If you know my Mom then you don’t have to be involved in futures trading to know that she sometimes has problems getting where she’s going. Today I came up with an idea that I’m going to tell her when she returns from her trip. It’s an idea you might want to consider using if you’re going to take a trip and rent a car. When you book your car rental ask if it has a gps in it or if one is available. If one is not, consider bringing your gps with you from home. Had my mother done this, she would not have called me from Waikiki today in a panic because she got lost on the way to the airport.

Cleaning out your closet.

Empty the closet.

Sort through your clothing, checking for holes, stains, heavy wear. Be prepared to try some things on.

After trying an item on and/or checking it for wear, place that item in one of three piles. Pile one is for damaged clothes, they might be stained, ripped or have holes. Pile two is for things that don’t fit that are in good condition, specifically things you won’t wear and things you’ve never worn. Pile three is for things you want to keep, specifically things that are in good condition that fit and you wear.

Gather up the first pile and throw it out.

Gather up the second pile and put it in a bag to sell, recycle, donate or give away.

Now you’re going to put the third pile away.

Pair items that go together.

Rehang everything that’s left.

You’re finished. Your closet should have a lot more room and things should be easier to find now.

Almost every home has some type of medication in it, no matter if it’s over the counter aspiring or the best diet pills. No matter what the pill is it should be kept somewhere safe so that it isn’t taken by the wrong person. Here are five tips on storing medication.

Keep medications in their original containers.

If more than one person in your home takes medications keep each person’s medication in a ziploc or small basket with their name on it.

Check expiration dates on containers. A great time to do this is when you change your smoke alarm batteries in the spring and fall, when daylight savings time begins and ends.

Most medications should be kept cool so storing them in the bathroom is a bad idea because of the heat and humidity.

Cabinets over or near stoves, ovens and other heat generating appliances get warm so they don’t make a good place to store medications.

Empty everything out onto the table. Match up everything.

Recycle anything that has no matching top or bottom.

Recycle anything you don’t or can’t use.

Recycle any containers that are broken, split, stained, smelly, or melted beyond the point of usability.

Nest and stack containers in area you’ll be storing them.

Lay the lids inside of a basket of old container where you’re storing them.

Put containers and lids away immediately after use and cleaning, rather than setting it on top and waiting until later. Later never comes.

Dry loads of clothing one after another to make use of leftover heat. Loads will dry more quickly this way.

Don’t add wet or damp clothes to a partially dry load already in progress.

Make your own fabric softener. Add a teaspoon of fragrance free natural conditioner onto a cloth and place it in the dryer with the clothing.

Clean the lint trap in the dryer after every use to keep good circulation and reduce energy usage.

Remove clothing from the dryer before it’s completely dry and let it finish drying on a line.

Use a drying rack or a clothes line either inside or outside of your home instead of using the dryer.

Don’t underfill or overfill the washing machine. Make your loads of wash close to machine weight capacity, which you can find either on your machine or in it’s documentation.

Separate colors before washing. Wash like colors together.

One half cup of baking soda added in with your detergent will help boost cleaning power and will neutralize odors.

One quarter cup of white vinegar added during the rinse cycle will reduce static cling, removing the need for dryer sheets.

Wash clothes in cold water wash unless they are heavily soiled. All detergents work in cold water.

With the hot days of summer upon us I’m sure we’ll start hearing the annual reminders about water conservation soon enough. Here are some tips I’ve collected on outdoor water conservation.

• Sweep your walks and driveways rather than hose them off.
• Water your lawn only if it needs it.
• Water your lawn during the coolest part of the day.
• Don’t water on a very windy day.
• If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure the sprinklers are only watering the lawn and not the walks, driveway or street.
• If you have an automatic sprinkler system make sure sprinkler heads are clean and clear.
• Space lawn mowing a little further apart. Longer grass provides natural shade and holds moisture in the soil.
• Don’t overwater. If water is puddling you’ve used too much.
• Use a hose with a nozzle.
• Mulch around plants to hold in moisture.
• Aerate your lawn to help it retain moisture.
• Don’t use sprinklers for playing in.

Whether you’re driving across country, taking a train to the Midwest or going on a domestic flight, if you’ve got an illness you need to be prepared no matter where you are. Here’s a few tips for long domestic journeys if you take medications.
Before beginning a long journey check the label on how to store meds. Be aware if meds need to be kept cool, shaded or kept cold before storing them in a bag for a long flight, drive or rides.
Be prepared for delays, no matter how you’re traveling. People always think of flights getting delayed, but road trips can also get delayed for extreme weather. The best way to be prepared is to keep your medications in a carryon or purse.
Be familiar with your medical coverage, and what to do if an emergency arises while you’re traveling.
Store your medication in the original labeled containers. Bring a few more than you need in case of delay or a decision to extend the trip.
Check with your pharmacist about what foods, if any, may have an effect on your prescription. We all tend to indulge a little more when traveling when it comes to foods and beverages.
That’s the tips my family uses. If you have any to share I’d love to hear them.

If you don’t know how to prepare yourself and your home for the first 72 hours after a disaster, you should visit 72hours.org. 72 Hours is a website run by the City of San Francisco but offers valuable planning tips that would be useful to anyone.

There are two main areas to the site.  The first area is How To Prepare. This area teaches you to create an emergency plan, and what you’ll need ready and waiting for you to get through the first 72 hours after the disaster strikes. For each of the different topics discussed there are helpful tips included on how to help make your home safer on a day to day basis. The different topics include home safety, children, seniors & the disabled,  pets, utilities, food, water, first aid, go bag, phone, volunteer, training and community. I never realized how helpful it could be to have an out of state emergency contact in case of a natural disaster. The suggestion there that I want to do in our home is to create a “go bag” for all of the members of our home.

The second area of the site is the What To Do If section. This area instructs you on what to do in certain types of potentially disastrous situations.  The different topics included here are earthquake, storm/flooding, terror, contagious disease, transit safety, evacuation, fire, no power, tsunamis, sirens and shelter in place. I found the evacuation tips very helpful.

I found this site to be a very valuable resource that anyone could benefit from visiting. Are you and your home ready if a natural disaster strikes? Would you be able to get through the first 72 hours? Check out 72Hours.org and see if you’re ready. Let me know which idea you found most helpful.

I always recommend people travel with disposable toilet seat covers and a small package of wipes. The seat covers are particularly for those who have bad legs or knees, or if they have children. There are some people that have a hard time hovering. The wipes are because sometimes there is just no toilet paper where you are. These items are inexpensive and you can keep them in your glove box, travel bag or purse. You can buy low count packages of them in department stores and drug stores, and they can be bought online. I always keep a package of each in the pocket in the side of my truck door.