A DMV story

I had a recent experience with the California Department of Motor Vehicles - and it was a positive one.

I needed them to resend a document to my home, and found both their website and phone service to be highly functional. They have the service where instead of waiting on hold for 40 minutes, they take your number and call you back when it is your turn. I love not having to listen to tinny music and be interrupted every minute by an automated voice telling you it isn't your turn yet. Then, I had an extremely friendly and helpful person on the other end of the line when they called me back. She solved my problem in just a couple of minutes, and when we got disconnected (my phone's fault) toward the end of the call, she called me back and left a message saying that everything was going through and I should receive what I needed to by the end of the week. Which I did. Amazing! Since the DMV is widely considered one of those agencies you want to have as little to do with as possible, I wanted to point out a good experience that I had with them. Keep up the good work, DMV!

Tips and Tools: Car organization

We spend so much time in our cars! In the August issue of Real Simple magazine, they turn their attention to cleaning out a car to make it almost like new. Cleaning your car is as necessary as an oil change from time to time, but the best way to keep your car organized is extremely simple:

Don't leave stuff in your car. 

When you get home, take everything inside (and put it away).

Right now I know exactly what's in my car: the essential stuff in my glove compartment, my Thomas Guide, quarters for meters and some CDs. There are also emergency supplies stowed away with the spare tire under the trunk. There are no empty water bottles, trash, food, hairbrushes, sweaters or even grocery bags. If I bring that stuff into my car, I take it out after the return trip.

This is a little bit harder to manage with kids, I know, but it's a worthy goal. Much easier to keep your valuable car interior clean and serene with no stuff in it.

Make it your new rule, and feel the lightness of a perpetually clean car.

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by krisandapril

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com

Preparing for every day: Glove compartment

Our cars are an extension of our homes and we spend a ton of time in our cars every week. A glove box or glove compartment is not a place to store empty candy wrappers and take out packets of soy sauce (or, usually, actual gloves). To the contrary, a neat and orderly glove box with a few necessary items can make stressful times like traffic accidents and being pulled over a little bit less intense.

The 7 things that should be in every glove box:

• current registration for your car (not the registration for every year since you’ve owned the car)
• current insurance information (again, not every insurance period is necessary. Just what is valid now)
• pad of paper
• 2 pens
• area map (even if you have GPS)
• extra sunglasses
• travel pack of tissues

Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com