How to Plan a Successful Road Trip

Depending on where you live and what activities you like to do you might be able to take road trips throughout the year.

Road trips can be filled with adventure. It certainly gives you total freedom to come and go as you like.

You might see a beautiful place to stop for your lunch break or you might be in a place that does not offer what you are looking for so you push on.

Whatever your fancy, you’ll want to follow these guidelines for a successful road trip.

Watch this quick video and then read on for Getting It Togethers check list

Checklist for a successful road trip:

  • Find out the goals and wishes of everyone who is going on this road trip. Try to accommodate most of them. For example: Do you want to drive for at least 8 hours a day? Do you want to take your time and only see what you see and not worry about the rest? Do you want to hit every “In and Out” burger place in town?
  • Have a master list of the items you need for your road trip. Surfboard, skis, golf clubs, bike, certain clothing etc
  • Make sure your car is in good condition, oil has been check and spare tire in good working order
  • Take your driver’s license, passport if crossing borders, up to date car insurance and registration, roadside assistance card and maps. Google might not work in every small town.
  • First aid kit
  • A blanket, pillow for those spur of the moment naps or road side stops under a nice tree
  • Spare set of car keys that are not left in the car 🙂
  • A garbage bag for those coffee cups or car snacks
  • GPS
  • A couple of things to entertain the kids. Like maybe a favorite toy, book or movie
  • Portable cooler with water, drinks, snacks and ice packs
  • Hand wipes and TP
  • Motion sickness pills
  • Sunscreen, sunglasses and beach towel
  • Wear comfortable clothing and wrinkle free
  • Your favorite music
  • For safety I suggest you post on social media after your trip not before.
  • For peace of mind, have a friend or neighbour check on your place while you are away.

Most important to keep in mind, this is your vacation time, family time, so make it as stress free and fun as possible. Safe travels.

PS: For those of you who have enjoyed several successful road trips please leave your comments in the box below. Your tips and additions will be helpful to others. Thank You

By |2020-06-07T20:52:33+00:00May 23rd, 2017|Organizer, Time Management, Travel Organization|0 Comments

The Three P’s of Time Management

Do you ever wonder how some people get so much done in a day, a week, a month a year while others seem to always be overwhelmed?

Do you think they have something you don’t?

Like a magic wand or something?

They don’t.

Part of the reason is because of impeccable time management. Part might be because they don’t put as much on their plate and part is definitely because they are organized.

Check out this short video on “The three P’s of Time Management and then read on for more timely tips.

Give these Three P’s to Time Management a try and let me know how you do.

P # 1: Process. This is where I recommend doing a mind dump. Write out everything that you feel you have to do or that your feel needs to be done or that you want to do. I am talking everything. Clear your mind of all the “to do” lists, appointments, responsibilities. Keep writing in no particular order.

Take a good hard look at each item on that to do. Is it really that important? Can it wait? If so, for how long?

Be sure to put dream items on there like going to yoga.

P # 2 Prioritize. So you have your master list of things you feel you have to do, need to do and want to do. Now let’s look at that list and put an A beside the line items that only you and you alone can do. For example, go to your job or breast feed your new born. Attend yoga. Read a report or help a child with homework

Put a B beside the line items that you could do if you really had to however they are items that could be delegated. House cleaning, ironing, laundry. Or they are lower priority items for example social media surfing.

Now put a C beside the items that for sure you can delegate. Items that if they did not get done by you the earth would not stop. Example: make homemade jam or cookies.

P # 3 Picture. Picture your weekly plan sheet filled in with exactly the things on it that you want to do, need to do and have to do. Starting with your highest priority which would include time for you. Picture yourself having great time management. Picture yourself taking time to relax or time for yoga. Picture yourself being on time for all of your appointments.

PS: Book your 15 minute discovery session today to find out your biggest time buster

www.gettingittogethe.ca

604-520-9550

By |2020-06-07T20:52:34+00:00February 16th, 2017|Self Care Organization, Time Management|0 Comments

Organizing your make-up: Find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less

R applying Makeup-5Most of you know I come from a cosmetic background. With well over 3 decades in the business I thought it was time to share a few of my trade secrets. Like most of us, putting on our make-up is a habit. One day rolls into the next and before long we realize we have not cleared out or organized our make-up for some time. This is not a good thing.

Here are a few of my top tips for organizing your make-up. You’ll be able to find what you are looking for in 20 seconds or less and be up to date.

Tip#1 Pump bottles. Whenever possible use cleansers, moisturizers and foundations that come in pump bottles. This saves time. No more opening the containers morning and night. Simply pump out what you need. It is also more sanitary as your fingers are not touching the open caps.

Tip#2 Brushes. One good set of brushes is all a gal needs. My favorite is the MaryKay brush set because it comes in a nice roll –up container. This is especially handy when traveling. Good brush sets will last many years. Wash them once a month in a little shampoo and conditioner. Allow to dry overnight. Toss out all old, used sponge tip applicators and broken brushes.

Tip#3 Colour cosmetics. This includes eye shadows, liners, lipsticks and blush. Dump out your cosmetic bag, drawer or basket. Know your limit. How many items do you really want and need? It is safe to say that 3-4 eye colours will cover your basic needs. Toss the ones you never use and ALL purchasing mistakes. Come on, we all have one or two of those in our bag. The shimmery gold eye colour that you thought you HAD to have. Toss ALL lipsticks you are no longer wearing. The ones with just a little left in the tube, the FREE ones that are not your colour and the outdated ones. Keep your favorite 3-4. Do the same with your liners and blush. The thing is we wear 20% of our make-up 80% of the time.

Tip#4 Storage. Pick one place to store your make-up. Do you like to keep it all in a cosmetic bag, a basket or a drawer? The more places you have to store cosmetics the more likely you will spread to those areas. This is not a good thing. I keep all my items in one small drawer in the bathroom. I also like to have a travel cosmetic bag ready to go at all times. I put all my “almost finished” eye colours, blush and liners in there.

Tip#5 Toss. How many bottles of half used creams, lotions and potions do you have? Do you go onto the new before using up the old? People have the best of intentions of using up those partially used bottles. They don’t. Do yourself an organizing favour and toss them out. OR promise me you will use them up before buying new.

Do you have lots of unopened make-up items, cosmetics or toiletries? Please donate them to your local women’s shelter. They would be happy to receive them.

Keep your “look” up to date with regular consultations. Many cosmetic counters offer this service. So do home based cosmetic companies. Find a consultant who knows your style and one that you trust.

I love organizing cosmetic drawers, bags or baskets. Be sure to contact for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss your make-up needs; your storage concerns and solutions. I’ll even give you the latest make-up trends.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00January 26th, 2015|Organizer|0 Comments

How to Organize a Computer

Can you believe that most people waste 76 hours per year-nearly two weeks’ worth of work, looking for things on their computer or in their office?

Do you have a love hate relationship with your computer?

Do you wish your computer was more organized?

Check out this short video on How to Organize a Computer.

Read on for my simple top 5 tips on how to organize a computer so you do not toss it out the window.

Tip#1: Back up your computer. Can you believe that 30% of people do not back up their files and every 3 seconds someone’s hard drive fails. YIKES! You can get an external drive, or rely on the “cloud”. (It is a virtual backup on a website that uses multiple servers.) Even on a sunny day here in Vancouver would you feel comfortable relying on a cloud? What if the cloud crashes? I still feel that the most important papers in your life need to be backed-up on your computer and you also need a hard copy.

Tip#2: Empty your recycling bin or trash. Have you kept EVERY single solitary email, file, document, etc. that you have ever received on your computer? You could be headed for a crash and burn situation. Just like you take out your paper recycling each week, you need to do the same with your computer. Clean it up. Take 15 minutes each week and delete what you no longer need. Exit out of all programs you are using; don’t just minimize them, then empty the trash.

Tip#3: Organize your desktop. Don’t save unneeded files. It slows your computer down. I’ve seen desktops that have so many files on them you can hardly see the screen. This is clutter to the mind just looking at it. Take a second to put these files in a hard-drive folder like “My Documents” or “My Photos”. Before you move any files, ask yourself  “do I need this information any longer or can I toss it?”

For example you might have thought it was cool to have “Google Earth” on your desktop. How often do you look at it? Is it necessary to keep it?

Tip#4: Re-boot. “Booting up” a computer was so termed because programs load in sequence, the first pulls the rest up by their bootstraps. It’s fine to let a computer “sleep” rather than shut it done, but reboot weekly to really refresh it. I recommend turning your computer off at the end of each day. This will save on electricity which saves on our environment. Reduce your webpage history. Your browser stores visited sites automatically. Set the history to clear every week.

Tip#5: Keep it clean. How often do you wipe down your keyboard, your mouse, your screen? I cannot even imagine the germs that are on and around our computers. We touch them with dirty fingers, we sneeze around them and not to mention crumbs from our morning toast. You can get all kinds of fancy computer cleaning kits. I personally use a Q-tip and microfiber cloth for keyboard and screen and an alcohol wipe for the mouse.

You know there is so much more we can talk about when it comes to our computers, organizing emails, etc. I’ll save those tips for another post. In the meantime please feel free to contact me for your FREE 30 minute reclaim session. We can discuss your burning computer questions, how to organize them, and how to move forward. Contact www.reclaimsession.com to book your time now.

If I cannot answer your questions you might have to join me for lunch with my really smart girlfriend! Lucky for me I can call on my girlfriend to help me out with most computer issues. She is not a computer person by trade, however she is really smart. She is actually a professional photographer. A world class one I might add.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:39+00:00December 29th, 2014|Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

How To Organize Kids Artwork – what to keep and how to store the rest

Kids artworkDo you have the next up and coming Picasso?

Do you wish you could keep every piece of artwork your kids bring home?

Do you keep all the art thinking that your kids will want it when they are grown up?

Human nature is such that we all think pretty much the same on this topic. We feel that every piece of artwork is the BEST piece. We feel that we want to keep all the kids artwork because it would hurt their feelings if they saw it in the recycle bin. We also think they will want it when they are grown up … is this so they can show their own kids? Do you have your artwork from your childhood? What are you doing with it? How many times have you moved it? Is it filled with dust and must?

I do not know about you, but I do not have one piece of artwork from my childhood. I am perfectly okay with that as I see other children’s artwork and know that mine would have looked almost identical. Plus, what would I do with 10 plus year old artwork? I really do not feel any less than by not having my artwork.

I do have a vivid memory of a piece of artwork that I did that won me $5.00. It was of a dragon. It was big and bright and colourful. The memory is all I need.

Take a quick moment to watch this video on How to Organize Kids Artwork:


Then give these simple 5 tips a try on how to organize your kid’s artwork.

Tip#1: Designate one wall or hallway for your kid’s artwork. Hang a long piece of string on that wall that looks like a clothes line but attached to the wall. Hang clothes pins from the string.

Tip#2: Each time your child brings home a piece of artwork hang it from the “clothesline”.

Tip#3: At the end of each week take a photo of your child standing beside his/her artwork. These pictures make really cool screensaver slideshows or a Pinterest board!

Tip#4: At the end of each week take all the art down off the string. Along with your child (or not) decide on ONE piece of art from that week that you will keep. The rest can be recycled, used as wrapping paper for the next Birthday party, made into greeting cards for family and friends, or turned into party invitations. You can even send the artwork off to grandparents or aunts and uncles.

Tip#5: At the end of each month you will have 4 pieces of your children’s finest Picasso. Along with them or by yourself select ONE of your favorite to store in a keepsake box. The other 3 get tossed, or repurposed as mentioned in tip #4. At the end of the year you will have 12 pieces of art. Now it is time to get ruthless again and select ONE piece that will be saved in your child’s memorabilia box or you may choose to frame this one piece or you may choose to put it in a bound book. You can also add the weekly photos that you took to this book or scrapbook. I have seen really cool bound books of kid’s artwork. If you are interested in this please contact me and I will give you the contact information.

I would love to see your children’s artwork. Please send me a picture or two. Also, I would love to hear your comments. Please fill in the box below with your great ideas on organizing your kid’s artwork or any questions you might have.

Have you set up a Pinterest account? If not please feel free to contact me. I’ll give you the highs and lows in a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We will discuss whether you need a Pinterest account. What you can pin and why you might like to have a Pinterest account.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 15th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer|2 Comments

Handy Travel Tips

GolfingBy now you all know how much I love to travel. I love the different types of food, seeing the amazing countryside, architecture and meeting new people. Some trips are pure relaxation like going to Hawaii, golfing, some are more adventurous like skiing in the Alps, and some are road trips for a quick weekend getaway. I never find it challenging getting ready for a trip because of being organized and because of using these handy travel tips.

How would you like to be ready to go on a vacation at the drop of a hat?

Do you work like crazy prior to going on a vacation? How would you like that to be different?

Here are some general rules of thumb. Please let me know what handy travel tips you have and we can add them to the list.

Tip#1: First Aid Kit. Have a first aid kit packed at all times. Upon returning home from a vacation refill your first aid kit before putting it away. You want to be ready at the drop of a hat. Make sure your kit has any specific medications you take, pain meds, sunscreen (even if it is a ski trip you still need it), Band-Aids, cold/flu medication, and essential oils like tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus. Store your first aid kit in your suitcase when not traveling.

Tip#2: Toiletry Bag. This is another bag that you can have ready to go at all times. Again as soon as you get home refill any empty containers before storing your toiletry bag in your suitcase. I highly recommend using travel size shampoo, conditioner, cleaners and face creams. I have seen so many oversized containers of very expensive lotions in the security bins. One ounce is the maximum for carry on. Have a complete collection of make-up prepacked too. I take my half full containers and use these for travel. For example mascara is good for 3 months. After 2 and a half months I put my mascara in my travel make-up bag.

Tip#3: Pack Light. How many times have you arrived at your destination unpacked your case and only worn half of what you packed? Come on be honest! Travel with a colour theme. It might be black and white or it might be brown and orange. You know orange is my favorite colour. Make sure each item goes with at least 3 other items in your case.

Tip#4: Re-useable bags. Leave a few re-useable bags in your suitcase. These bags come in handy for shopping and dirty laundry. I like to leave a few ziplock bags in my case as well. They work wonders for wet swimsuits, any snacks you might take on the road, or dirty shoes.

Tip#5: Be prepared. Well in advance of any vacation make sure your passport is up to date. Check and see if you need any specific shots or visas. Have a house sitter lined up along with a backup plan. Did you know your house/condo insurance may not be valid if you do not have a house sitter or at least have someone checking on your house every other day? Do you have pets? Don’t wait till the last minute to deal with them. Get any foreign currency needed.

Look forward to meeting you on the train station platform!

By |2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00December 1st, 2014|Travel Organization|0 Comments

Downsizing Seniors

Downsizing SeniorsAre you the adult child of an aging senior?

Are your parents still in the family home? Is it time to downsize them?

Are you a senior wanting to downsize?

Seniors are our largest growing demographic. You may be one of them or you may have parents that fit into that category.

My mom is 79. Fortunately she is still able to live in the family home however that does not mean that is the best idea. Some experts have the theory that it is better to downsize while you can still make all of the major decisions and your health is still really good. I would have to agree.

All too often I work with clients who are not capable of downsizing. Their grown children are so busy with their own lives that they are not able to help either.

Check out this short video on downsizing seniors. Plus Getting it Together’s game plan.

1. Have a family meeting to decide when a good time to start downsizing is. My Aunt did this and came up with the age in which she felt was appropriate to move into something smaller. She has given herself a couple of years in which to plan for and execute the move. In the meantime when her grown children are over they work on a certain area of the house. For example, they did cookbooks the other day. This was a funny one because my cousin asked my Aunt which cookbooks she was still using to which my Aunt replied “none, I do not cook anymore”. Lol

Ok so that was easy. All the cookbooks went to the second hand book store.

Next in line were the volumes of encyclopedias. The money people have spent on encyclopedias to realize that now a day’s Google does it all for us. Off to the used book store they went.

2. Decide who will help you or your aging parents with downsizing. Chances are your grown kids have a young family of their own. Their time may be very limited. Is it best to hire a professional organizer to help with the downsizing?

3. Where do you want your items to go? This is always a tricky question. I know of people that again have a family meeting. They get each person to put their name on the back of any items they would like once the downsizing starts and/or when the aging parents pass away. Are there collections that need to be sold? Are there family heirlooms that need to be preserved? Are there other household items that need to be donated or tossed? This is where I come in. I will sell, donate, or toss items for my clients. I think if people know their items are going to a good place they are more likely to part with them.

What items will be needed in the new smaller living space? This might be a tougher question to answer until you see the new smaller living space. Once you do, you will be able to decide what stays and what goes.

4. When should you start downsizing? TODAY! If you have allowed yourself enough time you can break this downsizing project down into bite size pieces. Try not to leave this project to the last minute. Change is hard on most people. Downsizing is one of the biggest changes a person might do in their life. Embrace it.

Would you like a FREE session over the phone? Contact me today to get yours. We can discuss your downsizing situation and come up with some solutions in order for you to move forward right away.

Have you had any experience with downsizing a parent or have you yourself recently downsized? If so please leave some helpful comments in the box below.

 

How To Organize A Wallet

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA What can you tell about a person’s shape, size and condition of their wallet? There are wallets that look like filing cabinets, ones that look like there is nothing in them and then there are some wallets that are held together by an elastic band.

What does your wallet look like?

What does your wallet say about you?

What would happen if your wallet fell on the floor in a coffee shop?

I love what the great money guru Susie Orman says “the thinner the wallet the richer the woman”. Susie feels that if your wallet is thin you have a handle on what is inside of it.

Check out this short video on “how to organize a wallet” and watch your money grow.

Here are Getting It Together’s Top 5 Tips:

Tip#1 Toss. Go through your wallet and discard anything that doesn’t belong. ATM receipts, expired coupons or gift cards, frequent shopper cards for places you no longer shop, old shopping lists, etc. You want your wallet to hold important things like money. You do not want it to look like a filing cabinet. One big wind storm and every piece of paper goes flying. (Did you ever see that on Seinfeld?) If so please leave a comment in the comment box below. 🙂

Tip#2 Photocopy. Take your credit cards, drivers license, medical card, etc and copy the fronts of them, then turn them all over exactly in the same spot and copy the backs.  Usually the back of the card displays the phone number to report lost or stolen cards. If your wallet gets stolen or lost you will know exactly what was in there and will have all of the correct phone numbers handy to call and report them as missing.  Keep these copies in your online files and in your safety deposit box.

Tip#3 Organize. Sort your wallet contents by type: Susie would agree with having all your money facing the same direction. Have your bills starting from smallest to largest. Organize identification, credit cards, medical cards, shopping/membership/gift cards, etc.  Use the sections of your wallet to keep these categories separated so you can find your cards quickly. Since writing cheques is not that common, only carry one cheque with you at any given time.

Tip#4 Condense. Do you have kids? Do you carry ALL of their medical cards with you? No need to. Take a blank business card. Write all the medical numbers on the card. Place it in your wallet. If you have 4 kids, that just saved on space and weight. Store the original medical cards in your files.

Tip#5 Clear out. Once a week take a minute or two to clear out all the unwanted papers and receipts from your wallet. Take the excess change and put it in your piggy bank, laundry money or parking meter money. I keep a small change purse in my car for parking. All that change can really weigh your wallet down.

Black Pouch, Purse - GITWant to be wallet-less? Put the contents of your wallet in my favorite purse organizer. The Pouchee purse organizer. There is a place for your credit cards, money, lipstick, eye glasses and receipts. It makes changing purses fast and easy. Check it out HERE.

Do you have any other tips for keeping your wallet organized? If so, share below!

 

 

 

By |2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00October 20th, 2014|Organizer|4 Comments

How To Slow Down And Savour Your Food

How often do you stand in the kitchen and eat your meals?

How often do you miss a meal? “I’m too busy to eat.”

How often do you get indigestion?

This is all crazy making. The fact that we are too busy, too rushed or maybe to disorganized to eat properly is crazy. Eating is one of the most important things we can do for our bodies next to proper sleep and shelter. Yes it takes time, planning and preparation in order to be prepared for meal time. These ideas take just a little time and a little organization. Your body is worth it. Isn’t it?

Check out this short video on how to slow down and savor your food.

Next time you are getting ready for a meal please try these top Getting it Together’s 5 tips.

Tip#1 Stop. For just a moment and really appreciate what is on your plate. Be grateful for what you are about to eat. (Hopefully it is something really healthy and yummy.)

Tip#2 Breathe. Take a moment and really examine your breath. Are you breathing short shallow breaths or are they long deep ones. If they are short, take a minute and do 3-5 really deep breaths. This will help you to slow down and enjoy your meal.

Tip#3 Chew. Chewing slowly encourages proper digestion. Chewing slowly allows you to really savour the flavours of the food you are eating. If you are a dinner guest chewing slowly shows your host or hostess that you are appreciating the tastes and effort it took them to make the meal.

Tip#4 Sit. Even if you are dinning alone sitting at the table is so very important.

You are important so set a place for yourself. No more eating in the car, eating on the run, eating standing up or worse yet eating in front of the TV. The experts say that sitting down to meals increases your chances of losing weight. (If indeed you need/want to lose weight.)

Tip#5 Set the stage. Get yourself a nice placemat, light the candles, turn on some nice music. Turn OFF the TV. And above all please do not answer the phone unless you are expecting an emergency call.

So often I will call a home and the person claims on the other end of the phone that they are right in the middle of dinner. I have never understood why people answer their phones when they cannot talk. (That is a whole different article). I was in a home the other day and they have a big sign on the fridge: “No phones one hour prior to dinner or during.” What I love about this message is that it was written by the young daughter. Do you think she might have been frustrated by the lack of communication at her family dinner table?

Whether you are dinning with yourself or your whole family these tips are a great way to slow down, connect, savour and enjoy your food and meals.

Give these TIPS a try and let me know some of your most favourite dinning experiences.

By |2020-06-07T20:52:40+00:00September 1st, 2014|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Organizing Family Photos

Organizing family photos does not have to be an arduous task as long as you ask yourself these key questions.

What is your ultimate goal with organizing family photos?

Who would like to inherit all your family photos?

Would you like a family photo album for each family member or just one communal album?

Have you asked your family members if they would like a family photo album or is this something that you think they would like?

Do you make a hard copy or do you put each family member’s photos on a disk?

Do you organize your album by event or chronological?

Please ask yourself these questions and get clear on your outcome before starting the project.

The reason why I am getting you to really analyze these questions is because putting together family photo albums can be tricky. The upside is it can also be loads of fun and very rewarding.

I am going to assume you want to put together a family photo album for each family member. I’ll also assume that your pictures are in hard copy format not digital.

Check out this short video on Organizing Family Photos:

Use these top 5 Getting It Together tips to move forward with organizing family photos.

Let’s say you have 2 children. One we will call Tim and the other Sue.

Tip#1: Take a big white envelope and label it TIM. Take another big white envelope and label it SUE.

Tip#2: Take one small pile, small box or one old photo album. Divide the pictures between each big white envelope. Do not worry about anything else at this point. Just the sorting and dividing of prints between the 2 envelopes. If both children are in one picture you could scan it and put the photo in each envelope.

Tip#3: Take each envelope and do a ruthless purge. Toss any photos that are out of focus. Toss any where the eyes are closed or beat red. Toss any photos in which you have no memory of taking it, do not know where it was taken and or do not know who else is in the photos.

Tip#4: Next take your envelope of pictures and sort them by date or by events. For example you could put all birthday pictures together. Then all Christmas pictures together, etc. I find this to be far more effective than trying to do an album by date.

Tip#5: Put together the album. You may choose to write a little story on each page.

Once you have completed the 2 albums watch with delight as your grown children open them and devour the pages. I am sure they will be thrilled.

Still feeling a little overwhelmed by all the photos in your home. Call me for a FREE 30 minute phone consultation. We can discuss your personal needs. I’ll give you some tips and encouragement to help you move forward with this project.

Did this video and article help you with moving forward? If so, please leave a comment in the comment box below and please share the love by sharing this blog post with your family, friends and social media peeps. Thank you. 🙂

By |2020-06-07T20:52:41+00:00June 9th, 2014|Home Organization, Organizer, Time Management|0 Comments

Title

Go to Top