If you are involved in an accident or other emergency that leaves you incapacitated, who will speak for you? The following tips are quick and simple, and could very well save your life.

• ICE Sticker : Store the phone numbers of your emergency contacts in your cellphone, prefaced with the acronymn ICE (i.e., In Case of Emergency). As an additional potential lifesaving measure, and an indicator to emergency personnel, affix an ICE Sticker to the back of your cellphone.

• Wallet Card : Keep a hard copy of your family’s emergency plan and medical history in your wallet. For additional peace of mind, use a self-laminating sheet to protect your wallet card from everyday wear-and-tear.

• Medic Alert : If you have any potential life-threatening allergies or medical conditions, check out the latest fashions of Medic Alert Jewelry. The once-utilitarian bracelets now have a ton of stylish variations, from dog tags and sports bands to watches and necklaces.

• ICE Packet : Get ‘hip’ with a specialized USB flash drive keychain that stores all your medical data for easy access by emergency personnel. ‘All the kids are doing it…’

So, what about you? How do you store your vital medical history in an easily-accessible format, just in case of an emergency? Do share!

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Courtesy of Lorie Marrero, creator of The Clutter Diet, owner of Living Order:

Homeostasis is a medical term that refers to the tendency of the human body to seek and maintain balance. What is your house’s “HOME-eostasis?” What is that balanced condition of your home to which you would always like to return?

Your house’s homeostasis results from preventing clutter, reducing the clutter you have to a manageable and acceptable level, and consistently maintaining your home with systems and routines. It’s a state of balance and readiness—the kind of feeling you have when you’ve just straightened up the house for company to come over for dinner. It’s a state of satisfaction, pride, and comfort. Homeostasis is your definition of success!

We are not talking about perfection, as we’ve often emphasized. Homeostasis is a flexible state that adjusts to transitional times and periods of less or more activity in your lives. The definition will change as your family and situations change. Your ultimate organizing goal is to know what homeostasis means for your home and have the education, motivation, and support to easily and confidently achieve it when things get out of balance (as they surely will).

Make your list today—take 10-15 minutes to go by each room and note what needs to happen to make you feel balanced and ready. An example: My guest bathroom needs to be clean enough for people to use without my being embarrassed, and have plenty of toilet paper, a fresh hand towel, and soap.

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Having a baby is a far more complicated endeavor than you could ever imagine when you first get pregnant. To help you manage the influx of baby’s clothes (and all the size changes as baby grows), here are a few tips…

Supplies Needed:

• clothes dresser
• drawer dividers
• children’s hangers
• closet dividers
• paper bags
• plastic storage bins

Organization Tips:

1. Store socks, mittens, hats, and other accessories in separate sections of the top dresser drawer.
2. Fold all onesies and store in two separate piles in the second dresser drawer: whites and colors.
3. Fold all gowns and sleepers. Store in two separate piles in the third dresser drawer.
4. Hang up baby’s outfits in the closet. Separate them by size and/or season using closet dividers.
5. As baby gets bigger, toss any outgrown clothes into the corresponding paper bag at the bottom of baby’s closet (labeled “sell,” “donate,” and “keep”).
6. Once the “donate” bag is full, take its contents to your favorite local charity.
7. When the “sell” bag is full, take its contents to your favorite consignment store.
8. When the “keep” bag is full, place its contents into the corresponding plastic bin (labeled by size and season, plus gender as necessary).

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