When we are asked what we are thankful for, it usually doesn't take very long to come up with an answer. Most of us would say our family, our friends, our home, our health, or maybe even our job. It seems to be a response that we could all give without even giving it a second thought. But are we really, truly that thankful?

With the holidays fast approaching, it's a great time of the year to step back and really think about this. Imagine having a week, a month, or a year without the things you say you are most thankful for. How different would life be?

I think I'm safe in saying that life would definitely be different, and not for the better. Sometimes all it takes is a good look around to see just how truly lucky we are.

Waking up every day in our own house or apartment is the first place to start. We may not all have the biggest home to live, but the fact that we have a place to lay our head at night is nothing to be taken lightly.

Although we may not see it daily, there are so many people out there who do not have the same luxuries as we do. For instance, we may sometimes complain that we don't get enough sleep at night, but at least we have a place to sleep that we can call our own. I used to work in New York. I would take a bus to the Port Authority from New Jersey, and walk to and from work...wearing my nice business clothes, a good pair of shoes, and a warm coat, while carrying my piping hot coffee, knowing I could go out for lunch that day in a nice restaurant (or even take a taxi to work) if I wanted to. I'd then see the homeless population shivering in the cold, begging for something to eat, sometimes sleeping in a cardboard box. Just the image of this in my mind gives me a million reasons to be appreciative of what I have.

It's easy to grumble about our jobs/careers, our co-workers who may not be pulling their weight, our bosses who may be a little too bossy, or our paycheck that doesn't seem to cover all the work we put in that week. But, what if we suddenly found ourselves unable to work? I have a friend, who because of a family tragedy, has not been to work in months. I can guarantee you that she would give ANYTHING to go back to how life was before.

Even though work can be tedious, stressful, and most likely NOT how you would choose to spend most days, thinking of not being able to work and not getting that paycheck can be a reminder of how fortunate it is to have that job.

My own family is in the middle of a family emergency right now...my mother, who lives in New Jersey (I live in Wisconsin) has been in the hospital for weeks and was just recently moved to rehab. Her condition is serious. Life has been emotional and hectic ever since, requiring massive amounts of time being spent on the phone, travel back and forth, and the need to make very difficult decisions along the way.

It's very easy to get caught up in everything...but I also realize how important it is to step back and be thankful for our many blessings during this time. For instance, I'm so grateful...for the moments I've been able to talk to my mother during this crisis, for the doctors, nurses, and other health-care workers who have and are caring for her, for the fact that I have many friends who are praying for her...I could probably make a list of 100 or more blessings that are occurring through this storm.

One of my favorite movies of all time will be on TV soon...'It's a Wonderful Life.' If you're one of the few who has never seen it, the premise of this classic is that George Bailey considers ending his own life because he feels as if he is a failure. Eventually, the impact that he has had on both family and friends makes him realize that the things he was so worried about were meaningless compared to the relationships he had established.

This flick makes me even more thankful for the relationships I have...with my family and friends, with those I work with, with my lovely neighbors, with those who are working hard every day to make our lives better (the mail carrier, the bank teller, the dental hygienist, those who work on road construction, plumbers, etc...)

During this week of Thanksgiving, why not take a few moments to ponder all the reasons to be thankful...truly thankful...and perhaps, even give back in some small way? This is my mission this week...letting people know how grateful and appreciative I am of them by telling them, sending them notes of appreciation, doing something special and unexpected for them, helping those who don't even know me personally...being not only 'thankful,' but 'giving' as well.

After all, 'Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.' (W.J. Cameron)

And I will start today with you, for I am incredibly grateful that you take the time to read my newsletters and publications. You, and all my loyal readers, are the reason I can continue to do what I love...write and share what I've learned and experienced through the years, about organizing and about life. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

May you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving...and all the blessings you can hold and more!

Black Friday Sale and Bonuses...
This Only Happens Once a Year

If you've been wanting to get organized, it's a great week to do so because our Black Friday sale on ALL of our organizing products is in session...starting today and ending on Monday, November 27th at 11:59 p.m.

Here's what's yours this week when you purchase any item in our store:

1. $10 Off your order. Here's the COUPON CODE: GONBLACKFRIDAY

After you place the items you want in our online shopping cart, you'll see a coupon code field. Enter GONBLACKFRIDAY in this field, and click APPLY. $10 will be taken off your order. Visit:

getorganizednow.com/orderdet.html
to place your order:

...and don't forget to APPLY COUPON CODE: GONBLACKFRIDAY

PLUS, you'll get ALL of these great bonuses with your order:

2. Bonus 1: The Get Organized Now Christmas Planner: The essential tool to help you get and stay organized for a stress-free, enjoyable holiday season. 50 essential holiday planning forms that cover holiday planning, shopping, gift selection, decorating, invitations, meal planning, and much more. Also includes my 101 Holiday Tips and Ideas for an organized, stress-free Christmas.

3. Bonus 2: 101 Christmas Decorating Ideas ebook: Tons of ideas you can use to make your home more festive for the season

4. Bonus 3: Creating a Stress-Free Christmas eBook: There's nothing like the holidays to bring out the stress in all of us. But getting through the holidays with your sanity intact is possible...especially when you apply these strategies

All three of the above bonuses will be automatically emailed to you within 24 hours of your order. Visit:

getorganizednow.com/orderdet.html
to place your order

...and don't forget to APPLY COUPON CODE: GONBLACKFRIDAY

GON Top 10: Attending a party? Here are the top 10 items I stash in my purse...
getorganizednow.com/topten-party-purse.html



GON Featured Video: Ellen's Thanksgiving Seating Strategy...this is seriously funny how

getorganizednow.com/video-thanksgiving-seating.html



GON Storage: 3 Clever Uses for Inexpensive Magazine Holders...
getorganizednow.com/storage-magazine-holders.html





Dirty Little Secret: When a task or project seems overwhelming, here's what I do
getorganizednow.com/dirty-little-secret-task-project-overwhelming.html



Mini Challenges: 7 Days of Gratitude and Appreciation for this season of Thanksgiving...this is what our mini challenges are about this week.
getorganizednow.com/organizing-challenge-7-days-gratitude.html



In ADDITION, on our home page, you'll also find lots of NEW and featured STUFF including...

Social Media Spotlight: Refrigerator magnets: 'art' or 'clutter?' Let us know
getorganizednow.com



Theme of the Week: Thanksgiving. Check out our home page quotes that reflect our theme.
getorganizednow.com



FEATURED Web Poll: Of those listed, what food is your favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner? Take our web poll on our home page and let us know
getorganizednow.com





November Monthly Checklist: Late fall and early winter...the perfect times of the year to get your home and life organized.
getorganizednow.com

1) Get into the holiday spirit. Kick off Thanksgiving Day by watching the 91st Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Parade being aired on NBC on Thanksgiving Day...Thursday, November 23rd, 9A to Noon across all three time zones...unless you're actually in New York City--in this case, go see it in person! The next day, watch the classic Christmas movie, 'Miracle on 34th Street.'

2) Have a less stressful Black Friday experience. If going into retail stores and shopping on Black Friday with 5,000 of your closest friends isn't your thing, it's OK. You can still get tons of deals by shopping online. My daughter likes the Black Friday 'experience'...so I'll generally go into a retail store or two with her (generally a smaller local store that's not as 'line-heavy', then we'll stop into Starbucks for an iced coffee drink, and finally we'll come home and do the rest of our shopping online together.

3) Donate two boxes of stuff. Get yourself two large cardboard boxes. Put them in a prominent place, like on your kitchen table. Along with your family members, spend an hour filling these boxes with things that you no longer like or find useful. When the boxes are full (nearly overflowing), put them in the trunk of your car. Then everybody gets in the car and you drive to your favorite local charity to drop these items off as a family. Afterwards, go to lunch or to the movie theater together.

4) Use-up-what-you-have Week. Rather than buying more food for your fridge or pantry (barring what you have to purchase if you're hosting Thanksgiving dinner), use up what you have, rather than going grocery shopping. This forces you to be more creative with meal planning, helps you save on this week's grocery bill, AND helps you use up what you've already spent your hard-earned money buying.

5) Make a Christmas TO DO list. Now is the time to get all of your holiday TO DOs recorded...so you don't forget any of them. This can range from cleaning chores, to gift buying, to baking, to activities you're interested in. Do this on the computer so you can edit as needed. Make categories like Chores, Gifts, Make, Do, etc. and list your TO DOs under each one. Print the list and check each item off as you complete it.

'Piglet noticed that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.'
--A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh




I'd love to hear from you.
Comments, suggestions, or just to say hello. Just REPLY to this email with a short note.

And remember...Being organized creates a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life!

Warmly,

Maria Gracia
Get Organized Now!

getorganizednow.com

(c) Copyright 2017 by Maria Gracia, Get Organized Now!

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-- Maria Gracia