August 2023 Organization Pending Newsroom Upper Arlington, Ohio
Welcome to Organization Pending's Newsroom, August 2023: Back to Books edition.
This month, we take a look at Columbus and nearby events for all ages celebrating art, fashion, comics, honey, coffee, autumn, dogs and community. Don't miss a Tip of the Month for organizing your family's vital information, three recommendations for back to school studying and lifelong learning at any age, updates to our list of local LGBTQIA+ social groups, and a special offer for you from mobile detailing company, A&R Auto Detailing!
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If you have an upcoming event, resource, or professional the community should know about, contact organizationpendingllc@gmail.com!
Fading to Fall
Looking for a creative way to declutter the house and meet new people? Wild Cat Gift and Party, and matchmaker and connector Rachel Barehl, will be hosting A Friendly Show-n-Tell-n-Swap for the Tender Hearted on Thursday, August 24, September 21, October 19, and November 16. Doors open at 6:30pm for mingling, and the event starts at 7, ending with post-swap mingling until 9. Bring a favorite book, cleaning supply, unused craft kit...anything interesting valued between $10-$20 that's ready for a new home. Tickets are $17, and everyone receives a $5 gift card to Wild Cat for participating!
Zoombezi Bay will be holding Quiet After Hours on Friday, August 25, from 5-9pm. This sensory-friendly time offers calming areas, no music, and sensory kits including noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses and fidget devices that will be available for a $10 refundable deposit. Reservations are required.
The dog days are here with WAG! Fest on Saturday, August 26 from 10am-4pm at Prairie Oaks Metro Park in Hilliard! Bring your furry friend(s) and family for trails and lakes, activities and treats, and meet your local dog-related product vendors and service providers!
Upper Arlington Public Library is kicking off the Labor Day weekend with Get Loud in the Library on Friday, September 1 from 6-9pm. Stop by for a special library experience with button-making, henna tattooing, a photo booth, refreshments from Tortilla Food Truck, and live music from local talents Joey Hebdo, Brett Burleson, and Dave Buker and the Historians, all part of UAPL's Listen Columbus streaming collection.
Sunday, September 3, the Upper Arlington Education Foundation (UA+Ed) will host its 17th Golden Bear BASH! from 6-10pm at the Amelita Mirolo Barn. This adults-only event funds UA schools beyond the district's budget, providing grants and scholarships, impacting the daily school life of UA students through STEM learning opportunities and equipment, "buddy benches" to foster interpersonal relationships, and more. Tickets will not be sold at the door for this event - visit their website for more information on each ticket sponsorship level.
The Upper Arlington Labor Day Arts Festival has been entertaining 15,000 visitors a year since 1966 with hands-on activities, live music, and an opportunity to explore and purchase fine art. Head down to the Tremont Parking Lot at 2850 Tremont Road on Monday, September 4 from 10am-6pm, or park at the Wellington School at 3650 Reed Road to catch a shuttle every 15 minutes!
German Village's Fall Strassenwagen Markt is Friday, September 8 from 6-9pm, at the German Village Meeting Haus at 588 S Third St. Stop by for street food, vendors, and bier (beer)!
The Lithopolis Honeyfest is Friday, September 8 from 3-7pm, and Saturday the 9th from 10am-7pm. Back for its sixteenth year, this festival features everything honey - a homemade honey competition, beekeeper vendors, photography contest, arts and crafts exhibitors, honey bake-off, food vendors, live music, and more.
The annual Hilliard Fall Festival is back, Monday, September 18, 1-4pm at Roger A. Reynolds Municipal Park, 2800 Veterans Memorial Drive. Bring the family for chalk art, games, inflatables, hay wagon rides, food trucks, a magic show and pumpkin carver!
The Columbus Community Pride festival will be Saturday, September 23 from 12-7pm at Mayme Moore Park! Launched in 2018 by the Black Queer & Intersectional Collective, Columbus Community Pride has offered Columbus an "alternative Pride celebration by and for LGBTQ+ BIPOC", featuring community events in the summer and fall. This year's festival theme Here to Stay, "reminds us that Black and Brown queer, trans, and intersex folks from all walks of life have always preserved by grounding ourselves in intentional community and building our own systems of care, safety, and healing outside of the influence of the state." This event takes no corporate sponsorship, and centers Queer, Transgender and Intersex People of Color (QTIPOC).
If you love coffee as much as I do, head over to the Columbus Coffee Festival Saturday and Sunday, September 23-24, at The Ohio Village, 800 E. 17th Ave. Since 2016, Columbus Underground has connected roasters and coffee lovers for this coffee-tasting event with the option to buy your favorite beans. Each attendee receives a collectible mug, and the event will include live music, poetry readings, food trucks and craft vendors. Tickets to this event sell out quickly - if you missed it this year, make sure to follow Columbus Coffee Festival on Facebook and Instagram to get notified for next year!
Franklin County Community Days is Sunday and Monday, September 24 and 25 at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium - get your half price daily tickets here, including parking fees. Children 3 and under get in free.
Fashion Week Columbus is September 24-30. This annual event showcases over 150 emerging fashion designers since 2010, featuring a new theme each day. This year includes a High Fashion Tea Runway Show, Passport 2 Fashion By The Spice Age, Beautiful Garbage Fashion Show, and more.
Do your kids love fashion? Check out Columbus Fashion Academy! They offer sustainable fashion classes through afterschool programs and individual or week long classes during the summer. Learn more about them and their mission in April's "Getting Warmer" Newsroom!
Do you enjoy comics, art, and animation? Cartoon Crossroads Columbus (CXC) is having their free city wide festival September 27 - October 1. Join CXC at the Gateway Film Center, Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus College of Art & Design, and the Columbus Museum of Art for interactive panels, presentations, and artist spotlights. CXC was co-founded by Jeff Smith, author of the Bone and Tuki graphic novels.
Does your child enjoy Raina Telgemeier's graphic novels? Did you meet her at one of her three recent appearances at Upper Arlington Public Library? Registration for her appearance at this year's Cartoon Crossroads Columbus is already full, but stop by the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at The Ohio State University for the Facing Feelings: The Art of Raina Telgemeier exhibit, showing until November 19. Admission is free, and explores Telgemeier's artwork over the 20+ years of her career, focusing on the portrayal of feelings through the facial expressions of her characters.
Want a list of activities to get you and the kids outside before the weather turns, with chances to win prizes? Take a look at the Columbus Metro Parks 75 Year Challenge! Until October 1, complete as many activities on the Challenge Activities Card as you can, submit by October 10, and pick up your prizes on Saturday, October 14 at Slate Run Metro Park's Fall Fest.
A Special Offer for You!
Are you avoiding your vehicle after a summer of traveling, eating, and driving the kids around? Does it just not feel clean, no matter what you try? Reach out to A&R Auto Detailing, using code ORGANIZE at checkout for a 10% discount!
"We are a mobile detailing company that services the greater Columbus area. We have detailed 1,000+ vehicles and have over 100 5-star reviews on Google. We pride ourselves in quality service and we often get 'this is cleaner than the day I bought it' responses." -Co Owner Adam Hopkins.
They offer three service packages to meet your needs: interior detailing, exterior detailing, and paint correction, with tiered paint correction and interior/exterior bundles. Book A&R Auto Detailing online at www.ARAutoDetailing.net, or call 614-356-7081 - don't forget to use code ORGANIZE for 10% off your booking!
Back to School: Tip of the Month Edition
If something happens to you, or if someone is taking care of your household while you're on vacation, do they know how to run the household without you? If you are your parents' emergency contact, do you know what medications they're taking, or their insurance and medical information? Are you scrambling to find your house's or kids' passwords? A household management binder can help keep you and your loved ones organized and ready for an emergency. Cas the Clutterbug talked about 5 HUGE Paper Organizing Mistakes (and HACKS to fix them)! to help us get prepared.
When papers aren't categorized, everything feels important so we keep it all. Once a year, declutter and shred old papers.
If you keep receipts, designate a box for them and throw out old ones when the box is full.
Implement a space for incoming sentimental items, sorting them to long-term boxes once a year - chances are some of those papers are no longer sentimental.
Establish incoming paper command centers for each family member and pet.
Create a household management binder with passwords, medical information, insurance information, doctor contact numbers, babysitter information and family contact information, including addresses and birthdays. Add other categories and information as it makes sense for your family, or Cas is offering fill-in options for $2 or $5 - the mega value option includes extras such as a packing list, meal planning helper, and home maintenance checklist.
Podcast Recommendation of the Month: Back to School Tip of the Month
Are you or your kids already struggling with the workload this school year? Lisa Woodruff of Organize 365® started documenting her journey to a PhD this year on her podcast, detailing her own struggles and the ways she's using organization to maximize her time.
"Organizing is an investment of time today for a future exponential return on time," she explained. Whatever level of schooling you or your kids are working on, Woodruff offers several tips that could be applied.
Set up templates for your papers in the format you need to make citations easier in the future.
Work ahead to fully utilize your school's resources, like the writing center.
Color-code your classes to easily find folders and see assignments at a glance in a physical planner.
Consider a spreadsheet of all the assignments in all the classes with due dates to keep yourself on track as you're working ahead.
Working ahead gives you extra time in case you or a family member gets sick, or if an assignment takes longer than anticipated.
Find all of Woodruff's "Pursuing a PhD" episodes to learn more tips on setting up systems for writing, organizing lecture notes and paper citations by color, organizing a Google calendar, and more. Don't forget to subscribe for new tips and discussions along her journey.
Does your family need access to local and national resources for school or personal research? Grab your Upper Arlington Public Library card and check out your free access to databases and newspapers under the "Research" tab on their website!
Interested in Upper Arlington history, or need information for a social studies research project? Check out the library's Upper Arlington History subject guide, including the UA Archives database and issues of local newspapers. Take a stroll around town on the Upper Arlington History Trail, detailing some of UA's historical landmarks, and visit the Upper Arlington Historical Society's website for more information on UA history.
Book Recommendation of the Month
Tabi Berkey
Are you a lifelong learner, curious about the world around you? Chemist and science journalist, Dr. Mai Thi Nguyen-Kim, opens up our daily world in Chemistry for Breakfast: The Amazing Science of Everyday Life. Told with a story-like format, Nguyen-Kim goes about her day, telling us personal anecdotes while exploring the chemistry involved. From common expressions like "wasting energy" or "the cold's getting in," to explaining how fluoride works in your toothpaste, what allows your phone to have vibrate setting, the best practices for rechargeable batteries, and how caffeine works on the molecular level, this book lets us explore our everyday objects and actions in a new way.
I personally enjoyed the "Culinary Therapy" chapter (complete with recipe), and accompanying line drawings for a deeper understanding of the text throughout the book. I would love to see this adapted to a graphic novel version for kids as well, exploring their everyday world.
YouTube™ Channel Recommendation of the Month
Covering a variety of AP high school curriculum topics, the Crash Course YouTube™ channel is great for middle and high school-aged people, and life-long learners.
Choose from over 45 humanities and sciences courses on business, entrepreneurship, geography, mythology, philosophy, navigating digital information, media literacy, theater, study skills, climate and energy, engineering, physics, and so much more.
Or check out Crash Course Kids for younger viewers! This series started with 5th grade science, and playlists include Earth and physical science, biology, geography, engineering, and astronomy.
Crash Course is also available in Spanish.
LGBTQIA+ Resources
It can be difficult as an adult to find friends and a community that shares your interests outside of our workplaces. We consistently add to the Community Recommendations page as we learn about new resources, and added a number of new Social and Community Groups in the LGBTQIA+ Resources and Community section over the summer! For running meetups, bowling, volleyball, open mic meetups, board game and tabletop gamer group, and more, visit each link in the section.
Email us at organizationpendingllc@gmail.com to let us know who we're missing!
Company News
We announced in June at Rainbow UA Pride that Organization Pending is now a Better Business Bureau® (BBB®) Accredited Business! Take a look at the other local recently BBB® Accredited Businesses here.