7 Tips on How to Avoid Being Locked Out

Bad news: Donavyn perfectly closed the screen door today so that the latch flipped and locked us outside.

Good news: I can fit through the bottom corner of the screen door.

Bad news: Donavyn thinks we now crawl through to get in or out the door.

Doors are wonderful. They protect us and our stuff. They keep out the weather and various forms of wildlife. They decorate our homes.

But invariably, they lock when we least intend for it, and we are locked out. The wind blows the door shut, the toddler learns to twist the lock and you unknowingly close the door, your hands are full and you drop the keys to unload (meanwhile locking yourself out), you think the keys are in your pocket/purse/backpack but the trusty tools are languishing right inside the door waiting to be used (and you are outside).

As a college resident aide, one of our most common tasks was to provide a key to locked out residents. This was a weekly if not more often duty. I worked with the inhabitants of two buildings, as did my partners on staff. We spent many hours walking back to the dorms, unlocking the key safe, handing out a key, and waiting for the return. Let's say that my residents often found me on campus for reasons other than to chat.

When my children were preschoolers, they were often called into duty to crawl through the dog door to unlock the door for my parents.

At my most recent teaching job, I was usually the first one to arrive. If I was later than normal, for some reason, certain others were locked out until I made it to school.

On a hot summer day, I locked myself and two grandbabies out in the backyard. No diapers. No snacks. No anything. I had to wait quite a while before anyone could rescue us. I am happy to report there were no diaper disasters.

I once locked my friend and I out of the van. We were in a different state. At a campground. Good thing for us she was a AAA member.

One day I locked myself out of my car. After being rescued, I immediately locked myself out again. True story.

Doors. Both good and bad. Some things I've done to prevent being locked out:

1. Hide a key. Use an unusual spot. Be creative. The easiest place to hide an extra key is the first place home invaders will look.

2. Always have a spare key in your car. I have a spare house and gate key in my car. This will not help me if I lock my keys in the car, but if I lock myself out of the house, I can always use my car set to get back inside.

3. Use technology if you can. Some doors, I'm sure, can now be controlled by smart phones. Not mine, but some doors probably work just fine when you punch in a code.

4. Keep a spare key in your purse or wallet. This is different than a set in the car. I carry my purse, so the extra key is most likely not locked in the car.

5. Double up. Make sure your spouse/roommate/friend has a spare.

6. Give a key to the neighbors. I cannot tell you how many times this saved my bacon when we lived in our first home. Great for me but probably annoying for them.

7. Keep your keys in your hand or pocket. Do the pat check before the final latching of the door. Not foolproof, but a satisfactory technique to help.


As you can tell, I may have a slight problem with keys and getting locked in or out of the places I want to be. I give you my tips in the hope that you will avoid similar situations and near disasters.

Maybe these tips will help you more than they help me. Otherwise, we may all be crawling through the screen doors.

Bumped! YARD SALE 103 Will Be Here on Friday!

Someone, not going to mention who, got all excited about a physics lesson enacted by her kitty, Monet. Therefore, she totally forgot that she was going to blog the Part 3 of her yard sale series.

My apologies!

Join me on Friday to read the yard sale conclusion in YARD SALE 103.

Meanwhile, here are a few pretty pictures to cheer you up as I know that you were just dying to read more about yard sales today.


(The usual feature on Thursdays, Thankful Thursday, will still be here tomorrow, brought to you by the letter Ii. See you then!)

YARD SALE 102: Tips for Yard Sale Success (IF You Must Have One)

Look at the beautifully organized and clean garage!


Welcome to YARD SALE 102: Tips for Yard Sale Success

Notice that I qualified that title with IF You Must Have One. You can check out the previous post to see my druthers about hosting a yard sale. Now, that makes it sound like fun, instead of sheer hard work.

I have to admit, using the tips below, the yard sale my husband and I just put on a few weeks ago was the least stressful and most productive one I've ever had. I kid you not.

Usually, for the yard sales that have inhabited our life, you would find me pricing, sorting, stacking, cleaning, pricing, storing, digging for hangers, stealing tables, paying for ads, and so on. Plus more pricing. I think it is the pricing that I detest the most.

Yard sales have two benefits.

1. Yard sales bring in a little (sometimes a lot) of cash. One can never have too much money. At least no one I know has too much.

2. Yard sales provide the perfect outlet for cleaning out the stuff - garage, cupboards, closets, toy boxes, attic, and storage units.

Let's embrace yard sales as a sometimes-necessary-evil.

Here are the tips that led us to experience yard sale success with a minimum of stress.

~ Attitude check: Just do it. Get some money at least for letting strangers paw through your junk. We almost failed this first step, until my friend said, "Just do it. Better they pay you to haul off your stuff than you get nothing for hauling your own junk."

~ Don't pay for an ad. We live in the perfect neighborhood for this to work. We set up tables, put the sign at the end of the road and one at our driveway, and we were in business. Of course, this works well for busy streets. Use free online ads if you must. Two signs. Free. That was it.

~ Get plenty of change. We had lots of quarters, dimes, dollars, and small change. Once you see our pricing, that will make more sense. Or should I say cents?

~ Keep that new yard sale mindset going. Don't price small stuff. Just label tables. We had 10 cent tables, 25 cent tables, $1 tables, and the rest of the big stuff was tagged with a negotiable price. (Of course we didn't say that we would accept less. We just knew we didn't want to haul any of it away. 3 bucks instead of 5 bucks? Sure. It's yours.)

~ Notice the joy on the face of customers as they see how cheaply you have organized your stuff. One lady was so happy, she bought several bags of our former belongings. "You have great prices! There is another yard sale on such and such street and they have really high prices and what they have is garbage." Let it go. Don't stress.

~ Yes, I'm sure some people mixed up things from the quarter, dime, and dollar tables. I told myself early and often, "Who cares?" Get rid of it! This attitude served me well during the yard sale. I really didn't care. Just take it.

~ Have a stash of grocery sacks, boxes, and newspapers. Help fill boxes and wrap breakables with newspaper. I think I earned a few extra nickels and dimes by being a great checker. Several customers were so happy they told me to keep the change. Nice, huh?

~ Be flexible with your hours. Since we didn't have a paid ad, we could do what we wanted. What we wanted was to have only one day for the sale.

Day 1: On Friday, we had a leisurely morning setting up everything on the tables and driveway. Wow. We were done by noon. So I told my husband to go put out the signs. We started a yard sale at 12:00! We had plenty of customers. Business slowed down about 3 o'clock, so we closed and went for a hamburger with the earnings.

Day 2: We opened by 8. Again, since there was no ad, early comers did not drop in at 6:30 AM to be the first to grab the goods. We had a booming business on Day 2, as it was Saturday. Non-stop traffic. Stuff practically flew off the tables. See? No stress. It was going. We were building our cash supply. Still, we were tired and wanted to be done. About 9:30, we brought out the best deal yet.

~ Buck a bag! Yes. I stood at the gate and announced that we had the $1 a bag sale going on. At 9:30 AM. People were pleasantly shocked. I could tell by their faces. At that point, we were really getting down to the junk, since we had fantastic prices, most of it was gone. Now we were taking minimal payment for them to haul off things they would not ordinarily pay for. If it fits in the bag, they were willing to take it home. Out of my house. Gone. And they paid me to do it! HAH.

Things were quite hectic but bags and bags of items were carried away by happy customers. So many people, so much stuff gone.

~ When we were literally down to not much at all, mostly books, there was a very short lull. Nobody was in our yard. The husband said, "Let's be done." I replied, "Excellent. Go get the sign."

And that was it. We packed up a few meager boxes, loaded the truck, cleaned off the driveway, swept out the garage, and got rid of the remainders.

Sweet, sweet yard sale victory.

If I ever need to have a yard sale again, and I am working on avoiding that possibility, I will repeat these strategies.

No stress. Let it go. Keep it simple.

Oh, such a nice clean yard - after the yard sale.

Check back tomorrow for YARD SALE 103.

Disneyland - 10 Tips for Surviving Your Vacation While Experiencing Menopause

Yes. It's true. Menopause does change your outlook on life, at least temporarily. I didn't know how much until we took a recent trip to Disneyland. It was my only trip to the Big D while enjoying the side effects of the Big M - menopause.

Mostly, the heat made it miserable for me (and thereby, my hubby). Shade and AC were my favorite attractions this go-round. Here are some tips that helped me stay sane while experiencing the magic of Disney while hormonally unbalanced.

1. SHADE. I've already mentioned this. Shade is your friend. Your very best friend, next to AC. Find it and stand there. Seek seats in shady areas to recoup or wait for parades. Take an umbrella if necessary to make your own shade. Shade is found in all sorts of lovely shops, restaurants, attractions, and natural settings. Seek and find.

2. AC. Air conditioning should be first, as I LOVE AC. Some of the best places to find AC? Again - shops, restaurants (indoor), and attractions. Pirates quickly became a favorite ride due to the blasts of cool air propelling from the doors, as well as the approximately 15 minutes worth of sit-down-in-AC-time while on the actual ride. Find those indoor rides and patronize them. We were also rejuvenated by lolling about in our hotel room, complete with beautiful AC.

3. Go NAKED. NOT really! But do wear thin, cotton clothing. I wanted to wear sleeveless tops, but my little backpack then chaffed my upper arms. Plus, short sleeves protect your shoulders from sunburn. Thin clothes do the trick. Cotton absorbs sweat and dries from sweat relatively fast. I lived in shorts and thin shirts.

4. Eat SMALL. Huge meals made me have more hot flashes, in addition to the multiple (and I mean MULTIPLE) hot flashes I had due to change in temperatures from the northwest and the heat spell found in Orange County. Small meals and snacks made it easier to deal with the constant dripping sweat resulting from hot flashes (hereafter to be called HF). Relief, if there is such a thing, comes in lack of heavy clothing.

5. NUTS. This is perhaps one of my favorite discoveries. Buy those nut pack cases from Costco. Carry around a few packages. Eat them as a snack or a meal. The protein and extra salt helped replace what I was licking off of my upper lip and wiping off of my sweaty brow.

6. Alternate. Enjoy an indoor attraction or event. Then head out for a sunny ride. Go back inside to shop. Stand in line for an outdoor show. Etc. Etc. Give your body a chance to reset.

7. Embrace the COFFEE BREAK. This is another favorite that we just discovered this trip. Take a coffee break. Every day. You don't have to drink coffee. Now that Starbucks is on both Main Street (inside the park) and Downtown Disney (outside the park), the opportunities are plentiful. We hit the Main Street store each morning, staked out an in-the-shade table, and drank iced green or passion tea. Plus we added a snack - a nut pack or pastry. I needed the shade break and cool drink. My honey needed the food. Perfect win-win situation.
(HINT: You cannot reload your card while inside Disneyland. If you are planning on collecting stars, load at home, load at Downtown Disney, or set your card to automatic reload).

8. FLOAT a BOAT. Drink enough water to literally float a boat. I drenched my clothing continually all day with sweat. Really, it was disgusting. So I had to drink, drink, and drink some more. Not just plain water. What was really refreshing was sparkling water. We stocked up at home, brought a few cases with us, and kept it cool in the hotel fridge. Ahhhh. The pause that refreshes.

9. Get a FAN. I could not have survived at all without my hand fan. It's just a cheap little paper fan with wood slats. But it folds up so I could put it in my backpack or pocket and take it out as needed. It was in use most of the time, providing a breeze where none was to be found. Disneyland does have those cool battery driven fans that spritz water out as they spin. They cost $18. I was too cheap to buy one. Instead, stand beside some kids who are holding one. They don't pay attention and will accidently spray you. I spent some time next to a few youngsters while waiting for a show. They kept my legs cool (not that they knew it, but I felt it). Or buy a water fan in advance of your trip. Take it along.

10. Be REALISTIC. I thought I was still 25 and not experiencing hormonal surges and an excess of HF's. We quickly learned. Slow down. Have fun. Get a 5 Day Pass. You will have plenty of time to see everything. EVERYTHING.


I can't wait to make a return trip. Go Disney!

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15 Disneyland Marathon Tips

In case you didn't know, a visit to the wonderful world of Disney in sunny southern California requires intense preparation.

Intense.

In order to get the most from your visit, pre-shopping and planning is in order.

We love going to Disneyland. So much so, that we spent our honeymoon there 29 years ago. Our family has since enjoyed (and endured) many additional trips to the Magic Kingdom.

Here are some tips that helped us during our recent trip to Disneyland at the beginning of this month. We have only been home a few weeks and already want to go back!

1. Go after Labor Day. If you can swing it, this is a great time to go. I would suggest the latter part of September. We just missed the seasonal decorations at the Haunted Mansion by 2 days. TWO days. Crowds are smaller. Lines are shorter. But beware - the hours are shorter as well. Heat is still a factor to be considered.

2. Take your own digital camera. I hauled around my big Nikon, wishing often for a pocket version with good quality shots. When a character photo opp is imminent, allow Disney cast members to take your photo - with both their camera and yours. They don't mind. Really! The Disney photographer will take your photo and give you a little card that has a link to your photo. What they didn't tell me right away was to then hand the photo card to each subsequent photographer so all of the photos are linked together. For a while there, I was collecting photo cards left and right. You can purchase all of the photos on a CD, some of them, or just use the ones that are on your camera. Mine turned out great.

3. Wear clothes with pockets. Please, no short shorts or skirts! No one wants to see your underpants while you climb in and out of rides. Well, maybe someone does. But really? Those rides are dirty. People always step on the seats to get in and out of a ride. Ick. Cover it up. Use your pockets to haul things like fast passes, lip gloss, and so on. Love my pockets.

4. Use a pocket lanyard. Disney pin trading is big right now. Our package deal (tip number 5) had a free lanyard for each member of my party. The lanyard came with a free pin to trade (we kept ours - they are expensive) and a pocket for your Disney tickets and entry cards. This is a very easy way to keep track of everyone. And absolutely necessary for fast passes.

5. Buy a package deal. Save big on entry costs, hotel, airfare, and rental cars. Even when we purchased just the entry passes and hotel, we saved money. Plus you get a few freebies - one 5x7 photo, lanyards, Magic Morning entry, and so on.

6. Do fast passes! This is a great way to hit some fun rides or attractions while waiting for a turn on the big rides.

7. Single rider lines are great and save loads of time. One morning I was able to ride the Cars race cars 4x in a row in less than 30 minutes. It only works well if you don't have small children to supervise. Your party WILL be split up.

8. Hit Costco before you go. We purchased a huge box of individual nut packs. We took several with us each day. They saved us money on meals and gave us enough energy and salt (due to sweat factor) to stretch out our meal times.

9. Wear a small backpack. Fill it with necessaries - nut packs, granola bars, phone, camera, hand wipes, hand sanitizer, and so on. Saved our life. Easy to take on and off for rides. A small backpack fits in the little net pockets in Indiana Jones. Though it will still get wet on Splash Mountain. I did have a plastic shopping bag I shoved it in for that ride. PS You WILL want hand sanitizer after some of the rides. Like Autopia and the sticky steering wheels.

10. Sunblock. September temps hit nearly 100. Add lack of shade and time in line and you could end up with a burn. I saw several very red people.

11. Hats. Wear one. Buy or bring a hat. Make your own shade.

12. Water is a must. We forgot to drink when we were rushing from ride to ride. Bring water or purchase a bottle on site and refill it as often as possible. Disney allows you to bring in food and drinks. Though one must allow for special treats and meals that can only be enjoyed at Disneyland.

13. Start a walking program well before you leave for the land of Mickey. Miles spent walking = a zillion. Miles spent walking and standing will put your feet through the ringer.

14. Wear tennis shoes. See 13.

15. Leave the fancy jewels at home. Many of the attractions are quite bumpy and turbulent. You may be saying good-bye to your favorite pearls.

Disneyland is a blast! With a little planning and organization, your time in that wonderful make-believe world can be truly filled with pleasure.

Welcome to Walt Disney's Magic Kingdom. All Aboard!

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