Apr 18 - Tips and Tidbits from GON Readers - GON in 5 Minutes Newsletter

Published: Fri, 04/18/25

Updated: Sat, 04/19/25

Get Organized Now!

In Less Than 5 Minutes!

by Maria Gracia

April 18, 2025

GetOrganizedNow.com

We respect your time.

This newsletter will take

5:00 minutes to read.

Pick five old file folders and flip through them—shred any personal information, recycle what’s irrelevant, and keep only what you truly need. You’ll feel lighter with every folder you finish.

Tips and Tidbits from GON Readers

GON Reader Letter #1

Travel Tested, Mom Approved

Hi Maria,

Thanks for the great newsletter. Regarding your February 19th edition, we travel very often and our flights range from five to eleven hours.

I recommend eating a healthy, filling meal before the flight, if possible. We also bring a sandwich and a large water bottle (empty...and then fill at a water filler once past the security checkpoint) per person.

If you can, try to get an exit seat or a seat with more leg room. This makes a huge difference in terms of comfort, especially on a long flight.

Try to avoid having anything under the seat of the person in front of you. It is difficult to reach and it compromises your legroom.

Last, if you are traveling with an infant, make sure that you have some help. We have travelled several times from Cyprus to Chicago with our kids and they would put me with the baby in the cot section, and my husband 10 rows behind.

Insist that your travel partner be placed behind you. When we were traveling with an infant and toddler, the toddler sat with her dad behind me, while I was in the cot section.

-- Jenny

GON Reader Letter #2

Pump Up Your Packing Game

Hi Maria,

Here’s a great item to add to traveling essentials. I have 3-ounce as well as 1-ounce airless pumps for travel. No spills, easy to use and refill. Packs in smaller space. Thanks for all your wonderful tips.

Best regards,

Ellen L.

GON Reader Letter #3

Passwords, Closets, and a Big Win

Hello GON team,

I always appreciate the daily email even when I don't read it until days later. I want to share a "win" with you.

In 2020, I started sorting out my passwords. It was the year of COVID and we couldn't go out much. I created an alphabetical list on my home computer with tabs for 3 people. I added nearly all the websites, user name, passwords, and extra information but ran out of steam to check all the data. We have been using the documents since then, and added more information as needed.

Recently, I was home recovering from dental surgery and I spent two hours finishing the task, and then shredded about seven pages of old information. It is now easy to find information and to update when needed.

I also dug through my closet and removed clothing that has not been worn in years. It is not entirely sorted, but its much better than it was.

Thank you for your inspiration to "start" and then do more later.

Cheers,

Anne S., Salem OR

GON Reader Letter #4

Piece by Piece, Turned into Art

At my mom's assisted living home there was a gentleman who LOVED making jigsaw puzzles. In the spring they held an "art show" and visitors could bid on their favorites. It gave the puzzles a home and the puzzle builder got a little spending money.

-- Dottie

GON Reader Letter #5

Cards on a Ring, Chaos in Check

I punch holes in the corners of business cards and keep them together on a binder ring in a drawer. Works for me!

-- Susan M.

On another note...

Book lovers (like me) light up over great stories—but there’s something extra special about receiving a gift that celebrates the whole reading experience. My Gifts for Bookworms (Beyond Just Books) curated list will delight you...or anyone in your life who loves reading!

When the Sired Sounds, Take it Seriously

The recent tornadoes that struck Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, and surrounding areas left behind a heartbreaking path of destruction. Homes were destroyed, communities were shaken, and, most tragically, lives were lost. Our hearts go out to every person grieving, rebuilding, and trying to make sense of the devastation.

If you live in a tornado-prone area, please don’t wait to prepare.

Identify the safest place in your home—like a basement or an interior room on the lowest floor, away from windows.

Keep a weather radio or fully charged phone nearby with alerts turned on.

Prepare a small emergency kit with water, snacks that won't perish, flashlight and batteries, medications, pet supplies, and copies of important documents in a waterproof pouch.

Slip in a pair of shoes and a jacket—you may need them if you have to move quickly after the storm.

And when the tornado siren goes off in your neighborhood, take it seriously. It’s not just a warning—it means a tornado has been spotted or is forming nearby.

Don’t ignore it. Don’t wait to “see if it’s bad.”

Move to your safe spot immediately. In storms like these, every second matters. Being prepared and acting quickly can save your life and the lives of those you love.

Enjoying my newsletter? Please REPLY and let me know! Also, please forward this newsletter to 5 of your family members and/or friends and share the love!

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GON Member Bonus!

As a valued member of my GON in 5 Minutes Newsletter, you get exclusive bonuses—PLUS unlimited access to all of my previous ones. This month's featured bonus is my...

GON Spring Cleaning Checklist
Get your home spring-ready with my GON Spring Cleaning Checklist. Every essential task is planned out for you.

Also, if you don't already have it, my 2025 Monthly Organizing Calendar is still available. Jump in today and start tackling those organizing tasks.
To access these free resources, click here

April 2025 Monthly Organizing Checklist:

My new April 2025 Monthly Organizing Checklist is here. It contains an organizing TO DO for every day of the month!

April Organizing Challenge: Train Your Brain: 30 Days to a Sharper Mind: Your brain is like a muscle. The more you challenge it, the stronger it gets. Keeping your mind active can improve memory, boost creativity, and sharpen your problem-solving skills. Take the challenge here

Results of Last Month's Web Poll: If you could complete one spring cleaning chore without lifting a finger, what would it be? Access the results of this poll including a bunch of GON reader comments.

New Web Poll: April is National Gardening Month. How's Your Green Thumb? Vote in my GON Reader Poll on my home page and let us know.

"Some dangers are so spectacular and so much beyond normal experience that the mind refuses to accept them as real, and watches the approach of doom without any sense of apprehension.

The man who looks at the onrushing tidal wave, the descending avalanche, or the spinning funnel of the tornado, yet makes no attempt to flee, is not necessarily paralyzed with fright or resigned to an unavoidable fate.

He may simply be unable to believe that the message of his eyes concerns him personally. It is all happening to somebody else."

-- Arthur C. Clarke

I'd love to hear from you.

I LOVE GON reader mail! Whether it's a comment, suggestion, or just a note to say hello, REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...there's no better time to get organized, than to Get Organized Now!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
GetOrganizedNow.com

How to Use This Newsletter

In this newsletter, you will find stories, ideas, inspiration, links and more to help you live a less stressful, more organized, more fulfilling life.

We encourage you to apply these ideas to your own life AND share them liberally with your family, friends, and fan base via email, on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, other social media outlets, and in person, of course!

When you share, please mention my name and web site - Maria Gracia - GetOrganizedNow.com as the source.

Thank you for helping to spread the gift of organizing far and wide!

-- Maria

Maria Gracia,

Get Organized Now!

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-- Maria Gracia

Get Organized Now!
611 Arlington Way
Watertown Wisconsin 53094
USA

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