnertime less stressful.

Plus, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite tips for keeping your kitchen clutter free! It’s going to be a night to remember! Please feel free to invite your friends and family–just have them each RSVP so we will have enough yummy stuff for everybody!

RSVP

You can RSVP to attend as an observer for free OR even better, you can RSVP to make a dinner to take home with you.

DATE

Thursday September 30

TIME

7:00 PM

LOCATION

845 N 100 W Suite 105

Orem, UT  84057

STORE PHONE

801-225-7655

YOUR HOST

Danielle and Laura

danielle.mahoney@dreamdinners.com

laura@harmonywithin.com

RSVP at Orem Dream Dinners

SESSION PASSWORD:  clutter

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72-Hours Kits for Emergency Preparedness!

Posted by admin in Emergency Preparation | Events | Home | Kids | Planning | Podcast | Uncategorized - (2 Comments)

September is National Emergency Preparedness Month. It’s a great time to learn more about how to prepare and then taking it to the next level by actually doing it!

One of the first things I would recommend is creating or purchasing an Emergency Kit or 72-Hour Kit for each member of your household. I have just posted a great audio show on creating 72-Hour Kits on The Organized Woman Show that will give you step-by-step ideas for this. If you would like copies of a couple lists that can be really helpful, I have here for you:

I do need to say that I have accumulated information on this topic from many places. In the process, the source for the 6-month plan seems to have disappeared. I apologize profusely to the wonderful person who created it–I would so like to give you credit! If anyone happens to have the information, please pass it along to me so I can give credit where credit is due!

A few suggestions for this process:

  1. Listen to 72-Hour Kits on The Organized Woman Show
  2. Meet with your family to come up with a plan
  3. Update your kit every 6 months (put a note in your calendar or planner–or make it a habit as the time changes seasonally). Check food, water, medication, clothing sizes, personal needs, personal documentation, batteries, etc.
  4. A few small toys/games are a good idea to provide comfort and distraction during a stressful time.
  5. Let the older children be involved so they learn the process.
  6. Don’t hesitate to add items unique for your family–these are your packs.

Remember, when you are prepared, you have no need for fear! For more information on Emergency Preparation, you may visit the website of the National Association of Professional Organizers and FEMA and Ready.gov.

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Getting Ready For School to Begin

Posted by admin in Events | Home | Kids | Kitchen | Office | Pantry | Paper | Planning | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Counting down . . . 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and Back to School! Whether it’s something your family dreads or eagerly awaits, heading back to school creates all kinds of activity and change. Besides the obvious back-to-school shopping (see Back to School Shopping) , there are other things you can do ahead of time to feel more organized and ready to embrace the new school year.

I have a few ideas to share with you to help you gear up. Before I share these, may I suggest two things:

  1. Take a look at the past. What have been the successes during the school years for your family? What have the trials and frustrations been? In other words–what worked and what did not!
  2. Imagine the school year of your dreams. Break that down into the week or day of your dreams. What would it look like? How would it feel? How would it sound?

Now that you know what you don’t want and what you do want, you’re ready to begin creating a plan! Allow some time to think about and create the plan and be sure to include your family in these steps! Schedule a “team meeting” to discuss schedules, curfews, meal times and chores. Then choose one or some of the ideas below to try at your house.

Some ideas you can consider:

  • Create a landing pad. Somewhere near the door where everyone enters and leaves you home, make a designated spot for hanging jackets and backpacks, stashing shoes, placing items that need to be remembered as people leave, etc. This will vary in design on your needs, your space and your family members.
  • Create a home management center or household hub. If you already have one in place, take a look at what might need updating or rethinking. This is a one-stop-shopping place for all family members to find family calendars, contact information, school calendars, class schedules, medical information, shopping lists, take-out menus, etc. It can be in a binder, in files or in any way that it is organized and easily accessible for everyone.
  • Create a homework zone. This will be the designated spot for kids to do homework. It may be at a desk or at the kitchen table–anywhere free from distractions such as the TV. Plan for good lighting, a clear workspace, computer access and any other type of reference materials needed.  You will want to be sure to have on hand plenty of school supplies–perhaps a general supply bin or a smaller individual set for each child.
  • Plan for a snack zone. Create a spot where the kids and the parents know the snacks are accessible and approved. This will take some planning–but you KNOW they’re going to be hungry when they get home. Accept it, understand it and plan for it!
  • Plan your own time so that you can be available as a support for your kids. Teach them to be responsible for checking their backpacks and calendars for important project information and paper for parents. Offer input if requested with homework, but don’t take from them the satisfaction and the savvy they’ll gain from doing it by themselves.
  • Consider a trial run. A few days before the actual Day #1, practice the bedtime routine, the morning routine and the after-school routine. Make sure the kids have input into the planning and implementation–they’ll be much more interested in your ideas if you are interested in theirs!

No, it will never BE perfect. If it were, we’d have nothing left to work for. But it can be better, and we can progress daily and weekly. We can take a look at how things are going and decide if we need to regroup.

For more information and some additional ideas on this topic, you are always welcome to listen free to The Organized Woman Show!

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Organizing for Back-to-School Shopping

Posted by admin in Clothing | Home | Kids | Laundry Room/Mud Room | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

OK–so there are a lot of years of back-to-school shopping before you get to this wonderful day! This is my fourth child, Lane, on his graduation day.  Four down–two to go.  School shopping has been going on in my family for 23 years and I figure another six to go. Hopefully in all those years, I’ve learned a few things that might help someone else!

Back-to-school time brings excitement for some–anxiety for others. Either way, there are some things that can be done in preparation, including school shopping, to increase the anticipation and fun.  Maybe you have never considered that getting organized for the shopping would be helpful. Let me share a few things that might help!!

  1. ACCESS where you are right now. For each student, what do they already have? What needs repairs or replacement? What can be passed along to another child in your own family? What needs to be donated or sold? Make sure to involve your student and have them actually try anything on that is in question.
  2. CREATE a list of what you would like to buy for each child. Make sure to list by the type of item, the size, the color options and style. You might think about letting your kids look through magazines or online for ideas on what they like. This is a good time to talk about your family standards as far as what is acceptable. At our house–skulls are out!

This is also the time to take a look at the family budget and consciously choose what funds are available. You will find that clothing needs for older children tend to be more expensive and extensive! Also decide about using cash vs. credit and don’t forget the school supplies, backpacks, lunch money, school fees, etc., that will also be needed. Make sure your student is aware of what their individual budget is and is given some wiggle room within the budget to make some decisions. Great practice! Carrying a small notebook to record purchases as you go will help you stay out of the red!

TACKLE the job. Plan the actual shopping trip by considering:

  • do you want to do it one-on-one with each child?
  • would it be worth hiring a babysitter for a bit?
  • do you want to make it special day with lunch out?
  • is shopping online a good idea?
  • are your kids old enough to shop with their friends, put some things on hold and they return with you for final decisions and payment?
  • how much time will be needed (you may find that doubling what you believe it will take will be about right!)
  • will you shop for everything for the year now or just for this season and go back later to finish up?
  • would it be smart to go early in the morning or later in the evening to avoid crowds?

Once you have made the purchases, take advantage of this teaching moment to teach your children how to store and care for their clothing. If they are attending school, they will have some capability for learning to hang or fold clothing and how to determine when it needs laundering. Remember that “M” is for Mother–not Maid!

If you would like to listen to our audio show on “How to Organize Your Back-to-School Shopping,” please visit us at The Organized Woman Show! And be sure to leave your own ideas below — You’ll have some that we haven’t thought of, too!

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Organize Your Clothes Closet!

Posted by admin in Clothing | Clutter | Kids | Planning | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

CLOSET ORGANIZING TIPS

Make your closet a place that works well for you. A place where you can easily put things away, see what you have and recognize what you no longer need!

A-C-T Now to Organize Your Closet

Assess—Take a look at what is working well and what is not working in the space.

Create—Imagine how you would like it to be. Make a plan—draw it or make a list. Schedule time to do the job!

Tackle—Get the job done! Our S.P.A.R.K. formula will walk you step-by-step to a beautiful, functional closet.

S.P.A.R.K.

SORT—Put like items together in categories (shirt, pants, etc) and sub-categories (long sleeve, by color, whatever works for your brain!)

PURGE—Be ruthless! Most of us wear 20% of our clothes 80% of the time. Ask: Do I love it? Do I look good in it? Does it fit me NOW? Do I have room for it? Then choose: To Keep, To Donate, To Toss into labeled boxes or bags.

ASSIGN a home—Create zones or sections for like items to be stored together. Put those you wear most often in the easiest to access area.

ROUND Up containers—Use doors, walls, shelf-extenders, baskets, bins—anything to better use your space. Don’t forget to label as needed to simplify finding and putting away items.

Leave a little space to make putting things away easier. Using all the same type of hangers makes a big difference. The second picture here shows some of my favorites!

KEEP IT UP—Always put things away as you take them off. It only takes seconds to hang up a shirt. If you purchase something new—something old must leave or you will be bulging again soon! Seasonally purge items not worn that season.

You can learn more about closet organizing by listening to “How To Organize Your Closet,” on The Organized Woman Show!

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How to Balance Work and Family

Posted by admin in Business | Kids | Office | Planning | Time | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

If you aren’t familiar with a new magazine for women in business, I’d like to introduce you! Please meet Women in Business Magazine! Grace Gonzales and crew do a great job of spotlighting business women in Utah and sharing their stories for our benefit!

I’m lucky enough to be able to contribute regularly to the magazine and thought you would enjoy reading the most current article on “How to Balance Work and Family.” Be sure to also take the personal quiz to help you recognize where you might be in your efforts to achieve balance!

If you’d like to read more, please visit “How to Balance Work and Family,” and be sure to subscribe to Women in Business!

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How Organized is Organized Enough?

Posted by admin in Cleaning | Clutter | Emergency Preparation | Events | Home | Kids | Office | Paper | Planning | Tools and products | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Here we are mid-summer. If you are like me, you may be starting to feel the “lack-of-routine-blues.” Maybe household chores are lagging behind, maybe your desk has unusually tall stacks of paper waiting for filing, or maybe your meals or sleep routines are not what you prefer. As much as I look forward to and enjoy the change of pace in the summer, now is the time I begin to crave a little more order and routine.

I am a believer, however, in being organized enough. And, I believe everyone is allowed to choose, along with their families or house-mates, how organized that is. This is also where I add that I am convinced that “being organized” is a tool for creating the life you want–not a goal in and of itself.

That being said, it makes sense that this tool will be used in different ways at different times and seasons. When you are going through a time of huge transition, having certain organization systems in place can bring a sense of calm and a reminder of stability. However,  allowing yourself to let down on those systems for a short time can also be a “vacation” in a way, for your energies to focus elsewhere.

If you are in a life transition or crisis, I believe you might want to consider giving yourself a break. Consider what REALLY MATTERS to you at that moment. Is it really going to matter if the floor doesn’t get vacuumed for a day or two while you focus on a relationship in need? Maybe it does for you–maybe it does not. Maybe continuing with the routine is just what will ground you to get through the event. Maybe letting it go for a short time will free you to deal with it.

My thought here is that it may be different for everyone–and that everyone has the choice for themselves. Don’t allow anyone else to “should” on you–and don’t “should” on them. The one thing can can never be taken from us is our right to choose our attitude–to choose our mind-set.

So, if you are feeling overwhelmed in any part of your life, might I suggest you ask yourself these questions:

  1. What part of the problem am I?
  2. What are the needs and wants of those I love?
  3. What do I want most out of this experience?
  4. What is the most important thing I can do right now to have the biggest impact? (Thank you, Matt Townsend!)

The answers to these questions are yours alone. They will change in every situation. And, the answers will help you know for yourself what direction you want to take.

So–for this moment. Are you organized enough? Would being more organized help you? I’d love to hear your thoughts on my ramblings! Have a peaceful day!

**The four questions above are cited from

Matt Townsend’s book,

STARVED Stuff:

Feeding the Seven Basic Needs

of Healthy Relationships

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Finding Balance in Your Life!

Posted by admin in Business | Clutter | Events | General | Home | Kids | Office | Paper | Time | Uncategorized - (0 Comments)

Are you feeling that your life may be out of balance?  Do you find yourself spending too much time on things that may not really contribute to things that are important to you? Here are a few “True and False” questions to ask yourself to help you determine if and where you might need to make adjustments:

1. I have plenty of time to do what I want to do.
2. I am on a health program that helps me feel energetic and productive.
3. I am excited to get up and going every day.
4. There are no people in my life (at home or at work) who pull me down or offer negative energy.
5. I love my home (where it is, how it looks and what is inside it).
6. My home or office is organized and not cluttered.
7. I spend my time doing the things I have chosen to do rather than what others say I should do.
8. My work is satisfying and rewarding.
9. I take at least two weeklong vacations a year–not necessarily trips, but breaks from my normal schedule.
10. I do not work on weekends.
11. I get adequate sleep.
12. I have plenty of quality time with my family and/or other people important in my life.
13. I have at least one hobby or pastime outside of my work and family activities.
14. I eat food and drink beverages that make me feel energized instead of sluggish and are low in sugar.
15. I allow myself to enjoy at least 15 minutes of silence a day.
16. I have friends that are easy to be with and help me feel great about myself.
17. I carry no heavy emotional weights or addictive behaviors.

How many true answers did you have? Have many false? If you have more true response than false, you are doing pretty well with balancing things in your world. If you had 8 or less true answers, it is time to stop, evaluate, ask for help, and whittle down your to-do list until it becomes one that you have created based on activities that truly support and build your priorities.

For help in creating balance in your work life, your home life–your OWN life, please contact us at 801-376-3367. Our mission is to help you create “Harmony Within.”

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