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Laura in the news
I had the privilege to help out with a house built by "ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" on Fri., July 15. As a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers, our Georgia Chapter was invited to help load-in the contents of the home located in Madison, Ga.
The construction crew had finished the house for the deserving family, which includes 9-year old Anaiah Rucker who saved her sister's life. Our duties included unloading trucks, picking up trash, setting up the kitchen, and anything else they needed! We probably won't be on the show, but it was really fun to be a small part of a huge heart-warming project.
The show is slated to air on Sunday, Oct. 9, but is subject to change.
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What people are saying...
"Thank you, thank you! We love our garage! And it has stayed in the same shape since you left."
K.C., Homeowner and
Fortune 500 Manager
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Get tips on Laura's new blog
More of Laura Ray's organizing and productivity tips and ideas are now available on a new blog on her web site at organizeatlanta.com. Here are two helpful tips you will find on the blog:
If you have a specific organizational issue, there is a search engine available to help you on the site.
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Two
Hours
Free
| Extreme
Organizing
Special
- Take back control of your home.
- Get your car in the garage.
- Conquer the mountains of paper in your office.
Get the help you need by contacting Laura Ray.
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Forward to friends if you like.
Good for new projects totaling 10 hours or more.
Expiration: Schedule by Sept. 15, 2011, and use appointments this Fall.
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Hello!
Many of us have a home office combo guest room, or maybe you need one. In this issue, I'll show you how I created one for a client. Also, you'll have the opportunity to take an online productivity test and read about my experience on the set of "ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition". Enjoy!
Laura Ray laura@organizeatlanta.com |
 | Before & after: Create a multi-function home office
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BEFORE Laura Ray Organizing
 
AFTER Laura Ray Organizing
Client: Saleswoman for a service company in Georgia.
Here's the situation: Like many people, the client had converted a room of her home into an office. In this case, it was the dining room, which had no storage. Then, the client's aging mother needed to move in for a few months and the only place to put a bed on the first floor was the home office.
Solving the problem:
- We purged a lot. There were outdated sales and seminar materials. There were products from a former business, and household items that just landed in the space. She needed to make decisions about what items to purge.
- The filing cabinets were not used for filing, so we set up a filing system. It's more efficient to use furniture the way it was meant to be used. She didn't like the old metal filing cabinet and bought a new one that looked more like furniture, so it was functional and beautiful.
- We selected shelving for storage to get things off the desktop and floor, and better use the vertical space in the room.
- The client chose colorful boxes and bins to house everything in the office, and we labeled everything.
- We created floor space for the bed by consolidating. We were able to remove one of two desks in the room.
- During the process, the client went a step further and painted the room and added fresh window treatments to make the room nice for her mother.
Quotable quote: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." --William Morris, English designer from the 1800s
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Increase your productivity; Test yourself!
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Getting organized goes way beyond having a neat and tidy space. By becoming more organized, you'll not only help your home or office run better, but you'll reap personal rewards as well.
Once you have an organized and efficient schedule to keep you on track, your productivity will go up. You'll be amazed at how much you get done in shorter amounts of time. And by focusing on your priorities and goals, you'll be able to finally move ahead toward reaching them.
But the benefits don't stop there! At work, your organized office will allow you to present a professional image to co-workers, clients, and superiors. A clutter-free environment is also easier to manage. Your stress level will decrease dramatically.
When you can find what you need, are on top of your to-dos, and arrive on time, you'll feel calmer and have more peace of mind. No more feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list -- you'll be the one in control. And that leaves more time to indulge in a little "me time." Now doesn't that sound nice?
TEST YOUR PRODUCTIVITY
Want to increase your productivity? Laura recently met productivity expert and author Casey Moore, who has created an online productivity test. Her test helps uncover the 12 factors, or links, in the chain that affects a person's productivity. Identify your strengths and weaknesses so you can gain confidence about what you're doing right and create a plan for needed improvement.
Once you take the test, the results are e-mailed directly to you. Through this article, you may take the test at a discounted rate of $20. E-mail Laura Ray to get the test information and discount code today.
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| Winning behaviors for change | Avoid burnout: Do the limbo regularly
by Sandy Lawrence, REALinTouch Coaching and Facilitation "If you can't jump over life's hurdles, limbo under them." - unknown. As I read this quote, my memory flickers back to a broadcast of the summer Olympics. I watched the efforts of the pole-vaulters leaving the confines of gravity, soaring into the air, and straining to arch their bodies in order to clear that incredibly high pole.
Those who executed well walked away from the landing with their heads held high, the bar untouched. Those who weren't so fortunate, limped away bruised and winded... Read entire article |
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