Dear   ,    

September is National Preparedness Month, a useful time to organize whatever materials you might need in the event of a disaster.  I know it isn't fun to think about, but if you ever go through such a challenge you will be glad you spent some time planning for it.  Our feature article this month will make some suggestions about how to put together a simple disaster preparedness kit.

September is also back-to-school month.  For those of you looking for some instruction on getting more organized, I have classes coming up on Paper Management (starting next Wednesday morning), Decluttering (one month from now), and even how to become a Professional Organizer (next Wednesday evening).  See below for more info and how to sign up.

If you'd like to learn from home, my new 28-day Time Management Success program is also now available! Once a day, you will receive an email focusing on a specific time management technique for you to learn and practice. This is a $60 value, but for a limited time you may purchase it at the early bird rate of $28 (just $1 a day!).  Sign up today for "28 Days to Time Management Success" at the early-bird rate!  The program starts the day after you register, so sign up today.

- Maryann Murphy, MSW

Organizing an Emergency Kit 

On Cape Cod we recently received information about what to do if our local nuclear power plant has an "accident" - stay inside and close the windows!  There are many kinds of emergencies we might face related to weather or other disasters, especially as we approach the winter season. Are you and your family prepared?

The main areas to consider are:

• Communications:
• Create a communications plan with your family in advance.  How will you check in with each other if you are cut off from being together? 
• Keep a written list of family phone numbers in case your cell phone dies with all your contact info inside it!  Note that texting and pagers may still work when cell phones won't. 
• Long distance phone calls often work when local ones are down.  Designate someone in another state to be the communications hub who can relay messages between family members, if needed.
• A portable radio with batteries may seem old-fashioned, but if a power outage goes on for any extended time, you'll be glad to have it available to find out about emergency services and recommendations. 
• Authorize another adult to pick up your children in emergency, and write their name and number in your plan.
• Food:  Store a 3-day supply of non-perishable food, including baby & pet food as needed, as well as a  3-day supply of water (one gallon per person per day minimum)

• stove with fuel.

• Cooking & Cleaning supplies: digital thermometer to check food temperature, manual can opener, 1/2 gallon of liquid chlorine bleach to purify drinking water, plastic bags, disinfectant, matches in a waterproof container and a small camping stove with fuel.
• Evacuation bag or suitcase
• Bottled water, high-protein, high-calorie energy food bars, trail mix, dried fruit.
• Change of clothes, extra underwear for each child
• Calling cards, credit cards &cash (about $100 per person per day)
• Flashlight and batteries
• Multi-utility knife
• Your family communications plan
• Pet food.  Don't forge Fido!
• First aid kit:  bandages, first aid cream, prescription and OTC medications
• Small toiletries: toothbrush, paste, comb, soap, shampoo and deodorant.
• Vital documents:  Proof of identity and residency, insurance declarations page, home inventory, family identification photos, health insurance cards, and any other unique and critical papers.
• Simple tools:  extra batteries, duct tape, pliers, a small hammer and a screwdriver.  McGyver could fix anything with these simple tool, and so could you!

There are a lot of other resources online to help you make a more specific and thorough plan, but even if it's just the basics listed above, take the time to organize your emergency kit now.  Otherwise, when and if you need it, it may be too late! 

Recycling Corner:  Newspaper delivery bags  

If you get newspapers delivered to your home, you have probably accumulated a collection of blue or clear plastic bags used to protect your papers from the rain. 

These bags can usually be returned to your delivery person for reuse, or to the newspaper office (the Cape Cod Times in Hyannis collects them at their main office on Main St.).  This saves them money as well as keeping the plastic out of the landfill. 

The bags also make useful "pooper scoopers" for dog lovers, or they can be recycled along with other plastic bags in bins at most grocery stores. 

Talk to your paper delivery person about whether or not they will pick up and reuse these gently used bags. It's a little thing, but little things add up!