GON Reader Letter #1
Let Music Be Your Timer
I often find it difficult to keep track of time spent on a task, and I don't really care for alarms all that much.
However, I do love
music!
What I've discovered is that making playlists on my iTunes that last for a specified amount of time is a terrific way to keep me on task. When the music stops, so do I!
-- Ruth Powers, Carbondale, CO
GON Reader Letter #2
A Low-Maintenance, Beautiful Garden System
Few people think of a garden as being organized, but I love to have things simple. So I chose plants that are inexpensive, take little attention, bloom all summer or have 3-season interest, and make great, quick, last-forever mixed bouquets without water.
Three of my
favorites (here in Wisconsin) are artichokes (yes the vegetable) started by a greenhouse or early, hydrangeas, and Autumn Joy sedum.
Artichokes are large beautiful gray spiky plants that mix in well at the back of a sunny perennial bed, and fruit in late summer. I
eat some of the artichokes, and pick the rest of the fruit on the long stems after first frost, bring them in the house and stick them in with the hydrangeas and sedum bloom-stalks in a large empty (yes, no water) vase.
Within 2 weeks huge lavender cactus-like artichoke blossoms appear and grace my table for a month before fading. No
messy vase water here!
-- Janette Strasburger, Neenah, WI
GON Reader Letter #3A Simple Whiteboard Reminder SystemI keep a whiteboard with an attached dry erase marker on the fridge door near the phone. When I make any arrangements, I immediately write the date, time, and brief details on it. I can see at a glance what appointments I have, and I put an asterisk next to the ones coming up next to be extra sure. This way I never miss
any.
Periodically, I remove any I've crossed off and start fresh. I live alone, but I am sure this would work for a family too.
-- Anne Dare, Melbourne, Victoria,
Australia
GON Reader Letter #4
Never Lose Important School Flyers Again
When papers come from school that have important
information that I need to refer back to later such as room numbers and start times, I put the event on the calendar along with a red letter F that stands for flyer. Then I paperclip the flyer to the back of the calendar.
When the date arrives, I see the F and I know I have all the information I need on hand in the back of the
calendar.
-- Aliya Conover, Piscataway, NJ
GON Reader Letter #5
Packing Complete Outfits for Easy Travel
At the time my youngest son was 4 years old, we traveled to California for vacation. He was just starting to learn to dress himself.
Instead of packing his pants, shorts,
socks, and underwear together, I used 2-gallon size Ziploc plastic bags to pack each day's outfit. I was amazed at how much easier it made dressing him every
day. I was able to pull out a bag and hand it to him to get dressed, as opposed to digging through the suitcase to find a pair of underwear, socks, a shirt, and shorts.
I didn't have to rummage through the suitcase to find a matching top and
bottom.
With the air compressed out of the bags before sealing, his clothes packed down much more compactly.
There was no chance of his clothes becoming wrinkled. Of course,
that last benefit matters to his mom a whole lot more than it does to him!
-- Juli Schatz, South Elgin, IL
GON Reader Letter #6Using Lazy Susans to Create Kitchen ZonesI organize my kitchen into zones and use inexpensive, plastic Lazy Susans to keep everything organized. A double-tiered one for smaller baking items, like vanilla, cornstarch, molasses, honey, baking powder, and baking soda.
One for my coffee area for the coffee grinder and canned teas.
One for my vitamins and medication.
A double-tier one for spices, vinegars, and olive oils. One in a cupboard by the stove for salt, pepper, hot sauce, and other condiments.
These make reaching and getting to needed items so much faster and easier, especially if you are short and need to
store items up high.
They are great, give them a try!
-- Dru Cabral, S. Lake Tahoe, CA
On another note...
Good lighting makes daily life easier and more enjoyable. These are my go-to lighting picks for reading, working, relaxing, adventures, and everything
in between. Each one is practical, attractive, and easy to use!
