Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
Serving Eastern Pennsylvania, Central and Southern New Jersey, and Delaware
As you anticipate watching the ball drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve, why not use these last days of 2013 to start your own countdown to the New Year? If clutter’s been an issue, here’s a countdown that will help you shake off the dust of the past so you can embrace the promise of the future. Ready? Here we go:
10! De-clutter your family room – Choose ten catalogues or magazines to recycle.
9! Lighten up your bookshelves – Select nine books to donate to your local library.
8! Make room for your new holiday clothes – Go through your closets and drawers to see what you still love and what still fits. Remove eight articles of clothing to donate to your local Good Will Store.
7! Unburden over-stuffed cupboards – Remove seven old, broken, or mismatched mugs, glasses and plastic cups.
6! Manage a messy ‘junk drawer’ – Recycle or toss six items: old pens, dried up white out, and unknown stray parts that have been there for too long.
5! Streamline your pantry – Remove five food items: throw out any food past its expiration date and find something you could donate to a church or local food bank.
4! Freshen up your sock drawer – Remove four pairs of socks that have holes, worn-out elastic or that you no longer like to wear.
3! Reduce bathroom clutter – Discard three toiletry items that are expired or used up.
2! Clean out your jewelry case – Find two pieces of broken jewelry like mismatched earrings or broken chains, which you can discard or bring to have repaired.
1! Reclaim lost counter space in your kitchen – Remove one large item that you do not use daily such as an appliance or basket that’s serving no useful purpose. Store it away or donate it if you no longer need it.
I raise a glass to you – here’s to a healthy, happy, and organized New Year!
I spent this past Thanksgiving holiday with my son and his extended family in Florida. Traveling during a major holiday has never been my first choice, but as a professional organizer, I realize that being organized helps to lessen the stress that holiday travel can bring. Most would agree that Thanksgiving has the best part of Christmas (family gathering) without the gifts getting in the way. In my profession, I see many gifts go unused regardless of the generous spirit in which they were given. Some of my clients dread the pending influx of additional clutter and want suggestions on how to curb the CRAP.
As a result, I often recommend clutter-free gift giving. A clutter-free gift is the gift of time, memories, an experience, or health. You can also give a gift that helps others who have needs beyond our imagination. Here are some suggestions:
CLUTTER-FREE GIFTS
GIFT CARDS (not entirely clutter-free)
NON-PROFIT GIFT GIVING
GIFTS OF TIME
Finally, if you can’t go clutter-free, choose a gift that donates a portion of its profit to a favorite non-profit agency of your choice. Verify the charity at www.give.org.
Organize your best holiday season by starting early and focusing on family. Happy Holidays to you and yours!
“The greatest gift is a portion of thyself.”-Ralph Waldo Emerson
Are you ready to downsize? Do you get stuck when trying to let go of items to which you have a sentimental attachment? Well, here are some tips to help you move forward:
HAVE A TREASURE HUNT
Consider the process of downsizing a treasure hunt. You’ve collected and inherited a plethora of items, now it’s time to select your treasures and let go of the rest.
USE MEMORY TRIGGERS
Ask yourself if you have other items that can serve as better memory triggers. For example, could you let go of brochures or souvenirs from travels because you have photos of the trip? Could you let go of Grandma’s broken sewing machine because you have her pearls? Another great option is to photograph items to preserve your memories, then release what you don’t use or love.
THE HEAD VS. HEART APPROACH
Let your storage space dictate how many of a category you will keep. You might decide that one shelf in your closet is practical to store your vases. If you have more than will fit that space, let go of your least favorite or seldom used ones.
Consider using numbers to help keep you logical, rather than emotional. For example, ask yourself how many of a specific item seems practical to keep. Four black purses seems generous. You have nine. Let go of five of your least favorite ones.
THE JOY FACTOR
Another way numbers help is by using The Joy Factor. Use a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 meaning ‘great joy‘ and 1 meaning ‘not so much’. Now, ask yourself where on the scale an items falls. If you want to downsize in a big way — you might keep only 5’s as these are your treasures.
PLEASE DON’T TOUCH!
Some people find that holding and touching an item greatly increases their attachment. If that’s you, you’ll want to have a friend, family member, or professional organizer help you. Have the other person hold up items so you can say “yay” or “nay.”
Letting go can be hard, but I assure you that the results will be well worth the effort. Living in a clutter-free environment promotes clarity, focus, peace and happiness.
What items do you find hold the most sentimental attachment?
Recycling… wouldn’t it be lovely if all the cities, counties, boroughs and towns were all on the same recycling page? Then we would know what, when and where to recycle. Instead most of us walk around in a recycle fog looking for locations, dates and times to finally unload those outdated computers and piles of shredding. In an effort to make your recycling search a bit easier we have compiled a list of events and programs available in southeastern Pennsylvania and surrounding areas.
Collection Events
2013 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Hazardous Waste and Old Electronics Collection Program
ELECTRONICS ONLY Collection Event
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Lower Bucks Area, Lower Makefield Township
Lower Makefield Corporate Center
770 Township Line Road
Hazardous Waste and E-Waste Recycling Event October 19
Delaware County will host a Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Recycling Event from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at the Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building at 8500 Furey Road, Upper Chichester, PA 19061.
Delaware County has expanded what can be accepted at this Household Hazardous Waste Collection Events to include most small E-Waste. Simply stated, if it has a cord, does not contain Freon (air conditioners, dehumidifiers, small refrigerators), and is not considered a large appliance, they will accept it. Visit http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/recycle/hhw.html for more information.
Delaware County 2013 E-Waste Recycling Events
Saturday, October 19, 2013
8500 Furey Road
Upper Chichester, PA 19061
Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building
2013 Montgomery County Household Hazardous Waste Collection Program
Lower Merion Transfer Station
Sunday, October 20, 2013
1300 N. Woodbine Ave.
Penn Valley, PA 19072
http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4551
2013 Montgomery County Electronics Collection Program
Upper Merion Middle School – Electronics
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Enter near 435 Crossfield Rd.
King of Prussia, PA 19406
http://www.montcopa.org/DocumentCenter/View/4550
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)
Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs or CFL’s are a great way to reduce your electricity bill while lessening your carbon footprint. However, these types of bulbs contain a small amount of mercury and should be handled carefully and disposed of properly at all times.
Intact CFL bulbs can be taken to any Home Depot, Lowes, or Ikea stores for free proper disposal and recycling. CFL bulbs can also be taken to any county-sponsored household hazardous waste event for free disposal and recycling.
Please DO NOT throw them in the trash. Nationwide, over 670 million mercury-containing bulbs are discarded improperly each year. In Montgomery County most of these bulbs are ultimately land filled or incinerated. These disposal methods can lead to a release of mercury into the environment through breakage and leakage and ultimately contaminate the food chain.
TV, Computer & Electronics Recycling
Computers and many electronics contain heavy metals and other materials that should be recycled if possible. Below are a few options for proper computer and electronics recycling.
Permanent Electronics Collection Programs
Berks County Recycling Center
1316 Hilltop Road, Leesport, PA
Limited hours of operation, call 610-478-6362 for details.
Links: Berks County
Chester County Solid Waste Authority accepts computers and peripherals at the Lanchester Landfill
7224 28th Division Hwy., Narvon, PA.
Telephone: 610-273-3771
South East Chester County Refuse Authority
219 Street Road
West Grove, PA 19390
Dawn Robinson (610-869-2452 ext 11)
West Chester Borough
205 Lacey Street
West Chester, PA 19382
Meghan Fogarty 610-696-5282
Delaware County Marple Township offers free electronic recycling to residents at:
Marple Township
446 Marpit Rd.
Broomall, PA 19008
Joe Romano 610-356-4040 for information.
Springfield Township offers free electronic recycling to residents at:
Springfield Delco Public Works
1258 Church Rd.
Springfield, PA 19064
Contact Jeff Bickel at 610-543-2837 for information.
Police Court Yard 24/7 or
Public Works Facility 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority (www.lcswma.org) Household Hazardous Waste Facility
Lancaster, accepts computers (including peripheral equipment), televisions and cell phones free of charge from Lancaster County residents.
1299 Harrisburg Pike,
Facility hours are Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Links:Lancaster County
Lehigh County residents can recycle electronics at AERC Recycling Solutions at
1801 Union Blvd. or 2591 Mitchell Ave, Allentown, PA
Fridays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.
List of prices (pdf) and AERC Electronic Recycling Information
Contact information: 610-797-7608 or visit www.aercrecycling.com.
Links: Lehigh County
Montgomery County – Cheltenham Township – Residents can recycle electronics at:
Cheltenham Township Public Works Facility
8101 Old York Rd.
Elkins Park, PA 19027
William Ferrari 215-635-4600
Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
East Greenville Recycling Center
620 W. Side Alley.
Pennsburg, PA 18073
215-679-5194
Mon. to Fri. 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sat. 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Lower Merion Township Township – Residents can recycle electronics at:
Robert J. Koegel Public Works Complex
1300 N. Woodbine Ave.
Penn Valley, PA 19072
Joseph Przybyszewski 610-667-1952
Mon. to Fri. 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sat. 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Northampton Borough – Residents Only
King Street Recycling Center
King Street
Northampton, PA 18067
Hours: Wed. 2:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Sat. 8:00 p.m. to Noon
Contact: Gene Zarayko (610) 262-2576
Philadelphia County – Computers, TV’s and cell phones are accepted at all HHW Events. Citizens may bring their computers and TV’s to any Sanitation Convenience Center
Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Links:Philadelphia County
Wayne County residents may drop off electronics at the Wayne County Recycling Center
66 Volunteer Dr., Honesdale, Pa.
Hours are Monday – Friday from 7:00 am to 4:30 pm or Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to1:00 p.m.
Questions can be directed to the Wayne County Recycling Center at 570-253-9727 or E-Mail: .
Links:Wayne County
Delaware County Municipal Curbside and Drop Off Programs
http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/recycle/pdf/townhsipcurb.pdf
Delaware County 2013 E-Waste Recycling Events
Saturday, October 19, 2013
8500 Furey Road
Upper Chichester, PA 19061
Upper Chichester Township Municipal Building
Shredding Events
City of Bethlehem – FREE SHREDDING SERVICE
Shredding of confidential documents is available FREE to businesses and private individuals at the Theis/Cornfeld Recycling Center. If you have 4 or more boxes, please call (610) 865-7082 to schedule an appointment.
Hours of Shredding – Monday-Saturday – 9:00a – 3:00p
We cannot shred the following:
Northampton Township has scheduled two e-waste recycling events for April 20 and Sept. 28
Northampton Township has partnered with Leck Waste Services to schedule two e-waste recycling events so residents have a place to properly dispose of computers and other electronics safely.
The first e-waste recycling event will be held April 20 from 8 a.m. to noon and the second will be held Sept. 28 , also from 8 a.m. to noon. Both events will be held at Leck, 237 Jacksonville Road, Ivyland.
According to township officials, a new state law prohibits the township’s trash hauler from taking electronics. The law, the Covered Device Recycling Act 108, prohibits computers, keyboards, televisions, printers, microwave ovens, fax machines and other electronics from disposal at Department of Environmental Protection solid waste landfills.
Acceptable e-waste recycling items include:
Monthly Community Shredding Services
Titan Mobile Shredding Service
Cost at all locations is $10 for each standard file box, copy paper box or the equivalent.
One box minimum quantity – No maximum box quality
Cash or checks only please, no credit cards are accepted at Community Shredding
No reservations required, just stop by!
First Friday of Every Month
Bailiwick Office Park
252 West Swamp Rd (Rt 313 & Rt 611 Bypass)
Doylestown, PA 18901
Time: 8:30am – 9:30am
Second Tuesday of Every Month
Upper Moreland Township Library
117 Park Ave (off Rt 611 in the Police Dept parking lot)
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Time: 8:30am – 9:30am
Third Thursday of Every Month
Shady Brook Farm
931 Stony Hill Rd
Yardley, PA 19067
Time: 12noon – 1:00am
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx#calendar
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Larry Farmbry & Associates
7300 City Line Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19151
11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
215-877-4950
http://larryfarmbry.com/new/larryfarmbry/
http://www.proshred.com/all-events
Representative Rozzi
4933 Kutztown Road
Temple, PA 19560
11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
610-921-8921
http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/member_information/house_bio.cfm?id=1647
http://www.proshred.com/all-events
Bucks First Credit Union & Bucks County Planning Commission
Lower Makefield Corporate Center
770 Township Line Road
Yardley, PA 19067
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
215.788.5270
http://www.bucksfirstfcu.com
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Friends of Easttown Public Library
720 First Ave
Berwyn, PA 19312
9:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
http://www.proshred.com/all-events
http://www.easttownlibrary.org/friends-of-the-library
$10 for one box or two shopping bags
First National Bank & Trust of Newtown
Bucks County Community College
275 Swamp Road
Newtown, PA 18940
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
http://www.fnbn.com
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Whitemarsh Township
Miles Park – Lower Parking Lot, Germantown Pike
Plymouth Meeting, PA 19444
8:00 a.m.–12:00 noon
610-825-3535
http://www.whitemarshtwp.org/services/public-works/waste.aspx
Middletown Township (Residents only)
3 Municipal Way
Langhorne, PA 19047
9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m.
http://www.middletowntwpbucks.org
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx
Upper Macungie Township
Public Works Garage
8550 Schantz Rd.
Breinigsville, PA 18031
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
610-395-4892
http://www.uppermac.org
http://www.titanshredding.com/Community-Shredding-Services.aspx
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Penn Liberty Bank Trooper
2724 Ridge Pike
9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
610-535-4860
https://www.pennlibertybank.com/UserFiles/File/2013Shred_Event_flyer.pdf
Schuylkill Township
1580 Charlestown Road
Phoenixville, PA
610-933-5843
http://www.schuylkilltwp.com
http://www.proshred.com/all-events
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Montgomery County
Lower Merion High School
Montgomery Avenue
Ardmore, PA
9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
http://www.montcopa.org/index.aspx?NID=1588
Representative Briggs
554 Shoemaker Road
King of Prussia, PA 19406
11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
610-768-3135
http://www.pahouse.com/briggs/
http://www.proshred.com/philadelphia/events
I was at Target the other day and parked right next to the area where you put your shopping cart after you load your car with your purchases. There was a woman parked right next to me, so she was 1 parking space away from the cart area. She loaded the back of her car with her purchases and then proceeded to push her cart between her car, my car, and the 2 cars in front of ours. It would have taken her the same amount of time to walk her cart to the area where the carts are stored as it did for her to walk her cart to the area in front of all 4 cars.
I did nothing, which didn’t feel right. When I asked friends what they would have done, I got a myriad of answers, such as take the high road and move the cart, she wasn’t thinking, would have done what you did, should have said something to her. But, it did get me thinking why shopping carts have homes in parking lots and how that relates to organizing.
We all know the obvious answers – they are preventing other cars from getting dinged and making it easier for the employees to bring all the carts back into the store. From a Professional Organizer’s point of view, I like to keep everything that is the same in one or two areas, whether it is in my home, my office, or my car. I only have to remember one or two places to look for what I need. When I don’t “assign a home” to an item, it gets lost, and I end up buying the same item over and over again. Besides wasting time looking for something and not being able to find it, I’ve now spent more money on something I already have.
It is the same for the shopping carts. It is more efficient for the employees to get the carts from their designated areas (think time management and productivity) and bring them back to the stores for others to use. It is also a money-saver for the store, since they won’t have to replace lost or missing carts.
This story illustrates why “assigning a home” is so important. Keeping like with like makes it easier to find things, makes you more productive, saves you money, and gives you the freedom to do those activities you enjoy doing vs. having to go out and waste time purchasing the same item again.
As professional organizer I hear people label themselves especially when they call for help. Usually this occurs while doing an assessment on the phone. Often, the person calling states or describes themselves as a hoarder. My opinion is that, due to reality shows like Hoarders or Buried Alive, people seem to identify themselves from what they see on t.v. People use this label even when they aren’t a hoarder. It’s become a generic label that people use falsely to describe themselves. These days, what you see or hear in the media soon become buzz words used by many. In times prior to reality shows these people may have called themselves pack-rats. They may be defined as people who gather, accumulate, store quantities of items for too long — for many “meaningful” reasons. Generally, hoarding behaviors fall under the category of chronic disorganization.
With my 10 years of “hands on” experience and educational classes on chronic disorganization, my definition of hoarding is this: Hoarders are people who are emotionally attached to their things and gather excessively beyond the norm. This includes trash as defined as items soiled, damaged, expired, unhealthy, worthless, or nonsensical. They place a higher value on these items and sometimes have irrational reasons why they hold on to them. They will acquire and put themselves in harms way in order to keep these items in their physical space. They will choose to give up all support and interaction with other human beings. What they acquire and choose to keep — become and are — their prized possessions. They will jeopardize their own safety in order to keep these possessions. They can live in filth and squalor. They endanger themselves and the dwelling’s structure and home’s safety. In extreme cases they will become homeless in order to hold onto their prized accumulations.
Hoarding is a clinical term now recognized by the American Psychological Association and is included in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). In the current edition, DSM-V, this disorder, Hoarding is newly defined. After so many years, hoarding is now being studied, researched, and evaluated individually. It also can coexist with several mental disorders and diseases.
Professional Organizers ask pertinent questions when doing an assessment so we can best serve the individuals. We do not judge people, and quite often find people use the “hoarding” term too broadly and too often.This is so sad, CLUTTER will make anyone feel unhappy.
Labeling yourself can be self defeating. Labels can help identify and create awareness for change. But labeling yourself as a hoarder can ultimately give you a negative self image. It will dis-empower you; its negative connotations will not forward your growth or the process. Support is important, especially if you feel like your living space is out of control. Please get assistance either from a healthcare professional, your physician, a professional organizer specializing in chronic disorganization, or from all 3 sources. The key is awareness, getting help, and taking action!
The Institute for Challenging Disorganization offers this:
“Chronic disorganization is having a past history of disorganization in which self-help efforts to change have failed, an undermining of current quality of life due to disorganization, and the expectation of future disorganization.
FOR MORE INFO, please check out this link: http://www.challengingdisorganization.org/
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them” — Albert Einstein
