The boots are pictured here with saddle, trunk, whip and helmet in 1986. I no longer have the helmet because for safety reasons, helmets must be replaced at least every 5 years. I still have the trunk, saddle and whip.

I’ve been an avid equestrienne for the better part of 30 years and I bought my first pair of REAL riding boots in 1986. I wore these boots in horse shows around the province and in clinics with Olympians. The boots helped me ride at various equestrian centres in nine different cities in four different provinces over the past 20 years. Finally, in June 2010, they broke beyond repair while in service at a local horse show.

It was a difficult moment for me, realizing that I would have to say good bye to these boots that had served me so well for so long. In order to cope with the loss, I decided to have a funeral for the boots. I set up a Facebook event and invited my Facebook friends, many of whom I have ridden with over the years. At first I thought that they would think that I was crazy (and they may have a point) but most of my friends helped me make the event memorable.

One of my friends quoted a poem from Harpers New Monthly Magazine, Volume 54, December 1876:

Farewell, old boots! a tender last farewell!
Inanimate, but mourned as if with souls
Instead of soles: I’ll find for you some dell
Where, though no bell for your requiem tolls.

I had a few other friends weigh in and admit that this event encouraged them to retire various objects; dance shoes, army boots and paint brushes. One organizer colleague wrote in that it was “time to lay to rest ‘Wedding Glass’, the last surviving member of a set of glasses that outlived ‘Marriage’ by 21 years”.  Of course there is always one clown in the bunch —  he thanked me for the “booty call”!

All in all, it made me feel much better that I had given a public tribute to my riding boots that had served me so well in the past. I wrapped them tightly and they were taken away in the “hearse”.

The "Hearse"

If you have items that you have difficulty parting with, try having a funeral or a tea party or even writing a letter to the item, explaining its importance in your life. Make a scrapbook and save the letters with pictures of the items.

It helps to let your friends in on the deal – they can comfort you and make you laugh like no inanimate object ever could.

The first step in organizing keys and locks is to gather them all in one place. I suggest using a small, lidded bin such as a shoe box. Label the box too!

Collect any keys you find and put them into the box. If you find padlocks or combination locks, add them to the box too. You may have lockable cabinets that are missing their keys, of course you can’t put the cabinets into the shoebox but you can make a list of cabinets that require keys and add that to the shoebox.

Purchase a few key tags from a hardware store or dollar store. If you know what the keys are for, write on the key tag right away and attach the tag to the key. If you have combination locks, write down the combination on a key tag with a description of the combination lock and/or its serial number.

Extra keys should be labelled  and stored in a different location such as a key box. My organizing colleague, Jeri Dansky has put together a collection of key cabinets that would look great in any room and be perfect for storing extra sets of keys.

Keep keys that are used frequently close to where they are used. For example, you might keep a key to your garden shed on a hook, just inside the back door.

What about the mismatched keys and locks? I recommend that people keep these in the labelled shoebox for a few months just in case their mates turn up somewhere else in the house or office. It is also helpful to ask family members and co-workers if they have seen any keys or locks “hiding” anywhere. You may find someone else is in possession of the little key you were looking for. If you’ve determined that the keys and locks are never going to find their mates, feel free to dispose of them.

A word about combination locks: If the locks are simple, such as suitcase locks with only 3 or 4 numbers, you may be able to fiddle with it enough to determine the combination. Some rotary dial combination locks, have serial numbers and you can get the combination by contacting the manufacturer.

You probably don’t need to carry your office keys while vacationing at the cottage and you probably don’t need your cottage keys while your at the office. Carry only the keys you need with you. Separate the keys you carry with you into groups such as Home, Car, Office, Cottage. Put each set on a different ring.  Clip the key groups you need together with a carabineer when you leave the house.

Do you have any tips or tricks on organizing keys and locks? Share them here!

Use a specially designed thermometer and adjust the fridge dials to ensure that you’ve reached this temperature. It may take a day or two of adjusting your fridge dials to ensure you’ve achieved the correct temperature.

Start organizing your fridge by completely emptying it out and giving it a good thorough cleaning. Remove the shelves and scrub them down with hot soapy water and dry them with a clean towel or air dry them. An old toothbrush can be useful to clean out small cracks and crannies. Remember to wash the outside of the fridge as well, especially the door handles!

Ideas

• Clean the fridge just before grocery day. It’s always emptier.
• Remember to wipe off the outsides of bottles and jars before returning them to the fridge.
• Lining the crisper drawers with paper towels helps make clean ups quicker.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency reminds people that best-before dates do not necessarily indicate if a food is safe to eat and once a package is opened, the shelf life  (how long the food is good) may be much shorter. It is wise to dispose of all expired food and leftovers over four days old. Remember “When in doubt, throw it out!”

When returning food items to the fridge think about what is used most often and what is used least often. The foods used most often should be put on the top shelf just inside the door. This will minimize the length of time the door is opened. Items used most often include milk and juice. Group similar condiments together on the door of the fridge.

In my fridge I can remove the “shelf baskets” on the door. I’ve grouped all the salad dressings together so when we have salad for dinner I take the entire “shelf basket” from the door and place it on the table. I’ve also grouped together in one shelf-basket the hamburger condiments (ketchup, mustard, relish, mayonnaise, pickles) so when we eat hamburgers, I just grab that shelf-basket and take it to the picnic table.

If you keep raw meat in the refrigerator, ensure that the drippings do not fall on fresh produce or already cooked foods. If you do not have a “meat drawer” store or defrost meat on a plastic tray that you can remove and easily clean and disinfect.

For more information about ideal storage conditions and shelf life of foods see the website Still Tasty.

It is also a good idea to group leftovers on one shelf. Use clear plastic container to store leftovers so it is easy to see what there is to eat. Before you put leftovers in the fridge write the date on a sticker and stick it onto the container of leftovers. This way everyone in the family will know how long the container has been in the fridge and when it should be thrown out. My favourite stickers are Avery Removable Mini Labels which I keep in a little magnetized basket on my fridge along with a pen.

One of the more difficult things to organize in the refrigerator is milk. The milk bag organizer is a great idea because the bags don’t flop around and the oldest bags are used first. I use a large basket that holds 5 milk bags as we drink a lot of milk.

A few well placed small baskets prevent small items from getting lost in the back of the fridge. Use baskets to contain small round cheeses, cheese slices and cheese sticks, mini yogurt containers and soy sauce and ketchup packets for lunches.

Keeping your fridge clean and organized will save you time because you’ll know exactly where to find what you need and your fridge will be easy to clean. You’ll also save money by not over-buying any particular item.

Just for a laugh, I found these substitutes for milk bag holders. You’ll get a kick out of Canadian innovation!

• Lego milk bag holder
• Build your own milk bag holder

P.S. If you’re wondering why the top left shelf in my fridge is empty, I pack school lunches the night before and that is where they sit.

Take a look at the following gift ideas to reduce clutter and save you time and money.

Buy Nothing Christmas

Buy Nothing Christmas was started by Canadian Mennonites but is open to anyone with a desire to change the way we think about gift giving. This website has lots of great information and ideas about making your own gifts as well as other resources.
I have made coupons in the past, where I offer my time for things like baby-sitting services, car washing, lawn mowing and house cleaning. Children can easily make these coupons as gifts and offer them to friends and family.

Donate to Charities

Did you know that Revenue Canada lists all registered charities in Canada? Why not donate to a local charity in someone’s name instead of buying yet another bottle of wine for the hostess of the holiday party?

Each year, our family “buys” items from the World Vision Catalogue. For the teachers at the children’s school, we’ve purchased supplies for a classroom in a developing country because teachers do NOT need more coffee mugs! For those relatives that have everything we’ve purchased rabbits, piglets and chickens in their names. These animals support families in developing countries. Instead of the typical office “Secret Santa” have everyone pitch in cash and buy an alpaca from World Vision. Make it fun — your alpaca could be your office mascot!

Family Heirlooms

Family heirlooms like dishes and jewelry are meant to be used and enjoyed. If you’re not using them, give them to another family member who will enjoy them. Include some stories about the gift that underline its significance in the family. For example, my Great-Grandmother bought her set of dishes one at a time with money she earned by selling the cream she skimmed off the milk produced on her farm. This is a gift I have really treasured over the years and I so appreciate knowing the story behind it, otherwise it would just be another set of dishes cluttering my cupboards.

Gift Cards

For those of you that feel you must buy a gift, I suggest gift cards. Here is a list of my favourite ones:

• Gift certificates for any store in the shopping mall
• Gift certificates for music to download or a bookstore
• Gift certificates for the supermarket are perfect for those on a tight budget.
• Offer to pay for a child’s piano or swimming lessons.
• Bus passes or gift certificates for a taxi company are perfect for those who rely on public transit.

Here are some holiday shopping tips for those of you who do shop for gifts:

• Organize your purse before you go shopping. Eliminate any unnecessary receipts, paperwork or other items. Ensure you have all your coupons and gift cards before you go shopping.
• Make a list of gifts to buy and for whom you are buying. If you don’t know what to buy for someone, write an amount that you wish to spend, that way you won’t spend too much.
• If you’re looking to buy a particular item, watch the advertisements for a sale and make a note of when the sale ends.
• If you plan to do your shopping on a particular day, make a plan. Go to stores in order so you’re not wasting time in traffic. If you can, plan to go to shopping during off-peak hours such as Tuesday morning.
• Make sure you are well-rested before you go shopping. Wear comfortable clothing and take a snack.
• Lock your purchases in the trunk of your car. Take a blanket with you to throw over purchases you place in the back seat.
• If you’re shopping with a friend, exchange cell phone numbers in case you get separated in the mall. (My husband and I shop with walkie-talkies!)
• Take advantage of the holiday sales to purchase birthday presents for family members too.

Remember the most important gift you can give is your TIME.  Spend time with those your care about over the holidays; they will remember that more than any material item you can give them.  Fill someone’s heart with good memories NOT their home with stuff.

Enjoying the Library

Borrow

Save the space on your book shelves for those books you love and refer to often – borrow from the library. If you love a book you’ve borrowed or if you think that you will refer back to it often (at least weekly) then it is probably worth purchasing. If you don’t think you’ll refer to it that often, you can always borrow it from the library again. The library also loans magazines and newspapers. Reduce the number of subscriptions you have and read them at the library instead.

While I don’t advocate borrowing from friends and family, if you do happen to do so, make sure you return the items in excellent condition. Compensating your friends with a bottle of wine or plate of cookies is a nice gesture too.

Rent

If you only do a building project once or twice per year, consider renting the specialized, expensive equipment. Rental equipment is usually the latest model and is always in good working condition. Another advantage of renting is that you can use the exact piece of equipment that you need instead of trying to make do with what you already own.

Renting camping equipment, boats and bicycles allows you to try out several different models or designs. This will permit you to make an informed decision should you decide that the particular activity is something you wish to pursue.

Share

Consider sharing equipment with family/friends that live close to you. For example, you might want to go in halves on a snowblower with a neighbour or halves on audio/visual equipment with a business colleague. Draw up a contract that you are both comfortable with detailing the use, storage and maintenance of the equipment. Make sure you come to an equitable agreement about what happens when one of you wants to stop sharing.

While your mind is still thinking about fishing, take the time to discard all those rusty, unused fishing lures. Purchase a container that will hold all of your lures and fishing equipment. (Remember to leave some space for new lures). If you can’t find a tackle box you like, try looking at tool boxes or craft boxes. Stanley Tools makes some great organizers and Dollarama has some smaller boxes for when you only need to take a few lures with you.

Snow Blowers

Why would I talk about snowblowers when it is so sunny and hot? Now is the time to have your snowblower serviced. You won’t be in a rush to get it back and when you do need it, it will be all ready to go!

Commercial fishing vessels are required to carry distress flares and it is a good idea for all boaters to have a couple of distress flares in the boat’s safety kit. Flares should be stored in a watertight container in a cool, dry location. However, flares are only good for four years after the date of manufacture. They should be disposed of after that time.

Flares are explosive and cannot be thrown in the trash. They must be treated as hazardous waste. If you have expired flares or flares that will expire soon, please note that from August 1-8, 2009 the OPP will be collecting expired and unwanted marine flares. Please see the OPP website for drop-off locations.

For more information about safe boating, visit Transport Canada’s Office of Boating at www.boatingsafety.gc.ca.

Here are some ideas:

• Donate them to a funeral parlour or cemetery.
• Donate them to a hospital or long term care centre.
• Return them to the florist or give them to a floral design school.
• Offer them to an interior decorating school.
• Donate them to groups that organize fundraising dinners.
• You can use them to store paintbrushes and art supplies.
• Most vases are not made of food-quality material so it is not a good idea to store food in them but you can use them to store spoons, spatulas and ladles in the kitchen.
• Fill a pretty vase with a collection of antique keys to decorate your home and show off your collection.

You can find ways to use pretty vases to decorate your home at this website.

You can find vases that can be used for targets at the firing range if you look at this website.