Want my advice? Give the gift of experience, not stuff.

If your Dad really does need a new tie for work, then that’s fine. But if you’re struggling for ideas and just settling on something-anything that can be bought, then STOP. Ask yourself the following questions:

•    Does he already have a garage and/or storage shed full of stuff? Does he complain about not having enough space in his garage?  *These are signs that he has enough material objects.
•    Will the gift item you had in mind create a “memory” to be re-lived later?
•    Is there something your Dad would enjoy but won’t do for himself?
•    Does your Dad spend the quality time with you that he would like?

Remember when you were a kid at the holidays and your grandmother said she would love anything you made for her yourself? This may sound corny, but it’s true!  The gift of you – your time, your presence, your conversation, your hand-written letters – all will make a stronger impression than a shirt, a mug or a BBQ apron.

To get the creative juices flowing, here are some ideas for this year’s Father’s Day gift:
•    Tickets to a movie, play or even a rock concert.  He might not do this on his own, but he’ll go if you’re his date!
•    A Father’s Day picnic or fishing trip with no phones and no texting allowed. Bring his favorite foods and good conversation and laughter. Take photos of your time together.
•    Is he a golfer? Buy him a round of golf at a course where he’s never played. Buy him a private lesson to improve his swing.

I think you’re getting the idea.

So, here’s your chance to join the “simplicity” movement. If we reduce our material consumption then we reduce our physical clutter. This, not surprisingly, reduces our mental clutter and creates a less stressful lifestyle. So in honor of fathers everywhere, let’s focus on the quality of the experience and create a lasting memory with our love ones.

*This is a reprint from last year’s blog, but well worth repeating!

Happy Father’s Day!

Everyone has Facebook, Angry Birds, and my personal favorite, Word Warp.  But what apps have you downloaded to increase your productivity or to leverage your down time between appointments?  Check these out:

* LinkedIn – access professional network
* WebEx – participate in meetings real-time
* Salesforce Mobile – update client data
* Bento – manage lists, projects and events
* Square – accept credit card payments on phone
* Trip Cubby – mileage tracking
* Hours Tracker Lite  – track time by client or project

Let me know what apps work best for you!

I have a confession.  I may not entirely live an “uncluttered” life.  After all, I choose to have some clutter. I want to live in a home surrounded by objects I love – not in a sterile, barren environment.  But… maybe I’m at that stage in life where I should re-access what I own.  Here’s why – my husband & I are in the process of remodeling an old cottage on two acres that will eventually become my “Southern Living” dream home.  In the interim, we’ve squeezed ourselves, two dogs and all our possessions into a small rent house. (Thank goodness our daughter is away at college.)  As we’re going through the tedious process of packing, my husband had to ask the question, “Why do we own so many glasses?”   Must we really have a different glass for juice, wine, champagne, etc.?  He’s right – we drink ice-tea 95% of the time anyway.

So…. most all we own is now in boxes. We’re learning rather easily to live with a lot fewer things. And we’re finding the experience to be liberating!  Fewer possessions means less physical clutter, which means less dust and less time spent cleaning.  Fewer possessions means having fewer choices (like clothing outfits), thus less stress and time spent in decision-making.  It makes perfect sense to me – simplify your possessions and you’ll simplify your life. 

Want to learn my 5 rules for simplifying your possessions? Stay tuned for Part 2….

You hear it everywhere –we now have virtual worlds, virtual shopping, virtual assistants, and yes – virtual organizing. So what is it exactly?

The term “virtual” simply means that something exists primarily online – it’s being done on a computer.

How does this apply to organizing? Simple – the relationship between organizer and client happens online rather than face-to-face. With your assistance in providing information, the organizer will still assess the situation, make recommendations on action plans, teach critical organizing skills, and personally coach you through the process. The organizer just won’t be standing next to you.

How does it work?  Communication can happen through a combination of methods – email, photos, Skype (using an inexpensive webcam), FaceTime or just an old-fashioned telephone call. You don’t have to be a technology wizard to participate. Your organizer can help you choose and setup the method of contact that works best for you.

What’s the advantage to virtual organizing?
• Convenience – Shorter sessions that more easily fit in your hectic schedule
• Flexibility – Need more or less interaction with the organizer? Email and phone contact can be arranged on daily, weekly or monthly schedules.
• Budget – You still get the expert guidance but save money by taking responsibility for hands-on work
• Low-Risk – Not ready to invite a professional organizer into your home or office? You control access to your environment and can decide if/ when you’re ready for more contact.

Virtual organizing is simply another tool to help you take control of your environment. If you have additional questions about how this might work for you, please contact me for a FREE 20 minute phone consultation. I look forward to hearing from you!

Remember Pavlov’s dogs?  Ivan Pavlov was the Russian psychologist and physician that became famous for his experiments with classical conditioning. He rang a bell each time before feeding the dogs. Before long, the dogs began to salivate in response to the bell.

Now think about your reaction to this statement: “You’ve got mail.”

Most of us have some type of audio alert that announces the arrival of incoming mail. How do you react when you hear this? Do you drop everything else you’re working on and switch windows to read the new message? Probably so. We’ve been conditioned to react to everything with an exaggerated sense of urgency. The result is that we lose focus and momentum on the task at hand.

Here are a few tips to help you manage your time and email more effectively:
•    Turn off the alert sound on your email program (this setting may be through the Control Panel)
•    Mute your sound when working on important projects or tasks
•    Close your email program except for specific times during the morning and afternoon where you schedule time to check correspondence

Remember, email is a communication tool, not a master to be obeyed.

So, I ask you again – Are you a Man or a Dog?

My sweet dog!

Want my advice? Give the gift of experience, not stuff.

If your Dad really does need a new tie for work, then that’s fine. But if you’re struggling for ideas and just settling on something-anything that can be bought, then STOP. Ask yourself the following questions:

•    Does he already have a garage and/or storage shed full of stuff? Does he complain about not having enough space in his garage?  *These are signs that he has enough material objects.
•    Will the gift item you had in mind create a “memory” to be re-lived later?
•    Is there something your Dad would enjoy but won’t do for himself?
•    Does your Dad spend the quality time with you that he would like?

Remember when you were a kid at the holidays and your grandmother said she would love anything you made for her yourself? This may sound corny, but it’s true!  The gift of you – your time, your presence, your conversation, your hand-written letters – all will make a stronger impression than a shirt, a mug or a BBQ apron.

To get the creative juices flowing, here are some ideas for this year’s Father’s Day gift:
•    Tickets to a movie, play or even a rock concert.  He might not do this on his own, but he’ll go if you’re his date!
•    A Father’s Day picnic or fishing trip with no phones and no texting allowed. Bring his favorite foods and good conversation and laughter. Take photos of your time together.
•    Is he a golfer? Buy him a round of golf at a course where he’s never played. Buy him a private lesson to improve his swing.

I think you’re getting the idea.

So, here’s your chance to join the “simplicity” movement. If we reduce our material consumption then we reduce our physical clutter. This, not surprisingly, reduces our mental clutter and creates a less stressful lifestyle. So in honor of fathers everywhere, let’s focus on the quality of the experience and create a lasting memory with our loved ones.

Happy Father’s Day!

By KRISTI NELSON  – NBC DFW

WATCH HERE

Experts say most women only wear 20 percent of the clothing in their closets — the shoes that looked good in the store but just aren’t comfortable, the outfit that was on sale but doesn’t fit right. For the average overstuffed closet, a simple reorganization can work wonders.

Actress and model Leeanne Locken reluctantly admits to being a shopaholic and clothes hoarder. “I went through a period of time in my life where I was unhappy with where I was in life,” she said. “I was unhappy in my relationship, I was unhappy with myself, and I used shopping as a way to make me happy.”

She has lots of clothes. They are in the bedroom, the dining room, the garage and even in the little room that houses her water heater. Hundreds of the items have never been worn, and the price tags are still attached.  “And every time I go through, I think I want to pull something out and keep it,”’ she said.  But Locken is getting help from professional stylist Valerie Elizabeth, of Society Stylist.  “What I think, my goal for her, is to kind of purge out all that extra stuff and totally get it out of her closets that she is in every day,’” Elizabeth said.

Professional organizer Cherie Ware is to real estate agent Deedra Poteet’s rescue. Poteet is hanging on to clothes that don’t fit and are out of style.  “I’ve gained some weight, and I can’t fit into those any longer,” she said. “I’ve got the plan to lose the weight to fit into those, but it’s been a couple of years.”

Both women have common closet problems.

“I see people hanging onto things because they may attribute kind of an emotional experience to when they bought those shoes or the event that they wore those shoes to,” Ware said.

But for some, it’s more than just a few extra clothes. Extreme clothes hoarding can indicate an anxiety disorder, and therapy or medication may be needed.

“It may be an issue that it’s gotten so out of control, and they’re so overwhelmed by their environment that they become embarrassed to have friends over, have family over, and suddenly they begin to isolate themselves from social relationships,” Ware said.

For some people, giving items away to a charity can provide some emotional gratification. But if giving clothes away makes them feel wasteful, they can try consignment or a garage sale or just give some things to friends.

First Published: May 21, 2010 7:12 PM CDT

WATCH HERE

Are you an Innie or an Outie?

We’re all unique individuals. We have different personalities, different brain chemistry and different communication styles. Would it surprise you to learn that we have distinctive organizing personalities?  As a professional organizer, I know that one size does not fit all. Let me give you an example in the home office setting.

Some people like everything in sight to be neat and tidy. They file papers away in drawers and behind cabinet doors. We call these folks an “Innie”. Other people need a visual clue to remember what’s there.  They tend to stack papers in tall piles around the office and, you guessed it, we call these folks an “Outie”.

So, which are you? How do you manage paper? (Clue: if you’re at the computer now, just look around you.)  It’s important to recognize this trait about yourself so you choose the appropriate filing system and storage containers. Just because a process or system works efficiently for me, you might not be able to find anything!

Here are a few shopping suggestions for both the Innie and Outie organizing personalities.

For the Innie: Opaque containers with lids, book shelves with doors, and filing cabinets. For style, try the Stockholm Office Storage Box in bold colors at The Container Store. http://tinyurl.com/22t347y

For the Outie: Open baskets, clear plastic storage containers, an acrylic or mesh wall rack. For fun, try the Doodles Vertical File Holder at Office Max. http://tinyurl.com/2ch5w66

Now, organize your office in a style that works for you!

*In the spirit of full disclosure, the author and Professional Organizer, Cherie Ware, is an “Innie”.

Live Green in Plano Volunteer News:  April 2010

Cherie and Matthew Ware work to make the City of Plano green in many ways. They
write articles, staff the Reuse Center, wrangle worms, label storm drains, post a recycle
reminder sign in their yard every other week, and distribute posters about upcoming programs.

Matthew explains how it all got started: Cherie and I went to the first Live Green Expo and really enjoyed the exhibits. When we saw they were looking for volunteers the next year, we thought how much fun it would be to participate. We volunteered last year and truly enjoyed being around other like-minded people who wanted to improve our community. It was very gratifying being part of our community and reaching out to others.

Within the year, they registered for the twelve hour Live Green in Plano Volunteer training.

Cherie comments: I enjoyed attending the volunteer training with my husband. Although we both care about environmental issues, we have different interests — my husband enjoys learning about energy efficiency and green building techniques and I’m passionate about recycling and (more recently) composting. The weekly classes taught us both much more depth on these topics. I’m already sharing my new discoveries with friends and family!

Matthew adds: The Live Green in Plano volunteer training was a great way to about all of the programs available in Plano which support the environment. The subjects varied from recycling to composting to learning about where our water resources come from and what we need to do to keep them free of contaminants. We are fortunate to have a city community which is concerned about spreading the news to all of its residence about the wonderful programs they offer. Given the vast variety of work being done by the city to cleanup, maintain and teach the public about what each of us can do, there are volunteer opportunities for everyone’s interest. I am looking forward to helping them get the word out to make our city a great place to live.

The next training series will be held on Thursday, June 3 and Friday, June 4 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. and on Saturday, June 5 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Contact Deb Bliss at debb@plano.gov or (972) 769-4313 to register.