Do you know who to contact?

This week the 2^nd month of the year begins! I can’t believe how fast it is already going. We have been sorting and organising for a month so far and I want to know how are you doing? Are you practically paper free? Are you making contact with others?

This week we look at creating a contact list. Part of last week’s task was to create an emergency contact list.

You and your friends have been on Facebook asking friends for recommendations for numbers of music teachers, plumbers, electricians, builders, dog walkers, house sitters and even pest control. So what did you do with all that valuable information? Did you ignore the numbers because they weren’t relevant to you at the time?

How about us moms with teenagers? When we were kids our moms had a list with all our friends telephone numbers because, 20 years ago, nobody had cell phones in South Africa. Now if your teen goes out, do you have the numbers of the friends she is going with? Do you have the number of the parent who is taking them to their rendezvous?

Do you mommies, with kids in primary schools, have a class list with all the children’s names and contact numbers? That list was very useful in my house on more than one occasion, not only for homework collaboration but on the day when one of my children was not at school when I went to fetch her! I was able to phone every mother on the list till I eventually found her. The mom was stunned, as her daughter had phoned the night before to confirm the arrangement with my darling child; my daughter just forgot to ask me!

I prefer my old fashioned book, as I find it easier to look up numbers on it because when I look up numbers on my phone, like for our previous school, 3 numbers come up but no name! Look up ABSA and about 10 numbers come up with NO details! My husband has a thing about numbers, so every number he ever gets is stored on both our phones!

My book is nice and small and doesn’t rely on battery power.

I have a lady who brings 2 of my girl’s home from school every day and, when she asked for the address of the school, all I had was the street name! It is now written in my book, along with the High School’s address, as all I can tell people is where it is and what colour the wall is. We have been dropping a child off there for a year already.

If you have friends who move often, write their address in pencil! That way it is easy to update.

Something new that we need to keep track of as well, are email addresses.  Almost everything is electronic these days. I sent out invitations to my daughter’s Bat Mitzvah (similar to a confirmation, it is a Jewish girls coming of age when she turns 12), with the postal service mildly unreliable due to theft and our countries favourite past time, striking, your invitation may not get where you need it.

I still remember, one of my wedding invitations arriving at someone’s home in Kew Gardens, South Africa, when the envelope was clearly addressed to Kew Gardens, New York.

As part of getting your numbers in order, I have started making bracelets for toddlers and small kids, with their parents cell numbers on, in case they get lost. You can place your order either through the Facebook page Adiesdesigns, or on the page Kashering your life, by sending me a message, or email admin@kasheringyourlife.co.za or Ashleigh Elad on kugel@tiscali.co.za.

I hope everyone has a great week finding their way.

Let us know what ideas, or solutions, you came up with when organising your phone numbers.