#Fourth of July and other #summer #cookouts can be hotbeds of foodborne illnesses. To gather and grill safely, keep hot foods hot (above 140°F) and cold foods cold (below 40°F), says the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. Cook meats to a safe internal temperature, and don’t leave anything out for more than two hours. Always keep raw and ready-to-eat foods separate and use different cutting boards, plates and utensils for raw meats and cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Marinate in the refrigerator and discard sauces that have touched raw meat. Wash hands, cooking surfaces and containers often. #America250 #SafetyTips
Tag: celebration
Keep Fireworks Use Safe for America’s 250th
#Fireworks injuries happen every #Fourth of July; more than 13,000 fireworks-related injuries and 15 deaths were logged nationwide in 2025, and the nation’s 250th will likely bring even more. Burns and other injuries are preventable, the Consumer Products Safety Commission says. Never allow children to play with or ignite fireworks, including sparklers. Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire. Light fireworks one at a time and move back fast. Never try to relight or pick up fireworks that didn’t detonate completely. And never use fireworks when impaired by alcohol or drugs. #America250 #SafetyTips
Marking the Milestone of Graduation
May and June are #graduation season. The academic calendar is coming to an end, and those in their senior years of high school and college will make the transition out of their respective schools and take the next steps in their lives. Many schools and families take note of middle and elementary school graduations, too.
The first thing on the minds of many #graduates and their #parents (after the ceremonies) is a #celebration. Graduation parties tend to be low-key, multigenerational affairs, gifts optional. If you plan one, ask the honoree what kind of gathering they would like to have, who should be on the guest list and what kind of refreshments might be served, says Emily Post.
However you #elebrate, graduation marks important milestone in life. The end of high school and college often carries bittersweet connotations, because the student will soon be saying goodbye to friends, accepting more adult responsibilities, and perhaps moving and/or entering a profession for the first time. Many will be seeking meaning or a new goal in life.
The reason many ceremonies are referred to as commencements is that while graduation is the end of one phase, it’s also new beginning — the culmination of years of work and a window into the great unknown. It can be an unsettling and emotional period; be prepared to help your gradate (or yourself) cope with new and unfamiliar demands.
One thing you can do to get the graduate’s next phase off on the right foot is to help them #edit and store the artifacts of those school years. With few exceptions, your high school grad isn’t going to need most of souvenirs of the previous four years for college or career, and college grads won’t need dorm-room trappings following them to their next homes.
Encourage your #grad to weed through their documents and keep the essentials — transcripts, writing samples, portfolios — in digital formats to save space. They can return textbooks and #organize #keepsakes in bins or boxes, PODS says. They can get rid of #clothing that won’t suit their next phase, along with extra appliances, dinnerware and other furnishings. Anything that doesn’t make the cut can go to ClothingDonations.org with a #free #donation #pickup.
Graduation is a milestone — and all milestones are an opportunity for reflection and goal-setting. #Decluttering can help graduates recognize and appreciate where their journey has taken them and move forward to the next big thing. Congratulations to all the grads!
Meet the New Year Head-On
The start of a #new year always carries hope for renewal. With the #holidays officially complete, people look to the future and think about how they want to spend the months ahead and what they might want to accomplish.
Six days old already, 2026 still holds ample promise for reaffirming #goals large and small. Everyone’s goals will be different; the important part is to acknowledge what they are and make concrete steps toward them.
Be intentional as you consider the year ahead. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed” by your goals, says Planoly. Write down the steps need to move ahead on any resolutions or plan, breaking the tasks down into achievable, bite-sized pieces.
Goals themselves don’t have to be huge to be life-changing. Success suggests 44 ways to “kickstart” a new year — everything from calling one of your kids to planning a vacation to #cleaning a #closet and #donating the excess #clothing to a #charity like ClothingDonations.org.
Medium suggests another 10 goals, including eating three square meals a day, buying a plant, spending time with your best friend, checking your blood pressure and going to a yoga session. These goals couldn’t be simpler, and yet, you will feel a sense of satisfaction and renewal if you complete one.
We at the Organizing Blog have many goals for 2026 (maybe too many). First, we’re going to continue to #declutter and #organize, of course, and report back to our many loyal readers what we’ve discovered about the process, ourselves and our surroundings along the way.
But we’re also going to tackle a few overdue #household #renovations, starting with new paint in the main bedroom and a complete bathroom overhaul. Satisfying these goals won’t be cheap, but few things are going to get any cheaper than they are right now.
For anything you put off until “next year,” that time has come. Make a list of goals and a plan for getting to where you want to be, Forbes says, and tell people about your goals so they can help. Measure your progress and course-correct when necessary, but never admit defeat.
Have a happy, productive and fulfilling new year!
What’s on Your New Year’s To-Do List?
The first days of 2026 presents many of us with much-needed days off, but they also can be a prelude to how you want the year to proceed. You could start by having or going out for brunch, Parade suggests. You could get started on new financial freedom by creating a household budget, or #organize your closets and #schedule a #donation #pickup with ClothingDonations.org. You could #clean out the refrigerator and pantry and finally get rid of those #holiday leftovers. Or you could binge-watch some TV and work on those personal #resolutions. There’s no wrong answer! #NewYear