Creating a Clutter-Stopping Drop Zone, Morning Blue Light Therapy, and Giving Your IRA to Charity Tax-Free

You're receiving this because you signed up on our website. Want to unsubscribe? Just reply to this email with the words “no thanks.”

First-time reader? Join {{active_subscriber_count}} other seniors for free.

History (Non-Fiction): The Lost City of Z by David Grann – This gripping history follows explorer Percy Fawcett’s mysterious disappearance while searching the Amazon for evidence of a legendary lost civilization.

Memoir: Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry – This candid memoir recounts a rise to television stardom alongside a decades-long struggle with addiction, relationships, and recovery.

Self-Help: The Motivation Myth by Jeff Haden – This practical guide challenges the idea that motivation must come first, showing how consistent action and small successes can create the drive to achieve larger goals.

Romance: Mile High by Liz Tomforde – A professional hockey player and his team’s new flight attendant clash at 30,000 feet, where mutual irritation gradually turns into undeniable attraction.

No matter where you are in the process—an idea, an outline, a rough draft, or an almost-finished manuscript—we can help you get your book across the finish line.

ProofreadingServices.com and MemoirGhostwriting.com (both run by us) offer developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, proofreading, formatting, interior and cover design, ebook formatting, and publishing and marketing support.

Not sure what you need? Get a FREE publishing consultation here. We’ll hop on a call, look at where you are, and help you figure out the best path to a finished book.

Check a few boxes, and we’ll match you with trusted options and initial consultations—many completely free—across insurance, housing, travel, finances, and more. It takes about five minutes, and you’re not committing to anything—just seeing what can save you time and energy.

Have you ever noticed how clutter seems to spread almost by itself? A set of keys lands on the kitchen counter. The mail covers the dining room table. A pair of sunglasses ends up on the coffee table. Slowly, everyday items become scattered throughout the house.

One simple solution is to create a dedicated "drop zone"—a small area dedicated to the things you use daily. This solution doesn't require a major renovation, just a little planning.

Start by noticing what usually comes into the house with you:

If these items don't have a designated home, they'll usually end up wherever you happen to set them down. With a designated home, you don’t just have less clutter; you also have a known place to find these items when you need them.

A drop zone works best when it's exactly where you need it. For many homes, that might be a small table near the front door, part of a hallway console, a shelf in the mudroom, a basket at the corner of the kitchen counter, or a cabinet just inside the garage.

The easier it is to access and use, the more likely it will become part of your routine.

A drop zone doesn't need to be elaborate. A few thoughtful additions are usually enough:

The goal isn't to store everything here—it's to keep everyday essentials together in one convenient place.

One of the biggest benefits of a drop zone is spending less time searching. When your keys, glasses, and wallet always return to the same place, leaving the house becomes much less stressful. It's one of those small habits that saves time every single day—not to mention anxiety.

A dedicated drop zone also helps protect other spaces. Kitchen counters remain available for cooking. The dining room table stays ready for meals. End tables aren't buried under receipts and unopened mail.

Instead of clutter spreading from room to room, it stays contained in one manageable location. That makes everything easier to find and use, not just the items in the drop zone

Like any part of the home, a drop zone works best when it's maintained. Every week or two, take a few minutes to clean it up:

A quick tidying prevents one organized space from gradually devolving into another source of clutter.

Creating a drop zone isn't about having a perfectly organized home. It's about making everyday routines a little easier and reducing those small frustrations that add up over time. Sometimes one thoughtfully arranged corner is all it takes to help the entire house, as well as your daily life, feel calmer and more organized.

Meet Wynne Crombie, one of the inspiring members of the Seniors Magazine community. In her story, “An Act of Kindness,” Wynne shares how an unexpected $100 bill that fell out of her mailbox became an opportunity to help someone else.

“For most of our 50 plus years, the job of fetching the mail for my husband Kent and I, was pulling out mixtures of ads, bills and the occasional letter from our mailbox. (now, email  takes care of most of that!)

Last June I approached our apartment mail center, unlocked our box, and pulled out a few notices.

Something fell to the ground; it seemed a folded dollar bill. I picked it up and unfolded it…a zero appeared next to the one. Hmmm. A ten-dollar bill! I wonder how someone had missed this. I unfolded it once more and discovered yet another zero!

I stood there holding a $100 bill. No one was nearby, so I took it to the rental office and asked the receptionist, Elizabeth, to hold it for a week. If no one came and asked for it, I would send it to Samaritans Purse.

Her mouth fell open in surprise.

A week later, I approached the desk. Elizabeth shook her head. No one had even asked about the money.

The check was in the mail that afternoon. It’s so nice to know it went for food, shelter etc. for those in need.”

***

We're looking for seniors who are embracing life with enthusiasm, purpose, and adventure. Whether you're traveling the world, starting a business, volunteering, pursuing a passion, learning new skills, or simply making the most of every day, we'd love to hear your story.

Think that might be you?

Email [email protected] with a photo and a short bio. We may feature you in an upcoming edition of Seniors Magazine.

Send the compliment. Make the call. Eat the dessert.

The discount: JOANN Fabrics

What it gives you: 20% off eligible purchases for seniors 55+ on designated Senior Discount Days

How to claim it: Shop on participating Senior Discount Days and show ID if requested

“The Day We Found a Baby Bird”
From the life overview of Susan M., 72, Raleigh, North Carolina. Shared with permission.

One Saturday morning in 1994, my two kids found a baby bird on the sidewalk outside our house.

They came running inside, carrying the poor thing in a shoebox.

“We have to save him,” my son urged.

I explained that we couldn’t raise a bird.

My seven-year-old daughter said in a pleading tone, “You don’t know that.”

We put the box in the garage and spent the morning researching what baby birds ate. This was before smartphones, so we used an encyclopedia and called the local nature center.

The woman on the telephone asked several questions. “Does it have feathers?”

“Yes,” I answered.

“Can it hop?”

“Sort of.”

“Is it injured?”

I looked at the bird, but I really couldn’t tell. “I don’t think so.”

She told us to put it back where we found it because the parents were probably nearby.

My children were horrified.

“That doesn’t seem right,” my son said.

We carried the box back outside anyway.

About twenty minutes later, two adult birds appeared in the bushes. The baby hopped toward them and disappeared under a shrub.

My daughter looked at me. “So we’re not keeping him?”

“No,” I answered.

She sighed. Then she said, “Fine. But I think he liked us.”

I didn’t argue.

***

Want to preserve for future generations the stories, experiences, and wisdom that have shaped your life?
Have Your Life Overview Written

New Phone Scam Attempt Circulating

This daily section is brought to you by MemoirGhostwriting.com, experts in capturing life stories for loved ones and/or the public.

Take a few minutes to jot down your thoughts. Even a few sentences are a memory preserved for loved ones. Some people begin by writing on their own—or even using AI tools—but many eventually decide they’d rather simply talk and have their story shaped into something lasting. That’s where we come in.

Do you want to ensure your story, values, and family history aren't lost?

That handwritten recipe card with a butter stain in the corner may contain more family history than it appears to. Cooking old family recipes gives you a chance to rediscover dishes you haven't tasted in years while preserving the instructions—and the stories behind them—for someone else.

Gather recipe cards, handwritten notebooks, clipped recipes, and notes tucked inside old cookbooks. Choose one dish to make rather than immediately tackling the entire collection.

Old recipes sometimes leave out details because the cook simply knew them. "Bake until done" isn't terribly helpful when nobody remembers what Grandma considered done. The Library of Congress' guide to collecting family recipes recommends testing recipes before preserving them and recording any measurements, temperatures, or other instructions that need clarification.

Before memories disappear, ask relatives who made the recipe, when it was usually served, and whether anyone changed it over the years. FamilySearch's guide to preserving food stories offers ideas for recording recipes alongside photographs and family memories.

If someone still knows how to make a family specialty, cook it together. Take photographs and write down the little instructions that never made it onto the recipe card.

Photograph or scan original handwritten recipes before they become more fragile. Then type a clean copy without discarding the original handwriting.

The Library of Congress' preservation guidance recommends making copies of family documents and sharing them with relatives, helping preserve the information even if an original is eventually lost or damaged.

You could eventually collect favorites into a family cookbook. The Smithsonian's family folklore guide suggests including not only recipes but also memories of the cooks, ingredients, celebrations, and traditions associated with them.

Don't worry if the finished dish isn't exactly as you remember it. Half the fun is figuring out what "a pinch," "a slow oven," or that mysterious missing step was supposed to mean.

A surprisingly low price can be legitimate — but it can also be bait for a counterfeit product, an unwanted subscription, or a website designed to collect payment information. Before buying, take a minute to check what’s behind the bargain.

Search for the retailer separately instead of relying on the link in an ad, email, or social media post. Check the website address carefully for misspellings or extra words meant to imitate a familiar company. Be cautious if the seller has little history online, no clear return policy, or only glowing reviews posted within a short period.

Also check the final price. A $10 item may become far less appealing once unusually high shipping fees or an automatic subscription are added.

Messages such as “only two left” or countdown timers can push you to buy before checking the details. A legitimate bargain rarely requires an immediate decision.

For unfamiliar sellers, search the company name along with “reviews,” “complaints,” or “scam.” Whenever possible, pay by credit card rather than debit card, gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency. Credit cards generally provide stronger protections if a purchase goes wrong.

Today: Québec City, Canada

With cobblestone streets, historic architecture, cathedrals, inviting cafés, and views over the St. Lawrence River, Québec City offers a European atmosphere without crossing the Atlantic. The old city is particularly memorable for a long weekend or leisurely short break.

Ingrid’s Tip: The historic district called Old Québec (Vieux-Québec) has hills and uneven streets, so a centrally located hotel is worth it. You can always use a taxi for the steeper stretches and save your energy for exploring. Bon voyage!

Unscramble the letters to find a famous person, event, or object. Think you know it? Reply with your answer and show off your brainpower.

Today’s clue: Small die-cast toy cars known for fast orange tracks.

HTO WESHEL

Help a life story get told, earn thousands: Refer someone to MemoirGhostwriting.com and earn 12% of what they spend, or a 16% donation to your favorite nonprofit. Find out more here.

Explore flexible sales opportunities: CommissionOnly.com gives you access to flexible part-time, work-from-home commission-only roles you can apply to. Find out more here.

Disclaimer: Some links in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, Seniors Magazine may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The content of the newsletter is for informational purposes only and should not be taken as financial, legal, or health advice. We may also share polling responses with advertisers to help keep this newsletter free.