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Our newsletters are published quarterly in April, August and December.
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Welcome to the Spring edition of the Pea Organizing Services Newsletter! This information will be helpful as you organize your home, office and life. If you have an organizing question that is not answered in this newsletter, please feel free to contact me. Thanks for subscribing and have a peaceful, organized Spring.
Spring Into Organizing Action
Springtime is synonymous with fragrant flowers, blooming trees and longer daylight hours, which means it's a great time to "cleanse" our homes and offices and create a fresh start for the summer season. Keeping organized should be habitual throughout the year, so plan for specific organizing opportunities in your home and office.
This is a great time of year to tackle closets or drawers that are stuffed to the point where you can barely stow away another item. Start with one closet or drawer at a time. Keep a large garbage bag handy to throw away items and create a separate sorting area for items you'll keep. By doing one drawer or area of the closet at a time, you will be able to manage the task at hand without getting overwhelmed. Dedicating 15 minutes a day to organizing and throwing away things you don't need will amount to a full day's work that you spread out over a month. By doing this, you'll not only have a free weekend day to enjoy the beautiful outdoors or spend time relaxing, you'll be able to efficiently manage an otherwise daunting project.
So, open those doors and drawers, roll up your sleeves and get organized. Remember, a drawer a day keeps the clutter away.
Prepare for Your Garage or Yard Sale
Spring is almost here, which means there's no better time to purge items that you no longer need or use. A great incentive to organize and clean up is to plan a garage sale. Set a date now so that you have ample time to sort through the various items collecting dust in your attic, closet and/or garage. And follow these guidelines for a more successful sale:
ADVERTISING/PROMOTION: Use large poster- weight boards and print the information in large, bold font. Also, most local newspapers offer a garage sale advertising package to promote your event a few days preceding it. CHANGE: Be sure to have plenty of small bills on hand. SET UP: Set up everything in your garage the day before so all you have to do is pull it out in the morning. This also prepares you for those early bird shoppers who will flock to your house at the crack of dawn. PRICING: Price items ahead of time. Use peel- and-stick labels or cut up paper and tape it to your items. Price everything the day before. Price items fairly and clearly. Use color coded labels by price ($1, $5, $10) or arrange items together by price. POWER: Provide an electrical source so customers can test any electronic equipment that is for sale. DISPLAY: Setting up a bed or a kitchen table set gives people a chance to really view the item(s). Hang clothes on a rack to make the items easier to view. PARTNER WITH OTHERS: Even if you have a few items, pair up with some other neighbors for a multi- house/family garage sale. REPEAT: Plan on hosting a garage sale annually. This forces you to purge items you haven't used in the past year.
Be sure to eat breakfast, keep snacks on hand and have fun!
Want to have a garage sale without all the work? Call us to manage your garage sale this summer!
Teach Your Children Good Organizing Habits Early
Do you find that soon after you clean and organize an area of the house, it is soon cluttered with toys, games and artwork projects and the mess is still there after the kids have gone to bed? Teach your children good organizing habits early on by providing them with helpful organizing tools. Incorporate "organizing/clean- up" time into the daily play routine by spending the last five minutes of that time putting things away. Show your kids and use encouraging words to put their toys in baskets, artwork in clear storage bins and games in a nearby cabinet. Identify an area where you can store the games, baskets, clear storage bins that are easily accessible for the kids.
Children will enjoy this "clean-up" process and make it a part of their playtime routine, especially if it is positively reinforced with a "good job" and a "thank you." For the five minutes you'll spend with your kids to pick up their things, you'll be instilling great organizing habits and you'll benefit by having more time for yourself and mitigating any stress from looking at a war zone of toys and games.
Remember-organizing is a skill and anyone can learn it. The sooner children learn how to organize their belongings and manage their time; the more successful they can be in school and activities on their own.
Time Management Strategies: Part Four in Our Series on Chronic Disorganization
One of the traits of chronic disorganization can include having a poor sense of time and running late. There are various reasons for tardiness whether it is getting distracted or not allowing enough time to perform a certain task.
To understand time management, you must first understand that we cannot manage time. We can only manage the tasks and daily interruptions. The first step is to write down exactly how much time you have available to do your tasks. We all start out with the same 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The second step is to write down all of the tasks that must get done each day. That's what you must keep as your priority. Finally, leave time for expected and unexpected interruptions in your day.
To manage your time effectively, the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization suggests some of these tips for planning and scheduling. IDENTIFY ONE SPOT that is a safe and handy place to keep your keys and mail. BE REALISTIC about the time allotted for errands. Add a buffer zone of at least 15 minutes to avoid getting overscheduled or feeling pressured. AVOID MORNING MADNESS by getting organized the night before. Lay out your clothes and children's clothes, make lunches, and gather your briefcase and other items you need for work. PRIORITIZE your tasks and recognize that you do not have to complete the entire job in one sitting.
Interested in gaining 7 extra weeks this year? Call me at 704-344-0210 and ask how!
Visit the NSGCD website
Pea's Dates to Remember
March 21-25: Clutter Awareness Week
April: Stress Awareness Month and April 18-22 is Organize Your Files Week
May 7: Scrapbook Day
June: Rebuild Your Life Month
Pea's Recommended Services
Treat Yourself!! Just finished organizing your pantry or bills? Remember one of the doctrines we preach is to treat yourself for a job well done. One terrific treat is a massage by Becky A. Helms, Licensed Massage & Bodywork Therapist on East Boulevard. She's certainly helped me after large jobs and she's currently offering POS clients $15 off her hot stone therapy massage or 90 minute Esalen-style massage. Call her at 704-231- 8558 to treat yourself or get a wonderful gift certificate for a friend.
Pea's Quotes to Ponder
"Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H.L. Hung
"They always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself." - Andy Warhol
"[Spring is] when life's alive in everything." - Christina Rossetti
Pea's Recommended Reading
"Let Go of Clutter" by Harriet Schechter
"Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding: Why You Save & How You Can Stop" by Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D
"Spring Cleaning" by Jeff Campbell
Pea's News and Notes
Kristin White del Rosso, President of Pea Organizing Services, Inc. has been awarded designation as the first Certified Professional Organizer (CPO) in North Carolina and South Carolina by the International Association of Professional Organizers (IAPO). Del Rosso is a Professional Member of IAPO.
Kristin White del Rosso, President of Charlotte-based Pea Organizing Services Inc. was a guest on Good Morning Carolina on WXNC 1060 AM to discuss organizing at home and at the office, and invited listeners to enter her company's Messiest Desk in Charlotte contest to win a free office organizing session. Congratulations to Cindy Douglass of Charlotte who won the contest. Check out our website later this month to see the transformation.
Professional organizers Kristin White del Rosso of Pea Organizing Services, Julie Kourie of The Organizing Pro and Karin Solomonson of SimpleFi have joined to form Charlotte's Elite Organizers, a mastermind group of members of the national Association of Professional Organizers located in the Charlotte area. The group has launched their new Web site at www.ceorganizers.com. In addition to home and office organizing, the group includes specialists in dealing with specific organizational challenges such as Attention Deficit Disorder, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Chronic Disorganization, elderly relocation and children.
Professional organizer Kristin White del Rosso, President of Pea Organizing Services Inc. contributed various ways that women diagnosed with AD/HD can utilize a Palm Pilot in their daily lives to the newly released book "Survival Tips for Women with AD/HD" by Terry Matlen, MSW, ACSW, available through ADD WareHouse.
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