Happy New Year!
As the New Year comes upon us, there are many little things that we could do to make our life easier for the year ahead. The more organized you are, the larger number of these suggestions you have probably already addressed. Many, and perhaps most, of these are not sewing related, but I hope you will find at least half a dozen things here that help you! 8)

Change the batteries in your smoke and CO₂ detectors.

Change the batteries in your camera (esp. the 35mm).

Change your flashlight batteries.

Clean your oven.

Put a roll of quarters in your car for emergencies.

Check the air in your tires, fluids, brakes, the tires themselves, etc. (often free at a repair place).

Flip your mattress over.

Replace your makeup foundation, mascara, and shadow due to bacteria.

Clean your VCR, stereo, etc. heads and innards as they need.

Have your eye glasses cleaned and adjusted.

Buy a roll of stamps (remember the rate is going up in January, so get the new rate).

Call and schedule your pet's annual check-up, shots, etc.

Drain and flush your hot water heater to extend its lifespan and increase efficiency.

Replace your watch batteries.

Vacuum out your computer.

Backup your e-mail and your hard drive.

Update your virus protection

Add the anti-fungal agent to your waterbed.

Clean filters and heat registers.

Update your personal phone book and make a backup copy.

If you belong to AAA replace your plastic wallet key card.

Clean under your beds and furniture.

Replace the needle in your sewing machine(s).

Clean and (if applicable)lubricate your sewing machine thoroughly.

Call and schedule your machine's annual tune-up and cleaning if it's a machine that needs professional adjusting.

Replace the blade(s) in your rotary cutter(s).

Update the message on your answering machine.

Clean off one shelf in your sewing room.

Clean out the medicine cabinet and flush old or outdated meds down the toilet for safety.

Replace your seam ripper.

Schedule your annual doctor appointments (dentist, eyes, gyn, physical, mammogram, etc).

Clean out your book shelves. Pass the ones that no longer interest you along to friends, the library, a nursing home, etc.

Clean your dryer vent duct and the lint areas of the machine.

Clean the grease trap filter on your stove hood.

Print out your e-mail address book, for 'just in case'.

Replace the maps in your car with current ones.

Have your car *really* cleaned inside and/or detailed. Also consider renewing your clear coat.

Back up your computer's web links, favorites, bookmarks, (all the same, just which term you're used to). Best downloaded to a floppy or CD with other data backup.

Clean up your computer by pulling all last year's documents, letters, etc. that you can off onto a CD or DVD. (Also a good time to put all the quilty stuff together on its own disk).

Have your dentures cleaned and adjusted.

Now that the stress of the holidays are past you, don't forget to count your blessings!

Replace the rice in your rice bags.

Change any water filters you may have.

Replace the baking soda in the frig.

Defrost your freezer and clean out any really old food.

Print twelve envelopes for any recurring bills that you have to provide the envelope for. (Also good to print any friend or relative addressed ones you use regularly).

Make sure you have 'emergency candle kits' in each room of the house(except kids' rooms of course). This is usually a glass jar, with strike anywhere matches, and two or three tea lights, with a screw on lid.

(Let's add your tip here! E-Mail Niki).

Supporting the UFO-rphanage - The UFO-rphanage for Quilters is a wonderful cause! We work hard to provide a site worth visiting, with unusual and timely information that quilters need and won't find just everywhere out there. If you find any of our articles helpful, worth printing off or saving to your computer, please consider a paypal donation to help us pay for our web site and connection, to build storage space, and classroom space. There are so many plans we'd like to pursuing helping the community! You can be part of that by expressing your appreciation for the information you find here with a small donation. Even $1 per article would be a huge help!

Additional Support Options: Besides the small monetary donations we hope you will make for the wonderful information you find here, there are other ways you can help to support the work of the UFO-rphanage. Send donations of fabric and supplies,patterns, magazines, books, whatever you can to help with the cause.

Ok, so now, you've read the articles, downloaded some of them, sent a few dollars our way, cleaned out and up your sewing space and have a box of goodies to send our way. That is all really terrific! There is still one more way you can help. SPREAD THE WORD! If you read the quilty newsgroups, tell them about us. Share it with your personal quilt buddies, online quilt friends and lists, and friends, and mention it at guild or show and tell. Maybe it would go something like this:

"I cleaned out that little dresser I was storing fabric in. There were so many odds and ends in there! I packed them up and sent a box of stuff I just know I'll NEVER use, I mean what was I thinking when I bought that?! Anyway I sent it to this lady in Ohio, and they make charity quilts and projects for seniors, nursing homes, church outreach, and lots of other things! So I didn't have to get a migraine over throwing it away, I don't have to keep moving it around because I just don't want to sew with it, and their work goes on, isn't that great?!?" ...... And if all goes well, we suspect it will end something like "Oh sure I'll get you that address! I'll bring it when I see you on Tuesday."

Also consider dropping off the detailed "what to donate information" that comes with the shipping labels at your local church, local quilt shop, local fabric store, local sewing group or guild, local sewing machine dealers -- you'll be amazed at who knows someone who knows someone who has boxes of boxes of fabric, thread, and other goodies to share, just sitting there waiting to be useful.

This organization was founded by a woman with a huge and giving heart who swallowed her pride and asked for the things other sewers, quilters and crafters didn't want so she could continue her love of sewing and quilts. The finished products went to so many wonderful causes and people. It is important to me to carry on Laura's tradition of heart. To do that we need for you to open your heart, and find ways to help--either the ones suggested here as a starting point, or come up with your own idea to help. Together, we become so much more than the sum of the parts...through love, and comfort, and care, we become a true agent of change and comfort in our local communities and the country.

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Thank you again for visiting. I hope you found something here that made your day, and your quilting just a little bit better, easier and more enjoyable.

Remember:
"Quilts made with love age with time but never lose their warmth."


© Copyright 1996-2004 Laura Starr
© Copyright 2005 Niki Roberts
All Rights Reserved

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Holiday Graphics from the following sources:
Renditions by Roxy
Graphics Design at About.com

E-mail Niki & UFO-rphanage for Quilters

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