Michigan Organizers

I am a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and also NAPO's Southeast Michigan Chapter. If you are looking for a Professional Organizer or an Organizing Consultant, such as myself, be sure they are a member of NAPO and have attended annual conferences for continuing eduation. I always enjoy these events and for the last three years have attended conferences in San Diego, Boston and Vancouver.

Outside of annual conferences, organizers that belong to a local chapter get together for education and networking. On May 8th, I was honored at a luncheon at Andiamo Novi for my past service as Director of Professional Development for the Southeast Michigan Chapter of NAPO. I am pictured above on the left along with fellow Michigan Organizers: Karen DeClark, Debbie Tebbie, Carol Seneker and Carrie Vance.

Why Organize?

Yesterday, I attended the Ann Arbor Book Festival's day long writer's conference. Some of the sessions were so-so, while others were really great. The best, in my opinion, was Lisa Garrigues' "Writing Motherhood" session, which takes a pragmatic approach to writing for busy mothers like myself. Ms. Garrigues also had great handouts and was well prepared, so it is no wonder her books sold out at the hallway table.

Another great session was on blogging. It was more of a Q&A session with Ron Hogan and Claudia Mair Francis Burney. I must admit that I am not really very literary. I love to read, but find time mainly for non-fiction, so I had never heard of either blogger. Interestingly enough, Mr. Hogan did a great interview with Peter Walsh of TLC's Clean Sweep and more recently, Oprah, fame. Mr. Walsh is so right when he says that organizing is "never about the stuff" and "you're organized because it makes your life easier." I couldn't have said it better.

Antique Appraisals

I have no clue how I got on their list, but I have been receiving e-mails lately from Brighton, Michigan based Insights Group, which to my understanding is a business networking group. At any rate, Insights Group is holding an antique appraisal fair in Brighton on Saturday, June 14th from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This is a great opportunity for those of you that have some antiques that you need appraised for resale or insurance purposes.

I always recommend my clients work with non-dealer appraisers to avoid a conflict of interest. A great way to find an appraiser in your area is through the Appraisers Association of America.

Tax Records

Hands down, the number one question I hear from seminar attendees is "What paperwork can I keep and what can I throw away?" I am always very reluctant to answer this question, as it really varies on the individual's situation. In addition, I am not a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) or an attorney.

Ann Arbor based CPA, Ms. Holly Hall Polopolos, addressed the issue of tax records in her April 2008 e-newsletter. I hope my readers will find her information useful.

Shred Day in Ann Arbor

I was sorting out my junk mail yesterday, when I noticed something interesting. United Bank & Trust, a small regional bank, is hosting a shred day at their Ann Arbor (Scio Village) and Tecumseh (West Chicago) bank branches. This is a clever marketing technique and a way to help the public with their excess shredding, something that I wrote about in my March and April 2008 newsletters.

Both events will be held on Friday, May 16, 2008 from 3 to 7 p.m. You can bring up to three banker-type boxes of personal documents that will be shredded for free while you watch. You will also be provided a certificate of destruction. Please post a comment if you are able to attend this event.

Electronics Recycling

News of this Ann Arbor, Michigan event just came through to me from fellow organizer, Michael Ann Rose. Apple is sponsoring a public event to recycle electronic items such as computers, televisions, monitors and related equipment.

On Saturday, May 10th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. you can bring your old electronics to Ann Arbor's Pioneer High School parking lot. Last year, they had 700 cars and are looking to beat that record. You do not have to be an Ann Arbor resident to attend. For more information contact John McMahon of Apple, Inc. directly at 734-389-5525.

It is important that these items are recycled appropriately to keep harmful substances out of landfills.

Ann Arbor Book Fesitval

For two years, I served on the Ann Arbor Book Festival's planning committee as Volunteer Coordinator. I stepped down last fall to focus more time on my family and my business, but am happy to announce that Lucy White is doing a great job as this year's Volunteer Coordinator.

If you will be in Ann Arbor, Michigan from Thursday, May 15th to Saturday, May 17th be sure to check out the festival and maybe even volunteer. If you would like to volunteer send an email to: aabf@aabookfestival.org or call 734-369-3366.

Kosher Kitchens

I love to read, but due to limited time I am quite selective about what I spend my time reading. Just yesterday I recently finished reading a mini-book (24 pages) titled "How to Organize the Kosher Kitchen" by California based organizer, Lisa Mark.

Lisa's guide is great for professional organizers of any faith, for Jewish people who keep Kosher or for folks who just want to learn more about Kosher Kitchens. I particularly liked her personal story at the end of how she went from being a non-practicing Jew to spending hours preparing her Kosher kitchen. Lisa also lists a great resource for color coded labels and utensils. Something that seems essential if you want to keep Kosher in a small space.

Garage Sale Season

If you read my post from last week, you know we are still waiting for spring here in Michigan. When the warm weather comes, garage sale season also begins. While I do not recommend my clients hold garage sales themselves (it just doesn't pay off for most people), I am a fan of donating good used items to local charities for annual rummage sales in the community. For most folks the tax deduction is well worth it.

At the end of this week, the Dexter, Michigan Knights of Columbus will be gathering good used clothing and household items for their annual rummage sale to be held April 10~12. They are not accepting any furniture, computers or exercise equipment. If you live in the area and have such items to donate, the Knights of Columbus will be accepting donations April 3rd through 6th. Check out their website at www.dexterkofc.org for more information.

Waiting for Spring

I am probably one of those rare folks that actually enjoys winter. But...now that the first day of spring and Easter have passed, not to mention that it is late March, I feel like telling Mother Nature "enough already". Here in Michigan, we still have a few piles of snow on the ground.

However, weather is an unpredictable thing, so I am hoping for winter to pass and preparing for spring. Here are five things to do now to get organized for spring:

1. If you have a lawn mower, tune it up now or hire someone to do it for you.
2. If you have a lawn service provider, contact them for the upcoming season.
3. On those warm days spend 15 minutes or so removing the dried remains from last year's flowers. Warm is relative, so my neighbors have seen me out with my trusty pruners in hand on a few 45 degree F days.
4. Spend 5 or 10 minutes to sweep off the salt and other "gunk" that fell of your car in the winter.
5. Wash the windows in your home one room at a time.

When the warm weather does come, hopefully you will have accomplished a few jobs that will allow you the time to just sit and soak up the warmth. In the meantime, I will enjoy my garden photos from last summer (the flower above is a peony, one of my favorites).

Baby and Toddler Stuff

My general philosophy toward "stuff" of any kind is less is more. This is especially true when it comes to baby and toddler stuff (how come such little people "need" so much stuff?!). As a parent, I try to practice what I preach by buying clothing for my child only when needed and only what will fit into a small dresser. The other household rule is to only purchase toys for birthdays or special holidays. My husband likes to break this rule occationally and we have also been blessed with a lot of great hand me downs from friends, family and neighbors.

For my household the whole idea is fewer, higher quality items. That being said, I always like to find a good bargain, especially for truely needed items. So, this morning we went to our first "Mom to Mom Sale" at the St. Joseph's Parish in Dexter. My husband convinced me to buy 2 books and 2 toys (including a loud police car toy that I think he really wanted for himself!). I found 5 clothing items that our child can use. All together, we spent a little more than $10 including $1 per person entry fee. It was also a nice little outing for us (we really do not get out much!).

Come to find out, almost every weekend you can find these mom's sales all throughout the Detroit area and Southeast Michigan. There is even a website called Mom2MomList.com that compiles all of the local sales, which are usually organized by churches, like St. Joes, or parent groups. If you need stuff, or more likely, need to get rid of stuff this can be a great way to recycle your abundance.

No Water! (Storing Manuals)

My family and I live in a semi-rural community and we depend upon our own well for water. This morning while I was taking a shower, I noticed that the water pressure was not at its usual level. Then, after a bit, it just stopped. There was no more water.

I called my husband (who already had his shower!) and he checked our tank in the basement. The pressure gauge showed zero (not that I needed confirmation). We had no water.

Fortunately, by 10 a.m. this morning Cribley Drilling came to the rescue. Unfortunately, we needed a new pump and tank ($$$!). The guys from Cribley installed the new equipment and after writing a large check, we now have water again.

I was also left with the manual for the pump, which is outside in the ground, in our well. Being a professional organizing consultant, I do have a file for manuals, but know that if the water ever goes out again we would first go to the basement (not to my office) and if we ever moved the manual should stay with the house.

My solution was to put the manual for the pump in a plastic sleeve, use packaging tape and tape it to the basement wall near the water tank. Now it is there for me if I ever need it. I also wrote the date, company name and years of warranty on the manual for future reference.

Now, I just need to get back to my normal routine for the day!

Carlos Ghosn's Calendar

The Wall Street Journal has an occasional feature called "Boss Talk" where they typically interview CEOs of Fortune 500 companies. Today's Journal featured an interview with Carlos Ghosn, CEO of Nissan and Renault. This article was of interest to me having spent nearly 10 years working in the automotive industry and nearly all of my life in Michigan, where our economy has been hit hard due to our strong ties to this industry.

What I didn't expect to find in this article is confirmation of something I often teach in my seminars. The "5 Tips from Carlos Ghosn on Managing a Global Workforce" included using one calendar (or time manager) for keeping track of all appointments. My seminar attendees as well as my clients often hear that one calendar is better than two. If this tip is good enough for a CEO that splits his time between Tokyo and Paris, it should be one that the rest of us can follow as well.

Packing Decorations

In the January 2008 edition of "Your Simply Organized Life" I answered a reader's question regarding packing holiday decorations.

Since quite a lot of you probably still have your holiday decorations up (over the last few years as a professional organizer I have seen quite a lot of holiday decorations well into February and March) I thought I would revisit the packing of holiday items here.

In the e-newsletter I recommended using 66 qt. or smaller totes for storing holiday decorations. The photo above shows the totes I use for my own holiday decorations. They are labeled on the ends and stack nicely on my basement shelves.

Sane Living

Chris Wucherer, a colleague of mine in Ann Arbor, Michigan just started a new blog called "A Woman's Guide to Saner Living." Since most of my clients are busy, high achieving women---with a bit of disorganization---I thought this new blog would be of interest to all of you.

In addition to my life as a professional organizing consultant and business owner; I also have one small child, one large dog, one great husband and a household to manage. As a result, my life isn't always sane or "perfectly" organized. My life is organized well enough for us to live a healthy well balanced life (and invite unexpected visitors in), but I am sure I can learn a few things from Chris.

Organizing for Health

A friend of mine send me a link to a great article in The New York Times on clutter and health. Click here to read it. It is written by Tara Parker-Pope, who recently left The Wall Street Journal. I often enjoyed reading her health column in The Journal. This article and a related blog entry also on January 1, 2008 is valuable as it focuses on changing habits (not bins and boxes) as a way to get organized. The researchers mentioned have been studying the links between being organized and healthy living.

Tooting My Own Horn

Okay, it may not be polite to toot my own horn, but I was so excited when I noticed that this very blog was listed on Organize Magazine's Community Page AND the OrganizingLA website.

Organize Magazine is a new magazine dedicated solely to organizing topics. Admittedly, I am not currently a subscriber (although I can get a discount as a NAPO member), but I did purchase my first copy while at CVS in November. Even organizing consultants need to buy stuff once in a while.

John Trosko of OrganizingLA calls himself an "Organizing Evangelist" and has been featured on Daily Candy as well as with several LA media outposts. If you have lots of time and want to learn more about how "the other half" organizes out on the West Coast, be sure to check out the OrganizingLA blog. In the meantime, we will keep living our Simply Organized Life here in the Midwest.

Holiday Hubbub

The last few months have been extremely busy for myself and Simply Organized Life. Hence, it has been almost a month since updating this blog. Since we are now in the midst of all the "holiday hubbub" I thought I would give you all an update and some tips for staying grounded at this time of year.

In early November I attended the Professional Organizers of Canada (POC) annual conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (see photo at left). This was a great opportunity for me to take a step back and evaluate how I can better serve my clients.

Likewise, the holidays and the new year are great times to slow down (even just a little bit) and evaluate how you can better serve yourself, your family and your clients, if applicable. This holiday season I am taking some time off to spend with my family, tackle some household projects and maybe sneak in some time for the business as well.

The biggest challenge for me (and for many of you too!) will be not to over schedule myself so I have time to step back and reflect on the many blessings in my life. Happy Holidays!

Cost of Disorganization

It has been over a month since my last post, as things have been busy with Simply Organized Life. Most notably, in early November I attended the annual conference for Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) which was held this year in Vancouver. I look forward to sharing the new things I learned at the conference with all of you.

In the meantime, I came across an interesting internet resource that will help you calculate your cost of disorganization. Smead (the company that makes file folders) has a section on their website called "Organomics" which includes a calculator for the cost of disorganization.

The calculator is geared toward corporations, but if you want to calculate your individual cost of disorganization just type in 1 person, your hourly rate and the amount of time you think you waste daily due to disorganization.

Hint: Newsweek Magazine reported in 2004 that most Americans waste 55 minutes a day looking for things they know they own but cannot finds. So 1 hour is a good starting point for most people.

Green Organizing

If you are an avid reader of this blog and subscriber to Simply Organized Life's e-newsletter, you know that Carolyn is a huge fan of green organizing. Carolyn also is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers' (NAPO) special interest group for Simple and Sustainable Organizers.

A fellow member of the Simple and Sustainable group was recently interviewed by the Toronto, Canada's Vitality Magazine. In its October edition, Vitality featured a great article on "The Green Approach to Organizing and Decluttering." The article is well worth a read.

Children of Hoarders

The OCD Foundation of Michigan is sponsoring an event this Saturday, October 6, 2007 in Warren, Michigan featuring a speaker from the organization Children of Hoarders. For more information on how to register click here.

Until this week, I was unaware of the Children of Hoarders organization, but am happy that such resources exist. Occasionally, I will receive telephone calls from adult children of hoarders and unfortunately, I cannot help their parent(s) if the parent is unwilling to get help. In the most extreme cases it is imperative that the hoarder also be receiving the help of a qualified therapist.

Computer Back Up

It was about a year ago now that my computer crashed on me. I was fortunate that I didn't need to buy a new computer and am still using the same one that suits me fine (at least for the time being), but I spent hours on the telephone with someone in India reinstalling everything. It was a real waste of time.

I was also fortunate that all of my important files with the exception of a few e-mails were backed up. Funny thing is that I have referred to very few of those important files in the time since, which gets me thinking about how we hang onto things thinking that they will be useful in the future.

Experts in the organizing industry say we really only use 20% of the stuff we own 80% of the time. So rather than buying another bin or putting up an elaborate system to store the 80% that we don't use, perhaps we should take a cold hard look at that 80% and see what we can share with others less fortunate.

We Caved!

Two weeks ago today I posted a short essay titled "Free from TV" and promised to let you all know how it goes. I even received a great comment from fellow Professional Organizer, Jeri Dansky, who incidentally posted an interesting essay on her blog yesterday about the various organizing shows on television.

It is with a little embarrassment that I post this message. After I cancelled my cable service the cable company contacted me with a new "offer" for really bare bones cable service. Basically, my husband and I caved in taking the cable company up on the offer for $5/month cable service that includes the basic local channels, PBS and a smattering of other channels. Interestingly enough this bare bones service still includes about 20 channels, which seems like a lot to me.

My reasoning for keeping the cable is that I still like to be able to check the local channels for weather (and somehow protect my family from Mother Nature?). Earlier this summer I heard the tornado warning sirens screaming from town and was able to see on the local channel exactly where the storm was, while www.weather.com didn't give me that type of up to date information.

My husband's reasoning is that he likes to keep up on football and catch the tail end of the golf tournaments on Sunday. I suppose I couldn't step on such manly pursuits.

In a nutshell, we are less than perfect beings that do like a few minutes of television now and again. I guess $5/month is the value that I put on that bit of leisure. And without HGTV or TLC, I am certainly watching a lot less TV.

Lead Paint in Toys

As a parent the recent repeated news of lead paint contamination in children's products terrifies me. As a consumer I wish I had more options to purchase safe products made domestically for my child. However, economic and social factors (namely our thirst for lots of cheap "stuff") have made that nearly impossible. So what is a parent to do?

In my opinion, the first thing to do is to consume consciously. Buy less and seek out products that promote high standards. My family has been blessed to have been given a few Haba wooden toys manufactured in Germany, which I hope has higher safety standards as a fully developed nation. These types of toys can be more difficult to find and more expensive; however, I am a firm believer in buying fewer higher quality items (this can be applied to almost any consumer good).

Even if you are already a conscience consumer, your child (like mine) probably has also been given many plastic or metal toys manufactured in China and other developing nations. For these toys, you can check the US Consumer Product Safety Commission's website at http://www.cpsc.gov/ for recent recalls. You can also purchase an at home lead testing kit at your local hardware store or on-line. I have decided to try LeadCheck Swabs for their ease of use.

As for the contaminated toys, I am at a real loss as to what to do and would love to know of recycling options (please share your comments). I hate to see the toys end up in a landfill and donating them clearly is unethical.

Free from TV

I finally did it. I just called to cancel our cable television service. Over the years as our local cable company kept raising their monthly rates, I kept downgrading our channel lineup. Not once did we regret this decision.

After reading an article in The Wall Street Journal about the potential links between television viewing and autism in children (which the organization Autism Speaks disagrees with) my husband encouraged me to get rid of the cable service completely. In theory, I agreed and dreamed of an even more simplified life without television. However, I must admit that I enjoy watching television and was quite happy with our basic service at $22 a month.

Then last week when the cable company messed with our channel line-up and I found my beloved Home and Garden Television replaced with the Sci-fi channel, that was it. So, today I did it. On Friday, September 7th our cable will be disconnected and I will find out if life free from TV brings our family more simplicity. I will keep you posted.

College Shopping

I happened to stop by the Target store in Ann Arbor, Michigan yesterday to pick up a few mundane things for our household (toilet paper, plastic wrap, that sort of stuff).

It hit me in the face that the University of Michigan students are back, along with their parents and the parents' wallets. It seems that this sort of shopping voyage is a part of going away to college these days. Target even had their own college marketing materials throughout the store.

When I ventured off to Michigan State University at the end of the '80s, I remember my mom purchasing some sheets and towels as they appeared on sale throughout the summer and then simply dropping me off at the dorm. There was no shopping trip to Target or any other store. Call me old fashioned.

The families I saw yesterday seemed to be in a buying frenzy purchasing things like hangers, electronics, hairdryers and let's not forget the containers to store all of this "stuff." What struck me as strange is that the type of items being purchased seemed to be things that any high school student would have. I wonder if the families checked their "inventories" at home before venturing out to Target.

I am not sure if it is the kids or the parents or the stores pushing this type of college consumerism, but what I know for sure is that if people continue to consume excessively, my job should be secure.

Organizing for Kids

Through one of the organizer list serves I belong to, I came across this article from the Washington Post regarding teens and clutter. I felt the article was well written and has some great expert quotes, particularly with regard to the excess amount of stuff that most teens have these days.

I love it when I get the chance to work with school age kids from ages 6 or 7 all the way through college. The thing that excites me the most about working with children and young adults is the opportunity to teach organizing skills early on.

Many of the parents that hire me to work with their kids have struggled with organization nearly all of their lives. They invest in a professional organizer for themselves and their children because they fear their children will struggle as they have. What a wonderful and brave step to take!

We all want the best for our kids and if hiring an organizational consultant will make life just a little easier, it is well worth the investment.

Tiny Houses

I am a true believer in simplicity and limiting the amount of "stuff" in our lives, but this is a bit extreme even for me! The woman that lives in this 84 square foot home, intentionally limits herself to only 300 items!

There was a similar home shown recently on Oprah. Come to find out, you can purchase your very own tiny home through the Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

Home Based Business

In my practice as a professional organizing consultant, I often work with owners of home based businesses. I help them set up spaces that encourage efficiency and order. In the process, I hope that this also improves their bottom line.

On Tuesday, July 10, 2007 CNN.com featured an interview with a successful home based business owner. Interestingly enough, one of her recommendations for success was to hire a professional organizer. See the bottom of the article for this tip.

Spiritual Organizing

At the 2006 NAPO Conference in Boston, I had the pleasure one evening to sit at the same table as California Organizer, Claire Josefine. Claire is the leader of the Simple and Sustainable Organizers e-mail group that I belong to and the author of The Spiritual Art of Being Organized. She had some great things to say about the topic in a recent internet radio interview.

Keeping Up

In my last post, written over two weeks ago, I wrote about my broken dishwasher and dryer. The dishwasher turned out to be a very small problem, but the circuit board on our dryer was literally fried by an electrical storm in our area during the last week of June. Just yesterday, the dryer was repaired and finally put back to use.

While my dryer was on the fritz, I kept up with the laundry by doing a load every day and hanging the items out to dry. I love the idea of saving all that energy, but must admit that I hate towels as scratchy as sandpaper. But had I not kept up on the laundry and exfoliated my skin with those sandpaper towels, I would have had mountains of laundry to catch up on this weekend.

Many of my clients have had what I like to call "organizing blitz weekends" where they spend their precious free time organizing their belongings only to see it all fall apart in a few days or weeks. One of the keys to staying organized is keeping up, which can be extremely difficult in our busy lives these days. However if we simplify our lives and do a little everyday (whatever that activity might be: laundry, e-mail, etc.) it can make a huge difference in staying organized or at least organized enough.

When Things Go Wrong

When things go wrong it's good to be organized. This week both our dryer and dishwasher broke. This may not seem like a big deal to some, but it has put a little kink in our normal household routine. Fortunately, we have repairs scheduled for tomorrow and we are organized.

Being organized kept us from piles of undone laundry. As the person in charge of laundry in our household, I try to keep on top of laundry. For me, it's easier to do one load every day or so, rather than trying to do it all in a weekend. In addition, we do not have that many clothes, so we need to keep them in circulation by doing laundry frequently.

My husband is the one in charge of cooking in our household, which I translate to all things kitchen. He's also great about keeping the dishes done and put away, so when the dishwasher went on the fritz we only had a few breakfast dishes to hand wash. In fact, thanks to my husband the rule is no dirty dishes left in the sink at our house.

This may all seem a little rigid, but it just takes a few minutes daily and now has become a habit.

826michigan

826michigan is a non-profit tutoring and writing center for children in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is a great organization that helps to promote writing and literacy in our community.

From July 20th to 22nd 826michigan will be having a rummage sale to raise funds for the organization. For more information or to donate, please go to the 826michigan website.

Summertime

The Summer Solstice officially arrives next month on June 21st, but with all the hot weather we have been having lately here in Michigan it makes me feel that summer has already arrived. Memorial Day passed us by on Monday and the kids will be getting out of school soon.



Summertime is a great time of the year to get organized and get your children involved in the process. By involving the whole family, you can teach your kids the life skill of organizing. If you do not know where to start, a professional organizer or organizing consultant can help. I often work with entire families to help them get organized.

Here are a few areas that are great summertime organizing projects:

• Kids Artwork: Sit down with your children individually to pick out favorite works of art from the previous school year. The "keepers" can be stored in a decorative box.
• The Basement: On the hottest days, it's great to work in a cool basement. I recommend working on your own in blocks of 1 hour or less. You can work longer if you have the guidance of a professional organizer or organizing consultant.
• The Garage: Summer is the best time to organize the garage because it is warm and it is the time you are using tools stored here. This will make it easy to get rid of all those things that collecting dust unused. I will be teaching a new class with Ann Arbor Rec & Ed this summer called "Get the Garage in Order".

For more tips on summer organizing, please feel free to sign up on our website for Simply Organized Life's free e-newsletter sent out on the first of every month.

Cleaning Products

When helping clients organize their homes, I often find that homeowners have enough cleaning products to fill a toxic landfill. Due to disorganization (or perhaps warehouse club memberships) homeowners do not realize what they have on hand and end of buying more cleaning products that add clutter under every sink in the home.

In my own home, I try to limit the purchase and use of heavy duty chemical cleaners when possible. One great way to do this is to use good old fashioned vinegar and baking soda. The website DoItYourself.com has some great uses for these old standards.

To avoid cleaning product clutter, buy only what you need when you need it. Not only will you conquer the clutter, but you will save money too!

Dexter Quilt Show

If you are a quilter, or just have an appreciation for the art, you might be interested in attending the annual quilt show at St. Andrew's United Church of Christ in Dexter, Michigan on Saturday, May 5th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

There will be 100 quilts, demonstrators and vendors related to the fiber arts. This year's raffle quilt is a queen size quilt made from Grandmother's Flower Garden pieces. Admission is $4.00 and lunch (available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.) is $4.00 also.

Quilting is a wonderful hobby that takes a lot of talent and a little organization.

Often clients ask me what to do with old baby clothing or other fabric memorabilia. Fortunately, those of us that do not have the talent for quilting can outsource the work to company's like Ticche and Bea out of Chicago or perhaps you can find a quilter at the Dexter Show that hires out.

Clean Car

Did you know that April is National Car Care Month? Neither did I. I must admit that over the winter I neglected the cleanliness of my car a bit. This is particularly embarrassing for me as I come from a long line of clean car fanatics.

Just in time for National Car Care Month, yesterday I spent a little time to get my car back in order and I am much happier for it. As an organizer, my car is rarely cluttered, but it did smell of my 70 pound dog and there were remnants of winter salt on the mats.

Here are a simple few tips for keeping your car clean and organized:

1. Your car should not be used as a storage facility. Not only is it uncomfortable for passengers, but it can be very dangerous if you are in an accident.
2. Every time you fill up with gas, take a minute to toss out any garbage such as food wrappers.
3. At the end of every day bring in any items that do not belong in the car.
4. Schedule time in your calendar to vacuum out your car 15 minutes at a time. A little bit of cleaning at a time does wonders!

Money Savers

One of my passions as a professional organizer and consultant is to help families save money. I truly believe that living a Simply Organized Life can help families in so many ways, one of the most important being financial management.

In this month's Parenting Magazine there is a great little article titled, "Instant Money Savers." I was so happy to finally read a magazine that linked the correlation between being organized and saving money! I know that my simple organizing strategies have helped my family and my clients' families save tons of money!

Read the article, take what applies to you and watch your bank account grow!

Novi Event

The Novi Chamber of Commerce is hosting their 8th annual "Threads of Power Breakfast" on March 23, 2007 at 8 a.m. at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Novi, Michigan.

This year's slogan is "clean your closet for a cause." Attendees to this event are asked to bring gently-used business attire (clean and on hangers) to donate to local organizations. What a great way to organize your closet and bless others on their professional journeys!

The cost for this event is $15 and reservations are required by March 20, 2007.

Hoarding

In this month's on-line version of Reader's Digest, there is an article about hoarding as a clinical obsessive compulsive disorder. To read the article, click here.

If you believe that you or someone you know suffers from hoarding as a clinical obsessive compulsive disorder, it is important that they get help from an experienced social worker, clinical psychologist or other licensed professional with a specialty in this area.

As an organizing consultant and a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), I am happy to state that most people that have clutter are not hoarders. However, those that are hoarders deserve the best possible help to overcome the disorder when they are ready.

Wedding Registry

It's that time of year again! Wedding season!

In addition to our organizing services, Simply Organized Life also provides event planning services for weddings and other festivities. I do recommend that brides and grooms register with a favorite store for items that they both want and need. This also helps them to avoid clutter down the road of marriage.

A friend of mine, who incidentally will be a June bride, brought to my attention the I Do Foundation. This organization partners with retailers to donate a portion of the registry sales to a charitable organization selected by the bride and groom. What a wonderful way to celebrate a marriage and give back to society!

Clutter and Oprah

Earlier this week, Wednesday, February 7th to be exact, Peter Walsh of TLC's Clean Sweep appeared on the Oprah show. On Friday, I was able to watch a recording of the show with five other experienced professional organizers.

In the hour long show Peter Walsh was able to transform a young family's home from chaos to something that looked like the Pottery Barn catalog. However, I worry that the general public was given an unrealistic view of how organizers really work with clients.

First of all, I felt that Oprah and at times, Peter Walsh, were insensitive to the negative feelings that the family (particularly the mother) had surrounding their clutter. As an organizing consultant, it is not my job to judge clients nor their clutter. Peter Walsh went so far at one point to basically tell the woman that she was a bad mother because her house was cluttered. I felt that this was unnecessary and demeaning.

The other complaint that I have with the Oprah show--and basically all television organizing shows--is that it all happens so quickly with so much additional consumption of bins, boxes, etc. The mother of the cluttered family on the show actually worked at The Container Store, which is proof that containers do not organize people, but rather good habits organize people.

On a positive note, Peter Walsh was right on when he said that clutter "robs you psychologically" and one cannot be a peace while living with clutter. I find that once my clients can get rid of the clutter, their lives are opened up to many more blessings.

Auction Event

From time to time, Simply Organized Life donates services to local charity auctions. This is the second year in a row that we have donated a non-transferable gift certificate to the Performance Network Gala Auction. The Gala will be held on February 16, 2007.

In addition to supporting the auction, I have a few raffle tickets to sell for the Gala. The grand prize is a pair of diamond earrings valued at $3,500 from Schlanderer and Sons in Ann Arbor. Please contact me if you are interested in purchasing one ticket for $20 or three for $50.

We believe in giving back to our community!

Time to Read

In working full time with the clients of Simply Organized Life over the last two years, I have met some wonderfully interesting intelligent people. One of the common threads among my clients is that they seem to have a thirst for knowledge, particularly the written word. Everyone wants to know how they can find more time to read the books, magazines and newspapers piled up around their house.

At the core of my organizing philosophy is the belief that if we are able to organize the more mundane details of life (laundry, cleaning, cooking, etc.) we will have time for the things we love, such as reading. That being said, in 2007 there is way more information to read than any of us have the time to keep up with. So we have to be a bit selective in choosing (and keeping) our reading material.

Here are some tips:

1. An old newspaper is like a used Kleenex. Recycle newspapers more than a couple of days old.
2. Limit the number of magazines by using a container, such as a basket to store them in one place.
3. Practice the one in, one out rule for books. If you buy a new book, donate or sell an old one.

Preparing for the Inevitable

Most of us probably do not want to think about, let alone prepare for, our inevitable deaths. Admitedly, on our organizing journeys this is probably one of the later things we will spend time on. However, it is an important gift that we can provide to our families and our heirs.

My colleague, Shannon Ronald, who I met at the 2006 NAPO Conference in Boston recently appeared on http://www.wsradio.com/ internet radio. Shannon, who is both a professional organizer and a life coach discusses the need to speak openly with our family members about our inevitable deaths. Click here to listen to the 10 minute segment with Shannon.

As with any other task on our organizing journeys, preparing for death can take many forms. One element is physical (i.e. your "stuff") while other elements include paperwork, financial documents and other wishes after death. By decluttering throughout the stages of our life and organizing our paperwork, we can eliminate stress for our loved ones after we are gone.

Happy New Year 2007!

Simply Organized Life is entering its second year in business full time. We would like to thank all of our clients, blog readers, seminar attendees and others that have helped make this business a success.

A New Year is a time that offers us a fresh start and new hope on our personal and professional journeys. We look forward to helping new and old friends on their organizational journeys in 2007.

Now is the time to bring out the new calendars and set goals for the New Year. What opportunity a New Year and a blank calendar brings!

Enjoying the Season

For those of you that have been reading December's posts, we are now at 81 holiday cards sent, approximately 30 received. It's not necessary to do this, but I like to keep track of the cards our family sends and receives in a simple Excel spreadsheet. My Mom uses a spiral bound notebook.

We are now in the midst of Hanukkah and hope our Jewish clients are enjoying the season. Our Christian clients will celebrate the fourth Sunday of Advent in just a few days on Christmas Eve this year.

I am sure some of you are still scurrying around to take care of last minute holiday preparations, but we hope that most of you are able to take time to enjoy the season, friends and family.

In my family, we are expecting houseguests to arrive tomorrow evening. With the exception of a little cleaning and food preparation, we are ready for our visitors and are enjoying this holiday season. The only thing missing is a little snow to set the mood, but we will have to make do with our holiday decorations instead this year.

Spicy Holidays

In yesterday's post I was hoping for a windfall of holiday cards in my mailbox. That didn't happen. Today's count: 81 cards sent, 13 received. I did receive a card from my brother's family for the first time in 7 years. Perhaps my sister-in-law reads this blog?

If you plan to be baking or cooking this holiday season, I hope you will make it spicy. Nothing is worse than stale spices.

It came to my attention through fellow NAPO members that McCormick has some great guidelines of their website regarding the shelf life of spices. Of course, their intentions aren't all altruistic, but if you have McCormick cinnamon in a square box you had better toss it as it's at least 15 years old!

Those of you that know me know that I am not much of a cook, but our family's spices sure are organized. If you want to see for yourself click on the organizing page at Simply Organized Life.

Finding the Time

As of today the holiday card count at my house is 81 sent, 11 received (see yesterday's post). I am hoping for a windfall in today's mail.

Finding the time to write holiday cards, or take on any holiday project, doesn't need to be complicated. You do need to plan ahead.

Before our family writes a single card, I make sure we have all of the materials together in one place. This includes: pens, stamps, address labels, return address labels, our family photo and of course, the cards! Our "holiday card kit" is kept in the same place every year and I try to gather all the "pieces" prior to Thanksgiving. Then, whenever we get 10 or 15 minutes here and there, we can write a card or two.

Here's another example. If your holiday project is baking cookies, you would want to do the same by having all of the ingredients on hand before you pull out the mixing bowl. Use your calendar to remind you to check the pantry for ingredients a few weeks prior and add needed items to your regular shopping list. A little planning saves tons of time in the long run.

Holiday Cards

In our household we love to send holiday cards. We are traditionalists when it comes to these cards: no form letters and every card gets a handwritten note. As of yesterday, we have mailed 80 cards to friends and family in five countries. So far, we have only received 7 cards in return, so I hope at least some of our friends read this blog.

Now you may be wondering, "How in heaven's name does she find the time?" With planning and a simple system in place, it can be quite easy. I will share my secret in the days ahead.

Some years ago, I created created a template in Microsoft Word for Avery mailing labels. You can do this using the "mail merge" feature if you keep your addresses in Microsoft Office or type them in manually. The labels save tons of time in comparison to writing each address and you can print from the same template every year. Throughout the year, I make sure to update the list when someone moves. Prior to Thanksgiving our family reviews the list to determine who we will send cards to that year.

If you plan to send cards in time for Hanukkah, you might squeeze in under the wire. If you are sending Christmas cards, the US Postal Service recommends mailing first class letters by December 18, 2006. So, you still have time to get your card to us!

Holiday Tips

This blog was started in 2005 to share Simply Organized Life's 10 Tips for Stress Free Holidays (or at least holidays with less stress).

Here's a refresher on the 10 Tips:
1) Keep it Simple
2) Plan, Plan, Plan
3) Use a Calendar
4) Make a Financial Plan (and stick to it!)
5) Declutter your Space
6) Ask for What you Want (and ask others what they want)
7) Give Clutter Free Gifts
8) Accept Imperfection
9) Remember the Reason for the Season
10) Have Fun!

To learn more about each of the tips, please click on the archives for November 2005 and December 2005. Rather than repeat this in 2006, in the days ahead I will share other tips for stress free (or stress less) holidays.

December Newsletter

We hope all of you that are signed up to receive our monthly e-newsletter (to sign up click here) were able to receive the December edition of Your Simply Organized Life. We had some technical difficulties that should now be resolved.

We have one correction regarding Carolyn's mini-seminar on kitchen organization and the meal assembly session to be held at 7 p.m. on January 11, 2007 at Ann Arbor's Main Dish Kitchen. The minimum charge for the seminar and to assemble 6 meals is $120, while the charge for the seminar and 12 meals is $209. Each meal serves approximately 4~6 people, which is a bargain at about $5 per serving.

To see photos from our last meal assembly session at Ann Arbor's Main Dish Kitchen, click on the August 2006 archives at right.

Ann Arbor District Library

This past Friday, November 10th I had the pleasure of speaking at the Ann Arbor District Library's All Staff Day. I was so impressed not just by the facilities at the downtown library, but also by the friendliness and professionalism of the staff (the lunch was great too). What a great group of people! Thank You!!!

Come to find out, I appeared on the Library's blog yesterday. Check out blogger "Sancho Panza's" comments from 11/14/06 under the title "Mission: Organization".

This blogger also recommends a new book by Martha Stewart that was published in October. As much as I like to make jokes about Martha, her books are generally quite informative (just tone down the recommendations to real life). I have yet to see her latest, but I will be sure to take a peek at my local public library. At $45 I recommend the library over purchasing the book.

Organizing on TV

While I find the various organizing shows on TV quite entertaining, this form of reality TV is far from reality in my opinion. I believe these shows set an unrealistic expectation of both the organizing process (or journey as I like to call it) and of working with a professional organizer or organizing consultant.

I recently learned from fellow NAPO members that an episode of HGTV's Mission Organization can take anywhere from 80 to 120 hours to complete. That is a far cry from the 30 minutes we see on television!

This morning I had the pleasure to speak to the Saline MOPS group, where I mentioned the above fact. One of the women in attendance has a family member that has appeared on an organizing show. She reported that through the "magic of TV" her family members were told to make their house look messier prior to the first filming. So much for reality!

November Newsletter

Many of you may receive my monthly e-newsletter (to sign up click here).

The November edition was sent out this morning and included information on my upcoming seminars, tips for Thanksgiving planning and clutter-free gift ideas. I have a correction for November. I incorrectly stated that Thanksgiving is four weeks away, when actually it is three weeks away! Apologies for any confusion this might have caused.

In addition, my friend Carol Hoffer, shared with me some more tips on clutter-free gifts. Carol doesn't always recommend lotions or candles. Her daughter-in-law (a massage therapist) ended up with over 40 bottles of lotions as a result of gifts received!

Carol suggested books of stamps instead (my husband and I loved the PhotoStamps we made of our dog!). For those keeping Kosher Carol recommends Wolferman's English Muffins. Evidently, Ann Arbor's Zingerman's bread isn't Kosher.

NAPO Treasurer Visits Michigan

Yesterday evening, National Association of Professional Organizers' (NAPO) National Treasurer, Val Sgro, was the guest of honor at our NAPO Southeast Michigan Chapter meeting. Val visited our chapter on behalf of the NAPO national board of directors. NAPO is a non-profit organization focused on the education of organizers and the general public regarding our industry.

The board of our chapter is pictured above with Val. From left to right: Carolyn Anderson-Fermann (me), Stacy Rafalko, Deb Stanley, Val Sgro, Betty Hutari, and Rita Wilhelm. Christina Moore is missing from the photo.

It was a pleasure to have Val join our chapter for one evening and educate our membership on the state of NAPO. Thank you, Val!

Preparedness: Your Computer

This last day of September, I realize that my blogs for National Preparedness Month have been few and far between. For that, I apologize. I do hope you have gained useful and timely information from the blogs that were posted.

One area of preparedness that we might neglect is our computers. We have become so dependent upon these machines that it is important to keep them "tuned up" much like we would a automobile.

A week ago today, my computer decided to have a total meltdown, or a total breakdown if I am to continue with the automotive metaphor. I had gotten a little lax about backing up my data, but anything important was saved and most of the pieces are back together again.

The lesson to be learned is to backup often, use proper security precautions and to keep software up to date. The other lesson to be learned is to let go of those things that were lost and keep on going. Nothing is forever.

Multitasking

These days folks like to brag about how busy they are and how much they multitask. I am not a fan of multitasking. In my experience, multitasking is inefficient and just leads to doing several things poorly. I would rather take my time and excel at the task at hand.

Last week Jared Sandberg's Wall Street Journal column "Cubicle Culture" tackled the subject of multitasking. I really enjoyed reading his column and have referred it to several clients. To read it click on: www.careerjournal.com and go to "Columnists" and "Cubicle Culture". The article is titled "Why Multitasking Doesn't Work."

Mr. Sandberg quoted scientific research that finds when multitasking the brain is slowed down and results suffer. There are some simple things that we can multitask at but more complex thinking requires our focus. So next time you think you need to multitask, take a deep breath, slow down and do one thing at a time.

National AD/HD Awareness Day

It recently came to my attention that next Wednesday, September 20th is National AD/HD Awareness Day. If you or someone you love has AD/HD you might benefit from two free seminars in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Both are presented by Geri Markel, PhD, who has authored several books on the subject.

Defeating the Demons of Distraction will be presented in recognition of AD/HD Awareness Day on September 20th at 12 noon at The University of Michigan Union in the Pond Room. This talk is sponsored by the Office of Services for Disabilities.

Finding Your Focus: Navigating Adult ADHD will be presented at the Mallotts Creek Library on September 27 from 7 to 9 PM at 3090 E. Eisenhower Parkway, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Pens for African Children

I have never been to Africa, but know friends and family that have. One of the most surprising things they shared from their travels was that the children in Africa will beg tourists to give them pens. A friend that spent some time teaching in Africa explained to me that they just do not have pens. Poverty is severe there.

Upon her return to Michigan from Africa a woman by the name of Jeanne Bolhuis (who I know through her mother) decided to do something about this and founded Pens for African Children. She works with Father Evans Njogu in Kenya to distribute the pens to those children who need them the most.

If you would like to donate your excess pens in working order, please ship them to Father Evans at the address below:
Fr. Evanson Njogu
P.O. Box 15523
20100 NAKURU
KENYA, EAST AFRICA
I have been in contact with Father Evans via e-mail and I know he and the children will be thankful for your generosity. Please let him know I sent you!

Labor Day

At Simply Organized Life our mission is to provide our clients with more time and space for the things that really matter in life. On this Labor Day weekend, I hope you have been able to spend some time on the the things that really matter to you. I know I have.

In our busy lives these days, it is easy to get wrapped up in the daily to-do lists and forget the big picture goals. We often feel so bogged down by the "stuff" of life instead of the living. As someone who likes to get things done and check off the items on my to-do list (probably more than the next person) I too can get wrapped up in the day to day. But I also know when it is time to turn off the computer and the phone and the Pocket PC and tidy up my desk in preparation of the next day's work.

Being organized has helped me (and my clients) minimize the time spent on the "stuff" of life and maximize the time spent on living. For example, this weekend my husband and I met up with an old friend and her new fiance. The evening was relaxing and enjoyable. I was able to be in the moment because the business stuff was taken care of well-enough for me to pick up later, the laundry was done, the house was clean and most importantly, the dog had been walked. The mundane was taken care of so we could leave the house early in a peaceful state of mind. I wish the same for you.

ADHD Conference

Those of you that receive my monthly newsletter (sign up) later this week will learn about two conferences on ADD and ADHD coming up in October.

I just registered to attend the Michael Golds Memorial ADHD Conference on October 6th. This day long conference will include a keynote speach by Chris Zeigler Dendy on "The Joys & Challenges of AD/HD." There are also three breakout sessions, including one by fellow NAPO Southeast Michigan Chapter member Deb Stanley called "Are You Sure You're Ready to Get Organized? How to Know When Change is Possible." The total cost, including lunch, is $50.

Along with attending NAPO's National Conference, serving on the NAPO Southeast Michigan Chapter Board and reading extensively on new organizing techniques; this is another way I continue my education to better serve my client base.

Preparedness: Insurance

This weekend's Wall Street Journal had an interesting article about house insurance. This is quite timely, as September is National Preparedness Month and a year ago today Hurricane Katrina was making its way toward the Gulf Coast (Katrina hit land on 8/29/05). If you had to evacuate your home, would you be able to find your home owners' insurance policy (and other important documents) quickly?

I often help clients set up files for various personal finance documents, including their home owners' insurance policy. No matter where you live it is important to make sure your home owners' policy is up to date in the event of an unforeseen emergency. The Wall Street Journal Reported that 58% of houses are undervalued for insurance purposes (according to a survey by Marshall & Swift/Boeckh LLC). The survey went on to state that of the 58% of undervalued homes, the homeowner typically only has enough coverage to rebuild about 80% of the home.

Here are my tips for organizing your insurance papers and making sure that you are adequately covered:
1) Have a safe place where you keep your homeowners (or renters) insurance policy. This can be a hanging file folder or three-ring binder, whatever works best for you.
2) File your policy immediately after paying the premium (annually for most people).
3) Keep an inventory of your personal property.
4) Review your policy annually with your agent to make sure you are appropriately covered. Be sure to bring your file from previous years.
5) Let your agent know if you have made improvements to your home.
6) Remember the insurance valuation is based on the cost to rebuild your home, not market value. When the cost of raw materials rises, so does the cost to rebuild your home.

If you do not know where to start when it comes to organizing your home owners' insurance, contact a reputable professional organizer or organizing consultant in your area. We serve Southeast Michigan, Northern Ohio and will travel further upon request.

Mini-Seminar Photos

Yesterday evening Simply Organized Life offered a special mini-seminar on kitchen organization and meal assembly session at Ann Arbor's Main Dish Kitchen. Here are a few photos from that event.

Here I am with Margaret making the "Big House Burrito" dish.

Carol, owner of iSold It on eBay on Eisenhower in Ann Arbor, joined in to make meals for her busy family. Pictured in the back are seminar participants Melissa, Jen and Candace. My apologies to Tammi and Donna for not getting a good shot of them working!

Being Organized Makes It Easy

In my last corporate job my supervisor told me once that he "didn't have time to be organized." My reply was that I didn't have time NOT to be organized. Nearly every day I am reminded that being organized makes things easier. Sometimes it's a little thing, like clean socks right where you need them, and sometimes it's a big thing, like taxes (see January 2006 for tax tips). Today, it was a big thing that reminded me that life is easier when your organized.

If you work legally in the United States you should receive a statement once a year from the Social Security Administration. When working with clients on paper management we sometimes find these envelopes unopened, as people just do not know what to do with them. These statements should be opened and filed in a safe place. My statement came and income was missing from one of the years. This is a big thing, because it impacts the level of Social Security benefits I might receive in retirement.

Fixing the error was not a big thing, because I knew exactly where to go to find the past years tax returns and W2 statements. I was able to call the Social Security Administration and provide them with the paperwork they needed immediately. The whole thing (including calling in) took me less than 30 minutes to resolve. If you are not organized, it could take hours just to find the old paperwork.

Trust me, I do not spend hours on end organizing my files or my personal belongings. My systems are simple and cheap. The important thing is that I can find what I need when I need it. This eliminates stress. I hold the same goals when working with my own things or with a client.

New Mini-Seminar

I am excited to announce that I will be offering a mini-seminar on kitchen organization at Ann Arbor's Main Dish Kitchen on Tuesday, August 22nd. At Simply Organized Life we are always looking for ways to simplify everyday life. This includes sitting down to a nice home cooked dinner!

Main Dish Kitchen is one of several retail meal assembly locations that have popped up around the nation. They make it easy for you to get dinner on the table by planning meals and preparing all of the ingredients for you to assemble a “main dish” that can be frozen. On those busy days, you can simplify life (and save money) by utilizing one of the dishes you have prepared for your freezer.

On August 22nd Simply Organized Life is offering a special session at Main Dish Kitchen that includes a 30 minute seminar on kitchen organization. The attendees walk away with new found knowledge, a kitchen organizing tip sheet and 6 or 12 delicious meals for their family. Each meal, or dish, serves 4 to 8 people. In addition to the seminar, I will join the group in assembling the dishes and will be available to answer organizing questions in a casual setting.

Please go to our main webpage for more information! There is a minimum charge of $115 for this special seminar and session.

Preparedness

It is HOT here in Michigan this week. Monday evening the air conditioner in our home stopped, along with the ceiling fans and everything else that requires electricity. The power went out in our neighborhood. We were out only 1 hour and 15 minutes, but it got me thinking about preparedness. Were we really prepared if this was another big blackout like the one that occurred three years ago?

As a professional organizer or organizing consultant, I am probably a little more prepared for an emergency than the average person, but I know there is plenty more I can do to make sure that we are prepared for the unexpected.

Those of you that have attended my seminars or have worked with me personally know that I am not a fan of stockpiling excess "inventory" in the home. That being said, in the event of an emergency, being organized and having enough non-perishable food on hand can make a huge difference in stress levels and survival.

September is National Preparedness Month, which is sponsored by The Department of Homeland Security. This year The National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) has signed on as a national coalition member. Even if you are overwhelmed with the state your home or office is in right now, an organizer can help you be prepared for everyday life and an unexpected emergency.

Professional Organizers on CBS

This morning CBS News' Sunday Morning replayed a story titled Organizers to the Rescue about professional organizers. This story originally aired on March 26, 2006 the day after the National Association of Professional Organizers' (NAPO) conference. I had missed the story then, as I was traveling back from the conference, which was in Boston.

All in all the story provided a more balanced view of the organizing industry than most media outlets. However, the reporter said that you could hire an organizer "to do in a day, what you put off for years." While professional organizing consultants do help clients get long awaited projects off the to do list, it is important that clients understand that not all projects are created equally. Some organizing projects do only take a day, while others take several days or weeks.

In all cases, there is a lot of learning that takes place which the client may retain for months or years after the sessions are complete. This is the most important takeaway and how best to stay organized.

If you are interested in viewing the video on-line send me an e-mail and I will provide you with the link.

Summer Solstice

Tomorrow, June 21st, is the Summer Solstice. This is also known as the day in the Northern Hemisphere with the longest amount of daylight. With the warm weather finally upon us here in Michigan, this is the time of year that we spend more time outside and less inside. In particular, less time inside keeping our spaces organized and in order.

I am the same. These days I like to spend most evenings outside checking to see how all my flowers are coming along. The orange lilies in my garden (pictured above) are now in bloom. They are always the first to bloom, before the yellows and pinks and my favorite, the fragrant Star Gazers that the deer so like to eat.

Some things will fall by the wayside in summer, but in order to stay organized it is important to prioritize and schedule those tasks that are absolutely necessary. Tasks like this include bill paying, preparing meals and keeping the laundry in check. At this busy time of year, it is more important than ever to plan time for the necessesities. This will allow you time to "stop and smell the roses" (sometimes literally) for the rest of summer without stress.

Book Review

I recently finished reading Organizing for Your Brain Type by Lanna Nakone. At my first NAPO conference in San Diego in April 2005, I attended Lanna's conference session on corporate organizing and was very much impressed by her intelligence, confidence and professionalism that she brings to this industry.

Although I am not one to go up and talk to speakers after the session, I (among others) followed Lanna into the hall to speak with her in person. When I told her as an MBA I was surprised she didn't have an MBA herself (she has an MA in religious studies) she hugged me. Here is a bright, perhaps overconfident, woman who is also very approachable.

Organizing for Your Brain Type did not disappoint me. At roughly 200 pages, the book is full of practical information backed up by extensive research, something that is hard to find in most organizing books.

The thing is, Lanna gets it.

She says in the preface of her book, "Organizing is so much more than putting things into a box labeled 'Christmas Decorations'". So true.

In addition to the four unique styles of organizing that Lanna calls "Brain Styles" the book also talks about the overconsumption in American society today. She, like myself, is a true believer in the fact that you do not need to rush out and buy more stuff to get organized.

Organizing for Your Brain Type has helped me understand my organizing style and better help my clients too.

NAPO President Visits Michigan

On Sunday, May 21st, the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) President, Barry Izsak (photo center), took time out of his busy schedule to visit the members of the NAPO Southeast Michigan Chapter (Michigan Professional Organizer). I had the honor of planning this event, which was held at Shiro Restaurant in Novi, Michigan. (I am the second blonde from the right in the photo.)

Barry's company, Arranging It All, is based out of Austin, Texas but he spends many days out of the year traveling as the National President of NAPO. At the NAPO Conference that I attended in March 2006 there were nearly 1,000 members in attendance which makes it difficult to speak one on one with Barry.

On Sunday evening, Barry tolerated our endless photos with ease and good humor. He was also able to answer our individual questions. The biggest takeaway from the evening for me was not to underestimate the value of our time and services as professional organizers or organizing consultants. Barry has been an important force in raising the level of professionalism in this industry.

In addition to providing services to clients in their homes or offices, my consulting services are also available for product focus groups.

Travel Tips

I recently wrote some travel tips for the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) Southeast Michigan Chapter newsletter. I would like to share them in my blog too.

Having left a corporate career in sales and lived overseas, I have traveled a lot . My last trip as a corporate road warrior had me off to Japan with all of four days notice. When I showed up to the airport my male counterparts were amazed that my only luggage was an 18 inch Travelpro carry-on and a purse large enough to hold my computer.

With a little bit of organization, you too can be jetting off to far flung places at a moment's notice. Here are my tips for packing light and enjoying the ride!

1) Pick your bags---Try to limit yourself to one small sturdy bag per person. This can even save you money with the airlines’ nickeling and diming for overweight charges these days.

2) Pack your bags---Keep small sample sized toiletries in your travel bag at all times. This saves packing time and avoids forgotten items.

3) Start with your itinerary---For business or pleasure, you should have an idea of your daily travel plans. This will help you pick out the necessary clothes and shoes.

4) Get back to the basics---When traveling, stick to easy care mix and match separates or suits in the same color palette. I always try to limit myself to two pairs of shoes of the same color: one casual and one dressy.

5) Use every nook and cranny---Rolling knit items can save space. You can also pack socks and undergarments inside of your extra pair of shoes that are covered with plastic bags. Neatly folding dirty clothes inside of plastic bags saves space on the way home.

6) Relax---Don’t worry if you forget something. Unless you are traveling to a very remote part of the world, you can almost always buy what you need or wash clothes at your destination.

By the way, I challenge my readers to guess where I am in the photo!

Affordable Luxuries

It came to my attention this week, that Forbes Magazine has an ongoing lifestyle feature titled "Affordable Luxuries". Affordable is a subjective term, but Forbes defines their "Affordable Luxuries" at $200 or less. You can be the judge if that is affordable to you or not.

In March, Forbes did a great service to professional organizers by dispelling the myth that our services are for "only the idle rich". Thank you Forbes Magazine!

In fact, my clients come from all walks of life and varying financial means. The thing that is common to all of my clients is that they are smart people tired of living their lives with clutter. It is an honor for me to help them live their lives to the fullest. After all, my mantra is "Everyone deserves a Simply Organized Life!"

If you would like to read the article from the magazine, click on this link: http://images.forbes.com/lifestyle/2006/03/20/affordable-luxuries-cleaning-cx_sy_0321feat_ls.html
I should note that the rates quoted by Ms. Caron are rates typical of the East and West Coasts. Here in the Midwest $200 goes quite a bit further.

Waste Knot, Want Not

Simply Organized Life Recognized as Green

Those of you that are frequent visitors to Simply Organized Life's main website (link at right) will have noticed our press release from April 13, 2006.

Simply Organized Life is honored to now be a partner with the Washtenaw County Waste Knot Program. The photo above is from yesterday evening's Waste Knot Awards Ceremony. It was a great pleasure to be recognized as the first and only Organizing Consultant to be a Waste Knot Award Partner.

Eliminating waste and caring for our environment is important to me in how I run my business and how I work with my clients. I am so happy to be recognized publicly by my fellow Waste Knot Partners, businesses both small and large. To learn more about the Waste Knot Program click on the link at: www.simplyorganizedlife.com/aboutus.html.

Volunteers Needed!

Ann Arbor Book Festival

This year I am the Volunteer Coordinator for the Ann Arbor Book Festival (www.aabookfestival.org). The Festival will be held from May 10th through 14th in Ann Arbor, Michigan. This is a volunteer position for me. I have estimated that the Festival will need nearly 90 volunteers to make this year's events a success!

For those of you that have already volunteered, I thank you (and request you let me know your T-shirt size ASAP!).

If you are reading this and are interested in volunteering, please e-mail me. We still need many volunteers for events on Thursday, May 11th; Friday, May 12th and Saturday, May 13th.

Business Tip #5

Outsource What You Don't Do Best

As small business owners (this includes me!) we often try to do everything ourselves. At a recent women business owners meeting in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Nina Howard the Founder of Bellanina Spa and Institute (www.bellanina.com) called folks like us "Do it Alls". I think Nina knows, she's been there and done it all!

However, even "Do it Alls" sometimes need to limit their activities to what they do best and let the experts work for them. This is called outsourcing. It doesn't mean you are going to go to China to get the job done, but what it does mean is that there is someone out there (perhaps another small business owner) that can do what you are struggling with in less time for less money.

Remember! Your time is valuable. Pay the experts to help you when you need it!

This includes help organizing your time or your clutter!

Business Tip #4

Guard Your Time

In yesterday's post I wrote about the benefits of using only one calendar for business and personal scheduling. Today I want to teach you the benefits of using your calendar to carve out time for your business and yourself.

Only you can be in control of your time. Not your spouse, kids, clients or anyone else! It is up to you and only you to make sure you are maximizing your time to meet your business and personal goals. This may be a major paradigm shift for some of you, but once you make this shift life will become easier.

Your calendar is to be used not only for appointments with other people, but also for appointments with yourself. For example, if you are a business owner, you may need to set aside time at regular intervals for strategic planning. This is the type of stuff that usually falls through the cracks. What you need to do is schedule time in your calendar for these activities, such as strategic planning, and treat this scheduled time as you would a client appointment.

In the days ahead, watch for more information on Business Tip #5 "Outsource what you don't do best."

Business Tip #3

One Calendar is Easier than Two (or more!)

If you keep all of your appointments in one calendar you can really save time. When people use two or more calendars they waste time tracking things in two places and double checking to make sure they have not missed anything.

I realize this is a bit of a contradiction from Business Tip #1 (Keep the Business Stuff Separate) but when it comes to keeping track of your time you want to have everything in one place. Once the time is gone, it's gone forever!

Personally, I use an electronic calendar on my computer that synchronizes with a hand held device. I like this because my schedule varies and I can use different colors to indicate if an appointment is personal or business related. Furthermore, I am never without my calendar!

Electronic calendars are great time savers, but they are not for everyone. I recommend that many of my clients stick to the paper calendars that they are familiar with. If you are using a paper calendar it is wise to have one that is large enough to write both personal and business appointments, while at the same time being small enough to take with you.

In Business Tip #4 we will talk more about time use!

Business Tip #2

Focus on One Thing at a Time

As easy as it seems this can be a difficult task, especially in this day and age of instant messaging and BlackBerry users. In our modern day culture "multitasking" is seen as the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Let me tell you...Multitasking is not always good! In many cases focusing on one thing at a time can actually be more productive.

My clients are intellegent, hardworking, driven people with all kinds of great ideas and mental to-do lists running around in their heads. Often times folks nowadays just do not know how to slow down and focus on one thing at a time.

When I am feeling overwhelmed with all I have to do, I use three simple and inexpensive tools to prioritize the tasks at hand.
1) A Piece of Paper
2) A Pen
3) A Timer

You can do this too!

Using the paper and pen, just write down everything you have to do on a piece of paper. I call this the "brain dump" (I think I originally heard this from my friend and time management consultant, Randy Dean). Then ask yourself: "What is the best use of my time now?" Set your timer and focus in on that one thing that is the best use of your time. That task will be off your to-do list in no time!

Business Tip #1

Keep the Business Stuff Separate

This is particularly important if you have a home based business, but also applies to people who have businesses outside of the home.

It is really important to have a separate space for business related materials, both physical materials and electronic materials.

Storing physical materials can be as simple as a separate file drawer only for business materials or a kitchen corner reserved only for business use. For those of you that work from home, you want to avoid keeping business materials in shared areas of the home. By this I mean: do not use the kitchen table, dining room table, coffee table or any other shared flat surface in the home to store your business materials!

For electronic materials, you want to make sure business data is stored separately from personal data. If you do not have two computers (one for home use and one for business use) you can simply make electronic file folders to separate business files from personal files.

Watch for tips #2 through #5 in the days ahead!

A Simply Organized Business SM

This evening I had a great opportunity to speak to a women business owners group that I belong to. I always learn something new at each meeting. This time it was my turn to speak about my business and share my five tips for A Simply Organized Business SM.
1) Keep the Business Stuff Separate
2) Focus on One Thing at a Time
3) One Calendar is Easier than Two (or more!)
4) Guard Your Time
5) Outsource What You Don't Do Best

In the next few days I will explain the thought process behind each of these tips and how they can help women (and men) business owners be more effective AND efficient.