A few years ago, when I first became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), I had the opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit called Dress For Success.  My fellow organizers and I spent an afternoon at the Durham, NC location helping to organize the hundreds of suits & professional . . . → Read More: Women Helping Women]]>

Dressed for Success!

A few years ago, when I first became a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO), I had the opportunity to volunteer at a non-profit called Dress For Success.  My fellow organizers and I spent an afternoon at the Durham, NC location helping to organize the hundreds of suits & professional clothing that had been recently donated to the organization.

Dress for Success is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “promote the economic independence of disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, a network of support and the career development tools to help women thrive in work and in life.”

The organization provides women in need with the professional attire  needed for interview situations.  But the assistance goes well beyond the suit or dress that is provided. Dress For Success also has a career center that offers women career guidance, the chance to acquire technology skills, and assistance in their job searches.  And once a job is found, the organization provides ongoing support fora successful transition into the working world.

Yes, your challenge this week is to head back to the closet, pull out a few suits or professional-looking pants & tops which you rarely wear, and head over to one of the collection locations on your lunch break this week.  It is a tax deductible donation, so get this done before the end of the year.  And if you cannot decide which outfits with which to part, call a friend (or your favorite professional organizer) to help with the decision.  Create space in your closet, and create an opportunity for someone less fortunate than you.

Women helping women.  That is the true spirit of the holidays!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, the focus of our society turns to shopping, gifts, and other material-driven thoughts & activities.  That is  bit dis-heartening, if you ask me.  Although my readership may be small, and my impact even smaller,   I have decided to use my blog for the . . . → Read More: Holiday Good Instead of Greed]]>

What can you give?

Now that the holiday season is upon us, the focus of our society turns to shopping, gifts, and other material-driven thoughts & activities.  That is  bit dis-heartening, if you ask me.  Although my readership may be small, and my impact even smaller,   I have decided to use my blog for the next few weeks to focus on the real meaning of this time of year; being thankful for what we have and  helping those who are not as fortunate.    The next few weeks, I will be highlighting some organizations that can help you reduce your clutter, and at the same time  help those in need.

Here is idea #1.  Have you heard about Soles4Souls?   This charity collects gently worn shoes to provide shoes to those in need.   Since 2005, Soles4Souls has delivered over 16 million pairs of new and gently worn shoes to people in over 127 countries, including Kenya, Thailand, Nepal and the United States.

Now, let’s be honest.  If I walked into your closet right now, how many unused, worn-out pairs would I find?  How many of those pairs have you thought about getting rid of before, but stopped yourself just in case you need them [for that one outfit you probably also never wear]?

Instead of answering me, just go to your closet- yes, right now- and pull out those pairs of scoots.  Then log on to the website for Soles4Souls, click on the “shipping” link in the sidebar, and send those shoes to the warehouse.  Imagine how much those 1 or 2 pairs of shoes will mean to someone in a poor country, or in our own country, who does not have a pair to protect their feet this winter.   It is a win-win for everyone.  A cleaner closet, a lucky sole, and an act in the true spirit of the holidays.

So I challenge you; take 5 minutes today and donate a few pairs of shoes.   And make sure you let me know about your good deed! I’d like to know if I have an impact, even a tiny little one.

I am procrastinating (not something I typically do). Right this very minute. I would like to thank my blog for enabling my procrastination. I have a project with a deadline I should be working on- a self-imposed deadline but nonetheless if you want to hold a . . . → Read More: Is Procrastination Hurting Your Revenue?]]> Returning guest blogger Jennifer Conaway, owner of Your Next Level Inc

I am procrastinating (not something I typically do). Right this very minute. I would like to thank my blog for enabling my procrastination. I have a project with a deadline I should be working on- a self-imposed deadline but nonetheless if you want to hold a class with ceu’s (continuing education credits) you need to meet their timelines.

In my endeavour to not do my work I have:

• Looked up directions to a new-to-me mountain bike trail
• Tried to rub out my shin splint from yesterday’s jog- it feels a bit better
• Rewritten a list of stuff I need to do tomorrow
• Eaten a few pretzels
• Looked up the directions to a UNC campus building and the always hard to find parking
• Put on a pair of shoes
• Made a cup of tea
• And now… I am outside with the dog

I have been able to rationalize everything I have done for the last 90 minutes- yep; I managed to fill up 90 minutes when I could have simply completed the original project (the one I am trying to avoid) in 90 minutes.

The question I keep asking myself is Why?? I love my work. I am interested in and excited about this project…  so why all of the effort to avoid working on it??

If I could answer that question I probably would not be procrastinating.

60 minutes later

The work is done; done for today. There will be more refining. But I have done all I can do today- maybe I’ll be inspired this evening, who knows.

I think I needed to empty all of that ‘stuff’ out of my brain. Normally I can make a list and get back to it in the evening. Today, I actually had to do something about the list.

Here is the really important piece of information for all of you procrastinators out there—one way or the other I had to get that work done today. If it wasn’t done today I was going to miss my deadline. I could either

1. Keep procrastinating and blow a revenue opportunity
2. Just get the work done

Try thinking about it that way the next time you want to procrastinate.

A cookbook collection can start in many ways: from hand-me-down books belonging to family members to a desire to eat better/lose weight/use the kitchen to a crush on a certain cute Australian TV chef.  Whatever the motivation behind your collection, it is important to keep . . . → Read More: Eliminate Cookbook Clutter]]> Returning guest blogger  Jill Hively, owner of Order Up Organizing in Apex, NC.

A cookbook collection can start in many ways: from hand-me-down books belonging to family members to a desire to eat better/lose weight/use the kitchen to a crush on a certain cute Australian TV chef.  Whatever the motivation behind your collection, it is important to keep a handle on the number.  Because, let’s face it, if you’re not using the books, they quickly become clutter.

Some tips for keeping your cookbook collection under control:

How many do you have?

Carefully evaluate the books that you already have.  Do you use them?  How many only have one recipe you like in them?  Copy that recipe and part with the book.

Schedule those “I’d like to try one day” recipes in your next meal plan. If they’re winners, keep the cookbook; if not, pass it on.

Establish boundaries. Dedicate a specific amount of shelf/counter space to your cookbooks.  If a new book will exceed these boundaries, choose one to donate before adding it.

Use your library card.  Before spending cash on a new cookbook, check it out at the library.  Explore the layout, number of ingredients & complexity of the recipes.  Try out a few.  If the book meets your guidelines and supports your meal planning goals, add it to your collection, if not, you’re not out any cash!  (Assuming you return it to the library on time.)

What does your cookbook collection look like?  Do you have more than you use?  Could you donate some?

Have you ever tried one of those “one-size-fits-all” menu plans?  You know the ones that “take all of the guesswork out of dinnertime” by providing you a week’s worth of meals and the grocery list to go with them?  Odds are when you printed . . . → Read More: Family Meal Plans]]> Returning guest blogger  Jill Hively, owner of Order Up Organizing in Apex, NC.

Have you ever tried one of those “one-size-fits-all” menu plans?  You know the ones that “take all of the guesswork out of dinnertime” by providing you a week’s worth of meals and the grocery list to go with them?  Odds are when you printed out the grocery list, you found yourself guessing about a few things, after all.  For instance:

-   Where in the world do I purchase these ingredients I’ve never heard of?

-   Between after school activities and work schedules, when will I find the time to prepare these complex recipes?

-   Will my family actually be willing to go from our usual just-add-ground beef meals in a box to grilled salmon and steamed seasonal veggies overnight?

-   What does braising mean?

I’ve got good news.  You don’t have to depend on a stranger to plan meals for you and your family.  You can do it yourself! All you need is expert knowledge on your family―their schedules, tastes and preferences―and what goes on in your kitchen.  And no one is a greater expert on your family than you, right?  You know who will and won’t eat seafood.  You understand your family’s food budget and grocery store options.  You have everyone’s practice schedules memorized.  And most importantly you know how comfortable you are in the kitchen.

The only thing standing between you and a meal planning system customized specifically for your family is the organization of the expert knowledge you have on hand.  Because I truly believe anyone can make planning meals work for their family, I created the Jumpstart your Family’s Meal Plan workbook with step by step exercises to walk you through the process of planning meals for four weeks.  And the best part is that you don’t have to be a chef or dietitian to be successful.  The process takes you from where you are currently―even if that means last minute canned ravioli and pizza deliveries―to the calm of having an answer to the nightly question what’s for dinner?

After the four week jumpstart, not only will you have a valuable resource full of recipe ideas, menu plans and grocery lists, you’ll also have the confidence to begin to make changes to your family’s meal plan.  The workbook includes suggestions for incorporating small changes that will move you closer to your family’s nutrition & financial goals.

Order your copy of Jumpstart your Family’s Meal Plan today.

Have you ever tried a meal plan template?  Could you use guided exercises to get you on the meal planning track?

Most people realize that at some point in their lives, they have too much stuff.  There are a number of different . . . → Read More: Turning Trash into Treasure]]> Guest blogger Chris DiGiovanna is President of Trader Chris Consignments, Inc. in Pittsboro, NC. He has been active in buying/selling online for the last 12 years and is an eBay Powerseller. Visit his website at www.traderchris.biz.

Most people realize that at some point in their lives, they have too much stuff.  There are a number of different ways to deal with this. You can have a garage sale, donate items to your local thrift shop, or simply drag it out to the curb and leave it for someone else, be it a neighbor or the garbage collector. These suggestions require the least amount of effort, but also produce the least amount of return on your original investment.

Today, hundreds of millions of people are connected by one of the most widespread communications tools that ever existed – the internet. Not only is the internet a vast information resource, it’s also great for selling almost anything. With it, I’m going to show you a few basic strategies for turning some of that stuff you’ve accumulated over the years into money.

Step 1 – Separate the items to donate from the items to sell. Items that sell well secondhand include wood/metal furniture, collectibles, coins, new/gently used clothing, certain books (1^st edition / signed), newer electronics (3 years or newer), and brand name jewelry.  If it’s something that you would consider buying secondhand, then generally someone else would, too. Anything that doesn’t qualify should be donated or thrown away.

Trash or Treasure?

Step 2 – Pick a sales venue. Ebay and Craigslist are two of the most widespread and popular ways to sell items. Craigslist is my preferred sales venue for large or heavy items, since it connects local buyers and sellers so there’s no need to ship items. Ebay is great for small to medium-sized items, especially anything that is collectible. If you’re not sure which website to pick, try searching for your item on either website to see if it’s the proper venue for sale.

Step 3 – List the item(s).  You’ll want to take pictures from multiple angles of each item, especially of any unique features such as signatures, ornate details, and any flaws on the item. The description that accompanies the pictures should state what the item is, model number (if applicable), dimensions, and anything else that is relevant to the sell.  Finally, if you intend to ship the item, you will need to estimate the size & weight of the box in which it will ship.

Step 4 – Close the sale. If you receive a local inquiry, the buyers will want to inspect the item(s) before purchasing. Being straightforward and as honest as possible regarding the condition of the item will make the sale go smoothly. Checks or cash tend to be the preferred payment for Craigslist sales.  Most eBay sales are electronic and handled by their payment company, Paypal. Within 1-2 days of payment, pack and ship the item to the winning bidder.

There are additional things that you will learn as you sell items online. The best teacher is experience. With just a little time and effort, you too can start turning some of your trash into treasure.