Snubbed…

this month, but look for me in the July issue of Southern Living (hits stands late June). I just didn’t want all of my mother’s bridge and garden club friends to think I was a big fat liar! Neat Freak will appear in the “southern Bible” this summer.

Happi Earth Day

My friend Rah just sent this link to me. Something sweet, cute and HAPPI for Earth Day!

To honor Earth Day, I took my little Neat Freak dude to the Museum of Life & Science in Durham and soaked up some science and sun. I hope you did something Earth friendly today…took a walk, enjoyed some gorgeous spring weather, took the bus or rode your bike, or just smelled some yummy flowers.

Hidden Treasures

Today I was trimming back some azalea bushes in our yard (*the* most beautiful blooms this year!), and I discovered a hidden treasure. Growing between two overgrown bushes was a lovely pink dogwood tree. It’s only about 4′ high but has several pink flowers on it…and I imagine if given some space and sunlight, it will have many more next year. We have loads of white dogwood trees in our yard, and don’t get me wrong, I love them (it’s the state flower of North Carolina, afterall), but I’ve always wanted a pink flowering dogwood. And there it was, hidden in our overgrown, desperate-for-a-trimmin’ azaleas.

Finding this hidden treasure got me thinking about clutter and how it can often hide hidden treasures in our homes (and sometimes there is actual treasure underneath all of that crap…like the $1500 check a client once found, or a lost-but-not-forgotten $5000 watch another client unearthed!). Sometimes clutter is hiding the stuff you really love, and sometimes it’s just hiding your “real” home…the home you desperately want to live in, the one that reflects the real “you.” So what are you waiting for? Go forth and unearth your treasure!

Check out my new website @ www.neat-freak.com. There’s treasure to be found there, too!

Neat Freak is all new online

Finally, after having it on my to-do list for close to a year (yes, even the Neat Freak can procrastinate like a champ!), I’ve relaunched Neat Freak online. Check it out for the latest info about my business, links to press and articles and ALL of my newsletter archives from the past 4+ years. Many thanks to Stir Creative Group for making me look so, well…NEAT!

Tell me what you think! I’ll be updating more frequently, plus you can link to my blog, follow me on Twitter (@theneatfreak), or contact me directly from the site. It’s all Neat Freak, all the time.

Keep Neat!

More shred-a-thons in the area

Last week I posted about upcoming Shred-a-Thons in Chapel Hill. So as not to leave out the rest of you triangle dwellers, here are a few more:

APEX– SHRED-A-THON (Wake County)
Saturday, April 18th
10am – 1pm
Location: Apex Town Hall
Address: 73 Hunter Street
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Apex Police Department, A Shred Ahead

RALEIGH – SHRED-A-THON (Wake County)
Saturday, April 18th
10am – 2pm
Tabernacle Baptist Church
8304 Leesville Rd., Raleigh
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Shred It

Saturday, April 18th
9am – 11am
First Baptist Church
99 N. Salisbury Street, Raleigh
Local Sponsors: First Baptist Church, Shred It

Saturday, April 18th
8:30am – 1pm
Ridgewood Shopping Center
3514 Wade Ave, Raleigh
Local Sponsors: Better Business Bureau, Cintas, Proshred

CARY – SHRED-A-THON (Wake County)
Saturday, April 25th
Time: 10am-2pm*
Village Square in Cary-across from Cary Towne Center Mall
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, NBC-17, Shred It
*Check NBC-17 for any last minute changes.

DURHAM – SHRED-A-THON (Durham County)
Saturday, April 25th
Time: 10am-2pm*
Indigo Corners Shopping Center (corner of Mt. Moriah and 15-501)
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, NBC-17, Shred It
*Check NBC-17 for any last minute changes.

Now that your taxes are in the mail…rid yourself of unnecessary yet potentially sensitive paper at one of these local events!

Twitter…

I mocked, I sighed, I resisted…and yet here I am, now on Twitter. Follow me if you dare @theneatfreak. I promise never to ‘tweet about what my kids are eating for lunch, or any other inane details of my life that I barely care about so certainly can’t expect you to care about. Just organizational tips, links or upcoming events.

Ask the Neat Freak…

ASK THE NEAT FREAK

Q: What do you think of Cozi and the other family organizer websites out there? Do you use one? Do you have a favorite?

Signed, Frantic Parent

A: Hello Frantic Parent,
I’m a big fan of family planners and to-do lists like Cozi , Google Calendars, and Remember the Milk. For me, what it all boils down to is everyone in the family has to be on board and participate or really, it’s just a fancy calendar that only mom sees. Regular communication between family members is required to make sure projects and to-do lists are up to date.

I encourage weekly family meetings where everyone sinks eCals, paper calendars, and upcoming events. I suggest doing this over a meal and have everyone bring to the table what they have going on in the next 7 days that impacts time, meal planning, transportation, special clothing or equipment, and more. Once you have that meeting, you can divide and conquer. Treat it like a business meeting where everyone leaves with action items that they’re responsible for. Use your tech tools as a reminder, but not your only source of communication.

With all of that said, I’m personally an old-fashioned paper calendar girl. I love tech tools but I can’t shake my enjoyment of writing down a to-do list, activities and appointments on paper. Just remember, the tool itself isn’t what makes it work…it’s how you use it!

Signed,
The Neat Freak

Should I shred or should I go…

I find that many people get stuck in a “just in case” mentality when it comes to paper. But if your files are overflowing, you know that more does not necessarily make you merrier. The more paper you have, the more time you’ll spend looking for that important little scrap with a crucial phone number on it…or that winning lottery ticket…or that oh-so-important legal document…you get the picture.

In honor of tax season (a great annual reminder to clean out your files), here’s what you should keep and what you should shred so you’ll free up your time to go out and spend that big refund check you’re expecting.

Shred ASAP:
• Credit Card applications
• Expired cards (driver’s license, credit cards, bank cards, student ID’s, etc.)
• Any unwanted paper that contains your social security number (or that of any family member or anyone else for that matter)

Shred Monthly:
• Credit card receipts for items you can’t return (like that Starbucks you had this morning) once you reconcile with your account.
• Canceled checks and ATM receipts once you reconcile with your monthly bank statement
• Prescriptions you are no longer taking

Shred Annually:
• Monthly bank and investment account statements once reconciled with your end of the year statement
• Pay stubs once you receive your W-2 or 1099
• Monthly bills IF you don’t write them off on your taxes (e.g. cable, water, power, cell phone)
• Any end of the year bank statement that is more than 7 years old
• Credit reports

Keep:
• Vital records such as marriage, birth and death certificates
• Original Social Security cards
• Legal paperwork related to a divorce or custody arrangement
• Insurance policies and any potential claims information
• Wills
• Car titles for cars currently owned
• Real estate documents showing a transfer/sale of property or a pay off
• Medical records
• Current copy of your resume
• Appraisals for jewelry, artwork, antiques, etc.
• Tax returns
• Most current Social Security report
• Military service information (e.g. discharge papers)
• Receipts for items you may return or may need for warranty purposes (until they expire)

This list is in no way comprehensive. Everyone has different reasons (e.g. taxes, a legal dispute, a business write off) for hanging on to different paper. And it’s important to note, you should always check with your accountant and attorney prior to getting rid of anything in question. “When in doubt, throw it out” doesn’t always apply to paper!
But if you don’t need it and want to protect your privacy and security, fire up the shredder (a cross cut shredder that also shreds CDs, credit cards and other media is best) and enjoy the delightful experience of watching it get ripped to tiny pieces.

Save shred time by visiting an upcoming shred-a-thon in Chapel Hill. If you live elsewhere, check with your Attorney General’s office or local police department to find a shred-a-thon near you.

CHAPEL HILL – SHRED-A-THONS (Orange County)
Saturday, April 18th, 9am-12pm
Howard, Perry & Walston – Coldwell Banker, 1600 East Franklin St, Chapel Hill
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Howard, Perry & Walston, ProShred
**Limit: 2 banker boxes for businesses

and

Wednesday, April 22nd, 10am-2pm
University Mall, 201 South Estes Drive, Chapel Hill
Local Sponsors: Attorney General Roy Cooper, Chapel Hill Police Department, A Shred Ahead