The key components in maintaining a healthy fridge are regular cleaning, checking expiry dates, storing of foods and temperature.

The following health checks will assist in maintaining a healthy fresh and organised fridge.  Prior to every grocery shop, take some time to visit the fridge and assess its condition.  With older fridges it is best to do regular 6 montly checks on the door rubber sealers.  If they appear cracked or are not secure they will require replacing.

Lets start with cleaning your fridge.

• Remove all food and shelves.
• Discard any spoiled foods or out of date foods.
• Wipe down all shelves with a mild detergent OR my favorite is using 1 tsp of bicarbonate soap to 500ml of warm water.  For a fresh fragrance, drop a little vanilla essence on a cloth and wipe over surfaces of shelves and door.  Smells yummy!

Look at each item for its expiry date.  Items are labeled for a reason.  View them, highlight them with a highlight pen if needed for ease of location and follow with action.

• Place items in fridge by date order placing current to the front and newly purchased supplies behind.  This then allows easy access to those foods that require to be consumed first.

Now look at how you want items sorted and organised.  Sorting and organising food in your fridge is vital and will avoid contamination and bacteria.

• Raw meats, fish and poultry need to be in the coldest section of the fridge.  This is normally the bottom shelf.  This will eliminate dripping juices from raw foods contaminating other foods.
• Ready to eat foods need to be stored above raw foods. So place them on the top shelf. If you need to store raw foods near your ready to eats, place them on a plate and cover securely.
• Use baskets for storing all condiments as you are accessing these on a daily basis.

Don’t forget about the temperature.  Refer to the Food Safety Information Council for FRIDGE temperature gauging.

In maintaining a healthy fridge it just takes a few little steps and will give peace of mind you and your kitchen remains healthy.

What is spatial awareness?  

How can spatial awareness help?  When surrounding oneself with the things that are used, needed and loved often these items will be displayed in a manner where they are easily accessible and can be seen at a glance.  But when it comes to displaying and organising things in and around the home, office, garage or shed, spatial awareness is displayed within our subconscious mind and not always followed through in an organised manner.

Understanding spatial awareness when organising will encourage awareness of shape, volume and space.  This requires a little planning and thought process with outcome to achieve a user-friendly approach.

How to approach spatial awareness?  When looking at shapes of a room think about the area, volume and space you have.  Look at each location where items will be placed and/or displayed, eg next to, near or beside.  Consider the colour of each item.  Colours can appear big and bold, or small and suttle.  Use them to create the size you desire or how you want the feature piece to be seen.

Shape will consist of squared, rounded or curved edges.  Keep this in mind and look at fixtures and fittings in a room.

Volume may require de-cluttering.  Less can be more effective!

Messy space will appear untidy and cluttered.  Use space wisely and utilize shelving where possible.

Position items in corners and against walls to allow easy flow when approaching.

Consider the above approach for your next DIY or relocation.

You can also engage our services to assess your needs and wants when considering organising the home, office, garage or shed.

Don’t worry, you’re not the only one who has ignored your kitchens health, but now it is time to take charge and allow some little time in keeping your kitchen items healthy.

It just takes a few little steps and will give peace of mind you and your kitchen items remain healthy.

Lets start with the kitchen KETTLE.

Using hard water in kettles produces calcium scale.  In metal kettles this sticks to the side and in plastic kettles it appears as a film around the sides of the kettle and a build up of scale settlement on the bottom.

It is recommend you remove it regularly.  Here is the How To

1. Half fill the kettle with water and add two tablespoons of white vinegar.
2. Bring to the boil and leave it for a few hours.
3. Empty the kettle.  This will remove the loosened scale.
4. Rinse thoroughly and repeat as necessary.

Kitchen health checks and organising your kitchen should be added to your to-do list.  Try and find 10 minutes every week.  If time is the problem, let us know.  We would be happy to assist.

(M) 0409 611 681

mail@mygo2girl.com.au

It’s now time to have the talk and listen to your thoughts.  By asking yourself these following questions it will determine what stays and what must go from items stored in your closet.  Never think twice, go with your initial thought and stick with it.

1. Does my closet look inviting and make me smile?
2. Can I find exactly what I am looking for when I need it?
3. Have I worn every item this last season?
4. Does everything still fit me now?
5. Am I storing every season in this closet?
6. Can I afford not to donate to charity?

Solutions to relieve your home organising symptoms…..

Solution  # 1  Don’t live with over whelmed feelings.  No stress and peace of mind solutions.

Solution  # 2  Offer to save time with ongoing systems.

Solution # 3  Bookings to fit your needs with packages to suit any budget.

Solution # 4  Ability to outsource when required, on retainer or ad hock.

Solution # 5  Professional, reliable and personal assistance you can trust.

Solution # 6  Added flexibility to put on hold.

Solution # 7  Giving you option to take time out as a choice, not as a wishing.

If symptoms persist apply a band-aid or contact your Personal Concierge, Lifestyle Manager.

Maree Brodie

Director, My Go2 Girl

PO Box 2019, Chermside Centre  Qld  4032

(M) 0409 611 681

While there is Google searching options, this is not always the solution.  How often do you NOT find what you are looking for?  Time gets wasted trying to find the right wording, then scrolling down options and still not finding what you are after.  You probably throw your hands up with frustration and call it quits for the day.

With many banks now providing Concierge services, they are however limited to the clientel they offer such luxury too.  Being a platnum or gold card member with that particular bank you can have it all, but what about the loyal members who have been banking with them for several years, why are they forgotten?  Why are they not worthy of receiving such luxury service options?  There is a better solution, you just haven’t discovered it yet!

At My Go2 Girl we have no limits.  No membership is required and most importantly we do not exclude anyone or business from the luxary service they deserve.

Sourcing your next gift baskets and floral deliveries or even retreiving lost property at airports, My Go 2 Girl Personal Concierge and Lifestyle Management is the solution.  We can manage all your lifestyle services and here are a few more examples to get you thinking what can be outsourced next time you become short on time.

• car rental and/or limousine bookings
• personal chief
• sourcing, purchasing and delivering goods
• tradesmen
• telemarketing
• declutter and organise your next relocation
• pet sitting and grooming

Listed below, I’m sure,  no, I’m convinced are things you know you have thought about but just haven’t yet made the jump. Good habits will lead to a successful plan.  A successful plan will fuel your sense of accomplishment and allow you to get more done.

What NOT to put on your to-do list:

Reschedule coffee with ‘Paula”. Cut It: If this is a meeting you’ve been putting off, ask yourself: “Do I really want to hang out with ‘Paula?” Any plans that are tinged with guilt can’t be on this list. And if it involves one of those friends who drain you because all they do is vent, just say no.

Remind “Peter” not to forget Mum’s birthday. Cut It: If ‘Peter” is your brother and you know he’s perfectly capable of remembering this on his own but chooses not to, don’t make it your problem. It’s not your job to compensate for other people’s deficits.

Repeating bad habits  If you are checking that last month’s credit card bill was paid change it:  A lot of the things that end up on our to-do lists are driven by worry. Looking for ways to automate tasks that seem to keep popping up will eliminate so much stress. In this case, sign up for automatic bill pay on your bank’s website.

Promises, favors and I will help ‘Grandmar’ can be a drag, but you should follow through. You’ll feel better once it’s done, and ‘Grandmar’ will know she’s important to you.

Pinterest-inspired dreams of renoving will remain dreams if not actioned.  Break large-scale projects into smaller, less overwhelming tasks and put one on your list per week/month. Select a single, significant element that can be changed – like having inside the home repainted. This will breathe new life into each room. Start somewhere!

Minicrises will come up (hi, broken washing machine and surprise dental work), they always do so leaving a little time  to accommodate the unexpected will help keep your plan from suddenly going out the window. More bonus time for you!

Take a look at our ideas to getting organised, then implement one of these ideas a week.  Good habits will lead you towards a successful plan.

1.  You enjoy displaying lovely ornaments and things in and around your home.  When you display them do you:

• admire each ornament and/or item on a regular basis.
• Have sentimental value on each.
• Do nothing and have them collect dust while they fill your house with clutter.

2.  You purchase new season clothing and hang them in your wardrobe.  Do you:

• Remove and look at last season items individually while asking yourself ‘does it still fit me, will I wear it again, can I donate to charity’.
• Hang them within arranged colour and size with hangers facing the same direction.
• Just squeeze them in where ever they may fit then waste time looking for items when you want to wear them.

3.  Your business is booming.  Do you:

• Feel confident that the email ‘rules’ you have set up have saved you time and have landed in your categorized in-box flagging what requires attention for follow up and deleted what doesn’t require your attention.
• Have peace of mind everyday domestic and corporate tasks will be attended to, keeping the family, friends, you and clients happy.
• Feel overwhelmed with the volume of work and spend valuable time working in your business and not on it.  Running yourself ragged trying to do it all and not outsourcing tasks where possible.

Probably 1’s  ‘You have already organised your home by decluttering and have kept things clean and simple.  Space isn’t a problem and things are sorted neatly with cables tied away.  Each items has sentimental value with a story to be told’.  Old items have been donated to charity or sold on e-bay.’

Probably 2’s  ‘You are very happy with the layout of your wardrobe and can easily access any item with ease.  Things are displayed neatly with order and allow you to grab and go. Your hangers are arranged where an item of clothing hasn’t been worn for some time that hanger is placed with hook facing the back telling you – it hasn’t been worn for the past xx months, time for it to be gone’.  There is no thrown items of clothing over bedside tables or chair having the room appear unorganised.’

Probably 3’s  ‘You can always attend to things as they happen.  Time is on your side allowing outsourcing of tasks to run smoothly.  Your family and friends are receiving quality time with you to enjoy what your hard work has paid for you to enjoy.  You focus on the important things and have set plans and strategies in place.  Your business can run without you and clients are rewarded with gifts to say thank you.’

My words of advice in 1,2 and 3 probably’s:

• If you feel in control and organised enough to be enjoying the things you love, continue going as you are.  If you have secret little helpers behind the scenes – Congratulations you are the minority!

• If you feel frustrated, stressed, tired and feel you need help but are uncomfortable outsourcing and could benefit in having secret little helpers behind the scenes (keeping your secret strong) – Congratulations you are the majority!

Don’t hesitate to contact us during the Christmas and New Year holidays.

We will be available to take your calls.

Be safe and happy!

Merry Christmas and Kind regards

Maree Brodie

Director My Go2 Girl

Running Errands for Busy People

]]> http://mygo2girl.com.au/christmas-wishes/feed 0 http://mygo2girl.com.au/personal-outsourcing-tackles-to-do-lists http://mygo2girl.com.au/personal-outsourcing-tackles-to-do-lists#comments Thu, 13 Dec 2012 06:38:14 +0000 My Go 2 Girl http://mygo2girl.com.au/?p=1209 Not everyone can afford a maid or a full-time assistant but many Australians are looking to outsource daily household tasks and chores.

From the lavish to the practical, a growing number of stressed time-poor Australians are freeing themselves from the tasks they don’t like or can’t do themselves.

Market demand has come from people without the time, know-how or the skills to do the work themselves.

Many households have both parents working, and they’ll employ a cleaner or a gardener to do some of the jobs they struggle to find time for.

Most people don’t have the time to deal with waiting in queues, waiting for expected service repair/delivery people to arrive or coordinating their day to fit in and around their busy work schedule.

Outsourcing frees them from tasks that add no value to their life allowing time for the more important things in their day and life.

We will take care of your to-do list which will give you the extra hours that you have been craving so that you can spend more time with your family & friends and doing the things you love.

Outsourcing to your Personal Concierge gets the job done, tackling virtually any personal task from grocery shopping to organising home pool cleaning.

Opportunity to access these services and open the door to a new life in 2013 is waiting.  Why wait any longer.  Call us for your quote today.

(M) 0409 611 681