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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Organize Your Life During the Winter Season

by Sherry Onweller

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he long, dark days of winter can actually be warm, cozy and comforting if you love your home. With the days getting darker earlier, we spend more time inside, which can become depressing in a cluttered environment. Alternatively, it can be an uplifting experience if your home is organized the way you want it to be. Winter is the perfect time to focus on your house and getting it organized. So grab a cup of your favorite warm beverage, a pretty notebook and get ready to make a plan!

Take a look at each room through new eyes. In your notebook or journal, make a room-by-room list of what you like, what you want to change and anything that needs to be repaired. Gradually, room by room, take action on your lists. January is a great time to spruce things up in your home by buying a few new bins, basket or organizing items, since they are usually on sale this time of year.

Once you get through your list, take some time to explore some hobbies, old or new. You may also ART_SherryOnweller_toolswant to do a few fun organization tasks such as scrapbooking, organizing photos and recipe organization.

Taking the time to make your house a comfortable and organized place will motivate you to invite friends and family over and welcome new opportunities. This will encourage you to be surrounded by the things and people you love and enjoy.

If you find the decluttering process to be difficult or stressful, a professional organizer can help. They leverage their expert skills to help clients pare things down and set up the space in a pleasing and effective way that can help create a happy and healthy home.

Sherry Onweller, professional organizer, is the owner of Everyday Organizing Solutions by Sherry. The professional organizing company offers customized organizing solutions to residential and business clients. To learn more, visit EverydayOrganizingSolutions.com or contact Sherry at 908-619-4561.

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Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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