Photo by Transguyjay
Families know that it is summer camp time. Children look forward to this time and even parents look forward to it as a time when their children will develop new skills and make some new friends and just have some fun.

Whether your child goes away to camp or to a local camp, the “camp experience” involves great organization on the part of the camper and the family. It is so important that you get organized for your child ahead of time. Try our camp organization tips so your child will have a great summer.

1. When you register your child for camp – ask for the materials list. Many camps will mail it out as camp date gets closer, but most will provide it at your request earlier – which means you can get your shopping done earlier.
2. Labels in clothing are very important, especially for children attending a sleep-away camp. Add labels early – and remember if your child has a popular name and surname like Susan Smith to add their middle name too to avoid confusion.
3. Sending treats to sleep-away camp and day camp is a popular occurrence. Label snacks so campers know whose snacks are whose. Remember that many children today have peanut allergies – so don’t select snacks with peanuts in them.
4. Your child for sleep-away camp will have a large trunk to put all of their items in. Remember to put labels the actual trunk, both inside and outside so everyone knows whose trunk it is.
5. Many children are tempted to bring valuable items like a charm bracelet, favorite teddy bear or electronic devices to camp. This is often unwise as these items can become lost or sometimes “borrowed” by overeager campers. Sometimes these items are also hard to label – like a teddy bear or a piece of jewelry.
6. Give your child pre stamped stationary or postcards to write friends and family home while at sleep-away camp. Most sleep-away campers do have access to email. But many campers look forward to daily “mail call” and the best way to get mail is to send some of your own.

MaverickLabel.com They specialize in custom label printing and have cheap stickers and custom window decals for summer needs.

There’s something about Spring that just makes us want to get organized and start new projects. The birds singing and warmer air make everyone have a “spring” in their step and more energy to tackle all of those projects they’ve been putting off. So enjoy Spring and try these great ways to use labels to get organized and make life run a bit smoother.

Canning or making jams/jellies. Spring and summer are the perfect time to can fruits and vegetables or to make jam and jellies. You’ll certainly want large, clear labels that tell you exactly what’s in these jars so when winter comes and you reach for a jar – you aren’t opening a mystery!

Garage sale. This is one of the best times to hold a garage sale. Spring is a great time to clean out your closets and go through the kids’ toys to see exactly what they just aren’t using anymore. Garage sale shoppers always seem to linger more when a sale is well organized and they certainly appreciate prices that are clear. Using label stickers will mean everyone can read prices quickly – even if they do try to haggle you down a bit!

Preparing for summer camp. Now is the ideal time to get the kids’ gear ready for summer camp. Don’t wait for the last minute to find the sunscreen, bathing suit and their sandals or extra pair of sneakers. Get everything ready and put it into the trunk so it is ready to go. You’ll want to use labels to label the trunk and then labels inside every piece of clothing.

Organize your gardening supplies. Spring is when we see those lovely crocuses and tulips coming out in bloom. But every gardener knows to get those beautiful flowers takes a lot of hard work and effort. Organize your gardening supplies and use labels so you know where everything goes and to identify your supplies.

Get the beach gear ready. If your family lives at the beach in warmer weather, then now is the best time to get your beach gear prepared. Look for your bathing suits, aqua shoes, beach towels, sunscreen and beach toys. Use labels to designate everyone’s beach bag and organize your summer fun gear.

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Using shipping labels would be organized and well-planned – who needs that? Let’s just go with the flow and discover some of the great reasons you shouldn’t use shipping labels!

A kid’s crayon is so colorful and always gets attention. When you address a package with one of your kid’s crayons, that is sure to be the package that everyone opens first. Nothing says a first class presentation like a Periwinkle crayon!

Sometimes a surprise is fun. Leave the “To” information out and leave them guessing. See just how long it takes for them to figure out the package was from you. If they really care about you – they’ll know for sure the package was yours. Really, you are doing yourself a favor with this one.

Children need to practice their handwriting. Why not let them practice addressing your packages? If the handwriting is poor – there might be some slight problem with mailing the package – but that’s just a chance we all take these days. This is the ideal time to let Junior practice their “ABCs.”

Always address packages when you have missed a night’s sleep. When you’ve been up all night with a colicky baby or working on a presentation, this is the ideal time to address your package. They say the senses are heightened when you have a lack of sleep – then again there is the lack of motor skills that some complain about. But we’re sure your package will arrive eventually.

Close your eyes and open to a page in your address book and point your finger. The name your finger points to is the person this package is really meant for. You see, had you used a shipping label you would have gotten in the way of this package’s true karma. Thank heavens for the Universe and Divine Intervention!

If you would like to actually get a package to its destination, please consider buying your mailing labels from MaverickLabels.com, a custom label printing company.

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10. You know where you are supposed to be Monday morning (and Tuesday morning, Wednesday morning…….)

9. It helps you identify your car when you take the kids to the video arcade on Saturdays (why does everyone have a dark green Honda SUV like yours?)

8. Parking permits let everyone know – in this tough economy – that you are among the elite: the employed

7. It gives you the perfect excuse NOT to trade cars with your spouse, making them drive the oh so uncool station wagon – while you get the Jetta.

6. The parking sticker helps you know which other employees have arrived for work that day.

5. Your parking sticker lets your boss know in a subtle way that you’ve arrived for work early, late or that you’re simply a team player with 100% attendance record.

4. Getting a new parking sticker every month reminds you that you are not going to get laid off – otherwise HR wouldn’t bother giving you your parking sticker.

3. A parking sticker can be a great way to network with people in your community. They’ll know where you work – so you can ask them where you work.

2. Your commute may be stressful, the morning getting ready for work may be a drag – but you know exactly where you go when you arrive.

and the #1 reason to be glad for your parking stickers?

1. Your company cares enough to give you your own parking space at work!

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Beer enthusiasts usually end up collecting labels from their brews at some point in their drinking career and some collections have been generating interest from a commercial aspect as well; these collections do acquire a value over time and some collections are also extremely large!

While stripping off a beer label from a cold one is a traditional bar pastime, getting the collection arranged and displayed to best effect is not as simple as you may think. Some beer aficionados believe your beer label collection should be a personal history tour and take the reader on a personal pilgrimage through the owners introduction and education in the delights of this ancient brew (beer was originally invented by the ancient Egyptians). Others, with a more librarian bent of mind, believe any collection should be organized so it is easily searchable and arranged in a logical form which flows easily from one section to the next.

Believe it or not, there is quite a debate raging amongst collectors over which is the best method! Yes, believe it or not, George isn’t at home! This debate is alive and well and celebrating a night on the town.

Whether you go for the two-dimensional, Dewey decimal version of the personalized, scrap book style presentation, there is no getting away from the attraction collecting beer labels has for many people. Microbreweries have been cashing in on the growing trend as well by bringing out increasingly changed labels to celebrate their brews. The larger breweries have a brand image and stick to it pretty rigidly but smaller ones such as Saranac in upstate New York, change their labels almost monthly specifically for collectors.

Whether you like beer or not, collecting beer labels is fun and interesting but despite being essentially the same product – alcoholic, liquid refreshment – the labels used on bottles is extremely varied, often funny, frequently artistic and like the real thing, once you pick up a collection you are going to find it hard to put down again. Especially if you end up adding the infamous “Santa’s butt” label to your collection.

After you’ve begun collecting beer labels, you can expand into collecting and even printing wine labels.

Photo by adactio.

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Many people have noticed that they simply have different organization personalities than other people. Why, you probably organize things differently from your sister, mother or best friend!
One reason for this could be your astrological sign.

Our astrological signs are determined by the placement of the sun at the time of our birth. In Western astrology there are 12 different signs. Try our AstroOrganizing to see exactly which sign you happen to be!

Aries (March 21st – April 22nd) The Ram is bold and brash. This organizer doesn’t stop with just putting a few labels in the kitchen or adding address labels to the luggage. The Aries organizer’s home is well organized – with great passion! You can always tell an Aries by their organizing because they are quick and a bit impulsive to come up with a system.

Taurus (April 23rd – May 22nd) The Bull is patient and gentle. This organizer is very easy going and likes to keep a beautiful home. While the Taurus’ home is well organized, most people will at first notice the beautiful objects and decor of their home. But their laundry room and basement – are simply divine and so organized!

Gemini (May 23rd – June 22nd) The Twins is the true social butterfly of the Zodiac. This organizer excells not simply at organizing – but at organizing personal information. The Gemini has a PDA or Rolodex that is so well organized they can find information quickly on any person they wish to reach. That’s good because the average Gemini has about 10,000 contacts!

Cancer (June 23rd – July 22nd) The Crab is a home lover and very nurturing. When we think of their organizational style, they are always thinking of how it will impact their family. So often they come of up systems that make things easy for their family and help improve life for their family.

Leo (July 23rd – August 22nd) The Lion is quite proud and regal, just as they should be! But the Leo does have a bit of a tendency to show off their ability to organize. Their favorite thing are gadgets and new technology that help you organize. The Roomba, the robot that vacuums your home is one of their favorite toys.

Virgo (August 23rd – September 22nd) The Virgin is probably best known for being the cleanest and most well-organized of the signs of the Zodiac! True to point, there are some that say that Virgos can be a little picky – but that’s only because they love us so much. Virgos are best known for coming up with innovative new organizing systems.

Libra (September 23rd – October 22nd) Libras are known for creating art and beauty wherever they go. whatever organization systems they come up with, will always be beautiful. Their file folders will be pretty and have their monogram on them. Libras are highly sensitive to their environments and everything must be “just right.”

Scorpio (October 23rd – November 22nd) The Scorpio has lots of passion and intensity when it comes to everything and this carries over into their organizing. This means that the Scorpio takes organizing to a great extreme — or they may not organize at all! The Scorpio will likely have their socks alphabetized and all of the extension cords labeled. Well that’s the way it should be.

Sagittarius (November 23rd – December 22nd) The Archer has a playful and fun attitude. Yes, they are well organized but they love to be active and full of life. You’ll see that their sports gear and travel things are kept well organized — and they are also well used!

Capricorn (December 23rd – January 22nd) The Goat is known for being an old soul and being the most mature in the Zodiac. This means when it comes to organizing, they likely started organizing at a very early age! Capricorns are very serious when it comes to being organized. They can be quite the perfectionist.

Aquarius (January 23rd – February 22nd) The Water Bearer is inventive and original. Aquarians do organize, but they typically do so in very different ways. Their systems are quite unusual and only they understand them. You’ll just have to take our words for it that Aquarians are organized!

Pisces (February 23rd – March 22nd) The Fish is sensitive and dreamy and sometimes has trouble staying organized. That’s because Pisces folks are known for being creative and love to start many projects. But they do well with simple systems that don’t overwhelm them. However you choose to organize, custom printed labels can only help.

I’m about to admit a real confession here: I have a serious addiction. Are you ready to hear about it?

I’m addicted to To Do lists!

To Do lists work. When you create a To Do list, somehow you just DO IT. There is no greater bliss than going about your day checking things off your To Do list. It gets to the point where checking things off your To Do list is just plain fun.

So how can you put all of this To Do magic to work in your life? Start by creating a To Do list the day or evening before your next day — to plan for the day’s events. This is probably one of the most classic To Do lists. Once you start creating this To Do list, you just won’t want to stop.

Write down everything you have to do on your To Do list, don’t edit yourself as you are writing. Once you’ve got everything down on paper – then go back through your list and start to prune.
Does everything truly need to be accomplished tomorrow? Is tomorrow the ideal day to listen to War and Peace on tape? Is that the best day to start your diet or look into the raw food movement? Only you will know the answers to these questions.

Begin to place items in order of importance, the order you want to get them done. So #1 will be done first and #2 will be done second. Continue through your list until you have gotten through your entire day.

The best To Do list adds in breaks for lunch and other practical breaks that you may take during the day for meetings, errands or other necessities. The best To DO lists are made with personalized labels to keep things organized.

Sometimes creating your To Do lists can teach you a great deal about your time management skills. You may discover you are trying to cram way, way too much into your day. Or that you are trying to do too much right after work or in the mornings. Making these To Do lists can help you understand how to be the most effective.

Photo by Mr. Jayel Aheram.

Good organization not only keeps a playroom neat, it is an opportunity to teach your children about their letters and spelling words. Many schools now adapt the organization habit of labeling storage boxes in nursery school classrooms with a label that has a picture and the word for what is inside. So a container with crayons would have a picture of crayons and the word “Crayons.”

Adapting this labeling technique for your young child’s playroom at home not only gives you a very well organized playroom, it also encourages a child to stretch their word and lettering skills. The more exposed they are to words and letters, the more they will start to use them!

Labels are easy to make and to find. The very best labels for your nursery child’s playroom at home are ones that are both colorful and durable.

Use words that are simple and very commonly found. As your child sees the word over and over, they will begin to acclimate the word with the toy or other plaything.

Labels and international political incidents do not normally go together but a controversy is brewing regarding food labeling and imported food is causing a few late nights for the President and his new administration.

The so-called COOL rule (Country Of Origin Labeling) is causing consternation amongst Canadian food producers and politicians on the eve of President Obama’s first trip to our northern neighbor. The USDA has called for increased regulation and control over food origin and labeling including being able to determine where the source animal came from and how it was reared and slaughtered – this is strongly opposed by Canadian producers and the consternation created is going to be very high on the agenda for the President and the Canadians.

President Obama has indicated that any final decision will be made by the White House and not the USDA in a conciliatory move designed to cool some tempers in Toronto. This conflicts with the message coming out of the USDA but the new Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack has been quick to alleviate concerns with both the Canadian trading partners and the American Meat Institute.

At the moment the rules are transitional and do not become mandatory and final until March 19th of this year; the issue is going to be whether President Obama and his team can sway our food importing partners to play ball with the new labeling regime or sacrifice US consumer interests and food safety to the demands of foreign politicians and producers.

In either case, President Obama probably thought he would have far meatier issues to deal with than a spat over food labeling. However, this may also be just the kind of minor crisis that is needed to help the new administration get itself bedded down and explore its own capabilities, and explore them they shall.

What’s Your Labeling Personality? Take Our Quiz!

When you want to get organized, labels are one of the top ways you can stay on top of things. You’ll find things quickly and know exactly what the contents are when things have a custom label.

But everyone has a labeling personality. Do you know what yours is? Take our labeling quiz to discover exactly what type of labeler you are!

1. Your son or daughter is going off to summer camp. You are a little teary eyed, knowing you’ll miss them. To get them organized you start by…..

1. Labeling their trunk, inside of their clothing, snacks, emergency contact information – even their Game Boy!
2. Labeling the inside of their clothes – then asking them to finish their labeling.
3. Looking at what they have packed and labeling some of the items on top of the suitcase. They’ll always know what they have….won’t they?

2. Your family is throwing a tag sale to raise money for charity. You’ve cleaned and organized items and now it comes time to price and label them. You……

1. Organize them into categories by what type of item they are (toys, clothing, books, etc). Then start to price and label them.
2. Ask your children to label their toys and clothing and work on labeling and pricing the higher marked items.
3. Put labels on everything but leave the prices blank. This will mean that everyone can negotiate for a price – tag salers love haggling for a great deal!

3. Your family is going on vacation for two weeks to Bermuda. Sunny skies and sandy beaches call you. But your family is from Minnesota – so this trip has taken lots of extra shopping and now you’ve got to organize all of your packing. You…..

1. Pack everyone’s suitcases and carry-on bags and label each item. Adding clothing labels that include your name and address so they could be mailed back to you.
2. Help your younger children to pack and remind your older teens and husband to pack and show them how to label their clothing and items.
3. Add a label to the inside of your suitcase and to each family members’ suitcase. If any clothing gets lost…it was just meant to be!

Okay….time to tally up!

If your answers were mostly A then you are a Constant Cathy. Your labeling personality is well-organized, methodical and stays on top of every crisis. The only challenge? Sometimes you can go a bit overboard and wind up labeling the dog’s fleas!

If your answers were mostly B then you are a Middle of the Road Melody. Your labeling personality is relaxed and balanced. You see labeling as a way to stay organized, but you aren’t going to label like a chipmunk full of caffeine. The best way you can label is to make a list before you start a project and look at the priority places labels could go.

If your answers are mostly C then no one has to tell you that you are a Free Spirited Felicity. You stick labels wherever you are inspired to. Sometimes this means you have creative and inspired results and other times this means you are missing labels where it could be a great idea to have them. Make friends with Cathy and Melody for some great labeling tips – you can certainly teach them to be more creative!