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Lorraine Brock, President
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Fans and Followers, a word from our President:
2017 National Get Organized Month is here and we are ready to roll with some fun, inspirational, and free events. On January 12 I will be doing a segment on getting organized for the New Year on Good Morning Texas, then off to do a podcast interview with Cleaning UP! host Debbie Sardone, and ending the day with a Parent Ed program that is open to the public (details below).
January 13 in Plano, Texas, we will host a GO! workshop and will cover everything about getting organized. Then we have another event in Tyler, Texas on January 26. We only have a few seats left, so if you are interested, click on the name of the city above and email us to confirm your attendance.
In December 2016 our GO Team had a Christmas luncheon to celebrate a wonderful year. The organizers shared stories of why they love our clients so much and how moved they are to have the opportunity to help others with one of the most important things in their lives: their home. Pictured below are three of our organizers enjoying the festivities.
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Left to right - Jennifer, Mariela, and Benita
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I have been enjoying a few weeks of a lighter work load, but you can see from my speaking events below, there is a lot going on in the next couple of months.
During my free time I have been helping one of my sons with his time management and trying to find the right type of calendar that he will use. He likes things out and visible because if they are put away he forgets about them. Using his phone's calendar as his master calendar is not really an option for him and he knows that, so he has agreed to have me work with him for the next six months to keep him accountable for learning a new system.
In the age of technology we often think we have to use whatever is current, but for some people, tech is not the way to go. So I went shopping to find a system that will work best for my son. The only thing I do not like about my plan is that the calendar is not mobile, meaning it does not go with him since it is a wall calendar. So, here my solution and system.
I purchased or gathered a large wall calendar, note pad, erasable pens, full adhesive sticky notes, a pen holder, and highlighters. Next, we did a Brain Dump where he listed everything he needed/wanted to do such as calling his work to ask about his work schedule, picking classes for college, studying a handbook he needs to review, raking leaves, and more. Then we placed everything on his calendar and divided the tasks into categories. We will have twice a week meetings to add, move, or delete things from his calendar. After each meeting he will take a picture of the entire month so he can view it on his phone while he is away from home. I will report back next month how we are progressing.
With 2016 behind us, I want to share a review that will carry us into an exciting new year for organizing. We helped this client with home organization and time management.
Service so amazing it's actually life-changing!
Kym and Jamie work so efficiently and effectively, with wonderful attitudes. I quickly saw dramatic results, and was impressed by the warm, courteous, and professional manner they had while giving feedback and advice - making a very difficult situation much more easy and pleasant.
In just two days, many problems were solved in many areas of my life - I'm even receiving appointment reminders today to help with time management - a helpful and much-needed bonus! I will continue to use them, recommend them, and commend them for clear communication: respectful, reassuring and informative while quickly accomplishing remarkable work!
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 January 10- Messy Desk, Missing Papers- Lorraine will present one of her most popular talks on systems that help manage piles of paper. At the Women's League of Canton.
January 12- Watch Lorraine's interview about getting organized on Good Morning Texas on Dallas' ABC-affiliate, Channel 8, at 9:00 a.m.
January 12 - Time Management at Sparks Elementary PTA in Frisco. This program on successful scheduling techniques begins at 6:30 p.m. Open to the public.
January 13- Get Organized! Workshop - This 2-hour workshop held at the Plana Chamber of Commerce will cover time management, paper clutter, home organization, and email inbox clutter. Free, but reservations are required-- hurry before all seats are filled.
January 14 - Clean Sweep- Organizing & De-cluttering Your Home and Office for 2017- Come hear Lorraine's tips for organizing and decluttering, and see her favorite products and systems for keeping order. At the Grapevine Public Library at 2:00 p.m.
January 20 - Organize Your Home- Learn techniques to organize your most cluttered areas of your home. At the Denton Public Library at 2:30 p.m.
January 26 - Get Organized! Workshop - This 2-hour workshop held at Traditions Restaurant in Tyler, Texas will cover time management, paper clutter, home organization, and email inbox clutter. Free, but reservations are required-- hurry before all seats are filled.
February 17 - Love an Organized Life- Lorraine will speak to the Tadlock Elementary PTA in Frisco at 8:30 a.m.
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Top Ten Christmas Storage Tools
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 This year, Get Organized! is celebrating ten years in the business of helping customers bring order to their lives. To mark this milestone year, we are putting the spotlight on various lists of ten all year long. This month, we look at the top ten tools we like for organizing Christmas, in no particular order.
- Christmas light cord wraps in a sturdy bin, pictured here. These plastic "spools" keep lights from tangling and protect them from damage over the year. They can also be used for wrapping garlands.
- Ornament storage boxes. There are many styles and sizes available. Use these segmented boxes to keep your ornaments from bumping into each other. Tissue paper can help further protect heirloom ornaments, which should be safely tucked in a climate-safe closet inside the house, not in the garage or attic.
- A wreath storage bag or box. As with ornament boxes, there are many sizes and styles available. The bag type hangs easily in the attic or garage; the box type protects delicate decorations. Both will keep the wreath dust-free over the long year.
- A gift wrap work station. Something to hold gift bags, rolls of wrap, ribbon, and other supplies in order is essential, especially if you buy gift wrap on clearance after Christmas. You will know just where it is come December.
- Neat Roll Fasteners. These little tools wrap around rolls of gift wrap without damaging the paper, keeping them from unrolling and tearing.
- Plate storage cases protect your china you only use in December. Similar cases are available for your Christmas mugs and stemware.
- Large clear-sided totes. Use these for corralling the larger decorations you put around the house. This style from The Container Store is sturdy and weathertight, so you do not have to worry about pests getting inside while in storage.
- An organizing system for your boxes. The best way to do this is to number each box with a permanent marker and then make a quick list of what is stored in each box. This makes it easier to pick the box you want when you begin decorating, rather than having to search each box. Store the list in your Christmas Planner (see below). Also, organize your boxes by room, keeping the dining room decorations separated from the front porch decorations, for example. This makes for faster set-up later on.
- The Organized Christmas website. This helpful site has organizing tips, articles, crafts, printables, and best of all, the Christmas Countdown Planner to simplify the task of getting ready for the big day. The important part to use for Christmas clean-up is the post-holiday de-briefing, which guides you to evaluate what worked and what did not this year, so you can improve next year.
- Photographs of your successful décor. Before you take down this year's decorations, snap a picture of the mantle, the dining table, and any other arrangements that worked well, to make set-up faster next year. Store these in your Christmas Planner.
When you put away your Christmas decorations, organizing them will make things easier to find and unpack next year. It will make decorating for Christmas less of a chore and more of a joyful event.
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 Are you drowning in paper clutter? Even in our computer-dominant society, we still manage to bring too much paper into our homes. Since it holds information, it can be hard to wade through and process in a timely manner. Here are some questions to ask yourself as you work through your paper piles on your way to getting organized:
- Do I need to keep it? Some paper is just plain clutter, like junk mail. Recycle it right away. Shred it if it contains sensitive information. If you have a lot of shredding, consider using a residential shredding service. To reduce future junk mail, the Federal Trade Commission has an information page to help you opt out of unsolicited mail, phone calls, and even email. For storing receipts, business cards, and documents, the NeatReceipts digital organizer will scan and sort much of your paper clutter and even export to Excel, QuickBooks, and TurboTax.
- Could I find it elsewhere or online if I ever need it again? Recipes and newspaper or magazine articles are two types of paper that can easily be found online when needed. If you are on Pinterest, save things to a board for future reference.
- How long have I had it, and have I ever needed it in that time? Sometimes we hang on to papers out of habit. Utility bills, for example, are not needed once paid, and, again, often can be obtained online if needed. Many monthly bills can be switched to online billing, even if you still prefer to pay by check rather than over the internet.
- Do I own what it pertains to? There is no need to keep the manual for the dishwasher you no longer have. Keep manuals in an expanding file, sorted by the room the item is found. Each time you add to the file, check to see if any other manuals should be removed.
- Is it expired? Coupons and sales flyers, for example, have a limited life. Keep on top of these by storing them in a plastic envelope in your car, so you will have them when you need them. Each time you add new ones, remove the expired ones.
Unfortunately, paper clutter will always creep into your life, so build systems to control it. Sort mail daily at the recycle bin or shredder. Use an "in basket" or tray to hold paper that needs your attention later when you have time. Set up a file system to store all your necessary papers. (We recommend FileSolutions for its easy color-coded and indexed system.) Be careful about what you keep. If you tend to put something in a file for later, with no real purpose or need for it, recognize that you are probably just hanging on to it. Ask yourself these questions before deciding to keep any papers that enter your house.
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 Feeling inspired to get organized? Here is a timely reminder to guide you as you clean rooms, closets and drawers. Use this word to guide you through the process.
SPACE, which stands for:
Sort like items together to see what you have. Purge what you no longer use - donate, recycle, or trash. Assign a place to store each group of like items. Containerize by choosing type and size of storage containers. Evaluate the results after putting everything away, adjusting as needed for function and aesthetics.
The words fall in the order that you should do them. It is always tempting to choose containers as you start out, but by sorting, purging, and then deciding where to store things first, you will save space, time, and money and will be happier with the results. Here is a short video that Lorraine made to illustrate this idea. If you are feeling overwhelmed, contact us for help. We can give ideas in a consultation, organize a problem area, or organize the whole home. |
 How would you like to conveniently get rid of household clutter by simply shipping it from home for free? You can do that with Give Back Box, and as a bonus, you will get rid of those leftover cardboard shipping boxes from Christmas.
To use this free service, just reuse a box from any retailer and fill it full with clothing and housewares that you are discarding. You can ship anything that fits in the box except electronics, liquids, ammunition, or anything that is fragile, hazardous, or volatile. Then download and print a prepaid shipping label. You can print as many as you need- there is no limit to the number of boxes you can ship. Next, either request a pick-up from your house or take it to a nearby UPS store or US Post Office. From there, it will be shipped to the nearest Goodwill site near your home to be sorted and sold by the non-profit in support of its mission to provide community job training.
As an added bonus, your donations are tax deductible, and you can request a receipt when you print out the shipping label. Getting your "stuff" out of the house could not be easier!
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 January is the best time to get organized with Elfa products from The Container Store because this month all Elfa items are 30% off the regular price. That includes shelves, drawers, racks, and installation.
Check out the easy-to-use design planners to help you determine exactly what you need to organize your space. If you are not a do-it-yourselfer, you can also get help in the store and arrange for trained installers to set up the perfect space solution for your closets and storage. The sale continues through mid-February. |
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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.
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Need a Realtor?
Mary Pat Elledge is our recommended realtor for all our GO Clients.
Serving the Dallas area.
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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.
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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.
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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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See us on Good Day Fox Check out one of our many Get Organized segments. "Kids School Papers"
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See us in D Magazine Get Organized! helps an employee at D Magazine clear her desk clutter.
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See how our GO Team helped a family get
totally organized during our 2015 Training Week.
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