|
It's easy to see by the new organizing products on display in stores that it is National Get Organized! Month.
Twice a year new products are introduced that encourage shoppers to get better organized. The first kicks off the New year in the month of January and the other is in the fall during Back to School season. In my line of work it is a must that I stay current on what is new in the organizing market, and I do enjoy the shopping research it involves!
In December I was asked to speak at the Great Big Texas Home Show at Cowboys Stadium in March 2012, sharing the stage with Ty Pennington and other HGTV and DYI Network stars. I am honored to be invited for a second year to share organizing tips with a great audience.
It was a very blessed Christmas on my homefront. I am so thankful for my husband and three sons and for my wonderful extended family. Having company during the holidays is very special, but with all that fun comes a messy house. So on New Year's Day I solicited my family to pack up the Christmas decorations, reorganize the living areas, and clean everything. We are ready to start fresh in 2012, and it feels so good.
With so much information being made available through social media, please take a moment to become my friend on Facebook and receive organizing tips and reminders of special events and presentations. If you are a mom with children, sign up to receive the North Texas Kids online magazine. It includes my video blog each month describing an organizing product or process. It's way cool.
I'm excited to inspire you to get organized in 2012!
|
Exciting News!
Professional organizer Lorraine Brock will be hosting five organizing workshops at IKEA Dallas during 2012. One has already taken place but there are two more in January.
- January 9, 2012 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- January 14, 2012 from 1:00 p.m to 2:00 p.m. (Bring your friends event)
Come join Lorraine for the next in the series:
January 9, 2012 7:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Time for a Change in 2012
Time saving strategies from a Professional Organizer
IKEA Dallas presents Lorraine Brock, professional organizer and owner of Get Organized!, for a practical and interactive workshop at the IKEA Dallas store. This workshop offers IKEA customers face to face time with a professional who can help you become more productive at home and work.
Time for Change in 2012 focuses on finding more efficient ways to organize your life. Lorraine Brock will discuss time-saving strategies such as the use of clocks, timers, and planners, plus specific products, systems, and proper placement of solutions. You will leave motivated to make changes in your life.
For more information about Lorraine Brock, visit www.GetOrganized.ws. |
|
New Year, New Start
The great thing about a new year is that you get a fresh start. You have a chance to make a new commitment to the goals you missed last year, come up with a better plan to achieve them, and try, try again.
Right after Christmas, Get Organized! started receiving calls and emails from families that tried to get organized on their own in 2011. They worked to get their family on board with the idea of being organized, they made plans to find time to organize their closets and pantry, and they tried to find some solutions to the piles of paper invading their home.
One of our recent clients told us they had spoken with a friend who had hired a personal trainer to help them get in shape and stay motivated. Our client decided that he needed someone to get his home in shape and stay motivated...so he called us.
An organizer can provide you with just the services you need. We can get you motivated to begin the process, we can tell you what to do, or do the work for you. Think of us as your personal trainer, getting your home and life into shape. |
Favorite Organizing Products
Just like you, we like simple, practical, and economical organizing solutions. So this month we share with you some of our most frequently used organizing products and explain how they are used.
ITSO Cube at Target - Add different size trays or add a shelf to create the space you want...so many options.
Closetmaid at Lowe's - Purchase this or the 4 cube system for organizing closets. Great for separating folded clothing.
CD Case at Target - A space saving solution for a large CD collection. Take the CDs out of the cases and insert in the plastic sleeves.
Jewelry Organizer at The Container Store - An organizing favorite because it hangs securely between clothing in a closet and has clear pockets on both sides.
Storage Containers at The Container Store - Find storage containers that maximize shelf space. These examples fit shelves that are very deep.
Wall Shoe Holder at IKEA - This item is perfect as a floor space saver because it hangs on a wall. Use this in a mudroom, garage, or wherever there are piles of shoes. |
Is your company in need of an executive assistant?
Get Organized! has a wonderful part-time assistant who helps put together our monthly newsletter, increase sales, network, edit, and more. If you own a small business and need help to keep your progress on track, contact me about my assistant Dana Bilbray. Her skill set includes, editing, managing projects, in depth computer research, marketing ideas and design, and networking. She is currently looking for additional part-time work as an administrative assistant. |
5 Home Office
Organizing Products
- Use a decorative bulletin board that is framed out to post account numbers, codes, and your other quick reference information. This allows you to take a quick glance to obtain information instead of looking it up. Plus the frame makes it look more like an art piece.
- Letter trays are often used on a desk to hold papers that are postponed decisions. Weeks and months of postponing will produce a pile of papers that make you feel paralyzed to do anything about it. We suggest using letter trays to only hold like items. For example, your password book, phone directories, writing tablets, envelopes, and business card binders.
- Try a corner desk. Some people like facing their office door but this can be distracting when pets or people walk by. A corner desk offers a lot of extra storage and takes up far less space than a desk in the middle of the room.
- Place a small lounge chair and table in your office. This creates a multipurpose area. You can take a break to have a chat with your child, or give your child an area to color while you work. Of course you could always take a break from filing those papers and relax with a glass of ice tea or take a power nap.
- Keep a label maker at your desk. Not only is labeling everything a great start for getting organized but it creates a uniformed look on a shelf or in a cabinet. Wal-mart has a Dymo handheld for about $18. The label tape is what costs the most and Dymo has the best tape prices on the market and generates the least amount of tape waste.
|
|
It's File Clean Out Time
It's the beginning of 2012 and everyone should be cleaning out the 2011 papers they no longer need.
You may be staring at stacks of papers that did not even make it into your filing cabinet.
Don't panic. The best thing to do is determine the papers that you need to keep. If you do not claim part of your home for business purposes on your taxes, then you don't need to keep your utility bills. Expired insurance policies can be thrown away and medical bills that you are not claiming on taxes can be tossed once they are paid.
The second step is to sort the papers you are keeping. Set up an area on the floor or on your bed. If your papers are dusty, throw a clean sheet over your bedspread. Start by sorting the papers by general categories such as medical/dental, auto, education, warranties, etc. Then go back and sort the general piles by subcategories such as medical for Jane, Bob, and Sue, and auto for Dodge, and Hummer. The idea is to sort into very specific categories that make it easier to locate important papers.
Close out your 2011 paper files now so you do not wind up mixing them with 2012. |
|
|
|
Savvy Ways
to Save
In December, Lowe's Home Improvement store released a free new online service called MyLowes to help keep your home projects, measurements, purchases, etc., organized by room and date. This service will save you time and money, keeping up with the things that important about your home. |
Carpet Stains?
Get Your Carpets Cleaned!
Get Organized! only recommends for the services listed below, and we proudly recommend them to all our clients.
Carpets, oriental and area rugs, tile and grout cleaning and sealing, carpet repairs, stretching, leather cleaning and repairs, upholstery cleaning, 24 hour water damage restoration, and pet urine removal and treatment.
|
|
Need a Realtor?
4 Free Organizing Hours or 2 Free Hours of Staging with Service
|
Need a House Cleaning Service for your Home?
Get Organized! uses Shine Cleaning Company.
Maid Services
Fridge cleaned
Blinds and baseboards
Bathrooms
Kitchen
Dusting
Dusting Woodwork
Windows
Change Bedding
Laundry and more...
|
Need a storage unit for all that furniture you have inherited? Or maybe you need a place to keep the overflow of your home?
We recommend
Assured Self Storage
They have 21 locations in the DFW area.
|
If a thief broke into your home, could you prove what they took? For a small investment,
you can have your entire home inventoried. The professionals at Home Inventory Experts will take photos, log serial numbers,
and gather other important information for you. They will then create a personalized inventory of the contents of your home. Call them today! It's a small price to pay for huge returns. |
|
PLUMLIFE is Now
FREE!!!
PlumLife is a calendar system different and better than other scheduling programs because it was designed under the belief that everything in life is related.
Their fundamental belief:
The calendar is the center
for life at home.
Their goal:
To create a calendar system that has a place for everything in one place.
With PlumLife, the calendar is central. Contacts, maps, and global search engines are then all linked together.
The workspace is key to seeing your entire world "live" AND all in one place.
And now it is FREE! |
|
|
