Your Life. Organized.

4 Easy Holiday Appetizers You Can Make In 20 Minutes

It’s officially the holiday season and that means you’ll be invited to gatherings, parties and soirees from now through the end of the calendar year. Between shopping, entertaining and visiting, the word of the season is (say it with me…) BUSY!

If you dread holiday potlucks because you’re not a whiz in the kitchen and time is not on your side in general this time of year, this is the post for you! Here are five super easy and delicious dishes you can whip up on short notice for your own shindig or to bring to any holiday gathering. To make it even easier, bring them on a disposable plastic platter and leave it behind so you can come home empty-handed.

Caprese Skewers
This dish is one of my personal favorites and go-to appetizers that’s always a big hit. Cut fresh mozzarella into small pieces and combine each piece on a toothpick skewer with a grape tomato and a fresh basil leaf. Drizzle the entire plate with balsamic reduction or serve it on the side for those who wish to dip.

 

Classic Bruschetta
Make crostini by slicing a loaf of Italian bread into ¼ inch thick rounds, brush with olive oil and toast on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for five to six minutes until they’re golden brown. While the bread is toasting, combine a container of halved grape tomatoes and two teaspoons of olive oil and toast them on a baking sheet until the tomatoes are soft.

Once the bread and tomatoes are out of the oven, spread the toasted crostini with ricotta cheese, top each crostini to the roasted tomatoes and drizzle each crostini with honey.

 

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Bites
This classic kid pleaser goes upscale when you spread artisan Tuscan bread with basil pesto, pile on sharp provolone cheese and fresh plum tomatoes and grill it in a hot sauté pan. Cut each sandwich into bite-size pieces and stack on a plate for your guests. Simple and delicious!

 

Chicken Salad Boats
To head to a weekday party after work, swing by the grocery store and pick up a head of fresh Belgian Endive (not curly!) and a rotisserie grilled chicken. Pull the chicken off the bones, put it into a mixing bowl and set the bowl of chicken into the freezer to chill quickly while you make the dressing. For the dressing, combine 2 to 3 Tablespoons of mayonnaise, a teaspoon of dry mustard, a teaspoon of dried dill, ½ teaspoon of celery seed, and sea salt and ground black pepper to taste. Add the pulled chicken to the dressing, mix thoroughly and scoop into washed endive leaves. Arrange the leaves on a plate and serve.

 

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Are You Just Like The TSA?

New TSA and Department of Homeland Security "airport safety measures," which include using backscatter X-ray scanners, terahertz wave scanners, and very thorough pat-downs, are causing quite an uproar. I find it interesting that these incredibly invasive policies are being implemented ostensibly to thwart another terror attack on an airplane, yet the number of terror attempts on American planes since 9/11 has been approximately 30 -- miniscule in relation to the literally millions of flights that have taken off and landed safely in the U.S. since then.

Not that we shouldn't be worried about terrorists on planes. Of course we should. But subjecting every man, woman and child (do NOT get me started on the pat-downs of children!) to a personally invasive, humilating security check before being permitted on a plane is clearly what corporate America calls managing to the exception.

Simply put, managing to the exception is something big companies and governments do all the time when they create policies based on the smallest possible negative consequence. This often results in other larger unintended consequences.

Managing to the exception is a failure of leadership that we've all seen before. It's the boss who eliminates Casual Fridays because one person came in dressed way too casually and other people MIGHT do it too. It's the restaurant chain that eliminates their frequent customer rewards program because a handful of unscrupulous people were "working the system" to get free food and others MIGHT do it too. You get the idea.

Clearly, the new TSA policies are a supreme example of managing to the exception. Are you like the TSA in your own life? Would you love to simplify your life, your home, or your office, yet you can't seem to let go of a lot of your STUFF because you're managing to the exception?

You'd like to toss all that paper, but you MIGHT want that information again. You'd donate that gold suede jacket you haven't worn in four years -- but gosh, you MIGHT need it. You'd love to sell that Casio keyboard that's gathering dust, but holy cow, your church worship band MIGHT need a fill-in performer one Sunday in the next several years!

When you allow what would clearly be THE EXCEPTION to dictate your day-to-day decision making, you're just like TSA using naked scanning and feeling up passengers based on the truly MINISCULE chance that they MIGHT have a stick of dynamite stowed away in a bodily orifice.

The land of MIGHT is no place to hang out, my friend. MIGHT keeps you stuck. MIGHT paralyzes you and prohibits action. And worst of all, MIGHT ensures that you stay focused on the exception rather than what's possible in your life.

 

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Buffer Days

Does traveling derail your life schedule and make you feel as if you're playing catch-up for a week after you return home? If so, there may just be one teensy little thing you're not doing, and I'm about to tell you what it is... 

CNN Invites The Packing Light Queen In Studio

Boy oh boy, has air travel changed in the past few years. From taking off your shoes to packing teeny tiny toiletries in plastic bags, the airlines keep putting new guidelines in place that frankly, don't make travel any easier. Especially for those of us who travel frequently for business. The newest travel kick in the teeth is actually a kick in the wallet...

I'm Heading To Hollywood!

This weekend I'll be heading to Hollywood to be a presenter at the Fifth Annual Los Angeles Organizing Awards, where we will be honoring our industry leaders, movers and shakers! Check out this video from last year's festivities!

This fabulous, glamorous, red carpet event just keeps getting better every year! The event is open to the general public, NAPO members and all guests, so get your ticket while you still can! NAPO members get a special discounted rate, so come on colleagues, you do NOT want to miss out on the fun!

This year's presenting sponsor is Avery Dennison and our celebrity host is Kim Coles. Last year the incredibly funny Hal Sparks hosted, and the year before that, Sherri Shepherd cracked us up.

As a ginormous bonus, Hornburg Jaguar and the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel are giving away some pretty awesome prizes!

Event sponsor Hornburg Jaguar of West Hollywood will not only be displaying the XF mid-size luxury sedan alongside the red carpet, but is giving away a certificate valid for a full weekend's use of the car.  (Ooh ooh pick me pick me!!)

In addition, the fabulous Hollywood Renaissance Hotel at Hollywood and Highland joins the fun by providing a two-day stay for the winner. This really cool prize package (which I plan to win) is valued at $2000. 

So besides the great prizes you can win, the swag bags full of neato products provided by our sponsors, the delicious food, the glamorous attire and the opportunity to rub elbows with the organizing industry's movers and shakers both at the event and at the brunch the next morning, why ELSE should you be at the Los Angeles Organizing Awards?

Well, for starters this event is like the organizing industry's Academy Awards, except UNlike the Oscars, anyone can attend! Secondly, the house will be full of people you know such as my pals Dorothy Breininger from A&E's Hoarders, Linda Koopersmith from Clean House, Peter Walsh from the Oprah Show, and on a more personal note, I'LL be there and I miss you!

Gosh, we haven't seen each other since last year's conference in Orlando (or maybe before that). Another bonus... it's WARM there and chances are it's been dang cold where you live, so why NOT come to LA?? (See? I knew you didn't have a good reason). So get your awards ceremony and brunch tickets today, and I'll see YOU next weekend on the red carpet!

 

Let Your Freezer Save You Money!

These days every time you turn around you see news about how bad the economy is, and everyone wants to be smart with their money. One way to make your dollar stretch farther is to let your freezer work for you. First, peruse the weekly grocery store flyer to see what's on sale. Let's say it's chuck roast that's on sale for $1 a pound and each roast is about three pounds. Here's the plan...

I'm Goin' Back To Cali...

Oh, I'm so gangsta, aren't I? Yeah, not really. But I AM heading back to Cali next week with Beazer Homes, so come out and see me! I'll be making appearances at two California communities, sharing info about how to get organized and answering your organizing questions, and showcasing all the cool SmartDesign organization features we're building into our new homes. On Wednesday the 27th I'll be at the Rolling Hills community from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Rolling Hills
28807 Morningside Lane
Menifee, CA 92584
RSVP to 866-780-4016

Then I'll be jumping on Southwest Airlines and heading up to Sacramento on Friday May 29th, I'll be at a community calling Reflections from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Reflections
3108 Mowbray Way
Rancho Cordova, CA 95670
RSVP to 866-780-4050

For both events, I'll be signing and giving away copies of my book, Organize Your Office In No Time, and of course there will be great food (as always!) I hope you California cats will come see me!

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Dallas Meat-A-Palooza!

So I arrived in Dallas a few hours ago, my Beazer contact picked me up at the DFW airport and we bravely fought rush hour traffic to get to our hotel. Within a half hour of arriving at the hotel, we were back out the door again and on our way to have dinner with two of the local Beazer peeps. As you know, I'm quite the Foodie, and I always like to dine at a local hotspot, and of course, Dallas is no exception. So what do you have to have when you're in Texas?BARBECUE of course!

We went to this awesomely casual place (think picnic tables and metal folding chairs) called Rudy's and had some of the BEST barbecue I've ever had. I couldn't decide what I wanted, so the nice man behind the counter suggested I try a little bit of a bunch o' stuff. I walked away with smoked turkey, sausage, pork, and brisket. Not to mention half a loaf of white bread and homemade creamed corn and a Frostie Vanilla Root Beer.  Mmmmm was that one yummy meal! I brought half of it back to my hotel room fridge. (not that I'll eat it at midnight, but I like keeping my options open...) 
Next time you're in the Dallas area, you gotta try Rudy's!

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Miss M Heads To The Big D!

Hey Dallas area peeps, I'm coming to the Big D next weekend to do two events for Beazer Homes! I hope you'll come see me Saturday May 16th from 1-3 pm at either Cobb Farm in Frisco, or Sunday May 17th from 1-3pm at The Preserve at Pecan Creek in Denton.

I'll be there in the communities, sharing home organizing tips, giving away ten free copies of my book Organize Your Office In No Time, and of course as always, there will be great eats! Woohoo!

Cobb Farm Driving Directions:
From Dallas, travel north on the Dallas North Tollway. Take the El Dorado exit and turn left. Continue west to Legacy Dr. and turn right. Cobb Farm is on the right.

Preserve at Pecan Creek Driving Directions: Take I-35 North to Post Oak Rd. Exit #461. Stay on access road and turn right at Shady Shores. Continue through 4-way stop. Shady Shores turns into Lakeview Blvd. Remain on Lakeview Blvd. and turn left on Smoketree Trail.

Hope to see you there!

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If Heaven Had a Restaurant

Wednesday night last week I flew to Los Angeles for the 2009 Los Angeles Organizing Awards. That evening, I went to NOBU to see my friend Alex Becker, who is the Executive Chef there. I sat by myself in the bar and met bartenders Aaron, Marcus and Lisa. At Aaron's suggestion, I began my evening with an unbelievably delish pink grapefruit martini. What a way to start a fabulous evening! The La Cienega location of NOBU, like many of the locations, was designed by cutting edge designer David Rockwell of The Rockwell Group. Clean lines punctuated by interesting and organic textures and accessories, blended with dark sultry colors combine to make this NOBU the perfect place to gather with friends for drinks or enjoy a world-class culinary experience in one of the four dining rooms.

I arrived at NOBU at around 7:30 pm and long story short, by the time I left at 11:00, I had enjoyed a second martini (cucumber this time) and Alex had hooked me up with more food than any one human should consume in a sitting. Start to finish, I had NINE plates that started out as tiny portions but as I got more and more full, the portions seemed to get bigger. Here are the culinary delights young Alex sent out of the kitchen...