Great Advice From the Organizing Pros!

On September 30, 2009, in Tips from the Pros, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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What better way to celebrate our 1 year blogiversary than with MORE  free tips from the organizing experts?  Yep, I figured you’d like that. =)  I asked my organizing friends on Twitter to share their favorite tip – just one, so you know these tips are the best…and there are 10 of them.  Enjoy!

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Julie BestryProfOrganizer Get it out of your head and onto paper (or the computer) so you can think ABOUT something (contextually) rather than just OF it.


OrganizeAtlanta If you don’t need it, use it, or love it, why are you keeping it? Probably ok to let go.


Jackie KelleyCHorganize Sort incoming paper (home or office) into action or reference, at the least!


Lorie MarreroclutterdietUse a dab of Museum Putty under drawer dividers to keep them from sliding around in drawers


Kim Oser, CPO®PutItAway My top organizing tip is keep a calendar and write commitments down. Less likely to miss deadlines, commitments, social occasions, etc.


Geralin Thomas metrozing My favorite tip is the “pump and dump the trash on your dash and junk in your trunk” each time you fill up at the gas station.


Liz JenkinsafreshspacePlanning is key: After making your to-do list the night before, plan route of travel, place things in car, prep AM routine.


Lauren HalagardaorgconnectIncorporate labels anywhere and everywhere. They reinforce where things belong and encourage others (& yourself) to maintain the system.


John Trosko johntrosko Make daily habit list of 3-5 things; make your bed, wash yesterday’s dishes, clear clutter, etc. Get the basics out of the way.


Brandie Kajino

bkajino Break it down:  If you’re overwhelmed with organizing your office, start with one thing: what is bothering you most.  Start with your desktop, one drawer, a briefcase or one notebook.  Once that is done, move onto the next small project.  Do one or two a week and your office will be a different place in no time! [Brandie was super smart - she sent me her tip via e-mail instead using the 140 character limit on Twitter!]


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D. Allison Lee Featured on Staged Home Lifestyle (Blog Talk Radio)

On September 29, 2009, in Moving & Relocating, Stress, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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Last week, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Alice Chan on her radio program, Staged Home Lifestyle.  It was a very fun interview and I shared tips on how to organize a low stress move.  So, if any of you out there are planning on moving, this one’s definitely for you.  Click  the “play” button below to listen to the show.  Enjoy and if you have questions, please leave a comment!


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“I Love Rubbermaid!” Sweepstakes

On September 28, 2009, in Kitchen Organization, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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You know I’m in love with Rubbermaid and I especially love that their food storage lids and bases nest and connect together – even the ones from separate product lines!  So, I promised you a couple weeks ago that I would do a Rubbermaid giveaway to celebrate my blog’s first anniversary.  Well, here it is!

1.  THE PRIZERubbermaid 20pc Easy Find Storage Set + 2 Produce Saver Containers

  • 20-piece food storage set
  • Includes two bonus Produce Savers that keep produce fresh and crisp longer
  • Lids snap to base bottom and each other
  • Bases and lids nest inside each other
  • One lid fits multiple bases
  • Microwave, freezer and dishwasher-safe


2.  SWEEPSTAKES ENTRY INSTRUCTIONS

Twitter

  1. Follow @dallisonlee
  2. Tweet:  “I just entered the “I love Rubbermaid!” contest.  To enter, follow @dallisonlee & RT.”
  3. Leave a comment on this post with your Twitter name


…OR…


Organize to Revitalize! Blog

  1. Subscribe to my blog via RSS feed or e-mail See upper right side of this page
  2. Leave a comment on this post telling me why you love Rubbermaid AND include your favorite Rubbermaid food storage container


3.  SWEEPSTAKES RULES, DETAILS, & DEADLINE

  • Contest begins today (9.28.09) and ends on October 9, 2009 @ 8 pm EST
  • Follow entry instructions as indicated for your entry to be valid
  • Only one winner will be chosen (via Twitter)
  • Prize will be shipped to a United States address only
  • You must confirm your acceptance of the prize once contacted


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New Guest Blogger Joining OTR!

On September 25, 2009, in General, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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There’s a new kid, er, Mommy Blogger, in town.  Linden Coyne will be sharing some of her successes and struggles with organization on Organize to Revitalize, so please give her a big welcome.  Here’s a little bit about Linden in her own words…

Organized has never been a word that describes me, organizationally challenged fits much better. But with three kids in diapers and a business to run, I’ve found that being unorganized is no longer option.

My husband, Frank, and I started our junk removal company, Junk in the Trunk Removal Services, in 2003 and the journey has been wonderful, but all-consuming. Our three kids–Nola (3) Rocco (1) and Ozzie (3 months) — are everything we could have hoped for: cute, fun, curious, and determined. My biggest challenge is balancing the needs of these little forces of nature with those of my business (not to mention my needs and those of my marriage).

As I organize my time, space, and thoughts, I’d like to share my systems and ideas through this blog. I hope you’ll stay tuned through my successes (and maybe some failures) as I push myself toward organizing my life to become a better mom and CEO.

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Fact Friday Quote: Decide & Stick To It

On September 25, 2009, in Decision Making, Fact Friday, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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“With closed storage, the temptation is to just throw stuff in. Decide what you will use the space for and stick to it.” ~ ~Peter Walsh, organizing expert and author [Family Circle Magazine · "Best in Show" · Page 35 · Sarah Stebbins · October 17, 2009]

















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*Organize to Revitalize is an Amazon.com affiliate
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Quick Tip: Unplug

On September 23, 2009, in Efficiency, Productivity, Quick Tip, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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**December 2010 Update: I have since moved on to an iPhone AND I’ve unplugged for the greater part of a weekend. Aren’t you proud of me? ;)

A funny thing happened  last week.  Actually, it wasn’t exactly funny as much as it was annoying.  I got mad at my BlackBerry. The source of all my information, the one gadget that I don’t think I could live without was annoying me. It kept buzzing and blinking and just making a ton of noise.

It was so annoying that I turned it off…sort of.  I put it on quiet mode…no ringing, no buzzing every 5 seconds, every time I got a text or an email.  It was silenced…not a peep…nothing, nada, zilch, zippo. It was great! I didn’t think I would feel so relieved.

Plug

It’s not that my Blackberry doesn’t ever make noise. It does all the time. It’s just that on this particular day, it bugged me so much that I could have run over it with my car.  Instead of being helpful, it was intrusive and interrupted the very important business of writing a blog post.

I couldn’t hear myself think…actually, I couldn’t think.  It was messing up my writing mojo.  I kept picking it up to see what else I had to add to my “to do” list.  It made the whole process of writing tedious and I wasn’t being productive.  So, I pulled the plug for 3 hours and it was fabulous!

Alright, so this isn’t new news, right? When you’re working on an important project, you need to focus and not answer the phone and check email…or fiddle with your BlackBerry.  We know this, but we just don’t do it.  Well, friends, we should.  One organizer I know, Monica Ricci, suggests that we unplug for a weekend.  Three hours I can do.  Three days, not so much…but I might give it try.

What say you?


Can you unplug for 3+ hours?

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Photo Credit: Google Images

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Busy Dad Tips: How to Stay on Top of Things

On September 21, 2009, in Busy People, Quick Tip, Time Management, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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Who says that only moms know how to run a household and stay organized?  Well, actually, no one said that but it’s a nice segue to the fact that I recently met up with busy dad and Twitter friend, “Mr. Fresh.” He gave some insight on how he keeps himself organized.  Take a look…


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Fact Friday: Closets

On September 18, 2009, in Fact Friday, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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My Closet

Image by kian esquire via Flickr


“The closet size is finite…when you acquire new things, you need to remove some old ones.”[The Washington Post · August 15, 2009 · Learn How to Purge Closets Sensibly · KatherineSalant]


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The Entrepreneur’s Toolbox

On September 17, 2009, in Efficiency, Productivity, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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Yesterday, I was the guest blogger on The Home Office Organizer and I shared 8  tools that every entrepreneur should have handy. Here are snippets of two of my favorites, but be sure to check out the entire post to get the other six.

5. Get Lazy. Well, you’re not really getting lazy, you’re just taking a break or two. If you start feeling mentally overwhelmed, it helps to step away from the project for a while to regroup… 

8. Get Perspective. You’ll have good and bad days, so expect a few ups and downs.  Keep it all in stride, and don’t…


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Quick Tip: Sushi or Popcorn?

On September 14, 2009, in Decision Making, Quick Tip, by Deb Lee, Certified Professional Organizer®
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Many types of sushi ready to eat.
Image via Wikipedia

Do you have a favorite food?  Something that you just LOVE to eat?  For me, that’s sushi.  It’s not that I don’t like popcorn. I do, but it doesn’t compare to sushi (eel has my heart).  I just don’t LOVE popcorn.

When we love something, we show that we value it by, in this case, consuming it as often as possible (though with my diet diet, sushi and I have had a distant relationship).  In other cases, we put the things we love in frames, on mantles, on our coffee tables, anywhere we can see, use, and enjoy them.  If it has very high value to us, we tend not to put them under the bed, on the highest shelf in the closet, in the basement…you get the picture.

So, the next time you have to decide whether to keep or get rid of something, ask yourself, “Is this sushi or popcorn?”



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