The Thrifty Snob

 

Why am I writing this page?

I grew up in a family of eight children where chaos was the norm. Drawers half opened spilling its contents, clothing piled up everywhere or pushed into armoires unsorted, mismatched socks, and shoes pushed under the beds. No one knew where to find a thing! The mess drove me mad, pushing me to develop organizational skills to keep my sanity; nothing elaborate, a basic system for sorting my personal belongings, to feel I was in control of something. By default, I became the family organizer continuing well into adulthood; everyone threw things around knowing I would compulsively pick it up. When something was needed I was the depot, not because my mother and siblings didn’t have it, but because they never knew where to find it. By simply not taking care of their belongings, people waste thousands of dollars throughout their lives! Not to mention precious time and effort looking for what they misplaced.  To this day, many family members expect me to organize one thing or another during my visits, until someone said: “You should write a column on how to keep things organized” and the idea began to blossom… So, there it is: I like to have a designated place for everything I use, I am thrifty, I hate waste, I like quality products, but hunt for the lowest possible price and, when I acquire anything I take care of it so it lasts longer. I also like to find things where I placed it, so I try to organize the home in a way that makes sense, so family members can easily develop the habit of returning items to the designated place. I invest time organizing so I don’t waste it looking around for things. There, I said it! I am compulsive, I like to see pictures straight, tables dusted, and closets and cabinets organized. But I work on it at the onset and enjoy more leisure time than most, because knowing where everything is makes it easier. This page is about sharing tips and ideas, how to be thrifty and wise when shopping for anything and, once we have it learn how to maintain it, keeping our homes and work space neat, clean and enjoyable.

 

 

The Space Between the Olives

A book dealing with youth, community activism and immigration issues, is now available. 

The Space Between the olives presents a living case of courage and commitment to improve the lives of the citizens in the mythical town of Alborde, doomed by economic perils, dealing with timely immigration issues and community engagement.

Originally published in Spanish, The Space Between the Olives: A Story of Civic Engagement is based on a true story. It is a tale of courage, solidarity, civic action, and commitment. Author Lily Guzman shows those interested in community development how to participate and act to improve the lives of citizens at the core of an organized society: the municipality. It is a much-needed example to inspire readers to produce significant changes in their own communities at the grassroots level. Lily Guzman is currently an international business development consultant for LGA Inc. She represents the U.S. in the Ibero-American Union of Municipalists (UIM), an international municipal government organization, under which she has managed several exchange programs between U.S. institutions and Latin America and Spain, including the Stetson University faculty and students exchange program, the Stetson University law exchange program with the Universities of Granada and Malaga, the Latin American Studies Program Municipal Government Internship, and the yearly Latin American Mayors and Municipal Workers Workshop in central Florida. Lily Guzman has also served as Latin America Coordinator for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Sister Cities Organization. She is the author of The Caterpillar Story/La Historia de la Oruga and Mas Alla de Mi, a book of poetry and short stories.

The author, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic shares her life experience in activism and community work. Available for interviews and discussions on local community issues.

The Caterpillar Story

 

What would you do to show your love to another? The Caterpillar Story is a glimpse into author Lily Guzman’s soul, an intimate story of dreams, aspirations, and the ultimate sacrifice for love and commitment to marriage. The Caterpillar Story is the journey of a transforming caterpillar yearning to become a butterfly, revealed in short verses in both Spanish and English, encouraging children to spread their wings and explore, yet remain loyal to the ones they love.

Lily Guzman was born in the Dominican Republic, currently residing between California and Central Florida. She raised her four children: Lily, Alberto, Irene and Roxanna in Hollywood, Florida, where they resided until leaving for college. Lily hopes to make the most lasting impact on the community through her children; she considers them her greatest accomplishment and the ultimate Caterpillar Story.