May 2016 Volume 82

Lorraine Brock, President

Fans and Followers, a word from our President:

I hope each of you has found an area to get better organized this spring. Read below for some little projects using great seasonal organizing ideas that can have a big impact on staying organized in your home.

The recent weather has been beautiful, and a refreshing change from the previous series of storms. A few of our organizers, including myself, sustained hail and water damage to our homes and cars. This season of weather has proven the benefits of keeping your garage clutter free. So often we use our garage as overflow storage while our second biggest investments (our cars) stay outside in the elements...costing us extra work and money getting them repaired after the storms.

Outside of organizing garages, we have also seen an increase in calls from clients who need help packing their belongings so they can move out during roof and home repair.

Last month I mentioned that I had organized and hosted a Murder Mystery Dinner for family and friends. The event went off wonderfully with one of my sons voted best in character. He practiced his role by using cap guns to shoot at everything in site (me, our dog, friends) for days leading up to the party... he is 22.

On the business side of Get Organized!, I was interviewed for two news segments this past month. The first one aired on CW 33 (see the link below) and the second will air in May on CBS 11. Both were filmed in my home and offer organizing ideas I use in my own home and share with our clients.

We are still on the lookout for new organizers for the GO Team. Our needed areas are Dallas, Richardson, Fort Worth, and Rowlett. The perfect person is someone who does not get overwhelmed with clutter and loves to make a space function with style. Organizers must be able to work days from 9-5 p.m., can set their own schedule, but be OK with part time work.

Our GO Team is excited to be invited to IKEA Frisco on June 6, 2016, 9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. IKEA is hosting our organizers for breakfast and an introduction to the latest trends and products in the store. If you are shopping at IKEA on the 6th, come find any of our organizers (we will be in our GO tshirts) at IKEA, then tell them that you heard we were giving away IKEA gift cards. We will have 8 gift cards to give away: one for $25 and the rest for $5 each. Happy Hunting!

Upcoming Events

June 21- 9:30 -11:30 a.m. Lorraine will speak to the McKinney Newcomers Club at their regular meeting.

June 21- 7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Lorraine will speak to Lake Cities Moms of Multiples; more information to come.

July 12- 6 p.m. From Stressed to Blessed Lorraine will present her popular talk to Marvin United Methodist Church at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler, Texas.

In case you missed them, Lorraine has been interviewed several times recently:

Business Innovators Radio asked her about the challenges and rewards of owning her own small business, as well as some de-cluttering advice at the end of the interview.

CW33 interviewed Lorraine about decluttering. Watch the segment to see her demonstrate the step-by-step process.

Plan a Successful Garage Sale

Are you planning to hold a garage sale soon? If you have been cleaning out your house this spring, perhaps you have collected enough things to make it worth your while to host a sale. Certain items sell better than others. Kitchen gadgets, dishes, baby items, toys, home d�cor, tools, and furniture all sell well. Other items are better off put in the trash or recycle bin. Stained clothes, dishes with baked-on grime, used cosmetics and toiletries, and old electronics will not sell easily and are not worth your time. Since electronics contain hazardous materials, they must be properly recycled (drop off at any Staples or Best Buy).

Here are some tips for staging a successful garage sale:

Put most items on tables for display to make it easier for buyers to shop. Borrow extra tables from friends or your church. If you have sawhorses, put a piece of plywood over them to create a large table. Place empty boxes on the tables to create elevated display surfaces that catch the eye of buyers. You can also turn empty boxes upside down and place under tables or elsewhere giving you surface space to display other items that might normally be on the ground.
Clothing on hangers will sell faster. Use a garment rack, clothes line, or even a pole between two ladders to hang apparel. Small baby clothes can sit flat on tables in bins, organized by size for faster selling.
Place higher priced items where you can watch them easily. Things like CDs and jewelry can walk off when you are distracted, so keep them in your line of vision. It is even a good idea to enlist the help of 2 other people to help with your sale (one for security, another for questions, but only one person needs to be the cashier).
If an item is dirty, a quick wipe-down with a household cleaner can make the item sell faster or for more money than if it is dusty and covered with cobwebs.
Whenever possible, arrange items so they are on display, similar to a retail store. The more attractive it looks, the more likely someone will want it.
Gather the tools you will need for carrying out the sale: an apron with pockets to hold cash, old grocery sacks for customers' purchases, a calculator, old newspapers for wrapping fragile items, and $50 cash (quarters and small bills) for making change. Make it easier on yourself by pricing everything above 25 cents. If necessary, sell small items bundled together to bring the value to 25 cents. It's amazing how much you can make off of the 25 cent items.
Have an extension cord available to test appliances and other electric items.
Price most items so customers do not have to keep asking you for prices. Simple sticker dots marked with a Sharpie will do. Exceptions to this would be clothing or books that would be priced on signage (hardbacks $3, softbacks $2, kids $1 unless marked).
Check with your city to see if having a garage sale requires a permit or if there is a limit to the number of sales you can hold per year.
Publicize the event on your local social media pages. Post eye-catching signs in your neighborhood. Make the signs consistent in appearance so it will be easier for shoppers to find you and make sure to start your signs from the largest main intersection to your home. Be sure to abide by city and neighborhood rules when placing signage.
Believe it or not, Thursdays are the best days for garage sales, then Fridays, and ending your sale on Saturday. Most sales fizzle out on Saturday by 2 p.m.
Call a week or so before the sale to arrange for a charity truck to come pick up remaining items. That way you will not have to haul anything back into your garage.

Keep in mind that a garage sale can be a money-making way to get rid of your stuff as you de-clutter your home, but if you cannot find a time on your calendar to schedule it, you will be better off giving your castoffs directly to a charity. That way, the charity benefits from your donation, and you benefit from the charitable deduction and the clear space in your home and garage.

An Organized Campout

Take advantage of the pleasant spring weather to go on a weekend campout before it gets too hot. Here are some useful ways to stay happily organized as you camp:

When you plan your meals, make a list of all ingredients and cooking tools you will need so you do not forget when packing. These free printable meal plan and packing lists can help you get organized.
Bring an over-the-door shoe organizer with clear pockets to hang at your campsite. Use it to store firestarters, rope, utensils, small tools, and other things you will use on the campout. A smaller hanging toiletry bag inside the tent is useful for holding a flashlight or other personal items you may reach for in a hurry or to settle in for the night.
Keep matches dry by storing them in a small mason jar with a piece of fine sandpaper attached to the lid for striking.
A folding camp kitchen is very useful for providing a clean place to prepare outdoor meals. Models vary, but some have a sink, a pole to hold a lantern, or compartments to hold canned goods and keep the campsite tidy.
Cover plates or food with lightweight pop-up food tents to prevent flies from landing on the them. Remember to pack a tablecloth to cover the dining table.
Instead of risking broken eggs, scramble them at home and store in a plastic bottle with a secure lid. Mark the side of the bottle with the number of eggs and pour out what you need as you cook. One egg is about 1/4 cup.
For short hikes, use an insulated picnic backpack to hold your food, blanket, and place settings for four.

Stay Ahead of Home Repairs

Home maintenance is something you can do on a regular schedule to keep your home running smoothly and prevent costly repairs. If you do it yourself, you can save even more money.

Replace your air conditioning filter every few months (monthly if you have pets). If you find that your air conditioner is not cooling well, try changing the filter or washing your outside unit before calling for a repairman. Pet hair or cut grass can stop air flow. To stay organized, put monthly or annual reminders on your calendar and note your filter size in your smartphone or other notepad that stays with you. This will be helpful when shopping for replacement filters.

Increase the efficiency of your water heater by wrapping it with an insulating blanket pre-made to fit. Learn how to regularly drain the sediment from the tank by consulting the instruction manual. You can also save money by setting the temperature to 120�F which will get dishes and clothes clean and prevent scalding.

Twice a year, check your gutters for leaves and other debris, even if you have gutter guards. This is important because standing water in gutters can breed mosquitoes. Watch for common mosquito breeding sites in your yard, especially after it rains. You can also add a flexible extender to every gutter downspout to protect your foundation by directing the water flow away from the house.

Other easy home maintenance chores you can do yourself: replace damaged fence boards, replace light bulbs or showerheads with energy-efficient versions (many cities offer free low flow parts you can install in your shower head), vacuum refrigerator coils and air conditioning intake vents, clean washing machine and range hood filters, and clean lint out of the dryer hose.

Here is a home maintenance list with a link to a chart you can print. Pick a date on your calendar each month for scheduled household maintenance so you won't overlook it. For convenience, keep the list in a household planner, which is simply a notebook that holds everything you need to run your household, such as cleaning schedules and monthly menu plans.

If you do not already own a small set of tools, put together a useful set of basics: a hammer, a tape measure, a set of screwdrivers or a cordless drill with a set of screwdriver bits, a small level, and pliers with built-in wire cutters. These will serve you well for many household projects, including installing shelving or putting together furniture.

Gardening Tools to Keep You Organized

If you like to work in the yard, here are a few ideas to keep you organized.

A Garden Planner: Take an ordinary 3-ring binder, add tabbed dividers for your garden zones, and begin keeping records of what you plant and when. Keep track of seed packets that you are using by stapling to a sheet of paper to put in the planner. Add landscaping plans, photos of your successful plantings and color schemes, or any other helpful information.
Purge tools that you rarely use, keeping just the essentials. Hang them on a sturdy rack that is easily accessible in your garage or shed.
This handy garden bucket caddy is a canvas organizer that wraps around your 5-gallon bucket to hold gardening tools, cell phone, or water bottle as you work in your beds.
Harvest water from your roof with the help of a rain barrel placed under downspouts. You can buy or make your own to easily collect some of the 1,200 gallons that fall from an average roof during an inch of rainfall. Use this free water to help your garden thrive.

Making a Move

Did you know Get Organized! can help you move? With the school year drawing to a close, it is a popular time of year to move. If this is you, let Get Organized! help by purging unneeded belongings before you move to save money on shipping weight. We can also unpack boxes and organize your rooms in your new place, setting up organized systems to help you have a smooth start after a move. Contact us to see how we can help you reduce the stress of packing, unpacking, and setting up during a move. And to help you, here is some helpful information on what not to pack during a move.

Savvy Ways to Save

Will you soon have a student driver in the house? If you have priced driver's education schools, then you know they can be expensive. If you are willing to spend the time, then state law allows you to teach your child to drive. The savings can be significant: about 75% off the price of a traditional driver's school course.

Parent-taught driver's ed is an internet-based course that will guide you and your student through all the required lessons, including time behind the wheel. The Texas Department of Public Safety has a list of licensed providers as well as the information packet with necessary forms to begin.

Once you obtain this packet, it will be helpful to create a physical file folder to hold all the relevant documents you will need as you proceed through the course together (Verification of Enrollment, instruction and driving logs, etc.). Also, you and your student will probably want to schedule regular class times on your calendar to stay on target to complete the course.

Moving Soon?

NDMS coordinates moves within DFW, nationwide, and internationally.

This is the official moving company of the Dallas Stars with an A+ rating at the Better Business Bureau.

Need a Realtor?

Mary Pat Elledge is our recommended realtor for all our GO Clients.

Serving the Dallas area.

Need Childcare?

Families turn to Mom's Best Friend to find the best nannies and babysitters in Dallas and Fort Worth. Providing senior

care too.

Central Bark

Luxury Apartment Living in Frisco

Downsizing in the Dallas area? Check out Origin at Frisco Bridges. These apartments are walking distance to world class shopping and dining plus all the attractions of Frisco and North Dallas just minutes away. Origin amenities include a dog park and wash station, leisure pool and lap pool, multi-level parking garage, unique technology features, and EXTRA storage. Visit us at Origin at Frisco Bridges to see our floor plans.

Get Organized! services the DFW and Tyler, Texas area: Getting organized is a decision that will change your home, work, your family, and ultimately your life. It is more than a pretty closet or a clean counter top. It is about changing your lifestyle by turning chaos into calm.

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